Another World : AAR Soviet Stelteck Vs German Pelton (No Pelton Zone)

[Stelteck]

Turn 42 : 02 April 1941

Mud season is upon us !!!

No fighting this turn as the mud season is here, for probably one month, stopping movement and battle at the front.



Interesting thing this new happens is now i'am able to create tank corps by merging 3 tanks brigades !!! But at a very high PP cost.



Tanks corps could be good battle formation. But i have mostly light tanks such as T-70 and garbage tanks provided by capitalist pigs such as Mathilda or valentine to fill them. With really poor training, these corps would explode in contact of german armor.

I'am not sûre what to do with them yet. Maybe scatter them as reserve in my fronts until i got the tank army HQ in july.

Last point :



Army command capacity downgraded from 21 points to 18. So i know have to remove one division and one tank brigade to all my armies. (I will remove the worst divisions each).

Maybe i should have anticipated this [:D]

The good news is that i will have a new reserve of around 50 divisions lol.

[Stelteck]

Turn 43 : 09 April 1942

The mud prevent all operation yet, but the invader performed a lot of air reconnaissance all other the front to prepare for the german spring offensive.

[Stelteck]

Turn 44 : 16 April 1942.

Mud is here and may stay all April. So no battle.

Air reconnaissance show that my ennemy is gathering huge mass of panzers in the south of south moscow, near voronev.

My first lines of defense here are unsustainable and will be crushed very easily. I may have 3 armies encercled the first turn of the ennemy offensive.

Stavka is in brainstorming session about the problem. (I have probably 3 turns before the first clear turn).



I just created a new bomber unit specialized in night raid of ennemy airport, with the wonderfull and specialized U2.



First raid this turn with rain and rookie pilots was disastrous and cause no damage to the ennemy. At least the plane is cheap.

[Dinglir]

I think the U2-VS was significantly nerfed in the 1.09.01 patch that was just sent out.

Prior to that patch, I could attack a German stack with nine U2-VS Air Groups and do 150 casualties and 10 guns lost EASILY. Actually, I found the U-2VS to be overpowered, as it was often better at pre attack air bombings at night than the IL-2 was during the day. Now it seems I do no more than 10 - 20 casualties and MAYBE a gun or two doing the same attacks. I think it is an effect of patch note 10, stating that there will be no to hit bonus for dive bombers (I read that as tactical bombers) at night. Unfortunately, the U2-VS is designed as a night bomber, so this patch kind of nerfs it out of all usefullness if I am right.

I would not use the U2-VS for airfield attacks due to it's very short range. Far to many planes will never make it to target for it to be effective in that role. Instead, I place it one or two hexes behind the front and then bomb the units with low terrain modifier opposite it.At a range of two hexes, it can fly five or six missions during a turn. Or rather, I used to. Now I wonder what to use them for, if they are indeed that bad at hitting their targets at night. Pelton seems very reluctant to fly interception during my phase, so I will probably switch it to day time bombing of German infantry units.

For airfield attacks I prefer SB-2's, DB-3B's or IL-4's (attacking at night of course).

[Stelteck]

Nerfed the day i began to use it [:D]

[Stelteck]

Turn 45 : 23 April 1942

Meteo gourou say 2 turns before first turn of clear, but who know ?

Stavka strategic order to the south front: Retreat to Voronev area to a better defensive line. Do it know as you need 2 turns to reach it in mud. (And waiting for clear would be too late).



My biplane heroes tried daylight bombing this turn !!!! Great success. A lot of german ammo have been wasted in the process !!!

[Stelteck]

Turn 46 : 30 April 1942

I'am not sure of the weather next turn. Let's be carefull.



My armies retreat as commanded, in the mud. I hope not too many trucks have been harmed during the process.



The great people's army just reached 7 millions brave men !!! I hope most of them will survive this year.

[Stelteck]

Turn 47 : 7 April 1942

Good weather in the south !!! Moscow and voronev are still protected by the rain.

Rain may stay in the north next turn too.



But the hell is beginning to get loose.

Sepastopol has fallen !!!! It was unexpected. But a brillant leading of Walter Model crushed the defense.
In the emergency run away, one of my division did not make it.



In the south, there is no panzer to perform a full offensive, but some opportunity attacks by strong german infantry.



Around TULA, the entire german assault force is ready to crush me at the first sign of clear weather !!! Help mayday mayday !!!!

[Stelteck]

Turn 48 : 15 April 1942

Mud still for moscow and voronev area, clear weather elsewhere.

