RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (Full Version)

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AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/14/2022 12:47:14 AM)

T90 - Tambov Sector

Here the Soviets attacked - there is no screenshot. They got beated down but the German troops that 'held' were mauled too.
The 2nd attack is just a pure artillery barrage that inflicted some casualties and alas there was no coutnerbattery fire at all from German end.

The Rocket Artilleries did their dirty job and that's it.

German troops got shuffled around, here we keep a defensive postures for the Sovhets have mighty forces fielded!

[image]local://upfiles/36315/F75DDAB2DCE5450099A82585442E05C4.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/14/2022 1:45:11 AM)

T90 - Don River Bend

The Germans performed a huge amount of counterattacks there - well, HUGE... a variety!
But I sinned of gluttony. In my being casual I've sent 3 Panzer Divisions to attack some retreated corps. And booyah, they hammered the Soviet infanteries that were already battered.

BUT I miscalculated the movement points or well ... have not paid enough attention. And now 1 panzer division will be stuck there.

I've to decide ... if to slip away with the other 2, or keep them all there.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/0805DC0892854D0C993CB4CCFEA50A54.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/14/2022 1:54:20 AM)

T90 - Caucasus

West of the Lake Manych the Romanians shoo'ed Soviet cavalry unit.
The enemy may be scouting the weakmost zone of the whole front there.

South Romanians in the mountains dislodge another Russian brigade trying to infiltrate the perimeter.

A panzer pointee with italian alpini support repel away cavalry scouts. Further exploration stumbles in a Rifle Corps, that is just avoided as the axis forces return at the starting positions, just more tired.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/1729DC905BDC4A0EA5D9AE859A0A11B8.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/16/2022 1:40:48 PM)

T91 - Logistic Nightmares continued

I cannot really get a grip of why the system behaves that way.

Rhyazan got freight, but somehow decides to serve units far far away from it.
Because Tula that got freight too serves the one by Rhyazan.

And Kukinka somehow serves troops further off.

Logic would be that Kubinka serves the ones at the east of Kubinka, that Rhyazan serves the ones around it and Tula then fills the gaps ...

Some distance check and prioritization should be there but seems not.

It's entirely counter intuitive that there are triangulations like the Tula-Rhyazan one.

That aspect is really frustrating me.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/ACDC7EE3DF1E4D15B9481BDE8778A988.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/16/2022 1:51:01 PM)

T91 - Logistic Nightmare continued

Germans not only gets beated - which well was expected, at least for the Panzer Divisions, that got stuck in a rather exposed position.

They simply do not receive adequate supplies. Axis supply tickers are all orange and red... and I've no solution for it except to fall back maybe to broader railroads.



[image]local://upfiles/36315/0575B84C549F4C3C8EF8B069D5DD1F17.jpg[/image]




loki100 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/16/2022 4:58:57 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T91 - Logistic Nightmares continued

I cannot really get a grip of why the system behaves that way.

...

That aspect is really frustrating me.
...


your depot layout and priorities is almost perfectly designed to stop depot-depot freight moves and thus force units into long unit-depot traces. In that layout Tula should be 3 (at most) since its not acting as a storage site due to unit-depot demands, so get the freight up the front line depots, there are others where you could rework priorities with some use.

given that everything is 3 or 4 with no real distinction as to why, then yes, you are inviting the system to make some fairly random decisions as it unpicks what you want to happen




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/18/2022 1:22:26 AM)

T92 - Hungarian Sector

Russian gains here are relatively small.

It is quite astonishing they hammered exactly where the few German divisions are because north of it there is a line of regiments; and south of it pratically a thin line of Hungarian forces that are not exactly combat ready...

Two fresh German divisions arrived from the West and that 15.46 Panzer division arrived from the reserved, being full compliment and all (Factually it was parked in Norway for a long while).

The German combat efficiency here seems to take long to recover, once units suffered their mauling.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/A67F490263644833BDAF0AF2863C74AA.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/18/2022 1:34:30 AM)

T92 - Hammerings and Poundings

Here the Soviets just shanked an amount of German infanteries one after the other til the last combat where they got stalled.

