Stalingrad to Berlin (No Hfarrish)

[smokindave34]

Mid January 1945

Haven't posted in a long while but Hfarrish and I are about near the end of our war. At this point I think I can hold out until the historical date unless he gets some good rolls during the "mud" turns in April/May. We are playing with random weather so if he gets a few extra clear turns he could make some solid progress. Here is the current OOB....

[smokindave34]

Mid January 1945

And the production numbers. I've been disbanding anything I can spare to get men in the pool. My armaments are in good enough shape where I have been able to refit divisions for a few turns and get their TOE back up near 90%.

[smokindave34]

Mid January 1945

AGN

Konigsberg will fall in the next few weeks. Nothing too crazy going on here, the Soviets just keep grinding away one to two hexes per turn. I had built some decent forts all along the front but in a week or two I'll be pushed out and the Soviet progress will pick up significantly. With the front shortened I've kept my infantry on the front lines and my armor/mech in reserve. I believe (hope) this has forced Hfarrish to use excess units in his attacks and slow his progress a bit. I've been on the other end of this strategy in summer '41 as the axis with waves of Soviet reserves - very annoying!

[smokindave34]

Mid January 1945

AGC

I'm closer to the end of my forts in the center of the front. I'll be out of most of my level 2 forts next turn and here is a lot of clear terrain between Warsaw and Berlin. Only the weather will be slowing down Ivan now! That blob of Soviet mech/armor units near Warsaw will be moving quickly in a few more turns.

[smokindave34]

Mid January 1945

AGN Ukraine/AGS Ukraine

Hfarrish has been using mobile units in the mountains south of Krakow to try and outflank me. The 2nd Panzer army arrived this turn and I cobbled together some infantry units to try and react to this move. Those cavalry corps just to the east of Krakow make me nervous - if they break through I may end up with a corps or more from 1st Panzer army isolated in the mountains. I'll have to be careful here.

[smokindave34]

Mid January 1945

Hungary

My Hungarian allies surrendered two weeks ago. The Soviets have committed a lot of mobile units here and the front has not been stable for about 6 weeks. I had the Hungarians digging forts in the rough hexes west of Budapest but these will soon be gone (it was a thin line to begin with). I'm going to have to fall back to the Vienna/Bratislava area where LVII corps is digging forts in the clear terrain between these two cities. Although the front has been moving quickly here Hfarrish has commented that his truck pool is low and he believes this is due to his mobile units in this area being far from their railheads.

[smokindave34]

Mid January 1945

Finally an overall view of the entire front.......

I started digging forts in the Berlin area and along the Oder - hopefully when Hugh gets to the Oder it won't be frozen!

[loki100]

remarkably realistic front line

as the Axis player how have you found effectively being on the defense the entire game?

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: loki100

remarkably realistic front line

as the Axis player how have you found effectively being on the defense the entire game?

I don't think playing this scenario as the axis would suit everyone's tastes. We've been playing this game since August and I haven't had one major offensive in all that time! A few "operations" here and there in the summer of '43 but that was about it for my offensive capabilities. You have to like playing defense to enjoy this one as the axis. With that said I have enjoyed this game quite a bit. It has been well balanced from the start and the ending will be close to historical which I've always wanted from this game. Although our capabilities as players have influenced the outcome of the game we have not been able to throw the balance so far out of whack that the game is over in '41/42.

[swkuh]

Depending on your loyalties, the OKH or Stavka award for strategic excellence is available to be picked up at the post office.

Enjoy this scenario myself. Seems a good simulation of situation and outcomes in WWII East.

[jmarzian]

Great read, def a reversal of so many of the other AARS, Axis playing a spirited mobile defense. Not employeeing Hitler's stand and die defense.

[smokindave34]

I minimized my AFV losses through the summer and have some pretty strong mobile units left. Now that the front line has shortened dramatically I really haven't needed any mobile units on the front line. I think if I was Hfarrish I would be trying to pocket a few axis divisions each turn. This would make me have to counterattack and thus weaken my armor/mech units and eventually if I lost 2 or 3 divisions each turn my OOB would start to plummet quickly.

[sillyflower]

He's left it too late for that, and it's harder to do as the front shortens.

I suspect that your play had something to do with his inability to kill units.