Waiting for the spring miracle... Oleg (Sov) vs Senno (Axis), NO Senno

[Sabre21]

As the Soviets, I start digging in around Leningrad right on turn 1. From Pushkin to Kolpino I have level 4 forts on both sides of the Neva and another row of forts south of that. Them hills south of Pushkin can be a real stinker to get past if properly defended. I also protect the right flank along the Volkhov to prevent an end run to take the ports and the southern approach along the Neva down to Novgorod.
 
While you have strength in the frontline positions, you really don't have the depth to save Leningrad against a skilled German player. But based on how I see him play, Leningrad should be safe. I wouldn't count him out though from seeing his moves in the south. He might just be lulling you into complacency [:D]

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Sabre21

As the Soviets, I start digging in around Leningrad right on turn 1. From Pushkin to Kolpino I have level 4 forts on both sides of the Neva and another row of forts south of that. Them hills south of Pushkin can be a real stinker to get past if properly defended. I also protect the right flank along the Volkhov to prevent an end run to take the ports and the southern approach along the Neva down to Novgorod.

While you have strength in the frontline positions, you really don't have the depth to save Leningrad against a skilled German player. But based on how I see him play, Leningrad should be safe. I wouldn't count him out though from seeing his moves in the south. He might just be lulling you into complacency [:D]

Yep Andy... I saw that as well... there is nothing in rear for Soviets to fall back if some serious breakthrough happens...

BTW, IMHO, Leningrad is the most important area Soviet player has to guard - the fall of Leningrad would mean tremendous advantage for Axis!

[Oleg Mastruko]

Turn 9 and he's officially becoming dangerous. This is situation around Kiev, I've never had Kiev fall this early, but I also never had AGS Panzers operating this north. So now we have two big panzer groups (one Panzer group from AGM is near Chernigov) operating close together at somewhat unexpected part of the map. I don't have too many defences here, and since he's past Pripyat marshes and can soon be over Dnieper in force, bad things might happen...

[Oleg Mastruko]

Leningrad, I lost my bet (with myself LOL) He didn't go directly NNE towards LG, he went east, smashed through my well prepared defences - and they were well prepared although you don't see it on the previous screenshot from this area because I take screenshots at the beginning of the turn.

Anyhow, luckily he didn't go very far, because he spent MPs on combat, but at the beginning of my turn there is nothing south of Lake Ilmen to prevent him from going east and doing the right hook.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Smolensk landbridge, he is bulldozing his way forward couple hexes per turn but no decisive breakthroughs so far, the city still holds although it's mostly bypassed...

[Oleg Mastruko]

Note there is no armor between Lake Ilmen and Smolensk, as he moved his Panzer groups to the south. Even the northern of the two AGM Panzer groups is operating more to the south than I would recommend, but I am by no means an expert on German strategy. Personally, in my last game as German, I had THREE Panzer groups operating in the lattitudes north of Smolensk. He has two well south of Smolensk, near Kiev, and one around that city, plus one in the north.

If he indeed manages to take LG with so many of his units in the south I might be in trouble...

Losses.... I gotta admit Soviet losses are a big mystery to me, numbers are never what I would expect, sometimes smaller sometimes much bigger. Here I have no idea how he managed to inflict almost 1,5 million Sov losses so far. I was never in panic (until last couple turns), there were no big encirclements.... I mostly retreated in good order... so how so many Sov losses?

It's slightly worrying, in a sense that 1-2 big encirclements, if he manages to pull them off, will make Sov manpower situation precarious.

[Oleg Mastruko]

What's going on in Senno's thread? I see it rapidly got more popular than this thread of mine plus his play got really dangerous [:D]

Did he hire some well paid western military advisors, dirty mercenaries or even SPIES!

We might have to deal with that problem the Soviet way!

[Oleg Mastruko]

Okay, north, he rapidly changed his direction, again. Obviously he is trying to make me shift the weight of my defences here, and then change the direction of attack there. I ended my prervious turn by shifting the bulk of my forces in marshes south of Lake Ilmen and reassigning them to NW Front. Now he struck right in the middle of River Luga line. He did penetrate it, but didn't get too far.

I will realign my forces, shift and reassign them from Lake Ilmen and NW Front back to LG Front again. I do believe he's commited to this vector of attack now, and won't be able to change his mind yet again, going for the right hook...

[Oleg Mastruko]

Kiev sector, chaos with several pockets and quasi-pockets, I will lose at least 15 divisions here, but the biggest danger is the possibility of his AGM Panzer group cutting to the south and isolating huge number of units (arrow). That would pretty much be replica of the historic Kiev pocket, but surely he does not think I will just sit and watch?

