Fire fighting the Red Hordes - Uranus vs Olivier

[James Ward]

Run Forrest Run! [:)]

[Bonners]

15th January - hang on, those encircled troops are wearing Red Army uniforms...

Finally, finally the Cold Hammer offensive runs out of steam. If previous turns are anything to go by I could end up having about a week to form my lines before the Soviets replenish their supplies for the next stage of the offensive.

In the Caucasus the retreat is going on to the Taman bridgehead and it is here that 17th Army will make their stand. Meanwhile the railing of 1st Panzer Army to Rostov is also complete. For the first time in days this means that my front is significantly shorter and I should hopefully be able to release some reserves. In previous offensives I have only managed to stop the Soviet offensives by getting the panzers off the front lines. Although the situation now dictates that some panzers will have to stay on the front lines (over 300,000 infantry losses tends to do that[;)]) I am hopeful that I can try and get at least one panzer division into reserve for each part of the front.

North of Rostov there is still a gap in the lines, but the Soviets have ran out of fuel (it is certainly not my troops that have stopped them) and I am confident that with a bit of shuffling of 4th Panzer I will cover the gaps.

17th panzer manage to escape from the Soviet trap and begin to form a new front line along with the newly arrived 7th panzer division from France. Unfortunately one regiment has not yet been issued with Russian maps, so still using French maps they just keep on going East as far as their little French trucks can take them. Luckily the Soviets are so astounded by this display of bravado that once they have finished laughing they point them westwards in the direction of the German lines. Shame faced they head back leaving presents of French wine for the startled Soviets (thank you Olivier for not punishing my incompetence with the movement button[;)]).

North of this I begin to anchor a new line around Kupyansk. I resist the urge to attack the Soviet spearheads as unfortunately the panzers are needed to form the line.

Finally the only real offensive action taken this turn is a combined Hungarian German operation to encircle the Soviet troops south of Voronezh. Even more unbelievable it succeeds and two Soviet divisions are trapped in the mountains. Again, in the context of 300 odd thousand German casualties it is not a great success, but success it is. Various upper echelon officers rush to the front to bestow medals on the encircling troops.

[Isokron]

How do you expect the Taman bridgehead to work ? He will just park his fleet outside and you will neither get any supply not be able to withdraw.

[Bonners]

ORIGINAL: Isokron

How do you expect the Taman bridgehead to work ? He will just park his fleet outside and you will neither get any supply not be able to withdraw.

JU52s and the mighty Luftwaffe to provide air cover. I cant see anything that could possibly go wrong[;)]

[Bonners]

17th January - Cold Hammer counting the costs

As seems to be usual, once his offensive finishes Olivier is quite happy to spend time reorganising and getting the right troops in place, plus reserves for the next offensive. Meanwhile I am doing serious retreating, calculating where I am on the dismissal rule and working out whether to stay at Rostov or give up without a fight and thereby significantly shortening my lines enabling me to start to create reserves again and not have all the panzers on the front lines. Next turn will decide it.

This turn with 1st Panzer Army finally making it back and regaining readiness as they come off the trains I start to relocated 4th Panzer Army further north to strengthen the front.

[Bonners]

17th January Voronezh and stats

Meanwhile, following the retreat from Voronezh the reserves created, along with the Hungarian tanks complete the encirclement after some troops tried to breakout. I realise I may sacrifice some Hungarians here, but it is worth it to get rid of the nasty Soviet bulge in the line.

Apart from this attack the front is really beginning to go quiet. So it is time to tot up the overall losses.

Soviet losses

240,000 infantry
2,300 guns
880 light tanks
1000 medium tanks (huzzah!!!)
380 heavy tanks
765 fighters
7850 motorized

German losses (including minors)

336,000 infantry!!!!!!!!!!
4,000 guns
105 light tanks
1250 medium tanks
5 heavy tanks
470 fighters
5,000 motorized

Compare these to the losses at the end of 1942 and you can see just how bloody Cold Hammer was for both sides:

Axis losses to date (including those encircled at Stalingrad and minor allies losses):

249,000 infantry
3,000 guns
55 light tanks
790 medium tanks
5 heavy tanks
3390 motorized
325 fighters

Soviet losses to date:

150,000 infantry
1495 guns
545 light tanks
695 medium tanks
235 heavy tanks
5150 motorized
515 fighters

[Reconvet]

Oh my, why did I suggest to play Axis in our next game? Pure horror incoming for those undermanned and undergunned bolshevik victims at winter start... [&:]

