FITE2 Cpt Flam Axis, Larry Soviets

[gliz2]

Thank You Cpt Flam
From what I see you did the beginners/firts-timer mistakes in Turns 1-2 (decisive ones for the FITE2 '41 outcome). After that it's just very hard for the Germans.
PS. When I played it the very first time I performed much worse [:P]

[cpt flam]

Thank you for these kind words. [:)]

[larryfulkerson]

I've received some bad news in that the Axis forces have forced a hole in my lines and they are getting across the river. I'm going to have to rail some people into this area to try to stem the flow of Axis units getting into my backfield. I've got about half a dozen stacks that are ready to move so maybe I can rectify this situation quickly. Maybe not.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's happening near Riga. The Germans are so firmly across the river that trying to push them back would be futile. The units on the NW end of the front line show to be out of supply so I'm pretty sure there's Axis units moving north along the coast. My defenders have been overpowered and are giving ground and suffering huge losses. I've got to get busy and build a small MLR somewhere along the coast, one in the middle, and one on the road that leads north along the lake. I've blown a lot of bridges and set up some road blocks and strongpoints and I've started to fortify the area around Pskov because the Axis forces will soon be there.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on down south. I've been giving ground and breaking bridges and setting up road blocks and strong points and the Axis forces are advancing relentlessly. I've railed a few divisions down here but obviously not enough. I'm playing for time down here and so far it's been working but that could change any turn now. Early in the war the aircraft were in poor health and poor in supply and I parked them near Moscow to refit and here it is T8 and they feel a lot better and I've been sending them out to the field, they get chewed up and I move them back to Moscow to refit. It's a pattern now. I'm counting on the major rivers to hold up the Axis units for several turns. I need enough time to rail all the reinforcements to the front. I'm defending as far forward as is practical. I feel like I can afford the people and equipment. Although the losses are very heavy.

[larryfulkerson]

I'm going through the OOB moving units and I've arrived at the aircraft and I'm parking them so that their range arc is just past the front lines so that they get into fewer furballs and I'm hoping that it will hold the number of losses down. More aircraft are ready to fly this turn so I've got quite a crowd to deploy. According to the aircraft losses meter I've lost about three times more aircraft than the Axis, ballpark figure. That's because the proficiency of my pilots is in the 20's and that's what is getting them killed. On the other hand I've got some units that are advancing in proficiency and they are in the 30's already. The trick is to preserve the units so that they are never evaporated because they grow in proficiency but reinforcements come in as "untried" and their proficiency is usually very low.

[larryfulkerson]

I got some new moves from Patrick, this is T9 and here's the northern front lines right now. My boys held on for another turn but on the NW end of the lines the Germans are blasting a hole and streaming troops through it. I need to rail some more troops over there to try to contain it. I think I have about a dozen divisions ready to rail and another 10 or so that need rest. There's about 40 aircraft resting and another 70 or so that I can deploy into the field. I've busted so many bridges that the Soviet supply near Riga is in the teens. I see from the image that the Axis rail reaches Riga and a little beyond so the Axis supply situation is probably outstanding. I drove my ships to just offshore of Riga because some of them have the range to influence the battles. I'm risking some aircraft attacks so I'd best fly some CAP down here to protect the ships. I'm expecting a lot more holes in these lines by this time next turn. So far defending forward is working just about the way I anticipated. Ordinarily the Axis units would be across the river and surging NE by T3 or so but the Soviets defending forward has seriously delayed the Axis advance. So far things here are almost manageable.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what's going on just south of the marshes. I'm giving ground, blowing bridges, backing up, leaving several roadblocks to delay the Axis flow going east. The Stalin Line is under terrific pressure and the Germans are finding gaps in the lines and are streaming through them especially at the north end. I'm seeing Axis aircraft in range of mine and I'm wondering if it's time to do some airfield strikes. I'll loose aircraft by the boat load but if I can just cause enough Axis losses to mitigate his AS value by a little bit for long enough I'm thinking, I can slowly gain air superiority. I feel like I can afford it better than he can because I'm producing aircraft faster then he is by a lot.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a closeup of the area NE of Riga. The Germans are making progress near the coast and I'm having to rail people into that area to take up blocking positions to help stem the flow of Axis units headed north. So far I've been able to contain them but I don't expect to be able to hold very long. My units are getting surrounded and destroyed.