German staying power is definitely compromised where troops that were combat ready and integer like the mountain division, got down to a nominal 2 CV.

Mud should be about to save my posterior, I hope...

[image]local://upfiles/36315/5830653D27A54F35896D21BB469F36B7.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/18/2022 1:44:28 AM)

T92 - SS Holdout

Here a Russian massacre.

I am not complaining on the result BUT I do have noticed that the 'Panzer-Infantry-Type' are pretty crap.
Not the first time I notice it, supposedly these guys are among the cream of the cream of German infanterie type, and their performances seems to me many times under what I'd expect them to have.

With their small numbers the Panzer Grenadiers or Panzer Pioneer or MG Sections would not have affected the global outcome much.
Even Motorized squads do not seem to do that well.

The riflemen of the Infanterie Division present here have outperformed the SS troops in fact.

Nonetheless, here the Soviets have tried to best what I suspect is one of the strongest German hexes of the whole front. Definitely satisfied with the final outcome and I hope that Guard Infantry Corps can get mauled too during my turn.

But it's late and about sleep time so my turn will wait tomorrow!

[image]local://upfiles/36315/EFE5358CCB1F4476B7FF1CF82EF756EA.jpg[/image]




Rosseau -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/18/2022 1:51:41 AM)

Very nice AAR. Regarding the Panzer-Infantry, I am looking forward to the update that allows us to modify "devices" to our choosing. It has been a long wait, but I know Mr. Helpless on this forum works very hard on everything he does! Best wishes to him. Sorry to interrupt. [;)]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/18/2022 2:48:17 PM)

T92 - Battle for Khimki

The Germans attack for the 3rd time, and the Soviets will occupy it again I feel as the Germans leave the hex vacant.

But the 'ratio' of the losses is ever getting less and less favorable.
In fact to be a German victory, the Germans lost more than the Russians.

Ideally it is a 'distraction' from other fronts for the Russians. But the Germans appear unable to mount pressure.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/AF299ADF1B674A8D98C3644B255DADD6.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/18/2022 2:53:56 PM)

T92 - Northrend Distractions...

There was a feeling that the local Soviet forces were not exactly well manned and mighty, and the local panzerkorp kept as reserve was used offensively instead but alas it has not achieved any strategic result of the sort and probably the local Soviet forces will fiercely counterattack.

Two panzer divisions traded tanks 3:1 with a Soviet armoured corps that activated by reserve as they were pounding hastily the Guard Airborne unit that infantry dislodged previously from its fortified positions.
The Motorized division, bolstered up by many panzer battallions, got stalled on its feet by the Soviets, hindering another plan to come true.

Further north the I A.K. continued its fights in the remote north, with success but the inflicted losses at the Soviets were very lousy if not insignificant.

All is all it was an attempt that quickly converted into what is a strategic defeat within my own turn lapse.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/5C5B37B3208B431EB2FD71F13FBB2B83.jpg[/image]




EwaldvonKleist -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/18/2022 2:54:43 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

Very nice AAR. Regarding the Panzer-Infantry, I am looking forward to the update that allows us to modify "devices" to our choosing. It has been a long wait, but I know Mr. Helpless on this forum works very hard on everything he does! Best wishes to him. Sorry to interrupt. [;)]

There already is an editor where you can change the data of all equipment and campaigns.




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 3:12:16 PM)

T93 - Mud begins to arrive

At the northern front the mud descends and pratically stalls military operations.

Only the 1st AK pounds a single rifle division.

The German 1st AK has pratically the best non elite troops around, with 4 divisions being 77-78 morale and 1 division being 83.

Locally the SS Polizei division turns into a mechanized one.
I am evaluating if to issue it elsewhere as the present terrain do not really favor ... armoured operations here and in general the sector whole seems non relevant in strategic terms.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/2FA4C503936943859DA22A2730CA7CC6.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 3:20:06 PM)

T93 - 3rd Panzer / 9th Army Sector

Here there is a perceived weakness of the Russians and there are velleities to seize the railroad, it may well hinder their supply further north.

Why? Ideally the less the Soviets can push the more I could regiment down divisions and relocate some elsewhere.

But I also keep thinking that and at the same time feel my line extremely vulnerable.
Would a single regiment withstand in a hex against ... let's say 4 infantry corps - my answer is no.

On the other hand the Russians do not seem to have the forces, locally, to mount an offensive. Here and into the 18th Army sector (Previous screenshot).

On the other hand right there, the Soviets may as well hop backward and lose little to nothing too.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/E9400790E5304F63A35E3BD6857EE03F.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 3:26:53 PM)

T93 - South Moscow sector

Here I am definitely packed - with the 4th Panzer, 4th Army, 16th Army and elements of the 2nd Panzer.

Reorder of OOB is needed but I am still on 4 Assault Armies.

The Assault Armies have a single big limit, they do not dig. But pratically I can keep an Army Corp to a non assault army til it dug in to lvl 3 Fort, and then swap it back.

The CCP buildup and other support test rolls come in handy so ... I believe it's just better to keep 4 Assault Army through the game whole at the cost of some juggling around or overloading non Assault Armies.

Moscow sector I tend to keep quite heavily manned as I saw it as a primary venue for a grand assault from the Soviets, they've infinite supply there.
But it seems there Soviet problems right now are not supply related but more so manpower related.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/A8EF8ED62B624E4E8BD728131680C81A.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 3:50:41 PM)

T93 - 2nd Army / 2nd Panzer Sector

Not much to say here, the 2nd Army has a line of regiments keeping a riverline that soon won't be frozen anymore graciously.

And with the backup of the 2nd Panzer Army in general the Soviet onslaught has been stalled in this sector without grand losses.

But snow is still present.


[image]local://upfiles/36315/C671A1C6EAC64B0BA8B21972B88A2091.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 4:08:43 PM)

T93 - Taking a risk

I feel that I may gain if this gamble succeeds.
There is a minor river ahead and may try to establish it as line once again there, at the cost of departing my own fortifications for the turn for a subsequent gain later.

If I get the mud I ought to be safe, I feel - since weather changes at Soviet turn.

But if it remains frozen... I may be well prone and ripe for a slamdown attack from the ponderous and imposing local Soviet forces

[image]local://upfiles/36315/82B1836291F4422EB2946EA7C156900E.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 4:14:10 PM)

T93 - Southern Reaches

Here the Dor River Bend saw a disengaging from the Germans, and the Soviets have not pursued during their turn.
Probably they fear a counterattack if they advance?

The Axis line is pretty much attached together with spittle and paperglue though, where the regular panzer division operating here has on the paper 40-60 panzers, and a good 50% of them are damaged. (Though the Germans have the fluctuating amount of SUs with panzers and the like to shuffle around).

Probably the Russians plan to reorganize rthemselves as well as the mud arrives.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/3E4CE8A799594D8E97FCCDC56F2387F9.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 4:25:07 PM)

T93 - Caucasus

In the Caucasus too the Axis has held the line and positions.

All in all through the '42 to '43 Winter I consider the Axis pretty successful.

Had a small exchange of mails with MSAG and he told me has another game ongoing where the Germans in that game have less territorial gains, have 100k more trucks than I (That is a lot!), and that he feels that the German units in that game are way stronger than my Germans here.

It is definitely a curious insight.

From my perspective the Russians are missing out on a bucket of manpower all across the board, from Leningrad to Rhyazan and Tula and many other locations.

That prevents their army to bloat up massively I feel, since each manpower point is 20 men per turn in '43 if I remember correctly the table. (Besides being 3 HIWIs for me)

[image]local://upfiles/36315/1F92B992871B44D8A4D7036911A3292A.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 4:32:53 PM)

T93 - Production Mismatches?

Easy to detect - somehow the Romanian Tank Division is not getting Light Tanks despite an amount being in the Active Pool.

