Sur les traces de l'empereur / Tracking Napo (Vorsteher welcome)

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:36 pm

I pay for my mistake, having put all my PZG on the same side, and I'm unable to close the pocket as far north as wanted, I choose a medium term and a significant pocket (for me...) is closed.

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:39 pm

I will send 2 German Inf Div between Rostov ans Vorochilovgrad. Rumanians aren't reliable against determined SHC

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:43 pm

Turn 60, 6 august 1942

SHC managed to re-open the pocket but my situation is firmer than during the previous turns

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:47 pm

This time the pocket is firmly closed

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:53 pm

On the south, I've lost Vorochilovgrad, GGRRRRRR, but I will be able to counterattack

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:54 pm

On the south, I've lost Vorochilovgrad, GGRRRRRR, but I will be able to counterattack

... and I'm so unhappy that I have posted the message twice!

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:55 pm

The line is re-established

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:03 pm

And I noticed a very interesting fact.

In order to save his trapped army, my opponent has greatly weakened the other parts of the front. For example just north of the main battle zone

And even south of Boguchar. This weak point is very closed from my PZG...

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:08 pm

ORIGINAL: juret

nice battle!

I really enjoy this game too!

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:13 pm

ORIGINAL: rrbill

Enjoying your AARs. Good analysis and presentation. Also appreciate your aggresive strategy-mistakes (?) and all.

Seems whenever (not just your game) GHC mixes it up with STAVKA, GHQ gets worn out too early. There are just too many Soviets, too much gear, and a simple strategy-organize the big push and do it.

If there is a winning Axis strategy, its yet to be seen by me in games of evenly matched opponents.

Good luck.

I'm also surprised with the capacity of the SHC to recover. SHC can afford heavy losses and also give ground. As GHC, you must be aggressive and try to do several encirclements. I don't see another way of winnng. (see Terje AAR as best example)

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:17 pm

ORIGINAL: loki100

agree, like the way you are concentrating on the central issues. Interesting to see that while the Axis is still dangerous in 1942 - you can take what you want - the attrition aspect becomes limiting. I've only managed the 1941 scenarios so had little intuition as to how much the loss ratio equalises as the game goes on

I haven't play against human past summer 1942, most experienced players have perhaps the answer. It seems 3 to 1 isn't enough for Inf.

swkuh · Post by **swkuh** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:41 am

Will have to take a look at terje AARs... thanks.

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 5:58 pm

Turn 61, 13 august 1942

Very good news, SHC was unable to re-open the pocket!

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:01 pm

Time to harvest:

SHC losses are significant

And a very nice view below:

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:12 pm

SHC is strong if I have to attack in direction of Voronej but, as noticed on turn 60, there is no "in depth" defence between Boguchar and Vorochilovgrad.

I decided to withdraw from the northern saliant, to fill the gap with Inf and to make a breaktrough south of Boguchar and to complete the encirclement north of Vorochilovgrad. The result looks pretty good!

molchomor · Post by **molchomor** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:53 pm

ORIGINAL: rrbill

Will have to take a look at terje AARs... thanks.

Yeah, some things that Terje is doing (or at least I think so) that is worth noticing:

1) Put 10+ construction battalions in each of the Army HQs (A, B, ..) and place them on green railroad crossings close to the front. The battalions will spread out next turn and do alot of RR repairs where you need it the most. You have little need for fortifications in '42 anyway.

2) If you have alot of extra APs, free the AA regiments in Germany.

3) In winter, assign alot of tank units to your Mountain divisions, they will be protected from the cold as well and the division will be a monster and a good firebrigade.

4) Very important: Each turn, scan the *whole* front and wherever possible do (combined if needed) attacks to a) build/keep morale b) deny morale/guard status to the enemy, c) prevent SHC to get entrenched d) get the "snowball" rolling while you have the chance, those gaps from retreating units need to be plugged with divisisions the SHC really need elsewhere (where you are attacking) and if SHC tries to occupy the hex again with a weak division just attack that one the next turn etc.

Disgruntled Veteran · Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:46 am

2) If you have alot of extra APs, free the AA regiments in Germany.

I saw this in the manual, but couldn't figure out how to do it. I find the AA in the Commander's screen, but am unsure how to move it away from the city.

loki100 · Post by **loki100** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:47 am

ORIGINAL: STEF78

SHC is strong if I have to attack in direction of Voronej but, as noticed on turn 60, there is no "in depth" defence between Boguchar and Vorochilovgrad.

I decided to withdraw from the northern saliant, to fill the gap with Inf and to make a breaktrough south of Boguchar and to complete the encirclement north of Vorochilovgrad. The result looks pretty good!

this is a question as much as a comment, but is there not a danger that you are going to end up attacking where it is 'easy' (ie where your opponent wants you to) not where you need to.

Or are the Soviets on this sector now weak enough that it is more a matter of looking for the options that cause the most damage?

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 6:37 pm

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: STEF78

SHC is strong if I have to attack in direction of Voronej but, as noticed on turn 60, there is no "in depth" defence between Boguchar and Vorochilovgrad.

I decided to withdraw from the northern saliant, to fill the gap with Inf and to make a breaktrough south of Boguchar and to complete the encirclement north of Vorochilovgrad. The result looks pretty good!

this is a question as much as a comment, but is there not a danger that you are going to end up attacking where it is 'easy' (ie where your opponent wants you to) not where you need to.

Or are the Soviets on this sector now weak enough that it is more a matter of looking for the options that cause the most damage?

SHC is strong between Boguchar an Voronej, near Rostov and between south Ilmen to Ladoga. SHC is weak in the other sectors of the front. I haven't shown the picture but I've made attacks around Orel and Kursk, only with Inf, just to get morale and destroy fortification.

From my experience the key for GHC is initiative and momentum, and I have it in this game.

Through encirclement, I destroyed during this turn 260K men, that's 5% of his army. He cannot afford such losses several time in the summer.

STEF78 · Post by **STEF78** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:25 pm

My opponent has given up / resigned.

He was a reliable player so, even if I'm disappointed, thanks to him.

He says he has trouble with the morale of his units (70% have a morale close to 40) and thinks that it's because of the 1.06.27.

It is the end of this AAR...

I'm now with 3 wins, 1 ongoing wirh the GHC. But this last game, against Schascha, now end january 1942 will be much harder.

May be I will do an AAR about this game when mud is over.

Hope you enjoy reading this too short AAR