TopEverest vs Admiral Kamikaze - the rematch

[topeverest]

Turn 1 File is available by PM.

I spent a long time studying to see if I could reasonably save isolated pockets, but the answer turned out to be no.

Russian tactics therefore were to attack any German unit that could be reached and to develop defense in depth elsewhere. I moved all at risk army HQ and air bases, dumping planes to reserve where necessary due to being isolated.

I concentrated on trying to bust the morale of units attacked - By my count a bakers dozen armor regiments and divisions took serious morale hits, and another number of infantry units did too. Time will tell if it makes a difference, but I am hopping that the enemy is going to have to change tactics, and not leave armor exposed at the MLR.

[topeverest]

Here are the production and losses - still not much to look at -

BUT I am pondering the right factory evacuation method. I was thinking about moving 1 point of all the rebuildable factories on turn 2 and then focus thereafter on the types that have to be moved in total.

[topeverest]

SO I haven't set it yet. Thoughts on how to set?

[timmyab]

It's virtually suicide to attack German units in the early turns. On turn 1 in particular every MP is precious.

Factories can't be moved at all until turn 3. Try to move arms and heavy factories in one lift where possible. Leave vehicle factories until the city is under threat ( not too much) and then move as many units as you feel you can afford according to how hard pressed you are. Moving at least half the factory will see it back to full production faster than only moving one unit.

[TheOne]

ORIGINAL: Hagar

Oh, several... Pelton's are definitely a good read, as those of Sillyflower, to name but a few... Both are experienced players, and I've learned a lot from those. I tend to read them all though, just to see whether there are tips&tricks I can use. And there is the collection of best posts, which has some helpful pointers as well.

MT has some good stuff also.

[topeverest]

Thanks all

read or perused several Pelton german games and at least one current playing against pelton. Patton and Rommel would be proud of Pelton!

Now If I can only learn something from it. I sure don't seem up to that greatness at this early hour!

[topeverest]

File is available by PM.

About the only major accomplishment was not having a hole the size of Montana blown through the imaginary MLR. Those dame commie pinko bastard fascists conquered my grandmothers home, so I am not taking this sitting down!

Stalin ordered his battered and beaten armies to salvage what they could and form a MLR. Pockets of hopelessly surrounded units were ordered to hold out as long as possible. The 'mlr' if that is what it could be called was as successful as any turn 2 MLR can be. It will be broken next turn in multiple places of course, but hopefully, Admiral Kamikaze wont be able to specifically exploit the most weak potions of the line.

SO far, the AK's modus operandi seems broad based. There isn't an over concentration of armor yet. I expect Leningrad to be the first target, and I am not expecting to hold her. Kiev falls or goes under siege this turn.

OH - and somehow I managed to activate the Romanians and Hungarians on turn 1. What was that Forrest Gump said. We;, I must have done it!

My air force deployed this turn, and I began a program to upgrade bi planes to Migs and LAG's. I set up several VVS night missions to get the partisans going, but I still have to level out the deployment of the VVS's across Russia. They are localized in the north.

I was unable to move any factory, as I burned my entire rail (and sea) capacity just in aggregating the beginning of a MLR.

[topeverest]

OH - and I am building a spreadsheet to track production needs and factories - does anyone already have one I can use?

[topeverest]

His penetration wasn't nearly what I thought it would be as far as progress to Tallin. I still hold tallin AND RIGA. Very perplexing. Anyway that is about as far as I can say anything went well.

I was unable to find an attack worth making. Honestly I had limited options and the air force was not generally available due to moving airbases.

4 more units were rescued by sea around RIGA. I consider that a minor boom, plus the island locked units were successfully moved to the mainland.

[topeverest]

Generally speaking in the center the enemy did not proceed past Minsk,, but they appear or could be preparing for an early move on Smolensk.

I have moved up and pooled the Moscow and local areas forces around Smolensk, so that at least there will be a battle for the city. I cannot afford another turn like this one where I gave up so much ground for almost no casualities.

As you can see I am river hopping in my defense. I need to make it as hard as I can.

[topeverest]

Another modestly bright side here that the enemy did not drive a wedge through major portions of the dispersed Kiev defenses. Result - many more combat units survived than I expected. I needed to pull them back to concentrate them around Kiev.

My worry is the enemy will bypass Kiev to the south and force a motorized battle, which strongly favors them. I am prepared to throw my armor into the frey if necessary.

[topeverest]

WHAT A COLLOSAL SOVIET BLUNDER - Romania and Hungary are activated. DAMN!

[:@][:@]

[topeverest]

And now the unbelievably horrible news.
I shot myself in the foot while running from a tiger. I wonder how good that is going to turn out!

[MarauderPL]

Romania activates regardless of your actions, the Germans have reached Romanian border turn 1, thus activating it. You could not counteract this so chill out

[topeverest]

Germans weren't very aggressive at all, and I am confounded by it.

In the north, Talinn was left to me, and the enemy pushed at least 4 armored divisions towards the Narva river. My two thin red lines of troops managed to stop them from getting across the river. South of the Pskov lake, the enemy did not even approach my mlr. In fact no enemy contact from there down to Vitebisk.

I expect the enemy is concentrating columns for Leningrad and Smolensk. Speaking of Smolensk 5 armored divisions and 2 motorized are concentrated, but they remain at least one solid turn of fighting away from threatening the city.

Then no more fighting until south of the Pripyat marshes. Wow.

Kiev area saw the heaviest fighting. As expected, the enemy scouted the area and opted to push south of the major Russian force concentrations exclusively staying south of the Teterev River and Zhitimor. 50 battles were fought in the 10 hex corridor between nZhitimor, Vinnitsa,, and the approaches to Kiev. there were more Russian initial victories that required second and even third attacks that I am modestly encouraged.

Further south the enemy did not make contact with the MLR.

[topeverest]

My priorities include
1. push biplanes back to central reserve as they are useless in combat. bring upgraded units back.
2. spread vvs airbases across entire fronts
3. begin factory evacuations
4. move reserves to bolster Leningrad, Smolensk and Kiev

[topeverest]

Here are the details on the south. It is tempting to launch an attack south from Zhitimor but the Unit strengths are too low.

[topeverest]

AS an update, spent my AP's on about 60 air squadron upgrades and put Zhukov in charge of STAVKA and Timoshenko in NW Front. Lets hope they fare better than their predecessors.

[topeverest]

As expected the enemy pushed an entire army well forward of any infantry support. While I didn't have the units to actually counterattack, I isolated the army so that only air supply can get it. I hope I bought another turn or two for Leningrad to bolster its defenses.

In any event I like the opportunity here, even if only to delay. I bombed the HQ with every plane I had too.

[topeverest]

I am still racing to get much of the kiev forces across the Dnieper. Its a race, but I hope to win it