The Romanian Tank Division has been retreated from activty duty to undergo refit all along other Panzer Divisions.
It just seems that an amount of AFVs in the Romanian inventory / arsenal are of the undesired type and remain lingering there.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/A628328B6A73435798538ED24EA48B99.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/19/2022 4:47:02 PM)

T93 - German Artillery Production

Further issues I can see is in terms of production here - on which I've no control.

From the already exposed Nebelwelfer issue to these 10 massive guns of 240 that would well make use somewhere, if only I could fit them in a unit.
That's about the firepower of a cruiser (more than a light and less than a heavy cruiser) that is being kept parked in the arsenal!

There is a massive problem with the Infantry Guns but at the same time I've an overflow of AT Guns in the order of thousands.

Armour wise anything that is produced is immediately fitted into service with the exception of the Tiger tanks, that by now sit in over two hundred in the arsenal, with nowhere to fit in line units...

I've also 50 PzII Flame that cannot fit anywhere.
There are some Italian sourced Semoventes that are not being fitted in the unit supposed to welcome them in the Balkans either, and that remains at 0 TOE.

This turn also some of the 'Stug Companies' across the board changed TOE to welcome Nashorns or the like ... so I've to hound them across the board now and place them where they can be refitted.

It would have been somehow handy if I could have 'clicked' them via the Logistic Report instead of having to hunt for them!

[image]local://upfiles/36315/45D1D2D10D724C4FB8E117DAD221ED91.jpg[/image]




loki100 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/20/2022 6:46:32 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

...

It would have been somehow handy if I could have 'clicked' them via the Logistic Report instead of having to hunt for them!

....


you can, either search on unit size and SP or on 'company' under unit name




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/20/2022 1:28:34 PM)

T94 - Of 'not filling' units

Here an example of a unit that does not fill up.

This may be a bit extreme though - a clear mismatch.
But in general I find it odd that where there could be potential type of assets, for some reason they're not assigned or allocated.

The game truly need some TOE flexibility and / or to allow Axis to create more units.

Here I've an empty one - and to me this is a case of mismatch as I feel the Italian imported semoventes should get in there.
But then if I'd use that unit (assuming it gets filled) in combat, I'd be short of replacements quickly!

On the other hand with the 200+ Tigers sitting in the arsenal - why cannot just add a few extra Heavy Panzer battallions or integrate Tigers in the Panzer Divisions mundane TOE?

Some added flexibility could be nice to have.

The difference between 'foreign' and 'national' should easily go. Nations are at war, and grab what they can in general.

From a side player control is nice but excess of micro puts people off.


[image]local://upfiles/36315/2E6FA4A99625479F9CAD5E68E5FE3958.jpg[/image]




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/20/2022 1:37:13 PM)

T94 - Morale Drops

The difference between regiments, one of them spent some turns further off from the rail and have not got enough supplies due to the logistic system.

As you can see despite the having won the same amount of fights (and they so did as divisional asset and not regimented down) all of that division was higher up in morale.

Now there is a gap of 5 Morale Points.

Morale here seems to pool an amount of factors though - not just troop morale.

Low supplies bringing more attrition? Sure. A lower CV for the duration of low supply? Granted.
But that troops somehow 'demoralizes' to lose permanently combat capability - that's silly and stupid and non logical.

Because as soon as the unit is back in supply (Now as per the screenshot) their morale has been obliterated anyhow and it's pratically beyond recovery.
It's like the personnel got replaced with less skilled folks, but it was not the case.

Frankly I hope it is a routine-check that goes, the Morale Loss due to being low on supply / fatigued.
Morale loss if isolated? Sure. If losing battles. Sure.

That's how I see it at least.


[image]local://upfiles/36315/9072B8934614461795D73EC4B21F3215.jpg[/image]




Sammy5IsAlive -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/20/2022 1:53:52 PM)

With the Tigers, in June 43 the Heavy Pz battalions go from 20 to 45 Tigers. So that should eat up some of the pool.




