Seminole (Soviet) vs A Game (Axis)

[Seminole]

Turn 9 - 8/14/1941

Railed HI from Bryansk, Armaments from Kaluga and Zaporozhye

[randallw]

Not a great beginning to the war for the Axis; a relatively high percentage of attacks held, some painful retreats on Soviet counteroffensives, and a lack of big pockets created in recent turns.

Prognosis for Axis victory: negative?

[Seminole]

Janisjarvi Sector:
Another Finnish assault on the southern shore of the lake is rebuffed. Finns lose 3119 men, 29 art while the Russians lose only 651 men, 11 art, and 5 AFVs
What does it look like? See above.

Leningrad Sector:
At the Baltic coast the SS Polizei Div crosses the Narva and attempts to bridge the Luga unsuccessfully against the 126th Rifle Div.
Two German assaults at the Leningrad-Pskov railroad bridge also fail, the second led by the 6th Pzr Div and 36th Mot Div.
Germany again shifts to driving east to the outskirts of Novgorod.
This push is led by 1st Pzr Div and 14th Mot Div.
The first German trains arrive in Pskov this week and partisans report next week that the trains will be dumping supplies less than 50 miles from the Luga River Line. Zhukov appeals to Stalin to seize the initiative. He proposes a double envelopment of AGN by Northern Front and Northwest Front.





23rd and 28th Armies (Northern Front) shift west, crossing the Luga and isolating the SS Polizei while establishing blocking positions on the still operable railway east of Lake Peipus. This includes 2 Cavalry Divisions, who will either push the line farther east, or potentially link up with 27th Army behind AGN's center of gravity. The key will be pushing the cavalry as far west as possible before reinforcements can be railed in.
125th Rifle Div has been sea-lifted to Tallinn in order to try and move east to link up with 23rd Army.



The Germans are holding the Shelon River line with just two divisions, broken down into regiments to try and cover roughly 100 miles of front line. Zhukov's plan sees 55th Cav Div (27th Army) move through a 20 mile gap between elements of the German 12th and 58th Inf Div, taking up positions with a band of partisans in the swamps east of Pskov (and forcing the hasty relocation of some Luftwaffe). 5 more Cav Divs are railed into place on the east bank of the Shelon river and assigned to 27th Army. 22nd Army (Reserve Front) moves three Rifle Div through the swamps north of Velikie Luki, cutting off 1/12th Rgt. Next week as broad as possible a push will be made by the cavalry to cut the Pskov railway along the Vlikaya, and quite possible isolate the whole of AGN engaged on the Luga river.
22nd NKVD Div is ousted from Riga by 3 German Inf Div with heavy artillery and pioneer support. Instead of evacuating by sea the defenders march west. Lamentably this will free up divisions to reinforce Pskov at exactly the wrong moment.



Moscow Sector:
Germans continue to move forward along two axes. The northern pincer is infantry heavy, with no signs yet of pzr/mot support.
The southern pincer is pzr/mot heavy, with the AGC units supporting the Bryansk pocket finally resuming the offensive.
Reserve Front hits the 110th Inf Div with 10 Rifle Divs and a supporting Cav Div, compelling their retreat in the northern spearhead.
Several Divisions reporting to Moscow MD are re-assigned to 20th Army (Western Front) as the line retreats and is reinforced to accept the blow of AGC's southern pincer, west of Tula.
In retrospect, my withdrawal under this looming threat was far too mild. When the Soviet's flank is turned in '41 they simply need run back and create a new MLR. Anything less is a recipe for disaster.



Pocketed elements of 13th Army (Western Front) continue pushing east, trying in vain to link up with friendly cavalry units of Bryansk Front. Arb Bdes of 4th Arb Corps (Western Front) keep in contact with 17th and 18th Pzr Div, holding the SE corner of the pocket.
Supplies for XXXXVII Pzr Corps are still very stretched, as the rail construction won't cross the Dnepr toward Gomel until next week. The HQ is separated from rail head by a major and minor river, while the Pzr Divs have a major river and two minor rivers between them and the rail head depots.
Bryansk Front takes up more positions behind the rivers to hold the line from Chernigov to Bryansk. 5 Cav Divs in the lower section of this line stand ready to harass and potentially cut off any German units that venture unsupported to the SE.



Kharkov Sector:
Apparent disaster as AGS uses seven Inf Divs to force a crossing at the Dnepr rail bridge NE of Kirovograd.
9th Pzr, 11th Pzr, 14th Pzr, 16th Pzr, 16th Mot, 25th Mot, Das Reich SS, Viking SS, and LAH SS Mot Div follow up, trying to widen the bridgehead and linking the northern spearhead. This effectively pockets 17 Rifle Divs and 1 Tank Div, almost exclusively reporting to Kharkov MD (19th and most of 43rd Armies).
Two weak links are perceived, in the north a 20 mile stretch of the kessln is held by 111th and 299th Inf Divs. On the eastern edge of the pocket 14th Pzr Div holds a 10 mile stretch on the banks of the Psel river.



