Slitherine

quote:

Soviet Supreme Commander
Things went good this turn. No advance on the Central Front. Not significant advance on the Northern Front as well.
There was however, some problems down south. I need you to retreat and create a defensive line between Voronezh and Rostov.
...keep doing what you are doing, slowly retreats to the new defensive line.
Southern Commander, get out of encirclement, and retreat, we CANNOT risk losing any more troops to encirclements.

Marshalls. I count on you for your understanding and for your determination. I know, in these hard times, it can be difficult to believe in victory. It can be difficult to wake up in the morning, if you have had any sleep at all. I know it can be hard to look at your wife, and children, and tell them that everything will be okay. Me, more than any men alive in this great country of the USSR, know how difficult it can be to bear the consequences of our actions. Every single day, I put men to death. I understand the feeling of leaving a division behind in order to buy some time for others to retreat. I see the pain in your eyes when you receive orders to abandon the pocketed armies. The sweat and blood of our soldiers, who had to abandon their comrades in Moscow.

But with great sacrifices, and great determination, and hard fighting, comes great victories. Let us not forget, that soon, the German Rats will be frozen in the streets. Our tanks will thread on their skulls, our shells, will fall on their officers and commanders. YES !! MARSHALLS !! I KNOW TIME ARE HARD. I KNOW THE CRUSHING FEELING WE ALL FEEL. BUT LET THIS NOT, BE MY LAST WORDS, LETS MEET AGAIN IN MOSCOW FOR CHRISTMAS !!!

My great comrades in arms, we will ALL share the burden of war together, like true communist fighters !! From now on, THERE WILL BE NOT ONE STEP BACK FROM OUR NEW DEFENSIVE LINES, BUT ALL STEPS FORWARDS !!! COMRADES, TO GREAT VICTORIES AHEAD !!!! KILL THE FASCIST SWINES WITH HONOR AND GLORY !!!! REPULSE THE INVADERS AS DID OUR ANCESTORS !!!

quote:

Soviet Commander charged with evacuation
THE IMPORTANCE OF GORKY
Gorky and Yaroslavl were not consider important objectives and supposedly are to be abandon if necessary.
This can NOT and should NOT be done! Gorky is a major Industrial Center... the total cost of evacuation is a whooping 470 816 rail capacity!!
that is 5 turn worth, I repeat 5 turns!! and it implies we don't transport ANY troops what so ever during those 5 turns.
I'm not even mentioning Dzerzhinsky(e), 2 hexes west of Gorky with a LaGG-3 factory, 2 Armaments and 2 Heavy Industry with an evacuation cost of 53056, about half a turns worth of rail cap.

For all intents and purpose, Gorky is the new Soviet Capital, with its Industry and 25 manpower and should be defended as such, AT ALL COST!! I propose a plan for the final defense of Gorky.

Do NOT despair! at the final front lines with low supply, a strong defense can not be overcame, Central commander! gather Zhukov, Rokossovky, Zhakarov, Tolbokhin and any others if you have too!!
and the Volga itself can and should be guarded by weak formations in areas at risk of crossings, a simple tank brigade or AT-brigade is enough for the peaceful areas(they require an actual attack by the enemy).
and at least 1 decent division should Garrison Gorky and Yaroslavl at all times.

WHY a defense in front of the Volga is important.

The last defensive plan called for the eventual retreat behind the Volga, while it is true we have far to few troops for a pro-active defensive, we should try at the very least the form a "outer ring" in Yaroslavl.
1st off, the worst out came, the Germans forming a "Volga line" is the most ideal for the Axis! they have zero reasons to go beyond the Volga, the Germans would just fortify along the river until Blizzard.
that way, only once the Volga river is completely frozen, and no longer effects movement or combat, do the Axis calmly withdraw, while we try at best to catch up.

there is also the point that any redraw must be executed with care. the Industries of Ivanovo, Yaroslavl and Rebisk can NOT be forgotten.
Ivanovo - 3 Armaments, 3 Heavy Industry = 38400 rail cap.
Rebisk - 2 Armaments, 2 Heavy Industry = 25600 rail cap.
Yaroslavl - 3 Armaments, 2 Heavy Industry, 5 Vehicles = 56400! rail cap.

while Ivanovo and Rebisk can be evacuate and are acceptable losses, as long as the Outskirts are defended until the evacuation is complete.
Yaroslavl must stand proud! not only is it quite expensive to evacuate, it has the Volga at its back! an excellent counter to encirclements!!
and the Outer Ring aspect of the plan is Important because it is necessary that our forces are not easily contain, in order to conduct an effective Blizzard offensive of course.

to make the situation more easy for the central front. this area in particular can be lightly defended.

