Road to Leningrad AAR (for Beginners)

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16th Army provides the corridor for the 4 Pz to continue operations next week. Russian defence values are getting higher - just pushing a division back a hex is starting to get just a little bit more tricky - maybe two attacks needed rather than the certain win you could rely on in Turns 1 and 2.

(18th Army will need to provide the grunts for the assault on Leningrad as 16th will be busy holding off the Russian pressure from the East.)

[SGHunt]

And here's the plan:

- 4th Pz (now looking pretty fierce again) breaks the line, takes Mga and Shlisselburg and invests Leningrad, then pushes to the line of the Volkhov and takes the eastern shore Ladoga ports. Starvation and surrender follows!

- 18th carries the Narva line and moves up to Leningrad and starts the close work on the the outer defences of Pushkin and Kolpino

- 16th holds the flank

- the Finns close up to Leningrad and move to their line East of Ladoga and await 4th Pz

It may not be completely original, but it makes sense to this turkey...

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Overview at the start of Turn 6

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The Finns create their motti (as they will!) and destroy two divisions:

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I Corps take Tallinn by coup de main, and the defending ID surrenders on the coast. OKH and von Leeb at AGN are pleased, because Model's Corps remains fresh for the trials to come.

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Air Recon shows me that the Jagala estuary is clear of Russian units so I will send everything else towards Narva. I Corps can clear anything that may emerge from the woods and marshes next turn.

[ComradeP]

Stuart, any idea why the loss figures for the surrendering Rifle divisions in Finland don't match their strength totals, unlike in other similar situations?

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The bold thrust by 4th Pz Grp - again a risk, but worth taking. Keep 'em reeling...

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Here's a feature some of you may not have seen.

II Corps is looking to straighten the line and drive back 119th RD. The 12th is outside of Corps support range (my mistake) over-reaches itself, and has no additional, Corps level, artillery support, and the AI converts its hasty attack into a scouting mission. This is a result of attacking at odds of less than 2-1 and then passing a consequent initiative test, which if successful results in a reconnaissance in force 'attack'. The outcome? Both sides have less casualties than would be the case for a hasty attack (I suspect especially for the 'hasty' and out-gunned attacker!), and an increase in the detection level of the enemy unit, which is good for any subsequent attacks.

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Here's the wide view at end turn 6 - note that resistance at the Narva river has been broken. Isolation leads to quick collapse. I picked up 8000 prisoners and over 300 guns here in two cheap victories.

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Final positions south of Leningrad at the end of turn 6 - 6th Pz has done an advance to the rear to try to create some sort of line to protect supplies. 8th Pz on the Volkhov has only 8% of its required fuel - this is after air re-supply!

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Casualty report start Turn 7 (air is 97 - 1353, 12 sov units destroyed this turn). The loss ratios are enormous - inf c 11-1, air 12-1, art 20-1, armour over 40-1!!! Grofaz thinks it's all over!

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Sov 1st Tank Div, cut off from Volkhov, surrendered after multiple attacks. Look what we bagged:

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End of German Turn 7 - things are looking good.

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Last Motti before Leningrad falls (o/a the No Attack Line):

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Model's reinforced Corps does the business at Pushkin!

[Sabre21]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP

Stuart, any idea why the loss figures for the surrendering Rifle divisions in Finland don't match their strength totals, unlike in other similar situations?

There will always be some that escape capture. If the unit is not isolated, then a large number could possibly escape. Even if they are completely surrounded and destroyed all in the same turn, they are not yet isolated. That doesn't occur until the following turn provided the surrounded unit has not reestablished a supply link.

If they are isolated, then the number of escapes will be smaller and it is possible they will create or join local partisan forces.

[SGHunt]

It's like he said  [:)].... (and sorry, Pieter, I missed your post in my excitement!)

Very few escaped from that motti up on the border (less than six hundred men out of more than 23,000), but more than half escaped complete encirclement and routing in the battle near Leningrad.   Somewhere in between is my bet, for a surrender whilst encircled but not yet isolated.   In my limited experience very few get away, proportionally, from units that surrender whilst isolated.

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News just in from Joel that Walt has re-designed the scenario with many more units for the Russians to build up, and a whole army that should have been here but wasn't - the joys of Alpha!!!!   I shall quickly finish off this assault then launch another against the revised opponent.   I'll keep you posted of what I find.   I'll stick to 'normal' settings to make it a fair comparison.

And please remember, my main purpose here (apart from having a great time, and posting some enjoyable stuff for you lot) was to show you how I am learning the game system, and then learning how to fight using that system! Hope that's been useful and entertaining

Stuart

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Finnish Front end Ger turn 8: