CB (Long, if I last until Winter): Bonners (Soviet) vs Isokron (Axis)

[Bonners]

10th July

Map of the overall situation on the north and centre, turning tail:

[Bonners]

10th July

Finally some overall stats, showing overall, medium tanks and fighters (note the fairly healthy position the Germans are in overall):

[Keunert]

good move i think!
good luck Bonners

[wallas]

Bonner if you can try and make sure you have units in the low mountain, rough hexes west of the Don/volga and dig in use them as natural bridgeheads over the Major river. Your German opponent wont want you to have these so make him assault good defensive terrain. Make him bleed attacking terrain in your favour

[Bonners]

12th July

I really should be calling these updates the 'read wallas' remarks with useful information just after I finish my turn'.

Bit of a mixed bag really this turn. Firstly troop numbers have now dropped below the 400k mark, by another 20k; it should be noted that most of those losses were in the surrounded remnants of 18th and 12th armies. In better news I have finally got rid of the last of my generals with organisational abilities below 30. I get Chuikov in the officer pool and with an organisational level of 37 he immediately replaces the disorganised fool who was holding up the retreat of the 28th army every turn.

Right dealing with each sector in turn. On the northern front around Voronezh I have decided to retreat to the next river barrier. He managed to pop my line with ease in the far north, which means it is only a matter of time before he manages other bridgeheads. I have made some tactical retreats this turn, but am waiting for the next turn to retreat in force as I wanted to try and get as many units back over the Don as possible before retreating. If the USSR still held to any religious beliefs now would be the time to start praying, there is one bridge left un-demolished south of Voronezh, this could be his hook to surround me. Next turn it will be full scale retreat, but have I left it too late and if so will 13th army go the same way as 12th and 18th? I am hoping not:

[Bonners]

12th July Centre

....and whilst we are on the subject of bridges there has been a concerted Luftwaffe campaign to destroy the bridges behind the 37th and 9th armies. I think the pilots have been to the wrong training school though as sneaky Soviet camouflage means about six bombing raids on the trot miss their targets.

This bombing campaign and the threat from Millerowo and south of Voronezh means that my forces more than take the hint and are in full retreat trying to escape encirclement. 46th army meanwhile makes some modest counterattacks around Millerowo just to try and blunt the panzer spearheads and give the armies time to get back. Next turn 46th army will be joining the invitation to turn East:

[Bonners]

12th July the creaking gate

Yet again my impetuous nature threatens to undo all the good work I have done. 13th panzer looks vulnerable so elements of 51st and 47th armies launch a counter-attack aimed at blunting them. Bad mistake, I have done little damage and have only succeeded in reducing my entrenchment. I thought long and hard about the attack but still came up with the wrong decision. A reinforcement guard division rushes in to help plug the gap, it will be touch and go though:

[wallas]

ORIGINAL: Bonners

12th July

I really should be calling these updates the 'read wallas' remarks with useful information just after I finish my turn'.

oops sorry I am late to the party [&o]

[Bonners]

16th July

The main update for this turn comes around Rostov and to the north of Rostov, things are not going well. Firstly I open my turn to a fairly disastrous offensive by the Luftwaffe against my airforce. Despite only letting my units intercept on a high state of readiness the Luftwaffe losses are negligible but mine are horrific. I guess it is to be expected at this stage of the game, but I will be withdrawing my fighter units for refit. Before I do it is time for one last hurrah against the leading panzers to the north of Rostov. I send the fighter units out on suicide missions to draw out the German fighters and then attack with Sturmoviks and bombers against his leading tanks. I have some limited success and although it means my fighters and bombers will be withdraw to the east for at least a couple of weeks to refit I feel I have made at least a little dent in his armour to try and hold him up.

Around Rostov itself, Isokron again shows his mastery of the offence as my units are shoved back in the hex circled. Despite a counterattack he has another fresh division ready for the next turn to try again. My whole defensive line is beginning to unhinge quite rapidly. I have to fight at Rostov though, mainly because once the gate swings open there is very little to stop him.

[Bonners]

July 18th - No step back!

The dreaded order arrives from Stalin. High command is not happy about my turning tail, I can now expect no prestige and it is a case of holding on to Rostov for as long as possible to try and gain the prestige I need. It is not looking good though.

Firstly an overview of the rest of the front. The whole northern front is quiet as my units complete their retreat to the Don and it looks like the main German units are pulling back to join the offensive towards Stalingrad and the Causcaus. On the direct line to Stalingrad my nemesis III panzer corp again breaks through, the air attacks did not hold them up long enough. I am rushing every man to the front who can hold a rifle, it is not looking good though. A hasty counterattack achieves little and I will pay for it next turn.

