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you have far too many level 4 depots - thats not helping. Those no where near the front just build up their stocks and want no more - and can't disperse what they have.

to best trigger the shipping routine you need a pri 1 depot in a port (send) near Berlin. Stettin is a great choice. You then need a pri 2 depot in a port set to receive. Sending ports are allocated freight first.

Beethoven is right, the Soviets will be running out of supply around Leningrad but it will take time. In an AI game I had the region isolated and it took something like 5-6 months to suddenly collapse

T63 - Leningrad Tango

This time I should have isolated Leningrad BUT for reasons alien to me during the enemy air phase no single Luftwaffe bomber took off.
I cannot understand that either, since the 'flag' is rather easy. On Naval Patrol AD you can decide if to fly during the Friendly, Enemy or Both air phase.
First time it happened, that not a single bomber of the hundreds deployed there has not taken off. Nonetheless, during -my- air phase they bomb nice and smooth.

The Soviets performed air supply elsewhere and by the looks they're shifting Eastward their heavy corps and replaced them with thinner divisions at the edge here.

T63 - Cauldron of War

The most recent bloody theather of operations, nicknamed by German soldiers 'The cauldron of war'.

The spot sports the wider range of units used - from regimented Jaeger divisions to elite SS motorized divisions and over 50% of the Panzer assets on the Ostfront; facing cream elements of the Soviet Army as well as 'ghost units' of cavalry divisions and infantry brigades!

The Soviets elected to air supply Kadui in the north, west of Chevropets. Using what I assume is the entirety of their Li-2 Flottilla.

I expect the Soviets to have brought more forces in the sector and despite it being the Summer '42 still, I feel the Soviets are in general 'stronger' than the Germans even if unable to launch grand scale offensives. Given at the same time there are pratically a full army and half sieging Leningrad with virtually no meaningful progress since the latest patch.

Germans issued reinforcements as well obviously to throw in the Cauldron of War. But I've a gut feeling that in the end of the ... few weeks we'll battle here, it will be the German army to be the one mauled and battered after having spent its best assets.

T63 - Don River Bend

The Russians retreated to protect Stalingrad.

They've no need to fight there, at all. Time is to their favor, and the Germans are simply unable to harm them properly due to strained logistics.

The amount of freight arriving to the frontlines is just abysmal for the needs. Russians replace and resupply way faster than the Germans. If earlier there was the perception of 'German army is superior' at previous patch right now it seems the Russians are pretty much as good as the Germans.

If shoddy Soviet divisions is worth 5 CV on the map by being pretty much full ToE and rested but without CCP and goes up to 9 when loaded with that, German divisions are at 11 CV when somehow at 80% ToE and somehow rested, but in general they range from 4-6 CV as they're never fully rested, having a good ToE %, and CCP loaded unless they're static (As per they do not move, they do not fight, they just hold a line without even shooting defensively being left unmolested).

The experience from the last few turns here is what writes in capital letters to me that the Soviets will win the 'Cauldron of War' battle. It's a matter of turns. I do not believe in general Russians should be even remotely able to have a battle of mobility and armwrestling over open fields or so with Germans during Summer '42 but here they can.

T63 - Caucasus

The only sector where pratically the Axis forces are not receiving threats or backlashes - for now at least - is the Caucasus.

Here I believe the Italians can be entrusted to safekeep the southern perimeter with some Romanians once in the mountains, and a meager presence of Germans to back them up just in case.

I somehow believe the Russian armour and cavalry and other strong assets are all operating in the north.
Last I need is a Russian offensive in this sector.

My question is if to bring the mobile elements of the 1st PzGruppe north or proceed Eastward to other oil rigs or so.

Alas I keep having a history tinged vision where oil is needed, and where supposedly more resources should allow me to produce more stuff and have more panzers, planes, and whatnot. Anyhow I am just speculating, I doubt Germans will be able to go much east. Maybe Grozny? But that seems more wishful thinking than else.

T63 - Caucasus continued

Since it was the easier bit - I did the Caucasus first (after moving the FBDs).

I thought to seize Novorossiysk as there was only 1 division in it - and that was managed by 3 Romanian divisions and 1 German motorized.

