Workshop for the new guys - Directive 21 (D21)

[larryfulkerson]

This is the face of war at Kiev now. I've gotten some units around it from the west and I've got some units working
their way over to the east side of the river so I can get a surround going on Kiev.

[larryfulkerson]

I've been moving units and have pushed and shoved and gained the city and a little beyond. I need to fix the bridge
at Pskov to get the supply to flow better. Now to rest and refit the units for a turn or two.

[larryfulkerson]

I finally got one arty unit within range of Odessa....that's something. The rail is being repaired but it's not very
close to Odessa yet. I've got more arty being railed to this spot.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines in the far north. I'm the blue stuff.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines in T12 before I have moved anybody.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Kiev now and I'm in no hurry to take it down. There's so much Soviet arty there the losses would be high and I
don't want to go through that. Better would be some arty pounding the Soviet positions and that sounds better. I'll
see what I can do about some arty. These troops just need to make sure the Soviets don't get away to the west.

[larryfulkerson]

Things are starting to get really complicated around the Pskov area. I've spread out and formed a line and it's maybe
possible to trap all the Soviets on the west side of the bottlneck and if it is then I'll try to destroy some more
Soviet units.

[larryfulkerson]

Near Orsha and west of Smolensk I've finally gotten everybody across the river that's going across the river right now.
The rest are resting, gathering their supply and proficiency to be thrust once more into the fray in some soon future
turn. The supply situation is improving near the first river but it's still low on the area between the second river
and the Dneper. But with most everybody across the Dneper I may have to call a halt to the advance depending on whether
or not I can supply them.

[larryfulkerson]

I've found a Werfer unit that's missing 5 of it's 280mm MRL equipment and I went looking at the inventory and it seems
that we're not going to be making any of those for a while yet and I just happened to have some premature issue items.
Which is fine with me I'll use 'em while I've got 'em.

[sanderz]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

There's not much in the NW corner of the front lines but then there's not much threat active nearby. Maybe this sector
will stay quiet.

Hi Larry

Regarding the 2 little islands to the west of your "box" can units just move over the shallow water hexes to clear out any bad guys? Can you attack across as well? I also see that some units have a "Minor Ferry" rating so i assume i just need to park them next to the shallow water?

Also, do you even need to clear the Soviets out at all? If left alone will they become staging posts for counter attacks or can they not get much (any?) supply so are no threat.

I hope to start this scenario soon and your AAR is helping a lot [&o]

Cheers

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: sanderz

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
There's not much in the NW corner of the front lines but then there's not
much threat active nearby. Maybe this sector will stay quiet.

Hi Larry

Regarding the 2 little islands to the west of your "box" can units just move over the shallow water hexes to clear out any bad guys?

Um....so far the Axis side doesn't have any sea lift capability so I can't just embark a unit on
ships and drive over to the island and try to assault the Allied unit to try to get ashore. But
that's what I would do if I had some sea lift cap.

ORIGINAL: sanderz
Can you attack across as well? I also see that some units have a "Minor Ferry" rating so i assume i just need to park them next to the shallow water?

Um.....If I had any arty with the range for it, yeah, I could attack across the channel. The minor
ferry rating is good for crossing rivers and streams without engineers to help them. It's usually
not enough for actual deep water transport.

ORIGINAL: sanderz
Also, do you even need to clear the Soviets out at all? If left alone will they become staging posts for counter attacks or can they not get much (any?) supply so are no threat.

I've grabbed Pskov and have driven some units up the road leading from Pskov to the bottleneck on
the coast and if I can manage to stop up the bottleneck and trap all those Soviet units west of
the bottleneck I can probably advance from where the units are now and clear out the pockets of
infestation and have the territory to myself. I dread repairing the rail all the way up to the
bottleneck.

ORIGINAL: sanderz
I hope to start this scenario soon and your AAR is helping a lot [&o]

This is not my first time through this scenario but I don't remember having as much fun
as I'm having right now.

ORIGINAL: sanderz
Cheers

Right back at you big guy. Thanks for viewing this thing. It's encouraging to keep posting
when you guys post something.

[sanderz]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

ORIGINAL: sanderz
Can you attack across as well? I also see that some units have a "Minor Ferry" rating so i assume i just need to park them next to the shallow water?

Um.....If I had any arty with the range for it, yeah, I could attack across the channel. The minor
ferry rating is good for crossing rivers and streams without engineers to help them. It's usually
not enough for actual deep water transport.

Thanks for all the replies Larry

One point though - its "shallow water" that needs to be crossed to get to the islands - hence me wondering about the "Minor Ferry" rating and whether that would help.

