Russia! Why not? (Morvael welcome)

[morvael]

MP is limited by unit truck shortage.

Pool truck shortage (86%) affects supplies (construction points), ammo (combat effectiveness, especially of artillery), fuel (movement of motorized), disabled (I noticed in my log drastic reduction in disabled numbers growth once I fixed my truck situation, maybe because less fatigue is suffered by units that have more MP and do not move to the max) and possibly (just maybe, I'm not sure) replacements (maybe it's just effect of less disabled).

Turn Disabled
128 32096
129 25705
130 17983
131 16866
132 8462
133 6032
134 2162
135 3044
136 1159

...with killed always between 16000 and 32000.

Simply put for me anything below 100% is bad

[morvael]

Turn 133

Transcaucasus front finally managed to cross the Dnepr. 2nd Tank Army is withdrawn to take part in the operation "Red Death".

[morvael]

Poltava is taken, 5th Guards Cavalry Corps distinguishes itself in that operation.

[morvael]

Raid on Vitebsk is cancelled, three tank armies travel north. Taking the city is left to the foot sloggers of Konev's North Caucasus Front.

[morvael]

Forces assemble, but they remain dispersed and hidden in difficult terrain to protect them from air recon. Can you guess the target of the operation?

[morvael]

Truck problems resolved (for now). Officers in STAVKA get caviar and champagne on the orders of Comrade Stalin, instead of one way tickets to Siberia. Spies report severe problems in Rumanian army. In just two weeks they are down from 545 625 men and 5 240 guns to 499 932 men and 4 489 guns. It seems the tactic to use them as first line cannon fodder to screen German units isn't paying off. Looks like soon Hungary will remain the last valuable ally of Germany (the might of Slovakia does not instill fear in Communist hearts). Gagen replaces Bogdanov in command of 61st Army. 15 new rifle brigades are formed. Last regular cavalry corps becomes a Guards formation.

[morvael]

Strength:
men: 9 746 254 vs 5 112 013
guns: 156 771 vs 51 759
AFVs: 15 846 vs 7 077
aircraft: 21 162 vs 3 386

Trucks:
in units: 268 803 / 269 174 (99.86%)
in the pool: 149 991 / 146 204 (102.59%)
in repair: 95 276

Casualties:
killed: 16 788 vs 11 998
prisoners: 318 vs 431
disabled: 6 032 vs 3 136
guns: 487 vs 649
AFVs: 293 vs 70
aircraft: 131 vs 37

Including:
in combat: 41 vs 29
from AA: 10 vs 0
on the ground: 0 vs 0
operational: 80 vs 7

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: morvael

Forces assemble, but they remain dispersed and hidden in difficult terrain to protect them from air recon. Can you guess the target of the operation?

are you going for a huge swing down via Estonia? - bold but probably too easy to react to.

[morvael]

"Red Death" is revenge for "White Death" [;)] Probably pointless operation, but could be fun.

[morvael]

I forgot to point out that three fronts in the center lost contact with the enemy, because they couldn't pursue the Germans and Hungarians as fast as they ran away towards the Dnepr, without losing coherency.

[morvael]

Turn 134

Krivoi Rog captured by 33rd Army. Kherson in Red Army's hands as well, which means almost entire lower Dnepr is no longer and obstacle. Western Ukraine is now in reach:

[morvael]

Rumanian resources are so low, that they fail to replace losses their army is taking. A month or two and the Germans will lose an ally:

[morvael]

The center wasn't able to close in on the retreating Germans and Hungarians. A contact is made with a partisan unit:

[morvael]

Konev's forces are ready to launch an assault on Vitebsk:

[morvael]

Operation "Red Death" is about to start, as the forces have assembled is secrecy north of Leningrad. The goal is to knock out Finland by a quick thrust and the capture of Vyborg. With Narva and Pskov in Soviet hands, Finnish government will be forced to sit down and talk of truce if their lines of defense (that took two years to build) will be broken in one, decisive, strike:

[morvael]

Blizzard is causing havy truck losses and the situation starts to worsen again. 5 Rifle Corps, 1 Mountain Division and 17 Rifle Divisions became Guards. 12 battalions of heavy (280mm) mortars were disbanded. To speed up rail repair (which really lags in the center due to rapid advances and lack of supporting NKPS units) 20 RR Construction Brigades were formed, one in each army in 4 Fronts. 44th Army lost it's talented commander Kravchenko, and got a lousy Feklenko in his stead.

Strength:
men: 9 852 937 vs 5 115 289
guns: 157 888 vs 51 889
AFVs: 15 951 vs 7 272
aircraft: 21 261 vs 3 427

Trucks:
in units: 267 720 / 270 805 (98.86%)
in the pool: 146 517 / 146 959 (99.70%)
in repair: 102 364

Losses:
killed: 22 430 vs 16 973
captured: 368 vs 393
disabled: 2 162 vs 7 438
guns: 680 vs 930
AFVs: 252 vs 66
aircraft: 111 vs 32

Including:
in combat: 45 vs 29
from AA: 9 vs 0
on the ground: 0 vs 0
operational: 57 vs 3

[morvael]

The goal of the attack on Finland is to go via the easiest/shortest route towards Vyborg, through Terijoki and Koivisto. The first task is to push away the single Coastal Brigade away (that's what the slow infantry forces from 21st Army are for, who may be assised by 1-2 of 4 artillery divisions). Second wave will be a cavalry corps and the slowest mech forces plus remaining artillery. Which units get to ride towards the final target will depend on how the MPs will turn out (I didn't do a buildup) and what opposition will be encountered. Infantry divisions are to be used in reserve role for initial attacks.

[morvael]

Turn 135

Dnepr under Soviet control. Advance on Nikolaev begins:

[morvael]

Heavy pressure on the Rumanians, they can't stand that level of losses for long:

[morvael]

Center suffers from distant railhead, some NKPS units arrive to help: