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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Gary Grigsby's War in the East Series >> After Action Reports >> RE: The Blitz is on!

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/12/2013 10:31:36 PM

carlkay58

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Reserve Front: The Reserve Front adds two more armies and takes over the front from Velikie Luki to the Dnepr. The third army is in the rear preparing to counter attack next turn if all goes well. Or to plug holes when it does not go well. There is a successful counterattack that forces a SEC III to retreat, but that is my only one this turn.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/12/2013 10:32:31 PM

carlkay58

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Western Front: Backed up by the Orel MD, the Western Front now has two armies based in the Pripet Marshes to contain the Axis units there. It appears the Axis railhead has reached Baranovichi now and is about to run straight into the Soviets holding the rail line east of there. I will probably see a larger effort from the Axis to clear the rail line in advance of the rail head.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/12/2013 10:33:02 PM

carlkay58

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Southwestern Front: Backed up by the Kharkov MD, the Southwestern front is still dealing with the Stanislav pocket. The mud has really hurt the Soviets in this area and sealed the fate of the surrounded units.

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Post #: 63

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/12/2013 10:33:55 PM

carlkay58

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Southern Front: There are several units I just could not ZOC with the mud, so I pulled the infantry XX back from the border while leaving the cavalry XX there. I figure the cavalry XX will be able to run better than the infantry one. Odessa is well fortified, but very weak in actual fighting strength. I am not sure how much I will use there to hold on. The one BP it is worth expires at the end of next turn and I am pretty sure I should be able to hold on to the city for that long.

I rail out the ARM factories from Ordzhonikidzegrad, Zaporozhye, Kursk, and Mariupol. I then rail 5 Vehicle from Stalino and W. Moscow.

I count six Axis that are non-ZOCd and so I am figuring on another BP being awarded. I hope to start my counterattacks in the next turn or two depending on Axis options. All of the Axis line now has infantry up with the Panzers so the offensive punch will be there next turn to really smack me hard.

<There were 10 Axis units nonZOCd so another BP is awarded for a total of six.>

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Post #: 64

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:23:53 AM

carlkay58

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Axis Game Turn 6:

The Axis recapture the initiative with offensives by all three Army Groups. No BPs are picked up with Smolensk no longer awarding any. The mud weather helped my defense but it is gone now, the infantry has come up to the front lines, and most of the Panzers Corps have had some rest and refit time. So the stops are off for the Axis and gaps are blown through my defenses.

Finland: A slow and leisurely advance with few Finnish casualties.

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Post #: 65

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:24:39 AM

carlkay58

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AGN: The Pskov defensive line has several holes blown into it and are pocketed to the north while the Velikie Luki area is threatened with pocketing in the next turn or two. There is at least one Panzer XX in that broad area east of Pskov that will probably need to be ZOCd.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:25:10 AM

carlkay58

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AGC: The Axis do not manage to form a pocket in this sector, but the land bridge defenses are blown away and the Dnepr is crossed. Smolensk is still 30 miles from the front but it is beginning to be threatened. The Reserve Front took a beating despite reserve activations helping defend the front line. There are just too many Panzer formations forcing their way through the line for me to stop.

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Post #: 67

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:25:43 AM

carlkay58

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AGS: A massive pocket is formed in the southern portion of the front while the northern portion is also threatened to be pocketed. The center of the line was blown away by the Axis and there will have to be some additional troops moved forward to form a new line and ZOC the Panzers. The Vinnitsa pocket looks weak and will probably be broken, but the northern defenses will have a harder time getting out.

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Post #: 68

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:26:14 AM

carlkay58

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Romania: The Romanian front had great penetration and advances this turn fueled by the German units assigned to help them out. Four XXs have been cut off.

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Post #: 69

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:27:06 AM

carlkay58

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Soviet Game Turn 6:

I have another two Partisan squads recruited this turn and no leaders appeared to have died or otherwise been removed. I reorganize the VVS and get every airbase unit up to five air groups assigned. This will give me some additional omph and get me close to starting to generate new airbases. This happens when I have an average of six air groups at each airbase. The design for now is an air command with four airbases per front. It is close, but not there as of yet.