In crimea, the baddies attack Kersh, my last stand in the peninsula. The attack did not worked, but my fortifications took a big hit.



South of mud area, intense fighting occured. The ennemy goal is clearly to destroy some of my troops.
It is not a major ennemy offensive, there are not a lot of ennemy troops in the area for now.



Fortunately, mud prevented battle elsewhere in the front.

This turn, my Air force reform that i performed the last turns bring some results.

[MrBlizzard]

Very good results in Air war this turn! How did you get them?

[Stelteck]

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard
Very good results in Air war this turn! How did you get them?

I put a good amount of fighters ready to intercept during ennemy turn close to the front.

With the return of good weather and the amount of german battle in the south, there was a lot of interception and sometimes german escorts were lacking.

Each front have a dedicated IAD airfield with 7 fighters squadrons each. Some fronts in critical sectors have 2. I created some additional fighter squadron (around 20) also.

Each front have also a BAD with 7 level bomber for ground attack, and a VVS airfield with reco/transport and 2 IL4 squadron for night ressuply of partisan.

I create also a Night BAD airfield full of UV-2 which are completely ineffective.

My IL-2 production just started so for now i only have one active ShAD (Tactical bomber) airfield with 7 tactical bomber squadron, south of moscow. But i plan to have one for each front too. (But no tactical bombers available yet).

I also prepared a "Special transport airfield" with 7 good air transport squadron ready to ressuply isolated units. Just in case.

PS: i only put 7 squadrons per airfield instead of 9 because i fear some possible "overstacking" / "coordination" penalty. This penalty was real in WITP-AE. For WITE i'am not sure but lets be carefull [:D]

[MrBlizzard]

I never heard of penalty for overstacking here, I don't think it's so sophisticated the air model here compared to WITPAE. [;)]
I switched UV-2 to day raids; they're fragile and short legged so I put them in a sector with no enemy air opposition. They do some damage.
You could create some squadrons with old models of tactical bombers just for training so when Il-2 are available again you're ready.

[Stelteck]

Good point to prepare the training of future tactical squadrons. I will create some.

[Stelteck]

Technical issue.

I just received the new turn. (Rich of events, i will post it later).
But first i have a small technical issue.

I installed the new patch V1.09.01. My game use this new beta patch.

But looking at the combat report, the CR display V1.09.00.



As Pelton have no more access to this forum, i have currently no way to contact him and check the version of the game together.
My PM do not reach him : Undeliverable PM: Pelton cannot or chooses not to enable PM

Anyone know him / Have an email adress maybe ?

I have also weird results that may come from version mismatch :
- The loss number by type in the later screen have no meaning to me and looks weird.
- When i opened loss of the turn, i see no looses at all for german this turn, which is impossible. (But i have the correct loss number this turn for soviet).

[Stelteck]

I received pelton's mail in pm. Thanks a lot.

[M60A3TTS]

Pretty obvious he's going by TheOne now.

[Stelteck]

Turn 49 : 21 May 1942

Good weather everywhere. (And a little unexpected, as weather mages were expecting still mud over moscow).

The german offensive is brutal !!!



First the small fronts. In front of moscow, the german army try the human vague style offensive and a frontal assault !!! The invader was repelled but fortification are destroyed.



Crimea front : Do not exist anymore !!! Do not need crimea anyway.



Now the main battle, around Voronev !!!

First, the battle begin quite far from moscow. Looks like my formidable moscow defenses created a strategic effect. Ennemy attack elsewhere. Great success.

North of Voronev, formidable ennemy panzer forces smashed in the center of the well entrenched south western front. So many line of defenses were breached. But the advance was stopped by 2 reserves armies that where here in the rear. I think it was a little unexpected for him.



South of Voronev, the southern front was smashed too, and this time there was no reserve to stop the breakthough.
And now he is free to go north to try to encercle voronev.

Worse, in the middle of the german offensive, i have 6 divisions and 2 precious new tank corps encercled !!! I can free them barely one turn, but it will not save them.
I DO NOT NEED TANK CORPS ANYWAY !!! [:D]



Another view a little more south : As you can see, on army of stalingrad/volga front have been also crushed.....

The ennemy crossed the large river.



Terrible turn. I have to decide how aggressive i will be in my answer. Shall i counter attack hard or cut my looses ? Stavka brainstorming in progress.
What would patton do ? (I'am reading a patton bibliography right now.... [:'(]).

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: Stelteck

ORIGINAL: MrBlizzard
Very good results in Air war this turn! How did you get them?

