FIFTY SHADES OF WiTE: SILLYFLOWER V BRIANG

[Steelwarrior7]

Would you remove construction units from armies and Corps completely - as they are supposed to help digging in, right?

[sillyflower]

I put every one into AGs/OKH as quickly as I could because my priority is to convert the rail network. The computer prioritises back-fill, so leaving some in corps HQs will impact on conversions going east - which are obviously the most useful. SUs in armies are a waste of time because construction units in HQs which are not themselves on the converted rail network don't participate in rail conversion.

Conversely, digging foxholes has not been a priority to date. Priorities will change with circumstances, but with a mild winter and a weakened Soviet army, I don't expect to be sending the construction units back to corps HQs, or directly attaching them to forts, anytime soon.

[charlie0311]

I wrote, say you, '41, while meaning '42. A Freudian slip I suppose. I was secretly seeking to obtain a "silly" merit badge.

[sillyflower]

I'm sure you can find something appropriate on the internet for your avatar

[Steelwarrior7]

ORIGINAL: charlie0311

I wrote, say you, '41, while meaning '42. A Freudian slip I suppose. I was secretly seeking to obtain a "silly" merit badge.

Thanks - very useful - also thanks for showing your rail network ;-D

[sillyflower]

BEWARE OF BOLSHEVIK LIES

I see that my esteemed opponent has now taken to writing propaganda. His trickery is such that I cannot bear to read it myself. I want no knowledge of his falsehoods.

I trust that you, my esteemed and loyal readers, are too wise to be taken in by any of Brian's deceits. Perhaps he and Loki should swap names.

[Michael T]

Apparently your doomed....

[ericv]

yep. better give up while you still can

[sillyflower]

I may be doomed but am struggling on. Mu plan for the snow is to take the rest of Moscow and L'grad and the do what I can to grab more units and defensible terrain keep the Donets bend free of communists. In a nutshell, to do as much as possible to disrupt Brian's preparations for his blizzard O. At this stage we're still on .07

The 1st snow turn:



Pavlova falls easily and a small push nets some good terrain and 2 more divisions in the bag

[sillyflower]

Moscow

The last part of the city surrenders tamely and the large pocket gobbled up.



These a2 activities took up most of the available troops. I didn't see much point in just grinding further east as there weren't even any real opportunities for causing massed routs. 3 PzG took the chance to go north where recce exposed some vulnerable russian units with nothing behind then. 2 attacks later, the defenders at both edges retreated over the river (with heavy retreat losses) allowing the armour including that man Manstein again, to slip behind the communists to make a strong pocket with rivers between my forces and any would-be rescuers. The top pocket with 1 div in does not look surrounded but behind it are 3 impassable hex sides so it's stuck.

[HITMAN202]

Sillyflower, I se no prep for a '41 blizzard fall-back line. I think you're cruising for a bruising. Hitwimp.

[sillyflower]

That's partly because it's obscured by battle counters, partly because things have moved on since these pics and partly because I have a cunning plan, my Lord. [Editor's note: this last reason will only make sense to fans of the Blackadder TV shows].

[sillyflower]

South



The highlighted combat was not the most important one for AGS, but it was the most satisfying

However, I must tell the epic story of the 257th inf div. Cut off on the northern bank of the Denets (in the hex with a red attack symbol immediately below the pocket) during the soviet's last clear turn, it survived 12 attacks from the air and 10 or 11 ground attacks. It survived them all with the help of the LW dropping much needed supplies and ammo. As a result, its morale level even increased during those 4 turns from 75 to 77 whilst all those defeats must have been very disheartening for the Russian troops and their commander [&o]. Not content with simply holding their ground, the division then enabled relief forces to turn the tables and to pocket 3 of the attacking divisions whilst routing several more with heavy losses as they routed back over the Donets. Voroshilov was surrounded again

I made excellent progress toward securing the Donets before the blizzard - essentially the Russians can't attack across it for 1 turn (the northern half in the central weather zone) or 2 turns in the southern half which makes December easier. Once this is achieved, the objective in the south will be to crush the communists who advanced towards Kharkov and Belgorod during the mud turns, in order to get some retreating room, as well as to do some damage to what looks like being 1 of his major thrusts.

In the meantime the 2 mountain divs have refitted, acquired 2 sapper regts and 1 AA battalion each and have gone north where their cold weather abilities will be most needed.

[sillyflower]

Thoughts on T22

Losses 10.9K to 188k (inc. 149K prisoners). Brian had a very aggressive air turn in his T21, including bombing a couple of airbases again losses ih his turn were 25 to 223, and in my turn 129 to 309. Perhaps I should stop flying in my turns [&:]

His unit losses were:
1 tk xx
1 mot xx
24 inf xx inc 4 guards - would have been 1 more but 1 of the divs in Pavlova disappeared in his turn - presumably a merger
1 tk x
1 inf x
6 regts
1 fort (the one left in the pripyet) which still yielded 90 arty pieces

This was the most divs I have destroyed in any turn of the game. As we did not convert to .08 until T23, this will be a huge AP hit

Still/now in pockets
13 inf xx
2 cav xx [:D]
2 tk x
1 inf x

Russian OOB 4.43M at the end of my turn.

I was slightly surprised by Brian's aggressiveness during the mud. I don't know why - it's his style and I was half expecting it. I would have been a little more cautious and certainly would not have put troops back into the Donets bend where they would be easy meat.

The shattering of the inf x was helpful. shows that many of his units are likely to be very weak if that was in the front line I still remain paranoid about the blizzard though.It's no good telling me that Brian is likely to have a relatively weak O. I know that, but 'relatively weak' is not the same as 'weak', and I need the paranoia to focus properly on the defensive job in hand. I'm therefore grateful for Hitman's last post[:)].

[Michael T]

Sillyflower, I se no prep for a '41 blizzard fall-back line. I think you're cruising for a bruising. Hitwimp.

don't listen to these defeatist ramblings [:D]

fight like a man, you have mild blizzard no?

be vary in Dec then renew the offensive in Jan

forward to final victory, death or glory.... let it be so.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: Michael T

renew the offensive in Jan

Perhaps Australian friend speaks with forked tongue [:)]?. Trying to get the Englishman to lose in revenge for Australia losing the Ashes?

[Michael T]

Don't mention the war.. er ashes [:)]

EDIT: BTW Aus is numero uno again thanks giving the Black Caps a good thrashing...

[Michael T]

Mild Blizzard
Random/Non Random Weather whatever you want
1:1 = 2:1 I am reluctant to play without the bonus as Winter offensive is nearly impossible vs competent Axis player

An excerpt from a recent Opponent wanted.

You have no 1:1 to 2:1, yes?

You can attack him in Jan, or at least hold firm in Jan and attack in Feb.

The people demand it!

[HITMAN202]

This Yank thought this AAR was with normal blizzard. Oh well... I remember a MT sweating up a storm facing his first blizzard two or so years ago. The younger Aussie was skilled at rolling over every Soviet opponent prior to the first frost (MT's WITE repertoire back then consisted only of a first summer blitz that was remarkable, to say the least) and verbalized more than a little anxiety seeing his forces bleed off 800,000 or so casualties. ??? About the loss of Australia ??? It wasn't like the pick of the British Empire founded the forbidden shores.

[Michael T]

I didn't run back to Poland though...

Pity the game is in such a state of flux, I really want to play again. But it's a quagmire of exploits and other crazies ATM.