Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: FaneFlugt

As Ive said before then I think alot of the negativity towards the soviets being overpowered in the 1941/42 winter offensive, comes from games where the german player have pressed the german army to their extreme before the mud period and the winteroffensive kicks in. As the german player you need to slow down 3-4 turns before the first mud. Divide all your units into subunits, dig in, spread out your artillery and keep all your panzer divsions in reserve.

Its true that you will loose alot of units in the soviets attacks but the soviets will looses even more and since their amoured units dont really appear in mass, before the middle of the winter offensive, its possible to hold them of. untill they soviet player realize that summer is coming and he needs to slow down.

Expect to looses 4-5 hexes along your entire front or maybe 15-20 hexes in 2-3 areas in total.

quote:

ORIGINAL: FaneFlugt

Concerning the american tanks supplied to the USSR, could the designers be so kind as to clarify what the effects of keeping the german fleet in the baltics is, it says that it activates additional lend-lease units to the soviets. What is the precise effects?

Ive been looking into the scenario files but I cant find any information on this subject.

I find it very logical that if the germans keep their navy in the baltics the allies have an easier time of sending lend-lease to the USSR, I dont find that weird, I just wonder if there is any numbers avaible so the german player can ponder if it is a good idea.

quote:

ORIGINAL: torbenalbertsen

Ok. one question

the american lee and stuart tanks the russians get have 8 and 9 in armor. A t34 first version has 8, and they were considered very hard to kill by the germans. Isent this a bit much? Now, I know next to nothing about ww2 tanks, but from just reading a little bit here and there these tanks seemed to be early american wartanks and are not generally described as up to the standards of t34 for example. Could someone who knows maybe enlighten me, that is, if their armor is actually historically accurate or not?

thanks in advance

quote:

ORIGINAL: FaneFlugt

Concerning the 41-42 soviet Winter offensive in FITE then I agree that a retreating soviet player have a large intact force to smash the german player.

In my opinion, then the only way to counter this as the german is to pull out all of your Panzer divisions before the offensive and keep them mobile and on rail to plug any developing soviet breakthroughs. You should also divide ALL you infantry into their subunits. The loss in overall Combat numbers isnt that bad compared to the problems a breakthrough can create. Put the first line on minimise losses, second line on limit losses and the last line on ignore losses. Spread out you artillery. The amount of losses the soviet player takes is around 5-1, and even with his superior manpower production he will soon start to hurt.

Also in the first 15-20 turns of the soviet offensive, he dosent have that many tanks and when he gets his reinforcments to the front for the last 10 turns, the Germans get tons of flak 8,8 cm units to insert into the most stressed sections of the front. Overall the soviets will have advanced 3-5 hexes and Burnt alot of manpower.

When summer comes you will be able to encircle All those juicy soviet tank armies and hopefully survive another Winter.

I still think there should be some reason to make a drive towards the caucasus in 42 as the germans, there isnt really any in the current scenario.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Teufeldk

quote:

ORIGINAL: torbenalbertsen

Ok. one question

the american lee and stuart tanks the russians get have 8 and 9 in armor. A t34 first version has 8, and they were considered very hard to kill by the germans. Isent this a bit much? Now, I know next to nothing about ww2 tanks, but from just reading a little bit here and there these tanks seemed to be early american wartanks and are not generally described as up to the standards of t34 for example. Could someone who knows maybe enlighten me, that is, if their armor is actually historically accurate or not?

thanks in advance

I don't know much about the equipment calculations, but I do know that many factors have been taken into account. And it is always difficult to reduce the performance of any equipment to just one number. But I do know that most Russian armor has had "1" maybe "2" subtracted from their final armor calculation to reflect the poor communication (lack of radios) and other stuff.

I will ask Søren if he has time to come by and elaborate further.

quote:

@Teufeldk
Airborne: currently the capacity is for only two Brandenburg units at a turn.
Defo 3 wouldn't harm.
And they are quite weak, on their own they are a pray even for militia.
Of course they should not be exploited (which is like with most things a gentleman's agreement).
Maybe allowing use of the survivors from Crete from Oct/Nov'41 (in reality they were used, but as foot soldiers).

As to Caucasus: closing the front, although I cannot say about the effect on gameplay as neither me or my opponents ever went for it.

quote:

ORIGINAL: torbenalbertsen

OK, thanks for information on armor. Its makes sense then to use the armor to scale other factors that cant be calculated, or have their own variable.

my russian shock troops apreciates the american armor although they complain that its to inflammable....

quote:

ORIGINAL: gliz2

@Teufeldk
What is Operation Beowulf?

Maybe better: could you please post the latest manual for the scenario.
I went through the ingame and couldn't find the reference to that Op.Beo

quote:

ORIGINAL: Teufeldk

quote:

ORIGINAL: FaneFlugt

Concerning the 41-42 soviet Winter offensive in FITE then I agree that a retreating soviet player have a large intact force to smash the german player.

In my opinion, then the only way to counter this as the german is to pull out all of your Panzer divisions before the offensive and keep them mobile and on rail to plug any developing soviet breakthroughs. You should also divide ALL you infantry into their subunits. The loss in overall Combat numbers isnt that bad compared to the problems a breakthrough can create. Put the first line on minimise losses, second line on limit losses and the last line on ignore losses. Spread out you artillery. The amount of losses the soviet player takes is around 5-1, and even with his superior manpower production he will soon start to hurt.

Also in the first 15-20 turns of the soviet offensive, he dosent have that many tanks and when he gets his reinforcments to the front for the last 10 turns, the Germans get tons of flak 8,8 cm units to insert into the most stressed sections of the front. Overall the soviets will have advanced 3-5 hexes and Burnt alot of manpower.

When summer comes you will be able to encircle All those juicy soviet tank armies and hopefully survive another Winter.

I still think there should be some reason to make a drive towards the caucasus in 42 as the germans, there isnt really any in the current scenario.

About the drive towards Caucasus.

You are right that on the face of it there is little reason to go there (I am not sure there were good reasons historically either).

But anyway: if you go there, and you cut the rail line running along the Caspian sea, (maybe with some recon troops) the Russians will be at 50% supply down there making it a good place to kill some Russians.

If you actually take Baku, you will put the Caucasus front out of action since it reconstitutes there. And you get a bonus unit containing:

1000 120mm Mortar sGrW 42
175 7,5cm L/11.8 LeIG 18
24 T-34/76 M43(c)
72 10,5cm L/28 LeFH 18 M
48 8,8 cm L56 FlaK 36/41
24 T34/76 M41(A)
36 15cm L/30 sFH 18
220 50mm Mortar LeGrW 36
24 10,5 L/52 s K 18
44 7,5 L/19,5 Geb G 36

Now I agree that is not much.
In 1942 I think the Germans should attack where they can kill a lot of Russians. And that could be in a place that is relatively poorly defended - the Caucasus might be such a place. If not then attack somewhere else :)

quote:

ORIGINAL: gliz2

Please don't!
Such things should be left to players via the Options like partisants or effort chits.
And the more of them the better.

In a game of such scale also the scale of probabilities such be bigger. What if the Italians had not withdrawn in '43?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Teufeldk



The Italians are never withdrawn.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Teufeldk


In 1942 I think the Germans should attack where they can kill a lot of Russians. And that could be in a place that is relatively poorly defended - the Caucasus might be such a place. If not then attack somewhere else :)