The Zhukov-less Memoirs - GC41-45 M60 vs smokindave redux

[timmyab]

I've only been there once and I don't fancy going back again Actually the Soviet side I found even worse in late 44/45. More like trying to direct traffic in a gridlocked city than anything else. I was never more convinced that HQs should stack for free.

I've noticed recently that armies on the offensive are even more at an advantage than they used to be, and the game has always favored the attacker. Anyone else noticed this?

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: timmyab

...

I've noticed recently that armies on the offensive are even more at an advantage than they used to be, and the game has always favored the attacker. Anyone else noticed this?

yes, I did some tests using the 1944 Bagration scenario. In the pre 1.08.05 patch to get about an 80% chance of a win with the Soviets you needed at start odds of around 1.4:1, I reckon with the new patch that dipped to 1.3, even 1.25:1. Also in my current PBEM, I'm finding I win quite a lot of battles starting at 1.2:1 (this is in early 1943) if I add in masses of artillery.

Think its good as it encourages the Soviets to attack - by then you should be able to absorb your losses and the wins mean you can slowly unhinge the strongest line (but at a huge cost in casualties)?

[M60A3TTS]

7-13 September 1944 (169th week of the war)

The Hungarian government recognizes the hopeless situation, and surrenders. The Germans in response occupy Budapest.

The Eastern Hungarian Offensive continues as mechanized forces head for the Danube.

In Poland, the clearing of the Northern Vistula continues. The Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive is underway further to the south as the Germans pull back from Warsaw, leaving only a rearguard in the Polish capital.

Fyodor Tolbukhin replaces Kiril Meretskov as commander of 2nd Ukrainian Front. (He has better mech stats, and 2nd Ukrainian has quite a few tanks). Meretskov is sent to command 5th Shock Army of 3rd Belorussian Front. General Polkovnik K.K. Rokossovsky assumes Tolbukin's old command, 6th Guards Army.

Eastern Hungarian Offensive



River Vistula



Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive



OOB

[M60A3TTS]

14-20 September 1944 (170th week of the war)

The Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive continues as the Red Army liberates Warsaw and reaches the outskirts of Lodz. The VVS interdicts the Germans retreating to the west, making sure their withdrawal is not a comfortable one. Our forces now include three Artillery Armies and we now able to mass over 10,000 guns in support of localized operations.

1st Shock Army has arrived outside Budapest. South of Budapest, 8th Guards Army supported by 4th Shock Army crosses the Danube in preparation for rolling up the north-south defensive line which the fascists have put in place. German POWs are processed from those divisions the previous week that were trapped in the Carpathians and forced to surrender.

Marshal Shaposhnikov who has been suffering from the ill effects of Parkinson's Disease has asked to be relieved of command of North Caucasus Front. Comrade Stalin reluctantly agrees and replaces him with Rodion Malinovsky, commander of 1st Baltic Front. Fyodor Kuznetsov then moves into Malinovsky's former command of 1st Baltic Front. Not willing to let Shaposhnikov disappear from the scene completely, Stalin appoints him as the STAVKA coordinator for the Southern Group of Soviet Forces consisting of 2nd Ukrainian, North Caucasus and Trascaucasus Fronts.


Warsaw liberated!



Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive





Budapest



Might of the Red Army artillery



Change of Command



Destroyed German divisons

[Peltonx]

M60 when Romania and Hungary surrendered how much of the rail system was destroyed or was it complete?

Also how much land flipped?

Nice campaign by the way.

[M60A3TTS]

None of the Hungarian rail was usable. It all has to be repaired as it was in a destroyed state. Rumanian rail was intact except where Dave had a unit in a position to destroy it. It was also unusable until I connected it with Soviet rail. That actually didn't take long, like 1-2 turns. In southern Rumania, Dave had 3 security regiments so there was limited damage. As he advanced some fast movers in from the north, he was able to wreck some of that rail as well.

You can see what Rumania looked like on turn 165. Originally I intended to only repair the circled rail to get a contiguous and functional line going through the Transylvanian Alps. Then I realized shortly thereafter I only need 3 hexes: 1 southwest of Braila, the hex 4 to the west of that, then the one in Brasov above the 5 circled.



I didn't need it so much for movement as by this time I was already halfway through the Alps, but it made supply a whole lot simpler.


Here is the Hungarian rail from turn 170. All red as you can see. You can also see by the shaded territory, I had to convert all Hungarian land to friendly terrain whereas Rumania was all mine except for where there were enemy hexes flipped.

[M60A3TTS]

21-27 September 1944 (171st week of the war)

In Hungary, the defensive line of the enemy at Budapest dissolves as quickly as it was formed. Budapest is declared an open city and abandoned. Our glorious cavalry-tank forces quickly storm ahead and lead units are now 20 miles from the Austrian border.

