MWiF Global War Hot-Seat (AAR)

[Red Prince]

The South Front:

[Red Prince]

And, finally, a view of the entire Soviet line in Europe:

[Red Prince]

Here's a look at the reinforcements coming in next turn.

[Red Prince]

I debated making this Ground Strike, hoping the Germans would use up the FTR and allow me to reorganize the ARM and MECH with my TB-3s with my last 2 Air Missions, but as the Germans, I don't think I would bother trying to intercept, even if it was a 3-factor LND.

So, the Soviets could use the 3-factor LND from Stavropol for a strike, but then this LND might end up in danger . . . hmm . . . plans within plans.
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Edit: Of course, I could always fly the Ground Strike mission to the hex with the FTR in it. If he doesn't bother to intercept, then there's a 1 in 5 chance of disorganizing him anyway, making the Air Reorganization mission safe. If it doesn't work, no harm done. Either he intercepts and possibly kills my LND, or he doesn't. If he does, at least I can then get the ARM and MECH back in action.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Centuur

You shouldn't have put the MECH and the ARM together in one hex. Those units are far to expensive to lose in one German attack. However, what's done is done.
The Germans got lucky with the ground strikes. That isn't good. However, are there any German FTR's left which aren't disorganised? If there aren't: it is time for USSR ground support. But keep those TB-3's capable for reorganisation or ground strikes available.

Now: it's time the USSR will get some good rolls for them. Lucky Germans...

There are 2 fighters left to the Germans. The attack isn't actually going to be on the forest hex, I think, but on the southern hex with the +3 for disorganized units. The best odds the USSR could get there in Air-to-Air combat is +3/-3 in favor of Germany. I don't know. I think I shouldn't try for Ground Support.

It will probably be a 2:1 +3 Blitz attack, with a chance for HQ Support to improve the odds. Without using the TB-3s, I could get from 2-5 factors of Ground Support, dropping this attack down to anything from 1:1 +3 to 2:1 +3 depending on how many factors get through and the HQ Support roll. Even at 1:1 +3, there's a 60% chance of at least a Retreat result, meaning the river line is likely to be broken.

I don't think that's worth risking a LND-3, a LND-4, and a FTR-2 on, do you?
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Edit: Perhaps I shouldn't have put the ARM and MECH together, but I posted that image and went to sleep . . . it was up for about 10 hours before I continued on again, and there were no objections. There usually are if I've done something wrong like this, so I figured it would be fine.

I didn't like putting all those good units in the same hex, but I didn't post anything about it. I'm critical enough as it is.[;)] I let a lot of stuff go by without comment because you can only learn by playing. On the other hand, when there is an opportunity to teach - I'm your man![:D]

[Red Prince]

In debating with myself about what to do up north, this is what I'm considering:

7-1 GARR comes out of Leningrad (to be replaced by the incoming 5-1 GARR. I don't know about this, because he's an easy kill for the Germans. It does have the benefit of preventing them from storming past Novgorod and on toward Moscow, and it lets another unit come in here. If he doesn't move out, the Germans are sure to lock things up tight at Leningrad.

Yeremenko moves out of Ground Strike Range, bringing the 5-3 INF back into supply. that INF can then set up as a minor road-block, or he can retreat toward Yeremenko.

The double-stack of Siberians has to move to one of these 2 hexes, either as part of an attack on the ARM Division, or as a way to prevent that division from doing a lot more damage.

The other double-stack stays in the river bend, possibly helping the INF stack with its attack on the ARM Division. I think the attack is the way to go, but I'm not sure.

A little farther south, the Kiev MIL can come up to Gomel and sit there for a while.

[Red Prince]

If I'm going to try to hold the river in the south, I think I set it up something like this. It places expendable MIL units at the front lines, mostly ones that will arrive near the front if they die (unless their cities get taken, but then it's game over for Russia).

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

Next, the North Front:

The11th Inf moves SE and SW to hold the swamp and block both avenues in from the north.

The 2 Siberians move to where Yeremenko is. Yeremenko moves east & NE to keep the 5-3 in supply. The Germans don't have any units that can put the 5-3 in the north OOS.

The 2 units in the river bend move to the forest 2 hexes to their east.

The Kiev Mil (to the south) moves into Gomel. Alternatively, you could rail a Mil into Gomel.

The TB3 reorganizes the 5-3 Mil so he will remain worth 10 defensive factors and clog up the northern approaches for the rest of the turn.

[Red Prince]

The northern part of this line looks like the image below. This encourages attacks to continue in the south, I think, and it keeps the ARM and MECH in supply once they are re-organized by the TB-3s at the end of the impulse . . . if they are.

Part of this plan is railing the last distant MIL unit to Kerch, in case a breakthrough happens in the south.

[Red Prince]

Note: None of the above images are actually even remotely set yet. I haven't yet decided about the possible Ground Strike on the FTR, so I just jumped ahead so I could actually show you what I was thinking.

[Centuur]

That 5-1 is desperately needed in other fronts, so I shouldn't bother leaving Leningrad. Also, this doesn't prevent the meeting of the Finns and the Germans.

The 5-3 should move back 2 hexes.

Now comes the difficult part: to take back Smolensk or not to take back the city.  I suggest to not retake the city and move the Siberians into the hex west of the one were Yeremenko is in, Yeremenko goes to the woods west of Kalinin and the MECH stack can withdraw two hexes into the wood hex there. This means you are getting distance between the use German air force. That's always good.