Northern Front: I transfer the 22nd from Northwestern Front to the Northern Front to take command of the immediate Leningrad area. Everyone else just trys to hold on and keep the Axis ZOCd as much as possible.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:27:38 AM

carlkay58

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Northwestern Front: I manage to ZOC all of the Axis in the area as well as opening up part of the pocket. Some STAVKA reserve XXs are railed in to give me some defense in the east as well as a back stop. They probably won't be much more than a speed bump, but they should slow things down a bit.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:28:13 AM

carlkay58

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Reserve Front: I counter attack and force two Panzer XXs to retreat. I am determined to try and defend this area for another turn or two. This will buy me time to get some more troops trained and ready to defend Smolensk and the road to Moscow. I also need another army to defend Leningrad so this will have to make do.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:28:48 AM

carlkay58

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Western Front: This front is still the most stretched out front. Two armies defend the northern portion of the Pripet Marshes while two other armies defend the Dnepr. Note the northern army is building a flank in case the Axis blow away the Reserve Front and the 20A of the Orel MD as a backstop.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:29:21 AM

carlkay58

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Southwestern Front: The Vinnitsa pocket is opened and the attempt to escape is on. I will lose some of them, but I hope to get about half or more out okay. I also cut off a few Axis XXs and threaten Zhitomir. Meanwhile the Kharkov MD is dug in as a backstop in front of the Dnepr and Kiev.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 12:31:15 AM

carlkay58

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Southern Front: I pull back away from the pocket and manage to get three of the XXs back into supply. I cut off the easternmost Axis XX and hope for the best. I still have a line of forts that I can retreat to.
I rail the 16 ARM from Dnepropetrovsk this turn. I also move the two IL2, the IL10, and the ARM factories from Vornezh.

I still have a lot of forces being built up and dug in my rear. Manpower is my current bottleneck, I just don't have enough men to fill out the shells that all of the routs (instead of isolation and capture) have left me. The Axis grind forward tactic can be deadly in this regard. My ARM points are doing okay but are also low for this early in the game. I have the units, they just don't have the staying power due to low TOE and morale. Losing the units and having them come back as shells is sometimes desirable because the time it takes to come forward will build up their TOE and their morale will be maxed.

I count only three nonZOCd Axis units this turn so I hope not to have any BPs awarded this turn. The ZOCs are easier now that my front lines are more solid and stabilizing. Current losses are 180K Axis vs 1.14M Soviet men, 1,551 Axis vs 16,650 Soviet guns, 897 Axis vs 8,745 Soviet AFVs, and 759 Axis vs 3,997 Soviet aircraft.

<The count of three nonZOCd Axis units stand so the BPs stay at six.>

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 8:14:24 AM

janh

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Very interesting game, Carl, and so different. It takes quite some time to "look into" your maps, unlike in the straight lines in "numbers game" AARs. Especially the role of the central marshes, forget the name, is quite different to normal games. You bind a lot of German infantry along a long line with but few units. Your opponent should be making better use of his cavalry?

On first look I'd say that your situation in the north and center look quite serious, not so say that in a normal game not binding both players by Blitz rules, Leningrad would essentially already be lost. But perhaps not so with your house rules -- I am very curious who this works out.
Definitely you gained about two-three turns time in the south compared to any of the Lvov type openings. In the end, you are still going to loose the troops all the same, but this looks much like an interesting battle raging forth and back, and much more like Barbarossa. Great, and two turns gain are probably a fair benefit in return for not having railed out these troops to LG or Smolensk. This really makes this one of the most interesting AARs to date.

Would you mind occasionally posting the strengths overview and the losses? How are you doing in the air? And are you planning to also use the blitz point concept during blizzard?

