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RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no smokindave34)

 
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RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/10/2013 6:22:43 AM   
Flaviusx


Posts: 7750
Joined: 9/9/2009
From: Southern California
Status: offline 		Sappers are better diggers, can contribute to combat as SUs reserve activations, and eventually will wind up being the most favored attachment for corps sized formations.

You need some RR brigades...for RR repair. But they are otherwise not cost effective compared to sapper regiments. My own rule of thumb is 2 such brigades per Front, and another half dozen in STAVKA. Otherwise, it's sappers and turtles all the way down.



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Post #: 31
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/10/2013 2:13:45 PM   
Bozo_the_Clown


Posts: 890
Joined: 6/25/2013
From: Bozotown
Status: offline 		I've build very few sappers in my game so far but the pool seems to be empty. Does it make sense to build sappers with these numbers? I also have a question regarding ski battalions. Do you attach them to the army or directly to the corps?






Attachment (1)

(in reply to Flaviusx)
Post #: 32
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/10/2013 2:41:37 PM   
loki100


Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline 		my impression was if you create the demand (ie raise the shell formation) then the production logic will match the supply - I had something similar in late 41 but just carried on ordering sapper formations up and they filled out pretty quickly,

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Post #: 33
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/10/2013 2:45:56 PM   
Flaviusx


Posts: 7750
Joined: 9/9/2009
From: Southern California
Status: offline 		Sappers will be built on demand if your manpower and armament pools allow for it. There are some elements in the on demand production system that are quirky, but none of these exist in sapper regiments. They are about as vanilla as it gets.

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Post #: 34
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/11/2013 4:45:27 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Weeks 18-24 Leading up to blizzard

Dave and I just wrapped up Turn 26.

In the weeks of the Rasputitsa and then snow, there wasn't much action. Dave finished killing off the units in the south that he had surrounded. During the rainy weeks, it was unusually cold in the north Soviet zone, with one snow week followed by two blizzard weeks. This allowed Dave to do some hit and run attacks designed to cause me casualties and give him morale boosts.

The only city he captured was Vyazma, but otherwise the front lines did not change noticeably. He made no attempt to follow up success in the south with an attack near Voronezh or Rostov. Dave has played this game rather conservative, perhaps due to the reserve activations he was suffering at Saper's hands. The Red Army goes into blizzard with over 6 million ready. Overall I was satisfied with the results. I suffered some pocketing, but the rather low losses near Leningrad allowed me to take the later losses in the south without much trouble. I was lucky that mud struck when it did in the area around Kalinin Front, and that attempted encirclement in the end only cost me three divisions.

Industry looks very good, and a number of sizeable population centers like Orel, Kursk, and Rostov remained in Soviet hands. Arms points have allowed me to add new artillery units for the armies and keep all TO&Es at full strength.

(in reply to Bozo_the_Clown)
Post #: 35
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/19/2013 2:42:10 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Soviet Winter Operations

The Red Army went over the attack with the following objectives.

The Leningrad, Volkhov and Northwest Fronts launched the Pskov Strategic Offensive. This was designated by the STAVKA as the most important objective of the winter operations. The goal was to push west and isolate the Axis units defending in the Leningrad sector. The STAVKA 1st Shock Army (cavalry) was sent to this area of operations. 55th Army remained in support of the 7th Independent Army that opposed Finnish units in the far north.

The Kalinin and Western Fronts were committed to the Smolensk Offensive. The goal was to re-take Smolensk and push forward to the land bridge north of the Dnepr River. Reinforcements to be assigned after the offensive began were the STAVKA 2nd, 3rd and 4th Shock Armies (tank).

The Bryansk Front was to participate in the Gomel-Chernigov Offensive. Here the objective was to advance to the east bank of the Dnepr. In support of this advance by Bryansk Front were three STAVKA armies, the 33rd and 34th (cavalry) and 61st.

The Southwest, Southern and North Caucasus Fronts were assigned to the Donbas Offensive. Here the objectives were Stalino and Kharkov with a general advance towards the cities of Dnepropetrovsk-Zaporozhye. The STAVKA 50th Army (cavalry), 16th and 52nd Armies along with several mountain cavalry divisions supported this advance.

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 36
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/19/2013 3:12:23 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		The Pskov Strategic Offensive

The operation began with 1st Shock Army sweeping around the southern end of Lake Ilmen and reaching the outskirts of Novgorod.



German units responded by pulling back. This allowed 1st Shock Army to widen the breach. 56th Army of the Volkhov Front marched into Novgorod.



