Stalin's fired, I'm in charge! - Tullius (Soviet) vs SireChaos (Axis)

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus
In the Western Front he is pushing in the south! [8D] You're indeed correct Bletchley_Geek! That place (southern Russia) is perfect for tanks. I will discuss later what will be my defensive lines here: Bryansk, etc. In the north (just south of Smolensk) he hasn't advanced a lot though.

Yesterday night I was too tired to look closer at the situation. Let me share with you what I can read on the map:

* Three Panzer Groups - assuming AGN PzGrp is also there or travelling there - concentrated in a 100 mile front (10 hexes) is a mass of sheer firepower he hasn't had since the initial stages of Barbarossa. As you say, prudence is your watchword.

* Looks like he has a PzGrp to push just south of Smolensk in the sector where you have 3 AbnBdes and 1 AT Bde. He's got also a lot of infantry, so my guess is that he's going to use the infantry for flank security, while pressing and the PzGrp is to toward the general direction of the East-West rail line north of Bryansk. Your deployment there isn't very solid, I'd consider moving a substantial part of the forces you have currently on North of Smolensk towards Bryansk.

* I can't see very well what's stacked on the breakthrough he has achieved just east of Bryansk, but looks to me that he has used one PzGrp to open up your lines. I wouldn't be surprised that the hypothetical third PzGrp pushed just north of Gomel to achieve a major encirclement. Then he'll have quite a gap there, and two PzGrps - two different axis of advance - one possible going eastwards to attack directly on Bryansk, and the other one, with all security, going southeast, to outflank your forces on the Dnepr.

This is what I would do - although it looks to me your opponent has botched a bit the timing of his operation. The Velikiye Luki - Smolensk sector seems to be covered with a screen... What does Air Recon tell to you? Another possibility could be that the third PzGrp is waiting for you to shift your forces south, to strike directly on the direction of Moscow. I think it's unlikely, since it would be operating with little infantry support and could not support / be supported by his other two PzGrps.

[TulliusDetritus]

Moscow approaches fortifications [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

Execution of my half-ars** operation against the Army Group North. Let´s hope now I terrorise Sire Chaos for good! I would say Banzai but this is not WitP AE [8D] Hey, all I must say is DAVAI!

[jjdenver]

Oh my goodness. That last screenshot of the Pskov area was shocking. The Germans have a major problem there.

[Ketza]

Wow AGN is in the weeds.

[sitito]

Davai tovarich!! Very nice move

[Mynok]

It should be possible for him to break isolation, depending on how good your western screen is. It will certainly make him delay and start falling back however (if he is smart). He has way too little infantry up there.

[raizer]

game will need a resign button in about 7 more turns...

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


It should be possible for him to break isolation, depending on how good your western screen is. It will certainly make him delay and start falling back however (if he is smart). He has way too little infantry up there.

I know he can break isolation (in fact he will) [:)] I mean that on the logistics phase of the next turn these units will be isolated aka they will NOT get ammo, fuel, etc. In other words, these units will be [offensively speaking] harmless. Especially the ones on the Eastern 'pocket' (Panzer and Motorised divisions): second turn isolated (during the logistics phase that is). Unless I got all wrong (the supplies rules). I hope I didn't

[TulliusDetritus]

Well, I retreated the threatened Western Front units [:)] One division voluntarily stays in Gomel (well, not really, I ordered them to stay, RIP [:D]). The other 3 [blue] divisions did not have enough MPs to leave the massacre zone. The good side? At least part of the enemy units will be busy gnawing these poor soldiers' tailbones... I call this delaying 'tactic' the Cannibal Bait. Not very elegant, I know, but it should more or less work. The retreating units will try to occupy the defensive lines mentioned above.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Bletchley_Geek
Perhaps his goal isn't to get to Moscow... right now, but to destroy your forces in the Ukraine.

This has illuminated my mind! When I read it, I remembered what I saw on the manual... On the tips sections (Axis) this is one of the most important objectives : "the Soviet armies MUST be crippled on 1941..." or something like this.

I was focusing on what the Germans did in the real thing... and that could not be the case! I have to pay attention to what SireChaos (German as well, ok [:D]) plans to do [8D]

So it's true, maybe both Moscow & Leningrad are NOT his objectives. Anyway, if his main goal is to cripple my armies then on that department he hasn't succeeded AT ALL so far (I will keep my fingers crossed though!).

* Three Panzer Groups - assuming AGN PzGrp is also there or travelling there - concentrated in a 100 mile front (10 hexes) is a mass of sheer firepower he hasn't had since the initial stages of Barbarossa. As you say, prudence is your watchword.

Indeed!

