General Goofy Does Barbarossa

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

IX Corps are ordered to maintain the pressure - 137th Division pursue the retreating Soviet cavalry and continue to inflict pain upon the hapless Soviets.

Meanwhile, the 78th Division is 'borrowed' from XIII Corps (IX Corps own third division is some distance away for some reason) and joins the 263rd in an attack against the Soviet 31st Tank Division. The Soviets forces are once more forced into a retreat and brings German infantry within reach of the southern suburbs of Bialystok.

I am not convinced I didn't 'turn in' too early.... but its done now.

Plenty more attacks to think about in this sector still - and I have not touched 9th Army nor any of the panzer units yet.

[Jagdtiger14]

In the north of AGC I was looking at getting at the Soviet 29MOT as the primary point to create the pocket (obviously the 204MOT would have to be dealt with). In the south, what you did was probably the way to go...I tend to be a bit (or more than a bit) over optimistic which gets me into trouble...I looked initially at the Soviet 42INF and eventually the 6INF to create the pocket from the south.

So, the 29MOT and 6INF as the main eventual targets plus needing to deal with the 204MOT and 42INF as well.

I think you will develop the same result. The 6CAV looks about wiped out.

I think you might get at the 4A HQ...might not have happened with my plan. Also, you might want to move into the hex in front of the 4A before you attack the 42INF so it cant retreat there?

[warspite1]

Yes the 42nd needs to be smashed. I have no idea of course on Soviet counter attack capabilities, but I could do without any threat to the neck of the Salient.

I am wary of attacking cities directly at this stage, but Bialystok only has a beaten up Tank Division and an HQ in defence. Not sure what I can get there to attack the city though. 4th Army HQ is definitely tempting (though again, I am not sure what effect taking out the HQ has - can't be good for the Soviets though can it?).

In the north I am still totally undecided how best to achieve a breakthrough and where. All I know is I want the units west of Bialystok surrounded by the end of the turn!

[zakblood]

attacking cities is good if you can totally surround them, as the bonus it gives if all units in the circle can be from one HQ, the better, you can use more than one HQ, just don't use the others to attack, a all infantry HQ command helps, i've not had much success with a Panzer force, then again why would tanks be of any use in a city attack anyway, so for me, have arty support a inf HQ division with air support where possible and a siege gun helps unless you wish to do a 2 turn attack with one HQ, or a second attack with some other inf units the surround it, the more the merrier as it goes quicker and they will surrender, unless one of the bigger stacks, then leave with a guard and move on

[warspite1]

Thanks. The Eastern Front has stalled this evening as it was school play time for my little warspites.

Hopefully I will get at least a few attacks in during the day, before school play duty tomorrow evening..... and Friday....

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

von Bock orders the 255th Infantry Division to join General von Schweppenburg's XXIV Panzer Corps and attack the Soviet 42nd Rifle Division in conjunction with General Martinek's Division.

Annoyingly, the attack sees the Soviets retreat north of Brest-Litovsk, thus allowing the Soviets to form a line anchored on the city.

von Bock will need to punch a hole in this line.

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

Next up, the three divisions of Schroth's XII Corps are ordered into action once again, but in moving north, the 45th use up their Action Points and can take no further part in the attack. General Schlieper makes a sheepish call to Schroth, who has to do the same to General Guderian, who in turn informs von Bock of the fact that the Soviet cavalry cannot be engaged. von Bock takes the news well as can be imagined.....

Note: I must remember that movement cost is added to the additional cost on map [8|]

The two remaining divisions are ordered to attack the 42nd Rifle Division instead in order to get the 10% bonus. Once again the Soviets are pushed back - joining the 4th Army HQ.

Time to bring the German 4th Army into the fray - the 113th Rifle Division is asking to be destroyed....

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

General Heinrici's XLII Corps divisions are spread out across the front, so once again I will need to mix and match divisions to get the optimal attack in. Heinrici's 252nd Division and the 268th Division from Fahrmbacher's VII Corps attack the Soviet 113th Rifle Division from two hexes and push the enemy back. I make use of the free move (in terms of cost) for both units and am happy that the shoulders of the bulge being created are strong.

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

Still undecided on where and how to try and form a pocket, von Bock switches attention to the junction of AGC and AGS. South of Brest-Litovsk the 30th Tank Division needs some attention. Two divisions are to be used for this, the 255th and the fresh 167th. The attack pushes back the armoured unit and helps tighten the noose around Brest-Litovsk.

General Guderian is then ordered to unleash the panzers! General Lemelsen's XLVII Panzer Corps is ordered to push back the 6th Rifle Division and open up a path to the 4th Army HQ. Having done so, 18th Panzer and the 29th Motorised Division are ordered to pursue the Soviet division and break the rail line between Brest-Litovsk and Minsk.

von Bock now needs to be careful. AGC is running out of units to move and some German Divisions are looking exposed.

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

von Bock starts to lose patience with General Hoth. The latter needs to make a breathrough and create a northern pincer for the surrounding of Bialystok. 14th Motorised Division are sent forward to attack the 29th Motorised Division in conjunction with the 6th Infantry.

The northern pincer is now in existence. Hoth now needs to ensure he can meet up with the southern arm....

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

General Strauss's IX Army are finally called upon to contribute. The two divisions of General Materna's XX Corps target the 2nd Rifle Division to open up the breach in the Soviet defences.

Elements of IX Army (161st Infantry Division) and the 3rd Panzer Gruppe (18th Motorised Division) are ordered to combine to hit the 204th Motorised Division northwest of Grodno.

