Operation Barbarossa - Alpha AAR

[elmo3]

I'll be able to post a couple of shots from turn 11 before going out for a while.  Way up north the Finns are having their way with the Soviets and have cleared most of them north of Leningrad.  Note the German unit in the center of the screen.  Someone asked about the 163rd Inf Div being up there and assigned to the Finnish High Command, and there it is.

[elmo3]

Most of AGN's progress was made by the 18th Army (purple) this turn.  Note the nasty terrain just east of the line of 4th Pz Grp.  That swamp does not look like a good place for panzers at all.  So we will be shifting the action a bit to the northwest with the hope of giving my armor a better chance to be effective.  It's hard to see in the screen shot but most of the Soviets are behind the Luga River.  At least it's a minor river but it will make the next assaults more difficult.  We'll try to soften them up with some air missions first.

[ComradeP]

Elmo: is your local recon on the Finnish front very limited or did the Soviets really strip the front clean of units as soon after you didn't move the Finns until several turns after their activation? Judging by your first screenshot they had something like 3 regiments, one of which seem to have been static, and a single Rifle division in what I assume is the Viipuri area and now the map only shows a single Security regiment (NKVD border troops?) between the no attack line and the Finns and nothing further up north.

[Balou]

One more supply question: will that be possible across frozen lakes - to Leningrad via Lake Ladoga for example ?

[PyleDriver]

Yes...Rivers and lakes freeze in the winter over time...

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP

Elmo: is your local recon on the Finnish front very limited or did the Soviets really strip the front clean of units as soon after you didn't move the Finns until several turns after their activation? Judging by your first screenshot they had something like 3 regiments, one of which seem to have been static, and a single Rifle division in what I assume is the Viipuri area and now the map only shows a single Security regiment (NKVD border troops?) between the no attack line and the Finns and nothing further up north.

I'll have to some air recon next turn to know for sure if no Soviets show up in their part of this turn.

[elmo3]

Forgot to mention that we got an update last night and the AI is doing a better job of committing reserves on defense.  Just what I need.  [8|]

[elmo3]

As I hinted above there was a big breakthrough by AGC this week.  Two actually.  We bagged at least 20 Soviet divisions in two solid pockets and 10th Mot Div raced through one of the holes to grab Vyazma.  This all came about when I noticed a weakly held section of the line north of Smolensk.  This is bound to cause some heartburn for STAVKA.  If my infantry can mop up these pockets without help from the panzers they will be free to exploit further east next turn.  I'm sure there couldn't possibly be any more defenders between us and the Kremiln!  [:'(]

[elmo3]

AGS did well this week as well.  We assaulted across the Dnepr and established a 20 mile wide bridgehead and also moved next to the defenders in Kiev.  Ideally the 1st Pz Grp (red) will work to encircle Kiev while I get more infantry into position for the assault.  Ideally we would reduce the Soviet bulge northeast of Zhitomir to shorten our lines and make more infantry available but there are some tough looking defenders there so it will be easier said than done.  I probably don't have enough troops to encircle them but maybe I can encourage them to withdraw by pressing in on their flanks.

[elmo3]

We continue to try and turn the left flank of the Soviet defenders opposite the Rumanians and we appear to be having some success.  Depending on what I can see after the Soviet turn it will probably be necessary to do some manual air recon along much of the front next turn to get a very good read on available Soviet forces.

[elmo3]

Losses through turn 11:

[Balou]

elmo,

1.Routed units: what determines how far and in what direction they have to retire ? Is that by random or "predictable" ?

2. Vyazma:

...raced through one of the holes to grab Vyazma

The first time I am a little disappointed with the AI, since you did not had to dislodge any Soviet unit from there (or yes ?). I presume a human player would have done more to protect Vyazma. For what can be deduced from the map, at least it's a major RR hub.

3. Air recon:

...probably be necessary to do some manual air recon along much of the front

Do you send a whole squadron or subunits to a particular hex or to a sector or along the whole frontline ?

4: Apparently, crossing a major river (Dnepr south of Kiev) wasn't very costly in terms of AFV. How comes ? Or do we have to do that with infantry/pioneer units first and then wait for something like ponton bridges ? In other words: crossing first with a PzDiv isn't a smart move ?

[Balou]

I should add this about my last post: I presume that - in case Vyazma was indeed undefended - even STAVKA would probably have done more to prepare for the city's defense. Btw, is there such thing as "digging in" ?

