41 Grand Campaign Me(sov) vs ComradeP (axis)

[notenome]

So Im playing the game against the vastly more experienced ComradeP, and fully expect to get hammered. Feel free to make suggestions as they will be welcome and necessary.

[ComradeP]

Presumably my only post in this thread:

It will be an interesting game, as although I'm an experienced player, my experience with the Axis in 1941 is limited to the first few months of operations, so things should quickly become interesting. As I usually play the Soviets, I have a good idea of what they can achieve.

I expect that with help from Flavio, Andy and others notenome has a pretty good chance to stop me and a reasonable chance to win the game, as winning as the Axis is tricky.

I'll also write an AAR, so interested individuals can see how certain plans are doomed to fail or are brilliant actions when comparing the plan of one of us to the defensive setups of the other.

I'd kindly like to ask those that read both AAR's to keep the information they contain to themselves, unless a bug or significant issue pops up, and not post about it in the AAR of the other.

Best of luck to notenome.

[notenome]

I'll need it

[Flaviusx]

Your friendly local neighborhood STAVKA representative is here at your service.

[notenome]

You will be of service.

[notenome]

This game is taking a little while to get started, someone grabbed the GC I had put up for ComradeP, got a new one up, hopefully everything will go smoothly for Mother Russia from here on out.

[comsolut]

As a student of the Russian side of the lines, I look forward to learning and watching.

[hgilmer3]

ORIGINAL: comsolut

As a student of the Russian side of the lines, I look forward to learning and watching.

You don't seem like a student to me! More like a Teacher of the Soviet side!

[notenome]

From: Comrade Stalin

To: Field Marshall Shaposhikov

The Germans have attacked, lead by Field Marshall von ComradeP. Here is a music which, in my mind, encapsulates your current situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq3yi2kF6d0&feature=fvsr

Stavka Report, Jully 22, 1941:

We're Screwed.

von ComradeP has formed larged pockets in the North South and Center, linking down with the Romanias, who will be activated next turn. Over 5000 aircraft have been destroyed. Ouch.

VVS Airlosses:


Red Army Losses:


The Situation in the North and Possible paths of advancement:





The Situation in the Center and possible paths of advancement:





The Situation in the South and possible paths of advancement:





Contingency plan:

Evacuate HQs and aircraft, evacuate the Minsk factory, try to break out of the pocket in the South (there seems to be space, place blocking forces in the Marshes. Pray.

[notenome]

Situation update, it appears von ComradeP has sent Guderian South on Turn 1. Notice Das Reich, 8 or more panzer divisions plus motorized divisions.

[kfmiller41]

Daym, remind me NEVER EVER to ask Comrade to play this game. That pocket down south is great if your German but a disaster if your not. Your loses are going to be rather large[&o]

[Flaviusx]

Yes, this is the southern opening which Pieter has been experimenting with. By reinforcing AGS on turn 1 with units from the center you can bag a lot of Southwest Front from the getgo. But there is a price to be paid here in the long run: he's going to miss those guys in the center.

[AZKGungHo]

This is an interesting gambit. Can't wait to see how it plays out. I doubt old Fast Heinz would have been very pleased if this had happened in real life! [:-]

[notenome]

End of Soviet Turn update:

von ComradeP has concentrated his armor at Riga, except for Totenkopf which I assume has swung around to take the last port in Estonia.

Northern Front is hightailing to Pskov, where a new line is being formed:




In the Center there was no way to break von ComradeP's encirclement, so a delaying formation has been carried out behind Minsk.



The routed troops in the Pripyat Marshes are staying there, they will use the terrain to delay the Axis advance, keep the two fronts separated as long as possible, and funnnel vonPs attack south towards the center.



In the South a huge strategic triumph, a small lifeline running through the town of Chetkov has been opened, allowing dozens of divisions to be supplied. However it is not possible to move these troops out by rail. An ad hoc breakout formation has been formed, von ComradeP will have to decide if he holds his armor for another turn to reform the pocket, or press on and risk a break out. Troops near Lvov have spread out into defensible terrain.



In the Romanian Front, a retreat towards a river defense line, mobile formations will continue to pull back, infantry will defend Odessa then be evacuated by sea.



The last thing which remains to be done is spend my 60 APs, and I have no clue how to spend. My C&C is an ungoldy mess and honestly it seems futile to try to organize the red army right now. Im open to suggestions. I also have spare rail cap after evacing Minsk, am thinking about evacuating more factories now.

[randallw]

If you want to kill a larger chunk of the originally deployed Red Army, the South it is. [:D]

[Avenger]

An awesome opening. Subscribed.

[Flaviusx]

Defenses are way too linear. Needs much more checkerboard action. The runaway to Pskov is quite unecessary and needlessly gives up ground to AGN which could be delayed for a turn or two.

A checkerboard screen should have been left in Bessarabia, too.

I see 3 unit stacks near Minsk in a quasi checkerboard defense. Never ever stack units in a non linear defense, this throws away all the advantages of same. It is an economy of force posture designed to cover terrain with zocs, and you need not stack units to do this and in fact defeats the purpose.

Southwest front is not out of the woods, either. I would have tried to throw zocs on all the panzers from both front and rear. The units breaking out should not be concentrated, they should spread out and hug the panzers from the rear. This will seriously complicate his movements and make it far more difficult to either advance or pocket. Some units outside the pocket should have advanced forward to lock the same units down with a zoc up front. I wouldn't ever bother trying to assemble a coherent line down south just yet. Rather, play tar baby to his brer rabbit.

[notenome]

Given von ComradeP's unexpected move, some updated contingency planning:

In the South, he appears to have concentrated sixth and 12th? Armies probably to march directly on Kiev. Hopefully troops in the marshes will inconvenience this advance. As for the Panzers, sending Guderian south this early has the disadvantage of making any encirclement of Kiev a single pincer maneuver, which means he's going to have to break through a major river defensive line. From there, with two panzer armies, he would have the choice of either striking North at Moscow with Guderian, forming a pocket with Hoth, or strking at the Voronzeh, or striking at the Donetz basin. But to attack the Donet withouth first taking Kiev will leave his flanks extremely exposed.



In the Center, the loss of Guderian puts Hoth in trouble, there can be no double envelopment of Smolensk, and it will be interesting to see what comrade P attempts to do, as a large scale encirclement will require more troops than he has. He send Hoepener to form the northern pincer, which would almost certaintly ensure the security of Leningrad, as 16th and 18th armies are not capable of isolating the city by themselves.



Playing the Soviets is always a guessing game of trying to figure out what the Axis are going to do. Right now the priority is to funnel the Germans south of Kiev, forcing ComradeP to shift his axis of advance from a straight shot at Kiev into the Dnepr bend. Predictably, the lions share of reinforcements are going to go to the Ukraine. I still need to figure out how to spend my AP points.

[notenome]

Flaviusx, the stacks you are seing are dislocated HQs corps HQs that I have no clue what to do with. I have no clue what to do with all these Soviet HQs. And I need a good use for my APs

[Flaviusx]

Spend your APs on 3 things.

1. Construction battalions and/or RR brigades. These will help units dig in. 2-3 per army and front.

2. Leaders. Put good ones in important places.

3. Restablishing your command and control by reattachments.

I'm going to give you a playtester secret on how to increase your APs in 1941.

Take every single motorized division you can and park them in a level 2 fort. Then set them on static mode. You'll get 15ish APs or so for each such unit. This adds up fast. You'll find plenty of level 2+ forts already up and running in places like Leningrad, Kiev, and Odessa. Otherwise move them to cities in the rear like Smolensk and get them digging to level 2 ASAP.