Stalingrad to Berlin (No Hfarrish)

[smokindave34]

9/30/43

I'm in trouble near Kursk. 2nd army has been getting hammered by the 3rd Guards and 5th shock armies and Hfarrish has now got me backed up in clear terrain with no forts. The Soviet momentum is really picking up here. Fortunately the weather will soon slow the Soviet progress a bit but will also impact my ability to build fortifications.

[smokindave34]

9/30/43

I'm also in trouble near Stalino. The 1st panzer and 6th armies have been getting pounded for the last 6 weeks and Hfarrish is now moving west a steady 2 hexes per turn. I was able to counterattack this turn along a good portion of the front and rout a few Soviet units (including some of those nasty artillery divisions) but I'm now at the point where I don't have any good terrain/forts to fall back on. Hfarrish has the bulk of his mobile units in this area and I'll have to be careful in how I withdraw here.

[swkuh]

Appreciate your analysis of difficult situation.

This scenario is one of my favorites vs Sov AI. Can't stop the juggernaut once its rolling, though. Good luck.

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: rrbill

Appreciate your analysis of difficult situation.

This scenario is one of my favorites vs Sov AI. Can't stop the juggernaut once its rolling, though. Good luck.

Thanks rrbill......I enjoy a good defensive battle! How have you done against the Soviet AI? This is my first go at this scenario.

[smokindave34]

December 1943

The pace is picking up for the Soviets particularly in the South around Kurks and Orel. AGN and AGC have been able to hold firm however I'm having to transfer units to AGS to try and slow down Hfarrish's winter offensive. Here is the current OOB for 12/2/43...

I still have 200K armaments points and 40K men in the pool so I should be able to withstand the increased Soviet momentum for a short time at least.

[smokindave34]

AGN - December 1943

Fairly quiet here. Hfarrish admitted to me that he regrets launching an offensive in the Pskov area. The combination of excellent defensive terrain and the arrival of the SS panzer corps slowed him down considerably and he has now transferred most of his mobile units to the south.

[smokindave34]

AGC December 1943

Limited attacks against the 9th and 4th armies. Overall I'm very pleased here as this is the shortest route to Berlin. Fortunately Hfarrish hasn't sniffed out that I have a weak Luftwaffe corps holding the line between 3rd panzer and 9th army.

[smokindave34]

AGS December 1943

The Soviets launch a major winter offensive against elements of the 2nd and 8th armies. 4 German divisions are surrounded by mobile forces of the Bolshevik 2nd Guards, 47th, and 56th armies. I count 6 cavalry corps, 2 mechanized corps, and 5 tank corps in this area.

The XXXXVIII panzer corps under Herman Balck is transferred to Ferdinand Schorners 2nd army to counter the Soviet operation. Additionally the GD division is en route by rail from Pskov to support 2nd army. I also sent the 2nd Fallschirmjager division to this area (it arrived as a reinforcement last turn).

I'm kicking myself for not seeing this coming - recon should have been able to spot this easily! I became complacent during the earlier slow Soviet advance.

[smokindave34]

The XXXVIII panzer corps is able to open an escape corridor for two of the trapped infantry divisions but I don't expect I'll be able to keep them from eventually falling into Soviet captivity. Orel has been designated a fortress city and will be held until the end!

At this point in the game I can't hold back any determined Soviet assault - the combination of Guards rifle corps and breakthrough artillery can push back even my best units. I begin a slow wihdrawl west by 2nd and 17th armies. Weather will slow the Soviets more than I will in the open southern terrain. My minor allies continue to build a firewall behind my main lines. My goal for the winter will be to hold the Soviets to the east of the Denpr river......

[smokindave34]

AGS - December 1943

The 17th army falls back to ensure its northern flank is not exposed by the recent Soviet offensive. Hfarrish has another blob of mobile unit around Kursk and I'm afraid another breakthrough may be imminent here. I going to send the two mountain divisions to 2nd army next turn since that is where the action is and I'll need their mobility.

