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I prefer the strategic military quotes from Murphy. I think they are really meaninfull for realife and game :

Example :

- No OPerational PLAN ever survives initial contact with the ennemy,
- There is always a way, and it usually doesn't work.

Turn 6 : 24 July 1941

Great runaway south as most of objective around Dnepr river has been taken or withdrawn for industries so i retreat as i can to the next cities i want to defend (a little), and will go on trying to shorten line to be able to free reserves for others front.



In the center, little tacticals operations as usual, but no real offensive as probably few troops are available.

Smolensk still hold. I may have to withdraw a little as german infanterie reached the front line.



Now currently the most important and heated sector, the north.
I'am very proud of the heroes of the motherland (And thanks Zuikov) who managed to repulse multiple panzers attacks this turn. But still some panzers managed to go though holes and gain a little ground.

West of the lake, german let only small regiments to garrison the line, and most german troops are in the offensive east of limen lake.

I intend to send renforcement from leningrad to block north route, but also to send at least one, may be two new reserves armies in the valadai hills to threaten the advance from the flank. I do not know where to find these divisions but i will find them. I'am fully commited to defend Leningrad at all cost. At least this year.



Total casualties : I only lost one million men !! Great success !! Nothing to worry comrade staline !!!
Still i have no manpower stock and consume everything each turn to fill new divisions.
Only 11 new divisions this turn, it is not enough !! I need hundreds !!! What can i do with such a small army !!!

ORIGINAL: 821Bobo

You guys know the quote from Sun Tzu, right? - He who defends everything defends nothing.

After Pelton crossed Dneper at Kremenchug on T4 you should have retreated from Kiev to east. That could have prevented early loss of Kharkiv. Also from T4 screen it looks like you could have easily mustered 30+ CV for counter attack with 50% chance of throwing him back.

I concur 100% with you here on this one. His units are now easy pickings and "no" defense in depth at all. The downward spiral has already started, next will be mass unit cut offs.

ORIGINAL: 821Bobo

You guys know the quote from Sun Tzu, right? - He who defends everything defends nothing.

After Pelton crossed Dneper at Kremenchug on T4 you should have retreated from Kiev to east. That could have prevented early loss of Kharkiv. Also from T4 screen it looks like you could have easily mustered 30+ CV for counter attack with 50% chance of throwing him back.

Given where you are this is excellent advice - in general you shouldn't defend to the west of a German breakthrough in 1941 .. unless you are sure you can stop them.

Look at your Leningrad line. Pelton is screening the Luga line with regiments because he doesn't care. SO you have a shortage of units and are holding a line composed of regiments with divisions and reserves. That worsens your problems on key sectors even if you weren't now badly out of position.

You are probably too late but pull back to a short line just outside Leningrad - the rough terrain will help as will the lack of a strong attacking force. That will free up what looks like 3 armies to challenge the offensive to the east of Lake Ilmen.

Your basic problem is Pelton exploits the rule set, likes to play people trying out their first game (who would probably struggle in any case), who then get badly caught out by his approach (people learn for a second game but he doesn't play them again).

All you can do now is to try and preserve your army - Leningrad is lost so don't compound it by losing 4+ extra armies. Just try and make it so he has to work at the final attacks up the mud season.

Pelton move troops in a very interesting way it is a pleasure to see him play. It is very elegant. He do not move a unit that is not needed to move.
Not an exploit for me.

I received turn 7. Will post pictures tonight.

The 2 new armies i sent north in the valadai hills fighted well, i did a little repositionning for troops and divisions switching between armies close to leningrad to free reserves too. The ground here is quite good for defense.

I'am not so sûre that Leningrad is lost in the short term. Making Pelton fight here for each swamp and forest may be worth it, as moving around like he did is not the easiest way to go to Leningrad.

Of course, it could be wrong if it force me to strip too much forces from elsewhere, especially moscow. But Pelton do not hesitate to concentrate force so i have to do it too.

I changed also my tactical doctrine. Previous i loved to spread divisions in depth but in fact, but there was 2 problem :
- First, a lone division do not dig fast enough.
- Second, a square that is not able to repulse a panzer division hasty attack is close to useless.

So now i make strong point and it looks more efficient.

Now picture will be a .jpg format. I hope it will be easier to download

So turn 7, 31 july 1941. This terrible month is finally other.

In the south, an heroic cavalry division managed last turn to encercle the entire armored spearhead. She survive the experience !!

