A Clash of Titans, Xhoel (Axis) vs Bitburger (Soviet)

[Kantti]

I prefer using motorcycle regiments for cavalry corpses. They now add most CV per SU and as an upside there is plenty of already experienced regiments right off from the start. Then I mix those with some arty-mg battalions and tank battalions (have to be built early to get any experience).

[xhoel]

Thanks for the encouraging words guys!

@bigbaba1111: I recall that the word on the forums is for the Soviets to not build Sapper Regiments as they downgrade to Sapper Battalions. The Sapper Battalions have been changed to operate more like construction formations than Assault Pioneers (like they historically did) until October 1942 when they switch their TOEs and operate properly as engineers. I might be wrong but this is what I have gathered from reading forum posts and checking TOE changes.
PS: The Cavalry Corps are indeed looking scary but have not yet facilitated a breakthrough there.

@Kantti: The Motorcycle Regiments sure give a tremendous boost to the CV but have other downsides that the players should consider. You can only build a certain number of Motorcycle squads per turn (37 if I recall correctly) so it will be hard to keep them at full TOE. And they also use a lot of trucks. So I guess the Soviet player has to make a choice on whether the risk is worth it.

[bigbaba1111]

Thanks for the information about the sapper units. I remember someone saying here that the problem of the Red Army later in the war is not strength but mobility. I guess I go for some not so mobile support units and save the trucks for tank corps and their tank battalions.

[xhoel]

T30, 08th of January-15th of January 1942.
AGN

The enemy has pulled back from their forward positions opposite the Finnish forces. Our troops give chase and attack the weakened Soviets. 2 Soviet formations are forced to rout and an additional Rifle Division is forced to retreat. We are doing our best to put pressure on the Soviets here. Other parts of the front remain static.

Before:





After Axis moves:

[xhoel]

AGC

The enemy pushed hard in the Rzhev sector this week. Out of the 10 attacks that the Soviets launched, we only managed to hold back 2 of them and have been pushed back along a broad front. We suffered substantial air losses here, because of inadequate fighter cover. The 17th Panzer Division was pulled off from the front this week and transferred to Rzhev. The rest of our units have given ground slowly. The terrain north of Rzhev is unsuitable for defensive operations especially under such winter conditions but we must hold. Rzhev should not fall into the enemys hands.







The Soviets launched hard attacks east and north-east of Tula as well and forced us to give ground. However they are paying a heavy price for every meter of ground taken. We continue to give ground in order to avoid encirclements. A counterattack by the XXXIX Panzer Corps routed a Soviet Rifle Division.

The Cavalry Corps launched powerful attacks last week but were stopped cold in more than one occasion. However due to their mobility (High Mps) they managed to push us back after conducting secondary attacks on our tired forces which were at that time low on ammo and highly fatigued. They have made meager gains, only 10 miles in one week. Soviet AFV losses are very high, in one battle alone, the Totenkopf SS Mot Division was able to destroy 119 Soviet AFVs, a record so far.





Since the main Soviet push seems to be in the north, we have concentrated most of our forces here and have sent new units on the line. Sooner or later we will have to pull back but the longer we hold on the better it is for us. The Wiking SS Mot Division has just arrived at Orel and will take part in the defensive operations in the following weeks.

[xhoel]

AGS

Soviet attacks east of Kursk were successful in pushing our forces back. No heavy losses were reported in this sector. We were forced to abandon the town of Stary Oskol to avoid encirclement.





East of Belgorod and Kharkov we have been more successful in holding back Soviet attacks. However in two occasions the Soviets inflicted heavy losses upon our troops. We are pulling weak formations off the frontline and sending them to the rear for some R&R. The 113th ID is the first one to be pulled off the line. The division has been sent to Poltava for some needed rest.









The Soviets are intensifying their attacks in the Stalino sector as well. 4 attacks launched against our positions this week, all 4 successful and inflicted heavy losses on us. We pull the 170th ID away from the front for R&R and have sent the 10th Pz Division to fill the gap. Our troops successfully counterattacked a lone Rifle Brigade and retook the positions lost last week. The 18th Cavalry Corps was identified this week, bringing the number of Cavalry Corps to 18, only 3 of which are deployed in the south.







