The Sky’s the Limit- PBEM GC 41 jubjub (Axis) vs. M60A3TTS (Soviet)

[Shupov]

One unmentioned item is what your recommended pilot Replacement settings are. I'm not sure whether my current settings work with, or are in conflict with your rotation strategies.

Including your remote Air Command deployments, my scheme is now (order dependent):

Air Groups tab
TB = Map
F, FB = TPI
TB = Priority
LB = Normal
Aircraft type "I-1" = RES
Clear aircraft type
Exp = 61 to 99 = TPI
North Caucasus, Arkhangelsk, Volga AC = RES

I'm thinking "F, FB = TPI" is in conflict with your strategy since it will pull most or all the best pilots from the Free Pool. Any other comments are appreciated!

[M60A3TTS]

A couple comments I have is first, that at least in the past, TPI was bugged. On-map units set to that were seeing a lot of aircraft in that unit moved to a reserve state. The fix which I implemented was to just use priority and normal settings. It's not really hard to get basically the same results.

The other thing is that the free pool is not a trained pilot pool. It is simply the first pilot pool from which pilots with the appropriate skill set will be drawn until that pool is exhausted. Then the trained pilot pool is used. So if you have a lot of losses, the normal pilot setting will still draw down the free pool numbers. Only by going to a restricted setting will they not.

I just keep it simple. FFB minus I-types are priority along with TBs if the pool is big enough. All others normal.

[M60A3TTS]

Week 19

Heavy rain continues everywhere.

Here is what the aircraft numbers look like on the Production screen. IL-2 and MiG-3 production has been suspended as factories have been sent east.



Let's review where we are with artillery support units.

B-4 howitzer unit reorganization is complete. All the original BM regiments are gone, insuring at least 24 guns authorized in all units going forward. Army Artillery Regiments have 36 guns authorized which is a bonus, and the Heavy Gun Regiments will stay at 24 guns always. They will make a nice core for guards artillery later. They will all make their way into armies assigned to assault fronts.



I even managed to do better as expected with two Heavy Gun Regiments getting the Br-5 280mm siege mortars. No 12-gun battalions for these boyz. They will make a nice addition to Stavka Reserve.



The ML-20 152mm gun howitzers also nicely rounding out. These too will go to the armies of the assault fronts and hold promise making it to guards status somewhere in the future.



None of these will ever be the equals of German artillery support units but numbers have a quality of their own.

All the non-Assault HQ armies will make due with all the Corps Artillery regiments and assorted light rocket units.

[M60A3TTS]

Georgy Zhukov's win-loss rate is absolutely hideous from his time commanding Stavka. Still, Stalin counts on him to turn things around one day with the 380,000 troops of the Central Front.



Zhukov has also put a strong supporting cast underneath him.

[Beethoven1]

I am glad to see that 203mm artillery is a new type of Soviet airplane and that Ivan Konev is a flight leader (seriously, I am happy to read stuff about the land, although your discussion of flight leader pilots has taught me a thing or 2 as well).

[M60A3TTS]

I am glad to see that 203mm artillery is a new type of Soviet airplane and that Ivan Konev is a flight leader (seriously, I am happy to read stuff about the land, although your discussion of flight leader pilots has taught me a thing or 2 as well).

Yes, I do have the option once blizzard hits to report the air actions:

Week 25 nothing happened...
Week 26 nothing happened...
Week 27 nothing happened...

You get the idea...

Either that or I can come back in March to talk about renewed IL-2 production if that's what floats your boat.

Fact is, whatever secrets people were expecting to pick up on have pretty much all been revealed, but we will certainly continue to highlight the air situation where it remains relevant, i.e. air supplies to Leningrad.

[Beethoven1]

How many planes have been crashed into the ground in your theater boxes and reserve box?

[M60A3TTS]

How many planes have been crashed into the ground in your theater boxes and reserve box?

Northern Front 600
Far East 432
Transcaucasus 247
Soviet Reserves 1022

[Beethoven1]

How many planes have been crashed into the ground in your theater boxes and reserve box?

