RE: 1.04.36 KLilly vs Fulkerson T7

[larryfulkerson]

Okie dokie, it looks like I can post jpg pictures........maybe we're back in business.

[sillyflower]

I agree with Q Ball. Your losses are remarkably low and your economy in fantastic shape.. With hardly any factory losses or loss of significant manpower factories ( or obstetric units as we call them in England) you will walk all over him.

I've just read this thread for the first time. I can't understand why klilly was so passive. It can only be because he thought he could whop your hindquarters without even trying. He should claim my silliest-ever-wite-mistake crown.

When I've done as well as you as russians I've attacked in the blizzard and then never stopped. Grind the Hun down.

[larryfulkerson]

There were no Axis attacks in turn 20 and this is the front lines before any Soviet movement:

[larryfulkerson]

The forcast is for overall muddy with a 90% chance of muddy later today.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T20 OOB, losses, destroyed units, and production:

[larryfulkerson]

I did about a dozen air base strikes with mixed results:

[larryfulkerson]

I'm adding tank brigades to the 48th Army HQ so I can use it for pursuit and breakouts. Mobility is the word for that Army.

[larryfulkerson]

I think my goal for the winter '41-'42 is Riga. I want to see if I can create a huge salent poking into the heart of the German lines and
maybe breakthrough and grab Riga thereby cutting the Axis into two groups. And then reduce the smallest group to nothing. And then
in winter '42-'43 do it again nearer Tula or Orel or someplace. But first Riga.

[Panama]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

The forcast is for overall muddy with a 90% chance of muddy later today.

The mud in the south is sorely over represented.

[larryfulkerson]

I did some deliberate attacks all up and down the front lines even though most of them were "held" results. The theory is that the Soviets
can afford the losses much better than the Axis can and that attrition will eventually wear down the strength of the Axis army and then I'll
be able to defeat it easier. I'm going to have to lose close to 2Meg men before he will lost close to 75K but that's a start in the right
direction.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the losses from the ground attacks.

[Seminole]

I think my goal for the winter '41-'42 is Riga. I want to see if I can create a huge salent poking into the heart of the German lines and
maybe breakthrough and grab Riga thereby cutting the Axis into two groups.

I think that is a 'bridge too far' for the first winter.  You don't have tank corps yet, which have much better mobility than tank brigades, and you don't have infantry corps to hold the shoulders of the breach.  Also, when I smashed the German lines and made the plunge to Riga and Minsk it was during the summer, when supply wasn't as hampered.  Furthermore, I had already shattered or forced the surrender of over a dozen Axis allied units, which helps stretch the German line as well as having already stymied the Axis '42 summer offensive in the south.  I knew the AI had almost all of his armor south of the Pripyat, and having stopped them after a few weeks and started pushing them back, I knew they were fatigued and battered.

If you create a salient during the first winter in the direction of Riga I would expect the German to pocket it once the spring rains clear.  Until you can build up tank and infantry corps it's pretty hard to stop the Germans from taking a non-urban hex they set their sights on.  Time is on your side, so don't put your head in a noose.

My advice in the first winter would be to focus on deliberate attacks with as many units as possible (meaning 6-9 divisions attacking one hex) in order to obtain victories and foster creation of guards units (as well as increase the morale of your army and lower his).  Seek out and destroy the Axis allied units in particular.  The inability to reconstitute them is a serious drawback for the Axis.  It will eventually force him to break down divisions just to maintain the line.

I did some deliberate attacks all up and down the front lines even though most of them were "held" results. The theory is that the Soviets
can afford the losses much better than the Axis can and that attrition will eventually wear down the strength of the Axis army and then I'll
be able to defeat it easier.

I would avoid the mud attacks unless absolutely essential.  You'll end up losing many of them (making guards status harder to achieve), and build up fatigue and run down supply levels, hampering yourself when the real opportunity for advance arrives in December.
I like to rotate brigades to the front line during the rain and try to refit/rest/resupply the divisions that will be taking part in my next offensive just behind them, off the line and away from attrition. 

[larryfulkerson]

Hey Simenole dude:  I can't argue with any of that good advice.  I've thought about my winter offensive and I'm having second thoughts about Riga as a goal.  It's quite a ways across there and the winter is only....well, less than 10 good turns approx.  And I'm not sure I can make the coast in that many turns now that I think about it again.  Lemme revise my winter goals to be the front-line-wide attacking of opportunity stacks of Germans.  And Allies.  Mostly Allies.  I've read about those attacks by the Soviets whereby the Hungarians and Italians are released early because of the advance of the Soviets to a specific spot too far west for the time it should have happened and I want to avoid that of course.  I probably wouldn't be able to get that far west during the winter of '41-'42 anyway.   

EDIT: We're back in that version of reality where I can't post any pictures or attackments. The front lines haven't changed all that much anyway. Just know that I'm attacking all up and down the front line and not advancing into the hex because the result is "held" and that's just about all that's happening this turn.

[Speedysteve]

Hi Larry,
 
You'll never have the force or mobility to be able to get to Riga in the 41 Winter. At least I highly doubt it! If anything you'd be massively over extended come 42. I would focus on more modest aims in terms of attriting the Axis, building Soviet Experience and obtaining Guards Units status out of them.

[larryfulkerson]

I did some airbase strikes and didn't cause much damage but it's better than nothing at all I guess. We've entered another reality distortion zone but this time I CAN post pictures. So far so good.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Speedy
You'll never have the force or mobility to be able to get to Riga in the 41 Winter. At least I highly doubt it! If anything you'd be massively over extended come 42. I would focus on more modest aims in terms of attriting the Axis, building Soviet Experience and obtaining Guards Units status out of them.

I think so too. I've given it more thought and I've decided you guys are correct and that I may have thought more of my guys than they can deliver this time of the year.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the losses from the ground attacks I did. Better than I had hoped it would turn out.

[larryfulkerson]

I've got 470 AP's because I've been saving up to buy those Cavalry Corps and tank Corps and Rifle Corps when they finally become available. Maybe I should spend some on better leaders or something.

[larryfulkerson]

I thought I'd take this opportunity to move some aircraft production out of Moscow.

EDIT: the Yak-7A, PE-2R, and PE-3 stuff in case you wondered what it was that was moved.

[cpt flam]

you'd better effectively spend some points
if you go past 500, rest is lost no need for that
in december you will have possibility for Cav corps (that's all)