1.04.10 Fulkerson vs KLilly

[JKLilly]

Here's a report from the German side as of September 18, 1941:

I've had good luck with weather. No significant rain till now. So Larry's offer of non-historical weather hasn't hurt me so far. I may benefit when winter hits.

I've completely screwed up my supply by mismanaging my rail repair. So my 2d Pz Group is roasting marshmellows in the Kremlin. Nice for them. Plus, a partasan or somebody emerged from the mountains east of Leningrad and cut my rail line near the Volkhov. I've been trying to strangle Leningrad but the supply problem has slowed my fuel-dependent units to a crawl. Frustrating.

Larry is a careful, conservative player, and he's done a good job of force preservation. My forces are also somewhat preserved. Long term probably not a great strategy, since they'll out-produce me eventually.

In the South, I can't decide what to do--North, South, East?

[sillyflower]

Larry

If I can make a constructive criticism, your defences in your AARs would benefit from more strategic focus.

Forom your postings you seem to have the greatest concentration of forces in the middle of the map ie north of Kiev which is IMHO the least important to the German for the whole summer due to supply issues. T12 shot shows this most starkly.

The 3 key areas to defend are Moscow, Leningrad and the Donbass. I don't put them in any particular order. My personal view is the objectinve you can catch with its factories is the most important. IIRC your opponent has more or less walked into an empty Moscow. Looking at T4 you had done well to slow him at Pskov but you paid too high a price for that. There was nothing left in the right place which should have been between P and L not between the Germans and Talinn.

I don't agree with the theory posted above that Germans have to be past Pskov river by T2 to take L. Infantry are needed to take L and it's how quickly they get up that matters more as the Pz group can't batter down very much by itself at the end of a long supply line.

Trying to hold him as far forward in the South as you did works for a few turns but the results in the destruction of your forces down there as his inf. will kick you to pieces if you stay close enough.

The most important point about Leningrad is to avoid Jerry getting a huge pocket by going round the back: either the long way as here or the shorter route just N of lake Ilmen. I've concluded ( playing both sides) it's pretty much impossible to stop a skilful and determined German so you just have to make him have to do via the front door. That should mean having very few troops lost in the leningrad pocket. You need them to prevent further exploitation SE to Moscow.... provide you haven't lost it already.

Apologies if the above a bit of a brain dump but I can only type with 1.5 fingers and I can't be bothered to rewrite it to improve its coherence.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T14 front lines before any Soviet movement:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the ground losses as of T14:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the OOB: [ some of these screens are for the developers to get a handle on the changes 1.04 has made to the game ]

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Soviet production as of T14:

[JKLilly]

Well, I'm up to turn 15 and thus have read this thread to turn 10.

The key question at this point is when to close up operations for the Winter. If you press too hard, Larry has a lot of force left. I won't come close to 4 million, though I may bag some more around Leningrad.

My big problem continues to be supplies and fuel. Larry tends to be conservative until the Blizzard but last time killed an entire armored corps, which spelled the end to my advance. 1.04 blizzard will be interesting to see.

To Klydon's earlier comment, I had looked at Larry's other AAR, but Larry and I have played several times before, so we already know each other. Neither of us, in my view, sets massive score on winning, though we both try. As for me, I compete all week and am really happy to have this game to come home to.

k

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines before any Soviet movement:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the ground losses as of turn 15:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the OOB so far:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the state of Soviet production as of turn 15:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines in T16 before any Soviet movement.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the OOB:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the ground losses so far:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's how Soviet production is going in T16:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T17 front lines before any Soviet movement:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the ground losses:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the OOB:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Soviet state of production:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T18 front lines before any Soviet movement: