Pride goes before a Fall Blau - 42-45 GC AAR

[Tarhunnas]

So I'm starting a new 42-45 campaign PBEM, now as the Germans. Full FOW, random weather. This time I will write up the AAR as I go along, but I will delay the posts a turn or two so as not to give anything away to enemy intelligence. [;)]

[PeeDeeAitch]

Good luck!  Remember the best way to win is to not lose.

[Tarhunnas]

First turn. I am attempting a rather ambitious encirclement in the south. I am not sure it will hold, but even if it doesn't, It will hopefully leave a lot of Soviet units out on a limb and easy pickings for next turn. I have taken Voroshilovgrad and put a unit next too Rostov to prevent evacuation of the industry. Rostov should fall next turn, or at least be ripe for encirclement.
My first target in the center is to capture Voronezh. But above all, the object is to destroy the Soviet forces west of the Don. My long term campaign objective will remain secret for a couple of turns more...

In the north i have encircled the tip of the Soviet penetration towards Smolensk. I am trying to do a thorough job here to prevent the russkies making trouble for me like I did to the Germans the last time.

Here is a map of the Rzev sector after Germann turn one.

[Tarhunnas]

And here is the area around Voronezh. As you can see, an ambitious encirclement (for 1942 conditions). Hope it holds...

[Tarhunnas]

And here is the southern sector after turn one. Vorozhilovgrad taken and a whole bag of russsians in the sack. But will it hold...? My aim is not only to push the Soviets back but to destroy them!

[CharonJr]

Nope, the encirclement in the second screenshot will not hold and I have doubts about the one in the third screenshot as well

[Tarhunnas]

Right, it didn't hold, the russians managed to squiggle through and open a supply line. But they are still in a precarious situation and I improve my positions, moving the panzers forward and aiming for an even bigger encirclement. In the South, Rostov has been encircled, but I don't have the resources in place to storm it yet. Shot from end of German turn 2.

[Tarhunnas]

To the west of Voronezh I make some smaller pockets. I know there are plenty of Soviet reserves to the north, and I don't want them crashing into my flank, so I establish a solid line to ward off any counterattack from the north...

[Tarhunnas]

BTW I have issued a Fuhrer directive:

1. The first object of the campaign is to destroy the Soviet forces to the West of the Don. Further operations to follow subsequent orders.

2. No Rumanians in the frontline! They only create dangers.

3. No Hungarians in the frontline! They only create dangers.

4. Absolutely no Italians in the frontline! They only create dangers.

5. Allied forces are to be used only for mopping up operations and as garrisons. In garrisons, only numbers count, and a Rumanian can oppress the local population just as well as a German, but in the front, quality counts.

[CapAndGown]

I don't like this use of regiments in 42. This is not 41. Even in 41 regiments can be smacked around, but in 42 you are just asking to get hit by a soviet corps.

Also, the Romanians may stink, but the Hungarians might be OK if used to hold a major river line, such as along the Don. Particularly if they are stacked. You have numerous German infantry regiments holding the front line around Velikiye Luki that are even weaker than the Hungarians.

Also, whats happening with the 11th Army? I take it you smashed Sevastopol on turn 1, yes? So now what happens with 11 Army? That is 6 fresh divisions you can use to reinforce you front! Using the Romanians to garrison the Crimea might be a good use for them.

[2ndACR]

Train them up and they get really good. But you have to babysit them to be sure.

[jjdenver]

I'm glad to see a 42 GC AAR. It will be interesting to watch.

FYI - I could be wrong but I think the industry could rail out of Rostov on turn 1 - just having a unit adjacent shouldn't block it - you have to ZOC the rail line I think - but I could be wrong.

Good luck!

[Klydon]

No rail movement next to enemy units, so the Rostov industry is not going anywhere.

I just happen to fire this scenario up as the Russians vs the German AI and the Russian rail is tough the first turn of the game. They have several cities that are fairly close to the front lines that need to have stuff moved out. This pretty much means there won't be a lot of help coming down for SW and Southern Fronts. Bryansk front has several tank corps, but the tank corps at this stage are not very strong. They are more dangerous to the Axis because they can flip the extra hexes and don't pay the movement penalty of smaller than division units. In comparison to a tank brigade, they motor very well in enemy territory, so the Axis need to watch for that or find his panzers out of supply really fast. This also makes it really hard to make pockets hold.

