Nach Moskau und zurück - Gunnulf (A) AtAtack (S) GC-No early end

[Hardradi]

Nice gains all round. Looks like you have been inflicting a lot of casualties (Soviet OOB still below 3m on map). Your tank numbers remaining to the Soivet tanks also looks excellent.

Good to see someone using the Luftwaffe instead of keeping it in mothballs. You still even have more planes on map than the Soviets.

[Gunnulf]

ORIGINAL: Jango32

Would it be feasible to switch a Panzer corps from the Volkhov line to Narva, and encircle the Soviets below Leningrad?

I think with the mud its a bit late for that manoeuvre maybe. I probably should have been more creative earlier rather than going for the sledgehammer approach. That said I actually quite like that he is defending such a wide perimeter below Leningrad. Its committing lots of divisions here that weren't down south, and ultimately they are defending non-key terrain, and are extra mouths to feed which I hope will be a squeeze on his ability to operate (but maybe I'm being optimistic on that!).

[Gunnulf]

ORIGINAL: Hardradi

Nice gains all round. Looks like you have been inflicting a lot of casualties (Soviet OOB still below 3m on map). Your tank numbers remaining to the Soivet tanks also looks excellent.

Good to see someone using the Luftwaffe instead of keeping it in mothballs. You still even have more planes on map than the Soviets.

I've been using the Panzer divisions fairly actively, especially in 4 Panzergruppe, but not flogging them to death. I don't plan to do anything clever like sending them to reserve on leave. For better or worse they will be part of the winter strategy. I am hoping to trade metal to protect land and lives. These models will be obsolete soon anyway...

And re. the Luftwaffe yes, we both are using the Air AI so we are largely hands off here to a certain extent. That said I put all squadrons on hold now to avoid the AI sending them to weird places now not going far. My priorities are maintaining a decent Fighter umbrella and having some ground support nearby. Again not sending anything to reserve in winter most twin engine bombers and recce back to the rear to save a little freight at least doesn't seem unreasonable.

[Gunnulf]

T17 Leningrad Sector

We manage to grid to within 10 miles of the lake, but I guess we shouldn't be too surprised to find some pretty extensive breastworks at this key point. Not like he didn't have a couple months to plan for this moment!
Never say never but this might be the high-water mark here with the rain forecast to escalate imminently.
On the subject of the Luftwaffe JG52 & JG54 are flying top cover here, with the stukas of STG77 just off screen and assorted Ju88s at Pskov. These pilots have been working their socks off escorting supplies flying in too. Numbers are low but they are still getting the upper hand.

North of Valdai the Reds voluntarily give up a few more yards. Perhaps due to logistics.

[Gunnulf]

T17 Moscow Sector

Mixed emotions about the viability of Operation Typhoon at this point. Given that we've taken most of the terrain historically was gained in October41 we are starting ahead, but are facing a pretty tough line at this stage and have not really put careful thought into mustering a schwerpunkt to make a proper chance of a breakthrough. If Panzergruppe 4 wasnt busy failing to take Leningrad then there might be enough clout to pincer Moscow from Kallinn and Ryazan angles with a last push in the snow to cut off. As a first step at least we cross the river in 3 places in the south and east so we might have options to exploit this.

[Gunnulf]

T17 Kharkov Sector

In Operation Forlorn Hope a pair of Panzerkorps slide into their forming up points ready to exploit if 17 Armee can get across the river. Definately late in the season and the mud is thickening but plenty of the Panzer are going to be close to full CPP with circa 150 panzer each so its now or never to claim a last juicy prize. If I was smarter one panzer korps would start from the north, but I felt time pressure and didnt want to lose CPP and fuel driving too far in light mud without a proper road. Either way failure leaves a nasty thorn threatening to cause us problems in winter...

[Gunnulf]

T17 Crimean Sector

As one operation starts another wraps up. The initial probe indicates light resistance at Sevastapol and we bring up 5 divisions from 11 Armee to finish the job. As it happens seems like the Commandant sees the writing on the wall and most accept terms of surrender. I can't help thinking this late in the season with such a strong fort is worth making a proper defence of Sevastapol if possible. There are worse ways to lose half a dozen or so divisions and they should inflict casualties and time delays far out of proportion to almost any other point on the map in '41. Or maybe I'm being optimistic. Either way some Germans will stay in Crimea to clean up to Kerch and garrison against counter-attacks but at least a few divisions will be free to help defend elsewhere.

[Gunnulf]

T18 AGN

Unable to assault the redoubt blocking our way to the lake 4 Panzergruppe expand the salient to give more depth against counterattack, and hopefully better forming up point to continue later. Otherwise the bigger northern story is XXXIX Mot Korps reports having cut the southernmost of the 2 remaining rails into Leningrad. I'm sure this is not critical of course, but it hopefully adds to the squeeze on his logistics. Perhaps a single line is enough, at least for the essentials if not to build up enough for a large offensive. However otherwise certainly the alternative is that most of these units are right on the limit of truck freight, across terrible terrain without even a proper road that will serve the purpose. Honestly I don't know enough of the logistics to properly guess if its a problem or not, but will carry on just trying to do the right things and hope for the best...

[Beethoven1]

Losing Senkovo should hurt their supply along the Volkhov, and if you can get to Lake Rybinsk then it should be untenable for them. However... with the weather changing it may start to become untenable for you as well, lol. Hopefully you can get some supply of your own up near Senkovo. At least you have a road going north from Kalinin, and looks like you have an FBD in the area.

[Gunnulf]

I can cut up to Lake Rybinsk and interdict this rail and road route for a few weeks at least, but I don't think we can stay here into winter even though as you say I will be linking up at least Velike Luki to Kalinin so will be supplied for winter at least to here. So long as we can hold Kalinin then the threat to return in spring is there too. Maybe by then too late for one or the other of us though we'll see.
In other news...


T18 Kharkov Sector

The offensive begins to try to bag Kharkov. Not with a great leap forward, but while he might now see the threat maybe the weather will hamper any attempt to escape too.

[Gunnulf]

T19 Kharkov Sector

Despite the rough conditions 1 Panzergruppe manage to link up with mobile elements from 6 Armee. But only just, definitely should have tried to get 1 or 2 Panzer Division around the north pincer, but time was tight for sure. The pocket might be a bit leaky to start but at least 15 divisions should end up trapped unless I have stumbled into a hornets nest with strong mobile forces mustering to the north. I suspect not.
Everywhere else on the front is pretty quiet as the fighting bogs down into skirmishes and trench warfare for a while at least. No chance of serious progress on Moscow.

[Gunnulf]

T20 Kharkov

As expected the pocket is a little leaky but is sealed pretty tightly and with it the fate of 12th Army. Or at least this iteration of it. I'm sure it will rise from the ashes for its revenge...

[Gunnulf]

T20 Numbers

Soviet OOB stays marginally below 5mil, with losses tipped just over 3mil including 1.5mil PoWs. However disturbingly on map tank numbers took a frightening jump to 5.5k recently. I'm fairly happy with the damage inflicted, and territory taken but all told he has done a good job of disengaging in the south and I am reluctant to chase him further, fun as it might have been to see how far towards Grozny I might have gotten. And somewhere in the shadows a behemoth is sharpening its tools of war... AtAtack has made his last 2 Axis opponents quit before mid 42 I think so I suspect he knows how to turn up the pain and I hope to get ready best we can.

[jubjub]

I'd be very happy with the situation if I was playing Axis. Tons of territory taken while inflicting enough losses to keep the Red Army relatively weak. I think AtAtack will have a difficult time prioritizing where to conduct his winter offensive.

Do you mind sharing your truck losses and VP situation?

[Gunnulf]

Yep no problem, still a few turns ahead but actually I saved the VP to the image below already as this was likely to be a highwater mark for the winter. 687 VP is the tally, including 92 bonus points. We'll certainly lose at least 16 as we will give up Ryazan as untenable. Everything else is dug in and will try our best to hold.

T21 Kharkov

Kharkov pocket is wrapped up with 15 divisions eliminated and 140k prisoners taken. With that offensive operations, at least in the south come to an end for now...

[Gunnulf]

T21 Logistics

State of logistics at the end of T21. Fairly happy with the rail network, although there are a few branches we want to link up before the next few turns. Otherwise pretty happy that except for 3 level two railyards off the main tracks in the south then every railyard is linked up to the network. I've managed a better job of this than previous games now I realised from other AARs that its at least a little more important than I first realised. No super depots used, although once the branch links are made I might park a couple of FBDs in key locations to be decided. Otherwise the other 2 will keep expanding I think.

Back to Jubjub's question on trucks, seems like circa 66k vehicles lost. No idea if thats good or bad, but we should be able to keep the supply lines as short as possible through winter now.

[jubjub]

Back to Jubjub's question on trucks, seems like circa 66k vehicles lost. No idea if thats good or bad, but we should be able to keep the supply lines as short as possible through winter now.

That seems high. I try to keep it under 2.5k lost per turn and you're averaging 3.5k (if I did my math right). It may have been worth it with the amount of damage you've done.

Ironically, your vehicle losses per turn probably will go down during the winter. I'm curious to see how your truck situation pans out in '42.

[Gunnulf]

Actually that 66k number and the 2 tables on the right was pulled from T24 rather than T21 as running a little ahead, so it's more like 2.75k lost per turn on that basis. No doubt its probably higher than average, I wasnt advancing recklessly I think and tried to stay not too far from railheads, but there had to be a cost to having a larger than normal 4 Panzergruppe spearheading through thick terrain. On the flip side fairly happy to capture 26k soviet trucks so that's half the losses back, and as you say I'm pretty well dug in now and well supplied. Most infantry is within 3 hexes of a depot so as long as not pushed back truck losses in winter might not be too bad. Let's see how it looks by end of March...

[Gunnulf]

T22 Leningrad

With the first snows settling LVI Motorised Corps beats back a large Soviet counterattack with relative ease. Subsequently LVI Corps launches their own attack to expand the salient west & LVII Corps push back the Reds to the North. Still a small window now to reach the Lake...

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: Gunnulf

T22 Leningrad

Still a small window now to reach the Lake...

Depending on you weather you may have a bigger window than you think. OR a much smaller one. You have the Weather forecast screenshot?