Matrix Games Forums

Just a few Axis attacks, managed to pick on one weak exposed division below Stalingrad and do some damage.

Kalinin Front. I can't see any prospect of attacking in the same area, will look at switching the offensive to one of the flanks and will reposition the strike Corps this turn.

Volkov Front. Will also switch the attack to where the front line is defended by regiments rather than divisions.

Western. The weakest areas are not quite accessable to my strongest units, will maybe pull back some of the guard corps and rest them this turn.

SW Front. I need to clear the marked hexes to get the rail line working, probably more than can be achieved in one turn.

Stalingrad area. Just the few Axis attacks.

TC. Will try attacking a couple of those single regiments.

Volkov win their battle. Shifted a few more divisions over to help next turn.

Western win some and lose some, very slowly making progress. Have left 3 guard corps behind in a bulge near Orel to tie down some Axis Panzers, will see how Axis react but generally forces are shifting East.

SW clear the rail line but it is not useable yet.

TC take two attacks to win a hex - costly. Am going to bring in the mech units that were at Kalinin here but another couple of turns before they arrive.

NC beat up a couple of Rom Cav units.

Overall heavy losses during the Soviet phase, am guessing 2:1 is acceptable but am not really sure. Axis tank force is certainly getting ground down.

Am up to capacity on Rifle corps, maybe more next turn - will have to check.
Also most aircraft and tanks were not producing, perhaps becaus eit is the last turn of the year.

Kalinin - Axis launch an incursion and get up to the rail line, interdicting my supplies. Not sure how this will pan out, will have to pull back somewhat to protect the advanced units. Maybe depends on how much support he has coming up behind. Good timing when I just switched my Mech units away.

Western. Forces my three Mech Corps to retreat and then routs the one that retreated south.

SW. Is going to be heavy going to get some wins here. I need to clear the marked hex to get the rail line working.

TC. Axis have retreated, just after I mover my rail unit away.

NC. Have used naval interdiction to isolate Gelendzik. My mistake, I let them cut through to the sea a couple of moves ago. The port is of no importance but I may lose some troops pulling them out, or can try counter Naval Interdiction.

Heavy air losses continue, am running out of fighters !

TB. 1 German ID transferred in.

Kalinin. Have just screened the intrusion, hope I can clear the rail line next turn. Am not worried about losing some ground, just don't want to get anything pocketed.

Volkov do two attacks to take a hex.

Western win some and lose some, all very costly.

NW also win and lose some. I fail to clear the rail line. Many of the units here are getting depleted, really need to get that rail line cleared to do REFITS.

Stalingrad. Mustering a few troops to begin to attack the pocket, defenders CVs are well down so may be able to pick on some weak stacks. Have set up an AS directive for the first time so will see if I can catch any transports.

TC. Follows up with the Cav, sending all the infantry corps to the Reserve as they are not going to get any fighting here for a while. Rail unit travelling back...

NC. Have set up a counter Naval Interdiction so will see if I can hang on or have to pull them out.

Production is back on and have all sorts of new units available, plus almost unlimited Inf. Corps. Just need a few more APs to make use of them all.
Losses running at around 2:1 but really this level of casualties is not putting pressure on Axis. However the main job during this winter is to build up morale and experience and to have higher CVs in the Summer.

Am not sure how I am doing but it doesn't feel that good.

Kalinin - Axis bring in more units to their bulge and pushing forwards near V-L. Not much I can do except defend.

Volkov - win the usual battle.

Western - 3 wins this turn, and isolate a Panzer stack. Most units rest.

SW. Clear the rail line, hope it holds. Otherwise mostly resting. All being well will get some REFITS along the new rail line this turn.

Stalingrad pocket. I try an attack but the defenders are still too strong. They are getting ample supplies in and not much i can do to stop it. My AS shot down a few transports but they have no shortage

TC. advancing.

NC. Naval interdiction has stopped, maybe costing them too much.

