RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (Full Version)

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hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 3:45:48 PM)

Soviet moves

In Leningrad I'm most concerned by a link up with the pincer pushing north of Kalinin, so its the northern edge of the German salient that receives the most reinforcement. The southern edge has the marshes for a second echelon.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/DFE4BA4054234E58A8150E6FCB878A07.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 3:50:46 PM)

On the northern flank of Moscow, the Germans have to go round the reservoir, and the city of Kalinin is the essential to that move. Two of my better divisions are moved in to bar the door.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/AA28C51BECC94E9E9C0008021724B0A5.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 3:55:17 PM)

At Tula, Bryansk front finally sees some action. Efremov's 21st Army, newly fitted out with more 85mm anti-tank guns than you can shake a stick at, surrounds the breakthrough and braces itself for a week of bloody fighting.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/7FD48171EF03494989A02E9D9D4531BF.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 3:59:40 PM)

On the Kursk-Kharkov line, I reinforce and hope for the best. I could retreat, I suppose, but I'm influenced by my game with Bomazz, now in the spring mud of 1942. In that, I lost both cities and spent three agonising months trying to retake them. It strikes me that this experience could be avoided by not losing them in the first place.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/FAB0E7A2600542F59A066A9444C1F910.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 4:00:57 PM)

Kharkov:

[image]local://upfiles/43294/4E8F170EF06647C7AA3E7221E457A0D2.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 4:03:24 PM)

Here's the big picture in the north

[image]local://upfiles/43294/CBE1ACDD38E84A3EAE04F9E56CF88DE5.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 5:17:39 PM)

And the centre

[image]local://upfiles/43294/92502AA1CD9145C999FF132FA8F9499D.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 5:19:47 PM)

And south

[image]local://upfiles/43294/290DA77563B641CFBC68EF45818854E8.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/11/2013 5:21:04 PM)

Two turns until the mud, and the Germans are ready for a big push. [8|]



Mike29 -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 5:07:50 AM)

Could you please specify what turn is going on at least on each page?



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:09:35 PM)

Turn 16

Although the Germans have inflicted heavy losses on the Red Army they had failed to take any of their main geographical objectives: Leningrad, Moscow, Tula, Orel, Kursk, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk or Zaporezhye. However, the thinning ranks of the Red Army have finally been overrun, at least in the south, and a panzer exploitation has taken the industrial centre of Stalino. It will also encircle the whole of the North Caucusus front, complete with Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporezhye, and lay open the Crimea. Operation Barbarossa now looks like rather more of a success.

However, let us begin our situation report with Leningrad. Here the Germans have again broken over the Neva, but only with a single panzer division. This happened last turn as well, but I forgot to mention that it was counter-attacked and forced to retreat. On east bank of the Volkhov, the Waffen SS lead a thrust through bog and brush toward the Finnish army, which is now on the boarders of the Soviet Union. The only good news in this scenario is that any fanciful attempts to pull off a left hook, behind the Valdai, is off the agenda.

Incidently, I only remembered to take screen shots half way through my moves, which explains why the position in this one is impossible.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/AEFD523A81B0479195D2A45249EE744E.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:14:18 PM)

Both armies continue to dispute possession of the Valdai. I think I can hold this, at least until the snow turns, and I'd be surprised if the Wehrmacht had the capacity to take it then. However, the Germans have rather more success further south, as Kalinin is encircled and exploitation forces push on to Vyshny Volochek ... and away from Moscow.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/4DBC62B756B84FB999FFE75D8953EC0C.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:18:16 PM)

Moscow. Two divisions of the Kalinin Front are encircled, but otherwise it's strangely peaceful.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/17B1D94F538545C5B1F66F2DA8C77A4E.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:21:26 PM)

At the Tula breakthough, the German forces in the salient thrash around, but Efremov does a good job of preventing any further exploitation. I'm beginning to dream of holding Tula.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/990185B8F5054026BE8C671C2808DF3A.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:25:36 PM)

