41-45GC - A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL - GLVACA (Sov) v SJ80 (Axis) - NO SJ80

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

The picket line, if done correctly, is totally expendable and costs more for the Axis to pocket than for the Soviet to establish. The point is to make the Axis waste time and energy to clear it. It's about feeding the beast just enough to slow it down without compromising yourself. And I'm still wondering why you are trying to save the NKVD units in particular.

I know how it works, what it is supposed to do, and how it is done.
Which particular unit are you refering to? Keep in mind, it may have been routed the previous time? Maybe I'm saving it for later deployment? As you know, the chance for them to disband increases if they are low on TOE.
Rest assured, I'm using them exactly as you want me too.

[glvaca]

TURN 3
Again the turn holds a surprise, although not in the order of the previous one and this time down South.
Sebastian has deviously railed XIV Pz Corps down South and is using it to pave the way for the advance of the Rumanians and 11th Army. Any hopes for hit and run attacks against the feeble Rumanians can hereby be put back in the drawer.

Axis moves overview before Soviet moves:
North and Center

[glvaca]

Close-up North:
When I get to Pskov as the German turn 3 is usually a take it easy turn while I wait for the infantry and because I'm low on fuel.
Not so here. He throws in 5 Pz and Mot. Divs and takes Pskov headon. The good news is the Swamp hexes hold and he cannot exploit further.
I would personally not have used the Panzers in such frontal attacks but it sets the scene for what is to come; constant pressure, constant deliberate attacks by Mech Divisions which never seem to run out of gaz or oempfff.

[glvaca]

With SS

[glvaca]

Close up Center.
A lot of hasty attacks enlarge the bridgehead and now 4 Pz and 2 Mot Divs are accross. Counter attacking is out of the question against these defensive CV's.
The only good news is that he seems too low on fuel to further expand, for now.

[glvaca]

South:
He finishes of last turns pocket East of Rovno and dives down SE of Vinitsa in the hope of cutting of anything left on the Prut or Dnestr rivers but strikes empty air.
As mentioned, XIV Pz Corps makes its apperance and takes Odessa before I have time to disband the FR and put in a garrison.

[glvaca]

Zoom in XIV Pz Corps

[comsolut]

I'm going to enjoy this AAR. Please post production and OOB numbers, as I like to compare to my three Pbem campaigns I have ongoing (2 as Russian 1 as German (which I really am bad at but figure it helps me to know my enemy).

I notice you have a lot of refit on front line units and less on the reserve units around Moscow and other cities away from the front lines. I have been more discriminating lately and trying to get morale boost for units farther than ten hexes from the front, and leaving some lower morale units without refit on the front lines.

Any thoughts?

And thanks for taking the time to post the AAR (I'm to lazy to attempt that, not to mention screenshot challenged), and taking on a "expert German player," because to date, I have been too intimidated to go that route. I consider myself a slightly above average Russian player.

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: comsolut

I'm going to enjoy this AAR. Please post production and OOB numbers, as I like to compare to my three Pbem campaigns I have ongoing (2 as Russian 1 as German (which I really am bad at but figure it helps me to know my enemy).

I notice you have a lot of refit on front line units and less on the reserve units around Moscow and other cities away from the front lines. I have been more discriminating lately and trying to get morale boost for units farther than ten hexes from the front, and leaving some lower morale units without refit on the front lines.

Any thoughts?

And thanks for taking the time to post the AAR (I'm to lazy to attempt that, not to mention screenshot challenged), and taking on a "expert German player," because to date, I have been too intimidated to go that route. I consider myself a slightly above average Russian player.

I'll post production, losses and OOB screenshots at the end of my turn 3.
For the first 2 turns I put everything on the board at the start of the game on refit. If memory serves close to a million men arrive as replacements during those 2 turns and most of the starting divs go from weak to pretty decent 3's and sometimes 4's. Usually the quelity of the divisions in the South is higher than in the Center and North. Hence I transfer many of the best units from the South to the North and Center. From turn 3 onwards (you'll see in the next screenshots, frontline units generally go to ready, and the new divisions get all the replacements.

[;)]

[glvaca]

After Soviet moves.
North, I rail in 31th Army and assign it 6 divisions just East of the Valdai hills in preparation for a right hook.
I reinforce the Swamp hexes East of Pskov in the hope he'll take the bait and slow him down.
Lastly, I zoc his spearhead with NKVD to keep his fatigue levels up and I put up a strong screen of units in good defensive terrain that will need more than a 1 Panzer hasty attack to dislog, I hope.

Overview North and Center:

[glvaca]

Close up North

[glvaca]

Close up Center.
Again I rail fresh divsions from the South to the North and center.
I put 4th army on reserve in the hope of surprising him should he make another dash at it's lines.
I don't feel strong enough to put strong stacks next to the bridgehead as I need to flip terrain to get next to his units, which leaves few movement points for digging in. Above all, I need forts to have a chance of blunting his attacks.
Strong stacks deployed in depth will hopefully avoid a breakthrough and encirclement of the units defending the land bridge.

29th Army is activated and deployed around Bryansk to begin digging in one of the next defensive lines while it receives replacements.

[glvaca]

Overview South:

[glvaca]

Close up Dnepr defenses.
C&C is still an issue. Most industry has been evacuated and out of necessity I'm forced to abandon Kiev without a fight. To many divisions have been railed North to seal of the Dnepr bridgehead and defend Leningrad. Still, the likely crossing places are defended if not in great strength, still enough to require a strong attack.
I expect him to cross to just to the South of Kiev and this is where I have deployed my strongest units.

[glvaca]

Losses:

[glvaca]

OOB

[glvaca]

Prodcution

[glvaca]

TURN 4

Before Soviet moves, North & Center

[glvaca]

Close up North.
He falls for the bait and surrounds the 4 divisions in the swamps. IT's either that or he finally ran out of gaz or decided to wait for the infantry or both.
Whatever the cause, it's exactly what I need to solidify my defences behind the luga river.

[glvaca]

Close up center:
Again a hasty attack slugfest resulting in a small encirclement just East of Mogilev.
But all in all, I was expecting worse, so I'll take it.