Campaign. tyronec (Axis) vs K62

[tyronec]

1.02.08 Patch.
No house rules except to limit GA-unit to max 200 sorties per hex.
We changed this after T1 to: No GA at all. So air support to the ground war will be just GS.
AAR running 3 turns behind.

Have not played the opening for some time so not sure how this will work out.
Air base bombing seems reduced since I last played, did a replay of my last practise bombings and it was way down on before. Settled for just bombing with bombers (all one aircraft sorties) which achieved 2.3k for 102 bombers. Am used to getting up to around 4k. Anyway, it left the fighters in good form to intercept and 4.8k seems OK for the turn after the ground phase.

AGN. Nothing special, trying to pocket as much as possible.

AGC. Pushing towards Smolensk as far as I could get. Routed one division out of the main pocket but otherwise OK. One Pz Corps sent South.

AGS. Doing the ‘no activation’ opening and pushing East as far as possible. I attacked one Tank Division with a Panzer unit, it had a CV of 0.1 and should have known better but it killed 35 Panzers.

I don’t see much difference in the combat since last time, which was some months ago. Just the air base bombing.
Overall a fairly aggressive opening and have left a few units available to pocket - will see if the Soviets take the bait. Some pockets have a fairly thin screen so won’t be surprised if there is a break or two.

[dudefan]

What is so OP with GA?

[Hardradi]

Losses look low for turn 1 but it looks like you will catch up in Turn 2.

[tyronec]

What is so OP with GA?

Auto-intercept is not working properly.
Also it is possible to obliterate a hex with 1000's of sorties in one turn.

[K62_]

Soviet T1

This should be an interesting game between aggressive German and Soviet players. My opponent has the advantage of experience, and presumably I also have the advantage of having read his AARs and strategy guides.

Some of Guderian's divisions have been transferred to AGS. (Interestingly they include 3rd and 4th Panzer which historically did help AGS close the ring around Kiev.) There is a deep solid thrust following the double track line while staying clear of activating Southern Front.

The AGC thrust towards Vitebsk seems unaffected, so presumably some of the AGN forces got diverted to AGC to compensate. If true, these two German moves mean that Pskov and Gomel are relatively safe in the short run. Some of the forces that would defend Pskov get sent to Parnu instead. Some of the forces that would defend Gomel get sent to strengthen the Land Bridge.

Unfortunately for the Germans, an airborne brigade manages to swing around Minsk and open the Minsk pocket from the north. Forces in the pocket are ordered to advance in between surrounding German troops in the hope of being attacked and routed out the pocket. To tie back the maximum number of German troops the Pripyat marsh area is also reinforced. Supplies are flown in to the forces in the pocket to maximize their ability to delay German divisions from the Land Bridge.

In the south the rails are working over capacity but some units will not make it out of the developing Lvov pocket. They are ordered to hug the German advance in the hope of being attacked next turn and also of impeding supply somewhat.

Other than that it's just pretty standard M60 tactics. The air force focuses on interdiction strikes against river crossings etc. Air groups with spare pilots are deployed to the Caucasus to avoid losing the pilots. Air supply is used extensively to raise CV for units going to sensitive areas. Railyard capacity is taken into account for planning rail movements.

Soviet APs are used mostly on command changes this turn. I bring in Tolbukhin and Vasilevskii to corps commands on the Land Bridge. These APs will ultimately be wasted when the infantry corps are disbanded, but I can't afford to give them armies instead and need good command in this area urgently. A few weak units (border guards, mobile divisions with low TOE) are left behind as speed bumps as the Soviets are trying to fall back as smoothly as possible to a Pskov - Vitebsk - Gomel - Kiev - Odessa line.

Here's the main Axis thrust in the south.

[K62_]

Opened Minsk pocket

[K62_]

Land Bridge defense

[K62_]

Pskov and Parnu

[Jango32]

I don't want to say it's GG because the Minsk pocket is opened on turn 1, but... the delay will be quite something to tyronec's tempo.

[Stamb]

In my game vs Lovenought i had a very similar pocket on top of the Minsk. And he was also able to break it. For sure it is a pain for the Axis, but also a good experience not to do the same mistake in a next game.

[tyronec]

For sure it is a pain for the Axis, but also a good experience not to do the same mistake in a next game.

Well having had this pocket broken in more games than one can say that it is no guarantee that it will be secure for me next time.

[821Bobo]

I would say that's the price for diverting Guderian south. But knowing Tyrone, it is only little inconvenience for Axis.

[tyronec]

I would say that's the price for diverting Guderian south. But knowing Tyrone, it is only little inconvenience for Axis.

I think it was just bad play, could have covered the hex in question easily enough.

[tyronec]

T02.
The Soviets did a massive amount of interdiction which cost them some LB and caused 1-3 level interdiction on quite a few hexes. No fighter intercepts. I don’t think this is too damaging at this stage of the game but could be more serious once the front line tightens up. This is what caused us to change the house rules.

