A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: Stamb

North seems to be the region which has the less troubles getting a supplies, then center, and then south which is a disaster. At least in my experience.

Can't imagine how 62 50mm mortars barely hits anything against 150k. Maybe worth reporting to a devs?

Not sure why there hasn't been an effort to develop the second single track route Bataysk-Salsk-Kotelnikovsky. Maybe there has been and it just hasn't been mentioned.

[Stamb]

ORIGINAL: Stamb
...
Can't imagine how 62 50mm mortars barely hits anything against 150k. Maybe worth reporting to a devs?

In new patch:

"50mm GrW36 (0188) - Accuracy increased from 0 to 100; "

Maybe this will help

[AlbertN]

T80 - Northern Bits

-- Patch Applied --

For Leningrad I am resting, and I plan to try a new strategy as well.
To use Recon on it so that the flak fires (and consumes Ammos?) and start to bomb it slowly. The Soviet units should have issue recuperating, I assume.

Besides some attacks up there with variety of outcomes I've not done much in terms of combat there.

I've also done a post-patch attack at the Don River bend zone, and one around the southern Moscow bit, and panzers are still very brittle BUT I feel the shift of the combats has drifted to ward a better balance now - compared to the previous 'Defender Patch'.
At least this is the first impression I got by like 5 ground combats.
I'll have to see how the Germans fend off the Soviet attacks next.

For what concerns Flak losses I've to see as well in the north how many Li-2 'Flying Fortress' will be shot down on their way to Leningrad.

[AlbertN]

T81 - AA Losses

This is a case of Air Supply.

Record losses, I think the highest amount I've done til now has been 16 out of 150ish planes coming together.

In this sector German forces are easily supplied in general and that single railroad that I gained to the north functions well to spare trucks from all the infantry divisions up there - the AI decently spreads Freight there, and air supply fills up the shortcomings.

If Leningrad remains isolated for some turns ... that will do good.

But will I manage to keep VP spots elsewhere for some turns?

[AlbertN]

T81 - Moscow to Tambov sector

The Soviets here destroyed two fortified emplacaments (Tier3 forts) manned by German divisions; albeit worn as they took part to the attacks of the pinches endangering them of encirclment the previous turn.

I'll take some time to study the new numbers of the latest patch combat system - but I expected to lose these 2 hexes, that each got just manned by a division as 'soaker' for the attack to come.

[AlbertN]

T81 - Don River Bend ... quiet?

I believe the Soviets are reorganizing, regaining CCP and taking a turn of rest where they're somehow lavishly supplied by the single rail.

On the other hand I can see where they may have logistic supplies. The Soviets diverted their Flying Fortresses from Leningrad to here to ... sustain their offensive?

Not a tradeoff I'd have made, but I suspect this was some pre-patch planned business and with the reworked Flak ... Leningrad can fall short of air supply?

I do not know, time will tell if the Li2 return back but I am glad to see some Soviet units may have a logistic issue as well away from the railroads to demand air supply.

It was also the main reason for me to locate Hungarians there - the spot is somehow 'away' from enemy railroads.

[AlbertN]

T81 - Don River Bend

German counterattack the screening formations of the Soviets there, inflicting severe casualties.

That was expected as in general these formations were single Rifle Divisions, in on entrenched position.

It may have spent CCPs to German formations and fatigued them some but ultimately some dead Russians are dead Russians off the total of their tally.

I expect a storm to unleash here next turn OR in 2 turns.

The German logistics seems desperate though and mostly I suspect there is some form of bug or issue, I cannot understand how units that are air supplied to 90% or so supplies drop to 20% the next turn. It happens regularly and every turn and there is a bleeding of morale persistently so.

I fear it is not a bug and it's simply intended to turn any 'bad logistic' spot a hurdle.
BUT then the units in Leningrad have a damn bright green ticker of supreme supplied status ... With how many they're and what they get via air supply how can they remain bright green while Axis bright green here after air supply goes into profund and deep red after 1 logistic phase when said units have done nothing at all?

