VigaBrand vs Loki

[VigaBrand]

For the rules look at Lokis AAR.
I will start with the situation in the North.

That is the situation after turn 1. I didn't try capturing Riga in the first turn.
Take a look at the center.

I made two mistakes. The first one is in the North of the picture. You see a small gap with no German units. I hope he can't open this pocket.
In the South you see three routing units. If one can rally, they can connect with the second pocket and this pocket can be open because of the gap in the North.
Let's have a look at the South.

Normaly I go for the Lvov pocket, but I talked to loki and now I need another idea.
My idea is to go for Rovno. In Kovel, there is a very strong tank division and in all my openings, I will pocket them, too!
The yellow lines are the Kovel pocket and the blue one is my attack against Rovno.

The results of my idea. I get three encirclements, I hope that Kovel will stay closed. The other two pockets are not solide.
In the end you can see the casualties for both armys.

The air war end with this losses

At the end of the German turn.

[Peltonx]

AGN Riga really needs to fall and it does not look like you send any extra PD from AGC

AGC looks good.

AGS you did not make Lvov pocket? why?

Your in trouble vs a very good player.

[VigaBrand]

My opponent tells me, that it is more fun to kill this units not in the first turn.
We will see. Normaly I made the lvov pocket.

[VigaBrand]

Some questions about 1.08.02
1. Question
My production

This means from 88 groundelements produced will be 85% come to my pool/units. So 62 available for me and the rest goes virtual to the other fronts?
But 88*0,85 is 74,8? So what means the "availble" number?
2. Question

The red one means I convert an old plane to a newer one?
The blue ones means the division uses the newer model and exchange the old tanks with new tanks or did it mean, that the old tanks are converted, too?
Because one part below, there is the unit "swap" of groundelements and what are the different between "swap" and "upgrade"?
3. Question

Where come the mnapower number? Is that the disabled men which died or become availble?
I'm confused because 3.000 men were lost. Are these 3.000 men from the pool?
4. Question

Nearly the same, but I get more back than I had?
Some information for you, maybe it helps.

[Gabriel B.]

The diversion of armor south is to compensate for no Lvov ?

I can trap the units you did ( in the sense that they would not be able to rail out ) even thou the pocket would brake, with just the 4 armor divisions of 1st panzer and drive on Romanian border.

key is to to blow a gap in 15th MC and 8th MC line with 17th army -IV corps, than use 48th panzer to
exploit the opening - 11th Pz div towards Romania, 16th Pz div south of Tarnopol .

In the north 6th army - XIX corps , can secure Lutsk than ,than 3rd panzer sweeps 19th MC and 9th Mc out of the way and turns south along the Goryn .

[VigaBrand]

Can someone answer my questions?
@Gabriel: Look at Lokis AAR. We decide, that the axis didn't made the lvov pocket in the first round. I know that this will favour the reds, but we play for fun and feeling. So he tells me, I will kill this units later and so it was okay for me.
I exchange lvov pocket for gamey paratroops use to create pockets.

[morvael]

ORIGINAL: VigaBrand
Can someone answer my questions?

1. Only 62 elements were added to your pools this turn, 88 were recorded as produced though. The number ratio is not always equal to 85%, because when the number for individual factory does not compute using integer math, the remainder has random chance to be sent to one of the fronts. Example: factory size 5, 5x0.85=4.25, you get 4 elements and a 25% chance to get the fifth. Therefore one some turns you will get 100% production from this factory, while only 80% during some other turns.

2. Yes, you are right. Red: some old aircraft/element in the pool changes to some other new aircraft/element in the pool, and you pay the cost in armaments for that. Blue: elements are changed in the unit, the new ones are taken from the pool, the old ones are sent back to the pool. The number and type of elements "in the game universe" does not change, as opposed to conversion. Upgrade is similar to swap, but upgrade happens on the element upgrade path, as defined by game data. Swap is changing to similar but not related equipment, it can be another family of medium tanks for example.

edit: Changing T-34 M1942 to T-34/85 is an upgrade, changing T-34 M1942 to Sherman is a swap.
edit2: The terminology is clear, upgrade/swap is changing aircraft/elements in air groups/units, taking new from pool to unit and sending back old from unit to pool. Imports/exports and conversions (like import but in the same country) are changing actual aircraft/element type, removing old from pool and adding new to pool.

3. POOL is manpower available to given country in its active pool (not in transfer, not disabled) at start of replacement phase. USED are men taken from POOL and added to units, after pairing them with ground elements. BACK are men unpaired from ground elements that were lost or sent back to the pool, and placed in transfer pool. They will become available (in POOL) during the next turn. LOST are men unpaired from damaged ground elements that were lost or sent back to the pool, and placed in disabled pool. They return at a rate of 0.95% (yes, below 1%) per turn to the POOL, while 0.05% becomes lost permanently (moved from disabled to killed).

