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KuniworthII -> Black turn - january offensive (2/7/2014 9:18:43 AM)
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Listed as hard, january offensive is one of two soviet scenarios in black turn. It depicts the attempt by the red army to widen it's offensive around Moscow in the beginning of 1942.
Last night I was able to acheive a brilliant victory and I thought I should share with you how it's done. Heard that some people was wondering how to do it.
At a first glimpse the situation deos'nt look that good. You basically got just infantry to fight the mechanized wehrmacht. The key in this scenario is cutting off the supply. Head on assaults will drain you out faster than you can say uncle Joe. How to make it? Think Hannibal at the battle of Cannae, it's the exact same thing here, hold the center and win on the flanks!
First of all be sure you guard Moscow and the vital railline that supplies your entire front. The enemy will inevitably breakthrough your lines and cut the railline a couple of times. So you really need some reserve units here and there behind the front to block any larger exploit and to counterattack. Also always have a unit stationed in Moscow itself or you can be knocked out of the game if you cant erradicate the enemy on your next turn.
The strategy you need to apply is absorb the enemy attacks in the center and cut off his flanks from supply. Then envelope Vyazma in the center from all directions.
When you absorb the enemy attacks in the vicinity of Moscow be sure to pick off enemy tanks and motorized infantry at a steady pace. These units are the one that can hurt you, and the sooner they leave the board the better. However never risk your units, just take them out when you got 2:1 or 0:1 odds. Rotate your units because losses will be much higher than reinforcements. Put up strong units facing the german mobile formations and let them bleed.
Ok now for offence. In the north you need to capture Demyansk by turn 3. To do that and still be able to continue offensive operations you need to cut off the entire northern force. Do not only surround Demyansk but also drive a wedge to cut off the bridge leading back to the german supply depot. You need to block all of them from escape. That way the entire wing will collapse when you seize the supply depot there and you will be able to advance south.
The next aim for the northern group is to advance south in two directions. One to capture the supply depot west of Velikye Luki and the other one to capture the railwaybridge to the west of Rzhev. This will cause those victory locations to fall after a while due to lack of supply. Note that your attack on Velikye Luki will be conducted by units out off supply themselves. But that's ok, there will be no force left to challenge you. The rearguard at Velikye Luki has to decide wether to guard the supply depot or the victory condition and will always choose the latter.
In the south the situation will be a bit confused. Basically what you need to do is push out of the bulge in a southwest direction and almost reach bryansk with tanks and cavalry. Then fill the gaps with lots of infantry so the ring stays shut. This will cut off the entire southern flank. You need to mass up infantry to block any attampt to break your front and keep a line back for your mobile forces. In the first turn the enemy will move around and look for openings in the ring, but stand firm and on turn 2 capture Bryansk and the Bryansk supply depot. At the same time the enemy will withdraw at Orel leaving the bridge undefended. Send your force of the front at Orel to capture the city and the supply depot. Hold a line back to supply.
Now if you done this correctly all of the german forces will melt away in the south. Now you need to cut supply to Vyazma. Mop up and send your cavalry and tanks northwest to seize Smolensk. If you can disrupt supply there is no supply depots left for the wehrmacht. Remember that your northern force has moved south so the german forces are almost surrounded. So with no supply the entire cauldron will now collapse. Now you slash your way through to Vyazama for a brilliant victory on turn 10! :)
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