Battle On The Ice: fracas vs ToxicThug11 GC

[ToxicThug11]

One German Panzer Division is so shocked by the immense artillery barrage it routs.
Only to be harassed further after their flight by cavalry, being displaced twice, and losing a huge amount of trucks.

STAVKA estimates are that 100 Axis AFVs were confirmed destroyed in battle, and over 300 damaged. It is unknown whether the Germans have the means to recover these damaged tanks in the depths of the Soviet hinterland.

There are simply too many battles for STAVKA to document accurately on this forum. To paint a picture, in each battle against motorized regiments, 10 assorted guns are destroyed by IL-2 strikes. Every time a motorized regiment retreats, it loses about 2-5% of its men. Overall this turn has been hugely damaging to the German mobile forces. The Germans have lost close to 6000 men in these counterattacks, but more importantly a large amount of AFVs and guns.

[jubjub]

You might want to mention that those are Romanian fighters getting slaughtered before everyone starts thinking the VVS is OP.

[Stamb]

haha
that is me, i just thought that German fighters are not making 1:30 trades any more

[ToxicThug11]

You might want to mention that those are Romanian fighters getting slaughtered before everyone starts thinking the VVS is OP.

I would like to clarify that it is Romanian fighters being downed. So far the Luftwaffe is performing adequately. Soviet logistics are a bit busted. I am able to do a continuous offensive from within an encirclement.

[ToxicThug11]

The supply situation at Leningrad has deteriorated. Two of the main rail lines have been cut, leading to worries that the men here will be out of supply.

The Fascists are near to Tallinn and dangerously close to removing the last rail line supplying Leningrad. STAVKA has decided to pursue a policy of "elastic defense" in the wilderness near Vishny Volchek.

Aslong as Axis trucks keep driving through these swamps and heavy woods, we are content to concede ground. Leningrad isnt particularly threatened by this unless they manage to push into the final rail line.

The terrain here allows us to defend with poor quality militia and smaller security detachments, ambushing the Germans in the heavy woods.

The plan is to mostly abandon Estonia and move into Leningrad to strengthen defenses there.

[EwaldvonKleist]

The Leningrad right hook ist back.

Interesting&intense game so far.

[AlbertN]

Romanian fighters were not subpar at all compared to Soviet fighters in '41... Nor pilots.
But Axis minors here are just savagely mistreated.

Frankly it's just silly to see the Axis bombers butchered because they fly unescorted or so... But I assume that has to be either a bad setting in the Doctrines -or- the Doctrines not working as they should?

[ToxicThug11]

Romanian fighters were not subpar at all compared to Soviet fighters in '41... Nor pilots.
But Axis minors here are just savagely mistreated.

Frankly it's just silly to see the Axis bombers butchered because they fly unescorted or so... But I assume that has to be either a bad setting in the Doctrines -or- the Doctrines not working as they should?

Something weird about unescorted LB losing 2/3 of their planes in a single flight

[tm1]

The Belgorod - Lgov Offensive goes perfectly.

Exhausted German divisions are swamped in a wave of Soviet infantry and tanks.

The exhausted and poorly supplied Germans are no match for well supplied, rested Soviet troops.

Soviet infantry, Soviet tanks, Soviet air support and Soviet artillery are amassed and unleashed upon exhausted German defenders. The hunters become the hunted!

STAVKA plan.png

Amazing turn around, this is just a hunch / shot in the dark so to speak but i'm thinking you were always ready for this.

I could be way wrong, but the pocket on the face of it was down for the count, I am just wondering whether you had these units siting waiting for just a opportunity.

If so bravo well played

regards

[ToxicThug11]

Amazing turn around, this is just a hunch / shot in the dark so to speak but i'm thinking you were always ready for this.

I could be way wrong, but the pocket on the face of it was down for the count, I am just wondering whether you had these units siting waiting for just a opportunity.

If so bravo well played

regards

Indeed, I planned this for three turns, to lure the German mobile elements into an attritional battle. The Germans couldn't resist the idea of a giant pocket and some of their best units are now being chewed to bits.

I am retreating north and dragging the Panzer armies into the steppes, where few strategic objectives lay.

Even if my units are encircled, strategically this will place the 1st Panzer Army out of position, and it has already taken an extreme toll on the German panzers.

Additionally, I noticed that the rain would fall heavily in the Voronezh-Kursk area and this has worked beautifully to draw the Germans into a blunder. 1st and 2nd Panzer Armies have walked into a muddy trap.

I believe the Southwestern Front will eventually be destroyed by this heavy German focus. The capture of Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozyhe, Kharkov and Stalino will be delayed massively. Even if the Germans manage to encircle the Soviet armies, it will take a while to clear them in the mud.

Significant reserves have been deployed nearby Kharkov and will continue to put pressure on the German's advancing north to close the pocket.

[xhoel]

Fantastic play. The Axis seems to have taken the bait and are really suffering for it. A weakened Panzer Army is great news for you. Even if he continues to encircle forces, you will have better chances to breakout because his units will be very worn down.

Keep up the good work!

PS: Those air losses are great too, the Axis are taking a beating.

[ToxicThug11]

The battle rages near Kharkov. Bloody fighting destroys or damages hundreds of AFVs. The Germans are content to trade their panzers for a chance at destroying the 700,000 men in this pocket. The mud begins to make our counteroffensives very difficult with offensive CV dropping to 1 and we will have to be very cautious lest our entire Southwestern Front is destroyed.

[ToxicThug11]

Some of the battles. Routed SS, bleeding Panzers.

However, this prolonged fighting is taking a toll on our divisions within the pocket. What used to be an army of 700,000, is now an army of 350,000.

