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

[juret]

Merry Christmas terje from sweden

[AKCLIMBER]

Happy holidays from Alaska, terje! You know, after enough Belgian ale (La Chouffe and Chimay Cinq Cents), your colorful assortment of northernmost units almost looks like the lights on a Christmas tree! [:D]

Good luck with your game!

[schmolywar]

Happy Kwanzaa Terje.

Im norwegian too and have followed this thread for a while now. Nice job representing socialism

[terje439]

Turn 114

Overall
Well...My morale is plummeting, and I am not talking about the morale of my units.
The Germans keep on pushing, and the ease at with which they push my units aside is painful to watch, and it is bound to get worse as I now need to defend in non fortified zones.
The Germans make a total of 38!!! attacks this turn, scoring 7 held, 20 retreats, 4 routs and 7 surrenders.
We also make more attacks, but still end at a meagre 16, scoring 4 held and 12 retreats. And unlike the Germans, a retreat for me usually just means I pushed a unit back, and next turn I will have to push it back again. Even my guards refuse to enter a "red" hex...
Losses are reported at 52.000 Axis troops and 361.000 of ours.

Units
We lose 7 rifle corps, 3 Guards Rifle Corps, 2 rifle divisions and an AA regiment this turn. To counter this loss is the creation of one mechanized corps and the production of 2 rifle divisions, 1 rifle brigade and 3 mechanized brigades.
And we record a net decline of 146.000 soldiers in our army this turn.
Really not a good turn.

Partisans
Usually when things go sour on the front, these guys are a little ray of sun. Not this turn. A mere 13 sabotague actions is no good. Our airforce fly a total of 22 supply drops, which is also below pari. The Axis force 14 partisan units to retreat, which leaves 28 on the map.

HQ Zhukov
No choice, they will have to join in the defence in the Moscow area. Although they will be in the attacking sector.

Worries
I really do not see me being able to halt the German assault this time. My units are running at the first sight of a German soldier it seems. I try to make use of rivers as much as possible, but without level 3 forts I have no belief in the stopping power of my units.

[terje439]

Turn 115

Overall
The Germans keep on attacking towards Leningrad while we keep attacking whereever we are capable of achieving good odds before the attack. This turn the Germans manage 19 attacks for 3 held, 10 retreat, 1 shatter and 5 rout. Long time since I've seen the shatter result now.
Our 15 attacks score 5 held and 10 retreat, but the Germans are in a bad spot NE of Moscow now, that line is faltering.
Once more there is something amiss with the losses results, but I will keep going with the ones the game gives me. Axis casualties are listed at 17.000, while ours are listed at 88.000 this turn.
187.000 workers arrive at the manpower pool, ending it at 4.053.

Units
We lose one rifle division this turn, and we form one mechanized corps. We also order the construction of 1 tank HQ, 2 rifle divisions and 1 rifle brigade.
If we use the numbers given by the game (look below "worries"), our forces grows by 111.000 soldiers this turn.

Partisans
Not too good here either. After the Axis make 14 anti-partisan attacks, we are left with 28 units. These units then only manage a measly 18 acts of sabotague this turn. Not good at all.
With the forced retreats of our airfields, we are also down to only 19 supply drops this turn.

HQ Zhukov
Deployed in the attack towards Moscow, but will recieve a new HQ next turn.

Worries
Right now the real worry is finding the morale to go on fighting. It is painful to see my rifle corps, tank corps, cav corps, mech corps all falling back no matter how many CV the stack has...

Losses reports...
This turn the Axis losses are reported at 17.000, yet by adding the Axis losses in all attacks (ours and theirs), I get 32.000... There IS something weird going on with that number as I have said numerous times before...

[terje439]

Turn 116

Overall
The Axis pushes through to their own line again, and I guess that ends their offensive, as I think he will move units back to the Moscow area now and dig in. And soon we will encounter mud. At this rate I will consider myself lucky if I manage to retake Orel before the end of the game.
The Axis manage a total of 29 attacks this turn [X(], scoring 1 held, 17 retreats, 4 rout and 7 surrender. To compete with this, I launch 22 attacks, scoring 8 held and 14 retreat. One of the held result was an "God I am so annoyed with those panzers, so here is an arty brigade shelling you for the heck of it"-attack and as such does not really count in my book. Still, more held results than I like, and honestly more than expected.
Losses at the end of the turn are reported at 27.000 Axis troops and 122.000 of ours. I will keep listing these numbers although my belief in them is nill.
The manpower pool recieved 192.000 men and women this turn, ending at 6.345.

Units
We lost 1 tank corps, 1 rifle corps, 13 rifle divisions and 1 guards airborne division this turn. Next game I play, I will not consider any area safe unless it is guarded by 1 div, 3 corps, 3 corps all along the line.
I form 1 mechanized corps and 1 rifle corps this turn and order the construction of 3 mechanized brigades. This turn Stalin hands us another NKPS unit, bringing their total to 3. If I only had a use for them...
If the numbers are correct, our forces grew by 74.000 troops this turn.

