Towards the edge of destruction with hooooper and Blubel

[hooooper_slith]

In the south, a new front line is formed before Stalino, the trapped divisions thresh around like fish in a net, and a race begins to get troops to the Crimea.

[hooooper_slith]

So Blubel's hyper-aggressive playing style has led to a complicated situation in which heavy fighting is bound to continue through the mud turns - the Russians to eliminate the trapped divisions and save a few divisions in the south (although this is going to be difficult as the Panzers have taken all the ports)s, the Germans to rescue them and to push into the Crimea.

[Seminole]

He bagged quite a few emtpy cities (Stalino, Voronezh, etc) - albeit at a high cost in sacrificing a pzr div.
I think it best to always garrison, even far from the line. Those german mech units can hustle.

[hooooper_slith]

Couldn't you have posted that advice a bit earlier?[:D]

[Blubel]

Other then the IL-2, there were just 3 arm factories left in Voronezh. I did it mainly for the IL-2. 18th Panzer wasn't much of a sacrifice anymore.

[hooooper_slith]

I think this game only works if the Soviets suffer disastrous losses in the summer campaign. If not, the contest is over by now. I think this particular game is pretty even, although if I was being objective, I'd say the Germans had the edge going into 42. There is a useful comparison with my parallel game with Bomazz, which followed a similar course, but I lost slightly fewer cities and factories. That one is in April 42 now and the Soviet position is looking quite solid. I have a feeling that I won't be anywhere near as comfortable when this game gets to the same point.

[hooooper_slith]

Blubel! That's quite a relief. I lose track of those details when there are long gaps between turns. Of course, a dedicated player would keep all kinds of spreadsheets ..

[hooooper_slith]

Turn 18

Mud, glorious mud, and the Axis are stuck to the terrain of Mother Russia like a wasp on a jam sandwich. Unusually, there is little let up in the fighting, however.

On the NW front, both sides are struggling to control the ground they hold.

[hooooper_slith]

And at the Tula salient, the Germans open a passage to their trapped division, but are unable to move a unit to occupy the vital hex.

[hooooper_slith]

At Vorenezh, 18Pz is surrounded by untrained levies and pressure is applied to the salient.

[hooooper_slith]

And in the south, the pocket holds while the Germans wait for the November deadline to pass. Deadline being the appropriate term.

[hooooper_slith]

The OOB. The Red Army is desperately short of everything except biplanes.

[hooooper_slith]

Turn 19

There is still no let-up in the fighting.
At Valdai, a stack of German divisions are surrounded, but will almost certainly be too strong to assault successfully in the mud.

[hooooper_slith]

The tip of the Tula salient is cut off with strong forces...

[hooooper_slith]

... and 20th Motorised Division shuffles off into captivity

[hooooper_slith]

At Vorenezh, the kessel is reinforced.

[hooooper_slith]

And, in the south, the pocket is squeezed, and German armour wades into the Crimea

[hooooper_slith]

Turn 20

More slow motion grappling in the mud. Four German divisions are surrounded in Valdai, but will probably hold out.

[hooooper_slith]

At Vorenezh, 18Pz resists continuous assaults, but a large Stalingrad-sized encirclement is made.

[hooooper_slith]

And at Tula, the encircled SS motorised brigade, a motorised division and an infantry division surrendered. Leaving a relatively gentle salient.