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

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Pelton

Great job in the air.

I must confess I have no idea what I have done to do well here. I have done nothing special with my air force, indeed, I am not at all an expert on the air side of things. I even went easy on the airfield bombings on turn 1 as I believe it is more important to have some planes available for ground support. I did wreck the aircraft industries in Moscow, that might be making a difference.

ORIGINAL: Pelton

I have totally changed my strategy with the Finns. When I take Leningrad I am not going any further then a few hexes to east 0ne hexes past river and digging in there. They really become a hand cap in late 42 or early 43.

Yes, that seems to be a wise strategy.

[Tarhunnas]

Hehe, more than 20,000 reads! I can take getting beaten in the field, but it sure was depressing when Q-Balls AAR had more readers than mine [;)]

[Tarhunnas]

Production turn 64, filtered to Germany.

[Peltonx]

Yes taking Moscow was a plus for you, it really set back his airforse.

Hopefully you can keep him east of the river until mud of 43 then hold the line until the winter of 43-44.

Pelton

[Empire101]

ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas

Reserves do make a difference sometimes. Here is an example where it seems the reinforcing panzer division turned the tables and the attack ended with gruesome Soviet casualties.

That has changed my mind about the reserve order... well done!!

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Empire101

That has changed my mind about the reserve order... well done!!

I am not so sure. It's a matter of luck. About 50% of my mobile units are on reserve status, so once in a while something is going to go right... But as they are presently holding the second line and doing nothing, they can just as well be in reserve.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 65. September 10 1942.

Some attacks and counterattacks. The Soviets are increasing their probing attacks to more sectors of the front, and are often successful. Counterattacks mostly push them back, but not always.

Below map of Kalinin sector after Axis moves. A shortening of the front has been executed to more defensible lines.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 66. September 18 1942.

The Soviets continue to launch attacks here and there along the front. Most succeed, with them taking on average 1.5 times my losses. I counterattack where opportunities are favorable. Below losses from my turn.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 67. September 24 1942.

Continuing attacks from the Soviet side, a hex here and there. Here is a summary of the attacks. Devs - attention - it would be very nice with totals on the bottom row on these pages of the CR.

[Tarhunnas]

And the losses from my counterattacks.

[Tarhunnas]

As you may have deduced, there is not much interesting to show on the map. This is a numbers game now.

[Peltonx]

I have been tracking the lose ratio and OOB totals in allot of my games and have found that at a 2.6 to 1 ratio in manpower the war of atrition is at a stalemate.

If as the German player your getting anything lower then that your losing the war slowly bleeding to death.

The German army can only get 2.6 to 1 or better if they can pocket Russian units. So during the 42 summer if your not pocketing units, the winter of 42-43 quickly fast forwards to the winter of 43-44. We all know why that happens.

Its very important under the current rule set to destory 100+ arm pts to help handy cap the red army during the 42 summer.

Breakthoughs have to be 3 hexes wide and you will lose allot of tanks, but if you can pocket allot of units during the 42 summer you will have the upper hand the rest of the war.

If your not bagging units during 42 then expect the red army to be in Berlin in late 43 or early 44.

Pelton

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Pelton

If your not bagging units during 42 then expect the red army to be in Berlin in late 43 or early 44.

Are you sure its that bad? Is this opinion based on actual results or extrapolation of what you've seen through the end of 1942?

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 68. Continuing Soviet attacks in selected hexes, and some counterattacks. Here is a map of the sentral sector of the front. Out of 8 retreats caused by Soviet attacks, 3 were due to the 1-1 rule.

[Tarhunnas]

OOB Turn 68.

[Balou]

Your CR says "partisans" and "Gomel", obviously dislodged or something like that. Are actively going after them or happened this by accident (eg unit passing by)?

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Balou

Your CR says "partisans" and "Gomel", obviously dislodged or something like that. Are actively going after them or happened this by accident (eg unit passing by)?

No, I am actively sending rear are units around and going after them. That's pretty much the standard partisan whack a mole.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 69. Same as usual, Soviet attacks here and there and German counterattacks. Showing a map of the Southern part of the front. I am a little apprehensive about next turn. It will be mud, and Q-Ball has proven himself capable of playing the weather, that is, do stuff that would have invited a counterblow, but is safe as he knows next German turn will be mud. I do NOT like non-random weather!

[Tarhunnas]

Here are losses from my turn, mainly from counterattacks. Around 2-1 ratio, not good enough! [:(]

[Balou]

Sorry to bother an overall commander with stats & figures but:
I refer to t67-CR and T67 losses. I compared the the AFV figures from both sources. What strikes me is the great difference in the ability to recover from AFV losses in battle between Ger and Sov.
SOV-CR: 494 losses, permanent: 267, gives you roughly >50% perm losses in AFV
GER-CR: 93 losses, permanent losses: 25, slightly above 25%
Better commanders, better tanks, fort level, what is it that determines tank warfare in 42?
Or shouldn't the Sovs not care because of their overall tank/production figures?