Massive air battles between the Luftwaffe and Red Air Force were fought in and near Moscow, with heavy losses on both sides. Meanwhile, minor ground combat occured while the wait for better weather continues.
Axis/Soviet
266/1252 Squads
27/80 AFVs
221/181 Guns
440/309 Planes
Great patriotic war (real one)
1944. april 22.
Rain
The rainy season ended this week, as the rainclouds cleared and early summer heat dried up everything fast. The Luftwaffe achieved repeated victories over the red air force this spring. The german airman paid a price for that, but german air supriority is clear. The demoralised soviet army await the german warmachine with nearly no hope. No guns, no tanks, no aircrafts! Just bravery that can save us! But how do we fight the endless hordes of german tanks and aircrafts? And they are not only numerous, but simply better. Pray for mother Russia, as the communism seems to be ending shortly anyway...
No losses.
Stavka
Rain
The rainy season ended this week, as the rainclouds cleared and early summer heat dried up everything fast. The Luftwaffe achieved repeated victories over the red air force this spring. The german airman paid a price for that, but german air supriority is clear. The demoralised soviet army await the german warmachine with nearly no hope. No guns, no tanks, no aircrafts! Just bravery that can save us! But how do we fight the endless hordes of german tanks and aircrafts? And they are not only numerous, but simply better. Pray for mother Russia, as the communism seems to be ending shortly anyway...
No losses.
Stavka
The German soldiers and our allies have spent the winter and wet spring preparing for the final offensive to rid the world of Stalin and his threat to the western world, demonstrated by his cowardly surprise attack on Germany. The clearing weather allowed our panzers to clear the rust from their tracks and strike deep into the enemy lines for the first time in the entire war.
However, intelligence reports indicated massive forces, especially tanks, defending the approaches to Moscow, so the attacks focused north rather than northeast to clear the flank from Riga to Smolensk. This will allow the final drive on Moscow to drive due east with less of a threat from the northern flank.
Large air battles with large numbers of Soviet fighters were fought near Moscow, with our new jet fighters proving their worth for the first time against the enemy hordes. The ground attacks were almost uniformly successful, forming a large pocket just west of the Smolensk area, although the enemy forces are not trapped in it yet. Enemy counterattacks are expected, but our forces are ready to repel them.
Axis/Soviet
765/2657 Squads
224/478 AFVs
121/946 Guns
814/1182 Planes
However, intelligence reports indicated massive forces, especially tanks, defending the approaches to Moscow, so the attacks focused north rather than northeast to clear the flank from Riga to Smolensk. This will allow the final drive on Moscow to drive due east with less of a threat from the northern flank.
Large air battles with large numbers of Soviet fighters were fought near Moscow, with our new jet fighters proving their worth for the first time against the enemy hordes. The ground attacks were almost uniformly successful, forming a large pocket just west of the Smolensk area, although the enemy forces are not trapped in it yet. Enemy counterattacks are expected, but our forces are ready to repel them.
Axis/Soviet
765/2657 Squads
224/478 AFVs
121/946 Guns
814/1182 Planes
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
1944. april 29.
Clear
The northern attack surprised our forces us we excepted the germans to take the "nearly" defenceless Moscow. Of course the destruction of the northern forces will give some more time to prepare the pathetic defensive lines before Moscow.
Our counterattacks did defeat 2 german infantry korpses, one of them was shattered. The northern lines are intact again, with some german panzer korpses cut off. All avaiable reserves were commited in the area to destroy the cut off 1st SS panzer korps. Remaining soviet tank forces will think twice before attacking SS panzer's again... They held easily, and shoot our tanks to tiny peaces:(
Luckily at the end of the week rain began to fall. There is nearly no chance that the cut of panzers will get destroyed, but maybe the retreating northern forces will not be destroyed this time.
Losses this week:
Axis/Soviet
1122/503
99/208
960/34
43/0
Stavka
Clear
The northern attack surprised our forces us we excepted the germans to take the "nearly" defenceless Moscow. Of course the destruction of the northern forces will give some more time to prepare the pathetic defensive lines before Moscow.
