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Rostov



Not sure why I had the combat marker turned off. 3 fat tank corps die in their pocket, and further attack made to make it as hard as possible for the communists to get to the key rail line

Further south



The Krasnodar sector was quiet though his 4 cav xxx remain in the front line.Further east, I decide to try to end the threat of attack on the rail line from the north, by doing pushing him back south of Rostov, but making the most of plentiful petrol to herd pretty much all of his forces in the area

Last but not least, the push on Baku



There was only space for limited forces here, which enabled the clearing out operation shown in the previous post. Brian's flanks were solid at Makhachkala and with 3 inf xxx in rough terrain 20 miles to the south west. However, the middle was not very strong enabling a strong push capturing more rough terrain and bypassing the 6 xxx in his front line. If I can take the city next turn (and I have 6 elite inf xx stuffed with pioneers and stugs poised to assault next turn) then his inf xxx serve no useful purpose where they are now. Getting the red panzer div into the rough 30 miles SW of Mtown was a real bonus as they were able to flip the hexes in the next row, completely wrecking his supply route to his troops to the west.

I felt it necessary to retreat the tk xxx immediately SE of Mtown (it had just retreated there) as I was worried about him cutting off my spearhead adjacent to Mtown. I hope he can't resist retaking that hex. Mtown's garrison is 1 inf xxx, 1 cav xxx and 1 tank xxx. Good to see Uncle Jo has an inclusive approach to diversity. Who would have guessed? I'm an equal opportunities killer (apart from my fetish for killing cavalry units) so I would much rather they had a retreat path out of Mtown next turn.

4th mtn div will hopefully come as a nasty surprise for the soviets next turn.

Ouch! looking a bit grim for Brian in the Caucasus. I wonder what he has left at Baku.

I always enjoy reading these caucasus AARs because I haven't got a clue what's going on with this part of the map It's like a different world to me.
It's a shame there isn't more incentive to capture the oil fields, I'd be more tempted to try it. I've considered it in the past and decided that it's not worth trying the Southern strategy unless the Axis player is already in a very strong game position.

Thoughts on T58

Losses 6.3K t0 27.7K. Air 94 to 161. Units destroyed: 3 tank xxx and 10 sapper regts. Baku has become an even more key target as Brian railed the rest of the southern Caucasus industry there so it now holds 9 HI and 9 arms factories. I assume he forgot to move them before I cut the rail line.

Total number of Russian isolated units 1 tank xxx, 3 cav xx, 5 inf xx and 4 inf x.

Question is - can Brian hang on for long enough now he gets all his dead units back for free? It's all down to the Finns

If you can cut off supplies and clear the Caucasus this will greatly shorten your lines and free up all of your troops to help hold lines in other areas.

Cutting off the rest of the Caucasus is indeed the essential first step. But use the released troops to help hold the line Mr P? That is for wimps [:-]

T59

Starting with the most important sector



Finns haven't had so much success since the early part of the Winter War. Every casualty caused here is a man less to face down south

Rostov



Unable to cut my supply line, the Bolsheviks run like girls. We take the Donets bulge and avance on the south side. His delaying troops are bypassed, apart from 1 inf x which routed when I tried to herd it. It will be a relief to get a second rail line between Stalino and Rostov as the single line is always vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Caucasus



Soviets finally decide to start withdrawing from Krasnodar area. In response 11th infantry Corps pulls out of the line and starts heading for Stalingrad.

Sevastopol remains a POW camp - even though 1 of the defending inf xx pulled out 2 or 3 turns ago. I should have pulled out 1 of my screening divs too. Must try to remember next turn.

Baku



Mtown falls remarkably easily - that man Model again. Thanks to Brian's aggressive instincts, the defenders had a retreat path. That mistake will cost the Russians dear as they would otherwise have presumably retreated by sea to Baku as the nearest supply source - assuming Baku had been left empty for that purpose. Instead, they will soon make good HIWIs. The panzers push forward against relatively light opposition : the terrain is the biggest obstacle. The non-motorised divs from 1 Pz Army go west of his defences in the mountains to ensure those forces won't get out. 4th mtn div feebly failed to force the surrender of a weak out of supply cav xx. Despite basic odds of about 5:1, the final odds were 1.9 to 1.

Slightly further west, the first of the Romanian mtn divs arrives. I will find something useful for it to do next turn.

If managed to cut the line from Baku I think it will be game his army by Krasnodor is already low on supplies from having a restricted supply line so once they go iso they will all collapse in quick order.

He has far to many troops going to be lost due to the tenacious defense he put up for the far south.

Thoughts on T59

The south is obviously where it's at despite the Finns

Losses 4.9K to 44K; air 54 to 83. Units destroyed 4 inf xx, 1 cav xx 1 tank x and 4 inf x. In secure pockets 4 inf xxx, 2 tank xxx, 3 cav xx (1 guard) 4 inf xx (1 guard) 5 inf x and 1 tank x.

HIWI numbers go over 300K which is a huge contribution [:)]. Key issue has to be when/if Baku falls. I need it early to have enough time to get the other VPs I need. However, the retreat of the communists in the south will make life easier for me. If I'm very lucky, he won't be expecting me to go after S'grad as that's far too traditional and boring. On the other hand, so am I so he may guess my intentions correctly..................

Brian is now on holiday for 2 weeks so there won't be much AAR action during this time

Thought I wd make a start on T60 with the mighty Finns - over-compensating for ignoring them earlier



As they bleed the Russians dry. The Finnish attack losses in my turn were 34 to 579 as the red 260th rifle div fled

Stalingrad



It's taken a long time to push him back this summer, but when Brian runs, he runs . Only 50 miles from S'town, and yet to meet prepared defences. Trying to ensure that his stay-behind troops stay behind my lines and that flank protection is adequate [:'(].

Baku



Operations were somewhat hampered by a terrorist attack on the rail line 30 miles south of Rostov . The Russians have the luck of the Devil, which is most unfair as I'm on his side in this game. I grind on as best I can and there doesn't seem to be an awful lot behind his front line.

Brian's decision 2 turns ago to reconnect with M'town cost him 39K troops which he can ill-afford down here. His infantry has also suffered hugely trying to defend the mountains because all his mtn divs are around Krasnodar. Still, it is of course much harder to capture Baku since it became a supply source so we will have to see....

ORIGINAL: sillyflower
it is of course much harder to capture Baku since it became a supply source

As far as I can remember it's always been a supply source.

You are probably right.

strategic view of the south



Whole of 2 PzA now heading for S'grad whilst 1PzA goes for Baku. Though this took a swap of corps between the 2 armies, but it's a struggle to spend 50 per turn. All the pz and mot. divs are in the south apart from 3 NW of Moscow.

Losses