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Germany has no choice but to retreat her forces to free up divisions to counter the massive Russian troops moving up from the north and to form a reserve. Germanys finest divisions have moved to the eastern front from the west and hope to keep the Russians in check.


I expect the southern front to heat up in the next comming weeks with the assult of my centre to follow. The north has turned into a moblie front and I expect the Russians to advance slowly to avoid a big armor battle.

August 23 1943

The enemy has skillfully withdrawn from an exposed salient. We have advanced and taken over abandoned Smolensk and Bryansk. In the south, Zaporozhe has fallen to a direct assault. In the north we are currently advancing unopposed beyond Pskov. Long live comrade Stalin and the Bolshevic Party!

Hilter has ordered 'Not a step back" So as not to disobey his orders, I have taken 2 steps back!!

A few attacks this turn but there is only 1 to report (our only victory)
A local counter attack has been launched in the south that has sent the enemy reeling. Recon reports are showing that all Soviet armies have routed in this area and fighting is going on between NKYD troops and russian soldiers. Pz divisions have been moved up to take full advantage of this civil that it taking place.

We have crossed the Dnepr opposite Zaporozhe! This success seems to guarantee the liberation of Kiev before spring comes. In the north we are still advancing unopposed and in the center we are preparing the winter assault of the enemy's Dnepr line.

In the south we have destroyed the Russian bridge head south of Zaporozhe. Army group centre is dugging in and is hoping it has the strength to resist the up and comming battle. A small counter attack has been launched in this area destroying a tank army that has over extended its supply. Army group north has more than doubled in its size in the last few weeks with bulk of inf divisions comming from the shorting of army group centre and pz divisions commming from the west.

Kudos to my opponent for a very tough game. It's the first time since I've been playing Soviet that I lose two Tank Armies in a single game. The Stavka has been re-organizing and re-thinking tactics this week to prevent such occurences in the future.

A new bridgehead has been acquired over the Dnepr's bend, which will be harder to dislodge. Probing attacks have found the Germans surprisingly weak near Daugavpils. In the center we are bringing over supplies. The Italians have surrendered this week, so hopefully a few of those dreaded panzer divs will have to go over there soon.

Long live the wise leadership of comrade Stalin and may he never purge the military again!

guys,
at least preface yr commentary with month/date of yr turn...those of us who ARE interested in yr undoubtedly epic struggle wanna know where you are at....

September 6 1943 as of last post

September 13

The enemy has concentrated a number of PzKorps in the Daugavpils region and retreated the central portion of his front from the Dnepr line. The glorious Red Army has liberated Vitebsk and Gomel.

The northern advance has been stopped temporarily to free resources for a tank operation at the Dnepr's bend. We are expecting the Nazis to transfer massive forces to this area next week and then our advance in the north and the center will be easier to proceed with. We have abandoned an exposed bridgehead since it was no longer essential with winter drawing near.

20/9/43

The southern front is very critical with a Russia armored korps cutting off 6 inf korps on the Dnepr's bend. A ss korps in the area that was refitting has been ordered to counter attack. This attack has trapped 2 inf korps and 2 armored korps but has left itself in a prone position to be counter attack and maybe destroyed.

This is a very big loss or gain attack that either side can not retreat from. I fear the worst in seeing my next turn!!

27/9/42

The battle of armor surrender has started. Both sides have massive amounts of armor behind enemy lines that will only result in big losses.

I have lost a ss korps last turn. A counter attack surrendered 1 tank army but failed plotting failed to destroy 2 other tank armies deep in my rear.
A counter attack further north of the main battle area has retreated 2 tank armies and placed 2 inf korps out of supply.


out of supply units...

Germany
5 inf korps

Russia
2 tank armies
2 inf korps

The weather is going bad, snow is announced for the first week of October. The forces in the center have advanced to attack the German infantry line. In the north we are pushing into jump-off position. The enemy is holding the Dvina river line here but he'll probably pull back since the river is about to freeze.

In the south the situation is very complex. The Red Air force has suffered a major defeat with its airfields getting bombed and had to be withdrawn. We've restored contact with our cut-off forces and isolated the enemy instead. A big infantry corps in Dnepropetrovsk is surrounded deep behind our lines. It withstood attack this week but it's almost certain to surrender the next.

4/10/43
snow

The weather and weather only decided what side would lose there armored units. Russia was playing for a mud turn and Germany setup for a snow turn.

