Providence Lost: A 42-45 multiplayer grand campaign game

[Mynok]

Nice use of reserves on offense. Need to learn to do that better.

[fiva55]

With the winter ending, all offensive operations have been halted, and our Panzer Armies have been tasked with stabilizing our frontlines wherever needed.

[karonagames]

@fiva55. Could you post a screenshot of the current OOB numbers. Thanks.

[fiva55]

Casualties have been mounting these last weeks, mainly due to the resilience and the skill of the Soviet infantry. Like the growing number of enemy tanks, Soviet infantry outnumber us everywhere at least 2 to 1. Unlike the tank battles though, where we regularly get 10:1 kills ratio's in our favour, the Soviet infantry is more then a equal to our forces. These days, even counter attacks to beat off local incursions inflict heavy casualties on our side.

[fiva55]

ORIGINAL: BigAnorak

@fiva55. Could you post a screenshot of the current OOB numbers. Thanks.

Will do once my turn returns. I will post some other statistics as well. Any more specific requests?

[karonagames]

It would help to get an idea of how you have managed your manpower and armaments points. As you have seen in the other thread, Tarhunnas left this late, and has a shortage of rifle squads. How have you monitored and managed your rifle squads?

[fiva55]

Infantry TOE and Panzer TOE have been set to 55%. Artillery, anti air and anti tank TOE set to 60%, rocket TOE left at 100%.

The first winter weeks I set my entire army in refit mode, giving me an average of 600k replacement coming in every week, but dropping my armanents pool to 560 points. I tried experimenting, and just put my unready infantry divisions in refit mode. That doubled my armanents pool to around 1100 points, but halved my replacements coming in to 300k. I will probably change back to refitting my entire army.

Rifle squads, I had around 16k of them, few turns back I checked, but I will have to check again when my turn comes back.

[fiva55]

Can anyone tell me the effect of weather on combat. I know it effects MP and air missions, but can't seem to find any documentation of it's effect on CV.

[fiva55]

Winter has ended, and the front is more or less quiet. With both sides building up their strength for the coming summer, OKH decides to release the statistics of the winter of 42/43 for all to study.

Starting with the frontline map:

[Jajusha]

Mud months comming in. In the end, i couldn't reach Stalino, and the buffer area around Muscow only grew in the north. The major factor for me have been AP points and Infantry divisions. After losing so many infantry units in the summer of 42 my lines are thiner then i would like and I'm struggling to replace inf divisions and still be able to build Arty divisions. It was becoming easier and easier to move Fivas defensive lines in these final turns, but winter MP rules and his mobile panzer haven't allowed any great "adventures" on my side.

In the far north, i could have done a gamey maneuver a long time ago: moving all my lines 1 square away from the finish no move line. Only thing i would be losing would be Cherepovets, and the fins would no longer be a problem. But, i really dislike the idea of exploiting this no move line.

At this pace, taking Berlin in 45 is become more and more remote, but the full 43 is still to be played, let's see what i can muster.

[fiva55]

Time: April 1943
Location: OKH Meeting Room

Gathered in this room are all the important frontline commanders. The lack of politicians is noticeable, it seems that they have not been invited. Today the plans for the coming summer will be discussed among these peers, by now all veterans of the eastern front.

The reports are handed out. Silence ensues while the generals start reading. Time ticks away. There is no outcry of disbelief this time. These men are realist. Having faced the Soviets for almost 2 continuously years, even the most optimistic ones among the generals realize that they have awakened a sleeping bear by invading the Soviet Union.

Then, the last of the generals finnish reading the report. A discussion starts, what should we do the coming summer?
Perhaps a new summer offensive? Or should we remain in the defensive, hoping that the Soviet sue for peace once we have destroyed enough of their forces? The discussion drags on. It is clear that the matter won't be resolved this day. The meeting ends without clear plans for the summer. For now, the generals have decided, we shall rebuild our forces. A new meeting in May will have to finalize our plans for the summer.

Summary of report handed out during the meeting

[Klydon]

Looks like you are hanging in there. It is also clear the Red Air Force is gonna be a lot bigger factor in 1943 than in 1942.

I think you have to come up with something to try to keep him on the ropes over his command point shortage in creating the units he needs to get things rolling the "Red Army" way.

[fiva55]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Looks like you are hanging in there. It is also clear the Red Air Force is gonna be a lot bigger factor in 1943 than in 1942.

I think you have to come up with something to try to keep him on the ropes over his command point shortage in creating the units he needs to get things rolling the "Red Army" way.

Indeed, I'm facing an interesting 1943. The quality of troops on both sides are almost equal by now , but the Red army clearly outnumbers me. Luckily, I'm still holding a relatively short front, and the mud should allow my infantry and armour to restore most of their strength.

Can't do much about their air force unfortunately, their interdiction is really hurting me. Just lost over 1000 men to an interdiction when I moved a division a few hexes to redeploy.

