A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG

[AlbertN]

T56 - Voronhez surroundings

Here to show a veteran German division in not exceptional supply, still somehow fatigued from previous turn. Or well 3 of them roughly the same in situation.

2 Infantry Corps managed to surround a single Soviet division. Which I believe MSAG left to its own fate for air recon (already took place here) reveals abundant Soviet forces all around, and these units for the most have not fought nor been molested recently so are fresh, supplied, well rested.

On another notion Voronhez proper has not been air supplied this turn. I am not sure if the Flak deployment has impressed MSAG and favored to abandon Voronhez or if he favors stocking up planes to supply Leningrad for when (if?) will be severed and cut.

[AlbertN]

T56 - The River Bend that is still Soviet...

Kept under scrutiny of the Luftwaffe is this ammassing of Soviet forces here, inclusive of armoured formations.

There is the idea in the air to establish the riverline for security sake, but the issue is that the Axis are short of forces in general and in some sectors Hungarians and Romanians already are occupying first line positions! (Albeit Hungarians are screening around Voronhez and behind them there is the whole 11th Army resting and preparing to storm Voronhez so it would not be a problem if the Soviets ram there).

Instead here, not far from Stalingrad, at the join point of the 'diluted' 17th Army and 1st Panzer Army with the 6nd Army there is this situation of potential danger. I can already see a Russian armoured projection toward Rostov to cut the whole of the Caucasian spearhead.

But in this sector as you can see the railroad arrives right there (how many supplies it ferries that's another matter).

Something I kind of feel lacking is the chance to leave Ground Support on for sectors of the front. Because here I'd merrily have some bombers to stem out the enemy attacks. But if I leave the Ground Support on, it will happen all across the board. Even where I do not want it.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

IIRC one of the things that CPP affects is fatigue recovery. I've seen similar where very low CPP units still have fatigue carried over from the previous turn.

Also re GS in enemy turn - just thinking out loud here as I've not tried it myself but are you able to change the mission settings to rest for the air units you don't want to fly? Although I guess that might interfere with auto-intercept missions that you might want them to still fly?

[AlbertN]

T56 - Still that River Bend...

It was decided to launch a minor offensive there, considering the Infanteries are relatively fresh and some were 100 CCP loaded.

On the other hand, that 3 division stack of the Soviets is a 22-22 on me (surely faulty information that does not account for the forts). That's a nifty 3 divisions there (I suspect loaded with SU).

But without meaningful armoured and mobile forces in the region to encircle is beyond imagination.

I've the mobile Hungarian forces not far but I do not consider them capable of holding a pocket on their own there! But they may relocated around here to be a mobile reserve in case the Russians try to attack and infiltrate in the sector.

[AlbertN]

T56 - Moscow Line holds...

Probably it is I who sucks, as many complain of recent about how Germans are unstoppable.

Maybe I should strip many other infantry corps of their artilleries and shift them here. Or maybe I am the one trying to operate in too many sectors at once.

To an extent I like the bit of 'roleplay' where no real Corps Commander would be without corps artillery - but at the same time I do not want to have massive holes where the Soviets arrive with supreme artillery and Germans have only divisional limited assets.

Nonetheless despite a minor advance in the Moscow sector at the north as you can see, this front has been pratically locked in an embrace. The Soviet numbers are simply MASSIVE and the single attack tried, not even across a river was repelled by the Russians.

I am far from sure how much I can obtain from the grand plan to encircle Moscow.

The enemy mobile corps are not seen and as stated previously probably waiting for the 2nd Panzer Army. Which is still refitting anyhow after some time ago 5 Panzer Divisions got all routed.

[AlbertN]

T56 - Leningrad Slog

Strategic Objective nr. 2 has progress made instead.

German spearheads so close to 'isolate' Leningrad. Maybe next turn? Air supply is on its the way.

In the while the other railroad has been severed again in two locations. I feel I am sacrificing a mighty veteran Pz.Regiment but there was a depot there (The factory screen revealed a railyard).

For obvious strategic reasons the SS Division has fair chances to get instructed not to teleport away to the Western Front for rest and refit... (That is for turn 69 so 13 turns away) but I suspect I'll need all the weight I can pull here!

Once Leningrad is isolated during Soviet turns at least I can shrink the rather sizeable forces keeping its perimeter honest right now.

