Russia! Why not? (Morvael welcome)

[morvael]

Turn 145 (March 23rd, 1944)

Spring has come and trashed hopes of crossing the Dniester. Time to rest and reorganize:

[morvael]

Bloody battle for eastern Kiev. Hungarian 17th Infantry Division, supported by German 11th Panzer Division fought for a week against full four Soviet armies: 3rd, 35th, 42nd and 56th numbering 1 tank corps, 13 rifle corps and 2 rifle divisions. Valiant defenders repulsed two attacks and only succumbed to the third (or was it a tactical withdrawal?). In the first encounter, Soviet lost ten men for one enemy soldier downed:

[morvael]

Bridgehead over central Dnepr is expanded, as Pavlov's Front advances towards Mozyr, and a completely unremarkable town of Chernobyl:

[morvael]

Konev's tired forces advance another 10 miles towards Minsk. German forces man a strong defensive line on Berezina river. 1st Baltic Front crossed pre-war Polish-Soviet border, taking Glubokoye and Druya:

[morvael]

As in the extreme far south of the frontline, so in the extreme far north, spring thaw slowed advance to a crawl. Riga will stay in enemy's hands for a few more weeks:

[morvael]

Review of tank corps equipment levels revealed severe shortages of medium tanks. Obviously reducing production of T-34 (in it's newest variant, with 85mm gun) from 310 to 250 vehicles per week wasn't a good decision in light of new weapons of the Wehrmacht (for example the Panzerfaust). Several tank corps have only 25% of required medium tanks on hand, and 1st Tank Army is in the worst state of all six mobile armies. By the orders of STAVKA, all separate tank regiments in regular armies and those attached to cavalry corps will be disbanded. Shock and Guards armies (when they appear) will get a regiment of flame tanks instead, of which over 500 awaits in depots. All tank corps (and perhaps cavalry corps) will get heavy tank regiments (54 vehicles produced per week, over 550 in depots) and heavy SU regiments (production will soon rise from 27 to 59 vehicles per week), to boost their fighting power versus German heavy tanks and reduce medium tank losses.

Ground gains since November 1943 (winter offensive):
- Riga sector: 100 to 180 miles
- Minsk sector: 160 to 180 miles
- Mozyr sector: 220 to 260 miles
- Kiev sector: 200 to 290 miles
- Kishinev sector: 100 to 200 miles

Kurdyumov, promoted last week, was dismissed on unknown grounds. General-Major Kurasov took command of 60th Army. 28th Army commander, Ivan Boldin, was promoted to the rank of General-Polkovnik. 2nd Ukrainian Front commander, Matvei Popov, improved his infantry skills (5). Two rifle corps and two flame tank battalions were formed. Nine separate tank battalions were disbanded.

Strength:
men: 10 231 515 vs 4 671 523
guns: 158 563 vs 46 365
AFVs: 15 860 vs 7 330
aircraft: 21 433 vs 3 095

Trucks:
in units: 274 408 / 274 676 (99.90%)
in the pool: 157 218 / 156 306 (100.58%)
in repair: 117 988

Losses:
killed: 23 241 vs 15 843
captured: 678 vs 444
disabled: 14 344 vs 6 373
guns: 647 vs 727
AFVs: 476 vs 138
aircraft: 134 vs 39

Including:
in combat: 79 vs 29
from AA: 17 vs 3
on the ground: 0 vs 0
operational: 38 vs 7

[gingerbread]

If you had had a normal complement of artillery, some of those pesky panzerfaustshooters would have been disrupted.

I know you have some Art Div, can you notice a difference in AFV's destroyed where artillery is present compared to where it's not?

[morvael]

I started to rectify this this situation during the mud break, but as always it happens slowly, as I have other AP-consuming projects. Besides, summer '44 TOE for rifle corps gives them even more mortars and guns. Shall I try to have over 200 000 guns?

I use artillery mainly to attack cities manned by infantry, so there is little difference. Besides I have little very few on-map artillery units as you have pointed. However, I have noticed difference in AFV losses once 500 IS-2 joined the fray. Those heavy tanks must be effective.

[bigbaba]

you have a very good and clean front organization maxing your attacking CV. and looking at the sheer number of succesful attacks nfrom your side i see a catastrophic summer inc. for the germans. maybe you can reach a breakthrough in summer and exploit it with mobile forces.

