Slitherine

19 December 1941

Finland
I kill a GAR in the north and resume offensive operations around Leningrad.


Northern Sector
Very quiet just some minor repairs. I guess the odds the Russians are now getting make it infeasible for him to attack.


Southern Sector
My 1-step INF north of Vinnista survives, so I repair it again. Wishfull thinking on my part. Otherwise I repair all my units. I'm now waiting for the Spring and the return of Fair weather and my TACs, who have been sent to the Med to help with the race to Port Said.


In the Desert I managed to to completely rout the 8th Army and am now racing to cut off the Eastern Med transport loop. He only has 1 INF corp and some GARs, I've got several INFs, a MECH, 2 FTRs and 3 TACs racing to Port Said before the Yanks get there. The US have 5 transports in the water in the South Atlantic a couple of turns away from the Red Sea transport loop. Who will get there first?

9 January 1942

Finland
Some repairs, pretty quiet really.


Northern Sector
Some Russian attacks, which I'm able to repair. The Italian ARM would probably be better used in the South

Oh a Siberian Tank unit, I wonder where the other one is.

Southerrn Sector
Some attacks by the Russians, again I'm left with a 2-step INF corp north of Vinnista that I repair I also almost eliminate his INF corp north of Vinnista. I aslo push back a couple of GARs on my right flank.

29 May 1942

Okay here's the situation between Craig64 and me at the end of the Russian Winter. The screen dumps are actually of the next turn, as I forgot to take a screen cap.


Very static in the north. But I am slowly closing the loop in the south. Next turn is a definite FAIR turn, so there's a good chance of forming a pocket.


Casualties for the Germans are high, but horrendus for the Russians.

42 Summer Campaign
Well I got what I wanted, I managed to encircle all of the southern Russian forces, in about 4-5 sequential pockets and then destroyed them utterly. I was then able to trap a large number of Russians in the pripet marshes followed by encricling his forces on the Dvina. He has managed to reform a limited defense line around Moscow, whilst my troops in the south raced to take as many PPs as possible.

I repelled numerous invasions of France and now hold the suez canal and Jerusalem.


There ain't that many units in Russia as it's been a bloodbath


Russian casualties have really stacked up

Postscript
My opponent conceded in late '43 after Moscow fell, Omsk was taken, Great Britian bombed into desolation and Axis forces a few turns from taking Persia

The old Russian forward defense strategy will not work very well from v1.05 onwards.

Versus Shawkhan

Okay here's another recent Barbarossa, this time versus Shawkhan.

My opponent made life a little tough for me in France, and absolutely diabolical in North Africa. He had placed several naval assets in the Central Med soon after Italy joining the war, so I was unwilling to commit any re-inforcements to Libya. Instead the Luftwaffe swanned off to Norway chasing elves and trolls in the mud'n'snow. Dumb move by me. Libya was captured easily. Not helped by me leaving a GAR in Tobruk by mistake. He now has Sicily under his sway, but not Sardinia. And I have Italy packed out with GARs.

Anyhow, I was able to breach both the Dvina and Dneiper using a July 12 Barbarossa start date. Shawkhan repelled my Dneiper breach destroying an INF and ARM. But I was able to last out the entire Russian Winter wthout losing any more units. So I still have some offensive capability in '42. If I last past June '44 I'll be happy with this game.

Here's the status at the end of the Russian winter.




Managed to keep German casualties down, but Italian casualties have been high.

I can personally vouch that Shawkhan is a most worthy and wily opponent. Best of luck with and beware the "Wrath of Shawkhan."

Pictures of a vengeful Rolf Harris come to mind. Yes Shawkahn is a newbie in disguise I have found. Fun to play against, but not to be taken lightly. It's all good.

Versus schwerpunkt

Neil's probably the best player I've come up against; well Truls is pretty good, but I was a newbie when I started playing against him.

