Matrix Games Forums

Edit: Ditto.
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the link below is an interesting site that I stumbled across that has some cool pictures of Soviets in action,
and some artist renderings (as well as pics) of what their "flashes" were in the field.

http://www.wio.ru/tank/oz/oz-en.htm

a site for Luftwaffe information (very extensive) is

https://www.asisbiz.com/Luftwaffe-Units.html

Came across a pretty interesting site that has tons of information about Axis operations in Russia all throughout WWII, much of the site is in Russian, but most of the actual reports and some of the microfilms are in English. Pretty fascinating stuff to be found there. And, you can many times navigate into root directories that are mostly in English. Anyway, here is the Waffen SS link from there:

https://www.maparchive.ru/index.php/waffen-ss.html

That is where I got the old typewriter style type face shown in Keppler's order below

Smolensk is nearly surrounded. Tallin will fall in the next few moves.

I don't think Axis can take Kherson in the time allowed.

Meanwhile, Op. Arctic Fox finally starts.

this may be for future use.
In the scenario notes:
Axis paratroopers must drop within 5 hexes of supplied units.
Russian partisan must be dropped at more than 5 hexes from same.

Thank you, Sir! We see now how those icons will be (maybe) used in future by Soviets!

Another turn finally done, Tallinn captured by Germans,
Smolensk getting hemmed in,
AGS is way behind, railed up SS Viking to seek out a bridgehead to get around Kiev.
Kherson is too far away, plus the Rumanians forgot their bridge and left half their army on the wrong side of the river LoL

Axis 14 completed, over to Chelt

AGC pressing to Moscow, Smolensk is surrounded.
AGN pressing Leningrad, almost to Luga. Tallinn taken, no Beowulf.
AGS: biding time, awaiting SS Viking to get bridgehead around south of Kiev,
otherwise awaiting Rumanians to Kherson, surrounding Odessa.

Very interesting.

At current "run rate" in computerese ... we're looking at four years to complete, but hoping to shave that when the 1942 and closer battles get going. At the very first, this scene takes a long time to make turns, but as game time elapses, the turns get easier to make. Secret is to get over this first hump of Barbarossa and into D31 etc.

Edit: found a few more tricks that helps speed game along. Now we are making much better progress! Will show more tips in later posts.

Axis is having trouble keeping remnants / partisans at bay,
or risk loss of RR. What a crazy!

@fter Axis turn 17 (August 17, 1941)

Amazingly, we have managed to salvage this game to carry on.

At the current pace, we estimate three to four years to completion, we are getting better! (LoL)

The below summary is overlaid onto a map from the web site

www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/

which is in German but it is pretty interesting, esp. the maps
that are scattered throughout. Unf. my German is nicht so gut!

The full map I took it from is linked by

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... II0841.jpg

at beginning of Axis turn 18
August 24, 1941

here is top of AGN, have bridge the river
(even repaired the bridge!) and so,
trying to squeeze through these troops
between the Kuplya and Kummolova air bases;

inset says, event = Klamatis withdrawn
(so civilians where HE was breathe easier ... he was a Butcher, ya know)
Also, I did choose Beowulf option
(to get the added sea transport points)

the underlay is historical map of advance (pink area)
the green squiggle there is my in-game advance as of same time frame
a little behind mostly of the historical,
but a litte ahead from bridging the river near Kuplya
Leningrad is ~ 200km as the tank rolls from there.

An attempted sea transport of motorcycles/recon unit
were sunk by coastal artillery; they now recon Davy Jones Locker
in icy depth of Gulf of Finland historic map source from

https://medium.com/@Inflab/eastern-fron ... f4a26545e9

here is rest of thoughts on end of Axis 18,
so now we wait to see what Soviets do.

Axis turn 20 (August 27, 1941)

In FitE2 you've got about five or so "sub games" going at once every turn.

The RR repair game.
The rear security / anti-partisan game
The air units / air war game
The three different fronts overall game (AGN / AGC / AGS games)
The more detailed "get to points X and Y for bonuses" game

and here in this move, I'm focusing on the "points for bonuses" sub-game:
MUST TAKE LUGA AND KIEV by turn 23 I think it was to continue Barbarossa shock bonuses.
Only three more turns for me to get that, so I focus on air units for support of Luga and Kiev.
besides that, I will be sure to keep RR repairs going (and moving war trains up to front)
rear security to guard rail roads,
anything else can wait (other than obvious moves like railing up reinforce)

Here's Luga attack ready to go. SS Polizei leading the way.
Took me about two hours plan Luga and do RR repair / rear security for AGN.
AGN air units / air war was limited to Luga and Narva areas. So, AGN is ready to cycle the attack on Luga.
The combat planner says "very poor" chances, but I think I'll get it with time to spare to dig in and hold.

Kiev is going to be much more difficult to get in, But with luck will make it in three turns.

That pleasant looking fellow I photoshopped into the Combat Planner was commander of SS Polizei
(and other Waffen-SS during the war). Walter Kruger. Took his own life in May 1945, by all accounts.

Well, now, to plan for The Battle of Kiev and cycle the first round of combat!

Update from end of German move 20. Luga falls, Polizei and 8th Panzer enter city and Engineers have dug in, will certainly hold (I hope)
Below is Kiev from end of force check (I got four rounds of combat with not great results.)
Wiking et al. move to encircle and prevent more reinforcements from East.
But, it is going to be very lucky for Germans to punch through to city in time allowed to keep shock bonuses going past turn 23.

Also, my worthy opponent just noted this a.m. re: certain NKVD RR Div. that have in their inventory an Armored Train....
that can able to move at will through / into / etc. non-rail hexes. So, we agreed to house rule, any Soviet unit that has
as part of its inventory an Armored Train, must stay on a rail hex (unless of course retreats by combat, then must remain there, abandoned, unless the train is destroyed)

here is an interesting film that includes a Soviet Armored Train in action: yeah, we don't think it fair to be able to move that monster into woods etc. Rail only.
(armored train footage starts at about 0:45 seconds into the film)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppDmrvQPQeo

and here is Kiev pocket, after German failed force check:

An armored train moving off-rails would be awesome though. Strong Dieselpunk vibes.

ORIGINAL: StuccoFresco

An armored train moving off-rails would be awesome though. Strong Dieselpunk vibes.

LoL yes, it would. Here is example of NKVD unit that had its armored train destroyed ....
so this unit remnant can now move through non-rail hexes.

At the end of Axis turn 23,

Kiev remains, and so, Axis shock will be reduced turn 24 fwd

Axis turn 25 (Sept. 14, 1941)

Kiev remains. German shock level = 110% (air shock level = 120%).
Operation Arctic Fox secures Kandalaksha and prepares to move on Murmansk.
AGN is ~175 km from western edge of Leningrad, Luga crossed at Luga.
Heavy Soviet resist in Demyansk Pocket, Keppler of TotenKopf wants more reinforce there.

AGC is ~175 km from southwestern edge of Moscow; Vyazma sieged, also approaching Bryansk / Tula.

AGS: not so good. Hungarians are held up by a pocket of Reds around Kamenetz Podolski.
But, Rumanians beginnning to surround Odessa, the "Pearl of the Black Sea".
Heavy Soviet Partisan / Remnants giving trouble. This "Polotsk Pocket" area needs to be cleaned up;
so the Spanish 250th division that has finished its training in the Reich has now been sent to assist Polotsk area.

September 17, 1941:

Kiev remains. Vyazma is taken.

In a strange forest, two saddle-sore motorcycle reconners try to rest,
but they are awakened by what sounds like bears rustling nearby ....

the nights are getting chilly.