Stavka ordered abandoning whole middle Dnepr and taking new defensive positions along the river Sula. We basically gave up on piece of land bigger than many EU member states or USA states in one turn [:D]

[Oleg Mastruko]

That Chernigov Panzer group indicated in the previous post can go south, trying to link up with AGS panzers, forming a huuuge Kiev pocket, as described above.....

.... but it can also go directly forward (not much point in that)....

.... and it can try to swing north, linking up with the other AGM Panzer group, forming a humungous pocket smack dab in the middle of the map, capturing units, and opening the way towards Bryansk and further east.

[Oleg Mastruko]

So, assessing the potential and very realistic threats, I decided to pull back many miles forming three holes where his pockets could have been in the next turn.

I'd love to be able to read his thread to see how will he react to this [:D]

[PeeDeeAitch]

ORIGINAL: Oleg Mastruko

What's going on in Senno's thread? I see it rapidly got more popular than this thread of mine plus his play got really dangerous [:D]

Did he hire some well paid western military advisors, dirty mercenaries or even SPIES!

We might have to deal with that problem the Soviet way!

No spies that I have seen, Oleg. Of course, my advice has mainly been to run to Bolivia (Argentina is mine!) Also, I brought up "72-Cannon Chang" in the thread (worth looking up), so you can bet my military advice is not the most sound...

[PeeDeeAitch]

Also, Oleg. Given how you post, play, and comment - if I am ever in your neck of the woods, I will buy you a beer...just to hear your take on things [:D]

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: PeeDeeAitch
I brought up "72-Cannon Chang" in the thread (worth looking up)

Yes, it was definitely worth looking up, seems like a cool guy [8D]

As for Senno, no need for Bolivian visa, if push comes to shove he can always do Seydlitz-Kurzbach, see the light, defect with half of his armies and fight for the Soviet cause. We'll find a post of some provincial governor in post war Red Europe for him [:D]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_vo ... z-Kurzbach

[Klydon]

His play has picked up since the start of the game. Certainly the last couple of turns have been a better showing for him in strategic thought as far as putting more pressure on Oleg than when he first started out. If this keeps up, he gets a couple games of experience under his belt and he will be fairly nasty to deal with.

[Emx77]

Oleg, I'm realy enjoying reading your AAR. And that pleasant experience is somewhat ruined by those ugly hand drawn arrows and circles. Why don't you use for example (freeware) Paint.NET? It has nice options for drawing arrows and it is not complicated for use.

Now, regarding situation around Leningrad - IMO he is unnecesarly lossing precious time by shifting direction of advance every turn. Still, keep a couple of divisions in urban hexes there just to avoid any possible unpleasant breakthrough.

[2ndACR]

No spies, but I must confess, I have made some tactical suggestions to him.[:D]

Have not allowed any intell gaps. Just suggestions on what I would do from his screen shots only. He has not really needed advice since the last 2-4 turns. And I was staying out of your thread during that time frame while advice was given. Once he asked, I quit reading your AAR so as to not have too much intel.[:-]

I did tell him that pocketing you was a pain in the butt and you are not afraid to make a big pull back if you smelled a rat though. Looks like I was right. LOL

Actually advice was given in PM turn 5-8 to get him back on track.

[Sabre21]

Inflicting massive casualties on the Soviets isn't too hard to do. Forcing units to rout can cause nearly as many casualties sometimes as a surrender does, just depends on morale. Very low morale can cause a unit to shatter. Check your support units, if you made a lot of those and threw them into a combat situation without giving them much time to train, then they too can easily shatter. Retreating can also cause a lot of casualties, especially if a unit has to retreat back over a river or a stack of friendly units. If you have several rows of units that are stacked 3 high, when the front row retreats, they will be forced to go additional spaces due to stacking limits causing additional losses.

[Oleg Mastruko]

That's some useful info Sabre, thanks, and yes I do produce quite a lot of support units... ACR I was joking about spies and mercenaries, I wanted to sound like semi-mad paranoid dictator, something to the tune of Gadhaffi or, well, obviously, Stalin.

In fact I have no problems with Senno having advisers etc unless someone tells him outright what I plan to do...

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: Emir Agic
Oleg, I'm realy enjoying reading your AAR. And that pleasant experience is somewhat ruined by those ugly hand drawn arrows and circles. Why don't you use for example (freeware) Paint.NET? It has nice options for drawing arrows and it is not complicated for use.

I am big fan of messy hand drawn AAR maps. I hate neat and tidy maps in AARs [:D]