Field Marshal von Fogger vs Comrade Marshal Fulkerson

[larryfulkerson]

I didn't know if an updated view of the Riga would be interesting or not so I'm erring on the side of err by posting. No borders has again
hidden the full extent of the invasion and you're seeing this just as I am not knowing where the bad guys are and having to infer that fact
from the evidence in front of us. I'm gauging the situation by how far his outlayers are and what type of unit(s) they are because the
recon units have better, well, recon capability. My theater recon level is sufficiently low as to seriously hamper my plan making plans. I
think it's maybe a good idea to build some more roadblocks between here and Leningrad so as to buy me enough time to build proper
front lines in the terrain bottlenecks. Not to defend forward but rail in some more troops and form a proper line somewhere nearer to
Leningrad itself. Joh already has units landing within a couple of days of my terrain bottlenecks so it might behove me to act promptly.

[larryfulkerson]

This is the Daugavpils area now. I still own the bridge but that's becoming increasingly irrelevant because of events happening to the
NW. I can imagine in the horror that is my minds eye that Axis units are already streaking to the east to envelop all my valiant defenders.
I'm toying w/ the idea of moving in some roadblocks to the area marked by the red arrow. Axis units may already be there.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the area from Minsk to Orsha. The good news is that it's T5 already and I still own Minsk. It's worth 5% of my total production
output so I DO want to hang onto it as long as possible. The bad news is that Axis units are already within striking range and only my
garrison is there so far. They are a motley lot and can hold on only a turn or two so I'm thinking maybe I should pull some units back to
the Minsk area to beef it up. A little.

[larryfulkerson]

It's my understanding that I'm going to get about two partisans every five turns or so starting in turn 5. Two partisans showed up on
schedule and John just happened to have some units nearby ready to suppress. Good job. This view is at the beginning of the turn
and I've yet to move. I'm planning on seeing how much havoc I can do w/ these two bad boys and if I lose them, well, that's war.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the north end of the Stalin Line. They are holding so far. I'm getting more pressure from the south end of the line which is kind of
surprising since there's not much favorable terrain at the north end. I'm not complaining however. John can take his time getting into
this AO if he wishes.

EDIT: I've identified at least three Panzer divisions present which I identify as main effort. Just the front half of it.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the south end of the Stalin Line. Axis units are in serious negotiations w/ Soviets on the river and pulling back or displacing the
south end of the front lines will only involve moving about three divisions and not much good can be done w/ them but they are all I have
handy. Besides the two Soviet divisions depicted as moving into blocking positions. This is a stop gap only and really only delays the
inevitable.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Odessa area. No serious pressure being exerted by the Axis yet. Although Romanian units are already arriving at the
Dnestr river. I'm hoping the river defenders can hold out for at least a couple of weeks. Four or five turns game time.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Murmansk area now. John seems serious in driving on the port there and I can't imagine he will stop there either. I'm
guessing that he has designs on the units just to the south of Murmansk too. I'll post a picture of the situation there as it's dire too.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the area just to the south of Murmansk. I expect to lose some units here pretty quick. I'm going to pull back to the RR to the south
and try to defend that and leave open the trail to Murmansk. Not enough units to defend anything properly.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Leningrad now. My battleships are helping hold the line and they are getting hit by fighter-bombers several times per turn and I'm
afraid I'm going to lose some of my major ships one of these turns. And then the only arty will be my arty.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the south of Helsinki and I'm posting this to show all the Axis air power John has amassed here. He's expecting a fight obviously.

[Wuffer]

At first sight that doesn't look so dismal, Larry.
Of course this could change very easily...

Do you play with houserules, e.g. not attacking with units in red status etc.?

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Wuffer
At first sight that doesn't look so dismal, Larry.
Of course this could change very easily...

Do you play with houserules, e.g. not attacking with units in red status etc.?

Hey there Wuffer dude. Thanks for posting your question. I need people to do that so that it looks like somebody reads this thing. Um..
Thanks for your vote of confidence. I've never met you but I like you already. I've already decided that I am just playing for the fun of it.
I'm not dedicated to taking notes or anything like that, that's too much like work already. House rules.......um...we have some but to tell
you the truth I'm not watching for violations. I'm letting John do pretty much what ever he wants to. I've already seen evidence that John
is attacking w/ red health units. They are his units and evidently he feels like he needs to drive them that hard. I like to play more
realistically and so on so I don't tend to try to do that. So far I haven't lost a boat-load of units to toe-to-toe fighting.....most of the units
I've lost already have been my roadblocks and the initial turn massacre. I can't imagine that John has lost a whole lot so far. He's pretty
crafty. I'm grateful for this game and I'm having a blast.

[larryfulkerson]

I tried to bust another bridge near Berlin and John is smarter than I am because he had already moved a squadron of ME-109's into the
area and they jumped my bombers as they dumped their bombs. I lost about 40 of my best bombers. I'm going to have to find another
vulnerable area to attack and rinse and repeat.

[Petey]

Larry: I don't think those paratroop drops north of Riga will amount to much. How much firepower can he put in there really? Besides, does he have a supply point there? That said, it could draw off your troops to seal it up, troops you desperately need further down south. We'll see.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Petey
Larry: I don't think those paratroop drops north of Riga will amount to much. How much firepower can he put in there really?

I'm not worried about the paratroops so much as the ports they can capture. Ports that can serve as debarking points for his invading
forces. He moves some more troops via sea into the area in turn 6 so he's amassing quite a group up there.

ORIGINAL: Petey
Besides, does he have a supply point there?

I haven't seen the supply point(s) move yet so I don't really know where they are right now but I'm guessing John has them up near
the front of his spearheads.

ORIGINAL: Petey
That said, it could draw off your troops to seal it up, troops you desperately need further down south. We'll see.

Yeah, I'm short on troops at hand right now. That's why his invasion is so dangerous to me. I'm railing guys to the front line I'm
building west of Smolensk....maybe I should rail some to Leningrad. Obviously that's his immediate goal now, or it would be mine if
I had that situation.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the north half of the front lines in T6:

EDIT: I'm guessing that John's main effort is Leningrad. All the signs are present and the front lines seems to be moving that way.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the south half of the front lines in T6:

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Murmansk area now. John seems intent on pushing for the port. I'm in charge of the motley crew holding the port and they
tell me that they are tired and worn out and they are thinking of pulling back to Archangel.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the area just south of Murmansk and I've had to split my forces and try to guard two avenues simultaneously. Neither are guarded
very well as a result. I'm expecting to be pushed back in both directions.