[Bonners]

July 18th - No step back!

Further bad news awaits me around Rostov. If I thought the line was creaking the last run, then I need a new vocabulary to describe it now. The German breakthrough is imminent, but I must continue to try and hold it is my only hope. The same flanking move is made, but this time I am not strong enough to throw it back as it looks like German high command has thrown every available resource at these troops to enable them to dig in straight away following their offensive.

I am running out of options and troops. As stated previously though, this is the only offensive terrain for some miles, once the door is open I have nothing left to defend the Caucasus, so I continue to shove any spare unit I can find into the gaps. My failed coutnerattack is going to cost me dearly though as my troops are no longer dug in to defend. The only reserves I now have in the Caucasus are engineer units and AA units which I ma leaving behind to defend the bridges.

The only very small slithers of light are the fact that for the first time ever my total trooops numbers have gone up (although still well below 400k) and I have gained two prestige points for holding Azov.

[Bonners]

July 20th

Further bad news all around really....but....but....we still hold. I cant help but get the nagging feeling that once we do lose our grip the whole line is going to crumble. All the significant fighting is now in the south. In the north Isokron continues to close to the Don, but is obviously getting his significant forces ready in the south.

As we are rapidly running out of places to run to and those Stavka peeps are getting more than a little impatient, we finally commit 5th tank. Unfortunately their first attack does not go well. Our attacks are concentrated on III PZ with little success. I will wait until I open my next turn to see if I continue the attack or continue the retreat. One issue I have is that there are only two lines of supply so if the Germans cut the bridges then retreating will be the only option anyway. I was leaving AA units defending the bridges but have concentrated them around 5th tank as I feel they need the greater protection. This is even more important as I have received a note from my airforce commander wishing me good luck, but that not expect any of his brave pilots in the air for several weeks.

Retreating now presents its own problems though, I have suffered my first prestige loss from the 'no step back' order completely undoing all my good work in keeping Azov.

More bad news around Rostov as the German offensive edges forward, seemingly clearing areas at will.....I still continue to hold, but no counterattacks this turn. In worse news it will only be a few days before the German railway is up and running as I was not able to hold the important point.

[Bonners]

22nd July Prelude to disaster

Not a lot to report on this turn apart from the fact that Soviet actions lead to the disaster that is about to happen on the next turn.

Anyway, around Rostov I um and um and then decide to counter-attack to try and stop the bridgeheads building all around me. These bridgeheads are too strong and I just lose entrenchment and make it easier for the Germans to breakout.

I also realise that the problem with 5th Tank counter-attacking was another mistake, in that I didnt really check their readiness. I now know that readiness is also badly reduced by constant movement. So the counter-attack was totally wasted. Also the Germans get some further bridgeheads further north which leads ot further Soviet retreats as I have nothing left to counter-attack with.

Overview:

[Bonners]

24th July - the door comes crashing down


...and finally the Germans breakthrough to the east of Rostov, my lines are about to be split asunder. I decide to hold Rostov for one more turn as I am hopeful I will then get the prestige which I desperately need as I am really suffering from the no step back order.

Once the Germans start streaming through there is no chance to form a line so it will be a case of retreating each turn before the German forces; I just dont have enough units left for a line. Up north I am also in full retreat. It is July, but the next defensive line is looking like being the Volga.

I have also found out that I have been using fortifications incorrectly which will explain why Isokron has been able to knock them over so easily. Apparently it is best to place them in an empty hex just before your units enter it and they automatically go up to 100 entrenchment immediately.

This is the low point for the Soviet forces, no lines have held, Stavka is demanding results and replacements are just about keeping the forces at the same level. Now it is a case of trying to hold the line until winter brings us some traditional Russian help.

Overview of the situation with the main German thrusts marked:

[RCHarmon]

There is no dishonor in falling back. A key might be to not hold on too long, but I am new to this game as well. Historically the Soviets we not in an ideal position either. Just don't lose Stalingrad or the rail line to the south.

[LiquidSky]

Fortifications up the maximum entrenchment level of the hex. They, in themselves, don't give you any extra protection. So it is a very very bad idea to build them on the front lines, as the units will not gain much in the way of extra entrenchment (unless they are already at the max for the hex.) In order to bring down entrenchment level, all you need is artillery. I used 100 stacking points of artillery to absolutely rip one down to near nothing in my game. (was built in a plains hex).

Best place to put them is in the city hexes behind the lines...like Stalingrad. Or behind a river. Note you cannot fortify a vp hex, but the other hexes are fair game for your leaders with the fortify card.

