D21 version 4.5

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Odessa area right now. I've gotten a good start on surrounding the city and
there's serious negotiations going on for the river crossings in the area and it'll be
another turn or so before it's cleared out. Maybe longer. We're still pressing east.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Kiev area right now. Units are streaming to the action, to the sound of the
guns. Lots of movement and the front is dynamic in this area. The supply levels are
going lower the further south I go. I don't have any RR engineers working a route down
here and it's about time for some.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Pskov area right now, well actually the image starts around Narva and extends
almost to Gomel. I'm getting the upper hand in the bottleneck and expect to have it
cleared out this turn or the next.

I've got a Panzer division pushing NE frmo Pskov and they are meeting light resistance
so I expect some progress from them.

And in the south of the image you see a lng stretch of the front lines where I'm fighting
over river crossings, bridges, rails, and whatever else I can grab from the Soviets.

The supply levels in this area are poor but I expect it to rise a bit as the rails get
closer slowly. The railhead isn't quite to Minsk yet.

[larryfulkerson]

To get on the east side of the river at Kiev I usually go through Gomel and there's
usually a major fight over the crossing but this time it was empty and I just walked
right in and turned on the lights. Then I pushed some more troops through there. This
is when I like to start railing in some troops to get them on the east side of the
river heading east, well, southeast, and clear out all the river crossings south of
Kiev along the river to get the supply to flow through and across the river to the
east side because supply is traditionally low in that area. But I can't start railing
troops from the south on the west side of the river because they are still clearing out
the territories between the rivers from where they are now over to D-town and Z-town.
Not to mention the troops that are going to be needed for the excursion into the Crimea
after I clear out Odessa. I'll use the Rumanians for that job. It's all starting to
come together and the only thing missing is the troops to do it all.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T12 front lines before I have moved anybody. I can't get the RR engineers
to repair any faster. Only a hex or two each time. D'oh.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's Smolensk right now. All my units are pushing to the east in this area and the
going is easir now that I'm across the river. Resistance is very heavy and the advance
has slowed to a crawl. Which is really a good thing in desguise because the supply
levels are too low to go much further east. Tired units are lined up on the roads and
the rails to suck what supply they can.

[larryfulkerson]

I've accented the rivers with a thin blue line and have annotated the areas down south
that are operating right now. All these people I eventually want to move to the east
side of Kiev but firsst they need to clear out all the area in the territories between
the rivers and unfortunately it's going to take most of them. Soviet resistance is light
so far but that could change. Especially around the important cities. I need to dispatch
Odessa as fast as low losses will allow because I need those troops in the Crimea.

[larryfulkerson]

This is Kiev right now. The perimeter has shrunk to just around Kiev itself and the
defenders are dug in deep and they have lots of arty and I'm in no hurry to reduce it
and besides I need to surround it on the east before I can seriously think about taking
it down.

[larryfulkerson]

I'm moving units and I've come to a section of my front lines that is wide open. I'm
shocked. I need to move some people into this area pretty quickly or Elmer will find
out about it and do something.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T13 front lines before I have moved anybody.

[larryfulkerson]

I brought in some RR artillery to bombard the Soviet arty out of it's range so that
there's no counterbattery fire. That ought to help a little bit.

[larryfulkerson]

This is the T14 front lines before I have moved anybody.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's happening just north of Leningrad right now. The Finns are locked in a
battle to the death and neither side is taking prisoners. It's fierce and made worse
by the cold and low supply. The Finns are slowly pushing the Soviets backward.

[larryfulkerson]

This is what Smolensk looks like right now. I'm still pushing east but the resistance
is very heavy and little progreas is being made. The Soviets are starting to counterattack
and the advance has slowed because the recon units aren't out very far. I need to back
them up with the main body more then before. The Soviets are starting to form into front
line segments and bigger groups. The chsracter of the game is changing. The Soviets are
getting organized better.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on around Odessa right now. The Rumanians are reducing the Odessa
pocket and the Slovaks and Hungarians and Italians have moved into the territories to
help convert the hexes and hunt for Soviet units.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on in the Leningrad area right now. I'm slowly sneaking up on
the city and the resistance is really heavy and I'm having to take on the small groups
one at a time and there's a lot of them. I'd really like to surround the city before
I take it down but I'd not optimistic that I'll be able to do that.

[700851McCall]

If you can just cut the rail line that will at least reduce supply to the city and its enclaves. It's one of those situations where you have to get there 'the firstest with the mostest'. I threw the whole of AGN towards Leningrad, plus all the moterised Waffen SS divisions, and I just managed to cut the life road by the skin of my teeth.

You'll need to attack all-out round the south of the city with everything you've got there and see if you can somehow bash through, but I think you might be there too late to surround the city without a serious fight.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: 700851McCall
If you can just cut the rail line that will at least reduce supply to the city and its enclaves.

I think that's a great idea. If I can't get a physical ground unit to do that maybe I can drop
the bridges with some bridge strikes from the air. Better then nothing at all. Which reminds
me I've got some paratroopers who would love to take on a mission to drop a bridge. I just have
to get the front lines close enough to drop them within the house rule range of 10 hexes.

ORIGINAL: 700851McCall
It's one of those situations where you have to get there 'the firstest with the mostest'.
I threw the whole of AGN towards Leningrad, plus all the moterised Waffen SS divisions,
and I just managed to cut the life road by the skin of my teeth.

I haven't devoted nearly as much as that and it shows. I'm only now getting anywhere close to
the city. And there's a lot of Soviet units to wade through befoe I can get there.

ORIGINAL: 700851McCall
You'll need to attack all-out round the south of the city with everything you've got there and see if you can somehow bash through, but I think you might be there too late to surround the city without a serious fight.

I agree that there's got to be a serious fight before the advance can advance around the city. My
priority is in the south where there's better tank country and the promise of progress is greater
so I'm afraid that this northern section is going to have to be run on a shoestring and that means
slow progress if any at all. I doubt that I can surround Leningrad by the winter season.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on near Bryansk right now. I've engaged a small Soviet group of
units and I'm moving some throw-way units to cut them off from their supplies. I'm
going to try to get around them and grab some more crossroads and intersections to
hinder the flow of Soviet supply.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines from Leningrad down to the marshes zoomed in a little bit to
get more detail. I've annotated the approx. path the advance is taking right now and
it changes from turn to turn and is dynamic and fluid in behavior. Things are going
rather well besides the supply problem I'm having.