22 May 1943
This update is based on the end of T100
Background
On 14 March, the long prepared blow by Western Front fell on AGC, while Bryansk Front re-organised for its linked offensive towards Bryansk [1].
By 21 March, the balance shifted with Western Front re-organising and Bryansk Front driving deep into the German front lines. Allied to a renewed attack by Central Front, this reached the outskirts of Kursk and threatened a major encirclement.
By early April, Kursk had been liberated as the Germans fell back rapidly [2]
5 April saw a localised German offensive that stalled the Soviet gains as Central and Bryansk Fronts swapped their sectors [3]. More importantly the heavy rains that lasted till 15 May stopped any significant moves by either side as the Soviets built up for their planned summer offensives [4].
T100
So a good time to review the whole front, options and talk about Victory Points again. I've added the VP cities to the map displays as that helps with the discussion.
This has sector been a stalemate for the last year and is not going to change soon. All my VP targets here are scheduled for 1944 and I am still struggling with the local supply net. The nearest to mobility is a single cavalry corps as a reserve for NW Front.
But we can talk about Finland. That part of the war is abstracted, the Axis have a 'Finland' theatre, I have a 'Northern' Theatre. If we both over-commit, then the VP and time gains more or less cancel out, if one side over-commits (and I have) then hopefully over time they gain a steady advantage. Finland can exit the war when I control the area bounded by the Luga and Narva but to push it out I also need excess forces in my Northern Theatre. There are then a series of events that reflect the historical Soviet offensive into Karelia, the brief stablisation of the front and then the armistice discussions.
At that stage I get the Helsinki VP and the Arctic war becomes my Northern Front against the axis forces in Norway. I get a lot of scripted returns from the Northern Front (but can't reclaim my voluntary reinforcements as I am not playing with the extended Theatre control option).
So before moving on, here's the VP chart. I gained the 'initiative' in late February, so need to hit +616 by the end of 1944 or I lose – realistically the sudden death targets are out of reach.
Now the careful readers will remember I was cursing in 1941 as I lost a number of VP cities early, thus giving the AI the +6 bonus. This is now the consequence to those early retreats, in effect that chart dictates the phasing of my strategy. Stalino will fall early (its now pretty much the front line) but I have 15 turns to take Smolensk (the +6 only happens if I take it 3 turns early) and 18 or so turns to reach the Dnepr bend (Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye) and not much more for Kiev.
Which is why I had Bryansk Front swapping places (and some formations) with Central Front as I need the mobility in the Ukraine not heading towards the swamps of Bielorussia.
For VP reasons alone, the focus for the summer of 1943 has to be the Ukraine. But first I need Smolensk.
So lets start there. As before I am using the two Moscow MD to give command to the supporting formations. Central Front has limited command capacity (its not an assault formation), for Western Front they have the advantage I can weaken my front line while I build up.
Western Front is now clear of the poor terrain and well placed advance to Yelnya and Smolensk itself. Central Front is outside Bryansk and can then advance towards the Dnepr.
This shows the northern Ukraine. My basic goal is for the Bryansk Front to attack towards the Desna and then swing SW towards Kiev. SW Front to attack westwards and clear the northern bank of the Dnepr.
Ideally it will also dislodge the Axis from the Dnepr bend.
Voronezh Front has been trying to secure a bridgehead over the Donets but keeps on being driven back. Stalingrad Front is the main assault formation here but is reliant on Cavalry Corps for its mobility.
As mentioned above, Stalino will fall fairly soon, my basic idea is that the Germans will have to retreat to the Dnepr less due to direct pressure and more due to the offensives in the northern Ukraine.
The south has a huge prize – Rumania - but realistically we are talking about 1944 not 1943 for that gain.
And a quick view on the Crimea. Trying to force the Kerch Straights is a real challenge and in VP terms Sevastopol is a 1944 target (but no harm to taking it earlier). But have set up a naval invasion to help things along – those of you used to WiTW will recognise the process and its much the same in WiTE2. I'll use this if I see an opportunity – perhaps connected with the advance towards the Dnepr bend.
But the entire UI for airborne and air supply operations has been reworked. Not sure I'll ever bother to actually carry out that mission but as in WiTW, its a good idea to keep on setting and resetting these – you never know when it make make a real difference.
Also as part of the rework, the whole process of ordering air supply is so much easier now.
OOB. Depressing bit is the number of German tanks and a 2-1 advantage in the air does not give me regular air superiority. But I am going to be very reliant on GS missions so its a simple case of accepting the losses till the LW is pulled west by Allied bombing campaigns.
To reflect all the moves above, I have around 14,500 tanks/afvs and almost 8,000 are in the Ukraine and 4,200 split between Western and Central Fronts. On the other hand, of my 120,000 guns, almost 40,000 are in Kalinin, Western or Central Fronts (and that includes most of my heavier guns).
Mobility will get me Kiev, artillery (and Sturmoviks) will get me Smolensk and Minsk.
edit - I'd forgotten I'd swapped Assault Fronts from Stalingrad to Central Front. Basically Stalingrad Front can grind its way forward as it can but its operational tempo will be set by events in the northern Ukraine.
On the subject of the OOB, that is my artillery stock. 65,000 of my guns are mortars or 76mm artillery and I have around 10,000 guns of 122mm or heavier.
Losses over the last 10 turns reflects the relative lack of sustained action. The Germans in particular are seeing a lot of previously wounded men coming back.
They also gain from a short term post-Stalingrad boost to their manpower recruitment.
[1] The deployment is linked to the rules for CPP gain. The basic rule is a unit gains 1 CPP for every 24 unused SMP (so at best 200/24 – 8 per turn).
If it is both unadjacent to the enemy and in a friendly held hex (at the start of the turn) this is tripled (so at best 600/24 – 25). Being linked to an assault front reduces the divisor to 12, so the gains are up to 16 and 50 respectively.
In effect, 2 turns of sat still where Bryansk Front is in that image = 100 CPP.
Almost all units by default get 200 SMP (strategic movement points) per turn so this is not altered by the usual MP calculation rules.
[2] Another neat move by the AI, I was imagining a massive pocket, all I got was a couple of regiments.
[3] I am still stalled in the south and want the armour of Bryansk Front to co-operate with SW Front in the Ukraine come the summer. Central Front is infantry heavy and that suits my expectations for any gains towards Smolensk and in the poor terrain of Bielorussia.
[4] This was by far the worst spring weather of the game … . No point extending my supply lines as I am still nursing my truck stocks, I'll have enough problems once the summer offensives commence (I hope).
