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ORIGINAL: randallw

Seeing all those brigades forward makes me suspect your Soviet opponent won't be able to stabilize the front until the weather goes muddy.

True.

Turn 87

Overall
Strong USSR units appear on the southern flank of the salient, so the decission to attack southwards stands. I simply do not dare to push east, as I fear the USSR will launch a counterattack and seal off my panzers in the east. What I will do when the Italians run away, I do not know, as I currently need them to hold parts of the line.
56 attacks gave a result of 7 helds, 42 retreats, 4 routs and 3 surrenders this turn. Not too bad, but I really cannot afford too many held results as these are expensive. I also find it odd that Brad keeps pushing one of his Guards Divisions back into the same hex ever turn, allowing me to attack it again and again, draining it of men and equipment. Would make more sense to allow that one to gain strength and morale in my oppinion.

USSR units in pockets at start of turn
7.

USSR units in pockets at end of turn
4.

Losses
USSR : 175.000 troops, 2.776 guns, 334 AFVs, ??? AC.
Axis : 50.000 troops, 503 guns, 102 AFVs, ??? AC.

USSR units lost
5 rifle divisions, 1 tank brigade, 1 rifle brigade.

German units disbanded
1 Luftwaffe Field Division.

Partisans hunted down
6.

German pools
Manpower : 10.592
Vehicles : 180.774
Armaments : 63.058
Hiwi : 7

can't you try to roll a right hook to strike behind Dniepropetrovsk while retreating from the yellow box to shorten and flatten your lines ? You might not bag much but frighten him into leaving the right side of the Dniepr to avoid having trapped units there ?

Is it possible to get a closer view of the forces you have available in the bulge at issue? From this level prudence seems to demand a fall back but hard to say.

Have you given any thoughts to starting up the construction of FZs in the rear once you go over to the defensive?

ORIGINAL: veji1

can't you try to roll a right hook to strike behind Dniepropetrovsk while retreating from the yellow box to shorten and flatten your lines ? You might not bag much but frighten him into leaving the right side of the Dniepr to avoid having trapped units there ?

Thinking along the same lines right now [:)]


Terje

ORIGINAL: hfarrish


Is it possible to get a closer view of the forces you have available in the bulge at issue? From this level prudence seems to demand a fall back but hard to say.

Have you given any thoughts to starting up the construction of FZs in the rear once you go over to the defensive?

Ofc, see below [:)]
Yes, I have thought about it [:D]
Hehe nah, some are allready built, although those are rather far back (Rumanian border). I am not sure if I can spare troops to dig in at this time, I will have to see what I have to spare if I fall back some. If I get enough, I will start digging in, but I will only use FZs to prevent decay and disband them as soon as possible. I have (as always) a severe manpower shortage...


Terje

Turn 88

Overall
Last turn I talked about my weak flank, this turn Brad launched 5 attacks at it, scoring 1 held and 4 retreats. I am now contemplating falling back to the red line on the maps below, and keep pushing south with my panzers. We shall see how it turns out. The good news this turn is that we bag a corps unit. Those are worth "extra" points in that they are rather expensive for Brad. So I am happy with that for now, but I am NOT certain that the pocket will hold however.
We launched 43 attacks, scoring 4 helds, 33 retreats, 3 routs and 3 surrenders.

USSR units in pockets at start of turn
4.

USSR units in pockets at end of turn
7.

Losses
USSR : 124.000 troops, 1.844 guns, 251 AFVs, 412 AC.
Axis : 48.000 troops, 502 guns, 96 AFVs, 104 AC.

USSR units lost
1 rifle division, 1 tank brigade, 1 rifle brigade, 1 naval infantry brigade.

German units disbanded
None.

Partisans hunted down
5.

German pools
Manpower : 397
Vehicles : 179.945
Armaments : 55.436
Hiwi : 13

Pocket southern flank

Pulling back a small number of your depleted Panzer or Mot Divisions back to the red line or behind comes to my mind. Every 4th one from the Panzerarmies, perhaps? That way you can rotate them for refitting for a couple of turns, and have a contingency force available for your flanks.

Your analysis last turn was obviously spot on. Brad tried to lure you forward. However, to me it appears he is not doing this from a position of strength, but more like something born from desperation since you waltzed over his fort lines already and much of his force are weak units. Could that be true? If so, your last plan to turn southward and use the narrowing land gauge to Rostov to your favor would still be the best. That way you directly deal with this strongest forces, sort of the decisive battle.
If not -- how about setting up your own trap? A calculated risk with strong contingency forces and allowing him a "seemingly easy" time to drive deep into your flanks? Maybe you can get him to be greedy?

he would have to commit the rest of the tripple-x-gang to rescue his corps...
opportunities, opportunities ... [:D]

ORIGINAL: janh

1. Pulling back a small number of your depleted Panzer or Mot Divisions back to the red line or behind comes to my mind. Every 4th one from the Panzerarmies, perhaps? That way you can rotate them for refitting for a couple of turns, and have a contingency force available for your flanks.

2. Your analysis last turn was obviously spot on. Brad tried to lure you forward. However, to me it appears he is not doing this from a position of strength, but more like something born from desperation since you waltzed over his fort lines already and much of his force are weak units. Could that be true? If so, your last plan to turn southward and use the narrowing land gauge to Rostov to your favor would still be the best. That way you directly deal with this strongest forces, sort of the decisive battle.

3. If not -- how about setting up your own trap? A calculated risk with strong contingency forces and allowing him a "seemingly easy" time to drive deep into your flanks? Maybe you can get him to be greedy?

1. That eliminated any further push atm, I need every single available unit right now. However with the weather turning bad, it is only a matter of turns before I am (probably forever) forced to stop attacking.

2. Well, the thing is that he does not need strong units to push atm. I have so many weak units holding the line myself, and since his units tends to have more troops in them, he can easily succeed.

3. Problem here is "strong contingency forces" [:D]
There are none hehe. I have one 13 CV and 1 11CV panzer/mechanized unit left, rest are all below 10CV, most around 4-5...


Terje

ORIGINAL: Wuffer

he would have to commit the rest of the tripple-x-gang to rescue his corps...
opportunities, opportunities ... [:D]

I am glad he did not [:)]
Instead we still managed to bag some more corps this turn. But he creates more every turn now...


Terje

Turn 89

Overall
Mud arrives in the "South Soviet Zone". This means my attacking days are nearing an end would be my guess. However we keep lashing southwards, and we bag some more units. We also take a small step (one hex) back in the salient. I want to be able to keep attacking Brads units in the open here, as the casualties are about 4 : 1 in those battles.
All in all we launched 40 attacks and scored 4 helds, 30 retreats, 2 routs, 1 shatter and 3 surrenders. Not bad at all.
We will keep pushing untill mud, then the USSR ability to dig becomes the big Q on wether or not we can resume (limited) offensive capabilites in the srping.

SSR units in pockets at start of turn
7.

USSR units in pockets at end of turn
6.

Losses
USSR : 188.000 troops, 2.917 guns, 385 AFVs, 428 AC.
Axis : 47.000 troops, 437 guns, 63 AFVs, 97 AC.

USSR units lost
1 rifle corps, 5 rifle divisions, 1 tank brigade.

German units disbanded
None.

Partisans hunted down
5.

German pools
Manpower : 633
Vehicles : 180.239
Armaments : 67.979
Hiwi : 19

nice terje.

1. whuts in that pocket ? i see an inf corp and an cav corp, and the other 4 are ???

When mud arrives draw back your panzerwaffe and refitt in railhubs close by; kharkov,sumy, belgorod, kursk.. make sure they are in supply of corps and army hq.

2. hows your tank pools look like now ? and have u boosted your panzers with the 3 best SU avaible all over ? now would be a good time to move pioneers to them before the 43 summer fights.

ORIGINAL: juret

nice terje.

1. whuts in that pocket ? i see an inf corp and an cav corp, and the other 4 are ???

When mud arrives draw back your panzerwaffe and refitt in railhubs close by; kharkov,sumy, belgorod, kursk.. make sure they are in supply of corps and army hq.

2. hows your tank pools look like now ? and have u boosted your panzers with the 3 best SU avaible all over ? now would be a good time to move pioneers to them before the 43 summer fights.

1. 4x Inf Divs
2. What pools?! [:D] Only things I have are Panthers (since no units have made the switch yet) and Tigers (ofc [:D][:D]).
Yes, they all have 3 SUs.


Terje

Instead we still managed to bag some more corps this turn. But he creates more every turn now...

na, even better!
While nowhere any impressive CV's left, he is still looking much worser than you. And I don't really know, if the new Corps are working in his favour

STAVKA appears a little bit fatalistic now... [:)]

ORIGINAL: Wuffer

Instead we still managed to bag some more corps this turn. But he creates more every turn now...

na, even better!
While nowhere any impressive CV's left, he is still looking much worser than you. And I don't really know, if the new Corps are working in his favour

STAVKA appears a little bit fatalistic now... [:)]

I think that the rifle corps are somewhat harder to dislodge from a location, and in that regard they work in his favour. I think Brads main issue right now is that he does not really have a surplus of units from which to create corps.

Atleast that is what I HOPE hehe.


Terje

Turn 90

Overall
With the "1 hex back per turn" in the salient, the number of attacks drops. We still push shouthwards hwoever, and bag another 9 untis this turn, and we have now punched a hole in the USSR line 4 hexes north of Dnepropetrovsk and Stalino, about midway between the two cities. I think Brad will now be forced to rail alot of his units south. If he does, I might have to swing back north, we shall soon find out I guess.
As mentioned, we made fewer attacks, only 33 this turn, for a result of 6 helds, 25 retreats, 1 rout and 2 surrenders.

USSR units in pockets at start of turn
6.

USSR units in pockets at end of turn
9.

Losses
USSR : 174.000 troops, 2.747 guns, 246 AFVs, 287 AC.
Axis : 45.000 troops, 383 guns, 96 AFVs, 125 AC.

Total Losses
USSR : 9.876.000 troops, 177.479 guns, 26.826 AFVs, 25.451 AC.
Axis : 2.839.000 troops, 33.924 guns, 7.676 AFVs, 6.017 AC.

USSR units lost
1 Cavalry Corps, 1 Rifle Corps, 4 rifle divisions.

German units disbanded
None. But found a few holes in my line from units sent west.

Partisans hunted down
7.

German pools
Manpower : 715
Vehicles : 181.933
Armaments : 77.152
Hiwi : 3.835

No turn in my inbox, so just want to say Merry Christmas to those who read this AAR, as well as to your loved ones.


Terje

Merry Christmas