Bread v Blue (Electric boogaloo)

[RedJohn]

I return to WITE2 after a lengthy break from burnout. I am playing as the Soviets, as I lack the energy to deal with the bullshittery required for a good Axis game. I may or may not be abandoning the south this game, we'll see how I feel. I still believe it's the most optimal soviet strategy though.

Anyway, here is blue's opener.


A classic Lvov pocket opener. He didn't manage to isolate the units, but the rails are cut and there's no escape for anything in there. A beautiful 68 morale mountain division will be among the casualties.

North and Centre and much more traditional. I was one hex from breaking any pockets (though I'd have elected to not do that even if I could) which was sad.

We buffed German logistics to 105 this game. I'd have accepted 110, but I'm rusty and I also don't know the actual impact this might have so wanted to be cautious.

[RedJohn]

I might not be able to rescue any units in the south, but that doesn't mean I'll let him get away with regimenting security divisions around me

[RedJohn]

AGS, the noose tightens around my units in Lvov. Escape, impossible. Reopening it, improbable. To be expected, however.

AGC sees a rather tepid advance on the whole of it. Looks like he's leaving the push to Gomel down to infantry alone.

North an extremely cautious advance. This actually greatly concerns me.



Losses as of turn 2. An additional 234,491 men, 3,040 guns, and 1,671 AFVs are isolated this turn so we're looking at a nasty 750-850k permanently lost men.

[Beethoven1]

I may or may not be abandoning the south this game, we'll see how I feel. I still believe it's the most optimal soviet strategy though.

Just to clarify, so that other readers don't get confused, what you mean here is you think that *abandoning* the south is the best strategy.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Welcome back Bread! I do have to say I am sorry to see you switching sides but I understand. I missed you and the community will 100% benefit from your knowledge. Again, welcome back.

[RedJohn]

My knowledge is middling at best.

One thing I should mention is that my approach to the Soviets, in 41 at least, is that your units are hot garbage. 100 CPP, 95%+ TOE Infantry Divisions under a good leader are barely passable on the offensive. Additionally, your AFVs are your only real blunting tool against German Panzers.

Thus, my approach the the Soviet defence is that I'm not maximizing damage done, I'm aiming to maximize movement points spent. Ultimately the ideal situation is you bog down the Germans long enough for mud, and then reach a critical mass of troops that denies them a good 42 season - which they absolutely need or they'll lose.



Let's take the south, for example. Besides the occasional rough and light forest hex, it's practically all just rivers and flat terrain. Ideal, for the Axis player. But rivers are extremely potent tools defensively. No matter what unit is defending a river, it forces the same amount of MP to attack it. Although I advocate abandoning the south, this game I'm choosing to defend it - so these rivers are the only tool available for me to hurt axis movement. Careful positioning will be required to maximize the MP spent pushing units aside.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Oh! A defense of the South! I will be watching

[RedJohn]

Turn 3.



Rain across the front this turn. Essentially zero movement in centre, undoubtedly resting for his breaching of the Dnepr. A slight creep forward in the North, and a push to VL. In the south the usual advance. The units with the green circle around them are newly encircled units. 3 Rifle divisions and a tank division, about 35,000 men in total. The tank division was sent on a suicide mission to deny admin movement to his infantry and potentially cut him off, but it didn't get very far. I was willing to sacrifice it given it had 400 trucks, 18 AFVs and 4,000 men - hardly a division at all.

[RedJohn]

In the centre I'm presented with a dilemma; to abandon the Dnepr or hold out one more turn?



Recon shows that his infantry is practically right at the frontline. The major river is powerful, absolutely, and I really desperately want to defend it as long as possible, but the risk seems too great. We have space available to give, and I think I need to respect the changes to German CPP depletion (technically affects both sides, but is more relevant to the Germans for most of the game) and give ground. Generally I've found that you need to run when German infantry makes contact with your frontline as early game Soviets, unless there are no mobile elements supporting them. Blue also has a tendency to blow past my rivers and encircle me, so I'm not keen on repeating that here.

Thus, we retreat!



Positions post retreat. I'll also need to find a unit to shove north-east of the Green NKVD unit.



All is not so bad though - the Western Front's tanks continue to build in strength.

[RedJohn]

One of the most important tools for the early Soviet is the use of transport planes. Units arriving from the reserve, or newly formed units in general, tend to arrive in terrible supply. Let's look at the newly formed 11th army.



It's generally a pretty bleak thing. You could wait a turn and let soviet magic logistics do their thing, but if we use transport planes, a casual 2 missions...



Suddenly they're good to go. You could throw in a 3rd mission if you really wanted them to be at max supply, but this is good enough in my opinion.

By deploying your reserves to airfields and building airfields in advance to deploy to, you're able to ensure newly spawned units negate their rather sordid starting supply situation.

[RedJohn]

Turn 4.



Blue pushes north-west of Smolensk and ends up isolating VL, alongside pocketting some more rifle divisions. Odessa also falls - I understimated his infantry's MP. A setback, but nothing major I don't think.

I expect a brutal assault at Pskov next turn!

[RedJohn]

We have reserves, however.

[RedJohn]

The cossack raids begin! I'm probably sacrificing that cavalry division, but I think it's worth it.



We liberate our trapped units at Smolensk, at least for a turn.



Battle in question.



Our units at VL are screened by very weak panzer regiments, but I lack the forces necessary to dislodge them I think.



We punish the regimenting and even manage to retake Parnu - delicious.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Someone is having too much fun ;-P

[Beethoven1]

How are your trucks with the truck change of -100k? And has blue commented on the German -15k trucks?

[RedJohn]

Turn 5. Blue elects to rout the units north-west of Smolensk in some extraordinarily painful routs. The VL push continues, and the Pskov riverline is breached.




The counters survived, but that's about all that did live!

And at Pskov:

A pretty good battle for us, all things considered.

This one, less so.


We bomb Odessa. Was curious to see how it'd go, and we also ran naval interdiction. Looks to have been fairly successful?

And finally losses as of turn 5, alongside OOB. We barely eek over 3m on-map men.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Turn 5. Blue elects to rout the units north-west of Smolensk in some extraordinarily painful routs. The VL push continues, and the Pskov riverline is breached.



The counters survived, but that's about all that did live!

Yup, DA's on Soviets do the trick. If Blue can get the "magic number" on 3 stack German Inf hasty attacking can also do the trick same as those DA's on a wide front with proper artillery. Interested to see if Blue knows that. I bet he does If he does stand by for more high number losses as that stem rollers moves. Then if he adds GS to it.... Well it is not pretty.

***Defending clear Terrain for Soviets is suicidal in 41

[RedJohn]

Turn 6. Smolensk is surrounded, and we didn't get a single hold this turn despite our significant reserves.



There'll be no breaking that, I suspect.

[RedJohn]

We lure the axis troops deep into VL, and then liberate the city! OOOOOOOOORAAAAAAAAAAAAH

[Hardradi]

Nice one. That penetration looks deep and unprotected.