Partisans
21 sabotague actions and 19 supply drops are performed this turn. The Axis still has the forces available to perform 14 anti-partisan attacks this turn, something that leaves us with 26 active aprtisan units on the map.

HQ Zhukov
Still waiting for the new HQ to be released, but all available forces allreeady engaged around Moscow.

Worries
It seems to me that it does not help to attack, sure I push them back, but all my units then lack the MP to advance, and the two stack attack does not cut it. Too many Germans!!

[M60A3TTS]

Would you mind posting an OOB?

[terje439]

OOB at the start of turn 116

[terje439]

Losses at the start of turn 116

[Peltonx]

Wow 3.9 million men in German army and 6500 tanks.

JB is right you need to trend loses by 5 or 10 turn trends. Gives a much clearer picture of whats going on.

At this point in the game the German player has suffered below normal losses that why his OOB is so large.

If I were you I would be attacking as much as possible in the south.

You should be attacking his infantry as much as possible to lower there moral, this will lower his CV. So he might still have 3.9 million men under arms, but his CV levels will be dropping.

You attacking in the north is just what he wants. You can regain more manpower points from Tula south then Moscow and Leningrad combined. Plus the terrain is much easyer to take back.

Once you take back 150 or so manpower points in the south then your army will grow allot faster and you can go back and take back Moscow.

Just my 2 cents.

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: Pelton

1. JB is right you need to trend loses by 5 or 10 turn trends. Gives a much clearer picture of whats going on.

2. At this point in the game the German player has suffered below normal losses that why his OOB is so large.

3. If I were you I would be attacking as much as possible in the south.

4. You should be attacking his infantry as much as possible to lower there moral, this will lower his CV. So he might still have 3.9 million men under arms, but his CV levels will be dropping.

5. You attacking in the north is just what he wants. You can regain more manpower points from Tula south then Moscow and Leningrad combined. Plus the terrain is much easyer to take back.

6. Once you take back 150 or so manpower points in the south then your army will grow allot faster and you can go back and take back Moscow.

Just my 2 cents.

1. That does not matter, my point is that the losses screen does NOT show the correct ammount of battle losses all the time. Sometimes it does, sometimes it does not. There is something fishy there.

2. True, an effect of too high losses by me in terms of units.

3. I am

4. I will usually attack his infantry, however if I find a panzer division on the line without forts, I will target that one easily.

5. the problem as I see it, is that I cannot place nothing but rifle corps against his panzer formations, a three unit panzer stack will make anything crumble, so I cannot withdraw alot of units from the Moscow area as that would allow him to break through...again...

6. Good point, but see #5. My forces are so few and in so crummy that I need to have units available to meet his panzers.

Terje

[terje439]

Turn 117

Overall
And there goes the northern flank. It is now mostly hanging in the air, and I have no doubt that the Axis will wheel east-south-east now, push through the forces there and give me 15 new types of pain.
The Axis perform 30 attacks this turn scoring 3 held, 1 scouted, 21 retreats, 1 rout and 4 surrenders. We launch 19 attacks and get 3 held and 16 retreats. The units that retreat will in half the cases be back next turn, and now their strength is so depleted that I actually lose more troops than the Germans with my successful attacks. There is no silver lining to be seen at the moment.
197.000 workers appear at the manpower pool, ending it at 3.304 this turn.

Units
We lose 1 tank corps, 1 guards rifle corps and 4 rifle divisions this turn. To counter this, we form 1 rifle corps, and construct 4 rifle divisons and 2 rifle brigades.
If the numbers are correct, our forces grew by 89.000 soldiers this turn.

Partisans
A mere 12 sabotague actions this turn, not at all acceptable. 20 supply drops is ok, this should increase next turn, *edit* no it should not, forgot to put them on night missions [:@], as another VVS airfield with alot of transports is deployed.
With 15 units being forced to retreat due to Axis attacks, our active total is 26.

HQ Zhukov
The third HQ is ready and attached, and it is also given 3 mechanized corps, 1 infantry corps and 3 mortar brigades. Some points are also spent on attaching some SUs that the HQ allready had to various corps. The best general I could spare for now was Chistyakov with 6655 4611 as his ratings.

Worries
I doubt Bob is enough to hold the north.

[juret]

how does the south look? can u attack againt the weaker axis minor forces???

[terje439]

No more than I am currently doing (6-7 attacks per turn), attacks across the river is out of the question as the enemy stacks there are 3 units high, and he has some spare units which means I have to move my most powerful units arround to attack the weakspots.
The main problem here is that none of my units have enough MP to attack and move into the liberated hex at the moment.


