RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel

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 (1/14/2013 2:49:23 PM)
In the south, a new front line is formed before Stalino, the trapped divisions thresh around like fish in a net, and a race begins to get troops to the Crimea. [image]local://upfiles/43294/3D657A03B9894055A920E3F0C72A5BB0.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:52:56 PM)
So Blubel's hyper-aggressive playing style has led to a complicated situation in which heavy fighting is bound to continue through the mud turns - the Russians to eliminate the trapped divisions and save a few divisions in the south (although this is going to be difficult as the Panzers have taken all the ports)s, the Germans to rescue them and to push into the Crimea.

Seminole -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 2:59:19 PM)
He bagged quite a few emtpy cities (Stalino, Voronezh, etc) - albeit at a high cost in sacrificing a pzr div. I think it best to always garrison, even far from the line. Those german mech units can hustle.

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 3:12:30 PM)
Couldn't you have posted that advice a bit earlier?[:D]

Blubel -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 3:14:05 PM)
Other then the IL-2, there were just 3 arm factories left in Voronezh. I did it mainly for the IL-2. 18th Panzer wasn't much of a sacrifice anymore.

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 3:18:58 PM)
I think this game only works if the Soviets suffer disastrous losses in the summer campaign. If not, the contest is over by now. I think this particular game is pretty even, although if I was being objective, I'd say the Germans had the edge going into 42. There is a useful comparison with my parallel game with Bomazz, which followed a similar course, but I lost slightly fewer cities and factories. That one is in April 42 now and the Soviet position is looking quite solid. I have a feeling that I won't be anywhere near as comfortable when this game gets to the same point.

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/14/2013 3:20:25 PM)
Blubel! That's quite a relief. I lose track of those details when there are long gaps between turns. Of course, a dedicated player would keep all kinds of spreadsheets ..

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 3:48:36 PM)
Turn 18 Mud, glorious mud, and the Axis are stuck to the terrain of Mother Russia like a wasp on a jam sandwich. Unusually, there is little let up in the fighting, however. On the NW front, both sides are struggling to control the ground they hold. [image]local://upfiles/43294/4D910EEE9B42442DBC128483CDF6A3F3.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 3:50:11 PM)
And at the Tula salient, the Germans open a passage to their trapped division, but are unable to move a unit to occupy the vital hex. [image]local://upfiles/43294/66FBB710F2384DBD9A47B00A3A8F9643.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 3:52:25 PM)
At Vorenezh, 18Pz is surrounded by untrained levies and pressure is applied to the salient. [image]local://upfiles/43294/211B2A3B1FC543EDBCA196A4886BBBD1.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 3:54:18 PM)
And in the south, the pocket holds while the Germans wait for the November deadline to pass. Deadline being the appropriate term. [image]local://upfiles/43294/4E54B1A76FFD4572A47CF292B3A7C8D9.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 3:56:02 PM)
The OOB. The Red Army is desperately short of everything except biplanes. [image]local://upfiles/43294/4E4AC181CF1940B286A914462F965F08.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 4:01:57 PM)
Turn 19 There is still no let-up in the fighting. At Valdai, a stack of German divisions are surrounded, but will almost certainly be too strong to assault successfully in the mud. [image]local://upfiles/43294/C9F032BEE722412F8A278FCFDCCB90AB.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 4:04:53 PM)
The tip of the Tula salient is cut off with strong forces... [image]local://upfiles/43294/0CC03D18BD804CCEBADB81A747739332.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 4:06:24 PM)
... and 20th Motorised Division shuffles off into captivity [image]local://upfiles/43294/CC6F2CFC56DA4AA385793D2AE908E3D6.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 4:18:14 PM)
At Vorenezh, the kessel is reinforced. [image]local://upfiles/43294/D6C7BEBE37C0432FA37B865DAE1FE491.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/20/2013 4:19:30 PM)
And, in the south, the pocket is squeezed, and German armour wades into the Crimea [image]local://upfiles/43294/8F83D7A78ED440B893CA1DC67F3AECBF.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/22/2013 10:42:58 PM)
Turn 20 More slow motion grappling in the mud. Four German divisions are surrounded in Valdai, but will probably hold out. [image]local://upfiles/43294/FFF34C5C708445B1AFA32C54E18D63F6.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/22/2013 10:44:34 PM)
At Vorenezh, 18Pz resists continuous assaults, but a large Stalingrad-sized encirclement is made. [image]local://upfiles/43294/5D0249CB6A0E4C5F98CB2BE000D28992.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/22/2013 10:50:17 PM)
And at Tula, the encircled SS motorised brigade, a motorised division and an infantry division surrendered. Leaving a relatively gentle salient. [image]local://upfiles/43294/B1EC8D6BEB664EB2A6139D34771F0436.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 1:49:24 PM)
Turn 21 The last mud turn, and wave after wave of Soviet infantry crash against trapped German divisions. At the Valdai hills ... [image]local://upfiles/43294/4714E31BC0DA486C9B6579B8F68744CC.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 1:51:58 PM)
And Vorenezh ... [image]local://upfiles/43294/71E68EBD12B64CAB9993CF55B072CA84.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 1:59:39 PM)
Meanwhile, in the south, the Germans consolidate their position by shrinking the pocket and entering the Crimea. [image]local://upfiles/43294/A9DE903526B048F4A19B054A58CBE7DE.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 2:08:21 PM)
Turn 22 Unfortunately for me, all of those attacks were costly failures, and it is now clear to me that I got a little bit carried away, and also underestimated the Germans ability to spring back into position despite several turns of isolation. It may be that the ultra-cautious style I adopted in my parallel game with Bomazz was influencing me here. Anyhow, the result is a disaster of the first water: Blubel constructs an iron-bound pocket around most of the Bryansk front. I am unable to get any units in position to make a deliberate attack, and am therefore forced tamely to allow my men to disappear into captivity. It is scant comfort that I am finally able to force 18pz to surrender. [image]local://upfiles/43294/72E8EAA70E624305BAD91542D5B90A73.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 2:11:57 PM)
At Stalino, the pocket is largely cleared up ... [image]local://upfiles/43294/E3B6F831663D4CD7966B17AFBE0DD977.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 2:19:01 PM)
Turn 23 Blubel makes good use of the second snow turn to make progress in the north .. [image]local://upfiles/43294/8CDACDCCCD9F44948541A263E3792501.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 2:21:51 PM)
But, rather more effectively, another perfect pocket of formed, this time at Kursk. [image]local://upfiles/43294/13645953414F45B19107EBCC63CF57A0.jpg[/image]

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 2:27:21 PM)
This impressive performance by Blubel is worthy of Manstein in his prime. However, my opponent informs me that General Manstein has been killed for no particular reason. Unfortunately for me, the same fate begalls Malinovsky and Vasilevsky, which is a cruel buffet from fate. These successful moves bring the Soviet OOB below 4 million, and I am forced to admit that the German have well and truly gained the upper hand. How should the blizzard be handled?

hooooper_slith -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 2:29:58 PM)
The south ... [image]local://upfiles/43294/7BB0E49AC1D54B83B362476B47922126.jpg[/image]

Scook_99 -> RE: Towards the edge of destruction: hooooper v Blubel (1/24/2013 4:01:31 PM)
Well, interesting. How many mobile German units has he lost? He is playing a rather high risk, high reward kind of game. It looks like for blizzard you are in position in the north to hammer him a bit, but of course that's the crappy terrain, and he knows that. In the south, hmmmm. I see you hold Kharkov, but would he go for a daring last minute encirclement in that area? I am thinking you are going to have to let General Winter take on the burden and be very careful on your attacks. This is a close one.

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