sveint (Axis) vs Hermann (Sov) - Axis PoV

[Ketza]

Wow that is a real kick in the groin.

Well done!

[sveint]

Turn 87, 2/11/1943, Blizzard

The fighting continues, and not in our favour.

[sveint]

To be honest now I am just waiting for spring.

[sveint]

Turn 132, 12/23/1943, Blizzard

Things have been quiet for almost a year. The Soviets have kept trying to break through at various points but so far all they have gotten are casaulties. Lately though I have had to use panzers in the frontlines, and I can somewhat feel the pressure.

It's time for another move. I've "pretended" to become weaker in some sectors by withdrawing panzers. And I put the Hungarians in charge of a quiet sector. The plan is to allow a breakthrough and then counter-attack with two full-strength panzer armies.

Casaulties: massive Soviet losses so far

[sveint]

OOB, ours is good, but unfortunately the Soviets are still very strong too

[sveint]

The north: mostly quiet except where cavalry and artillery units can be seen.

[sveint]

Voronezh: Hungarians now being pushed back

[sveint]

The south: where the Soviets are very strong and the pressure has been continuous

The Romanians are withdrawing to dig, they don't serve any useful purpose at the frontlines anymore

[sveint]

Last turn I was surprised by an attack out of the Crimea. I am not going to contain this, I see it as an excellent opportunity to pocket units. There is no way he can supply/reinforce a serious attack from here.

[sveint]

Typical Soviet attack. This has been ongoing for a year now. I wonder if they can keep it up.

[veji1]

too many tanks and not enough infantry and arty in his attack...

[krupp_88mm]

wow your unit morale must be really high, seems that armor crushing blow did more damage than i expected... i loooove your idea to sucker him in and wow boy oh boy you got alot of juiced up panzers....... enough to cut him really good looking forward to the 'surgery'

[sveint]

Turn 134, 1/6/1944, Blizzard

Crimea fun. All it took was one panzer corps of the elite 4th Panzer Army (total 12 divisions in 3 corps).

[sveint]

Turn 141, 2/24/1944, Blizzard

The Hungarian operations continues. To be honest I'm having doubts. So far no sign of Soviet reinforcements.

Romanians are being brought up to further reinforce the idea that I'm stretched thin. Perhaps Hermann simply isn't buying it anymore?

[sveint]

Maybe I should allow a large bulge and counter-attack in summer?

[Peltonx]

You could retreat to the river line during spring mud turns while your army is strong enought to hold the line.

The key number is your manpower. You need to keep it above 2.5 million

Pulling back to rivers will greatly shorten lines and give him very little of the way of hexes to attack as most will be behind a river cutting attack CV's.

During the summer you can start setting up your 44/45 defensive lines.

His tank formations by mid-44 will be very good with high CV's.

The river defence will also let you put 60-70 units in static mode lowering loses, but if you bank 450 ap you can activate them all in one turn. It will also free up more trucks for your armor.

During 44 allot of units get pulled from the front to defend the Western front, so you need to have a much shorter defensive line set-up by June 44.

[sveint]

I have no intention of pulling back until he forces a breakthrough. If I can hold the current line for most of 1944 I should be headed for a minor victory.

The Hungarian operation is completely voluntary, they could have held the line if I had wanted. But I want to bag some units to weaken him.

[krupp_88mm]

my bet.. well at least if hes smart, hell use the river as a pivot point and expand out to the north to prevent an encirclement,
also if you can t get an encirclement maybe just satisfy yourself with routing his units and saping their morale, it looks liike hes 3 deep two lines back so i guess you could easily rout him with some quick attacks

[sveint]

Turn 144, 3/16/1944

[Wuffer]

I guess he will be quite surprised

an interesting situation, you should have a lot of nice options now, if he could not bring huge stacks of fresh troops quick enough...
If he doesn't change radically all his his strategy and commitments, you will win this one.