Panzerball - a GC 41 case study

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Defenses arranged in the north from the Baltics to Smolensk.



What we presume to be a spearhead of 2nd Panzer Group is cut off trying to reach Gomel.

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Ground losses:



Air losses:



Destroyed units:



Overall map at the end of the turn:

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Turn 4, July 13, 1941

The wet weather arrives from the north and begins to make its presence felt for AGN and AGC.



Turn summary:

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AGN storms Riga and resumes the march to Tallinn with one motorized corps while the other makes contact with the defenders of the Pskov Line. Farther south the Germans clear difficult terrain on the way to Veliki Luki.



AGC has the panzers clearing the flanks of Smolensk while the infantry are still trying to catch up.



AGS south spearheads are again isolated from supply by ranging counter maneuvers.

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Destroyed units:



Air losses:



Ground losses:



Overall map at the end of the turn 4.
A new line of forts established parallel to Novgorod to defend the approach to Leningrad.
Gomel falls this week in the center.
In the south the Lvov pocket continues to hold out!

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Turn 5 - July 20, 1941

Weather has turned into a perfect storm for the Axis.



VP city points at this stage:



Sitrep Summary:

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Overall strategic map at the beginning of turn 5:



AGN makes a bold, and thoroughly successful, bid to infiltrate Northwestern Front's defenses and cut them off. My hubris catches me again, as I expected(hoped?!) that several time cutting off the mech spearheads would make such a move too costly. The Germans have adroitly used ZOC and the terrain to trap an entire army worth of formations in the Baltics this week. A disaster for the Soviets.
Northwestern Front scrambles to create a screen before the Narva bottleneck, while Leningrad Front strengthens the defenses along the river protecting Pskov.

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I really like this map layer feature that shows the historical capture and liberation dates for the map.
Nice to be able to benchmark each campaign in each theater.



AGC has made a concentrated effort to isolate Smolensk. The cream of AGC appears to be right here.



Historical benchmark:

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Farther south AGC has recalled the German mechanized forces that just captured Gomel. The Soviets move forward seeking contact with the enemy, but it appears they may have withdrawn behind the Dnepr in this sector.



AGS surprises Southwestern Front with a foray around the north side of Kiev. I left this region practically unguarded because as a practical matter the terrain is terrible to move mechanized forces through, and by virtue to move supplies through. I expected the German mech to stay south feeling farther along southern bank of the Dnepr while the infantry marched on Kiev.



41st Rifle Division moves south and scouts reach the northern bank of the Teterev river.



The Germans have gotten a bit reckless in their pursuit. With the Axis infantry cleaning up the fortifications well to the rear of the panzers it becomes obvious this motorized division is far from any help. STAVKA orders a massive counterattack to isolate the hapless Huns.

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Odessa falls this week, but little was sacrificed.



Progress of the AGS against the historical benchmark. When I played my first game against Q-ball and tried my typical over-aggressive response in the south the German advance seemed roughly similar in pace, with the added Axis benefit of devouring much of what Southwestern Front brought to the fight.
This time I've left the forts, but otherwise tried to dance back out of range and dig in on the Dnepr.



So overall in the south, the Axis are only slightly ahead of historical progress. I hope the isolation of the motorized division will put AGS on the horns of a dilemma and hand Southwestern Front the initiative by getting a mechanized force rescue attempt. That should delay the Dnepr crossing and fall of Kiev for a few weeks if it happens.



I think if only the Axis allies attacked along this frontage the Soviets couldn't hold them hundreds of miles east into August. It's just not feasible under any scenario to get a historical pace in this region:

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At an even 100 losses Stalin grew weary of Pavlov's responses.



Ground losses:



Destroyed units:



Air losses:

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Overall map at the end of the turn 5.
Armies that are reporting directly to STAVKA (to avoid Front overload) are colored 'steel' (160,160,160).
In time I hope to get these off the line and available as reserve, but these are early, desperate days.

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Turn 6 July 27, 1941

The weather remains cruel to AGN's intentions.



Turn summary:



Overall map at the beginning of the turn:

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AGN has committed its mech to a northern axis, while the pocket cleanup behind them is finished.

Leningrad Front pivots command to the Narva river line, while Northwestern Front handles the Pskov line.



Farther south toward AGC Reserve Front takes command of several armies that had reported directly to STAVKA.



AGC has paused, with the mechanized forces pulled back from the line. The Russians are trying to establish some depth here while waiting to see where the panzers go next.

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AGS has opted to keep their mechanized forces moving east, relying on infantry to take Kiev and rescue the adventurous motorized division.
Southwestern Front organizes a large counterattack against the 60th Mot Div, trapped in the swamps north of Kiev, but the Germans hold their ground.



AGS spearheads ranging east, but remaining south of the Dnepr, again fall victim to counter maneuver.



Ground losses - 125k men captured this week, mostly in the Baltics:



Destroyed units:



Luftwaffe stays parked this week as well:

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Overall map at the end of turn 6:

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Turn 7, August 3, 1941

The weather over Russia finally breaks for the Axis, and the puddles almost completely evaporate.



Summary info:

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Apparently I forgot to screencap the map at outset, but no huge changes on the frontlines.

AGN efforts are to move east below Pskov and push toward Velikie-Luki.
Soviets mass over 100k men and nearly 1k tanks to counter attack the 3rd Pzr Div:



Soviets counter attack west of Velikie-Luki:



And again:



A huge attack is launched on the besieged 60th Mot Div and they surrender!

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Destroyed units grow with two more rifle divisions and the corps HQ disbands adding up.



Ground losses thus far in the campaign:

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Megamap showing unit names at the end of the turn.

Looks as though the Germans are trying to add forces to AGN and capitalize on Army they compelled to surrender a few weeks ago.

Again a few AGS spearheads are isolated from supply. The Dnepr line continues to fill in as more reinforcements arrive.
Are AGC panzers relocating to recreate the historical Kiev pocket?