StB tyronec (Soviet) vs Rosencrantus.

[tyronec]

Stalingrad to Berlin.

Server game, latest patch.
Rosencrantus wanted to play with TB Control on which I have agreed to with the condition that he lets me know what transfers he is doing. I will not be using it. This is a small advantage to Axis but I think not too significant in this scenario (whereas in '41 it would have more impact).
Max one unit temp mot. per turn - am not expecting to use this either but we shall see.

T01.
The game starts with many of the Soviet fronts frozen, mostly for 4 turns. So some odd reorganisations going on that are restricted by frozen units.

Starting from the North.

Lenningrad Front. I will likely launch an attack to link up with Lenningrad at some stage when have more units to play with. For now just shifting a couple of excess HQs south.

NW Front. There is no prospect of cutting off the Rzhev pocket but will try an attack to the south of it next turn if possible, so several divisions shifting in that direction.

Kalinin Front (the brown one). Take Velike Luki, need to clear the adjacent hexes to get to use this as a depot. Trash the weak Luftwaffe divisions and advance a couple of hexes south while bring in more troops to reinforce the attack here. There is one double rail line into this area so can sustain about 3 or 4 good armies I think.

Western Front. (the Blue one) Was totally overloaded so 2 armies go to STAVKA and will switch to Moscow DZ next turn after they have unloaded their SUs. The rest of the Western Front (which is Assault) moves towards Orel which is where i will launch my main offensive. A few armies are still frozen which is a pain.

Bryansk and Voronezh are frozen till T4.

SW and Stalingrad fronts (both Assault) do the pocket thing. It is not secure but hopefully can reseal next turn if Axis force a breakout.

Transcaucus Front begins the push from Grozny to Rostov. I expect Axis will pull back here, will see how slowly.

North Caucasus Front just sits around Tuapse and waits for Axis to leave. The best units are sent to join TC front. Am not going to try to attack into the mountains.

Air war. Have sent all the LBs and Recon back to the Reserve, will see about using the bombers in the summer depending on the situation. U2s are disbanded, maybe they are worth it, am not sure.
Building some more airfields so that I can deploy more bombers near the front later on.

Admin. APs will mostly use for improving leaders for now, there are so many under strength units it doesn't seem right to build more just yet. The next priority will be building Infantry Corps for when the heavy combats begin. Lots of SUs going back to STAVKA and am converting all the free brigades so that they can be assigned to divisions/corps as required.

[erikbengtsson]

Will follow with interest.

What's with the loss figures that the scenario starts with, 1.16 million for Axis and 1.4 million for USSR?

[tyronec]

What's with the loss figures that the scenario starts with, 1.16 million for Axis and 1.4 million for USSR?

It is just in the set up of the campaign. Personally I have never liked it, think there is a reason but can't remember what it is. Anyway not a big deal, can just subtract those numbers to get the actual running totals.

[carlkay58]

Those losses 'prime the pump' for disabled men returning from being wounded, etc.

[loki100]

its to fuel the returning replacement cycle in the production routines. If you started at 0, it would be quite a few turns before any returns started to happen when of course they were a regular feature for both armies.

I think the values are fairly arbitrary just to get this routine up and working

[freeboy]

The game plays well with this scenario very interested .. \Can the ratios be tweeked or on h2h games are they hard set to 100 100 for all ie moral etc ?

[tyronec]

Rosencrantus and I have been having some discussions about the TBs. He thinks the land forces are a measure of total CV without CPP.
Does anyone know if this is correct ?
How is the air force calculation done ?

[tyronec]

The game plays well with this scenario very interested .. \Can the ratios be tweeked or on h2h games are they hard set to 100 100 for all ie moral etc ?

The options are there to adjust as you require, though have never tried doing it.

[carlkay58]

As far as I know the TB CV calculations are done without CPP.

The air force calculation appears to me to be aircraft by specific types (fighter/nightfighter/bomber, etc.) with just the aircraft number being important.

But all of the above could be totally wrong as the TB 'magic' was being changed or reset several times during testing and it was just barely ready for the release.

[tyronec]

Start of turn.

Axis have counter attacked against Kalinin front and pocketed my lead mech brigades.
Have also attacked the Western front protruding units and pocketed 3 infantry divisions.

Am actually quite happy to see this, hopefully can relieve all the isolated units and if there is a slugfest in these two areas drawing in the German Panzers it means they can't be around Orel where the main offensive is going to strike.

