GPW AAR (Soviet perspective)

[jjdenver]

This AAR will cover the GPW v6a scenario. Commanding the Axis forces is Field Marshal 03_walk_alot.

Commanding forces in southern USSR will be Marshal Stevo, and in the north Marshal jjdenver.

The scenario simulates all of the eastern front starting in June 41 and going into I think mid-44. I've never seen a game go beyond mid-42 though so hopefully this one makes it.

We set the Germans to have a 10% production advantage since the scenario seems to be balanced in favor of the Soviets.

In general this scenario features a larger map I think and much sparser unit density than the Barbarossa monster scenario does. I like the feel of manuever that I get when playing this scenario and the USSR seems vast indeed when advancing as Germany.

Germany gets a 4-turn double-speed, double-combat bonus so the Soviets are often best served to run away at the start....if they can get away.

We are also using some house rules to limit large air stacks and unrealistic tech increases by both sides. Here they are:

1) Limit on tech advances: 1941: German tech2. 1942: Soviet tech2
German tech3. 1943: Soviet tech3 German tech3. 1944 Soviet tech4 German
tech4.
2) Air basing: No more than 5 FTR's at a single base, and 5 bombers at any base.
3) Air mission limit: No more than 15 FTR's and 10 bombers can fly on a single attack mission.
4) Air build cap: No more than 100 FTR's can exist on either German
or Soviet side. No more than 50 bombers can exist on either side also.
In 1943 the Soviet limit increases to 125 FTR's. If you find yourself
over the limit at start you can't build any more of the type until you
have losses that put you below the threshold.

For reference Germany starts with 55 FTR, 30 TAC, and 25 STR so they
start 5 over the bomber cap and can't build bombers until 5 bombers are
killed off. They are of course under the fighter cap.
Soviets start with 34 FTR, 12 TAC, 3 STR so they are well under the bomber cap and the fighter cap.
You can check number of bombers and fighters from the power screen.

Here's a shot of AGN's advance on turn 1, the week of Jun 22, 1941.

[jjdenver]

Here is the advance of AGC, and also an inset showing the turn's losses.

I find myself referring back to old AAR's to assess advances made in those on turn 1 of this scenario and compare them to my current games.

[jjdenver]

Here is turn 1 AGS.

Overall I think the German advances on turn 1 were nothing short of brilliant. I see divisions pocketed by this advance that I don't normally see in the opening turn of this scenario. I think a real blow has been struck in particular against the soviet South and Center that might pay dividends for the Germans in a month or two when they hit the main Soviet defenses.

[jjdenver]

6 July 1941:

4th Pz Gruppe approaches the Dvina crossings at Riga. The bridges along the river have been blown in most places and several infantry divisions have been left to defend the city.

The Germans are also at Minsk and the Soviets have abandoned the city to retreat east toward Smolensk. Losses were heavy for the first 2 weeks but have lightened considerably as the Soviets retreat east.

[jjdenver]

6 July 1941:

Most of the (numerous) trapped divisions of Comrade Steve in the south have been wiped out. A few divisions retreat east, blowing some bridges, and hoping to setup a defense at Kiev. Production is mainly conscripts, fighters, flak, some trains, trucks, and horses.

[jjdenver]

20 Jul 1941:

Northwest Front has formed 2 tanks armies: the 1st and 2nd. 3rd and 4th tank armies are formed at Moskva.

NW Front builds a fort line near Pskov and defends near Veliki Luki. Luftwaffe strikes absolutely pound NW Front so some FTR squadrons are transferred from STAVKA and all FTRs are ordered to intercept. 2 AA divisions are formed near Pskov to aid in air defense. The Luftwaffe encounters these defenses and the strikes taper off.

Only in the north have the Germans reached the main Soviet defensive lines. They also approach Smolensk and Kiev but only Kiev is heavily defended.

[jjdenver]

29 July 1941:

The Wermacht's 4th Pz Gruppe launches an assault on the Pskov fort line, preceded by artillery bombardment. They break through the fort line, and over-run the airfield north of Pksov, destroying the Soviet FTR squadron there on the ground. They then retreat back to their own newly constructed fort line to the south.

The Germans still advance on Kiev in the south and Smolensk in the center.

Comrade Steve reports that his formations are ready to meet the Germans for a fight along the Dniepr.

[jjdenver]

3 Aug 41:

So far I think that our house rules to limit huge air stacks has worked fairly well. The Luftwaffe is clearly winning the air war. As you can see from the bottom right of the loss image that I'm posting, total Axis air losses is 1 TAC, 1 STR, 1 FTR2, 6 FTR. Soviets have lost 16 FTRs.

Also shown in this image are total losses for Aug 3 German part of the turn. Below that you can see pasted the 5 airstrikes that the Axis launched during the turn. Each air battle is of reasonable size. There is not any 120 FTR vs 65 FTR battle in that list. Instead we have a lot of smaller air engagements, and the bombing results are effective but not completely devastating as I've seen in games that don't play with any restrictions on air. We aren't seeing cases of entire stacks being wiped out by massive air strikes using these house rules. I like the feel of it much better. It's not perfect but it's an improvement I think.

I've also shown one land battle - an attack by several German divisions of AGN on a Soviet fort east of Pskov.

[jjdenver]

10 Aug 41:

The Luftwaffe is pasting airfields across the front. From Kiev to the Baltic the Luftwaffe launches a huge wave of attacks on airfields. The Soviet air force is completely overwhelmed, taking heavy losses.

AGS and AGC haven't engaged heavily yet but AGN begins a sustained attack on Soviet defensive positions around Pskov, with air superiority.

[jjdenver]

10 Aug 41 (cont):

Here's a strategic shot showing German advances in other sectors and a few air attacks from the Luftwaffe. Luftwaffe completely dominant, droves of Soviet fighters shot down.