Much to my surprise the defenders surrendered. Even if not depicted as Isolated by the system.

I assume the having got the supply cut in their own turn previously hammered their resilience? The whole 'pocket' surrendered. Nothing much though - 5 divisions, and 4 of them at greatly reduced strength.

I may also have spoke too early about Soviet offensives. The Russians did some air recon even in depth there. BUT I believe that now that this pocket has been liquidated and that I've decent port supply, with the mobile elements of the 1st PanzerKorp free to maneuver back north ... well unless there are significant Soviet forces, this is not a place where I'd invest, as Russian at least, right now.

T63 - Leningrad Tango continued

Earlier you saw the 'start of the turn'.

Now the 'progress'. Leningrad zone is the other easy sector pretty much since ... it's trench war. But as the eastern Soviet line weakened I turned my attention there, making sensible progress for 'trench war turn'.

The 28th Corps divisions pushed via Deliberate Assaults the 'weaker' Russian defenders. Losses are not that good at all anymore, a 4:1 ratio or so which I am not sure if favors Germans frankly; but locally they should not be able to gain reinforcements (nor I truly til these airfields or the rail are fixed).

The 18th Army and elements of infantry of the 4th Panzergruppe pushed and reached the outskirts of Volkhov (which I cannot enter), the local airbases got evacuated as news of advancing panzers reached the airbase.

T63 - 'Cauldron of War' Continued

The armwrestled continue with losses on both ends.

Germany started to use on the field the 'Replacement Panzer Battallions'. Which I've no plans to merge into units.
Simply you've no reason to 'merge' into an unit.
The SUs as they're now (for both sides) can be attached and detatched on the fly.

I can use one here now and the next turn send it to another army even in Caucasus if needs to be.

And since Germans cannot just create new 'Tank Brigades' they've to make do with them. I have seen their TOE is capped to a '42 type, so I am not sure IF in a remote future they'll fill in with Panthers or so... but for now they can just give sudden 'OOMPH' to a Panzer division, or as it was one case to the 78th Infantry Sturm Division.

Goering here is playing the Mister Luftwaffe Supplier, since it seems it is the thing the Luftwaffe does best. The 4 airbases in the 'Cauldron' got served 3000~ Freight alltogether via air. And the Luftwaffe still has lift capacity for Leningrad and Caucasus right now!

Not that urban cities here will be impregnable, but they will require sensible enough amount of brute force. So while I feel the fight is being consumed to the south, the -real- target for MSAG should be the rail.

I even had the chance to slip away with the 3 units in the 'Clear' airfield in the middle, as the outter forces made a hole BUT ... decided not to. I can air supply and they can be a thorn in the side of the Soviet troops trying to advance with a mighty ZoC there.

Now - with that assured - I am benefitting as much here of Air Transport as Leningrad so did, but this whole operation was a 'get around' to the ways of Leningrad!

Most confident the Air Supply business will be sorted once and for good through the iterations of Beta-Test Patches for the Air War Patch to come.

T63 - Surprise Rhyzan ?

HYLA taught me how to do 'ground recon' - something I admit I'd not have got there by myself if not with a lot of more playing and experience.

Split your German division in regiments and use 1 regiment to explore. And I discovered what the air recon failed to notice. A ... Rhyzan with only 1 Fortified Zone!

I felt I had to pounce on it, if it is a trap I do not know. Two motorized divisions were spotted too. It was decided to pounce on them first but ... the victory there was quite phyrric. The only positive notion is that they ought to have 16 MP less the previous turn, but losses wise we pretty much traded them except AFV. But as I never seized Stalingrad, the Russians will have even more AFV than the usual in other games.

For the City ... well a measly fortified region now, with some brigades SU attached - took 3 assaults to be vanquished, and the third one was by the reserve Infantry corp in the area that was fresh and rested and CCP loaded...

This leaves the sector with a very barebone reserve of two 'glorified' Panzer divisions (as per they're motorized with a handful of panzers...) in case of shit happens. Though the 2nd Army just south of there is rested and decently operational to extend itself north in case of a Soviet pointe.

T63 - Don River Bend

After operations.

The logistics are just prohibitive. I do not believe offensive operations can be launched there - against a player at least.

