SOVIET UNION 1941 MOBILE VARIANT AAR

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 7. Kiev has fallen and Sevastopol has been reached. In the original, Odessa was taken by the Romanians at great cost. Here, they may as well as wait for Sevastopol to fall and walk in.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the AGN front at the end of turn 8. The Lagoda Supply hex has been captured. The supply point in Leningrad will be removed four turns later and the Leningrad hex will probably be sufficiently degraded by that in another four turns. Regardless, its fall is now certain.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the central front at the end of turn 8. The forces in Moscow have been bolstered sufficiently that there is no chance of it being retaken. Other German forces are concentrating on a pincer movement to pocket the entire Moscow defenses (they’re too strong to take frontally).

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 8. Sevastopol is now invested and should fall next turn. Meanwhile, a limited offensive is having some success in the eastern Ukraine, capturing Stalino, among other sites.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the northern front at the end of turn 9. Leningrad remains invested, while a few Axis units move to try to roll up the northern end of the Soviet front lines.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the central front at the end of turn 9. The pincer attacks have made some progress. The southern pincer has eliminated the army-sized defenders and now faces little opposition to completing the task.

Attempting to extract the Soviet defenders around Moscow would be futile due to the lack of relative mobility and ZOCs. It would only ruin their defensive stance. So, as at Kiev, the best they can do is hunker down and hope to delay the German advance for a bit.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 9. Sevastopol has been captured. The Odessa supply point will be removed next turn. Elsewhere, the offensive in eastern Ukraine has had some more success due to the unevenness of the Soviet defenses. Weak points were exploited to render strong points out of supply.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the northern front at the end of turn 10. The rupture of the Finnish front has now resulted in the ends of the Soviet lines being flanked and rendered unsupplied. That will have an effect later, as they wither.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the central front at the end of turn 10. The pincers slowly advance.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 10. Odessa is now unsupplied, but needs a bit more attrition before the Romanians will have the margin to take it. Eastern Ukraine is being gobbled up. Soon, forces will arrive in Rostov’s rear from the Crimea, too.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the northern front at the end of turn 11 (note that I’ve combined the northern and central displays this turn). The southern pincer has made considerable progress. The Soviet forces around Moscow will soon be cutoff.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 11. The Odessa defenders continue to wither, but are still too strong for the Romanians. Rostov has been cut off by advances from both Ukraine and the Crimea.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the northern front at the end of turn 12. The supply line to the Moscow defenders is now only one hex wide.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 12. The hex next to Odessa was taken, while the Odessa defenders continue to wither. The Rostov defender has withered as well. The defender of the Majkop oil field has been cut off. Capture of that field will raise Axis force supply.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the northern front at the end of turn 13. The pincer movement has been completed. The Moscow defenders are now cut off from supply and will start to wither. The roll-up of the northern end of the Soviet lines progresses as well.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 13. Odessa has fallen to the Romanians. Rostov has fallen as well. The Majkop defender is withering due to lack of supply. The eastern advance continues against little opposition. Stalingrad is now in danger.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the northern front at the end of turn 14. The Moscow defenders have started to wither and the roll-up of the northern end of the Soviet lines progresses towards Yaroslavl.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 14. The Majkop oil field hex has been captured, raising Axis supply by 2. Progress continues towards Stalingrad. The far southern forces have to be careful here not to go too far south or they will trigger the release of Soviet armies on the Turkish border (they’re also at the end of a logistical tightrope).

But Astrakhan is not within that trigger radius and is in danger. The Soviets are desperately trying to bolster its defense – loss of Astrakhan would deny the Soviets access to the huge Baku oil field and slash their production.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the northern front at the end of turn 15. The Moscow defenders are now withering quickly. Progress towards both Yaroslavl and Gorki continues.

[Curtis Lemay]

The attached screenshot shows the situation on the southern front at the end of turn 15. The far southern progress has stopped to avoid triggering the above-mentioned releases, and for logistical reasons. Some of those forces are being repositioned towards Astrakhan instead. The Soviets continue to reinforce its defense. Some force is now at the gates of Stalingrad.