The south however, is a problem. I think you should try to salvage the ARM/MECH stack. This than means the following moves: The Kiev MIL stack moves one hex south, the MECH in this hex moves to the hex east of the disorganised ARM/MECH stack. Looking at the attacking factors around Dnjeprpropetovsk, and the fact that both German HQ's are disorganised, I think I would simply stay in position there. The only thing I would do is to empty Stalino and move that MIL into the hex with the Stalingrad MIL and move that unit into the remaining empty hex. Front closed and start praying the turn ends very, very soon. I think I would railmove the Gorki MIL into Gomel. It is going to get killed, but you need another impulse to stall the German advance from the north towards the southern part.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

The South Front:

Things are ok here. Hold the center and pull back the southern part of the line.

Do not try for ground strikes! They are iffy at best and the ground support will become more and more important as the defensive values of your stacks drops.

The German only have 3 units that can attack from the hexes NW of Dnepropetrovsk. You don't need much strength in those hexes.

Working from the bottom, ...

The 2-2 Mil stays where it is.

The 5-6 Mech moves east. The 2-5 Mot joins it. They can only be attacked from 1 hex (the 20 points SW of them. That would be a 20:7 attack and the USSR can choose Blitz. If the German go for that attack, then give the Mech some ground support.

The corps in Dnep. stay there.

The Dnep. Mil moves NE of Dnep.

The Stalingrad Mil and the Mech div move NW 1 hex.

The Stalino Mil moves east of the 2 disorganized units in the forest, where he is joined by the 2-3 AA.

The 6-6 Mech move NW.

The 2-6 Mech div moves SE.

The 4-2 Art and 2-2 are dead - but that's war.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

That 5-1 is desperately needed in other fronts, so I shouldn't bother leaving Leningrad. Also, this doesn't prevent the meeting of the Finns and the Germans.

The 5-3 should move back 2 hexes.

Now comes the difficult part: to take back Smolensk or not to take back the city.  I suggest to not retake the city and move the Siberians into the hex west of the one were Yeremenko is in, Yeremenko goes to the woods west of Kalinin and the MECH stack can withdraw two hexes into the wood hex there. This means you are getting distance between the use German air force. That's always good.

The south however, is a problem. I think you should try to salvage the ARM/MECH stack. This than means the following moves: The Kiev MIL stack moves one hex south, the MECH in this hex moves to the hex east of the disorganised ARM/MECH stack. Looking at the attacking factors around Dnjeprpropetovsk, and the fact that both German HQ's are disorganised, I think I would simply stay in position there. The only thing I would do is to empty Stalino and move that MIL into the hex with the Stalingrad MIL and move that unit into the remaining empty hex. Front closed and start praying the turn ends very, very soon. I think I would railmove the Gorki MIL into Gomel. It is going to get killed, but you need another impulse to stall the German advance from the north towards the southern part.

The Saratov MIL is also available for rail movement.

[Centuur]

Something went wrong here...

[Centuur]

Well. It looks like Steve and I disagree about trying to save the ARM/MECH stack... I would close that gap. I think Steve is right about the ART and the MIL to be sacrificed. It saves the MECH there, and that's a unit worth saving.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Well. It looks like Steve and I disagree about trying to save the ARM/MECH stack... I would close that gap. I think Steve is right about the ART and the MIL to be sacrificed. It saves the MECH there, and that's a unit worth saving.

He does have the calculations a bit off on that MECH and MOT Division stack, though. The AA is a red-circle heavy AA unit, so it attacks at double vs. MECH and ARM. That makes it a 23:7 attack before Ground Support. The Germans can intercept at +2/-2 against any Ground Support that might fly. Of course the FTR there would fly escort, not that it helps at all, but it allows the FTR to rebase for free.

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Well. It looks like Steve and I disagree about trying to save the ARM/MECH stack... I would close that gap. I think Steve is right about the ART and the MIL to be sacrificed. It saves the MECH there, and that's a unit worth saving.

He does have the calculations a bit off on that MECH and MOT Division stack, though. The AA is a red-circle heavy AA unit, so it attacks at double vs. MECH and ARM. That makes it a 23:7 attack before Ground Support. The Germans can intercept at +2/-2 against any Ground Support that might fly. Of course the FTR there would fly escort, not that it helps at all, but it allows the FTR to rebase for free.

True. Staying in the hex however, also makes a 3-1 attack on the stack. It's difficult to make a choice here.

[Red Prince]

Well, I'm going to run with Steve's setup. In Persia, the Astrakhan MIL finally made it to Tabriz. Later on he'll move east, I expect . . . it depends on what the situation looks like there. If the MECH and MOT stack are the target of an attack by the Germans, I think 2 factors of Ground Support should be risked, with the FTR flying escort/interception. That gives it about an even shot at being a 2:1 attack.

Other than the reorganization of the 5-3 INF up north, I don't think I want to rebase any air power. I like where it is.

[composer99]

Is there anything in Smolensk other than the 2-factor div? I'd hate to leave a soft target like that intact, but there's too many organized Germans around there.

[Taxman66]

I'd be tempted to move the 2 Siberians to kill the German armor in Smolensk, if it weren't for the Bf110c. It would be 17:2 instead of 17:4 (too bad there isn't an I16 in range it'd actually be at an advantage). Russia would retake the city, probably without causilties and a good chance of staying organized.

On a different topic, irregardless of the high strat-bombing rolls, those American Bolos and the big NAV would be better off guarding against the axis subs/navy and not Strat bombing. By the way, where is the Langley, Ranger and the rest of the Atlantic fleet. With the Germany fleet mostly in the repair yard the euro axis fleet should be cowering.