Stalin's in the gulag, I'm in charge! II - vs 2ndACR (Axis)

[Mynok]

Surely there can't be any fun being had here? [:-] The game is broken! [:D]

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Turn 44[/center]
[center]16 april 1942[/center]

Nothing really happened on these last turns I skipped. And 2ndACR had meteorological problems. A big storm (hail) sort of destroyed his roof [X(]

I basically keep reorganizing the Red Army. I have to be ready when the summer fascist offensive starts.

Now I have 4 Tank Corps (with support), created on these last turns. I also have the 11 Cavalry Corps (two of them are Guards), which I had created on the first december turn. BUT I had NOT attached any support. Now I am doing that (the Guards got the support on these last turns). I will be creating one Tank Corps per turn (+ their support: 2 Tank Bns + 1 Sapper Rgt).

I will keep only 2 tank brigades per front (attached to Front HQs themselves): reserves, along with one Cavalry and three Rifle Divisions. The rest of the tank brigades will be merged to form Corps.

Some turns ago I had said the front-line armies would be almost full: 2x:24 or so. I changed my mind. If I do that I will not have Rifle divisions to assign to Stavka Reserve Armies: Shock, Guards (only one) and regular. These will be the reserves available if I need to concentrate my forces. Which I will be doing once I know where the fascists will strike. Mwahahaha, the poor things

Sooo, I think 16:24 is fine (aka 8 rifle divisions per army). With some exceptions though, like in Leningrad area. Here I will be strong. I will not take any risk [;)]

As for these reserve armies, some ideas. The Shock (3 armies) and the Guards (one army) will get minimum 5 GUARDS Rifle divisions each. The regular armies might get only 4 Rifle Divisions each. The first Rifle Corps will be created in the Shock and Guards Armies, therefore they will be Guards Corps.

I guess I could attach one Tank and Cavalry Corps to these 3 Shock Armies as well.

As for the myriad of rifle brigades, they will keep digging, preparing defensive lines behind the front, just in case I must pull back. If I see I can more or less contain the fascists I would start merging these brigades to form divisions. My priority is still having fortified places behind the front-line. I simply don't want to be caught pants down, it's an unnecessary risk to take, if you know what I mean! [:D]

[randallw]

Earlier in this thread I stated that cav corps have tanks; unfortunately that's a following TOE and not the Dec 1941 one...so be careful with them early on ( no tanks! ).

[TulliusDetritus]

No problem, Randall [:)] Believe me, they do have tanks. I will be attaching two tank Bns (+ 1 sapper rgt) to these corps (support that is) [8D]

[randallw]

How many Shock Army HQs are there? I believe there should be four, but you mentioned three?

[TulliusDetritus]

Randall, the thing is... I am a history freak (and a moron too [:D]). That Shock army (the 2nd) is attached to Volkhov Front, as per history. During summer I'll be getting another Shock Army (the 5th).

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Turn 47[/center]
[center]7 may 1942[/center]

Well... ROUND 2!


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[Flaviusx]

Of course, historically speaking, the 2. Shock army got destroyed several times over up there, and produced the most infamous Soviet traitor of the war in the process. Just sayin'. This is a bit of history you might not want to repeat too closely.

[TulliusDetritus]

I know about Blasov and his 2nd Shock, Flavio [:)]

Well... Another idea. As I already said, all the Fronts (no exceptions) have reserves (3 Rifle divisions + 1 Cavalry division + 2 Tank brigades). Sooo, if the enemy manages to break my lines, these should be the first units to appear and help to contain the fascists. The second echelon would be the Reserve Armies: Shock, Guards and Regular. And of course the various Cavalry and Tank Corps (attached or not to these armies).

Flavio, if you are reading this. I have just noticed that now I can start forming mechanised brigades and various gun brigades. I was thinking about creating 1 mechanised brigade (to form in autumn [?] Mechanized Corps) every turn and perhaps one of these independent guns brigades. Is that correct or should I wait?

[Flaviusx]

The gun brigades are a waste of APs. Just wait for the divisions. The only artillery brigade worth making is the heavy rocket one, and even then I'd take a pass on it.

I wouldn't bother making mech brigades until September, when they can be immediately flipped over to mech corps. Until then, they just sit around as an ant, and you know my feelings about ants. Nor should you go wild making too many of these even when corps are available -- they require a ton of stuff to support, and the Soviet truck pool is stretched as it is.

If anything, I'm more inclined to push out more cavalry corps nowadays than historical for logistical reasons.

[TulliusDetritus]

Alright, now that Round 2 (who's going to hit the canvas this time?) is about to start, some [so-called] strategic considerations. All my Corps are near Moscow: 7 Tank and 11 Cavalry. All the Tank Corps have support and more than half of the Cavalry Corps too.

[TulliusDetritus]

Well, the bloody enemy Panzers [:@] Where are they, that's the question! They are concentrated in two places:

1) Velikie Luki area
2) Bryansk area

So that's where I have to concentrate my forces

P.S.: there are more panzers scattered, not a real threat given that they are NOT concentrated. Therefore I can ignore them.

[TulliusDetritus]

And then we had the other concentration of Panzers (during the autumn and winter): in the south, south of Stalino. I suspect they will be leaving this area (not in the front-line aymore)... Will they stay in this area or reinforce the panzers in Velikie Luki and Bryansk? Time will tell...

[TulliusDetritus]

Reserve Army in the north, to support the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts: 3rd Army.

The "white" units you see (aka attached to Stavka) are the diggers (dig or die!): defensive lines and strongpoints.

[TulliusDetritus]

The many Reserve Armies near Moscow, ready to be sent to critical places [8D]

Oh, the regular armies have 4 Rifle Divisions each. The Shock and Guards have minimum 5 Guards Rifle Divisions. And yes, all the HQs have PLENTY of support [;)]

[TulliusDetritus]

Reserve Armies behind the Western and Byransk Fronts:

[TulliusDetritus]

And the last of the Reserve Armies in the south: the 43 Army [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

If I counted well there are 12 Reserve Armies [:)] Not to mention the Tank and Cavalry Corps [8D]

Oh, the Red Army vs The Filthy Fascists. The Red Army has now 7.1 million soldiers [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

And the losses after many months of war.

[TulliusDetritus]

Ok, maybe I should not say it (I might be forced to swallow my own words after all [:D]) but... yes...! I am rather confident! I am waiting!

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