Tyrone vs MagicMissile

[tyronec]

South.
Cross the Kerch straights.
Rostov looked too hard to assault, have it surrounded this turn.

1 Army killed this turn, Soviet forces below 2k for the first time.

[tyronec]

North.
Not much combat as the Soviets are retreating, just kill the three pocketed armies.

[tyronec]

South.
The Rostov army escaped by sea, kill the other one.
Otherwise just following up

[tyronec]

Med.
British invade Sardinia in force. Looks like I may lose 2 units, have made a total mess up here.
Did get a destroyer with Interdiction.
If I survive this turn the Brits could be in trouble with not much supply on the island.

[Flaviusx]

This game is kind of wild and interesting. Germans running rampant in the east, but the Western allies also running rampant in the Med. Honestly not sure how this shakes out.

Axis is getting quite stretched in the east. Soviets have their backs pressed up against the wall, but also could have some tasty counterattacking opportunities if they can ride it out.

Once the USA comes in, Italy is in real trouble and is going to need help. Losing Italy early would be a blow to the Axis.

[tyronec]

The situation in the East is going well for Axis, am not in any way stretched. My hope is the Soviets will be too weak come winter to launch much of a counter attack.

On the other hand have made some mistakes and left myself exposed in the West, just don't know how it is going to be trying to defend Italy. Leaving one port in Sardinia open by mistake was a killer.

The grand strategy was always to push to knock the Soviets out of the game, or at least so weak that they were not much of a threat. Time will tell if it is going to work but expect I can probably switch some forces back to the West for '42.

[Flaviusx]

I'll take your word for it, but I think going after Stalingrad and the oilfields is going to challenging. And your rear area at this point has to be getting pretty large and difficult to cover against all possible partisans.

The Soviets get some very good formations from Siberia that with winter advancements might find some weak spots in your line. And your unit strengths will drop some in the winter. You do seem to be keeping your supply in pretty good shape so far, admittedly.

[MagicMissile]

Unfortunately supply is not a big problem. With a March start supply lines are 12 hexes more east than they are with a historical Bararossa. I think but I guess it needs to be tried out in a couple of games but if the Russians don´t defend forward with all hes got then Barbarossa should be launched as soon as possible in 1941. All that matters is that you can get your supply net going and the German infantry up to the Russian defense line asap. I dont think the increased production is enough compensation for the Russians.

A few partisans have shown up but there are enough rail lines so they have been without consequence.

[tyronec]

My whole computer got wiped so no screenshots for a couple of turns.

End September.
Continued to attack in the North, killing 4 armies and pocketing another.
Killed a couple of Cav. corps in the South, still pushing forwards.

Start October.
In the North am pulling back to avoid the Arctic Circle with it's lethal weather.
South was Mud, still pushing on and take Krasnodar. Weather is variable down here right through the winter so anything could happen.

Rear areas have not been a problem so far in this game, have flooded them with Allied units and so far have been able to cover all the rail lines and air units.

Med. The disaster on Sardinia is coming to an end, have lost 2 Corps. Something going wrong with my oil, have been convoying to Italy but it is all disappearing, so aircraft have been unable to fly. Should at least have sunk a few ships here even if Sardinia was always going to be lost. Think there is a bug here but with it being an HvH game have no evidence.

[Flaviusx]

I do think you do need to defend forward, as a matter of fact. And in depth as well.

Wait until you see my build order and deployment.

Would you believe 41 cavalry corps?

[MagicMissile]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

I do think you do need to defend forward, as a matter of fact. And in depth as well.

Wait until you see my build order and deployment.

Would you believe 41 cavalry corps?

Yes will be interesting to see. I built a fair amount of cav corps and I think the 41 corps have 4 strength and the extra mobility so not bad but I have not really been given any opportunity to use them in any harmful way.

[MagicMissile]

Since Tyrone cant show any screenshots I can post. This is the end of the first turn of October East front.

As can be seen the situation not good. Russia and therefore the game is most likely finished but I guess it will take a 42 campaign to make it so.

The last two turns of clear weather ie September was too much. Up till then it was bad but felt ok but September was a disaster. That means that even a early May start would kind of have been ok. Now when the clear weather is finished I might write something about the experience. Time for bed here soon so I will do it later.

[MagicMissile]

And the situation in the Med. Since I don´t have much to be happy over in the east forgive me for showing the result of British bombing of Turin completely destroying the FIAT factories there [:)]

[MagicMissile]

BTW what does it tke to kick out Italy of the war? There was some change if I remember correctly but now I can´t find it.

[Flaviusx]

The key thing for my build is I get rid of *all* the rifle corps save a few holding ports.

The entire frontier is held by cavalry, almost the whole of it, except for the most extreme salients. And even those have a zoc screen. The armor is placed in the rear and in position they can counterattack from.

Any kind of mud offensive will go nowhere in a hurry. These units are strong enough that they will require some actual effort to shove aside. The stupid rifle corps just blow up in 10-1 attacks. They aren't even speed bumps. The German is going to need clear weather, he can't just stomp a few ants and bull rush the Soviet the way Tyronec did here.

[tyronec]

BTW what does it tke to kick out Italy of the war? There was some change if I remember correctly but now I can´t find it.

You have to knock them below their morale threshold, which is quite a lot right now.
After USA join in their morale drops and I think then 1 or 2 cities would do it.

[tyronec]

Front has gone static in Russia except in the far South.
Take Krasnovar in the mud and continue to pile troops in.

Allies giving Italy a bit of a pounding. Am not sure if it is worth the investment of potting AA in Italian cities.

[tyronec]

Mud in the Cacausus, still get in one attack and take Maikop.
Oil should start flowing in a couple of turns.

[tyronec]

Get a clear turn in the southern zone and attack all out.

Two German infantry against one average Soviet defender usually gets 4:1, so am able to do attrition attacks above and below Stalingrad.
Pocket a Mech unit that was threatening Rostov.
In the South am setting up to attack the mountain hexes, hoping I can take one with enough bombing and 3 units attacking.
Germany has full manpower so am hoping the attrition will be working against the Soviets but no idea what their economy is like.

Not much happening elsewhere, British are doing some bombing.
The Baltic bug got fixed so the two Soviet naval units will just sit there till '45.

[tyronec]

Mud so no action this turn, just some repositioning by both sides.
My Romanian division holds off several attacks to keep that Mech pocketed, should be able to kill them next turn.