AGN. Soviets are defending Parnu so won’t be able to attack until the infantry arrive. Get across an undefended river at Pskov. All pockets held and are mostly eliminated.

AGC. Main pocket was broken which was a BIG mistake on my part. Do my best to tidy it up and only one unit routed out. Soviets are defending forwards so don’t get to advance too far.

AGS. Pockets held and are mostly eliminated. Make the new pocket down to the Romanian border and the Romanians pin as much as they can. Some loose pockets, it is all quite chaotic but happy enough with that as I think it favors Axis early game.

Air war.
Am not using bombers for now because they are not worth the supplies for early ‘41. My fighters are not intercepting. Some problem with my transports cannot get them to supply over 10 hexes away, don’t know what that is about.

[821Bobo]

ORIGINAL: tyronec

I would say that's the price for diverting Guderian south. But knowing Tyrone, it is only little inconvenience for Axis.

I think it was just bad play, could have covered the hex in question easily enough.

I guess routing that one rifle division next to Minsk would have been sufficient.

[tyronec]

quote:

ORIGINAL: tyronec

quote:

I would say that's the price for diverting Guderian south. But knowing Tyrone, it is only little inconvenience for Axis.

I think it was just bad play, could have covered the hex in question easily enough.


I guess routing that one rifle division next to Minsk would have been sufficient.

Yes, or filled that empty hex. It was a case of not noticing the gap rather than not being able to cover it. Guess it comes from doing part of the move on different areas of the front and then not going back to check everything properly.

[tyronec]

Someone asked me how to get so far forwards with AGS on T01, so here is the sequence:

1. You want a clear advance line with no combat delay as marked.

2. Clear all the forts away. Make sure the VVS is out of action before the critical border attack on the line of advance.

3. Now rout away the Cavalry and Tank divisions and ZOC lock any other Tank divisions within range to stop Reserve activations.

4. Do a heavy attack against the Mech Division and chase the retreated Tank unit away if required. In this case the Mech division retreated East which is a nuisance but not insolvable. I have brought down an Mot division to do a hasty attack against it, as this is the second attack it will likely rout now.

5. Now you need to be careful. Break the Mot division down and move one regiment around behind to clear the way. Now to a heavy hasty attack against the stack with the HQ. And also a deliberate against the Tank Div.

6. The way is now clear except for the infantry division at Tarnapol. Any divisions being brought down must be broken down into regiments so as not to flip the Southern Command activation hexes.

7. You probably need two Panzer divisions or am using the Das Reich with 3 good SUs to attack it.

8. Tarnapol fell to the first attack, sometimes it takes two. The way is now clear to proceed East, clearing a few more forts in the process.

9. I think this is the maximum advance because you cannot attack anything in the Southern Front activation area.

I usually do the 17th Army attacks to get up to L'Vov from the Western side first, it gets a few more possible Reserve activations out of the way and clears some VVS GS away.
If you do this properly it is probably 95% safe, occasionally there will be a Combat Delay or an unlucky retreat and you will be a few hexes short.

[K62_]

Soviet T2

The Axis advance is relatively slow in the north and center. The defenses of Parnu are reinforced and the Soviets put some ZOC pressure on the mobile spearhead. At Pskov the Germans cross the river but leave their flanks open, allowing the mobile forces to be cut off by border guards and a weak tank division. Idritsa is abandoned after a brief successful defense and the line falls back on Velikie Luki.

On the Land Bridge the Germans come into contact with Vitebsk but don't advance further. A flank move by a weak mech division in conjunction with an isolated tank division doesn't quite cut off the spearhead but should put some ZOC pressure on its supply lines. The Vitebsk defenses and the Dnepr line are reinforced.

The Axis advance towards Gomel stops in front of Bobruisk this turn. The Soviet line falls back to the Dnepr but adds some pressure on Axis supply with a weak rifle division.

The Minsk pocket is isolated again with only five divisions routing out into the Pripyat marshes, one of them practically shattered. These weak divisions are left in the marshes as a threat to the German flank. A cavalry division is added to the swamp force and and airborne brigade advances north through an open gap. It doesn't make it anywhere close to the Minsk pocket but should exert some ZOC pressure on the AGC rollbahn.

In the south the situation is serious with a major Axis advance taking Vinnitsa, linking with the Rumanians and only stopping at a makeshift defense line covering Rudnitsa. This keeps the escape route open for half a dozen divisions in the Floreshty area but the Rumanians manage to pin down plenty of locked Southern Front units. A decision is made to briefly hold down Kishnev and the rough terrain above it. This should eat up some of the CPP on the German infantry and deter an advance over the lower Dnestr next turn. A continuous defense line is formed on the Dnestr and across the Dnestr - Tylihul gap with the plan of falling back more towards Odessa next turn. The Southwestern Front main line falls back to Zhitomir as key spots in the Dnepr line south of Kiev start to be reinforced.

Here's the Parnu-Pskov area:

[K62_]

Land Bridge

[K62_]

Gomel area