The Iron Dream : An Impossible AAR

[horza66]

The last of the spring muds will soon clear. The Germans have already revealed their strategic direction : Stalingrad and the Don. The new Rifle Corps of the Shock Armies stand in their way, and we have yet to commit our Tank Corps. We have nearly 6 million men under arms. Will this be enough to hold the line against the fascists?

[horza66]

ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you! Death to the fascist invaders!

BTW, have you identified their leader in the front? IIRC Feric Jaggar had a habit of leading from the front, wielding a great truncheon.

Well remembered! Jaggar and his infeasibly large iron truncheon indeed.

[horza66]

The opening week of the full summer campaign and there are limited offensives on most fronts, all containable. The main enemy effort is between Stalingrad and Rostov and serves no strategic purpose we can detect, other than perhaps to push the front as a whole across the Don. Overall we are forced back a maximum of twenty miles. However the offensive as whole is terribly weak, with several failed attacks, and the highlight is failure of three panzer divisions (with only fifty panzers each) to force three of our infantry divisions back.

[horza66]

The attacks on the rest of the front line start to peter out, leaving only major offensives in the Rostov-Stalingrad axis. The Romanian attacks near Rostov are notable for failing more often than succeeding. The more dangerous German attacks near Stalingrad fail to penetrate the final layer of our defence in depth.

[horza66]

Though they lack any real breakthrough, we consider the German offensive to likely push us back to the Don, and we begin preparing a fort line there.

[horza66]

The Stalingrad offensive has its first distant view of the Don. The offensive against Rostov largely fails to make any progress.

[horza66]

The attacks aimed at Stalingrad shift North, and place a Hungarian division on the banks of the Don. We have maintained a relatively passive posture at this place, swamping his offensives with men rather than conducting any major counter-attacks. However any attempt to cross the Don will be met with maximum force.

[horza66]

The end of July and the German offensives against Stalingrad and Rostov appear to be petering out. With fresh reserves they could theoretically take Rostov and cross the Don. However the enemy attacks are getting weaker and our lines are getting stronger.

[horza66]

The German offensive finally struggles to the outskirts of Rostov. We do not intend to allow it to fall. Rifle Corps will be formed to turn it into a graveyard for any attackers.

[horza66]

For the past two months the Rumanians, with some German and Italian support, have tried repeatedly to drive in the defences of Fortress Sevastopol. They have failed, to great cost to themselves. Our Cavalry and Rifle Corps now exhibit far more strength than the beseigers. We begin to plan to take the initiative here.

[horza66]

The situation outside Rostov. Of 7 German attacks, 5 are failures.

[horza66]

Despite their attentuation of power, the Fascists manage to cross the Don, and in sufficient strength to make a counter-attack unlikely to succeed. Such is the weakness in their flanks we start to consider a larger operation.

[color]

How's the nightmare evolving - did Stalingrad fall yet? 

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: color

How's the nightmare evolving - did Stalingrad fall yet? 

Yes, this is exciting! Please keep it up!

[horza66]

ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas

ORIGINAL: color

How's the nightmare evolving - did Stalingrad fall yet? 

Yes, this is exciting! Please keep it up!

Thanks for the encouragement all. I'm presently in the Siberian gulag as far as internet access goes, but will be back to posting updates in a few days.

Stalingrad Will Not Fall!

[horza66]

Despite the enemy strength we push them back across the Don. Emboldened by our success we surround the 18th Panzer Division in the Southern front. Our 1st Guards Tank Corps performs well on the attack, but is hammered back on the defence by a Panzer Division with less than 20 tanks to the 1st GTC's 220. Limited counter-attacks are successful wherever the enemy is weak, but he is still able to break open our pockets.

[horza66]

The weakened 1st Guards Tank Corps is ignominously routed back from the front line. It was employed as the exploitation arm of the 4th Shock Army, and clearly is too small a unit to fulfil that role. Come the mud, we will perform a radical reorganisation and exansion of our Tank and Shock Armies, concentrating our assets into offensive arms. Many of our Tank Corps have organised Guards status now, operating as local mobile reserves and gaining much needed experience in the process - employed en masse we may be able to conduct some large scale offensives in the coming Winter.

[molchomor]

Interesting battle. Finnish engineer battalions attacking in the far south ?!

[horza66]

ORIGINAL: molchomor

Interesting battle. Finnish engineer battalions attacking in the far south ?!

I've seen those Finnish support units in a surprising number of battles. I'm not sure how they can get into AGS's roster really.

[horza66]

For many weaks the Fascists have employed their Romanian allies in futile attempts at fighting toward Sevastopol. The Coastal Army is now stronger than many Shock Armies, with many Guards Rifle Corps, and their superiority to the Romanian formations is astonishing. A fresh Tank Army will be formed and transferred here in time for the Winter offensive.