General Goofy Does Barbarossa

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group Centre

The main problem confronting von Bock is how far the 2nd Panzer Gruppe has fallen behind the 3rd. Given the need to attack but not go mad on fuel, that presents something of a quandary....

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group Centre

Squeezing out the pocket of Soviet troops east of Bialystok is the first consideration. Materna's XX Corps are brought into action to attack the 10th Army HQ - which retreats.

The surrounded defenders, numbering five divisions and an HQ are attacked by four divisions from 9th Army which have a 30% Concentric bonus.

All resistance is quickly ended.

The job of 9th Army is to press east as fast as possible in order to support future operations with the 3rd PanzerGruppe.

This proves to be slow progress, and none of the army's divisions will take any further part in this turn.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group Centre

The same is true of 4th Army. All divisions expend all their movement, just reaching the lead elements of 2nd Panzer Gruppe.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group Centre

Some of 2nd Panzer Gruppe's trailing armour cannot make contact with the enemy either. However the 10th and 29th Motorised Divisions are able to engage the 143rd Rifle Division - and sent it retreating eastward toward Minsk. The 4th Panzer Division then almost destroys the 27th Tank Division.

At this point I switch attention back to the 3rd Panzer Gruppe. There is just one weak border unit garrisoning Vilnius. I decide to risk my panzers by trying to take the city with what I have left. 7th Panzer and 18th Motorised are picked for the operation. The city falls to the German armour and the 7th continue to pursue the retreating Soviets eastward.

Two weak rifle divisions north of the city are destroyed by the 20th Panzer. South of the city the 85th Rifle Division is set upon by the 12th Panzer Division and is quickly annihilated.

These two Panzer divisions - part of Kuntzen's LVII Panzer Corps - then attack, and force back, the 161st Rifle Division.

The front is starting to open up somewhat - although all this is coming at great cost in fuel....

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group Centre

Holding the rail line, are two rifle divisions and a sorely depleted tank division. They are attacked by two panzer and one motorised division.

All three Soviet divisions take horrendous punishment, yet survive. A second, follow-up attack sees the motorised unit destroyed but the rifle divisions remain intact.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group Centre

Back with 3rd Panzer Gruppe, in a bid to form another pocket the 19th Panzer launches a frontal assault against the 161st Rifle Division. The Soviet division retreats - straight into the path of the 17th Panzer Division. The 161st is badly beaten and retreats again, allowing the German armour to seal another pocket - albeit one of only five divisions.

I still have some attack capability but wonder if it would be better to hold fire with the panzers to conserve resources and let the infantry mop up next turn?

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

And so to AGS, and my only friend, Gerd von Rundstedt.

Apparently Rundstedt has not determined Command Focus. With a positive relationship I should be able to get this for Panzer Gruppe 1 and I play this card. (I also ask for Tactical Air Support for von Kleist's panzers).

One subordinate HQ - 6th Army - will receive command bonuses - that makes a nice change!

Truck maintenance 3%

Looks like quite a few reinforcements should be heading the way of 6th, 11th and 17th armies with any luck.

Only minor losses in all battles - even those inconclusive ones against Lvov...

I need to watch 13th and 14th Panzer Divisions as operational tanks are sub 80% for both.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

6th Army are first into action. In the north of the sector, the badly depleted 30th Tank and 45th Rifle Divisions are set upon by the 168th Division and both are destroyed. The 62nd then mop up the remnants of the 124th Rifle Division as the three divisions skirt the south western edge of the Pripyat Marshes.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

Time to temporarily leave von Reichenau, and head over to Stulpnagel's 17th Army. Schwedler's IV Corps are tasked with clearing the northern slopes of the Carpathians, where three badly beaten Soviet Divisions are trying to recuperate from previous maulings.

The three units are totally destroyed following the timely intervention of the 97th Light Division.

More importantly there are five Soviet divisions in a pocket east of Przemysl. The next task is to eliminate this pocket as economically as possible. Four German divisions are brought into the battle, and with a concentric bonus of 79% Stulpnagel hopes this proves sufficient....

...it is. All Soviets divisions are wiped out, allowing units of the 17th to head southeast. This will help the supply situation (trucks) too - especially if I can take Lvov.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

Firstly 296th Division are sent in to mop up the 3rd Cavalry, stubbornly holding out in the northwest of the Soviet 'bulge' in and around Lvov.

[loki100]

I've not yet got this (liked the DC:Blue so I will).

But comparing this to WiTE, there seems much more granuality, the opening days seem to reflect the real and serious tussle with the Soviet border armies (and then their effective collapse) rather than the broadbrush approach of WiTE. Not sure if this is fair, or simply a reaction to reading about your (excellent) attempts to explore a basically new game system?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: loki100

I've not yet got this (liked the DC:Blue so I will).

But comparing this to WiTE, there seems much more granuality, the opening days seem to reflect the real and serious tussle with the Soviet border armies (and then their effective collapse) rather than the broadbrush approach of WiTE. Not sure if this is fair, or simply a reaction to reading about your (excellent) attempts to explore a basically new game system?

warspite1

Hi loki. I never gave WITE enough time to know the answer to that. I was bogged down by all the minutiae. All I do know is that I am having an absolute blast with this.

The game 'feels' right and looks good.

The mechanics are relatively easy to get to grips with (although fuel expenditure is something of a mystery still!) and I am sure harder to master.

The decisions and cards means I do not feel I am just pushing zillions of units around. I have issues to face - and those issues could come out of left field (e.g. sudden AP losses [:@] and bonuses [:)]).

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

The next part of the plan is to bring in the panzers. von Kleist really wants to try a sweeping move to pocket a large number of Soviets but he is too chicken and opts instead for a 'small ' solution that hopefully gives the best chance of a) taking Lvov b) not spending too much fuel and c) not risking being surrounded or at least successfully counter-attacked

Firstly to the east of Lvov the 25th Motorised Division destroys the remnants of two Soviet armoured formations.

This division is joined by 9th Panzer, and the two divisions sweep south of the city to engage the 7th Motorised Division, which retreats into Lvov. The newly arrived Hungarian 1st Motorised Division is called in to secure the ring around the city.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

von Rundstedt is concerned about the distance between the various divisions of von Reichenau's 6th Army. The 44th and 298th are sent eastward to narrow that distance, and also engage the 43rd Tank Division to lessen the pressure on the flank of von Kleist's panzers. The Soviets are pushed back and the remaining division manage to form a continuous line before the Soviet 26th Army.

56th Division then joins forces with the Hungarian motorised division to try and push back the 12th Tank Division - which they manage to do.

I am not sure how tough a nut Lvov will be to crack. Just in case I have ordered up the Siege artillery for Stulpnagel to utilise in taking the city.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

von Kleist sends in the panzers to try and open the gap between the Lvov pocket and the 26th Army. von Kleist is loathe to exploit the panzers success as the Soviet forces to the east of Lvov look... ominous.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

In the south of the south the Axis (or at least the 3rd Romanian Army) appears to be in a bit of trouble.

Much of the 4th Army cannot reach the Soviets - and Antonescu is loathe to leave them strung out in front of the Soviets west of the Dniestr and prime for a counter-attack.

Keen to get things moving, von Rundstedt orders Schubert to ignore the Romanians in the north and concentrate instead on trying to force a crossing of the Dneistr, thus allowing the Romanian forces in the south to push on toward Odessa.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

To this end, Schubert order General Hansen's LIV Corps to begin applying pressure against the Soviet 9th Army's right flank. The 50th and 170th Divisions force the 218th Motorised Division back, and the men of the 50th occupy the vacated ground to keep the pressure on. For the next attack, the Romanian 35th Infantry combine with the 50th to try and destroy two weakened Soviet armoured formations.

A Motorised Division ceases to exist, but the 11th Tank Division manages to escape. Soviet forces are now strung out with their backs to the Dniestr. Schubert curses the lack of armour in his ranks; a bold sweep around the Soviet right flank - threatening to cut off any retreat - would have been ideal at this point.......

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

A mixed force of infantry and tanks (3 divisions) hold the key city of Kishinev. Four divisions of 11th Army are brought up to assault the city from three sides - giving a 39% concentric bonus.

All units of the 11th Army are now totally blown, but Kishinev falls and the 72nd Division establishes a bridgehead over the Dniestr. Guarding the 72nd's flank, the 239th Division takes up position on the opposite bank, while the 50th Division operates with the Romanian 35th Division to ward off counter-attacks on the city.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

With the Soviet forces in Bessarabia severely weakened, von Rundstedt feels emboldened to bring the 4th Romanian Army onto the Plains. General Cuiperca orders three divisions on the right flank (in the hope that the Soviets can be caught in a pincer movement). 1st Armoured Division is ordered over the river to bolster 50th Division's position.

[warspite1]

30th June 1941
Turn 3
Army Group South

The position of the 3rd Romanian Army still concerns me. von Rundstedt is hoping that von Kleist's panzers in the north, and Schubert's infantry in the south, will be sufficient to make the Soviet commander think twice about any offensive action. However, von Rundstedt does not want to take any chances and orders the adoption of a defensive strategy.

Two attacks are planned - against the 74th and 95th Rifle Divisions. The 5th, 8th, 13th and 2nd Mountain Divisions assault the 74th, which retreats in good order.

General Dumitrescu, seeing the negligible results of that attack, cancels the attack against the 95th (which would have been much weaker).