TopEverest vs Admiral Kamikaze - the rematch

[topeverest]

Here is a view of the combat theaters.

3 major soviet offensives underway. A fourth started this turn, and a fifth next turn. One more reserve front that can be deployed by late September

1. Attacking south between Kalitva and Darkul rivers towards Donnets. Slow but steady progress Some front jumbling
2. Attacking west off the Don along the Voronezh Rostov rail. Very heavy enemy counerattacks but weight of advance slowly making progress. Some enemy units routing (Romanian) (front Jumbling not completely fixed)
3. Driving west off Don just South of Voronezh. No material progress yet, but holding down many enemy units
4. Driving south and west from Tula area towards Orel. Main attack begin this turn with three entire fronts, but fewer corps than desired. Objective is Orel, and to tie dowm many enemy mobile units
5. Starting next turn, driving north east from Cherepovets area to Lake Ladoga 2 effective fronts in action

Caucuses front available for attack deployment by late September depending on where committed.

[chaos45]

If he keeps all that armor at Moscow I would just use all your mobile formations to destroy Army Group south in detail. As Moscow is really infantry terrain defend and German infantry alone cant hold in the open in the south against massed Soviet armor even in 1943.

[topeverest]

3 more good turns in the summer campaign season. Russia continues mostly marginally successful attacks. I am testing new ways to attack to get more ground in a turn. Lots left to learn.

last three turns 12 infantry corps created and 12 new brigades

1. Russian major attack functionally wraps up - southward attack between the Derkul and Kalitva rivers pushing down to the Donets. Began initial reduction attacks to get across donets, the last major river obstacle for a long time
2. Reds pushing due west from Boguchar to Kharkov. Looking to cross the Aidar river before the mud season
3. The Don Svoboda curve - finally reduces and pushing west crossing Tikhaya Sosna river. Pushing due west thereafter
4. Punch through the enemys line in the Orel sector and pocket enemy divisions and push the MLR back 5 hexes. I have to do more of this kind of thing
5. heavy pressure on Fins from the Cherepovets Leningrad railroad north to the Lake Onega. Some enemy ground given but they haven't broken yet.

[topeverest]

The strategic goal is to get to the Stalino complex and retake the resource centers.

Slow progress here in the face of Germanys strongest unit mix.

But full guard corps attacking have made slow if steady progress the last several months. I really should mass more of these in one location when I have more to do. That will make things go faster.

[topeverest]

More than a month of heavy fighting back and forth finally has resulted in Russian victory -- as the last major fort protecting the rail into the Don / Donets basin has been busted.

[topeverest]

Here I decided to take some chances and bust through the enemy line with armor. I really didn't plan it well / more than one turn, as I saw a weakness and went for it.

Time will tell how sound the idea was. But I will say it was an education to say the least. I infer that better massed troops are necessary to really exploit.

[topeverest]

I already wonder if it was a good use of the two fronts engaged in getting to Lake Ladoga. That said, slow progress is begin made. I underestimated Fins and their forts in the woods, but progress nonetheless is being made.

really should have had about 4 armor / mech corps up in this attack. Anyway, learning with every attack

[topeverest]

Over the last turns I have been actively making corps (and TOE upgrades) and units while conducting multiple combat operations. Not surprising here.

I expect to bottom out manpower before the end of the combat season but again build a pool during the mud.

[topeverest]

Germany looks pretty good except for air losses. Soviets are effectively shutting down the Luftwaffe

[topeverest]

Air production is all Green.

here are the AFVs - looks pretty good. If I wasn't so far behind in infantry corps I might build a few more armored. But hey...

