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This game has been going on for quite a while and was launched under v8.0. For those who have been around a while, smokindave34 has been my long-running nemesis in command of the Axis War Machine.

GC41-45
non-random weather
no 1-1 > 2-1
regular blizzard

Inspired by the war journal of Franz Halder, Chief of the German General Staff during Operation Barbarossa.

Halder was replaced in 1942 by Kurt Zeitzler but kept a journal of the activities that took place while in command of OKH.

In this one, it will be Georgy Zhukov who relates the success or failure of the campaign.

22-27 June 1941 (1st week of the war)

Germans have invaded the Rodina with an army of 3.4 million men and supported by another 1.4 million men from Rumania, Italy, Hungary and Slovakia. Stalin has remained in his dacha at Kuntsevo under heavy guard by the NKVD and is not answering repeated phone calls. STAVKA is essentially paralyzed as any significant orders issued that are not approved by Stalin could mean an instant death sentence. Even Marshal Shaposhikov, Chief of the General Staff cannot reach him.

I reported to the Kremlin offices daily in order to stay in touch with the changing situation. The Finnish front remains quiet for the moment. The situation in the west is a state of utter chaos, with frequent breakdown in communications. From what we have gathered from various reports, we have suffered large encirclements at Bialystok, Lvov and Riga. Our mechanized corps which should have been employed in vigorous counterattacks have no capacity for such actions under current circumstances.

General-Polkovnik Kuznetsov is rallying what remains of Northwest Front in the area of Pskov. Much of his front has been encircled and one panzer division is already over the Daugava as Our enemy has virtually overrun Lithuania in seven days.

General-Armii Pavlov of Western Front is falling back rapidly to safety west of the Dnepr. He telephones that Minsk is to be given up out of military necessity. It is clear the man learned nothing from our early war games where his forces were utterly defeated in a simulated German attack.

General-Polkovnik Kirponos of Southwestern Front withdraws what he can west of Rovno and digs in on the east bank of the Yuzhny Bug. He estimates that half of his front is surrounded in a pocket in the area of Lvov.

The enemy surprise attack resulted in the loss of an estimated 1,239 aircraft destroyed on the ground. Nearly 400 were lost in air to air combat and AA and operational losses brought total to 2,166 aircraft. German air losses believed at 63. As a result they enjoy air superiority across the entire front. This explains in part how our ground forces are being rapidly outmaneuvered.

Northern Situation


Western Front


Southwestern Front


Air losses

28 June-2 July 1941 (2nd week of the war)

German tank formations in the Baltic states are advancing against little opposition. They now stand 40 miles from Pskov and virtually all of Latvia is under control of the enemy. Northwest Front is attempting to manage a defense along the Velikaya while Northern Front prepares its own positions along the Luga.

In the center the lead German tank divisions reach the Drut River, a mere 30 miles from Mogilev. They are also within 40 miles of Mogilev. Our NKVD security regiments remain in contact with two German tank divisions near Lepel. Marshal Shaposhnikov has communicated to General Pavlov the need to resist the enemy to the uttermost. Any crossing of the Dniepr must be vigorously contested and Smolensk defended at all cost. Pavlov reported only his 4th and 13th Armies under generals Korobkov and Filatov are in active contact with front headquarters. The headquarters of Kuznetsov’s 3rd Army and Golubev’s 10th have yet to be heard from since the first days of war. Whether they are captives of the Germans is not known.

In the south, good news finally. The pocket near Lvov has been broken by General Kirponos, pushing a Rumanian division back at Khotin. Stalin is demanding to know at daily briefings when counterattacks to push the Germans back over the border will commence. He seems unwilling to accept the fact we are on our heels from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

General mobilization of reservists has begun this week, with an estimated 175,000 men called to arms. Millions more will undoubtedly follow. STAVKA is now in contact with Stalin and is issuing orders, releasing several second echelon armies to the west.

North


Center


South

good stuff, well done at opening the pocket in the south.

be interesting to compare no +1 but the normal winter rules compared to the other games at the moment

Nice read as always good luck.

Dave is above average and probably top 5 for what is left of the good GHC players.

As far as braking open the southern pocket, in to of my last 3 games its been done.
Doesn't really slow down the panzers, but does delay some infantry for a turn which can delay river crossing.

Thanks. I agree he's a good GHC player and is much harder to beat than when we started. Although he's not as good as you (few are of course [;)]), he really works the morale building very effectively so his panzers remain potent for a long time.

3-9 July 1941 (3rd week of the war)

The evening STAVKA conferences with Stalin and the State Committee for Defense continued to deliver bad news.

In the north the Germans stormed over the Velikaya and threaten to cut off the defenders at Pskov. Northwest Front is interposing itself between the Germans and Northern Front in order to try and buy time to strengthen defenses along the Luga River.

In the center the Germans are feeling their way through the woods south of Vitebsk.

General-Armii Pavlov of Western Front has been prioritized to receive substantial reinforcement and he reports his strength as follows:
499,076 men/5,044 guns/806 afvs

3rd Army (Kuznetsov) headquarters element has emerged from the pocket with no combat divisions remaining. The army command has been sent by rail east of Dnepr and assigned 7 fresh rifle divisions
4th Army (Korobkov) is east of Dnepr with 8 rifle divisions, 1 tank division
10th Army (Golubev) has sent intermittent radio messages from Bialystok. The army is isolated with 1 motorized, 2 rifle divisions, 1 anti-tank brigade and can expect to be written off to be later rebuilt.
13th Army (Filatov) is located east of Dnepr with 5 rifle, 2 tank, 1 motor division
4th Airborne Corps (Zhadov) has 3 airborne brigades
Western Air Command (Kopets) has 882 aircraft operational

In the south the Germans reseal the Lvov pocket. Security regiments screen the lead German mobile divisions as river defenses are hastily constructed on the banks of the Ingul and Ingulets Rivers.

STAVKA Armies now activated after the invasion
20th Army (Borzikov) 6 rifle 2 tank 1 motor division in reserve ready for deployment
24th Army (Kalinin) 8 rifle divs southern portion V-L line
29th Army (Maslennikov) 8 rifle divisions building north portion Velikye Luki Defensive Line
31st Army (Tolbukhin) 4 rifle divisions refitting in Moscow

Industrial evacuation plans have been hastily updated under the guidance of Comrade Nikolay Shvernik who chairs the newly formed State Industrial Council and identified the need to withdraw a multitude of factories at risk of being overrun by the Germans and their allies. Among important industrial targets include the following:

Kirovskiy Tank Plant/KV-1 heavy tank/Leningrad
Kharkov Diesel Factory N.75/T-34 medium tank/Kharkov
200 armaments factories at risk in the western USSR
51 Vehicle factories/trucks/Stalino, Kharkov, Leningrad, Moscow
LaGG-3 Taganrog, ¼ total capacity in USSR. LaGG-3 series 29 series same location.
IL-2 fighter bomber/Voronezh and later to include Moscow.

We have begun the evacuation of our armaments plants with 21 of these sent to the city of Molotov in the Urals. During the last of the meetings this week, Comrade Stalin berated Shaposhnikov for almost 30 minutes at our state of affairs. Many of us recognize who is largely responsible for the current situation, but we hold our tongues seeing as we would be of little use in a Siberian labor camp.

North


Center


South


Lvov


OOB

10-16 July 1941 (4th week of the war)

Comrade Stalin has dismissed Marshal Shaposhnikov who he erroneously blames for our many defeats along the frontier. I was called to the Kremlin to report as the new Chief of the General Staff
It would have been better to replace Pavlov but that is a battle to be fought another time. I have not inherited an enviable position in these circumstances.

Comrade Molotov confirmed that the Finns have abandoned their neutrality and thrown in their lot with the Fascists. No doubt it is their revenge for our previous Winter War we already paid such a terrible price. Our forces in Karelia are being thrown back. The Germans captured Pskov in the north and our two fronts south of Leningrad are holding the most tenuous of positions.

In the center, General Pavlov reported Vitebsk is lost as the enemy continues their advance, now towards Smolensk. He takes comfort in the fact that the river positions hold fast, but clearly he will be forced off of them soon enough.