12th Army (SW Front) hits the 111th Inf Div with 57th Tank Div supported by 214th & 289th Rifle Div and forces them back.
12th Army and 32nd Army (SW Front) coordinate a failed attack on 299th Inf Div by three Rifle Divs. This is immediately followed up by another attack with 3 Tank Divs which succeeds, creating a 20 mile gap in the pocket and allowing supplies to again flow to Cherkassy. The 299th takes a new position on the eastern side of the pocket, where it is promptly engaged by 3 Rifle Divs and again forced to retreat.
14th Pzr Div is attacked by 5 Rifle Divs and 1 Mtn Div, retreating to the southwest. It is then hit by 4 Rifle Div and 2 Mtn Div, retreating to the safety of Das Reich SS Mot Div's position, this time with only 5 AFVs left.
With the holes created on either side of the pocket the tables are turned on AGS. Kharkov MD units that were pocketed move to pressure their erstwhile captors and abandon most positions on the Dnepr. Supplies are airlifted to most of the formerly pocketed troops to bring them over 50% of needs.
Attacks are also made against the northern Dnepr bridgehead, and German regiments are forced back in two places, allowing the 52nd Cav Div to take up a position close enough to harass the river supply crossing.



In the Dnepr pocket are:
1st Pzr Group HQ, XIVth Pzr Corps HQ, III Pzr Corps HQ,
24th, 44th, 68th, 257th, 262nd, 299th Inf Div, and 1st Mtn Div
10th, 16th Mot Div, Viking SS Mot Div
9th & 11th Pzr Div
Across the Dnepr, just 10 miles from the south end of the pocket is a strong relief force: 14th & 16th Pzr Div, Das Reich SS, LAH SS, and 25th Mot Div.
These elite units should be able to crack the southern edge of the pocket without a problem, even if it rains.

Crimea Sector:
The 35th Reserve Rum Inf Div is spotted only 10 miles from Krivoi Rog. Two Rifle Divisions move forward to greet the invaders and the Rumanian reservists route like roaches under fire.
With the Germans having restored LOC to 13th Pzr Div on the southern banks of the Dnepr the decision is made to abandon Nikolaev, lest the better part of 9th Army find itself trapped against the Black Sea. Defensive positions are established leading into the Crimea by 9th Army and a cavalry screen is setup to defend the approaches to the Molochna river and Zaporozhye (40th Army, North Cauc. MD).
If the opportunity presents itself the cavalry will seek to isolate any German units that get too adventurous, and or push back against Rumanians assigned to guard the flanks of the lower Dnepr bridgehead.

[Seminole]

Turn 10 - 8/21/1941

Rail T-34 Factories from Kharkov and vehicles from Leningrad

[Seminole]

The 'Pocket War' is now well underway.

The Germans have resumed the eastern offensive, and (re)bagged quite a few Soviet units:

(Bryansk pocket)
13th Army - 16,644 men, 214 arty

(Vyazma pocket)
20th Army - 104,493 men, 1,286 arty
34th Army - 51,218 men, 594 arty

(Cherkassy pocket)
12th Army - 6,256 men, 31 arty, 22 AFVs
32nd Army - 8,387 men, 53 arty
38th Army - 21,129 men, 215 arty
43rd Army - 59,908 men, 841 arty

268,035 men trapped in pockets at the start of the turn, not including the Northern Front units that are also currently isolated north of Lake Peipus. Stavka's recent success has clearly made them too bold, and they're now paying a heavy price as many units are trapped. The only salvation is to delay the destruction of the pockets as long as possible and force the fast movers to stay on pocket duty while fresh recruits are raised.

Janisjarvi Sector: Finns repulsed (losing 2500 men to 1000 Russians) attempting to force the line at the southern shore of Lake Janisjarvis. Four rifle divisions in the 7th Ind. Army are already at 5 wins. If the Finns keep this up we'll have some Guards units very soon!

Leningrad Sector: AGN shifts back toward the western end of the Luga River, forcing a crossing by the Totenkopf SS Mot Div, with 36th Mot Div and 6th Pzr Div just behind the river. Polizei SS splits into regiments and reaches the Baltic, cutting off the forces of 23rd Army on the northern edge of Lake Peipus. The cavalry divisions move west, but fail to reach 125th Rifle Div that moves east from Tallinn, leaving 23rd Army cut off from supplies for the moment. Supplies are air lifted to 23rd Army.
Six German Inf Div finally succeed in bridging the Luga on the Pskov-Leningrad railway. 1st Pzr Div is moved into the bridgehead.
The Germans also reach Lake Ilmen, with 5 Inf Div threatening 30th Army which holds Novgorod.






