Tophat1812(REDS) vs Moses(Krauts and friends)

[randallw]

You just have to look at the equipment page of the border regiments and see they are not worth much; no AT guns, no regular artillery or even mortars.  In a big war they are just targets.

[Tophat1815]

Alright,the following screen-shots are after the Axis{REALLY,REALLY,BAD GUYS}and before the Soviet{Common Man,GOOD GUYS}respective turns.

What this means is that I would like some constructive input,ie...I wish to appropriate good ideas to pull Santa's chestnuts out of the fire,so start lavishing the wisdom people.

here we have the Romanian front before the soviet turn#3 move........yes,the armored corps I forgot to move let Rum cav and the 22nd air-landing division help pocket some of my boys!

[Tophat1815]

Here is a problem I have,I didn't/means i forgot to move a Red armored corps to cover my northern Rum front. Now i have about 2 corps worth of troops pocketed. He has exposed his panzer division and 2 Rum Cav Brigades and 22nd Air-landing div,which is stacked with the Rum cav. Options?

1)Attack and try relief of the pocket?

2) Use those divisions as a delay and keep falling back and digging in?

[randallw]

I'd disband those NKVD regiments, move the airborne to a safe place way in the rear, disband the forts, and get that mech corps on the Eastern side of the Dnestr.

[Tophat1815]

Marsh area,more problems sorry to say. I had a corps fairly roughly handled falling back into the marshes from the north. These troops can barely move and German Cavalry have cut them off from using the rail line this turn.

My forces in contact with the Germans on the western edge of the Marshes are hard pressed by German forces and cannot bound back far enough to separate from the Germans.

[Tophat1815]

Need to run an errand,more to follow: Central/Smolensk front,Vitebsk southern Baltic's front,Northern south of Leningrad front,Leningrad front and Moscow military district. Also the various losses and stat screens.

[Tophat1815]

He seems to have left me alone on the central front this turn,bringing more forces forward. Basically getting his infantry forward,reducing my Minsk pocket and positioning for another drive.

[Tophat1815]

More forces moving forward,Riga reduced but the hard pressure eased off me for a turn...lets see if it was long enough.

[Tophat1815]

Thought I'd see 1 or 2 panzer and a mobile division or 2 race up here. We shall see what gets unleashed this turn in the northern Baltic's,but I have time to get outa dodge.

[Tophat1815]

And what passes for the Great White North of Leningrad town Front.

[Tophat1815]

More divisions activating and readying in the Moscow area. I need to look at using the population to build fortifications.

[Tophat1815]

Losses for both sides as of start Soviet turn#3:

[Tophat1815]

I have a number of divisions that arrived this turn as reinforcements! Yay! Here is one of those divisions in Leningrad:

[kfmiller41]

Well Tophat I can only give you advice based on what is happening to me. As for that pocket your thinking of trying to save, if you want to delay him at the cost of those divisions plus whatever you use to keep supply open to that pocket, go ahead. It is either that or fall back and let those troops die this next turn. You get an extra week tying down German troops for the loss of troops. Up to you which way you leap. I tried opening the hole and it is costly but you have time and room down south.

As for the center, you had better get some troops in a second line near Smolensk or your inviting a big pocket there as you have no depth tot he defense that I can see. If he recons that and decides to go thru it could be bad. You defense otherwise seems good to me.

I decided to take most of my rail and evacuate Odessa, Kiev and Leningrad factories in the last 2 turns and bringing up only small groups of troops. He will have to stop and take a breath before the next lunge (which might be what he is doing up north and in the center) so get some depth if you can.

How are you using your Air Force? I put all of it in the National reserve and have been feeding it back a little at a time to rear area bases so I can start to fight back a little at a time.

More to follow.

[Tophat1815]

I kept my airforce in place and did nothing but allow the "ai" to handle it. Though i did do some supply missions and tried my had at bombing forward panzer/mobile divisions. From what I saw the tactical bombing attacks didn't do much,perhaps it lowered his MP's,I don't know.

In regards to Industry,yes i need to make sure my Leningrad factories,especially that KV-1 plant is headed East soonest. Just need to make sure the destination city has enough manpower to handle that factory!

As to my defense,bringing up more boys....Infantry goes into the line,it re-leaves armor/mobile forces in 1st line that go into 2nd line duty. I know my defense invites a breakthough,during this movement phase need to start sorting it out.

Kinda disappointed I have no suggestion/critique from a beta-tester yet. Such is life,one of the good things about going in the first wave of aar's is you don't need to measure-up to some benchmark a gifted or lucky player has already set.

[Jim D Burns]

If your tank division can reach the hex three hexes east of Tarnopol, you can pocket his panzers (assuming recon has seen everything he has east of Tarnopol). Then move an infantry division NE of your tank division to keep him from easily isolating it. The loss of a week perhaps two for his panzers while they first extract themselves from the pocket and then reopen their supply lines to bring up fuel to move with is worth the loss of a few divisions, you can afford it.

As to the units in your pocket, I'd move them SE and try and form a solid line north of the Rumanians so he has a hard time linking his northern panzers with Rumanian supply lines to the south. Germany’s big concern is time, so delay him every chance you get.

Don’t go for big offensives or risk whole armies, but when you have a chance to spend a few divisions with the potential of delaying an entire weeks advance for Germany, I say take it.

Jim

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Tophat1812

More divisions activating and readying in the Moscow area. I need to look at using the population to build fortifications.

I don't think you can afford to keep these divisions around Moscow, you don’t have enough divisions at the front yet. Get them up to the Dnepr or area southwest of Leningrad ASAP to start digging in. use follow up forces to build your Moscow defense, after you have a solid front line in front of the Germans.

Jim

[Tophat1815]

Jim you have a point,I either run away and loose already pocketed divisions for no real gain or.....

or I use the boys to aggressively buy time. Moses has the 14th;11th;13th;16thPzDivs and the 16th Mot;25th Mot;Wiking and L.A.H SS Divs in this salient. i intend to isolate them and at the same time attack the 2 Rum cav bgd's and 22nd Air-landing division to open supply-line to my pocketed troops.

[Tophat1815]

Well Jim I was able to pocket those German mobile divisions and really surround the 14th pz Division! My corps attack vs 2 Rum cav bgd's and the 22 air-landing division failed. Not a bad delay tactic.

[Tophat1815]

Lets do this again with the picture showing my glorious Soviet counter attack!