Ketza (Axis) V Manstein (CCCP)

[Klydon]

Bummer on having that pocket linked in the north. That will slow 16th army down from getting over the river in force and headed for Pskov. Good job on his part to do that.

Looks like he is trying to put that one panzer corps in a nasty vice. Will be interesting to see how that plays out as I think most Russians try to run to the SE. This is more of a direct path, but also in range of your infantry.

[Ketza]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Bummer on having that pocket linked in the north. That will slow 16th army down from getting over the river in force and headed for Pskov. Good job on his part to do that.

Looks like he is trying to put that one panzer corps in a nasty vice. Will be interesting to see how that plays out as I think most Russians try to run to the SE. This is more of a direct path, but also in range of your infantry.

I finished the turn before I went to work will update the AAR later tonight. The huge northern pocket was a bear to eliminate but I managed to do it and killed everything off. It did slow down 16th army and no infantry will make it over the river. Next yime I have an Axis opening I will keep this very good move by Manstein in mind and keep it from happening again.

Pskov did fall and I sailed in another Corp into Riga so the Leningrad timetable is still on track. I think [:D]

[Ketza]

AGN Pskov - 4th Pz coming from the west from Riga blows open a path across the River and clears out the town of Pskov. 3Pz coming up from the SW then shoots a PZ division into the town. SS division flips many hexes to the West of the lake and the Panzers all get 50 tons of fuel by air. 18th army makes good progress and gets another Corp delivered by sea from Germany. Another 3 divisions are staged to be sea lifted in that just arrived.

[Ketza]

74 Soviet units destroyed in the pockets with only 14 of them coming from Lvow pocket and 51 of them being divisions.

[Ketza]

Nice haul of casualties considering most of Lvow pocket still exists. His air force has totally left the battle.

[Ketza]

AGS - One of the reasons I do not like to crush the Soviet lines on turn one in the 17th army sector is because I want 17th to blow through a hole I create and head east as much as possible so they can slice southeast on turn 2. Soviet players will typically mass up and head east to hit the Panzer wall and it helps to have 17th as far east as possible to deal with this typical development. Manstein followed this pattern and 17th was used to break up the heavy Soviet concentration.

The rest of AGS and the Rumanian front headed east. 3PZ corp was transferred to 11th army and was put in a position to threaten the Odessa rails and make him think twice about trying to set up a river line. The Panzers will also flip a lot of ground making it easier for the ground pounders to advance.

I really did not hang anyone out to dry as far as deeper penetrations as I was more focused on clearing up what was in front and flipping hexes.

[Ketza]

AGC - Stormed Minsk and got a bridghead over the Berezina. Most of the Panzers got 50-75 tons of fuel air dropped. Cleared out a lot of hexes to keep him the LOC open for turn 3.

[Tarhunnas]

Nice job in the north! Taking Pskov turn 2, that is pretty impressive, and will put a lot of pressure on the defense of Leningrad.

[Ketza]

AGN 3 - Gassing up the tanks! SS make a break for the beaches.

[Ketza]

AGC 3 - Usual advance. Pockets are killed. Mogilev factories are captured which was a surprise.

[Ketza]

Battle of Mogilev. Nicely defended but a Panzer corp is a big hammer.

[Ketza]

AGS 3 - Lvow pocket hangs on. He had Isolated a PZ corp using some large tank divisions. Things were sorted out and the 3 tank divisions were pocketed.

[Ketza]

Turns 4 and 5 mainly saw the reduction of Lvow pocket with the last Soviet mountain division hanging on until turn 6. Those turns also saw AGN snuggle up to the Luga line and prepare for an offensive with the aid of Infantry. AGC also snuggled up to the river as well as AGS. Odessa was surrounded as well.

Turn 6 saw the reduction of a 12 unit pocket in the Vinnista area. More on turn 6 with its rather large developments later.

Factories killed as of turn 6:

Mogilev
Gomel
Odessa (I think he pulled a few points out however)
Leningrad Isolated

He has moved Kiev, Smolensk and the dot cities on the west side of the Dnepr.

[Ketza]

AGN turn 6 - 2 turns of prep allow a big hole to be blown in the Luga line. Leningrad burbs seemed weak with CVs of 2 and one unit each so it was decided to overrun them given the chance as opposed to heading east. This advance should loosen up the Leningrad front quite a bit.

[Ketza]

Finland 6 - first time I have seen someone reinforce Finland. Finns are advancing and cut off a few units.

[Ketza]

AGN 6 - River is crossed and Gomel overrun with factories in place. 3rd Pz and 9th army begin the advance to Smolensk.

[Ketza]

AGS 6 - Finished off a pocket. Pocketed the Odessa defenders. Got a bridgehead over the Dnepr near Kiev and have a whole bunch of divisions ready to cross gassed up and ready to roll. 11th army advancing with a PZ corp leading the way.

[Ketza]

6 losses - Casualties are lower then I would like but I can only kill what he gives me.

[Ketza]

Air losses 6 - His air force has been coming out to play a bit and has suffered 2000 destroyed airframes since the first turn or so.

[Ketza]

6 units killed - Once again can only kill what he gives me after the initial pockets.