Minor rearline reserve adjustment to be made, as I've quite a hole!

[AlbertN]

T57 - Observing the turn I got

Moscow sector shows 2 attacks from the Soviets. I believe well pondered one.

The encirclement of one division here was broken, a panzer and motorized divisions were forced backward with some losses.
I just realized that Panzer division is loaded with Czech tanks that ... well are lackluster compared to other panzers.

On the other hand that failed assault left the Soviet forces ripe for a localized counterattack.

The sector will need air recon, for I feel there are still the Cav.Guard.Corps lurking not far.

The Soviets are still playing cautious - and their OOB is not too fat (4.3 - 4.4 M troops) which is pratically matched 1:1 for men by Germans+Allies.

Though for now the Russians seem to well deny the strategic objectives of the '42 Axis Offensive. But it is also half July only.
Last but not least mud and rain arrived, to hinder offensive operations.

Voronhez got back to being air supplied. My flak has been underwhelming in effect and the fighters have not intercepted anything. Maybe I should try without running Air Superiority instead.

Will do the air phase so any other screenie can come with the air recon included too!

The Fuhrer decided to replace the commander Friederich Materna - something I am puzzled about as the poor fella had only 12 defeats, against 68 victories (assuming all weight the same). While the guy himself is nothing special it is one of the extremely few commanders that got skill-up points (to having 6 Morale rating now while I believe he started as a 5 guy - on that note I feel that skill-ups may be a bit more frequent for victorious leaders, at least the 1st and 2nd points. even after the skillup there are plenty of better leaders in the pool).

[AlbertN]

T57 - Leningrad Siege 'preparations'

Showing some numbers too as well for the sake of science!

The Soviet line is a mix of strongpoints with mighty units; and other weaker spots that I tend to hammer on.
Ideally I want to gain morale and xp for my troops whilst pounding the enemy -BUT- Morale drops like a fly because the veteran divisions on 76-80 or so morale now have a huge gap with 70.

Personally I feel that Morale drops too easily by troops that stay put just because of 'factors' certainly documented (fatigue tests, supply tests, etc). But no unit dropped under 20% of their supply last I remember, and I cannot forget an Italian unit sitting in Odessa through Russian winter losing 10 morale points just because ... winter. When the front was at Rostov.

Anyhow the Luftwaffe is being bolstered and the plan to bomb the port has begun - in assumption the rail connection is to be severed this turn.
Alas it has not worked out as predicted and the Soviet Flak reaped a hefty amount of planes shot down. Enemy fighter presence has not showed up... and I just brought a new fighter squadron in the sector as well expecting raging air battles over Ladoga.

Now this is my first time I've done strategic type of recon and bombing. Astonishingly enough (well not so much) I can inspect the hex precisely. My bombing runs delivered 39% of damage to the ports, at the cost of 30ish bombers and fighters of the escort, plus damaged ones.

I expect the flak presence of the Russians to augment though and I may swap to naval interdiction if so. (If not both)

Russian Flak here has been more effective than the German one around Voronhez....

[AlbertN]

T57 - Voronhez to Caucasus panoramic

Voronhez received new air supplies. Again. So not isolated anymore after 1 turn. The Luftwaffe keeps paying visit to it, but the effect sorted of perpetual bombing over weeks is meaningless.
The railyard level 3 could be quite handy for supplying my local forces too...

At the Don River Bend the Russians thought in wiser and longer term and retreated from the German infantry attack. Probably with due reason as half of these divisions are nominally strong as -23 average-to-date panzer divisions each. (Panzers are depleted and with not many tanks and tired whilst these divisions are rested and veteran and supplied and I had a full corp with 3 divisions strong 18 each before to launch the attack - with 100 CCPs which now are less obviously - while my regular and operationally active panzer division is strong 6-9...)

Maikop was taken the previous turn, supposedly denying some oil to the Soviets. But it was ascertained in another thread that it is a redundant move.

The Russians seem to plan to keep Novosibirsk there. I am not sure if I can try to do an operation in the direction to reach the sea there. I know the Russians are lurking with fresh assets and the 'harrassing' cavalries to the East and without a link up to Kerch Peninsula this whole operation can turn very sour quickly.