Thanks for sharing this, guys. Really impressive to follow how you do offensively and defensively. Kudos especially to Bonners, I'd have lost any remaining sanity long ago while trying to plug all those holes. Top motivation not to let your peasant force live into winter, I have no choice but to go for your jugular during Trappen-summer. [:D]

[Bonners]

19th January - brief update

Very brief updates for the next few turns as Olivier is building his forces again ready for the next big offensive which I suspect may just smash me off the map. It'd be interesting to see what would happen if the Soviets just kept charging, but I suspect that Olivier is doing the right thing, I was semi hoping that this offensive would have built up and he would stretch his forces as I had some vague ideas for a couple of fairly major counter-attacks to hopefully do some major damage to his spearheads. As it is I am using the rest period to carry on re-organising my lines.

I also decide that I have to give up on Rostov. I have reached zero prestige anyway and by giving it up I significantly reduce the length of my line which again should free up more panzer reserves.

These next few turns will be a bit tense. I have made some minor withdrawals apart from Rostov but I will be gaining another couple of prestige points from minor objectives. What it also means is that I cant lose a single town in the next two turns otherwise I will be dismissed. It is going to be a very close run thing, but if I do survive then I think the game will go on well into February, I will launch a massive counter-attack with my panzer reserves, restore the situation and leave the tattered Soviet remnants back on the Don...easy[:D]

Sorry, got carried away there, day dreaming again. The reality is I will soon be picking a line to fight hard from and trying to scramble either a draw or a Soviet minor victory from the game.

No map update as with the front being quiet I didnt save one.

[olivier34]

Soviet message :
To put an end to the german infamous propaganda [;)], here are the real losses that the great red army had to pay during the offensive "Cold Hammer".

40 Level Bombers, 100 Dive Bombers, 110 Fighters.
500 Guns
65 Heavy Tansk, 210 Medium ones, 140 Light tanks
50 000 soldiers

The offensive did last 8 days and ended with the retreat of the evil opponent [;)]

Time to re organise the front line armys and create new ones in reserve (that is propaganda) . Three shock armys and three tank armys will soon launch a new devastating offensive.

About a possible german major counter offensive ? We recon several panzer divisions all along the front...nothing to worry about [:'(].

The ennemy has evacuated Rostov. I wait for a new major order...Berlin ??

[Bonners]

21st January - Kupyansk

The whole front is all still very quiet. However, Olivier launches an attack to take Kupyansk on the central front. A minor little town by itself, but to Olivier it is an easy minor objective on the front line, but to me it will mean the prestige point lost that means I will be dismissed next turn. Whenever the minor attacks have happened previously I have generally given the town up without a fight, but this really is a case of high command threatening me with a noose. I counter-attack with everything available and immediately move Mackerson's strong panzer corps in to launch an attack next turn, or at least give Olivier the impression that they will launch an attack.

I take back one hex and try to do some more damage on Soviet units to reduce their readiness and hopefully enthusiasm for the attack. Given that this is only a spoiling attack I am hoping I have done enough.

Meanwhile Soviet commissars are hard at work on the front lines disseminating false propaganda to my troops. Obviously the Germans in the trenches know, that despite voluntarily giving up ground at a leisurely stroll the last Soviet offensive was obviously a major German victory[:D] The Soviets seems to be coming up with some very low losses for Cold Hammer, telling my front line troops that they have barely knocked out a couple of hundred Red Army tanks and that a million Soviet troops are getting ready to lauch the next offensive with well over a thousand tanks.

We laugh at the futile attempts of the Soviets to scare us, knowing full well that these Soviet figures are pure fantasy and that nothing can break through our refreshed and fully manned lines with plentiful panzer reserves[;)]

[Bonners]

23rd and 25th January

Oh, it's oh so quiet. Olivier obviously realises just how strong my defenders are at Kupyansk so he calls off the attack. I'm beginning to wonder if the Russians are actually going to attack. I have reserves in place all along the lines and nothing really happens.

I have now stabilized the situation, avoided dismissal and am ready in full strength for the next assault with supplied and entrenched troops. Nothing can possibly go wrong[:)]

Obviously there are a fair number of red blobs moving around behind the frontlines, but due to my now limited recon I cant see what they are. Rumours of tank and shock armies are just that.

