1.04 The Wolf and the Bear (no Gids)

[wpurdom]

IIRC the Crimea was considered important by Hitler to avoid strategic bombing of Ploesti. Don't know why Stalin thought it important.

I haven't seen any indication of people using their air forces for strategic bombing in the AAR's. Has anyone experimented with it?

[ComradeP]

Now that strategic bombing damage is more reasonable than it was around release, strategic bombing campaigns by the Soviets are not really going to be effective because they lack the numbers of long range bombers that would be required and don't have long range fighters.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 93. March 25 1943. Blizzard/Snow.

Naturally, the Soviets break even the 2-layer encirclement! [8|]

[Tarhunnas]

But allright! Now they will see!!!

Edit: I discovered that one of the reasons for poor success might be that I assumed that the entire Rumanian Air Force would be sufficient to support the troops here, but it seems the entire Rumanian Air Force is apparently busy doing everything else but flying! Since the Luftwaffe bases were to far away to move here in a turn, the panzers had to take things into their own hands (or tracks) and have now overrun most of the Soviet airfields in the vicinity!

[Tarhunnas]

On the central front, the Soviets have somehow conjured up a new horde of tank corps and guards units from the nearest swamp, and are now once again pressing hard for Tambov!

[ComradeP]

Naturally, the Soviets break even the 2-layer encirclement!

That's surprising, he must've had some pretty decent MP's if he had enough left to break that second ring after a ZOC to ZOC move.

[Flaviusx]

What are the fatigue levels on those guys?

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP

Naturally, the Soviets break even the 2-layer encirclement!

That's surprising, he must've had some pretty decent MP's if he had enough left to break that second ring after a ZOC to ZOC move.

It was the surrounded guys that broke out! Not that common, but for some reason they had decent combat values and did it! Beachhead supply maybe? That's why they didn't move afterwards, I guess they didn't have the MPs. I suppose the massive Soviet air superiority helped too. And naturally the 1-1 of course.

[Klydon]

Haha.. great job in the Crimea. I would have already been ticked off, but great job on that. 

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

What are the fatigue levels on those guys?

4th Panzer was the unit being hit by the breakout attack. They would like to rest for awhile now I would say, but this is one turn later. At the time they were relatively fresh off the trains from strategic reserve.

[ComradeP]

It was the surrounded guys that broke out!

I was expecting it to be something like that. There was some debate about a feature where isolated units being supplied by air would get beachhead supply status, but I lost track of whether that's still just an idea or whether it's already in the game.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP

It was the surrounded guys that broke out!

I was expecting it to be something like that. There was some debate about a feature where isolated units being supplied by air would get beachhead supply status, but I lost track of whether that's still just an idea or whether it's already in the game.

Not a bad idea I would say, but in this case, they were on the beach [8D]

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 94. April 1 1943. Snow/Mud.

The encirclements hold this time, and the majority of the Soviet forces coming out of the Crimea are trapped! And no reserves seem to be present in the Crimea.

The mud makes it impossible to reduce the pockets right now, so they will have to be left to ripen for a week.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 95. April 8 1943.

Still mud in the south, so nothing happening at the Crimea. North of Tambov, the Soviets are still pressing forward. For some reason they seem hell bent on taking Tambov. Once the Crimean affair is resolved, it will be possible to bring 2d Panzer army north again for a possible counterstroke.

[Fishbed]

Gids has much spirit, but he doesn't look like that bothered by forces conservation, nor really sure about when to give up on any given offensive... By Stalinist standards he's a marvellous commander, but he's doing himself more harm than necessary right now! [:(]

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

Gids has much spirit, but he doesn't look like that bothered by forces conservation, nor really sure about when to give up on any given offensive... By Stalinist standards he's a marvellous commander, but he's doing himself more harm than necessary right now! [:(]

True enough!

I think this game also shows the marvellous recuperative powers of the Red Army. However much of a beating they take, there is always a new bunch of guards units and tank corps starting an offensive somewhere!

Edit: I noted that Gids has been starting his own AAR now. That's cool!

[Tarhunnas]

Tunr 96. April 15 1943. Mud all over.

The pockets north of the Crimea are slowly being reduced. 22d Panzer Division is nosing its way towards Sevastopol. The Crimea seems to be ours, whether we want it or not. I am a little concerned about the negative front it will add, and the need to guard against invasions, but now we have it, we can hardly just withdraw...

[ComradeP]

You do realize that 2-3 Rifle corps in a rough hex in level 5 forts at Sevastopol probably count as an unkillable stack unless you shut the port down, which is extremely difficult (if it's possible at all, at 96% damage the port still functioned as a supplied hex the last time I attacked it)?

If you keep a ring around Sevastopol and move to Kerch or the 1 hex wide entrypoint to the Kerch peninsula, than your frontline will be as long as it would be at the tip of the Crimea, the main difference being that he can't quickly push into the Ukraine from there. He could still cut off all your forces on the Crimea by 2 amphibious landings, one across the Sea of Azov and the other on the Black Sea to the entry hexes of the Crimea.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas

The Crimea seems to be ours, whether we want it or not. I am a little concerned about the negative front it will add, and the need to guard against invasions, but now we have it, we can hardly just withdraw...

Just kill everything you easily can and then strategically withdraw to choke points in the Crimean north... Crimea is total waste of your precious resources IMHO...


Leo "Apollo11"

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas

I noted that Gids has been starting his own AAR now. That's cool!

I have just encouraged Gids to continue fighting and never ever give up! [:)]

Let's face it - although German under your command made fantastic strides deep inside Soviet Union - the German strength will dwindle over time whilst Soviet strength will rise - that is a fact...

The 1943 battle will be hard but 1944 and 1945 will be extremely difficult for German side...


I am very much looking forward this continued grand campaign! [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"