* Looks like he has a PzGrp to push just south of Smolensk in the sector where you have 3 AbnBdes and 1 AT Bde. He's got also a lot of infantry, so my guess is that he's going to use the infantry for flank security, while pressing and the PzGrp is to toward the general direction of the East-West rail line north of Bryansk. Your deployment there isn't very solid, I'd consider moving a substantial part of the forces you have currently on North of Smolensk towards Bryansk.

I agree. The 50th Army was formed this turn around Bryansk. And as per above, the movements have to be like an accordion (at least on 1941, to stop the avalanche): 1) see where his most dangerous units are located (on my game, possibly NOT against Moscow and Leningrad), 2) send most of your forces there.

* I can't see very well what's stacked on the breakthrough he has achieved just east of Bryansk, but looks to me that he has used one PzGrp to open up your lines. I wouldn't be surprised that the hypothetical third PzGrp pushed just north of Gomel to achieve a major encirclement. Then he'll have quite a gap there, and two PzGrps - two different axis of advance - one possible going eastwards to attack directly on Bryansk, and the other one, with all security, going southeast, to outflank your forces on the Dnepr.

Yes, the big mass of Panzers in the south (the big salient) can either turn towards the north, south... or simply east (Bryansk)! As for emulating Hitler's directive (1 PzGp to Ukraine), who knows. I repeat, I would like that! Because that would mean he would certainly fail to capture Moscow (if he wants to try, which I don't know). And given that Leningrad now is possibly out of his reach, then he only has another realistic objective IF he wants to cripple me: destroying the Soviet army. Sorry, but I will do my best to avoid that... So... [8D]

This is what I would do - although it looks to me your opponent has botched a bit the timing of his operation. The Velikiye Luki - Smolensk sector seems to be covered with a screen... What does Air Recon tell to you? Another possibility could be that the third PzGrp is waiting for you to shift your forces south, to strike directly on the direction of Moscow. I think it's unlikely, since it would be operating with little infantry support and could not support / be supported by his other two PzGrps.

Air recon (I recon to death every single turn) clearly indicates there's only a light screen starting from Smolensk to the AGN you have seen on the screenshots. Therefore, he is clearly focusing on the Western Front BUT avoiding (so far) the direct route to Moscow. This of course might change on the next turns [:)]

Thank you very much for your sharp analysis. Kindly appreciated [8D]

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus
Thank you very much for your sharp analysis. Kindly appreciated [8D]

You welcome, Tullius [:)]. This game is very interesting for me: both from the perspective of the Soviet player and to see how that works for the Axis player.

[TulliusDetritus]

[center]Turn 10[/center]
[center]21 august 1941[/center]

In the Northwest it's like before. Well, not really [:)] In chess space and time are everything. If on turn x you move your horse and then on next turn you decide it is not correctly placed and move it again... then you have wasted time. A very dangerous thing to do when you play chess. So we are like before but mud and then winter are near [:)] And Leningrad is therefore safer. The AGN is not on the run (not even close) but he's lost 3 or more turns with its right hook maneuver.


[center][/center]

[TulliusDetritus]

The Northwest

[TulliusDetritus]

The Western Front.

[TulliusDetritus]

Welly welly welly well... In the center part of his Panzers are focusing again on Moscow route [apparently] [8D] He's attacked but see the result [:)]

[TulliusDetritus]

In the Southwest Front... well, it looks like both me and Sire Chaos are recreating what happened on real life. Is he sending a PzGp to Urkraine to obtain a massive pocket? [:)] It looks like Bletchley_Geek was clarivident [8D]

[TulliusDetritus]

Alright. I was going to evacuate almost all the SW front because of the perceived threat mentioned on the above post. But then Doberman (the Francophone thread) convinced me to wait 1 more turn (he would need minimum 2 turns to form such a pocket, but I was not sure about this point, that's why I wanted to evacuate). So in theory the 40 Army should contain the mega Panzers force, to make sure the Big Massacre does NOT take place and everyone can escape. He is not going to swallow the Red Army! I'm not a Stalinist clown! [:D]

Then, as I said some moons ago, I had an excess of divisions in the SW. They are not needed in the center though, but I think they'd be better more or less near Kursk, just in case the most dangerous enemy units turn towards that area.

[karonagames]

He's attacked but see the result

Interesting that he's using hasty attacks when one deliberate attack should have done the job. I am always nervous making hasties on a 3-stack, as there is 3 times the chance of the counter CV being wrong, and the actual CV going against me.

[karonagames]

The other comment I would make is that if I make a strategic withdrawal to a new defence line, I try to leave behind "skirmishers", so he pays a ZOC cost for every hex he enters before he gets to the new line. this could be the difference between him being able to make a deliberate attack or not.

Anything to buy additional digging time is a good thing in my book.