TopEverest vs Admiral Kamikaze - the rematch

[topeverest]

And here is the armor view.

10 armor armies have lower mech points and should be replaced with commanders that have amror.

Aside - also note the bad job I did in building the right number of armor armies. Next game hope to get it right

Yellow are targeted for switch to Armor armies in next few turns - gonna find out if I can remove and reassign a commander in the same turn...

[topeverest]

Here are the fronts and STAVKA

[topeverest]

These are the remaining unassigned commanders sorted by infantry rating. ( 6 or higher)

Like to see all the important commands at 6 rating or better. but that will take time.

[topeverest]

moved on to switching commanders - thanks...

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

You seem to have some good generals without a lot of battles fought, considering how late the game is. Not sure where you've exiled them to.

Bobkin 26
Chistyakov 61
Rokossovsky 64
Bagramyan 73
Zakharov 86

And please stop spending AP on more units. A new units takes months to be of use and you need to be making progress now. Spend APs on getting the right leaders where they need to be. The payoff there is immediate.

[topeverest]

Thanks for the kind words. I am learning as I am going.

ORIGINAL: redrum68

Just wanted to say this is a great read especially for a new player like me. I asked myself many of the same questions and run into the same challenges that you highlight throughout this AAR. Feel like some of the game concepts have some nice guides and are easier to pick up like land forces, combat, supply, etc but things like air forces, spending AP, truck management, support units, etc are much more difficult to get a good grasp on. Cheers to seeing this one to the end!

[topeverest]

VP - 194 (recent capture Nickolaev)
Trucks 166 / 163 (finally positive again!)
AP use - continue to move high mech ability commanders to armies that have armor

Turn results
Casualties 39K G / 48K R
AFV 139 G / 627 R
Air 223 G / 483 R

Over the last two turns, the Germans have continued to execute minor planned retreats to the next local river rather than face a turn of Russian onslaught in the open.

1. Russians mass two armies and take Nickolaev, and then test the Bug defenses, punching one small toehold across the river. Further north, the Axis abandon the Ingul river defense in many locations for locations west. The appear to be going for the next river system but stopped short enough but again retreated far enough that I could not attack them with any hope of success
2. Reds fail to pinch Kirovograd, and when that fails, the armor in the area drives NW of Cherkassy, threatening to surround its garrison. further east, German Dnepr defenders on a hill have been surrounded. It is unclear if he will try to get them free
3. Germany retreats behind the Dnepr / Desna and have a fortified defense. There is no easy way across the rivers except a major forcing attempt, which the reds are planning to execute next turn. A couple of hexes of the Desna have been breached already.
4. Since trucks have gone positive, I am unleashing my idled armies next turn in a bid for Smolensk and Minsk





Aside - Obviously the national morale settings have changed since the rules were made. I am curious where they will end.

[topeverest]

SO the situation here is a bit better now. the rail lines are in far better locations.

here are the locations of the rail heads for the 4 controllable RR units.

[topeverest]

As always I remain flexible and will take what the enemy gives me.

As a general plan...
1 - open up a northern attack with the idled armies drive for Smolensk
2. Pinch the Desna defense
3. Holding attacks on Kiev while attack the vulnerable strategic salient 100 miles to the south. Push west from that salient
4. Push as far towards the Romanian frontier past Odessa as feasible
5. Continue to replace up commanders until I have the best mix available

[topeverest]

There are either 10 or 11 turns left of the summer campaign - It is time for some aspirational goals, since I have reached my season goal of Kiev already.

The Main thrust through Kursk to Kiev has pushed 26 hexes
The secondary thrust to Odessa and lower Ukraine has pushed an average of 12-13 hexes over much tougher terrain

I am opening up a northern battle with hopes of pushing far enough that Army Group North evacuates vast territories including potentially leaving Finland to defend Leningrad

The main thrust south of the Priypets ideally I would like to drive to the Goryn river west of Vinnitsa

The secondary push towards Romania I hope to get get within 6 or so hexes of the border.

Even if I make these objectives the next two seasons are unlikely to get me to Berlin, except on the very last turn

[topeverest]

VP - 193 (East Kiev falls)
Trucks 168 / 164
AP use - finished mech army commander changes - moving on to infantry commanders. Will post mix when complete

Germany changes tactics, not executing minor retreats to straighten his line. Commies concentrate on the local salient and pocket a total of 8 enemy divisions across the map.

