GC 41 2ndAcr (G) vs Kelblau (S) No Kelblau

[Skacee]

It is still worth to play PBEM under those conditions? Personaly I am loosing interest more and more.

[PeeDeeAitch]

We shall see how things stack up with the new patch that will address some of the concerns here, especially those of replacements and TOE changes that have really hurt 2nd ACR.

[2ndACR]

Yep, they were moving out of the defense down south. Looks like that is my new armor objective. I really don't want to turtle, but I see no other choice. I have 4 Panzer Div with under 80 tanks. I just cannot keep up the attrition.

I know my opponent was not happy when I pulled back to create that buffer zone, but IMO there was not any way for me to reliably defend that front. I put a 10 mile buffer in the north, 20 miles to above Smolensk, south of Smolensk to Gomel was about 80 miles, 50-80 miles from Gomel to Kiev, and about 50 miles all the way from Kiev to the city above Odessa. I honestly think there is nothing wrong with what I did. Any thoughts on that?

[Klydon]

ORIGINAL: 2ndACR

Yep, they were moving out of the defense down south. Looks like that is my new armor objective. I really don't want to turtle, but I see no other choice. I have 4 Panzer Div with under 80 tanks. I just cannot keep up the attrition.

I know my opponent was not happy when I pulled back to create that buffer zone, but IMO there was not any way for me to reliably defend that front. I put a 10 mile buffer in the north, 20 miles to above Smolensk, south of Smolensk to Gomel was about 80 miles, 50-80 miles from Gomel to Kiev, and about 50 miles all the way from Kiev to the city above Odessa. I honestly think there is nothing wrong with what I did. Any thoughts on that?

Nope.. has historical basis in that it was proposed by several in the German high command to "take a long step back" in order to prepare for winter. To most generals, they could care less about defending a particular spot if it isn't a good spot to defend. Given a choice, they are going to go find spots that are easier to defend, etc. As we all know, Hitler had other ideas on the subject.

[huskerfan]

ORIGINAL: 2ndACR

Yep, they were moving out of the defense down south. Looks like that is my new armor objective. I really don't want to turtle, but I see no other choice. I have 4 Panzer Div with under 80 tanks. I just cannot keep up the attrition.

I know my opponent was not happy when I pulled back to create that buffer zone, but IMO there was not any way for me to reliably defend that front. I put a 10 mile buffer in the north, 20 miles to above Smolensk, south of Smolensk to Gomel was about 80 miles, 50-80 miles from Gomel to Kiev, and about 50 miles all the way from Kiev to the city above Odessa. I honestly think there is nothing wrong with what I did. Any thoughts on that?

I agree. There's absolutely nothing wrong with what you did. You did what you had to do in occupying a more defensible position. As far as making your opponent happy...that's not your job. [:D]

[2ndACR]

Turn 58

I have shifted 2 Panzer Corp to meet his southern advance. He tried an attack on a Hungarian Mountain Brigade occupying a city and got creamed. He also tried an attack on a Hungarian Corp and got creamed there too.

It looks like he might actually be trying a general offensive. He has advanced his line 10 miles all across the Center area. I have pulled back some troops to move north as a backstop.

Two Hun Corp have begun digging forts in front of Kiev. Most of my level 4 have downgraded to level 2 and 3.

Here is his southern advance.

[2ndACR]

Turn 58

And here is why I cannot continue my offensive operations. This is 3 attacks worth of Casualties. It is shredding me armor corp.

[2ndACR]

I have lost 1300 tanks in 7 turns for exactly 11 hexes spread across my front. Not worth it at all.

[Flaviusx]

He is committing his green tank corps to the advance. Smack those. They will be no match for your panzers out in the open. Like that one south of Kirovograd. Don't let them win any battles. Pound on them, rout them, and send them packing. Don't let him train those up. Don't worry about surrenders, just knock the Soviet back. Cut off retreat routes where possible to insure routs.

This is where the Soviet is weak, transitioning into an offensive pattern out in the open with a poorly trained Red Army, lacking rifle corps and artillery divisions, and with his own mobile force only just getting their feet wet.

[2ndACR]

That is the general plan. Anywhere he comes out to play, I am going to pound him for all it is worth. While I dig in everywhere else.[:(]

[Flaviusx]

Try to get diggers behind your front line. I think digging as far back as Kiev is kind of a waste of time. You want to contrive things such that he absolutely never gets out in the open and any line you retreat from has a fort right behind it.

With regimental breakdowns you can spam forts at an incredible rate. Wish Bob was here, he could explain this better.

Also, enable your fort display. Nobody seems to do this, which is imo a noob mistake.

It's incredibly important for planning operations, especially in a turtle game like this.

[2ndACR]

I will do that next screen shots, the Huns are about 2 hexes behind my front. I am going to reduce my front line in the middle from 3 unit stack to 2 unit stacks to begin the digging in process.

[Flaviusx]

Oh, another thing. You may want to take some of those pioneer attachments you put directly into divisions and put them in HQs. Spread the construction capacity around. Remember that you cannot add more than 1 fort level a turn, and any hex with an excess of construction capacity beyond that is letting diggers go to waste. (Although I can understand wanting to go with 2 stacks up front for other reasons. A single German division by itself, with zero attachments, can practically dig in a fort level by itself a turn up until level 3 or so.)

[2ndACR]

I will do that. I have to keep my line strong right now up front. My infantry is too weak for me to trust right now. LOL

Plus, don't want him to feel to froggy in the middle once he starts to see my armor in the south. Got to have some time.

[Pawsy]

I had a pbem where the Soviet played a forward defence. No way to grind through, its wasteful of manpower anyway. Try allowing him to advance and back hand blow him. He leaves his forts behind. You trade space for manoeuvre.

[2ndACR]

Turn 59

Well, that Tank Corp hurt me pretty bad. LOL That is how weak my panzer div have gotten, but I routed them anyway.

[2ndACR]

Now some turtle pics for everyone.

North Zone 1

I will hold off until I get some more infantry up here before starting deep digging.

[2ndACR]

North Zone 2

Same thing here, limited digging behind the line until more troops get up here.

[2ndACR]

Central Zone

[2ndACR]

South Zone 1

Here I have a defense in depth already pretty well built due to the limited advance.