1.04.10 Fulkerson vs Pelton

[76mm]

But do you have to keep resizing the image as you paste in the new section of the front, or does it grow automaticallY?

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

But do you have to keep resizing the image as you paste in the new section of the front, or does it grow automaticallY?

In Paint you have to change the picture attributes first to get a suitably high picture. Then you can just paste in the pieces. I usually make the picture larger than I need, then crop it to remove any white areas or places where the shots don't match up. It might be easier in other graphics programmes.

I find it convenient to fire up two instances of paint, then use one for the big map in progress, and the other one to cut just the map part from the different screenshots.

I would like to see a "shot of all map at this zoom level" function in WITE, but I guess that would be hard to implement.

[larryfulkerson]

Pelton has done it again. Here's the T45 front lines before any Soviet movement, and you can see the magnificant pocket Pelton has
made in the south region. I'm pretty sure I can probably save one or two of those isolated dudes because of the sparse Axis lines but
most of them are toast.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the ground losses so far:

[larryfulkerson]

And here's the OOB:

[larryfulkerson]

And here's the state of Soviet production:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a close up of the pocket Pelton has made:

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Ketza

Be careful Larry he is about to pocket everything from Stalino to Kursk. You have no depth to your defence. You have nothing to lose if you fall back now and leave a few units behind to slow him down.

Just so Ketza doesn't have to say "I told you so" [;)]

Not sure how much recon you have done, but it looks like you should be able to reopen a supply route to your trapped comrades, though he will probably reseal the pocket.

Just a tip: It is useful to have a spaced line of checkerboard behind your main line in high risk areas, preferably of cavalry. They will serve as a damper on any breakthrough, and after any breakthrough remaining cavalry will be in place to slide through ZOC, to reestablish your supply and to cut his. Cavalry is good at that. I guess it is a bit late now though, but next time...

[timmyab]

Ouch!Is that the biggest pocket we've seen on the forum?Must be over 100 divisions.
Shame you didn't heed the warnings last turn and redeploy behind the Oskol river.
I'll say one thing, you're not a quitter!

[Ketza]

I am used to not being listened to I have 3 daughters. 23 15 and 10 [:D]

Larry you did a great job of bouncing back but you have to realize what the Axis army is capable of and plan accordingly. Depth is the key. Be it carpets, layered defensive lines or retreating once you see the pincers of doom approaching to a secondary position.

Great AAR however keep it up!

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Ketza
...you have to realize what the Axis army is capable of and plan accordingly. Depth is the key. Be it carpets, layered defensive lines or retreating once you see the pincers of doom approaching to a secondary position.

See, this is the problem with having 4 games going at the same time in which you're the Soviet player. I really did plan to pull those dudes back and something came up and I forgot to do it and thought maybe I had already done it and had a brain fart and it didn't get done. Never again will I attempt to play more than one game at a time. Oh well, live and learn. This is just a temporary setback and the motherland will just shrug it off and come back stronger than before, eventually. Maybe.

Here's a close up of the moves I did to try to recover. I did un-isolate all those dudes at least for one more turn and maybe with any luck at all I'll be able to save one or more of them. Maybe.

[Pawlock]

Larry, what soft factors do you use most? as Soviet I find the fuel one the most important as it often gives you a visual on gassed up panzers and then you can hopefully prepare a bit for expected thrusts.

[paullus99]

He's got his Panzers out on a limb - it is you that should be moving to isolate him at this point.

[Ketza]

One of the problems you face Larry is he has an idea what your going to do.

You need to mix things up a bit differently.

If he is going to hang weak PZ regiments out to dry like that rail up and hasty attack them and Isolate them if you can. Use your guys to flip as many hexes back as you can especially on the outer edges of the pocket. Spread out the guys in the pocket. These are things that drive Axis players nuts.

[Klydon]

Not sure of the time frame of the game at this point, but this is where Russian tank corps can shine. The Axis are simply not used to their movement abilities compared to cav and tank brigades. The tank corps suck in combat, make no mistake about that, but for semi deep penetrations and to reconnect pockets, they can give the Axis fits if they are not ready for it and according to what Pelton has said, he has never gotten this far in a game before, so it will be something he has not seen before. Tank corps are very handy for breaking pockets and flipping a lot more territory you would think, but don't fight with them for awhile. 

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Pawlock
Larry, what soft factors do you use most? as Soviet I find the fuel one the most important as it often gives you a visual on gassed up
panzers and then you can hopefully prepare a bit for expected thrusts.

Um.......I usually have soft_factors="supplies" showing but it's fuel that the Axis is worrying about the most right now so I should probably
switch it to "fuel" instead. Thanks.

And T46 is April 30, 1942. Spring and time for falling back some more as the Axis gets back into push mode.

Here is the T46 pocket before any Soviet moves yet:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what the pocket looks like after the Soviet movement:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what the pocket looks like in turn 47 before any Soviet movement:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the pocket after the Soviet stuff is moved. I think maybe I'm going to loose a bunch of troops.

I'm going to just admit it out loud you guys: I'm loosing interest in this game. Pelton is wiping the floor with me and it's obvious that we're
not evenly matched. I've got a lot more to learn in how to handle the Russians in the early game and I suspect that now that 1/3 of my
forces are done for that it's not going to get any better. Summer '42 hasn't even gotten properly started yet and I have 402 AP's and
that will buy only about 40 divisions........not nearly enough to re-build the front lines.

Somebody say something that will convince me to keep going.

[Kronolog]

Perhaps you could transfer some of your units that are opposing the Finns in the far north? You seem to have quite a lot of stuff there, perhaps more than what is really needed. Although I guess that alone won't make up for the losses incurred through that big pocket.