Bulletins from the Front - Fire in the East 2 (no loveman1 please)

[cantona2]

10th August 1941

The bulk of the German armies are catching up with their mobile spearheads and contact has been made with German Infantry from Pskov to Mogilev while the defensive perimeters of Kiev and Odessa are being probed. Pskov has withstood a powerful assault from the SS Totenkopf Division as it assaulted over pontoon bridges set over the Velikaya River. The 181 st Rifle Division covered itself in glory in repelling the assault and a whole enemy regiment perished on the river bank as it was caught in a devastating artillery barrage targetting the crossing points.

Further South the 8th Panzer Division pushed on from Opochka. Its panzers led the landsers of the 32nd Infantry Division as they mauled the 246th Rifle Division. Reserves were sent to plug the line as German intentions are divined as a thrust North East to begin an encirclement of the Velikaya Line.

[cantona2]

Near Mogilev the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions cross the Dnepr south of Shklov. They cut the Orsha Mogilev road but are unable to completely break through as the 45th Cavalry Division heroically stands firm despite heavy casualties. The 31st Cavalry is immediately sent forward to cover and support. If you look at the screenie the towns of Gorki to the North and Chausy to the South see the immediate railing in of several divisions from the East as reinforcements. The Soviet player is well advised to have his forming and resting divisions on rail lines in order to quickly deploy them to the main flash points at the Front. A Cavalry Corps, an Infantry Divison and a Tank Division will reinforce the Mogilev line next turn.

[cantona2]

13th August 1941

First day of real crisis since the opening of the Axis offensive. Pskov has been taken by the 1st Panzer Divison while the line has been broken at two different points to the South. Firstly to the North East of Opochka and secondly at the bridge head at Shklov. Three counter attacks went in, two were successful, one was not.

South of Shklov the SS Cavalry Brigade has infiltrated the positions of the 7th Cavalry Corps and acted as the anvil on which the supporting infantry smashed through the line. It was only a desperate defence by the 58th Cavalry Regiment, the last line of defense dug in to the hills to the South West of Gorki, that halted the German breakthrough. This allowed time for the independent tank regiments of the Bryansk Front (215th and 216th Tank Regiments) to lead the counter attack. Fielding 40 T-34's between them they tore through the SS troopers and threw them back to their starting positions and restoring the original line. 3 days of bitter fighting has knocked out the SS Cavalry Brigade out of the battle and set up an attack on the flank of the 29th Motorised Infantry Division seeking to outflank the line. The Germans have so far not found a way to stop the T-34 in full flight.

[cantona2]

A second counter attack targetted the advance by the 121st Infantry Division by Opochka. A strong push by three German divisions destroyed the 901st Rifle Infantry. Its sisters in the 246th Rifle Division were quick to seek revenge. Cavalry from the 25th Cavalry Division harrassed the Germans as the 295th Rifle Regiment drove the 407th Infantry Regiment back to the river line. Unfortunately the right flank of the emerging pincer could not be pushed back as the 225th Rifle Division arrived too late to eject the German 301st Infantry Regiment from its positions in the woods.

At Pskov the first great pitched battle in the Northern Theatre was being fought. The 1st Panzer Division punched its way in Pskov, the cornerstone of the defensive line by the lake. The 1st Panzer Regiment and 4th Panzer Aufklarer Abteilung fought the 195th Rifle Regiment for three days before ejecting them from the gutted city. STAVKA ordered an immediate counter in order to regain the city and reinforcements were immediately diverted to the area to contain the German advance. The retaking of Pskov was tasked to the 281st Rifle Division who would support the main effort by the 110th Tank Division. The latter was well stocked in T-34s and KVs. Given ample artillery support three separate attacks were launched from three different directions as the german armoured units dug their tanks down in the streets of Pskov and battered the Russian attacks aside. The battle concluded at an impasse. There was not enough infantry to support the armoured fist and anti tank shells fired by the Panzer IIIs and IVs could not penetrate the armour of the KV-1 or the T-34. One Russian tank had upto 45 impacts but was still in the fight. The light skinned vehicles of the recon batallion did not farewell however and it was almost destroyed to a man. As the exhausted tankmen withdrew for lack of shells and fuel, the German panzers were still in Pskov but surrounded in a ring of steel.

