Slitherine

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How do you feel about your decision to build the rail first into the Crimea and only yafterwards towards Stalino instead of doing it the other way round?

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ORIGINAL: Jukipo

Turn 62, 1/21/42, AGC

Operation Jägerschnitzel

Decisive battle is going on near Moscow. Situation is chaotic, the winner of this massive battle is still unclear.

Our southern pincer advanced north to the rear of Russian line. 18th Panzer division captured Kaluga and then attacked Soviet Reserve Front HQ 30 km north of Kaluga. Forward elements of 18th Pz reached outskirts of Aleksin. Meanwhile the northern pincer captured Obninsk, Serpukhov and Podolsk. Pincers closed the pocket near Aleksin. The whole Soviet Reserve Front with 44 formations was enveloped.

The enemy counterattack was furious. 49th Army attacked from Tula region towards Kaluga. 112th Tank Division was able to penetrate our flank and advance all the way to the rear of our 2nd and 18th Panzer Divisions. At the same time Reserve Front began breakout towards Aleksin. 2nd Pz had to withdraw. The enemy managed to open road to Aleksin. 2nd and 18th Panzer Divisions are isolated.

In the North near Kalinin the situation is much better. 1st Pz attacked north all the way to the Volga River. 27 enemy formations were trapped between Volokolamsk and Kalinin. Meanwhile 14th and 20th Motorized Divisions advanced to the Moscow-Volga Canal. Dubna was captured. The enemy counterattacked over Volga, but they couldn’t break out.

This has been a real nail biter. First there was a shift of initiative and I got two turns. Then shift again, two turns for Elmer! TOAW 4 is a great game!

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This is an excellent AAR for the scenario. Very much appreciated. Your use of the Axis rail supply system was masterful and how it was intended to work. I did not think that the Axis could attempt an offensive in Winter 1941 so maybe I have to toughen Elmer up a bit in the next version? The hardest part is trying to get Elmer to do practical things. There will be another update in a few weeks with trying to tweak Elmer's programming to the better.
Good job, Thank you.

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ORIGINAL: Jukipo

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This is an excellent AAR for the scenario. Very much appreciated. Your use of the Axis rail supply system was masterful and how it was intended to work. I did not think that the Axis could attempt an offensive in Winter 1941 so maybe I have to toughen Elmer up a bit in the next version? The hardest part is trying to get Elmer to do practical things. There will be another update in a few weeks with trying to tweak Elmer's programming to the better.
Good job, Thank you.

Thank you for your compliments. I could attempt winter offensive because of several reasons:

1. I had captured Leningrad. Troops were transferred to AGC.
2. I was ahead of schedule in fall, because 2nd Pz Armee didn't participate the Battle of Kiev.
3. I entrenched a solid defensive line during rasputitza and didn't continue towards Moscow in November.
4. I knew Soviets would attack in december, German high command thought the victory was in sight.

I had all these advantages over historical situation and I still couldn't take Moscow. It was not even near. I have a feeling I can't win this war during 1942. Maybe 1943, we shall see...

I think this scenario is very well balanced. I know the east front quite well. I have played several Barbarossa games WITE, HOI3, Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa, etc.

One thing to improve comes to my mind. If the rasputitza would be a little less severe, the axis player would have temptation to go on and overextend. I would have continued in october if I had had even a little supply. I had no supply, so it was easy decision to stop and dig in. If I had continued the offensive the result would have been a disaster at the gates of Moscow.

Thank you for a great scenario!

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Decisive battle is going on near Moscow. Situation is chaotic, the winner of this massive
battle is still unclear.

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I Agree there needs to be an adjustment to Rasputitza as the Germans did gain some territory during this period especially in the South. It is just hard to make it balanced in TOAW. In TOAW3 in was impossible so a cease fire event had to be used. Fortunately we have a couple of new events to try to simulate mud turns.

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ORIGINAL: Nicholas Bell

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I Agree there needs to be an adjustment to Rasputitza as the Germans did gain some territory during this period especially in the South. It is just hard to make it balanced in TOAW. In TOAW3 in was impossible so a cease fire event had to be used. Fortunately we have a couple of new events to try to simulate mud turns.

Rick-
Would it possible to add a variable start date for mud? That would both provide opportunity for the German player to stick his neck out with possible good or bad results.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, the 1941 winter season was not only especially harsh, it was somewhat early also. Contrast that with the winter of 1943 where the mud didn't start until November 15th (The Soviet offensive at Nevel was conducted on dry ground for example) and the snow waited until mid-December. One can only imagine that the Germans would have been in Moscow had 1941 been as mild as 1943. Whether they could have hung on to it is another question.

Having the Rasputitza possibly start between the end of September and the later half of November would be realistic and add a lot of uncertainty.

Jukipo-
Always looking forward to your updates. Pretty exciting for an AAR. Well done!