[smokindave34]

6th army - December 1943

The 6th and 1st panzer armies hold back determined Soviet attacks. Hfarrish seems to be pushing straight towards D and Z town. I think if he made a strong effort he could break through to the Sea of Azov and pocket some of 6th army. Fortunatley the mobile Soviet units in this area seem to be heading west or northwest at this time.

[loki100]

this continues to be a great read. So different to the usual PBEM situations by this stage of the war

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: loki100

this continues to be a great read. So different to the usual PBEM situations by this stage of the war

Thanks Loki100 - I think 80% of the AAR's cover only summer '41. I'm enjoying this scenario a lot.

[smokindave34]

February 1944


AGN:

The Soviets are on the offensive along the whole front now. The weather is slowing the Soviet steamroller as much as I am at this point in the game. Hfarrish uses the 2nd shock and 8th armies to batter my 18th army in front of Leningrad. This was always a weak spot for me and now the Soviets are consistently pushing me back one to two hexes per turn. The good defensive terrain and the lack of Soviet armored forces (only 1 Tank corps) have helped me make a controlled withdrawal in this sector.

[smokindave34]

February 1944

More AGN:

The 16th Army (Model) continues to get hammered by the 1st Shock army east of Pskov. Hfarrish is at the point now where he has pushed me out of most of the favorable terrain and I'll be forced to pull back a portion of 3rd Panzer army to prevent a possible encirclement. XI Corps (Von Schweppenburg) has strong armored units that I hope will slow the Soviet progress such that I can hold my fortified fall back position through the mud turns.

[smokindave34]

February 1944

AGC:

The 9th army continues to hold firm in front of Smolensk thanks in large part to the panzers of XXXIX panzer corps. This is one of the few points left on my line where I have the luxury of keeping some panzers in reserve mode.

This situation for Heinrici's 4th army is much worse. Hfarrish has committed strong mobile units to the area between 4th and 2nd armies and is getting closer each turn to a clean breakthrough. The last three turns I have been counterattacking his lead armored units to free my infantry from ZOC locks. I count 7 cavalry, 6 tank, and 5 mechanized corps here. My goal is to keep him of the Dnepr until after the mud turns. I have ground to give so I feel confident about that. LIII corps is loaded with construction units and digs in along the river while 4th and 8th armies fall back.

[smokindave34]

February 1944

AGC

The situation after my moves. The 2nd army lends XXXXVIII panzer corps (Herlein)to counter attack the leading Soviet units. At this stage of the war even Hfarrish's mobile corps don't rout even when they have no retreat path - they keep coming back strong turn after turn!

[smokindave34]

February 1944

17th Army:

17th army also faces a breakthrough by elements of the 3rd Guards army. The one panzer division left in 4th panzer army helps out here and pushes the Soviets back while IV corps falls back.

I have ground to give here as well and will fall back one to two hexes per turn until the mud hits. I'm in better shape here than the Germans were historically and that is primarily because I didn't launch my own "Citadel" in the summer but rather conserved my best units to slow the Soviet progress. Not sure if this could have been possible for the actual Wehrmacht as Hitler needed a success on the east front in 1943 for a host of reasons. There were certainly voices in the Wehrmacht who were opposed to Citadel (even Hitler wavered for a time). This may be similar to the 1941 argument that is common on the forum regarding Soviet runaways in the south in '41 - was it politically possible? My own opinion is that it was much more plausible for the Germans to cancel Citadel than for the Russians to run and give up Kiev in '41.

[smokindave34]

February 1944

The Soviets are on the verge of taking back D&Z town. I decide to stand and fight here for three reasons 1) I have solid forts built 2) I have strong armored units and 3) I want to delay a crossing of the river for as long as possible. I know I can't hold this line until mud hits but will try and postpone the inevitable for as long as I can. My allies dig as best they can while the Wehrmacht hold the front line. The Soviet momentum will be fast here during the summer - no fall back lines have been built and lots of open terrain.

[smokindave34]

February 1944

Current OOB