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Axis Allocations Turn 4

For information only.

Yeah I would like to say three cheers to Doctorking for his eager initiative in the air!

He has happily taken on the roll of aggresive air commando with VERY little prodding from Stalin and is even taking the first round of logistics as soon as the turn comes in with the dreaded KABUKI no less!!!
Blasphemy I say!!

All hail our air ace Doctorking [:D]

@Tele: Have to be careful from now on then I guess.
@ST: Abosoluetly, well done action all around!

Connect 4 AAR, turn 4

Turn 4 marked a major transition in the personnel of our game as the Axis AGC and AGS commanders left the game, replaced by newcomers, who took AGN and AGS, while the AGN commander moved to command in the center. In the Soviet turn, our own north commander retired to “study the geography of the north-eastern regions” under the benevolent supervision of the NKVD. After finishing the turn; he will be replaced by a good communist to be named later (before turn 5). Additionally, our Chief of Staff resigned his team manager duties, to be replaced by me. His role as CoS remains unchanged. So here is the game participant lineup as of the end of Soviet turn 4:

Axis Team: Erzac North & Air, Hobotango Centre, Belgavox South, Telemecus CoS and acting team manager
Soviet Team: TBA North, Doctorking Centre/Team manager, Icalli South, SparkleTits CoS

I also began a tracking spreadsheet monitoring the position and (hopefully) command, supply, and CV status of Axis motorized formations. Here is the first version, done for this turn. One of my fellow players in the 2by3 multiplayer game, Mameluke, is doing this for us and I thought it was a very useful innovation.

Location
Corps Commander Division Strength Supply state Turn 4
4th Panzer Group Hoepner Pskov region
4th Pz Group Hoepner Totenkopf SS Motorized 18 25 Pskov 72, 33
4th/XXXXI Pz Corps Reinhardt 1 Panzer 39 25 Pskov 69,30
6th Panzer 40 25 Pskov 69, 30
36 Motorized 22 25 Pskov 69,30
4th/LVI Panzer Corps Manstein 8th Panzer 37 25 Pskov 73,33
4th/LVI Panzer Corps Manstein 3rd Motorized 24 25 Pskov 73,33
2nd Panzer Group Guderian Moldova region
900th Lehr Motorized Regiment Polotsk 71,45
2nd/XXIV Panzer Corps Schweppenburg 10th Motorized 8 + 6 + ? 10 (rgts) Bar 68,93
2nd/XXIV Panzer Corps Schweppenburg 3rd Panzer 15 + 14 + 14 15 (rgts) Vradievka 80.99
2nd/XXIV Panzer Corps Schweppenburg 4th Panzer
2nd/XXIV Panzer Corps Schweppenburg 1st Cavalry 15? ? Tulchin 71,95
2nd/XXXXVi Panzer Corps Vietinghoff 10th Panzer
2nd/XXXXVi Panzer Corps Vietinghoff Das Reich SS Motorized 6 + 10 + 9 16 (rgts) Voznesensk 82,101
2nd/XXXXVi Panzer Corps Vietinghoff Grossdeutschland Motorized Rgt Land bridge region?
2nd/XXXXVII Panzer Corps Lemelsen 17th Panzer 37 32 Orsha 79,52
2nd/XXXXVII Panzer Corps Lemelsen 18th Panzer Land bridge region?
2nd/XXXXVII Panzer Corps Lemelsen 29th Motorized 7 + 6 + 7 19 (rgts) Monastyriche 76,90
3rd Panzer Group Hoth Land Bridge region
3rd Panzer Group Hoth 7th Panzer 32? 32? Bogushevski 78,51
3rd/XXXIX Panzer Corps Schmidt 20th Panzer 34 32 HQBU Vitebsk 78,49
3rd/XXXIX Panzer Corps Schmidt 14th Motorized 7 + 7 + 7 36 HQBU (rgts) Bogushevski 79,50
3rd/XXXIX Panzer Corps Schmidt 20th Motorized 26 34 HQBU Vitebsk 79,49
3rd/LVII Panzer Corps Kuntzen 12 Panzer 11 + 9 + 10 33 (rgts) Krupki 76,55
3rd/LVII Panzer Corps Kuntzen 19th Panzer 41 32 Orsha 79, 53
3rd/LVII Panzer Corps Kuntzen 18th Motorized 23 33 Orsha 80,52
1st Panzer Group Kleist Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler SS Motorized ? ? Berezovka 81,103
1st/III Panzer Corps Mackensen 25th Motorized
1st/III Panzer Corps Mackensen 14th Panzer 13 + 13 + 14 16 (rgts) Vradievka 80.99
1st/III Panzer Corps Mackensen 13th Panzer ? ? Petrovka 82,104
1st/XIV Panzer Corps Wietersheim Wiking SS Motorized
1st/XIV Panzer Corps Wietersheim 9th Panzer
1st/XIV Panzer Corps Wietersheim 16th Panzer 8 + 9 + 12 19 (rgts) Pogrebische 76,89
1st/XXXXVIII Panzer Corps Kempf 16th Motorized 21 16 Voznesensk 82,101
1st/XXXXVIII Panzer Corps Kempf 11th Panzer 37 14 Vradievka 79,99
8th SS Cavalry Brigade
60th Motorized
Slovakian Motorized Division ? ? Vinnitsa 74,86
1st Rumanian Armored 5 15 Vradievka 81,100
6th Army/XXXX Panzer Corps
2nd Panzer
5th Panzer
Latvian SS Motorized Brigade
203rd Panzer Regiment
22nd Panzer division

Axis turn 4 was relatively uneventful and probably represented preparatory steps for a major attack on turn 5. The front line only moved a little in the south and hardly at all in the north and center.

In the north, Axis motorized forces from 4th Panzer Group attacked both sides of the Pskov defense zone, without advancing very far, while a large infantry group of about seven divisions, tentatively identified as 18th Army, moved up from the Riga area to confront the Pskov defenses from the west. A screen of infantry faced off against our weak defenses in 24th Army’s sector to the south, while a reduced strength infantry corps advanced into Estonia against no resistance.

In the central sector, XXXIX Panzer Corps appears to have done an HQBU last turn, as we suspected, but did not use their additional movement to attack. Instead, they moved a short distance up to what must be jumping off positions for an attack next turn. The infantry in this sector was still way back knocking off the first turn pocket guys and so presumably the armor decided to wait for support. At least two infantry armies are now in the general vicinity, though not quite up to the armor positions at the base of the land bridge. Instead, the infantry of 9th and 16th Armies is massed near Polotsk, still showing at least a potential move along the Velikie Luki line as I have previously anticipated. Elements of 4th Army participated in the reduction of pockets in eastern Belarus and the capture of Minsk. They are presumably ready to advance towards the Berezina and upper Dnepr.

In the north Ukraine, the Axis left the first turn pockets mostly unreduced, possibly in a bid to delay the ultimate arrival of replacement units. We were unable to reopen those pockets last turn, so attacking the pocket did allow the Axis to destroy some units. There was almost no combat along our actual front. At least one Panzer Group, probably 2nd, stands east of Vinnitsa, presumably bringing up supplies. The remainder of 2nd Panzer Group is farther to the south, some still cleaning up the pocket and others accompanying (or cross-attached to) 1st Panzer Group along the Nizhny Bug. Elements of three German infantry armies are in this region, including 2nd Army, activated on turn 2. This army appears to have moved rapidly along the southern edge of the Pripet Marshes and is now threatening the Kiev region.

Turns out it wasn't 2nd Army. Intel chiefs are embarrassed at their mis-identification.

To the south, the main concentration of German armor moved up to our positions on the Nizhny Bug but did not attempt to cross. One probing attack just succeeded in getting some SS guys damp and giving our tanks a workout. However, now there is a mass of German armor right up in Southern Front’s face. What that armor lacks, though, is German infantry to back it up. The German army that starts in Romania, 11th, is scattered all the way from the Black Sea to north Moldova. The infantry that is near the armor stacks in the south Ukraine is all Romanian.

In the far north, the treacherous Finns broke the peace treaty we signed with them last year and pushed forward into 7th Independent Army’s positions. We retreated in good order and began fortifying the Karelian Ithsmus to protect the northern flank of Leningrad and free mobile combat units to fight the Germans. We plan to defend the Janisjarvi chokepoint with 7th Independent, at lest for a while. The cost of building a fort line along the whole Finnish no-attack line seemed excessive and the northern region commander thought this would be a good place to farm Guards units.

On the main part of northern region’s front, we pulled back to a defensive position in the immediate vicinity of Pskov, and to the north, while thinning our lines in the plains to the south. Hopefully, the units we have left behind will be able to prevent a German armored breakthrough with LVI Panzer Corps, while giving us enough to foil a dramatic movement along the lake shore to the north of the city. Meanwhile, 24th Army gave ground slowly south of the Sorot, taking up a position along the Velikaya and in the swamps to the south. It is possible that this could lead to a pocket of a significant force in the Pskov area, but reserves are already fortifying the Luga. Northern region commander was very confident, right before the NKVD guys showed up to escort him to his new position…

In the center, our forces were reorganized into two fronts, Western and Reserve. Ultimately, Reserve will hold the northern flank of the land bridge while Western holds from Smolensk south. For now, Reserve is in reserve while Western presents a defense in depth across the region.