I'm willing to bet that because of the Terrain, this area is likely to be ignored by the enemy, a push here will not harm our situation much.

and to compound why we should adopt this strategy, remember there is still the industry in the South. too much demand for rail capacity.

I will still give priority for Heavy Industry, see to it that we don't fall below 170.

quote:

Soviet Supreme Commander
On the 16th October. Reinforcement will be shared between North and South.
On the 23rd and 30th October, Reinforcement will be sent in the Central Front.
On the 6th November, reinforcement will be given to the South
On the 13 November, reinforcement will be given to the North.

The Kursk Commando Army
On the 20th, 27th and 4th December, ALL reinforcement will be given to the Kursk Front. The Kursk front will be somewhat of a Active/Sleeping Commando Army that can be activated whenever I decide. This is a new Front I want to open, with, POSSIBLY, a new human commander. During Active time, the Kursk Front will have for objective to execute pincer movement where an opportunity arise, either going North towards Smolensk, or South towards Kiev. During Sleeping time, it will try to go and capture back Chernigov and Gomel.

This is the reinforcement you will all receive. ALL Moscow Rifle divisions will be sent to Moscow Front. All Leningrad Rifle Division will be sent to Leningrad Front.
Keep in mind Marshalls, that those forces are going to be the one you will have at your disposition for the Winter Offensive I am currently planning. The date of the attack has not yet been decided but during mid October, I will communicate with each of you, the objectives I want to achieve, and you will need to draw me a strategic plan. I may change some details , but if accepted, you will all be expected to achieve those objectives so be realist in your execution. Each Front will need to be in pair with each other, we cant have the central front advancing 50 miles, while North and South advance 10 miles.

I am just letting you guys know whats about to happen in a few months.

quote:

Axis South Commander
withdraw on all fronts and first guards

quote:

ORIGINAL: Telemecus

T014 Axis Kharkov Start of Turn

Pocket broken!

quote:

Axis South Commander
withdraw on all fronts and first guards

Interdiction gives big clues on where the enemy have run to though...

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zorch

quote:

ORIGINAL: Telemecus
T014 Axis Kharkov Start of Turn
Pocket broken!

quote:

Axis South Commander
withdraw on all fronts and first guards

Interdiction gives big clues on where the enemy have run to though...

They can run but they can't hide (Joe Louis).

quote:

Axis North Commander
North Leningrad taken

quote:

Axis Supreme Commander
Come blizzard we will want all Finnish units (including coastal brigades) at the front not in garrisons (the long front probably means they cannot spare any). And they will need to be in Kannas or Karelian armies to not have a battle penalty - all their corps are already in their armies. This means 48 command points in total in the Finnish command.

I count after withdrawals in the next few turns Karelian army will have 12 command points and Kannas army 11 command points used. In addition there are five command points of Finnish units that can be assigned from direct assignment now in Finnish High Command. This makes a total of 28. So there is space for 20 command points more- which could be up to 10 German infantry divisions or less if some units in the Finnish HQs need to break down to regiments. 3 of these divisions could be arrivals which can be assigned there at no points cost.

During the blizzard the Finns should have 2 army HQs and 3 corps HQs. The ratings of the army leaders are so good that units can actually have better ratings check probabilities directly assigned to armies so can be used for that (and in-spite of the army direct penalty). 4 of these HQs should be enough to keep all units up to the no move line in HQ range. The fifth HQ ideally should be one with their best leader right at the bottom edge of the no move line with German units directly assigned to it south of the line - so that Finnish SUs can be committed to help German units south of the line. If there are Finnish units to spare these can be left on reserve at the bottom of the no move line to reserve activate over it too.

If this is the case then there is no need to assign a German corps to Finnish armies. If the Finnish HQs cannot be in HQ range of all units then you may want to reassign XXVII to a Finnish army (as a corps from 9th army needs to be reassigned anyway). Or if you can afford the railing cost assign another 9th army corps as then you can reassign the divisions which come with the corps for free.

However using all Finnish corps and army HQs means there will not be one spare for auto rail repair with their auto construction (like the RHGs for Germany).

quote:

Axis Supreme Commander
Kazan already has fighters protecting it :smiley:

quote:

Axis North Commander
This is the first turn we have not destroyed over 200K manpower

quote:

ORIGINAL: Telemecus

T014 Axis Field Communications Security

Lapses in German field communications security have been identified and will need to be rapidly rectified.


Names and faces have been redacted to protect the innocent. And the horribly guilty.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zorch

quote:

ORIGINAL: Telemecus

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zorch