Of course my ennemy restore the situation during its turn, but the advance of ennemy come to halt one turn. It will help me evacuate industries from Stalino.
My priority for industries are armement. I often let the Heavy industries as they are more difficult to move, and last turn i had a shortage of ressources anyway to use all of them. If i need more supply, i can always cut plane production or things like that.



In the center, ennemy make slow advance. I will have to evacuate smolensk.



My defenses are quite weak, but german's force are weak too for now. But i will have to boost them before it is too late.

Finally the north :

My 2 armies renforcement were quite effective. Still the ennemy push a little and it will be dangerous as some of motorized divisions have a good stocks of fuel.

Need moar renforcement, ho yes moar [:D]

The ennemy also threaten with infantery a weak point of my line south of leningrad. I may retreat a little there. Or wait one more turn before.

I may began to evacuate leningrad factory too just in case. The railroad is close.

Turn 8: 7 August 1941

So i exit this horrible july to enter... An horrible August.

August is the date of the TOE upgrade of my rifle divisions. Upgrade is a big word. Downgrade shall be the exact term. [8|]



So as you can see, we remove all the heavy equipment and now there is only cheap mortar and conscripts with rifle. But even the riflemen are ill-equiped as now half of them are a downgraded version of the normal rifleman squad, with cheap stuff.
This division will be less effective in combat.

The purpose of this change is to make a cheap division in term of armament points. Could be good news, if i had armament issue.



But as you can see, i have tons of armament points in reserve !!!!!

And this division will not at all solve my manpower current issue. I was expecting the reverse playing the soviet union. What can i do ? Maybe i will have to create tons of artillery support regiments.

Let's speak about the turn.

I SCREW UP IN THE NORTH [:D]

My current doctrine was to create strong points in swamp but it let a lot of hole and i was not expecting the german units to be able to move around my troops nearly without combat. But they did.
I have to review it. In the maintime german front guard reach and cut the train line to leningrad.

General panic order , i have now to evacuate as much troops as i can by foot before the german close the pocket.
Leningrad is lost.



In the center, little movement but i have to improve the defense here big time because it is the next big battle.

The german supply line is very close and i think big offensive will probably begin soon.



In the south, german advance looks stuck by the lack of refuel and supply. Only infantry move, at the speed they can. It is good news for my industries evacuation. It looks like the german was not able to sustain the rapid advance of the beginning.



Will i be able to save the one millions mens from northern and northwestern front that defend Leningrad !!! Next news next turn !!

Playing against Pelton, you're Learning the hard way. Losing Kharkov on turn 5 is a harsh blow.

Try to save enough HI (200) and ARM (300) and fight for Moscow. Leningrad is doomed.

Turn 9 : 14 August 1941.

Without brain, you have to walk !!!!

Glorious troops march on ... offensive retreat to move out the leningrad area, while fighting against the german advance at the same time.

As soon as they reach the railroad, they take the train to moscow !!

I will did it !!!!



In the center, the ennemy already use the "problems" of the north to open way in new directions. But soon the northwest front will be here front north to cover the area. Go Zuikov !!!
More an more troops rally the center.



The south is really quiet now as it looks like panzers were removed from the area. Maybe to moscow, maybe for others things.

Unfortunately, i managed the exploit to be out of recon plane in the area so i completely lost tracks of these panzers.

Turn 10 : 21 August 1941

Deterred by the glorious resistance of my troops, the invader give up trying to encercle the NW and northern front and now is moving toward moscow. My troops rush to the defense.



In the south, little action as the southern front defend stalino against a german army. Ennemy panzers ressuply far from the front.



So the battle for moscow have started !!! It will be a hard fight and i will send everything and the kitchen sink at it !!

A little random rain would be nice now.

Turn 11 : 28 August 1941.

Still no rain. [:(]

More and more troops come to my aids, but i have little equipments and men to fill them, especially the tank brigades.(And even full tanks, they have little combat value whatsoever).


In the south, german panzers breach the weak southern front and was nearly cut in two.... nearly !!!
Due to excellent leadership of Marshal Budyonny, the ennemy attack was slow down just before the town of Taganrog.

My troops are not isolated and most of them will be able to escape, at least this turn. Being lucky is a skill.



In the center, more and more troops are involved, german and soviet side. I fear that soon 75% of all panzers will be there.

There are 2 axes of offensives and currently i'am stronger in the center than in the side. I need to change that. Moar troops on the side !!!

I notice that i have 2 partisans bataillons that are ready (one since 3 turns) but they do not do anything yet. I hope they will wake up. Supply line are vulnerable now as they are rare.

Wake up comrades !!!

Workers of the world unite and blow up the imperialistic railways!

In my game versus Pelton, my partisans have been a major disappointment in 1941.

Due to morale restrictions it seems they need to be within three hexes of German rail to function. Even then, they seem to be "lethargic" to put it mildly.

In short, don't expect much of them, but be happy if they do provide some sort of service.

Turn done, but i moved so much troops i have no railroad capacity left to evacuate any factories. Who need factories anyway, priority to the troops !! Factories are long term issues and i have short term issues.

Moscow will be defended with anything available.

I will probably have little capacity left next turn too.

Turn 12 : 04 September 1941 !!!

I'am glad to be in september. Even if there is no rain yet [:@]

I had the nice surprise to have 7 rifles divisions promoted to guard status !!
Guard units have a special TOE and +10 bonus morale so 55 instead of 45. Once trained to 55 Xp, they will be twice effective as the normal rifle division.
I plan to remove them all from front to finish their training in a full guard army as reserve units just east moscow.



Let's start with peacefull Area :

Leningrad, which just fall and the garnison is now encercled. Of course it was mostly naval rifle brigade not very important. I will not loose much.



Crimea, where i have a complete army. I'am not sûre it is a good idea as i do not need crimea so much. I will probably remove some divisions for more critical objectives.



Voronev, which is a critical objective of this year that i do not have troops to defend properly. I will do my best with what is left.
If Moscow fall, it will be my only hope. If voronev did not fall first.
I prefer to defend moscow than voronev. Probably a mystake for a pure rational point of view as Voronev is easier to defend, but defending moscow is far more glorious and make sense not only in game point of view, but also for historical and political one.



Now the action zones !!!!

Southern front has been crushed this turn !! It was a rampage. My little front did what it could. Now i will try to salvage what i can and survivors will go Voronev.
I do not expect the germans to go to Ural this year. next year, yes.



And now the decisive battle of moscow.

in the NW, the ennemy breach one more line of defense, but i have plenty in the area (thanks to favorable ground) and i'am quite confident in this sector. The defenses are strong.



Now the SW, the problem zone.

The SW defense line is not so strong, and behind there are plenty of plains for panzer to move, unfortunately. And german troops are now well supplied by rail.
I try to built a line on the Oka river, but these white divisions are weak troops in training, with poor combat values. The situation is quite dangerous here. I will try to do what i can to renforce the sector.



Let's look at the general situation. I think my casualties are quite low for now. (German casualties are low too, but it was expected).
Of course my casualties can change very quickly if the battle of moscow go wrong. Worst case scenario, i can have 1 millions troops encercled there. But let's keep hope.

Turn 13 : 11 September 1941 !!!

The battle for moscow rage !!!!

Difficult turn for the soviet union as german forces are in full offensive against moscow.

In the north, invaders' troops smashed my heavy defense line but were not able to exploit it. This turn....
The line was strong... But not strong enough.



In the south, german pierce 2 lines of defenses and now an elite motorized ennemy division is in sight of moscow !!!! Situation is very bad.



Energic measures are needed. I intend to encircle, smash and rout the german motorized division with my best troops (i will probably need a ratio of troops of 15 to 1 or 20 to 1 in deliberate attacks, with full air support, thanks to not having the +1 soviet attack bonus).
Then i will try to reconstruct a line of defense using the city as stronhold for a last stand.

And pray for mud.

If i lost moscow, my only hope to survive 1941 will then be Voronev, which is actually not very well defended. Maybe i shall activate my backup plan and begin to heavily fortified the area.

I have a decision to take.

Shall i fall back to Voronev to defend heavily this last critical objective in order to survive 1941, or shall i try to defend moscow to the last men, risking german auto victory if i fail.

I do not know if it is viable in the long run if i lost moscow, rostov and leningrad.

With the lost of moscow, my armement count will look bad, but i'am not sûre it is matter as limiting factor seems manpower instead of armement.
I'am not convince that the count of evacuated factory actually matter in the long run.

Armaments and manpower are both critical. To build up the ToE of your late mid and LW units you will need armaments.

If you lose moscow esp with alot of its factories its probably game over esp since you are losing Rostov as well in 1941.