[AlbertN]

T82 - Soviet Attack

The calm begins to descend on the front - oddly enough.

This was the only Soviet attack across the board, which leaves me sensibly perplexed as the Don River Sector had less and less troops capable of operationally conduct reactive operations...

Here on the other hand there is definitely a shortage of reserves, the Panzer Divisions here got mauled in terms of armour losses.

A 2:1 tank exchange I see as a grand Soviet victory.

But I assume as long as the attack is 1 across the full board, I should be content with the time for space trade ratio too!

[AlbertN]

T82 - Western Allies business

The strategic bombing campaign increases.

I am not sure what is the regular ratio of bombing percentages but as there is belief (and I assume it is so!) that the Western Front flak and fighter force affects this, I may send to the West more AA.

Also there is a huge difference between being bombed where I have control and where I have not, since in the former I can assign construction units to speed up repairs whilst in the Rhur I cannot.

On another note, Tripoli fell already. That's 3 weeks in advance. I do not remember to have massed up such a grand anticipation of events but I know I got some negative events over the time.
In general these happens in the first turns of the game and every time a requirement changes due to another event.

Any non scheduled 'transfer' that is made by the player to North Afrika in fact takes pretty long.

[AlbertN]

T82 - Soviet Flak over Leningrad

I am not sure what Flak losses have been changed over - but I tried to bomb Leningrad, and the Luftwaffe lost almost 200 bombers in a single turn by enemy flak.

And the gain has been 0.

Or well I define the effect of the bombing 0.

Of all Leningrad, my 180 bombers have hit a field kitchen, some administrative office, and barely spotted a few artillery emplacements!

I am sure when the Soviets will be doing the Ground Attacks that German forces will suffer immensely and that the German flak will be ridiculous... just my gut vibe.

I could post all other bombing runs, but they've gone exactly like this one. Lots of bombers destroyed for no result achieved.

If this is what the Luftwaffe 'experten' pilots do, technically the Soviet pilots should just crash their planes into the ground at this rate, trying to damage the enemies that way instead of bombing them.

Anyhow it is clear that my 'bombing plan' to weaken Leningrad and have it consume ammunitions and supplies is simply non applicable. A few days over the long isolated City of Leningrad costed to the Luftwaffe as I do not know how many raids over London in 1940! And without a single Soviet fighter taking off to intercept the bombers!

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

But at the same time I feel it wrong that the Russians can pretty much stack 3 corps per hex.

The stacking in the game is off. But that is the nature of the beast and just have to deal with it. I know it has been brought up on more than a few occasions and the reasons given and won't be changed I personally love it when you have 2 HQ's stacked with a regiment and another regiment can't retreat to the hex because of stacking.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T82 - Soviet Flak over Leningrad

I am not sure what Flak losses have been changed over - but I tried to bomb Leningrad, and the Luftwaffe lost almost 200 bombers in a single turn by enemy flak.

And the gain has been 0.

Or well I define the effect of the bombing 0.

Of all Leningrad, my 180 bombers have hit a field kitchen, some administrative office, and barely spotted a few artillery emplacements!

I am sure when the Soviets will be doing the Ground Attacks that German forces will suffer immensely and that the German flak will be ridiculous... just my gut vibe.

I could post all other bombing runs, but they've gone exactly like this one. Lots of bombers destroyed for no result achieved.

If this is what the Luftwaffe 'experten' pilots do, technically the Soviet pilots should just crash their planes into the ground at this rate, trying to damage the enemies that way instead of bombing them.

Anyhow it is clear that my 'bombing plan' to weaken Leningrad and have it consume ammunitions and supplies is simply non applicable. A few days over the long isolated City of Leningrad costed to the Luftwaffe as I do not know how many raids over London in 1940! And without a single Soviet fighter taking off to intercept the bombers!

