Operation Barbershop II (Carnage vs. Redmarkus)

[Klydon]

Excellent and timely response to the German moves. The cav coming out of the Crimea in particular is a great move. 

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Excellent and timely response to the German moves. The cav coming out of the Crimea in particular is a great move. 

I thank you, sir.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 11 - NORTH

Carnage continues to make a slow grinding advance in the north with his infantry. The Panzers, however, appear to have all gone south.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 11 - CENTER

In the center, we continue to build our Moscow defenses. No major breakthroughs this turn.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 11 - SOUTH

In the south, carnage has been forced to react to my cavalry probe from the Crimea. I have pulled the cavalry formations back to safety, but Carnage will now need to allocate troops to block a repeat of this move.

All industry has now been evacuated from the Stalino area and work on the evacuation of Kharkov is well underway.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 12 - FRONT

No major changes this turn. Work continues on the following tasks:

1. Beefing up the key sectors with reserves as they arrive by train.

2. Evacuating industry, primarily in the south, where the enemy appears to have concentrated the bulk of their mobile forces.

3. Building SU attachments - a mix of engineer, artillery, AT and Tank at the moment.

4. Reorganizing the Soviet Air Force with a special focus on upgrading my transports and moving VVS units closer to the front line, as well as adding modern fighters and every available IL2 to the force mix.

5. Making senior appointment changes whenever AP totals permit.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 13 - FRONT

The Axis continue to grind forward in the north and center. In the south, the situation is more threatening and it is now apparent that this is where the main Axis effort is being made.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 13 - NORTH

A series of limited Axis attacks pushes the Soviet line back 1-2 hexes in places, but the line still holds.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 13 - CENTER

The Axis make one major push east from Bryansk and I pull back my front to shorten the line, providing new reserves for both the Moscow and Stalino sectors.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 13 - SW

Showing the pull back toward Kursk. 50% of the Kursk-Kharkov industry has already been evacuated.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 13 - SOUTH

An empty Stalino, stripped of all industry, falls to a bold Axis thrust, but I am able to temporarily pocket one Pz Div. I am urgently moving fresh forces south to try and hold Rostov and Kharkov.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 13 - CRIMEA

A concerted Axis push breaks in to the Crimea - where do they find all the Pz Divs from? I pull back everything I can to my second line of defense.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 15 - FRONT

Not a lot happened on Turn 14, which explains the massive effort by the Axis on Turn 15.

Another double envelopment was attempted but the pincers were arguably too far apart. Whether or not the effort was too ambitious can't be judged until next turn - it depends on whether the Axis forces have the supply and stamina for another pincer move.

Some industry was lost in the center, although the bulk of it had been evacuated. Rostov is cleaned out, Voronezh about 40% and the evacuation of Tula has commenced.

[sillyflower]

How come you can do professional looking graphics when all I can do is cr#p squiggles demonstrating why I was always bottom of the class at art? Very impressive, as your defence has been.

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: sillyflower

How come you can do professional looking graphics when all I can do is cr#p squiggles demonstrating why I was always bottom of the class at art? Very impressive, as your defence has been.

Thanks

I do a lot of graphics work on the job, mainly for software interface mock-ups and conference presentations etc.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 16 - FRONT

Not a huge amount of movement this turn.

Carnage is mopping up the stragglers but I still have stay-behinds in most of the cities he has bypassed, so those should delay much of his infantry for another turn.

A major assault on Sevastopol is underway and I am curious to see whether he continues his southern advance or switches the effort elsewhere. A big Axis drive in the south may create good opportunities for me come the blizzard.

Patched to Beta 1.05.18. I have no idea what effects that will have overall, but as I have read that things such as the Lvov pocket (a-historical c**p, IMO) have not changed, I don't anticipate a tremendous difference.

[Klydon]

To be honest, there is going to be a blood bath in the south in December. Could be a bloodbath everywhere for that matter perhaps.

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

To be honest, there is going to be a blood bath in the south in December. Could be a bloodbath everywhere for that matter perhaps.

Blood. Give me blood! Wuhhawhawhawhawhaw...

[Redmarkus5]

Development of the Operational Situation - Turns 07 to 16.

[Redmarkus5]

TOP SECRET

SUMMARY OF A CURRENT APPRECIATION OF THE MILITARY SITUATION

Prepared by the Red Army Chiefs of Staff for the STAVKA

09 October, 1941

OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION

The enemy has shown improved focus and coordination, effecting aggressive operations in the south to seize the Don-bass and threaten Tula, Voronezh and Rostov. In the north and centre, enemy progress has been much more limited.

LAND FORCES AND OPERATIONS

North

We continue to defend Leningrad with concentric lines of entrenchments in great depth. Novgorod has fallen, but the feared 'right hook' has failed to develop, most likely as a result of all enemy armoured forces being diverted to AGS.

Center

The enemy has seized Vyazma before the arrival of the mud, meaning that a winter push on Moscow is a real possibility. Events in the south must not be allowed to distract us from the strategic imperative of securing the capitol.

South

The enemy has continued to exploit the strategic surprise achieved in this sector with thrusts to the extreme south and into the Crimea. As predicted, he now appears to be at risk of becoming over-extended and he may be vulnerable to a counter-offensive on the flank of his southern salient, even in the event of a breakthrough into the northern Caucasus region. Planning for such an eventuality has commenced, being assigned the temporary code name 'Operation Moon'.

AIR FORCES AND OPERATIONS

Our air force continues to conduct only limited operations, primarily resupply and partisan supply.

NAVAL FORCES AND OPERATIONS

Aside from mine warfare, no naval operations have been conducted during the period.

INDUSTRIAL

The enemy's accelerated southern advance has captured some portions of our industry, but evacuation was already well underway in most cases, the rejuvenation of our productive capacity in the east should be assured.

INTELLIGENCE

We currently have very limited intelligence on enemy intentions and dispositions. Air reconnaissance is not yet effective.

PARTISAN OPERATIONS

Partisan operations have commenced at several points behind AGC, facilitated by the concentration of all available Red Air Force VVS units in the Moscow area.

ENEMY CAPABILITIES AND LIKELY INTENTIONS

Prisoner interrogations indicate that the enemy's armoured forces are suffering from supply shortages and the effects of attrition. However, they will resupply and refit during the Rasputitsa and are likely to be deployed in one of two modes:

A. A pincer movement directed at Moscow.

B. A southern thrust that may either swing north towards Moscow (least likely route) or south to cut off the Kuban (most likely route). A drive on Stalingrad is also possible, but this would almost certainly be suicidal.

PROJECTED SITUATION +4 WEEKS

North

Leningrad and environs will continue to hold.

Center

Moscow will be under severe threat of encirclement (40% probability).

South

The Kuban and northern Caucasus will have fallen (80% probability).

LONG TERM PROJECTIONS +20 WEEKS

Our winter counter offensive will have trapped significant Axis forces in the south, or forced them back to the west of Rostov at a minimum. Smaller gains in the center will have eased the pressure on Moscow.

Signed: Zhukov