War Reports from the East Front II: Carnage vs. Redmarkus

[Flaviusx]

Ok, so, basically, she's counting on you not sleeping with Ukrainian chicks here.

[CarnageINC]

Wehrmacht East Front Order of Battle for Operation Odyssey

This is my initial OoB there will probably be more changes in the near future.

I will not be posting a movement map for the first week of combat, I will post following SITREP maps for future weeks.

[Klydon]

All three panzer corps from PG2 coming south. That is gonna hurt. [:D]

[CarnageINC]

Okay, we all saw a very chaotic initial turn for the Wehrmacht for AGN and AGC [:@] . A very good example of over committing in the south and leaving the rest not quite secure for clean up ops. I'm sure this will come back and bite me in the butt at the Dnepr line.

However I think that I did a fair job of overcoming the initial setback in AGC. My motto was to 'keep plowing forward'. My main focus for AGN and AGC is to go forward as far as possible with as little help as possible. A dicey proposition this early in the game. I realize that the beginning of 41 is all about how much land you can grab. This goes on to my strategy for AGS. I'm hoping to blow the whole front wide open, grab Crimea and them try a northern gambit to take Kursk and Tula areas.

Here is the SITREP for June 26th, 1941.

[Klydon]

Somewhat surprised at some of the routes your rail repair guys are taking. I would think you would move one down south since that is going to be your primary theater of operations as well.

[Q-Ball]

I have to say I'm not a big fan of those moves in the South. The Panzer Corps from 2nd Pz should be moving East, not West into the pocket. The pocket will die, don't worry about it. And those guys cutting-off the Romanian border, they are also allowing the Bear to gather forces to the East umolested. Not sure about this.

I think your AGN also points out why you need to clear Riga on turn-1, which is easy enough to do. Now you need a couple Corps to clear it, which should have fallen to hasty attack on Turn 1.

[CarnageINC]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

I have to say I'm not a big fan of those moves in the South. The Panzer Corps from 2nd Pz should be moving East, not West into the pocket. The pocket will die, don't worry about it. And those guys cutting-off the Romanian border, they are also allowing the Bear to gather forces to the East umolested. Not sure about this.

I think your AGN also points out why you need to clear Riga on turn-1, which is easy enough to do. Now you need a couple Corps to clear it, which should have fallen to hasty attack on Turn 1.

Hi Brad, I must agree with what your saying about 2nd Pzr, probably wasn't that greatest of moves. My reasoning was that I didn't think that I have enough inf support from 6th Army to warrant any deep strikes.

As far as going far south I am hoping that it will draw off some of the northern AGS area Soviet forces southward. I really didn't get a good picture of his rear areas so I really don't know what he is doing yet.

AGN has low priority and will get little support. I may have problems clearing Riga out but I guess that was an oversight on my part. I want to get to some of the swampy areas north and I'm hoping that my little 4th Pzr can do the job of deep striking.

I probably am dodeling a bit and should try and push eastward more. [:(]

[CarnageINC]

I'm not one to moan but golly gee....LOL. I have really messed up my first few turns! I really feel that the plan I wanted to implement is not going at all in my favor. Any advise on oversights I may be having will be helpful. I know that from here on out I really need to focus on my objectives, long term and short. I plan on posting a map of those in the next few days.

Here is the current SITREP for the week. I'm at least a week behind schedule in AGN and AGC. The south has been sketchy but i feel that I can over come that area relatively sooner that I expected do to recon showing little or nothing west of 1st Pzr.

[CarnageINC]

SITREP 7-10-41

18th Army is a week behind, same with 4th and 9th Armies. My lack of securing my southern AGC flank has cost me time in wrapping up pockets[:o]. 6th Army will continue forward against heavy resistance. 17th Army will move south to help secure the flanks of the 1st and 2nd Pzr Groups.

Recon shows little to no resistance to the east of 1st and 2nd Panzer Groups so their advance will continue in that direction barring any major Soviet counter moves south.

3rd Panzer Group will have difficulty in driving eastward with no support from 2nd Panzer. This might have been my major down fall in the game. Time will tell if trying something new will pay off or not.

[CarnageINC]

SITREP 7-17-41

This week was a bit better in movement than the previous ones. The southern blitz went very close to what I wanted and expected. I know that my far southern SS Motorized unit will be isolated. Hopefully the move will slow the escape of the Soviet Army groups in there.

[CarnageINC]

Front-line Trace 7-17-41

Here is the front-line trace for the first month. I was looking back in my first game with Red and I'm actually doing better all round. That made me feel better about my opening blunders with the pockets.

I can post the old map if anyone wants to see or compare.

[CarnageINC]

Here is a rough AAR seen from my perspective. I may not have seen or covered everything that needs to be addressed. Any input in this area would be greatly appreciated.

[CarnageINC]

SITREP 7-24-41

The deboggle in the south is slowly being addressed. Red's movement of units in the south has me puzzled. I think that his pulling back in front of 6th and 17th Army is a mistake. For me to reposition armor forces to do any major encirclements would be difficult at best and he would surely notice do to his heavy recon. I will gladly march eastward without fighting for the ground.

In the center my infantry are finally in a position to help me achieve a breakthrough with 3rd PG. As in my initial planning for Operation Odyssey my drive doesn't need to reach Moscow but just to get as deep as possible from here out. In the north I have reached my objective line and will push farther north/eastward.

[KenchiSulla]

The biggest issue I see with a big push south is the predictability of it. I would evacuate southern industries first considering your slow push north and relativily weak push in the center. This might bite you in the ass in 1942.

[CarnageINC]

SITREP 7-31-41

Having been bitten a few time for driving to deep I've been a bit more conservative this week. I don't think my 4th Panzer Group will be able to do much but my objective in the north is not Leningrad but to get as much territory as possible.

The center around Smolensk has broken, I have three options for 3rd Panzer to use. This will depend highly on Reds movements. Even though 3rd Pzr. Grp. is a powerful force I might lack resources to pull off any large scale pocketing.

AGS is starting to stabilize some, I expect the SS mot. div. down south to be cut off again. I probably won't go into the Crimean Pen. because Red expects it. That will mean I need to have a strong blocking force which I'm not sure where it will come from yet. I expect a lot of mobile units to be bottled up in there.

[BletchleyGeek]

I like the way you're massing your infantry armies: that's some shock force. Nonetheless, I'd advise you to detach some divisions, broken down as regiments, to flank security duties. That way you don't lose too much shock power and you tempt Red to attack those "weak" regiments. The latter might create opportunities that wouldn't appear otherwise.

[CarnageINC]

I've looked at this idea of breaking down divisions, I decided that I would use it for encircled units. As far as massing infantry div's I need to start covering captured territory. Only in a few areas will I still mass my inf. div's.

[CarnageINC]

SITREP 8-7-41

Some major reorganization of the front will take place soon. This is more for keeping track of supply lines and command and control.

Objective Line Odyssey will be my primary defensive line for winter. Any additional terrain occupied will be a buffer zone. I will not exceed the extreme northern line near Leningrad more for having a shorter defensive line. I will possibly disband 4th Pzr Grp since it really is too small to do much good. I may relocate the elements to 2nd Pzr Grp to buff up their strength.

The war is not going as smoothly as I had hopped for but Red's giving ground freely has really help my situation out extremely. I do not expect a massive pocket envelopment in the center but I hope it forces Red to pull back in front of my infantry divisions.

The Crimean situation is one I can not ignore. I hate to use 2nd Pzr.Grp.(-) to take the peninsula but I really don't have the forces to block the successfully.

[CarnageINC]

SITREP 8-14-41

Middle of my 'offensive' drive here, not all has been going well but I'm still having fun. Not every German player is a superstar player I guess [:D]. I am still relearning something after every turn so at least I'll be better prepared for my next game after 1.05 comes out.

I'm planning on a new operation, one to force Red out of the center of the map. Operation Hercules is a bit of a stretch and will tax my infantry corps to cover the flanks of my panzer thrusts. The 3rd and 1st Panzer Groups will try, and try is the key word, to link up or at least squeeze Red away from the Dnepr line. I have no delusions that this will end brilliantly but I figure I might as well experiment on deep drives since this game isn't going that deep territory wise.

[CarnageINC]

SITREP 8-21-41

Beginning of Hercules started very well in the north. I'm happy drive so far. I don't think Red will think this turn is the start of a massive encirclement attempt, next turn he will definitely realize it. The southern drive started well, I'm worried about the western side of the drive. I actually hope Red pulls back north with as many units as feasible. The infantry of the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 17th Army will not be able to make very many advancing attacks but they are mostly there for coverage.

I left the Crimean open for now, I don't think Red will venture northward yet. I hope that the Romanian Corps can maneuver south quickly enough. If a major sortie arises I will be able to smash it with the 4th Pzr Grp which will arrive soon.