[bwheatley]

this game over?

[jjdenver]

Oh no not over at all. It's buzzing along fine. We're on Sep 21, 1941 now. I have a bunch of AAR posts to make - just haven't had time to post them recently - too busy w/ PBEM.

I'll post some up tomorrow perhaps.

I'll say that the Germans are using a plan I haven't seen before, and this is the best German 1941 I've seen in probably 4 or 5 playings of this scenario.

[jjdenver]

17 Aug 41:

AGN launches heavy air attacks south of Narva. Red air takes heavy losses and causes none to the Luftwaffe. 2nd Army, defending Narva area, has its entire HQ wiped out by these air strikes - leaving the troops in the area disorganized and leaderless.

Farther south around Pskov the Wermacht launches several attacks, taking the city and destroying surrounding entrenchments, then falls back to its own fort lines. This pattern of:
1) build German fort lines near the Soviet defenders' fort lines
2) destroy entrenchments with artillery and air strikes
3) move forward and launch assaults
4) move back or redeploy back to own fort lines

is the standard German tactic in 1941.

Unfortunately since AT is an I-GO-U-GO system, this pattern results in very few casualties for the attacker, and in order to launch any counterattack on the Soviet turn the Soviets would have to assault German fort lines. Thus the Germans are able to cause very heavy Soviet casualties while taking almost no casualties assaulting heavily fortified positions. The Germans will grind away like this, advancing slowly but causing massive Soviet casualties. German air can kill any Soviet artillery that is near the front thus preventing the possibility of Soviet counterattacks. The Soviets are relying mostly on conscripts as well so any counterattack would be quite weak anyway.

[jjdenver]

17 Aug 41:

In the south, AGS destroys the initial fort line defending Kiev west of the Dniepr.

As can be seen in the attached loss graph, Soviet losses are mounting rapidly as the Germans hit the main Soviet defense lines around Narva, Pskov, and Kiev.

[jjdenver]

24 Aug 41:

AGN really picks up the pace of its assaults, with heavy attacks around Narva beginning. The 18th Army bursts out of Estonia and across the river line, completely destroying the prepared Soviet defense line.

The Red Air Force is barely able to contest the air after 3 weeks of heavy air battles. The Luftwaffe is dominant.

Soviet casualties are huge.

[jjdenver]

24 Aug 41:

AGS launches heavy assaults into the western part of Kiev and succeeds in pushing to the Dniepr, destroying all Soviet resistance. One Wermacht assault takes heavy casualties which is unusual. AGS commander happily reports the German losses to Stavka without much mention of the loss of all western fort lines and the west half of Kiev.

[jjdenver]

24 Aug 41:

There has been some discussion between Stavka (Marshal jjdenver) and Soviet South Command (Marshal Steve) about the weak defenses around Kerch and along the Black Sea, but the area has not received any reinforcements nor had any fort lines built yet. This is about to lead to a critical situation for the USSR.

This turn the Germans strike hard with Luftwaffe and Fallschirmjagers into the Kerch area and along the Black Sea coast at Novorissisk.

The only Soviet HQ in the area is destroyed completely and the entire Soviet Black Sea Red Banner fleet is destroyed in port by a paradrop.

In a state of panic the Soviets transfer troops by rail from all over the USSR to build a new army, 6th Army, at Krasnodar.

Luckily the Soviet subs were at sea and survived the assault. This might help if the Germans try to ship troops into the Krasnodar bridgehead although at this point it looks like they should have no problem crossing at Kerch itself.

It looks like the Germans are planning a major move into the Caucasus via the Crimea.

[jjdenver]

31 Aug 41:

The pace of AGN's attacks increase even further as Narva is assaulted across the river line. The town is easily taken from the strong Soviet divisions defending it with only minor German losses.

There are also strong attacks north of Pskov.

Because of the danger posed to Leningrad by the Wermacht's progress at Narva, both Soviet tank armies in the north (1st Tank Army and 2nd Tank Army) move north toward Leningrad and away from Pskov.

The Red Air Force has been grounded as most of its strength has been destroyed by the Luftwaffe. German bombers fly without opposition.

Most Soviet production since the war began has been focused on building FTRs and FLAK yet there it is still not possible to compete w/ the Luftwaffe on any front yet. The Soviets are in no danger of topping their cap of 100 FTR SFT's, rather their FTR losses have been outpacing their FTR production in recent weeks.

[jjdenver]

31 Aug 41:

Things look more ominous in the far south as many Panzer divisions blast across the Kerch strait. Some of the Panzer divisions are identified as divisions that began the war as part of Pz Gruppes 2 and 3 - i.e. Army Group Center. Seeing them in the Crimea is a shock to the Soviets.

The Luftwaffe destroys several bridges south of Rostov, nearly isolating the newly formed Soviet 6th Army west of Maikop.

Another Soviet army, the 7th Army, is formed around Tikhoretsk to oppose any German advance between Rostov and Maikop. About 70% of Soviet production is now being funneled to South Front HQ and the 6th and 7th Armies. The defenders of Leningrad and Kiev are receiving almost no reinforcements due to the threat in the south.

Marshal Steve rushes engineers south to repair the destroyed bridges and to build some fortified positions around Maikop but the extreme distance from Kiev and Moskva to Maikop and the blown bridges means that it will takes weeks before signifcant forces can be in position.

[jjdenver]

7 Sep 41:

AGN continues to advance easily from Pskov and south from Narva. As usual German losses are very light and the heavily fortified Soviet positions take huge losses and are destroyed.

There is no blitzkrieg. Instead it's WWI style warfare with most of the casulties resulting to the defenders.

The only bright spot for the Soviets are some losses inflicted on the Luftwaffe in the far south around Rostov.