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tyronec wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 5:40 pm

The hex that held had 58 tanks there. While I understand the argument for keeping panzers in reserve as a counterattack force, German attacks become much more costly once the Soviets field large numbers of T-34/85s. In my opinion, at this stage of the war, it's more effective to distribute some of the panzers, or at least the StuGs, among fortified hexes. Panzer divisions on reserve can also provide valuable support.

Could be worth putting some SUs in the front line, I did try that earlier in the year and didn't have great results from it but may be worthwhile now. Another reason for the heavy Soviet losses in that battle is that he attacked with less than usual and then I got lucky and won it.
I don't think Panzers on RESERVE works well because as I understand it they don't get the fortification bonus and just get trashed for nothing as am not going to win these battles even with them. Am using them as a second line so it is harder for the Soviets to get a follow up attack. and if they had activated and then were attacked again then they could suffer very badly.

The challenge is that SUs with AFVs use the Mech leader rating when firing, which makes them less effective in a typical infantry corps. However, there are ways to work around this. One approach is to attach StuGs and Jagdpanzers to infantry divisions within Panzer corps. Another strategy I prefer is using Panzergrenadier divisions for defense. Their AFVs, often StuGs or Jagdpanzers, aren't very effective in offensive roles anyway. You can then assign extra SUs to Panzergrenadiers that have taken losses.

As for using Panzers in the second line, it's a solid tactic. Regarding placing Panzer divisions in reserve, I agree it carries some risk. If a battle is going to be lost by 10:1 or 15:1 odds, a Panzer division jumping in might just get mauled without contributing much. But in battles with odds closer to 3:1, reserve activation can typically swing things in your favor and inflict significant Soviet losses. Also, just the threat of reserve activation can make the Soviets more cautious and lead them to overcommit in their attacks. This plays to your advantage by slowing their advance and increasing the penalties they suffer from concentrating too many units in one attack.

T173.
North. 7 attacks this turn, just one win for the defenders. It was the same hex that won last turn, was able to get it up to a '3' fort again by moving in 3 fresh divisions with pioneers. My stacks are getting weaker although there is no shortage of manpower. So far am able to build forts faster than am losing them but would not be able to sustain this pressure for long.
Nothing in the Center or South yet, looks like he is just screening the Carpathians but I still have to keep a continuous line or he will just push through. The Panzers in Romania are just slowing up the advance but no weak exposed units for me to attack this turn.
Maybe a couple more turns before mud.
The army groups have all changed names again, and of course I have North/South/Center in the wrong places.

As for using Panzers in the second line, it's a solid tactic. Regarding placing Panzer divisions in reserve, I agree it carries some risk. If a battle is going to be lost by 10:1 or 15:1 odds, a Panzer division jumping in might just get mauled without contributing much. But in battles with odds closer to 3:1, reserve activation can typically swing things in your favor and inflict significant Soviet losses. Also, just the threat of reserve activation can make the Soviets more cautious and lead them to overcommit in their attacks. This plays to your advantage by slowing their advance and increasing the penalties they suffer from concentrating too many units in one attack.

We are a few moves ahead of this so just have the battles I happened to record, but around 10:1 is a lot more common than 3:1 as the Soviets are generally making fewer strong attacks rather than many borderline ones.

T174.
12 attacks by the Soviets across the North and Center, they win them all.
Losses are getting progressively worse for Axis as the morale of the front line divisions drops.
For some reason the Hungarians take much heavier losses, even when they have similar morale to German units and are led by a good leader. I have noticed this before that Allied units seem to take heavier casualties regardless of other factors – not sure what is going on with this.
Several Mech and Panzer units now on the front line and have deployed many of my SUs, most of which have gone the game without having to defend. So far the line is holding but things are progressively going downhill.

Now, that IS defense in depth.

The constant retreating in the recent turns is mostly likely the only thing to do given those X=X Soviets have, but also kinda makes the game appear a bit boring. Perhaps options for building units may give more variety. An Axis player who has less losses so bigger pools may prefer increasing the army size so that even in the later game he can try to mount Kursk-like limited offensives.

The constant retreating in the recent turns is mostly likely the only thing to do given those X=X Soviets have, but also kinda makes the game appear a bit boring. Perhaps options for building units may give more variety. An Axis player who has less losses so bigger pools may prefer increasing the army size so that even in the later game he can try to mount Kursk-like limited offensives.

