Operation Barbershop II (Carnage vs. Redmarkus)

[Encircled]

Seems like the ideal Soviet start to me

Congratulations!

[Redmarkus5]

TOP SECRET

SPECIAL REPORT ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MILITARY SITUATION

Prepared by the Red Army Chiefs of Staff for the STAVKA
August, 1941

SUMMARY REPORT

The Fascists have demonstrated the following during the past week:

1. An improved appreciation of the fact that isolated Soviet formations in their rear still pose a serious operational threat and must be eliminated rapidly.

2. An improved level of infantry/armour coordination with infantry divisions acting to support the advance of the Panzers and to prevent break-ins on the flanks.

3. Concentration of forces at the key points of the advance.

ENEMY OBJECTIVES

Our analysis of enemy movements, armour concentrations and signals intercepts, supported by prisoner interrogations and monitoring of Axis radio broadcasts, indicates that the enemy intends:

1. To attempt a right hook designed to cut off Leningrad. We view this as unlikely to succeed, but it will draw in scarce reserves from our pool.

2. To push the main force units of AGC directly towards Mosocw, via Vyazma. This represents the greatest threat at this juncture.

3. To seize the Crimea and the Don basin, including Stalino. There is a good chance that the enemy can achieve both, but his losses will be heavy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. All available reserve formations to be assembled west of Moscow and attached to the Reserve Front which is already in position.

2. Preparation of three concentric defensive lines around Moscow to commence immediately.

3. Tank and Mechanized formations to prepare for local counter attacks on Panzer spearheads.

4. Cavalry formations to be held ready to exploit gaps and disrupt the enemy's lines of communications.

5. Airlift of supplies to partisan units in the zone Minsk-Smolensk to receive priority. VVS units to be concentrated behind the Moscow Military District front and cross-attached.

6. Evacuation of industry from Moscow, Bryansk, Tula and Orel to commence forthwith. Evacuation of the Don basin to follow.

Signed: Zhukov

[Peltonx]

Good job so far.

Hes just not putting enough pressure on you acroos the front to make you deside what you have to let him destroy.

Unless he gets some major breakthrough he never get enough industry destoryed to wound or cripple the Red army during 42 to 45. Which means you should be able to break the German army betweens turns 70 and 90.

Very good job as Russian.

Pelton

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: Pelton

Good job so far.

Hes just not putting enough pressure on you acroos the front to make you deside what you have to let him destroy.

Unless he gets some major breakthrough he never get enough industry destoryed to wound or cripple the Red army during 42 to 45. Which means you should be able to break the German army betweens turns 70 and 90.

Very good job as Russian.

Pelton

Cheers. The situation in front of Moscow is my main worry at the moment. I think the battle there, over the next 4 turns or so, will prove decisive.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 8 - NORTH

Pskov still holds out and is still in supply. Clearing this up will gain me a bit more time.

The big question in this sector is whether the enemy will attempt to drive directly for Leningrad, or attempt a right hook. The second is the greatest danger, but does he have the strength to attempt it?

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 8 - CENTER

In the center, Smolensk still holds and, once again, isolated units are allowed to roam free.

I have managed to beef up the Moscow defenses, although much more is needed. Hopefully, I have enough in place to stop AGC's weakened force from breaking through.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 8 - SOUTH

Here, the enemy is still playing catch up in most areas. Nikolaev still holds and I have reasonably deep defenses in place behind a major river line everywhere except the extreme south.

My hope is that AGS is exhausted by the fighting around Odessa-Nikolaev over the past 5 weeks, as well as the march to the Dnepr, and will be unable to attempt a major series of river crossings for the next turn or two.

I have also opted to defend Kiev in order to further bleed the Axis infantry.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 8 - CRIMEA-KUBAN

In the Crimea-Kuban sector I have dug in forces to hold the entrances to the Crimea, as well as a Corps to defend Sevastopol. I next need to organize the defense of the Kerch Peninsular and the Kuban itself, as I know that Carnage believes this to be the Soviet Achilles Heel.

Note also the remaining Soviet hold out in Romania!

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 9 - Northern Front

It is still unclear what the enemy's plan is in this sector, although a right hook via the Valdai still appears to be the most likely possibility. I have pulled back to stronger defensive positions in the southern part of the sector, but I hesitate to strip the defenses around Leningrad or Novgorod to reinforce the Valdai further, as this may open up the direct avenue of advance for the Axis.

Hopefully, the continued defense of Pskov and the general level of attrition/supply will slow the Axis moves sufficiently for me to be able to react to his chosen axes of advance.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 9 - Central Front

The enemy is catching his breath here. I anticipate a push towards Vyazma and possibly Bryansk before the rains, followed by an attempt on Moscow in the snow.

I am slowly deepening my defenses, but I could do with some more reserves. I couldn't rail up everything I received this turn as I was busy evacuating my factories from Stalino and Kharkov - see next post.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 9 - Southwest Front

As I hoped, the enemy has launched a concerted infantry assault on Kiev, which is well defended by paratroopers and some of my better rifle divisions. A narrow double envelopment is also being attempted, but a crossing of the Dnepr further south, to bypass Kiev and threaten Kursk-Kharkov-Stalino would cause me more problems.

