Defending Mother Russia Saper vs Harrybanana (No Saper)

[Harrybanana]

T60:

When I opened my turn I discovered that Saper does indeed still have some surprises for me. In this case the isolating of several more units including 3 cavalry corps and 3 of my best Guards infantry divisions. Reopening the pocket would be easy, getting my cavalry out would also be no challenge. But the final attack to open the pathway for my Guards Divisions failed.

Here is what I saw when I opened my turn. The red circled Axis hexes indicate my successful attacks, the blue circled hex is the failed attack, The green circled units are the cavalry corps and other units I was able to escape with, the purple circled units are the doomed guards divisions.

[Harrybanana]

The failed attack, so close.

[Harrybanana]

After all my movement. My main concern is that Saper will gobble up some more units next turn. But he now has less than 1250 operational tanks, and more reinforcements are on the way.

[Harrybanana]

Saper also continued his offensive in the Taman Peninsula. But he again took more casualties than me.

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: gingerbread

Looking very good!

Unless you have already done so, now is the time to decide on and build the support units that will be added to your first batch of Corps in '43. An Inf Corps really costs 16 AP (more if you have to build the Divisions), not 10. The SU need to gain experience and at 1 pt/turn it takes a while. As to which type(s), you can't go wrong with Sappers (sounds like a mildly annoying Coca-Cola slogan) since it's very different from the current battles to attack dug-in Germans that are supported by reserves. So 100 (at least) Sapper Regiments formed by South Ural MD that should sit there and train.

A sprinkling of Hv Tank Reg is possible (and the only way to get the heavies to leave the pool), but these are not available to be formed until 10/42. A handful of Flame Tank Bat to get those out of the pool as well, but the production is rather low. You don't want a half strength SU occupying a slot that could contain a full strength Sapper Reg. I don't like the regular Tank SU due to the vehicle requirements, but it's a matter of taste as well.

I would think that saper is even less happy with the Air War than you - the Axis numbers are decreasing and you outproduce him.

Thanks for the advice gingerbread. I have already started building the support units. But I screwed up and started building them in STAVKA. Now if I try to build new ones in a MD(my own preference was the one near Saratov) it wants to pull them from STAVKA rather than build new ones. Is there a fix for this? I currently have about 60 Sapper regiments, 10 independent tank battalions, a half dozen or so AT regiments (are they worth it?), a flame tank battalion, and a few AA regiments. My plan was to build another 40 Sapper regiments and 20 or so HV Tank regiments when they become available. I'll follow your advice and build a few more flame tank battalions as well.

My main issues at the moment are that I ended my turn with only 84 APs and my Armaments are below 10,000. The reason for the low APs is that I spent 46 this turn forming 2 more Guards Rifle Corps. I would rather have avoided this, but it was necessary if I was to have any chance at all to free my trapped guards divisions. Although the attempt ultimately failed (well probably failed anyway as I believe Saper will retrap them) these 2 corps were instrumental in causing the retreat/rout of 6 panzer/motorized divisions.

[gingerbread]

There is a 'Build New' check box that also activates a multiple build (1-10) option.

I'd keep the AT & AA in the Army HQ and use the Corps slots for offensive type SU. Your game if any shows that you don't need AT to cause AFV losses. The AT SU are too small to take up a Corps slot.

Routing the Pz/Mot is an extra bonus since they will not receive replacements during their following turn due to the sequence of play, so AP well spent.

I think that the Soviet F/FB are too slow to catch an German F, so they go after the bombers instead. The important thing is to have a lot of Air Groups in the area so that there are some/a lot of surviving F/FB that can take on the bombers. Just a few is worse than none. In any case, it's the effect on the ground battle that matters.

[Harrybanana]

T61:

As expected Saper re-isolated my Guards Rifle divisions and, even worse, 2 of the Guards Cavalry Corps that "escaped" last turn. The enclosure was a lot tighter this turn than last, but, as you'll see, I had more than enough force in the area to deal with the situation.

[Harrybanana]

Saper continues to "roll" well on the attack. Below are 4 of the battles that, with a little bit of luck I think I could have won. Having said that I won all of my important battles as well; except for one where I accidentally attacked the hex before I had "selected" all of the units I wanted to participate in the attack. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the game favors the attacker too much.

[Harrybanana]

This is the situation at the end of my turn.

[randallw]

I am enjoying the fluidity of the situation; certainly more interesting than the stalemate situation that sometimes happens for this period.

[mmarquo]

1943 is for stalemates; 1942 is for the Axis to push hard and capture Stalingrad...Harrybanana is doing a great job.

[Walloc]

A small note, Harry. I could see from the combat reports that u had a mountain div involved. Considering their usedfullness(superior movement capabilities) in blizzard weather conditions and that comes again even its not the 41 blizzard. If possible and u seem to have a nice unit density now. I wouldnt use those where they remotely could get surrounded in the summer. Unlike any thing else they cant be rebuild and so few to go around.

Any how nothing big,

Rasmus

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: gingerbread

There is a 'Build New' check box that also activates a multiple build (1-10) option.

Thanks gingerbread, I had noticed the "Build New" before but clicking on it never did anything. It wasn't until I read your post and looked really close that I saw that there was a Check Box next to the "Build New." On my monitor it is very difficult to distinguish the colour of the box from the surrounding from the background colour. Of course if I had bothered to read the Manual closely I would have been able to figure it out.

[Harrybanana]

T62:

The bad news is that saper re-isolated my 9 rifle divisions. The good news is he didn't get my Cavalry Corps this time. The bad news is that the box was much tighter this turn than ever before. The good news is that I was still pretty confident that I could break through. The bad news is that I didn't. The good news is that Saper has less than 3,400,000 men and less than 1000 operational tanks.

[Harrybanana]

I had two final chances to relieve the trapped units, but both were defeated as illustrated below.

[Harrybanana]

The situation at the end of my turn. So the question is what will Saper do now? Will he go on the defensive, satisfied with destroying 25+ divisions this summer. Will he continue attacking in the South? Or will he move his panzers to attack a more vulnerable section of my front. I'm betting on the latter, but we'll see.

[randallw]

You lacked an advantage in manpower and artillery for those failed attacks. Even with the units being Guards the tank units are still lagging in experience.

[mmarquo]

You did great - the counterattack ate up several precious 1942 summer moves for the small price of 9 divisions for which you will make up the manpower in one move.

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: randallw

You lacked an advantage in manpower and artillery for those failed attacks. Even with the units being Guards the tank units are still lagging in experience.

You are right of course. I did have significant advantages in both AFVs and bombers, but those don't seem to mean nearly as much in this game as, imho, they did historically. But I didn't have any choice as only my Tank Corps had enough MPs to make the attacks. I was hoping to get lucky with one of the attacks.

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: Marquo

You did great - the counterattack ate up several precious 1942 summer moves for the small price of 9 divisions for which you will make up the manpower in one move.

You are correct my Manpower is now growing and I have 200,000+ in the bank. But the 90 APs required to form those divisions are scarce at the moment, and the armament points to equip them are non existent. Still, I've got to think that Saper is in even worse shape than me.