[Bonners]

27th and 29th January

Well it is now official, two more turns of total quiet on the frontlines. I make a few ineffectual air attacks, but rest most of the Luftwaffe. Apart from that nothing happens. I have included a screenshot to show the strong German infantry all along the front lines with plentiful reserves - including the SS division I now have a grand total of 12 fully fresh armoured divisions sitting behind the frontlines. In fact the Soviets have probably realised that there is absolutely no point in launching any further attacks, we might as well just call these the final frontlines, finish the AAR and declare it a draw, it seems the only honourable solution.

So that is that, what fabulous fun.


But wait.....as the night falls at the end of January the stillness and calm of the night is interrupted by the sound of engines roaring into life and flares lighting up the night sky. In fact, there would appear to be rather a lot of engines roaring into life all the way from Voronezh in the north following the front down to the Stalino area in the south. Could it be that peace has been declared and the Soviets are all going home?

To be continued............................[:)]

[The Red Baron]

I doff my hat to you. To fight this successfully and this long against a competent Soviet opponent is an outstanding achievement in this scenario. In order for Olivier to achieve a major victory, he will have to capture (approx) all towns and cities in a line running roughly from Kursk south through (and including) D-town and Zaporozhye (sp?). Less than this means a minor victory, and, if you can retain in your possession Stalino and Mariupol, I believe you should be able to force a draw.

[Bonners]

ORIGINAL: The Red Baron

I doff my hat to you. To fight this successfully and this long against a competent Soviet opponent is an outstanding achievement in this scenario. In order for Olivier to achieve a major victory, he will have to capture (approx) all towns and cities in a line running roughly from Kursk south through (and including) D-town and Zaporozhye (sp?). Less than this means a minor victory, and, if you can retain in your possession Stalino and Mariupol, I believe you should be able to force a draw.

Thanks for the comments. Unfortunately the map has changed quite dramatically in recent turns.....war madness appear to have overtaken Olivier and myself in a frenzy of frenetic attack and counter-attack. I havent got time to do the updates until the weekend, but suffice to say I'm sticking to my original plan.....we fight[:D]

I love having the fog of war settings on; combine that with the limited recon available to the Germans and it would appear I have miscounted the red army somewhat....by about 3-400,000 by the looks of it[8D]

[olivier34]

31 January,
The last soviet major operation "cold hammer" occured from the 9th of February to the 17th. With the fall of Rostov, a new major order was given by Stavka. Take the city of Kursk before the end of February.
The Voronezh front had to be reinforce and organise. Priority will be given to this front. Most of the infantry divisions were not full of men. Decision is taken to disband the brigades everywhere. A tank army is moved by rail to Voronezh. (A week will be necessary)
The offensive toward Kursk will be named "cold club" and should blow away the german 2A. It should start the 6 or 7 February.

Before this date some other offensives will be launch. Let's put the fire everywhere so that our fireman Bonners has to run from one place to another [:D]

31 January 6A and 1GA break the german front.The ennemy should think that the main objective for the red army is Kharkov.

The 2nd of February, 5TA attack toward Stalino

The 4th, A new offensive with the goal to take Stary Oskol.

I expect to see the german front collapse before the 15th of February. The fun thing is that I have no idea of the reserve forces of Bonners. I haven't red a lot about this war in 1943 and I refrained myself from readind the reinforcement schedule of the Axis player. I have been abble to recon around 8 panzer divisions 20 kms behind the line, all along the front. There must be more in the rear ready to be railed were needed.

Red army has around 1000 fighters, most of them with a morale of 50. Bombers and Sturmovik won't conduct a major role in this battle. I doubt it.

What will be the weather ? Most of the time it has been clear during this winter.

Let's launch the red hordes

This coming month should be intense and bloody.

[Bonners]

31 January - the beginning of the end


....and so it begins. Looking back now the scale of the coming offensives was just beyond anything I could comprehend at the time, I knew stuff was coming, I just didnt realise just how much stuff and in how many places. Fair play to Olivier, he never tried to rush his defence, he was quite happy to build up and reorganise his armies and attack when he was ready to do so.

I knew this was only going to be a small part of the offensive, but it was a pretty big small part. I count three Soviet tank corps, hordes of infantry, tank brigades and guards divisions all heading in one direction towards Kharkov.

Air stikes are launched in force and my fighter at full readiness are virtually swept from the skies. The most I can hope for is some kind of parity on certain sectors. These are followed up by numerous Sturmovik strikes on my armour. The Soviet air losses are pretty high, but they just keep on coming and German tanks and support units soon litter the landscape.