[Bonners]

26th July - the true cost of Rostov

Well, I will receive my first significant prestige points next turn with managing to hold onto Rostov until the start of this turn. But the true cost of this is revealed. The German panzers continue their thrust to the south east and reach the railway line, swatting aside any Soviet units in their way. This means that the 56th army is totally trapped in Rostov with no way out, another 60k troops will soon meet their grizzly end. Once the encirclement is completed the whole of the Caucasus is an open door, there are no more troops to defend the line.

Elsewhere on the front there are no units left to hold the line as it rapidly stretches. As a defensive line we are now looking at Stalingrad and the Volga as my troops retreat as fast as possible to escape the trap of the Don bend, further north I am clinging on to the Don in places but there is nothing available to counter attack so once the Germans breach it will be full scale retreat.

Realistically I think my objectives now must be to try and hold onto one of the Black Sea Ports on the western front. In the centre I dont think I will get my lines together enough to hold Maikop, but may look at the possibility of making a stand around Grozny. Apart from that it is trying to hold Astrakhan to make sure my entire southern front is not cut off along with my oil supplies. Realistically Stalingrad cannot hold, but I shall make a stand there with infantry units only to give me time to hopefully build up a line behind the Volga and maybe around Astrakhan to keep supplies going to the Caucasus.

Troop numbers are not looking good, the unfortunate truth is that overall numbers will drop below 300k once the encircled 56th army meets its fate.

The only bright spark I can find is reading a bit of history, this was around the low point for Soviet forces, so I am still optimistic that I will hold the advance at some stage. The lack of prestige means that the most I have been able to do is build a fortification each turn, with holding Rostov I will hopefully have a few more turns of these before the minus prestige from the 'no step back' order begin to dig in.

Overview of the end of my turn with 56th army circled:

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: LiquidSky



Fortifications up the maximum entrenchment level of the hex. They, in themselves, don't give you any extra protection. So it is a very very bad idea to build them on the front lines, as the units will not gain much in the way of extra entrenchment (unless they are already at the max for the hex.) In order to bring down entrenchment level, all you need is artillery. I used 100 stacking points of artillery to absolutely rip one down to near nothing in my game. (was built in a plains hex).

Best place to put them is in the city hexes behind the lines...like Stalingrad. Or behind a river. Note you cannot fortify a vp hex, but the other hexes are fair game for your leaders with the fortify card.

I think they can only be built in clear hexes.

[James Ward]

ORIGINAL: Bonners

26th July - the true cost of Rostov

Well, I will receive my first significant prestige points next turn with managing to hold onto Rostov until the start of this turn. But the true cost of this is revealed. The German panzers continue their thrust to the south east and reach the railway line, swatting aside any Soviet units in their way. This means that the 56th army is totally trapped in Rostov with no way out, another 60k troops will soon meet their grizzly end. Once the encirclement is completed the whole of the Caucasus is an open door, there are no more troops to defend the line.

Elsewhere on the front there are no units left to hold the line as it rapidly stretches. As a defensive line we are now looking at Stalingrad and the Volga as my troops retreat as fast as possible to escape the trap of the Don bend, further north I am clinging on to the Don in places but there is nothing available to counter attack so once the Germans breach it will be full scale retreat.

Realistically I think my objectives now must be to try and hold onto one of the Black Sea Ports on the western front. In the centre I dont think I will get my lines together enough to hold Maikop, but may look at the possibility of making a stand around Grozny. Apart from that it is trying to hold Astrakhan to make sure my entire southern front is not cut off along with my oil supplies. Realistically Stalingrad cannot hold, but I shall make a stand there with infantry units only to give me time to hopefully build up a line behind the Volga and maybe around Astrakhan to keep supplies going to the Caucasus.

Troop numbers are not looking good, the unfortunate truth is that overall numbers will drop below 300k once the encircled 56th army meets its fate.

The only bright spark I can find is reading a bit of history, this was around the low point for Soviet forces, so I am still optimistic that I will hold the advance at some stage. The lack of prestige means that the most I have been able to do is build a fortification each turn, with holding Rostov I will hopefully have a few more turns of these before the minus prestige from the 'no step back' order begin to dig in.

If you get split in two I hope you saved enough points to activate the Tilbisi supply center.

[wallas]

ORIGINAL: Bonners

This means that the 56th army is totally trapped in Rostov with no way out

Transports can embark a single unit from a coast line as long as they have AP available. If you can hold that port each transport can carry a division so potentialy you could save four divisions if you retain the port