After Axis moves:

[xhoel]

Crimea

To our surprise the enemy has not launched an offensive in the Crimea. The front here remains quiet. Rail lines continue to be repaired by FBD 2. We were in for a surprise this week as supply ships coming from Constanta barely managed to escape the claws of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet which keeps patrolling the coast of the Crimea. It seems that our forces here will have to be supplied the normal way, by rail and truck.

PS: I didn't know that the Soviets have a naval control zone if Sevastopol is in their hands. It's a nice addition to the game.

[xhoel]

Casualties

Soviet casualties hit an all time high this week. Almost 38.000 Soviet KIAs as opposed to 8.000 Axis ones, an exchange rate of almost 5:1. Remarkable are also the heavy losses of AFVs (555) and of guns (850). In terms of aircraft, this was a bad week for the Axis airforces and the LW, losses mounted due to inadequate fighter cover in certain sectors. The Motorpool is also taking a hit. We are running a 33.000 truck deficit right now.

[xhoel]

T31, 15th-22nd of January 1942
AGN

The Finnish Army continues to press the Soviets by attacking vulnerable Soviet units. 3 Rifle Divisions and 2 Rifle Brigades were routed during the week. Another Rifle division was forced back after our attacks. A lone Soviet Brigade held back 2 determined Finnish attacks however. Intelligence reports indicate that the Soviets have brought some reserves in the sector, a news that was taken well by the OKH.

[xhoel]

AGC

Our pullback in the Rzhev sector did us some good. The Soviet infantry struggling to move forward in the bad weather only managed to launch 4 attacks on our positions last week. In two of those, we took heavy losses as shown below.







Because the frontline is coming close to Rzhev, we are adopting a new defensive policy: The center of the front (directly north of Rzhev) is to be held by strong forces while the flanks are to be held by more light formations. This would allow the front to straighten and will offer better protection to Rzhev itself.




The enemy surprised us in the Moscow sector by pushing over the Nara river. The GD Mot. Regiment has been sent to reinforce the Infantry division defending there. It is a hard task but hopefully they will succeed in holding back the Soviets at least for 1 more week.



North-east of Tula the enemy launched 3 heavy attacks that forced us to fall back, taking heavy casualties in the process. We pulled back during this week shortening the front line and freeing units for transfer to other parts of the front and for local counterattacks.



Directly in front of Tula the enemy launched 4 attacks. 3 of these attacks succeeded but we manged to hold back one of them. The Soviets pushed weakened and fatigued units to secure their new gains but were in for a tough awakening. Two powerful counterattacks routed 2 Rifle Divisions and 2 Tank Brigades and we managed to retake the positions lost last week.

Counterattack:



The massed Soviet Cavalry Corps attacked in two different directions last week. One direction was to the north-east of Orel and clashed with our armored and motorized formations as well as infantry from the 2nd Army (who retreated after taking heavy losses). The Soviets managed to advance 10 miles before they were forced to stop after their secondary attacks failed.
We pulled the 14th Panzer Division off the line during the week but have kept them close to the front. The division only has 11 operational tanks. They were relieved by the Wiking SS Mot and the 18th Mot. Division.

Positions at the start of the weak with highlighted Cav Corps:



Positions after German moves showing counterattacks and unit movement:





The other direction was south east or Orel and it hit troops that were less prepared than the ones in the north. The Soviets managed to cause heavy losses but only made small gains in terms of territory captured. We transferred the 4th Mtn Division in the area to stem further Soviet attacks. One counterattack against weakened enemy forces failed but two other ones succeeded and managed to rout 3 Tank Brigades and 1 Rifle Division.

[xhoel]

AGS

The enemy had little success in the Kharkov sector this week, out of 5 attacks, only 2 succeeded. We give ground in certain parts of the front and have reinforced weak positions. One fresh infantry division has arrived in the sector and will make its way to the front next week.





The real action during this week was in the Stalino-Rostov sector. The Soviets launched 4 heavy attacks and are attempting to cut off Rostov.