I create also a Night BAD airfield full of UV-2 which are completely ineffective.

U-2's (all versions) are the first factories I move turn 3 to the welcoming arms of the Germans. So much for so little imho on these airframes, so I just dispense with the nonsense and circular file them. Just start building out your Tactical squadrons Turn 1 by consolidating them on a few airbases and bombing lead german units. After a few turns you should easily have a couple of guard Tactical units. On turn 8 start building 2 to 4 tactical squadrons a turn since you are receiving over 70+ frames a turn from Voronezh.

[Dinglir]

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain
U-2's (all versions) are the first factories I move turn 3 to the welcoming arms of the Germans. So much for so little imho on these airframes, so I just dispense with the nonsense and circular file them. Just start building out your Tactical squadrons Turn 1 by consolidating them on a few airbases and bombing lead german units. After a few turns you should easily have a couple of guard Tactical units. On turn 8 start building 2 to 4 tactical squadrons a turn since you are receiving over 70+ frames a turn from Voronezh.

In my opinion, an argument stating that you should not build U-2's because IL-2's are better, is like stating that you should not build KV-1's because T-34's are better. The U-2 should be evaluated on it's own terms, looking at what it can and can not do.

Personally, I feel I have had a lot of success using it to bomb German infantry on secondary fronts. At a build cost of 81, you get 10 of these for every one IL-4 you can build. If placed one hex behind the front, it can do 5-6 attacks pr turn dropping a total of 10 100kg GP Bomba and 10 50kg GP Bombs. As the IL-4 will seldom do more than one or two attacks pr turn, you get more than 5 times as many bombs dropped pr turn as you do with the IL-4 for the same price in armaments. On top of this, the U-2 also gets a to hit bonus if used during the day.

You need to be careful with what you attack however. Those 100kg GP bombs are next to utterly useless if dropped on something with a level two terrain/fortification modifier or bigger. It can be very good against targets moving in the open.

In my game with Pelton, I can evaluate my U-2VS by looking at my Commander's Report. By turn 39, my 59 U-2VS Air Groups have killed a total of 1324 ground elements. That is more or less a full German infantry division. On average, those U-2VS Air Groups haven't been formed for more than max 20 turns.

The cost has been a little armaments points and 50 or som Admin points.

Well worth it in my book.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: Dinglir

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain
U-2's (all versions) are the first factories I move turn 3 to the welcoming arms of the Germans. So much for so little imho on these airframes, so I just dispense with the nonsense and circular file them. Just start building out your Tactical squadrons Turn 1 by consolidating them on a few airbases and bombing lead german units. After a few turns you should easily have a couple of guard Tactical units. On turn 8 start building 2 to 4 tactical squadrons a turn since you are receiving over 70+ frames a turn from Voronezh.

In my opinion, an argument stating that you should not build U-2's because IL-2's are better, is like stating that you should not build KV-1's because T-34's are better. The U-2 should be evaluated on it's own terms, looking at what it can and can not do.

Personally, I feel I have had a lot of success using it to bomb German infantry on secondary fronts. At a build cost of 81, you get 10 of these for every one IL-4 you can build. If placed one hex behind the front, it can do 5-6 attacks pr turn dropping a total of 10 100kg GP Bomba and 10 50kg GP Bombs. As the IL-4 will seldom do more than one or two attacks pr turn, you get more than 5 times as many bombs dropped pr turn as you do with the IL-4 for the same price in armaments. On top of this, the U-2 also gets a to hit bonus if used during the day.

You need to be careful with what you attack however. Those 100kg GP bombs are next to utterly useless if dropped on something with a level two terrain/fortification modifier or bigger. It can be very good against targets moving in the open.

In my game with Pelton, I can evaluate my U-2VS by looking at my Commander's Report. By turn 39, my 59 U-2VS Air Groups have killed a total of 1324 ground elements. That is more or less a full German infantry division.

The cost has been a little armaments points and 50 or som Admin points.

Well worth it in my book.

So 59 U-2VS air groups with 1,324 ground element kills by turn 39. Not bad.

Here is a screen shot of my Commanders Report turn 10 on my game with Pelton with my Tactical squadrons bombing his lead units. Please note that I ONLY stack 4 squadrons per airbase for bomber types. Top Tactical bomber base has 402 alone, with the next (5) coming in at 170, 166, 134, 122, and 82 for a total of 1,076 ground kills turn 10. Just imagine what these would be doing by turn 39 with experience. I will keep my IL-2's and I wish you the best with the U-2VS's For me the U2 factories are German treats I love to feed them.