Workshop for the new guys - Directive 21 (D21)

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a view of the Neya area right now. The supply to this area isn't excellent. But I'm pushing forward hard and these Soviet defenders are worn out, tired, and low on supply. I'll push through here without much trouble.

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[larryfulkerson]

Here's a view of the Arzamas area right now. The defenders are invisible because of the limit of my recon range, but I'm pretty sure there's Soviet defenders present. But I'm pretty sure they are sparse. I'm anticipating a lot of advancing in this area in the next several turns.

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[larryfulkerson]

Here's a view of the T103 front lines right now, before anybody has moved. Inset 1 is the area shown zoomed in inset 2. In this area I'm just tying down Soviet units that could be better used in other areas. I have no goal per se in this area. Just to babysit some Soviet units, maybe kill some.

Inset 4 shows the area indicated by inset 3. In this area I'm fighting over river crossings to advance further east. I want to capture the bridge at Manturovo first before I try to kill the Soviet units trapped against the river to make sure they are really trapped. Although there is a broken bridge just north of my recon unit near the city.

Inset 5 shows a wicked stack of Soviet units. It's huge and has a lot of units and it's probably going to take most of them to tackle this bad boy. On the other hand that's a lot of Soviet units to kill at one time.

Inset 6 shows the Italians being assisted by German units to push the Soviet units back. I'm mostly after the roads and rails leaving whatever is in-between gets bypassed.

Inset 7 shows the Rumanians pushing the Soviets further south along the roads and rails through the mountain foothills and into the mountains.

Inset 9 shows the Axis forces forcing the Soviets to retreat before the steamroller as it follows the roads and rails south. I've managed to trap some Soviet units without supply in the mountain roads. I'll wait until they are pushovers and kill them.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is a T103 view of the Manturovo area right now. I'm fighting over a couple of river crossings and I've captured one, the southernmost one, and I'm in the process of killing all of the Soviet defenders.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is a view of the Konosha area right now. I'm in no hurry making any progress in this area because there are no high value targets this far north so I'm just tying down Soviet units that could be defending somewhere else.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is a view of the Shumeriya area right now. I'm looking at an open road a long way to the east and pitiful defenders when I get there. I'm repairing the rail as I go so that the supply levels won't hold me back. This advance isn't possible without supply.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is a view of the Chervlennaya area right now. I've just now captured an intact bridge over the river in the inset upper rightmost. That's the last bridge over the river so I've captured them all. I'm going to concentrate on the rail going SE from here. This is a strongpoint for the Soviets so I'm probably going to have to flank them cut off their supply path and starve them a bit before trying to assault them.

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[larryfulkerson]

In the middle of the battle I just now completed the surround on a large area of Soviet territory so that everything that still exists inside, is out of supply and can't disband. Whatever exists inside the pocket is going to get killed.

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[larryfulkerson]

It's now T105 and this is the northern edge of the battlefield because Murmansk is no longer in question. I'm making sure to repair the rail as far as I can to help support my advance because it would be impossible without a constant inflow of supply. I keep running into these drib and drabs of Soviet units at random. It's not hard just tricky due to the spread of Soviet units. I'm just going to follow the roads and rails as I go further NE.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is a view of the Kazan area right now. I've just arrived adjacent to some pitiful Soviet units. Unfortunately all the Axis units in this inset have already moved and the 387th Inf Div has also exhausted his MP's so there's nothing remaining to push those defenders aside. It's frustrating but it is what it is.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is the T105 front lines in round 9 just before what might turn out to be the last combat phase. I'm making progress all over the map. This may tend to lend proof of the theory that Germany might have won in Russia if only they could keep up their rail repair. The only difference between vanilla D21 and my modded version is that most of the German HQ's were given 99 rail repair crews. And if they are used prolifically rail repair isn't a problem.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is out in the middle of nowhere and one of my Slovak Experimental Korps from the 1st Fast Division has just now captured an intact bridge over a shallow river. Yes, I know you can walk right across it no problem but I was thinking it would take less MP's to use a bridge. That's the theory. I still have about 1/2 of the force to move yet so things could change.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is the T107 view of what's going on down south. We're pushing south along the coastal road. There's a lot to do yet. It's tough fighting the Russians in the mountains but the road itself is in clear terrain. Every once in a while I'll trap a Soviet unit or two and kill them but it's tricky getting them cornered. Like this Soviet unit on the far left side in the inset.

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[larryfulkerson]

I've finally arrived at Archangel after a long trek across Russia. I'm not sure what he has there but I think I may be able to push these guys over and take the place.

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[larryfulkerson]

Due to the fact that there was almost no defense present I just as much as walked into Kazan and took over the airfields and since then have pushed a lot more of my units through there. This is a boon because of the confluence of rails and river and roads and airfields etc. I've since then moved in some fighters and bombers and I'm making it into a fortress because of it's importance to me.

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[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines in T108 just before the first combat phase. I planned this image very badly. Sorry, my bad. I'll try better next time.

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[larryfulkerson]

It's now T109 and I just now pushed the SS Viking onto the hex a Soviet stack ( small ) occupied and forced it out of the hex so that I could capture another intact bridge over the river. Because of that I've trapped another small group of Soviet units on the wrong side of the river. They will disappear soon.

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[larryfulkerson]

It's now T110 this is the front lines before anybody has moved. Well, I did dig in OKH because he doesn't move, he's just there to babysit the tired planes. My shingles is driving me crazy. Don't scratch it. Don't scratch it.

Anyway Inset 1 shows my Finn units approaching Archangel but are resting to gain enough supply to attempt an assault.

Inset 2 shows the pitiful state the Soviet defenses are. This used to be their road block but my attacks have driven it off-road, opening the road.

Inset 3 shows the extent you have to defend off-road while your advance follows roads or rails. I'm pushing NE and north simultaneously.

Inset 4 shows how I'm digesting the remnants of a past Soviet defender roadblock. Down south I'm pushing for my local goal, the city of Sterlitamak with it's rails and river crossing.

Inset 5 shows me using the Italian troops to surround and destroy multiple Soviet units slowly, as supply allows. The supply levels in this AO aren't not excellent.

Inset 6 shows one of the more stout Soviet defensive positions. I'm moving my Panzer divisions down here to push along the north coastal road that I'm planning on using on my push south.

Inset 7 shows the poor condition of the Soviet units and how little they are using for road blocks now.

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[larryfulkerson]

I just now pushed the 59th Aufklar of the 8th Panzer Division out to the east as far and as fast as it could go. Supply out that far is about 5 and it's approaching a strong hold in the form of a large city. But losing that recon unit is okie dokie if it will accelerate my advance. Right now the Russians are hurting and I need to take advantage of that while I have the advantage in shock value and morale. My land shock value is 120 and the Soviet shock is 98 and their morale level is about 40 or so and mine is in the high 80's or so. It's now or never.

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[larryfulkerson]

This is a T110 view of the Chkalov area right now. I've run into a large contingent of Soviets units and these are the Dark Red Guards units, the very best of the Soviet forces. And these are large units and they are dug in. I'm going to have to surround these guys and bombard them for several turns to soften them up before trying to handle them severely.

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