Stalin's fired, I'm in charge! III 1/2- Tullius (Soviet) vs Marquo (Axis)

[Q-Ball]

RE: Those two mountain divisions, and Morale/Experience in general....

Morale doesn't drop as you take replacements; experience does. Regardless of REFIT or whatnot, elements will gain experience up to the morale of the unit, but no further. Thus, while those Mountain Divisions will likely NOT gain morale at this time parked in the rear, they might gain CV because all the elements will slowly train up until Experience = Morale. They only gain a point a week, so depending on where they are it could take a while.

I have observed that units will gain morale, very slowly, ABOVE the NM into the Mid-50s or so. If you park any of the Romanian or Italian units in the rear long enough, they will have morale and experience around 53-55 or so. That seems to be about the limit. Maybe high-50s, but it can take quite awhile.

[TulliusDetritus]

Anyway, I think these units have really high morale mostly because of luck. In theory each time you achieve a victory the morale is increased. I suspect a) these units were already "decent" units, b) they harvested nice victories (the blizzard offensive) and finally c) they were spared from defeats.

Had they been next to the enemy before blizzard they would have certainly suffered defeats (= loss of morale). But given that I don't pay attention to the victories/defeats thing (I hate this accountant thing), it's er... a matter of pure luck, coincidence (just like the 1st Guards Army thing): they happened to be there and harvested many wins. And of course they happened to be elsewhere when sounding defeats were trashing many Red Army units [:D]

Q-Ball, then no morale drop. Thank you [:)]

EDIT: no, wait, the Guards Army (or former 20 Army) was really trashed. My mistake, sorry.

[TulliusDetritus]

Alrite [8D] Bad news for the two Guards Mountain Divisions and Gorky vodka suppliers and good news for the Gorky nurses. Holidays cancelled!

I have redone everything as I wasn't happy. I hadn't moved anything in the frontline, not a single attack either. So the elite mountain guys are going to dig, just like everyone else! As long as they are minimum 10 hexes away from enemy units (and on refit mode) it's absolutely the same.

Same thing for all the Strategic Reserves (Cavalry and future Tank Corps included). Whilst they wait for the enemy summer agressive movements they will be digging. Ha! What were they thinking? But they are not pure diggers. If I see the enemy is on the move they will inmediately stop digging and prepare for the attack (aka concentrate the lot of them). Rifle Brigades should be occupying these hexes: they should have good fort levels. Cavalry Corps -especially- are digging monsters. Construction value > 40 [X(] They must be put to good use.

I have analyzed the whole thing and this is what I need if I am not mistaken (the screenshot), IF Marquo plans to get to Vladivostok that is. I'm waiting!

The black arrows indicate axis of advance (aka rail lines). He needs them yes or yes [8D]

edit: on the screenshot I forgot the area east of Voroshilovgrad. Yes, I have diggers there and yes, that might be another axis of advance.

[Encircled]

Well, you are safe there, but you still need to make sure the Don is garrisoned so he can't just go across.

Not much stopping him sweeping up or down if he HQ build ups otherwise

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Well, you are safe there, but you still need to make sure the Don is garrisoned so he can't just go across.

Not much stopping him sweeping up or down if he HQ build ups otherwise

Yes, there will be of course some troops. But if he does not get these rail lines he won't get too far (in fact I affirm he won't), that's the point. Now he could try to advance via this dead zone to surprise my forces defending the approaches to these aformentioned rail lines he needs IF he wants to push eastwards [8D] Either way, like a bee attracted to honey he should strike the same place, but from a different direction, with POOR logisitics. Big river + no rail lines...

[TulliusDetritus]

Overwhelming [X(] But now yes the whole front looks much more rational. Some few adjustments might be made here and there but it's 98,47% done.

Anyway, given that among the Strategic Reserves there are quite many units which are basically worthless (morale < 40) I will gather the lot of them and send them to... guess guess... Gorky! So keep bringing vodka and nurses.