The Russian counter attack on the Dnepr's bend has cut off 4 German korps and has restored contact with his tank armies. This attack was predicted and 3 full strength pz divisions from France supported with most of the airforce has counter attacked and destroyed 4 tank armies. 2400 Soviet tanks have been destroyed in this pocket but 450 tanks have been lost doing so.


Victory or Defeat

Germany has lost her best armored and inf divisions (close to all of her panthers) in this battle. Russia has suffered high armored losses but Germany has suffered high squad losses. The German armored losses are high in quality but not in numbers. Both sides airforce has been reduced in great numbers and the only way that Germany was able to compete with the Soviets was to transfer her airwings form the west to the east. The Soviets have gained a fiar amount ground and her centre and northern fronts will be assulting my troops next week.

Germany has stabled the front but I think it is very unclear who the victor is in this great battle. Total losses show that the Soviets have out played the Germans easily.

German troops destroyed in this battle.....

1st SS korps with around 700 panther , surrendered
12 of Germany's finest inf divisions , surrendered
12 inf divisions so badly battered that they are as good as destroyed.

Soviet losses.... exact figures unknown

tank army surrendered - around 500 tanks
4 tank armies shattered/surrendered - 2400
2 tank armies battered but not beaten

Both sides airforce has suffered big losses with the Soviets retreating there airwings

My opponent is being too modest, this was a huge defeat for Russia. My armored force is destroyed. I only have 3 Tank armies surviving and they are very weak. The strongest of them was not able this turn to dislodge an infantry corps that had been out of supply for 3 weeks. Without armor, I have to play for small advances now and take huge casualties for them. So I can only go for a draw now, and even that is hard to achieve (the game conditions are that I need to take an Eastern European capital).

What went wrong with an offensive that engaged my entire armored force? It was a combination of bad luck and foresight on my opponent's part. A very strong SS Panzer Korps was in front of Kiev waiting to cut off my advancing forces and I only discovered it on the very turn I started my offensive. This lost me the first tank army and made it possible for the German reinforcements to arrive unmolested. The SS had to sacrifice themselves, but with their training they should be back to full strength and experience in a few months. Second, snow came instead of rain in the first week of October and I had bet heavily on rain. This allowed the opposing reinforcements to destroy my other 4 tank armies. Basically, the rate of exchange was more than 1 tank army for an infantry corps. Very bad for me [:-]

11/10/43
Mud

Lots of troop movements this turn. Tasks that need to be completed

-Strenthen my frontlines for bitter defence battles
-Rest and refit pz divisions for future defence battles
-Bring up full strength INF divisions from France to replace shattered divisions in Russia
-Form some kind of reserve for the expected winter battles
-Create some kind of force for a large scale 44 summer attack

The last 2 points will be the most difficult to achieve and I dont think it is possible

What do you think of this scenario so far, kingtinger, in terms of play balance and realism?

This has been 1 of the toughest games I have ever played. I would rate play balance and realism very high.

October 18 Not much happening because of the mud but snow is coming back next turn.

25/10/43
Snow

Lots of troop movements this turn that involved...
Strengthening my front lines
Formed some fort hexes
Created a larger than expected reserve
Resting and refitting Pz divisions

My airforce has been mostly grounded as it still has not recorvered from the last battle.


New tactics have been put in place in a attempt to stop K62's brillant use of his armies/shock korps. His use of these troops has been the best I have seen. I have been unable to hold my own against these troops and my only effective method in dealing with these troops has been retreating. Hilter has given the stand firm order and we await to see if Germany's reformed INF korps are able to hold there ground.

Total losses will show a true picture and the great skill of the Russian commander

Axis/Soviet total losses
20094/28949
3891/7793
10032/11558
4358/5182

The rain is back next week. During the brief snow period we tried a lot of attacks but only two suceeded, in the center. The USAAF encountered huge numbers of FW airplanes over Germany and Romania. Adding to those the ones on the Eastern Front, the Germans easily have 1000+ of this excellent aircraft that we have no match for. Also considering that because of the weather only some of them were actually flying and that some groups are probably on training, 1.5K - 2K is the best estimate for the German FW190 force. There are also plenty of big, experienced Bf109 groups flying in addition to that. I wonder if the brief period when I'll have the La-7 and before the Germans get the Me262 will allow me to do anything in the air. The last big battle has proven that large operations are impossible without at least local air parity.