The Soviet offensive got stalled but MSAG has not been trashed or so!
2 divisions got surrounded but he has strong assets closeby that can mount a relief effort to save the 2 divisions.
The question for the rich Soviets is always if it is worth the candle to try to save 2 Rifle Divisions at the cost of potentially risking their own assets.

I've now some reserve movements, a general look at the frontline in case I missed something blatant and some administrative stuff (sort depot priorities and the like).

I am not a grand micromanager and I play a lot by impulse and pulse! (But I believe MSAG does the same, as we squeeze roughly 1 turn a day).

T64 - Cauldron of War start

As predicted the Soviets are starting to overwhelm the Germans, encircling and isolating more units than the previous turn.

The chance to keep up a line slimmed sensibly I feel.

But we'll see what happens once I get to do the ground movements.

T64 - Leningrad Tango

On the other hand... for the first time I get to see Leningrad units in red too!

So the efforts elsewhere - and sacrifices of troops to hold a thin line - started to net results.

Ideally I am to capture the ports east of Leningrad fast and retreat from the Cauldron to a safer line!

T64 - Don River Bend & Stalingrad

Soviet forces intervened en mass, liberating the two trapped Rifle Division with ease and giving a savage pounding the an amount of German and Romanian formations.

The German logistics are ridiculously low there and your average Soviet Rifle Division has bigger numbers than most of the German formations.

September '42 started and the Soviets seem to be on the offensive more than the Germans in this turn!

T64 - Numbers Overview

Here the OOBs - the Soviets remained at that amount it seems whilst Axis lost some.

Though the numbers of understrenght units on map and isolated ones is worrysome on my end.

The 'Defend the Motherland' Event spells bad news to me as it will bring half million soldiers extra to the Soviets.
As previously said I'll check with the Stalingrad to Berlin scenario the numbers to see how would be the situation there at the start of that scenario to have an idea.

At territorial level I think roughly we're there. Leningrad is traded for Stalingrad and the 'Cauldron of War' appears a premature Stalingrad encirclement.

Ultimately I am not sure of the wisdom of the Leningrad move - as said Stalingrad has factories for 70 T34 a turn, I realized that late. Factories that do not get migrated away. So if they are seized, they're seized and destroyed once and for good.

For trucks I am clueless if that number is a good number or a bad number.

T64 - Of screwed logistics

This more than pertinent to the AAR is another point to underline that the logistic system needs fixing.

Here I am to detail the fate of the depot of Mozhaysk. That was a Priority 4 depot the previous turn, with a nice amount of freight stocked up! Almost 5000 Freight! And this turn, as it went down to Priority 3, it sent out Freight en mass. And received 0 even!

So - we learn that of that 5000 Freight nothing went to troops. There are no red lines connecting the depot to units right?

We've 2 White Lines, as per rail connections that moved the Freight to another depot.

What I wanted - and I believe it is logical - is that the freight went closer to the front, in Kubinka. 4 hexes of rail to the east. Certainly some sizeable enough railyard is in 30 hexes range to do that type of move!

BUT Quartermaster General AI decided that Kubinka had to receive freight from Berlin (If that was ontop of Mozhaysk's, no harm!) and Prague. So that traffic arrived in Mozhaysk (M in the future) and moved further east. 1725 Freight shipped to Kubinka.

Then the freight from M got split. Some was destined to the airbase designated to serve some airlift squadrons. Thus that one must be kept filled, certainly so. Alas the move was -westward- and further away from the front. Being already almost full, only 276 Freight was delivered to Vladimirskoe.

Excellent! (NOT) M. Freight goes further westward even, probably around Smolensk or Vitbesk and then takes a detour north, through Velike Luki ... or goes west first just to Vyazma and then north to roughly Rhzev, to then turn west... headed toward Germany or so. But it was an illusion. At Velike Luki or the like turns back to east. There, the detour ends, in Andreapol.

Where is the logic in that?

I tell you, there is no logic.

BUT there is also another problem.

MATH!

M. sent out 4651 Freight!
V. received 276. Andreapol 930. That to me mathes in 1206.

4651 - 1206 = 3445 Freight

Considering it has not been given to the units, and it does not appear as 'lost' ... has it disappeared?

