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1918, late April:

More troops join Whites; yet again hotheads are advising an all-out assault on communist troops near Novocherkassk. Kaledin disagrees, and instead Don Cossack reinforcements are ferried across Don to Azov and then Rostov.

1918, early May:

In a stunning display of performance and gamble, Reds throw their entire Tsaritsyn garrison south, besieging Ekaterinodar. It appears more and more likely that instead of heading south to Novorossiysk, Whites should hold on to Rostov instead.

Denikin's corps prepares for a sortie to attempt journey back north.

In Terek region, hungry Bicherakhov's men attempt to scavenge for supplies even if it means prying them from cold dead communist fingers...

Whites are repelled at Grozny (May 6, 1918):

Bicherakhov's men are completely demoralized from hunger. Their only hope lies in the fact that Red detachment from Grozny has moved south, leaving city wide open right after the battle.

1918, late May:

Germans capture Rostov, evicting Whites right amid Red lines. Suddenly, fate of the Volunteer Army is barely hanging on.

Whites sortie at Novocherkassk (May 16, 1918):

Kaledin's men sortie, but fail to break the siege. Fortunately, with 1 in 6 Reds dead, next sortie should be more successful.

Reds take Ekaterinodar (May 16, 1918):

Sadly, this battle's outcome was apparent from the moment this massive Red force came south from Tsaritsyn. Even orders to retreat before battle did not stop the carnage.

Whites are repelled at Grozny - again (May 23, 1918):

It really seems that all of the White casualties in this battle are due to hunger. Or cannibalism.

Whites retake Tikhoretsk (May 26, 1918):

The least that can be done now is to blow up the rail link, slowing down the Red masses at Ekaterinodar...

And so the Volunteer Army survives to fight on...

1918, late May:

This is an intermission between the two campaigns. I stopped the Ice March so I can concentrate on the Grand Campaign; however, when time comes for Grand Campaign to end, I will strongly consider pressing on just to see what happens. Never know - we might still have the Civil War until 1935. [X(]

Here are game settings for the Grand Campaign:

- historical attrition: expect to see lots of dead bodies and empty elements
- failure to activate means failure to move
- sergeant difficulty level with medium detection bonus
- highly randomized genetals: no more hordes of 4-1-1 White division commanders.

The last feature does pay off in many cases (although Orenburg army is getting a new leader soon...); ironically, my two best commanders are Czechs.

1918, early June:

Siberian forces are preparing to clean up in the Far East (several Red garrisons) and Ural (Blucher's partisans). Czechs are dispatched after the gold train.

Orenburg Army Command Staff:

Preset stats for all 6 generals in Orenburg Army are strategic = 4, offensive = 1, defensive = 1.

This is what I am going to do with the new stats:

- create a fast corps, cossacks only, for long-range raiding under Savelev / Dutov
- create a slower assault corps, with artillery, for front line operations under Akutin / Sladkov
- create a reserve division, for defense of Uralsk and other strongholds with rail access under Martynov / Machatkov

1918, late June:

Czech and Komuch forces are gathering near Simbirsk and Kazan. More cleanup is underway in the Far East.

There are rumors about tensions between Mikhail Artem'evich Murav'yov, KomKor (Corps Commander) in charge of Red forces in Simbirsk, and SNK (People's Commissariat Congress) in Moscow, but it's unclear as to whether his loyalty is for sale.

Komuch Forces Command Staff:

I think I might have doomed the Komuch uprising with the random leader stats choice. Two of their units have failed activation checks twice in a row. Hopefully I can get Galkin to go around and merge with them, so that by late August we might be talking active combat operations.

Absolutely superb AAR!

ORIGINAL: RedCharlie65

Absolutely superb AAR!

Thanks

1918, Early July:

Siberian troops take Irkutsk, Kazan, Orsk. Gold train is captured.

Orenburg Army is disbanded:

The victory at Orsk could not have taken place without sending General Martynov to a happy retirement in a newly created position of Eastern Army HQ all the way up in Krasnoyarsk. General Savelev took over - an excellent choice, judging from the first battle he was in.

1918, Late July:

White forces take their traditional assortment of cities - Ufa, Perm, Blagoveshchensk. Simbirsk falls as well, the first time it goes so easily - perhaps because I took the time to combine my troops rather than charge them into oblivion one wave after another?

A Red detachment is spotted near Khabarovsk - it was missing last turn.

Komuch Forces Command Staff (continued):

I am enjoying the variability of general stats. You never know what you may get.

I need to keep close attention to all the rebels spawning about, in case there is an excellent division commander waiting to make a difference.

EDIT: Missed one.