1.04 The Wolf and the Bear (no Gids)

[Tarhunnas]

In the wooded wastes to the east of Leningrad, the Finns are feeling the cost of war. The Finnish cavalry brigade has advanced too far in its eagerness to make contact with the Germans, and is cut off and forced to surrender in a Soviet conterattack!

[Tarhunnas]

In the south, mud strikes, making operations impossible in large parts of the Ukraine. There goes the chance of trapping a large part of the Soviet southern front...[:(]. Well, mud was bound to happen sooner or later when playing with random weather, and september is definitely better than july. SS Wiking will just have to sit and chew their belts while the rain splatters on the roofs of Kharkov...

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 16. October 2 1941.

Eh... something slightly embarrassing has happened in the Ukraine. The SS LAH was cut off and impossible to reach due to the mud... and now they seem to have surrendered! Wonder how we are to explain this to the Fuhrer...? But on the other hand, this just goes to show that war should be left to the professionals in the military. This is what happens when amateurs like those SS jocks play at soldiers. But we will perhaps not say that in the report to Wolfsschanze.

[Tarhunnas]

In the north, the Soviets have unfortunately broken the Mega-Pocket in a display of slavic cunning. Now it is resealed again, and this time it shall hold! The panzers race east towards Rybinsk, and encircle an extra clutch of divisions to compensate.

Leningrad is cleaned out, and in the north the Finns immediately start to chew up Soviet units in revenge for the stricken cavalry brigade.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 16, Moscow.

XXIV Panzer Corps had recieved a HQ buildup last turn, but Soviet defences are improving, and with too few infantry to clear the way for the panzers, all they can achieve is a thrust to Ryazan. Meanwhile, the rest of 2d Panzer Army is working its way around Moscow, led by the XXXX Panzer corps under Stumme.

[Tarhunnas]

In the far south, a thrust at the Crimea has run into trouble. The plan was to blitz through the middle gap to the Crimea, which appeared weakly held. However, that led to German units bunched in the centre and Rumanians on the flanks. This can be risky! Two German corps just barely avoid encirclement. That could have been nasty, with only Rumanians to relieve them. Map before German moves.

[Tarhunnas]

And the south after German moves turn 16. The besiged SS division in Kharkov has still not been relieved. Hope we don't have to send another report about a surrendered SS-division to the Fuhrer...

However, if things go right it should be possible to pocket a big pile of Soviet units to the west of Kharkov next turn.

[Tarhunnas]

To aid in the effort to relive Kharkov and entrap the Soviet South Front, XXXXVI Panzer Corps has been transferred from AGC to 6th Army. To avoid Soviet air reconnaisance, they are now parked in a woods south of Sumy.

[Tarhunnas]

Losses turn 16.

We have passed the 3 million mark for Soviet casualties.

German AFV losses look on the high side, or what do you others say?

[Tarhunnas]

OOB turn 16.

[Sabre21]

Could you post your latest production page showing the trucks in units on the right side?

Thanks

[Sabre21]

I compared this T16 of your with the one I ran in test and your numbers for losses for both sides and OOb are fairly close. You do have 500 more German tank losses than in my game but the big number are trucks. You have 6000 fewer trucks at this point. I don't know the impact of that come blizzard, but in my game, the Germans were barely able to supply most of their forces.

[Tarhunnas]

Here is the production screen, unfiltered. Truck numbers at turn 16 are 157 (145).

[Tarhunnas]

CAMPAIGN ASSESMENT AND PLANS

OKH has now made an assesment of progress so far in the campaign.

* Soviet casualties are about 3.2 million, and with the expected haul from the Vyzhni Volocheck pocket they should reach well over 3.5 million.

* Industry destroyed is
Kremetchug
Ordzhonikidzegrad
Nikolaev
Kursk
Tula
Kalinin
Leningrad
Stalino
Mariupol
Kharkov
Makeevka

This is a substantial achievement. OKH estimates that the capture of the KV factory in Leningrad and the T34 factory in Kharkov should be a crippling blow to Soviet tank production. Likewise, the destruction of much of the Soviet armaments production will hinder rebuilding of infantry and artillery.

* The campaigning season is drawing to a close. In a couple of turns, the autumn mud will stop operations along large parts of the front. After that, we will have two or three turns of snow in which to improve our positions before the expected winter storms hit.

* Even with the onset of bad weather imminent, the situation is bright. The Soviets are on the verge of collapse. Even if the winter weather will let the Soviets rearm and refit, there is no doubt that the war will be brought to a swift decision in the spring of 1942.

PLANS AND ORDERS
The objectives for the rest of the campaigning season are:

GENERAL
Before onset of the winter storms, our troops shall have reached the line Leningrad - Kalinin - Moscow - Ryazan - Voronezh - Rostov, and have established deep and prepared winter defenses, utilizing any population centers for shelter.

AGN
Eliminate the Vyzhni Volochek pocket. Establish winter defenses on the ordered line.

AGC
Finish reduction of the enemy in the Moscow area. Help AGS in securing the Voronezh area before winter.

AGS
Relieve Kharkov. Encircle and destroy the Soviet South Front. Cooperate with AGC in securing the Voronezh area. Push forward and capture the rest of the Donbass and Rostov. Establish defenses to ward off any threat from the Crimea.

REDEPLOYMENTS
In order to facilitate the above, AGN will as soon as practicable, and at the latest when mud starts, send at least half of their armored forces to AGS to strengthen the offensive potential of AGS and enable AGS to complete their tasks. Finnish troops, freed by the loosening of Finnish restrictions on deployment after the fall of Leningrad, can fill out the holes created by the departure of much of the armor of AGN.

[Sabre21]

Looks like the trucks in your units are doing pretty well number wise considering the number of times you used hq build-up. Thanks for posting that.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 17.

The Mega-pocket at Vyzhni Volochek finally holds, and the harvesting can begin !

Unfortunately, there is mud all over the north, which hampers the harvesting, to say the least.

At Ryazan, a couple of armor divisions have gotten into trouble and are cut off. The mud makes it impossible to reach them. Maybe I should have been somewhat more careful there... Otherwise, not much happening due to the mud.

Map before German move, with isolated units highlighted. As can be seen, the mud makes a lot of German units isolated too.

[Tarhunnas]

Down at the Crimea, enormous numbers of Soviet units are crawling out of the woodwork! 17th army has really gotten into trouble. Map before German move.

[Tarhunnas]

However, in other parts of the south, things are going well! The pincers close on the Soviet South Front, and Kharkov is relieved! At least 25 Soviet formations are solidly trapped!

Down at the Crimea, 17th army extricates themselves, but are forced to withdraw. Reinforcements are rushed to the spot. The Soviets have really made a nuisance of themselves down there, and much ssoner than expected!

[Tarhunnas]

Losses after turn 17.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 18. Mud everywhere! [:(]

Pocket reduction in the north and in the south. Not much else happening. Below map of central sector. Note isolated panzer divisions near Ryazan. It proved impossible to reach them due to the mud. I am afraid time is running out for them...