War Without Mercy (no Flavius please)

[Michael T]

My turn to suffer the crushing blows of the German war machine. This game has the same conditions as my other AAR where I am German. Very curious to see how a self proclaimed Red Fanboy handles driving the Wehrmacht [:)]


End Soviet T2 (22 June 1941)

Northern Front:

Assembling some forces (27th Army) behind the Dvina in depth. The commander of the front is replaced with a Tsarist.

Central Front:

Western Army moves east in an effort to escape the looming disaster. A Conscript division is hastily raised in Vilnius.

Southern Front:

SW Army moves east. Hopefully some can survive and help defend Kiev. Zhukov is sent to 12A. I need these guys to activate so they can cross the river to their east.
9A also heads east.

The German opening is a little more conservative than my own, but he will have a lot of fuel in reserve. I must be as wary as I can. I launched no counter attacks at all. The name of the game here is survival.

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn June 26 1941 (Clear)

Lvov falls, but Brest in a heroic stand holds off the hun! Vilnius is still in Soviet hands.

My gamble with Zhukov pays off and 12A get across the river. Dunaburg defences are reinforced with a conscript division. I spent 15PP on re-organizing the Soviet Army.

We continue to fall back. No immediate crisis is apparent.

[jjdenver]

Thx for the AAR. Does sending Zhukov increase activation chance or do you have to play a 5 PP card for that to happen? Also does the cost of using Zhukov ever go up or is it always free to send him wherever you'd like to? Has anyone tried putting him in command of something? If you do that do you lose the ability to move him around for the rest of the game? forever?

[Michael T]

I would refer these questions to Flaviux. I am basically learning as I go along. I have not got deep enough into the Soviet card system yet. But placing Zhukov in an Army did not cost anything. Once 12A is away I will be trying Zhukov out in a Front command myself.

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn, 30 June 1941 – Clear Weather

We continue to fall back until a new line can be constructed. Stalin’s paranoid level is worrying. I expect an episode soon. And the only man who can help has been lost in transit since 22 June.

[lancer]

Hi jjdenver,

Zhukov and Khurschev are free to move around but can get delayed in transit (the chance of being delayed then continues to halve for subsequent checks).

Zhukov at a Front HQ gives, from memory, a +20 global activation bonus to all subordinate commanders.

If at an Army HQ it's +60.

Cheers,
Cameron

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn, 4 July 1941 – Partial Mud

Stalin had an episode. The unfortunate commander of 19th Army, General Kuznetsov has been executed.

Other than that we keep falling back. More Armies are arriving on the battlefield. Soon the retreat will end.

[Jagdtiger14]

I like your work. I'm a fan!

[Isokron]

Where are you putting your fortifications, I cant see any on the screenshots?

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn, 12 July 1941 - Clear.

The Germans assaulted Odessa and lost 3400 men. It held out

In the Soviet move we turn Kiev in to a fortress and beat up on some Rumanian RD north of Odessa. Stalin is pleased.

The lines are firming up. But who knows how they will hold up.

Note forts on the map.

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn. 16 July 1941 – Clear

Our brave defenders of Odessa and Riga could hold out no longer. Both cities fall and Stalin’s paranoia goes through the roof (105). Two very competent Generals are shot and replaced with total fools.

The Germans close in on Kiev. Unfortunately my Army (SW) tasked with its defence is hamstrung this turn and I can’t deploy them as I would like. So I try to slide my line north to cover but the Dniepr is a tough obstacle to cross. I end up with a worrying weakness to the north of Cherkassy and a gap north of Pervomaisk.

I feel AGC must be close to launching its second phase of Barbarossa and things are worrying in the south. The mood in Moscow is dark.

Total Casualties:
Soviet 837K
German 60K

Total Troops
Soviet 1547K
German 1308K

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn. 20 July 1941 – Clear

Things looking pretty solid still. The Germans made several attacks on the MLR, a couple of hold results and some successes for them. But no breakthroughs.

Looks like 1st PzGp is trying to slip to the north of Kiev. I slide my line to cover as best I can north from Kiev and south from Gomel to try and cover this.

Tallinn receives fortress status.

Losses:
Soviet 900K
German 81K

Total Troops:
Soviet 1770K
German 1316K

[Michael T]

This made Joe happy [:D]

[Iñaki Harrizabalagatar]

I wonder, how much terrain is at play? Is it worth to play armour in the open terrain and avoiding cities? What is your experience?

[Michael T]

After relative quiet, last turn saw the Germans stealthily move 4th PzGp north to Tallinn and 3rd PzGp to the east of Ostrovsk.

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End Soviet Turn, 28 July 1941 – Clear

Tallinn fell this turn and this resulted in Stalin chucking wobbly and shooting 3 Generals.

Also all hell broke loose in a furious series of battles to the northeast of Vitebsk. The Germans threw in 3rd PzGp, 2nd PzGp and 9th Army. 3rd PzGp achieved a moderate breakthrough. Stalin ordered an immediate counter attack which was mostly successful and has cut off a Panzer Corp. See next post for battle details.

In the south fresh Soviet Armies trashed several Rumanian ID.

1st PzGp have been relatively quiet since moving up on Kiev. I expect a major assault their soon.

Loses:

Soviet 1036K
German 143K

Total Troops:

Soviet 2037K
German 1478K

[Michael T]

Yellow arrows indicate the German attacks and advances. The blue arrows Soviet withdrawals. The green arrows soviet counter attacks. All were successful except the final assault on the surrounded Panzer Korp. I just did not have enough remaining AP to finish them off. But we tried. 3rd PzGp has been mauled fairly badly and will be in no state to launch another attack. The rescue mission most likely will have to come from 2nd PzGp and/or the 9th and 16th Armies.

[Michael T]

Certainly armour is better in the open than in the cities.

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn. 1 August 1941 – Clear

The huge battle north of Vitebsk continues. The Germans rescue the trapped Panzer Korp and chew up my Armies. Stalin orders more counter attacks. We throw them back at great cost to us and them. 19th Pz dies. 3rd PG is thoroughly trashed. 2nd PG is still fresh and unscathed. We await their riposte.

In the south the Hun take Kiev on the second assault. It was a costly victory. 1st PG pushes toward Kirovograd led by LSSAH, the new kids on the block. We fall back.

In the north 4th PG takes Narva, Stalin orders Leningrad to fortify.

[Michael T]

Some stats and the glorious victory where 19Pz was destroyed.

[Michael T]

End Soviet Turn, 13th August 1941 – Clear

The battles north of Vitebsk continue. The Germans attacking with 2nd PG and 9th Army. My forces in the area have been decimated. My counter attacks very limited now. But I have a fresh regular Army on the way (43rd). I keep throwing in Conscript Armies but they just melt away at a loss ratio of 15:1 to 20:1 or even worse. They are almost useless.

In the south I keep falling back towards D and Z town. I can’t hold him. To stand with the conscripts means death for nothing really. I am trying to get some of these Armies in to defensive posture before they evaporate.

He continues his attacks on the Leningrad front. Out flanking my Pskov line with a drive south from Narva.

Overall he is grinding me down now. The only real losses he suffers are when I get a hold result. Otherwise it is not uncommon to see losses like a 200 or less Germans for 10K of conscripts. Bad.

So I am hoping the late conscripts are a bit better and/or he eventually runs out of steam. I think I might be able to hold on in the North and Centre. It’s the South that is the worry. I just can’t inflict any losses on him.

Edit : Army number typo