[cpt flam]

always Turn 9 but my point of view
in the AGN
next 2 turns, I will recover 2 divisions which were clearing Latvia
my indication for air losses was 54 vs 748 (to compare with Larry)

so far Ju 88 and He 111 are a bit low, they did not began with full complement either
fighters and Ju 87 are fine about replacement

[cpt flam]

in AGC
Minsk is finally taken
this will add few infantry division to help on the front line

next turn will see return of the battalion killed

trying forward defense some soviets get trap and will be treated next time

you can see which part of the front is concerned with mini-map

[cpt flam]

AGS

a small hole just north of the picture
northern part of the front is in good state

southern is special
i have problems to close the pockets
supply must be poor for some of them but they are strongly entrenched

some thoughts must be made for next time [&o]

[cpt flam]

11th Army and Rumania

the Dniester is crossed in some places
4th Mountain division is arriving by train

15th Rumanian Infantry is leading the assault

there is again few soviets in southern part of Bessarabia

[larryfulkerson]

Something horrible has happened to the supply lines all of a sudden. It's half what it was just a turn or two ago. This is July 20, 1941 and it's not supposed to dip this low until the mud season.....I thought. The force supply stockpile is only 16. I need to look into this I think.

[cpt flam]

already turn 10
finally Riga is cleared
the 2 divisions coming back from Latvia will become soon available, may be for a move by train
a small pocket is created with 9 regiment and 2 HQ

all units red on yellowish grey are Militia
Soviet fleet is a real nuisance

[cpt flam]

AGC
some more units are isolated against Berezina river

during is turn Larry made attacks against my airfield
this cost me 9 planes for 85 of his own
a pounding near Jelgava by the Marat (soviet BB) cost me 20 more
this turn saw 17 disappear for 40 of them

2 more divisions are on rail to move next time

[cpt flam]

AGS

24th division will move by rail next time
LSSAH and 1st Rumanian Tank division arrived from Mogilev-Podolsky

about 9 regiment are in the closed pocket
some more will have a possibility to escape (possible)

having destroyed bridge will hamper Larry redeployment may be

[larryfulkerson]

This the area just NE of Riga and represents the T10 positions of all the units that I can see so far. There's been a lot of fighting going on and so far the Soviets are holding them back but I'm not sure for how long they can hold back the horde. What's going on is that Patrick breaks a hole in my lines and then infiltrates units through it and surrounds my units just before destroying them. I don't have enough units at hand to build a proper MLR and what's here amounts to maybe a light screen. I''ve held down the period key and disembarked everybody that was riding on the rail and I've got about 9,800+ for a rail cap and I'm thinking I can move about 8 divisions with that and it just happens that I have that many divisions ready to roll. I'm wondering where to put those 8 fresh divisions and I'm leaning to the NW end of the front lines. But, I might ought to take a look at the entire front lines before I start embarking troops. I just received this set of moves from Patrick and haven't spent a lot of time looking around yet. I've already checked the aircraft, moving them to better spots and tweaking their range to just cover the front lines and maybe a little margin past them. Just enough to stay deadly but only for a thick band along the front lines.

[larryfulkerson]

This is a view of the Stalin Line down south and you can see where the Germans are forcing gaps and surrounding Soviet units and the Stalin Line is slowly evaporating. The Soviets are busy building another MLR SE of this position but it's going to function as a light screen at best. Patrick is keeping his fighters right up at the front I suppose to be able to reach further into Soviet territory. I'm supposing that the Axis supply levels are still more than adequate.

[larryfulkerson]

double post, sorry