Frozen frogs! Stef78 (axis) Stelteck (Russia) - Stelteck welcome

[chaos45]

Stef- just wanted to say one of the better AARs have loved checking in on this game.

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: chaos45

Stef- just wanted to say one of the better AARs have loved checking in on this game.

Thanks a lot! [;)]

[STEF78]

Turn 147, 6th april 1944

Mud!!! [:)][:)][:)]

A bad news from Moscow, Stelteck manage to penetrate behind Moscow because of a wrong withdrawal of 25th Pgd. Annoying as mud will prevent any efficient counterattack.

[STEF78]

Winter 43/44 campaign proved to be very hard for my units.

TOE of whole army is heavily suffering. Stug units are especially bleeded.



It's also the case for my mobile units. Average is roughly 75% TOE...



Fortunatly I still have the best air units. Note the 211 kills for Stab/JG51 with 4 fighters!



and the best leaders (win/loss ratio)

[STEF78]

Overview of the winter 1943/1944 campaign.

Pretty satisfied with the result in the South, and between Ilmen and Moscow. Stelteck was obviously to strong in the center and managed to keep his momentum. He avoided the sector between Lipetsk and Voronejh and hit north and south. Once the level 2 fort line is lost, axis army is unable to prevent soviet advance. And he now has a bulk of rifle corps able to breach the first line...
Crimea required 2 corps as reinforcements. They could have been very useful in the north or in the center.
Near Leningrad, I overestimated the ability of my units to delay russian advance... mud was more than welcome.

Now some weeks of mud and clear weather to come....

[M60A3TTS]

I'd be curious to know what the Soviet arms pool looks like at this point.

[Stelteck]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

I'd be curious to know what the Soviet arms pool looks like at this point.

I have more than one million armement point left in stock. Armement have never been an issue except 5 weeks at the end of 1941.

BUT, despite having enough ARM points, i still have issues to fill artillery divisions (and anything other 100mm in my TOE) because gun production is quite low, due to the other mecanism. (The limit per type per turn).

Ha my tank pool is empty. (But still have 400 production each turn).

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Stelteck

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

I'd be curious to know what the Soviet arms pool looks like at this point.

I have more than one million armement point left in stock. Armement have never been an issue except 5 weeks at the end of 1941.

BUT, despite having enough ARM points, i still have issues to fill artillery divisions (and anything other 100mm in my TOE) because gun production is quite low, due to the other mecanism. (The limit per type per turn).

Ha my tank pool is empty. (But still have 400 production each turn).

This is interesting because the manpower to gun ratio is well over 10%. That means to me that whatever Soviet units are out there have real stuff .. the Soviets are not diluted by number of units.

[Dinglir]

I would guess that you need to start shortening your front considerably, in order to avoid be spread to thin.

Otherwise, it is just a matter of ime before you suffer some catastrophic gap in your front, which will allow the Soviets to bag a very good deal of your units.

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: Dinglir

I would guess that you need to start shortening your front considerably, in order to avoid be spread to thin.

Otherwise, it is just a matter of ime before you suffer some catastrophic gap in your front, which will allow the Soviets to bag a very good deal of your units.

You're right. Russian army is now far stronger than the axis one.

OKH is working on different case studies in order to avoid such a disaster.

[STEF78]

Turn 148, 13th april 1944

Very low activity. Note 0 vehicle lost in combat

Wounded soldiers are sent back to the front line after some rest at home...

[STEF78]

Turn 150, 27th april 1944

One month without major fight... the net balance wounded/return is also positive for the russians

[STEF78]

Turn 152, 11th may 1944

First task of May 1944, free the units almost trapped in Moscow. I gather a very strong task force and... got a held!

Maybe I should have set Manstein as commander but too late...

Really not a good news [:(]

[Mamluke]

ORIGINAL: Stelteck

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

I'd be curious to know what the Soviet arms pool looks like at this point.

I have more than one million armement point left in stock. Armement have never been an issue except 5 weeks at the end of 1941.

BUT, despite having enough ARM points, i still have issues to fill artillery divisions (and anything other 100mm in my TOE) because gun production is quite low, due to the other mecanism. (The limit per type per turn).

Ha my tank pool is empty. (But still have 400 production each turn).

Stelteck, can you tells us about your manpower pool?
also how much Armaments and Heavy Industry do you have?

BTW, I want to congratulate you on a Smacking success at Leningrad! you punch beyond the Volkhov, crashed the level 3 forts! and passed most of the marshes in a few turns, that could have taken 5 or more times the turns to grab the same territory!! now many German units including panzers will have to be sent here.

