Panzerball - a GC 41 case study

[Seminole]

Germans invade the Soviet Union under beautiful clear skies, with high pressure systems on the horizon.





Overall view of the front at the beginning of the turn.

[Jango32]

No Lithuania & Latvia pocket (unless naval patrol was used), Riga and Lvov not taken on turn 1, Minsk pocket incredibly exposed to being broken... Not the best start for the Axis player.

[Seminole]

Pockets formed by AGC has a gap in the southern pincer between the motorized corps and the infantry that can be exploited.



AGN created a Courland pocket, but the port is free (we have AI air control in place). More importantly, the 6th Pzr Div attempted to storm Riga by crossing the river in their attack and were repulsed.

The Soviets bring forward an array of defenders to take advantage of the terrain.



AGS builds an almost solid wall pincer, but doesn't reach the border to close the pocket. A mechanized division had sufficient MP to exploit a single hex gap in the salient at its base, and the motorized corps of AGS will not be getting supplies at the beginning of next week.

[Seminole]

STAVKA orders immediate defensive fortifications to be enhanced near and enroute to Leningrad.
In the South we will leave all existing fortifications. Seems a little gamey to just disband them all, and they will force the Axis to waste some attacks (and I guess force them to gain morale!).



The Northwestern Front and Leningrad Front coordinate to organize a new defensive line in AGN's path and protect Pskov as long as practicable.
8th Army escapes the Courland pocket by boat to organize defenses approaching Estonia.

[Seminole]

Ground losses:



Air losses:



Destroyed units:



Several Generals paid the ultimate price defending the motherland:

[Seminole]

Overall map at the end the turn indicating known enemy positions and defensive dispositions.

We will emphasize reinforcements to the North.
In the Center we will try to defend the forests and terrain east and north of Velikie-Luki and Smolensk. We will not try to hold the Dnepr or the land bridge except to screen them.
In the south we will fall back across the indefensible clear terrain. Getting punked by panzers leaves you with 8 MP the next week, and with next to no natural barriers the next turn you're overrun. Southwestern Front will try to hold the forests on the south edge of the Pripyat and slow the advance on Kiev. Southern Front won't over commit for Odessa, but will put early effort into reinforcing Crimean fortifications.

[Seminole]

Turn 2, Jun 29, 1941

Turn summary shows the Red Army swelling as pockets had to be re-established and 48 units are currently isolated.



Weather remains Axis favorable as the high pressure system moved in as expected and skies are crystal clear.



Overall map at the beginning of turn 2:

[Seminole]

Ground losses:



Air losses are light for the Soviets because I had sent almost everything back to reserve last week so it could be resorted rationally with less clicking about. I believe I mentioned at the outset that we have AI air control. Presumably this can avoid some 'exploity' game mechanics/gameplay, but I definitely have some differences of opinion with the air boss on priorities.



Destroyed units is negligible at this point because of the need to reseal pockets.

[Seminole]

Leningrad defenses start more fortifications on the lake ports as airborne brigades begin to arrive and lend their shovels to the effort.



Leningrad Front further reinforces the Velikaya River defensives anchored at Pskov. The Northwestern Front tries to establish a screen on favorable terrain between AGN spearheads.



Northwestern Front maneuvers to disrupt supply lines for AGN's spearheads while units reporting ultimately to the Moscow Military District attempt the same against mechanized elements of AGC.

[Seminole]

Additional maneuvers succeed in isolating the panzer forces that had breeched the Dnepr.



In the south the pocket looks solid, but the remaining fortifications provide a possible launching pad.



A cavalry division slips between German panzer pickets and links up with the 45th Tank Division that slipped between the 13th Pzr Div and 25th Mot Div.

[Beethoven1]

IMO you are being way more pessimistic with those forts than you should be or need to be. If you want to build forts in Leningrad, you should build them further up, not way back on the ports. If you let things get that far, then you have already lost Leningrad anyway. But honestly I doubt Germany will even reach the forts. There is no reason why they should, as long as you simply put units in front of them.

[Seminole]

IMO you are being way more pessimistic with those forts than you should be or need to be. If you want to build forts in Leningrad, you should build them further up, not way back on the ports. If you let things get that far, then you have already lost Leningrad anyway. But honestly I doubt Germany will even reach the forts. There is no reason why they should, as long as you simply put units in front of them.

No doubt a worst case scenario to be defending the Ladoga ports, but if I need to and wait to build the forts they won't have the time (or the weather!) to accomplish much compared to if I start them now.
My thought is that I'll try to rotate strategic reserve reinforcements through these well stocked port/depots to help dig and the forts will hold the values. When they max out the entrenchments I should be swimming in brigades and can put a few on the task of manning the forts while I dismantle the zones and establish more suitable ones for the '42 offensive.
I also figure locating these forts maximizes the Leningrad civilian laborers. This idea might be less suitable in other areas.

[Stamb]

you can prevent fortification from decaying with 24 TOE fortified zones

[Seminole]

you can prevent fortification from decaying with 24 TOE fortified zones

You're limited as the Soviets to 40 FZs in total.

[Jango32]

He meant the Max TOE value being set to 24%.

[Seminole]

Overall map at the end of the turn.

AGN and AGC spearheads should have some supply headwinds. You can make out a string of units snaking their way north to reinforce around Leningrad.

Southwestern Front pulls back, and AGS faces another week trying to close gaps before liquidating the pocket. As with the Western Front pocket last week, HQs have rushed to the gap to try and get their SUs out so they can be rebuilt.

[Seminole]

He meant the Max TOE value being set to 24%.

I understand, but that isn't important if I want to relocate the scarce FZ.
The FZ lets the hex summon civilian laborers, and benefit from any refitting reinforcements, until the fort level is maxed.
Then I can disband the FZ and put it on another hex I want to built up the fort level on ahead of time while a multi-role unit sits in the hex.

But it's good to know the TOE level for an FZ to prevent decay.

[Seminole]

Turn 3, July 6, 1941

Ominous weather disturbance brewing in the artic for the Axis.



This turn summary reflects refit status for units TOE% < 65, and reserve status for units with TOE% >= 80.

[Seminole]

8th Army (Sobennikov) reporting to Northwestern Front still holds Riga and is screening Estonia.
3 German Inf Div are ringing Riga as AGN has cleared the LOC to their spearheads.

The Germans made a foray toward Tallinn, but retreated to avoid being cut off by the array of defenders.

8th Army moves units to contact with more German mech (6th PD & 3rd MD?) to prevent their rebuilding any combat power or recovering from more fatigue.

Farther east and south the Germans hammer the Soviet units who are defending the approaches to Veliki-Luki.



AGC moves freely across the land bridge, but makes contact with defenders northwest of Smolensk.

[Seminole]

AGS skirts Southwestern Front and clears the forts on the steppes.



The 'Lvov Pocket' continues to hold out, tying up some Axis infantry and delaying their arrival to support the panzers.