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

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AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/12/2021 8:26:46 PM)

T61 - Caucasus Operations

Krasnodar falls finally! (Admittedly it was the first attack, but being isolated the troops within deteriorated quickly in combat capability).

We're trying to close the nose around Novosibirsk.

Tuapse defenders repelled a first attack but the second managed. I do not really plan to follow the coastline there, as I think I can be easily stalled. But I believe that was the closemost depots the Soviets had there, and the next in line is at Sochi. The mountain divisions in the mountains ... may struggle to get supplies? I am not sure.

Nonetheless here I bagged the points for Krasnodar, which is what matters. To get the High Watermark up!

I'll try to get a railroad down to Maikop and see if I can squeeze some oil out of it before the Soviet mighty will become dominating and force me to retreat from the sector.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/BB3B80C5291B457E938DDC7B2D0CD91D.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/12/2021 9:11:05 PM)

T61 - Northern Pointe

The tip of the spear at Leningrad is massively entrenched and strong so ... one tries at the root of the spear now.

Mobile elements of the 4th Panzer Army (Manstein corp) and of the 3rd Panzer Army (Von Lemensen corp, they were of the 2nd Panzer Army, previously refitting in Smolensk but command ranges mandated a switch around and reshuffle) spearheaded to the north, there is still that single track railroad that I may try to sever and cut. There is a handful of hexes keeping me from them.

There were Soviet forces in the way but they were brushed off - low strength divisions for the most. Still more than enough to dot with delay points my advance.

Railroad is coming in as well to fuel this advance as Leningrad pratically is the last strategic objective I can sensibly reach - ruling out the minor one of Tambov.

Soviet forces lurk to the east, and panzers already clased with a tank corp, routing it after a first stalemate.

Air supply will come in the best form I can provide there to fuel the advance. As it will fly on my own hexes it will not get intercepted pretty much. -- I've noticed though Air Supply gets intercepted IF done closeby the sea. I've lost a bucket of Me323/Go244 in the Caucasus coastline of the Sea of Azov one turn.

Mobile forces except minor reserves are stripped from the front of Moscow - a stalled front right now where infantries are digging in (They've been swapped out of an Assault Army as the 3rd Panzerarmee in truth had only few panzers and mostly infanteries.

And yes I retained all 4 Assault Armies. I deem favorable - for now at least- to empty them on demand and take the overload penalty for other armies. There will always be some more quiet sector - at least in '41 or so - that suggests you keep stuff in assault mode and that can afford a wee bit of diluted overload.

Nonetheless Air Recon revealed an ominous mass of Soviet forces to the east. I do not know if they're offensive formations that were in a build up phase or defensive assets aimed to protect the region.

The presence of at least another, integer tank corps has me worry for my armoured flank.

EDIT: There was a thing here that now is no more because I was wrong! Hence the few next replies.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/CA6E1C843FAA445B90EF8033153280C3.jpg[/image]



Jango32 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/12/2021 9:14:36 PM)

Overloaded army group HQs do not disable assault army bonuses. It's just the corps HQs and army HQ that mustn't be overloaded.



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/12/2021 9:26:53 PM)

Are you sure? I mean it is well possible that you are right too but by how I read the manual it is any HQ of the command chain - and I assume by default the command chain is OKH - AG - Army - Corps - Division. A specification of 'subordinate command chain' in the manual would do ace then!



Stamb -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/12/2021 9:39:41 PM)

Check out this answer:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/fb.asp?m=5112357
Loki is never wrong (probably ;)



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/12/2021 9:42:36 PM)

Ah - will edit the misleading tip off then.



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/12/2021 10:33:17 PM)

T61 - Leningrad Tango

I admit here I asked for a consul to HYLA on a suggestion on what to do.

The wall to the east seems impregnable and so seems Leningrad. Ultimately I gained Shlissenburg - but it took me 3 attacks (the other 2 'combats' are air recon).

It is clear that these troops have not resented at all of 2 turns in which the port was isolated and they just lived on air supply drops. I assume Leningrad has a stock of freight to last I do not know how long.

