Adventures in Russia

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on north of Leningrad. There's a bridge close to the DMZ, the
stop line, and I've got an HQ unit that was unemployed and I've ordered that he drop
the bridge and return safely. We've got our fingers crossed that he won't run into
any invisible Soviet units on the way. HQ's can usually get disengaged easily so if
he gets adjacent at any point there's a pretty good chance he can break off the battle.
I'm optimistic abouot his chances.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Bryansk area right now. I'm pushing toward the city itself with a small
group that has already run into resistance and their progress has halted. I'm thinking
that if I had just a dozen more divisions I could do so much more with them. So long
as I keep meeting small groups of Soviet units I think I might be able to make this
work.

[larryfulkerson]

I find myself fighting over the city of Chernigov ( I think that's how you spell it ).
It's important for supply flow that I have that hex. It leads to the east side of Kiev
and that's where we're headed right now. I have hopes of destroying all the Soviet
units covering all the river crossings down to D-town.

Units clearing the territories between the rivers are nearing completion and most of
those units will move to the east side of Kiev so as to continue the advance to the
east. Well, more like southeast.

[larryfulkerson]

The Finns are meeting the Soviets all along the highway to Murmansk. So far there's
been quiet at all the meeting places except in the far north were the Axis forces
made some gains and then the Soviets reinforced and not it's sort of a stalemate.
I'm going to bring in a squadron to bombard them from the air for a while.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the northern front lines right now. It's fluid and dynamic and changes from
turn to turn. Lots going on up here. Need some more people.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the northern front lines right now. I'm going to try to outflank a small group
of Soviet units, see if I can't cut them off from their supply source, maybe surround
them somehow, and I think I can get away with this because I'm playing against Elmer.
I'm not convinced this move will provoke a response from Elmer, I tend to think it
won't and I'm ignoring my right flank security. I could be wrong.

[larryfulkerson]

There's a place in the front lines where I have a weak spot and I think Elmer figured
that out too and took advantage of it and caught me flat-footed. My units are out of
position and units to the east are out of supply now and I'm not sure I have the
reserves close enough to this spot to contain it. I'll look around for some warm
bodies to put in the Soviet path.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a look at Smolensk right now. The Axis forces are meeting heavy resistance
and the fighting has been sharp. Lots of CS has flown in this AO. I'm after the
city itself and the supply point it has, Although supply levels here are almost
adequate for sustained operations.

[larryfulkerson]

The 1st Panzer division's recon element took off across the Soviet front cutting off
several roads and rails and converted hexes enough to start isolating several Soviet
units further south and this is a movement that I'm pretty sure WILL provoke a response
from Elmer. He's got units standing by ready to pounce just north of the path of the
recon unit. The front lines in this area are slowly moving north and soon this movement
won't be so daring.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on around Leningrad right now. The Finns are pushing south, the
Germans are fighting over the roads and rails and there's lots of action here. The
supply level is better and the troops are green and I'm optmistic about the north.

[larryfulkerson]

This is the front lines in T18 before I have moved anybody.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Bryansk right now. I'm sneaking up on the city. The Soviets are bound and
determined to protect it tho and they are putting up a stout resistace. And there's
Soviet units sitting just off image to the east ready to pounce but so far Elmer
has been saving them in the reserve. Speaking of reserves....I might ought to put
together some reserves for each local area just in case. Especially during the
Soviet Winter Offensive.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Smolensk right now. I'm trying to outflank the Soviets and roll up their
lines but they keep extending northward and units keep arriving from the east. I've
been at this particular battle for about five or six turns now and nobody has really
established dominance yet. I've flown in a couple more CS planes and I always assign
them direct missions to fly. Almost every combat scheduled has at least one plane
assigned to make up the combined arms bonus if there is one. And I've got my attackers
backed up by the arty in their HQ unit at the very least. So far so good. I could
really use that supply point at Smolensk right about now.

[larryfulkerson]

This is Chernigov looking south, the east side of Kiev a little to the NE of Kiev.
And the supply situation is attenuated by the river crossings but as soon as I get
a rail repaired thro there it's be a lot better. I've got lots of troops and the
advance continues.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Odessa right now. I've already been bombarding for three turns now and there's
no visible evidence that it's even scratching the paint. Supposedly the supply level
of the enemy unit goes down when you attack it because it has to defend itself and so
bombarding the Soviet units should make an operational difference. Besides it makes
me feel better knowing I'm doing SOMETHING positive.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Kherson right now. Rumanians are trying to break into the Crimea already. Odessa
is wrapped up tight in Rumanians and the bombardment is ongoing and now they are starting
to confront the bottlenecks into the Crimea. It's probably going to be a fierce fight
getting through those areas.

[larryfulkerson]

Up in the northern front lines some of my forward elements got cut off from their
supply and while they can survive that way for a short period of time I'd like to
get some supply to them ASAP. I could pull them back but then I would lose the
momentum I've built up. I'm going to try a hail mary left hook with a spare division
and some supporters. I've got competing priorities at the moment because I can think
of three other things I need this division for. But the out-of-supply elements will
appreciate the supply. They are up there by themselves on the front lines, the least
I can do for them is give them some supply. It'll shorten the war.

[larryfulkerson]

The troops have reached the rivers where it bends near D-town and Z-town and soon
we'll be fighting over the crossings tooth and nail. I though briefly about sending
these troops into the Crimea but I had another thought: how about they head for
Kharkov instead and expand the perimeter further east. The problem with that is the
supply situation. We're about as far east as the supply situation will support. The
Supply levels in the north are outstanding compared to this area. Maybe I should
ship them north and use them to isolate Leningrad and drive on Moscow at the same time.
That would negate the progress possible in the south but that's okay because the supply
situation wouldn't support an advance further south either. I need to wait until the
rails are repaired a bit closer.

[larryfulkerson]

I put this together for me and I thought you guys mightlike to see it too. I've been
studying it and I've discovered at least two weak spots. I guess there's no Soviet
formation currently that has that objective because so far it's been working. I've
got a screen there, sometimes not even that, and it's probably just a matter of time
until Elmer wakes up, reasses his front lines, calculates a weak area, whatever he
does to finally do something about those weak spots. I'd best find somebody to screen
better or something. I need some reserves really badly in this area.

Also, check out that supply situation, aeee. Canadian ending on the previous sentence
is a lame attempt to make a joke. The railheads are really close now and I need them
closer yet so as to facilitate the use of the RR arty units, some of which have a range
of 2 hexes which is almost far enough to be useful.

I've already shipped three or four RR arty units down to Odessa because the rail is
really close there too and it's got priority. Those Rumanians will be able to take
down Odessa sometime next spring at the rate they are going. It's that stacking
rule being applied to the Axis minor allies that's the rub. I'm going to need more than
just the single unit ring around Odessa to take it down I'm afraid. It's probably going
to burn out several Rumanian divisions to do the trick and there's Sevastopol yet to tackle.

I'm going to have to pound Odessa's defenders with planes, or at least the arty. Just before
my ground assaults I'll take a round to pound his arty positions to try to disentrench the arty
so that it can't fire.

[TPOO]

Hey Larry.
In order to capture Odessa by the historical Oct 16, 1941 and keeping the no stacking rule for divisions will be with heavy Rumanian casualties. They had almost 40,000 KIA taking the city. You need to attack in full one hex at a time and have some reserves to funnel in back and forth. I all my tests I usually get it by the middle to end of September but other methods may prove better.