How to lose the war - PDH vs Cpt Flam

[PeeDeeAitch]

OOB 27 - Well, the manpower losses are obvious here. And to think I was winning just a while ago. Oh cruel fates that decided to have winter come in December!

[CapAndGown]

Would you prefer winter in July? Should have attacked Australia instead!

[Mynok]

The good news is the 402nd Bicycle Recon Battalion is in great shape. They'll be ready to lead your summer offense...erm...offensive.

[TulliusDetritus]

Mynok, I can see you haven't heard the bad news. These cyclists have been chosen to represent the Whermacht on the next Tour de France 1942... so... [:D]

[Mynok]

The good news is the Tour de France has already been done for the next four years by the Nazis and no rehash will be required until 46 at least. Your bicycle juggernaut is free to roam the steppes with impunity. [:D]

[PeeDeeAitch]

I shall combine all the bicycle battalions together to make an unstoppable brigade on 2 wheels. I know there is already a NATO symbol for it, and they shall rule the steppes with their 10-speeds of doom!

[Q-Ball]

Oh boy....14K Rifle Squads, and 500K in the Manpower Pool? And it's still December?

It's a good thing your opponent was beaten so badly in the Summer, or you might actually have a problem

[PeeDeeAitch]

I am planning on getting 1 million in the manpower pool, I think if that happens I win a prize.

[PeeDeeAitch]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Oh boy....14K Rifle Squads, and 500K in the Manpower Pool? And it's still December?

It's a good thing your opponent was beaten so badly in the Summer, or you might actually have a problem

I am glad I pushed so hard - I think had my guys been in better supply (the big empty is still not in full supply, for example) I would have seen less attrition. I am only seeing 5-7 attacks in the first 2 turns do to my hitting him so hard (last count of snow turn had about 60 routed soviet formations visible), and doing the slow pull back routine. By January everyone will be in full supply and maybe things will get better.

I do have a lot of room to pull back into...

-edit for numbers-

[PeeDeeAitch]

And yeah, in the first two turns of blizzard I have seen about 5-7 attacks (last turn was 7, 4 held results).  Had I not been in the supply straights due to the higher movement in blizzard, I would be in even better straits.
 
While I understand that 4m casualties isn't the highest reached, I combined that with the last 10 turns focusing on many, many routes as I could manage as well.  The snow turns saw what seemed like a shakey Soviet Army that routed as easily as on Turn 1.  This is why I have not faced a full onslaught in the opening of the blizzard in the first couple of turns.  I expect things to get rolling in January, but I have a long way to pull back before the rubber band breaks.
 
One thing as well.  I do not know if this is indicative of anything.  I have more infantry in the full supply regions (around Moscow, for example) that is 2 or even 3 in CV.  Maybe just lucky die rolls, but if it is some sort of trend then the units further south when they hit February will be able to get some of those damaged squads back into the line.

[PeeDeeAitch]

And now that I am down to just this PBEM I am suddenly jonesing for a new one...I am an addict.

[Encircled]

Do you want a game?

One of my opponents hasn't sent a turn for over a week, so I'm assuming that he's quit.

No problem with that, but it would be nice to be told.

I play the Soviets btw

[PeeDeeAitch]

Manpower low, morale diving, army in retreat, situation hopeless...
 
Actually, given that I have plenty of pull back time, we shall see how I recover - but December is the nadir of German forces.  I would like to ask that all german players please send me some armaments.  I could use them. I will pay you back when I reach Gorky.

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: PeeDeeAitch

And now that I am down to just this PBEM I am suddenly jonesing for a new one...I am an addict.

[PeeDeeAitch]

A new year! In honor of the new year, celebrations were called. At first I thought of organizing snowball fights and sled races, but then I thought that perhaps allowing the men snowcones and popsicles would be a real treat. Whatever the case, morale has skyrocketed!

Moscow still holds on. The sounds of guns approaches, the defenders are falling back, and my first reaction was to burn all documents and remove the seat of government to Saratov...then I remembered I am the Germans and I captured the Soviet Capital in 1941. Instead I have ordered the defense to the last man, I plan to lose at least 30 divisions when the Russians encircle the city. Sadly, it is too far north to have the Romanians protect my flanks.

[PeeDeeAitch]

In the far south, things go about as I had planned. A stiff defense by the mountain boys, the 11th Army digging like furious digging-bees behind them, and the Romanians becoming unready and routing whenever they can. Of course, things can go wrong here in an instant, but for now things seem to be fairly stable

[PeeDeeAitch]

The Middle...oh the troops that I have assigned to hold this section must be thanking their lucky stars. Empty wastelands, few towns of note, and orders to slowly fall back while watching their comrades die of frostbite. I think I will win humanitarian of the year here. However, I still have front lines, there have been no breakthroughs, and I have not given up too much ground. The Rubberband has become the "frayed cord", but there is still cohesion. Of course, I plan to make these divisions the spearheads of my 1942 assault!

[pompack]

PDH: a suggestion

Put the HQs and airbases in dot towns (if not cities) where possible. Even one chance in six (or is it one chance in ten? I must read the manual carefully some day[:D]) of not suffering attrition of your support troops will save some manpower over the course of the winter. Of course you have excess manpower now, but I suspect that you will need them in the Spring.

[PeeDeeAitch]

Oh I have, mostly.  Sometimes things get confused, and they are forced to spend the weekend outside partying in tents.  The army HQs, corps HQs, etc spend December (the worst month for attrition) hiding.  The big empty is my real problem, small towns and my forces tend to get separated and require juggling of my HQs to keep in command.  I will be the first to say it, I do too much seat of the pants play.

[randallw]

Why not send airbases way back towards the west, if you decide to give up any air fighting for awhile?