Terje

[terje439]

turn 118

Overall
The Axis lashed out in a more eastern direction than anticipated, and I am grateful. Some sort of front is established, but it is really not well anchored, and I doubt I can hold if the Germans want to go around. And that is the problem right now, I cannot form a proper front in the north, something that in turn threathen the entire line. To reform a proper line I am shy about 40 rifle corps...
The Axis make fewer attacks this turn, scoring 1 scouted, 4 retreat, 5 rout and 1 surrender for a total of 11 attacks.
We make a total of 25 attacks this turn, but the $@£#! 2:1 rule is a pain and then some, so we end up with a staggering 10 held, 14 retreats and 1 rout (Rumanian Inf). Losses are somewhat heavy on both sides, but as usual we take the far worst beating. The reports claim 49.000 dead on the Axis side, and 140.000 on our side.
With a total of 196.000 workers reporting to the manpower pool, it ends at 11.132 this turn.

Units
1 rifle corps is captured this turn, while I form 1 rifle corps, so in terms of unit I am slightly ahead this turn as I also order the creation of 1 rifle brigade, 2 rifle divisions and 3 mechanized brigades this turn.
The net growth of our forces this turn is 50.000.

Partisans
17 sabotague missions are performed, as are a total of 27 supply drops. After the Axis chase away 12 units, we are left with 29 units on the map. I need alot more sabotague actions, and they need to be placed way better than now if they are to have any positive effect at this time.

HQ Zhukov
The third HQ is dispatch to the new northern front.

Worries
The time for worry is long gone, I am currently behind any schedule, unable to hold anything, unable to make any headway( save maybe a hex or three every turn), and short on units.

[M60A3TTS]

How many rifle divisions and rifle corps do you have remaining?

[Baelfiin]

Wish I could give you something to help Terje, your counter levels might be at a point now that you may never recover.
If I was the german I would keep chewing off bits and pieces of the russian army.

[terje439]

Turn 119

Overall
The push south that I had expected did not materialize as the enemy focuses on isolating units in the north. Unless he attacks from east to west and/or takes the port east of the lake, he will not be able to get these units to surrender though, as they should be able to rout through the port they still hold.
The Axis still perform 14 attacks this turn, for 2 held, 5 retreat, 5 surrender and 2 routs. I launch 20 attacks and score 7 held and 13 retreats (I am SO sick of seing 1.9 : 1 now...).
Losses in the end is reported as 53.000 Axis troops and 157.000 of ours, all along the 112 hex long front. I have now managed to reach the Rybinsk Reservoir, and have also set some units to start digging to the east of it.
With 200.000 workers reporting to the manpower pool, this ends at 7.655.

Units
This turn we lose 2 rifle corps, 4 rifle divisions and 1 AT artillery brigade. At the same time I form 2 rifle corps, and order the construction of 3 mortar brigades, 2 rifle divisions and 1 rifle brigade.
Our units grew by a total of 41.000 men and women this turn.

Partisans
After the Axis chase away 14 units, we are left with 25. These guys then perform a measly 12 acts of sabotague this turn. And for this they are rewarded with 38 supply drops. Seems a waste to even bother continue to supply these guys at the moment.

HQ Zhukov
Nothing changed here.

OOB
The following units are frozen on the Turkish border;
1 rifle division, 1 cavalry division and 3 mountain divisions.

The following are isolated in the north;
7 rifle divisions, 2 rifle brigades and 1 tank corps.

That leaves a "corrected" OOB as follows;
19 tank corps
14 mechanized corps
105 rifle corps
12 cavalry corps
63 rifle divisions
3 cavalry divisions
7 mountain divisions
3 airborne divisions
3 mechanized brigades
14 rifle brigades
1 airborne brigade

Worries
Nah. This post will be removed from now on, nothing can get worse anyway [:)]

[terje439]

Turn 120

Overall
The Axis eliminate the northern pocket, and push gently on the northern part of my line without actully doing alot. I extend the line from the reservoir to those hills to the east of it. There is really nothing I can do as the Axis can now roam free all along the north.
Our 15 attacks scored 1 held and 14 retreats (and a minor pocket I doubt will hold), while the 19 attacks made by the Axis nets them 1 held, 10 retreat, 4 rout and 4 surrender.
Our manpower pool recieves 195.000 workers this turn and ends at 1.827

Units
We lose the northern pocket, and the Axis attacked in the proper direction, so our guys surrendered. We lost 1 tank corps, 7 rifle divisions and 2 rifle brigades.
I form 1 mechanized corps and 1 rifle corps, and order the creation of 2 rifle divisions and 1 rifle brigade this turn.
According to the reports, our forces grew by 49.000 troops this turn.

Partisans
After 10 attacks by the Axis we are left with 24 units on the map, and these actually manage to perform 23 sabotague missions this turn. As a reward, no less than 34 supply missions are flown.

[randallw]

You've allowed the Axis side to keep much of it's tank park, and that's not something that can be easily reduced by simply slapping raw rifle divisions at them.

Putting new units onto the battlefield to replace dead ones may keep the size of your OOB similiar, but it can be misleading.  Even if the dead units were mediocre the new ones will take months to get to an experience level just as good as the dead ones, and that means you need other units to plug holes.