Scorched Earth - GC 41 1.05 beta - sj80 (Axis) vs Lasalle (Sov) - no Lasalle please

[sj80]

Lasalle and I have a PBEM game ongoing in 1.05 beta, we upgraded last turn to 1.05.30. We are now at turn 13 with non random weather. The Axis progress is very good so far. Leningrad is captured, Moscow encircled and the Stalino area received. Many armament and other factories could be destroyed during the campaign (destroyed or locked factories: Leningrad, Moscow, Kharkov, Stalino, Dnepropetrovsk, ...).
I used HQ buildup often in the last turns to push my offensive. But I'm not using the HQ buildup "exploit".

Thanks to the other AAR threads, I've learned much about german tactics. Don't hesitate to write a comment.
Here is an overview of the complete front line at the end of Axis turn 13.

[bigbaba]

you are doing extremly well.

4 clear turns to go and you can get his loses to 3.5 mio. and more.

one question remains what is extremly important for the next year:

was he able to evac a lot industry? how many armament factories did you got? and whats the matter with the T-34 factory in charkov?

[Ketza]

Always good to see new posters and their AARS!

[sj80]

Hi bigbaba and Ketza, thanks for the comments.

The game is progressing very fast, but unfortunatly I had no time to upate the AAR. But here it comes.
After turn 14 we went back to Sovjet turn 11 because I could pocket around 80 units in turn 14 and this was a desaster for the Sovjets. Restarting at turn 11 helped Lasalle a lot and he has strengthen his defenses very good. We are now at turn 25, I will add some updates to the AAR, starting with the last Axis summer turn.

"Unternehmen Barbarossa" was a complete success for the Axis. All key cities are captured (Leningrad, Moscow, Tula, Orel, Kursk, Kharkhov, Stalino). Round about 100 Armament industry points could be destroyed or are locked. The Sovjet has suffered 3.3 Mio losses with approx 150.000 - 200.000 men encircled near Tula and at Stalino.
The german panzer and mot inf divs are at the end of their power ... most are at half strength with very high fatigue.

This is the map of the last Axis summer turn. I've added some comments about targets for winter offensive actions.

[Swenslim]

It smells like victory.

[sj80]

Hi Swenslim, lets see. At first I have to survive the blizzard.

Here is the turn 25 update, which is the first blizzard turn. My defense strategy is a 2 hex deep defense line with one div in front and a regiment in back. The regiment in back is set to reserve mode. Maybe some will join the fights at the front line. It has to prevent the Sovjets from breaking through and create fortifications. The moutain divs are split into regiments and placed as "frontline anchors".
Unfortunaly, I have no fortifications in the back yard. I did not placed units there to protect them from decay.

PzGroup 1 and 4 are sent back to Germany with 10 Pz Divs, 4 Mot Divs and 1 Mot Brigade. PzGroup 3 has to defend Moscow. PzGroup 2 is defending the southern sector from Tula to Kharkov. A strong motorized brigade with the SS units remains at Stalino.

I have two questions.
1. Is there any negative effect setting one unit into reserve mode? Maybe slower digging or something like that?
2. The Grossdeutschland (G.D.) motorized regiment will withdraw in 1942 and return as PzGren Div. Does the morale level of the regiment has any effect on the morale level of the div?

I expect the heaviest fighting around Moscow/Tula and at Stalino. This is the map of Axis Turn 25 end.

@bigbaba: I checked the factory situation. I couldn't get the T34 factories at Kharkov, but I got the KV-1 at Leningrad and the aircraft factories at Moscow.

[KamilS]

There are not to many screen-shots, so it is a bit hasty opinion, but Your opponent's defences looked very easy to break and he lacks focus while attacking, so if both of You will keep performing at the same level game will end in autumn of '42.

[sj80]

Hey Kamil, maybe you are right. Blizzard is not so hard as expected. He is having problems to follow successful attacks with strong forces. Very often I can start counter attacks and recapture the lost hexes.
I think one of the keys for Axis during blizzard is to place mot/panzer divs directly at or behind the front line in cities or level 3/4 towns. This will protect them from blizzard morale penalties and offers the ability to do counter attacks.
There is no critical situation at the moment. I had to sent 1 PzCorps from Germany towards Novgorod and 1 PzCorps to Crimera land bridges to stop Sovjet attacks.

More than 150.000 Hiwis have joined the Wehrmacht in the frist two turns of 1942.

Here is a picture of end of Axis turn 30. The pre blizzard Axis defense lines are shown in red.

[bigbaba]

you seem to be a hard rock. check your PM box.

[Balou]

How did your split mountain divisions so far?

[2ndACR]

Are you asking HOW to split div? If so hit the "b" key to split and re-form them when in the same hex.

You split the German mountain to put some backbone in your defense line. I usually keep them as div and use them as a fist during blizzard.

[Balou]

The question was not about "how to" but about "how they did". Me too, I never split them, the more since they can, IMO, as a division, really deliver some blow in counterattacks. .

[2ndACR]

Okay, understood.

[sj80]

Hi Balou,
I decided to split my mountain divs because with regs I can protect 6 places with good defense values. This seems more worthwile to me instead of securing only 2 positions with the german mountain divs. I try to use the mountain regs as cornerstones of the defense line. To increase the defense value I put at least one inf div in the same hex.
In the second front line I placed regiments to create fortifications and prevent a deep breakthrough. I set them in Reserve mode and it seems to work pretty good. They joined several battles every turn.

In Turn 31 Lasalle launched 25 attacks. 19 attacks were successful but he could only capture 14 hexes. My counter attacks then recaptured 3 hexes.

[sj80]

German turn 34 - 02/05/1942

Last month of blizzard has begun. Areas of major activity are Moscow and Kharkov. This turn and the next turns many additional reinforcement units arrives which will stay in Germany until blizzard is over. To date only 2 major cities are lost: Novgorod and Belgorod. Sovjet troops are adjacent to Tula and Kharkov.

[sillyflower]

Good job

Russians will suffer severely in '42 from loss of so many arms factories + manpower. Removal of 1:1 rule makes a huge difference for Germans so you should be able to do a very strong offensive. I don't expect your opponent to survive into '43.