As you can see here, the fighting is beginning to take a toll on the Germans. A tenth of their guns have been knocked out, and a quarter of their panzers.

[tm1]

Heavy fighting, but has it been worth it so far ?

As I mentioned before it was a brilliant counter move, but this must taking a huge strain on manpower and material on other sectors of the front.

True the Soviets will eventually have a huge manpower bonus as time goes by, but right now you would have to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel ?

[ToxicThug11]

True the Soviets will eventually have a huge manpower bonus as time goes by, but right now you would have to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel ?

OOB as of Turn 10:

image_2022-05-13_203125147.png (604.94 KiB) Viewed 1461 times

Has it been worth it? Well, I'm mostly engaging with his most elite formations. 1,100 panzers, 4,000 guns. Highly experienced, high morale German units are taking strong attrition from the battles to close the pocket.

The pocket itself is swiftly depleting, a 700,000 strong pocket 4 turns ago now numbers 300,000, with less than a hundred AFVs and less and less artillery by the day. My replacements and manpower are unable to reinforce the pocket and are going to the Moscow front and Leningrad.

So far, the Germans have lost a grand total of 33,300 trucks, which is of course going to have severe affects down the line.
The Germans have captured roughly 18,000 trucks. This simply isn't enough and they will experience severe shortages of supply very soon. Most vehicle losses are in Panzer Divisions and Motorized Divisions so their mobility will be impacted.

I'd say it was very worth it to swap a few armies to attrition the German panzer forces like this.

[ToxicThug11]

The weather cruelly changes and the Germans finally manage to close off the encirclement. Half of the forces in this encirclement have fled or been destroyed. Our best divisions in the pocket are exhausted and their counteroffensives fail.

counteroffensive fails.png (3.31 MiB) Viewed 1457 times

This hard fighting has bought Kharkov, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia time. There is no doubt that defending this ground allows us to produce more T-34s and press more manpower into service.

This encirclement is a huge blow to the red army. Representing over 10% of the Red Army, the Southwestern and Southern Front will be hard pressed to defend forwardly. If the Germans decide to turn north towards Orel and Tula, then the entire frontline will unhinge and we will be forced to pull back.

Encircled units.png (38.59 KiB) Viewed 1457 times

There is very little standing in the way of the Germans towards Kharkov and Stalino.

However, we do have to consider that the Germans must spend a turn fighting the pocket. Although encircled and tired, the Germans will have a hard time cleaning up 34 Soviet divisions.

This may buy us the time we need to shore up our defenses of Kharkov.

[ToxicThug11]

The Vyazma-Bryansk sector engages in bloody battles to push the Germans back, one successful, one not.

Vyazma battle.png (4.37 MiB) Viewed 1452 times

The Leningrad sector, every turn without fail, has managed to throw the Germans back with bloody repulses.
Some German regiments lose 30% of their fighting strength as they are swarmed by Soviets.

Counteroffensives at leningrad.png (3.55 MiB) Viewed 1452 times

I believe that the Germans have overextended in the wilderness near Leningrad, in an attempt to cut our rail lines to the city.

Germans overextending.png (2.78 MiB) Viewed 1452 times

[Beethoven1]

ToxicThug11 doesn't want to mention it, so I will - fracas has 105 logistics in the settings for this game. That is not cheating or anything, both players agreed to it, but readers of this AAR should be aware that there are better than normal Axis logistics in this game due to this buff.

Also, ToxicThug11 is not doing various basic things that could make his troops stronger, like using air supply to give extra supply to his troops and increase their CVs (and does not do that in his other Soviet games either, even though he wins all of them in 1941). So Soviets could be stronger/doing better than is the case here.

Anyway, readers can take this into account however they want and come to whatever conclusions they wish, but it is worth mentioning rather than simply ignoring.

[AlbertN]

ToxicThug11 doesn't want to mention it, so I will - fracas has 105 logistics in the settings for this game. That is not cheating or anything, both players agreed to it, but readers of this AAR should be aware that there are better than normal Axis logistics in this game due to this buff.

Also, ToxicThug11 is not doing various basic things that could make his troops stronger, like using air supply to give extra supply to his troops and increase their CVs (and does not do that in his other Soviet games either, even though he wins all of them in 1941). So Soviets could be stronger/doing better than is the case here.

Anyway, readers can take this into account however they want and come to whatever conclusions they wish, but it is worth mentioning rather than simply ignoring.

5% extra freight is quite a lot over every single turn - and I am not sure that 5% extra is just that or there is more to it as benefit.

But it may be the future way to balance things out, Germans at 110 to stuff for the German player and Soviets at 100 depending on how things pan out!

I do agree it's relevant to know this is a game with a 'German buff'.

[tm1]

ToxicThug11 doesn't want to mention it, so I will - fracas has 105 logistics in the settings for this game. That is not cheating or anything, both players agreed to it, but readers of this AAR should be aware that there are better than normal Axis logistics in this game due to this buff.

Also, ToxicThug11 is not doing various basic things that could make his troops stronger, like using air supply to give extra supply to his troops and increase their CVs (and does not do that in his other Soviet games either, even though he wins all of them in 1941). So Soviets could be stronger/doing better than is the case here.

Anyway, readers can take this into account however they want and come to whatever conclusions they wish, but it is worth mentioning rather than simply ignoring.

Well from the what I have seen of @ToxicThug11's game play particularly the trap he set for the Pz's was nothing short of inspiring and i am certain his opponent is worthy and formidable.

But after seeing his work this clip could some up the kind of abilities he has game wise not that there others just as good .

As a PVE player luckily I wont have to play him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq4dhgD07qo