As the battle continued into the next week, 1st Shock Army continued to widen the gap and flank the Axis forces southwest of Leningrad.



With the German line cut open, the Northwest Front advanced eastwards towards Pskov.



By the fourth week of the offensive, the Axis troops at Leningrad were separated from the rest of Army Group North.



The advance continued throughout the fifth week.



January saw Pskov liberated.



The Transcaucasus Front was activated and sent to the Leningrad sector. Three artillery armies with fifteen light howitzer brigades supported with eighteen light rocket regiments were also brought to the area.



The eighth week of the offensive had the Volkhov and Northwest Fronts forcing the Germans to lengthen their lines.



With the strategic objectives of isolating Leningrad and taking Pskov accomplished, the next step would be to determine where to draw a halt line for Spring. Meanwhile direct attacks against the German and Finnish units in the Leningrad sector would continue with the goal of shrinking the defensive perimeter.

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 37
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/19/2013 3:46:01 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		The Smolensk Offensive

This offensive was something of a misnomer. In actuality it was, at least initially, more of a leisurely advance to the west. The fascists showed no indication of putting up any sort of resistance and instead pulled back at a steady rate.

The advance began.







Four weeks into the offensive, and the Red Army was at the gates of Smolensk.



The following week, the city of Smolensk was given up without resistance.



The advance then continued towards the land bridge.





With the Germans continuing to fall back, the Red Army was now outside Vitebsk.



The following week Vitebsk fell. At this point there was some resistance in the area as Dave's troop strength was recovering from the blizzard.



With the land bridge secure, it would be necessary to decide how much farther to continue to advance.

< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 8/19/2013 3:50:24 PM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 38
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/20/2013 1:12:45 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		The Gomel-Chernigov Offensive

33rd and 34th Armies comprised of eight cavalry corps advanced towards Chernigov. The rifle divisions of the Bryansk Front advanced westwards.




A small gap appeared in the German lines that the cavalry attempted to exploit.


With the Red Army cavalry moving quickly, the Germans in turn hastened their withdrawal


By week 7 of the offensive, both objectives were taken.


The advance continued, taking the Bryansk Front to the Dnepr.

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 39
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/20/2013 1:42:08 PM   
SigUp

 

Posts: 1062
Joined: 11/29/2012
Status: offline 		Talk about a strong blizzard offensive. Poor smokindave, getting trashed in two consecutive blizzards.

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 40
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/20/2013 3:23:46 PM   
Flaviusx


Posts: 7750
Joined: 9/9/2009
From: Southern California
Status: offline 		Blizzard is too damn strong. Axis needs to run up the score and get way ahead of things in 41 to deal with it. The same logistical ease for the offense that helps them during the summer turns around and bites them in the ass in the winter. You have to trash the rail net way far back to counter this. And the blizzard effects are much too global and undifferentiated. It shouldn't be so severe everywhere and to the same degree. Morale hit is too high, imo.

But don't expect any of this too change until WITE2, there's simply too many things that need changing here, it's not a matter of an easy tweak or two.





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RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/20/2013 9:45:01 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		I do agree that blizzard should be toned down.  That said, before someone offers to deliver the eulogy for smokindave, I'd offer up a couple observations:

1.  This land grab works both ways.  What I gain in blizzard I can easily lose in the summer.

2.  Dave has made an effort to deny me battlefield wins.  The results have been pretty darn good, as we're into February and I haven't generated a single guards division or corps.  Nobody has done that before in my games that have gone into 1942.

3.  Dave will start the summer campaign with the largest army and air force that I've gone up against because he avoided battlefield losses in '41.  He's sure to have many of his panzers at 15-20+ CV initially. 

I'm not saying Dave will be slaughtering the Red Army come summer, it will be 7-7.5 million strong with plenty of manpower reserves and armaments.  But I'm not ready to write off my opponent yet.

(in reply to Flaviusx)
Post #: 42
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/31/2013 6:03:24 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		The Donbas Offensive

The first step in this offensive was to liberate Stalino-Gorlovka-Makeevka. There was no real resistance.





Meanwhile Southern Front marched towards Kharkov



The city fell without opposition four weeks into the winter offensive.



The advance continued with Axis troops retreating to the west.





And towards the towns of Dnepropetovsk-Zaporozhye







The Donbas Offensive reached all its goals by the end of blizzard.



Order of Battle Week 34




< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 8/31/2013 6:04:08 PM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 43
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 8/31/2013 6:08:36 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		We are through March, April and now into mid-May. I'll provide updates to that later. For now, the thread is open to Dave so he can read and make comments if he likes.

