Road to Leningrad - server AAR

[Seminole]

Weather at the outset of the campaign:



Infantry blast the line while the Panzer Group remains tightly focused for a left hook that links with Army Group Center.



Losses:

[Seminole]

Weather is clear:



Overview at the beginning of the turn, the pocket has held:



We create two large ADs for recon. Trying to let the AI auto assign the air assets to this mission. Still learning how this air model differs from WitW.



AGN liquidates most of the forces in the pocket as 4th Panzer Group makes a thrust across the lower Velikaya river and over the Sorot.



Losses:





Railnet at the end of turn 2:



Overall strategic picture at the end of turn 2:

[Seminole]

Turn 3

Recon ADs setup:



Supply lines at the start of the turn:



1st PzD clears the area to the west of the Velikaya river in front of the Pskov defenses, reaching the lake itself. Security regiments take up position as the panzers return to friendly territory to refuel and refit.
The rest of the 4th Panzer Group moves north over the Sorot river and loops around the back door of Pskov. Elements of 3rd MD reach the lake and isolate the Pskov defenders.



Overall strategic map after the infantry race to catch up from finishing off the pockets:

[Seminole]

Turn 4

Rain has returned, and out of the gate we see problems.
1st PzD returning to friendly lines to try and regain CPP instead of holding the western side of the Pskov pocket has permitted the Soviets to break it. Fortunately the eastern right hook was not cut.



German infantry work hard to mind the gap, and improve LOC to the panzer spearhead.



11th ID is motorized to charge into Estonia, but lacks the MP to reach Tallinn and buttonhooks back toward the port of Parnu to recon the defenses.
The Pskov pocket is re-established by infantry moving northward into Estonia while 36th MD clears the path to Velikie Luki and 16th and 18th Armies play catch up.



With Velikie Luki seized and the right flank secure the Panzer Group moves forward to create an additional pocket:



Units Destroyed in the campaign:



Unit dispositions at the end of turn 4:



Railnet:

[Seminole]

Turn 5

Still with the rain, and even worse the enemy has weaseled through gaps in two of the pockets!



The flanks MUST be cleared so that 4th Panzer Group can proceed. Units are broken down to create a more effective cordon as the port of Parnu is taken.



Railnet:



Overall strategic picture at the end of turn 5:

[Seminole]

Turn 6

Supply lines:



The pockets hold and the Germans move quickly to capture the forces within.




With the Soviet defenses abandoning Estonia a German infantry corps plows northward. At Lake Ilmen the Germans surprise the Soviets by tacking east while 36th MD moves north link up and cut off the swamps securing AGN's right flank.



Elsewhere security units and infantry take up the line and the German mech coil for the next week's assaults.
Overall strategic picture at the end of turn 6:

[Seminole]

Turn 7

Weather finally improves, and the ground is dry.



Tallinn is overrun this week, and to the east 4th Panzer Group follows a heavy infantry assault over the river, with 6th PzD and Totenkopf SS MD seizing Novgorod and linking with 36th MD elements that moved around the eastern side of Lake Ilmen.
Also, barely visible in this screenshot, a regiment of panzers cut the Leningrad-Moscow double track line.



The Soviets take 8-1 or heavier losses in the head to head fighting.









Railnet:



Overall strategic picture at the end of turn 7:

[Seminole]

Turn 8

Supply situation:
Pskov depot is now flowing, FBD at Dno to create new depot and move on to Staraya Russa.



German recon is weak (didn't know what I was doing with trying to move units forward and get them supplied. AOGs were still a confusing element for me at this point.
However, what we don't see is much in the way of Soviet forces to the north of the 4th Panzer Group's spearhead.



The battered Soviet defenders are sent scurrying and the panzers leap to the shores of Lake Ladoga.
Totenkopf SS MD radios back that their scouts have cleared Schisselburg of Russians.



Not very many losses generated this week. The real action was the ground covered.



Railnet is repaired to Staraya Russa depot, and we'll be connected to Novgorod depot next week.



Do I read this report correctly that my armies are well supplied?



Lack of on map combat units is driving down the Soviet's strength across the front.






Final unit dispositions:

[Seminole]

Turn 9

Weather:



Noting the number of Soviet planes the Germans setup an AD to try and pummel the airfields before we overrun them and rack up some more kills.
The escort coverage was partial, and I should have setup the AD to require escorts.



The Luftwaffe ends up making several attacks against fields that their fighter don't cover, and the Red Airforce makes them pay. Expensive in VP!



Supply getting to Pskov and Staraya Russa this turn:



Supply net:



German MP available:



After Manstein directs river crossing assaults on the Neva elements of 36th MD storm the port at Osinovets and cut off the Leningrad defenders from the Soviet supply net.
From Estonian the German infantry press the Narva river defenses.



Rail net sabotaged AI decision making.



Date stamp map comparison:



Infantry status:



Mech status:

[Hardradi]

Lead hook, right hook, jab, cross,...

Casualty numbers are looking high.

ORIGINAL: Seminole

Rail net sabotaged AI decision making.

Yeah, one of the more annoying aspects of the game.

[Seminole]

Turn 10

Weather:



Overall strategic picture at the beginning of the turn:



Leningrad is steamrolled, along with most of the airfields this week.



Air losses:



Destroyed units:



Ground losses:



Our opponent has met these circumstances by offering their surrender.
Army Group North's objectives are met and the mechanized forces will be released back to OKH at the end of August.