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ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

It's really good to see that the team play model is still working. Following this with interest. (Note - I will not be playing on the other side at any point and I don't communicate anything to them. Just academic interest as a 'sponsor'!)

Np, good to see you here! This team game is really fun, and I am very happy it is still going on. I am really enjoying it.

Turn 19. October 23 1941. Overview of the front after Soviet moves. The front lines are solidifying, and looking much more orderly. Considerable reinforcements have been directed to the northern and southern sectors.

Turn 20, STAVKA ORDERS

COMRADES!

The Fascists invaders are showing very little activity, no doubt intimidated by the patriot spirit displayed by civilians and soldiers alike in the defense of the motherland, and possibly also slowed down by the inclement weather.

OVERALL:

Our lines are looking much better, but still neede some improvement. We have one more turn of mud before snow weather will anable new fascist offensive attempts. Possible enemy intentions are offensive actions in the Orel area and south, this based on their panzer deployments and recon activity.

STAVKA reinforcements have been moved to your sectors. Please take command of any STAVKA units that are behind your front . Unload what you can, but as before don't be overly concerned about leaving units on trains, as we do not need to evacuate a lot of stuff right now. Exception: The naval infantry brigades near Novorossisk is a STVKA asset, to be held ready for invasions of the Crimea.

We must have a firm line before snow weather. Two deep front backed up by a loose third line of checkerboard is the goal! Even so, we must be aware that the fascist panzers can and will cut through three lines, but in snow will not have the moves to complete large encirclements.

NORTH:

Beginning to look good! Be aware that the Germans will probably not commit to an offensive in your area during snow, there is not much there to take. There is a possible enemy concentration southwest of Kalinin, but that will hit Western front if it turns out to be a threat.

What might be of some concern is that the enemy will probably incite his Finnish fascist minions to attack during blizzard, to ease the pressure on other fronts, but that is some time in the future.

Try to take the NKVD regiments out of the front, they are too weak to hold the front. We will possibly disband a few of those to use the armaments better.

CENTER:

STAVKA is assembling reserves around Moscow. This is partly because we still have a lot of industry in Moscow. I do not want to evacuate that, as we need to keep them online and producing. This means that we absoultely cannot afford to lose Moscow to a snow offensive. Once we get near to blizzard, those troops will be redistributed and form the basis of our winter counteroffensive.

SOUTH:

Continue to build up lines there. Substantial reinforcements have been moved south, and more is coming. Indications are that if the enemy is considering a snow offensive, this will be the place.

You can continue to move your troops around Stary Oskol south a bit and leave empty hexes in the front. Kalinin front can take over a couple hexes of front there.

Stalin. Shaposhnikov.

Turn 21, STAVKA ORDERS

DEFENDERS OF THE MOTHERLAND!

The time has come for one final effort to resist the impudent invaders of our socialist motherland! The next few turns will be snow, and give the invaders some mobility, but after that, we can expect the Blizzard, and we all know what that means!

OVERALL

Our lines in the north and center are strong. Moscow will not fall! In the south, things are more uncertain. There appears to be enemy concentrations of armor east of Kursk and to the far south. We can probably expect a limited enemy offensive in the south.

NORTH AND CENTER

Continue as before. Our lines look good.

SOUTH

We can expect an anemy operation here. Nearly all our reinforcements have been sent south. Take command of Stavka units up to 10 hexes behind your front and try to build up a defense in depth. We want to avoid further encirclements here.

Stalin. Shaposhnikov.

Map of the southern part of the front after Soviet moves. Now we are bracing for the last fascist onslaught before general winter arrives.

Turn 22. November 13 1941. Snow.

It is with some apprehension I open up the turn. One never knows what the fascist invaders have been up to. This time it ended with a feeling of relief as I finished studying the map. No major breakthroughs or encirclements, just some pushing forward in selected sectors. Below a map of the southern front showing fascist attacks.

The only encirclement is on the Taman peninsula, where the Germans have first photographed every single square verst of the motherland in almost obscene detail and then proceeded to encircle a couple of Soviet divisions on the peninsula.

Edit: They have actually airdropped a paratrooper regiment and cut off our units. Despite our natural hatred for the invaders of our motherland, one must reluctantly admire a well conducted operation. Nicely done!

Turn 22, STAVKA ORDERS

COMRADES!

The final fascist assault before blizzard has started. The fascist have contented themselves with some wide pushes but no big encirclements. This is good.

OVERALL

Keep giving ground slowly where the fascists attack. If we can keep them moving forwards, they will not be well dug in when blizzard starts, so it is to our advantage to entice them to keep moving slowly forward.

As usual, take command of any STAVKA units up to 7 hexes behind your front. Reinforcements have been railed to your sectors, mostly to the south.

NORTH AND CENTER

Our lines look good, and only shallow German advances have been made.

SOUTH

Situation seems under control on the main front. Just keep pulling back slowly to entice the Germans forward.

On the Taman peninsula, if possible, try to free our trapped comrades. There is only one weak paratrooper unit that needs to be pushed back. You can do it!

Stalin. Shaposhnikov.

In a spirited counterattack the brave soldiers of the Workers and Peasants Red Army rout the airlanded invaders of the Taman peninsula! Great job from the South Front! The commander of the southern Front will be presented with the Order of Lenin and a "Get out of Gulag" - card.

