Matrix Games Forums

I decided to take a break from the GC41 scenario this time around and try my hand at Stalingrad to Berlin. Qball wanted someone to push him hard in this game. I don't know if I am that person but I will be giving it a try since Soviets are semi-foreign to me. But, I do know that Qball is a very capable player looking at some of his WITW, WITE2, and WITE2 BETA games. So I do believe my job is not going to be easy at all.

I know that Qball did a very nice write up on StoB in his AAR & recommend anyone interested to please visit that gem of information because it did help me. Now, there are a few things I will be doing different than Qball and as such I will be doing a step by step for my opening which I will post on the return of the German turn 2.

Here are the settings for the game which are pretty standard except we have TB off.

FOG of War: On
Movement FOW: On
Automate AI air assist: Off
Enhanced Player TB control: Off



ADDED NOTES 5.23.2021
* No motorization of units will be used
* I will also NOT be using Para-drops.


I should have the first turn to Qball by Monday, at the latest, as I come to grips with the idiosyncrasies of the Soviet War Machine.



Please also follow Q-Ball on his masterpiece AAR as the opposing view to this AAR, you know the German Side ;-P

Stalingrad to Berlin, Q-Ball (Axis) v HLYA (Reds), the other view

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=5018483

Turn 1

Weather!!!! (LoL for 1st turn)

Turn 1

Events!!!!

Nothing much but something of a RAH rah speech.

Turn 1

Q-Ball has a nice AAR going here, https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=5006948, as the Soviets and you may find some information he does much better than mine. I am new to the Soviet side having less than 30 games total in my whole WITE1 & WITE2 career out of way over 300 now games.

I also like to thank Q-Ball for some information he sent in an email which I will share here;

"You can lock-up Stalingrad so the Germans can't open it on T-2; see the opening I did. It does require careful movement, including:

1. Never use CAV or MECH units to attack anything (with one exception: You may need to push a Romanian Cav north of pocket after it's first retreat)
2. Hasty-attack in a couple places to leave a 1-delay lane; go ahead and blow away the Romanians to either side, make them rout
3. Bring down a Tank Corps from north of Stalingrad
4. Create a wall, with a flipped hex in front, on the south side of the pocket

Any T-2 breakout is going to come from within the pocket along the southern side; that's the only possible way

Even if the Germans get SUs and a couple Regts out, there isn't much hope for most of the units. With the exception of 29th Motorized, all the panzer units are short of trucks and have very limited mobility"

End of Q-Ball helpfull information from email.

Now having read that I do a few things different than what he advised for better or worse.

* I do use my Mech/Armor to attack
* I do a great many "Deliberate" attacks and still only leave 1 delay. (hasty attacks can be dangerous and repetitive attacks later on when a unit retreats. I take care of the situation immediately making sure 1 attack and route.

The rest I will go over in the following 96ish pages for a complete walk through of my start to surrounding Stalingrad in the "Stalingrad to Berlin" campaign taken in real time on every move for the turn.

Turn 1

#1 Objective

I want to to surround Stalingrad (LoL) shown in orange and set up on the minor river for defense. I also want to surround the two Moto units to the south east of Stalingrad (Not shown in picture)

Turn 1

#2 Change 4th Mech from this HQ to....

Turn 1

#3 This HQ! Much better leader for what I need. (Yes, I know about the malus)

Turn 1

#4 Move 4th Mech up for a hasty attack

Turn 1

#5 Hasty attack with the units highlighted. I attack this one first because I am attacking the 3=6 Rumanian division to the SE and don't want this Rumanian division to retreat East.

Turn 1

#6 One Rumanian went into the pocket, the other outside the forming pocket

Turn 1

#7 Big 3=6 Rumanian Division

This unit is a problem, at least for me it was. At a minimum I want this unit to retreat to the SW, at best I want it to route into the pocket. So I Delib Attack the unit using the units highlighted, the Guard Division and the 2 units to the SE of the Guards division.

Turn 1

#8 The Division routed to the SW outside the pocket that is forming. The delay of 2 is fine here since I will not be going through this hex.

Turn 1

#9 Sticking with Q-Ball's hasty attacks recommendation I will be doing another here on the south side.(North side I don't do hasty attacks) I move up 4th Mech and the 15th Guards division.

Turn 1

#10 Hasty attack with 15th Gds & 4th Mech

Turn 1

#11 the regiment routes into pocket

Turn 1

****Please note that starting on the South first more units "will route" into the Stalingrad area. I found when I start with the North section first less units will route into the Stalingrad pocket when attacking the south area 2nd.****

#12 Deliberate attack the 3=5 with units shown. Should retreat 1 hex or route.

Turn 1

#13 Routed to Stalingrad pocket

Turn 1

#14 Move 4th Mech to shown position.

Turn 1

#15 hasty attack with 4th Mech

Turn 1

#16 Unit routes far to the south.