General Goofy Does Barbarossa

[Barthheart]

ORIGINAL: **budd**

ORIGINAL: Barthheart

Movement of FSBs is by decision not report. You decide when to move the FSB. Make sure you save up on fuel at the front before you move an FSB....

How do you save up fuel, just not move?

That's right. Don't move or attack or do very little of each.

[Jagdtiger14]

Warspite: Do you plan to install the new patch before you go further? Or would that mess with your current game?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Warspite: Do you plan to install the new patch before you go further? Or would that mess with your current game?

warspite1

I certainly have no wish to install a public beta. If installing official patches does not create a problem for existing games, then yes I aim to update as and when official updates become available.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

I am at my desk nice and early, I get my adjutant to bring me a nice cup of ersatzcoffee and relax into my chair.

I click on reports, expecting only a few (after all Barbarossa has gone well and we will soon be in Moscow for tea and medals - huzzah!).

But...

Goodness what a lot of reading to be done. What the hell is going on heer? Geddit? Heer.... Thank-you, thank-you, I'm here till Thursday, try ze Veal.

anyway...

I start with those highlighted with a red exclamation mark.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

What the…? That poisoned dwarf Goebbels wants me to become a film star. I haven’t got time for this propaganda nonsense before we’re barely beyond the Polish border. I mark the memo with a big red Nein! This costs me no wasted time and moreover – no political points either, though no doubt ’no balls’ will be upset….

The next report is about trains. Well this is going to cost 9PP but I think this too vital to be ignored. The boys at the front need to ensure supplies get through – if the trains breakdown for lack of water then that won’t do.

The final red report is about mail and lost paperwork. Am I a senior officer in the army or a bleedin’ postman?! I’ll reprimand my CoS – tell him to buck his ideas up or I’ll send him to the front. This at least costs me no more PP.

Now onto the Daily Logs….

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

This is more like it – military work!

First off I check the log for Army Group North.

Truck maintenance is at 11% so that is good.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

Onto the Battle reports - LOVE these!!! What a great idea [:)]

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

Onto Logistics

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

And the vital Staff reports on the Panzer Gruppe.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group North

There is nothing in the Reports that makes me want to take any action at this stage. My relations with von Leeb are such that I still cannot get Command Focus on to Panzer Gruppe 4.

I order the commander of AGN to continue with the attack.....

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group North

18th Army are ordered to continue into the Baltic States and the first attack is made by the 61st Division of General Wodrig's 26th Corps in conjunction with the reserve division - the 291st.

The Soviets are pushed back, giving my freedom of manoeuvre to Hoepner's panzers.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group North

Focus then switches to the southern end of AGN's theatre of operation. General von Brockdorff-Ahlenfeldt's II Corps are ordered to smash their way toward Kaunas. The 12th and 32nd Divisions are in place to mount an attack against the badly mauled Soviet 5th Rifle Division, guarding the southwestern approaches to the city.

The attack forces the Soviet unit back into Kaunas.

The two divisions of General Wiktorin's XXVII Corps position themselves south of the marsh land being held by the 188th Rifle Division. The successful attack forces the 188th back into the forest north of the Nieman.

The Nieman is proving a real obstacle here in trying to reach Kaunas with enough troops to take the city.....

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group North

I stress the von Leeb that we want Kaunas for a Forward Supply Base, and so, fed up with the dithering infantry, von Leeb orders Hoepner to help out.

First up, two infantry divisions - the 269th and 290th - are ordered to deal with the 90th Rifle Division. This clears the way for 8th Panzer and 3rd Motorised Divisions to threaten Kaunas from the north.

The city is held by two rifle divisions, one of which - the 33rd is a fresh unit. 16th Army's 32nd and 12th Divisions combine with the 3rd Motorised of the 4th Panzer Gruppe in the attack.

The city falls, although the Soviets seem to have a lot of units that could counter-attack.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group Centre

I think von Bock needs to deal with the Soviets in the northern sector of his area of responsibility. The Upper Nieman needs to be crossed and there are three formations blocking the way.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group Centre

V Corps, with one division of the VI Corps attached, has been given the task. I notice in the reports I read this morning, that our beloved Fuhrer has taken a personal interest in the progress of the 3rd Panzer Gruppe. As a result they have left Action Points this turn! Nice one Adolf...

...as I feared. The infantry were only able to make one attack and no means of following up. I just want it made clear; I never voted for the schmuck... er wait, did I just say that out loud?

In a Fuhrer-induced change of plan, the 20th Motorised and 35th Infantry Divisions are ordered to attack the 56th Rifle Division. This is a really irritating diversion of resources, but the drop in Action Points has had a big effect on what can be done by 3rd Panzer Gruppe this turn.

