Gnikam eht ni retsasid - Oloren USSR, Terje Axis. Oloren now permitted.

[terje439]

OOB

[Flaviusx]

There's no need to pull back the cav and organize it for the blizzard until the rasputitsa hits.

Not gonna lie: the Soviet is very much in the driver's seat here. His army is big for this point in the game and your advance fell way short.

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

There's no need to pull back the cav and organize it for the blizzard until the rasputitsa hits.

Not gonna lie: the Soviet is very much in the driver's seat here. His army is big for this point in the game and your advance fell way short.

Yup, that was the result when the pocket failed to form. Had I succeeded (guess I could have rerun the save or something to get the result I "needed", but to me that is cheating and a no no. I took a gamble and failed), the USSR would have lost more than 50 divisions (as counted by my esteemed opponent).
So, would I have done the same again? Probably [:D]


Terje

[terje439]

Turn 18

Overall
Mud, so only a few attacks this turn. Our recon flights show a massing of USSR Cav and Armoured divisions behind their line, I will have to keep flying recon flights. Losses report seems somewhat off again. All in all only 6 attacks (not counting chasing away one partisan) this turn, resulting in 3 retreat, 1 rout and 2 surrender.
Apart from that, we rearrange the front somewhat so that our forces are more evenly distributed.

Losses
USSR : 27.000 troops, 279 guns, 0 AFVs and 36 AC.
Axis : 38.000 troops, 109 guns, 53 AFVs and 23 AC.

Units destroyed
3 USSR Rifle Divisions surrender this turn.

Pools
Manpower : 37.658
Vehicle : 157.673
Armaments : 32.019
Hiwi : 91.734

[randallw]

Those aren't tank divisions; they are tank brigades.

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: randallw

Those aren't tank divisions; they are tank brigades.

I certainly hope so [:)]

Terje

[terje439]

Turn 19

Overall
Since nothing has changed (I've taken a total of 4 hexes this turn), there is no map. We make 8 attacks, scoring 2 held, 4 retreat and 2 routs. We do however trap one division that should be forced to surrender next turn. Another 2 partisan units have been forced to retreat this turn.

Losses
USSR : 44.000 troops, 341 guns, 15 AFVs, 59 AC.
Axis : 33.000 troops, 143 guns, 26 AFVs, 33 AC.

Pools
Manpower : 42.114.
Vehicle : 144.541.
Armaments : 44.741
Hiwi : 94.388.

[terje439]

Turn 20

Overall
The mud is still here, so attacks are limited. We manage to isolate two USSR divisions in the far south, not sure if they will manage to break out next turn or not. The losses report only gave actual battle casualties for the USSR this turn while our losses are attrition+combat. The USSR tries to save the unit that was encircled last turn, but their one attack fails as it recieves a held result. We launch 6 attacks, scoring 1 held, 2 retreats, 2 routs and 1 surrender. The held result was supplied by our valiant Rumanian allies.

Losses
USSR : 13.000 troops, 199 guns, 0 AFVs, 32 AC.
Axis : 25.000 troops, 108 guns, 17 AFVs, 33 AC.

Units destroyed
1 rifle division and 1 PVO AA regiment were destroyed by our infantry.

Cities Captured
Despite muddy conditions, our forces take the city of Velikie Luki this turn.

Pools
Manpower : 44.790
Vehicle : 139.053
Armaments : 61.223
Hiwi : 95.352

Pest control
1 partisan unit showed itself, and was chased away this turn.

Concerns
I am too used to the USSR production screen. I feel the German panzer production is scaringly low.

[terje439]

Turn 21

Overall
Still mud, so nothing really happens. We make the few attacks we can, and force two units to surrender. A total of 8 attacks results in 3 held, 3 retreat and 2 surrender.
Like the officers of the Wehrmacht during WWII, I find myself more and more concerned about the upcoming winter (well blizzard that is). Guess orders should be given to stop our troops from reading books about the Napoleonic Russia campaign...

Losses
USSR : 17.000 troops, 229 guns, 0 AFVs, 7 AC.
Axis : 25.000 troops, 132 guns, 19 AFVs, 25 AC.

Total losses
USSR : 2.175.000 troops, 31.449 guns, 12.357 AFVs, 6900 AC.
Axis : 575.000 troops, 5.501 guns, 2437 AFVs, 1.130 AC.

Units destroyed
2 infantry divisions surrender this turn. The first divisions to be "permanently" destroyed in the campaign.

Pools
Manpower : 48.294
Vehicle : 138.850
Armaments : 79.359
Hiwi : 96.691

Pest control
2 partisan units are forced away this turn.

Concerns
Trying to figure out why the USSR are focused where they are, and why they have the units they do in the places they do.

[terje439]

Turn 22

Overall
The ground freezes, and we launch attacks all along the line. The hope is to make two pockets, but this turn actually had me screaming at the screen in frustration as the USSR commanders deployed their reserves in the worst possible (for me, best possible for the USSR) battles, halting our advance a little shy of what I wanted. A total of 76 attacks were made, resulting in 13 held, 61 retreats and 2 routs.