I'm also beginning to dream of holding Kursk and Kharkov. If so, it's only a slight exaggeration to say that the whole of the centre is secured. It will also be a splendid jumping off point for the blizzard offensive.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/A59E4553DC3C4E2D9E91DDABA70B6230.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:27:53 PM)

But of course there is a high price to be paid for this stability in the centre: the collapse of my position in south Ukraine. Again, this shows the position after my first reactive moves.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/9249F66BB9CD4199A85DB45328FB74F1.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:29:15 PM)

Soviet responses

In Leningrad, there is no need for deep thought.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/DDC8B8E9338944FFA757D062712C92DA.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:31:11 PM)

We also do what we can to smother the dangerous panzer thrust.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/78C1C11ABAC245DCABDE49FEE165F958.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:32:53 PM)

At Moscow I have an abundance of well rested units and it proves possible to push the powerful German infantry division to one side and rescue the encircled forces.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/0AFD2B5D15CE4B51BF1FD8715038C2B4.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:37:08 PM)

At Tula, we keep our teeth clamped onto the field-grey trousers of the foe, and neatly encircle a couple of divisions (temporarily).

[image]local://upfiles/43294/7C4CD9E19378455A891E81B7D936E434.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:39:09 PM)

Kursk. I reinforce as best I can, but that grouping of German forces looks awfully potent.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/ADFFF71B960F4F0492DBA2CEC6C186E8.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:41:23 PM)

The disaster in the south. A collection of untrained troops are rushed to the east of Stalino and placed under the command of 6th, 9th and 18th Army. This may be enough to bar to door to Rostov, but I have no defence against a push south to the Black Sea and the Crimea. Bugger.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/9F6A2CB0B861431A9969002931244D35.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/12/2013 12:47:47 PM)

So there it is. One more turn until the mud, and a highly interesting and unbalanced situation has arisen. Both sides can still win the game, and I suspect the next turn will go a long way to deciding which it is.



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:20:01 PM)

Turn 17

The final turn of the first summer offensive, and at last it is clear what my opponent's plan was - to create a giant encirclement of the south-centre of the Russian line. I admire the wide sweep of the concept, although it probably needed a few more turns to bring it off. Nevertheless, those potent panzers at Kursk have broken through the crumbling Soviet lines and taken Vorenezh. I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I can't remember whether I railed anything out of not, but Blubel assures me that I have at least lost a great many aircraft factories.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/0B38654952D54310879F397E489131B7.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:22:23 PM)

In the north, the German's continue to press on the Volkhov, Valdai and Kalinin fronts. These, I think, will be containable.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/3979D83FBB294B2CB295DACF5F574744.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:25:23 PM)

In the south the German reach the Black Sea coast and stand to at the gates of the Crimea. I order a round of bracing executions, in the same way that smelling salts are administered to a floored boxer.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/44987C61CEDD41DC838ED6C28949B0F0.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:30:01 PM)

Soviet responses

Leningrad. The Germans are now across the Neva in multidivsional strength, so the city is doomed. East of Volkhov, we instal a screen of troops, which should be enough to hold during the mud. A few tank brigades are sent to the area as reinforcement.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/92F4CD6076554743B134A9E5005C3877.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:33:50 PM)

Valdai and Kalinin. A highly complex situation has arisen on the hills, with both sides threatening the other with encirclement. If I can reinforce this area during mud, I may make some progress here. Reserves are sent to Vyshny Volochek, another city I mean to hold if I can.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/FF652EFC22434FD4892E9961EA7D74F5.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:41:33 PM)

At Tula it proves straightforward to execute a defensive pincer. Will my cavalry division hold in the mud, though? I draw the general's attention to recent events in the southern Ukraine.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/5BA45D5AE5AE41C8A19139BC6DF40640.jpg[/image]



hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:47:19 PM)

Vorenezh. After a little reconnaissance it becomes clear that the city was taken by the 18th Panzer Division with no support from any other German units. A sacrifice, in other words. Reserves are railed in to surround the doomed Germans.

[image]local://upfiles/43294/C471A16AF6BA403FBC2B30CC8E7E6B2D.jpg[/image]



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