A more positive side not to the battle was the spotting of the main German artillery park on the southern shore of Lake Pskov. A bombardment was ordered on the eve of the third assault and the lack of counter artillery fire over the attack meant that it was effective, indeed it was this last attack that came closest to success with upto 60 enemy vehicles reported as destroyed. A further bonus was the spotting of German aircraft at the former Red Airforce base at Petseri. Long range rail artillery was ordered to barrack the airfield with 40 enemy fighters spotted to be destroyed by aerial recon on the 18th August. One parks planes withing artiller range at your own risk.

[Zort]

Was wondering do you think that the Germans could have been further east then they are now. What could they have done better do you think? Seems that the Russians are very powerful.

[cantona2]

August 17th 1941

The right wing of AGN (apologies for typo in screenie) is causing a minor panic at the HQ of the North Western Front. Russian lines were being pumelled for the 6th consecutive day as the Opochka Bulge increases in size. The 3rd Motorised Infantry Division came as close as 10kms to breaking through. Adhoc units of cooks, supply troops and further rear echelon troops used the marshy and woody terrain to stop the enemy advance at great cost.

STAVKA have released part of the strategic reserve and a counter attack against the southern flank of the German wedge by the 201st Tank Regiment saw German units move south to counter the move. The situation is still critical as 246th Rifle Division has been knocked out of the fight and the Loknya road and its railhead is only protected by a smattering of emergency units. The story at that railhead however is very different. Infantry, artillery and armour have started to unload from trains as the order from Stalin is clear; stamp out the German thrust.

[cantona2]

Elsewhere, fierce battles rage in the Eastern suburbs of Pskov. Gutted and burnt out buildigs changed hands several times and several German regiments were destroyed as Militia units were sacrificed as cannon fodder and soften up the German positions for the assaults by regular units. Though the 1st Panzer Division still holds the urban center, its advance has been stopped so far.

The German bridgehead at Polotsk was eradicated and thrown back across the Dvina. Further South the routed SS Cavalry Brigade was back in action, this time accompanied by the 29th Motorised Infantry Division. It advanced a futher 5 kms and made short work of Russian cavalry units. The 215th and 216th Tank Regiments were caught by surprise and were powerless to attack though STAVKA is confident that the Front is well shored up in this area and has given higher priority to the Opochka area.

At the extreme south of the area of operations the Odessa Fortress is now well and truly under attack by a combined German-Romanian force. Odessa, like Minsk before it is to buy time for the forces further East.

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: Zort

Was wondering do you think that the Germans could have been further east then they are now. What could they have done better do you think? Seems that the Russians are very powerful.

Hi Zort

To be honest I think my policy of blowing up every bridge I can and leaving blocking forces has helped me buy time to set up such a forward MLR. The Minsk position bought me four turns (12 days of campaigning) and I am yet to see some of the units engaged there up at the front. The dice gods have also been kind to me in the South were it took a great effort on Willie's part to breakout of the Lvov Region. The blocking units also allowed 85% of the units in the South to withdraw in good order to their intended positions.

The Soviet player needs to use his interior lines effectively to quickly rail units to the front. I have my reforming, refitting and forming infantry divisions on rail lines. The moment the supply level gets to orange they are railed forward to the intended MLR awaiting those units coming from the West. I also try to plan one turn in advance by studying reinforcement tables, were they spawn and forward plan where those units will go.

I did expect Willie to advance perhaps a bit quicker and my original placing of the MLR was to lie about 60 kms further East. The slow advance in the center in particular made me rethink. Yet there is a niggling feeling that he is upto something. As of turn 17 (17-8-1941) I can only identify 6 Panzer and 3 Motorised Infantry Divisions so far across the length of the Front and the bulk of AGS has not yet been engaged.

FITE2 is a totally different beast to D21 and it is harder to maintain a historical schedule in this scenario. However Willie still has several weeks before Rasputista hits and his shock advantage should last until December.

[cantona2]

Intelligence Bulletin

The following armoured and mobile enemy divisions have been identified:

1st Panzer Divsion - Pskov
SS Infantry Brigade - Pskov
3rd Motorised Infantry - Opochka Bulge
8th Panzer Division - Opochka Bulge
18th Panzer Division - Orsha
4th Panzer Division - Shklov
17th Panzer Division Shklov
3rd Panzer Division - Shklov
29th Motorised Infantry Shklov

Units previouslty encountered but no intell on their location:

2nd SS Motorised Infantry Das Reich - mauled at Minsk
3rd SS Motorised Infantry Totenkopf - mauled at Pskov
20th Panzer Division - last engaged at Minsk
Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment - last engaged at Minsk
14th Motorised Infantry - last engaged at Minsk
12th Panzer Division - last engaged at Minsk
9th Panzer Division - last engaged at Minsk
10th Panzer Division - last egnaged at Minsk
20th Motorised Infantry - last engaged at Minsk

It may well be that the units engaged in Minsk took heavy losses and had to regroup, certainly SS Das Reich would have had to. Like in real life the presence of German fast and mobile units are sure pointers to where an offensive might begin. Having a long line stretches the German player and even if he concentrates his armour for a schwerpunkt he may lack enough infantry for the intial cracking of the line or flank defence. I notice that in many parts of the line Willie has split his infantry regiments into battalions to cover the line. Perhaps these are areas where small, limited counter attacks can be carried out by the Red Army to keep the German player honest. That said, and looking at the list above, that is a lot of armour unaccounted for and that is not taking into account the units in AGS that are still gobbling up land in the Ukraine.

[cantona2]

27th August 1941

10 days of titanic struggles have marked the Front that has largely held firm. The German advnace at Pskov has been halted though Tallin was occupied on August 25th.

The central area of the Front has occupied most of the attention of STAVKA with Army Group Center launching itself at the bulwark with all its strength. Orsha was abandoned on the evening of the 27th August as its defenders risked encirclement. Its bridges were blown and the 91st Rifle Division took up new positions on the east bank of the Dnepr River. Further South the tanks of the Bryansk Front pushed back the 10th Panzer Grenadier Regiment of the 9th Panzer Division in some dissaray. A third Axis bridgehead over the Dnepr at Mogilev was destroyed with two infantry regiments of the 197th Infantry Division slaughtered at the river bank.

[cantona2]

Army Group South has finally made its move across the Dnepr River at Kanev. The 16th Panzer Division spearheaded the assault blowing away the 80th and 141st Rifle Divisions and covering the crossing of several infantry divisions. Like further North though the crust has given way it has not broken and several divisions and armoured brigades have been released from South Western Front Reserve to help plug the stem the German advance. It is clear that the German commander wants to use the bend in the river to unhinge the defensive line as it runs South East. Though the crisis is not as acute as at Orsha we cannot allow the Germans to breakthrough here.

[cantona2]

The Opochka Bulge has also seen fierce and uncompromising fighting. Both sides are turning the woods between Opochka and Loknya into a charnel house of death.

[cantona2]

I will post what Willie has written in a recent email:

I very much doubt that the soviet front line will break, the Russian defenders are too well prepared with their artillery so it is just impossible to break through it seems.

I have come to learn that playing this scenario from the German side is a very tall order, not enough rail units and I must ask myself no interdiction? I cannot fathom the reason for this in the rules as without it there is nothing to stop the Russian hordes from coming to the front line. Also the germens don't' have enough infantry divisions to cope with this map and truly get lost in the vastness of Russia.

This screenie shows what I think is his strategy in the central front, I will expand on the above in a further post below.

[cantona2]

OK, I take Willie's point completely. In TOAW III the axis player could set his aircraft to Interdiction orders. This made the movement of troops to the front very hazardous for the Russian player. It also, and I think historically accurately so, made the withdrawal of troops form the border areas in the opening turns extremely dangerous. The Germans achieved tactical and strategic surprise on June 22nd. This was never more evident than in the air with the destruction of the Red Air Force in Western Russia and with the level of combat support the Luftwaffe granted the Wehrmacht. The Germans advanced into total aerial supremacy and the Russians moved troops forwards or out of immediate areas of contact at great peril. I have been able to withdraw the bulk of my forces East and can rail up to 10 divisions east a turn with 0 impact from a Luftwaffe that owns the skies.

Can someone please shed some light on the reason for the no Int rules. Maybe Fogger who is on turn 200 and something?? It seems somewhat unrealistic and I do feel it is hampering Willie's efforts.

I will be activating the TO to invade Iran next turn (once I have all troops at their staging points). There is a +1 bonus to supply levels and has a lend lease related event linked to its successful conclusion. Has anyone activated this TO and if so any tips please?

[Teufeldk]

The short answer is that we found interdiction to be too powerful in a game like FITE2 - at least at phases when one side has more or less complete air superiority (early and late game). You take very few losses and the effect on supply and the disruption of troop movement are huge. Especially the effect on artillery is huge: one hit from interdiction and all gun are destroyed in an art unit making it difficult to rebuild any kind of line. For instance, we found it impossible for the Russians to get any kind of decent defense ready at the Leningrad front before the Germans arrive.