In the south the lead German mobile divisions have pushed aside the security regiments and threaten to outflank defenses along the Ingul and Ingulets. The defense here at least is orderly now and permitting the essential industrial evacuations.

Our reported losses thus far are 786,000 men of whom over half a million are prisoners. The Germans and her allies a mere 45,000 casualties.
33rd Army (cavalry) was formed this week and I have arranged for the highly talented General Maior K.K. Rokossovsky to be transferred from 9th Mechanized Corps and take over this army.

North



Center


South


Losses to date

17-23 July 1941 (5th week of the war)

German forces in the north continue their push towards the Luga. General Armii Kiril Meretskov replaced Fyodor Kuznetsov as commander of the Northwestern Front.

Gen Lt Nikolai Vatutin replaced Pyotr Sobennikov as commander of 8th Army and serve as STAVKA representative for Leningrad and Northwest Fronts. (game note: as Gen-Lt. he was too expensive to assign to NW Front in terms of admin points)

General-Armii Pavlov reported 47th Tank Corps in support of German 4th Army breaching the Dnepr at Mogilev. Their 39th Tank Corps is 20 miles from Smolensk. He pulled his divisions off the Dnepr River line as expected in order to avoid encirclement by two German tank armies.

General-Polkovnik Kirponos reported German 16th Panzer penetrated east of the Dnepr near Borispol, south of Kiev, but was hurled back.

Center



South

always nice to rout a Pzr Division at this stage .. so good for (player) morale.

One wee grumble at your write up. Stavka is not an acronym, its a proper word in Russian. Translate it (roughly) as tent. In medieval Russian armies the Stavka was the tent of the supreme commander and marked by flags so that messengers and generals knew where to go.

The Tsar renamed the army HQ as Stavka in 1915 (I think, may have been 1916) to create the myth that he was at the front sharing the 'agonies of his people'. Stalin then adopted the title at the end of June 1941 (initially with much the same propaganda aim).

Anyway, its not like say OKH which is an abbreviation ... (sorry)

24-30 July 1941 (6th week of the war)

Bad news across all our fronts.
Novgorod in the north has been taken by German tank forces of Von Manstein. Their lead tank forces push north along difficult terrain between the Oredezn and the Volkhov.

Germans now outside Smolensk. 20th Army continued to hold the city. 13th Army under Kuznetsov manned positions east of the Dnepr while Zhadov’s 4th Airborne Corps screened west of the Dnepr opposite German 9th Army. Rokossovsky’s 33rd Army occupied secondary positions.

In the south, the Germans have enveloped Kiev and have pushed 50-60 miles east of the Dnepr. Several divisions are surrounded at Kiev but General Kirponos is establishing new defensive lines to the east.

In the last five weeks we have lost slightly over a thousand aircraft. Our air losses for the campaign have risen to 3,251 aircraft. Axis losses believed to be 183, with the majority of these due to normal operations.

North


Center


South


Air losses

31 July-6 August 1941 (7th week of the war)

With the situation deteriorating in the north, I flew to Leningrad on 1 August to consult with General Leitenant Popov of the Northern Front and newly appointed Northwest Front commander General Armii Meretskov. The southernmost rail link across the Volkhov is no longer accessible owing to the German advance in the area of Chudovo. Southwest of Leningrad the enemy has taken Kotly which means further withdrawals of our southernmost units in sector are necessary to prevent further encirclements. Defenses along the Neva are quickly being strengthened. Air support allocated by the VVS in this area is substantial as we recognize the value placed on Leningrad by the Fascist invaders.

General Pavlov reported the Germans pushed north and south of Smolensk and surrounded the city on 2 August. At least one enemy tank division is 50 miles northeast of the city. A local counterattack pushed the German 26th Infantry Division off the eastern bank of the Dnepr.

On a positive note, all armies of the Western Front are now largely rebuilt with rifle, motorized and tank divisions. This should enable a more vigorous defense should the Germans move in the direction of Moscow.