4. BACK men come from units in the field, therefore this number is not related to POOL and USED, and can be greater.

[VigaBrand]

thx for the explanation.

[VigaBrand]

ORIGINAL: VigaBrand

My opponent tells me, that it is more fun to kill this units not in the first turn.
We will see. Normaly I made the lvov pocket.

Thanks for the advices.
You can everytime tell me about my faults and what I can do better.
Thanks a lot!

[Gabriel B.]

Not doing Lvov pocket is not a mistake. Turning 2 panzer corps from Guderian south without any gain it is .
My advice is to, at least reasign XIV Panzer corps and Lsah to 2nd panzer group to compensate.

[VigaBrand]

Week 2:
The encirclements in the North are closed, except the one in the Northwest.


A small corridor to Riga was open, so that the small one in the North is open.
The 36th ID(mot.) and the 6th Panzerdivision assaulted Riga from the East. The NKWD Troops were forced to retreat.

3 tank- and 6 rifle divisions were captured. There are three new pockets. The tanks advanced in the direction of Pskov. The airforce and the army leaders assume that the Soviets will build a defence line at Pskov.
Riga and Pärnu fall in our hands. We took many fuel and supplies.

One motorized division is still alive. Daugavils didn't fall.
Let's have a look at the HG Mitte (AG Center)

Unbelievable! Both pockets stay closed! What a big surprise!

The pockets will be smaller now. A new pocket will be created at Minsk. Here are two rifle divisions. The advance from the infantry in the center is very fast. The German HQ is satisfied with the progress.
What should I do with the tank forces in the center?
What happens in the South?

The Kovel pocket (red) and the one in the Northwest (yellow) are closed.

Two divisions (red circle) are encircled. At the Romanian border is the plan to advance until I reached the border to pocket all at Lvov.

Four new pockets. One is a strong tank division (green), a mechanized division near Proskurow (yellow), one pocket in the North (red) and the big Lvov pocket in the second turn.
I think the start was okay.
Industry:
Arm: 0+0
HI: 0+0

[Gabriel B.]

What should I do with the tank forces in the center?


In real life Guderian was already across the Berezina , XXIV panzer was probing the Dnepr defenses at Rogacev ,

XXXXVI corps in the midle was advancing on Mogilev , while XXXXVII corps was advancing on Orsha trough Borisov.

It was a atack with fingers spread as Bock put it, however it did force the soviets to cover the entire Dnepr line , and Guderian was quick to regroup his forces for a braketrough north and south of Mogilev.


My advice is to wait on infantry .

[VigaBrand]

Woche 3:
It is mud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The good news are, this was the mud turn until september, but only in the "South".
That is hard. No Lvov pocket in the first and than mud.
At the beginning of my report I show you some nice features from 1.08.02
The Generalmajor (Divisioncommand for german) will be promoted at there historical date. This is pretty nice, you can now decide to invest admin points and get the risk of decreased skillpoints or wait!

Than the new upgrade feature. Old stuff get a little bit better and can used. Tha Panzer I will not become a panzer IV but, an old Panzer III will be now a little bit better Panzer III.

Okay, the airplanes have some strange things. I now have 10 BF109E-4B and this is a fighter bomber and I didn't have a fighter bomber group (can't switch the BF 110 group to them).
But nice is, that Romania collect this planes and so my allies used them and they are not sinceless in the pool.
In the North there are some regions with mud. The situation looks like this

One tankdivision opened my small pocket. So I try to close this one a second time. The infantry divisions are very fast in the clear region.
The XXXXIst Panzerkorps lies in Riga and it is a good time to rest them. At the end of the turn, the situation is better.

The pocket looks great. The following infantry from the 16th army are close.
My plan is to prepare an attack against Pskov in two weeks after the rail is connected.
The Ju 52 (transportplane) went to the South. There will be more use for them, because the rail repair in the North is pretty fast and in the South the tank spearhead will need more supply via air transport!
Lets take a look at the "HG Mitte".

The air reconnaison shows that the Berezina-line is empty. In the center is a pocket and the tanks will occupy the room, so that the infantry will be faster at the new line of defence. All pockets are now cleaned of sowjets.
In the swamps Loki managed to open the pocket. But the 1st cavalry division can closed it again. I hope this will be longer (red).

Interesting situation in the South.

The big pocket is open, but two small ones remained close (red and yellow ones).

I will closed that pocket! I must closed it, because the time isn't endless. In september there will be mud and that could end all operations. I plan a big pocket, but my tank divisions haven't enough movement points to reach this goal, so it should be the small solution (yellow)

Motorized forces creat a pocket wall, hope this will stay!
industry:
Arm: 0+4
HI: 0+4
The four new Arm and HI are from Minsk.
Here you see the strength and the casualties from both sides.




@Gabriel B.: Thanks for the advices. I'm slow in the center, I know that.
I'm open for every advices and I learn much. I learn from pelton the idea to use one tank corps from panzergruppe 3 in the north and some more.

[morvael]

Nice to hear you like some 1.08.02 features. Make sure you both install 1.08.03.

I think it's possible to switch fighter group to fighter-bombers?

So you have a Lvov opening after all, just with a little bit of delay?

[VigaBrand]

ORIGINAL: morvael

Nice to hear you like some 1.08.02 features. Make sure you both install 1.08.03.

I think it's possible to switch fighter group to fighter-bombers?

So you have a Lvov opening after all, just with a little bit of delay?

Hi,
we are at turn 4 now and I install 1.08.03 and loki will, too.
You are right, I can switch my fighter to fighter-bombers, but I'm not sure that this will be a good idea. I think the Me 109 E-4 will be better than the fighter bombers, or isn't it true?
Yes, in the end it is lvov with a delay, but that was the agreement, that loki had a chance to defend the lvov and didn't evac some troops. So in the end, it is a delay for the germans but we have both more fun.
We fight more for fun and not to win at all cost, so it is okay.

[VigaBrand]

Week 4:
Finland joins the war!

The troops in yellow are fixed. In purple I marked the ideal position for the finnish airforce HQ. All airbase are in range. The red HQ will travel to Hanko and take controll of the division and the brigade there.
The red arrows are my attacking ideas. I will try to capture all divisions there.

In red is one finnisch division which will travel to the south and support the attack next week there.
In the North are two rifle divisions in danger (blue), one must retake a square to escape.
The "HG Nord" had five small pockets

The second line infantry will clean them up. The first pocket had three rifle divisions and one NKWD border regiment. The sceond one contains the NKWD division, which defended Riga at the start of the game. The third pocket had an airbase of an HQ, I didn't see it and nothing was destroyed.
The last ones contained a motorized, a tank and a rifle division. The railline to Riga is now repaired.

Everything is cleaned up and the infantry comes close to the tank spearheads. The XXXXIst Panzerkorps from Riga managed to encircle Pskov.
In the North the soviet retreated to the Luga Line. How fast can the rail lines repaired to supply the advancing troops? I can made 6 square per turn because of the baltic rail line.
In the Center nothing happends. I try to repair the rail line as fast as I can.
Restructure of the Panzergruppe 2. The XIIth armycorps went north to 18th army. This corps is commanded by Model and has many support units. They stormed Brest-Litowsk at the beginning of the war. The XXXXVIIth Panzerkorps will become a part of the Panzergruppe 3.

In red are the FBD. The range to the spearheads is very high. The infantry reched the Dnjpre. How fast can the soviets dig in?

In the swamps are four pockets. The 2nd army takes command in this sector.
In the South all pockets stayed close.


Three new pockets were formed.
Industry:
Arm: 4
HI: 4

[Gabriel B.]

You can expect that your oponent would disengage some units from the Dnepr line in the center to secure his rear areas .


As for the 2 tank armies in the south , loki has his evac plan well thought out , time would tell, but I expect him to evacuate the big armament points there .

[VigaBrand]

I now see the problem with the no Lvov pocket in the first turn. At the start of the game I don't think about rail repair. Now I see, that the south FBD transfer to Romania and than start to repair in the Vinitza nd Cherkassy dircetion. This will help a lot in the later turns.

[VigaBrand]

Week 5:

Take a look at Finnland.

The Soviet Borderguards in full retreat. The Finns can hope to take Svortvala before the mass can escape.

That was it! The storm of Svortala will start next week and than will this division be pocket.

Now we can see the Leningrad Defense line. Tallin will be guarded by a rifle division. The infantery must advance as fast as possible to reach the defense line.
The tank division should occupay as much as possible, so that the FBDs and the infantery move fast.

In red are the actual railroad brigdheads. In redbrown the plan for the next week. I need a second FBD in the north to get two desperate lines repaired. I want to directions for the attack of the line. One should be over Pskov and the second over Narwa.

A strong division with over 200 armor vehicles sacrified in Pskov.
The XII. Armeekorps (Model) moved to the north to support the storm of Leningrad.
The results in the Center are the following.

In the norther sector are a small pocket around Vitebsk (red), near Mogilev I create a brigdhead over the Dnjpr (blue).

In the South I clean the Lvov pocket.

The red and the yellow pocket are new. The Soviets concentrate new divisions in the Kiew sector. The FBD is near Tarnopol and I used the Luftwaffe for air supply missions.

Both Panzergruppen pocket four rifle division. The defence will be slowly destroyed, one after the other division.

Industrie:
Arm: 4
HI: 4