1.04 The Wolf and the Bear (no Gids)

[Flaviusx]

Idaho has played a very solid defensive game.

The master of German defense is probably Ketza. There's comparatively few players on the Axis side who are very good on defense, they don't get a chance to sharpen their skill in this regard in 1941.

The defense is probably harder to play in this patch, too. On both sides.

Tarhunnas, I think you've got maybe one more turn left for holding that snout at most. I'd be preparing the next fallback line in the minor river a few hexes back. This will shorten your line by about a half dozen hexes and free up some reserves. I'm not seeing a whole lot of reserves here for you, and its important to try to keep the panzers nearby set on reserve rather than defending up front if at all possible.

If you stick around too much longer by the snout, you risk having units caught by Soviet zocs an unable to get out. Some are already in this position. This has been causing you a ton of problems in the south for many turns now, and this gradual nibbling away of formations adds up after a while. By the time you fall back it is too late and several formations go down the Red Army gullet.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: IdahoNYer

Just caught up on your AAR. Excellent campaign! Hang on - as long as the German panzers can still counterattack, all is not lost! ....at least that's what keeps me going in my PBEM. Looks like we're both about to get pounding in the summer of '44.

Thanks! I have been following your AAR as well. We are both well into 1944. Not many games go this far, and significantly, only those were the German does very well...

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 159. June 22 1944.

The entire front is ablaze, from Kalinin in the north to Dnepropetrovsk in the South.

[Peltonx]

For once I want to eat crow, hang on!!!!!!!

Pelton

[Peltonx]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Idaho has played a very solid defensive game.

The master of German defense is probably Ketza. There's comparatively few players on the Axis side who are very good on defense, they don't get a chance to sharpen their skill in this regard in 1941.

Katza is best over all for sure.

I have learnt allot from him.

Pelton

[krupp_88mm]

hang in there tarhunas

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: krupp_88mm

hang in there tarhunas

Haha, thanks! [:)]

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 160. Bad news! Several divisions are cut off in the northern Dnepr bend.

[Tarhunnas]

But counterattacks by panzer reserves manage to free them, routing 6 Soviet mech or tank corps in the process. Map after Axis moves.

[Tarhunnas]

In the north, a strategic withdrawal is made around Vyshni Volochek to shorten the front.

[Flaviusx]

You're managing that withdrawal from the snout pretty nicely.

[ComradeP]

Impressive counterattacks. I didn't expect that after seeing the start of turn screenshot, which only showed 1 good reserve SS Panzer division.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP

Impressive counterattacks. I didn't expect that after seeing the start of turn screenshot, which only showed 1 good reserve SS Panzer division.

There were some off view that had good MPs, but I had to denude other parts of the front. And the Soviet units doing the encirclement weren't all that strong. But I am not out of it yet...

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 161. July 6 1944.

Things have taken an ugly turn in the Dnepr bend. Hordes of rifle corps are appearing and a clutch of German divisions have been cut off again.

[Tarhunnas]

And there is also a breakthrough in the Gomel area. Map before Axis moves.

[Tarhunnas]

It proves impossible to free all the surrounded divisions, and the ones near Dnepropetrovsk have only been given a temporary reprieve I am afraid.

Flavio, you were right, I should have retreated earlier.

Map after Axis moves.

[Baelfiin]

I feel your pain tarhunnas

Don't throw good money after bad, the correlation of forces is getting ever steeper against you.

[olivier34]

Great to see you abble to counter attack but you should now retreat on your second defensive line ! Anyway, this remember me my game, very similar, except that it was in 1943 and not 1944...[:)]

[krupp_88mm]

i personally think it might be okay to loose a few divisions if its going to delay him a month or two, youve only got like 10 months left probably only 7 of good weather, even if your going to loose a handful of divisions if you bought yourself some time your closer to minor victory try to hold him from breaking your next line before mud then you should have enough space to trade in winter

[Q-Ball]

Tarhunnas, I think it's time to do a major withdrawl. The Wehrmacht, even with your armament infusion, looks pretty cooked. On the bright side, you are way ahead in terms of territory. I still think you will win.

The Dnepr is breached, which is the last significant defensive barrier before the Carpathians. I would spend the rest of dry weather falling back, trading space for time, and figure to fight this winter in Romania (until they surrender), and the Carpathians.

That would simply walking out of large tracks of Russian north of the Pripet, but if I am Gids I would go "all-in" in the Ukraine, and ignore anything north of Smolensk. You'll have to just abandon it anyway.

Have you prepared defenses in Finland? (a line of fort along the northern shore of Lake Ladoga, and along the Neva?)

Regardless, you can't afford to fight forward in clear terrain; that's suicidal. You have to withdraw.