Having done so, the Hoth orders General Schmidt's XXXIX Panzer Corps into action, as von Funck's 7th (Ghost) Panzer Division joins the 14th Motorised Division in an attack on the, already hit, 29th Motorised Division.

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

Back to 2nd Panzer Gruppe and time for Guderian to tidy up the situation with the exposed elements.

The 1st Cavalry Division is ordered to the southwest of the lead elements of XLVII Corps, while SS Obergruppenfuhrer Hausser's Das Reich Division is sent in to attack the 6th Cavalry Division.

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

The 3rd Panzer Gruppe continue to strengthen the northern pincer and moves the 12th and 19th Panzer Divisions from General Kuntzen's LVII Panzer Corps into position to attack the 29th Motorised Corps. Once again however, a miscalculation means that the German units are unable to attack. That is a real waste of such valuable units....

I am really loathe to attack a city with tanks. However Grodno is only defended by the 29th Tank Division - and taking the city would give added benefits of obtaining a bridgehead over the upper Nieman.

It is too tempting - and the job of taking the city falls to General Schmidt's XXXIX Panzer Corps. Once again I make a huge mistake. The cost of attacking over river and/or a city must be higher as I suddenly find myself out of Action Points. That is four major German armoured units that have contributed next to nothing this turn. Rats....

Unhappy [:(] with that I switch attention back to the south...

The Soviet 4th Army HQ is stacked with the 42nd Rifle Division. The 3rd and 10th Panzer Divisions and the 29th Motorised are ordered to take out the Soviets units. The attack forces the Soviets units into the western Pripyat Marshes and the Germans cut another rail line.

[Barthheart]

When moving your units do it more slowly and hover over the hex you want to move to. In the status at the bottom it will tell you have many APs the move will cost.

Hovering will also show small red arrows into hexes that you will be able to attack if you make that move. No red arrow means not enough APs to attack.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Barthheart

When moving your units do it more slowly and hover over the hex you want to move to. In the status at the bottom it will tell you have many APs the move will cost.

Hovering will also show small red arrows into hexes that you will be able to attack if you make that move. No red arrow means not enough APs to attack.

warspite1

Yes, I am using the hovering to work out the AP being used - but still managing to muck it up on occasion. I was sure the last one was okay - does it cost more to attack certain hexes?

The red arrows - I did not know that. I will show this below.

Thanks for your input as ever - really helpful.


This is a really helpful tool to save the drudgery of calculation (which some of us are not good at!) thanks Bartheart.
I have clicked on 4th Panzer Division and can easily see not only where the unit can move (light blue) but which stacks it can attack having done so (red arrows).

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

I have two panzer units left. The temptation is to move south of Brest-Litovsk, but that puts the units firmly into swamp territory and limits their freedom of movement because of the Army Group boundary.

4th Panzer Division links up with the 3rd and attacks the 4th Army HQ and the 42nd Rifle Division. The Rifle Division is destroyed - the first unit I have actually manage to destroy this turn (which doesn't sound great) while the HQ retreats.

The final unit, 10th Motorised Division, is ordered up to assist the 2nd SS Division in destroying the 6th Cavalry - the remnant of which are broken under the weight of the assault.

[Barthheart]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

.....- does it cost more to attack certain hexes?
.....

Yes different terrain has different AP cost to move and attack into. Rivers are "expensive" to attack across... in both Aps and men.

Note also that enemy zones of control will add to the AP cost of moving through a hex. Try to use preliminary attacks to move enemies aside to make it easier for the follow on troops to move.

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

That leaves the infantry of 4th and 9th Armies.

The plan will be to reduce the Soviets where possible, and at the same time strengthening the ring around the pocket.

Firstly 4th Army. Heinrici's XLII Corps were ordered to attack the 7th Tank Division, which was seriously mauled and retreated.

Then 7th and 292nd Divisions were tasked with hitting the 36th Cavalry at the extreme southwest of the pocket.

The 9th Army were then ordered into the attack. General Kuntze's XLII Corps sending the 86th Rifle Division into retreat.

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group Centre

The 8th Rifle Division are the next targets in the reduction program. Once again the XLII Corps being employed (with 102nd Division replacing the 129th which was out of Action Points).

The Soviets have 11 Divisions and an HQ within the pocket at this point and limited opportunity to make further gains without cost.

I notice that 10th Panzer has some Action Points left and so decide to join with 4th Panzer to attack a Motorised Division northwest of Brest-Litovsk.

So how does AGC look at the end of the turn?

[warspite1]

22nd June 1941
Army Group South

QUESTION - Why is the 9th Infantry Division with this Army Group or is Osprey's wrong?

And so to perhaps the most daunting front. Huge area and very few troops.

Once again the starting positions of some troops make attacking within their actual Corps less than ideal.

I start at the northern boundary of the Army Group with von Reichenau's 6th Army.

The 297th and 168th Divisions attack the 45th Rifle Division, forcing the latter into a retreat toward the southeast. This is handy as I want to try and create as big a wedge as possible between AGC and AGS. Annoyingly a subsidiary attack against 20th Tank Division see the Soviet unit retreat north.

Next up General Kienitz's XVII Corps attack the 62nd Rifle Division and force it into retreat. The Soviets are tightly packed in this sector but von Rundstedt has a plan.

I go early with the panzers this time; the 13th and 16th seek to punch a hole in the line and attack the already depleted 62nd Rifle Divison that is stacked with the 124th.

The 87th Rifle Division is then attacked from two side by a mixture of armour (13th Panzer Division) and infantry (9th Division).

This front looks awful for the Germans....