Overall losses for the turn around 2:1.
I just don't have enough APs to build units and use up the manpower pool which is at .25M. Have put Don on Assault and deployed most of the best leaders, there is just too much demand so it is go slow for the Soviets for now as the army slowly improves.

Poor access to the Forum this turn.

Total Axis additions from TB to date:
5 Inf Div
1 Pz Div, 3 assorted brigades/regiments
1 Corps
Some construction SUs
1 Fighter, 2 LB, 2 Transports

After recon.
Axis have made an incursion against Volkov and pocketed 23 divisions.
Guess I should be keeping more units in a second line if there is a bulge like in this area.
The only hope of opening the pocket is to push back the marked unit.

Nothing happening anywhere else, except more units into their bulge against Kalinin.

Kalinin. Strengthening the line and beat back a couple of security regiments.

Volkov. I win the critical battle and bring a couple of armies over to help to reopen the pocket next turn, as am sure Axis will close it again.
This has gone quite well for Axis, as well as the pocket they did serious damage with their attacks in this area last turn. It shows the difference between Axis and Soviet combat power at this period of the game, Axis can win battles with single stacks and move and attack again. Soviets really need 2-3 full stacks of good units and after one attack they are just about used up for the turn. It makes the Soviet offensives all very slow and cumbersome.

Central area. Most of my attacks win. SW Front had got most of their units REFITTed and with the rail line in action am able to extend the offensive further East.

Stalingrad. Try a couple more attacks, they are dismal failures. Will wait another few turns before trying again. I think Axis units are dropping 1 morale a turn so gradually getting weaker, though they have no shortage of supplies.

Far south. Nothing much, Axis form a new line against TC. I can't really attack here as have shipped so many units out.

Heavy losses this turn, mostly from the Axis attacks.
We are maybe half way through the winter, no sign of any Guards conversions yet.
All in all progress in rebuilding the Soviet army is going fine with a steady growth in experience/morale/wins, there is just a concern about saving those Volkov divisions over the next few turns. If I lose some ground there I don't mind.

Will be interesting to see what Axis does in the area next turn, can see 3 possibilities:
Strong reseal of the pocket, but does he have the troops for it ?
Extend the offensive further north, where I have weakened my front line
Crush as many of the exposed units as possible while pulling back the exposed Panzers.
Think I might be inclined to go for option 3, but it does depend on what he has in the area.

Axis repocket 23 divisions of Volkov. Think I can reopen but it could be tight.
Not much happening elsewhere.

Kalinin. Win a couple of attacks and begin to work my way around the Axis incursion.

Volkov. Win the two battles as required to save the pocket. Have a lot more units arriving for next turns counterattack so may be able to do some damage if Axis don't pull back.

Don & SW. Usual attacks, win some and lose some. I think Axis are suffering from having 4 mobile divisions and extra infantry attacking Volkov.

Stalingrad area. Have given up attacking for now. My AS is totally useless, 600 fighters on patrol and less than 30 actually do any interception. Maybe there is a way to shoot down some transports but I don't know how.

Far south. Fairly quiet.

Good loss ratio during the Soviet phase, though a good %age were Italians.
First Guard conversions, should be regular every turn now and looking forward to a mass of Guard Corps come the summer.

Total Axis additions from TB to date:
6 Inf Div
1 Pz Div, 3 assorted brigades/regiments
1 Corps
Some construction SUs
1 Fighter, 2 LB, 2 Transports

Very interesting AAR (like your other ones). Seeing the difficulties you are having in the salient around your "Volkhov" front makes me feel a bit better about having similar issues (albeit in earlier turns) in my own StB scenario game. It seems like Soviets need to be somewhat careful in this scenario and you can't just assume that Soviets will be the ones always attacking.

How is your supply in Velikie Luki at this point?

I think this a very interesting campaign/scenario. It throws up game play that is unlikely to happen from a '41 start because I think in general the Soviet army will be stronger with a human player able to develop it far more effectively than is in the scenario start (so more Guards, more cavalry, more Corps coming on line). Or if Axis is doing well then the Soviets may be in trouble.