1. Russians unleash the idled armies in a push to Smolensk, making 5 hexes the first turn
2. Reds commit 4 armies to expand the bridgehead across the Desna and Sudost rivers east of Gomel
3. 4 Russian armies and 5 artillery divisions clear out East Kiev
4. Major Red effort below the Dnepr between Cherkassy and Kirovograd with both cities being surrounded
5. The Bug river is forced at the Gulf of Odessa

[topeverest]

The new attack front is possible because I now have positive trucks, and I have pushed my rail heads close to the front.

The weakest point on the enemy MLR in the south is the salient around the Dnepr west of Cherkassy. I intend to continue to focus in that area to get around Kiev in the event I cannot force it from across the river.

Near Odessa, the last river complex is mostly forced, and the march west should resume this turn.

It is unclear how much strength the enemy can put to the Smolensk defense. I will push as hard as possible and threaten advances to the south, west, and north.

[M60A3TTS]

I don't ever recall seeing an 83rd Army before. You may have set some kind of record there.

[topeverest]

If I ever figure out what I am doing lightning will strike me down...

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

I don't ever recall seeing an 83rd Army before. You may have set some kind of record there.

[topeverest]

I was actually making some progress in the game...

real life seems to have exerted dominance quite a bit this summer...

Here is an update

[topeverest]

VP 188
Trucks 193 (222) -25 from last turn
AP Usage - Still replacing infantry army commanders

The last three or so turns have seen the Germans conduct several planned retreats
but leave salient along their MLR which the Reds have worked to exploit

1. The German Dnepr defenses along Kiev area have turned back three successive attempts to force the river just south of the city
2. Germany leaves a strategic salient near Cherkassy on the lower Dnepr and the Russians exploit that by capturing 8 divisions and three brigades
3. Russians move armor and mech facing Kiev south initially to exploit salient / Korsun pocket. Thereafter the continue to migrate south on two successive
turns creating the largest panzer ball I have ever utilized - to great effect
4. This turn the Russian panzer ball exploits a relative weakness in the enemy MLR near Odessa, and pour through creating a major break, including
surrounding another dozen divisions
5. West of Gomel, Russian infantry force the Desna / Sudost Rivers and push due west before enemy withdrawals to the next river
6. The Smolensk attack continues its push and has reached the city on the SE side of the Dnepr. This past turn the Dnepr east of Smolensk was forced. 5 more armies are on the way to that campaign

[topeverest]

The last few turns have seen relative Russian successes.

[topeverest]

To reiterate the general war plan through end of Summer 44 Season

1. Get Romania out of the war as soon as possible
2. Attempt to get Tarnopol by summer season end
3. Push as far towards Minsk as possible
4. Use 4 controlled RR units to keep up with advance - monitor trucks carefully
5. Finish the army commander upgrade effort
6. Continue ground attack and ground support efforts to grind enemy in every hex fought
7. reorganize guard armies to get 5 guard infantry units in all of them

[topeverest]

7 more turns in summer campaign

187 VP Odessa falls
Trucks 181 / (176) Whew! Advances have been slower so rails starting to catch up
APs - continue army commander changes - probably complete in 1 or two turns, then onto guard army organization

Eventful turn
1. Germany does not make a fight for surrounded units, and they all are captured. This includes 19 divisions with three being armor and two mech - and 12 more support units
2. Black Sea MLR now rests on Dnester, but no offensive action to push that line, as efforts concentrated on liquidating surrounded units
3. in the 8 hexes along the MLR immediately south of Kiev, the Russians used steamroller tactics, making modest progress. The Reds are now established across the Dnepr all the way to Kiev, and the last of the major Dnepr obstacles south of Kiev are behind them. Better progress should begin to be made.
4. Attempts to open up a Dnepr bridgehead north of Kiev do not succeed
5. Germany significantly reinforced the Smolensk defense with mech and armor, so the relatively weak advance faced tough prospects. a relative weakness in the enemy MLR east of Gomel was exploited instead, though the blitz could not get all the way to the city

[topeverest]

It remains to be seen if the cumulative Axis unit losses (34 divisions this combat season) will be important later.

[topeverest]

The big opportunity at present is to drive into Romania before summer season ends because a number of the enemy's nearby units have been captured. It will be a race these next several turns to see how far the advantage can be exploited before it ends.

Also I will continue to push west from Kiev, attempting to tie down major forces so that the reds can enter Romania this season.