I am not confident I can keep Maikop through the winter AND if I well understood the oil cannot be just brought via rail to Kerch, crossing the strait via a ferry or to be shipped oversea away. The railroad from there to Rostov is ... tenuous to say the least. (But I think there should be option to use the ferry or sea lift for said oil. But right now anyhow there is the ship problem that cargo ships are stuck to 5 anyhow no matter what - I remember another guy lamenting Soviets were losing ships in the Caspian.)

I believe right now MSAG has hands too full elsewhere to launch a grand scale offensive here that puts Germans in a crisis. But I've been proved wrong in the past already, and a realistic opportunity I'd not discard is to simply shrink Leningrad Front and keep it supplied via air (Which is more than fair and viable even if the mechanism is potentially broken. Because both of us benefitted of it not getting intercepted by air superiority, and I feel in some spots I endured Soviet Winter better if not even smoothly due to air supply or the fact I saved a full division out of Voronhez without being intercepted.)

Supposedly I assume a large garrison as the one of Leningrad cannot really be kept supplied by air efficiently. Voronhez right now may have ... some divisions? A corp?

[AlbertN]

T57 - Voronhez '42 is over

Voronhez seems the Kharkov of history, or Rostov - dancing in possession or fought for. Seized by Axis in '41 at the end of their 'Typhoon' offensive, regained by Soviets during the Winter where some German forces were destroyed by being surrounded ... now it is again in German hands after a bloody assault.

This ultimately has been a repeat of Tula. With aplenty of casualties on German side but it's Urban Combat so I assume that is normal.
What I found bemusing is the amount of AT Guns lost by Germans, but I feel that is how the game engine mirrors the fights.

As relevant note, the perpetual uselessness of the Luftwaffe - at least by the numbers spotted there. A grand list of 0 in the Destroyed and Damaged and a handful of suppressed guys.

In this battle the Germans deployed a grand array of siege artillery (which I am not sure how suited it is for Urban Combat in truth), and ended up losing a Skoda 305. All 4 of the Emperor Karl-Franz 600mm used got disrupted. I am not sure how that can supposedly happen as there were no bombers involved and these things should keep out of range of all enemy formations or so...

Anyhow - the point making is that I feel as these units are highly mobile (Being SU) could just be used in open and clear terrain, I start to suspect, and tear apart enemy defenders. After all they move with the HQ. I am not sure which is the risk to lose them in open terrain - at least in '41 and '42. I feel I may have missed out by conserving them in the OKH for special situations.
Considering Urban / City terrain instead 'shortens' the firing phases for the artillery, technically it is counter-productive to use Siege Guns in these fights?
Counter-intuitive I feel but I suspect to have a special mechanism for a handful of units would cost more coding effort than else.

Also 13 Pionere Battallions and 1 Italian Assault Engineer unit were committed to the battle, ontop of other relevant assets such as the GD Motorized Division.

On the other hand I am astonished of 0 AFV losses in urban combat (Not that I wanted them there but they were bundled in the GD...)

[AlbertN]

T57 - Leningrad cut off

As expected from previous turn, this turn I was to cut Leningrad off via land.
It happened.

The wedge of the German troops marched up to the shores of Lake Ladoga.
An assault on Shlussenburg was fruitless though. I am expecting a depot there and was hoping to destroy some stocked up freight.

Albeit I expect the Leningrad depots being hopefully a bit empty since it is some turns the Russians are working in the region only with a single track railroad.

I must build airfields right now as the pointe that is keeping the 2nd railroad is bleeding out trucks like no tomorrow. I shoul dhave foreseen this earlier already... my bad planning there.

In the while the German infantries keep repelling the weak Soviet assets that come hug me, but I do not feel confident to hit the big ones except a Cavalry corp that ... well, I like to have them not too ready as they can be nasty.

I feel this whole situatiol to the right portion of the map will cost me trucks but I see it as potentially vital for the fall of Leningrad (or have relief efforts fail) due to their own supply limits. Maybe in an amount of turns, once the situation is done and dusted MSAG can provide his own input to explain me his situation from his perspective.

I am not sure if I should be merry and happy that the Guard Corp shoved away from the Ladoga shores retreated eastward and not westward.

[AlbertN]

T57 - Caucasus

Hiding units here - as I've moved already!