I agree it is unrealistic, and I would love if it could be implemented. We tried other options (for instance that each side could have a fixed number of units on interdiction) but decided to go with the complete ban as it is easier to administrate.

You should feel free to lift the ban if that works better for you. A huge game like FITE2 is difficult to balance, and the way I and Søren play may not be like other people play.

Anyway, we are very happy with your input and hope you enjoy the game.

[Teufeldk]

ORIGINAL: cantona2

The destroyers of the Northern Fleet were once again up to no good. Recon had spotted a unit of German fighter planes at Pestamo in support of the 2 Gebirgsjager Division that were manning a line on the Lista River. A nightime attack on the 17th July brought no retaliation and a further daylight raid on a unit of ME-110s at Kirkenes also went in unoppsoed. This made Northern Fleet confident of a combined arms attack on the fighter unit as the destroyers returned home on the 18th July.

Destroyer Squadrons 1 and 2 trained their guns on the airfield while over head 1-16s and 1-153s of the 13th IAP escorted SB2's of the 80th BAP to deliver a devasting attack on the Luftwaffe unit. Death rained down on the hapless Germans for 45 minutes as naval shells and then aerial bombs obliterated the gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77. Early morning recon on the 19th July confirmed that 13 burnt out ME-109 shells dotted the aerodrome and no meaningful activiry could be discerned by the Pe-2 flying recon. Morale surged among the ranks of the airman as some small measure of revenge for the 22nd June was exacted.

I and Søren use a house rule that says you cannot attack airfields with ships and/or Art. I am sorry to see that we for some reason have missed putting that in the short briefing

The reason is that it is too powerful, and you spend a lot of time checking that you have not placed your planes to close to the sea or to close to the front.

[cantona2]

ORIGINAL: Teufeldk

The short answer is that we found interdiction to be too powerful in a game like FITE2 - at least at phases when one side has more or less complete air superiority (early and late game). You take very few losses and the effect on supply and the disruption of troop movement are huge. Especially the effect on artillery is huge: one hit from interdiction and all gun are destroyed in an art unit making it difficult to rebuild any kind of line. For instance, we found it impossible for the Russians to get any kind of decent defense ready at the Leningrad front before the Germans arrive.

I agree it is unrealistic, and I would love if it could be implemented. We tried other options (for instance that each side could have a fixed number of units on interdiction) but decided to go with the complete ban as it is easier to administrate.

You should feel free to lift the ban if that works better for you. A huge game like FITE2 is difficult to balance, and the way I and Søren play may not be like other people play.

Anyway, we are very happy with your input and hope you enjoy the game.

Thanks for the reply Kristian

FITE2 is indeed a great scenario and I'm thoroughly enjoying the play through. I take your point about Int as I suffered heavily under it in TOAW III. Perhaps a more streamlined version of HRs, agreed between by both parties, is the way forward.

On another matter, is there a more extensive briefing doc available as I seem to remember that there was one for the original FITE way back in TOAW III days.

[Teufeldk]

Well, we have another document that is a briefing for players who want more information concerning the background and development behind FitE2. It addresses subjects related to the mechanics of the scenario and the reasons why we did what we did (for instance what thoughts lies behind the OOB and the various equipment).

But it has not been updated for a while so we are not too keen on releasing it right now.

This is next on our project list, but might still be a while

[Teufeldk]

And by the way, I agree that players should just agree to their own house rules as they see fit.

[DanNeely]

ORIGINAL: Teufeldk

The short answer is that we found interdiction to be too powerful in a game like FITE2 - at least at phases when one side has more or less complete air superiority (early and late game). You take very few losses and the effect on supply and the disruption of troop movement are huge. Especially the effect on artillery is huge: one hit from interdiction and all gun are destroyed in an art unit making it difficult to rebuild any kind of line. For instance, we found it impossible for the Russians to get any kind of decent defense ready at the Leningrad front before the Germans arrive.

I agree it is unrealistic, and I would love if it could be implemented. We tried other options (for instance that each side could have a fixed number of units on interdiction) but decided to go with the complete ban as it is easier to administrate.

You should feel free to lift the ban if that works better for you. A huge game like FITE2 is difficult to balance, and the way I and Søren play may not be like other people play.

Anyway, we are very happy with your input and hope you enjoy the game.

With all the other effectiveness sliders added in this release maybe it's time to lobby for interdiction to be added to the list.