The only way to make a chance by now is make a few good encirclements, but those are hard to make. We will see how it works out, I intend to play it out until the end.

[Jajusha]

ORIGINAL: fiva55

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Looks like you are hanging in there. It is also clear the Red Air Force is gonna be a lot bigger factor in 1943 than in 1942.

I think you have to come up with something to try to keep him on the ropes over his command point shortage in creating the units he needs to get things rolling the "Red Army" way.

Indeed, I'm facing an interesting 1943. The quality of troops on both sides are almost equal by now , but the Red army clearly outnumbers me. Luckily, I'm still holding a relatively short front, and the mud should allow my infantry and armour to restore most of their strength.

Can't do much about their air force unfortunately, their interdiction is really hurting me. Just lost over 1000 men to an interdiction when I moved a division a few hexes to redeploy.

The only way to make a chance by now is make a few good encirclements, but those are hard to make. We will see how it works out, I intend to play it out until the end.

Fivas doing a great job preventing my "engine" to start working the way i like it. It's going to be a hot summer...

[fiva55]

In the last weeks of April, mud ensures that the front remains calm. OKH decides to take the opportunity to restructure our OOB.

From north to south:

Finnish High Cmd
Aunus Fin. Army
Kannas Fin. Army

Army Group North
18th Army
9th Army
3rd Panzer Army

Army Group Center
2nd Panzer Army
4th Army
16th Army
2nd Army

Army Group A
4th Panzer Army
2nd Hun. Army

Army Group B
1st Panzer Army
6th Army
17th Army

OKH Reserve
3rd Rum. Army


The mud season returns to Russia, halting all offensive operations for now.

[fiva55]

Entering May, the first summer week of the year. No German offensive operations have been planned this month. With our experts predicting mud every other week this month, any operations will just be bogged down in the mud. The Soviets unfortunately, will be able to exploit this by attacking in clear weather, followed up by mud, preventing us to counter any successful Soviet attack.

Southern sector, with the best what the Soviet army has. It seems likely that the decisive battle of the summer of 1943 will be fought in front of the gates of Stalino.

[Mynok]

Have you recon'd behind his lines? I'd expect a lot more reserves with that kind of hammer setting up in front.

[fiva55]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


Have you recon'd behind his lines? I'd expect a lot more reserves with that kind of hammer setting up in front.

I did recon, but forgot to take a screenshot. I have one of turn 46 though.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
It is as we feared. The Soviets made the best use of the clear weather, and launched probing assault all over the front. Results: 12 Held/11 Retreated. Those places that we were forced to retreat though, were almost all in the most important sector, south.

First week of May: The Soviets managed to launch 4 successful attacks on 17th army and 1st Panzer Army. They even succeeded in destroying our fortifications across the river Mius, which will allow them to advance much easier in the coming summer months.

[fiva55]

Seemingly not content with their task of keeping our rear areas secure, the Italians have decided to mass withdraw. That wouldn´t be too bad, if not for the fact that we now have to thin our frontlines in order to free some troops to suppress the ever present partisans.
[center]
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Not all is bad news though. With both the quality and the number of Soviet tanks increasing by the day, the frontline troops will be glad to see these new weapons of war:
[center]

Much is expected of the new Panzer V Panther that is currently being rushed off the production line to help stop the onslaught of Soviet armour. Designed by the best of what Germany has to offer, it is hoped that this tank will become the new mainstream tank of our Panzer Armies.
[/center]

[center]
Finally having realized the antitank potential of the FlaK 41 88 mm AA gun, the newly designed Pak43 will support our infantry to fight off the numerous Soviet tanks.[/center]


[center]
This monstrous tank destroyer, nicknamed Elefant, is equiped with an 88 mm Panzerabwehrkanone (PaK) 43/2 L/71 gun.It is hoped that this impressive looking tank will provide us with the winning edge in any future tank battle.
[/center]

[fiva55]

The Soviets prove to be resilient not only in attack but also in defence. Counter-attacks cost us almost as many casualties as the losses we inflict on the enemy.
[center][/center]

Following this, a new strategy for the remaining summer months has been devised. No counter attacks will be made in any sector except the south. Army group North and Center are allowed to trade ground for time. It is in the south that we hope to achieve a decisive victory that will hopefully blunt the offensive strength of the Soviets for the remainder of 1943.

Years later, Manstein would describe our strategy in his memoirs as the following:

Von Manstein, Lost Victories, Chapter 14

The German command thus had very little time left in which to force a draw in the east. It
could only do so if it succeeded, within the framework of a - now inevitable - strategic
defensive, in dealing the enemy powerful blows of a localized character which would sap his
strength to a decisive degree - first and foremost through losses in prisoners. This presupposed
an operational elasticity on our part which would give maximum effect to the still superior
quality of the German command staffs and fighting troops.