The amount of punishment these Soviets took is immense, to be dislodged from their positions.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/CD0A30904CA948D7A69A634DD32BC287.jpg[/image]



Beethoven1 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 12:21:21 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T61 - Leningrad Air Tactics?

I tried something different which produced better air to air results (still sub optimal I think) but definitely failed at delivering the needed interdiction level. (Needed between brackets since the air supply business keeps Leningrad afloat from isolation).

[image]local://upfiles/36315/0BF857A7369A4A02A999F457D452D521.jpg[/image]


If you are not interdicting Leningrad successfully, then you are doing something wrong with your air setup.

In my StB game, germany is getting up to level 6 or 7 naval interdiction over Lake Ladoga. There is simply no possible way for Soviets to counter the naval interdiction levels Germany can get when they are that high:

[image]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/881243030416425031/919936078239117342/unknown.png[/image]

Whereas in your screenshot, you are getting only 3 or 4. I also have way more airfields and more supply than MSAG will have, due to having more rail lines, but that is still not enough to counter Axis naval interdiction, if you do it properly. Try setting your missions with larger #s of planes set to fly, e.g. 200 planes, and with escorts. Also fly air superiority missions over Lake Ladoga. Or maybe you didn't change the loadout of your planes to drop mines for interdition?

As far as the losses go, is it sustainable for Germany to fly interdiction to this extent over Lake Ladoga? Absolutely. In my game, as a result of this, the size of the VVS has been plummeting. Not a single Soviet plane is being used anywhere or for any other purpose than over Lake Ladoga. Meanwhile, the total number of Axis planes remains steady. He is also flying in blizzard and taking extra operational losses due to that, whereas you are flying in good summer weather, so it should be easier for you:

[image]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/881243030416425031/919936241913450526/unknown.png[/image]

My number of planes did go up just this last turn, but the only reason for that is that I am literally out of useable planes at the national morale level. I had to send planes back to reserve because the alternative would be to fly planes with 30 experience, otherwise my number of planes would still be going down.

From the Commanders report, as Soviets I have only 1,215 fighters left which are in either the reserve or on the map (292 on the map, and 923 in reserve). Of those 1,215, only 528 of them have experience of 45 or higher (at or above national air morale level).

[image]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/881243030416425031/919940138484781056/unknown.png[/image]

The previous turn, only 329 had experience of 45+. My number of trained fighters went up only because I had to send them to reserve to train (meaning they could not perform missions over Lake Ladoga).

[image]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/881243030416425031/918302158632386631/unknown.png[/image]

So the Soviet fighter force has been, for all intents and purposes, totally wiped out after like 2 months of escorting over Lake Ladoga. You should be able to achieve similar results.

If you are not getting these results, then you are just doing something wrong, because you are in a better situation than Germany is in the StB scenario in numerous ways.

As far as the supply goes, you are overestimating how much transport planes can do. The Soviet troops in Leningrad will need several thousand freight per week, but air transport can provide much less than that. In the StB scenario, Soviets start off with pretty large stockpiles of freight in the Leningrad depots, but in my game mine are run down after 10-15 turns of successful German interdiction missions. Moreover, any freight delivered with the transport planes is going to be directly taking away from all those troops which are supplied on a long front in the wilderness with only a single track rail line.



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 12:32:07 PM)

@Beethoven
For 2 turns I had the needed interdiction numbers (a +2 difference) and Leningrad was not isolated. Why? Because air supply.

For Voronhez that had no ports I had to storm a 200 cv place because air supply prevent isolation IF 500 freight is shipped in. It is in the manual as airhead supply.

So no I am not doing things 'wrong'. That is how things are. I can test things around because atm sea interdiction is non relevant.

That is due to how air supply is coded in relation to interception and totally disregarding air sup. Missions.



Stamb -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 1:01:17 PM)

There is no interception even when you set air superiority to fly each day?



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 2:01:19 PM)

There is no interception.
AS Air Directive does not affect Air Supply.

I had Voronhez covered by 120 fighters daily in both my and enemy phase. But it's an issue of the code - it has been clarified already that AS happens in the 'day by day routines' and 'air supply' is in the ground phase ... and the two do not interact well.

I believe that will be addressed in the coming 'Air Patch' - hopefully among other things as a more qualitative and less quantitative bombing engine, etc.

In the end what lowered Voronhez CV some was a streak of Ground-Attack-Unit that tired some the units guarding it, and I assume the air supply received whilst more than enough to not have the Isolated status, it slowly tired them some. But not by a grand amount.

I had to use a whole army (25-30ish Command Value as per 12-15ish divisions), plus lots of Pionere (Engineers) and the Siege Guns to seize it. And still lost 6k+ soldiers just of straightforward destroyed units; not to mention the 'damaged ones' that went destroyed later!



Stamb -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 2:06:01 PM)

I would put game on pause if there is no way to intercept air supplies. Its game breaking in case of a pockets.



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 2:14:43 PM)

T62 Opening - Soviet Counterattack

Despite the supposedly 'good situation' for the Axis, the Soviets counterattack in force in another sector.

Right now the Soviets at 4.5 M troops had the combat power to aggress at Tambov, in front of Stalingrad and here as well.

And the Russian CV numbers are not insignificant. I am amazed at the sheer amount of might and guard corps that are all around the place.

There are at least 18 around, just of Infantry ones.

With the plethora of disposable brigades and divisions the Soviets can easily pin the Germans as well.

Someone may say I should regiment down things, but the Russians shoved around already some whole infanrty divisions to open their hole. So they'd have pushed and shoved away also regiments.

Honestly I was not expecting the Soviets to have such force still at hand...

[image]local://upfiles/36315/F9D3B02C8E7544259B13013FC71442B4.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 2:25:20 PM)

T62 - Don River Bend: Soviet retreat

The Russians here retreated in good order.

Their offensive was foiled - but I am not able to truly counterattack or push further.

I feel this is a '43 situation pretty much that takes place in '42, a year in advance. German offensives are in general stalled (except the one for Novisibirks) or simply countered and neutered and for now the same is for Soviet offensives (as Germans did post Kursk for a while).

I do not believe to stall the game to wait for another patch is healthy - it can be practice in the end of the day.
But I know as hell I am not starting a new game as Germans with the current patch. Said that here and in the Hex-Discord (where the opponent I should have played as Soviet had exactly the same thought, he bailed out already as he changed mind deeming Germans non playable - but that is for the ground business, not for the air war, for both of us).

Here, at the Don sector the best hopes for Germans are to ... hammer these weak divisions and inflict some casualties for 'free' supposedly.
But many German divisions are at 3-4-5 CV there, and at the end of their logistic lines.

The Soviet have troops fresh at 9 CV, Rifle Divisions that just sit there... in open plains. I assume it is inflated with SU units ... but still ... the G.D. division has 8 CV right now... after whatever they received in the logistic phase. (That 8-21 MOT is the GD that attacked the previous turn). Now these are extremes but a good bunch of Soviet divisions are 6 strong!

This to give idea of how the Germans have to operate in this game.


[image]local://upfiles/36315/CDCCADA0CF0A458D939B9AEF45D303EB.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 3:25:07 PM)

T62 - Of ulterior bad news and realizations

Ships somehow do not work in the Baltic anymore. I cannot understand why...

As you can see here ... the supposer port shipped via rail freight and not via ship (You can differ it from the small letter at the side of the freight, it'd be an 's' if the method of voyage is naval shipping).

And somehow now my army is receiving less freight than Winter '41... something must be wrong and I suspect to know the reason.

I had many Priority 4 depots for the Winter upfront, lines now surpassed.
As I already explained the moment I lower priority 4, that Freight goes in all the wrong way.

BUT at the same time these depots being ... Priority 4, demands freight from NSS pretty much still. So there is a huge freight dispersal in rear depots far from the frontlines.

It took me some time to analyze the pattern.

Also - I do not really feel a difference from '41 freight shipping; I am certain that the NSS pump out roughly the same amount as '41. Perhaps it can get a bit further ... but that's it.



[image]local://upfiles/36315/E18467E45E554ABDAF9F1CC97FB627FE.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 3:44:52 PM)

T62 - Leningrad Air Battle

The Luftwaffe intedicts again in adequate amount to produce isolation (before Air Supply flies in).

This time the 'green labels' at the corner of the units are relative to Fatigue. Russian troops here are everywhere well fresh and rested, despite the single track bringing them supplies and Leningrad having a small trickle of supplies I assume too.

It seems clear enough their situation is not that tenuous as being for a few turns on a single rail with that amount of mouths to feed and whatever else is required.



[image]local://upfiles/36315/7DBD857CB0AB4AFFAF89A9CEA3E24EC0.jpg[/image]



Beethoven1 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 4:00:28 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

@Beethoven
For 2 turns I had the needed interdiction numbers (a +2 difference) and Leningrad was not isolated. Why? Because air supply.


That is not correct, Leningrad can still be isolated regardless of air supply (as it has been in my game for many turns in a row). The only thing that air supply accomplishes is that it removes the effects on land combat of being isolated. So if you attacked them in Leningrad while they were receiving 500+ air supply, they would not have the normal penalties of isolation.

Also make sure you are running your interdiction missions in both the enemy phase and in your own phase, that might be another thing you are messing up somehow. If you are doing it properly and with enough planes, there is 0 reason why Leningrad will not be isolated in this situation and receiving 0 supply from ports.

quote:

For Voronhez that had no ports I had to storm a 200 cv place because air supply prevent isolation IF 500 freight is shipped in. It is in the manual as airhead supply.

So no I am not doing things 'wrong'. That is how things are. I can test things around because atm sea interdiction is non relevant.

That is due to how air supply is coded in relation to interception and totally disregarding air sup. Missions.


The relevance of interdiction is that it prevents supply from coming in through the port of Osinovets. With 0 supply coming from that, you will eventually take Leningrad regardless of air supply, because they will run out of supply in Leningrad. If you are not getting the +2 interdiction and Leningrad is not isolated, then probably it is some problem with your settings for your interdiction. If you post screenshots of the settings you are using for interdiction, we might be able to spot what you are doing wrong.



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 4:14:28 PM)

T62 - 'Berlin, we've a problem'

Admittedly we have a problem and we gave a problem.

I took the risk since Air Supply presently is ... what it is. The northmost 3 panzer divisions proceeded relentless toward the railroad and factually severed it for now. With air supply I believe MSAG now needs to redirect some serious assets to dislodge me from City territory.

On the other hand I've an amount of mobile forces at risk of annihilation againts overhwleming Russian forces in the sector.
It is time to bring there more troops - somehow and from somewhere. But the problem is the same, logistics for Axis.

Russians can still put things out of their reserves at some short distance and we're fighting not afar from Moscow.
Germans have to rail things all the way there.

In the while at Tambov I move onward as well - as I assume MSAG diverted assets from there for this front. If he still has CAV / Guards units there too ...

And this is a game vs a 4.5 M Soviet army. Figure out others that get to play vs 6 or 7 Million men Soviet armies in '42.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/04721284C891492BB202B43C81B9EAB3.jpg[/image]



loki100 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 4:18:06 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T62 - Of ulterior bad news and realizations

Ships somehow do not work in the Baltic anymore. I cannot understand why...

..

And somehow now my army is receiving less freight than Winter '41... something must be wrong and I suspect to know the reason.

I had many Priority 4 depots for the Winter upfront, lines now surpassed.
As I already explained the moment I lower priority 4, that Freight goes in all the wrong way.

BUT at the same time these depots being ... Priority 4, demands freight from NSS pretty much still. So there is a huge freight dispersal in rear depots far from the frontlines.

It took me some time to analyze the pattern.

Also - I do not really feel a difference from '41 freight shipping; I am certain that the NSS pump out roughly the same amount as '41. Perhaps it can get a bit further ... but that's it.
...


Number of errors/misinterpretation in this post so some comments

a) shipping is a minor part of the system, you often have 8-10 'ships' & that is an abstract representation of capacity. So most often the system uses rail as its far more efficient

b) I've never had freight from a pri #4 depot dropped to say #2 'go the wrong way', I get it consistently to go closer to the front lines

c) NSS capacity to send out stuff is capped, at the very most its all the railyards within 30 hexes of the NSS. So up to April there is a drop off due to the early game malus. But every time you move a unit that arrives near say Berlin, well that is some of the cap used. Also how much freight used per unit of rail cap varies with congestion

quote:

ORIGINAL: AlbertN

T62 - Leningrad Air Battle

...

This time the 'green labels' at the corner of the units are relative to Fatigue. Russian troops here are everywhere well fresh and rested, despite the single track bringing them supplies and Leningrad having a small trickle of supplies I assume too.

It seems clear enough their situation is not that tenuous as being for a few turns on a single rail with that amount of mouths to feed and whatever else is required.
...

clearing fatigue has very little to do with their supply state, its essentially driven by unused movement capacity, ZoC placement and some note taken of supply



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 4:36:30 PM)

@Beethoven

The problem is really not how Interdiction works. For I've taken in previous patches Cities via naval interdiction.
Things changed now.
What I am telling you is that IF Air Supply comes in, the 'Isolation bit' does not work to attrition down the enemy CV. Or at least not that I can see it.

I am running the Interdiction on both phases. And in this case I've tinkered the numbers to interdict enough and do not lose excess in operational losses or enemy fighter action. - Plus it helps Shlissenburg is not an enemy AA fortress!

I am taking my own risk with the panzer pointe because I know I can keep them up and alive with the Air Supply.

@Loki

The screenshot below:
This is a typical example of Depot@4 dropped down.

All I needed it was that this Freight from Talinn was to go ... east toward Leningrad.
Not to Orel!

And then from Berlin is issued toward Leningrad.

Closer to the frontline? Yes. Just taking the touristic, highly inefficient detour.
There is a distinct need here of a simply check - that non NSS depots ought to push their freight to the closer, higher priority depot. I do not think it's very hard to code something like that.

Also ships may be a minor part of the system BUT they're part of the system.
Right now there are problems building ships, how oft they sink, etc - but it seems the shipping port-to-port is happening via rail.

So the cases are 2:

A) There is a bug and ships do not work properly.
B) It's a graphic glitch and the R is there instead of the S.

But that is for the Devs to verify. As there should be a minimum of 5 cargo ships afloat each turn.

Edit: Screenshot is from previous turn, I posted it in the other thread already about manual directions for depots.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/F2A8216BF09C4900850F09151608C4A8.jpg[/image]



loki100 -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/13/2021 4:53:14 PM)

you have far too many level 4 depots - thats not helping. Those no where near the front just build up their stocks and want no more - and can't disperse what they have.

to best trigger the shipping routine you need a pri 1 depot in a port (send) near Berlin. Stettin is a great choice. You then need a pri 2 depot in a port set to receive. Sending ports are allocated freight first.

Beethoven is right, the Soviets will be running out of supply around Leningrad but it will take time. In an AI game I had the region isolated and it took something like 5-6 months to suddenly collapse



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 6:02:46 PM)

T63 - Leningrad Tango

This time I should have isolated Leningrad BUT for reasons alien to me during the enemy air phase no single Luftwaffe bomber took off.
I cannot understand that either, since the 'flag' is rather easy. On Naval Patrol AD you can decide if to fly during the Friendly, Enemy or Both air phase.
First time it happened, that not a single bomber of the hundreds deployed there has not taken off. Nonetheless, during -my- air phase they bomb nice and smooth.

The Soviets performed air supply elsewhere and by the looks they're shifting Eastward their heavy corps and replaced them with thinner divisions at the edge here.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/611C39FD23D74D6DB9D79C11B10F9532.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 6:10:32 PM)

T63 - Cauldron of War

The most recent bloody theather of operations, nicknamed by German soldiers 'The cauldron of war'.

The spot sports the wider range of units used - from regimented Jaeger divisions to elite SS motorized divisions and over 50% of the Panzer assets on the Ostfront; facing cream elements of the Soviet Army as well as 'ghost units' of cavalry divisions and infantry brigades!

The Soviets elected to air supply Kadui in the north, west of Chevropets. Using what I assume is the entirety of their Li-2 Flottilla.