Essentially the Soviets are on the attack but their army is pretty trash and if Axis concentrate their Panzers they can win against all but infantry Corps stacks AND they can break through and make pockets. However if the Soviets have enough reserves in the area they will be able to break them. The Soviets can't really make pockets yet because their Tank corps are so weak that they will not be able to hold a perimeter.

Am not sure what it will be like when we get to clear weather but am thinking the whole game will get a lot more volatile with higher MPs on both sides.

We shall see over the next couple of turns but I hope to be able to recover the situation in the Volkov area, though he can certainly trash a few infantry divisions.

My V-L supply is good. I have depots just next to his incursion that are bringing in 10k or so a turn.

Volkov Front. Axis rout out a few divisions and reseal the pocket. They have not really sealed it properly so will see what damage I can do. SS Totk (top right) has the Tigers attached so am thinking maybe I should try and kill a few of those. The pocket has been split and the 2 divisions in the smaller pocket may be kaput.

Just another couple of attacks against SW.

Losses were not too heavy but it looks like the losses report may be inaccurate.

Kalinin - under control and slowly pushing the Axis bulge back.

Volkov. Win my two attacks and do some serious damage by forcing bad retreats. The Tigers are all wiped out. Axis should be able to rout some of my units away and escape, but just may get to do some more damage next turn.

Western win a battle. Don (renamed Central) lose 3 taking heavy losses.

SW make good progress and get some follow up attacks in. I have an FBD churning out 30k supplies a turn. Pushing down towards Rostov but not going to get anywhere near it before the mud.

Far South. A few minor attacks.

Loss ratio is good, but is it correct ?

Axis retain another ID from TR.

Volkov - looks like that last division might be lost, don't think I can save it but will try.

A few other Axis attacks doing some damage, no significant movement anywghere.
Naval Interdiction against NC adain.

Kalinin. Finally clear the rail line down to V-L and with that can begin more attacks.

Volkov. Win both battles to save the isolated division and do some good damage in the process.

Central. Lose both attacks again, heavy losses.

SW. Make good progress and have pocketed a couple of stacks. They will get out but it may disrupt the Axis move. I think they are a bit light on troops around here.

A couple of attacks in the South but no real change.

Good loss ratio this turn.
A few more Guards units.

Kalinin. Rail line cleared so will renew general attacks again.

Volkov. Situation stabalised, will renew low level attacks and switch Western front towards Orel. They did totally trash the rifle division that had been pocketed.

Don. Hopefully win a battle or two this turn !

SW. Axis broke the two pockets as expected but has forced them to pull back. Will push on down the rail line.

Kalinin. Back to the usual couple of attacks.

Volkov. Similar, just picking on weak hexes.

Central. Win a couple of attacks for a change. Very slow progress with a strong Axis defense line.

SW. Defences are weakening here and get some follow up attacks in, 3 hex advance against opposition for the first time in the game.

Far south. A few problems, I may lose the western most port but at least they are not isolated at present.

Good loss ratio, mostly thanks to SW Front.

No Axis attacks.
Looking across the front there are not many areas open to good attacks, I need more infantry Corps.
Will see what I can do around the Central Front and SW has some prospects. Try another attack on Stalingrad.

Total Axis additions from TB to date:
7 GermanInf Div
1 Pz Div, 3 assorted brigades/regiments
3 Alpini Inf Div
2 Corps
Some construction SUs
1 Fighter, 2 LB, 2 Transports

Kalinin, Volkov and Central Fronts all get a few attacks in, nearly all wins.
SW also win all of their attacks. Have pocketed two stacks, would expect Axis will be able to rescue them but doing that should leave their front line in some disorder.
Start on Stalingrad again and win a battle for the first time.
Far south. Things are not great. Axis did naval interdiction which I had to counter and lost a few hundred LBs in the process.

This game over?