In the south, the Germans pushed out of their bridgehead in the vicinity of Kiev. Their mobile troops captured Sumy. General Polkovnik Kirponos has reorganized his troops to form a series of defensive rings around Kharkov. This vital city is now undergoing factory evacuations under the direction of the State Industrial Council.

Manpower that has been called up to date from our mobilization centers: 987,600. Manpower losses to date: 1.1 million.
Air losses: 234 Axis vs. 3,524 Soviet

North


Center


South

7-13 August 1941 (8th week of the war)

General–Armii Meretskov reports Germans are pushing significant forces east of the Volkhov which threatens Leningrad’s supply link. Comrade Andrei Zhdanov, the Party leader in Leningrad reported to the Industrial Council that all arms factories were evacuated along with some KV-1 component factories.

Still in Leningrad, on the evening of the 9 August, I spoke by phone briefly with General Vatutin of 8th Army. He was able to provide detailed thoughts on the overall situation of the Northwest Front. He also reported that in the fighting of his own army, two of his rifle divisions, the 268th and 291st briefly repulsed elements of General Reinhardt’s 41st Tank Corps. At this point I am glad to hear some of our forces are able to check the Fascist advances. I asked Vatutin to keep me informed of any further successes as we need to provide every bit of good news available to Stalin at the evening situation briefings.

In the center the Germans are pushing east of Smolensk and will soon cross the Dnepr in force in the area. They appear to be pushing between Bogdanov's Reserve Front and Pavlov's Western Front. Pavlov still seems incapable of mounting a successful defense no matter how many troops are sent to him.

Axis forces in the south take Sumy and reach the Psel. Southwestern and Southern Fronts are ordered to protect Kharkov while key evacuation of industrial elements remain underway. It appears at least some of the German tank divisions in this area have stopped for rest and refit this week.

North


Center


South Center


South

overall seems as if you are absorbing his offensive without too many crises?

that top map is awesome by the way ... impressive [;)]

Nice job in front of Moscow setting up a good 2nd line, newer players never think that far ahead.

Also you have good balance in front of Leningrad. Your making him work for it, but not over committing.

Very good job in the south also.

14-20 August 1941 (9th week of the war)

Now with Northern Front for a third week. It has been necessary to send three division and sixteen regimental commanders to penal battalions for failing to persecute a vigorous defense of their positions. The Germans have taken Mga in the north that severs the remaining rail link to Leningrad. Now only the Ladoga ports of Novaya Lagoda and Sviritsa remain to sustain the city of Leningrad.

Over 170,000 men have been trapped in pockets including a sizable one to the west of Moscow. These are mainly from the 24th and 29th Armies. It may be necessary to go to that area very soon to try and straighten out things in that area.

I have received a report by courier. The Red Army Armored Directorate under the guidance of General Maior D. Lelyushenko produced their final report on the deficiencies of our tank and mechanized forces during the initial 6 weeks of the war. I have endorsed the plan on behalf of the General Staff to include a strategy of “Start small-Plan big.” To that end, tank brigades will initially replace the larger tank divisions we began the war with. This allows commanders to handle smaller tank groups that are much more manageable. Once the brigades are able to be managed successfully we will go to a larger tank corps model of the future.

Northern Situation


List of trapped units

21-27 August 1941 (10th week of the war)

I have moved on this week to the Northwest Front to have a look at the latest crisis brewing there. The Germans are moving in strength east of the Volkhov in order to isolate Leningrad entirely.

On 23 August, Vatutin reported on the evening briefing of the Northwest Front army commanders, that the 268th and 291st rifle divisions of his 8th Army had once again had halted the Germans in combat action. This time their opponent was General Walter Model’s 1st Corps. Model was one of their best generals commanding arguably the strongest infantry corps in the German Army. Also these two rifle divisions had formed in the Leningrad region only five or six weeks ago. This was no small feat and could have some propaganda value. I asked for the names of these divisional commanders as it seems they were either very lucky or very talented.
268th Rifle Division Colonel I.D. Chernyakhovsky.
291st Rifle Division Colonel V.L. Yukevich.

In the area of the Reserve Front, the Germans appear to be sliding in a northeast direction rather than easterly towards Moscow. This can be viewed in a positive light.