I say it was a Genius ploy, now all the options are open for a summer 1944 offensive!!
deliver us a greater Bagration!

[STEF78]

Turn 152, 11th may 1944

I have thought a lot about the avantages and inconvenients of holding the current frontline. I have level 3 forts with a 2 hex deep line but russian units at contact, fully rested and refited.

An there is a mud turn every other turn. It's a huge disadvantage when you are defending.

So I finally decided to give ground and create a significant buffer between my line and those nasty tank corps....

Units in Moscow will do their best...



And the OOB

[timmyab]

Very wise. I would guess that mass encirclements are the only way you wont win at this point.

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: timmyab

Very wise. I would guess that mass encirclements are the only way you wont win at this point.

It's a-historical but the only way to prevent the russians from reaching Berlin in September 1944.

I still have only 2 russians cities awarding VPs (Leningrad and Kiev). Moscow will fall soon. So ground has no value anymore.

[STEF78]

Turn 154, 25th may 1944

25 may 1944 and Moscow is still in german hands! the city will fall next week but it's already a very good result.

Retreat is on on the major part of the front. We will fight from Pskov to the far north annd retreat on the other part of the frontline.

We are are now close from 3/1 in AFV. I've lost some Pzd which were sent back to the west and Stelteck is close from 30k.

Russian art is also increasing now... summer will be hot!

Russian railheads are 50 miles behind the fontline. It should affect his truck pool.

[Dinglir]

I notice that you have constructed an almost exact copy of the Panther-Wotun line, running along the Dvina and the Dnepr. Will that be your next line of defense?

I cannot help but wonder if your line would not have been stronger if you had hinged it on the Ingul river running north from Nikolaev. That way, the line would have been 17 hexes shorter, meaning you could have built up a more meaningful strategic reserve (and doubled the thickness of the line along the Ingul).

Also, why withdraw a full six hexes pr turn? If you had only withdrawn three hexes, it would still be more or less impossible for the Soviets to conduct meaningfull attacks on your troops. However, you would still have plenty more time to build up your line of defense before the Soviets arrive at it.

Finally, I am curious to see if we shall have some localized counterattacks, if the Soviets get to far ahead of their railheads. Encircling and destroying a few formations may not mean much on the strategic level anymore, but it would still be nice to see nonetheless.

In any case, I have already prepared the popcorn and am awaiting the sequel.

[STEF78]

ORIGINAL: Dinglir

I notice that you have constructed an almost exact copy of the Panther-Wotun line, running along the Dvina and the Dnepr. Will that be your next line of defense?

It will obviously be a place where I will fight. I hope being able to delay russian advance at this place till mid july if everything works fine.

I cannot help but wonder if your line would not have been stronger if you had hinged it on the Ingul river running north from Nikolaev. That way, the line would have been 17 hexes shorter, meaning you could have built up a more meaningful strategic reserve (and doubled the thickness of the line along the Ingul).

True but Major river hexes prevents mutiple attacks from mech units. Minor don't.

Also, why withdraw a full six hexes pr turn? If you had only withdrawn three hexes, it would still be more or less impossible for the Soviets to conduct meaningfull attacks on your troops. However, you would still have plenty more time to build up your line of defense before the Soviets arrive at it.

I know it's a lot of ground given but I want to avoid major encirclement and:
- The next turn weather is known (we are playing non-random weather) and it's a huge advantage for the attacker as he knows he has nothing to loose in advancing fast during the clear turn before the mud turn
- Stelteck has 30k AFV and a german inf in open ground without entrenchment has actually a 4/5 CV and I d'ont have Pzd in the second line everywhere. Thus, if I would be giving only 3 hexes, i'm sure that Stelteck would be able to create encirclement. You will get an illustration of that next turn.

And the line will have level 3 forts once the russians arrive... I show what I want on the maps posted [;)]. Sometimes, I hide some places. Look for example at the Stalino area on 13th of january... it appears empty. But I only wanted to hide the fort line I was building...

Finally, I am curious to see if we shall have some localized counterattacks, if the Soviets get to far ahead of their railheads. Encircling and destroying a few formations may not mean much on the strategic level anymore, but it would still be nice to see nonetheless.

I will try to rout some spearheads but encircling and destroying.... not sure with all that nasty rifle corps just behind

In any case, I have already prepared the popcorn and am awaiting the sequel.

Enjoy![;)]