I do that simply to make sure I know how many useless units are training. Therefore the units that will not be in the vicinity of this doomed city will be ready units that is. In fact I have already formed the following Stavka Armies (with TROOPS assigned to them that is):

Shock: 1, 2, 3, 4
Guards: 1
Regular: 3, 32, 37, 39, 40, 60

Total armies: 11 [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

Aghhh, this is the last time I screenshot the whole front [:-] Well, not until the end of the year 42 perhaps.

The white units you see in the frontline are either diggers or Stavka Armies. When it's the latter I write the number of the army.

[TulliusDetritus]

Second

[TulliusDetritus]

And the last one

[TulliusDetritus]

In fact, the frontline units, retreating in some cases 1 or 2 hexes in the Bryansk, Southwestern and Southern Fronts are occupying hexes that some brigades were guarding. Not that they built forts (they didn't [:-]), but avoided at least the degradation of these forts. These brigades are sent to the gaps in the first defensive line... Let's see if now they dig a little faster (harsh weather is over). But er, I doubt it. Therefore I suspect I will change my plan accordingly: I will be forming Rifle Divisions and get rid of these mini-worthless-ants [:D] We will see.

[TulliusDetritus]

Oh, but before retreating in the Southwestern and Southern Fronts I terrorised 4 weak Axis allies divisions (4 different attacks, all of them successful). Just in case

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Turn 42[/center]
[center]2 April 1942[/center]

April! and the question is: what do you harvest in april? Tank Corps! [8D]

I have created the 1st and 2nd Tank Corps and assigned support to them: 2 x Tank Bns + 1 x Sapper regiment.

The good thing is that given I almost didn't use the Tank Brigades during the blizzard and that they were minimum 10 hexes away from enemy units, the morale is > 50. And that's the morale of the two tank corps. Still, experience is low so a lot of hard work is expected.

The manpower and armaments were really low (less than 10.000). The last turn I disbanded 15 FR, 5 RR brigades and ajusted the TOE of many units. Now the numbers are better.

[TulliusDetritus]

Now the front seen from the outer space. It's about the reserves here: Stavka Armies (where are they located) and Independent divisions attached to Stavka.

[TulliusDetritus]

More

[TulliusDetritus]

And the southern part of the front. In fact, given that Marquo is clearly concentrating his forces in the south, I have to assume that's where he wants to strike: Stalingrad and/or Caucasus.

Now all the armies except around Moscow are around 16:24, some even less. The Southern Front armies included. They should be minimum 20:24 (10 divisions that is). And that's when the INDEPENDENT Stavka Rifle Divisions (regular, not guards in this case) are handy [8D] From the screenshots you can see I have 24 READY divisions, so I can afford this strategic movement of troops.

[TulliusDetritus]

But in fact I have more hordes.

Meanwhile in Gorky... [8|]

I have gathered the units with morale under 40 around that city. By summer they should be ready [;)]

[M60A3TTS]

One thing I noticed at Turn 43 of my game was that the tank corps experience actually dropped from the previous week.&nbsp; I'd be curious to know if you encounter the same thing.&nbsp; I thought the drop was immediate after forming the corps and it would start to recover next turn.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

One thing I noticed at Turn 43 of my game was that the tank corps experience actually dropped from the previous week.  I'd be curious to know if you encounter the same thing.  I thought the drop was immediate after forming the corps and it would start to recover next turn.

Ah, I will screenshot the two units now and then compare on next turn. Thanks for letting me know [:)]

[TulliusDetritus]

On the screenshot I haven't mentioned the 1st Guards Army (5 Rifle Divisions + 1 Cavalry Corps, all of them Guards obviously). They are staying near Moscow, just in case [:-]

[TulliusDetritus]

Anyway, some (so-called [:D]) strategic considerations in the center. What was I expecting and what e-enemy moves I am detecting. I have no clue about his intentions so I won't try to understand what's going on.