A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG

[AlbertN]

T99 - Bad News...

I knew something was awry when I was already on the MP Game selection screen, as the VP score marked was down by 10.

Then as the game was loaded up ... I saw the disaster ... this is the 'major' portion of it.

But the German forces have been battered in various places across the front.
The Soviets pratically breezed through lvl 3 forts - though there many were undermanned, just by regiments in some locations.

Now there is a huge hole and the grandtotal of reserves is 0.
So I am sure I am doing something wrong and I had 4 Million Germans on the map.

Or simply the Soviets can concentrate easily and benefit of the 'weather switch' on their turn.

No matter, this is Crisis nr.1, the biggest!

I've still to inspect battle by battle but by the looks the Germans are crushed and the Soviets have still very healthy CVs there.

[AlbertN]

T99 - More Bad News

The GD Division, after the previous turn attack ... is left with a CV of 90.
Supposedly Wermacht finest...

Soviets simply gets up to 2000+ CV and trashes the Germans for almost even losses.
2 hexsides here were minor river...

The real problem that I see is the difference in CVs.

Pratically any German attack is prohibitive at this stage against the strong Russian formations.

[AlbertN]

T99 - Caucasus

Here the 2nd Tier Alpini divisions (In truth for all I know these were regular infantry divisions, but all of the big formations of Italian 8th Army in Russia were pre-war professional soldier formations so I assume the designers gave them 'MNT' status for +5 NM) simply got crushed.

First they got dislodged with ... extreme ease from their positions in rough terrain.
And then crushed in open plains with another attack.

[AlbertN]

T99 - Moscow Sector

The Soviets broadened their attacks also in the Moscow zone, but here I believe they've been out of luck.

The Jaeger division that got defeated had relatively low deads (albeit its CV is pretty low right now).

The other hex ... well these guys just did a double attack the turn before but they're lavishly rested and equipped, inclusive of the Sturm Division.

There were fort levels too and light wood.

The only 'good news' pretty much here.

[AlbertN]

T99 - First Counterattack awry

I was really not sure - supposedly these 2 Guard Corps bled white or so during the attack against my infanteries the previous turn.
Still they proved tenacious defenders and I consider this a tactical defeat as we trade 1:1 losses pratically and Germans lose a bucket of AFVs.

[AlbertN]

T99 - The Game of the 3 Cards

Since the Germans have no strategic reserve in the rearline the reaction forces are litterally taken from other frontline hexes, that will get filled up by regimenting troops in the respective locations or a tactical retreat will locally happen.

Voronhez is walked in by a division that is not exactly combat capable. 35 / 50 TOE, having been mauled 3 times the previous turn!

Then the still 'fresh' divisions of infanterie not touched from previous turn combats unhinged the northern flank of the Soviet advance, and the SS Panzerkorp hammers from the north with 3 hasty attacks.

But even if for 1 turn I hotpatch the situation and 'pocket' the Soviet mobile forces, their horde of Guard Infantry Corps is still there and well operational!

The Russian AFV losses are insane this turn though. They're already almost 3000 AFV (Think that includes their own turn though!) while Germans are at 350.

The other 'problem' I see is that Germany persistently lose guns while Soviet losses rarely encompasses 122s not to talk 152.
The 'guns' the Soviet lose are smaller calibers or large mortars for the most.

Anyhow need to unplug from the pc to do other stuff thus saving turn on server for now!

[Stamb]

This is actually unbelievable for me that tanks divisions (both Germans and Soviets) are so bad at defense. Look at that CV for the defenders. I understand that they were fighting in they turn, but nevertheless.

[AlbertN]

@Stamb: The Soviet have low defence because they're exhausted there or marched a lot pretty much. They still retained a decent defence factor frankly! I feel the Germans often low in terms of CV instead. At least when attacking. (SS attacks above though are hasty attack so CV is halved)

[AlbertN]

T99 - Battle for Voronhez

The encirclement of the Soviet armoured spearhead has been completed BUT it's such a thin veil the Soviets will easily liberate their own forces. But there are fair chances the next turn these armoured units will still be there, or even brazenly pushed forward ... the Hungarians screening it may buckle in easily; but I do not think there will be a grand push.

I feel it will be an anticipation of Kursk where the Panzerwaffe will be immolated in a glorious blaze.

[AlbertN]

T99 - Rubynsk Sector

I suspect the grand plan to reach the Rubynsk Reservoir is mere dream as attention is elsewhere but a localized victory was at hand here - the first attack was against a Rifle Corps that seemed low on supply. They fought well though despite the odds!

Then the panzers intervened, inflicting severe damage.

But that's the burst they can do.

With 2 attacks the panzers are down to less than 25 CCPs (They moved too to get in position), already exhauted and fatigued.
I'd not be surprised if there is a local counterattack here in turn that puts an end to any Axis velleity.

I am kind of getting the impression anyone that attacks the other end risks a lot unless it's a 'trench war attack'. I'll get there to the next reply.

[AlbertN]

T99 - Don River Bend

Trench War - right now it's what I feel it is.
But admittedly most of the war has been static and of position.

Only when a side had a neat and massive superiority, the oother was buckling in and grand encirclements took place.

The whole '43 post Kursk has been a serie of operations of the Soviets, that were at the start stopped by the Germans (that despite Kursk still had very operational panzer divisions) - but over the length of summer the German capability to react to this thrust here and that ramming there simply thinned down over and over and they had to retreat. But for the most they retreated in good order.

Now here I feel 'Kursk' is about to consume around Voronhez. But this is another heated sector - with a very, very different approach.

Which is how I believe Soviets should play for the '43. Crash into a hex, cycle troops and put forward fresh troops that have not attacked.
I believe here it's partly done as one hex is 31 strong and another 14 strong of the Soviet line where they attacked.

I am extremely tempted to attack the 14 strong hex and cycle my own troops.

Here the results of the Russian attacks (one you saw already in a previous screenshot)

[AlbertN]

T99 - That counterattack that ...

I wish I could see CVs in thousands like the Soviets have when they attack ... anyhow ... phyrric victory from my perspective.

I am very short of troops I feel despite the 4 M of Germans on the map.

But I've also just got proved how a single regiment gets trampled all over the place and inflict negligible losses.

I desperately need troops here but the North Front where I could take them - let's say that I can see it collapse in 3 turns as soon as I regiment down divisions AND the Soviets spot it (which should be immediate).

By now you saw enough combats where unit in entrenched position gets dislodged, but with relatively low losses. Then gets a 2nd attack and they melt away.
That is exactly what happened to regiments around Voronhez.

If that happens in the distant North - it's just a fall back to the next line. No way to counterattack or outmaneuver the nible Soviet cavalries.

So ... where to get the troops?

Caucasus.
Simple as.
I am forced to pull back from it.

[AlbertN]

T99 - Manych Sector

Here fierce action took place.
Previous turn wisdom got a panzerkorp here as reserve (albeit a rather small one accounting 1 PZ Division and the SS Wiking).

With a grand shift in accord of the principle of the 3 cards that drift and shift, forces were juggled around, attacks were made and some Soviets less are battle ready.

Now the Soviets will give us a pounding in turn as the sector whole is quite brittle.

The German MNT Corp is arriving as it replaced the screen of Romanians. The German MNT divisions have got their morale hammered by being in the Caucasus. That place with present logistics is a morale killer for troops.

[AlbertN]

T99 - Caucasus

Another show of the 'morale killer' effect is the last Panzer division there, having only morale of 77 with 20+ victories and 2 defeats.

Even if it was persistently kept few hexes away from railroad.

Anyhow the whole sector is left to the hands of the Italo-Romanians that will perform a gradual retreat. Or maybe a hasty retreat depending on things.

I believe the oil of Maikop is not really tenable (not that it matters atm) anyhow in general so it's a mirage.
Pretty confident I've well overstayed the general welcome in Caucasus for the average WITE2 standards of PvP games.

[AlbertN]

T99 - Losses and OOB

Here we go - last post for the turn!

Bloody losses this turn; tank ratio is excellent to Axis favor but the manpower and artilleries are not a type of rate of losses sustainable I believe!

[AlbertN]

T100 - Battle for Voronhez

I am just looking through the turn and posting here - no time to do my own turn

This includes the Turn Summary - lots of losses already only in the Soviet turn!

Here disaster looms ahead as the Soviets opened up their own pocket, and pocketed in turn 5 Infanterie Divisions, that must have had their morale plummet fast and hard because of that.

Hungarian divisions proved themselves useless, despite 100 CP, 3 lvl Fort, and being behind a river, they got dislodged easily by Soviet mundane forces. (Will post combats later as this is the first time I see regular Hungarians in proper combat).

Three German Panzer Divisions got hammered hard in the Voronhez sector too, but I suspect I'll have to use anything that can throw a punch still.

[AlbertN]

T100 - Tambov zone

Germans are not the only ones that can play the game of the 3 Cards.

Guard Airborne divisions are turning into the 'hold the line' units around here, while the Corps that were hugging my infanteries have attacked en mass, crossed the river after obliterating the forts.
Not content the same division, now helped by a LW Feld REgiment (and a new fort), had to be kicked out a second time.

[AlbertN]

T100 - Hungarian defeats

Here the numbers - to me it seems the Hungarians are definitely underrated and by a far shot.

I repeat - Fort 3, Small River - and each attacker is 1 Rifle Corps and 1 Airborne Division.

In these conditions I'd have expected two 'Hold' result (as per both hexes holding).

[AlbertN]

T100 - Don & Manych

The Axis forces hold the grounds in general; the Slovak Motorized formation was exposed but got away with little damage only.

Even the Romanian Cavalries, when attacked by a single Rifle Corp across the river, with a lvl 1 fort ... resisted!

The issue here is the recovery rate of the German forces that once spent ... seem to take longer to recover than the Soviets.
I blame the logistics!

[AlbertN]

T100 - Caucasus

The Italo-Romanians hold their grounds here.

Though the single Romanian division is into a Fort 3, Mountains. The 2nd and 3rd attack are stalled for almost no losses by the Soviets.
Very probable the next turn the attack will be more effective.

A 1st class Alpini division holds a major river bend.

Amusingly enough for now the sector holds, just out of virtue of the Russian being short of troops locally!