Return to Smolensk and Beyond, IdahoNY vs Scar

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 43, April 9, 1942

Mud returns and I got a feeling its going to stick around for a while....

Soviets managed to surprise me in thier portion of the previous turn - They managed to break through to the pocket by forcing 9th Pz of the XXXXI PzKps to retreat - and losing about 50 panzers! One Gd Rifle division broke through, and the German counter attack - in the mud - managed to re-close the pocket, but another division was retreated out of the pocket. So a total of two divisions escaped the encirclement. Things will be a bit tougher in 1942....didn't expect a panzer division with about 100 tanks to be forced to retreat.

The mud will put an end to any further attacks of course.

[IdahoNYer]

Despite the mud, 18th Army continues to push both toward Sevastopol and Kerch. 10th Pz gains 40 miles, against no opposition toward Kerch. However, Kerch seems both occupied and fortified and it will take one of the infantry Korps to gain a foothold on the far side of the strait. The infantry korps continue to push toward Sevastopol against realatively weak opposition, but fail to get behind the withdrawing Soviet forces, the mud not helping.

Will probably move I Korps toward the strait, or perhaps LI Korps. Two Korps should be sufficient to batter down Sevastopol's defenses.

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 45; April 23, 1942

Mud continues and the front becomes quiet. Soviets of course continue to dig in. And dig in....

Reinforcements are brought forward, and I bring the bulk of the OKH reserve to the Dniepr Bend to stage for the summer offensive. Still working up a plan for summer...

Panzer Divs begin converting to the '42 TOE, and the last of the Pz I and Pz 35s are withdrawn from service. Marders enter service in limited numbers.

The only offensive activity undertaken is in the Crimea - probably not a good idea in mud. XXXXVI PzKps finds the Kerch strait heavily fortified, and I Korps replaces the PzKps at the Strait. Both LI and XXXVIII Korps attempt to press toward Sevastopol, but are repulsed in two flanking attacks. Its going to be a grinding assault against a very heavily fortified position.

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 48; May 14, 1942 - Clear Weather!!!!

An unexpected clear turn in mid May. Nice. Sadly, not quite prepared to take full advantage of it as I'm still shuffling troops around in preparation of the summer offensive. Plus, with the very good chance of additional mud, not sure I'd want to start a major attack at this point anyway.

So, its time for some "reconnaissance in force".

In front of Moscow, 4th Panzer Armee (2xPzKp, 1IN Korp consisting of 3xPz, 2xMot, 2xIN) had just been pulled out of the line, with 3rd Pz Armee extending north to tie into 9th Army. (This is where I intend to place 18th Army after it takes Sevastopol). 9th Army takes advantage of the clear weather to aggressively probe the Soviet defenses. Initial Soviet lines seem to be held by a single division in level 3 fortifications, with additional troops deployed in depth. The goal here is to penetrate the initial lines, and determine how extensive his second line is held, perhaps committing panzers to penetrate if feasible. All goes well initially, with 3xRifle Divs being pushed back by the initial infantry attacks. I then decide to commit XXXI PzKps (2xPz, Mot Bde) (which was resting behind the lines, building up combat power). The PzKps makes a deliberate attack in clear terrain against a level two fort with 2xRifle Div and the retreated Div. Attack was repulsed with moderate loss. Well, that tells me that he's got a pretty good secondary line. Its going to be a tough slog to take Moscow!!

[IdahoNYer]

The other area which I try and take advantage of the clear weather is in the Crimea. 18th Army conducts a series of deliberate attacks following Luftwaffe bombardments. The initial line of fortifications, ranging from 3 to 1, are taken, and 10th Pz attacks toward to coast to cut off the eastern most Soviet units. Its attack is successful, even in mountain terrain, but does not have the movement points to enter the hex.

Overall, good solid results. Outer defensive line breached, two units surrendered, one routed (to near Krasnodar!) and three Gd Divs isolated, if just for the moment.

Sevastopol, with its level 5 fortification, will be a tough nut to crack. Projecting its fall before the end of June to allow 18th Army, with its complement of heavy guns and pioneers, to be the battering ram to take Moscow in Jul-Aug.

[Da_Huge_D]

Very good AAR. Keep it coming!

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 52; Jun 11, 1942 Clear Weather for a change!

Time to map out the 1942 offensive plans......