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 8:42:36 AM

loki100

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I'd agree, that situation in the Pripyet region is fascinating. It is really stretching both your fronts out and its hard to judge if that is a major drag on the axis advance or thinning your lines in some critical areas.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 8:46:48 AM

Walloc

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quote:

ORIGINAL: janh

Very interesting game, Carl, and so different. It takes quite some time to "look into" your maps, unlike in the straight lines in "numbers game" AARs. Especially the role of the central marshes, forget the name, is quite different to normal games. You bind a lot of German infantry along a long line with but few units. Your opponent should be making better use of his cavalry?

On first look I'd say that your situation in the north and center look quite serious, not so say that in a normal game not binding both players by Blitz rules, Leningrad would essentially already be lost. But perhaps not so with your house rules -- I am very curious who this works out.
Definitely you gained about two-three turns time in the south compared to any of the Lvov type openings. In the end, you are still going to loose the troops all the same, but this looks much like an interesting battle raging forth and back, and much more like Barbarossa. Great, and two turns gain are probably a fair benefit in return for not having railed out these troops to LG or Smolensk. This really makes this one of the most interesting AARs to date.

Would you mind occasionally posting the strengths overview and the losses? How are you doing in the air? And are you planning to also use the blitz point concept during blizzard?

Pripet marshes and Carl in above post writes if its any help:

quote:

ORIGINAL: carlkay58
Current losses are 180K Axis vs 1.14M Soviet men, 1,551 Axis vs 16,650 Soviet guns, 897 Axis vs 8,745 Soviet AFVs, and 759 Axis vs 3,997 Soviet aircraft.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

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Post #: 78

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/14/2013 5:58:46 PM

carlkay58

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We both fight over the Pripet Marshes because of past history, going all the way back to DNO/Fire in the East days where the Soviet player (mostly me) has repeatedly used the marshes as a base to hit the Axis flanks both to the north and south. That has continued on through to WitE games where we have been taking turns at both sides and comparing results rather than VPs.

I have been documenting the losses better in future turns, the first set of turns are just too depressing for the Soviets and really pretty much the same from AAR to AAR. I know the Axis strategy of pressing on and not concentrating on surrender losses by the Soviets is not a common one. I will say in its defense that it draws down the Soviet Manpower and overall morale more because you have more units - many of which have been routed one or more times - active from the first. This lowers the overall Soviet morale in the army because you have to get those units over 10 hexes back for two turns for them to get the new morale bonuses each turn. And that is hard to do when you have to maintain a solid front line.

We are having fun with the game because it is more of a chess match than a race with a lot of fighting and ability for both of us to smack the other. Some of our biggest battles are yet to come.

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Post #: 79

RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:09:46 AM

carlkay58

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Axis Game Turn 7:

There continues to be a lack of BPs picked up. The mud turns and subsequent slow down in the advance has kept it down. But at six points there are only four more points to pick up to get the one column shift in the Victory Conditions. I have noticed that he is not flying air supply missions the past few turns. But with the advance stalled for a while the rail heads are not too far behind the front and normal supply has probably done the trick for him.

Finland: The Finns continue to enjoy their leisurely advance and attempts to keep their losses to a minimum. They do pocket a single infantry XX.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:10:19 AM

carlkay58

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AGN: The infantry is getting in place for the left hook, the Panzers in place for the straight jab, and the general advance is pretty solid looking. I will have to reinforce the area with another army or two to hold Leningrad for long.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:10:54 AM

carlkay58

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AGC: The Axis troops continue to drive forward. The lines in the Pripet Marshes seem to be farily stable now, but the advance in the land bridge area is grinding down the Reserve Army.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:11:32 AM

carlkay58

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AGS: The combination of AGS with the Romanians has done a good number on my front line along the two fronts. I have been doing a bad job overall but it is really showing in the south. More on this later.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:12:49 AM

carlkay58

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Soviet Game Turn 7:

Stalin has continued to keep his hands off of the officers. It is time this turn to start changing leaders to better ones. High admin leaders to command the reserve armies and more aggressive leaders in the front lines. The lines have begun to stabilize in the north and central regions while the south is wide open at the moment.