[morvael]

Without switching from deliberate to hasty (they are risky, due to lower margin more reserve activations are triggered spoiling more attacks) it's hard to achieve breakthrough. But soon I will find enough bravery to do it more often. You will like future developments [:)]

[morvael]

Turn 146 (March 30th, 1944)

Spring break all along the front. Tank armies withdraw from the south, time to prepare Bagration offensive:

[morvael]

It takes time to reorganize the forces of Volkhov and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts after the battle of Kiev:

[morvael]

Low intensity combat in the swamps of Polesia:

[morvael]

Not much happens in the north, besides rail repair and intensive Axis air recon.

The Red Army will soon enter pre-war Polish territory. As first step in order to put Poland under the communist rule, an army called "Polish", but loyal to the Soviet Union, is needed. As it happens, 1st Polish Army has just arrived from behind the Urals, and is now preparing to travel to the front from Kazan. A Soviet officer of Polish descent, Poplawski, is in command. The army consists of 4 infantry divisions, a tank brigade, an assault engineer-sapper brigade, an anti-tank artillery brigade, 2 artillery brigades, a heavy tank regiment, a light SU regiment, a mortar regiment, 4 regiments and 1 battalion of AA artillery and a sapper battalion. In total 64 104 men, 1 370 guns and 116 AFVs with good morale and training.

3rd Air Army commander, Fyodor Astakhov, was promoted to the rank of General-Armii. 4th Shock Army commander, Aleksei Grechkin and 5th Army commander, Mikhail Potapov, were promoted to the rank of General-Polkovnik. Leningrad Front commander, Markian Popov, improved his tank skills (6). Two guards rifle corps, five light SU brigades and one flame tank battalion were formed. Eleven separate tank regiments were disbanded. Modern fighter production will start soon, with 57 Yak-9U per week being the herald.

Strength:
men: 10 266 075 vs 4 657 339
guns: 159 247 vs 45 971
AFVs: 15 864 vs 7 342
aircraft: 21 432 vs 3 107

Trucks:
in units: 274 656 / 274 926 (99.90%)
in the pool: 159 979 / 155 930 (102.60%)
in repair: 119 931

Losses:
killed: 12 994 vs 4 788
captured: 846 vs 186
disabled: 21 558 vs -1 908
guns: 757 vs 177
AFVs: 214 vs 12
aircraft: 117 vs 66

Including:
in combat: 79 vs 48
from AA: 2 vs 13
on the ground: 0 vs 0
operational: 36 vs 5

[morvael]

Turn 147 (April 6th, 1944)

The frontlines are largely unmoving, with just five attacks. The most important one results in ground gains towards Kiev proper from the south:

[morvael]

Elsewhere, the Germans are slowly withdrawing from the eastern bank of Dvina, towards Riga. They are afraid of a possible cauldron, should the Red Army attack north-west along the river. And they are right, as the mobile forces are on hand:

[morvael]

The rest of the tank armies gather opposite Minsk. In the center, rail troops struggle with rebuilding the lines. The quality of the airforce ground support and service has improved to great level. With 7 times the number of aircraft as the Axis, Soviet operational losses are now only 4 times larger. 34th Army commander, Dmitry Lelyushenko, was promoted to the rank of General-Leytenant. 99th Rifle Division was renamed to 193rd Guards Rifle Division. Two guards and one regular rifle corps were formed. Five separate tank regiments were disbanded.

Strength:
men: 10 278 032 vs 4 654 040
guns: 159 424 vs 45 849
AFVs: 16 500 vs 7 189
aircraft: 21 505 vs 2 919

Trucks:
in units: 273 885 / 280 819 (97.53%)
in the pool: 164 304 / 162 831 (100.90%)
in repair: 119 160

Losses:
killed: 14 555 vs 6 950
captured: 1 152 vs 195
disabled: 23 537 vs -928
guns: 871 vs 284
AFVs: 132 vs 13
aircraft: 79 vs 28

Including:
in combat: 46 vs 23
from AA: 12 vs 0
on the ground: 0 vs 0
operational: 21 vs 5

[morvael]

Turn 148 (April 13th, 1944)

Despite difficult ground conditions, the Red Army tries to capture ground whenever and wherever possible, not to waste precious time. 1st Polish Army heads towards Nikolaev:

[morvael]

Almost no progress in the Kiev sector, as melting ice makes attacking across the river impossible:

[morvael]

Supply problems on the central part of the front are solved (for now):