Our counterattacks did defeat 2 german infantry korpses, one of them was shattered. The northern lines are intact again, with some german panzer korpses cut off. All avaiable reserves were commited in the area to destroy the cut off 1st SS panzer korps. Remaining soviet tank forces will think twice before attacking SS panzer's again... They held easily, and shoot our tanks to tiny peaces:(
Luckily at the end of the week rain began to fall. There is nearly no chance that the cut of panzers will get destroyed, but maybe the retreating northern forces will not be destroyed this time.
Losses this week:
Axis/Soviet
1122/503
99/208
960/34
43/0
Stavka
The spirits of our fighting troops fell along with the rain this week. The Luftwaffe was ordered to airlift as many supplies as possible to the troops cutoff behind enemy lines and reserves pushed through the mud to relieve them. However, the mud maide our attacks nearly futile and the spearheads are exposed to destruction.
Axis/Soviet
193/1090 Squads
121/204 AFVs
143/422 Guns
44/0 Planes
Axis/Soviet
193/1090 Squads
121/204 AFVs
143/422 Guns
44/0 Planes
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
The German forces fighting to rid Europe of the red menace celebrated the return of clear weather and struck hard against the enemy forces bypassed by the panzers. It was the first real victory of the war, with 4-5 Soviet armies destroyed with heavy losses. Enemy airpower has withdrawn, leaving their ground forces without support and demoralized. However, the Red Army managed to get its armor out of the pocket and so tank losses were relatively light.
Axis/Soviet
804/6905 Squads
226/224 AFVs
87/1468 Guns
54/0 Planes
Axis/Soviet
804/6905 Squads
226/224 AFVs
87/1468 Guns
54/0 Planes
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
1944. may 13.
Clear
Our tank armies were given orders for decisive counterattack, and our infantry were given commands to hold the line. But demoralised soviet troops disobeyed the orders. Infantry and tanks run awy from the front disorganized... Now the german flank is secure for an attack against Moscow...
No losses this week
Stavka
Clear
Our tank armies were given orders for decisive counterattack, and our infantry were given commands to hold the line. But demoralised soviet troops disobeyed the orders. Infantry and tanks run awy from the front disorganized... Now the german flank is secure for an attack against Moscow...
No losses this week
Stavka
Our troops were caught by surprise by another week of rain, with many falling ill due to poor delivery of supplies and the constant wetness. However, the nearness of the end for the hated enemy keeps many of the men going, and they use the poor weather to advance the railheads toward the new front lines. Meanwhile, heated arguments are occuring among the generals as to what strategy to follow in reaching Moscow as early as possible.
Axis/Soviet
0/523 Squads
0/123 AFVs
56/166 Guns
52/0 Planes
Axis/Soviet
0/523 Squads
0/123 AFVs
56/166 Guns
52/0 Planes
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
Rain continues to fall, lowering the morale of our powerful German army. The soldiers wish to strike and finish the campaign in one swift battle, but the mud makes moving supplies, let along trucks and tanks, nearly impossible.
Axis/Soviet
0/443 Squads
0/137 AFVs
87/209 Guns
123/0 Planes
Axis/Soviet
0/443 Squads
0/137 AFVs
87/209 Guns
123/0 Planes
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
1944. 06. 03.
Doom closes in: at the end of the week rain stopped.
The soviet soliders hear the sound of the thousands of german warmaschine engines, and trembles in fear...
The officer's try to raise the moral by telling soliders about tank armies in the back with new tanks, and the red air force having over 7000 high experience fighters ready to exploit any german mistake. But to tell the truth no soviet solider believes this, and they desert at the first opportunity. The civils are fleeing from Moscow and Lenningrad...
Workers of the world, help the workers paradise! German workers blow up the factories which produce the tanks and planes killing our women and children!
No losses this week.
Stavka
Doom closes in: at the end of the week rain stopped.