I have made some serious mistakes because my mind set is still in the 'traditional' method of playing and not switched over all the way to the forward and aggressive defensive stance that is required for these rules. I have kept too many armies back from the front to form the Dnepr defensive line, a line that traditionally only holds for two or three turns at most when the infantry gets there anyways. With the Axis infantry already in the front lines alone the entire length of the line, these lines will go pretty fast once the Axis get to them. But by keeping these armies back too far the situation in the south was able to happen. If the second line of defense had been closer to the front, the large pockets that have been forming in the south would have been much harder to do. Live and learn.

Northern Front: 28A forms a line along the Plyussa River. 23A starts to take over the Leningrad defenses while the 22A starts to shift forces south to the Luga River. The 7A continues to dig in north of Lake Ladoga.

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< Message edited by carlkay58 -- 9/17/2013 11:13:04 AM >

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:13:57 AM

carlkay58

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Northwestern Front: 27A defends in front of Novgorod. 8A starts to dig in behind the Polist River while maintaining contact with the Axis from Dno to Poddorye. 11A defends the Opochka salient in depth.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:14:29 AM

carlkay58

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Reserve Front: 24A defends from Velikie Luki to Vitebsk. 30A continues to counter attack Axis forces and retreats a SEC III and the 161 ID. 16A is tasked with the defense of Smolensk while they counter attack and force back the 10 PD. Three Axis retreats so far!

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:15:22 AM

carlkay58

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Western Front: 4A defends the Dnepr from Shklov down near Propoisk and counter attacks with heavy air support the Axis Panzer Corps that forced a crossing by Mogilev. It turns out to be closer than I thought, but it ended up with a 1:1.1 odds and the Axis stay. 13A defends the Dnepr to Gomel. 3A defends the northeastern Pripet Marshes based around Parichi. 10A defends the northwestern Pripet Marshes based near Mikashevichi.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:15:56 AM

carlkay58

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Southwestern Front: 5A defends the southwestern Pripet Marshes. 26A defends the southeastern Pripet Marshes down to the Zhitomir area. 19A is transferred to the Southwestern Front from the Kharkov MD and counterattacks in the Popelnya area forcing two SEC XXs to retreat. 12A replaces the 19A in defending the Kiev area. 6A is in the Vinnitsa pocket and starts to try and break out with some success as it connects to the Southern Front's 9A which breaks its own pocket.

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/17/2013 11:17:01 AM

carlkay58

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Southern Front: 9A is pocketed but breaks out to the south near Odessa. 49A is formed on the other side of the pocket and it advances as far as possible. Coastal A continues to hold Odessa and sends out a CD to ZOC an Axis ID. Southern Front itself starts to advance its reserves to the Ingulets River line.

I rail out the 20 VEH factories from Kharkov this turn.

I fought ten battles, forcing seven Axis retreats so the BPs drop to 5. The casualties in the battles were (3318/67/29/19) for the Axis and (5929/84/6/61) for the Soviets. (Men/Guns/AFV/Air) The total losses at this point are (220,388/1,972/1,119/944) for the Axis and (1,293,152/19,313/9,688/4,359) for the Soviets. The Axis have lost 40K men in the last turn, so a pretty good turn for me. I am hoping to cause 1M losses by the end of Turn 25 and I really don't care how many Soviets I lose to get there.

I count only two Axis units nonZOCd so I should not lose my BP gain this turn. The lines are beginning to get a bit more stable so the ZOC rule is starting to have a lesser effect on BPs but still forces me to take it into account while forming my front line.

<The official count is five nonZOCd Axis units.>

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RE: The Blitz is on! - 9/18/2013 10:50:18 AM

carlkay58

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Axis Game Turn 8:

No additional BPs and all clear for the weather.

Finland: The Finns continue their low grade offensive towards Leningrad while digging in north of Lake Ladoga.