Axis offensives are out of the question at this stage of the game, attacking a 3-stack of Soviet Corps is likely to result in a pyrrhic victory at best and very heavy losses if it goes wrong. All I can do is attack any exposed weaker units which does make the Soviets advance more carefully and deliberately.

I have some spare manpower in the German pool though not a lot but a shortage of AFVs (apart from the Tigers which won't deploy) so really the only extra units you might want to build would be heavy panzer battalions. The other solution would be to let them deploy to medium tank slots which would be great !
There has been a glut of Italian/Romanian/Hungarian manpower throughout the game and I haven't managed to make good use of it. Probably could have done better, especially in '42 and maybe '43. The problem using allied units early war is they take heavy losses in combat and then it takes rail capacity to REFIT them. Late war they can just get trashed in one defensive battle and it then takes so many turns to get their morale back up again. Presently am mostly trying to stack them with German units but I don't think they help very much.

For me the game is not boring for Axis in '44 although it can be a bit demoralising - but the same would apply for the Soviets in '41.

T175,
Saved by mud across most of the map, just a couple of attacks.
Bulgaria flips, we occupy as much as we can to wreck the rail lines – though it probably doesn’t matter.

Can we get an OOB please?

I don't quite understand why Quantas carries so many guards rifle brigades. It looks like he could have converted them into another dozen + guards rifle corps. The Naval Infantry Brigades as alternate support units are not a bad substitute due to their larger size. Mix in assault engineers and that is a respectable group for taking down these forts.

T176
More Mud

OOB from a couple of turns ahead.

tyronec wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:41 pm T169.
All my King Tigers get into action. The Panthers did better !

tyronec wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 4:17 am T170.
We get a few counter attacks in Romania. Note the King Tigers, 25 Lynxes get more kills than 59 heavies !

I generally wonder why you are attacking with your Heavy Tanks into enemies with no tanks. Is there a specifitc reason to this? I'd assume your Tigers could do some serious business in other areas against Soviet Medium tanks and such.
...well I could imagine wanting to use them without fear to lose 99% of them on their first retreat.

I generally wonder why you are attacking with your Heavy Tanks into enemies with no tanks.

Am attacking the best targets available, there is rarely the chance to go up against an exposed tank corps.

T177.
More mud.
Am hoping for one more turn of it. The North is set up OK but am weaker in the Center and need to do a few more adjustments.
Probably going to start retreating from the Carpathians once snow arrives even if he doesn’t attack, not really defending anything of value and there is a huge bulge using up a lot of units, even if most of them are not much good.
A couple of AOGs have gone, need to spend time every turn checking out that there aren’t any unassigned aircraft – which am inclined to forget to do !

T178.
North – still mud.
Center – theweather clears and Soviets smash through our line, three hexes deep and the Eastern wall is broken. For now we screen the hole and try to defend the shoulders of the incursion – I don’t want to redeploy a Panzer army until we see here else they are attacking.
South. Begin to withdraw from the Carpathians, will give me a few extra units to move to reinforce the centre. In Romania a Pz division gets routed from one attack, it had good morale and CPP but I guess it may have been low on combat troops and they could have been depleted by the combat.
OOB is still good and we have 100k German and 250k Hungarians in the pool. Plus some CS and heavy Panzers but a shortage of Mediums.

T179.
North. Serious damage though we have enough reasonable units to fill in the line for next turn.
Center. The Soviets push on through the gap, we manage a couple of counter attacks at heavy cost but at least it will slow them down. This time have shipped a Panzer army to the area, ready for next turn. It leaves the rest of the defensive line exposed with just a front line shell and nothing behind it but am hoping the Soviets are not going to start attacking somewhere else.
South. The retreat continues and more units rushed to the center where they are needed.
Scraping the barrel, the Luftwaffe unleash their Go 125s on the Soviets. I hadn’t realized this fearful weapon was in use late war.
Losses for the turn were respectable at 104k Soviets for 58k Axis, thanks to a couple of their failed attacks and heavy logistics casualties.

Hi
Your at mid November what is the likelihood of getting a Jan 1945 victory scenario, have you held the Soviets at bay to secure it

regards

Your at mid November what is the likelihood of getting a Jan 1945 victory scenario, have you held the Soviets at bay to secure it

Very likely, as far as I know.

The casualty ratio looks like it has improved, even for the lost battles. I think having AFVs in them helps a bit.

Some serious defence in the North, 50 miles deep in some places, how is the effect of his artillery on your line.





Is it as bad as history