Stalin's fired, I'm in charge! III 1/2- Tullius (Soviet) vs Marquo (Axis)

[TulliusDetritus]

And from now on, let's assume I will not be giving up, because this turn I will create 6 Rifle Corps. Same thing next turn. And so on and so on [;)] If I can't have that, Houston, we have a problem methinks. Not to mention the really low manpower numbers... Didn't the Soviets mobilize circa 30 million men? [;)]

I've no idea what Marquo will be doing. I think there are 5 scenarios (big deal eh [:D])

Perhaps it's going to be scenario #5: defend...

[M60A3TTS]

A couple constructive comments

I know you love these STAVKA armies, but you're getting combat penalties in doing so, and would suggest assigning many of these to fronts. You can overload them with a front commander that has a good admin rating, 6+.

You said you're not paying attention to the air war. You need to start, and some of it doesn't require spending APs. Get your best fighter and tac bombers onto bases supporting your fronts that will be carrying the offensive. Max out the bomber bases with nine IL-2 regiments and have at least four, preferably six of these assigned to the aviation front. That will give you at least 1,000 tac aircraft in support. I like putting equally experience fighter or FB's there as well because they will be involved in the most fighting. It only costs a single AP to reassign an air base and there are no admin limits for aviation front HQs. You want to have enough planes to support the attacks on his frontline ground units but also be rady to ground bomb the mobile reserves in the vicinity of your push.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS
I know you love these STAVKA armies, but you're getting combat penalties in doing so, and would suggest assigning many of these to fronts. You can overload them with a front commander that has a good admin rating, 6+.

I think it's the units directly attached to Stavka that suffer that penalty. If they are attached (and within range) to a HQ attached to Stavka = no penalties. Maybe this was changed though [:)]

I love them, right, and for a good reason. Concentrating your forces is only possible if you have armies directly attached to Stavka. Under the current state of the game that is... Reassigning whole armies, dozens of divisions or corps is just prohibitive.

In my opinion you have to have everywhere the minimum you need. That's step one. Then some places might need more: ok, you send and attach forces to these Front armies. That's step two. But that's all.

Then come the operations. Defensive or offensive, it doesn't matter. All the units that are not really necessary at the frontline (economy of forces) are at your disposal (the strategic reserves).

Then you can send them to x or y according to your plans or needs. But they will never be supposed to be stuck at some concrete spot. Your needs may change: you might need a concentration of forces near Leningrad and then perhaps next the Black Sea.

Given that reassigning lots of units assigned to let's say the Leningrad Front to the new theatre of war (let's say Southern Front) is simply prohibitive, you really cannot afford that, you would end up with Leningrad Front armies fighting near the Black Sea. Their Front HQ thousands of kilometers up north. It does not make any sense [:)]

I will use the Stavka armies until the Judgement Day. It really simulates what the Stavka was doing during the war.

IF reassigning armies, lots of divisions and corps was not so expensive I would indeed attach them to the Front HQ in charge of the main fight. But once the operation was over I would always reassign them to Stavka. To simply know -and quickly- the state, number or the reserves at my disposal.

[Schmart]

I do the same with Stavka Armies. I tend to leave Tank and Shock Armies, as well as some Cavalry heavy armies attached to Stavka for simplicity in moving them around and acting as fire-brigades. Re-assigning Armies is very AP expensive, something the Russians don't have an abundance of until after 1943. APs in 42-43 are almost exclusively spent on building/re-building the Russian Army.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS
You said you're not paying attention to the air war. You need to start, and some of it doesn't require spending APs. Get your best fighter and tac bombers onto bases supporting your fronts that will be carrying the offensive. Max out the bomber bases with nine IL-2 regiments and have at least four, preferably six of these assigned to the aviation front. That will give you at least 1,000 tac aircraft in support. I like putting equally experience fighter or FB's there as well because they will be involved in the most fighting. It only costs a single AP to reassign an air base and there are no admin limits for aviation front HQs. You want to have enough planes to support the attacks on his frontline ground units but also be rady to ground bomb the mobile reserves in the vicinity of your push.

Well, that was a gross exageration from my part, sorry [:)] It' s just that, er, as a WitP AE player the air thing on this game is just way too primitive. Utter sophistication on one side (WitP AE: there are individual pilots that you can order to NOT fly, for example, sack and reassign squadron leaders...), a Spartan approach on the other (WitE).

If I had enough APs I could micromanage (as I love to do in WitP) my Red Air Force. But it's discourageing [:(] I want a VVS air base to put recon planes there and send it to an important spot but I get random bases... In the end, parts of the front cannot be reconned as there are not enough VVS bases.

I have lots of ShaP Fighter Bomber units that in theory should be upgraded to IL-2s but I can't do that (lack of APs), I have to wait for the automatic upgrade.

In other words, I am not paying enough attention to the air war because I can't do what I would like to do. It's abstract, that's all.

But still, I try to stay organized. This is (the screenshot) the minimum I have in every Front. Except the VVS, as I have said: simply not enough for everyone.

So in fact I have lots of IL-2s.

For the next offensive there's going to be an air concentration of forces as well. I plan to attach more air bases filled especially with tactical and level bombers to the fronts involved in the operation.