Stalingrad. Axis have pulled back from outside the pocket, not sure how far. Have air supplied the city. Will follow up and see how har they have gone and seal Stalingrad off with infantry, tanks can redeploy to the west ready to attack the Romanians and Hungarians. Will see if I can pocket some of those Romanians this turn.

In the Cacausus looks like Axis are going to hang on and will have to fight my way up the rail line.

Looking at the turn as a whole it appears Axis are going to hold out across the whole front rather than conduct some strategic retreats early on. They are pulling out of Rzhev but that is about it. Am considering not assaulting Stalingrad for now and shifting more forces to attack the area to the west.

TB.
Axis transfer in two transport aircraft and hold back an infantry division.

We have put this game on hold pending resolution of the surrender bug.

[Q-Ball]

I would be surprised if he hasn't moved reinforcements to the Orel sector; it is a very obvious route of advance. It's almost inevitable that a major Soviet attack comes in that sector with all the open terrain and ability to force a general retreat from the upper Don river

I wouldn't interpret that initial hold in the Caucausus as he's fighting it out....Germans can bug-out quickly, and it makes sense to hold the line as long as possible. What is curious is that the Panzers are hanging around; you can screen the Russians with infantry and just fall back 3 hexes or so a turn, while pivoting all the Panzers to the north where they will be needed

That pocket looks good, I don't think he'll break it or launch a relief effort

Surprised that he didn't pull back those Romanians toward Bokovskaya (?) behind that secondary river there....they are REALLY exposed, instead of pocketing them you might just be able to rout or shatter them, which is almost as good....

[tyronec]

Up and running again with the latest quick fix patch.

The North is quiet.

Kalinin Front. Reopen the pocket and pull back the lead Mech brigade, expect Axis will trash it. Starting to clear around Velike Luki so the depot can be used.

Western Front. Clear both hexes that were making the pocket. Leave the advanced infantry in place. I think this sort of battle of attrition is in my favor, very happy to take on Axis Panzers when they have to retreat through a ZOC.

Don Front (grey/blue one) - begins to open the offensive towards Orel. There are a lot of fort levels to knock down so it will take a few turns to build up momentum. Have most of my spare tanks heading for this area plus stacks of rifle divisions reinforcements.

SW Front. Makes a nice pocket of 4 Romanian divisions. Am set up to start trashing the Italians next turn and reinforcing this area with all the tanks making the Stalingrad pocket.

Stalingrad Front. Advancing south to increase the buffer and holding the line against the pocket with the best infantry.

TC Front. Pocket 2/3 of a Panzer division that was too slow retreating. Expect they can be broken out but am happy to keep Axis forces down here and away from where it matters.

Air war. Huge numbers of fighters lost on GS, will have to look at the production levels and see if I can sustain this. Guilty of not paying enough attention to the air war, should probably only fly when the odds are more in the VVS favor.

[tyronec]

Kalinin Front - Axis have sealed off my lead Mech brigade again, will try and save it but looks borderline.
At least I should be able to clear the area around V-L.
The good news it there are Panzers being tied down.

Western Front. No attempt to recreate the pocket.

Don Front. My incursion is pushed back, however next to it the front has three hexes being held by brigades. Will try and push through here.
The mass of weak inf divisions and the Airborne units have arrived.

SW Front. The Romanian pocket is broken, but should be able to reseal by pushing past and making a bigger buffer. Assault on the Italians ready to begin. Not sure how many Panzsrs there are in this area but may be able to do some damage as have some Tnak units available.

Stalingrad. Had a few of my lead units beaten up. Not sure what Axis are up to, they don't look to be making a strong push to relieve the pocket so will just secure the perimeter again and cycle units back to refit..

TC Front. The two Panzer units get out, they must have had lots of MPs. However the front is beginning to weaken and may be able to create another pocket this turn.

Axis transfer in an Inf div, Mot brigade and AT regiment from the Theater boxes.

[tyronec]

NW Front clear the three hexes around V-L. Hoping for a rail SU here to get the depot working.

Kalinin just win the attack to save my Mech. Brigade. In retrospect it was a mistake to advance them so far but hopefully no damage done.

Western take the three hexes as planned, not much of an advance but good experience/morale gains. Don and Bryansk Fronts ready to join in next turn.

SW trashes the Italians. Opens up quite a hole in the Axis line, will see how they cover it. May see some thinning out with adjacent armies which could open up more areas of attack next turn.
The Romanians get repocketed, not as much progress here as I had hoped for but looks OK.

