The Anti Bolshevik Crusade - Tarhunnas vs Q-Ball (no Q-Ball please)

[Tarhunnas]

Central part of front after German moves turn 9.

A beginning of a breakthrough at Bryansk, but fuel shortages prevent full exploitation.

[Tarhunnas]

And the South. Closing up on the river. With infantry in place, a crossing can be attempted in force next turn between Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye. I hide the panzers in second line to keep the enemy guessing about the point of crossing.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 10.

A little pocket east of Novgorod. This was a result of a HQ buildup. Rather meagre results, but better a small pocket than none at all.

[Tarhunnas]

Center, turn 10 after German moves. Pushing on towards Tula, but things are slow due to low supplies.

[Tarhunnas]

And in the south, we finally cross the Dnepr in force.

[Tarhunnas]

Losses after turn 10. Not even 2 million. This is beginning to look bad...

[Tarhunnas]

Order of battle turn 10.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 11.

The LVII Panzer Corps south of Rzhev had a buildup last turn. Now they attack on a new axis straight north, surprising the Soviet defenders. They link up with the panzers from Army Group North at Torzhok, surrounding hordes of Soviets in the Valdai area. Kalinin is captured with its industry.

Comment: This is the only area where my forces are close enough to the railheads that I can use HQ buildup. Combined with the supply situation and the relative ease of moving panzers through forest, this makes the northern part of the front the most feasible area for large panzer breakthrough at this stage of the campaign. This feels a bit counter intuitive compared to the historical campaign, but of course, this is only one game, and it might be an effect of the Soviet robinsky-like defense. I note though, that I made a similar northern pocket in my game against Gids, albeit a couple of turns later.

[Tarhunnas]

In the center, the advance is progressing at a crawl. Ther is still a lot of industry at Tula, but the MPs of my mobile divisions are such that I could hardly reach Tula even if there wasn't a single Soviet soldier in the way, and unfortunately, there are hordes of them. Some mobile divisions are refitting and collecting fuel.

Comment: The new buildup rules are really having an effect in this area. Under the old rules I would have made a buildup one or two turns back and probably captured Tula with some industry left in it. My HQs are at between 22-26 MPs from the railhead.

[Tarhunnas]

In the south, the advance towards the Donbass is continuing. However, the panzers are hampered by supply difficulties.

Comment: Similar to the center with the new buildup rules. In retrospect, I could have mitigated that by attacking north from somewhere around Krementchug, but the Soviet defenses were pretty dense around there. Might be my mistake, but I am feeling the difference in the HQ buildup rules.

[Peltonx]

Yes it seems limiting for sure.

I started another 41-45 campaign to test out new rules myself seeing they will stick I am sure. I have figured out a few roses in the thorns testing during 1942 with my game vs Larry, but wanted to test it out from turns 1 - 18 to see how it works. I can still cross the dnepr on turn 3 in more then one spot. The reds are all running for the hills the first 3 to 5 turns because they are exploiting the new hq rules. Totally not historical, but I do same exploit if I played the SHC side. Until the rail system is nerfed to something close to historical their is zero reason for the russian player to fight.

I am closely watching your game an beleive that you should beable to get to the Leningrad,Tula, Kursk,Kharkov to Rostov line by turn 18. But the number of factories your able to bag will be much lower then the past rule set and historical (50% of over run citys) and dead reds seem to be much lower also and not historical at all (4million). The rail system is way way over rated. Also nothing was railed back from the front or factories moved until at least 3 weeks after the start of the campiagn. If they want to keep the rail system insanely high they need to freeze it for 2 turns and then 50% turn 3 or something like that. Stalin was having his nervous breakdown the first 2 weeks.

Pelton

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 12.

The pocket in the north was unfortunately broken by a single obnoxious cavalry division. Pocket now resealed, and the panzers move southeast, in preparation for the final drive on Moscow. I do have the feeling that the Soviets have been prioritizing defense in the South, and there might be a fair chance to capture Moscow...