(in reply to Bozo_the_Clown)
Post #: 44
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 9/6/2013 4:24:46 AM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Spring 1942

The Spring of 1942 started with the Red Army just outside the city of Leningrad and in control of the eastern portion of Estonia.



Northwest and Kalinin Fronts defended on a line running in a northwest to southeast direction.



Western and Bryansk Fronts held positions west of the Dnepr.



STAVKA and divisions of Southwestern Front were dug in on or just east of the Dnepr.



Southern and Caucasus Fronts completed the defensive line to the sea.



In May, the forces of Germany and her allies prepared for operations in the north...



Center



and South


(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 45
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 9/12/2013 12:06:35 AM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		WEEK 47 - May 7, 1942

in the north, German advances forced back units of the Volkhov Front, that sought to avoid entrapment.



Near Vitebsk, the defensive lines held more firmly.



In Belarus, Soviet troops evacuated Gomel as panzers operated in the area.



OOB



Production



< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 9/12/2013 12:07:19 AM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 46
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 9/12/2013 12:29:58 AM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		WEEK 51 - June 4, 1942

Troops of the Leningrad Front supported by 39th Army, 55th Army, 1st Shock Army and artillery prepare to attack the Finns



In the area around Pskov, the Germans completed occupying territory formerly controlled by the Red Army.



In the Gomel-Mogilev sector, strong German formations pushed Soviet troops farther from the Dnepr.



In the south, several divisions were encircled and trapped at Zaporozhye.



< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 9/12/2013 12:30:55 AM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 47
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 9/23/2013 2:47:44 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		WEEK 54 - June 25, 1942

The one area of the front where the Red Army planned to be on the offensive was against the Finns. Operations would prove a slow and painful process with the defenders fortified in the heavy woods.



The summer of '42 began and with it the Axis offensive. In the Vitebsk-Mogilev-Smolensk area, the Germans pushed forward against units defending along the Dnepr.



3rd Shock Army participated in counterattacks in the immediate area.



Farther south near Sumy, the Germans had more success by breaking through the Soviet lines that did not benefit from terrain advantages compared with areas farther north.



At the same time, additional German forces pushed the Red Army back, threatening a massive encirclement.



This situation required a pullback to Kharkov.




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Post #: 48
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 9/23/2013 3:01:17 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Week 55 OOB



Week 55 Production



The AI chooses commanders of tank armies by something other than mechanized ratings as it should. Some personnel changes were required at the start of July when four such armies were created.



The Red Air Force received it's first upgrades of La-5 fighter planes. They were sent to one of the more successful air divisions, the 43rd IAD.


(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 49
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 10/16/2013 5:53:17 PM   
hfarrish

 

Posts: 734
Joined: 1/3/2011
Status: offline
Just curious - did you guys end this one once the new patch came out or are things still ongoing?

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Post #: 50
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 10/16/2013 7:14:29 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		The game is ongoing. We're heading into the winter of 1942-43, but I don't know when I'll have time to do an update. It's been a less aggressive game on the part of the Axis compared to the one with Mehring who has thrown his all into Fall Blau.

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Post #: 51
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 11/27/2013 10:43:11 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		WEEK 86 - Feb 4, 1943

Fast forward to the winter of 42-43.

Dave did some breaking out into the south in the Caucasus but then retreated. The Red Army is moving back towards Rostov.

Much of the lines are locked down with strong German divisions in fortified positions. Soviet attacks are limited because many corps don't have the strength to do a significant # of winter attacks.

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 52
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 11/27/2013 10:50:36 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Leningrad



Western, Bryansk, Voronezh Fronts



Sumy-Kursk region



Kharkov



Stalingrad



Rostov



OOB



Losses



Production


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Post #: 53
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 12/6/2013 8:45:08 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		In March, the Finns decided to leave the great city of Leningrad garrisoned by two coastal brigades. A surprise attack by several rifle corps supported by the 3rd Artillery Army overwhelmed the Finns. The birthplace of the revolution breathes free once more! This now opens up a second front against the Finns.



< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 12/6/2013 9:49:37 PM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 54
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 12/8/2013 3:37:17 AM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		By early April with marginal weather, the move against the Finns continued.



In the south, the Germans abandon Rostov. Red Army forces advance to the west.


(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 55
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 12/13/2013 9:49:37 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Waiting for Citadel

With over 5,000 tanks available to the German Army, their summer offensive is fully expected when the weather turns clear. The question remains where the attack will come from.

