Disaster in the making. Oloren (axis) vs Terje (USSR)

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Production of artillery pieces is on demand. Build the divisions, and they will come. (Provided you have the armament pool to sustain the demand.)

Manpower is a different story, to be sure.

Aha, another piece of information I might have aquired if I actually read the manual I suppose. Did not know this, great info!


Terje

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: Schmart

It looks like you have a lot of rifle brigades on the map. By 1943, the Russians (historically) had very few independent rifle brigades left. You should be using them to flesh out Rifle Divisions and building up Rifle Corps. That way you can get more manpower into the front lines, and bring more firepower to bear against the enemy.

Well, I cannot remove them without weakening the front right now, I need to make it gradual, first I need to build new units (a) then I can remove units (b), where (a) must always be > than (b).

Terje

[Schmart]

ORIGINAL: terje439
Well, I cannot remove them without weakening the front right now, I need to make it gradual, first I need to build new units (a) then I can remove units (b), where (a) must always be > than (b).

Terje

I guess I understand. However, you are not removing units. You are making existing units stronger, allowing you to concentrate more strength against the enemy.

Rifle Brigades should be used to:
A - Merge 2 Rifle Bdes to form a Rifle Division
B - Merge with an existing weak Rifle Division to give the Division more strength
C - Merge 2 Rifle Divisions and 1 Rifle Brigade to form a Rifle Corps

[Flaviusx]

I merge all my brigades into divisions in May of 42. They certainly should be gone by 1943. There's no benefit to doing this "gradually." It should be done all at once, and as early as possible.

Rifle brigades are crap. They can't dig. They can't defend. They can't attack. The old tactic of spamming forts with swarms of rifle brigades is basically dead, and a carpet of ant brigades is just going to get overrun by any serious German attack. Hell, to my way of thinking rifle divisions are ants. Rifle brigades are an ant's ant.

[terje439]

About my brigades, they perform a crucial role in that they are keeping my level 3 forts up, and in lack of other troops they are used as roadblocks. They still have to be attacked for the Axis to attack.


Terje

[Flaviusx]

You should be looking at transforming the Red Army into version 2.0 -- that version doesn't include pissy little rifle brigades. It's about the big boys, the rifle corps, artillery divisions, and mobile corps. Those rifle brigades are building blocks for real units. So far as ants go, you have rifle divisions for ant duty. You ought to have well over 400 rifle divisions once the brigades are consolidated. That's more than enough to form 100+ rifle corps with plenty of divisions left over for picket duty in quiet areas of the front.

You're not going to get to Berlin on time, or ever, with rifle brigades. Phase them out ASAP. Think big, not small.

[terje439]

Turn 86

Overall
The Axis keep pushing on Moscow, I keep pushing south of Moscow and in the north.
We performed 12 attacks this turn, scoring 5 held and 7 retreats. Two of the held results were artillery only attacks, so those are ok. The Axis on the other hand launched 7 attacks and scored 1 held, 2 rout and 4 retreats.
Losses are reported at 43.000 and 118.000 this turn.
Our manpower pool had 134.000 pair of hands returned to it and 92.000 fresh recruits this turn, ending at 9227 at the end of the turn. Our vehicle pool is back above 100.000, as we are now at 102.000. The armaments pool is at 683.000, so that is looking good.

Units
I created 9 rifle divisions, 2 artillery divisions (42 model), 2 rocket launcher divisions this turn. In addition I recieved one cavalry division and a rifle division alongside my always appearing airfield. 2 new fortified areas was removed this turn as they have performed their mission and their hexes were on the frontline all of a sudden.
Our forces increased by 110.000 this turn, which is a good number because of our high losses.

Partisans
The Axis launch 6 attacks on our partisans this turn, this leaves 14 active units on the map at the end of our turn. 9 supply drops were made, and our partisans repaid by performing 8 sabotague actions this turn.

Airfields
Numbers are given as number of airfields x number of squadrons on it.
2x1
1x3
3x6
1x7
6x8
59x9
For a total of 609 squadrons at 72 airfields.
And at the moment I have 22 unused airfields on the map.

Worries
Moscow...I will soon have to remake my entire frontline it seems.

[gingerbread]

Thanks for counting. 609/94>6 so you will be getting more Airbases.

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

You should be looking at transforming the Red Army into version 2.0 -- that version doesn't include pissy little rifle brigades. It's about the big boys, the rifle corps, artillery divisions, and mobile corps. Those rifle brigades are building blocks for real units. So far as ants go, you have rifle divisions for ant duty. You ought to have well over 400 rifle divisions once the brigades are consolidated. That's more than enough to form 100+ rifle corps with plenty of divisions left over for picket duty in quiet areas of the front.

You're not going to get to Berlin on time, or ever, with rifle brigades. Phase them out ASAP. Think big, not small.

I hear you, but if I was to remove all my brigades in the next few turns, where do I get the needed command points? And what do I put in place of those removed units (1 corps = 2divs and 1 brigade after all) on my line?
When I allready state that I am too thinly spread it becomes difficult.
That being said, I agree with your view, but it cannot be done "overnight".

Terje

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: gingerbread

Thanks for counting. 609/94>6 so you will be getting more Airbases.

Seems I should be getting another 8 then, ok thanks for clarifying.

So, what is the view amongst the people here, should I stack 6 aircraft units per airfield, and hence use alot more of them at the front, or keep them maxed out at 9 and have fewer units at the front?
I guess airfield attacks will be more devastating against a maxed out airfield, but the Axis aren't using airfield attacks...
Using more airfields means more congestion behind the front which is imo not a good thing...


Terje

[gingerbread]

My view is that air groups should be rotated to reserve, but you already turned that down. I'd also look at support/need for the AB's to see if any are overloaded.

[terje439]

Turn 87

Overall
Nothing changes, I keep up my usual attacks as these are getting me a 1:1 kill ratio which I think is good. In the north I keep pushing the Germans back one or two hexes per turn. It is not alot, but it is something. The Germans keep pushing on towards Moscow, and I intend to rework my line there, but I also need to make sure I do not lose units by doing so. The really good news of this turn is that all 6 of my attacks succeeded and scored 6 retreats. The Germans launched 5 attacks, scoring 2 routs and 3 retreats this turn.
At the end of the turn losses are reported at 39.000 Axis troops to our 105.000. About 1.000 of the German losses are from aerial attacks, and mainly on their panzer divisions.

Pools
129.000 workers are returned to the manpower pool, and 92.000 fres workers arrive to help in the defense of Mother Russia this turn. At the end of the turn, the active manpower pool is 7611.
The active vehicle pool increased by another 2.000 this turn and is up to 104.000.
Due to alot of spending, we are down to 12 command points.

Advice
I am thankful for all advice, and if I sound like I am not heeding it, that is not the truth, so I hope noone is offended. About sending low morale aerial units to reserves, I will do that, but alas the only aerial units with (what I consider) low morale is the level bombers situated around Moscow which are badly needed at the moment. I need to inflict casualties on those panzer divisions.

Units
This turn I am down a total of 52 units. I have taken the advice given to heart, and created 1 new Tank Corps, 1 new Guards Rifle Corps and 23 new Rifle Corps this turn (75 units used to create 25 corps = loss of 50 units). I also disbanded 3 fortified zones this turn. The only new unit to arrive was the expected airfield.
Our units recorded a net growth of 123.000 soldiers this turn.

Partisan
With 5 Axis attacks on our partisans, we are left with 17 units on the map at the end of our turn. Our planes made a total of 13 supply drops this turn which I consider a good result. I am also satisfied with the 7 sabotague actions this turn.

Worries
Can I halt the Germans before they capture Moscow?

[TulliusDetritus]

As for the morale of air units I noticed they recover it quite quickly when you send them to the National Reserve. I mean, during the Blitzkrieg I decided to keep air units in the front line (I needed everything to stop the Axis). Morale dropped of course to even 19 [:D]

When you send them to the National Reserve on the very next turn the morale will be minimum 39.

Anyway, you should have lots of air units. Are you not keeping some of them as reserves (the National Reserve that is, and then rotate units)? True, I never got to 1943 but there are many many air units.

[TulliusDetritus]

As for Moscow, I don't understand why you don't have your best units there: Guards or regular Rifle Corps, Tank, Cavalry and Mechanised Corps. It's 1943: you should have them. And of course lots and lots of divisions as well [:)]

[gingerbread]

Air groups cannot gain experience above their morale so that's a handy rule of thumb regarding which AG's to rotate.

[terje439]

Actually only few of my aerial units have morale below 39, unfortunately 90% of those that are below 39 are bombers...
Yes, I should have lots of high quality units [:D]
The loss of most of my corps formation during the last summer is still plaguing my frontline.

