Gen. Goofy yearns for Uranus vs Orm (No Orm)

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

Southern Front - Marshal Budenny
Southwestern Front - General Kirponos
Southwestern HQ (stationed in Western Ukraine) 18 Divs
5th Army (stationed in Eastern Poland) 10 Divs
6th Army(stationed in Eastern Poland) 2 Divs
12th Army (stationed in Northern Bukovina) 9 Divs
26th Army (stationed in Eastern Poland) 6 Divs
Southern HQ (stationed in Western Ukraine) 8 Divs
+ Mechanised and Airborne Corps

Southern Front (General Tiulenev)
9th Army (stationed in Besarabia) 15 Divs
18th Army
+ Mechanised and Airborne Corps

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2

So that is where things are at present. According to Glantz there should be a further four armies forming up soon as part of Stavka Reserve. Well they cannot come fast enough!

I play a card so that 16th Army turn up at a front of my choosing.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Finland

I shuffle units of 7th and 23rd Armies around to give myself the feeling that I am doing something.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Northern Front

In Latvia and Lithuania all I can do is place as many road blocks and obstacles in the way as I can. 184th Rifle Division guards the main road to Riga and is given the task of holding two panzer and one motorised division in check.....

27th Army consolidate - and I hope are digging in - along the Dvina.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Central Front

The Central Front is on the brink of collapse - there just are not enough units to place in the way of the German juggernaut. I am going to have people shot for this (if there is anyone left to shoot that is)!

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Southern Front

In the northern sector of the Southern Front the 1st Panzergruppe are handily placed to breakout onto the plain. The only small amount of good news is that 17th Army are some way behind.

[warspite1]

26th June 1941
Turn 2
Southern Front

On the Black Sea Coast and beyond, the concern is the beating 9th Army have taken. Kishinev needs to hold.... I have given the appropriate encouragement to my commanders in that region.....

[Jagdtiger14]

Run man, run! Preserve your army and dig in into defensible terrain.

Check out Michael T and his AAR. He's putting on a clinic on how to play the Soviets.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3

Not sure what my increasing levels of paranoia mean, but the fall of Lvov results in another +20.... Mmmmm time to shot some people I think.

A quick look at the last turn makes for grim viewing. This could be the quickest German victory in history!

Never mind - must stay positive [:D].

I place 19th Army at Smolensk.
I take a chance and place 20th Army at Polotsk
I place 16th Army at Mogilev.

I regret placing 20th Army at Minsk now - it was indeed far too optimistic...

I play a fortification card, constructing fortifications behind the river between Minsk and Mogilev.

I place a garrison in Ostrov.

I place Zhukov in Minsk. AAHHHHH!!! I forgot everything takes time - he doesn't arrive for 4 days - by which time Minsk will likely be captured. Rats.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Northern Front - Finland

What remains of 7th Army (that can still move) pulls back to the 1939 border. 23rd Army does the same. I suspect that the Finnish ability to strike beyond the borders depends on German progress of AGN. If that is true I will need to expect a Finnish incursion in the near future. I just hope I get some more replacements....

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Northern Front - The Baltics

Really not much to do here. The panzers are already at the gates of Dunaburg. 8th Army's 28th Tank Division is ordered to try and make for the coast to cut the spearhead German infantry division off. The rest of 8th Army have no movement left aside from the 90th and 184th - and I move them to try and avoid them getting surrounded - but they simply do not have the AP's to move very far.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Central Front

Absolutely nothing to say here. The Soviets have nothing left. Anything that can move is headed east. Grim. Yes, this is the entire Central Front.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Southern Front

And so to the south. The 204th Airborne are ordered south to link up with units in Tarnopol to attack the SS Wiking Division. The SS are beaten back by the ferocity of the assault, but retreat in good order. The 190th and 197th Rifle Divisions then attack the 9th Panzer Division, south of the SS unit, although barely a scratch is recorded. So ends Southwestern HQ's attempts to straighten out the position.

To their north, 5th Army try and sort themselves out but a lack of movement points leaves their right flank vulnerable.

[warspite1]

4th July 1941
Turn 4

- I place 4 further replacement armies in the Central Front.
- Dunaburg falls....
- Soviet divisions continue to melt away.
- I put Leningrad MD and the 23rd Army onto the defensive.

[warspite1]

4th July 1941
Turn 4
Northern Front

With all the replacement armies going to the Central Front there is nothing between Dunaburg and Leningrad. I have therefore ordered 31st Army to be placed where I want. I will need to put something in the way of Leningrad (next turn?). I move a couple of divisions of 8th Army but that is all that can move.

[warspite1]

4th July 1941
Turn 4
Central Front

I send the 22nd Army from Orsha toward Minsk. 21st Army in Minsk starts to deploy but they will have no time to dig in and the mud means they cannot move very far.

The remaining Western HQ units can do little but try and hold as long as possible.

[warspite1]

4th July 1941
Turn 4
Southern Front

There is soon to be a desperate need to replacement armies in the south too. Where are all my troops!!!??? Adolf - how could you do this to me???

[warspite1]

8th July 1941
Turn 5

With the disappearance of the mud, that made a welcome visit last turn, the slaughter continues.

Only two reinforcement armies are available. The position before Smolensk is dire, but the position in the south and north are just as bad. I leave the south and place an army in Pskov. The second army I place between Polotsk and Vitebsk.

I construct a fort near Odessa - I have nothing in the city at all.

I place a garrison in Proskurow.

I give a rousing speech to try and boost activation. Wow - I never realised what a great orator I was. I am truly brilliant!

I request another army be sent where needed.

[warspite1]

8th July 1941
Turn 5
Central Front

East of Minsk the 19th and 20th Panzer Divisions are attacked by whatever the Soviets can muster. The 52nd and 53rd Tank Divisions are joined by the 151st and 154th Infantry and assault the German tanks from three sides, giving them a 40% modifier. The Germans hold fast.

A similar attack is conducted west of the city, but the attack is weaker and the German 6th Infantry and 12th Panzer are barely touched.

Elsewhere on the front, I spread 16th, 22nd and 30th Armies out west of Mogilev to try and make best use of the river lines.

Around Polotsk I try and send 20th Army units out to threaten rail supplies to 4th Panzergruppe, but the units do not even have enough AP to cross south of the river!

[warspite1]

8th July 1941
Turn 5
Central Front

5th Army moves to try and protect Rovno and the remnants of the Southwest HQ do the same at Tarnopol. 12th Army cling on grimly at the foot of the Carpathians. The Axis forces have established a firm bridgehead over the Dniestr and the Soviets target the Romanian 1st Armoured and 35th Infantry east of Kishinev, using the 15th and 218th Motorised, the 32nd Cavalry and the 51st and 206th Rifle Divisions.

In fierce fighting the Romanians are pushed back. This gives the Soviets a connection with Kishinev once more, but importantly for the Axis, they remain on the east bank of the Dneistr....

With their blood up, the Soviets looks to eject the Axis from another bridgehead. The Romanian 5th and German 76th Infantry Divisions hold one of two remaining toeholds over the Dneistr. Five divisions, the 47th, 117th and 156th Rifle, the 32nd Cavalry and the 6th Airborne attack from three sides and once again send the enemy into retreat. Unfortunately, they are able to retreat into the last remaining bridgehead over the river - and there is nothing more the Soviets can do about it.