Primary objectives at the end of the offensive are to:
1. Encircle major Soviet forces in the south
2. Take Moscow
3. Take Voronezh, Stalino, Rostov

To accomplish this, initial main effort is with AGS, supported by 2nd Pz Armee of AGC. Initial major attacks are toward Voronezh, with the intent of leading the Soviets to believe that this is the percussor to a major flanking attack to envelope Tula. Both 9th Army and 3rd Pz Armee begin battering attacks toward Moscow.

Around 1 July, AGS commits 4th Pz Armee and 1st Pz Armee to attack to encirle the Soviet forces west of Bugochar. As capable, 1st Pz Armee to attack to seize Rostov and isolate Soviet forces in the Stalino area.

As AGS is attacking, 18th Army is railed north from the Crimea to 3rd Pz Armee's area of operation. With its engineers and heavy guns from Sevastopol, it will batter its way towards Moscow.

The problems facing the Germans in 1942 are twofold. First, the German infantry is severely weakened by the blizzard, with many units under 60% and the experience level much lower than in 1941. Second, the Soviets have been busy digging, and digging and digging. Level 3 and level 4 fortifications are the norm to be found in his main line of defenses, with multiple belts of these fortifications in front of Moscow and other heavily defended areas.

Despite a very successful 1941 Campaign, and no major catastrophes in the blizzard, the Soviets have been given the breathing space to recover to the 6 million man mark again. Although we have fair parity (or so) in tanks and artillery, his manpower has added about 2 million men at arms in the past 6 months.

This will be a difficult campaign......

[IdahoNYer]

Forces availble Summer, 1942

[IdahoNYer]

Losses as the summer begins, 1942

Despite these losses, the Soviets can field a massive 6 million man army in the summer of 1942!

[IdahoNYer]

Destroyed units, Jun 42.

As you can see, not alot of Soviet units have been destroyed in the last few turns. Not alot accomplished since the blizzard.......

The destroyed German units are from disbanding units, primarily fortified areas positioned to defend against the Soviet winter offensive, no longer needed.

[IdahoNYer]

With the first clear weather turn in a while, we need to take advantage, but are not quite ready to attack...

On the Moscow front, 9th Army takes a single hex, while 3rd Pz infantry takes three positions, but is held on its fourth attack. All the attacks are against single divisions holding level 4 fortified positions. These take deliberate attacks, with heavy losses to push back the defenders.

What I really don't understand, is that if you have a level 4 fortification, why not maximize the amount of troops in it - 3xdiv - and attempt to hold it, rather than occupy it as a delay position? Not complaining, its just going to get tougher...

[IdahoNYer]

Attacks toward Voronezh also jump off with the good weather. Not a promising start.

Supporting attacks from 2nd Army and 6th Army, although limited, are successfull in pushing back Soviet divisions from heavily fortified positions. The main attack, delivered by 3xPzKps and 1xIN Korps from 2nd Pz Armee, only gains 20 miles on a very narrow corridor. Two attacks to expand the corridor are held. All the attacks were against multiple divisions in level 3 fortifications. Nothing is going to be easy on this attack!

[IdahoNYer]

While 1st Pz Armee remains inactive, 18th Army completes its task to secure the Crimea

LI Korps takes the honors with a single, final attack. The Soviets did not attempt to hold Sevastopol, but instead sacrificed a single Guard Div. My bet is that with the level 5 fort, three divisions would have proven a very tough nut to crack...

Instead, 18th Army begins railing north toward Moscow a few weeks earlier. XXXVIII Korps and the Army HQ board trains and begin the journey north. LI Korps will follow next week. 4th Rum Army assumes responsibility for the defense of the Crimea. It consists of two Rum Corps and a German Korps - totalling three German infantry divisions. My main concern is a Soviet counter attack via amph assault. All the ports are secured by the two Rum Corps. Hopefully that is enough.

Not looking to continue the attack across the Kerch Strait. See no value in that option at the moment - its heavily defended and well fortified. I'd rather use the 18th Army to take Moscow.

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 54; Jun 25, 1942 Clear Weather returns

Turn 53 was back to General Mud assisting the Russians, and no offensive actions were taken. Of course, the mud interlude did provide Scar with a turn to redeploy forces and continued digging....

This turn, both 9th Army and 3rd Pz Armee continued the expensive battering ram attacks toward Moscow. Against level 4 fortifications, stacked with three divisions, losses often exceed 1500 men, and that is IF successful. No panzer blitz attack anywhere here possible. Carpet defense, with each hex of the carpet a level 3 or more likely a level 4 fortification. Not good. Expected, here in front of Moscow, but still not good.

