Panzerball - a GC 41 case study

[Seminole]

Overall map at the beginning of turn 10:



Overall map at the end of turn 10.
In the south STAVKA orders a fall back from the Dnepr to the next river lines to avoid ZOC lock and needless losses. The line is almost solid, with all depth being shunted toward The Bend.
Central Front color changed to blue because the three shades of green next to each other were kind of confusing.

[Seminole]

Turn 11 - August 31, 1941

Weather this week puts rain over western Europe, but the Soviet theater is clear and dry again.



The siege at Tallinn continues for another week.
The Germans press up to the fortifications on the Narva river.
The abandoned fortifications at Pskov fall this week.
As hoped, AGN presses more west than north.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

To be honest I don't like this Axis strategy at all. The 'panzerball' has made decent progress to this point but is now faced with terrible tank terrain all the way to Leningrad and the extended front line and distance from the railroads will make it really difficult to extract anything out to commit elsewhere.

I can see the sense of aiming at Leningrad as the most obtainable of the big VP locations and can see the sense of redirecting some of AGCs armored assets in the very early turns to build up some momentum towards that goal but for me the Axis player has got in way too deep here.

[Seminole]

To be honest I don't like this Axis strategy at all. The 'panzerball' has made decent progress to this point but is now faced with terrible tank terrain all the way to Leningrad and the extended front line and distance from the railroads will make it really difficult to extract anything out to commit elsewhere.

I can see the sense of aiming at Leningrad as the most obtainable of the big VP locations and can see the sense of redirecting some of AGCs armored assets in the very early turns to build up some momentum towards that goal but for me the Axis player has got in way too deep here.

If I had to face a panzerball, this is the most favorable terrain, and timeframe, as the defender.
Supply is at its worst.
The lakes east and west serve as a funnel, and the heavy woods and swamps are an irreducible force multiplier for the Soviets against the panzers.

[Seminole]

Bryansk Front reserves continue to fill in on the front line.
North of Pskov STAVKA orders a thin shell, backstopped with weak units, to try and entice the Germans further west in an attempted encirclement.
I feel confident that we can slow their progress enough to still escape next week if need be.
Any battle north of Pskov that isn't toward Leningrad is a victory.

[Seminole]

The Soviets retake the bridgeheads along the Dnepr.
Cavalry are helping provide depth to the line.



AGS has concentrated their mechanized forces at Dnepropetrovsk.

[Seminole]

VP sitrep:



STAVKA orders units to try and find the enemy line in the center and farther south.
Overall map at the end of turn 11:

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Turn 12 - Sep 7, 1941

Current weather largely, but not completely, dries up across Russia.



Has AGN's Panzer Fever broken? Recon indicates a long road march of German mechanized forces heading south.

[Seminole]

Unit status set to reflect:

<50% TOE - refit (blue)
>80% TOE - reserve (purple)



The Germans have left at least a corps of mechanized forces in this area for the time being.

STAVKA reviews the front to decide where the panzerball might reappear before General Mud arrives.

[Seminole]

Western Front launches a four rifle division counter attack against some adventurous German scouts near Smolensk after the recently arrived cavalry cut their LOCs.



North of Gomel another German feeler is viciously counter attacked by well rested rifle divisions.
Our line is full of gaps, but the Germans are trying to maintain a tissue thin line in the center waiting for the Panzers to return.

[Seminole]

A last second reprieve for Dnepropetrovsk?
AGS mech corps has pulled back from the city and pivoted north, to create crossings over the Dnepr.

Unit status again configured to show TOE% for illustrative purposes:

<50% TOE - refit (blue)
>80% TOE - reserve (purple)



VP sitrep:

[Seminole]

Air losses, including German by type:



Ground losses:



Destroyed units with recent detail:

[Seminole]

STAVKA orders a re-organization of the northern defenses, and armies are loaded up on rail to race the panzers back south and re-establish defensive depth.

In Ukraine STAVKA swings forces to create depth opposite the German bridgehead on the northern edge of the Dnepr Bend.
It's still early September, and the potential for the Germans to attempt an encirclement of the Southwestern Front is brought to Stalin's attention.
Plans are drawn up for a leapfrogging withdrawal from the Pripyat and Dnepr river banks if the Germans retake Gomel and threaten Chernigov.
At the southernmost reaches of the Dnepr Soviet scouts push back against Axis ZOC.

Overall map at the end of turn 12:

[Seminole]

Turn 13 - Sep 14, 1941

Weather is not hurting the Axis this week.



Summary:

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Destroyed units increase again as Tallinn falls this week:



Ground losses:



Air losses:

[Seminole]

AGN resumes the offensive, with Tallinn falling this week to a multi-pronged assault.
But otherwise results are mixed. Efforts to move east toward the Valdaii Hills come to naught.
Reserve Front is told to hold the river and swamps here at all costs.
With the pull back of the panzer ball



STAVKA orders the Pskov salient evacuated. No longer worth dangling the bait.
Need to strengthen defenses between AGN spearhead and Leningrad while withdrawing Bryansk Front.
Three brigades are left to harass the German efforts to move through the abandoned terrain.
Airborne brigades backstop the line to prevent the remaining motorized corps from exploiting any breakthroughs.

[Seminole]

Leningrad Front organizes a large counter attack that compels the 25th Mot Div to pull back.
I think this largely ends the threat that the Germans will take Leningrad in 1941.
STAVKA insists that the Narva Line continue to be held while reinforcements are plucked from the line to rail south fill in the gaps before the panzers arrive.

[Seminole]

I'm afraid this game is dying on the vine.
Opponent hasn't updated save in 10 days. :/

I guess I'll go ahead and run the AAR up to the end, as it appears the Winter and Soviet offensive will never arrive.

The Germans make a half hearted attempt to push further east, but progress toward the Valdaii Hills has for all purposes ground to a halt.



AGS South makes a few attacks across the Dnepr. They succeed in forcing back the Soviets flanking Zaporizhzhia and Dnepropetrovsk, but are unable to follow up with crossings.
They have moved mechanized forces across the river at the bridgehead made north of the Dnepr Bend.

[Seminole]

Bryansk Front Armies begin unload from the rails to fill in opposite Army Group Center, while in the south depth is added to the Soviet line between the AGS bridgehead and Poltava.

Overall view of the East Front at the end of turn 13:

[Veterin]

That's a shame the game ended early. Your opponent should at least message you to let you know they don't plan on playing on rather than just not returning a turn and going on radio silence...