A Test of Wills -----Dave (Axis) vs. Brian G (Soviets)

[smokindave34]

It's been a long time since I played as axis so any helpful advice as I write this AAR would be appreciated. I'm facing off against an experienced Soviet opponent in BrianG. He is as stubborn as I am so barring any unforeseen real life circumstances I'm expecting we'll fight this one out to the end. We are on turn 7 currently and I'll keep the AAR about 5 turns behind.

June 22nd, 1941 - I unleash my blitzkrieg on Brian's forces



Army Group North

Riga is captured. I tried to minimize the number of units that routed out of the pocket. Think I did pretty well here.



Elements of LVI Panzer corps attack a Soviet held village.



Army Group Center

Standard opening for me. I gamble that the large area between 2nd panzer group mobile forces and the follow on infantry won't be breached by Brian. I tried to flip as many hexes here as possible.



General Guderian congratulates 2nd Panzer Army forces on the rapid advance to the outskirts of Minsk



Army Group South
No extended Lvov opening - I'm still working on that. The pocket looks pretty tight to me and I expect it to hold through Brian's turn 1



Infantry units of 17th army prepare to advance into the Ukraine.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Good Luck Dave! Love the photos.

[thedoctorking]

I'm noticing that a number of your guys could possibly be isolated in the southern pocket. The Soviet units that advance to cut you off will no doubt be cut off in their turn, but this will contribute to slowing down your offensive faster than otherwise would be the case. Those units still have plenty of supply and can move in the coming turn, but they will be depleting their stocks and I think will run out of steam next turn or the turn after. One thing I try to do with these big pocketing moves is divide the pocketers up into regiments and spread them around in their last couple of hexes to as to make it harder to get between them. The Soviets should have a hard time opening any pocket that is created, at least.

What's your intended major line of advance?

[SparkleyTits]

I've been waiting for this one Dave!

Good luck to both of you

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: thedoctorking

I'm noticing that a number of your guys could possibly be isolated in the southern pocket. The Soviet units that advance to cut you off will no doubt be cut off in their turn, but this will contribute to slowing down your offensive faster than otherwise would be the case. Those units still have plenty of supply and can move in the coming turn, but they will be depleting their stocks and I think will run out of steam next turn or the turn after. One thing I try to do with these big pocketing moves is divide the pocketers up into regiments and spread them around in their last couple of hexes to as to make it harder to get between them. The Soviets should have a hard time opening any pocket that is created, at least.

What's your intended major line of advance?

Thanks Doctorking. I have always hesitated to break up my mobile units into regiments but it seems as though that is probably not a good strategy. I've seen a lot of AAR's lately (in particular HLYA's opening) where regiments can create additional ZOC to great advantage.

First priority for me will be Leningrad so I can use the Finns to support during the blizzard. After that my focus will be on pocketing troops. In my game against Aldiladeisogni1 he's done a great job of pocketing a few units (or more) each turn and it has really hurt the Soviet OOB.

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

Good Luck Dave! Love the photos.

Thanks HLYA. I thought I'd throw in some photos along the way for some additional "immersion". I've always enjoyed Loki's AARs where he has done that.

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: SparkleyTits

I've been waiting for this one Dave!

Good luck to both of you

Thanks ST!

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

ORIGINAL: thedoctorking

I'm noticing that a number of your guys could possibly be isolated in the southern pocket. The Soviet units that advance to cut you off will no doubt be cut off in their turn, but this will contribute to slowing down your offensive faster than otherwise would be the case. Those units still have plenty of supply and can move in the coming turn, but they will be depleting their stocks and I think will run out of steam next turn or the turn after. One thing I try to do with these big pocketing moves is divide the pocketers up into regiments and spread them around in their last couple of hexes to as to make it harder to get between them. The Soviets should have a hard time opening any pocket that is created, at least.

What's your intended major line of advance?

Thanks Doctorking. I have always hesitated to break up my mobile units into regiments but it seems as though that is probably not a good strategy. I've seen a lot of AAR's lately (in particular HLYA's opening) where regiments can create additional ZOC to great advantage.

You will Learn to love German regiments in the next version of WITE btw(map is HUGE and Germany needs units) In the current version they are good for the extra zoc and to delay while causing very nice casualties to the Soviets. I know I will be breaking a great many divsions down in my game against M60 to prove out my point.

[smokindave34]

Turn 2

Army Group North

The infantry clears out the pocketed units and 4th Panzer Group heads east to Pskov. I manage a successful hasty attack across the Velikaya river to dislodge a level 1 fort but don't have enough MP's to attack the weak motorized unit to the east of my panzers. My mobile forces are exposed but I'm hoping any forces Brian may have in the area don't have enough MP's to flip the area west of my panzers.



86th infantry division (L corps) clears the pocketed Soviet units



Army Group Center

Not so good here. I didn't grab it in my screenshot but Brian sent a unit through the swamps to break the AGC pocket between 4th Army and 2nd Panzer Group. I didn't think he'd have enough MP but in the future I'm going to protect this area with regiments of a motorized unit. The good news here is that 3rd Panzer Group clears out the land bridge. Brian won't be able (and doesn't look like he planned to) make a stand here.