In the center, forward units have arrived outside Tula, just in time to see the last train loaded with indiustrial machinery disappear on the horizon! Typically, it is the non-fuel dependent 1st Cavalry Division in the lead.

Army group south is continuing the advance as well, but supply problems and determined Soviet resistance is slowing the pace. The leading panzers turn northeast, so as to threaten both Kharkov and Stalino.

Map of front after German moves turn 12.

[Peltonx]

6 more turns. Your doing very good so far. Yes you have a good shot at Moscow.

Nice pocket, is that going to get you to 3 million?

Yes the supplies are a huge bottle neck. You almost have to fight close to the railheads. Which makes defending even easyer.

[Klydon]

Nice job on the advance, especially against a player the caliber of Q-Ball.

That southern section of river in the south is going to likely be a pain if you can't get it cleaned out by winter unfortunately. Just not enough troops to go around and tough to pay attention to it when things are going well elsewhere.

[Mynok]

You have your railheads well along there. I might have taken the southern central one southeast from Gomel as that area can be a real bear for supply during mud, but otherwise nicely setup.

IMO a Kursk-Kharkov pocket would do tremendous damage to the Soviets, maybe even more so than taking Moscow. It would require diverting 2nd panzer from the Moscow push of course, but I would consider it if I were you. And you still might be able to pull off Moscow by using 3rd and 4th panzers for a push from east of Rzhev.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Mynok

You have your railheads well along there. I might have taken the southern central one southeast from Gomel as that area can be a real bear for supply during mud, but otherwise nicely setup.

IMO a Kursk-Kharkov pocket would do tremendous damage to the Soviets, maybe even more so than taking Moscow. It would require diverting 2nd panzer from the Moscow push of course, but I would consider it if I were you. And you still might be able to pull off Moscow by using 3rd and 4th panzers for a push from east of Rzhev.

Yes, the Kursk - Kharkov pocket is what I would like to do, but a) I think Q-ball is too smart not to pull back in time and b) that area is a supply wasteland, and without HQ buildup, I won't be able to pull it off.

[Tarhunnas]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Nice job on the advance, especially against a player the caliber of Q-Ball.

That southern section of river in the south is going to likely be a pain if you can't get it cleaned out by winter unfortunately. Just not enough troops to go around and tough to pay attention to it when things are going well elsewhere.

Some of the pace of advance is due to Q-ball pulling back.

Yes, I agree the area north of the Crimea will likely be a problem, but I can't afford the forces and there is nothing there worth taking. The Donbass and Kharkov has tons of industry that he will have problems to evacuate in time, so I will put the pressure there.

Anyway, so he recaptures Zaporozhye during the winter, it will just make a juicy target bulge for a 1942 offensive (I hope).

[Klydon]

Just sort of noticed, you are real close to cutting rail lines to that big bulge in the center. The southern junction is 5 hexes in along the river from where you flipped the territory in the south. If you can get to or behind Kursk in the north, that kills the rail lines and should put those Russians in the bulge in a bad way logistics wise.

It may not have a lot in there, but that is a huge amount of territory to flip in your favor to give you some manuvering room during winter not to mention shortening up your lines by a lot.

Tough decisions for the Germans with time running out. Should be an exciting several turns coming up. [:D]

[Mynok]

You can still do the Kursk-Kharkov pocket. You will only need one buildup IMO and that is for 2nd panzer.

[Tarhunnas]

Turn 13.

XXXVI and XXXVII panzer corps of 2d Panzer Group were finally within range of the railhead to get a buildup last turn. They launch a right hook towards Moscow, and much to everyones surprise, 10th Motorized Divison rolls into Moscow, while 29th Motorized links up with 3d Panzer Group that is attacking southeast from Kalinin. Moscow is captured and the entire Soviet Western Front is cut off. The encirclement is loose however, and those divisions of 2d Panzer Group are probably in for a hard time, but it will be worth it!