Workshop for the new guys - Directive 21 (D21)

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a spot south of Smolensk where the way looks to be open all the way to the river crossings but it could also be
that my theater recon value isn't high enough to reveal the many Soviet units between me and the river. Time to send
out the recon units. Speaking of recon units, they are especially tired because of all the running around they have
to do. Most all of them need some rest.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines in T17 before I have moved anybody. so far so good.

[larryfulkerson]

And this is the north front lines right now. I'm still trying to clear out the territories and kill all the Soviet
units. They aren't cooperating.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like around Zhlobin right now. Unless my memory is playing tricks on me the supply levels are
marginally larger now. Supply is starting to trickle in toward the front lines.

[larryfulkerson]

I used the posession button to toggle to this view whereupon I discover some Soviet hexes
in my backfield. I'll have to send the MP's down there to check 'em out. Maybe convert
them.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like just below Leningrad down to Pskov and the battles continue. Continuous fighting for several
turns now. The losses are mounting on both sides.

[larryfulkerson]

I just now discovered to my horror that I have a Motorized Division babysitting the Kiev defenders. They should be
racing through the countryside and doing massive recon jobs. I need to get some regular leg infantry to replace them
and get them on their proper task(s).

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the area north of Kiev right now. I think the Axis has achieved dominance in the local area and is taking down
the Soviet defenders and clearing the terrain and converting hexes. The battle continues.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like to the SE of Kiev along the river flowing south. I'm pounding a Soviet strongpoint and
assaulted it last turn which explains why so many of the attackers are tired now. I'm using the organic arty in the
HQ unit so pound it a little bit to get to disentrench so I can get a good run at it. I haven't ordered direct air
attacks yet but those might help too.

[larryfulkerson]

The idea is to back the Soviets up to the river and then, trapped they will surrender and all will be well.

[gbaby]

Wow, turning into a novel! It certainly is a good read. Great examples. I think your capturing very well why folks love this game. Also the strategies, supplies, etc. one should consider instead of just pushing counters forward. Keep it going.

My hopes are with you that when the Mongol horde appears with the frigid winds behind them, you'll be drinking hot tea in Moscow!

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: gbaby
Wow, turning into a novel! It certainly is a good read. Great examples. I think your capturing very well why folks love this game. Also the strategies, supplies, etc. one should consider instead of just pushing counters forward. Keep it going.

My hopes are with you that when the Mongol horde appears with the frigid winds behind them, you'll be drinking hot tea in Moscow!

Well thank you very much. I'll try to do even better.

[larryfulkerson]

There's a situation up north near Murmansk where the Finns have rough parity with the Soviet defender but the combination
of attack strength and readiness and proficiency has rendered the two combatants roughly equal and not much progress
is being made about it. Attacks so far went nowhere and I want to avoid any more losses from the Finn units for very
little benefit. So they are both dug in staring at each other through the binoculars.

[larryfulkerson]

The Soviets found one of the places where my defense was skimpy and drove a unit into my lines making progress and
threatening one of my HQ units so the solution I've come up with is to retreat one of my LCU's backward to occupy
the hex where the HQ unit is. I hate to move backward after having fought so hard for the more distant hexes but
sometimes it's necessary.

[larryfulkerson]

Have I showed you the Smolensk area right now? As you can see there's been fierce fighting going on in this area and
the Axis units are worn down. Part of that may be due to the fact that the supply level isn't extremely high just yet.
I've got units turning red on the front lines due to Soviet determined attacks and I'll either have to pull back or find
yet another unit that I need to replace. I'm running low on units right now.

[larryfulkerson]

I've been away from the AAR answering questions on the forum and sending an email and I don't remember what I've shown
you already dear reader, so this may be a repeat but this is the tri-cities area down south right now and as you can see
I'm about to approach the river crossings over the main river down there and progress will come to a slow crawl. Which
may be a good thing because I need to extend the rails down there anyway. Give those folks some supply to do their jobs.

[larryfulkerson]

There's a situation that has come up at Kaniv that I'd like to tell you about: The Soviets have been railing people
in from out east and he has made a pile of them in one of the river crossings and he's trying psycological warfare on
me trying to scare me into piling on the people too. They have something approaching 9 divisions and here I have only
one, plus some AA to keep Elmer off my back. He likes to bomb recalcatrant units, stubborn units, hard places.

So it's a target rich environment we have here. All those planes I have on INT missions need to make a detour to this
river crossing and bomb that hex. It's cherry red dense and the losses for the Soviets might be enormous. I have to
do this.

[larryfulkerson]

The Soviets don't have any AA in that hex which is a shame, and so the losses will probably set a record for this game
to date. I'll have to give you a full report about the attack because I explect this attack to leave a mark.

[larryfulkerson]

I decided that the Soviet losses would be higher yet if I included a ground contingent to the bombing. I'm hoping the CS
will compensate for the fact that I have only a single division making a one-dot attack and I'm wondering how high the
losses will be even on a single-dot attack. We'll see. This attack will help win the war so I gotta do it.

[larryfulkerson]

Down south I've captured another way to get into the Crimea and it's the one spot in the major river where it turns into
a minor river for one hex so it's fordable and I can get units across there. That leaves only the two major river
crossings K-town and D-town and those are going to be a hard row to hoe. I'll just mostly hold the Soviets in place on
the ground while I pound them from the air for a while to soften them up a little.