To the southern mountain ranges I've discovered stiffened Russian resistance, quality mountain divisions are digging in the mountain ranges.

To the eastern reaches a motorized pointe dislodged some cavalries that were reorganizing.
Romanian cavalry as well maneuvers to explore and retreats in known territories.
A full panzerkorp is kept to rest in the zone south of Stalingrad (but with Admin Movement can easily patch a crisis in the central sector).

The Russians appear to still have adequate troops to Krasnodar, but at the same time I feel I can just screen there as it may equal to a suicidal move to thrust north from there.

I've not made any attempt to cross Kerch strait even if I started to perform air recon now and may intensify that next turn, since the Russians may have left the straits undermanned now that they've a peril looming at the other end!

This front seems quite fluid and one where I am extremely prone to suffer a debacle I feel, because that's where I've my Romanian and Italian covered flanks!

I've also to ponder how to invest the 11th Army now that Voronhez was seized. Tambov that is not far from where they're is a potential objective (Some VPs and minor factories to destroy). But to relocate it to the Caucasus or toward Stalingrad seem also viable options. (Staligrad though seems a logistic nightmare with only 1 single track rail ... or better two, but the second is not exactly something I consider safe!)

The problems will come with mud I feel, where the Soviet cavalries outperform the motorized units in terms of mobility. I am caressing the idea to shift around the SS.CAV division that is in the Soviet Partisan Garrison by then.

[Beethoven1]

Very good and well done AAR!

Despite how pessimistic you sound, from what I am reading it looks to me like you are doing better than historical. You have Leningrad cut off, and should be able to take it fairly easily as long as you run naval interdiction missions and move a sufficient number of planes to the Leningrad area (hint, move literally as many as necessary, without limit until Leningrad is yours).

You also have advanced WAY further than historical into the Volkhov area, and have cut off rail lines that were never historically cut.

Meanwhile in the center, you are only a few hexes away from Moscow, at a time when historically, the front line was back most of the way towards Vyazma/Rzhev, and even at Velikie Luki in the Toropets salient (no such salient exists in this game).

Meanwhile in the south, you seem to be at about historical schedule (might even be slightly ahead there too, hard to tell without knowing the exact date). You haven't taken Stalingrad, but given that 1942 is not over yet, you would not be expected to on a historical timescale yet either. But you are close to that also nonetheless.

The Red Army seems to also be fairly small, and will get smaller as soon as you wipe Leningrad.

So insofar as you are pessimistic, the only rational reason for pessimism would be that Germany will - eventually - lose the war. But that is how the game is designed. To judge how you are doing, you should compare to history, not to some hypothetical situation where you get all the way to the Urals. And judging based on those criteria, you seem to be winning - the game, not the war. So I think you can pat yourself on the back for doing well and having a pretty clear upper hand as compared to the historical situation.

[DeletedUser1769703214]

ORIGINAL: Beethoven1

Very good and well done AAR!

Despite how pessimistic you sound, from what I am reading it looks to me like you are doing better than historical. You have Leningrad cut off, and should be able to take it fairly easily as long as you run naval interdiction missions and move a sufficient number of planes to the Leningrad area (hint, move literally as many as necessary, without limit until Leningrad is yours).

You also have advanced WAY further than historical into the Volkhov area, and have cut off rail lines that were never historically cut.

Meanwhile in the center, you are only a few hexes away from Moscow, at a time when historically, the front line was back most of the way towards Vyazma/Rzhev, and even at Velikie Luki in the Toropets salient (no such salient exists in this game).

Meanwhile in the south, you seem to be at about historical schedule (might even be slightly ahead there too, hard to tell without knowing the exact date). You haven't taken Stalingrad, but given that 1942 is not over yet, you would not be expected to on a historical timescale yet either. But you are close to that also nonetheless.

The Red Army seems to also be fairly small, and will get smaller as soon as you wipe Leningrad.

So insofar as you are pessimistic, the only rational reason for pessimism would be that Germany will - eventually - lose the war. But that is how the game is designed. To judge how you are doing, you should compare to history, not to some hypothetical situation where you get all the way to the Urals. And judging based on those criteria, you seem to be winning - the game, not the war. So I think you can pat yourself on the back for doing well and having a pretty clear upper hand as compared to the historical situation.