[topeverest]

2 more turns until mud. Built 12 brigades (12 more to build)

1. Russians suffer stinging defeat in Orel pincer. Enemy wins 10 consecutive low odds combats and repulses three tank armies with heavy casualties, effectively ending the blitz. DRADT!!!!!
2. Gradual progress in effort to reach Lake Ladoga. Rail is effectively cut. Material progress on eastern end at lake Onega. This attack probably doesn't get to Ladoga by mud season
3. Pushing west from Svoboda curve on the Don, Russian units force the Tikhaya Sosna river at the Don, which is the last material river to get to Kursk. Rail into Donets Don river basin is partially opened, with rail engineers doing their thing. Will take about 4 weeks to complete that conversion.
4. Steppe Front pushing due west to Belgorod and Kharkov in slow progress. Eventually will have to contend with Oskol river, but that will be later
5. Russian forces clear out the area between the Kalitva, Derkul, and Donets. First bridgehead across the Donets secured

[topeverest]

Here is a pictograph of the plans up to and the beginning of the winter combat season. Note the change in how I will deploy the Caucuses front.

[topeverest]

pictured is the aftermath of the German counterattack that decimated three Russian armor armies and a cavalry army, and 4 infantry divisions. I still don't know how the enemy won 10 consecutive low odds combats.

A few lessons here, as I tried new tactics and certainly they weren't perfect. I saw an opportunity to pierce the line and capture couple hexes worth of units, so I took it. The initial attacks worked just fine. But I made a mistake not expanding the breach to three hexes wide so I could pour in ample infantry units and seal the gains. That said, I had 20-40 defense factors in my units that were mauled. Second, I still don't have enough corps in that sector to really may a huge difference.

The enemy also used rails and armor to his advantage. SO he did have the answer to my attack plans for sure.

lessons learned. I wont use those tactics again, and I am confident that as long as the enemy uses linear defense, I will be able to make a breakthrough that sticks.

Still ---- it was a stinging defeat by all measures available. 185 to 1075 AFV lost. 10 consecutive combats lost. Several routed and demoralized units that make them unusable before the mud season.

[topeverest]

"Put me back in coach!"

[topeverest]

Germany is losing masses of aircraft in ground support and interdiction. Soon enough he will have to back away from these, once his reserves of spare airframes are gone.

Germany has lost 21%, 8%, and 12% of total airframes in the game each of the last three turns.

[topeverest]

Here is updated Strength.

[M60A3TTS]

Everything in this AAR is pretty darn good except for one thing, the execution.

The Lake Ladoga offensive. I assume that Leningrad is a part of this, otherwise one can only guess what strategic objective is. You sent your cavalry corps off to support an attack where you don't have much in the way of rifle corps. If you intend to take Leningrad, you will want to have at least one rifle army of guards corps just for that task.

The failure at Orel was a given. Tank corps left unsupported by infantry, cavalry or mechanized formations are easy wins for the Germans. Historically, Soviet tank corps were often hammered by the Germans because of the lack of supporting units in these corps. They were effectively just a blob of tanks, and tanks without infantry support do not fare well. It goes towards the whole concept of combined arms action. If those cavalry corps you sent off to the Ladoga action had been in the same hexes as the tank corps, you would have been better off. It also demonstrates why you want to focus heavily on getting those cavalry corps to guards. They get better movement rates in enemy territory and ergo can better support your tank corps as they exploit the gaps that are created by rifle corps assaults. Now in November the tank corps finally get the upgrade they so badly need and become less reliant on cavalry and mechanized support, but you're not quite there yet.

The Boguchar-Belgorod Offensive will be somewhat hampered buy the fact that you will not have good supply there as you do not have a functional rail line in the immediate vicinity. It too appears to have a tank corps component but again no cavalry.

The Don-Donets sector is a depressing sight. Guards rifle corps near Rostov just wasting away, apparent assaults across major rivers with no real strategic goal, no exploitation forces slightly behind the lines so as not to suffer from fatigue are the more obvious shortcomings.

You are certainly still in a position to win the game, but the clock is now ticking. You can't afford to see these breakthrough attempts thrown back at this stage. Focus on the basics.

Identify where you need to get to.

Identify what you need to get you there.

To push along your important routes, you need guards rifle corps with sappers for the initial attack. Here is where the artillery and rocket on map units are the biggest help.

When the enemy retreats, send in the IL-2s for additional losses. Hit them again with another infantry or cavalry-tank attack, force them to retreat again.

