And another big slugging fest. I will have to rotate 3rd Panzer off the line next turn to recover, they are showing the strain and I can let the infantry carry the load now.
Here we have a foot hold across the river. Infantry crossed the river and will start whipping tail next turn to clear the way. I expect a serious carpet to appear. But 2nd Panzer is rested and almost full load of supplies, ammo and fuel. If I can make some progress, will have to decide whether to go north or south with them.
Rail heads finally close the distance in the north and in the Center zones. Down south, it is a completely different story. I have a very strong beach head because he pulled back from the river. But rail is not even to the river yet.
Here we have Northern Zone 1
I shifted a Panzer Corp up to the coast because recon showed nothing there, once they got there, he carpeted the entire area. But that is okay, and not very important to me. Once I have taken Talinan and the island, That Panzer Corps goes into rest and refit anyway.
Here we are enlarging the Pskov area slowly. 2nd Army arrives on the scene. His front in the southern part of this zone is not nearly as strong. These are all post recon shots. I sent a Panzer Corp up here a couple turns ago because recon showed a weakness and the Central front was a carpet. Panzer Corps will not make great headway against a carpet that takes deliberate attacks to over come.
Here we see the massed carpet all along the river. No big deal to me though. Moscow was never a target anyway. Unless he gave it to me. He is deep enough that there is no way infantry can blast a hole for armor to slip thru. So lack of armor here is not a huge concern to me.
Here 2nd Panzer Army is fully across the river. Now to enlarge the beach head and allow my infantry to cross over for the slog forward. I am still undecided on if I should send 2nd north or move them south into tank country.
Here we see the massed pull back he has done. Not allot of troops in front of me. I think 6th Army will cross over and move north and east to link with AGC. I will pocket what I can, but will not be much. Not much down here anyway.
Here we have all of 1st Panzer across the river. 17th Army finally starts to arrive on the scene. Rail is way behind, this is the problem with the Lvov pocket, it sets you behind schedule with rail repair 1-2 turns. I still have a 2nd Panzer Army Corps down here, they will slowly start to shift back towards the north side to help 6th Army link up with AGC.
He does not have the troops down here to stop me, slow me some, but not stop me. Not once my infantry comes fully on the line and can take over the front. Fuel and supply low across all 1st Panzer Army units. Once 17th crosses the river and takes the front, 1st Panzer comes off the line to rest a turn or 2.
Overall, I expect a bunch of people are wondering what the heck is going on. So I will now say what my overall goal is.
Leningrad was never a true target, I have to hold his attention, so have to make a decent effort to advance.
Moscow was never a target either. That is one reason why I will shift armor away from the Center area.
My primary goal has been the south. I am going to spring forward and capture as many major cities as I can. Manpower and disrupt his resource flow. Serious thought is being given to shifting 2nd Panzer Army to the southern front to help out. If I thought I could make it, I would go for the oil, but rail is way too far behind for that. But hopefully, I can have a bunch of cities and 2+ population towns to winter in down here.
I am also torn though, I keep thinking about bringing 1st Panzer to the north side and come at Moscow from the south since very few forces face my southern forces. That would bypass his carpet defense he has laid in front of AGC.
I ask that everyone be careful in posts to the other AAR when asking questions etc. I usually do not reveal my overall plan due to the ease of a slip or question asked the wrong way.
Well, it essentially matches Hitler's strategy, which is not meant to be an insult. Hitler was more often correct than his generals well into 1942. After that, one would be better to deviate from Hitler's strategy. The Germans can't win the war without oil and other resources - nor can anyone else. The south of Russia is where these are, therefore the south is where the war will be won. lost or drawn (though a draw is nominally an Axis victory). The Russians won't surrender if Moscow falls and the Germans will never hold it once the blizzards hit. Therefore a Moscow strategy is critically flawed and almost certainly doomed. Leningrad, on the other hand has some major upsides if taken, not lease the Finns bearing the brunt of the first winter's fighting up north. But a southern strategy is very viable and will be watched with interest.
Are you using 2 RR units on one line in the south? Otherwise supply will be a very huge issue there I think.
Personally I am a friend of a large southern focus, too, and while I agree about neglecting Moscow I would still throw everything at Leningrad since I think a winter without the Finns will be pure hell.
Posts: 344
Joined: 2/13/2011 From: Australia Status: offline
I like the daring of it -- it's like 'get to Stalingrad before winter!' :)
I would definitely agree that you want to shift more armour down south - two Pz groups will give you great C&C; I'd add a third rail unit too - the one from AGN has probably done its job now and can get your supply lines working faster, especially if Odessa is going to take a while to fall.
He might have abandoned the Crimea but one option could be to try and isolate it from the east... if you can get good infantry (the mountain units probably) down over the Don south of Rostov you could be able to take advantage of the better weather down there towards the end of the year.
If you can create a large enough bulge to the east... even as far as Boguchar? it might buy you space to then use the panzers from south to north in 1942....
I am a northern front fan myself so will be fascinated to see how far you get.
Can you hold such long frontline? Can you crash his AGC-Defence Is he strong enoug for counterattacks? I ask, cause if he is weak in the south, he should have the troops at other places. Can you hold in winter a front in the northern sector?
Right there with you. A push to the south might just give you many encirclements with all that tank country offered. This will be a great experiment in using armour. Remember you are the scientist, mad maybe, but still the scientist.
2nd Panzer Army swings north to open it up for my infantry to cross the river. Either he will pull back off the river or I will roll him up with my infantry. 2nd Panzer can still swing south within the next 2 turns or so. They had a nice little break and are the strongest I got.
Yep, there is not much of strength in the south. I firmly believe all the "real" units are up in North and Central area's.
He is defending Leningrad and Moscow heavily just like he did in his last game. I just need Fuel big time in the south but cannot really halt to wait and give him time to dig. But now that 17th and 6th are mainly across the river, they can take up the main fighting and I can rest 1st Panzer Army for a turn or 2
I am still debating on whether to head due east or keep heading north. But I am 90% sure that I am going to head due east with 1st Panzer Army, head the 2nd Panzer Corps back home and keep 6th Army angling towards a link up.
Now that 2nd Panzer has created a beach head with some elbow room, they will angle towards the SE and see if I can pinch that Russian group between Gomel and Kiev.
I think he weakened his Pskov front too much to guard the coast and it allowed me some elbow room, not much, but some. 1 Panzer Div has been shifted back to Pskov. Next turn the infantry Corp on the coast will occupy the entire front and the entire Panzer Corps will swing back to Pskov area. They were both a diversion and an attack force. If he was weak, they would have made progress, but since suddenly a horde showed up, they head back to the south.
Rail has reached Pskov area in the north and the Dnepr in the center. But the South is still struggling to catch up. That is hurting me. But I feel the need to rest 1st Panzer a full turn and hit the HQ buildup next turn. That should give me a good boost to blast his front open down south and really gain some ground. I worry about my northern flank though. It will get really long quick.
Nope, he has forts in the north and central that I am pounding thru, but not down south. I have a bad habit of turning it off when I do my rail repairs. I will grab some fort shots if I get a turn today.
3rd Rail will not help me. Since they can only repair 5 hexes or so from a green rail head. Only in the north can you repair more than 5 hexes because you pay RRC1.
Printable Version
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Gary Grigsby's War in the East Series >> After Action Reports >> RE: German Folly 2ndAcr (GE) vs Tullius (Reds) 
RE: German Folly 2ndAcr (GE) vs Tullius (Reds) - 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread