Blitzkrieg 1950 (Curt vs RB)

[rhinobones]

T7 Great Blue (May 13th, 1950)

From the deserts of the Yellow Steppes Great Blue units move southward toward the battle in Brown County. This is a threat to Big Red’s right flank; however, Commander Red believes that the Great Blue units are at the very end of their supply line and any combat operations will be seriously degraded. Meanwhile, more reinforcements are detected moving from the Great Blue homeland eastward toward Brown County. Great Blue is expected to make an attempt at recapturing the Brown County supply depot.

In the south, Great Blue punches a heavy tank unit through a weak spot in Big Red’s defense line. If not plugged quickly this could be a big problem.

Big Red’s G2 officer reports enemy air interdiction level at 34% and that the enemy reports a 50% reduction in Big Red supply. A check of supply production shows no reduction in supply. Big Red concludes that Great Blue’s G2 section is full of incompetent analysts.

[rhinobones]

T7 Big Red

Big Red mobilizes units along the White Sector border to block and possibly cut in behind Great Blue units moving toward Brown County. Big Red units are in a good state of supply.

In the center Big Red makes a major assault along the enemy left flank, drives Big Blue units back and inflicts heavy losses. During the operation Big Red is able to completely envelop an infantry division which is then completely destroyed. Depending on Great Blue’s defensive moves, the encirclement and destruction of two additional infantry brigades may be possible.

South along the Greenland/Black Zone line Great Blue is able to push a heavy armored division through a gap. Big Red tries to cut the armor off by attacking the infantry behind but fails to dislodge the infantry. An infantry division is deployed to block the armored division and additional units are rushed to the area. This incursion needs to be stopped before the defensive line is totally compromised.

Examination of the supply available shows no decrease in volume. Great Blue is probably operating using false intelligence reports.

[rhinobones]

T8 Great Blue (May 20th, 1950)

For the most part Great Blue redeploys units in Brown County and the Yellow Steppes/White Sector for the defense. No counter attacks or offensive actions are taken.

In the south along the Greenland/Black Zone Great Blue is very aggressive in attempting to breach Big Red’s defenses. The envelopment of a defending infantry division is completed, and two assaults are mounted against it. The infantry unit is able to repulse the attack, however, it suffers heavy casualties and is left unsupplied.

[rhinobones]

T8 Big Red

Big Red tries to put the hurt on Great Blue’s fighter corps and conducts an airfield attack where three Great Blue fighter units are stationed. Results are 300 Great Blue fighters against 200 Big Red fighters and 200 tactical bombers. One of the three Great Blue fighter units was destroyed. In my estimation Big Red came out a little bit ahead.

Also pulled an air strike against a stack of embarked units. Great Blue losses were noticeably light. I had expected better results.

Final air-to-ground attack was against a R/R Construction Battalion. Took out quite a few intercepting fighters but did little damage to the R/R Battalion.

There was land action from north to south.

At the Yellow Steppes/White Sector front Great Blue units heading toward Brown County were engaged by the Big Red blocking force. The were some light skirmishes as Big Red units moved into better positions for attack.

In the center Big Red conducted another encirclement. The Great Blue infantry division enveloped was not completely destroyed but has been reduced to less than regimental strength. Unless there are strong Great Blue forces hidden behind the lines, I doubt that a rescue mission is possible.

In the Greenland/Black Zone sector the Great Blue units which penetrated Big Red defenses were enveloped, attacked and driven into a small pocket. The heavy armored division has been completely destroyed and the infantry division reduced to two depleted regiments.

A note on the Big Red supply situation. All three fronts are being supplied through railroad systems which are fully operational. There have been some bridges blown but engineers are on the scene making quick repairs. Enemy interdiction is having minimal impact on total supply.

[rhinobones]

T9 Great Blue (May 27th, 1950)

In the center (Brownville) and south (Greenland/Black Zone) Great Blue moves in fresh reserves and counter attacks aggressively. On both fronts Great Blue pushes back Big Red and open an escape path for encircled units. Big Red casualties are fairly heavy and armored units are disorganized. In the south Great Blue is able to make a second penetration of Big Red’s defense.

In the north, along the White Sector line, Great Blue repositions a few units and digs-in. Other than trying to pressure the northern edge of Brown County these troops are doing little. As a result of their deployment there is now a solid line of combatants running north to south.

Great Blue also conducts a few bridge attacks and is able to drop one bridge feeding supply into Brown County. Since Big Red already owns the supply depot in Brown County, this attack has little impact on supply.

[rhinobones]

T9 Big Red

Big Red starts with an all-out airfield attack. Both sides sustain heavy aircraft losses, but Big Red’s losses are larger. Attack results in about half of the Big Red tactical air fleet going into reorganization and half of the fighter units being placed on Rest.

In the north and center the focus is to deploy for the defense with options for offensive actions in the following weeks. A number of units are low on supply and have been static to permit maximum resupply and troop replacement.

Along the Greenland/Black Zone line the remnants of a Great Blue infantry division are killed and the advanced armored division surrounded. Big Red attempts to eliminate the armored division but it holds its ground. Unfortunately, before a follow-on assault is mounted, the battle ends due to failed proficiency which leaves Big Red’s blocking units in poor position to defend counter attacks. Destruction of the armored division will have to wait until next week.

[rhinobones]

Note (Internal Game Clock)

The PBM Turn 10 file provided by Great Blue (Curt) was correctly labeled by the game engine as Turn 10. However, the in-game turn label is “Turn 9 May 27th, 1950”, same as the Turn 9 in-game label. We will continue the game to see what impact, if any, this anomalous labeling has on the game.

T10 Great Blue (May 27th, 1950)

Great Blue opens the turn with a series of bridge attacks. One is successful and two fail. Big Red engineers seem to be in a constant state of bridge repair.

In the north along the Yellow Steppes/White Sector line Great Blue seems to be content with entrenching. No offensive action is detected.

On the Brown County front Great Blue apparently has brought in fresh reserves for conducting an aggressive counterattack. Big Red units are pushed back with greater losses than Great Blue. Two armored units broken into regiments with one of the regiments eliminated. The line holds and some units in Great Blue’s stop line appear to be completely exhausted.

Another brutal counterattack is launched in the south. Great Blue opens an escape route for its encircled armored unit and is also able to envelope one of Big Red’s armored divisions. Casualties are heavy and some units are disorganized. Big Red’s armored division is in jeopardy of being entirely destroyed.

[rhinobones]

T10 Big Red

Big Red is making a change to the overall strategy which is designed to capitalize on the extent that Great Blue has advanced beyond most of their supply line. The strategy will be to make multiple probing attacks at the “Limited Loss” setting. It is expected that Big Red will be able to rapidly resupply while Great Blue units will be starved. The success of this tactic should be apparent as Great Blue unit attack/defense values fail to recover. At some point Big Red should be able to make breakthroughs and envelope enemy forces in quantity. The strategy depends on Great Blue units remaining at the far end of the supply chain and destruction of railroad bridges wherever possible.

In the north Big Red makes a series of low intensity attacks which drive Great Blue forces back and break up multiple units.

In the Brown County center Big Red makes several counter attacks to straighten out the line, attrit enemy forces and force units into reorganization status. These attacks are successful. However, Great Blue still has a force able to threaten Big Red defenses. One stack contains 3 infantry and 2 armored divisions, another contains 4 mechanized and 1 armored division. Big Red’s defensive lines have been reinforced in anticipation that Great Blue will use these units in the counterattack.

The same style of “Limited Loss” attacks are made in an effort to extract the trapped armored division. Attacks are more successful than anticipated and the isolated armored division is able to withdraw into Big Red territory. The division is extremely depleted and will need multiple weeks of refitting and replacement training.

Overall Great Blue land force losses are greater than Big Red. Multiple units are observed to be disorganized with attack/defense values down 50 to 75%.

Also, Great Blue seems to have put most of the fighter units on rest status. Tactical aircraft attempted to provide air-to-ground support but were usually intercepted and driven back by Big Red combat air patrols. The air briefing reports 94 friendly and 354 enemy aircraft destroyed in the past week.

[rhinobones]

Note (Internal Game Clock)

The internal Game clock has now advanced to Turn 10. This is one turn behind the actual game turn, but other than a one turn delay in reinforcements, it doesn’t seem to have influenced game play.

T11 Great Blue (June 3rd, 1950)

Great Blue starts with the usual emphasis on bridge attacks. A total of six attacks are made against two targets which succeed in bringing down both bridges. Big Red engineers are available to make repairs and the impact on supply distribution is minimal. Aircraft losses are about equal.

Reinforcements are detected moving from Great Blue homeland toward Brown County. Impossible to tell whether these are reserve units or reconstituted regiments. Air units are also seen redeploying. Possibly some units are receiving some R and R.

Along the Yellow Steppes/White Sector Great Blue reinforces and redeploys a few units in the defense. Otherwise, the front is quiet. The same is true in Greenland.

Great Blue’s main effort is in Brown County. Two airborne are dropped behind Big Red’s front and block the supply line. Armor and infantry supported by air and artillery push into Big Red’s line and drive a wedge toward the paratroopers. However, their assault is stopped 50 kilometers short of their goal, failing to relieve the airborne.

[rhinobones]

T11 Big Red

North and south Big Red conducts multiple attrition attacks. The strategy is primarily intended to force Great Blue units to use up their available supply. Those forces, especially those in the Yellow Steppes, are at the end of their supply line and are not expected to resupply as quickly as the Big Red formations.

Big Red concentrates on eradicating the paratrooper threat in Brown County. Support troops are moved into blocking positions while reserves are scraped up to envelope and attack the intruders. After several rounds of combat most of the enemy units are destroyed and the lone remaining regiment is encircled.

In concert with the destruction of the paratroopers, counter attacks are mounted against the relieving force. This effort is successful in driving the Great Blue spear head back to their start line. Casualties are fairly heavy and at least one Great Blue division is sent into reorganization.

While this is happening, engineering units move onto the damaged bridges and initiate repairs. The only units with organic air defense capability are the regular divisions and they are now posted on the critical bridges. The enemy will still be able to destroy bridges, however the high-altitude AA fire should make it more difficult and cost the enemy a few more aircraft.

[rhinobones]

T12 Great Blue (June 10th, 1950)

Great Blue R/R Repair crews are observed working on rails leading into Brown County. Apparently Great Blue has put a priority on feeding his central front.

In the north Great Blue repositions for the defense. There is no offensive action on this front.

In Brown County Great Blue mounts some serious attacks in a failed attempt to save the paratroops. Casualties are severe and a heavy Big Red armored division is busted up.

The heaviest attacks are conducted at the far southern end of Big Red’s Black Zone defensive line. Great Blue succeeds in pushing Big Red out of their entrenchments and disorganizing an armored division. Significant damage is done but the line is not breached.

Great Blue’s air force rested during most of the action. For a change they let up on the bridge attacks.

[rhinobones]

T12 Big Red

Not much action on land during the week. Big Red makes a couple of probing attacks in the White Sector and completes the destruction of the airborne unit in Brown County. Otherwise, the battle lines are strengthened to repel the next round of Great Blue assaults. This is particularly true in the south where Great Blue punched a hole in Big Red’s defense.

In the air a bridge busting raid is made against the supply line feeding Great Blue units in Brown County. Engineering units are close to the bridge and will soon carry out the necessary repairs. This will probably be an ongoing series of attack and repair.

Quite a few Big Red air and land units are in the state of 50% supply and 30% readiness. Where possible these units will be kept stationary until they recover.

[rhinobones]

T12 Losses & Victory Report

This is the Big Red inventory and victory report thru Turn 12. Most notable is the loss of over 2000 fighter aircraft. There are quite a few new aircraft and aircraft in the repair queue, but the rate of loss seems to be outstripping replacements. Wonder where all the new pilots come from?

In the victory report enemy loss penalty is 8 against 6 for Big Red. The difference of 2 would seem to be insignificant, but as a straight calculation that 2 equates to total Great Blue losses of 33% more than Big Red. This might be reasonable since a number of Great Blue units have been destroyed while in an “unsupplied” state and those losses were unable to feed the replacement pool.

[rhinobones]

T13 Great Blue (June 17th, 1950)

The Great Blue heavy naval task force is detected moving along the norther coast of the Yellow Steppes. Their exact path and extent of the reconnaissance is unknown, but it is surmised that Great Blue is planning an amphibious attack. The likely landing would be on the northern coast, behind Big Red’s battle line.

Great Blue spends most of the move positioning troops and conducting resupply missions. Two Corps are seen moving from Greenland toward Brown County.

The only major land action is a pair of assaults against the center of Big Reds defense in Brown County. One of Big Red’s heavy armored divisions is disrupted, but otherwise Great Blue has higher casualties and gains no ground.

[rhinobones]

T13 Big Red

Big Red has watched as Great Blue slowly repaired the R/R lines leading to Brown County. This has made it necessary to initiate a bridge busting campaign. Two bridges were attacked and the more important one brought down. A separate series of attacks were made against R/R construction units, but only a dozen or so were killed. The cost in aircraft will make these tactics difficult to sustain.

In the north units broke through the defense and were able to encircle a Great Blue infantry division. The division was destroyed, and no men or equipment were allowed to join the replacement pool. Previously an enemy task force was spotted steaming along the Yellow Steppes coast and it is assumed their mission was to identify potential landing sites. As a counter move, a Corps worth of infantry was moved into position to defend the coastline.

An encirclement tactic was tried in the Brown County area using a commando insertion for vertical envelopment. Unfortunately, they landed directly upon a hidden enemy armored division and Corps HQ. The entire battalion was lost.

The rest of the action consisted of probing attacks which cost a few more troops than it was worth.

[rhinobones]

T14 Great Blue (June 24th, 1950)

The main action is in the center where Great Blue conducts multiple frontal attacks and succeeds in pushing back one stack of Big Red units. Otherwise, Great Blue gains little and takes moderately heavy casualties in air and land units.

In the Yellow Steppes units are drawn back and others redeployed to defensive positions. It appears that most of this activity is designed to improve both the defense and supply logistics. Also, a couple of ranger units are observed deploying to the northern coast. Surmise that these are rear guard units.

In Greenland units are repositioned to improve the defensive line.

One bridge attack is conducted, and it succeeds in dropping a bridge feeding Red’s White Sector forces. Engineers are on the scene to make repairs.

G2 reports that Great Blue has completed R/R repairs leading to Brown County. The front is now fully supplied pending continued bridge attacks.

[rhinobones]

T14 Big Red

Land combat has become frontal attacks against entrenched positions. Even though attacks can be made from two or three sides the benefit provided by flanking rarely overcomes the value of entrenchment. Even when the enemy is pushed back the cost in personnel and equipment is high. The search is now on to devise attacks which include vertical and/or amphibious envelopment. This would seem to be the only way to make a significant breakthrough.

Air raids are conduced, one of which destroys a bridge and a second against an airfield. Both are successful but come at a cost. The bridge is a vital target. It is a single point failure in the logistics line which feeds the Great Blue forces in Brown County. It will be on the target list every day that it is operational. I expect that Great Blue has an identical target list for use against Big Red.

Long range artillery was employed to perform a series of bombardments. One of the attacks was focused on a stack headed up by a HQ. Quite a bit of damage was done, however, the main target was the command group located within the HQ. According to the table of “Inventory and Replacements” Command Groups are irreplaceable. Per the TOAW manual, killing the Command Group(s) within a HQ causes 1) reduction of formation proficiency by 50% and 2) the formation is likely to go into reorganization status. HQ Command Groups are now on the priority target list.

Conversely, Big Red will be certain to exert greater care in the protection of its Command Groups.

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: rhinobones

T14 Big Red

Land combat has become frontal attacks against entrenched positions. Even though attacks can be made from two or three sides the benefit provided by flanking rarely overcomes the value of entrenchment. Even when the enemy is pushed back the cost in personnel and equipment is high. The search is now on to devise attacks which include vertical and/or amphibious envelopment. This would seem to be the only way to make a significant breakthrough.

Looking at the screenshot, your attritional strategy seems to have had some results, especially in the centre, as Blue pieces are in general in pretty bad shape compared to Red. The only question is- are there enough turns left in the scenario for a possible Blue collapse to occur and be exploited?

I wonder if you have any more of those commando units that could be inserted to further disrupt Blue supply lines to accelerate this?

[rhinobones]

ORIGINAL: golden delicious

The only question is- are there enough turns left in the scenario for a possible Blue collapse to occur and be exploited?

Yes, there are more than enough turns.

For most people I would expect that this scenario becomes a scrum for control of the center. There are, however, TO’s for amphibious and airborne operations which greatly expand the strategic situation. I’m fortunate to be playing against the scenario designer; the one person who has experience using all options available and has not been shy about teaching me some lessons.

Regards

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: rhinobones

Yes, there are more than enough turns.

For most people I would expect that this scenario becomes a scrum for control of the center. There are, however, TO’s for amphibious and airborne operations which greatly expand the strategic situation. I’m fortunate to be playing against the scenario designer; the one person who has experience using all options available and has not been shy about teaching me some lessons.

Bearing that in mind, it's remarkable you're doing as well as you are.

Anyway, keep up the AAR, I'm enjoying it. It must be over 15 years since I last played this one.