I hope you at least sent them in with "blindfolds" to the firing squad. AA is super crazy in the game

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T82 - Soviet Flak over Leningrad

I am not sure what Flak losses have been changed over - but I tried to bomb Leningrad, and the Luftwaffe lost almost 200 bombers in a single turn by enemy flak.

And the gain has been 0.

Or well I define the effect of the bombing 0.

Of all Leningrad, my 180 bombers have hit a field kitchen, some administrative office, and barely spotted a few artillery emplacements!

I am sure when the Soviets will be doing the Ground Attacks that German forces will suffer immensely and that the German flak will be ridiculous... just my gut vibe.

I could post all other bombing runs, but they've gone exactly like this one. Lots of bombers destroyed for no result achieved.

If this is what the Luftwaffe 'experten' pilots do, technically the Soviet pilots should just crash their planes into the ground at this rate, trying to damage the enemies that way instead of bombing them.

Anyhow it is clear that my 'bombing plan' to weaken Leningrad and have it consume ammunitions and supplies is simply non applicable. A few days over the long isolated City of Leningrad costed to the Luftwaffe as I do not know how many raids over London in 1940! And without a single Soviet fighter taking off to intercept the bombers!

I hope you at least sent them in with "blindfolds" to the firing squad. AA is super crazy in the game

I know there were more than just a few studies that were done of how many rounds of ammo was needed to shot down an aircraft by AA in WW2. I read it many many many years ago but maybe someone more up to date on that knowledge could share it outside of this AAR. Thank you in advance.

[AlbertN]

T82 - Fall of Leningrad

Feeling the time ticking for some cities, as Rhyazan is pretty exposed as VP location, I decided a first assault on Leningrad.

After all since 2 turns it is full isolated, the Soviet airlift shrunk (some assets located elsewhere) and the Flak seems to hit more LI-2 now too.

Like an idiot I forgot the siege guns there, which got butchered among the 500ish German guns lost. Given the grand chunk at AT guns that in their attempt to get in firing position and whatnot seem to severely suffer from combat.

But to have lost multiple Karl-Franz Mortars and 300mm+ Skodas may we well worth the seizure of Leningrad, with its relevant net of port and railyards.

Quite puzzling, during the assault the Soviet losses were relatively small, only 4k troopers.

But I think MSAG elected to fly out of the pocket Vatutin and replace him with a less competent leader (I am not sure who this guy is but I suspect it is some very disposable leader). I was thinking it would have required 2 attacks -at least- to grab Leningrad, considering its starting massive CV.

Yet it is also the first time I see so many German guns packed together. I favored to attack with winter because the river is frozen and allows a smooth attack from all directions possible.

Also the whole attacking units have been shifted to the 4th Panzer Army (That is still assault from '41). On that note I am juggling Corps to keep 4 Armies still in Assault status, at the cost of overloading other armies.

[AlbertN]

T82 - Leningrad Combat experience

I'll post this as a sample of Urban Combat with the latest patch - not sure if it can come handy to anyone as in general a single combat rarely helps, and supposedly the supply situation is unusual, etc etc.

But I can see some situations through the numbers:

The 105s sK18 Field Guns hit a grandtotal of 0. That's a first in my experience.
The FH18 of both 105 and 150 caliber pratically did nothing. 400ish and 175ish 105s of the Germans hit only a grandtotal of 2 ground elements?

If I go on the big calibers, somehow the 305 fired 0 times BUT have scored hits? (FPE is 0...)

I am not sure if I should have left the artilleries home here. IF there is some external phase of artillery fire before to combat proper, it should be here as well or somehow registered.
Because the impression one gets here is that the bazillion of German guns did little.

The defenders, isolated for real since 2 turns and relying on air supply since long have put up a grand and fierce fight by the numbers.
The flamethrowers squads being the most lethal it seems, in the close combat environment of urban warfare. But somehow all the Soviet infantry behaved in exceptional way, even their baseline rifle squads being more successful than the German Pioneer units.

[AlbertN]

T82 - Don River Bend

As the skies cleared up some - snowing but not blizzard - intense air recon was launched in the sector to detect enemy build up of forces.

