Russia! Why not? (Morvael welcome)

[morvael]

Recon units of 6th Tank Army reach Bialystok, while those of 1st Shock Army - Augustow. Three tank armies are at the front now, to attempt an encircement of enemy forces, should they not withdraw in haste:

[morvael]

Taking Liepaja, Taurage and Suwalki is no match (in the propaganda sense) to the achievement of general-leytnant Ivan Boldin's 28th Army, which entered Ebenrode - first "native" town of Germany to be captured in this war. What happened in the town however, is not to be shown to the world, aside from a few staged photos made a few days later:

[morvael]

Our agents tell about a failed attempt to kill Hitler in his headquarters (not far from the front now), staged by his officers. Interesting they didn't attempt to do it, when Wehrmacht was on the Don rather than Neman.

10th Army commander, Vladimir Shcherbakov, was promoted to the rank of general-pulkovnik. STAVKA's chief of staff, Boris Shaposhnikov, improved his tank skills (5). 1st Ukrainian Front commander, Fyodor Kuznetsov, improved his initiative skills (4). 3rd Ukrainian Front commander, Grigory Kulik, improved his morale skills (7).

Strength:
men: 10 826 631 vs 4 042 569
guns: 186 156 vs 39 668
AFVs: 15 754 vs 6 279
aircraft: 21 440 vs 1 758

Trucks:
in units: 289 259 / 289 259 (100.01%)
in the pool: 241 924 / 195 416 (123.80%)
in repair: 96 951

Losses:
killed: 11 223 vs 7 029
captured: 7 101 (?) vs 7 636
disabled: -14 336 vs -3 659
guns: 152 vs 463
AFVs: 604 vs 81
aircraft: 234 vs 90

Including:
in combat: 120 vs 37
from AA: 57 vs 4
on the ground: 0 vs 20
operational: 57 vs 29

[loki100]

How do you feel about overall progress, seems you are starting to advance with relative ease ... looking at the cvs in your screenshots ... but is that because the good cpt is setting up a more robust defense line to the rear?

Really very jealous of all those high value cv units [;)]

[morvael]

The Axis were giving me this ground for free. Perhaps they wanted to stretch my supply lines, before would they commit to a stand. Certainly the loss of 10+ divisions near Kiev was painful for them (rebuilding in the rear, they sure robbed the front of replacements), as was the surrender of Rumania. I was expecting they would guard the mountain passes, and that the southern road would be closed to me. I wasn't prepared for their unpreparedness, hence there was a bit of chaos in the south, but it was fun. All those hasty advances, franting rebuilding of rail, reorganizing Rumanian armies... Perhaps he just wanted to defend in better terrain and shorten the front. At this time my advances were mostly blocked by slow movement of troops, especially if I wanted to move them together as a cohesive force.

I would happily gave up half of the CVs to get half of the MPs more

BTW, the real game ended this Friday, I will now have time to catch up with the AAR to the very end [:)]

[Timotheus]

Looking at this AAR, while playing my own (now at 1942) is giving me cold chills and nightmares.

Soviet stacks of 50=50!!! Mein Gott!! That... that is terrifying.

This also makes me want to play the Soviet Grand Campaign, on the other hand [8D]

[morvael]

Yeah, I wish there were "Rifle Army" counters, each of 120 000 men... It would spare me the chore of moving this horde forward step by step, turn after turn [:D]

[jwolf]

ORIGINAL: morvael

It would spare me the chore of moving this horde forward step by step, turn after turn [:D]

I think that is what the NKVD is for. [;)]

[morvael]

Turn 163 (July 27th, 1944)

3rd LW Field Division and regiments from 207th and 285th Security Division are surrounded in Targu Ocna. The rest of enemy forces manages to withdraw towards Dej:

[morvael]

All east-west mountain passes to Hungary are blocked, so there is no choice but to let the enemy dictate the speed of advance. Rumanian 1st Mountain Division advances toward Cluj, to delay enemy retreat (blocking is impossible, as one weak division can't hope to hold half of an Army Group):

[morvael]

Dozens of cities are liberated on the lands inhabited by Ukrainians and Poles, and taken from Poland in 1939. German withdrawal is slowing down, they have probably arrived at their next defensive line, anchored on Bug river:

[morvael]

Three Tank Armies push towards Ostroleka and Ostrow Mazowiecka, the goal is to reach Bug and Narew quickly and ford the rivers before the Germans will be able to etrench:

[morvael]

Advance through East Prussia continues, with Lyck, Gumbinnen and Memel taken. However, the next defensive line of the enemy is very strong, with good fortifications and difficult terrain:

[morvael]

A big reorganization of the tank forces is about to happen, all tank corps still attached to combined arms armies are to be concentrated in new tank armies. In Kiev two new Tank Army HQs start forming: 7th under Krivoshein and 8th under Moskalenko (former commander of 38th Army, replaced by Gastilovich). Those armies will get 3 tank corps each from the armies of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Ukrainian Front. In return 1st Ukrainian Front will get 1st Polish Army, 2nd Ukrainian Front will get Czech Rifle Corps and Czech Tank Brigade, while 3rd Ukrainian Front will get 1st Rumanian Army. This will improve the overall command structure with some independent forces put under front commands, and increase the ability to execute mobile operation by concentrating tank assets.

2nd Belorussian Front commander Vasily Yushkevich is dismissed. Vladimir Kurdyumov takes command of 2nd Belorussian Front. 54th Army commander, Nikolai Gusev, is promoted to the rank of General-Leytenant.

Strength:
men: 10 840 948 vs 4 060 514
guns: 187 356 vs 40 240
AFVs: 15 693 vs 6 572
aircraft: 21 422 vs 1 785

Trucks:
in units: 289 817 / 289 836 (99.99%)
in the pool: 248 175 / 190 551 (130.24%)
in repair: 95 281

Losses:
killed: 14 715 vs 8 292
captured: 6 vs 124
disabled: -13 017 vs -4 319
guns: 258 vs 319
AFVs: 743 vs 107
aircraft: 240 vs 144

Including:
in combat: 93 vs 70
from AA: 70 vs 21
on the ground: 0 vs 28
operational: 77 vs 25

[morvael]

Turn 164 (August 3rd, 1944)

The last 10 miles of railway remain to be repaired in order to connect Rumania with Soviet Union. This means two more weeks until units will be able to move quickly to the front, which is very unfortunate. Rumanian cavalry makes a deep raid into enemy territory, taking Timisoara and nearing Arad, which seems to be empty. This means German and Hungarian forces have already withdrawn to Hungary proper, which is strange. Nearly 8000 Germans go to captivity in Targu Ocna:

[morvael]

Rumanian 1st Mountain Division takes Cluj and estabilishes contact with hostile forces. Its rear is protected by the very weak Rumanian Armored Division. Soviet 10th Airborne Corps is coming to their aid:

[morvael]

Bug is crossed and Soviet tanks enter Hrubieszow. Taking Lvov turns out impossible, even with the help of artillery divisions, as Soviet units are repulsed with heavy casualties. The city will have to be encircled first:

[morvael]

In the north Bug is forded in one place as well, near Zambrow. Tank armies push towards Wyszkow, while infantry forces reach the river. Brest Litovsk is taken without a fight, unlike in 1941:

[morvael]

Tilsit, Goldap and Treuburg were demolished and put to the torch. Aircraft returning from missions report long columns of civilians fleeing west. Lucky for them it is still summer and the weather is good. What if they would have to do the same, but in winter? Germans give up good defensive lines, they are probably afraid to be encircled in Prussia:

[morvael]

Production changes: end of A-20G level bomber deliveries (20/week), end of BM-13-16 and BM-30-4 rocket launchers production (replaced by BM-31-12).

Organizational changes: vastly improved anti-tank (36x 76mm, 24x 57mm and 195x 14.5mm instead of 12x 76mm, 16x 57mm, 12x 45mm and 120x 14.5mm) and anti-air (52x instead of 30x 12.7mm p-lot) capability in new Tank Corps TOE, as well as introduction of new AFV models (207x T-34/85, 21x ISU-152 and 21x SU-100 instead of 195x T-34 M1942, 12x SU-152 and 16x SU-85).

3rd Tank Army commander, Semyon Bogdanov, is promoted to the rank of General-Polkovnik. Coastal Army commander, Nikandr Chibisov, is promoted to the rank of General-Armii. General-Leytnant Kuzma Podlas improves his initiative (5). 20th Army is renamed 6th Guards Army. 20 light SU regiments and 1 mortar battalion are disbanded.

Strength:
men: 10 903 876 vs 4 054 316
guns: 189 382 vs 40 412
AFVs: 15 667 vs 6 515
aircraft: 21 471 vs 1 646

Trucks:
in units: 291 561 / 291 561 (100.00%)
in the pool: 248 148 / 203 012 (122.23%)
in repair: 98 400

Losses:
killed: 23 565 vs 11 153
captured: 82 vs 7 931
disabled: -10 173 vs 779
guns: 313 vs 667
AFVs: 1 311 vs 122
aircraft: 204 vs 140

Including:
in combat: 93 vs 79
from AA: 36 vs 15
on the ground: 0 vs 19
operational: 75 vs 27