boldairade
Posts: 722
Joined: 1/15/2005 Status: offline
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July 31 1942 East Front-South(Zhukov/Rokossovsky) We have been actively counter attacking here, trying to make the Germans pay for their gains. This was a mistake. At the conclusion of last turn, we felt decent about this front, though we were concerned about how exposed the armor was. The Germans take advantage of this. The Germans go hard after 4th Tank corps, hammering it from the air and smashing it from different angles. The formation holds up through several battles, but is ultimately overrun. This allows the encirclement of 1st Siberian Armor, by far the best formation in the Red Army. In one battle, this formation surrenders(pretty disappointing). Overall, Russian losses this turn include the destruction of 5 corps, an infantry army, another army encircled and the loss of these two Tank corps, including our best formation. It's too much. At this point, the Germans should be wearing down, and Russian losses should be measured in terms of steps, not shattered formations. Certainly not the best formations in the Red Army. I attribute this solely to my mishandling of the Russian forces. I probably should have cashed out all the Rifle Corps, and I should have retreated en masse last turn in the south. I had hoped to have this turn to set up a solid defense line on the Dneiper with all the reinforcements, then retreat behind them with the armor and try to make a stand. Instead, I lose some of the best formations I had, cannot pull back across the river with some formations due to ZOC, and now deploy the new infantry not in a solid line, but in a haphazard and disorganized fashion. I do not know if this front is lost or not. We are VERY vulnerable NW of Krivoi Rog, where we cannot get across the river. If we suffer losses similar to this turn next turn, I am very pessimistic. The line along the Dneiper, which we had hoped would be solid, will now likely be no more of an obstacle than any of our other 'lines'. In fact, without entrenchment, it will likely be even less effective.
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< Message edited by boldairade -- 12/27/2021 1:06:45 PM >
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