In the area of Kursk-Orel, the Fascists attempted to form a new pocket around units of the Bryansk Front. The pocket was thwarted at least temporarily while a German division in turn was isolated.

In the south, Kharkov and Stalino remain in the control of our forces. Factory evacuations continue at a rapid pace.

Receive a briefing by phone from General Novikov on the state of the VVS:

154 fighter bomber regiments and 12 fighter bomber battalions. Work continues at a deliberate pace to phase out our I16 models
MiG3: 46
LaGG3: 37
Yak1: 25
I16 Type18: 10
I16 Type24: 31
I16 Type 29: 2
I15/153: 3
15 in National Reserve

40 tactical air regiments consisting of
IL2: 19
SU2: 9
U2VS: 12

113 level bomber regiments consisting of
Ar2: 2
DB3B: 9
IL4: 26
Pe2 :15
SB2: 54
TB3: 5
Yer2: 2

Recon Regiments 11
SB2R: 7
R5: 1
U2R: 1
Yak2: 1
Yak4: 1

Transport Regiments 14
LI2: 7
TB3G2: 2
U2: 5

Aircraft production looks very good with continuous growth projected.

Comrade Stalin approves the recommendation of the General Staff and Armor Directorate for the reorganization of the Red Army tank forces. General-Maior Dmitry Lelyushenko is tasked to form 22 tank brigades to be utilized in an as yet to be planned winter operation.

Troop locations including those specific units of Vatutin's 8th Army.


Moscow Sector


Orel-Kursk


South


Ground losses to date


Air losses to date

28 August-3 September 1941 (11th week of the war)

A dark day for our northern forces. German tank and motorized forces have formed a new pocket east of the Valdai Hills, surrounding a dozen rifle formations of Northwest Front. Vyshny Volochek is taken by the Germans. Leningrad Front has been compelled to fall back to the east in order to avoid risking further encirclements. The Germans take the port of Novaya Ladoga, the Finns capture Sviritsa. Leningrad is now doomed with the last of our supply ports gone. Consequently General Lt. Konev is transferred from command of 32nd Army in Leningrad and flown out of the area. He is reassigned to 24th Army of the Reserve Front.

With the German pocket around Northwest Front, the Germans have delayed a direct push on Moscow by another week.

In the Bryansk-Orel sector, Bryansk is surrounded and the Germans are on the outskirts of Orel.

Stalino is abandoned in the south as several more divisions have been surrounded. Forces in the region fall back to protect the city of Rostov.

The Industrial Council reported our losses to date
Heavy Industry: 38 (16% of pre-war capacity) 198 factories remain under our control.
Arms: 6 (2% of pre-war capacity) 364 factories remain under our control.
Vehicles: 0
Aircraft & Tanks: 0

Despite the success in the evacuation of our armaments industry, we are advised by the council that a new priority has come to light, that of the need to protect our remaining Heavy Industry base. This is based on the projections of the General Staff that the Red Army will need to equip a force of between 8-9 million men with the appropriate supporting ground and air elements in order to defeat our enemy. Based on this, the Council believes we cannot afford to give up more than another 30 heavy industry factories if we are to successfully supply our projected force.
I reply that such a need will force the Red Army to take on great risk at holding our forward lines to provide the additional time for such evacuations, and in any case the Germans are already certain to capture half of what we can afford to lose given the current battle lines.

Manpower that has been called up to date from our mobilization centers: 1,569,700.

Leningrad


Northwest Front


Moscow


Bryansk-Orel


Stalino

4-10 September 1941 (12th week of the war)

Things are somewhat quiet across the front. No doubt the enemy is preparing to lunge forward in one or more areas but we will take the lull in the fighting. I am particularly concerned over Western Front positions forward of Vyazma. These concerns are met with assurances from General Pavlov he will not allow his forces to be surrounded yet again. Still, I have my doubts and urge him to take every action necessary to insure he has deployed his forces in sufficient depth.

In accordance with the need to protect our industrial evacuations, our southern grouping of fronts make a stand in front of Kharkov.

Moscow


OOB

Good struggle