Gen. Goofy Does Barbarossa vs DicedT (No Diced T)

[warspite1]

16th October 1941
Turn 30
Army Group Centre

4th Army continue to plug away, although that Soviet river and fortification line looks impregnable. That being the case, it is vital that the two Panzergruppen and 9th Army start earning their corn....

Meanwhile 2nd Army continues to plough a lonely furrow in the east - heading for the city named Fortification N [:D].

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16th October 1941
Turn 30
Army Group South (Northern Boundary)

Kleist's panzers think its June 1942....

[warspite1]

16th October 1941
Turn 30

Note: there are two armies I am refusing to show. I have made plenty of mistakes in this game (and my opponent is defending brilliantly) but there are two mistakes above all others that are simply too embarrassing to admit to. I blame Hitler's interference - he made me do it.....

[warspite1]

16th October 1941
Turn 30
Army Group South (Southern Boundary)

The Soviets have set up forces within the Crimea - and are guarding the Perekop Peninsula strongly. Can 11th Army breakthrough?....

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16th October 1941
Turn 30
Army Group Centre

What a piggin' mess!!!

Mud returns with a vengeance, but not before the Soviets made a number of attacks, and forced the Germans back in a few places.

Not much happening due to the mud, but the Army Group Centre armies have been hard at it. This is TOUGH!!

I just hope that the Soviets have nothing in the east opposite 2nd Army - and have to call units away to deal with the threat. Moreover, I do not see how the 4th Army is going to cross the water - I need Strauss and Hoth to come through here!

[warspite1]

20th October 1941
Turn 31
Army Group North

More Mud! in Russia! in October! this game is borked I tell you!

The 18th Army make further small gains while the Finns take the only city between them and Novgorod. I can only assume with all these cities being taken that Stalin is having plenty of Paranoia attacks?

Huge volumes of PP's are wasted (er spent) this turn on keeping The Fuhrer happy [8|]

But Leningrad still seems a long way off....

[warspite1]

20th October 1941
Turn 31
Army Group Centre

With nothing really happening in the south, attention focuses on AGC. Sadly, my previous question was answered - there is a whole army in front of the small 2nd Army....

Anyway, 4th Army continue in their efforts to clear Soviet units from south of the river, but a few still stubbornly resist.

9th Army and 3rd Panzergruppe continue to apply pressure near Vyazma, while 2nd Panzergruppe have a more supporting role this turn.

[warspite1]

24th October 1941
Turn 32
Army Group Centre

The winter starts early this year. The snow starts to fall on the Landsers of the two northern-most army groups. The units in the centre continue to inch forward....

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1st November 1941
Turn 33

No pictures this turn - a combination of snow, mud and appalling play by yours truly, means that there is little to report - although Vyazma has fallen to Hoth's infantry.

I am managing to keep on the right side of the pp situation... just, although I suspect Wagner has a contract out on me, so terrible are our relations.

But fact is, I am running out of turns and I have made two unbelievably bad decisions - I mean loads of bad decisions - but two of Mussolini-type proportions that have really not helped here. What an idiot [8|]

[warspite1]

5th November 1941
Turn 34
Army Group Centre

von Bock's men continue to inch forward, but they are, pretty much without exception, knackered. The Soviets seemingly have a lot of fresh troops in front of Moscow, and a solid hold on the north bank of the river.

Elsewhere there is little action other than southeast of Leningrad, where the Finns continue to push the Soviets back - but the Soviets look like they will have enough to hold the river line.

[warspite1]

9th November 1941
Turn 35
Army Group North

As the clock ticks down...

The Finns continue to press from the north, while 16th and 18th Armies push up from the south. In the east the Soviet 72nd Rifle Division are all that is stopping the Finns from meeting up with 16th Army.

South of Narva the 4th Panzergruppe finally link up with 18th Army

The 5th Infantry Division maintains a lonely vigil in the east - in case the Soviets place reinforcements to cut off the Finns between Lake Ladoga and Petrozavodsk.

[warspite1]

9th November 1941
Turn 35
Army Group South

The 11th Army take Perekop - the gateway to the Crimea - and I immediately order counter-battery artillery for the 4th Romanian Army in case the Soviets decide to react.

17th Army advances on Rostov but, in the mud conditions, no attack is possible.

1st Panzergruppe cannot do much until 6th Army arrive from Kiev. Even travelling on the railroad, if they maintain their 1-hex a turn progress - they will not be any use before the game ends....

[warspite1]

9th November 1941
Turn 35
Army Group Centre

So near and yet so far....

4 hexes from Moscow for the advance elements of 9th Army but there is no way through from the south. The Soviets smack a couple of 4th Army divisions for good measure.

[warspite1]

13th November 1941
Turn 36
Army Group North

The noose around Leningrad tightens, but a lack of AP's makes the pursuit by 18th and 16th Armies difficult.

4th Panzergruppe gets back into the game!

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13th November 1941
Turn 36
Army Group South

The 4th Romanian Army are now solely responsible for penning in the Soviets in the Crimea as 11th Army head east toward Rostov.

1st Panzergruppe start to threaten the Soviet northern flank. Sadly supplies (and AP's) are not getting through to 6th Army. This is NOT good news.

[warspite1]

13th November 1941
Turn 36
Army Group Centre

The Soviets are getting bold! 4th Army takes another bloody nose from units coming across the river.

The Panzer forces in the west are almost on their last knees - could Moscow be saved?

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17th November 1941
Turn 37

No new pictures this turn. The front has barely moved. All of AGN are now involved in an AGC type meat-grinder. The defenders have nowhere else to go and the attackers have only one target.

In the Centre I have kept the attack going too long. The panzers and the infantry of all five armies are totally and utterly knackered. Soviet counter-attacks are increasing. If they survive my mistake, I will have no choice but to withdraw all armies, ready for one final push later.

In the South 17th Army are suffering from a lack of AP's and so only one attack was possible. 11th Army is closing in on Melitopol - although this is defended. 6th Army is still miles from the action [:@]

[warspite1]

21st November 1941
Turn 38
Army Group North

Luga falls. The net closes in - but can the Axis forces take Leningrad before fatigue grinds the offensive to a halt?

[warspite1]

21st November 1941
Turn 38
Army Group Centre

As stated previously, I have no option but to withdraw. The Germans have simply exhausted themselves trying to break through.....

[warspite1]

21st November 1941
Turn 38
Army Group South

On the edge of the Voroshilovgrad-Stalino-Rostov triangle the 17th Army and 1st Panzergruppe have begun to make an impression at last. Meanwhile 11th Army (and the 3rd Romanian if they can ever take Zaporozhye [8|]) are seeking to make a pincer from the south.