EwaldvonKleist -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/20/2022 5:04:27 PM)

quote:

Morale here seems to pool an amount of factors though - not just troop morale.

WitX morale is somewhat poorly named. Since it also acts as the upper bound of experience and experience gravitates towards the morale, it is even more encompassing.

It encompasses:
1) The will to fight (therefore the decline after defeats and if in poor supply or encircled)
2) The average quality of the recruits in terms of physical and mental capabilities (therefore the drop in national morale for Germany late-war when recruitment standards were lowered)
3) The quality of the country's (national morale) or unit's (unit morale) doctrine and higher leadership, since morale also acts as a limit for the experience a unit can gain.

I agree that the current naming is confusing. For more detail, there should be unit morale (and national morale), unit experience (and national experience) and recruit quality (and national recruit quality). Currently, recruit quality, national experience and national morale are all part of national morale, while unit recruit quality and unit morale are part of unit morale.




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/22/2022 1:07:38 PM)

T96 - North Afrika management

This business would be widely different in a 'War in Europe' - as a gradual evacuation is to happen.

Here to boost up the % I've issued first a large batch of Italian infanteries of the variegated sort and whisked out an amount of other assets the hug the 90% limit.

Events are taking place 1 month earlier than schedule, as I've got an amount of 'defeats' here and there, but despite having had for the whole '42 a 120% ground percent, never a single ground victory to delay the event chain.

I expect the end of the theather to be imminent here - and on that note I do not know what is to happen to the Italian units in Italy for whenever Italy is to surrender.
Thus I will have a good investing of APs in disbanding any truck relevant Italian asset since trucks conflux in a generic truck pool for the Axis whole.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/821C1F77A1B5427E8A254AFDF0ED740D.jpg[/image]




Jango32 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/22/2022 1:33:32 PM)

I think you should move out the German units from North Africa around the time you expect it's going to fall so they aren't lost in the surrender.




AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (1/24/2022 2:49:51 PM)

T97 - Afrikan Disaster

As predicted the North Afrika TB collapsed.

Here I feel first of all there is a big problem. The collapse immediately triggers the Italian Campaign chain, and ups to a massive amount the ground requirements.

That MUST get changed as per there should be some turns of grace to sort the Italian TB requirement.
It is not a slim requirement change, and at least in my situation it means not even 5 Panzer Divisions will fill the gap. (nor the few Italian motorized division disbanded would).

It instantly brought forward Italian campaign events; as the Italian garrison dropped from 130% to 40% pretty much on the spot!

The solution is simple - when the North Afrika TB collapses and it's closed up, the 'What's Up Next?' triggers a new event in 3-4 turns, something that signals Allies may invade on after having well established their logistic network in Tunisia and all.

So that the Axis player has some time to organize and match the new TB requirements.
Because certainly it's not that the Allies just won in Tunisia and the week after they're ready to embark and invade mainland EU.

In general I feel all the 'TB changes' in requirements should be potentially announced in-game via a warning event. We've some notional events about this or that thing that are not really relevant at all but curiosities but we miss out on useful goodies.

Then we've problem nr.2 - which is objective.

Not all destroyed units reform.

That to me is worrysome as I could have lost a Panzer Division or the Herman Goering Elite division even, and not have it reform?

Here in the screenshot the fact some stuff is simply amiss while other units do reform with their 0 TOE.

The 999th Motorized Division is well gone (I think that one would have remained... while the motorized division that disbands at T116 has been rescued), and does not reform.
The Centauro division of Italy reforms.
The 5th Panzer Army is gone for good it seems. I am quite sure that large formation is present widely and broadly in the Western sector later on in the war but here it has been smoked and unless there is some renaming to come that I am missing, that unit is not returning on the map.
I've shown 2 more samples - returning werfers and the non returning flak regiment.

I've not checked unit by unit there but it is potentially quite frustrating.

One thing I can assume is that if a unit was booked for 'disbanding' later one does not reform - but I am far from sure here.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/F4EF922516CF44D9AF2A451F6F849428.jpg[/image]




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