Northern Front 600
Far East 432
Transcaucasus 247
Soviet Reserves 1022

Is it realistic for the losses to be higher in the Far East and Transcaucasus than in the Northern Front (where there is, you know, actual combat)? It seems like the Siberian pine trees must have integrated anti-aircraft guns in their pinecones which take potshots at the I-15s as they fly by. And over in the Transcaucasus they must be deliberately crashing their planes into mountains for fun.

[Shupov]

B-4 howitzer unit reorganization is complete. All the original BM regiments are gone, insuring at least 24 guns authorized in all units going forward. Army Artillery Regiments have 36 guns authorized which is a bonus, and the Heavy Gun Regiments will stay at 24 guns always. They will make a nice core for guards artillery later. They will all make their way into armies assigned to assault fronts.

The artillery reorganization is impressive this early in the campaign. These powerful units will be trained up and deployed to the Assault Fronts in time for the winter blizzards! The displays show 17 Heavy Gun and 7 Army Artillery Regiments with 203mm B-4 howitzers, 2 Heavy Gun Regiments with 280mm Br-5 siege mortars plus 35 Army Artillery Regiments with 152mm ML-20's. In total there are 19 Heavy Gun and 42 Army Artillery Regiments.

In my most recent games I have at most 1 Heavy Gun and 30 Army Artillery Regiments by Turn 19. I didn't use Build for either type since they each cost 1 AP at this point. Assuming equal reinforcement levels implies you spent in the neighborhood of 30 AP to account for the difference.

If that's roughly correct, is it worth that many precious AP at this point in the campaign? That's a lot of depots, fortification zones and even leader upgrades.

In particular I have on average 22 BM Regiments with 24 203mm B-4's. Their OB stays at this level until April, 1942. Why not keep them around until March after the blizzards and then transition to the Heavy Gun Regiments? The Heavy Gun Regiments would be "free" after January 4th, and there should be enough time to get them trained and deployed before the summer campaign.

[M60A3TTS]

How many planes have been crashed into the ground in your theater boxes and reserve box?

Northern Front 600
Far East 432
Transcaucasus 247
Soviet Reserves 1022

Is it realistic for the losses to be higher in the Far East and Transcaucasus than in the Northern Front (where there is, you know, actual combat)? It seems like the Siberian pine trees must have integrated anti-aircraft guns in their pinecones which take potshots at the I-15s as they fly by. And over in the Transcaucasus they must be deliberately crashing their planes into mountains for fun.

There are three times as many fighter and fighter bombers in the combined Far East and Transcaucasus TBs as there are in the Northern TB.

Northern 370
Transcaucasus 659
Far East 511

That's a total of 81 regiments of which 75 are I-Types.

I also have my 45 regiments, all I-Type that contain the on-map pilot reserves totaling 2,909 pilots.

[M60A3TTS]

B-4 howitzer unit reorganization is complete. All the original BM regiments are gone, insuring at least 24 guns authorized in all units going forward. Army Artillery Regiments have 36 guns authorized which is a bonus, and the Heavy Gun Regiments will stay at 24 guns always. They will make a nice core for guards artillery later. They will all make their way into armies assigned to assault fronts.

The artillery reorganization is impressive this early in the campaign. These powerful units will be trained up and deployed to the Assault Fronts in time for the winter blizzards! The displays show 17 Heavy Gun and 7 Army Artillery Regiments with 203mm B-4 howitzers, 2 Heavy Gun Regiments with 280mm Br-5 siege mortars plus 35 Army Artillery Regiments with 152mm ML-20's. In total there are 19 Heavy Gun and 42 Army Artillery Regiments.

In my most recent games I have at most 1 Heavy Gun and 30 Army Artillery Regiments by Turn 19. I didn't use Build for either type since they each cost 1 AP at this point. Assuming equal reinforcement levels implies you spent in the neighborhood of 30 AP to account for the difference.

If that's roughly correct, is it worth that many precious AP at this point in the campaign? That's a lot of depots, fortification zones and even leader upgrades.

