Stalingrad (In Progess AAR)

[Obsolete]

Stalingrad

Axis:: German & Croatian
Allies:: Take one Big Red Guess

My biggest weakness is working on over-crowded and counter-heavy maps. So, if someone finds me doing anything a little unorthodox, or it seems very unoptimal, feel free to point it out right away, before I make the Russian winter troubles even worse.

Of all the SMALL battles in the series, this is the one I haven’t yet gotten to. It quite scares me to be honest, and I’m starting to realize the big mess and troubles commanders on both sides must have had to deal with at the time.

I’ll post some more info in the near future before I decide on how to begin the opening moves. Axis get first-turn initiative BTW. Now the question is, will I be able to maintain that initiative.

[Obsolete]

O.O.B.

[Obsolete]

Sept. 14, 6 a.m.

We are given the initiative and push on.  Since I have no clue what really awaits me in Stalingrad, I decided to play a bit safe.  Instead of massive assaults on the front lines, I decided to just move up close and get into defensive positions, until later on when I can SEE things better and get a feel for things.

There was just one real assault I set up near the North-West.  I attacked from 3 separate hexes to get strength bonuses, and also added in an armour from another division to get an extra column-shift.

Unfortunately, I found out later I made a few mistakes here.  There were quite a few divisional HQ’s, and I had assumed (out of habbit with small maps), that all units would be able to assault in unison.  

And I also made a couple mistakes of placing some units into defending postures when they should have been on the attack.  If Guderian found out what I was doing to his army here, he’d be rolling over in his grave…

Anyhow, I did lose a whole platoon on one of my companies while moving into positions.  I was worried about that happening, lots of opportunity fire was going off.  Another reason why I didn’t want to just rush all my units right in blindly.

Later on I would lose more platoons by lucky artillery hits, which seems just unfair damnit.  I have a total of 4 air-support missions allowed per day, and 6 off-board artillery barrages per turn.  Yet, the commies, who as I can guest mate so far only having one off-board, are getting all the luck.  Of course, they do have quite a few of standard artillery companies (ahem, battalions) as well.

The only hex I assaulted on my 6 am turn was a failure.  While I did inflict a hit, so did they.  Argggh.  Lucky bastards.  So things are almost a wash in that regard, and their unit still remains.  I will of course try to eliminate it on my 8 am turn coming up.

As for the direct firing phases I do believe I came out ahead in that regard.  In fact, my favorite moment was when I totally eliminated an AT company with 3 full platoons.

Best of all, now that 8 am has just come around, I only have one company which is out of command (OOC), and I also won the initiative by a mile.  Here’s the current battlefield:

[Obsolete]

8 A.M.  -- Sept 14

I began assaulting more hexes this time, trying to ping off disrupted units while hoping to take the least casualties as possible.  But those commie bastards again seem to have been holding out quite good.  As bad as the north-west companies were disrupted, I simply couldn’t dislodge them, even with my massed forces.  I blame bad rolls and Russian artillery for that.

Speaking of Russian artillery, I decided this time around to mass bombard all the artilleries that I could see.  Unfortunately this endeavor did not smile upon me, and I couldn’t even get one hit against all those artys.  I will have to change my attack plan again, and am open for suggestions here.

At least I did completely destroy a full company of riles in the East. 

All my air support missions are used up for the day, so I’ll have to wait quite a while before I can count on them again.  But since they did not seem to help out very much, I’m not that upset about it.

 There really does not seem to be much change from the end of this turn, and last.  So I decided to take a medium sized shot (for more interest) of the current battlefield:

[wodin]

whoops wrong forum....

[Alan Sharif]

This is really interesting...........thanks. Is the new Combat Command game an Eastern Front title? 

[junk2drive]

No it is global.

[Obsolete]

10 A.M.  - Sept. 14

Even though I didn’t get to do the mop-up jobs I was hoping in the North, I’m still ok with this turn-set.  I scored far more hits vs. the commies than they did against me.  I even killed 2 out of 3 platoons on an artillery company (finally!), so even better.

Most the attacks are by direct fire so far, but I’m quickly shifting the ratio to more assaults each couple hours.  Right now it seems I broke through their North-East flank and will rapidly start funneling beside the Volga river closer to the main city.  Of course, I still don’t know what awaits me there, and I am a bit cautious since there are quite a few days remaining in this scenario.  I don’t mean to overly state the obvious, but I’m sure the scenario designers put that timeline in there for a very good reason.

