Another World : AAR Soviet Stelteck Vs German Pelton (No Pelton Zone)

[Stelteck]

It is difficult to believe that i have to fear the german army more than in 1941 as i have troops now and i already faced all the concentrated german motorized division around moscow in 1941.

But i admit i have little experience of soviet past 1941 in the game.

[timmyab]

It is difficult to believe that i have to fear the german army more than in 1941

Maybe not more, but certainly as much.
The Germans have perfect supply at the start of their 42 campaign and rail supply capacity is not an issue in WITE. This means that a giant panzerball can cut through almost anything you put in front of it, so you have to trade space for time just as in 1941. If you don't you'll probably lose the space plus half your army.
The good news is that you can retreat right back to the Volga in 42 and still be in the game.

I think you may lose Moscow in this game, probably to a mainly infantry push, but even that's survivable as long as your army doesn't get cut up too badly.

[Stelteck]

Turn 30 : 08 January 1941

The blizzard is still here.

My offensive around moscow (here, south) is met with increasing resistance now. It is very hard to make progress. Combat are fierce and bloody.
I'am trying to retake Tula and get a good defensive position for spring but good german troops are here to resist.



In crimea, i give up the offensive as the last ennemy strongpoint here, protecting the pass to mainland is too strong to be taken. Even if 4 divisions of the area have now guard status. It means the defense will not hold in spring and i will have to retreat to sebastopol. (But no without fighting).



In front of stalingrad, i'am building nice (at least beautifull to see, if not effective) backup defense line with small brigades.

[shermanny]

Your defenses are pretty thin down South. When you go over to the defense, and mid-Feb would be a good time for that, you'll need to rebalance your setup. As things now stand, if it were summer, the German would drive a deep wedge into your defenses between Rostov and Kursk. Your whole line on both sides of the breach would be dislocated, and you'd end up having to give up a lot of terrain and maybe lose a bunch of divisions.

Or maybe they'd break out from the Rostov area. What you want is a good stout defense in the South. Up North, the terrain is your friend.

Guards units in Crimea should be brought out to the main theater. Your Crimean garrison will be overrun and pocketed, with or without their services. You can't spare the thirty-plus divisions it would take to make Crimea a really tough nut to crack.

On top of that, the weather turns good sooner in Crimea, so the Germans get a free offensive there.

[Stelteck]

Turn 31 : 15 January 1941

No picture of the front this turn as a near static front is quite boring. My troops meet increasing resistance to advance and i'am not sûre i will be able to take more ground. I'am still trying around Tula. My elite armies still have some win, but i have no troops then to exploit it except tank brigades that get crunched by german counter attack.

The only good point currently is the increase number of guard divisions converted.



The bad points is that i now have all my troops.

As you can see, there is no more flood of fresh division coming each turn as it used to be.

[Stelteck]

I probably will soon stop the offensive as i need my troops to dig line of fortification instead of pursuing the ennemy.

I need my troops to refit to full TOE too.

[chaos45]

The digging should be left to the units not on the frontline its why you need the carpet of units following the offensive. He wont be able to effectively counterattack until March as the Germans are at a huge negative combat % until the end of the first blizzard. I would keep pushing at least until the end of January and in some spots try to at least get wins and maybe ground for part of february....keep in mind a loss that strips a fort is still a good combat in blizzard.

[Stelteck]

ORIGINAL: chaos45
The digging should be left to the units not on the frontline its why you need the carpet of units following the offensive. He wont be able to effectively counterattack until March as the Germans are at a huge negative combat % until the end of the first blizzard. I would keep pushing at least until the end of January and in some spots try to at least get wins and maybe ground for part of february....keep in mind a loss that strips a fort is still a good combat in blizzard.

The negative combat bonus is not so huge as you will see next turn unfortunately.

Turn 32 : 22 January 1941

The blizzard is still here and the offensive go on, unfortunately the nazi invader do not stay still and fight back now when i make some progress.

My offensive is met with heavy resistance and even the best troops can be pushed back by german counter offensives.





In crimea, i'am unsuccessfull in trying to set a new line of defense close to the ennemy. Despite the resistance use guard troops.

[chaos45]

Your going to lose men....your playing soviets in 1942....every time he attacks he also losses men....look at a a couple of the battles you lost, he lost almost as many men......1:1 even 2:1 exchange rate is winning for you.

You pictures of the situation in the south is bad....with him starting his summer offensive still at Rostov he will take all of the south from you easily if he decideds to go south and not do a massive push at Moscow. Really nothing you can do about it at this point but try to keep your army in the south from being encircled and destroyed in detail after March.

Also remember the combat factors showns on the counters is deceptive--unfortunately your late in the blizzard now....there is a quality to quantity in assaults. So one german division even showing alot of "combat" factors can usually be defeated by 6-9 Soviet divisions on the attack. Esp if you have good leader+ good support units in army HQ....and dont forget air bombing all your ground assault targets first. Even though u dont kill alot of Germans it causes distruption and loss of supplies making your ground attack more likely to win despite initial combat factor odds.....this is where those huge swings in final combat value often come from.

[Stelteck]

Strong calvary push during my turnaround Tula with some german divisions running away. 4 Shock armies in full attack !!!

[Stelteck]

Turn 33 : 29 January 1941. Last turn of january already !!

Still blizzard [8D]

It is so pleasant to see german troops at this level of fighting. I'am beginning to convince myself that it will never change. The horrors of 1941 fade from my memories.

