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T11 - Center

He starts to pull out of the bag that is forming. My first goal is to encircle troops not to take cities but I don't think I am going to achieve any major encirclement here. Heavy fighting with many reserve activations.

T11 - South

I decide to block the rail line east of Stalino to lock the remaining industry. If I had two tank corps here I could have achieved an encirclement but one tank corps is in the Crimea.

T11 - Crimea

The pocketed troops have been destroyed. Lead elements of LVI Corps are occupying the mountains northeast of Sevastopol. The goal is to reach Kerch and use XXX Corps to block access to the Crimea. I would also like to capture Sevastopol of course.

T11 - OOB

T11 - Losses

On track for 1.5 million POW. I don't think I will get many more.

This really has come together devastatingly well for you, the decision to put your weight on the flanks has in effect forced him to pull back in the centre regardless.

At least in the far south, you even seem to have avoided the supply problems that tend to slow the axis in the Eastern Ukraine

At least in the far south, you even seem to have avoided the supply problems that tend to slow the axis in the Eastern Ukraine

Supply in the Crimea is good because number of hexes from rail head is relatively low. Supply east of Dnepropretrovsk is bad and east of Stalino non-existent. The strategy I use is to pull back the Panzer HQ within 20 MP of rail head. Every now and then I leap out and destroy something like the industry at Kharkov or Stalino.

Griefhead plays a purely defensive strategy. His first counter-attacks are on T16. His main goal is to preserve his army and strike back hard during blizzard. I think I will achieve the historical line plus Leningrad and Crimea which is cool. Should make for a very good game.

T12 - North

Leningrad is cut off from supply. I dutifully attack the urban hex and fail. Next goal is to clear the west bank of the Volkhov.

T12 - Center

He continues to retreat closer to Moscow. Fighting is very tough now. Especially the southern wing encounters fierce resistance.

T12 - Orel/Kursk

On the way towards Moscow a Panzer Corps is used to encircle a couple of divisions at Kursk.

T12 - South

He decides to abandon Stalino and the remaining industry.

T12 - Crimea

I am at the gates of Sevastopol which is defended by two rifle divisions. Next turn I will reassign the Panzer Corps in this sector to 11th Army for my attack against Sevastopol. After that the Panzer Corps will support the infantry for the final attack on Rostov.

XXX Corps advances towards Kerch.

T12 - OOB

T13 - North

One more urban hex to go.

T13 - Center

It's incredibly tough to advance closer to Moscow. Nothing but level 2+ forts and almost every combat has reserve activations. At least my army is now organized and I continue my two prong attack.

T13 - Kursk

Pocket opened and resealed.

T13 - South

I decide to lock the remaining industry in Rostov (12 AP) and Voroshilovgrad (3 AP). Griefhead told me on T18 that I had destroyed 40 AP and 70 HI. Nice but it will not make the slightest difference in the long run. The Russians get so much stuff they can easily afford all these losses. I also destroyed aprox. 20 vehicle points and the tank factory in Kharkov which is probably more important.

T13 - Sevastopol

The Panzer Corps is transferred to 11th Army to avoid any major penalty. This will also be helpful late because I plan to use this Panzer Corps for the capture of Rostov.

The combat itself was a lot easier then expected. Of course I didn't expect that the two rifle divisions in Sevastopol were assigned to STAVKA. Why did the Rifle division surrender?

XXX Corps and Romanian units will secure the Crimea. The rest moves towards Rostov.

T13 - OOB

ORIGINAL: Oshawott

T13 - South

I decide to lock the remaining industry in Rostov (12 AP) and Voroshilovgrad (3 AP). Griefhead told me on T18 that I had destroyed 40 AP and 70 HI. Nice but it will not make the slightest difference in the long run. The Russians get so much stuff they can easily afford all these losses. I also destroyed aprox. 20 vehicle points and the tank factory in Kharkov which is probably more important.

Yes its a shame the industry is really so irrelevant in this game, it would be nice to see it made more important to Soviet plans in a future version, it could certainly be a way of forcing Soviets to "fight forward" if they actually had to protect it! And then making for a far more interesting 41'...