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T11 - January 28, 1943

Southern Rzhev & VL

Pocket has been broken with GA and a subsequent attack... This was before we discovered that frontline GA was basically impossible to intercept, so no real harm done. I close the encirclement again this time with LSSAH as an additional reinforcement.

At VL I certainly got a reaction, I'm managing to keep at least 5 guard rifle corps away from all the main action in the south, so that is a nice small win.

Voronezh:

Heavy combat continuing around Voronezh, my units are getting worn down very quickly and the weather not allowing me to use GS freely is not helping.

Since turn 1 I've been building a defense line with fortified units from Kursk to just east of Rostov using the Donets as major defensive terrain for guarding Kharkov (level 9 railyard!!!) and my flanks. As soon as my positions are no longer tenable, they will immediately withdraw to the line and stop any further Soviet incursion.

Stalingrad & Reserves:

Only real Brightside this turn is that my panzer divisions have finally arrived into the reserve and I will immediately begin refitting them.

He also almost manages to break through my defensive line at Stalingrad. If that hex fell the pocket would be significantly more vulnerable.

T12 - February 4, 1943

Don and 6th Army:

We are now on the week that Stalingrad fell historically and they are still doing more than fine. Those bonus VPs will be all gone by the time the city falls.

I also evacuate more units out of Stalingrad by air, at this point probably saved over 60,000 men. He really paid the price of not attempting to destroy the pocket as fast as he could.

Romanians get a hold against soviet infantry (nice!).

AGA:

On a previous turn Tyronec left a small gap in his line in the mountains and I took advtantage. I grabbed a few naval only bombers from the TBs a few turns ago and the weather forecast finally states that the next turn will have some better weather. Going to perform a naval patrol and destroy the units there.

Voronezh:

Soviet offensive is continuing. I can hold on for a few more turns but my units are now really beginning to buckle under the relentless Soviet assaults.

Rzhev and VL:

Curse uninterceptable GA... The pocket probably had a pretty good chance of holding if it weren't for the GA just hammering away at my units. but like said before, this happened before we found out that GA was basically impossible to intercept on the frontline at least.

Situation at VL has stabilized. I will just try to keep as many Soviet units here as long as possible. It is much better for me if all those guard rifle corps fight against my units in the excellent defensive terrain around VL.

T13 - February 11, 1943

AGA:

The retreat to the hills and river have been completed and a naval patrol with an accompanying air superiority directive has been created. Soviet attacks will be resisted with the units deployed along with the single weak panzer division I left as AGAs only mobile reserve.

Rzhev & VL:

As expected the pocket has been reopened, but I surround a division with the hope of securing its surrender next turn.

Fighting in the intrusion at VL and Toropets is also intense, Soviets retake one hex and is another hex away from reopening the rail line.

Don:

Fighting continues, Wiking SS Division leads and win a few small victories over exposed rifle divisions. GS carries the hasty attack.

T14 - February 18, 1943

AGA:

Tyronec has attempted to counter my naval patrol with his own. My AS directive fighters catch and shoot his planes down like flies.

Ground units also push further into the isolated units with preparations to eliminate the pocket itself soon.

Don:

My line partially collapses, with the Soviets encircling a few divisions. I'm forced to pull back my line further east and manage to relieve both stacks.

Kursk, Rzhev & VL:

Holes are beginning to form in my frontline around Kursk, though sufficient reserves are still there to keep it stable for now.

The offensive near Rzhev has not been worth it, none of the pockets I formed held though I at least manage to free up some troops by shortening the front line and manage to rout out the previously isolated division at almost 100% losses.

the VL rail line has been cleared up, I suspect that the salient will still be the focus of fighting as it threatens his supply lines too much.

T15 - February 25, 1943

AGA:

Soviet attacks on my new defensive position have started. The guard rifle corps that used to be here have disappeared - probably redeployed elsewhere. This makes holding my positions much easier with the units I have there already.

Naval patrols continue, Italian alpini divisions are used to prop up the line near the coast.

Rzhev & VL:

The fighting south of Rzhev is over, my units have withdrawn to create defensive positions. All in all, this whole debacle here was not worth it, one of my elite SS divisions got seriously damaged and I failed to bag any Soviet divisions. It has given me insight to how any future mid to large scale operation will go against the Soviets when they have reserves lying around: I'm capable of inflicting high losses, but their counter attacks are extremely dangerous. From my new defensive line I've managed to free 3-4 divisions which will immediately be sent to other parts of the front where they'll be needed.

Fighting in the salient near VL is also over, though I don't withdraw the units from there. I don't like giving up ground very easily.

The Front & losses:

Here is a picture of how the Eastern front looks in general. The massive soviet offensive between Voronezh and Stalingrad have created a salient in which my units are performing a fighting retreat from. I'm also still holding Rzhev and in 4-5 more turns all the bonus VPs will be gone. Afterwards I'll decide whether or not to withdraw from the salient as it is quite an important strategic position in the east.

As the scenario starts with 1,150,000 Axis losses and 1,400,000 Soviet losses, the overall fighting so far have costed me 531,637 combined Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, and primarily German losses. The Soviets have lost 1,136,850 men. About a 2.14:1 loss ratio. Am not sure how to feel about this but will try my best to increase the ratio for me once summer comes around.

For the air forces there is currently a 4.05:1 loss ratio, so very good. Especially if you compare the fact that the Soviets have lost around 5x more pilots than I did since so many of my losses were operational.

Have you done any naval interdiction at Leningrad? If not, any plans to start doing some?

ORIGINAL: Beethoven1

Have you done any naval interdiction at Leningrad? If not, any plans to start doing some?

No I haven't and I'm not sure if I will. Even if my naval patrols work, Axis has no way of actually taking the city itself without sacrificing areas like the south or centre.

The entire area is forts 3-5 with good defensive terrain and major rivers.

T16 - March 4, 1943

AGA:

Holding positions steadfast on the rough terrain and tightening the noose on the units isolated at the port.

Saw Xhoel state in another post that he believed fortifying any port on the black sea aside from sevastopol is useless, agree but did it anyways. However I think there is merit in doing so for Novorossiysk as it helps solidify control of the Taman Peninsula and the Kerch Strait which can be pretty useful for supply ports in the Sea of Azov during the 1943 campaign.