BrianG v TDV (tdv ok for now)

[BrianG]

I had one tank corp on the north flank. No cav. I wanted them in the more important areas plus my supply to north Moscow was hugely stretched.

U can see it in the photo attempting to break line. I used it too early this turn as it would have been better left down near Moscow.

TDV plays the flanks sufficiently to deny me a cut off there.

[timmyab]

It's the battle of the bulge Throw everything you have against the flanks. If he can consolidate then the war is as good as over anyway so you have nothing to lose.

[MattFL]

Curious to see how this turned out. The middle of the sides are a good place to attack, but the northern base of the penetration by the SEC unit looks really vulnerable....

[BrianG]

this is KIA I get when I open the German move

[BrianG]

3 tank corp and one cav corp are cut off attempting to cut off the northeast Gerry troops. Well at least as it applies to the middle group.

The north group is inf. Very sad and bad turn. Somehow he got across the river into swamp hexes and then into the open.

[BrianG]

another view. he almost completed the cut off. A minor miracle.

[BrianG]

Here I saved my units. I did not fully retreat and kept pressure on the river where his supply line passes.

[BrianG]

Stalin finally attacks German flanks near Stalino. Did I do enough to close the trap.

The next turn is mud.

[MattFL]

This game is just wild. He's in deep shit in the south, you're in deep shit in the north. With the mud in the south, your encirclement probably held, but were you able to reduce the pocket in the mud?

Partisans running wild...

[chaos45]

Interesting how there is no real frontline......its like scatterings of units here and there and then main pockets of action.

Interested to see how this one turns out, it looks like TDV is attempting a strategy of victory in 1942 or a complete defeat not trying to drag it out to 1945.

Not garrisoning might work in 1941 but by 1942 it really seems its going to decimate his supply system, and im not so sure extra security regiments/romanians at the frontline is worth the massive hits to frontline CV losing supply off and on can have. Especially with as precarious the positions he seems to like to put his troops in. One unfortunate round of partisan attacks could effecitvely cut supply to huge chunks of his army for a turn.

[loki100]

its probably the most bonkers game I've followed [;)] ... so huge congratulations to both players, I'd agree the German approach is based on win big or lose big

[BrianG]

turn Ger minor axis

6 6 Panzer div
18 1 Hun cav brigade
19 1 Rum arm div Many minor destroyed were from shattered.
20 Slav Mobile div
21 1/45 sec div 1 Hun Mobile brigade

23 3/7 Panzer div
1/7 Panzer div
3/4 Panzer div
3/129 inf div
705 sp inf gun com

26 2/7 Panzer div 35 Rum Reserve div

29 113 inf div 62 inf div 1 Rum Cav brigade

33/38/41 33/14/2 + 20 fort zones

47 111 Hun Art Bat

48 1 SS mot brigade

50 12 Panzer div

and the give away bonus concerning the Stalino pocket

53 13 light Hun div.

pocket is broken during the mud. [:(]

[BrianG]

My pocket did not hold. I may have been surprised it worked so well I actually moved a few pieces wrong.

He also may have disrupted an attack with interdiction of tank unit moving in. He seems to be good at that.

Here is KIA when I see german report( I think). I made note of heavy casualties for a mud turn.

Lots of attacking.

[BrianG]

I resealed the pocket. I also see many hgh mp of units. Thus this photo was early mid Russian move. Not at the end.

Will this pocket hold!

[M60A3TTS]

The trouble is tank corps in 1942 by themselves are fragile things, mainly as they lack a decent infantry component. when you add cav or rifles to the mix, it helps considerably.

[MattFL]

Just wondering why you're not rushing all of those high movement units (gds) on the north side of the area where you have the pocket closed into the gap to permanently secure it? You have a lot of units with a lot of movement and if you double up the units holding the pocket closed he'd never open it...I'd be filling that space with bodies...As it is now, it's impossible to hold because of 1 hex movement from inside and outside to break it.

[BrianG]

Turn 53 map was not at the end of moves.

Here is ger Kia list when I open his file

[BrianG]

A very bad loss to lose the pocket seal.

[BrianG]

The south Moscow pocket has supply.

The more northern one is in trouble, cut off again with a strong german block.

And yes, massive German air resupply into select tank units.

[BrianG]

What to do?