Twig's War (Twigster Axis, thedoctorking Soviet)

[Twigster]

The south.

The heavy concentration of Soviet units around Odessa is cause for some concern...

[Twigster]

End of Axis Turn 13 ground losses.

[Twigster]

Air losses. Notice that the rate of loss of Axis fighters has dropped during this week. OKH prefers that one not dwell on why that is the case; just be a good citizen and rejoice that more valiant fighter pilots will live long enough to see more of this lovely war...

[thedoctorking]

ORIGINAL: Twigster

The south.

The heavy concentration of Soviet units around Odessa is cause for some concern...

Same thing as Leningrad, except that it is a really long way before you can take all the ports it can connect with. Good luck fighting your way in with Romanians!

BTW, your map looks a lot nicer than mine. Did I miss an upgrade somewhere? I am using the Steam version.

[thedoctorking]

ORIGINAL: Twigster

Air losses. Notice that the rate of loss of Axis fighters has dropped during this week. OKH prefers that one not dwell on why that is the case; just be a good citizen and rejoice that more valiant fighter pilots will live long enough to see more of this lovely war...

Yeah, I tried to bomb some of your airbases at long range and your guys handed my level bombers their heads. Thus, 121 level bomber losses. On the other hand, some fatigue for your guys and the losses were almost all SB-2's.

The game is replacing some of my fighter groups automatically with I-153's. I could switch everybody to manual but then I would be spending AP's all the time. I think (hopefully) that the automatic switches don't cost AP's and I am almost always short.

[Twigster]

Same thing as Leningrad, except that it is a really long way before you can take all the ports it can connect with. Good luck fighting your way in with Romanians!

We've spoken with them, but the Rumanians just aren't all that motivated. They suggested we Germans could do it...[8|]

BTW, your map looks a lot nicer than mine. Did I miss an upgrade somewhere? I am using the Steam version.

My game is installed on my HD (I'm not on Steam at all). I just downloaded and installed the Rainy Day in Russia map mod. I saw in another AAR, it looked absolutely beautiful so had to have it. I also downloaded various Art mods as well.

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: thedoctorking
The game is replacing some of my fighter groups automatically with I-153's. I could switch everybody to manual but then I would be spending AP's all the time. I think (hopefully) that the automatic switches don't cost AP's and I am almost always short.

Automatic never costs. And if you selectively choose which can get automatically upgraded you can usually closely emulate whichever scheme of manual swaps you would make without spending any points. Beware each swap can entail experience loss. If the AI is auto downgrading to I153s that means you have a shortage of good planes in your pool. You may want to allow low experience groups to downgrade to I153. They will be doing lots of training and crashing their planes, so better to crash I153s. And it will mean replacement of better models are released to your better groups, at least until you start getting lots of everything.

[SparkleyTits]

Twigster is using a map mod mate

If you look in the modding section you should be able to find it there "A rainy day in russia"
If you are still having troubles and would like it just pm me your email and I can send it you

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: Twigster

The south.

The heavy concentration of Soviet units around Odessa is cause for some concern...

To be honest I now love this when the Soviets put a lot of units in Odessa. You really only need 2-4 German Infantry with the Romanians to get almost all of these units to surrender if done correctly. Mind you not all of them but almost all of them

[thedoctorking]

Oh, I had no idea. I figured if they were defeated and had no place to retreat in the pocket they would rout across the sea. I've observed this behavior in the Courland pocket in the early game and for German units when I played the 1944 scenario solo.

Also, I have plenty of naval transport capacity in the Black Sea and could evacuate guys over to Sevastopol or wherever in my turn.

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: thedoctorking
Oh, I had no idea. I figured if they were defeated and had no place to retreat in the pocket they would rout across the sea. I've observed this behavior in the Courland pocket in the early game and for German units when I played the 1944 scenario solo.

Also, I have plenty of naval transport capacity in the Black Sea and could evacuate guys over to Sevastopol or wherever in my turn.

Yes if you still hold the port (without too high damage), no if you do not. Just like Courland pocket.

You may want to check the shipping available each turn. And the transport cost (in the details card) of each unit. It would not be the first time someone decides on an evacuation only to realise very few units can be each turn.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: thedoctorking

Oh, I had no idea. I figured if they were defeated and had no place to retreat in the pocket they would rout across the sea. I've observed this behavior in the Courland pocket in the early game and for German units when I played the 1944 scenario solo.

Also, I have plenty of naval transport capacity in the Black Sea and could evacuate guys over to Sevastopol or wherever in my turn.

Yes, you are correct, they will route across the sea. But if the Germans do their attacks correctly many of those units can be bagged with a few getting away. And Yes it all revolves around Odessa the city hex since I see only an Airbase in the hex at the moment. In my honest opinion I always find Odessa a trap. I used to defend it back in the day but now I don't. Although defending it does have certain benfits.

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain
In my honest opinion I always find Odessa a trap. I used to defend it back in the day but now I don't. Although defending it does have certain benfits.

If Odessa city is the only hex left in your control it can be worth defending. At worst it is an annoyance to Axis and your units will rout out if beaten. So long as you have other hexes in the enclave there is the danger that your units will retreat there instead, and become isolated if the port is taken. Indeed the Axis will actively try to create that result.

[Twigster]

Axis Turn 14

Very little progress was made this week. In AGN's area, the terrain very definitely favors the defenders- slogging through swamps and across rivers, up and down hills makes for extremely slow going. And my opponent does not make mistakes. In the AGC salient, the only thing 2 and 3PG were able to do was to expand it somewhat- breakthroughs were not in the cards this week, even though HQBUs were conducted last week (which explained the seeming inactivity there). However, the first Guards division was encountered (1 Guards Rifle Division), and prisoner interrogations revealed that Zhukov was commanding the Soviet 3 Army. With AGS, Axis forces made adjustments preparatory to future attacks against Kiev and to firm up the river line. 1PG shifted its route of attack to the north, in order to threaten a river crossing in addition to slipping behind the defenders on the west bank of the river.

AGN

[Twigster]

AGC #1

[Twigster]

AGC #2

[Twigster]

AGS

[Twigster]

Turn 14 ground losses.

[Twigster]

Turn 14 air losses.

[Telemecus]

ORIGINAL: Twigster
Very little progress was made this week. In AGN's area, the terrain very definitely favors the defenders- slogging through swamps and across rivers, up and down hills makes for extremely slow going.

At this point I would have said you would have Leningrad with a cross river assault at the East end of the Neva.

Sviritsa looks deceptively easier and in fact it is not. Supply gets more difficult and time is running out.

Using at least six infantry divisions (some of the very best are in I corps), and preferably more as reserve activators, good commanders like Model, the four super heavy artillery SUs, StuGs, Pioneers, Flamms and Stukas you would get across the Neva. It is then an easy step to isolate Leningrad by capturing Osinovets. It is an expenditure of points, but at the moment I think you can see it would save you time and units like the 4th Panzer Group could now be heading for Moscow.