Encircled by Enemies (PBEM gwgardner vs Chocolino)

[AlbertN]

By what I deducted 'Morale Cities' are not relevant unless a nation can indeed surrender by taking a few (Not the case of Russia so...)

[gwgardner]

I don't like it when a closeup PBEM screenshot of my Central Front shows both the frontline AND Moscow.

[Chocolino]

ORIGINAL: Cohen_slith

By what I deducted 'Morale Cities' are not relevant unless a nation can indeed surrender by taking a few (Not the case of Russia so...)

Thanks for confirming - I was afraid it doesn't do much.

(And thanks for clearing up the mystery about your name in the other post.)

[Chocolino]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

I don't like it when a closeup PBEM screenshot of my Central Front shows both the frontline AND Moscow.

Included for geographic reference for the reader only ....

[Chocolino]

5-22-42

This time the Wehrmacht finds a weak spot further south - also guided by the weather which was terrible everywhere else. German spearheads break through and make it beyond Dnepropetrovsk (to overrun 2 Russian air) but then fall back to the city to not overextend. German units in the "chain" are all reasonably strong - so we feel safe - or as safe as you can feel at the East Front anyways.

Krivoi Rog with its 10 production and strategic resource is also taken. I hope this together with the other recently occupied production cities will make a small dent in the Russian production.

[gwgardner]

Good example of Warplan fog of war/recon variability, as that 11-0 mech in Dnepropetrovsk showed as a 1-0 to me.

[Chocolino]

6-5-42

Could it be that what you remember is the situation after your attack? (see below)

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Situation after the Allied and before the Axis turn.


German HQ is awoken in the night with dire news. Two valuable mechanized corps are cut-off by the Red Army.The eastern most unit with the "1" strength is actually the displaced one. It retreated forward/eastward beyond Dnepropetrovsk to the only Axis spot within 2 hexes available. Luckily for the Germans they explored a few hexes forward during the last turn and created the Axis control zone (see above).

That must be what they teach at German officer school: retreat towards the enemy.

Hopefully some Germans can fight through the Soviet encirclement and bring supplies during the German turn. We have some strong units nearby. But the longevity of the 1-strength unit worries me a bit.

[gwgardner]

my bad

[Chocolino]

I had to stare at it for a long time myself until it finally dawned on me what must have happened.

[Chocolino]

6-5-42

Situation after the German turn.

After some heavy fighting the cut-off corps are resupplied. The remnants of the fragile 1-strength mech unit extracted themselves but are still sitting beside a fairly strong Russian infantry army.

[Chocolino]

6-5-42

AGC could not make any progress on Rzhev but other elements of the AG pierced the Russian lines towards Briansk. Again nothing decisive - the Soviets will just rearrange their lines a bit.

[Chocolino]

6-19-42

The Americans finally attack in Lybia. They maul a German corps and force it to retreat. I knew they would not be weak - but this was worse than expected. I was hoping to hold them off for a few month with the forces at hand.

At the same time the British advanced as well and pushed the Italian defenders back at the eastern end of Axis Lybia.

[Chocolino]

6-19-42

At the East Front's central sector the Russians retreat out of the threatened noose and German troops can free Bryansk. It could be taken only with a paratrooper as no other unit was available to enter. Not sure if it was worth it. But with the Americans on a roll every week counts now.

[Chocolino]

6-19-42

I haven't shown AGN in a while. There are no tanks or mech units in action. We are fighting the Russians with pure infantry tactics every turn so that they have no quiet sector where to rest units. I hope that this battle of attrition will take its toll by diverting reinforcements from other sectors. But at the same time German troops could also advance slowly. We started at Pskov and in Estonia at the beginning of spring. The Italians are there as gap fillers to stop too enterprising Russian commanders who may want to slip through our lines again.

It is also interesting to note that the Russians deployed quite a number of units in Finland. But it was effective. The Finnish army did play no role so far other than binding the Russian troops.

[Michael T]

Looks like a real dogfight in the south of Russia.

[Chocolino]

Yes, it appears that the Russians have their strongest units in the south and can counterattack if we give them the slightest opportunity.

[Chocolino]

7-3-42

The defense of Lybia turns into an unmitigated disaster for the Axis. The Americans have just brushed us aside and - unless they have destroyed units outright - left us without access to supply in the middle of the desert. The Italians in the east suffer the same fate.

A single Italian corps could escape from the little harbor east of Tripoli and left its comrades to their fate. The Italian General will try the same next turn if given a chance.

[Chocolino]

7-3-42

Better news arrive in Berlin from the East Front where the Germans take Rzhev and Kalinin. A bit further south German infantry gets within 3 hexes of Moscow.

[Chocolino]

7-3-42

In the South AGS crosses the lower Dnieper and makes some progress towards Stalino. The strong Russian units who were employed in this sector earlier must have been transferred north - perhaps for the defense of Moscow - but not sure.

[gwgardner]

You've destroyed so many units that those once strong forces have been subdivided just to create a ZOC barrier. Our only hope at this stage is that you run out of oil.