This is followed up by an artillery bombardment that dwarfs anything that has gone before and the frontline German regiments are left reeling. Next up the Soviet infantry and support tank brigades roll over the frontlines leaving numerous gaps for the tank corps to start rolling through. The tank corps are left with enough momentum to start attacking my reserves of panzers. I wont be having fresh panzer divisions to take on the counter offensive as Olivier is making sure he targets them head on.

This is just one breakthrough in one sector. I need to come up with something, I'm just not too sure what that something is.

[Bonners]

31st January - save Kharkov

I took a long hard look at this and what I am trying to achieve here. Firstly my prestige is hovering around the zero mark, so unless I am very careful with my limited minor objectives, much in the way of retreating and it will be game over anyway.

So I am fast running out of choices. Unless a miracle happens then the coming Soviet offensives are going to rip my lines apart. I can gradually retreat the line, all the while losing stragglers and try and form another line further back. This means that the game will be an major Soviet victory, but only after a lot of retreating and line juggling, but probably not much in the way of fighting, in other words I'll be going out with a bit of a whimper.

So if I'm going to lose anyway, why not actually try and halt the Soviet offensive in its tracks? At this stage there are still some strong German divisions around despite the Red Army's best attentions.

The decision is made, death or glory....we fight on this line[:D]

The spearheads are a bit chunkier than in previous attacks and I suspect with a high degree of readiness and defence as Olivier will probably have saved up some cards to launch the attack. Nevertheless Mackerson's and Hube's corps launch powerful counter-attacks on the shoulders of the breakthrough. After initially breaking the line 27th and 13th panzer from Mackerson's corps get within a whisker of totally cutting off the Soviet spearheads. As suspected though the Soviet troops are getting used to our tactics and 18th tank corps is very much not for shifting despite some fairly high tank losses.

A partial success was not enough, the Soviet line to Kharkov is still open......

[Bonners]

2nd February - 'minor' Soviet breakthrough towards Kharkov

The situation is now just a tad serious. Again Olivier has used his forces wisely. The second phase of assault troops are more than ready to take up the attack and blast holes in the panzer corps. Meanwhile individual tank units, with no regard to their flanks race towards Kharkov. I have nothing left to stop them. The moment I release troops from other threatened sectors the offensive will explode along the whole front.

The breakthrough width is now virtually impregnable and I am at a loss how I will stop the Soviet forces. In a cruel role reversal the Soviets have learnt their lessons from the German Blitzkriegs and are now applying them in full force.

[Bonners]

2nd February -somebody wake up the JU-52s

All is not lost though. My panzers still seem to have a remarkable degree of readiness. Even so I spend a long time on this turn pondering. Every fibre in my body is telling me to hit the retreat button and hit it now, accept defeat and slowly work our way back westwards.

Instead we attack. Every Luftwaffe fighter and bomber that can still fly is called into action. The fighters contest the air to try and let as many supplies as possible through to the encircled troops. The refreshed and refitted JU-52s do their job well and I am confident enough in the ability of the encircled troops to have another go at obliterating the Soviet bulge.

Level bombers and Stukas ignore their losses to AA fire and fighters and bring their rain of death down on the Soviet units. The panzers roll forward again and start to blast holes in the lines. But they are just too thick and the troops defending them are no longer the untrained peasants of earlier battles. Hardened Soviet veterans that have fought their way across the Steppe, recognise the role reversal of desperation and confidently hold their positions - they know that if the Germans fail that the Soviet reserves will deal a harsh lesson.

Despite battering the Soviets there is just no way through; meanwhile more fresh Soviet troops prepare to take on the bloodied panzer troops.......

[Bonners]

4th February Kharkov and the north

Firstly a mention of what I mistakenly think is a sideshow around Voronezh. The Soviets start to make several spoiling attacks on my very strong 2nd Army. I am not too worried about this as I am confident that the main attacks are still happening in the centre and south[8|]

Meanwhile the Kharkov offensive continues, again the best part of three panzer divisions are again encircled in both the north and south of the bulge. Meanwhile Soviet troops continue to rush through the bulge in force cutting my rail lines and stopping me railing units to the rescue without going on huge detours. The advance Soviet troops reach the outskirts of Kharkov threatening the communications of the entire central front.

A note on losses; for the first time the Germans are also losing large numbers of tanks as I am having to commit them on the frontlines. Although the Soviet tank losses are still high, the German losses still match them. The air war is seeing the final destruction of the Luftwaffe, but I play a precious card again 35 sparkly new FWs. I will update on current losses in a couple of turns.