Well there is alot I would like to be better, but I am experiencing a severe lack of command points. Things are gradually improving, but I simply cannot do everything at once [:)]

Terje

[terje439]

Turn 88

Overall
Same old, same old. The Germans try to push on Moscow, but fail to advance, all they manage to do is expand the bridgehead across the river somewhat. This however suits me just fine as it allows me to continue to shorten the line in such a manner that I can meet them with bigger units. In the north and south we keep on attacking, our attacks in the south actually gets us a killing ratio of 1.1 : 1 in our favour!!

Mistake
I forgot to add up all the attacks by both sides this turn, but it is not a big number, probably somewhere around 6 on each side.

Units
I ordered the construction of 3 mechanized brigades and one artillery division this turn, and we got our usual airfield. Apart from that, 4 rifle corps were formed as was 1 cavalry corps. We also removed 1 fortified area this turn as it had served its purpose. All in all this reduces the ammount of units on the map by 5. We also gave some cowardly pilots some days off, although we do not like it. Those yellowbellies should fight or die, not rest at some resort.
Anyway our units claim a net troop increase of 126.000 this turn which is a good number.

Partisans
A very good turn for our partisans. 12 sabotague actions and 10 supply drops is rather good in my book. Another good thing is that despite 10 Axis attacks on partisan units, we still end the turn with 16 active units on the map.

Pools
With 134.000 workers returning and 92.000 new workers reporting for duty, our manpower pool ends at 4163. This pool is not a major concern as I realize it will be drained for a long time, not much I can do about that save gain more population in my controlled areas. Nor is my armaments pool any concern as it ends this turn at 793.000. However some of the other pools are a concern;
Labour Squads : 4
Submachine gun squads : 0
Rifle Squads : 0
Rifle Squads(+) : 0
122mm howitzer : 0
122mm field gun : 0
Also our vehicle pool dropped by 2.000 this turn down to 102.000, which is also a minor concern.

Worries
Nothing too bad this turn, it seems Moscow might hold after all.

[terje439]

Turn 89

Overall
We keep pushing in the north and south, this is now starting to pay off as armoured divisions are diverted to these areas, and the Germans keep pushing for Moscow. They have now reached the level 4 fort "ring", and I keep shortening my front and placing better units in the defence of the city. There is nothing much to lose in the city save one important thing, population.
At the end of the turn, reports claim 9 Axis attacks, scoring 2 held, 5 retreats and 2 routs this turn. We on the other hand scored 4 held and 7 retreats, of which one of the held results was an all out arty attack.
120.000 returning workers and 92.000 new ones report to the manpower pool this turn, leaving the number at 8725 at the end of the turn. The vehicle pool increases by 1.000 and end at 103.000.

Units
6 Rifle Corps were created and one fortified area removed. We also got the usual airfield, expect quite a few more of these to come. Due to high losses, our forces only report a net growth of 96.000 soldiers this turn.

Partisans
Our partisans were very active this turn performing no less than 23 sabotague actions. Sadly only 3 supply drops were made this turn, that is too low a number. The Axis attacked 8 of our units forcing them to retreat, leaving us with 19 active units at the end of our turn.

Worries
Moscow again. Hopefully those level 4 forts will help.

[terje439]

Turn 90

Overall
It seems that the likelyhood of Moscow being occupied is now at 95%. I lunch attacks wherever I can find suitable odds, but in the end I score half and half, 6 held and 6 retreats. The Axis manage 1 held, 6 retreats and 3 routs this turn. Losses are reported at 43.000 to our 124.000.
A total of 221.000 arrive at the manpower pool this turn, ending it at 6871, while the vehicle pool drops to 101.000.

Units
I create 1 tank corps, 1 mechanized corps, 1 rifle corps and 1 Guards Airborne Division this turn. Stalin supplies us with an airfield and a NKPS unit. I disband one fortified area. Our units have a net growth of 96.000 this turn.

Partisans
Another turn I rate "good". 12 sabotague actions were performed, and 6 supply drops were made. The Axis performed 12 attacks on partisan units causing them all to retreat. This means we have 18 active units at the end of our turn.

Worries
How much will the loss of Moscow hurt my manpower...

Annoyments
When trying to use artillery and two flanking stacks to attack at the same time, I always end up having to move the mouse pointer over some units not able to attack which are then added to the attacking stack. This is driving me crazy at times [:@]

[sillyflower]

The area within the blue balloon should have inf corps in it, not brigades.