3rd Panzer Group forces cross the Ulla River on the way to Vitebsk



As a result of the failure to close the AGC pocket, Field Marshall Fedor Von Bock gets paid a visit by the Gestapo. Sturmbannfuhrer Toht is dispatched from his assignment in Afrika to pay the Field Marshall a visit and provide him the "proper" motivation.



Army Group South

Interesting developments here. Brian gets aggressive in the south. He opened the Lvov pocket by attacking my panzer regiment in the south and also doesn't pull back the remainder of SW front. I swing around behind Rovno but don't have the MP's to completely close the pocket. I'm expecting to capture all these units but because I couldn't close the pocket it could mean a delay for AGS.



75th infantry division outside Tarnopol.

[TheLysander]

Very nice AAR. Love the pictures that come along with the tactical view.

[tyronec]

Great pics !
Brian should pull back now in the south, else all those units near Rovno are going to the labour camps, but will he ?

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

ORIGINAL: thedoctorking

I'm noticing that a number of your guys could possibly be isolated in the southern pocket. The Soviet units that advance to cut you off will no doubt be cut off in their turn, but this will contribute to slowing down your offensive faster than otherwise would be the case. Those units still have plenty of supply and can move in the coming turn, but they will be depleting their stocks and I think will run out of steam next turn or the turn after. One thing I try to do with these big pocketing moves is divide the pocketers up into regiments and spread them around in their last couple of hexes to as to make it harder to get between them. The Soviets should have a hard time opening any pocket that is created, at least.

What's your intended major line of advance?

First priority for me will be Leningrad so I can use the Finns to support during the blizzard. After that my focus will be on pocketing troops. In my game against Aldiladeisogni1 he's done a great job of pocketing a few units (or more) each turn and it has really hurt the Soviet OOB.

I talk to Aldiladeisongni1 often and he should do an AAR over here . I read the ones he does on the Italian forums all the time & he is a good player. But this is why I call turns 6-10 the Golden weeks since the Soviets get very few reinforcements and the Soviets are very short on troops to cover everything. The more you pocket during this time & earlier the better you will be in later turns. I strive for 3.5 million before blizzard but over 4 million the effects are felt well into early 42.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: tyronec

Great pics !
Brian should pull back now in the south, else all those units near Rovno are going to the labour camps, but will he ?

LOL Tyronec!!!! I don't think he will. Brian loves to stay close. But maybe, just maybe he might retreat. Maybe a 1% chance to pull back????

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

ORIGINAL: thedoctorking

I'm noticing that a number of your guys could possibly be isolated in the southern pocket. The Soviet units that advance to cut you off will no doubt be cut off in their turn, but this will contribute to slowing down your offensive faster than otherwise would be the case. Those units still have plenty of supply and can move in the coming turn, but they will be depleting their stocks and I think will run out of steam next turn or the turn after. One thing I try to do with these big pocketing moves is divide the pocketers up into regiments and spread them around in their last couple of hexes to as to make it harder to get between them. The Soviets should have a hard time opening any pocket that is created, at least.

What's your intended major line of advance?

First priority for me will be Leningrad so I can use the Finns to support during the blizzard. After that my focus will be on pocketing troops. In my game against Aldiladeisogni1 he's done a great job of pocketing a few units (or more) each turn and it has really hurt the Soviet OOB.

I talk to Aldiladeisongni1 often and he should do an AAR over here . I read the ones he does on the Italian forums all the time & he is a good player. But this is why I call turns 6-10 the Golden weeks since the Soviets get very few reinforcements and the Soviets are very short on troops to cover everything. The more you pocket during this time & earlier the better you will be in later turns. I strive for 3.5 million before blizzard but over 4 million the effects are felt well into early 42.

I agree he should do an AAR. He is a very good player indeed. He captured both Leningrad and Moscow in our game.

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: tyronec

Great pics !
Brian should pull back now in the south, else all those units near Rovno are going to the labour camps, but will he ?

We will find out shortly.....[:D]

[smokindave34]

ORIGINAL: TheLysander

Very nice AAR. Love the pictures that come along with the tactical view.

Thank you Lysander

[aldiladeisogni1]

Good Luck Dave!

[aldiladeisogni1]

I agree he should do an AAR. He is a very good player indeed. He captured both Leningrad and Moscow in our game.

HI
Thanks, you're good too.
I have little time to do AAR and I'm already doing it on the Italian forum.

[STEF78]

Another nice AAR, I will follow!

[smokindave34]

Turn 3

Army Group North

Brian pulls back his forces in the north. I was not expecting this move after his aggressive stance in the south. I would have left a unit in Pskov and the swamps just to the east.

XXXI panzer corps captures Pskov while I rest LVI panzer corps in preparation for a push north to Leningrad. Infantry continue to march east. I put Model in charge of I corps and Hollidt in charge of II corps.



LVI panzer corps resting and refitting west of Pskov



I infantry corps on the march to Pskov and on to Leningrad.....