Unfortunately i still have to deal with german counter attacks to my offensives.

North of moscow, i do not think i will be able to make further progress. Looks how my best divisions got crushed without having time to dig.



In the south, there is still hope south of Tula, but not much. The battle at least is bloody.



In crimea, my elite coastal army manage this time to hold. But not to dig.
I have no chance to hold here past winter and some of my best troops, like the guard mountain division are here. I may consider falling back to easier defensive position soon. I especially need this mountain division in caucasus, where i already created an elite-All-Mountain-divisions army.



This turn, one of my support unit, have been destroyed. (An artillery regiment). I was not expecting support units to be destroyed without encerclement. I guess the unit shattered. I have to be carefull of this too.

Last, this :


My I-type fighters were not upgrading to better type althought in "upgrade only" configuration. So i tried the "fully automatic" configuration.
It worked perfectly as you can see.

I'am not sûre if it is an "upgrade option" bug or if i do not understand the feature, but this move save me a lot of PP.

I'am beginning to think that it is not very efficient, time consumption wise to micromanage to much the air force relative to its efficiency. I will delegate/automatise a lot more thing in the future. It will save me time.

[MrBlizzard]

In the north of moscow your opponent attacked with TEN divisions against your few guards divisions, 130k men against 30k, so the result shouldn't surprise you. The fire phase causes a lot of disruption on your few units when the enemy are so many.
You can do the same against him, often if you bomb twice his troops with Il-2 before attacking and than attack with the same CV as he has (but outnumber him), you get the doubled CV and win the same the battle.

For the planes : Upgrade means that your unit only upgrade to the specific model set in the upgrade-line (and you still have not those models in production, that's way your units were stuck to oldest models). Automatic means that your units can upgrade to ALL better models (sometimes also to worse ones if your good pools are empty) that's way many of them upgraded this turn.

[Stelteck]

The downside of automatic for air group is that sometimes, the air group downgrade. For example to UV-2 WW1 tactical bomber [:D]

Currently, i have no IL-2 at all. I had to evacuate the factory to minimal (one point) and it is not repaired yet.
Same thing for all my factories.
I have no BM rocket launcher. And not a lot tank yet.

All my ground support is performed with level bombers.

[Stelteck]

Turn 34 : 05 February 1941

A normal turn with local but effective nazi counter attacks. (Although costly for them).



South of moscow my troops reached Tula, but will probably fail to encercle and take it.
There are too much elite troops here.



In crimea, german unexpected renforcement arrived with motorized troops !! At least 4 good divisions.

The resistance of the coastal army was heroic, but now it is time to run. If it is not too late.

[M60A3TTS]

Don't forget that your SAD's are now disbanding at a rate of 3 per week and the aircraft on them will be sent to the reserves.

And Pelton will attack as soon as March arrives. That's only 4 weeks away.

[Stelteck]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Don't forget that your SAD's are now disbanding at a rate of 3 per week and the aircraft on them will be sent to the reserves.

And Pelton will attack as soon as March arrives. That's only 4 weeks away.

I do not really have SAD base anymore i already disbanded them in 1941.

1942 will be hard.
To defend moscow i have to keep huge forces here, so my line are not very good in the south.

If Pelton send an infantry only attack around moscow and send mobile forces in the south, he may still take moscow and destroy me too in the south where many troops can be encercled.

It will be a difficult year.

[Stelteck]

I have small questions :

- If i have a fortified zone with 3 sappers regiments. What happen if i disband the fortified zone (under stavka). The sappers regiments are sent to Stavka or disbanded too ?

- I'am beginning to have spare PP for the first time in this game. I could create new stuff now or wait to use them for tank corps. Do people are usually happy with the free TOE or do they mass produce rifle brigade at this moment of the game ?

[Stelteck]

12 february 1942 : Turn 35

Most winter offensive is over. Blizzard is still here probably until mars.

I'am retreating and positioning troops to defensive position.

Yes there are still fighting in peripheral theaters.

In the north, a lone army is facing the entire finland troops and is slowly pushed back.



In crimea, major german offensive but my troops retreat in good order yet.



In the south, there is little german troops for now. 3 soviet armies are defending stalingrad and 4 defending the caucasus. (Out of 60 armies, hum... quite light).
There are also a ton of small brigades but with low fighting value.



In the center little movement.

South of moscow, around Tula, there are a lot of motorized german troops. My opponent may try to push there in march to threaten moscow and destroy some of my best troops.



I plan to removed all my best troops from front line, except in front of moscow and put them in reserve before the weather get better.

[Stelteck]

Turn 36 : 19 february 1942

Little action except in crimea. But the weather is getting better in the south !!!



In crimea, i'am performing a fighting withdrawal to the sebastopol and kersh fortress.

Notice that the german 3th motorized division looks in a very, very bad shape.

[chaos45]

You should have fortified the pass at Feodysia and Ak-Manay. Going to be to late now. If you fall back to just Kerch he can easily push you completely out of the crimea if he wants....I would guess hes going to swing hard in the tula area to try and flank moscow then roll up your entire army south of Moscow over the spring/summer.

As to shape of his units he restricts replacements over the winter to reduce effects of attrition on his replacement pool. Once he stops taking winter attrition rules he will flood the frontlines with hundreds of thousands of replacements he saved all winter most likely.