The Iron Dream : An Impossible AAR (Full Version)

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horza66 -> The Iron Dream : An Impossible AAR (3/24/2011 6:33:24 PM)

The Iron Dream

Moscow
26th June 1941

I awake from one nightmare to another. Superhuman giants bestride both my dream and waking worlds. How can this be? Our armies are broken and running, where they have not been utterly destroyed.

In the South Rovno and Lvov are in enemy hands in the first days. The fortress of Brest Litovsk fell in a matter of hours.

In the North Riga, Kaunas, Vilnius and even Minsk are gone.





[image]local://upfiles/37435/AF5CA0EEF18E4A75BBAF1B6AAE2DF860.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 3rd July 1941 (3/24/2011 6:47:27 PM)

We cannot stop them. Anything in their way is destroyed. We pull back our armies hoping to preserve them. We evacuate our tank factories first, knowing we cannot hope to hold even the Donbas.

Our final defence line will be the Urals.

We make an attempt to slow the juggernaut at Smolensk and Kiev, knowing it to be hopeless.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/D848127A2573438CB06E19B5AF309398.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 10th July 1941 (3/24/2011 6:54:50 PM)

The defenders of Pskov and Velikie Luki are smashed back as if they weren't there.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/8240FEF2A91049B491394F78FF8EF795.jpg[/image]



Tarhunnas -> RE: 3rd July 1941 (3/24/2011 6:54:59 PM)

Have you read the book "The Iron Dream" by Norman Spinrad?



horza66 -> 17th July 1941 (3/24/2011 7:07:11 PM)

Our trains are full of factories evacuating East. So much so it is almost impossible to get troops forward to the front. We try to make a virtue of this disgrace. There is no force we possess at this moment that can survive in front of his panzers and infantry together, and so our reserves are best kept in the rear.

These supermen ignore their own tacticicans. Instead of a blitzkrieg, penetrating our lines and pocketing our troops, they simply hammer at our divisions frontally until they shatter. Such is their strength it costs them little, and they can shatter multiple armies on a front in a single week.

The pace of their advance is terrifying. The Smolensk defences fall before the Ryzeh-Vyazma defence line is properly begun.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/896EF46212084A6F9A204A903B0033E7.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> OOC : 3rd July 1941 (3/24/2011 7:12:13 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas

Have you read the book "The Iron Dream" by Norman Spinrad?


First prize to Tarhunnas. I wasn't sure how well known it would be as it's been out of print for some time. It seemed an appropriate title for fighting some true Ubermensch.



horza66 -> 24th July 1941 (3/24/2011 7:30:34 PM)

Our only hope is the slow advance of their railroad teams. If they outstrip their railheads by too great a margin even supermen are vulnerable. They cannot fight without ammunition.

However this means we must accept that Leningrad, and eventually Moscow, are doomed. The fast advance of their regauging across the Baltic states gives us no time to defend our greatest cities. Everything of value must be moved.





[image]local://upfiles/37435/67A614F2154443EAAB89149D35E515B2.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> RE: 24th July 1941 (3/24/2011 7:52:40 PM)

We've learnt to evade direct resistance to the fascist invaders wherever we can. A defence line of two or more armies can survive contact with advanced panzers, but as soon as the enemy infantry reaches the line we lose everything.

Kiev lasted far longer than expected, and placed the defenders of the Dnepr defence line in jeopardy. We try to pull back to the Sula before we are cut off.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/6A1B7F0D303147CCBF94AC265A47B536.jpg[/image]



Tarhunnas -> RE: OOC : 3rd July 1941 (3/24/2011 8:30:33 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: horza66


quote:

ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas

Have you read the book "The Iron Dream" by Norman Spinrad?


First prize to Tarhunnas. I wasn't sure how well known it would be as it's been out of print for some time. It seemed an appropriate title for fighting some true Ubermensch.


It's a cool book, and a very funny idea with Hitler as an SF writer. Spinrad is, I understand, a communist, though I can't really figure out what he wanted to say with the book, I must say it feels a bit politically incorrect. Was 20 years since I read it, I have it somewhere in the attic.



horza66 -> 7th August 1941 (3/24/2011 10:01:25 PM)

Some of them make it. But simply being in contact with the enemy infantry as well as panzers guarantees heavy casualties.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/FE8D699E84AC432E8634FCC5E287805C.jpg[/image]



randallw -> RE: 7th August 1941 (3/24/2011 10:10:34 PM)

What difficulty setting is this on?



horza66 -> 7th August 1941, Moscow (3/24/2011 10:19:18 PM)

In the first appearance of classic blitzkrieg, our entire defence Rzhev-Vyazma line is cut off as the panzers reach the outskirts of Moscow. We desperately evacuate as much industry as we can but it is hopeless. We preserve our tank and aircraft factories, but we are steadily lose heavy industry and armament factories that will not be replaced or rebuilt.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/CAA9AB46BFDB4B1E8D581E37D90AB831.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> RE: 7th August 1941 (3/24/2011 10:21:50 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: randallw

What difficulty setting is this on?


The Iron Dream: An Impossible AAR

[;)]



Klydon -> RE: 7th August 1941 (3/24/2011 10:22:22 PM)

As a guess, I would say "impossible".



Q-Ball -> RE: 7th August 1941 (3/24/2011 10:33:40 PM)

Moscow on Turn 7??

On "Standard", I don't know if you can even DRIVE that far without resistance; seriously. Can you? I think it's 3 turns to Smolensk, if there is NOTHING in your way. I suppose you can drive it in 5.

On "Impossible", the AI probably get bottomless fuel tanks on the Panzers.....