Seeing the condition of the Soviet forward units we decided to counterattack where possible. Therefore 6 successful counterattacks were launched along the whole front. We managed to push back several Soviet formations and routed some others. The counterattacks in the center pushed back the 18th Cavalry Corps, inflicting heavy losses on the Soviets while the southern counterattack restored our lines and eliminated the threat of Rostov being cut off.

[xhoel]

Crimea

In the Crimea the FBD has reached the town of Armyansk so the supply is improving. Nothing new can be reported from this sector.


Casualties

The Soviets lost a record 101.450 men and 1.115 guns during this week, the heaviest losses so far during the blizzard. AFV losses were also quite high at 623. In terms of KIA the Axis lost 9.140 and the Soviets lost almost 37.000 men, a 4:1 exchange in our favor.



Losses in the air were relatively high for us this turn, with 60 planes lost as opposed to the 308 that the Soviets lost. Transport losses continue to mount up.



Our truck deficit continues to be 33.000.

[MattFL]

Great AAR, just spent the last few hours enjoying it and getting caught up. Kinda sucks though, it's like starting to watch a season of Game of Thrones after the first six episodes have aired. Just had a great six episode binge watch but now I have to wait until the new episodes are aired....

I am a few years removed from playing (not since 1.07 ish) but in looking at this, I think the Germans are in good shape for launching a devastating '42 offensive. I'd like to see soviet casualties a bit higher at this point, but really i have no idea how the game plays these days in that regard (other than noting that many feel the soviets have been a bit hamstrung as compared with earlier versions). Early in the game when the Germans didn't breach the Pskov line on Turn 2-3 or threaten in any way the Smolensk land bridge, I was thinking that perhaps the Germans were in trouble. But the later Pskov encirclement was devastating resulting in both Lenningrad and the taking of Smolensk without a shot being fired. A stunning turn of events and probably the biggest mistake made in the game by the Soviet player. Overall, both sides have played this pretty well I think and it seems to be a well balanced game. 1942 will be the make or break year and vegas has the line at -150 Germans.

Xhoel - a few pages back you had posted a screenshot of the entire front. When blizzard wraps up it would be interesting to see a side by side of the pre-blizzard front lines with the post blizzard front lines.

[xhoel]

Thanks for the comment MattFL, feels nice to hear the AAR being compared to GOT in terms of entertainment value.

I am relatively pleased with Soviet casualties right now. The Soviets are really bleeding themselves dry and their OOB is not looking good. My casualties on the other hand are quite high due to the mud debacle that I messed up even more by overestimating German mobility during those fateful turns.

The Pskov pocket was really the game changer in the north, and allowed me to do what I later did. With that being said, Leningrad was a very difficult operation considering that the pocket was closed on turn 14 and it was only fully eliminated on turn 23, so the Soviets managed to hold on for 9 weeks and tied up the equivalent of 1 and a half Field Armies.

Both me and Bitburgerdraft feel that the game is quite balanced and close to the historical terms and we are both enjoying it quite a lot. No doubt, 1942 will be the big year where a lot will be decided and I am looking forward to that.

That was exactly the reason why I posted that screenshot. I intend to provide a new one once the blizzard is over and show how the front moved during the harsh winter. But that needs to wait, we still have 6 more turns ahead of us!

[TunganNinja]

I'm impressed you have held onto Rostov so far. No doubt, the light infantry in the sector makes that possible. It would be a great jumping off point come Spring/Summer, and your logistics would be an extra 10 hexes forward than the average Stalino defense. I will be paying close attention to this sector for the next 6 turns. Hope you can hold it against the odds!

[xhoel]

ORIGINAL: TunganNinja

I'm impressed you have held onto Rostov so far. No doubt, the light infantry in the sector makes that possible. It would be a great jumping off point come Spring/Summer, and your logistics would be an extra 10 hexes forward than the average Stalino defense. I will be paying close attention to this sector for the next 6 turns. Hope you can hold it against the odds!

Thanks Ninja, I hope so too. The Soviets are looking menacing there, they have a lot of units concentrated in the sector, but I will try my best to hold onto the city.

