timmyab (Sov) v Smokingdave (Axis)

[chaos45]

wow, only a 2 regiment defense of that key hex lol...thats like giving finland to you.

[timmyab]

I'll take any help I can get. I'm falling behind schedule.

[timmyab]

Turn 120

AGN is either unwilling or unable to send armor to help the Finns. Either way it spells the end for Finland.
1st SA captures North Leningrad and 1st TA (now 1st guards TA) is let off the leash. I'm hoping that the capture of the circled town will lead to a Finnish surrender. According to the manual it should give an 8 in 10 chance unless the Germans have units in Helsinki.

[821Bobo]

Nice operation at the Karelian Isthmus. [:)]

[Twigster]

Yep...losing Finland that early [shudders]. [8D]

[chaos45]

If I remember right somewhere they reduced the Finland surrender roll chance, as in my game awhile back and a couple others ppl had to capture a fair chunk of finland to get it to surrender.

[timmyab]

Thanks for the info Chaos, that explains why my hopes of an immediate surrender were dashed.
I think the new rules are an improvement.

[timmyab]

Turn 121

Last turn of the 43 Summer campaign.

No Finnish surrender or resisitance so 1st GTA rushes to capture as much of Finland as possible before the mud season starts. This sudden and unexpected victory against the finns has helped to make up for an otherwise disappointing Summer 43 campaign.

[timmyab]

Western Front (Vasilevsky) assisted by 2nd SA and 2nd TA makes good progress to the East of Orel. The German front is showing signs of stress in that area.

[timmyab]

At last some movement in the South where the Axis pull back to build a new defensive position.

[timmyab]

Overall this Summer has been a slow grind with disappointing territorial gains. In the hands of an experienced, capable opponent an Axis late 42-43 turtle is a tough nut to crack. There are clear signs that the nut is beginning to crack, but it may be too late for a Soviet victory unless I can gain momentum from the enhanced manoeuvre capabilties of the 1944 Red army.

[timmyab]

Turn 126

Finland surrenders This means that the Finnish divisions defending Leningrad hand over the city without a fight - excellent!

[timmyab]

A big pullback in the South. This is a surprise to me, I was expecting more hard fighting down here at least until the rivers freeze. Maybe the need to replace Finnish divisions in the North is a factor in this.
One German division (circled) obviously didn't get the message about the pullback [:D]

The Finnish surrender leaves 1st GTA, 3rd TA and 4th SA available for deployment elsewhere. It will take two or three weeks to extract these forces from Karelia and in the meantime I'll think about where to deploy them. Most likely South.

[timmyab]

Turn 127

Three infantry divisions from AGN feel the heat of 1st GTA as it moves South.

[timmyab]

Turn 129

Another pocket, this time East of Smolensk. These pockets are easily broken by the mighty panzer divisions but they are symptomatic of the growing power of the Soviet tank armies.

[timmyab]

Turn 130

The Axis are retreating faster than we can chase them in the South except where my tanks and cavalry are concentrated. This week 2nd tank army has two German divisions (circled) in trouble South of Kursk. Further South 4th tank army and two cavalry armies are approaching Kharkov and to the North 1st Guards tank army completes it's redeployement, de-training at Orel.
3rd tank army begins to disengage from the Smolensk front this week in preperation for railing South next week.

Elsewhere it's still a very hard slog from Bryansk all the way North to the Gulf of Finland.

[timmyab]

Turn 131

The two German divisions South of Kursk are overrun with more threatened this week as 1st GTA arrives in the area.

3rd TA de-trains at Orel.

[timmyab]

Turn 132

For the first time in this campaign the tank armies of 1st tank front are operating as a cohesive force catching the Axis forces in the area with their pants slightly down. No doubt more German armor will arrive soon but for the moment it's a tanker's playground.

3rd TA was meant to join the party but an opportunity presented itself at Bryansk.

[timmyab]

Turn 133

For some unknown reason 3rd TA only receives half it's normal fuel supplies this week. This freak event will most likely save two German divisions from the horrors of a Siberian gulag. 3rd TA's quartermaster-general will not be so lucky.

[timmyab]

The German front in the center is showing the first signs of stress.
Five divisions are doomed in the South.