Oshawott (Russia) vs. Stef78 (Axis)

[Oshawott]

T49 - Tula Sector

I open another pocket and tighten the noose. Supply for the Axis spear head is severely restricted.

[Oshawott]

T49 - South

I have established to strong bridgeheads over the Dnepr at Dnepopetrovsk and further south. I will try to enlarge this bridgehead and entrench my troops.

[Oshawott]

T49 - Odessa

He tries to capture Odessa with strong forces but it holds. I switch out troops. Fort is reduced below 4.

[Oshawott]

T49 - Data

Air war was very active so I am also posting air losses.

[Oshawott]

T50 - Tula Sector

Mud again. He creates another tiny encirclement and there is nothing I can do about it. I keep units at the front line because I want to restrict supplies. Most of his spearhead will get very little supplies and replacements.

[Oshawott]

T50 - Data

[Oshawott]

T51 - Tula Sector

Mud again. He destroys some of the units in the pocket. I don't retreat. Supply is severely restricted.

Voronezh front arrives. I don't assign anything yet to this front but wait for 15th Air Army to arrive. The APs + the stockpiled APs are mostly spent on building Rifle Corps. I concentrate on building Guard Rifle Corps first. To create the best possible Rifle Corps I use two high morale guard divisions and one high morale rifle division. The best Rifle Corps I can create this way has 16 CV.

[Oshawott]

T51 - Data

[Oshawott]

T52 - Orel Sector

Screenshot before I move my troops. He seals the pocket again. Stacking of his units is problematic.

[Oshawott]

T52 - Orel Sector

Screenshot after my move. Two attacks against stacks of three units succeed with huge odds. A daring attack to open the pocket again fails. Those four divisions are officially dead.

[Oshawott]

T52 - South

Working on my bridgehead over the Dnepr. Three Corps are across the river building fortifications.

[Oshawott]

T52 - Odessa

Two Rifle Corps have been shipped into Odessa. This will make it virtually impossible to take the city. At the same time he has to use a large number of German divisions to contain the city.

[Oshawott]

T52 - Air War

I continually use my air assets. They only destroy a couple of tanks here or there but I still think it's very useful in the long run.

[Oshawott]

T52 - Data

[Oshawott]

I case you haven't noticed but I accidentally turned off air support for a couple of turns. I wonder if that third attack would have succeeded with air support.

[jwolf]

I make that kind of mistake with air support all the time. I usually turn off air support while cleaning out a pocket but then forget to turn it back on for the regular attacks, or some similar foul up.

Regarding Odessa, that should apply all the more with Sevastopol, correct? So once the Russians can make rifle corps, Sevastopol becomes invulnerable?

[Oshawott]

Regarding Odessa, that should apply all the more with Sevastopol, correct? So once the Russians can make rifle corps, Sevastopol becomes invulnerable?

I don't see how Sevastopol could fall with 3 Rifle Corps in it. Regarding Odessa I think there might be a chance if you attack with 9 divisions and as many pioneers as possible. Or maybe you attack multiple times with just 1 division and 3 pioneers just to get the fortification down. Once the fort is down to 0 you would have a much better chance of success.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: Oshawott

T52 - Odessa

Two Rifle Corps have been shipped into Odessa. This will make it virtually impossible to take the city. At the same time he has to use a large number of German divisions to contain the city.

You've done a brilliant job of turning Odessa into a real pain for the Germans, would almost be worth it for Stef to try and muster the forces to storm the place, but guess he's pretty committed to trying to find some numerical advantage on the front lines

[Oshawott]

would almost be worth it for Stef to try and muster the forces to storm the place, but guess he's pretty committed to trying to find some numerical advantage on the front lines

I think so too. Those 8 German infantry divisions are precious for offensive and defensive purposes. Put those divisions in level 3 forts on the front line and there is almost nothing I can do without Rifle Corps.

[Flaviusx]

With 3 rifle corps in Odessa I'd say the place is impregnable. (Just ship one more in there to be sure.) This game, if nothing else, has demonstrated that Odessa absolutely needs to be taken in 1941. Letting it slide is bad news for the German.

He'll never get Sevastopol, either, now. Even if he could somehow clear the rest of the Crimea (doubtful, this game is showing clear signs of turning into a Soviet runaway. The Axis has rather botched the 42 offensive imo) you could simply drop more rifle corps into that place as well.

Oshawott has played brilliantly and taken advantage of clear Axis errors here. It's probably too late to fix those errors, now. Not just the Odessa business, but the entire 42 Axis offensive. It was poorly timed and poorly executed and was done in the wrong place and the wrong way.