Stalin's in the gulag, I'm in charge! II - vs 2ndACR (Axis)

[TulliusDetritus]

In the Kalinin Front, I wonder what are his plans [&:] His AGC Northern Panzer Army should be on the move again... gaps, I love 'eeeeem!

[TulliusDetritus]

Manstein, I don't have STAVKA strategic reserves left [:(] And Leningrad is my second prioritary target. So, I have to do all I can to protect it. Expensive? Yes, I know. But luckily my armies are already rather well organized: leaders, support [:)]

[TulliusDetritus]

No big changes in the Western and Bryansk Fronts. In theory his AGC southern panzer army should be heading towards the north, to possibly help there to capture Smolensk and Vitebsk... BUT he might want to form a pocket in the SOUTH... see next post...

[TulliusDetritus]

His AGS Panzers advanced to the north... so my industry in Kharkov (the T-34 factories have been evacuated this turn) will apparently be saved [8D] On 2 turns I will get like 20 divisions. I will send them to this very weak front... I keep checkerboarding, escaping...

[Klydon]

Adding extra units for the Russians is just flat expensive in 1941. However, if you feel the need to add units and while it is more expensive than fortifications, I think it is better in the long run simply because there is more flexibility in using them. I would build extra rifle brigades over fortifications. With the city bonus close by, they will do ok digging (nothing flashy) especially if you wind up stacking two per hex (but then that is really expensive). The brigades will be with you (unless you decide to disband them) and you can move them around or later combine them to form rifle divisions. Eventually you will have to spend further points to disband those fortifications.

For command purposes, I don't know what "house" rules you are playing with, but I would flip all your Svir river guys to Stavka to free up command space in Leningrad front. I would also do the same for the guys you plan on leaving on the Finnish border north of Leningrad.

Overall, this remains a very entertaining AAR.

[TulliusDetritus]

Klydon, I suspect you are correct. Too late now [:)] Anyway, I only use FR to dig. They don't fight. When the enemy appears I disband them. By then they (along with local population) should have done their job: forts increased for the infantry.

As for house rules, we don't have any. Yes, I will attach the 7th Army to STAVKA itself.

[randallw]

The Soviet player doesn't really need to be raising up extra brigades or divisions, beyond what's already set up.  Enough replacement units show up that the bottleneck will be the amount of replacement men available to refit the units already out there.

[alfonso]

One of the darkest consequences of defending Leningrad and Moscow, is the "gap" around Velikiye Luki, because I have observed that there is no easy way to put much force in that place. If the Germans open a hole there, there is the posibility of a right hook against Leningrad or a South wheel against Smolensk. That happened once to me because I was so scared that I deployed the Reserve Front behind the Western Front, and not North of it, as perhaps you are doing (seems so looking your brown soldiers). Their Mot and Panzer Divisions he has there do not seem very strong at the moment, though. But beware if he is reparing the rail-line (by the way, where are now his repairing units?) to Velikiye Luki, because he could transfer more Panzer Divisions to that spot.

I think that the "direct" aproach to Moscow (the land bridge south of Vitebsk) is pretty closed now (perhaps even at a the risk of being a little bit "over-defended"), but it would be a pity to have the necessity of abandoning that region because of a threatening flanking movement. . Have you anything behind Smolensk?

Turns 6-10 aprox. are the most desperate for the Soviet player, in my opinion. Afterwards, you can deploy each turn a lot of useful "ants" coming as reinforcements ( a continuous stream of ZOCing brigades beginning at turn 12 or 13 or something like that). Perhaps you are just now at the nadir of your strengh...from now on, things are going to improve steadily. It seems as if you are very near of holding your 2 key objectives (Leningrad and Moscow). But never relax! Hitlerite Panzers can be very nasty.

[TulliusDetritus]

Ok, now I think I know his global strategy, he's shown his cards (perhaps not all of them though):

1) surprise, the center is spared. Consequence: I will be diverting many hordes to other fonts
2) ok, 2 panzer groups (AGN and AGC Nothern Panzer Army) in theory go for Leningrad: right hook apparently
3) and 2 panzer groups (AGS and AGC Southern Panzer Army) are in the south

Leningrad is next on my list --after Moscow, now in theory safe-- so that's where I am going to send my many hordes... And I have them: the ones I had concentrated in the center to contain him in case he was pushing hard in this area. If 2ndACR wants it he will get it [:)]

And now off to the swimming pool.

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Turn 9[/center]
[center]14 august 1941[/center]

Ok, I won't be doing the turn today but now that a new phase of the game has just started and that I more or less know what might be my estimated e-enemy's various plans I'll de discussing some [so-called & obviously half-ar***] strategic considerations [:D]

P.S.: and by the way, I hope my opponent's plans are as shabby as mines


[center][/center]

[TulliusDetritus]

So, Plan A => right hook + AGN Panzers + AGC Northern Panzer Army = Leningrad is the objective...

Well, the AGN Panzers are near Pskov (only infantry in the bottleneck). The AGC Panzers are SW of the Valdai Hills after breaking my Kalinin Front. In theory the first thing they should be doing is trapping my units in the marshes SE of Pskov. In other words the two Panzer Groups would be forming a pocket. As I see it, if I manage to resist in these marshes 2 or 3 turns, maybe Leningrad would be 60% safe [:)] So I have to reinforce the part in which the pocket could be closed, south of Lake Ilmen that is. Because I will NOT be retreating my units from these marshes. At least on this turn.

I will bring many units from the center (now they only face infantry, so no problem), which will be basically covering the eastern part of the Lake Ilmen (if the try to go to Leningrad that way) and his right flank. Simply my mentioned axiom: concentrate your forces around the most dangerous enemy units.

Oh, and I think I should bring like 2 more cavalry divisions. In fact, I CAN cut his spearhad off this turn (and that's what's I will do). And that's ONLY possible because I already HAVE cavalry on this area. As you can see, not good fighters but they can cut your enemy off, and that slows your opponent down (at least in theory) [:)]

[TulliusDetritus]

BUT maybe Plan A does not exist. Maybe it's Plan B... a much more ambitious maneuver...

The big objective might be a mega massive encirclement... The northern pincer would be the AGC Northern Panzer Army near the Valdai Hills. And the southern pincer would be the AGC Southern Panzer Army + AGS Panzers...

I guess I should form a line Bryansk - Orel - Voronezh to contain him. As Alfonso said, many reserves will be appearing on the next weeks.

[Encircled]

Whats his fuel situation like with his Panzers?

If its poor, then stay put as he will unable to do much, and you could cause him some real problems

If its good, then you will be encircled south of Lake Ilmen next turn (unless you have some fairly serious fortifications there.

If he has used HQ buildup, then you could be looking at a very serious situation

[Encircled]

Sorry, posted before screenshot #2

You have to withdraw from the Pripet, and make sure he can't smash northwards

He's actually made a bit of an error in the break through on the Kallinn front, as he's pointed very obviously towards Leningrad (even his unoccupied hexes are that way). It could be a feint, but why didn't he go directly east (he can threaten both Leningrad and Moscow, and you'd have no idea where he was going)

Its not as bad as it looks, but that carpet defence isn't great unless you have fortifications all over the place.

Checkerboard in the south and north of the breakthrough to slow him down. If he's ramped his air inderdiction up (which he should have) then you might have trouble getting the troops into position

[alfonso]

1) As I see it, his right hook has commenced too far away, so you are right: he will need the region just below Lake Ilmen. But it seems too risky for you not to extract some Reserve or Northwestern (well, brown and yellow [8|]) front divisions to cover that region.

2) Are you sure you cannot cut the penetration at the base, too? There is only a width of 2 hexes...

3) Besides, I think he is a couple of turns behind schedule to try the right hook

Therefore, I think you are going to stop him. But he has shown he has a lot of creativity. Nice battle.

[Klydon]

Ouch, that is a serious amount of units south of Lake Ilmen that he is putting a serious threat on. Even if he doesn't dash for the back door, just getting that pocket shut would cause huge losses. The thing to be really careful of with that manuver is his forces do not have to link with each other. All he has to do is to get to Lake Ilmen with both forces to put the pocket into isolation. Whatever you have coming in better be able to break an encirclement I would think, although by bringing in a lot of troops on his SW flank like that, you are going to force him to leave a lot of troops behind for flank protection on both sides.

A potentially good move by him, but could also backfire on him although it is early enough he can bail on it if he has to. Apparently, he didn't see your last AAR. [:D]

[alfonso]

OK, screenshot 2...

I think it is very unlikely. Because you can withdraw a lot of units of your carpet defenses in the Dnieper to form a checkerboard the Vyazma-Bryansk region. It is hard to believe that 100 MP (50+50 in the worst case for you) will be enough. You can count hexes, and rivers...

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Whats his fuel situation like with his Panzers?

If its poor, then stay put as he will unable to do much, and you could cause him some real problems

If its good, then you will be encircled south of Lake Ilmen next turn (unless you have some fairly serious fortifications there.

If he has used HQ buildup, then you could be looking at a very serious situation

LOLOLOL I am an utter moron [:D] His fuel situation can be seen? Where? I simply didn't know I could do that [8|][:D] Please tell me where this "fuel situation" is: what menu, etc. [&o]

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: alfonso

1) As I see it, his right hook has commenced too far away, so you are right: he will need the region just below Lake Ilmen. But it seems too risky for you not to extract some Reserve or Northwestern (well, brown and yellow [8|]) front divisions to cover that region.

2) Are you sure you cannot cut the penetration at the base, too? There is only a width of 2 hexes...

3) Besides, I think he is a couple of turns behind schedule to try the right hook

Therefore, I think you are going to stop him. But he has shown he has a lot of creativity. Nice battle.

Alfonso, I'll be covering the most dangerous parts, don't worry (well, at least that's my plan). If I think 5 or 6 divisions on these marshes must be sacrificed, I will do it without batting an eyelid though I mean, if that buys me let's say 2 or 3 turns I can be a harsh Boss-in-Chief...

No, I can't cut this spearhead off on its base.

I hope I will be able to stop him. Not sure about this though [&o]

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Ouch, that is a serious amount of units south of Lake Ilmen that he is putting a serious threat on. Even if he doesn't dash for the back door, just getting that pocket shut would cause huge losses. The thing to be really careful of with that manuver is his forces do not have to link with each other. All he has to do is to get to Lake Ilmen with both forces to put the pocket into isolation. Whatever you have coming in better be able to break an encirclement I would think, although by bringing in a lot of troops on his SW flank like that, you are going to force him to leave a lot of troops behind for flank protection on both sides.

As I have said, I will stay one more turn here. I'll be cutting off the northern part of his advance and bringing forces around him: NW, N, NE and E.

A potentially good move by him, but could also backfire on him although it is early enough he can bail on it if he has to. Apparently, he didn't see your last AAR. [:D]

In fact he did [:)] Ahhhh, yes, the Lake Ilmen... that's where I annihilated my first opponent's AGN hordes (13 divisions + 2 SS brigades) I don't think it will be possible though... but... if... somehow... humm... yes... no... maybe... who knows...