When the enemy retreats again, bomb them again. The German rifle division cannot stand up to this sort of treatment indefinitely. Push in your cavalry-tank forces and hit them again if you can...and so on.

Once all this seems logical, you'll be solid in any future games.

[topeverest]

Agreed.

For some time I have felt disappointed by my deployment decisions and offensive intentions for 43 summer offensive.
1. the initial blitz was poorly designed and attacked in an area that has no exploitable supply.
2. I was grossly optimistic in the Russian abilities to push the enemy
3. I tried a number of bad tactics within a broader strategy for broad front attacks. The latter is a good idea, but how I did it was pretty poor
4. I hadn't used my newly equal air force to full effect
5. My plan to get to Lake Ladoga was a poor use of troops
And the list goes on.

I certainly can say that I am learning by doing things I hope never to repeat.

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Everything in this AAR is pretty darn good except for one thing, the execution.

The Lake Ladoga offensive. I assume that Leningrad is a part of this, otherwise one can only guess what strategic objective is. You sent your cavalry corps off to support an attack where you don't have much in the way of rifle corps. If you intend to take Leningrad, you will want to have at least one rifle army of guards corps just for that task.

The failure at Orel was a given. Tank corps left unsupported by infantry, cavalry or mechanized formations are easy wins for the Germans. Historically, Soviet tank corps were often hammered by the Germans because of the lack of supporting units in these corps. They were effectively just a blob of tanks, and tanks without infantry support do not fare well. It goes towards the whole concept of combined arms action. If those cavalry corps you sent off to the Ladoga action had been in the same hexes as the tank corps, you would have been better off. It also demonstrates why you want to focus heavily on getting those cavalry corps to guards. They get better movement rates in enemy territory and ergo can better support your tank corps as they exploit the gaps that are created by rifle corps assaults. Now in November the tank corps finally get the upgrade they so badly need and become less reliant on cavalry and mechanized support, but you're not quite there yet.

The Boguchar-Belgorod Offensive will be somewhat hampered buy the fact that you will not have good supply there as you do not have a functional rail line in the immediate vicinity. It too appears to have a tank corps component but again no cavalry.

The Don-Donets sector is a depressing sight. Guards rifle corps near Rostov just wasting away, apparent assaults across major rivers with no real strategic goal, no exploitation forces slightly behind the lines so as not to suffer from fatigue are the more obvious shortcomings.

You are certainly still in a position to win the game, but the clock is now ticking. You can't afford to see these breakthrough attempts thrown back at this stage. Focus on the basics.

Identify where you need to get to.

Identify what you need to get you there.

To push along your important routes, you need guards rifle corps with sappers for the initial attack. Here is where the artillery and rocket on map units are the biggest help.

When the enemy retreats, send in the IL-2s for additional losses. Hit them again with another infantry or cavalry-tank attack, force them to retreat again.

When the enemy retreats again, bomb them again. The German rifle division cannot stand up to this sort of treatment indefinitely. Push in your cavalry-tank forces and hit them again if you can...and so on.

Once all this seems logical, you'll be solid in any future games.

[topeverest]

First turn of mud.

Within the context of my shortcomings, the end of the combat season actually was modestly encouraging.
1. The enemy broke up in the extreme north, and Russian forces pushed to within Petrozavodysk, only a few hexes from the Murmansk map edge supply source. The enemy also was generally pushed back at many points along that line down past Cherepovets - Leningrad rail. It is 3 to 4 hexes to reach Lake Ladoga and the center rail is cut. 4 hexes to the Volkov
2. Russians clear the area between the Derkul and Adair rivers in the last turn as enemy forces weaken, trapping enemy divisions and forcing them to surrender. In this case, I was able to do this for two reason: supply finally was pushed down the rail from the northeastern Don crossing, and the enemy was poorly deployed.
3. Ruskies firmly push across the Donets near the salient
4. 30 hexes were taken in the last summer turn.

[topeverest]

My goals for the mud season are
1 - another reorganization and redeployment of strength
2 - validate combat goals for the upcoming season
3 - confirm AP plan through the next combat season - note all necessary infantry brigades are now built