TopEverest vs Admiral Kamikaze - the rematch

[topeverest]

Finally here is factory evacuation

Expect to get the turn back tomorrow

[topeverest]

IN the north, the enemy did not press and Finland is not active yet.

The cutting of supply lines on the approaches to Tallinn, so I bought a turn but he assuredly will
start the grind again.

elsewhere in the sector, he did not press any attacks.

I launched my air force at his exposed armor and HQ, doing modest damage and taking several hundred planes in losses
Not sure if that was worth it.

[topeverest]

The enemy is forming for a major pincer push to Smolensk. I should expect standard tactics here.

I feel reasonably confident that no major breakthrough will occur

[topeverest]

In the south, titanic battles for Kiev area occurred throughout the turn. The line flexed but did not break. enemy still trying to pass to the south - as expected. The city is effectively abandoned, with only token resistance.

[topeverest]

Vatutin takes control of the Southern Front. Massive army reorganization not complete.

just trying to avoid the big breakthrough at this point

[topeverest]

It was a good turn for evacuations - here is the total

[topeverest]

Germany expended her attacks
1. clearing Tallinn
2. pincer blitz north and south of Smolensk. South pincer makes only modest progress. North pincer got extended too far, and those damn ruskies counterattacked - if you can call it that. I surrounded the lead element, pestered the flanks, and threw everything I had at the lead armor division. My final attack got to 1.9 to 1 but I failed to route it. DAMN! By my screens it went from 26 combat value to 9 over the course of the attacks and to dark red morale. perhaps the unit is out of action for a few turns, and perhaps the enemy wont leave free fruit out in the future.
3. Kiev falls but the enemy does not get across the river. defense in depth
4. several defense zone were built around Sevastopol, its approaches and Leningrad
5. dozens of units are refiting behind line

Overall a successful turn given the mix at the beginning BUT

The FINS enter the war

[topeverest]

I wont be holding this city more than one or 2 more turns. And as always in the first turns there
the chance the enemy breaks out

[topeverest]

I couldn't even beat one armored division - such a pity. 13 attacks on an isolated unit. BLEK

[topeverest]

Last turn of respite before the onset. Built some fortified resgions over last few turns

[topeverest]

Russians have been pushed out of Kiev but saved their armies. Defense is in as good order as possible

[topeverest]

And the Fins are in the war

Leningrad has 8 HI and Vsevol...has 1 armament left to evacuate. I am expecting to lose Leningrad.

[821Bobo]

AFAIK Finns enter on T4, he obviously forgot [:D]

[topeverest]

Good Russian Turn

1. Germans push slowly past Lake Peipus
2. continues double pincer above and below Smolensk. Northern pincer pushes north and past Smolensk. Russians launch counterattack on the northern pincer and take back no hexes but grind Germany and its morale. The southern pincer stalls. Russia pulls back enough to avoid encirclement
3. At Dnieper / Kiev German forced a 3 hex line across the river just south of the city. Russia launches a withering counterattack with ground and air forces on those exposed units. While none of the hexes were taken, morale and attrition damage was severe in the German army. Time will tell how effective that was in slowing down the advance / taking away enemy MP and CV
4. Further south at Kirovograd, the enemy left an exposed armor division, which was easily turned back. Further counterattacks failed to tae any more hexes, but again, the large units in the German stores suffered severe morale loss and attrition. HQ's also bombed

Administratively, I am keeping units in the read refitting, am building forts around Moscow and have upgraded as many airframes as the mi allows. Finally, I succeeded in evacuating all the Leningrad factories. to date the only factories that have fallen into enemy hands were in Minsc. The enemy cannot reasonably get to any factories this turn, unless they breakout.

So pretty successful to this point

[topeverest]

Here is the picture - I made a big mistake not building more forts earlier. I might have held the city had I done that. DRADT!

[topeverest]

It was fun launching withering attacks against the pincer. Though I doubt I will be as successful as the allies in the battle of the bulge.

[topeverest]

Those damn Germans have good units! Same Russian tactics here. I am all-in on these tactics and will have to wait to see if I win the hand.

[topeverest]

really, didn't know that. I haven't played the Germans yet.

My only early goal is to avoid auto defeat.

ORIGINAL: 821Bobo

AFAIK Finns enter on T4, he obviously forgot [:D]

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

Russians launch counterattack on the northern pincer and take back no hexes but grind Germany and its morale. The southern pincer stalls. Russia pulls back enough to avoid encirclement
Russia launches a withering counterattack with ground and air forces on those exposed units. While none of the hexes were taken, morale and attrition damage was severe in the German army.
Further south at Kirovograd, the enemy left an exposed armor division, which was easily turned back. Further counterattacks failed to tae any more hexes, but again, the large units in the German stores suffered severe morale loss and attrition.

Failed attacks impact negatively on attacker in every respect, not the defender. See my AAR vs Brian G. His many failed attacks vs 12 Panzer xx N of Moscow in the blizzard meant that it ended the blizzard with morale and experience both at 99%.

Try to avoid doing attacks you are unlikely to win, unless the hex is really important. Failure leaves it much easier for G to walk all over them in his next turn as they will have had losses and added a lot of fatigue. You can see this v. clearly if you mouse over and look at the DVs before and after the failed attack. The same AAR in the first summer shows what can happen to an over-attacking soviet. If your opponent is not very aggressive, just pick on likely wins, like the exposed pz xx you retreated, and the higher DVs you will have when its his turn will slow him psychologically as well as physically. Getting the balance right between attacking/not attacking is one of the hardest things you have to master, so don't be passive either: just more selective. If he stops giving you decent targets, then that's a win for you as it means your opponent is being too cautious - or v. skilled in which case you are in trouble and certainly can't afford to be over-aggressive.

[M60A3TTS]

Pitaman as my Axis opponent launched a lot of failed hasty attacks in order to try and grab hexes here and there. The result was by the end of 1941 I had all 11 Guards Armies. That may be a record.