PeeDeeAitch -> RE: 7th August 1941 (3/24/2011 10:40:50 PM)

Try playing the Germans on easy, my first AI campaign when I was learning was that - I seem to recall very few fuel problems...



horza66 -> RE: 7th August 1941 (3/24/2011 10:50:35 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Moscow on Turn 7??

On "Standard", I don't know if you can even DRIVE that far without resistance; seriously. Can you? I think it's 3 turns to Smolensk, if there is NOTHING in your way. I suppose you can drive it in 5.

On "Impossible", the AI probably get bottomless fuel tanks on the Panzers.....


Indeed, I was quite shocked. I was prepared to have to give up Moscow, let alone Leningrad, but not this early. As it is it's so early I cannot even muster a defence that won't disintegrate to no effect. As you might guess, I played ahead to make sure this game wasn't going to end abruptly early. (As my first attempt certainly did).

Edit, to clarify: The MPs on the panzers seem limitless, on the receiving end, and with every hasty attack being successful, any defence available (checkerboard, line, thin carpet) just has the entire contents repeatedly hit until shattered. Until you have the troops for a defence in depth the only strategy comes from Sir Robin. The panzers will sometimes redirect or hesitate in front of a 2+ army defence, but with infantry those 2+ armies just disappear.



horza66 -> 14th August 1941 (3/24/2011 11:34:03 PM)

A relatively conservative crossing of the Moscow-Volga Canal by the panzers, but the arrival of fascist infantry adjacent to Western Moscow spells doom for our defences.

We are preparing rear positions along the line Cheropevets-Volga-Oka-Don. This is our only realistic prospect for a defence that does not end in total destruction of the forces involved.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/80EB2BF8CBB84C2BB381C27A564174F3.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 21st August 1941 (3/24/2011 11:42:15 PM)

Western Moscow falls. Two divisions of our troops flee at the mere sight of these supermen, these ubermensch as they call themselves.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/9BA983DD8CBE4C97B7CC66E18C950C0F.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 28th August 1941 (3/24/2011 11:49:37 PM)

The defence of Moscow does not just fail, but collapses completely. Ivanovo is threatened, Ryazan has already fallen.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/F7B8975F0B9C4CBDB06F21858C07925B.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> RE: 28th August 1941 (3/24/2011 11:55:00 PM)

Our only achievment, our only hope. The Soviet Army remains in existence. But it must turn and fight soon, before our people lose the will to continue.




[image]local://upfiles/37435/03506BECD30D492C87BBCB4C69A2A962.jpg[/image]



Josh -> RE: 7th August 1941 (3/25/2011 9:33:12 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: horza66


quote:

ORIGINAL: randallw

What difficulty setting is this on?


The Iron Dream: An Impossible AAR

[;)]


Impossible!

That explains the advances of the German army, because frankly I couldn't believe my eyes... Moscow on turn 7 [:)]



horza66 -> 4th September 1941 (3/25/2011 6:55:16 PM)

September opens with our first serious attempts to hold ground.

When fortified in the swamps of Cherepovets our forces can at least inflict casualties before falling back.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/F9A0DCD5FE7A441591213DC805749441.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 11th September 1941 (3/25/2011 7:03:42 PM)

It's not the despair I can't stand, it's the hope.

The Northern Front manages the first genuine victory of the war so far. Of five attacks launched upon their positions they turn back three.

The ubermensch are not invulnerable, not unstoppable. They can be defeated.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/1326B69C44054EBE8011F1DD994FA907.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 18th September 1941 (3/25/2011 7:14:29 PM)

We do not have the advantage of swamps in front of Gorkiy. Yaroslavl beats off three attacks successfully, but elsewhere we are beaten back consistently.

We begin forming a series of defence lines in front of Gorkiy. If the Fascists drive on Gorkiy now they will be swept away. However if they choose to drive for the Volga and Oka and force crossings we could have enough time to establish a true defence in depth. We can only pray.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/2F39AFBC46EE496895FB438334FBC144.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 25th September 1941 (3/25/2011 7:22:19 PM)

His forces drive to the Volga and cross the Oka. Our first line of defence is hammered back, apart from one division of stubborn Moscow militia.

The Raputsitsa is coming. Can we survive until then?



[image]local://upfiles/37435/4EEFEDDC28554391972849D9E0E81D8D.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> 2nd October 1941: The Crisis Point (3/25/2011 7:33:43 PM)

We are at breaking point. The people of suffered a litany of defeats and we have given them only a handful of victories. We have been unable to stop the steamroller. We need lose only a few more major cities to lose their faith in us. And those cities are under threat.



[image]local://upfiles/37435/F1FC5218BEE84786B719A412D06E5803.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> The Crisis Point: North (3/25/2011 7:44:02 PM)

The Fascists are within 10 miles of assaulting Cherepovets. Their attacks are more cautious now, but they still make steady progress. We cannot expect to hold it, even fortified as it is.

[image]local://upfiles/37435/C5C005EC664444E59BDC3E1D1CA94EC4.jpg[/image]



horza66 -> The Crisis Point: South Central (3/25/2011 7:49:34 PM)

Penza and Saransk are both significant cities. The fascists do not have significant forces here, but our lines are very thin. Any determined drive here will take these cities.

[image]local://upfiles/37435/57078EC3F3D2404D8774E03AB10787A2.jpg[/image]



Q-Ball -> RE: The Crisis Point: North (3/25/2011 7:49:41 PM)

Thanks for sharing, though I think the only thing you're going to prove is that the Impossible setting is......Impossible.

When 3 divisions can hasty-attack and rout 2 units out of a Heavy Urban hex, not much you can do with that



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