We considered a possible offensive, similar to the one on turn 2, but this time intended to isolate an entire Panzer Group. It would have required assigning a good general to one of Western Front’s armies, putting all the units in the region under his command, and then launching two attacks against German panzer regiments that both had to succeed. Then, exploitation units could have rolled through, displacing two German HQ’s and isolating all of the panzer group. The downsides were two-fold: first, if either attack failed, as in the previous example, a bunch of quite nice units would be left hanging in a dangerous position. Secondly, the HQBU was done last turn, so the units inside the pocket would still have plenty of movement factors to counterattack and isolate. For these reasons, we decided not to do the proposed attack, but for purposes of discussion, here is the plan:

We decided not to hold the land bridge strongly, preferring that the German armor expend its many movement points driving forward against limited resistance. The two positions on either side of the bridge are held by powerful units. They will, at least, require a deliberate attack to roust them, further slowing the German advance. I’m hoping that I’ve counted his movement factors effectively and the guys with the HQBU can’t make it across the upper Dnepr in the Dorogobuzh area.

Other potential routes of advance for the fascist hordes are, in order of probability, north towards Velikie Luki and south across the bend of the Dnepr. In both cases, we have adopted a defense in depth approach and don’t expect too much serious destruction in this area. My analysis of the positions of German armor has relieved a lot of my concern about this sector since it looks like most or all of 2nd Panzer Group has left Army Group Center’s AO entirely and is now active in Ukraine.

In the northern Ukraine, 2nd Army is pushing quickly towards Kiev while two other infantry armies, 6th and 17th, work on clearing pockets and advance towards the lower Dnepr. Our response was to draw back in this region, leaving holding forces to prevent a quick capture of Kiev or a crossing of the Dnepr on turn 5. Most of our better units were sent to the southern Ukraine, which looks for now like the area where the Axis is making their main effort in this game.

In the southern Ukraine, we gave ground before the large German Panzer concentration and built as strong a line as we could behind the Ingul. If the Germans did an HQBU in this region – there is a small collection of armored units sitting behind their front that didn’t appear to move last turn – they could drive all the way to the outskirts of Dnepropetrovsk. This is the sort of thing that the Germans have tried on previous turns. A more sensible move, in my opinion, would be to try to pocket a portion of Southern Front by turning southwards. It is a lot of movement points across a major river and through 60 miles of enemy territory before even reaching the main line of resistance, though. Hopefully, as in the last couple of turns, my worst-case scenario will not come true.

Total losses this turn were 143,813 Soviet to 20,964 Axis. In the air, it was 372 to 120, with only 17 of those losses being German fighters. The Axis has a new air commander who was significantly more cautious with his fighters than the previous incumbent, apparently. Total deployed numbers are 3,914,998 Soviet to 4,970,482 Axis, of which 3,379,101 are German. Air deployed is 6,852 to 2,763.

All in all, I’d say that this was a good turn for us, in that there were no major disasters.

Axis North Turn 5

4th Panzer Group drives hard in to the Soviet forces which we find are now densely packed aroud Pskow. 16th army advances to its south towards Velkie Luki. By contrast the advance in to Estonia is a cake walk. The Finns are also in full pursuit of the Soviet forces - although it looks like they are preparing a fall back position on the Jänisjärvi.

Erzac
Well my brain composes of equal parts coffee, beer, and game rules

There's some of those "Panzer supermen" that HLYA is always talking about. Five losses for the Germans and 1177 for the Soviets!

Are we doing turn 5 now?

Yep - awaiting Neogodhobo who said they wanted to post T5 centre [:)]

(The attached picture is for post 116 on the Axis turn 5 air turn)

Axis Centre Turn 5
(Neogodhobo has asked me to post the AAR for this turn for them)

On turn 2 our North commander, Neogodhobo, wanted to move all the best units in Centre command to South Command

Neogodhobo
send lots of fast div. In the south ... Slow down the advance on center to boost south

This turn our new Centre commander, Neogodhobo, is highly critical of our turn 2 North commanders suggestion

Neogodhobo
Im extremely frustrated of having an engire pz.gr cut off from central front. Dont know whos idea it was