The Iron Dream : An Impossible AAR

[horza66]

The situation at the beginning of the summer proper. The enemy line in front of Rostov is shattered.

[horza66]

By mid-July we have relieved most of the cities in the Donbas, and our Southern and Crimea Fronts are about to link up.

[horza66]

By the end of the summer campaign we are preparing to relieve Kharkov. The entire Southern and Central regions have involved more headlong pursuit and occasional pocketing of the enemy than actual battle. We are restrained by the necessary upgrading of rail and supply lines than by enemy reisistance. In the course of the summer we have destroyed approximately 90 enemy divisions.

[horza66]

Even as their defences in the South and Central sectors degenerate into chaos, the enemy troops in front of Moscow sit safely in their fortresses. To breach the lines here and spread the rout northward we will organise a northern and southern front command, each comprising two shock and one tank army, with dedicated air and artillery assets. They will aim to meet in front of Moscow, pocketing as many of the enemy as possible.

[Garth Vader]

Nice work, great AAR!

[76mm]

Looks like I've missed a bit, great turn around!

Could you please tell us your losses and OOB strength?

Also, you probably mentioned it, but I've forgotten--did you lose any of your key industrial facilities?

[horza66]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

Looks like I've missed a bit, great turn around!

Could you please tell us your losses and OOB strength?

Also, you probably mentioned it, but I've forgotten--did you lose any of your key industrial facilities?

Once I'd ground down the German forces by attacking every 1-2 CV unit I could see every turn the almost-impossible challenge disappeared. As a result I've accelerated the AAR greatly rather than bore everyone with the litany of victories and pockets reduced. I did enjoy doing it though - after the agony of the first twenty turns it felt well deserved.

The main question now is: Can I get a decisive victory? It's a long way from Gorkiy to Moscow, and the Germans have plenty of units left to set up roadblocks.

OOB and Casualty lists to follow.

Edit: I lost significant numbers of armament factories in '41. Approximately half of the Donbas factories I think. A larger proportion of the heavy industry too, though with resources running low I didn't suffer so much because of that. I preserved all the tank factories, and most vehicle and aircraft factories.

[horza66]

The respective casualty lists. 7 million to 4 million lost. The ratio of losses is approximately 1:1 since mid-1942.

[horza66]

The forces we will open the winter 43-44 campaign with. More than 8 million facing 3 million German and approximately 1 million allies. We outnumber the enemy approximately 6:1 in all supporting arms.

[76mm]

Wow, you lost 7 million and still have 8 million? That is encouraging!

[Garth Vader]

But depresses me when playing as German.