The Blitz is on!

[loki100]

continues to be a fascinating read ... small scale pockets, counterattacks and an epic battle for Smolensk boiling up in the next few turns.

such a refreshing change to some other AARs.

[carlkay58]

Axis Game Turn 4:

No Blitz Points for the Axis this turn. Good weather helps the Axis recover their isolated Panzer units and try to get moving again. Between the usual Turn 3 supply problems AND the mud the Axis have taken almost two turns off their tempo. This may be a decisive blow, but it probably won't be.

Finland: He did not move up here. He must have forgotten it. That will allow some of the forces to pull back and prepare some rear defenses. <For the record, my opponent claimed that this was 'a deliberate decision' since the Finns get beat up more by the Soviets than they beat up the Soviets. And with having to keep the Finns ZOCd, there should be some easier victories for the Finns. Personally, I still think he forgot.>

AGN: The Axis infantry takes over the offensive and pushes through to free up the Panzers. Three small pockets (each just a solo unit) are formed. No real threat to me for anything other than position and Leningrad now.

[carlkay58]

AGC: Axis infantry are beginning to reach the front line now. Minsk has finally fallen and one XX is pocketed. The land bridge line is still holding although Panzer forces north of the Dvina near Vitebsk are looking for a weakness to exploit.

[carlkay58]

AGS: As I had feared, the Stanislav salient is now a large pocket. Another pocket is formed north of Proskurov as the city changes hands once more. All of the threatened and isolated Panzer units are back into supply, although some are in bad shape. The question becomes whether I can take advantage of the situation.

[carlkay58]

Romania: The Romanian front continues to grind it out slowly but surely. I will have to commit some more units to forward defense or else give up a BP or two for sure. I might be able to mount some counterattacks and attempt to subtract a BP.

[carlkay58]

Soviet Game Turn 4:

I lose GENM Vladimr Borisov as a KIA. I am continuing my luck streak without Uncle Joe replacing or executing anyone. Rodion Malinovsky, commanding the 48th RC, is promoted to GENL - he is 4-0 right now. GENL Ivan Muzychenko, command the 6th A, increases his initiative rating to 5. Up and coming commanders in the Soviet Army!

Finland: I pull back the 7th Independent Army to start digging in at the Sortavala choke points. The 19th RC pulls back to protect the retreat lines back towards Leningrad.

[carlkay58]

AGN: The Axis infantry will be at Pskov next turn so I have one turn left before the drive on Leningrad begins in earnest. He seems to be trying a left hook so I have started to form a defensive line to try and block it. I have some troops, not nearly enough, but I will get more out of Finland and will have a few new armies from the Stavka reserves to send that way over the next couple of turns.

[carlkay58]

AGC: The 24A is under command of the Reserve Front and starts to deploy in the Velikie Luki - Vitebsk area. The Axis forces will reach the Dnepr this turn. I think I can keep them there for another turn or two, so defensive lines are being built up in the rear.

[carlkay58]

AGS: The Tarnopol pocket starts to head east. I doubt if any of them will escape, but I am able to keep a line formed in the area while trying to build up some defenses in front of Kiev and the Dnepr. I am grouping the Mountain Infantry XXs into a single 'Shock' Army. Hopefully this will be an Army I can use to launch a counter offensive in the south.

[carlkay58]

Romania: The Axis continue to march slowly ahead spearheaded by the German XXs. I have a nice road bump forming at Odessa that should occupy a turn or two before it falls.

A special note - I have finally gotten three Partisan Cadres formed this turn - all in the south. The grind and straight on attack the Axis are using is very effective in keeping PCs from forming and secures their rear well. If you notice, every garrison city also has a fort unit in it to help with the garrisoning and allowing more freedom of movement by the rear Security forces.

I rail out ARMs from Kirovograd, Krivoi Rog, Poltava, Gomel, Bryansk, and Taganrog. I also rail out a Lagg-3 '29 Series' factory.

I count seven nonZOCd Axis units - so I have some hope that the unknown ones will be few enough that there will not any BPs awarded this turn.

<There were only nine nonZOCd Axis so the BPs stay at five for now.>

[Bozo_the_Clown]

I see that you have assigned a number of units to Kharkov MD. Doesn't this mean that they get a massive combat penalty like if they were assigned to STAVKA (35%)? Is it better to assign units to Military Districts then to overload a front? What exactly happens when you overload a front.

So far I've always just ignored the MDs. But that might have been foolish. Does anyone have any insight?

