Von Paulus's Winter Holiday: A Stalingrad AAR

[Q-Ball]

Von Beanie and I have halted our game for the latest patch, so while we are waiting, decided to try Trey's Stalingrad scenario.

I was surprised that the initial release didn't include a "Uranus/Saturn" scenario, as it's probably the single east front battle we have read the most about.

Anyway, I'm playing the Germans, let's see how this compares to history...

Opening Turn:
The Soviets, of course, move first. Trey successfully re-created how screwed the Germans were, because the first turn is a disaster!

I assume everyone here knows the maps and terrain of Uranus. 11 Romanian Divisions surrendered (!), resulting in the disintegration of 3rd Romanian Army (now 2 divisions!) east of Stalingrad, and the loss of a Romanian Corps of 4th Panzer Army South of town. 4th Panzer Army, of course, has hardly any Panzers; 29th Mot Div is the ONLY mobile formation, and this "Panzer" army includes 2 Romanian Corps. It's a Panzer Army in name only!

Von Beanie's first turn isolated 6th Army. West of the Don, impossible to break. To the South, though, a lone Mech corps did the cutting, so we were able to re-establish contact, and hopefully get guys out.

Breakout:
We are breaking out of Stalingrad. The Leader is a reasonable guy if you just explain things calmly, and ultimately was totally easygoing about a tactical redeployment.

See the maps; we are desparately attempting to get SOMETHING out.

I could have easily moved 3 Mobile divisions to safety, sacrificing everyone else. Instead, I am attempting to hold a corridor open, and get some infantry out. We'll see if this works.

Along the Don:
The Italian 8th Army line was breached last turn; we counterattacked and re-established, but our line is ridiculously thin. I am clinging to the Don River at parts, because it isn't frozen yet, and is an impenetrable barrier. Once it freezes, we will have to abandon the line, but I expect to be flanked off it sooner. We have NO defenses!!!!!!

I am desparately trying to put a screen in front of the Soviet forces moving South from the Don breach. 3 Divisions are transferred from 2nd Army around Kursk, along with 22nd Panzer. 6th Panzer from Army Group B Reserve is committed. That's about all I have, including the infamous Romanaian Armored Unit, which is present.

Caucausus:
We need to retreat here; our lines are ridiculously thin, with one sector of 18 hexes "covered" by 4 regiments. We are going to withdraw slowly to cover Krasnodar and Voroshilovgrad (get points each turn for this), but I may pull the Panzer Corps sooner, as we may need them up north.

[PeeDeeAitch]

Good luck! I have taken a long look at this scenario and all I have to say is that the Germans really stuck their neck in the noose...

[Mynok]

They stuck their man parts in a blender, you mean.

[karonagames]

Just one word of advice - check the VPs and work out where your VPs are going to come from.

OK 2 words of advice - you have enough rail capacity to pull in rescue forces from far and wide.

[Q-Ball]

Turn 4 Update:

Bob, good advice, though I have been pulling from the periphery day-1, to try to fill that massive hole between 6th Army and the Hungarian 2nd, something like 30-40 hexes with nobody there! I am using all my rail capacity though, and finding I still don't have enough.

I first pulled 3 divisions from 2nd Army, then the Panzer Corps from 1st Panzer Army. There is no need for 1st Panzer to defend in the Caucausus, as they probably can't walk to Rostov as fast as the northern Soviets will get there anyway.

VPs: Not sure if anyone else experienced this, but the VPs are messed-up in the scenario. Initially, the Soviets get Vps for most cities behind GERMAN lines, until the Germans move a unit through them. At that point, there is a population evacuation, and the city flips. Very strange, something wrong there.

I am still playing though like all those points matter, which in the south means covering Krasnodar, and in the North, all the cities in the Donbas region.

To accomplish this, broadly I am doing the following:

1. Bringing 1st Panzer up in stages to form a new front north of Rostov
2. 17th Army will hold temporarily, to cover Krasnodar; when that looks untenable, I will send part of it north of Rostov, the rest to cover the Crimean exits.
3. I need to hold the south bank of the Don a couple more turns to finish extracting the remnants of 6th Army and 4th Panzer. This I am accomplishing
4. Then, it's hold on until turn 17!

SitRep:

You can see below; it's good news/bad news:

The GOOD: We managed to extract most of 6th Army. We have had to repeatedly counterattack south of Stalingrad to keep a 3-hex wide corridor open to get the infantry out. We managed to keep re-establishing contact with the 5 divisions stuck near Stalingrad, but they are finally cut-off this turn, and should all surrender next turn. Still, I'll take 5 divisions lost, since at least 2-3 start the game as completely hopeless for the Germans.

How have others done extracting 6th Army?

The BAD: Massive Soviet forces, though, are still barrelling toward Rostov. We need to hold long enough to bring all my troops over the Don to safety, including 1st Panzer, 6th Army, and 4th Panzer Army. I think we'll make it. I am already each turn railing out troops to help form a new line.

The UGLY: North of Voroshilovgrad, the Don Front has collapsed, the Italians completely falling apart. It's UGLY!!!!!

The Axis just don't have enough units to stop the Soviets, especially for the insanely long frontage they have.