The soviet soliders hear the sound of the thousands of german warmaschine engines, and trembles in fear...
The officer's try to raise the moral by telling soliders about tank armies in the back with new tanks, and the red air force having over 7000 high experience fighters ready to exploit any german mistake. But to tell the truth no soviet solider believes this, and they desert at the first opportunity. The civils are fleeing from Moscow and Lenningrad...
Workers of the world, help the workers paradise! German workers blow up the factories which produce the tanks and planes killing our women and children!
No losses this week.
Stavka
Taking advantage of the complete, but temporary, lack of enemy airpower at the front lines, our bombers were switched back to hitting ground targets, especially along the northern front. Enemy losses were heavy, although at a fairly high cost in planes lost. Then the panzers struck, driving 60-80 miles deep straight toward Leningrad.
Our secret allies the Finns, who have stayed neutral to this point in the war, have promised to join the fighting if our forces can reach the outskirts of that great bastion of bolshevism. They took back the lands seized from them by the hated Stalin in the Winter War, as the Soviets have stripped the front of most of its defensive forces in the area. Our men just pray for the good weather to continue so that this offensive can continue until Stalin is captured and put on trial for war crimes against Germany.
Axis/Soviet Losses
504/2359 Squads
92/267 AFVs
163/1022 Guns
128/0 Planes
Our secret allies the Finns, who have stayed neutral to this point in the war, have promised to join the fighting if our forces can reach the outskirts of that great bastion of bolshevism. They took back the lands seized from them by the hated Stalin in the Winter War, as the Soviets have stripped the front of most of its defensive forces in the area. Our men just pray for the good weather to continue so that this offensive can continue until Stalin is captured and put on trial for war crimes against Germany.
Axis/Soviet Losses
504/2359 Squads
92/267 AFVs
163/1022 Guns
128/0 Planes
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
1944. june 10.
Clear
Seeing that the enemy masses it's panzer's in the north, and enraged by the german propaganda wanting him before war tribunal the enraged Stalin ordered all soviet armor in the centre area in a mass counterattack.
6 soviet tank armies first forced the backup infatry korps of the 39th panzer korps to retreat, then in a massive tank battle the germans were forced to surrender. Hundreds of panthers were sent to Moscow to make armored bunkers out of them for the inner city fights.
Losses this week:
Axis/Soviet
883/304
661/224
809/44
0/71
Stavka
Clear
Seeing that the enemy masses it's panzer's in the north, and enraged by the german propaganda wanting him before war tribunal the enraged Stalin ordered all soviet armor in the centre area in a mass counterattack.
6 soviet tank armies first forced the backup infatry korps of the 39th panzer korps to retreat, then in a massive tank battle the germans were forced to surrender. Hundreds of panthers were sent to Moscow to make armored bunkers out of them for the inner city fights.
Losses this week:
Axis/Soviet
883/304
661/224
809/44
0/71
Stavka
Our eager armed forces, enraged by the destruction of yet another panzer korps, struck back at the enemy hordes with everything they had. Massive air battles were fought in the area of Moscow where the Red Air Force deployed in force, with more than a thousand planes destroyed on the ground during the fighting.
An attempt to encircle a Soviet tank army involved in the destruction of our panzers failed, although the enemy tank forces were battered heavily. Also, a couple of armies south of Pskov were destroyed, and an SS korps drove toward Leningrad, breaking the rail line running west from the city. This has left a large enemy pocket around Pskov out of supply, but no troops were left behind to block their retreat.
The next 2 months will determine the fate of the war in the east, our patriotic war for the fatherland.
Axis/Soviet
1305/4992 Squads
406/786 AFVs
344/2387 Guns
1488/2125 Planes
An attempt to encircle a Soviet tank army involved in the destruction of our panzers failed, although the enemy tank forces were battered heavily. Also, a couple of armies south of Pskov were destroyed, and an SS korps drove toward Leningrad, breaking the rail line running west from the city. This has left a large enemy pocket around Pskov out of supply, but no troops were left behind to block their retreat.