Oh yes, and I spent some more time re-organizing my units for better co-operation.

 

[Obsolete]

Lunch Time -- Sept. 14

Good success in the North-East.  We continue to start funneling down south, and will hopefully pick up more speed.

Our results were so-so elsewhere on the board.  The Red army still has us haulted in most places, but they will eventually get grinded down (I hope).

I’m still annoyed at Russian artillery and their luck.  I can count 8 pieces at the end of this turn, in addition they have an OBS as well.

When 2 pm starts, I will try to severely maul up three of these artillery pieces.  I know I’ll get a CHANCE, since I still own initiative.

[rickier65]

Obsolete,

Thanks for this AAR. I played Combat Command Danger Forward several years ago, but havent played it in a while. I may have to see if I still have the manual around here so I can brush up.

Thanks
Rick

[Obsolete]

2 PM -- Sept. 14

The bloodiest turn for us yet.  I decided to start pressing assaults down in the West-South.  I thought I was being too overly cautious and wasting time.  However, this cost me many hits from Russian opportunity fire.  Then to compound things, I ran into multiple disasters during my assaults.  Don’t you love it how one bad thing can often lead to another?

My assaults up north were not anything to write back home about either, but less costly though I had my fair share of retreats.  I was a bit worried I got so mauled up that I wouldn’t win the initiative for next turn, but it seems I won by far.

I think my problem is I’m too used to the Panzer-General system,where I’m constantly under the clock to push vulnerable positions in order to tighten the rings before DOOMSDAY goes off.  There really was no need for that here at all, since I have many days at my disposal to go through yet.  That was a good lesson learned (the hard way).

[Obsolete]

whoops wrong forum....

Well that was a dirty trick, just when I thought I was getting my first fan post…

Is the new Combat Command game an Eastern Front title?

The re-release has all scenarios from Danger Forward & Desert Rats.  So that would include maps from Asia all the way to Africa.

I may have to see if I still have the manual around here so I can brush up.

Well I would most definitely suggest that.  As well as reading it more than just one time, or even twice.  I am talking here from experience

[Obsolete]

4 PM -- Sept. 14

I still can’t seem to make headway in the North-West.  I’m going to have to take a closer analysis as to what is going on in there, since I don’t think I can blame it all on just bad luck anymore

At least I was able to keep casualties much lower this time around, and we inched even closer to closing some rings.  Better I try to eliminate these units out in the open now, rather than letting them all get some city cover right?

[BAL]

Thanks for the AAR.  Like someone else mentioned - I'm going to have to dig out my old copies & check this game out again.  I do remember from the times I've played this I always had a heck of a time keeping my units in command.

[Obsolete]

6 PM -- Sept 14.

After this turn-set, I only have 2 more hours until nightfall, IIRC.  While I think I have come out ahead quite a bit during this first day, the Commies are shortly about to get a nice big pool of re-inforcements, with quite a few more artillery as well.  Unfortunately, I am stuck with only what I currently have for the entire scenario.

I've only had the odd unit not being in command; I try to make a decent effort to minimize this when I can.

[Alan Sharif]

'The re-release has all scenarios from Danger Forward & Desert Rats.  So that would include maps from Asia all the way to Africa'.

Sorry, I am a little confused, the above and the East Front to? I do not remember Stalingrad being in the original releases.

[junk2drive]

And the Pacific. Japan, USMC, China. All the major players plus one generic counter set each for Allied and Axis minors.

[Obsolete]

 I do not remember Stalingrad being in the original releases.

Alan, you have a good memory.  I briefed through the original Danger Forward manual now, and indeed Stalingrad is not listed in the scenario briefing.  I'll take your word for it that Stalingrad isn't in Desert Rats either, since we are not talking about Africa here.  In fact, I am certain now there were no Russian units at all in Danger Forward, were there?

By the way, there is also a Moscow scenario to be included in the re-release as well.  Out of curiosity now, I will ask around some more details about the Russian scenarios.

[Alan Sharif]

Fantasic news........you have my dollers, well pounds actually. Looking forward to seeing this.

[Obsolete]

Oh wow, I can’t believe I am hearing (reading) this…

We have a possible 100% genuine grognard here who doesn’t base graphix above strategic game-play.

Unbelievable!! [;)]