timmyab (Sov) v Smokingdave (Axis)

[timmyab]

Turn 23

Very little to report in November. The Axis have chosen to dig in for the Winter.

What action there is is mainly in the North where AGN tightens the noose around Leningrad and we launch a mini offensive between Ladoga and Onega against a skeleton Finnish defense.

[timmyab]

Turn 25

The Finns continue to fall back.

[timmyab]

At the start of blizzard the Germans are well dug in North of the Oka except between Rshez and Vishny where they choose to give up their positions in a planned retreat.

[timmyab]

My offensive intentions are mainly in the South, especially South of Kursk. The Axis are not well dug in here and they clearly intend to trade space for time. I will try to hurry them into trading more space than they would like.

The plan is to concentrate my mobile assets (such as they are) in four areas: Kursk, North and South of Kharkov and South of Stalino. The Southern force will push West towards Zaporozhye, the other three will attack towards the SW in the hope of gaining a lead on the fleeing Axis units and trapping them.

I have one or maybe two (i can't remember) strong armies in reserve. Hardly any guards divisions yet though.

[timmyab]

Crimea

Both German mountain divisions are guarding the exits from the Crimea so this area will be static.

[Aditia]

Even without +1 SOV bonus this was going to be tough for the Germans.. I suspect your next few posts will be very painful for Smokindave

[Farfarer61]

It is a done deal, but you are having fun.

[timmyab]

Dave is a skilled, tenacious and experienced player. Way too soon to call the game.

Turn 27

In the South the Axis retreat is mainly fast enough to stay out of trouble except just South of Kharkov where two infantry divisions are ZOC locked this turn.

North of Rzhev the German retreat comes to a halt on the line of river Volga where there are strong prepared defenses.

[timmyab]

Turn 28

Two become three [:)]

[timmyab]

Turn 29

The first turn of the new year and it's not a happy one for the three divisions in trouble South of Kharkov.

[timmyab]

Turn 33

Not much to report for the month of January. The Germans keep backing off in the South and we keep chasing them. They are growing in strength and confidence though and my offensive is running out of steam partly because the railhead is now a considerable distance from the front.

[timmyab]

Turn 34

The Finns have formed a strong defensive line North of lake Ladoga and this front will probably become static for the foreseeable future.
Leningrad is still in Soviet hands but the garrison is now very weak and only kept going by merging the remaining divisions.

Lots of Guards rifle divisions are now forming. Sending them South is difficult because of poor rail comunications so I use them to chip away at the strong German defenses to the West of Moscow.
The front line hasn't moved much during December and January North of Kursk. Even with +1 the German positions were just too strong.
The Western approach to Moscow is being heavily fortified.

Both Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye have been liberated. This is better than I had expected.

[timmyab]

Turn 38

February was even less eventful than January with the offensive in the South grinding to a halt.

The siege of Leningrad is nearly over. Next week the last survivors will surrender.

Overall I think honours were about even for the blizzard campaign. Dave defended very well and just lost the three German infantry divisions. I've made more gains in the South than I had hoped and that gives me a buffer against the coming Axis 42 summer campaign.
At 7.2 M the red army is looking to be in good shape.

[timmyab]

Turn 39

The Germans switch to the offensive SE of Zaporozhye. They punch a hole 30 miles deep and four divisions don't make it out in time.

[timmyab]

Turn 46

Not much action during the remaining snow and mud turns so I'll move it on to the eve of the German 1942 campaign.

I have a problem here because recon aircraft are in short supply and I'm losing a lot of them with little to show for it in the mud season so this is the first extensive survey of the Axis rear area for several weeks.
Specifically looking for German armor it comes up more or less blank. Only 7 divisions (max) can be identified leaving 25 or so unaccounted for [:(]
The best guess from Soviet intelligence is that there is a large concentration hidden in forests to the East of Gomel.
Acting under this intelligence the strategic reserve is sent to reinforce the area West of Kursk.

[timmyab]

Turn 47

Yep, they were there alright [:)]
Good solid pocket. An attempt to break the encirclement is thwarted when the first stage of the operation fails to break through the inner ring.

The damage comes to 12 divisions and 1 tank corps. Not a major problem, it's the 50-100+ division pockets that kill.

[timmyab]

Turn 48

I pull back towards Kursk in preperation for the next clear weather turn. The Spring turns aren't as dangerous as the Summer ones, but the German armor is very powerful and not far from their railhead.

This position gives me a fortified river line between Orel and Kursk to fall back onto.
Pickets are posted out in front of the main line to inhibit the German advance and interfere with supply of fuel.

[timmyab]

Turn 49

Another push West of Kursk. Nearly all the German armor is in this area. No pocket this time.

There are now two mud turns in a row.
The bulk of the army will use this time to build a fortified line to the East. The two rear lines should be level 2 by the next clear turn, the front two lines level 1+.
Some units are left behind to contain the Germans and stop them pushing up to our MLR.
All four shock armies are now in the area between Tula and Belgorod.

[timmyab]

Turn 51

Yikes, that's one scary looking panzer ball.

Kursk has been strongly garrisoned with three divisions in an attempt to hold up the Axis rail conversion effort. The river surrounding two thirds of the city makes it a difficult place to assualt even when isolated.

Clear weather next week and although that panzer ball looks scary, my defense also looks pretty scary and I'm confident(ish) that it can absorb the shock and prevent a breakthrough.

Dave, if you're reading this, your inbox is full.

[timmyab]

Turn 52

The line held and we withdraw another fifty miles or so to construct another one.
Our troops are relieved to have the Don nearby the Axis railhead far away.