[xhoel]

T32, 22nd-29th of January 1942
AGN

The Soviets attacked a lone Finnish regiment last week and forced them back. Other than the poor display of leadership of the Finnish command on the defense, the attack had little effect on the situation in the north. We attacked 2 more Soviet positions during this week to good results. The 12th Fin. Infantry Division has been withdrawn.





The Demyansk sector may also see some fighting next week, considering that the Soviets are gathering more units in the area.

[xhoel]

AGC

The enemy continues their push in the Rzhev sector. We were only successful in holding back one attack last week. In one of our defensive battles we lost a staggering 17 Bombers, which were flying without escorts and got decimated by the VVS fighters.





The Soviets have pushed weakened units in the newly captured territory and we decided to counterattack immediately. Both of our counterattacks were successful and sent the Soviets running back to their lines. The fighting will intensify in the next few weeks as the enemy seems commited to push us back from the Moscow flank.



In front of Kaluga the enemy is pushing very hard to force us back from our fortified positions. While successful in doing so, they have taken heavy casualties and there is doubt as to how long the Soviets can keep up with such offensives. We have retaken the lost positions and have fortified existing ones. More Soviet attacks are expected to follow.
The real success of the week has been north-east of Tula though, were our Panzer Divisions have saved the day by counterattacking Soviet forces and stopping them cold in their advance. We are forced to abandon one of these positions so as to reinforce other sectors.





The enemy has relocated the bulk of their Cavalry Corps to the south and is striking towards Kursk. Because of the wide dispersion of their forces which prevents us from knowing where the main attack will strike, we have fortified the line to the east of Orel and are thinly screening the line south of Kursk. Reinforcements are on their way and will be deployed here ASAP. Air assets have also been deployed to help defensive operations.









The FBDs have finally completed the repair of secondary communication lines in the sector. This means that even if the Soviets manage to sever the existing connections we still have the opportunity to ove troops and supply through these lines.

[xhoel]

AGS
In the Kharkov sector the enemy attacked the positions held by the XXXIV Corps. The terrible performance General Schaal (the corps commander) lead to a collapse of the defenses and our units were pushed back as a result. For his failures he was relieved of his command and GL Hans Zorn has taken over. The XXXXVIII Panzerz Corps has arrived at Kharkov and is being held in reserve just in case it will be needed but the situation is stable otherwise.







In the Stalino-Rostov sector the Soviets launched 2 successful attacks. The first one to the north saw the commitement of 3 Soviet Cavalry Corps (amongst them the 1st Guards Cav Corps) and they were successful in pushing back our units. The Soviets pushed a Cavalry and a Rifle division to secure their gains but a powerful counterattack of the Axis forces sent both of these units routing.

The second push was made north of Rostov as the Soviet continue their efforts to encircle the city. Our retreating units took heavy losses. The weak Soviet units that were thrown forward to secure their gains were forced to rout after a powerful counterattack by the XXXXIX Mtn Corps. The 1st Mountain Division has recaptured the position.

[Dinglir]

I can't help but feel that there seems to be a lack of a clear plan to the Soviet attacks this winter.

Take the attack on the Finns above. what does the Soviets hope to achieve by such an attack?

1) There are no other attacks in the sector at all, so there seems to be no strategic aim to the attack (at least none that I can see).
2) The Finns have a high morale, so even in case of a Soviet win, they will suffer no real retreat attrition.
3) Some will argue for Guards creations, but they are capped anyway, and a concerted effort elsewhere will surely give the needed wins.
4) I realize some will argue for win accumulation, but the morale of the involved units will simply readjust to their old levels over a couple of turns

As I see it, the Soviets will expend supplies and suffer manpower losses for very few tangible gains with attacks like this.

Another thing I wonder is the presence of entire Rifle divisions holding Voznesenye to the far north of the line. These units must be some nice distance from the nearest railhead and put a little extra strain on the supply system. Why not just place a few Rifle Brigades on the line up here? Should the Finns attack, all they would gain is a little forest, some longer supply lines and a hit to their National Morale as they move south. The Soviets meanwhile would get closer to their own supply lines and be just a little better off.

Anyways, I know it is unfair of me to write this in an Axis AAR. I just wonder, if the Axis players out there sees the situation the same way I do?