Bwheatley vs abulbulian GC 1.5.18 beta (no abulbulian)

[bwheatley]

This turn certainly put a bit more wind in my sails. Cut off 2 MD 1PD near smolensk. Cut off wiking in the south. Routed a 3rd MD. Really helps.

[bwheatley]

Ground Losses

[bwheatley]

Air Losses

[bwheatley]

Destroyed Units

[bwheatley]

The magic germans managed to dodge every bullet.

[bwheatley]

I managed to break open the smolensk pocket and counter encircle 1 PD and 2 MD.

[bwheatley]

We had to hit the 20th MD with everything we had but we managed to route them. It is a small victory but the small victories help morale.

[bwheatley]

The counterpockets around smolensk.


The situation at the end of the turn.

[bwheatley]

In the south we kept trying some more encirclements. We rushed forward and tried to tie ara's hands a bit


We did manage to cut off Wiking. I hope this will cause ara to slow down and be a bit more cautious.

[bwheatley]

With the wiking situation i had 9th Army that was trying to protect the flank of odessa. With odessa captured i was able to shift them to help keep wiking under wraps.

[bwheatley]

Hearing from ara he is a bit unhappy with the turn. He's bummed about all the units i cut off so that makes my day a lot brighter. He also said leningrad is going to be a slog this time instead of an easy right hook around ilmen and a cut off rail line.

[bwheatley]

He said he broke through to the units around smolensk. But we have held him up a few turns now.

[kirkgregerson]

Yeah I like it when I upset my opponents, it means I'm doing something right for a change.
[8D]

It's difficult for the Soviets in summer 41 to hold an encirclement of German units.  But you can delay them with this tactic as you just did.  Well done.

[bwheatley]

Ground Losses


Air Losses


Destroyed Units

[bwheatley]

North of Map


As we see it looks like he was able to push 4 hexes down the line. Now he's only 2 hexes from cutting the rail line. I'm contemplating pulling out. What do you guys think? In every other game i lose leningrad and i'm not sure if i want to suffer the loss of the 500,000 men in northwest & northern fronts.

[bwheatley]

Center

[bwheatley]

South

[Q-Ball]

I wouldn't pull out of Leningrad completely. I noticed you haven't fortified the "Back Door" hex at all, though, so you will fall quickly to siege if he reaches Lake Ladoga. If I am him, I don't bother getting to the Svir, and instead go straight for the Neva.

That being said, I would pile-on that spearhead along the Volkhov, and I would pull back out of the bulge to the West of that for the most part, though leave a line of units along the Rough and in front of Kolpino/Pushkin. There are a series of swamp hexes to the NW of that spearhead; have a unit in all of them. Make him fight to Ladoga. Don't worry about defending the spearhead to the SE, around Lake Ilmen; a Panzer thrust in that direction wouild be doing you a favor, and at any rate, they are fixed on Leningrad.

Make sure you get all the Cavalry out of that bulge, and over the Volkhov; those are the most valuable units.

But your're doomed up there regardless. I wouldn't send anymore reinforcements, because once Leningrad falls, you can just pull back into the endless forests up there.

[bwheatley]

Yea i goofed up with the new fort rules. Next game i'll probably have a better handle on it. Though in every game with ara so far this is the one where at least leningrad didn't fall to a surprise thrust somewhere i was not expecting it.

What is the back door hex you're talking about? Having lost leningrad every time perhaps its a concept i need to pay attention to

[kirkgregerson]

I think the back door hex Q-ball is referring to is across the Nerva getting the port.  Don't be to hard on yourself about Leningrad.  I've yet to see a capable axis player not take it if he really pushed for it.  That appears to be what is happening here.  I would still make him pay for every inch, but get the good units out.  You only need cheap infantry units in key locations.