War Reports from the East Front II: Carnage vs. Redmarkus

[CarnageINC]

Newspaper 1-22-42

[CarnageINC]

Front line trace 1-22-42

[CarnageINC]

AGC SITREP 1-22-42

Managed to conduct a few counter offensive moves. He has started to shift more and more to hasty attacks, he is allowed by house rules to conduct deliberate attacks by 3 Fronts. This makes me think that his casualties are heavy and he's trying to lighten up his losses? I thought that hasty attacks made for larger casualties for attacker?

[CarnageINC]

AGS SITREP 1-22-42

I did a lot of counter attacks here, having my panzers in the cities allowed for several deliberate attacks to really push the Soviets back some in those areas. In this area he has done only hasty attacks, I'm not sure what this means? I'm also relocating 11th Army to help 6th Army, I want to move those mountain divisions north to the Kharkov area where I'm starting to have to use foreign troops to hold the lines.

[Flaviusx]

Carnage, tbh, this house rule you have with the blizzard is...otiose.

The blizzard counteroffensive isn't what it used to be. It's a shadow of its former self.

[CarnageINC]

Otiose.....nice word!  Had to look that one up.  I must agree with you about the about the Soviet counter offensive, it's a hollow shell of what it was.  This time around I find that my divisions are holding up really good, no unready German infantry divisions at this time like the last time we faced each other.  And this is with no divisional rotation and minimal 'housing' divisions in towns like in Q's AAR, all my German divisions are on the line.  Granted that he hasn't had a full blown deliberate attack offense, but in the areas he has been doing this, those divisions are still holding up.  This does tell us that Soviet offense has been nerfed a little to much.  Fine tuning is going along well IMO but maybe it still needs some more tuning?

I find that these HR's that Red has come up with, really handicapped his game for some reason.  I think he finds limiting himself mostly to linear defensive lines and limited Soviet offensives in 41-42 is somewhat historical.  Whether this close to historical I wouldn't know, I've read some on the east front, mostly tactical not strategic stuff.  I hope that come the bigger Soviet offensives in 44-45 materialize and that Red hasn't handicapped his game too much.  I haven't seen any games that have made it to that period to see how the fortification rules hold up and to see how Soviet players break through those forts and conduct mobile operations.

[randallw]

Hasty attacks commit less forces of the attacker, so they may end up suffering lower losses....but the defender losses will be much lower and the chance of a successful attack may be lower.

[Baelfiin]

Not sure how this houlse rule as changed things for the blizzard for you guys. If he is winning the hasty attacks it is maybe to build wins for guards promotion. Looking forward to Blizzard in our game !!! Check out my '43 thread for a glimpse of the forts holding up.

[CarnageINC]

This turn I looked at what Red has done and I think hes done attacking, its February 42.  After its all said and done I find that the HR's would of been a good thing for versions of yester year, but this version I can not agree with.  I never really felt very threatened or that things where coming apart like the last game I had.  I think that a all out deliberate offensive with this newer update is the only way to go.  Its no longer a mission impossible to have a German army ready for a fresh offensive come spring time.  Hell, I can probably launch a limited snow offensive with fresh forces coming in theater and try and bolster some of the troops on the line.

As far as our game Baelfiin, I'm not the greatest Axis player and your a good defender so it should make for a good winter game for us [;)]

[Q-Ball]

No reason anymore for Winter House Rules, which is a good thing. The Blizzard is much improved from earlier versions.

[CarnageINC]

Eastern Front Order of Battle and Area of Operations 2-12-42

Red has stopped his winter offensive, only one attack made this week. I'm in the processes of this blessed spare time before the blizzard is gone and I'm reorganizing my lines. I have some major regrouping of my support units going on. I've spent 350+ AP's on transferring and rearranging them in the last 2 turns. I'm very excited about some new offensive plans I've been making and Reds mistake of not keeping my forces pinned down is giving me some time to rebuild early! I'm throwing everything in a few sharp pointed actions in the next few months. I'll get to posting my plans in the next day or so.

Here is the current Area of Operations for the east front.

[Baelfiin]

CJ

See if you can find a spot or two where you can pocket several units, with a strong cordon and play pac man through the snow turns. Everything you kill now is gone for good, Cav corps are p[articulary juicy if you can get them surrounded.

[CarnageINC]

Operation Erebos Page 1

[CarnageINC]

Operation Erebos Page 2

[CarnageINC]

Operation Erebos Map

[CarnageINC]

Front line trace 3-5-42

This should be Reds high water mark for his 41-42 winter offensive. My combat operations start this turn, Operation Erebos will start and a general offensive will start across the entire front. My main goal is to destroy front line fortifications of the areas I will be starting my summer offensive. I'll post Operation Athena and Operation Pallas soon.

[CarnageINC]

Forgot to post the OoB and casualties after the end of the blizzard, but before any new combat action for turn 38.

[CarnageINC]

Operation Erebos Week One SITREP

So far everything has gone to plan, not that it was that complex [:D]. I started a broad general offensive to mask knocking down forts where I really want them gone for my spring and summer campaigns.

[CarnageINC]

Newspaper 3-19-42

[CarnageINC]

Operation Erebos Week Three

It seems that Red as cut his losses and saves only 3 divisions in the end. He evac'ed Sevastopol...YEA My troops are grateful they don't have to endure massive losses to the first few assaulting waves. I think the cost of three divisions would of been worth the German blood spilt IMO.

I'm now in the process of relocating my troops for Operation Athena, which will take another 2 weeks to have them all in place for my 'spring' offensive.