tyronec (Axis) vs Grognard1812. Grognard welcome.

[Grognard1812]

ORIGINAL: John B.

Wow. Nice counterattack. Of course, Goring guarantees that the Luftwaffe will resupply the trapped units but then he always says that.

The Soviet Air Force has set up a welcoming committee for the expected Axis transports comprising of recently
arrived lend lease British Hurricane IIB and American P40B fighters.

[Crackaces]

I have been conducting 2 unit bombing missions each turn on all isolated hexes as you suggest.

Along with the use of ammo .. there is evidence that fatigue does not recover while isolated? or recovers more slowly?
Air strikes cause disruption .. disruption becomes fatigue .. should isolated units be hampered in recovery .. the effects of high fatigue are to lower CV .. low ammo .. low supplies .. high fatigue all combine to make the attacks from the inside of the cauldron ineffectual ..
Whatever you have that can attack might be used to kill off these trapped units?

"In the footsteps of Napoleon the shadow figures stagger in the winter"

Well Done!

[STEF78]

Welll done counterattack!

A bit too earlier... axis has snow turns to reopen the Pocket and badly hurt the soviet.

Is it a game will full blizzard as it is without soviet bonus?

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: STEF78

Welll done counterattack!

A bit too earlier... axis has snow turns to reopen the Pocket and badly hurt the soviet.

Is it a game will full blizzard as it is without soviet bonus?

That is my understanding STEF78 ... I had an exchange earlier with the thinking +1 bonus . one could close this pocket in a hurry .. and the "normal Blizzard" is a threat to the Germans for the units left out after opening the pocket ..
The Germans are miles away from a railhead ..

[chaos45]

That mud pocket is bad news for the Germans, esp with surrenders already happening from it. Was surprised the Germans didnt react faster to move troops to at least secure the supply line....even in mud that armor should have been able to move some hexes......as Soviet mass attacks can still move small german units easily in mud- quality of quantity.

[Nix77]

ORIGINAL: chaos45

That mud pocket is bad news for the Germans, esp with surrenders already happening from it. Was surprised the Germans didnt react faster to move troops to at least secure the supply line....even in mud that armor should have been able to move some hexes......as Soviet mass attacks can still move small german units easily in mud- quality of quantity.

Securing the supply line wouldn't actually have been enough, even units outside the pocket were isolated due to the mud increasing the MPs to the railhead. It should probably be rather called "securing an escape route" for the surrounded units

[Grognard1812]

Soviet GT 21

As forecast the weather was mud in all the weather zones.

The Axis encircled units northeast of Voronezh, some of the German units are below 71 morale and
only one of the panzer divisions is still above 85 morale. The Luftwaffe reappeared in the area and was
successful in providing some air transport supplies to the encircled units. The 1st Cavalry division which was
scheduled to be withdrawn on GT 21 has disappeared - I guess Goring ordered the Luftwaffe to air transport
the 1st Cavalry division out of the pocket.

[Grognard1812]

The Soviet Air Force conducted an airfield bombing mission on the Luftwaffe airbases west of Voronezh which
wasn't successful.

[Grognard1812]

The situation north of Voronezh, awaiting the snow turns which start next turn.

[Grognard1812]

The situation south of Voronezh

[chaos45]

should be interesting going forward can see the Germans getting at least one or two more small pocket in snow if this was your final turn screen shots.

[Grognard1812]

The weather forecast for GT 22 is snow.

The encircled German army (3 Infantry Corps and 1 panzer Corp), including the beginning of next turn, will have
been isolated for 5 turns reducing their offensive strength for the upcoming snow turns and hopefully
weakening these units for the upcoming blizzard turns.

Set up a weak screen of units on the Western side of the pocket and prepared deep defensive zones around Voronezh
in case the Axis attempt a snow offensive the next three turns. My goal at the present time is to avoid any
large pockets and have a Soviet army with an OOB above 5 million for the first blizzard turn.

[SparkleyTits]

Quite a few of the plausible situations are starting to look like a positive result for you here Grognard
Managing to grasp the initiative like this before the winter is gonna have some dramatic effects without Tyronec reacting
I just doubt he is going to take this lying down

Has your recon seen anything conclusive west of Tamboy by the end of the turn?

Good job!

[Grognard1812]

ORIGINAL: SparkleyTits

Has your recon seen anything conclusive west of Tamboy by the end of the turn?

Good job!

I did a lot of recon missions west of Voronezh but I couldn't find any panzer units in the area. There was a
concentration of mainly infantry and airbase units just east of Kursk. From Recon his panzer units are mainly
in the South and North.

[tyronec]

T22.
Mud is over and we have snow this turn and forecasted for next.

We lost one and a third infantry divisions in the mud. I had underestimated the reduction in combat value of units cut off for a couple of turns (and should have protected my flanks better in the first place). Their face CV was OK but as shown by the combat results their real CV must have been a lot less. Morale and fatigue were OK.

In the north we resume the attack. The soviets have deployed with a weak front line and three-stacks behind so there in not much chance of a pocket anywhere. However we do get a lot of routs (over 20 for the turn). A small breakthrough towards Gorky advancing 40 miles, elsewhere about a hex or two.

Voronezh area. The pocket is relieved without difficulty and we threaten to make a small pocket around Lipetsk.

Elsewhere we just dig in.

Am only showing these two areas as the rest of the map is defensive and don't want to show my deployment, so will leave the rest to Grognard.

[Grognard1812]

Soviet GT 22

As forecast the weather is snow in all weather zones. Snow is also forecast for next turn.

All quiet in the Rostov area.

The encircled German units easily brushed aside the Soviet units on the western side of the encirclement.
A picture of the Voronezh area at the beginning of GT 22.

[Grognard1812]

The Voronezh area at the end of GT 22.

The Soviet army cautiously followed the German units moving west.

[Grognard1812]

West of Gorky, two panzer corps comprising 4 panzer divisions and 2 motorized divisions pierced the Soviet defenses,
creating a breakthrough in the direction of Gorky. Picture at the beginning of GT 22.

[Grognard1812]

Assisted by the arrival of the 1st Shock Army, the supply corridor leading to the 2 panzer corps was successfully
narrowed, reducing the supply delivery next turn to the two panzer corps. Again General Zhukov led the assault
by the newly confident Soviet Army.

[Grognard1812]

Situation at the end of GT 22 in the Gorky area. Two more snow turns before the blizzard turns start.