Dispatches from OKH: Q-Ball (Axis) v. Von Beeanie (SOV)

[SuluSea]

Good Luck Brad , I'm looking forward to seeing your tactics and how you fair as well!!

[FOW]

Excellent progress. Breaking that river line in AGC so early is a major coup.

Your opponent seems to be stacking combat units in a linear defence with no depth, rather than use 'red carpet' or 'checkerboard' tactics, and is paying for it.

[Q-Ball]

FOW and Sulu: Welcome AE Brothers!

Actually Von Beanie's defense isn't linear; he is providing depth where he has the units. It is linear along the Dnepr, but I think that is appropriate on that line, because units don't have the MPs to exploit that if they can cross the river.

The problem, I think, is that it's still early (Turn 6), and I destroyed a number of units early-on.

TURN 6 DISPATCHES:

Generally speaking, Von Beanie is falling back, trading space for time. I don't think he is doing this forever, but rather moving back to prepared defense lines, particularly on the Dnepr in the South. As a result, there was little combat this turn, as we mostly were marching into open space.

Casualties to Date: I would really like some feedback here. I don't really know how I am doing relative to benchmarks. At the end of Turn 7, here it is:

AXIS LOSSES:
105,000 Men
720 AFVs

SOVIET:
1,319,000 Men
10,040 AFVs
About 970,000 Men are POWs
We have destroyed a total of 97 Division-Sized units, and another 25 or so non-divisions size, mostly NKVD Regts.

While the kill ratio is pretty good, I don't have a sense for how I'm doing in POWs or unit destruction. I won't add to either total much next turn, as the Reds are falling back, limiting my ability to engage and destroy.

Army Group North, Turn 6:

I used HQ Buildup on a Panzer Corps, and I don't think I really used it to my max advantage. I am using HQ a bit, and I realize it's expensive, but I want to keep up the pressure, and I have captured a number of Mot Divs, so I hope that's raised my Vehicle totals to offset losses from HQ buildup.

In the NORTH, you can see that I have some of the Leningrad defenses surrounded. Not sure it's enough, but we have to at least put a scare in him up there. I hope he pulls back from the swamps around town.

[Q-Ball]

Army Group Center, Turn 6:

Not much action, only 2 Combats. The Reds pulled back about 4-5 hexes, so we filled the void. I see prepared defenses along the Road to Moscow.

I took a gamble this turn though. I puched HQ BUILDUP for BOTH Corps of Pz Gp 2. This may be foolish, I haven't played with that feature enough to know. But I sense weakness to the Southeast, and if I push that way, I can unhinge him from the Dnepr, regardless of how my crossing attempts go down there.

[Flaviusx]

Your advance on Leningrad is rather impressive. At a minimum, I think you can cut it off from overland supply with 10 clear weather turns remaining and can easily reach the Volkhov river line. Taking the city...well, that's going to be tougher. You may need to reinforce the area to do that. 16. and 18. army by themselves don't have the grunts to do it, they are actually fairly small infantry armies.

Soviet defenses are indeed too linear. I'm a strong proponent of a forward defense, but forward is not synonymous with stacking everything up front.

[Q-Ball]

Army Group South, Turn 7:

Not a single combat this turn down here, other than eliminating a couple stray divisions that we surrounded last turn.

Von Beanie has pulled back all his units west of Kiev through the Marshes. No luck isolating anyone there.

Otherwise, the Dnepr line looks pretty strong; lvl 2 and 3 forts along the whole length, apparently he has been working on it awhile. I still see a couple places we can breech. This turn, I am moving up my infantry, which is marching at max speed and still not catching up to the Panzers.

[Flaviusx]

This is one of the stronger Axis games I've seen thus far, btw. You are ahead on all fronts.

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Your advance on Leningrad is rather impressive. At a minimum, I think you can cut it off from overland supply with 10 clear weather turns remaining and can easily reach the Volkhov river line. Taking the city...well, that's going to be tougher. You may need to reinforce the area to do that. 16. and 18. army by themselves don't have the grunts to do it, they are actually fairly small infantry armies.

Thanks for the input. I have transferred several OKH divisions to 16th and 18th Armies, about 4 IIRC. I am also sending 2nd Army toward Velikye Luki, which should allow me to pull most of 16 Army closer to Leningrad.

I didn't go "all-in", though, because I did send 2 OKH Divisions, plus the OKH Mot Div, to AGS. I wanted to concentrate in the Ukraine, so I have send extra forces there this game, including 3 Inf. Divs and a Panzer Corps right off the bat from Pz Gp 2. My largest Panzer Army is Pz Gp 1. If anything has been short-changed, it's AGC, where I have taken, but not given!

I think the key to getting ahead so far is the TURN 1 moves; it's the only point in the game you can make a move "perfect", because you know where everyone is. I also think Von Beanie could defend more vigorously forward, though he definitely understands terrain. I think he feels he lost so many units early-on, he doesn't have enough to contest me at this point in the open.

[Mynok]

Check your truck losses after this turn. That'll give you an idea about what HQ-B costs.

[CarnageINC]

Damn good job Brad, glad you joined the Dark side

[Q-Ball]

OKH Dispatches, TURN 7:

This turn, we accomplished alot toward our goal in the South of crossing the Dnepr. Two bridgeheads were established by AGS, and AGC made a move SE that will threaten Kiev from the rear. Von Beanie might resist along the river Turn 8, but Turn 9 should feature a general withdrawl from the Dnepr line, to deeper into the Ukraine.

