TTG multi-player teaching game

[thedoctorking]

The Romanians closed in on Odessa but did not capture it. By capturing all the surrounding hexes, they ensured that defeated defenders will evacuate by sea instead of (as in Riga) retreating to an adjoining hex where they can be isolated and destroyed. If the Soviets wish, they could put as many as two more divisions into the city (by disbanding the fortified region and shipping out or disbanding the NKVD regiment there now). This would mean that some of the new German infantry divisions would have to come down and help clear the city, delaying their arrival at the front by two turns. Probably worth sending any divisions they have handy in ports.

Total losses this turn were 176,195 Soviet to 22,487 Axis (as discussed in the Soviet turn, a staggering 997 to 172 in the air). At the end of the Axis turn, the average German fighter group had 25 ready aircraft. Ready numbers are 3,538,804 Soviet to 3,344,209 German (4,723 to 2,794 in the air) (figures are for ready men and aircraft – a more useful measure than deployed, which I have been using heretofore).

[thedoctorking]

I took the summer off, pretty much, taking care of a variety of Real Life matters. It seems like the players did as well. They have begun making some moves again in the last week or so, justifying me in posting the next player turn.

TTG Teaching Game Neutral AAR
Soviet Turn 6

The Soviet team had quite a shock upon opening their turn: a new pocket south of the Dnepr with absolutely nothing between the leading elements of 2nd Panzer Group and the Urals. North and south sectors were both still in reasonably good condition, and so the priority for the turn became moving as many troops as practicable to the center.

In the north, an excellent supply situation had not given the Axis enough strength to push through the Pskov defenses. The single Panzer Corps in that area, despite the leadership of the peerless Manstein and the support of 18th Army with Model at its head, was unable to advance across the Velikaya River. Farther south, XXXXI Panzer Corps, supported by 16th Army, did penetrate the defensive line in front of Velikie Luki, but this was no more than an annoyance.

[thedoctorking]

Soviet north sector commander sent at least six of his best divisions south to the Yelnya-Kirov area and withdrew to an intermediate line between the Velikaya and the Plyussa. The line is anchored on the strongpoint of Pskov, and has a few powerful positions that will be difficult to dislodge. However, it appears possible for 4th Panzer Group to push through the center of Northwest Front’s position and encircle Pskov. With no rear area blocking forces, German armor could be on the Luga next turn.

One weakness of NW Front’s position is that its ground forces are far from its air bases. This means that, while intercepting fighters from Leningrad Front defend NW Front positions, few bombers will be available to fly ground support missions. Similarly, the Northern Front troops defending Velikie Luki are far from their airbases and can’t expect bomber support from the NW Air Command bases behind them.

Soviet northern commander has yet to assign any troops to the task of building fortifications around Leningrad. Up to now, the Germans have not shown any particular interest in attacking in that direction, but with the weakened defenses in this area, this may be changing. As the Soviets in 1941, you should fortify both sides of the Neva and then SE down to the Volkhov River.

[thedoctorking]

The center was the area of greatest peril this turn. Almost all of Orel Military District was encircled by the dramatic southward move of 2nd and 3rd Panzer Groups. Worse, there were no reserve forces in the area to construct a new defensive line in front of Bryansk.

[thedoctorking]

Soviet center commander reacted by pulling in reserve forces from all over the country and putting two of his best generals in command. The armies defending south of Western Front are both under direct STAVKA control. They have a couple of Western Air Command air bases behind them, but I believe that the fact that the ground troops aren’t under the same command as the air units will mean that air support will be lacking. However, the German armor in the area has had its supplies ZOC’ed by the pocketed units. I didn’t get a picture with the fuel soft factor lit, but almost all of those units are on red fuel status, meaning they have less than 20% of their fuel stocks left at the end of their move. There were a few air resupply missions in the Axis turn, but those units will probably not have high movement allowances next turn.

The Soviets were obviously pressed for AP after reassigning two army commanders. Still, it would have been better if the units from Northern and Southwest Fronts that came to this sector could have been reassigned to armies in the vicinity. Any time you have a unit fighting more than five hexes from its HQ, it can’t get any support unit activations, making it much weaker (and in addition, these units will get no air support either). Artillery and air support are very important to combat effectiveness since they get to shoot first and any damage or even disruption they deal out will take the target elements out of the entire battle.

[thedoctorking]

In the south, Soviet forces faced very dispersed German attackers. The city of Odessa continued to resist the Romanian besiegers. A small pocket along the Ingulets was not tight. German 11th Army had gained control of a hex at the mouth of the Dnepr, but the unit lacked the movement points to cross and continued defense of the Dnepr was at least conceivable.

[thedoctorking]

But given that he was sending many of his best troops to the center, Soviet south commander elected to withdraw. He gave up the lower Dnepr while maintaining a picket line of weak units behind the Dnepr from Zaporozhye up to Kiev. The units in the bend of the Dnepr are not even assigned to armies at this point, while the German armor along the Bazavlik River was not ZOC locked. They are very far from their railhead and showing red fuel status, though, so it is unlikely that they will be able to rush the industrial cities next turn.

Soviet 9th Army, cut off around Krivoi Rog, made its way through German lines and re-established communication, but with no support from units outside the pocket they only prolonged the agony.

[thedoctorking]

Losses this turn were 175,656 Soviet to 22,880 Axis (702 to 135 in the air). Axis air losses were once again above replacement levels. Ready troops were 3,666,192 Soviet to 3,351,998 German (4611 to 2708 in the air).

[Fetterkrolle]

One comment on the Northern front. The reason I have not been building any reserve line on the Luga or Neva is that I have not had any units to do this with. The reinforments I have got have either spawned in Leningrad or I got some extra units on turn 1 from southern front. All other units have mostly been sent to Center, and from the current events this turn I could not expect to get any extra reinforments. Its like you allready said the germans can break my defensive line and encircle units, so if I had pulled off more units to build reserve forts it would make it even easier for the germans do encircle me.

[thedoctorking]

ORIGINAL: Fetterkrolle

One comment on the Northern front. The reason I have not been building any reserve line on the Luga or Neva is that I have not had any units to do this with. The reinforments I have got have either spawned in Leningrad or I got some extra units on turn 1 from southern front. All other units have mostly been sent to Center, and from the current events this turn I could not expect to get any extra reinforments. Its like you allready said the germans can break my defensive line and encircle units, so if I had pulled off more units to build reserve forts it would make it even easier for the germans do encircle me.

Yes, and as I say in a later turn, once you start getting some units and once the northern sector gets hot again, you did start building defensive lines.

[thedoctorking]

TTG Teaching Game
Neutral AAR
Axis turn 7

This turn was mostly retrenching and preparing for future moves on the part of the Axis. Last turn’s slashing offensives exhausted fuel supplies in the panzers, requiring a turn of rest and consolidation. At the same time, large pockets of Soviet soldiers behind Axis lines had to be reduced before the infantry could move up to the new front line. As a result, the Soviets got a much-needed respite from the series of catastrophes they have experienced over the preceding several turns.

In the north, the Germans faced powerful Soviet defenses around Pskov seemingly undaunted by the previous turn’s attacks. The line to the east of Pskov was not very strong in fact, but German reconnaissance did not reveal this weakness very clearly. Down towards Velikie Luki, on the other hand, the Soviets had continued their steady retreat and now held a thin line based on the city itself and the Lovat River. If a breakthrough were possible in this sector, significant Soviet forces could end up isolated.

[thedoctorking]

The AGN commander, Philly, continued his attacks along both lines of advance he had established on the previous turn. In both areas, he was able to pierce the Soviet line but not exploit to isolate any Soviet units. This is a lesson in the importance of concentration of forces.

[thedoctorking]

AGN also moved XXVI Corps of 18th Army into Estonia and discovered that the Soviets had prepared a powerful defense on the Estonian islands. Perhaps they hope to make them a northern Crimea, a base behind Axis lines from which they could launch an offensive in the winter. To do this, they will have to hold Leningrad, though. Without supply by sea, these forces would be isolated and easily cleaned up.

[thedoctorking]

In the Central sector, we can see the effects of poor supply on the movement capacity of the German armor. Third Panzer Group, to the south, has movement allowances in the single digits, while 2nd, to the north and closer to the rail head, has no more than 20. The infantry armies are reasonably concentrated but face two large Soviet pockets that must be cleared.

[thedoctorking]

In this sector, the Axis forces cleared pockets and gassed up their tanks. Second Army made a few attacks in the land bridge, taking advantage of the dispersal of the powerful Soviet forces there the previous turn to gain a hex or two and possibly disjoint the Soviet position.

[thedoctorking]

Around Kiev, the beginning of the turn found significant armored forces still in or near the swamps where they had participated in the closing of the pocket around the Soviet armored troops. Some of those pocketed units also were still active, diverting the attention of elements of 17th Army.

[thedoctorking]

The panzers in this area redeployed south of Kiev and got an HQBU, while the infantry pressed forward through the swamps north of Kiev. No effort was made to reduce the city itself, and to the south the Germans allowed a large gap to open between 17th and 9th Armies in the vicinity of Cherkassy, not having learned their lesson about cavalry raids from a few turns ago. A few of the Soviet motorized and armored divisions were left alive west of Mozyr.

[thedoctorking]

And finally, in southern Ukraine, the Axis found a situation similar to that in the center, with armored formations in poor supply and infantry looking at a pocket to clear. At the very southern end of their line, they saw an open road across the Dnepr at Kherson.

[thedoctorking]

One corps of the southern formation, XXXXVI Panzer Corps on loan from 2nd Panzer Group, received an HQBU. The remainder of 1st Panzer Group’s tanks remained relatively immobile, conserving fuel for next turn’s push. Infantry of 18th Army and their Romanian friends crossed the Dnepr. Back at Odessa, the fortress finally fell to an assault by an all-Romanian force, cementing the Legionnaire State’s claim to the city.

[thedoctorking]

Losses this turn were 276,406 Soviet to 24,727 Axis (899 to 107 in the air). Ready numbers are 3,459,333 Soviet to 3,352,191 German (3733 to 2701 in the air). This is going pretty well for the Axis so far, though this is the beginning of a period when substantial reinforcements begin to flow for the Soviets.