The Great Patriotic War (STE78 vs 821bobo)

[STEF78]

Turn 109,15th july 1943

Grinding is on in several part of the front.

Novgorod
We are proud to announce that our brave soldiers have liberated Novgorod!



Center
Sometimes reverve activation works, sometimes not... GD is a hard nut.

Destroyed tank corps will be back soon



Don bend

The front line is still strong



Baku

The germans try to restore the frontline... useless without entrenchment

[STEF78]

We are some turns ahead of the AAR (german 115) and I'm really impressed how fast the game is changing between may 1943 and august 1943.

Of course, the german army is still very strong but attrition, lost battles and units withdrawals have changed the spirit of the battle. For the first time the men ratio (russian/german) is clearly above 2. And I didn't print turn 114 with russian OOB>8300k men and the german below 4040k men.

Snowball is on, even if it's a small snowball at the moment.

And I must had that I changed some parameters in air war on turn 114 and inflicted major losses to the Luftwaffe.

[STEF78]

Beyond raw figures, the quality of russian army is also increasing.

Below a view of my best units late july 1943 and mi february. The average gain in CV per unit is roughly 5. For 2 stacks of 3 rifle corps, it means + CV30 and we also have to had a more powerfull artillery support



And a view of my best FB, they have a decisive impact on the battle

[STEF78]

Turn 110, 22th july 1943

Always grinding and trying to enlarge the fight zone and make the front always longer.

Novgorod
Once Novgorod is free, I keep on attacking south and west. I can afford these losses on the long term. german infantry cannot.



Center
An overwiew of the fight area from Vyazma to Voronejh. Ground gain is secondary but like to see how german units on hot spots are weakening. Red circle => 2 inf divs and 2 regiments means after this battle less than 32k men!



Don bend
Trying to defend clear ground without entrenchment is useless

[jwolf]

I'm surprised the Germans are still so far forward near Stalingrad and the lower Volga. They will be in big trouble if they don't pull back soon.

[chaos45]

Its a double edged sword if/when the Germans retreat....as the Soviet army also contracts....thus the German defense doesnt gain as much as you would think as then the Soviets can more easily stack offensive units/and rotate stacks of units through assaults.

The German player is actually doing a very good job in this game so far. Either player can win at this point I think---by win I mean do better than historical results.

[STEF78]

Retreating isn't an easy decision to take... You have to give up ground you've previously conquered...

At the moment the german line is weakening but the german player can feel comfortable while holding the whole territory including Caucasus, lower Volga....

The argument about rotation of stacks isn't decisive. As I'm not attacking all along the front I'm able to rotate stacks on hot spots.

From my russian point of view, I'm happy with such a long front as I usually face only a single german inf division per hex. It allows a good win/loss ratio and increases the morale of my best units.

It would be interesting to get Bobo's point of view.

[EwaldvonKleist]

Why should he retreat? At the moment, most attacks are in the south and the route Stalingrad-Rostov-Berlin is the longest one. Until there are attacks in the north, there is no need to shorten the line to make it stronger (to hold the line at the shortest route to berlin), because the soviet only win battles where it does not change the ratio turns/hexagons to Berlin. This is my understanding of this strategy.
And even if a breakthrough happens, the axis units are in and advantage because they can run away over own territory, while the soviets have to walk over pending hexagons.

Edit: Peltons AARs with the straight fronlines from north to south and his hexagons/turn calculations are completely unrealistic but it is a really funny strategy.

[821Bobo]

Well I am trying to play historically plausible (I also don't like Pelton's math style). On the other side I am prepared to give up ground but really don't want to talk about my strategy. [:)]

And sorry for the slow pace, unfortunately(for me fortunately) I have also other commitments.

[STEF78]

Turn 111, 29th july 1943

Last weekend I wondered when this game begun. It was on the 10th september 2015... more than one year of real life....

The last 25 turns weren't the most interesting of the game. The game is well balanced and the 2 sides are close in term of strength... but it won't last. My attacks are stronger turn after turn.

