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As Oleg's game with Senno collapsed, Oleg has found the time to demolish the Axis Army in 1943.

I hope more players take up the challenge of 1943, but maybe I am alone in finding fun in trying to patch up the shattered Axis front each turn. Well it's fun until the Band Aids run out!

We are playing with full FOW and random weather - probably less of an issue in 1943, and one turn of mud at the right time could save Berlin.

My first objective is to keep the soviets East of the Dnepr until the mud (approx. turn 15), which buys me a bit of time to organise winter defences which will aim to keep him as far from Rumania as possible

Turn 1. Citadel is cancelled and the Orel Salient is evacuated so defences can be set up to hold back the Red avalanche.

Turn1: IISS corps redeploys to counter any thrust towards Kharkov. All Mechanised units are taken out of the front line to set up a "pak front", that serves a triple function - counter attacking while in reserve mode while digging entrenchments and preventing a breakthrough by mechanised units.

Hi all,

Great Bob! [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"

T1: 1st panzer Army and 6th Army's north flank is pretty exposed, but I don't have enough AP's to get them out of Static mode, to pull them back to a less exposed position. Mechanised forces from AGC and AGA are deployed to start digging fall back positions.

T1: 17th Army gets out of Dodge. Oleg may have seen the AAR from my game with Flavio, where he went all out to trap 17th Army in the Crimea, so I need to get them out ASAP.

I love the challenge of slowing down Soviet Hordes and holding on for the win. I will be watching this one closely.

[quote]ORIGINAL: BigAnorak

Turn1: IISS corps redeploys to counter any thrust towards Kharkov. All Mechanised units are taken out of the front line to set up a "pak front", that serves a triple function - counter attacking while in reserve mode while digging entrenchments and preventing a breakthrough by mechanised units.


Isn't the majority of IISS withdrawn on t2 to go to Italy & France? I'm fairly sure Das Reich & LAH were taken away after Prokharovka ( forgive spelling).
Manstein63

He has a good point. Does a lot of stuff go to Italy rather quickly?

I've got one question for you BigA.

I see your "pak front" consists in breaking down into KG's mechanized formations and put them on reserve mode. That's to take advantage to the bonus brigade/regiment sized units get when it is checked whether they commit or not to ongoing battles, isn't it?

Great to see a '43 game going and good luck [:)]

LAH leaves on turn 5, which I know is later than historically, but I will take any bone I am given. The HQ leaves on turn 6. The conversion to SS Panzer divisions for the remaining SS PZG divisions takes place in theatre - they are not withdrawn to be converted.

I see your "pak front" consists in breaking down into KG's mechanized formations and put them on reserve mode. That's to take advantage to the bonus brigade/regiment sized units get when it is checked whether they commit or not to ongoing battles, isn't it?

Yes, but I have to be selective about which units go into reserve - 50 tanks against 500 backed up by 3000 artillery pieces won't really swing the balance, but against infantry corps based attacks they can make a difference.

T2: I spent the APs for turn one on setting up an Attack on the Orienbaum enclave, as this frees up 6 divisions that can be redeployed. Despite spending hours to get all garrisons in the "blue", 412 Partisan attacks wreck my rail network.

T2: Oleg's probing attacks near Orel are rebuffed with fairly heavy losses.

T2: And I deal with another strong probe near Stalino. Most of Oleg's front is in static mode too, so I have to second guess where he will activate.

T2: Manpower management will be essential in 1943, especially as I only get 5 infantry divisions in "free" manpower, and actually suffer a net loss of 3 mechanised divisions. In 1944 I get 35 infantry, 15 Mech and 8HQs for free that should relieve some of the pressure of the relentless attrition Oleg will be applying.

The disbandments have started already.

I thought that partizans couldn't set up where you had a unit or a zoc
Manstein63

The screenshots were end of turn, so my guys had moved.

They had already rebuilt and redeployed 6th army to the front by this time?

I think it was originally Army Abteilung Hollidt but became 6th Army on 6th March 1943 with Hollidt remaining in command.

Trey produced the OOB so can tell you more.