But there is strong, strong suspect that the Luftwaffe pilots and cameras have someone grown blind - the Soviet presence is barely spotted despite the map signaling an amount of known fortifications from previous interactions.

On the other hand I saw an amount of units at Saratov without recon. Thus I assume that's 'tracking' of known units that were adjacent to my own troops previously.

Some major refit situation I feel is undergoing and these units brought at a NSS are getting good replacements, and will be ferried to other locations of the front. I am not sure why it is going on the map and not via the 'Reserve' cycle that does not busy railroad capacity though.

It can also be that MSAG is opting to let the German forces lose more morale as gradually the fatigue / logistic strains will normalize their Morale to National Morale and below that.

[AlbertN]

T82 - Curses on Goering...

When there is someone to blame, the Luftwaffe supreme commander is the easy target!

Obviously, his pilots and cameras MUST have been excellent sighted and perfectly working and could not be wrong!
There are almost no Soviets ahead, that is told. And an offensive is commandeered in order to brush and cast away the scarce Soviet forces spotted by the massive air recon!

Well - the Panzers that converged there as reserves and to stem the Soviet rampage sets in motion ... but there are more Soviets than originally predicted.

The German attacks for the most proceed well - but as the first line of Russian forces is worked through, even stronger second line appears ... what probably is their attack force that was resting and recovering to continue the offensive.

No grand complaints in my own turn - BUT I expect heavy counterattacks now that I'm the one that have moved onward and departed my own fortifications.

Air supply incoming (as per usual)

[AlbertN]

T82 - Caucasus experimentations

Since a while you know I am tracking with you this sector situation.
The Soviets retreated for a while and I do not think a level 3 fort is that badly needed there - any 'thrust' that comes here from Soviet forces, I doubt would go far due to mountains and obscene logistics on their end (In fact I am even caressing the idea to regiment down some divisions there to hold the line and shift troops elesewhere.

Admittedly the Italians won't remain around that long for all I remember - yes T90 - but depending on how things go I can keep them around.

Historically these divisions were pratically ceasing to exist in the follow up offensives of Uranus - but clearly it's not the case here and the Italians may remain.

In fact the Italian alpini maintaned their initial morale of 70 or dropped to 69 at worst. (I've tucked them all under Messe though that is the best Italian leader around).

Anyhow - my intent is to see if the Logistics or the Attrition will change if I do not have adacent enemy hexes.

[AlbertN]

T82 - SU to Disband?

I admit here I am not very knowledgeable - but at this stage, considering no new Karl-Franz can be produced, should I just disband the SU?
1 Admin Point to recycle some support units is a honest trade off.

Or are there other 'weapon systems' that can fill it?

[AlbertN]

T82 - Artilleries in Stock

This is just the Active Pool - which means ready to be used artilleries.

It seems that for now I've some decent stock of artillery pieces - so despite the losses of 105 and 150s for now I am still nicely set for what concerns guns.
The opposite for the Panzers that pratically are churned out of factories and delivered to the front without stockpiling for anything that is not the Tiger.

I believe a real Pro-Gamer here observes what is produced, what goes in overabundance, and tries to put into the hot zones.

For instance I've a massive pool of these mega 280/320 Nebelwerfer that are not anymore in production ... and I somehow suspect at this stage they'll be swapped out of the TOE and get destroyed for ... 'obsolescence' or the like.
I suspect I've placed the Nebelwelfers in locations where they're not truly used or barely used them somehow.

On the other hand Flak and Infantry Guns I've nothing in stocks, anything that is produced is delivered to units on the spot!

This is where I feel the min-maxing of time can cut some sensible difference between players.
A more intense use of Nebelwelfers ... should be something I am to work on.

The 'problem' is that I need to hound them, and somehow I lack a grand 'select them all, move them to OKH' unless I go the longer route, via the Reserves...

I am worried that these 2 units with the massive Nebelwelfers also swap to the 150s ... and then the bigger ones get in disuse.