But at the moment, I'm still slowly grinding the german line.

Novgorod

Southern line is strengthened, let's go to the west.



Center

We have reached Bryansk. German OOB falls below 4,1M



Don bend

Some progress despite strong german units



Baku

A german mountain div is pushed back

[STEF78]

Turn 112, 5th august 1943

Something new this week, it'w now clear that german progress is over.

Novgorod

The southern flank was reinforced... We attack to the west..



Don

Trying to extend the fight area from the Don bend to the Vyazma/Voronejh area



Lower Volga

Astrakhan is safe! The Pzd which were the anchor of the southern defence are required elsewhere. I guess in the center.



Baku

The germans give up their fortified line and calmly retreat to the north

[STEF78]

Turn 113, 12th august 1943

Well, I'm still far behind the curve as we should be fighting on a line Leningrad/Smolensk/Kiev/DZTown. In the north it's ok but in the South I pay for my disastrous 1942's campaign.

Focus on some areas. Due to massive use of sapper régiments, 2 Inf divs in level 2 entrenchment aren't an issue anymore.

Novgorod

I keep on gaining victories, morale and experience. Nice MCV!



Bryansk

I now cover 3 sides of the city.



Boguchar

Hungarians are an easy prey for Central front while Volkhov front arrives from the east. No, It's not a new geographical theory but only the remnants of the scramble of summer 1942 when whole Volkhov front was extracted from Valdai Hills to save Stalingrad.



And the OOB. As already said, time is on my side. But will Russians have enough time to take Berlin? We shall see.

[STEF78]

Turn 114, 19th august 1943

High intensity fights during this week and the Luftwaffe suffered a bloodbath.



Novgorod

Always grinding and an exemple of the losses of the Luftwaffe



Center

Gaining some ground from Smolensk to Kursk. Another defeat for the Luftwaffe.



Boguchar

Hungarians are unable to hold ground



Caspian sea

Axis troops disappeared from this area. Pursuit is on.



Baku

Germans are cautiously retreating.

[821Bobo]

Well the Luftwaffe [8|]
Ground support during Soviet phase always ends with bloodbath, however I have so many planes in pool that I can sustain such losses. Though experience is going down.

[STEF78]

Turn 115, 26th august 1943

Always grinding all along the front. Some parts of the german defence are weakening.

Novgorod

The russians have reached the suburb of Leningrad



Bryansk

German divs in hot spots are suffering These 2 one have less than 14k men



Boguchar

The hungarians are near collapsing. they will need some rescue



South

Axis is retreating in order. We bite in the romanian line.

[jwolf]

That poor brigade near Boguchar is going to get crushed ...

As I recall, there is a rail bottleneck from Stalingrad going into the Don Bend. Are you at all close to clearing it? Without this line, the nearest ones to the north or south are far away.

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: jwolf

That poor brigade near Boguchar is going to get crushed ...

It's a naval rifle brigade. at this stage of the game they are usless. I'm thinking about disbanding them to earn some manpower

As I recall, there is a rail bottleneck from Stalingrad going into the Don Bend. Are you at all close to clearing it? Without this line, the nearest ones to the north or south are far away.

It's not cleared yet but as Bobo is giving up Caucasus, he isn't likely to keep the Don bend

[STEF78]

Turn 116, 2nd september 1943

Surprise at the opening of the turn. The major part of the front wil be quiet.



Fights are keeping on in some areas

Novgorod

Another success for Nicolai Berzanin



Bryansk

a pzd well entrenched is always a hard nut. Bryansk surrounded on 4 sides.



South

Slow pace retreat for the germans



And the OOB, germans are below 4M men

[chaos45]

ya the naval bdes u cant merge into other units I found best to just disband by 1943

[jwolf]

That battle against the Panzer division near Bryansk -- a quarter of a million men attack, with 5K artillery -- and not one German tank is destroyed. [8|] I don't dispute the overall outcome, a successful German defense, but this result seems really extreme.