1.04 The Wolf and the Bear (no Gids)

[Tarhunnas]

Fort construction is painfully slow these days. These forts have been there for months, and the forts are at level 0 and single digit percentages.

[Ketza]

Attach them to a HQ with construction battalions that should help.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Ketza

Attach them to a HQ with construction battalions that should help.

Thanks for the tip! They are attached to the OKH, and it has construction battalions, but you mean further down the chain of command?

[Mike13z50]

IRC, you can also attach construction SU directly to the fort unit, then once it gets to lvl 3 reassign them to another fort. When you disband it they go to the assigned HQ. I'm assuming you AP to burn.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Mike13z50

IRC, you can also attach construction SU directly to the fort unit, then once it gets to lvl 3 reassign them to another fort. When you disband it they go to the assigned HQ. I'm assuming you AP to burn.

Ok, Thanks! I will try that.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 142. March 2 1944. Snow/Blizzard.

Ooops! I hav gotten myself a little Stalingrad! I was tardy in withdrawing from the Rostov bulge and underestimated the threat of getting cut off! It was snow last turn in that area, which no doubt gave the Soviets a bit of added mobility, but now I have to try to counterattack in Blizzard[:(]. And I have no armor reserves in that area! Things are looking bleak. However, the Führer has designated the forces as "Fortess area lower Don" and the Luftwaffe has promised plentiful air supply. We'll see...

Map before Axis moves.

[Tarhunnas]

Triumph! With superhuman efforts, the XXXXIX Mountain Corps manage to open a path to the encircled units. But the danger is not over. Massive reinforcements of this sector are needed if the beleagured units are to be extricated to safety.

[Tarhunnas]

Overview of the southern (mobile) part of the front.

[Balou]

1. Lucky you! Prior to combat, just looking at the unit counters, I wouldn't expect such odds.
2. Combat value of the 13 Rum ID greater than combat value of 50 (ger) ID ? Is it that bad in 44 ? (data from your combat resolution screen)

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Balou

1. Lucky you! Prior to combat, just looking at the unit counters, I wouldn't expect such odds.
2. Combat value of the 13 Rum ID greater than combat value of 50 (ger) ID ? Is it that bad in 44 ? (data from your combat resolution screen)

Tank or Mech corps are relatively "soft". If you have a little better than 1-1, you can usually push those back. Had it been a rifle corps with the same odds, it would never have worked!

[Balou]

Had it been a rifle corps with the same odds, it would never have worked!

Trying to improve my learning curve this is an interesting statement. I thought "odds" as a result of "modified combat values" are the bottom line of all factors, so that the outcome won't depend anymore of additional factors after modified combat value has been determined.

[Tarhunnas]

I don't know why really, I am basing this on actual battlefield experience so to speak. A Tank or Mech corps on the defense is not as strong as its CV on the counter might indicate.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 143. March 9 1944. Snow.

Things are going from bad to worse in the South. But a panzer coprs has been railed to the area. Let's hope they can do something about the situation...

[Flaviusx]

Tarhunnas...you need to retreat, man. Cut your losses. Think big picture here.

You're throwing good money after bad and compromising your entire strategic situation and probably creating more opportunities for pockets and bigger ones to boot.

Fall back. Write those suckers off. You are way way way too far forward and trying to hold on to a position which is untenable.

Your defensive lines for 1944 in the south should be based on the Dnepr -- and hold that line until it freezes over again in the 44-5 winter. You are hundreds of miles east of that down south. You have no business at all hanging out by Rostov or the Donbas. You want to be at the Dnepr by the time mud hits and get dug in, deep, with the panzers held in reserve to check any attempts to cross it.

Right now you are just allowing yourself to be nibbled to death in this completely exposed position.

[Tarhunnas]

...but the panzer boys do the trick and push back the Soviet spearheads with heavy losses. But things are looking dicey for next turn.

[Tarhunnas]

Army group B evacuates Kharkov in the nick of time. Leading from the front! A Rumanian security division is given the honorable task of rearguard.

[Balou]

Flaviusx/Tarhunnas,

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Your defensive lines for 1944 in the south should be based on the Dnepr -- and hold that line until it freezes over again in the 44-5 winter.

From your experience, you really think the Dnepr can be hold from spring 44 until winter 44/45? Looking at the last OOB from t135 Ger isn't short of hardware, but low on men. OTOH, the Dnepr offers the only good defense position in the south.
Btw, what's the status around the bulge that protrudes from the Crimea ?

[Tarhunnas]

Production. Armaments are still the bottleneck.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Tarhunnas...you need to retreat, man. Cut your losses. Think big picture here.

You're throwing good money after bad and compromising your entire strategic situation and probably creating more opportunities for pockets and bigger ones to boot.

Fall back. Write those suckers off. You are way way way too far forward and trying to hold on to a position which is untenable.

Your defensive lines for 1944 in the south should be based on the Dnepr -- and hold that line until it freezes over again in the 44-5 winter. You are hundreds of miles east of that down south. You have no business at all hanging out by Rostov or the Donbas. You want to be at the Dnepr by the time mud hits and get dug in, deep, with the panzers held in reserve to check any attempts to cross it.

Right now you are just allowing yourself to be nibbled to death in this completely exposed position.

Maybe you are right. I am retreating at a rate of 1-2 hexes per turn along most of the front, but it is easy to get caught in situations like this.

I am not confident in my abaility to hold the Dnepr for the summer however.

[Balou]

Have you reduced your TOEs on the arm point consuming stuff (eg artillery, pioneers) ?