+1

[AlbertN]

Oh my 'pessimism' is from German viewpoint!
BUT I already decided that my 'comparison time' will be roughloy at the start of Stalingrad to Berlin time - in terms of OOB. For instance at the start of StB Scenario, Soviets have 5.3M men fielded. Now that's 1M short, but that campaign also begins after the muds... so I do not feel the numbers here off for the Soviets. On the other hand what Axis has... that yes, it's a good number.

I recently realized that for instance Stalingrad has 60-70 T34 factories. Not taking Stalingrad means the Soviets will have that many tanks as extra. Every single turn. Compared to history. Just an example.
Leningrad factories are evacuated for the most.

So - I am doing decently? On map situation is ever variable. What matters is production (which appears simplified over, without need of resources and oil) - and present forces at hand - and status of said forces.
The NM fluctuations pretty much 'harmonizes' necessarily the status of said forces with minimal variegation and fluctuation.

[AlbertN]

T58 - Leningrad Round 1, Soviets 1 Axis 0

MSAG came in prepared and my first go at naval interdiction went poorly. I'll simply need more planes, better supply routines there and larger airbases to support the expanded airforce.

Adequate allocations will begin but I impute to my being noobish not to have started some stuff beforehand already such as the airbase expansion.

Ground forces still to move, may as well start to advance eastward and try to physically grab the ports supplying Leningrad as well as trying to get the depot of Shlussenburg.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T58 - Leningrad Round 1, Soviets 1 Axis 0

MSAG came in prepared and my first go at naval interdiction went poorly. I'll simply need more planes, better supply routines there and larger airbases to support the expanded airforce.

...

you are spreading your naval patrol too widely - all you need is full control (2+ interdiction) of the hex due east of Osinovets

[AlbertN]

T58 - Panzer Refit...

A full PzCorp was brought back to Smolensk for refitting. They're sitting there since 2 turns and are still short-cut in ToE.
Also the CP difference of 70 Panzers seem 1-2 CV and to me that is ... well AFV does not seem that impactful. That may help understand why there is perception that Motorized divisions are the true punch.

Also on the map there are Guard Rifle Corps having a CV that is 23. Given, they may have SU attached and / or values are eskew due to average detection level (Just hugging them with ground units since start of the turn).

Also - once the CCP are spent these 80-90% TOE panzer divisions will look quite abysmal in terms of might. Like 10-12 IF full rested, almost full TOE, and 0 CCP? Definitely underwhelming, I feel.

To refit these Panzer Divisions, an amount of freight stocked in Smolensk was used. I do keep a few of these depots behind the lines BUT I discovered once made, you best not undo it, or the Freight will scatter in all the wrong ways that you do not want - because the management is stupid. I had Vitbesk earlier at 4, lowered it at 1 to have it push Freight ... onward supposedly? No way. There, send freight to locations like Rostov or so - not further east toward Moscow sector which is what makes sense. So there is Freight pratically going westward first til it can go in other directions.

[AlbertN]

@Loki - I actually did precisely that with 1 KG per hex in 2 different Naval Patrol ADs. That with an Air Sup AD before it (But I discovered that is not good if the bombers are intercepted before to get in the shadow of the fighters!)

But I believe the Interdiction splashes into other hexes.

[AlbertN]

T58 - New Patch and ... WTF?

Now this is the -first- combat done with the new patch and it has been a bloodied nose for the Germans.
An attack that I dare say in the previous patch was pratically a guaranteed dislodging of the enemy it seems to mandate more troops now. Which pretty much means - all the rest of the Soviet line will be litterally untouchable with the values they've at hand.

The Soviet infantry guns alone almost match the full sum of the German artilleries involved.

The Luftwaffe kept proving entirely redundant and useless. Sure the fighters shoot down the enemy fighters. But bombers that supposedly should target first the enemy artillery have done nothing. (It's odd because in Gary Grigsby A World at War air units bombing target first artilleries! It's in that game).

I'll have some more battles - but right now my first vibe is that 'Right, that pretty much spells the end of a '42 offensive'. And if this is the sample for '41, best of luck to folks starting a new game with Germans. But maybe it has been the first and very isolated case where most of the German rolls failed. (I doubt as this is the 3rd Panzer and an Assault Army).