In any case, the situation south of Dnepropetrovsk is challenging and may force me to fall back all along the Dnepr front next turn. See next post.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 9 - Crimea and Donbass

This has again been the most active sector. The enemy's dispositions lead me to conclude that he three primary objectives:

1. A drive on Kharkov from the area Dnepropetrovsk, intended to threaten my Dnepr line and force it to fall back. This is likely to succeed, so I have already started to plan the rearward move and industry is being evacuated from Kharkov as a priority.

2. A push toward Stalino/Donbass to prevent the evacuation of the industry there. I have already moved about 50% of my armaments, but there is so much productive capacity in the Stalino-Kharkov region that I may not get it all out in time.

3. A break-in to the Crimea and a push across the Kerch peninsula into the Kuban. I have put what forces I can spare in place to slow this move, but I probably can't completely prevent it. I am gambling on the defenses around Sevastopol acting as a force multiplier and tying down a good portion of the Axis forces, as I don't expect to see the Romanians enter the Crimea in strength - this will be an armoured push. That may just buy me the time to get the Kuban defenses organised, but at the moment they are non-existent.

The key question will be whether the Axis has the stamina and resources to support all three of these thrusts simultaneously, while also pushing toward Moscow and trying to flank Leningrad. I expect to be under real pressure for the next few turns, but I doubt that the enemy can overcome the delays they suffered earlier in the campaign and thus beat the mud turns.

[Redmarkus5]

TOP SECRET

SPECIAL REPORT ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MILITARY SITUATION - SOUTHERN FRONT

Prepared by the Red Army Chiefs of Staff for the STAVKA
August, 1941

CURRENT SITUATION

The Fascists have created an opportunity for themselves in the south where they currently threaten the Don-bass and are poised to enter the Crimea with strong mobile forces.

Our reserves are still very limited and we are currently unable to build a sufficiently strong defensive line to ensure the security of Kerch and the Kuban.

Entry into the Kuban by enemy forces appears to constitute a threat to the Caucasus. However, with limited time remaining between now and the Autumn/Winter period, we do not believe that the enemy can actually exploit such a break-in to maximum effect.

OPPORTUNITY

Should the enemy enter the Kuban in strength this late in the campaigning season, and should they extend themselves in an effort to approach either Stalingrad or Maikop, we believe that they will find themselves open to a winter counter-offensive which, if conducted properly, could potentially destroy key formations within AGS.

OUTLINE PLAN OF OPERATIONS

For such an offensive to have maximum impact we need to draw the enemy as far into the Kuban region as possible, via the Crimea, within the next 6 weeks by giving the impression of weakness and panic, while holding the zone Stalino-Rostov against his advance along the north coast of the Sea of Azov. The enemy must be made to feel that we have made a strategic blunder by focusing too much of our defense to the north.

Forces assembling for the winter counter offensive will be formed into two armies centered on Rostov and Novorossiysk. The enemy will be encouraged to advance on Maikop with mobile forces.

On the first blizzard turn, an advance from the region south of Rostov will commence using all available tank and cavalry formations. This will be coordinated with an infantry offensive north and northwest from Novorossiysk.

GOAL

The goal of these operations is to isolate enemy forces in the Kuban within 3 turns and annihilate them by the end of January 1942.

Follow-on operations may then be conducted to recapture the Crimea or relieve other key points, as the situation justifies at that stage.

Signed: Zhukov

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 10 - Front

Nothing of note occurred in the northern sector this turn.

In the center and south the enemy is attempting a massive double-envelopment of our forces, with a northern pincer directed toward Bryansk and a southern pincer threatening Kharkov. We had predicted these two axes and the need for a pull back from the Dnepr defensive line, and said pull back has now commenced, although enemy air interdiction has hindered the move significantly.

Nevertheless, while we anticipated a broader series of thrusts, including advances toward Vyazma, Stalino and into the Crimea, these have not yet materialised. One possibility is that the enemy is engaging in a deception and that the northern pincer will swing NE toward Moscow, while the southern pincer swings due east toward Stalino and the Don-bass. However, the fact that the enemy has stripped both Crimean entrances of every single blocking unit suggests that the enemy is seriously stretched.

In the south, we have been able to inject four cavalry divisions into the flank of the enemy's advance directly from the Crimea. These should be able to tie down between 8 and 12 enemy formations on the next turn. If the enemy fails to ZOC these units, we can potentially create a serious threat to his lines of communications on Turn 11.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 10 - Center.

Showing the northern Axis pincer and the Soviet moves required to effect an escape from the threatened pocket. The pull back and reformation of a defensive line in this sector was quite tricky and a few divisions did not make it. Air interdiction was a particular problem on this turn in this sector of the front.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 10 - South

Showing the Axis southern pincer and the corresponding Soviet responses to evade pocketing.

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 10 - Crimea

Showing how the Axis stripped bare their flank defenses facing the Crimea and how this was exploited by Soviet cavalry formations.

[Redmarkus5]

TOP SECRET

RE OPERATION KRASNY KUBAN

To: Red Army Chiefs of Staff
From: STAVKA

In light of recent enemy advances all planning for Operation Krasny Kuban is to be suspended forthwith. Strategic focus is to be placed on the defense of the following:

1. Leningrad

2. Moscow

3. Tula

4. Kursk

5. Rostov

These are hereby designated Fortress Cities. Failure to secure and hold any of the above named will be punishable by death.

Signed: Stalin

[Redmarkus5]

Смерть шпионам

[KenchiSulla]

What spies?