A look at Barbarossa. (AAR)

[Red Prince]

At Novgorod, Mannerheim attempts to provide HQ Support, and I add 2.5 Factors of Ground Support, with a fighter flying escort.
The other northern attack gets 1.75 Factors.
Near Tula, 3.5 Factors are added, with another fighter flying escort.
And in my attempt to finally break into the rear, 2 Factors of Ground Support are added.

Yes, my entire airforce is committed: 7 bombers and 1 fighter-bomber, and 2 escorting fighters. Only the Finnish fighter remains on the ground, but it is ready to intercept at Novgorod, if needed. Perhaps this is reckless, but if I succeed in these attacks, I'm hoping that final victory is assured.

Orm can't get enough bombers to Novgorod to make any real difference, so he ignores it. It would take 2 bombers to reduce the other attack in the north to a 5:1 Blitz, which still only gives the Irkutsk Militia a 10% chance of surviving, so that is also ignored.

In the south, the Su-2M stationed in Stavropol alone can reduce my breakthrough attempt from a 7:1 (5:1) Blitz down to a 3:1 (3:2) Blitz, with a 50/50 chance at 4:1 (2:1), so it is given the assignment.

And, near Tula, it's hard to figure. With the Ground Support and the Snow, this ends up as a 4:1 with a miniscule chance at 5:1. One bomber can reduce that to 3:1 with a 1 in 4 chance of 4:1, and 2 bombers can reduce it to 2:1 with about a 60% chance at 3:1. Anything more than that gets diminishing results. The best possible reduction would be to 3:2, with a 70% chance at 2:1. That would use up all 5 of Orm's bombers, and since the attack doesn't really benefit me that much if I succeed, the 2-bomber option seems best. It almost gauruntees that all attacking units will become disorganized. It does mean that his MiG is going to have to fly interception vs. my Bf-109.

[Red Prince]

Talk about exciting!

Here's how things looked over Tula before any shots were fired:


Picture taken at Ground Support: Air-to-Air Combat Digression of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

In the first round of combat, my Bf-109 had the Soviet Pe-2 in its sights, but the MiG was hot on his tail. Just as my ace was about to fire on the enemy bomber, he zigged when he should have zagged, and he was surprised by a missile up his tailpipe. This, of course, threw off his aim (which usually happens when you are desperately trying to eject), and the Pe-2 got by him. With no German fighters remaining, the IL-4 also cleared through.

In the second round, the elated Russian fly-boy made a good effort, but couldn't stop the He 111 from dropping its payload on target.

In the third and final round of combat, a little too eager to prevent the final German bomber from reaching its target, the Russian pilot flew a little too close before firing on the Do 17Z. He couldn't get clear before the shattered remains of his kill interfered with his engines, and he had to bail out.

As he floated down to the ground, watching the debris of his fighter and 2 enemy craft crashing down below, he grinned happily; he had served Mother Russia well, and would probably get a medal out of this, and possibly even a promotion.
(As a result of his efforts, all 3.5 Soviet factors made it to the target, but only 2 German factors did)

Picture taken at Ground Support: Air-to-Air Combat Digression of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

Mannerhiem failed in his attempt to provide support at Novgorod, so here are the final attack odds:


Picture taken at Land Combat Resolution of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

I broke through in the north on an Automatic attack, and I'm looking hungrily at Vologda and Yaroslavl.

Near Tula, we're talking disaster. [:@] No win on the Fractional Odds roll, but it really wouldn't have mattered if I did get it. A '1' is a '1', no matter how you look at it.


Picture taken at Land Combat Resolution of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

In my attempt to break through in the south, I really could have used the Fractional Odds roll, but I didn't get it. I rolled a '9' on the 3:2 CRT. On the 2:1 CRT (Blitz), that would have been a Breakthrough. Oh, well.

And now, for Novgorod, which I am determined to take!

But it is not in my destiny. Again, I failed the Fractional Odds roll, and this time I rolled a '3' on the 3:1 CRT (Assault). Look at the rejoicing Russians, all happy, while Vasslov gets a proper burial in the permafrost!

In all fairness, even if Mannerheim provided support and I won the Fractional Odds roll, a '3' still would not have taken the city.


Picture taken at Air Rebasing of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

After rebasing 2 fighters and a bomber, I need to resupply some units.

In order to make a grab for Saratov and/or Stalingrad (see post below), Rundstedt needs to get these troops moving again.


Picture taken at HQ Reorganization of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

Due to the utter failure to do anything useful near Tula, the city itself is now in a bit of danger. However, von Bock has just enough reorganization points to revitalize the city's defenders.


Picture taken at HQ Reorganization of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

An overview of the map, at Zoom Level 2


Picture taken at end of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

In the North, at the very least I should be able to grab one of these two cities, both if lucky (none if Orm rails troops in).


Picture taken at end of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Red Prince]

And in the South, two more cities are threatened by the German Panzers. At this point I can risk putting them out of supply, hoping the game will end soon.


Picture taken at end of Axis impulse #1, Jan/Feb 1942 (Turn 5 of 5)

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

As he floated down to the ground, watching the debris of his fighter and 2 enemy craft crashing down below, he grinned happily; he had served Mother Russia well, and would probably get a medal out of this, and possibly even a promotion.

Due to the destruction of goverment property the pilots are sent to Siberia for rehabilitation. Our pilots should know better than destroying the superior aircraft produced by our workers.

[Red Prince]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: Red Prince

As he floated down to the ground, watching the debris of his fighter and 2 enemy craft crashing down below, he grinned happily; he had served Mother Russia well, and would probably get a medal out of this, and possibly even a promotion.

Due to the destruction of goverment property the pilots are sent to Siberia for rehabilitation. Our pilots should know better than destroying the superior aircraft produced by our workers.

A guy can dream, can't he? [:D]

[Orm]

I launch new ground strikes towards Tula. With no German interceptors in the area the mission has some success.

[Orm]

I also ground strike Krasnodar. I do like it when those pesky German fighters don't interfere in my affairs. [:)]

[Orm]

With 2 units disorganized in Tula I can't resist. I launch the 2nd assault towards Tula. I need to recapture 2 cities to have any chance of a draw and Tula seem an obvious canidate to be recaptured. Because of the German Anti-Tank unit located in Tula I withdraw all my armored units from the attack.

[Orm]

At last I have a disorganized and out of supply German in Krasnodar. Time for my siberian troops to liberate the city.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Red Prince
For starters, and this is purely based on the principle of the thing, I'm allowing the Helsinki Militia the opportunity to retake Petsamo. This time, I might actually keep it! Or, I might not. But I had to make the effort. After all, that is a Finnish resource!

No, it was a Finnish resource! And this was purely for the principle of the thing.

[Red Prince]

Rats! [;)]

[Orm]

Yeremenko has a new plan to capture Tula. Unfortunately no one else seem to understand the plan. So the second assault on Tula is yet another complete failure.