I expect the Soviets to have brought more forces in the sector and despite it being the Summer '42 still, I feel the Soviets are in general 'stronger' than the Germans even if unable to launch grand scale offensives. Given at the same time there are pratically a full army and half sieging Leningrad with virtually no meaningful progress since the latest patch.

Germans issued reinforcements as well obviously to throw in the Cauldron of War. But I've a gut feeling that in the end of the ... few weeks we'll battle here, it will be the German army to be the one mauled and battered after having spent its best assets.



[image]local://upfiles/36315/460DFDD9A12B4E7CBB321D3063C6D27E.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 6:19:55 PM)

T63 - Don River Bend

The Russians retreated to protect Stalingrad.

They've no need to fight there, at all. Time is to their favor, and the Germans are simply unable to harm them properly due to strained logistics.

The amount of freight arriving to the frontlines is just abysmal for the needs. Russians replace and resupply way faster than the Germans. If earlier there was the perception of 'German army is superior' at previous patch right now it seems the Russians are pretty much as good as the Germans.

If shoddy Soviet divisions is worth 5 CV on the map by being pretty much full ToE and rested but without CCP and goes up to 9 when loaded with that, German divisions are at 11 CV when somehow at 80% ToE and somehow rested, but in general they range from 4-6 CV as they're never fully rested, having a good ToE %, and CCP loaded unless they're static (As per they do not move, they do not fight, they just hold a line without even shooting defensively being left unmolested).

The experience from the last few turns here is what writes in capital letters to me that the Soviets will win the 'Cauldron of War' battle. It's a matter of turns. I do not believe in general Russians should be even remotely able to have a battle of mobility and armwrestling over open fields or so with Germans during Summer '42 but here they can.



[image]local://upfiles/36315/3024C564DBA14FB493563BA96AE9B3AA.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 6:25:58 PM)

T63 - Caucasus

The only sector where pratically the Axis forces are not receiving threats or backlashes - for now at least - is the Caucasus.

Here I believe the Italians can be entrusted to safekeep the southern perimeter with some Romanians once in the mountains, and a meager presence of Germans to back them up just in case.

I somehow believe the Russian armour and cavalry and other strong assets are all operating in the north.
Last I need is a Russian offensive in this sector.

My question is if to bring the mobile elements of the 1st PzGruppe north or proceed Eastward to other oil rigs or so.

Alas I keep having a history tinged vision where oil is needed, and where supposedly more resources should allow me to produce more stuff and have more panzers, planes, and whatnot. Anyhow I am just speculating, I doubt Germans will be able to go much east. Maybe Grozny? But that seems more wishful thinking than else.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/21E11C96CADD4910A985759EFB408092.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 6:45:40 PM)

T63 - Caucasus continued

Since it was the easier bit - I did the Caucasus first (after moving the FBDs).

I thought to seize Novorossiysk as there was only 1 division in it - and that was managed by 3 Romanian divisions and 1 German motorized.

Much to my surprise the defenders surrendered. Even if not depicted as Isolated by the system.

I assume the having got the supply cut in their own turn previously hammered their resilience? The whole 'pocket' surrendered. Nothing much though - 5 divisions, and 4 of them at greatly reduced strength.

I may also have spoke too early about Soviet offensives. The Russians did some air recon even in depth there. BUT I believe that now that this pocket has been liquidated and that I've decent port supply, with the mobile elements of the 1st PanzerKorp free to maneuver back north ... well unless there are significant Soviet forces, this is not a place where I'd invest, as Russian at least, right now.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/8C9138265B22466AB9FA03CC7C38ED62.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 7:08:00 PM)

T63 - Leningrad Tango continued

Earlier you saw the 'start of the turn'.

Now the 'progress'. Leningrad zone is the other easy sector pretty much since ... it's trench war. But as the eastern Soviet line weakened I turned my attention there, making sensible progress for 'trench war turn'.

The 28th Corps divisions pushed via Deliberate Assaults the 'weaker' Russian defenders. Losses are not that good at all anymore, a 4:1 ratio or so which I am not sure if favors Germans frankly; but locally they should not be able to gain reinforcements (nor I truly til these airfields or the rail are fixed).