With the attack in danger of petering out, Strauss's IX Army are brought into action. All three divisions of General Heitz's VIII Corps - the 8th, 28th and 161st - are ordered to take Grozny (defended by the full strength 85th Rifle Division) at all costs. The 161st and 28th are sent in first.

The city falls.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group Centre

The next item on the agenda is the reduction of the Bialystok pocket.

IX Army's XLII Corps continue attacking the northwestern corner of the pocket. This corner is held by a heavily depleted tank division together with a motorised and a rifle division.

The German infantry push the defenders back into the city and XLII Corps turn their attention to the two rifle divisions guarding the northern approaches. The Soviets eventually retreat but the battle was tough.

von Bock calls up elements of 4th Army to deal with the southwestern corner of the pocket. This is defended by four weak divisions (one rifle, two tank and one cavalry).

The Soviets are forced back once more and the pocket becomes smaller and smaller.

Nine divisions in Bialystok are available to defend against the next attack. Five divisions of 4th Army attack from different directions - giving a 79% concentric modifier.

The city is captured and just one hex remains of the pocket. These will have to wait.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group Centre

Attention is now turned to the 2nd Panzer Gruppe.

The 167th and 255th Divisions, south of Brest Litovsk attack a motorised division and the seriously shot up 22nd Tank Division. These units escape into the city - which, following the attack, is now surrounded.

The five attacking divisions have a 150% concentric bonus, but the attackers run out of Action Points during the battle and the city is held.

I cannot help thinking that I should have this city by now. I decide to commit elements of the panzer force to try and take Brest. Probably a mistake but.....

I have reported a potential bug here as the attack odds for the Brest attack are 'weird'. I will make the attack anyway and see what happens...

...well the attack worked. The defenders were wiped out and Brest fell. This is great news for the Germans as, with the one in France and this one, Hitler can now proudly boast to the world that he owns a pair of brests. 'Thank-you, thank-you I'm here till Thursday, try the veal etc etc'....

I should be able to move my HQ onto the rail line and improve my pipeline.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group North

Back to Army Group North and 16th Army's X Corps is ordered to reduce the small pocket that has delayed movement in this congested area this turn. This is done, leaving one hex occupied by Soviet troops.

I could try and leave the remaining pocket of resistance, but I choose instead to use my remaining armour to liquidate the enemy. This still leaves a couple of attack opportunities. Firstly the SS Totenkopf and 36th Motorised Divisions force the Soviet 90th Rifle Division to retreat. The 90th is then harried in retreat by the 'Death's Head' division in conjunction with the 6th Panzer. These two units then continue south to attack the 179th Rifle Division.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group Centre

9th Army finish their moves for the turn with General Materna's XX Corps attacking the most exposed Soviet unit between Grodno and Brest-Litovsk - the depleted 29th Motorised - and forcing it into retreat.

In a bid to expand my bridgehead over the upper Nieman, von Bock orders two divisions from General Schmidt's XXXIX Panzer Corps to attack the 85th Rifle Division northwest of Grodno.

North of Grodno, another Panzer Division/Motorised Division combination forces the 204th Motorised east. Hoth's Panzers have now got a firm foothold over the Upper Nieman.

On the junction with AGN the 20th Motorised and the 35th Infantry Division are ordered to attack the last remaining unsurrounded Soviet units west of the Nieman. This area is held by the 84th Mechanised and the 56th Rifle Division, but the 35th falls short of the Action Points required to complete the attack.

The final attack is by General Kuntsen's LVII Panzer Corps which use Grodno as a springboard to push against the 85th Rifle Division. The 85th is seriously mauled under the onslaught of this powerful panzer force and retreats.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Army Group Centre

With the 9th Army and 3rd Panzer Gruppe completed, von Kluge turns his attention to the few remaining 4th Army units left.

Following this, the last of 2nd Panzer Gruppe's units are deployed against Soviet forces barring the way to Minsk north of the Pripyat Marshes:

- 6th Rifle Division is almost wiped out by the 45th Infantry
- 18th Panzer then completes the job
- 27th Tank Division is forced into a retreat by the 18th Panzer and 10th Motorised
- The 53rd and 55th Rifle Divisions - with assistance from the retreating 27th Tank Division are then attacked by the 17th and 18th Panzer Divisions of General Lemelsen's XLVII Panzer Corps
- The Soviet 29th Motorised Division is destroyed by its German counterpart
- The 143rd Rifle Division is attacked by the 10th and 29th Motorised Divisions with 17th Panzer in support

The Soviets have a lot of units west of Minsk but progress has been made in AGC's sector I think....