The screenshot: air force (3rd Air Army) attached to Kalinin Front [8D]

[M60A3TTS]

OMG, it's Spring of '43 and you're flying I-153s and I-15-bis??? Luftwaffe fodder.

Just put the recon plane on a non-VVS base, it will still fly.

[randallw]

Guess he has air units on auto-upgrade and they haven't flipped yet ( continuing bug problem? ).

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

OMG, it's Spring of '43 and you're flying I-153s and I-15-bis??? Luftwaffe fodder.

Just put the recon plane on a non-VVS base, it will still fly.

Oops, I thought I had sent the lot of them to the National Reserve and brought modern planes. Looks like I only had replaced part of them. Then I forgot [:D] I have found like 20 units with obsolete planes in the whole front. Thanks! [&o]

Randall, hmm, not sure this is a bug. I guess I should have sent them to the national reserve and then wait until they automatically upgrade.

And that's a good thing about WitP AE. Upgrading is totally free. You just have to meet a serie of rational conditions [:)]

[76mm]

I think you should have enough VVS bases for just about all the fronts; IIRC the Northern and Southern fronts in particular have multiple VVS airbases, so some can be assigned to other fronts.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS
Just put the recon plane on a non-VVS base, it will still fly.

Unbelievable! [:@] Playing the game since its release and I was convinced the Recon planes only could fly from a VVS Air Base! [:@][:@] This rule only applies to transport planes. And not exactly. I re-read the rule [:D]

"Soviet partisan units are supplied through night air transport missions conducted automatically by the computer during the Soviet logistics phase. The computer will first utilize transport and level bomber air group units set to night missions and attached to VVS type air base units (8.2.1). If those night mission enabled air group units attached to VVS air base units are not sufficient to meet the partisan needs, then transport and level bomber air group units set to night missions and attached to DBAD, AD DD, GAD DD, and GDBAD air base units may be selected by the computer to also transport supplies to partisan units."

I sort of confused the recon with the transport (partisans issue) planes thing. Oh well...

In other words, so far I have been playing with limited intel [:D]

[TulliusDetritus]

Just in case I did a test before and yes, recon planes transferred to non VVS air bases could conduct on next turn recon missions.

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Turn 96[/center]
[center]15 April 1943[/center]

Humm, Marquo is still on the run in the south [&:]

It looks like he does not trust the Don then [:D] Perfect! In theory the more he retreats (aka I freely advance) in this area the more unlikely an enemy advance towards the Caucasus is.

Therefore scenario #4 might be out of the question.

In any case I plan to keep pushing. Let's see where and when he is going to stop and fight like a man! [:D]

Me hordes are ready, well, that's what we think and hope... Just in case, let's pray one more time

EDIT: pre-recon and pre-me moves

[TulliusDetritus]

Needless to say I advanced and trashed some miserable 1:1 sec regiments / ants he more or less left behind [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

I have managed (these last two turns) to extricate, pull back two more stavka armies: the 1st Shock and 3rd Shock. More reserves that is [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

And as I had said, 6 more rifle corps have been formed this turn. I will not stop, no matter what...

I am concentrating them (I mean the new ones) in the offensive area.

[TulliusDetritus]

And it's been a bloody turn in the "offensive area". Some failures. Goes to show the limitations of the Red Army... Still, I have to bring the artillery, rocket divisions... and then some tough reserve armies: like er... the tough 1st Guards with its mighty Guards Corps...

Just like that other turn, more success in the south, more failures in the north [8D]

Still, Operation Little Crazy Ivan continues. We will soon upgrade to Operation Crazy Ivan though, HAHA!

And yes, it looks like Marquo is reinforcing this part of the front. That's where he sees the rifle corps, no rocket science methinks.

[TulliusDetritus]

Up north, I show no mercy

I will have the minimum forces I need, nothing more. But I will attack as long as I see nice, fruitful opportunities.

Just for the record, I followed Klydon's advice and trashed the wannabe bullies (12 Luftwaffe division that is) the previous turn. Now they are spared, simply because I thought there were weaker "victims" elsewhere.

But the hordes will be back! [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

Ok... This is more Operation Crazy Little Ivan 3/4! [:)]

I'm waaaaay toooo impatient. So I am bringing some dynamite.

First of all, the Fronts involved in the operation are the Bryansk and Southwestern.

3 air bases filled with 9 IL-2s each are going to be assigned to both fronts, ergo 27 air units.

[TulliusDetritus]

And as you can see on the above screenshot there are some units behind the frontline with nasty offensive CVs.

Yes, it's the mighty 1st Guards Army (in the north) and the 61st Army in the south [8D]

In addition to this I am bringing the big brothers aka the regular / breakthrough artillery divisions and the rocket divisions. Basically the units with a TOE above 80% and morale almost = 50. The south will be getting the next ones.

North (Bryansk)
regular: 1
breakthrough: 8
rockets: 3

South (Southwestern)
regular: 1
breakthrough: 0
rockets: 3

I have also attached a Guards Cavalry Corps directly to the Bryansk Front. I plan to attach several other Guards Cavalry Corps and some Tank Corps to both fronts as well.

[TulliusDetritus]

The 1st Guards Army. Yep, there is a non Guards rifle division. I guess I needed to attach it to this army, I can't remember when and why. But I know I had a good reason [:D]