FITE2 Cpt Flam Axis, Larry Soviets

[cpt flam]

in Bessarabia

there is a strong defense in the south and north of my picture

the center has been shattered
operation begin to change rail ways

[larryfulkerson]

New moves from Patrick and I clicked past the combat replay because it takes so dad gumed long to watch it. Almost half an hour. But look how many attacks he did in his turn. I'll have to review them and see how badly I was hurt and look for weak spots now. I'm especially interested to see how often his aircraft participate in the festivities. And to see how badly my aircraft were mauled. I'm starting to get sizable groups of reinforcements. They always have only 1% of supply though so I have to let them rest on the railway for a turn or two first.

[larryfulkerson]

Riga still holds but Patrick has leapt the river and is forcing his way into my backfield. Riga is beside the point now that Patrick is across the river already. I don't know whether or not to try to surround the breech with units or just start pulling units back to the NE.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a zoomed out view of the northern part of the battle. Axis forces have forced their way across the river and as a result I railed in some troops to try to nip this in the bud. I'm going to try to defend forward in order to buy enough time to permit the reinforcements to reach the front lines. I'm receiving boat-loads of troops each turn but they are supply poor ( 1% ) and need rest. About 1/3 of my aircraft are ready for combat and I've been deploying them forward and they get chewed up and I have to move them back to safety for refit.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a section of the front lines being penetrated as the Axis units force their way across the river. I'm not quite ready for the Axis forces to be so close to this area as I haven't yet garrisoned all the river crossings. It's important to do that to slow him down. I expect him to blow a hole and roll up my lines sometime soon.

[cpt flam]

after 6 turns of movement
Riga is finally taken with losses
many HQ and Artillery support them

Totenkopf try to move around the defense
crossing are "secured"
123 Infantry had to push a Rifle div embarked in train

Daugavpils is liberated by 8th Panzer and 290th Infantry

[cpt flam]

in AGC
forts of Minsk has gone away (except 1)
at first view : a rifle corp is protecting the city

losses in troopers are about 7 divisions (but replacement mount to 6) not so bad
few vehicles losses
harder for planes as replacement are few and groups were not full at beginning

[cpt flam]

AGS
struggle continue around Tarnopol
i'm trying to create a hole and at least isolate some of them

LSSAH will be in position to use train for exploitation of opportunity

[cpt flam]

11th Army and Rumania

progress is made
i hope to isolate next turn the 2 rifle regiment entrenched

a bit to the north : rests of 2 Mountain divisions are isolated

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: cpt flam

in AGC
forts of Minsk has gone away (except 1)
at first view : a rifle corp is protecting the city

losses in troopers are about 7 divisions (but replacement mount to 6) not so bad
few vehicles losses
harder for planes as replacement are few and groups were not full at beginning

Historically Minsk fell on June 26th IIRC, but I see in the pic that it's July 9th and you have not captured it yet. You better pick up the pace! [:'(]

[gliz2]

Elmo
Historically the Germans were able to get the Soviets with pants down, but the TAOW has its limitations and FITE2 some design flows.
After some experimenting I have concluded that the two things would be needed to give the Germans a fighting chance:
1. 20% movement bias for 2 first turns
2. No Soviet movements on the Western Front in first turn (so they should be able to do exactly nada, not even blow a tinest of bridges up).
3. Not a must-have but it would be nice if all Brandenburgers could be paradroped (currently only 2 of 3 can be).
I think currently your only chance as German is push with Panzers and Mot Div east (bypassing any obstacles) following by half of infantry and the rest of infantry should do the moping up (the Soviets anyway will collaps after 4-5 turns of being cut off).

[larryfulkerson]

This is what Minsk looks like now. I've been blowing bridges as I retreat to try to delay Patrick's advance as long as I can. The weather isn't cooperating with me as the skies are sunshiney and what I need is a lot of rain and thunderstorms and mud. That won't start happening until late October I'm thinking, and it's only July right now. I expect Patrick to destroy my Minsk defenders and approach the river in his next turn.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: gliz2
Elmo
Historically the Germans were able to get the Soviets with pants down, but the TAOW has its limitations and FITE2 some design flows.
After some experimenting I have concluded that the two things would be needed to give the Germans a fighting chance:
1. 20% movement bias for 2 first turns
2. No Soviet movements on the Western Front in first turn (so they should be able to do exactly nada, not even blow a tinest of bridges up).
3. Not a must-have but it would be nice if all Brandenburgers could be paradroped (currently only 2 of 3 can be).
I think currently your only chance as German is push with Panzers and Mot Div east (bypassing any obstacles) following by half of infantry and the rest of infantry should do the moping up (the Soviets anyway will collaps after 4-5 turns of being cut off).

That sounds like a good plan to me. I don't usually watch the playback but this time I did and I must admit that I didn't get a lot of intelligence from it. The map is too big for that I think. And about the paratroopers...I think D21 has some kind of restriction on them too. I'm not sure why. It would be really handy if they were airborne for the duration of the game. The owner would be more careful using them I would bet.

[gliz2]

Actually I'm seriously thinking of rellocating the Pz and Mot Divs with editor to be able to use all of them from the begining and to make the scenario more plausible. The problem with TAOW is it does not allow for movement and embarking in the same turn which in FITE2 is quite absurd.

[larryfulkerson]

The Axis forces are pushing and shoving their way through my Stalin Line and have made at least one hole and it looks like there's not going to be a Stalin Line very long.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: gliz2
Actually I'm seriously thinking of rellocating the Pz and Mot Divs with editor to be able to use all of them from the begining and to make the scenario more plausible. The problem with TOAW is it does not allow for movement and embarking in the same turn which in FITE2 is quite absurd.

That's a good idea...a certain number of MP's to embark allowing movement and embarkation on the same turn. I guess the assumption now is that it would take the entire turn to embark. I think it really depends on the size of the unit and the size of the ship or railroad cars or aircraft or motorcycle sidecars or the number of bicycles or the number of transport trucks etc.

[larryfulkerson]

It looks like Patrick is concentrating on the north end of my Riga defenders and he's made some holes in my defense and his units are pushing and shoving and getting into my backfield. I'm going to have to pull back and get reorganized. I'm wondering if I should pivot the entire line of troops into a vertical line instead of along the river. Now that Patrick is across the river it's a footrace to Pskov.

[larryfulkerson]

Have I showed you the south front lines yet? The Rumanians are reaching the river and I'm wondering if I should start to pull back the Stalin Line troops to the south so they won't get cut off by the Rumanians moving east across the river. There's no way to prevent the Rumanians getting across the river and there's only a few defenders down there so it would be the thing for the Axis forces to do; to cut off and destroy the Stalin Line.

[larryfulkerson]

I've been parking the tired planes around Moscow and those reinforcements that are more than 1% supply are railed to Moscow too so that they can refit and gather their supply. Once they are combat ready I rail them out to the field to a spot where they are needed. I'll get better organized later. Right now I need their warm bodies on the front line in specific spots rather quickly and keeping the Armies together in the same spots is problematic at best. After the front lines have stabilized I'll put the Armies back together.

[larryfulkerson]

This is a view of the front lines down south and Patrick is pushing my units backward and getting into my backfield and I'm guessing that there won't be a Stalin Line in two turns or so. I'm moving units in the direction of Kiev just in case they might come in handy. Like a reserve.