[carlkay58]

OK, now you got me wondering. First, most of my assignments to MDs is for my STAVKA reserve armies or straight attachment to the MDs to improve training and refit. So I RARELY use them in combat so I don't know the answer off the top of my head. I believe that the penalties for overloading HQs is a -1 to the stat check of the leader for every multiple over the listed max. So if you have just one CP over, you are -1 on all leader checks.

I did just check an actual combat where an Army assigned to the Kharkov MD did an attack and there was no penalty listed:




Notice the fact that the modified combat value is 116 to 115 in favor of the Soviets and the 1:1 41 boost pushed that up to a 2.0:1 and a Soviet victory. But there is no penalty listed in the Soviet Forces Attacking box so all is cool with that. I am pretty sure that the penalty is only for units directly commanded by Supreme HQs (OKH or STAVKA) but I am not positive.

[Bozo_the_Clown]

You are right. I just tried it out myself. There is no combat penalty. No idea what I was thinking.

Thanks for the info!

[carlkay58]

Sorry for the delay, real life stuff got in the way, in play turns I have turn 10 sitting and waiting for me . . .

Axis Game Turn 5:

MUD again in the South Soviet Zone. So the areas that did not benefit from the last mud benefited this turn. I don't think that any further MUD weather will affect the Axis but may still affect the Soviets. But I suppose it depends on how deep the Axis get by the end of summer.

No BP were awarded to the Axis again. They are trying to regain the initiative and start putting pressure on the Soviets again.

Finland: The Finns remember to advance this turn. A good advance across the front reaches Lahdenpohja on Lake Ladoga. I will have to support the 7th Independent Army with more troops in order to keep the Finns ZOCd north of the Lake. The Finns did not attack Hanko in the mud.

[carlkay58]

AGN: The Axis continue to push forward. Although the mud in the Western Baltic states pretty much stopped them there, I will have to send more troops to ZOC the Axis. This is one of the twists of the ZOC rule, but the Soviets really should not be willing to abandon the Baltic States without a fight. The Axis infantry has relieved the Panzers which have fallen back to refit and reorg. I know they did not do a build up this turn (because they all moved) but it is possible next turn as their rail head should be close to the front in this area.

[carlkay58]

AGC: The Axis infantry is moving up and taking control of part of the front lines here too. The Axis Panzers have not pulled back here quite as much, but there appears to be at least one Panzer Corps missing from the front line. Something for my recon to work on finding. My defense here looks pretty good, but experience says that over the next two turns it will be in shambles and a retreat will be necessary. The Pripet Marshes looks pretty good for me this turn and I should be able to keep too many Axis units from escaping my ZOCs.

[carlkay58]

AGS: This area really benefited from the mud. The Stanislav pocket is doomed, but the new front line looks pretty good. The reserve line defending Kiev is in pretty solid shape as long as it does not have to weaken itself too much to maintain the ZOCs. I may actually have to reinforce the area to keep it up.

[carlkay58]

Romania: Another mud benefit. The Axis are advancing and it looks like I may have a few units pocketed in the south. I am considering pulling the infantry and cavalry XXs out of the soon pocket and just giving up a BP for saving them. I will have to see how the status of the rest of the front is before I decide. While giving up one BP may be worth while, giving up two would probably be too expensive.

[carlkay58]

Soviet Game Turn 5:
The Soviet Corps HQs have begun to disband and it is time to start the massive reorganization of the Soviet Army. This is also the turn where I start changing around the Soviet VVS and getting the airbases and air commands on firmer ground. I will also start deciding where my first counter offensive will be - right now it looks like it definitely will be north of the Pripet Marshes (no surprise there), but whether it will be against AGN or AGC is up in the air. My Leningrad defenses are not progressing that well and I will have to send some reinforcements into the Baltic States for keeping the ZOCs going so that will absorb some of my attention this turn.

Northern Front: I have reorganized the Soviet Army so Soviet reports are now by Soviet front instead of Axis Army Group. The Tank XX reinforcement to the 7th Independent Army allows me to keep the Finns ZOCd north of Lake Lagoda. A good defensive line has been built up to defend against the left hook towards Leningrad. I have three armies in the front so far, but I will need at least one or more additional armies and probably some more troops too. It is added to my TO DO list.

[carlkay58]

Northwestern Front: A thin defensive line that will probably be blown right through by the Axis next turn. The Velekie Luki area is a mess, although the two Axis Panzer XXs have been cut off.