The 18th Army and elements of infantry of the 4th Panzergruppe pushed and reached the outskirts of Volkhov (which I cannot enter), the local airbases got evacuated as news of advancing panzers reached the airbase.



[image]local://upfiles/36315/C5FD30635C504018857DAEFC95AF34FD.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 7:57:35 PM)

T63 - 'Cauldron of War' Continued

The armwrestled continue with losses on both ends.

Germany started to use on the field the 'Replacement Panzer Battallions'. Which I've no plans to merge into units.
Simply you've no reason to 'merge' into an unit.
The SUs as they're now (for both sides) can be attached and detatched on the fly.

I can use one here now and the next turn send it to another army even in Caucasus if needs to be.

And since Germans cannot just create new 'Tank Brigades' they've to make do with them. I have seen their TOE is capped to a '42 type, so I am not sure IF in a remote future they'll fill in with Panthers or so... but for now they can just give sudden 'OOMPH' to a Panzer division, or as it was one case to the 78th Infantry Sturm Division.

Goering here is playing the Mister Luftwaffe Supplier, since it seems it is the thing the Luftwaffe does best. The 4 airbases in the 'Cauldron' got served 3000~ Freight alltogether via air. And the Luftwaffe still has lift capacity for Leningrad and Caucasus right now!

Not that urban cities here will be impregnable, but they will require sensible enough amount of brute force. So while I feel the fight is being consumed to the south, the -real- target for MSAG should be the rail.

I even had the chance to slip away with the 3 units in the 'Clear' airfield in the middle, as the outter forces made a hole BUT ... decided not to. I can air supply and they can be a thorn in the side of the Soviet troops trying to advance with a mighty ZoC there.

Now - with that assured - I am benefitting as much here of Air Transport as Leningrad so did, but this whole operation was a 'get around' to the ways of Leningrad!

Most confident the Air Supply business will be sorted once and for good through the iterations of Beta-Test Patches for the Air War Patch to come.


[image]local://upfiles/36315/E3AFA32C351C40A6BE72053C012F434B.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 8:14:11 PM)

T63 - Surprise Rhyzan ?

HYLA taught me how to do 'ground recon' - something I admit I'd not have got there by myself if not with a lot of more playing and experience.

Split your German division in regiments and use 1 regiment to explore. And I discovered what the air recon failed to notice. A ... Rhyzan with only 1 Fortified Zone!

I felt I had to pounce on it, if it is a trap I do not know. Two motorized divisions were spotted too. It was decided to pounce on them first but ... the victory there was quite phyrric. The only positive notion is that they ought to have 16 MP less the previous turn, but losses wise we pretty much traded them except AFV. But as I never seized Stalingrad, the Russians will have even more AFV than the usual in other games.

For the City ... well a measly fortified region now, with some brigades SU attached - took 3 assaults to be vanquished, and the third one was by the reserve Infantry corp in the area that was fresh and rested and CCP loaded...

This leaves the sector with a very barebone reserve of two 'glorified' Panzer divisions (as per they're motorized with a handful of panzers...) in case of **** happens. Though the 2nd Army just south of there is rested and decently operational to extend itself north in case of a Soviet pointe.

[image]local://upfiles/36315/464A52F1B45F4553AFFDC36AC0F7BF91.jpg[/image]



AlbertN -> RE: A tale from '42 - AlbertN vs MSAG (12/14/2021 9:10:31 PM)

T63 - Don River Bend

After operations.

The logistics are just prohibitive. I do not believe offensive operations can be launched there - against a player at least.

The Soviet offensive got stalled but MSAG has not been trashed or so!
2 divisions got surrounded but he has strong assets closeby that can mount a relief effort to save the 2 divisions.
The question for the rich Soviets is always if it is worth the candle to try to save 2 Rifle Divisions at the cost of potentially risking their own assets.

I've now some reserve movements, a general look at the frontline in case I missed something blatant and some administrative stuff (sort depot priorities and the like).

I am not a grand micromanager and I play a lot by impulse and pulse! (But I believe MSAG does the same, as we squeeze roughly 1 turn a day).

[image]local://upfiles/36315/FD9354CF54DE40F39AC91651F8DA8CE0.jpg[/image]



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