Farther north, gains are 30-40 miles as more Polish cities are liberated.

[M60A3TTS]

28 September - 4 October 1944 (172nd week of the war)

Game note: per my forum post, it doesn't make sense that Chief of Staff General Armii Vasilevsky with so many wins hasn't been promoted to marshal. Apparently he needed to stay in command of a front to get to that rank.

Well, I can fix that, by special order of the Chairman of the State Defense Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin, he's promoted to Marshal Sovetskogo Soiuza.

[M60A3TTS]

28 September - 4 October 1944 (172nd week of the war) continued

With only two weeks of good weather now expected, a continued rapid advance westwards in the Hungary-Austria region is dangerous. It will soon be impossible to supply units west of the Danube in some places. For this reason, some tank units are pulled back towards the east in this area. Our cavalrymen, however, continue to advance west into Austria. We are now 20 miles from Vienna.

West of Warsaw, the Germans continues their retreat. Our troops follow. Two weeks ago, STAVKA ordered General Armii Chernyakhovsky to begin moving 3rd Belorussian Front south over the Vistula in order to roll up enemy positions on the far bank. In this way, about 20 miles of the Vistula can be cleared each week. This will put the army in a better position overall once the 1944-45 winter offensive begins.

Posen-Warsaw start




Posen-Warsaw end




Into Austria




OOB




Production

[M60A3TTS]

5-11 October 1944 (173rd week of the war)

A final week of clear weather to complete the Summer Campaign of 1944.

Chernyakhovsky's 3rd Belorussian Front pushes to the gates of Bromberg. Along both banks, the vital portion of the Vistula between Bromberg and Warsaw is in Soviet hands.

To the southwest, the city of Breslau is entered by our troops of Konev's 1st Belorussian Front.

Farther south, our tankmen link up with the forces coming up from Hungary while isolating two German divisions.

Vienna is declared an open city and is occupied by cavalrymen of 8th Guards Army. The fascists in the area flee northwards.


River Vistula



Breslau



Linking northern and southern group of Soviet fronts



Production



Ground losses



Vienna



Front strength



Air commands



Leaders

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

5-11 October 1944 (173rd week of the war)
...

Breslau


...

There is always something very satisfying when you see Berlin on that scale of the map ....[;)]

[M60A3TTS]

12 October - 8 November 1944 (174th-177th weeks of the war)

STAVKA planning for the upcoming winter offensive of 1944-45 included three offensive operations.

The Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive continues with the goal of 3rd Belorussian Front of General Armii I.D. Chernyakhovsky advancing to the Oder at Kustrin. Their right wing will be covered by 1st Baltic Front.

2nd Belorussian Front sees a change of command as General Polkovnik K.K. Rokossovsky replaces General Tyulenev. Rokossovsky's troops will sweep past Posen and drive to the Oder with the objective of Reppen.

1st Belorussian Front under General Armii I.S. Konev will advance up the Oder River with the final objective of the town of Lubben.

1st Ukrainian Front under General Armii N.F. Vatutin will advance northwest, then west along the Breslau-Liegnitz-Goerlitz axis with a final objective of capturing the city of Dresden.


The Prague Offensive will involve capturing all cities of Czechoslovakia including the capital city and advancing to and through the Sudeten Mountains. This offensive in the northern direction will allow a link up with 1st Ukrainian Front advancing from east to west.


The third and final operation will be the Berlin Offensive with the goal of taking the fascist capital. Planning is still in the early stages but will involve either isolating Berlin or taking it by storm, most likely by either 1st or 3rd Belorussian Fronts. In either case, Comrade Stalin has made it clear that this operation should be concluded before the end of winter when weather conditions will force us to suspend further attacks.

Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive



Prague Offensive

[M60A3TTS]

9-15 November 1944 (178th week of the war)

The Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive has resumed. Advances in the Bronberg-Posen area were from 10-20 miles. There is no more retreating by fascist troops, they now defend in place.

In Czechoslovakia, the city of Brunn is taken. Our forces advance northward where the Germans have more ground to give.


Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive



Czechoslovakia



ground losses



air losses



production

[M60A3TTS]

16 November - 6 December 1944 (179th-181st weeks of the war)

The stubborn resistance on the road to Berlin continues as does the advance. Our units along the Vistula northeast of Bromberg remain idled by river conditions. Enemy tank forces have ample equipment, but their infantry worn out from years of fighting are losing cohesion.


Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive

Week 179


Week 180



Southern Operations

Week 179



Week 181 Strategic Overview



Massed artillery supporting our offensive operations



Our tank forces replenished, large quantities are committed to battle



OOB

[M60A3TTS]

7-27 December 1944 (182nd-184th weeks of the war)

The city of Posen has been liberated and with it the last major city before Berlin. The northern Vistula is finally frozen sufficiently to allow the northern group of Soviet forces consisting of the three Baltic Fronts to join the offensive and Bromberg is also taken. The southern group of Soviet forces liberate Prague and Pilsen.

Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive



Battle of Posen



Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive continued (week 184)



Artillery now over 200,000 tubes



ground losses

[M60A3TTS]

28 December 1944 - 31 January 1945 (185th-189th weeks of the war)

I'm consolidating these weeks towards the end of the game, as it is largely a grind-fest of one row at a time. No breakthoughs for the duration.
Towns captured in the last week of January:
Arnswalde by 13th Army (Meretskov)
Landsberg by 10th Guards Army (Zakharov)
Reppen by 7th Guards Army (Shumilov)
Cottbus by 1st Guards Army (Volsky)


The Red Army battles forward and gains are steady. German infantry units become easier to break and their tank and mechanized forces, particularly the SS formations are holding their army together.

Southern group of Soviet forces work their way through the Sudeten Mountains with the same determination as their comrades to the north.

The operational truck fleet is falling fast as nearly 220,000 vehicles are disabled and lend lease deliveries are minimal. Much of the VVS has been sent to reserve stations to conserve the truck fleet as much as possible.


Week 188 22 German divisions are routed



Week 189 north



Week 189 south



ground losses



production

[M60A3TTS]

1-14 February 1945 (190th-191st weeks of the war)

The Vistula Oder Strategic Offensive is formally at an end as troops from the three Belorussian Fronts have crossed the Oder just east of Berlin. The Battle of Berlin will be the final operation of the Red Army. German units defending the Seelowe Heights are pushed aside on Highway 1, the road to Berlin. German SS units are situated to defend the direct approach to their capital.

In order to continue the effort to conserve trucks, the Red Army has shed two million men from the order of battle. This, along with moderating weather in the European Zone of Operations should allow for sufficient supplies during the remainder of the Battle of Berlin.

1st and 8th Air Armies of 3rd and 1st Belorussian Fronts have been assigned the lions share of active air assets to properly support the key battles on the horizon.


Battles at Kuestrin and Frankfurt am Oder 1-7 February.



Seelowe Heights



OOB



Air Armies



Assortment of disbanded units

[Mamluke]

you disbanded about 64 Rifle cores!? in one turn? were most of then at 50% TOE?

what are your manpower reserves like now? did most of then were used as Reinforcements?

very curious man.

PS: Awesome AAR, Smokindave must be doing the Best he could possibly do, but the SOVs are just too dam strong, and can put OVERWHELMING Pressure anywhere! what was the "rhythm" like the last turns? was it like 1 - 2 Lines of Hexes every turn in Germany and Poland? the Czechoslovakia plains were a different story of course.

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: Mamluke

you disbanded about 64 Rifle cores!? in one turn? were most of then at 50% TOE?

what are your manpower reserves like now? did most of then were used as Reinforcements?

very curious man.

PS: Awesome AAR, Smokindave must be doing the Best he could possibly do, but the SOVs are just too dam strong, and can put OVERWHELMING Pressure anywhere! what was the "rhythm" like the last turns? was it like 1 - 2 Lines of Hexes every turn in Germany and Poland? the Czechoslovakia plains were a different story of course.

All my units were at 100% TOE. During the summer when trucks were not an issue I could afford to have an 11 million man Red Army. That is a luxury I can't afford in blizzard.

Manpower reserves are numbered in millions. That is not an issue and hasn't been for a long time.

The recent "rhythm" was a simple matter of stripping off one row of hexes at a time and gaining a second hex in places where it could be managed. Two lines of hexes across the front isn't really possible due to movement limitations of infantry.

[M60A3TTS]

15-21 February 1945 (192nd week of the war)

The three Belorussian Fronts of Konev, Rokossovsky and Chernyakhovsky move ever closer to their final objective, Berlin.

The great German city of Dresden on the River Elbe falls to 6th Guards Army of GM Pyotr Malyshev.

The port city of Stettin is captured by the 11th Guards Army of GA Maksim Purkaev.

Over one quarter of a million trucks are now out of service, but weather conditions should improve just in time to provide sufficient resources for the final drive on Berlin.

Our order of battle now stands at just short of 9.3 million. Artillery has dropped to 165k, still ample for the final weeks.


Battle of Dresden



Battle of Stettin



Fighting in Fuerstenwalde



Action at Freienwalde



Taking Esterwerda



Berlin



OOB



Truck situation