In particular I have on average 22 BM Regiments with 24 203mm B-4's. Their OB stays at this level until April, 1942. Why not keep them around until March after the blizzards and then transition to the Heavy Gun Regiments? The Heavy Gun Regiments would be "free" after January 4th, and there should be enough time to get them trained and deployed before the summer campaign.

You raise a good point. In my defense, I'll just say I prefer to get an early start on the whole training thing so the experience levels can be maximized before the 1942 summer campaign. So to that end, I am willing to spend the requisite APs.

[M60A3TTS]

PICTURES!

Week 20

Our beloved Chief of the General Staff.


He has seen to it that the Red Army now begins to grow with the arrival of mud.


The enemy is temporarily halted while digesting it's huge gains.


Back in Red Square, the Chief of Staff stands with the Great Stalin.


And takes the salute of the troops.


The guns that the Red Army needs are flowing to the battlefield in profuse numbers.


The Chief of Staff also sees to it that the tank and mechanized divisions stay well equipped. Despite the losses, the AFV numbers remain consistent.


Did you know the Chief of Staff made the cover of Time Magazine?


He still finds time to hang out with the family.


Air losses have been reasonable as the VVS continues to operate solely with modern fighters across the front.


Manpower losses have been manageable despite the great loss of ground.


You know, in early days Voroshilov would be photographed with other renowned Soviet leaders. Now he commands Southern Front. And others are made Chief of Staff.


We have guards rifle divisions!


The Chief of Staff just wanted to point that out.

[Beethoven1]

Budyonny is such a fantastic leader. Inspiring stuff!

[EwaldvonKleist]

Motorization is just a fad, horses are the future. And who knows them better than our beloved Marshal Budyonny!

[Shupov]

Since we're going totally off-topic during the mud season I'll add this rant.

I never thought I'd spend AP to put Budyonny in charge of a Front. But this guy was put in charge of my Caucasus Front, and he makes Budyonny look like Vatutin by comparison!

[AlbertN]

Small excursus - but breaking a spear for Budyonny.
Most of the 'prominent and skilled' Soviet generals served under him and as part of his staff when he was THE cavalry leader of the bolsheviks.
Simply he was a man of old used to ride a horse; and his mindset was still stuck in his era of glory.
It was a diffused sentiment across many nations, to simply stick to the 'known ways' that work(ed) instead of launching into innovative business - that at the early start certainly does not have the best impressions.

[M60A3TTS]

Week 21

jubjub knows time is running out so he needs to get his licks in. Vyazma is lost as most action is in the center. A few sparring matches to the south.



1st and 6th SAD launch the IL-2s and Su-2s in the area west of Gorbachevo.



Dueling supply runs in the north. TB-3s as transports are very important here.



IL-2 production which is only delivered every other week brings in no new aircraft. We remain at 1,309 delivered.

Modern fighter pools are taxed as they continue to provide all the front line activity.

Pools:
MiG-3 83
Yak-1 50
LaGG-3 240
Hurricane II-B 123

[M60A3TTS]

Week 22

More supply runs to Leningrad. 608 tons delivered by Leningrad and Northwest Transport Groups.

In the center, the battles continue. jubjub surrounds 3 rifle divisons and a cavalry division.



I finally get around to doubling up the ground attack divisions onto 2-strip bases. That would give me a theoretical maximum of 200 ground attack aircraft in 10 regiments per base. This is something like a forerunner of the ground attack corps. So what we have looks like this.

1st Ground Attack Corps (Moscow Air Command supporting Central Front)
1SAD
6SAD

2nd Ground Attack Corps (Western Air Command)
76 SAD
77 SAD

3rd Ground Attack Corps (Western Air Command)
14 SAD
146 BAD

4th Ground Attack Corps (Southwestern Air Command)
4 SAD
17 SAD

Stavka Reserve
75 SAD
140 SAD

In go three of my corps. Not as impressive as redjohn's numbers, I'll admit.



All of these air commanders are living on borrowed time. But for the moment precious APs are better spent elsewhere.

[FortTell]

So you are making single massive ground attack sorties. How do they stack up against a multitude of small sorties (of no more than 10 planes?)?