Cheers

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: sanderz
Thanks for all the replies Larry

One point though - its "shallow water" that needs to be crossed to get to the islands - hence me wondering about the "Minor Ferry" rating and whether that would help.

Cheers

I took a look at the area you're talking about and I see that trail of shallow water hexes leading from the coast of
the peninsula to the little island and I'm wondering about that myself. I'll have to try that and see what happens.

[TPOO]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

ORIGINAL: sanderz
Thanks for all the replies Larry

One point though - its "shallow water" that needs to be crossed to get to the islands - hence me wondering about the "Minor Ferry" rating and whether that would help.

Cheers

I took a look at the area you're talking about and I see that trail of shallow water hexes leading from the coast of
the peninsula to the little island and I'm wondering about that myself. I'll have to try that and see what happens.

You just have to park an Engineer on the shallow water to the west of Virtsu and you can cross and attack the Baltic Islands. This was the only way to allow ferrying to the islands since we do not allow Naval Transport in D21 to the Axis player until later in the game. The Islands should be cleared because the Soviets do have naval transport and they could move them to your rear area. Sometimes Elmer will leave them there and other times he gets a wild hair and moves them.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: TPOO
You just have to park an Engineer on the shallow water to the west of Virtsu and you can cross and attack the Baltic Islands. This was the only way to allow ferrying to the islands since we do not allow Naval Transport in D21 to the Axis player until later in the game. The Islands should be cleared because the Soviets do have naval transport and they could move them to your rear area. Sometimes Elmer will leave them there and other times he gets a wild hair and moves them.

This is good to know. I'll try it to get to the island, thanks. I'll post something about it.

[larryfulkerson]

So um..here's the front lines in T13 before I have moved anybody. I need to refer to this kind of image to guide me in
where I send unemployed people. I see in this image that I'm getting skimpy in the middle north of Kiev.

[larryfulkerson]

This is the face of war at Pskov looking south. It's dynamic and fluid and there's sharp fighting and I'm thinking I
need to send some more people to this area to help out.

[sanderz]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

Things are starting to get really complicated around the Pskov area. I've spread out and formed a line and it's maybe
possible to trap all the Soviets on the west side of the bottlneck and if it is then I'll try to destroy some more
Soviet units.

A few questions about my favorite subject - Railroad Repair....

1) First off how is it going overall - are you seeing the number of repairs per turn equal to the number of engineer units and in the places you expect.

2) I see from this screenshot that whilst most railway lines are broken there are some unbroken lines dotted about in the middle of all the broken ones. Were these the result of them not being damaged in the first place or have they been "repaired" by RR engineers?

3) Do you have a strategy on what railroad lines to repair to coincide with your objectives or are you just aiming to repair whatever you can (sorry if i missed this from one of your previous posts)

Thanks

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: sanderz
1) First off how is it going overall - are you seeing the number of repairs per turn equal to the number of engineer units and in the places you expect.

Overall I'd say that the RR engineers are doing the best they can but they can't keep up with the advance and are getting more behind all the time. I might
have to call a halt to the advance to allow the rails to catch up with the fighting. My troops can't fight without beans, bullets, and bandaids.

ORIGINAL: sanderz
2) I see from this screenshot that whilst most railway lines are broken there are some unbroken lines dotted about in the middle of all the broken ones. Were these the result of them not being damaged in the first place or have they been "repaired" by RR engineers?

The situation report says that my chances of destroying an enemy rail upon capturing it is 75% so some of the rail I capture isn't broken in about one case out
of four. It's a little bit of help and every little bit helps.

ORIGINAL: sanderz
3) Do you have a strategy on what railroad lines to repair to coincide with your objectives or are you just aiming to repair whatever you can (sorry if i missed this from one of your previous posts)

I'm concentrating on three main routes, one for the north going through Daugavapils, and another one going through Minsk going to Smolensk, and a third one for the
southern route passing through Kiev going roughly SE. Oops, I see a fourth one down near Odessa but it's just a small one so far.

[sanderz]

Thanks Larry
Really waiting to see how this plays out when the Soviet defensive lines start to get a bit better

ORIGINAL: sanderz
2) I see from this screenshot that whilst most railway lines are broken there are some unbroken lines dotted about in the middle of all the broken ones. Were these the result of them not being damaged in the first place or have they been "repaired" by RR engineers?

sort of a follow up question to this

i take it the Railway Engineer units will only repair rails that form a contiguous supply line i.e. that they won't repair broken rails (free of enemy units) behind say an enemy unit that occupies a rail hex?

cheers