Stalingrad. Just rebuilding the defense line.

TC. Not as much progress here as I had hoped but still win a few battles.

The heavy Axis losses are largely from Italians. Air war was quiet, Axis have turned off GS so meybe feeling the losses from last turn.

[tyronec]

NW - lose a hex around V-L and the unit pushed back stops my rail SU deploying.

Kalinin. The Mech brigade gets routed out, so no real harm done.
With two fronts at the end of the double rail line at am about supply capacity in the salient. Will switch the attack to the V-L area where am closer to an active rail line. Just attrition warfare here, plus building up wins.

Western Front area. Lost two battles to my advanced units, with one division surrendering maybe because it didn't have a one hex retreat available. Will try and structure the line better this turn.
Can attack the red hex where there is an exposed regiment - want to force Axis to man the front line with divisions.
Main push is in the blue area where fort levels are down.
Need to expand the width of the attack so will start on the black hex.

SW Front. Romanian pocket holds. I want to open up the two black double rail lines so will push up towards the Hungarians. Area East of there has no rail lines so will be ignored.

Lenningrad. Get a few units beaten up but no threat to the pocket. Axis strategy seems to be to pick on weak units so will look to constructing a better defence.

TC. Axis hanging on, will just get an attack or two in. How long will they stay out in the middle of nowhere ?

Attrition war in Axis favor during their turn, thanks to the surrender near Orel and attacks around Stalingrad.

Axis ship in a Fighter group and heavy tank regiment from the TBs.

[tyronec]

NW make good progress around V-L, and leave the city hex free this time.
Kalinin trash the German cavalry division.

Volkov take the one hex as intended, will maybe bring in some more divisions here to keep up some pressure.

Western make good progress and do some damage, have tried not to leave so many exposed units this time.

Don take the one hex after a couple of assaults. Now that the fort has gone should be able to do more next turn. Also lining up to take the Hungarians.

SW clear the 4 Romanian divisions and trash some Italians, all looking good here and Axis must be feeling the strain.

TC win a few attacks, slow and steady advance.

No air war due to the blizzard.
Attrition in the Soviets favor, largely due to allied losses.
Building up a good number of wins and should be getting some upgrades in a few turns.

[tyronec]

Kalinin - looks like Axis have this area well sealed down, may be able to get a couple of attacks in but not much. Rail repair done on V-L, hurrah !! Can now reconstitute units right at the front.

Western Front area - looks good from some slow steady progress.

SW. Aim is to clear the Hungarians from the rail lines, not sure if it is possible in one turn. Will not try to pocket them as I don't think the Soviets have the strength to have a pocket hold, so will just try and push them away.

Stalingrad - Axis have been air transporting in some units to the area South of Stalingrad. Maybe a relief operation but I don't think so.

TC. Quiet.

Overall the Axis counter attacks have been more costly this turn, so good progress with not leaving exposed units to attack. That's a lot of Panzers ! Luftwaffe were in action, A2A kills as around 5:1.

Transfers. Pz division held back plus a construction SU.

[tyronec]

Kalinin - 3 good attacks but am going nowhere.

Western Front area - a failed attack on the last stack slows things up. Push some Don units forwards into an empty hex which may cost me.

SW. Again a failed attack means I didn't get the Hungarians cleared out, but did some damage. Next turn...

Stalingrad. Switching Voronezh and Stalingrad fronts to give me another assault Front on the attack, so a bit of a mess this turn.

TC. Just one attack

Losses for the turn are even thanks to trashing some allied units.

[tyronec]

Kalinin area is well tied down, may get a couple of attacks in at most. Am considering shipping out the three Mech Corps to somewhere where they will get more action.

Western Front. Some very heavy stacks in front of Orel, will maybe swich the focus of the attack further East. Voronezh also looks vulnerable.

SW. Hopefully clear the Hungarians away and open up the rail line.

Stalingrad area. Axis flying in more units south of the city. Is he building up a defense line or preparing a counter attack ?

TC. Panzers still down here, maybe get a couple of attacks in.

Axis losses from counter attacks were heavy, glad to see all those Panzers going down.

[tyronec]

Kalinin win one and lose one, losing is costly.

Western Front get blocked after losing a couple of battles but Don take Voronezh and a couple of the fortified hexes.

SW trash some Hungarians and finally open up some rail to be converted, though have some way to go before they get to a useful depot.

TC lose a couple of battles, was hoping for better.

Overall losses are even, thanks to the Hungarians. Air war is running at around 5:1.