White Death - Purgaevs attack AAR.

[Grymme]

Introduction

I am making an AAR of the Operational scenario i am developing for the Eastern front in WWII.

A little about the scenario.

The scenario simulates a soviet offensive in the winter of 1942. There are no airunits present in the scenario since neither side had access to effective air support during the operation. Artillery range is generally 4 and mortars have 20 % artillery strength and one in artillery range. Counterbatteryfire is activated.

As said before the scale is operational. Each round represents two days of fighting. Each SFT point represents 15-20 infantry, 6-10 heavy guns, 10-15 light guns or 10-30 vehicles. German units are battalions if not otherwise marked (sometimes companies). Russian units are regiments or battalions if not otherwise marked.

There is no production in the scenario. But both sides recieve heavy reinforcements. Both sides have the possibility to build some fortifications.

The scenario is 12 rounds long. But before the scenario starts each side has one round of "peace" to choose and setup the starting units as he wants to. The side with most VPs on round 13 wins. All urban hexes are worth 1 VP but some hexes on the railroad are worth 5 VPs. (the railroad is the road that goes from north to south through Velikiey Luki and Nowossolijkiniki.

Some of the special units in the scenario includes Ski SMGs, MC rifles, Military Police, Construction Workers, Observation Specialists and Rocket Artillery.

My opponent (Vic) is playing the soviets and i am playing the germans. Hopefully Vic will be posting his rounds here also.

The screenshot shows the battlefield in the setup phase.

[jjdenver]

Sorry, I just wasted a couple of days on Hearts of Iron 3 only to figure out it needs more patches before it's playable so I didn't even see this thread until now.

I think White Death is a good guess. I used to have that game but never played it.

Civil War from Victory Games was a really good game - I played that one a bunch. Nice system.

[Grymme]

jjdenver. Thats a good guess, although Krauthausen was first. I really like the system, so decided to do something about it. There are to few operational scenearios for Advanced tactics anyway.

[Vic]

After carefull study of the map the Soviet player (thats me) decided that all roads lead too Velikiye Luki and thus that should be the focus of our attack. Except for some ski troops on the flanks i positioned all forces for a straight forward assault. Soviet style!

[Grymme]

Here is the initial german setup


Screenshot shows the Western sector

[Grymme]

Velikiye Luki sector and eastern sector

[Vic]

Soviets moved all troops forward. Approaching fortifications around Velikiye Luki.

[Grymme]

German round 1

Losses were more difficult than i had imagined with some 80 infantry lossed. Also soviet tanks came very far.

Screenshot shows western sector.

[Grymme]

Round 1 - western sector

It might be noted that all screenshots show the situation at the beginning of the german round. So all directions are noted to where the german units are moving. Not where they have come from.

[Vic]

By massing all avaible artillery and tank forces the Soviets manage to crack the first bunker and advance a few hexes.

[Grymme]

Round 2 - Eastern sector.

Did recieve a little reinforcements this round. The 1st Ski Jaeger Battalion.

I will get large reinforcements on rounds 4, 7 and & 8 (a whole panzer division among other things). So my basic plan is to withdraw slowly fighting and hoping to hold on something so that i can maybe counterattack a little.

[Grymme]

Round 2 - Eastern sector and reinforcements in the south.


Btw.

Here is the reinforcement order for the axis



4.2 Axis Reinforcement order
Round
2 1st Ski Jaeger Battalion

4 I/1st Lehr Rocket Battalion, 564th Security Battalion, 591st Security
Battalion

7 90th Motorized Infantry Regiment, 505th Infantry Regiment, 8/11/29th Tank Company, II/3rd Rocket Battalion, II/1st Lehr Rocket Battalion, 2nd Antitank Battalion, 391st Security Battalion, Replacements

8 662nd Engineer Battalion, 505th Engineer Battalion, 8th Panzer Division

[Vic]

Soviets try to push their tanks forward as far a possible east of Velikiey Luki. 3 reinforcements division have arrived. But it will take them 3 turns to reach the battle line. I will thus try to trade the lives of my first line of troops for territorial gain. Soviet style.

Next turn i'll post another screenshot of the progress.

[Grymme]

Round 3 - Western sector

[Grymme]

Round 3 - Eastern sector

[Vic]

round 4

My previous post was already on round 4, but I'll react on the screenshots above to make the reading of this AAR more linear.
At the start of round 4 the situation for the Soviets is as the above screenshot. What i did was push all t-34 assets under cover of all artillery assets i have down south to the east of Vilekiye Luki. This because a direct assault will be to slow and to costly. I am ignoring any losses of counter attacks knowing i can take them, while the germans cant.

[Grymme]

German round four.

[Vic]

Soviet Round 5
I used my T-34s to press on 2 hexes further. At quite a high cost.
In the north an infantry attack failed and from the east i managed to cut off a group of about 6 german units.
reinforcement tanks from the east also drove into striking range for round 6

[Grymme]

Germany - Round 5

Almost halfway through. Will recieve extensive reinforcements on round 7 & 8.

[Vic]

Soviet Round 6
Lost a few t-34 when i got pushed out of my tooth-hold in to the souther part of Vieyi Luki, however i managed to reduce the small pocket in the east near Radoshka.
Moving my tanks forces due south trying to avoid to get further bloody nosed in the heavy city fighting with my spearhead units.