1.04.10 Fulkerson vs KLilly

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines after Soviet movement in T93:

[larryfulkerson]

I've got some more AAR's on my AXIS AI game if you're interested in that sort of thing. I edited the place where I originally posted turns 1 throu 6 so here's 7 through 10:

AAR Turn 7
AAR Turn 8
AAR Turn 9
AAR Turn 10

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a view of the stabilized pocket in T96. I'm thinking of collapsing it back to the better defensible terrain and shrinking my front line to boot. I need more people in other places anyway.

[M60A3TTS]

Shrinking the front may help you, but it will help your enemy more. If Russian numbers can't turn the tide, what will? If anything I'd push units into the Valdai Hills where he shows one unit covering seven hexes to try and stretch the lines further. You might also consider massing your corps and artillery divisions so your firepower can be concentrated in a place you can break through. As they are scattered right now, they will be unable to achieve anything decisive.

[wmcalpine]

Larry,

Just thinking out loud, but if your front line is stretched then so is his. You are tying up some of his forces as well. Perhaps you could slow down reinforcing the area and attack where you have three hexes bearing down on a single defender and rotate rested troops in and bleed him a bit.

Bill

[randallw]

What soft factors toggle are you using?

[Panama]

Force concentration is how to get things done. You have more at one spot than the other guy. The rest of the line only the minimum. Of course in this game the Axis has much better intel than the real Axis did.

[bigbaba]

a longer front can be a disadvantage for axis but he also can build 1-2 schwerpunkte and break the soviet lines. espacialy larrys opponent who is far better in creating breakthroughs and pockets.

its realy hard for you after all this loses larry. hope your manpower, armament and armor factories can recoverso you are able to get more men and firepower on the enemy.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: randallw
What soft factors toggle are you using?

I can use the one you need to see in the screenshots but I'm using "supplies" for all the screenshots so far. Wanna see another one, just lemme know.

[larryfulkerson]

As some of you may already know I'm practicing against the Axis AI and I've been collecting the data into a sortof AAR and have some more turns to add:

AAR Turn 11
AAR Turn 12
AAR Turn 13
AAR Turn 14
AAR Turn 15
AAR Turn 16
AAR Turn 17
AAR Turn 18
AAR Turn 19
AAR Turn 20

[Q-Ball]

I echo those comments; at Turn 96, the big German advances are likely over. You need to secure that area to avoid big pockets, but a big Panzer attack would probably come from the NE of that salient, not over the Dnepr.

Hang on, and try to hold the swamps on the West Bank of the Dnepr. That will become a major problem for him.

Long Lines favor the side with the initiative. Shortly that will be you, so keep them long.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines for turn 100. Not much has changed for the last 20 turns or so. I expect more of the same for about another dozen turns and then we may see an Axis offensive. I'm still collecting Rifle Corps and building Rifle Divisions and increasing the strength of my forces. The air war seems to have slowed remarkably.

[Q-Ball]

I look at that T-100 map and see opportunity. I can't tell how strong your army is vs. his, but that is a mighty long front he is attempting to defend.

Why do you expect an Axis offensive? It looks like he is ceding territory and conceding the strategic intiative already.

Long Lines are a strain on the Red Army, but doubly so for the Germans. I would push in places that make them longer, like towards Orel. Watch your flanks, but I would be pushing in that direction.

A major attack would be doing you a favor, IMO, provided you have strong reserves (unfortunately, it doesn't look like you do though)

Also, earlier you needed more Tanks in action. Have you done the following:

1. Attach 2 Tank Regts and 1 Sapper Regt to every Cav Corps
2. Attach 1 Tank Regt and 2 Sapper to each Tank Corps
3. Attach extra tanks to the Rifle Corps

[hfarrish]

I was going to say the same - aren't the Italians disappearing at some point soon? A strike at that point in the front could break things open pretty quickly.

[M60A3TTS]

Looks like the German motorized and panzertruppen are off-line at the moment. Build those guards rifle corps, put them together with arty divisions where available and hammer away. You can't afford to be in a defensive mindframe at this stage.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
Also, earlier you needed more Tanks in action. Have you done the following:
1. Attach 2 Tank Regts and 1 Sapper Regt to every Cav Corps
2. Attach 1 Tank Regt and 2 Sapper to each Tank Corps
3. Attach extra tanks to the Rifle Corps

I've been buyilng all the rifle divisions I could afford and have run myself out of AP's at the moment but as soon as it's possible I intend to do all three of those really good ideas. Thanks ever so much for really good tips like that. I had been barnstorming about what I could do to beef up the ranks and those are the best three I've heard yet. I'm practicing against the Axis AI when I'm not hard at it in this game and those are ideas I could use there as well. Good timing too. I'm only on turn 41 but have already pushed the Axis back to their starting positions almost. And it's a 'normal' game too. I guess I need to try one of those 'impossible' settings games. Nah. Yeah really, it could be good practice for PBEM games. Nah. I haven't made up my mind yet. I'll let you know.

[larryfulkerson]

KLilly has broken through my lines and has struck out for Stalingrad. I've already evacuated the industries in and around Stalingrad so it's no major loss if he gets it. My earlier losses has left me without a reserve and the only alternative I have to this development is to pull my troops back and form a new line somewhere.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T107 front lines. I'm going to have to pull back and do a turtle in the Sevastapol area to try to save as many people as possible.

[Q-Ball]

Uh-Oh. You have lost all rail connections with the Caucausus.

There is very little the Red Army cannot recover from, but you may not be able to recover from that.

Not sure what the date is on T107, but maybe the weather will save you; if there is any mud coming up, he won't be in supply.

I am unclear how Soviet supply works down there, but I think if he takes Baku, or cuts it off from your forces in the North Caucausus, I think everyone on that side of the map is isolated. But I am not 100% sure on that.

[Theng]

Baku is a permanent supply source