A tale of three cities (hooooper vs Bomazz)

[HITMAN202]

Why bomb Osinovets ???

[hooooper_slith]

In the far north, 7th army is conducting a fighting retreat. I usually build a line of fortified zones along the no-attack line, but on this occasion I tried to hold at Janisjarvi. Not with any great success, and I've been conducting a slow retreat. On the whole I might have preferred to have the troops than the APs saved by not building the FZs ...

[hooooper_slith]

Moving south we have the Valdai pocket, which is completely sealed. But which way are the German's going now? They're in about the right position for a turn south to hit the Moscow rail line, or north to meet the Finns we saw in the last shot. I still think these are going to be operations for the frosts of November.

[hooooper_slith]

And here's Moscow ...

[hooooper_slith]

It's where Leningrad gets its supplies (from the east Ladoga ports). If Bomazz can damage the post past 50%, Leningrad will be isolated.

[Peltonx]

He be smart to just cross the river and not clear it out until during snow.

Starve the manpower and clear a few AP pts

[hooooper_slith]

Three turns from the rasputitsa, fighting to the south of Moscow has become frenzied.

[hooooper_slith]

As the previous picture shows, the Soviets have begun to exploit their relative strength of their airforce. The first attacks are successful (we must have hit an ammunition dump), although Guderian remains elusive.

[hooooper_slith]

In the Orel Tula sector, a pocket is almost - but not quite - formed.

[Peltonx]

I have had the same issue. As long as the SHC starts building forts turn 1 5 hexes west of Moscow and 50 miles north and south its not possible to take it.

I am kinda surpised you don't have more and higher lvl forts in plase alrdy, but looks like it will still hold.

Those are some heavy loses if he chooses to let them die in November, which would be the smart move for him at this point.

Vs Bobo I was close to taking Mocsow, but relized it was probably not going to happen so I pocketed everything I could and killed it off in November.

I am guessing hes never had to make that choice before and will try and take Moscow

[hooooper_slith]

This is the southern section, which remains a backwater. I would like to reinforce the North Caucusus and the Southern Fronts, but I can't spare more than a couple of divisions from the north and centre, where the armies are facing more than thirty mech divisions.

[hooooper_slith]

I never build FZs in front of Moscow ... I've found that digging Reserve Front armies in behind rivers and allowing the Western Front to fall back towards them works every time. It might work this time as well, but I think it's too close to call. I would guess that, by the 4 December, Tula and Leningrad will certainly fall. On the other hand the "operational tempo" is extraordinarily high .. the PZ divisions are down to half strength in tanks, judging by the OOB, and there must be problems with fatigue. And speaking of the OOB, here's the latest version.

[Peltonx]

Wow hes doing really porly down here.

I am guessing in the past hes had no problem taking Leningrad and Moscow, game set match.

Hes is going to take a beating down here come blizzard, I am thinking hes got next to zero blizzard exp. This game is very much like M60 game where he lost Moscow, but turned the tables in 43.

There is far more manpower in the south then north. This strategy only works if he can take Moscow/Leningrad and KIA enough SHC. Allot of guys have the I must win the war in 1941 mindset, when its just as easy to win it in 42 if not easyer.

Your not out of the woods yet, but you could really put a major hurt on him come blizzard. Axis allies do not respawn.

Hang on!!!!!!!!!

[Peltonx]

Hes still got good tank numbers allot more then I have by this time. Your OOB is ok also real toss up game so far

[hooooper_slith]

I've never seen this left-handed strategy before. But B does think a couple of turns ahead, he has a definite plan, is a good tactician (for example his pockets are hard to break) and he seems to understand the German logistic system (the CVs of his units are higher than I'm used to seeing at this point in the game) .. so it might work out for him (that is, he might get all three cities). The question is, where does that leaves us in 42? If the industrial capital of the Soviet Union is preserved (and I've hardly lost anything apart from heavy industry), will the Red Army still turn into a monster? I'm looking forward to finding out.

[hooooper_slith]

Here is the Valdai pocket after Soviet moves

[hooooper_slith]

And here are the defences north of Moscow

[hooooper_slith]

As you can see, the schwerpunkt has moved north east, and is facing a rag-tag collection of units from a number of fronts. Just the right conditions for heroic defence, down to the last potato peeler. The units to the south of Moscow, PG2 presumably, are now overflowing with armoured units. In front of them, a carpet of low quality units (despite the fact that almost all have been on refit). The Axis will certainly make progress, but will it be enough?

[hooooper_slith]

Down at Tula Orel, a panzer division was shoved to one side to relieve the troops, and a number of counter encirclements have taken place. This will probably be nothing more than a minor inconvenience for the Germans, but that's better than nothing.

[Peltonx]

Your in deep shit for sure.

Not this yr but next yr. As he should be able to AP crunch you NP, if he has done this before.

Check out M60's game if you want to see into the future.

I still think you can hold Moscow. How is Leningrad going?

Do you have refit off to ALL the southern units?