The next 2 months will determine the fate of the war in the east, our patriotic war for the fatherland.
Axis/Soviet
1305/4992 Squads
406/786 AFVs
344/2387 Guns
1488/2125 Planes
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
1944. june 17.
Clear
The 1st ss panzer korps had no air cover, so it was bombed hard, and forced to surrender. Dietrich has been captured and sent to Moscow for a fair trial because of his war crimes. The tribunal will start july 1st. It will make it's final fair judgement july 15th... No international lawyers are wanted to defend him. Before the trial NKVD will kindly ask him to tell all his sins.
The remaining few ss soldaten "voluntered" to go before our heroic troops as shields equiped with red army clothes and wood guns. We even gave them some broken down t34's. Off course we did not camouflaged those tanks:) It will be our last fun seeing them killed by their own stuka's.
The northern front is in desperate situation though, and our tank armies retreated in the centre, as they are completely depleted now.
Losses this week:
Axis/Soviet
779/95
838/22
662/10
16/72
Stavka
Clear
The 1st ss panzer korps had no air cover, so it was bombed hard, and forced to surrender. Dietrich has been captured and sent to Moscow for a fair trial because of his war crimes. The tribunal will start july 1st. It will make it's final fair judgement july 15th... No international lawyers are wanted to defend him. Before the trial NKVD will kindly ask him to tell all his sins.
The remaining few ss soldaten "voluntered" to go before our heroic troops as shields equiped with red army clothes and wood guns. We even gave them some broken down t34's. Off course we did not camouflaged those tanks:) It will be our last fun seeing them killed by their own stuka's.
The northern front is in desperate situation though, and our tank armies retreated in the centre, as they are completely depleted now.
Losses this week:
Axis/Soviet
779/95
838/22
662/10
16/72
Stavka
You are right. The red army is pulling out all stops and possibly achieving a draw here. I don't know, but replacing all those tanks will be tough. And here I thought the SS had a good chance of going unspotted from the Soviet recon as nobody was left adjacent to them. I even tested it after sending it off to see and the unit was only spotted once in 10 tries for me 
. Oh well, back to the battle with what is left, and hope for a little luck from the visibility gods if I do this again.
. Oh well, back to the battle with what is left, and hope for a little luck from the visibility gods if I do this again. Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
And to throw some salt in the open wound I'm quite covinced the hq commander messed up for the ss panzer korps:) I could only bomb the ss guys with normal bombers and some tu-2's. The masses of ground attackers were out of range. I was quite convienced I would fail... I don't know this for sure as I did the combat on low detail. But with odds of 3 they went to Siberia.
I don't think that 2 panzer korps lost will slow the germans as I'm out of everything. From my experience with the germans in scenario (but with higher production of panthers) I could have lost half of my panzers and still be suprior in armored forces.
I'm afraid that my northern front is doomed. It's like my 2 panzer korps lost in our last game in the south: panzer lost but soviet front annihialted= good business...
I don't think that 2 panzer korps lost will slow the germans as I'm out of everything. From my experience with the germans in scenario (but with higher production of panthers) I could have lost half of my panzers and still be suprior in armored forces.
I'm afraid that my northern front is doomed. It's like my 2 panzer korps lost in our last game in the south: panzer lost but soviet front annihialted= good business...
Ouch, that salt hurts! The SS surrendering at 3 to 1 odds. Terrible. But hopefully the Finns will enter the war in the next week or so and add their massive forces to the war on a new front.
Regarding Panzers, with the old verison you had large tank reserves, I think you told me. In this one, I have never built up any Panther reserves, and Tigers are still limited from use in other tank units, so heavy tank losses really hurt now. But we shall see how things go from here.
Regarding Panzers, with the old verison you had large tank reserves, I think you told me. In this one, I have never built up any Panther reserves, and Tigers are still limited from use in other tank units, so heavy tank losses really hurt now. But we shall see how things go from here.
Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi
Semper Fi