1.04 The Wolf and the Bear (no Gids)

[Tarhunnas]

Destroyed units in the latest encirclement.

[Mynok]

Taganrog was exposed anyway. You have a better line behind the river.

Just be sure to get those Italians and Rumanians back to building another line.

[Peltonx]

Nice job with the large pocket.

I saw you did a very good job taking out allot of production.

You got this one for sure.

Pelton

[Mynok]

I told you the Kharkov pocket was doable Tar. [:D]

Nice job of it. [&o]

[Klydon]

Nice job Tarhunnas. I think the fork is about ready to be stuck. Huge destruction of units coming up and it will take him a long time to replace those counters. 

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


Taganrog was exposed anyway. You have a better line behind the river.

Just be sure to get those Italians and Rumanians back to building another line.

Back to build? They are holdng the front! I told you there was crisis. [;)]

[Mynok]

You appear to have enough 17th army grunts there to hold the river. You can at least retreat the Italians.

[Tarhunnas]

A look at production. I note that I have 80,000 men sitting around without rifles! Is the armaments problem still alive and kicking? At least there are rifle squads in the pool.

Production filtered to Germany.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 57.

The big pocket is so large and resilent that I cannot reduce it with the infantry. I don't want to hold up the panzers, so I will just let the encircled Soviets ripen for a turn or two.

Meanwhile, the Panzers continue east. Voronezh is surrounded and spearheads spread out on the east side of the Don. The Sovs seem weaker and weaker. Might Stalingrad be within the realms of the possible? Or am I feeling the first onset of victory disease... [;)]

In the south (off map) the Soviet offensive at Taganrog winds down. I guess STAVKA realized there were more important sectors to reinforce.

Map after German moves.

[Mynok]

Well, losses hurt him a lot more now because he has to buy them back. Continued pressure might just bust the balloon.

[Fishbed]

I see a Tank Corps and two Tank Brigades north of Boguchar... Does it mean someone is preparing a big tank battle? If some infantry goes in too, it could actually become threatening to your spearhead. No Stalingrad here... for now [;)]

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

I see a Tank Corps and two Tank Brigades north of Boguchar... Does it mean someone is preparing a big tank battle? If some infantry goes in too, it could actually become threatening to your spearhead. No Stalingrad here... for now [;)]

The Soviet tank units there are shadows of their former selves, my panzers have kicked them around a bit. The infantry there though, could be a threat. My panzers are not so hot either, as you can see from the CVs. Here is a closeup of the area.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 58.

The Soviets have recommenced their offensive at Taganrog, but it does not look too much of a problem yet. For the benefit of doubters about the prowess of our Italian allies, the Propaganda Ministry have selected this picture. Map before Axis moves.

[Tarhunnas]

The Soviets have made strenous efforts to supply their trapped comrades in the big Kessel, but the Red Air Force is losing scores of bombers in the attempt.

[Tarhunnas]

The advance in the center continues. The big pocket is still too much "al dente" for the weak infantry I have left guarding it to make any progress, so I let them stew. The Voronezh pocket however can easily be swallowed and digested. 35,000 calories ehh... prisoners. The Soviets are badly off balance, so I continue the advance to the east, and the panzer jaws close on two more Soviet groupings, this time with some Tank Corps in them. They will do fine for dessert.

[Tarhunnas]

Closeup of the Tambov area. My panzers are somewhat the worse for wear, but we can't stop now when the going is good and the Sovs are reeling.

[Tarhunnas]

And the south. The Soviets have resumed their offensive in the Taganrog area. A brisk counterattack by 17th army cuts off the Soviet spearhead, but the only unit able to exploit into the gap is the Italian motorized division. I have no great hopes for that, but let's give them a chance to prove themselves.

Reinforcements are trickling in to the area. Note the Panzer Corps from 4th Panzer army arriving by rail at the top. It will be able to either counterattack the Taganrog offensive, or move East to join up with the Tambov penetration to cut off still more Soviets.

[Klydon]

Wow.. very clear he had no reserves set aside for a break through and also clear he has not adapted to the situation very well. I wonder how much is facing, say the Finns or other not very active sectors of the line. If he is 3 deep elsewhere, he needs to get a move on to get some reserves formed and try to stop the bleeding.

Well done Tarhunnas. [&o]

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Wow.. very clear he had no reserves set aside for a break through and also clear he has not adapted to the situation very well. I wonder how much is facing, say the Finns or other not very active sectors of the line. If he is 3 deep elsewhere, he needs to get a move on to get some reserves formed and try to stop the bleeding.

Well done Tarhunnas. [&o]

The Soviets are not three deep elsewhere. The north is very quiet, though I think my aborted offensive just north of Moscow did attract some reserves, even if didn't do much else. The Soviets have also been pushing forward a hex here and there between Moscow and Tula. The map below is after extensive recon, so I think it fives a fair picture of Soviet dispositions.

My opponent, Gids, said he was not really surprised by me attempting the big pocket, but he was surprised at the speed I closed it. After that I think the Soviets have simply been unbalanced, and in contrast to 1941, there is not a lot of reinforcements coming in, so once reserve armies are committed any response to breakthroughs has to be taken from the front, which makes it slower to get them into postition.

That said I do think the Soviets could maybe have started to thin out the Moscow - Tula area to meet my breakthrough a turn or two ago. There are also considerable forces in the Crimea that don't do much right now, but getting them anywhere else will take lots of time.

Overview of front after Axis moves.

[Tarhunnas]

Losses and OOB after turn 58.