The only bright news is that with the Crimea secured, 18th Army begins assembling behind 3rd Pz Armee and should be ready to attack shortly.

[IdahoNYer]

What was supposedly going to be a quick penetration in order to exploit in "tank country" has turned into a Kursk like slug fest through multiple fortified belts. The carpet defense works very well when each hex of the carpet is heavily fortified!!

2nd Pz Armee is just able to conduct two attacks - the first one is against a level 4 fortification with 3xGd Divisions. This "successful" attack costs over 4500 casualties!! As I said, Kursk like....

But there is little choice here - I figure his fortified "carpet" isn't that deep toward the SE, so I launch 4th Pz Armee through 6th Army and it finds a narrow, one hex wide, penetration. Through this, both PzKps exploit through, only to find more level 3 fortifications - and are now pretty vulnerable. In any case, the next turn will have to be spent reducing the "bypassed" fortifications to give some maneuver room.

This is just too much fortification for the Soviets to be able to accomplish by this point in the war. Yeah, I'm griping. I expected this type of defense in front of Moscow, but not SW of Voronezh. Maybe a single line of forts backed up by a carpet, but not multiple lines of level 3 and 4 fortifications.

Oh, and he's going to start getting Corps shortly. This could go from bad to worse very shortly...

[IdahoNYer]

At the southern end of the line, 17th and 11th Armies move up to make contact with the Soviets who had pulled back a hex. They find a single hex with, like the rest, a level 4 fort, but only occupied by a single Gd Division. Behind a river, but, its probably the best bet I have to get across the river and gain a bridgehead. So I launch two of three PzKps of the 1st Pz Armee, which succeed in penetrating an additional hex for a gain of 20 miles. But behind this "gain", lies more level 3 fortifications!

At this point, I'll give the attacks another few weeks. Part of me want to call off the attacks and transition to the defense for the long haul - this really does "feel" like Kursk 43 instead of Stalingrad 42....

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 55; Jul 2, 1942

Well, things aren't looking up as the calendar turns to Jul.

Attacks toward Moscow continue to make progress, but at what cost!! Successful attacks are costing a minimum of 1700 men to a whopping 5000+

I can't sustain that!!

These level 4 fortifications are brutal! And they are deep - notice the level 5 in Moscow??? Ouch!

Will continue this for a while and see what turns up. I have a number of panzer divisions "standing by" in 3rd Pz Armee ready to exploit any found weakness, but frankly, I don't see that happening. 18th Army enters the line, and brings its heavy guns and fairly fresh divisions into the fray...

[IdahoNYer]

Not any better at the "Main Effort".

This is NOT going well here in 1942.

During the Soviet turn, not only did he encircle the leading Pz spearheads - which I thought possible - but in one of those defending hexes, he managed to ROUT a stack of two 10k+ infantry divisions! I think I had one German division rout during the entire blizzard. As I said, not good!

In any case, 2nd and 4th Pz Armee manage to establish contact and link up, isolating a number of Soviet dug-in formations. My bet is that this ring isn't going to hold - he's just too strong, despite the double stack of panzer divisions.

Also, he's got Corps now, both rifle and tank corps popping up. Not good at all!

[IdahoNYer]

News isn't any brighter in 1st Pz Armee's attack. The lead Pz Div, the 16th, got thrown back in the Soviet turn, but after XXXXVI PzKps is committed, some small additional gains are made. Very costly again however.

Not sure how long I can sustain this type of attack. Sure does look more like Jul 43 than Jul 42....

[Klydon]

Man that doesn't look promising. The Russians have over 5.5 million in losses and they can still do this. It is not like the Germans are in terrible shape either.

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is to try to breach the line in a couple of spots max and put a pile of panzers in to threaten him with a big encirclement once you get the breach made and can "roll" a bit. I think you have to force him to move out of his line in some spots or risk encirclement. If he gets out of his lines, then he won't be so heavily fortified.

The only other option is to turtle yourself and back up a bit to make him come out of those fortifications, but that isn't necessarily a lot of fun at this point.

The other thing is I am not saying he has done anything wrong at this point either with these types of defenses. Which version are you guys playing now? If not 1.04, would it have mattered on the fortifications?