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My name is Girshwin. I don't have much free time away from work and need to study for the LSAT, so I figured why not start a full campaign AAR?

This is my first PBEM. I have played one complete campaign game as Germans vs. Soviet Normal AI, and am starting a game as Soviets vs German Hard AI. My opponent, colberki, graciously agreed to an AAR and playing against an unknown (He has played a number of AI games and is also dipping toes into PBEM.)

I have learned to play largely from expert AARs. I wanted to contribute by sharing a game with two relative newcomers, and learn along the way.

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Game Settings

Bitter End 41-45GC
FOW
Random Weather
Mild Blizzard
No +1 to Soviet Combat Odds

House Rules

No naval invasions whatsoever.
No air attack on HQ unless stacked with another unit.
Auto Victory in 1941 - Leningrad, Moscow, Voronezh, Rostov
AWOL on move for 15 days= game over
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Turn 1:

I practiced by looking at Ketza's stickied start and part of the most recent Michael/Sillyflower AAR. I also paid special care to the RKhan vs. thedrillsgt beginner AAR to anticipate dangers facing an unprepared German. In the first dry run I used "bomb unit mode" on all of the airfields and killed 54 planes. [;)] My strategic goal is to capture as many Soviets as I can, and my tactical goal is to not have my spearheads cut off each turn. I look forward to a long campaign.

Not bad for a beginner. One thing you will have to learn is how achieve the same or better results and minimize breaking your Pz/Mot units down in to regiments. Minimize this when you can. Because as you will already know, when you recombine them you are stuck with the lowest MP of the individual components. I hate it when I have to recombine and 2 of the 3 are at 45+ MP and the 3rd unit is at 30MP, or even worse.

Also note, it only costs 6 MP for a deliberate attack on a unit, which if is a regiment will be easier to dislodge and change ownership of a hex (even though the successful attacker does not occupy it). Yet if the hex were simply zoc locked (rather than occupied) it may be impossible for the enemy to simply move in to it. So my point is defending a hex is sometimes easier to do with nothing but a zoc lock, rather than a regiment. This is especially true on T1.

+1 that...

A lot better than most of my 1st turn efforts
Manstein63

more than decent opening as far as a mainly SHC player can tell

Thank you for the advice Michael. I count 7 broken down units, and I will work on accomplishing the same goal with less. We will see what movement is lost next turn by my choice to use regiments. My understanding is that the attack value I see on my units is significantly different than the defensive value the Soviets will see, so I am not clear on what division/regiment can hold a position and what force can't.

ORIGINAL: Girshwin

My understanding is that the attack value I see on my units is significantly different than the defensive value the Soviets will see, so I am not clear on what division/regiment can hold a position and what force can't.

You can go into the admin tab & change the counter settings so as it will show both attack & defence values rather then attack and movement
Manstein63

Very good first turn for a beginner!

Yes, very good initial turn, you have been practicing! The pocket at Kovel will be able to be opened if he sacrifices that motorized division, but that's the only downside i saw.

Randy

Just to clarify what I am on about. The hex between the two green dots. It could be attacked from the yellow arrows. If the Soviets win the combat against the regiment they gain ownership of the hex and the pocket is broken. However if you had a division in each green dot hex or even 2 regiments and left the middle hex vacant there would probably be no chance of the Soviet breaking the pocket here. As he will not have enough MP to actually move in to a vacant hex (he can’t attack it) or the combat power to dislodge an entire division in an adjacent hex. Hope this makes sense.

In this example from your map, it would be better not to defend the hex with a weak unit, but rather let the zoc defend it. This will not hold true later on when Cavalry units can infiltrate. Then you need to create a buffer of controlled hexes like you will see in some of my AAR's.

good example, Michael, and a very useful contribution. in the long run you are training your later opponents.

Turn 2! Again, note we are both beginners so do not go too hard on us.

It looks like my opponent is running, for the most part.
My plan is to cut the southern units off from retreat by rail, or force him to send in and lose armor. The South is looking good. I didn't fight very much in this case, just moved the panzers through two holes. looks like there is a gap north of the land bridge and if I can I think I might try to go that way. In the north, the Velikaya river looks like a big barrier to me. I will have to see what the panzers can do there next turn.

Some things I'm learning:

Making sure rail lines are clear one turn ahead can speed things up.
I could have arranged the infantry units so more could speed to the front lines.
Something I attempted: a front line converted buffer.

Things I'm still puzzling over:

Airbase placement- put on rail lines or send behind the battle.
Gas conservation. It seems like holding some tanks back and waiting for the front to be fully converted could save gas.

Overall I am very pleased with the turn.

You are looking good in the south.

Gas conservation. It seems like holding some tanks back and waiting for the front to be fully converted could save gas.

Yes, if you can afford to have a few units held back its well worth it. Even more so if said mech units morale is less than 86.

On T3, the Soviets broke all the southern pockets.[X(]

Turn 3.

My opponent ran, saving his troops. In the north I went for Pskov and stopped in front of his next line.

In the center, I used an HQBU from last turn to attack at the north end of the landbridge, making a spearhead. I was proud of this because it's not something I've done a lot of.

In the south, my opponent opened up almost all of the pockets, including the original Lvov pocket! This slowed my infantry down. I am not happy with the tanks at the northern edge of the swamp, I realize that they will not get much gas next turn. My tank at Cherkassy was also a bit over-exuberant. I'm also worried about my southern tanks being encircled by his tanks and cavalry.

Man, your opponent SERIOUSLY ran in the south! You must be hopelessly past your 25 hex supply range with your pz HQ down there near Cherkassy on T3.

Surprised he didn't defend Pskov or Vitebsk or Mogilev with enough to prevent them falling T3, put in one infantry division dug in to those cities and the panzers can't take them easily.

Now that you have used up your first two turn supplies, and are so far forward, supply issues will start being a huge limiter for you on every front.

In my current PBEM campaign game on turn 6, i have taken Smolensk and broken the back of the central Soviet defenses, very little in my way to Moscow for the short moment, but i can't take advantage of it, my supply lines are absolutely maxed at 25 hexes, will have to pull back some and do some HQBUs while the railheads catchup, but even after HQBU, the rail can only advance 4 hexes max per turn, so that is about the limit of my advance towards Moscow now per turn unless again out of supply.

Randy

I wanted a take-back with the tanks in the south after I moved, but it was too late obviously. I need to plan more carefully and count hexes. I was just so excited to be able to move forward.

ORIGINAL: Girshwin

I wanted a take-back with the tanks in the south after I moved, but it was too late obviously. I need to plan more carefully and count hexes. I was just so excited to be able to move forward.

Those advanced panzer divisions are likely to have less than 10 MPs turn 4+ until supply catches up (or you pull their HQ back in 25 hex range). It looks like you can just go, but supply really stops you in your tracks (pun intended). I did the same thing with one of my panzer divisions heading towards Bryansk on turn 5 (a gap in the Soviet lines and nothing in front of me) and pushed them too far before i realized it with the next panzer division, and turn 6, the too far forward panzer division has ONE MP, should have flown them some JU52 supplies though, they would have 10 or so at least then.

Randy

The southernmost panzers had an HQBU, so I think they will be okay. I am nervous about his cavalry and tanks down there that I am afraid could isolate the divisions. The tanks below the swamp and the Cherkassy division are far from the railhead, I know.

No worries, there is no chance to cut off the Panzers.
btw. You should have kept the Pz div in Kirovograd. Now partisans will spread out from the city.