At the end of May on Turn 102, here are some numbers in the game with smokindave. I will compare them to the same turn as the one I had against Pelton. First # set is Dave's game and the second the game with Pelton.

Manpower: 8.9 mil sov vs. 4.2 mil ger - 7.2 mil vs. 3.8 mil
manpower cities towns and manpower pool 2793/1.6 mil - 2063/.084 mil
arms pool: 995k - 991k
vehicle production 140 - 113


artillery: 141k vs. 41k - 113k vs. 38k
tanks 10.7k vs. 5k - 13k vs. 3.5k
aircraft: 16k vs. 3k (8k in Nat Rsv) - 16.9k vs. 2.9k (5.6k in Nat. Rsv.)

mechanized corps 10 - 11
tank corps 24 - 28
rifle corps 100 - 53
artillery/rocket divisions 27 - 37
sapper regiments 490 - 62
tank regiments 10 - 121 (dave's game regiments restricted to guards heavy tank regiments)
tank battalions 7 - 2 (dave's game battalions restricted to flame tank battalions)
AA regiments 70 - 16
artillery and rocket regiments 235 - 180

Rifle Corps
The Red Army has deployed approximately one hundred rifle corps. Another fifty will be formed in 1943-44. These corps are supported in some cases by sappers and a few with 42a AT regiments.

Red Army Mechanization Plan
The Red Army mechanization plan is 90% complete, with 10 mechanized, 24 tank and 19 cavalry corps in 13 armies. There are 4 additional mechanized corps to deploy, but that will not take place until the Fall.

Artillery
There are three artillery armies, each containing eight artillery divisions and one rocket division. Support units are six light rocket regiments. A fourth artillery army will be fielded by July. That will complete the artillery deployments.

Air forces
Only a few MiG-3s and LaGG3s remain deployed in air bases with a group available in reserve. Most fighter and fighter bombers fielded are Yak-1, Yak-9 and La-5 types.
Tactical bombers of the Front Air Armies consist mainly of the various Ilyushin types. The Long Range Air Command also predominantly flies IL-2s. There are two air transport bases that currently deploy no aircraft. Various C-47 and LI-2 regiments remain in reserve.


< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 12/13/2013 10:53:45 PM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 56
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 12/13/2013 10:32:04 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Volkhov and Northwest Fronts



Kalinin and Western Fronts



Bryansk and Voronezh Fronts



Transcaucasus and Central Fronts



Southern and North Caucasus Fronts



< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 12/13/2013 11:39:31 PM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 57
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 12/13/2013 10:42:57 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		OOB



Production


(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 58
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 12/22/2013 3:26:03 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		On the week of June 17 and the weather clear, the Axis struck at Ivan Tyulenev's North Caucasus Front. A break in the encirclement was created and airbases brought in to attempt a resupply of the pocket. The following week brought mud and multiple air transport regiments from OSNAZ and TBAB bases brought supplies into the pocket. The airdrops still did not prevent the isolated defenders in their heavily fortified positions from being annihilated during the third week of attacks. Following their success, the Axis troops pulled back and it fell on STAVKA to rebuild the shattered front.



One small consolation for the Red Army was the liberation of the great city of Kharkov.

< Message edited by M60A3TTS -- 12/22/2013 4:28:09 PM >

(in reply to M60A3TTS)
Post #: 59
RE: STAVKA WAR DIARIES III- Farewell to Barbarossa (no ... - 12/26/2013 11:50:21 PM   
M60A3TTS


Posts: 4014
Joined: 5/13/2011
Status: offline 		Vyborg Strategic Offensive

For the Red Army Summer campaign, the STAVKA reviewed the overall situation and identified several objectives for the Red Army.

The designated strategic objective for the summer would be to knock Finland from the war, thereby releasing the Leningrad Front for action against the Wehrmacht. The STAVKA released 55th Army to Markian Popov's Leningrad Front and added three additional armies for the offensive to take Vyborg. They were Pavel Rybalko's 3rd Shock Army with two mechanized and two tank corps, Konstantin Rokossovsky's 33rd Army of four cavalry corps, and 3rd Artillery Army with eight artillery and one rocket division.

The 55th and 33rd Armies would attack from the east at the same time the main attacking force in the Karelian Peninsula drove north towards Vyborg. The three rifle armies advancing to the north were the 7th Independent, 28th and 32nd Armies. 3rd Shock would attempt a breakthrough if possible to outmaneuver the Finnish rifle divisions and brigades.

A key objective of the offensive was not only to knock Finland out of the war, but to do it quickly- within two months. This would provide several additional weeks for the redeployed Leningrad Front to engage German forces.

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