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Balou

elmo,

1.Routed units: what determines how far and in what direction they have to retire ? Is that by random or "predictable" ?

2. Vyazma:

The first time I am a little disappointed with the AI, since you did not had to dislodge any Soviet unit from there (or yes ?). I presume a human player would have done more to protect Vyazma. For what can be deduced from the map, at least it's a major RR hub.

3. Air recon:

Do you send a whole squadron or subunits to a particular hex or to a sector or along the whole frontline ?

4: Apparently, crossing a major river (Dnepr south of Kiev) wasn't very costly in terms of AFV. How comes ? Or do we have to do that with infantry/pioneer units first and then wait for something like ponton bridges ? In other words: crossing first with a PzDiv isn't a smart move ?

1. When a defender is forced to retreat it first suffers retreat attrition. Then it checks to see if it shatters or routs. If it routs it will perform a displacement move and that causes it to suffer further attrition. It will try to displace to the hex with it's HQ or an adjacent hex, but but not adjacent to an enemy unit. If that is not possible it will displace to a nearby town or city generally toward the east for the Soviets and west for the Axis but not within 2 hexes of an enemy unit.

2. Vyazma was not defended. Keep in mind that there are no victory point hexes in the campaigns right now. I have already commented in the tester forums that we need to watch for this to ensure the AI is defending cities properly.

3. Each recon mission is a couple of aircraft and covers a small area around the recon hex.

4. I purposely attacked across the Dnepr where the Soviets were weakest. I would rather use infantry in assaults across major rivers and into urban areas to preserve tanks but you won't always have that luxury. Also, you don't want to defend in urban areas with armor as they suffer various disadvantages for that terrain.

[HerzKaraya]

Thanks from the screenshot of the Finnish front. The Finnish Cavalry brigade did not operate at that area as it was part of the Group O that historically attacked northeast...which is off the game map it seems. Pity, the north edge of the map seems to be cut kind of from middle of actual Finnish main assault to Karelia. Well that's a minor thing. Where's the German 163rd Infanterie Div in the Finnish front. (Attached to Finnish command and can't find a grey unit there...?)

I'll try to attach an image covering the start of operations in the Finland area, here you can appreciate the location of Finn (incuding the Ratsuvaki Cav Bde) and the 163rd German Inf Div (lacking one Rgt, btw).

This AAR s really addictive - Elmo, any chance you can post a picture of any JG, KG and StG???

Thanks!

[Balou]

Screenshots of the northern part of the map show a "Finnish no attack line" - although I couldn't find out how far the line goes east. Does it mean the Finns can't attack beyond that line ? Because I would then ask what is the Finnish Army supposed to be good for or what is it's objective ?

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Bubi Hartmann

This AAR s really addictive - Elmo, any chance you can post a picture of any JG, KG and StG???

Thanks!

No sorry, no chance of that...

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Balou

Screenshots of the northern part of the map show a "Finnish no attack line" - although I couldn't find out how far the line goes east. Does it mean the Finns can't attack beyond that line ? Because I would then ask what is the Finnish Army supposed to be good for or what is it's objective ?

No attacks across that line until the Germans control Leningrad. Once they control Leningrad they can move and attack up to the Finnish No Move Line, which is further south, but not further south or east of that line.

[Rasputitsa]

ORIGINAL: Balou

Screenshots of the northern part of the map show a "Finnish no attack line" - although I couldn't find out how far the line goes east. Does it mean the Finns can't attack beyond that line ? Because I would then ask what is the Finnish Army supposed to be good for or what is it's objective ?

I suppose the objective is to defend Finland and recover the lost territores from the Winter War, Mannerheim did not seem to want throw in completely with Hitler, which paid off as the USSR was not as severe with Finalnd as it might have been after the war. They recognised that Finland had held back. [:)]

[HerzKaraya]

Thanks for the screenshots on the Air Units,
they have all the important facts and remind me of the Original War in Russia.

It's a pity that having more powerful PCs now then back then
there seems to be no plan to add some "bang and whistles" to
this area, for example a nice picture of the aircraft equipping the unit,
a Commander for the unit, pilots with names (like WitP)...
I know, I know,....I've asked for this before...[:D]

BTW, do you have to transfer Axis air units to other fronts
like happened historically, is it automatic, is there a penalty
if you don't do it if it's manually?