Edit: ...despite filching one of the naval brigades in STAVKA reserve in Novorossiysk without permission and replacing it with an ordinary rifle brigade! STAVKA sees everything! [;)]

The Moscow - Tula area after Soviet moves. A slight pullback has been made west of Tula, in the hope that the Germans will creep forward and be without fortifications when blizzard arrives. Also, some forts have been built in front of Moscow, to be ready for stricter fort rules in 1.05.

Turn 23, STAVKA ORDERS

COMRADES!

The cowardly fascists have abandoned their ill-gotten gains on the Taman peninsula. The very threat of a counteroffensive by the Red Army has made them scurry to the rear like the rats they are! Well done Comrade Flam in the south!

OVERALL

It is time to prepare for the winter counteraoffensive. There will be two more turns of snow, and then - Blizzard!

STAVKA has prepared a rough plan for the winter offensive, see maps below. Collect your best troops in position and prepare for the attack. I think we can afford to build the occasional ski-battallion, I don't think they cost all that much armaments. Apart from that, the only support units we can afford are probably construction battallions, so you can make sure each army has a couple of them.

As usual, take command of any STAVKA units up to 7 hexes behind your front. Reinforcements have been railed to your sectors, mostly to the south again.

NORTH AND CENTER

The northern winter offensive will be between Kalinin and Vyzhni Volochek. See map below and plan accordingly. Move adjacent to the Finns in the north to make sure they take attritrion.

SOUTH

Due to the fact that the enemy seems to the worst prepared here, this is where we will put our main effort in the winter offensive. Therefore, the south has again received the lions share of reinforcements. See map below.

Stalin. Shaposhnikov.

PLAN FOR THE NORTHERN COUNTEROFFENSIVE. TO START DEC 1st.

The offensive will hit the fascists between Kalinin and Vyzhni Volochek, where their fortifications appear weak, in a joint operation conducted by Northwestern Front and Western Front. The object is more to hurt the enemy than capture of territory.
1st Shock Army is assembling at Kalinin.

PLAN FOR THE SOUTHERN WINTER OFFENSIVE.

The main effort will be in the south, roughly from opposite Kharkov and south. The Kalinin Front will provide support as best they can. The objective is again to hurt the enemy, but here we expect also the recapture of the Donbass and Kharkov! The yellow line denotes the objective.

OOB turn 23. The enemy outnumber us if we count his minor fascist minions, no doubt because our heavy losses of industry. However, that will not deter the staunch defenders of the motherland!

And losses trun 23. Not all that bad, it is our industry losses that are the problem.

Turn 24, STAVKA ORDERS

WORKERS AND PEASANTS OF THE RED ARMY!

The temperature is dropping and the State Meteorological offfice can say that with 100% certainty, next turn will be blizzard! The time has come to avenge the minor setbacks inflicted on us by the fascist invaders during summer and autumn.

OVERALL

It is now high time to prepare for the winter counteroffensive. Creep up to the front with all attack-ready units. Think ahead what enemy hexes you will want to attack next turn, and try to have suufficient force adjacent so that we can attack with delibarate attacks on the first turn of blizzard. You need not be afraid of stacking up now, the next German turn will be blizzard, and they will not attack! The time for red carpets or checkerboards is past.

See the STAVKA plan of attack from last turns orders, and plan accordingly.

As usual, take command of any STAVKA units up to 7 hexes behind your front. Reinforcements have been railed to your sectors, mostly to the south again.

NORTH

You must get adjacent to the Finns in the north to make sure they take attritrion!

SOUTH

Here is where our main hopes for the winteroffensive is. Creep up adjacent to the Germans and plan your attacks for next turn!

Stalin. Shaposhnikov.

Map of the Volchov front preparing for the winter counteroffensive. 1st Shock army will spearhead the assault here.

Tarhuunas,

I notice that you seem to oveload all of the Fronts Command, and keep no Stavka Reserve Armies. How many CUs over the limit do you go; is there any limit for you?

Marquo

ORIGINAL: Marquo

Tarhunnas,

I notice that you seem to oveload all of the Fronts Command, and keep no Stavka Reserve Armies. How many CUs over the limit do you go; is there any limit for you?

Marquo

No, one or two is slightly overloaded out of necessity, but otherwise they are within the limit.

There were a lot of STAVKA reserves around Moscow, but they have just been moved up to the front in preparation for the Winter offensive. Also there is a reserve army east of Moscow and a couple building up in the South.

I have noticed an interesting thing. In a team game like this, I as STAVKA, tend to want to have reserve armies, while when I am playing alone, I send everything to the front where it will maximise the combat power available. I supppose as high command there is an advantage in control in having reserve armies. It gives me some reserves that I can use to really make things happen somewhere.

An update for new readers. This is a team game started due to an idea by Redmarkus that has been going on for some time now. On the Soviet side we are:

* Me Tarhunnas as STAVKA and the central direction (Volchov, Western, Kalinin and Bryansk fronts)
* Buchand as commander in the north (Leningrad and Northwestern fronts)
* Cpt Flam in the south (Southwestern, Southern, Caucasus and Transcaucasus fronts)

We are averaging about a turn a week. While slower than a normal game, there are some definitely interesting aspects that the team game is bringing out, as for example the Reserve armies mentioned above. It is also a great learning experience, and fun. Not least because this is my first game as Soviet where the German hangs on long enough that I get to conduct a Blizzard offensive...