Another March to the East

[carlkay58]

Game Options:

I will be playing the Axis at all 100s against the Soviet AI at all 110s. I have the AI Air Assist turned on for the game and will leave it be. There have been some changes that need testing so off we go.

[carlkay58]

T01 Air Phase:

Unfortunately, using the AI Air Assist means using the default Air Directives for the first turn. This gives more air losses than I care to take on turn 1 but, hey, it is the AI I get to blame. It actually is not as bad as I was afraid it would be.

[carlkay58]

T01 Air Doctrine Changes:

I now change the air doctrines for future directives. You can see what I changed on Luftflotte 1's doctrine and I then apply these changes to all other air commands. I change all directives to the minimum weather of Fair.

Ground Support is not changed.

Bomb City target priorities are changed so only Ports and Railyards are targeted at High Priority.

Ground Attack has its Schedule changed to only three days: D2, D4, and D6. This allows the Recon to fly first and gather the data.

Recon has its Schedule changed to only D1, Altitude to 18000, Mission AC Pct to 25, and Escort AC Pct to 0. So fewer aircraft flying without escorts. This keeps the sorties lower and harder to detect and intercept. This tends to keep the Recon losses down.

Superiority has its altitude changed to 12000 to give a bounce benefit.

Naval Patrol has its schedule changed to D1, D3, D5, and D7.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN01

I have the FOW turned off for turn 1. I usually do this on turn 1 so I can get the maximum benefits. Note this does not work against non-AI opponents as you cannot turn FOW on and off at will. The main targets for AGN are capturing the Soviet depots and creating pockets of defeated Soviets. This is the starting map from the Soviet view. Note the strong supply depots at Riga, Daugavpils, Jelgava, and Kaunas. All of these are first turn targets for AGN.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC01

This screen shows the Soviet depots that are assigned for capture by AGC. They are Minsk, Grodno, Bialystok, Baranovichi, Brest Litovsk, and Kobrin. This will leave no supplies for the Soviets trapped in a large Bialystok pocket.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGS01:

Now we look at the AGS sector. There are some real problems trying to gain too much here as the Soviets are not as penalized in this sector than the others. But there are some obvious target depots: Lvov, Kovel, and Sambor.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN L Corps:

I start with this corps to open up some lanes through the Soviet lines.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN XXIII Corps:

This corps is used to create some holes in the line for further exploitation.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN XXXVIII Corps:

This corps has a single division which is broken down into regiments that spread out to flip hexes that will force the Soviet front line defenders rout instead of retreat.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN 253rd Inf Div:

This division (reporting directly to 16th Army HQ) is broken down into regiments to finish flipping hexes to restrict Soviet retreats.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN Totenkopf SS MD:

I breakdown this division into regiments. The first regiment heads towards Ventspils but stops short of isolating the coastal areas. It is important at this stage to leave the pockets unformed for manipulating the Soviet retreats and routs. The second regiment is used to isolate some of the Soviet units so they have no retreats from Siaullai and Jalgava. The last regiment is used to flip Birzai and Rokiskis so they are not available for Soviets to rout to. This lays the traps in the north.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN 291st ID:

This division, reporting directly to 18th Army HQ, is tasked with capturing the port of Liepaja.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN II Corps:

This corps is tasked with capturing Kaunas being in position to help clear Soviet divisions out of the way for 3rd PG.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC VI Corps:

The two divisions clear out a lot of Soviet forts, capture the depot at Grodno, and form a portion of the northern wall of the Bailystok pocket.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC XXXXII Corps:

This is a large corps that will do a lot of the work on the northern edge of the Bialystok pocket. The 110th ID moved over and takes out a fort but helps form the northern edge of the pocket. The 106th ID positions itself for follow up attacks on the Soviet front lines. Regimental units take out some more forts and isolate the Soviet front lines.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC VII Corps:

The 258th ID takes out Soviet forts and isolates part of the front line. The 23rd ID finishes the job almost up to the Brest Litovsk defenses. The security regiments complete the job of isolating the front lines.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC 8th SS Cav Bde:

The brigade cuts into the Soviets and captures the Bialystok depot. This destroys the largest source of Soviet supplies in the future pocket.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC 293rd ID:

This division advances and captures the two forts to the south of Brest Litovsk.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC 286th Sec Div:

This division breaks down into the regiments and isolates the rest of the Soviet front line.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC 403rd Sec Div:

This division breaks down into regiments and flips some more hexes that isolates another Soviet front line stack.