RE: 1.04.36 KLilly vs Fulkerson T7

[Q-Ball]

There is a very good chance that your figures Larry include YOUR attrition, but not the AXIS attrition. It's inflating your battle casualties.

I think the way losses are reported can be improved. Open the losses right when you open your turn, and it seems to "clear" the attrition losses.

It's tough to see the other guy's attrition losses

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball
There is a very good chance that your figures Larry include YOUR attrition, but not the AXIS attrition. It's inflating your battle casualties.

I think the way losses are reported can be improved. Open the losses right when you open your turn, and it seems to "clear" the attrition losses.

It's tough to see the other guy's attrition losses

Yeah, I thought so too. I wish there was some way to have the losses broken out by type so you could tell at a glance what the attrition losses are. There must be a place where just that thing is done for us. Maybe at the end of the logistical report?

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T51 front lines before any Soviet movement. Notice the close similarity with the T43 front lines. KLilly and I aren't doing
much more than probing each others lines and maybe an air strike or two each turn. We're waiting for the mud season to really clear
away first.

EDIT: I've changed to the 1.05.18 beta version but I have no idea what KLilly is running. I hope that doesn't mess up anybody's data
taking. I'm pretty sure that KLilly went to the 1.05.18beta version too but I really don't remember what he said in his email. Let me
interrogate him again and get back to you.

EDIT 2: Yep, KLilly says he's on the beta too.

[Flapdrol]

If I were you I'd start building a better defensive line with strategic reserves:
- I still see many stacks of 2 and 3 divisions in your front line. Shouldn't you be unstacking your front lines in order to create a deeper line? At this point, the Germans will not be stopped by a three stack, but he will be able to pocket more divisions.
- The divisions to the west of Lake Peipus seem very overextended to me: a simple drive to the northwest point of the lake (just to the east of the HQ) will cut off about 10 units. If he adds more panzers and also cuts north east from there, another 12 units get pocketed.  A tactical retreat to a three hex front above Lake Peipus would be much easier to defend.
- I would start building forts in Leningrad: it seems to be the only strategic objective that is in a reasonable range of a Spring/Summer offensive. Everywhere else you can give ground easily.
- Finally, you seem to have way to much troops above Lake Ladoga. Unless you are planning a spring offensive here, you can withdraw one hex, so you have a three hex front, leave three divisions and withdraw everything else to the main front. You have crippled the Finnish by killing four of their divisions: they are in no shape for an offensive. If they attack in the north simply withdraw...he cannot afford to lengthen the front.

[larryfulkerson]

oops.......double post

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Flapdrol
If I were you I'd start building a better defensive line with strategic reserves:
- I still see many stacks of 2 and 3 divisions in your front line. Shouldn't you be unstacking your front lines in order to create a deeper line? At this point, the Germans will not be stopped by a three stack, but he will be able to pocket more divisions.

Strategic Reserves: I bought a bunch of Rifle Divisions ( about 12 ) for the start of a strategic reserve so in a couple of turns they will be ready to deploy somewhere. Um........the stacks of 2 and 3 divisions........I've got a feeling in the back of my head that says that if I make my front line "crusty" or "brittle" it'll be harder to make the initial first break in the line. I'm thinking that if it's harder to get a breakthrough started I'm better off. But his CV's are climbing and I'm thinking my initial thought is full of crap. I don't think it's possible to prevent a breakthrough and it'd be better to try to mitigate the effects of his offensive thrusting by the use of a carpet defense. Thanks for noticing my follly and applying some verbage to it. I'll change up asap.

ORIGINAL: Flapdrol
- The divisions to the west of Lake Peipus seem very overextended to me: a simple drive to the northwest point of the lake (just to the east of the HQ) will cut off about 10 units. If he adds more panzers and also cuts north east from there, another 12 units get pocketed.  A tactical retreat to a three hex front above Lake Peipus would be much easier to defend.

You're absolutely right. Changes will be made as soon as it's my turn again.

ORIGINAL: Flapdrol
- I would start building forts in Leningrad: it seems to be the only strategic objective that is in a reasonable range of a Spring/Summer offensive. Everywhere else you can give ground easily.

Sounds good to me my friend. I can use some of those guys around Lake Peipus to garrison the Leningrad area really well.

ORIGINAL: Flapdrol
- Finally, you seem to have way to much troops above Lake Ladoga. Unless you are planning a spring offensive here, you can withdraw one hex, so you have a three hex front, leave three divisions and withdraw everything else to the main front. You have crippled the Finnish by killing four of their divisions: they are in no shape for an offensive. If they attack in the north simply withdraw...he cannot afford to lengthen the front.

I had hopes to get around to the north side of Leningrad and destroy the rest of the Finn Divisions but their CV is too high to budge them. And you're correct I could use those troops better somewhere else. There's three Armies up there above Lake Ladoga and none of them is strong enough to do much good there. Changes are called for. Good catch.

[larryfulkerson]

I've started a pull-back in the Lapland area

[larryfulkerson]

I've also started a pull-back in the NorthWest Front. Most of those folks are going to the strategic reserve. I'm planning on having to rail them south to help plug a breakthrough in progress.

[larryfulkerson]

Down near Kiev is where the breakthrough is occuring. I've done some pull-back but his tanks are wading through my troops faster
than they can retreat. You can see the presence of a substantial number of tanks in the horde that are going to Stalino I'm thinking.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the OOB, losses, and production for T53:

[larryfulkerson]

T54 June 25, 1942:
This is the front lines in T54 before any Soviet movement. Note the tremendous breakout in the South. KLilly has found my weak spot
again and is taking advantage of it before I can do much about it. There's some industry in Stalino to rail out still but nothing else is
immediately threatened because I've already railed-out the industry he can reach in a turn or two. But still, I've got to do something
about the front lines being ripped open like that. No forts to fall-back into and not much of a reserve Army or two. There's some guys in
the far north that I could ship down there if only I can spare the rail cap after Stalino gets evacuated.

[larryfulkerson]

This is a close-up of the breakthrough area. There were 96 battles in the Axis half of the turn with 28 "retreated", 8 "held",
and 5 "routed" results. The length of the front lines that have to be re-constructed approaches 1,000 miles.....Maybe I should
pull-back into the Crimea and forget about having a continuous front line for a while and just make some hedge-hogs or something.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's that 11 points of Arm. Industry that gets railed out of Stalino

[larryfulkerson]

This is an animation of the Soviet moves and the indicators where the battles took place ( in the Axis turn ).

[larryfulkerson]

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

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T55 front lines before any Soviet movement has taken place:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's my T55 moves. I did a lot of pulling-back in a lot of places. KLilly is finding my weak spots very handy.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T56 front lines before any Soviet movement. KLilly is just making the breakthrough worse and worse. I'm not sure I can contain this breech.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a close-up of the area in question:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's my moves for T56. I did a bunch more pulling back in various places and bombed his spearhead with my bombers. Maybe it'll
help.