German reinforcements arrive at Pskov and nearly encircle 55th Cav Div in the swamps. 27th Army pours cavalry on a SW axis toward the headwaters of the Sorot river. The German reinforcement by 8th SS Cav Bde prevent cutting Pskov railway. It is clear that the week prior move by 55th Cav Div tipped Zhukov's hand, and spoiled the gambit. The bright spot is that two regiments of 12th Inf Div are trapped and support looks unlikely. German efforts to dislodge the 55th Cav Div from the swamps fail.
Depending on German reinforcement next week the cavalry of 27th Army will continue pushing west, but it doesn't look promising with the recently freed units of the Riga siege apparently moving rapidly east.






Moscow Sector: 22nd Army (Reserve Front) cuts off 3 German Divisions east of Velikie Luki. But this small victory is overshadowed by the fact that 20th Army (Western Front) with elements of 33rd and 34th Army (Reserve Front) have been swallowed almost whole by a fresh panzer plunge. Stavka is punished for underestimating the suppy status and mobility of the German armor and motorized formations, and ~150k men are trapped as result.
31st Army (Reserve Front) pushes south toward Smolensk, hoping to threaten the German flank and cause at least a few divisions to move west instead of east.
29th Army (Bryansk Front) conducts a desperate 6 Rifle Div attack against the 197th Inf Div on the southern wall of the pocket and succeeds in re-opening supply lines. This is still a grave situation and imperils Moscow before the October rains can offer a respite.
20th Army (Western Front) and 34th Army (Reserve Front) move to hug the walls of the pocket, in part to retain room to fall back, but also to increase supply hardships, attrition and fatigue for the Germans holding the eastern wall of the pocket.
Stavka sends more cavalry to Bryansk in the hopes the pocket can be re-opened on the western edge next week. If AGC fails to reinforce their flanks, there is even a remote chance the whole lot can be cut off by 31st and 29th Army meeting at Smolensk.






Kursk Sector: 5th and 10th Army (Bryansk Front) rail most of their units to the Moscow region from Chernigov to begin digging in (these units are assigned to 48th and 49th Armies (Moscow MD)). A screen is established on the river east of Chernigov by 21st Army (N. Cauc. Front) to shield the routed units of 5th Army while they recover, with the expectation to evacuate next week. 2nd Panzer Group is clearly preparing for a new dash - to Kursk, or south to link up with 1st Panzer Group?






Kharkov Sector: Cherkassy pocket is resealed by the Germans and a bid by 127th Rifle Div to crack the northern flank against 262nd Inf Div fails. Follow-up attacks are even less successful and the fate of the Dnepr defenders is sealed. Formations are pulled back to the Vorskla River, anchored in the center at Poltava.
Discretion reigns and Kiev is again abandoned without a fight to the invaders.






Crimea Sector: Rumanians continue to move SE across the lower Dnepr in support of XXXXVI Panzer Corps and XI Corps which slices back SW toward the Crimea. Part of 9th Army is trapped and moves east to pressure their captors. 40th Army continues to screen any advance to the east south of the Dnepr

[bigbaba]

you have a very good opponent. he can build unbreakable pockets what is maybe the most important thing for axis players in this game.

but he forgot to attack with the finns. there is a chance to pocket 3 of the best russian divisions (CV 3) far north and he missed it and has to deal with your unbreakable defensive line in north finnland.

[Seminole]

you have a very good opponent. he can build unbreakable pockets what is maybe the most important thing for axis players in this game.

We're both still learning the game. We restarted a few weeks into it because I kept cutting off his spearheads, so he's been more careful in creating pockets this time. I've still managed to break quite a few, or drag out their liquidation. This war definitely has some back and forth in the coming weeks. For the first seven weeks I did things pretty well, but for the next fifteen or so there are quite a few lessons in what not to do.

but he forgot to attack with the finns. there is a chance to pocket 3 of the best russian divisions (CV 3) far north and he missed it and has to deal with your unbreakable defensive line in north finnland.

He did forget to launch the Finns on their first available turn, but I was already prepping the Janijarvis Line and would have sent what was necessary by rail. I wouldn't ever call it 'unbreakable', because I've had an opponent get magnificent CV bonuses (while my CV evaporated) on rolls and still push through. It's part of the reason I sent so many reserves up there initially because I was expecting the worst and thought I might have to build a line a few hexes back (but hopefully not on the Svir).

[Seminole]

[Seminole]

Turn 11 - 8/28/1941

15 Armament factories evacuated from Tula.