Defending Mother Russia Saper vs Harrybanana (No Saper)

[Harrybanana]

T22 Snow in all Zones.

Saper grinds away towrds Moscow, but I don't think I am in any real danger of losing the City or any major encirclements in this area (famous last words?). I even make 3 successful counter attacks here. I do note however, that 11 of the mobile divisions Saper had in this area have vanished from my radar. That is worrisome.

[Harrybanana]

T22 Voronezh Area

Almost 500 bombers dropped supplies/fuel in this area, so I think this is where at least some of those missing panzers will show up. I reinforce, make some counter attacks and pray.

[Harrybanana]

T22 South

Saper drives forward in the south. I rush in reiforcements and decide to stick it out.

Hey does anyone know if Saper just has to "capture" those 3 towns to activate Army Groups A and B, or does he have to hold all 3 at the same time. I ask because he captured the one furthest West earlier, but I retook it. He will soon have captured the other two, but I think i may be able to hold the one he captured earlier.

[Disgruntled Veteran]

He must hold them for a turn.

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: Disgruntled Veteran

He must hold them for a turn.

Thanks DV; but as it turns out that probably won't be a problem for him afterall.

[Harrybanana]

T23

My prayers worked as mud struck in the North Soviet zone which, of course, stopped Saper from pulling whatever he was planning around Voronezh (at least for one turn).

However, in the South Soviet Zone Saper makes better progress than I would have thought he could given his poor fuel at the end of last turn. Of course he is now fairly close to his supply lines so that probably helped him. I forgot to take a screenshot (again!) at the end of my turn. But from the screen shot below from before my turn you can see Saper's progress. He has, in case you are wondering, put the port at Azov out of commission; so I will not be able to use it for supply when he isolates me on his next turn. You will also note that he has his 2 most forward motorized in good fuel supply. On my turn I counterattacked the German units circled in red and occupied their hexes. This at least will cause Saper some supply problems on his turn. However things look grim for the units guarding the last 2 towns, unless I luck out again and get mud in the South Soviet Zone next turn. Not likely, but if it happens the tables will be turned on saper.

[Harrybanana]

T24 Snow in all Zones.

All screenshots are from after my turn.

Very little activity except in the South near Azov. Below is the screenshot of the Northern area. As you can see Saper's Finns are no where to be seen. Mind you I performed only very limited air reconaissance this turn.

[Harrybanana]

Moscow Area. I made a few attacks here in preparation of blizzard.

[Harrybanana]

The Centre.

Saper made some spoiling/soak off attacks here and then captured both Lipetsk and Voronezh. As he pointed out to me if I had put just one more unit in each city he would not have bothered attacking. So 6 more Arms facrories are destroyed. I believe I am going to have to try and run a leaner more efficient Soviet army.

One positive is that the wins earned by the unit defending Voronezh pushed it to Guards status. My first guards division. Usually I have my first by September and by the time blizzard rolls around I have over a dozen.

[Harrybanana]

Saper may have made a mistake himself in the South. Either he didn't notice that I had snuck an airbase into the hex east of Azov or else he didn't care. As expected on his turn he isolated the units around Azov. But on my turn I was able to use the airbase to get them into "beach head" supply. This in turn allowed me to attack the Wiking SS motorized division in the hex circled in red and re-establish regular supply. If next turn is Blizzard Saper could have real difficulty extricating his panzers from this area. If it is snow he will undoubtedly capture Azov, rout my units and escape; but at least they won't surrender.

In hindsight my forcing a unit to retreat from the hex 2 hexes east of Azov was a mistake. If it is snow, now my units instead of routing out of the encirclement, will retreat to this hex.

[Harrybanana]

This is the combat report for the attack on the Wiking SS Motorized. This was really a desperation attack for me that I didn't think would work. In particular I didn't think it would work because on his turn Saper had displaced the only HQ I had that was inside the pocket. Therefore the only units I had in "command control" attacking this hex were the 2 cavalry divisions attacking from outside the pocket. Notwithstanding this my units CVs more than doubled in the attack. Can someone explain this to me as I still don't understand the factors go into determining if a units CV will increase in combat or not. I know each unit has to make several "die rolls", but I thought the chances of making these die rolls were much less if they were not within the command radius of their HQ. Did I just get lucky? If so I got "lucky" in a few other attacks and Saper has been"lucky" the whole game.

I know that the attacker stands a much better chance of "making his rolls" than a defender, which explains why attackers CVs almost always increas in cmbat while defenders generally decrease. But it just seems to me that it just goes too far in helping the attacker.

[gingerbread]

10 hex command range by-crow, so units were likely in.

It was saper that was unlucky not making the rolls, though it could be a low supply issue as well. By now (T24), the Soviets ought to have exp well above 40 so they will make more of their rolls.

Blizzard guaranteed for the next 9 turns - if saper decides to defend south of the Don you could do some damage.

[Wuffer]

now or never...

[Harrybanana]

ORIGINAL: gingerbread

10 hex command range by-crow, so units were likely in.

It was saper that was unlucky not making the rolls, though it could be a low supply issue as well. By now (T24), the Soviets ought to have exp well above 40 so they will make more of their rolls.

Blizzard guaranteed for the next 9 turns - if saper decides to defend south of the Don you could do some damage.

Thank you again gingerbread. After you corrected me before I went back and studied the Random Weather Tables some more; but I missed the revision that blizzard is guaranteed in December 41 and January 42. Now that I know that I really don't know what Saper's plan was as he tells me he saw the airbase. So I don't see how he could have captured Azov even if I hadn't succeeded in that attack. In any event Saper's T25 has been received and he has retreated all of his mobile forces except one that I will trap.

[Harrybanana]

T25 First turn of Blizzard.

In some areas I will have to slog my way forward just to make contact with the enemy as Saper has wisely pulled back from all exposed areas to concentrate his forces where he wants to hold on; primarily around Moscow and Rostov. I also beleive he will be resting many divisions in Germany/Poland. In any event, I attack where I can and advance where there is no opposition.

Moscow Area

[Harrybanana]

Voronezh Area

[Harrybanana]

Stalingrad Area

[Harrybanana]

South Area

I do manage to isolate the 16th panzer division.

[Harrybanana]

T26 More of the same

North.

Thought I was being clever trapping those units up against the impassable river/lake hexsides; until I re-checked the Rules and realized that it was frozen over and passable.

[Harrybanana]

Tula Area