Losses
USSR : 160.000 troops, 2.494 guns, 96 AFVs, 290 AC.
Axis : 44.000 troops, 520 guns, 116 AFVs, 36 AC.

Pools
Manpower : 51.228
Vehicle : 143.117
Armaments : 96.116
Hiwi : 98.313

Pest control
3 partisans were chased away.

Concernc
Will we manage to get our pincers to link up this time?

[comsolut]

Those mountains in the north appear to be a poor axis upon which to launch an attack?

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: comsolut

Those mountains in the north appear to be a poor axis upon which to launch an attack?

Should be able to push through just south of the mountains. Have not seen any enemy unit there, so if he goes there he shoould be in the open and easy to relocate....I hope [:D]


Terje

[smokindave34]

Be careful trying to establish the pocket west of Kursk, you don't want to get your panzers/motorized units stuck out in no man's land during the blizzard. I'd only attempt it if I knew I could form the pocket on the first turn of snow and then destroy the pocketed units on the 2nd snow turn. I've gotten my armor/motorized units hammered by the Soviet AI trying to force a pocket late in the '41 campaign - a human opponent would just make it even more painful.

[terje439]

Historical weather is a blessing for noobs like me [:)]
I know how long I can keep my panzers around before having to fall back, a valuable bit of information I would say, but your point is very valid, and I am indeed afraid of being caught in the open when the winter really hits.
If I see that I am too slow to seal the pockets we will abort the attacks, but if we succeed we should remove some USSR units from the map and make blizzard more "enjoyable" for our own guys.


Terje

[terje439]

Turn 23

Overall
The USSR sees the danger (managed to write "damage" in the picture below, too tired atm...) and pulls back. We trap three units,and that will be that for the winter. Our panzers will be railed to Poland to spend the Blizzard there, and we are currently just flipping hexes to make the USSR have to march further before they can attack our main line when Blizzard arrives. We manage 36 attacks, scoring 6 held, 24 retreats and 6 routs this turn.

Losses
USSR : 54.000 troops, 962 guns, 49 AFVs, 166 AC.
Axis : 41.000 troops, 420 guns, 93 AFVs, 48 AC.

Pools
Manpower : 54.326
Vehicle : 145.217
Armaments : 103.548
Hiwi : 99.122

Pest control
2 partisans are dispersed.

Thoughts so far
I am far better suited at playing the USSR, and I suck at that. Seems the USSR allows more faults during the game than the Axis.

Operational Question
I have placed some fortified zones on hexes with forts. The question I am not sure about is; should I disband these when the USSR comes close to save the armaments, or keep them there to boost the defensive value of the hex?

[karonagames]

The question I am not sure about is; should I disband these when the USSR comes close to save the armaments, or keep them there to boost the defensive value of the hex?

With the new slower entrenchment rates in bad weather they will probably not have a chance to increase entrenchment levels before you are forced to disband them. If you have used them to stop the decay of pre-existing lvl2/3 entrenchments, then that is probably worth the expenditure of APs and and Arm. Points.

I am afraid I am covering my eyes for the next 14 turns of this AAR - I don't think the Red Army has been damaged or disrupted enough to prevent a strong Blizzard offensive. I hope I am wrong, and that you won't need to bring the panzers back from Poland!

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak

The question I am not sure about is; should I disband these when the USSR comes close to save the armaments, or keep them there to boost the defensive value of the hex?

With the new slower entrenchment rates in bad weather they will probably not have a chance to increase entrenchment levels before you are forced to disband them. If you have used them to stop the decay of pre-existing lvl2/3 entrenchments, then that is probably worth the expenditure of APs and and Arm. Points.

I am afraid I am covering my eyes for the next 14 turns of this AAR - I don't think the Red Army has been damaged or disrupted enough to prevent a strong Blizzard offensive. I hope I am wrong, and that you won't need to bring the panzers back from Poland!

They were used to prevent decay, but should I keep them in place when I have units in the forts?
Yes, I fear the upcoming turns as well [X(]

Terje

[Blubel]

No. The men and armaments are to important for the Germans. Disband them if the enemy is near.

[Walloc]

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak
I am afraid I am covering my eyes for the next 14 turns of this AAR - I don't think the Red Army has been damaged or disrupted enough to prevent a strong Blizzard offensive. I hope I am wrong, and that you won't need to bring the panzers back from Poland!

Hi Terje,

Dont wait until the last snow turn to run. U need space between the two of u or u will get slaugthered. Tho not totally similar to my first pbem game where i played russian. Its not that far from. German waited until last turn before blizzard to run so i caught up with him easily. He lost around 44 inf regs, around another full 15 inf divs, in all with regs about 5 mot divs and a 3 Pz divs IIRC. If ur opponent knows what he is doing u got no chance. Sorry, but all u can do in that case is run and u need space between ya to keep him from catching up. It will leave u far back yes i know, but the german summer 42 offensive in our game is extremly limited and i can sorta attack where he isnt strong. At leased enough to cause him casulties he cant afford long term, while i can.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

[CheerfullyInsane]

Terje,

Any chance of a pic of the far south?
That's where I love to attack in the Blizzard, lots of open ground for the cavalry, and usually thinly held by the Germans.