Something else to note as the Axis is where the Russian shock armies start at. Three are on the western side of the NW Front area of operations and the last one is up on the rail line just below the Svir River where the Finns are at. None are going any place right off the bat with most of their units on static and the Russian AP's being what they are.

[molchomor]

Hi, yes nice to see a 42 AAR. Is this on normal difficulty level btw ? Those lvl3/4 forts that the russians have at start for sure did not do much to slow you down.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: molchomor

Hi, yes nice to see a 42 AAR. Is this on normal difficulty level btw ? Those lvl3/4 forts that the russians have at start for sure did not do much to slow you down.

Thanks for the encouragement! This is PBEM against a human opponent, Full FOW, random weather, normal difficulty. I didn't notice any level 3/4 forts though, except in Rostov, most of those in the front were lvl 1/2.

BTW the random weather has not yet impacted front operations, but an unseasonable rainfall in july ruined the Fuhrers vacation at the Berghof. As a result, some changes have been made to the management of the Reich weather forecasting bureau.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown

I don't like this use of regiments in 42. This is not 41. Even in 41 regiments can be smacked around, but in 42 you are just asking to get hit by a soviet corps.

I agree, I will be have to be very careful, but in some situations there just aren't enough mobile divisions to seal the pockets, so I will have to take some risks. For the turn 2 encirclements I could use the Don to help with flank protection.

ORIGINAL: cap_and_gown
Also, whats happening with the 11th Army? I take it you smashed Sevastopol on turn 1, yes? So now what happens with 11 Army? That is 6 fresh divisions you can use to reinforce you front! Using the Romanians to garrison the Crimea might be a good use for them.

They are presently sitting around Kursk. I haven't decided yet just where I am to fritter them away [;)]. I keep them as a kind of resrve. I do expect trouble in the Voronezh region, as that is the logical place for the Soviets to stir up trouble with the plentiful reserves available around Moscow (at least, that is what I did when playing the Soviets).

[Tarhunnas]

Fuhrer directive number 2

1. Further operations during 1942 will not have the purpose to take geographical
objectives, but rather to deal blows to the enemy forces that will establish
favorable conditions for a continuation of the war in 1943. (=delay the enemy
entry into Berlin, but we will not tell that to the troops).

2. Blocking positions shall be established in the region of Rostov to protect
the southern flank against enemy offensive actions (see map).

3. Blocking positions shall be established in the region of Voronezh to protect
the northern flank against enemy offensive actions.

4. In the area Voronezh-Boguchar and east, mobile operations will take place
with the aim to engage the enemy in a war of maneuver where our superior
mobility will enable us to cut off and destroy enemy forces. Geographical
targets are only to be pursued in so far as a threat to them will force the
enemy to react in a way favorable to our operations.

5. The northern part of the front will only react to destroy enemy attempts at penetration.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 3.

Our giant encirclement holds! Enormous masses of enemy troops are trapped i a giant kessel to the west of the Don! Mopping up opperations by our infantry yield unimaginable hordes of prisoners and piles of enemy captured equipment! Thiis is like te heady days off 1941! Maybe the Soviets are at the end of their ropes after all...?

Start of German turn 3 with pocket to the north of Voroshilovgrad.

[Tarhunnas]

The Soviet positions appear weak. Northwest of Voronezh we have an opportunity for a further pocket, and we take it...

Shot after German turn 3.

[Tarhunnas]

In the south, Soviet resistance crumbles. Audaucious panzer commanders find the way to the east unbarred, except by weak remnants of Soviet formations, that dissolve like the steppe wind when approached. Stalingrad beckons just 6 hexes away from our spearheads. But is this smart? Our plans are forgotten. Following targets of opportunity has resulted in two diverging axes of advance (see map), and there are ominous reports of Soviet reserves assembling north of Boguchar (red circle)...

Strange how you can continue to do something stupid, even though you have a feeling this is not very smart... wonder if they felt the same way at the OKH...? Next turn will tell if we have put our panzer head into a noose.

Map of southern sector after German turn 3.