1,000,000 POWs: This turn, we captured our 1 millionth POW. Not sure what the prize is for being number 1 mil; a square meal?[:D]

I still need to see loss benchmarks from others. The Soviets overall have lost nearly 1.4 mil so far, though my tank losses are getting serious; I am up to 900 tanks lost, probably because I have pushed my Panzers so hard.

Army Group North, Turn 7:

We made good progress here; the 5-division pocket formed last turn held, and was liquidated, and we blasted a new hole that should threaten the shores of Lake Ladoga. We really need our infantry to get in the game though; they only arrived in the area two turns ago.

[Q-Ball]

Turn 7, Army Group Center:

Von Beanie's 3-4 hex pullback continues; my infantry are still marching hard to catch-up. I am wearing my Panzers down, because I can't get to the Soviets with Infantry with enough MPs for Deliberate attacks. That's not all bad, because we have marched a LONG way.

In general, I have outrun my supplies, my infantry, and lost tanks by driving the Panzers HARD. But on the flip-side, I am further than I expected to be by now.

PZ GP 3 is moving on Moscow. With only 2 Panzer Corps on the Moscow road, though, I have no hope of taking it at this point. I need to turn Pz Gp 2 around if I want to get serious.

Pz Gp 2 moved south, isolating 4 units, and threatening Kiev.

[Q-Ball]

Turn 7, Army Group South:

Army Group South HQ reports that we have pushed 2 bridgeheads across the Dnepr. This is key, because that means we won't be held there more than a turn or two. Recon shows troops digging in, of course, about 4 hexes back.

[Q-Ball]

Turn 8: Army Group North

I have a serious shot here at Leningrad. I am very close to cutting the land-route, and already getting reinforcements into the city is not going to be easy.

What does the Soviet supply situation look like if you cut-off the land route to Leningrad, but not the Ports? I know they won't be isolated, but are they pretty restricted in supplies? Or not really?

Pz Gp 4 is making good progress, though swamps are looming. That new patch won't make it to me in time to help, but I think in my next game, Leningrad might get more attention.....

On the Soviet side, I would bet the Collective Farm that Stavka reserves are coming here first.

[Q-Ball]

Turn 8, elsewhere.....

ARMY GROUP CENTER: Not huge progress made, as Von Beanie broke the pocket I made last turn, and isolated Pz Gp 2s spearheads in the process. I feared that might happen, as that pocket was pretty loose. This is the price you pay for lack of infantry support.

We reestablished contact, and pulled up to Bryansk.

Closer to Moscow, Vyazma is surrounded with a Rifle Division inside, and we knocked back a Tank Div to boot. Russkies are digging in east of Vyazma, though, and my supply situation up there is appalling. This is the price for moving forward fast. I do have a RR unit approaching Vitebsk, hopefully that will improve things a bit.

ARMY GROUP SOUTH:

I will say again, I think the extra Panzer Corps is making a difference. von Kleist is running wild over the Ukraine, with a Panzer spearheads over the Dnepr near Dnepropetrovsk. I want to push straight-east from there, and encourage Von Beanie to pull out of the Ukraine to protect his flanks. I can probably flank him out of Poltava, and my objective this summer is to get at least as far as Kharkov and the Donbas. I think I'll make it.

[PeeDeeAitch]

You have the "scare" on him now, maybe there will be a chance for a big catch in the south. That extra corps is paying off indeed!

[SuluSea]

I have little experience playing this game in comparison to most as I've been mostly testing maneveurs against the AI / playing smaller scenarios daily still the assault with your mobile forces look impressive. I'm guessing that once/if  Leningrad gets cleaned out you can bring the Fins down into Leningrad and north of the no move zone?
 

[Flaviusx]

Amazing progress for 8 turns. Possibly the strongest Axis game I've yet seen. At this point your main problem is logistics.

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Amazing progress for 8 turns. Possibly the strongest Axis game I've yet seen. At this point your main problem is logistics.

I am pleased, though it's not all roses.

Von Beanie, after the first couple turns, is now doing a full-on Comrade Robinsky. He fought turns 2 and 3, but then started pulling back. So fast, in fact, that I haven't been able to attack anything with infantry, and have been pocketing very little.

As a result, my Panzers are really worn down; I've already lost 1100 tanks, and fuel is scarce. I haven't pocketed more than a handful of units in 3 turns, so Soviet losses are still a bit less than 1.5 mil. Now, many of my tank losses are obsolete types and don't matter in the long-run, I am concerned about Winter.

At some point I will be able to use my infantry to plow holes and smash units, because he'll have to stop SOMEWHERE. But until then, mostly they are just marching in the Panzer's wake.

So, I guess we'll keep filling space, and keep worrying about supplies and logistics. I am building RRs, but there is a limit to that, and I've been outrunning my rail lines for several turns. Logistics are a huge problem everywhere except up by Leningrad (where the railhead is past Pskov already).

All extra infantry is going to Leningrad. AGS got extra Panzers. It's AGC that has been cheated a bit, though they are still on the outskirts of Vyazma. I think that's it for easy gains in the center, though; there are a pile of reserves up there.

[Mynok]

If he is running faster than you can catch him, you will have to pick a winter defense line, move to it and sit and dig. Make a line forts behind that line on good terrain and let them dig. You'll be pretty well set come winter then, especially if the reinforced AGN can take Leningrad.