Thanks god German logistics do not work and units are struggling.
Freight disappear into thin air.

T64 - Leningrad Tango

Had a dinner break - got back and started from Leningrad, where I ran the usual aerial dance but it seems needless.

The eastern Soviet lines buckled quickly to the German assaults - I believe in the mixed effects of the switch of troops that took place and the fact supplies are meager. Plus an amount of bruteforce was still applied.

I suspect the Russians will fall back quickly and establish a frontline between the Rybinsk Reservoir and Lake Beloe. At least that is probably what I am to do. It has a tradeoff though, keeping German lines extended too as well.

But I feel that with the ports in my control or at least sensibly damaged, I can start a reflux from the Cauldron.

T64 - Cauldron of War, planning

Here I want to share with the audience what I intend to do / planned before to go to the execution.

So we know I started with Leningrad, now that I know of the result I believe I can start to deflux even if the Russians can gain one port back, that port should be quite damaged and its railroad is severed anyhow. I do not believe it can service Leningrad.

The first bit will be to free up the troops that are isolated.
The easy part are the Tank Corps. The 3-3 can be attacked from 2 more hexes from the south, so it really won't be a problem. The MOT divisions will be back to decent strength and can pound the two Tank Corps with quick attacks. The 2 unit stack has a HQ so I hope to relocate it away!

I will wait with the units trapped in the airfield - going to move them later. I've two options though. Plow through tank corps to the north for a counter isolation attempt (not guaranteed) or reflux back via the 'safe' pipeline of hexes that the tank corps occupy presently.

But to free them up these 3 units is not a problem, they're all supplied up as you can see they're a stack of -16- now that they're isolated.

Then I've the other bit to free up. The 20.20 Guard Corps is in the way and I'd gladly retreat it. Because I'd like to use the panzers there to hammer the 1-7 Rifle Division and the 5-5 Rifle Corp.

This is the southern plan.

Then we have the northern option. I tried that already the previous turn though and that 3-3 Cavalry Corp gave a beating to my Panzer division, so I am far from sure I should attempt the fortune there. That is the B plan in case the southern plan fails.

There are some Soviet units which are incognita nonetheless the whole spot is turning hot and hotter as per severely discomfortable for Germans. We're trading severe blows there, but it is known who has the strongest economy of the two nations!

T64 - Cauldron of War progress

The plan went smooth enough in general if it was not for that 1-7 Rifle Division ... that 8 delay you see on the map.
It has resisted well beyond my expectations to a mix of gradual German attacks. A deliberate one of Infantry Division + Regiment failed... then 2 hasty one were attempted and last a deliberate one with a panzer division destined to the corps in the next hex.

The corps instead routed right on the spot as soon as two panzer divisions made a hasty attack.

The delicate decision of where to head with my forces in the pocket now is pretty relevant. And may take some mulling in my head as I've a rose of options, but the wisdom in general suggests to safekeep troops. The national morale may be hammered by many of these units have a high experience level.

Though I admit I have the impression it is the Unit Morale that affects the CV, and not the Experience.

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T64 - Of screwed logistics
...

I'm afraid much of this post is simply wrong - see the response in the tech support forum

fundamentally the red line shows the link to the depot that sent the most freight to that unit, a unit can claim freight from up to 4 depots.

as set out in the manual

T64 - Cauldron of War

I had a PC issue, had to get back from a previous saved point.

Slightly different stuff in terms of delay but effect is the same for the liberation of the center piece.

The 7th Panzer is isolated - it got the 500+ Freight needed as planned but I suspect that unit is gone in 1-2 turns. I did a mistake there trying to have it open its path against the 46th Cavalry Division. It failed the sortie.

As anticipated in previous posts about Leningrad, with the ports there in my holding the main idea was to slip away. Even the 3 panzer / mot units in the central airfield retired. I took a new option though avoiding unknown variables - to hammer with them the weak units around - only 2 hexes as I checked each time the needed MP to get to relative safety.

From the north troops will be shifting with a deeper dilution to regiments in the zone not so important about Leningrad - where for at least the next turn still the Soviet forces will be at the end of their logistic shoestring. (Ultimately their logistic phase is before any movement, and their rail is still interrupted).