Moses(axis) vs. Tophat1812.

[moses]

Playing on normal.

On turn one I have good pockets in all three sectors. Here's my weakest one.

[moses]

And I'm very happy with the first round air.

[moses]

After perhaps checking in I'll ask Tophat to stay out in case anyone wants to talk stategy. Both Tophat and myself played WITP to death so dispite both being WITE rookies this should be interesting.

Here's the center. No one is getting out alive!!!

[Tophat1815]

Yep,that is what it looks like alright. I'll have to keep my Bolshevik nose outta here. Now I need to take screen shots and start a counter thread,hope the beta testers and gifted amateurs help me out. Then again if i can hang in until Mud and snow its ever westward we will go!

[moses]

Turn 2 in the North. Tophat is not going to run away and defends at the riverline as he is attempting also in the South. The problem is that I now have 4 more units in the bag at bottom right and 3 or 4 more possibly at the center of the river line. Feeding me units like this might cost him.

I got a bloody nose at Riga as I attempted to force a crossing with and 2 armored and a Mech division. I thought I had a chance at this stage against a single infantry division bu not so. My units had to attack piecemeal as only one had the MP's for a deliberate attack. The series of battles only cost me 300 men and 7 AFV but it was still an embarassment. It was a proud day for the 22nd NKVD rifle Division.

I'm sure Riga will fall next turn and we will see if fighting forward like this proves to be wise.

[moses]

In the center the Russians fight for Minsk. That's five more divisions plus the airborne Corps that could have escaped but won't.

The entire AGC pocket has been eliminated and all infantry is racing for the front.

[moses]

In the South the Russians back off to their river line. My armor surrounds Tarnople and prepares to crack the line somewhere on turn 3 or 4. The pocketed troops are a little tougher then up north and significant numbers fight on.

In the circled area I had to fight hard to clear the rail line. I would have liked to just bypass these guys but that wasn't an option.

[moses]

My allied forces are released. This is a major benifit of driving south on turn one. Your allies get released one turn early. I wonder if Tophat was ready for this.

[hgilmer3]

Nice AAR!

[CarnageINC]

I learned something new, I didn't know that the Romanians were released early if you drove to the boarder. 

[Canoerebel]

I'm assuming that this is the moses who used to play WitP. If so, you might be encouraged to know that your name comes up in the WitP:AE forums from time to time. I haven't seen you posting in several years, so it's good to see you back.

[moses]

Yes, I played and posted a lot about WITP. Eventually I burned out after 4 or 5 long PBEM. Never took the plunge to Admirals edition.

This game is easier.[8D]

[moses]

Here's my rail at the end of turn 3. I put 2 FBD's on the main line. Going 5 or 6 hexes per turn towards Moscow. I'm sending the FBD from the Breast Livstock area to support the Lenningrad attack but I messed up and moved him accidentally with another stack.

Still I will only lose one turn and we will start building more rail toward leningrad.

[moses]

Turn 3 North. 4 more divisions destoyed. and a couple more traped. Riga fought but was easily outflanked and destroyed. The routed unit on screen is from Riga.

Next turn I w ill destroy the isolated units and prepare to break his main line.

[moses]

In the center all the divisions around Minsk were destroyed and my infantry races to the front.

My troops northwest of Mongolev are poised for a breakthrough while my troops to the south are able to apply pressure and maintain the south edge of a pocket.

If Tophat stands then I will surely reak through on the next turn and destroy some 15 divisions. But I'm happy if he pulls back as hordes of my infantry will sone be reaching the front.

I just noticed my exposed airbase to the south. Crap. but still, does Tophat send a division further into my trap in order to chase a few fighters??

[moses]

In the south I think I've cut the rail out of the marches and those troops should be cut off soon.

[moses]

More important it looks as if I've crushed his main line.

To the far south the Russians have headed for the Dneper and my allies will take a week to catch up.

[moses]

Turn 4 and Tophat goes on the attack!! in the south. Heres what it looked like after my recon. My entire panzer army is surrounded.

[Mynok]

Not very strongly it appears. Should be pretty easy to bust that lonely motorized unit holding the west side.

[moses]

After heavy fighting I maintain my salient. My armor is now suffering a bit of a fuel shourtage. Some are down to 5%. But now supplies will flow and the Russians will struggle to get the troops clear of that huge pocket in the south.

Notice I have a little breakout at the bottom of the screen and though I reconed heavily I could find nothing down there to stop me. My guess is that Tophat will try and hold this line for another turn and will then be badly punished. Much of my infantry has caught up and his units are stretched too thin.

The alternative, (pull out leaving 10-15 divisions to die) is probably too much too swallow.