FITE2 Cpt Flam Axis, Larry Soviets

[larryfulkerson]

This is what's happening around the Orsha area. Patrick's forces are getting closer to my MLR. I'm more ready than I was last turn but there's still gaps and weak spots and it's not quite ready for combat yet but I've brought up the arty and most of the first rank is in place. I'm really counting on my river crossings to hold for a couple of turns. I need to buy some time for the reinforcemets to reach the front lines. They spawn with 1% supply and are deeply red. So I dig them in where they are born and let them rest for a couple of turns. They need to be yellow to be moved. I've got about a dozen of them that are resting. I'm thinking about railing them to Moscow so I'll know where they are. I may need them early.

[cpt flam]

German view of my 4th turn

Liepaja continue to hold, but lost their comrades

we arrived in the suburbs of Riga
with 3 divisions (as noted on map)
another one arrived by rail as reinforcement

next turn the struggle will begin and more reinforcement from this turn will rail

[cpt flam]

i noted axe of retreat as I failed early a proficiency check

Minsk is closer
I did not came closer, trying to avoid artillery shelling of my troops

airforce awake and for 28 of my airplanes, my pilots claim 800.

[cpt flam]

in AGS
2 more retreats
some units get shattered

they get a good defense around Tarnopol

[cpt flam]

Rumania joined us to recover Bessarabia

the Prut is crossed in force
losses were sometime heavy but we needed to advance

72 Infantry arrived by rail from Ploesti

[larryfulkerson]

I've been flying the tired planes to the Moscow area to rest and refit and I'm getting quite a collection. I don't think Patrick has any aircraft that can reach this far east so I'm thinking that the aircraft are safe here. The aircraft factories are busy pumping out planes and soon I'll outnumber the Axis air force and overwhelm it and gain air superiority. I'm thinking it'll take about 9 months or so to do this. So I'm thinking that the air war situation will turn around about March of '42 or so.

[larryfulkerson]

Speaking of aircraft, this is the losses so far and summerizes the state of the fleet. I'm especially disappointed in the IL-4's in that I have none on hand and have lost so many in the first couple of turns. Patrick must have targeted them specifically, especially on the first turn. The earliest models of fighters are going to disappear early in the war to be replaced by better performers so that's a good thing. Down toward the bottom of the list I'm seeing Axis planes and I'm wondering if they belong there. I suppose so.

[Teufeldk]

The Axis planes do belong there.

You will get them when Romania and Bulgaria surrenders and join you instead.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what Riga looks like now and these are the only Axis units visible in the north part of the front lines. So far Riga is holding out and I'm hoping it's able to hold back the Axis forces for a turn or two. That will buy more time for reinforcements to reach this area. I need an MLR somewhere just east of here. Or at the very least a screen or some roadblocks or both. I expect more Axis units to appear adjacent to the river further south of the visible ones. I'm wondering how long ( how many turns ) it will take for Patrick to repair the rail all the way up to Riga. It looks like he's almost there now.

[Rusty1961]

Thank you for this AAR. This is great.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Rusty1961

Thank you for this AAR. This is great.

You're quite welcome. I'll try to make it more informative. I'm posting stuff in the AAR as it happens in my game so that you guys can find out what I'm finding as I find it. Like real time almost. Thanks for posting....that way I know somebody is reading this thing.


Here's a zoomed out view of the situation in the north. You can see the gaps in my screen and there's units in the line that aren't particularly strong and Patrick will have no trouble pushing them aside. I see that Patrick has brought his aircraft up close to the front and that airstrikes are a possibility either way. I've started dropping bridges on the roads heading north and east away from the river. I had a few fighters that were on the verge of being ready for combat and I deployed them anyway.

[larryfulkerson]

I've got a mechanized Corps holding positions around Pskov and it's got three divisions and right now I've got them babysitting the river crossings. I'm thinking that more people yet are needed to prevent the Axis units from leaping over the river and I've got some reinforcements headed this way. It takes two turns to get the reinforcements here from the far east and way down south in the Caucauas mountains. The rail from Moscow to Leningrad has short gaps but I have RR engineers hard at work on that. More gaps in the rail are found down south around the Kherson area. Patrick hasn't dropped any of my bridges by airstrikes and I'm wondering if he ever will start doing that. I would.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on down south. Patrick has driven his units up against mine and he's begun his assaults and my units are being pushed backward and it looks like I'm going to have to continue giving way or else he will surround my guys. I'm just on the brink of being outflanked and a general pullback might be in order.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a zoomed out view of the action in the south. Patrick has to cross several rivers down here and I intend to make him slow down to cross all of them. I've got at least three MLR's going up along the rivers and most of them are small ones around the crossings. I'm not very optimistic that my guys will be able to hold back the Axis advance for very long. There's too many weak spots and gaps in my lines. I expect him to just bulldoze his way through them.

[larryfulkerson]

NorthEast of Odessa there's a place where the rail has gaps and I have my RR engineers hard at work to fix it. It'll help supply the Soviet units further to the west yet. It's of no benefit to the Axis because they have to fix the rail they capture 100%. Last turn I deployed a lot of fighters and fighter-bombers and this turn 3/4 of them are in reorg, 3/5 of them are yellow, 1/4 are red, 2 are ready to fly still and they were not in a lot of the action last turn. Obviously I need to pull all the planes out of the field, fix them and then deploy all of them at once again.

[cpt flam]

Larry, you can be cool.
Bridge attacks are not allowed by designer.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: cpt flam
Larry, you can be cool.
Bridge attacks are not allowed by designer.

I seem to remember reading something about that now that you mention it. And I remember being dumbfounded because I can't imagine fighting a war without dropping at least one bridge. I have no idea what the thinking is behind that house rule; it must have something to do with game balance I guess.

[cpt flam]

already 5th turn
bad news in the north
Riga hold against my assault, and then I suffer a failed proficiency check
same thing at Daugavpil, 8th Panzer repulsed opposition but did not advance
Dvina is crossed against a Tank division
Finally Liepaja is cleared of enemy

[cpt flam]

in the center
1st fort of Minsk Fortress is destroyed by 18th Motorized division
Sluck is in 18th Panzer hands

many Infantry divisions are traveling fast to keep contact

[cpt flam]

AGS
Tarnopol is occupied

holes has been made in enemy lines
even with use of reserves and a strong artillery

this was a bloody turn but will open for later