The Anti Bolshevik Crusade - Tarhunnas vs Q-Ball (no Q-Ball please)

[Tarhunnas]

The Finns are conducting their own winter offensive. The purpose here is not to gain ground, there is nothing worth capturing for hundreds of miles, but rather to attract Soviet reinforcements to ease the pressure on other parts of the front.

[Tarhunnas]

At Moscow, I am undecided what to do. My lines are not terribly strong. I contemplate pulling back to behind the blue line. That would spare me the wrath of one turn of Soviet winter offensive, since he shouldn't be able to launch deliberate attacks. It will also put the main line within easy strike distance for counterattacks by the panzer reserves in Moscow. OTOH that would mean I will abandon my frontline fortifications, but they are not terribly strong. It could also mean that I will have a hard time to stop the Soviet juggernaut.

I do not have any hurry to do the rest of my turn, it is saturday, and Q-Ball is probably sleeping for several hours more (not because I know anything about his sleeping habits on saturday mornings but because he is in another time zone). Advice and opinions invited! Stand fast order or not? Meanwhile I'll go mow the grass.

[Tarhunnas]

The same thing in the south. I am seriously contemplating moving back to the blue line. Here I have decent fortifications, and it would give up an awful lot of ground, but it would aslo shorten the front by at least 6 hexes.

[Tarhunnas]

The weather looks fine in the pictures, but it's an artists impression. In reality, it is blizzard (I removed the weather graphics for clarity).

[karonagames]

Stand fast order or not?

I am of the opinion that the enemy should pay for every hex he takes from me. Your flanks look reasonably secure.

edit: In the south, a break out from the Crimea could be a major problem - I would have my Mountain boys down there trying to contain the situation.

[Tarhunnas]

I did a withdrawal in front of Moscow. I also abandoned the Ryazan bulge, but that I had planned to do all along.

Some panzer units have reinforced the front in the Orel - Kursk area. I am expecting a major push there.

[Tarhunnas]

In the south, I am planning a phased withdrawal to the line Kharkov - Dnepropetrovsk. There are strong Soviet forces south of Stalino, and staying there risked all kinds of disasters. The line on the Crimean front has ben shored up by German troops and should hold for a while.

The landing at Ochakov has been contained.

[olivier34]

have you put your units behind the front line in reserve mode ? Could this help a bit ? Biganorak is right, the soviets need to pay the price of every hex they take...You could withdraw in some places so that he can expose his flanks to potential counter attacks. When the blizzar ends, the front should not be too short to give good opportunities for a major counter attack. I am glad to be just two three turns behind you in my GC (turn 22), I will learn a lot following your great AAR. Feel free to test out some different stategys along your front ! [;)]

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: olivier34

have you put your units behind the front line in reserve mode ?

That might be an idea, though I am a bit careful with reserve mode, as units in reserve mode can move out of place and can leave gaps if they are part of a second line or linebacker system.

I think reserve mode is best when you have large amounts of units, and it doesn't matter if one of them moves out of place. Unfortunately, that is seldom the case when playing the Germans.

[Klydon]

I agree with pulling back during December especially. The Germans are most vulnerable then and unless they are in strong fortifications (not the case here) they are going to get smashed. If it was January, I would be more tempted to try to hold. While still losing the combat, it could cause a lot of Russian units to go unready I think even tho the "won".

I am on my last clear turn as the Germans, so I don't have too long before I get to face this. Q-Ball has picked up his game as the Russians on this. The landing was a good move I think.

[Sabre21]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

I agree with pulling back during December especially. The Germans are most vulnerable then and unless they are in strong fortifications (not the case here) they are going to get smashed. If it was January, I would be more tempted to try to hold. While still losing the combat, it could cause a lot of Russian units to go unready I think even tho the "won".

I am on my last clear turn as the Germans, so I don't have too long before I get to face this. Q-Ball has picked up his game as the Russians on this. The landing was a good move I think.

In the future amphib operations will be very limited and a landing like that won't be allowed.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Sabre21
In the future amphib operations will be very limited and a landing like that won't be allowed.

We had agreed on using the house rules you posted a while ago (see quote below). This landing was outside the Crimea, but I am not complaining, it was close enough to the Crimea, which is held by the Soviets, so it seems realistic to me. It was my mistake not garrisoning that port, so I will have to live with it.

ORIGINAL: Sabre21

Right now I recommend only using up to 3000 points of amphib per turn limited to operations into the Crimea and Sea of Azov. No amphib allowed outside of the Crimea in the Black Sea area. Transport is limited to also 3000 men per turn but may transport to any friendly port. Depending on size of the division, you should get 2 to 3 divisions.

Pavel may adjust this so that the overall total may end up being only 3000 to 4000 points for both types of operation combined with a decrease in shipping over time. So if you use it up in amhphib, you won't have any in transport and vice versa. I think the latter is the proper way to go but for now the above restrictions should apply.

[Tarhunnas]

Summing up the first turn of blizzard. This is the casualty screen at the start of my turn. I don't really trust these numbers, and I am not sure what they show, but my current guess is that they include attrition. Whatever, 100k losses doesn't seem too bad.

[Tarhunnas]

Many attacks and a lot of retreats, but no real disasters. The only surrounded unit is the infantry division defending Belgorod, but I have all the mountain boys nearby, so relieving that unit should be a breeze.

[Tarhunnas]

In the south, the Soviets on the Crimea front are not attacking the Dnepr line, but instead attack northeast. That is fine, as that is the area where we planned to withdraw anyway.

Shown is Hero Unit of the Week, the Rumanian 1st Armored Division, who singlehandedly and unfortified stopped a Soviet (admittedly hasty) attack cold and inflicted ten times the casualties recieved!

[Scook_99]

Yes, the casualty numbers include dead, captured and disabled. Most of those losses you see are frostbite cases.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Scook_99

Yes, the casualty numbers include dead, captured and disabled. Most of those losses you see are frostbite cases.

Thanks! I do think that screen could be a lot clearer and easier to interpret.

[Tarhunnas]

In the north, not many attacks. I was well dug in here. The Soviets do succeed in cutting the Moscow - Leningrad railroad, though it cost them. I hadn't expected that they would be able to do that, but as I have a closed circuit, that won't be a problem (yet).

My next rail project will probably be to convert the Rzhev - Torzhok line for added redundancy. I would like to do the Velike Luki line, but that is so long it won't be finished until spring.

Map before German moves.

[olivier34]

"Reserve units that are committed to combat do not move, but they must have the MPs required to be expended in order to commit to the battle"
Having checked the rules, those reserve units won't move. They counter attack so they don't benefit from the fortified level of the hex being attacked (except in urban or city hex).
But it seems that during a blizzar turn they will have a hard time to commit if I understood the rules. Anyway, this is something that need to be used in the game. In my GC, The soviets did hold in some places because of the commitment of reserve units.

[Peltonx]

Looks like going to be a long winter.

Great summer fall for sure.