In this game, the fighting in France was tough. I took Norway but Neil is firmly set in the two other Norwegian ports. I took Greece, Neil got Crete. I ignored Yugoslavia. Barbarossa kicked off on July 12. As you can tell from the screen caps and casualties I didn't get that far. The severe winter came early, which caught Neil out. So instead he's decided to rout me out of Finland, which he is doing quite effectively. I never really reached the Russian main battle-line: you can't even see it. So there's plenty of Russian troops to contend with in '42 and lots of TACs. I'll be lucky to get to July '44. But at least I get to hone my defensive skills against a better player.

At least I still hold Libya and all beginning Italian territories.

Screen caps as at the end of the Severe Winter

Finland will fall soon, I've lost some Finnish units and an INF unit in both Pskov and Vitebsk

It's been quiet here for some while

Manpower not really a problem, but the Russian manpower will be!


After 42/43 Winter
Well I sort of repeated the 41 campaign, I wasn't able to get very close to the Russian front lines very quickly and only inflicted low casualties on them. Mainly round Rostov. I got as far as Orel-Kursk-Kharkov-Rostov, but never took them. Winter came and I've been on the run since then. Elsewhere Operation Torch is making good progress and has got as far as Constantine. I still hold libya, in fact I was able to attack and encircle some of the 8th army. But it was only a token campaign. I'll be lucky to stave off an Allied Ultimate victory.

Picture on first FAIR weather turn of May 1943

Yikes! Run for the hills!


Yikes again! German casualties are almost as high as the Russians.

Postscript
Well Italy fell in March '44 and Germany in April '44. All I can say here is don't start Barbarossa too late, as you've really got to get stuck in to the Russians with-out over-extending yourself.

Versus AdmiralSarek

Oh yes, another Barbarossa. This time IIRC I started it on June 22nd and was able to make good progress across the Dvina and Dneiper and was able to hit my opponent's battle line near Kursk. Currently I also hold: Norway, Yugoslavia, Greece and Libya. My opponent has not been that active in the Med yet.

Severe winter hit very late, IIRC in January, so my defensive lines were well set, I lost an INF and MECH to the Russian Winter offensive, but my responding counter-attacks persuaded him to desist.


Some dozy Russians


More sleeping Russians, they'll be woken up soon, it's May and FAIR weather.


No manpower issues yet, and some reasonalbe Russian casualties

End of Winter 42/43

Benfitting from air superiority I was able to push through Orel, Kursk and Kharkov. IIRC my opponent was able to prevent any possible encirlcements and withdrew to the Don river line. I think I can still start 1943 offensively. But I'm unsure as to how long I can keep it up.

In the Med the Allies DOW'd Vichy France and have got as far as Algiers (held by Henrici) and surrounded it. I still hold everything east of Algiers and have a strong presence of Luftwaffe FTRs. I've lost an Italian sub and both Vichy France BBs, but have killed a DD and a CV and badly damaged a BB. For the moment the Allied navy has retreated from the Western Med. I still hold Libya comfortably, but only with Italians


Pretty quiet up north




Well over 2M German casualties, so manpower becomes an issue

Postscript
Well I left he back door open as I become somewhat myopic with the eastern front. The Western Allies invaded France in '43 and I hadn't built any reserves there. I was able to hold the Allies out in Holland for quite a few turns, but Hamburg fell in Xmas '44 and Rome in April '45.

Versus Kinghunter

Well pretty standard pre-Barbarossa game. I've got France (June '40), Norway, Yugoslavia and Greece in the bag and still hold all three cities in Libya.

Barbarossa started on June 2, which seems to make a difference as I captured Orel, Kursk and Kharkov, which should make an excellent springboard to the '42 Summer campaign. Jay didn't even garrison cities as he retreated, so I was able to take them easily and crashed into his main battle line desroying several units, including some ARMs and MECHs. There was no Russian Winter offensive, so I don't think I've lost a unit all game yet.


Tanks in Finnish forests. Guess sending a TAC there may pay dividends.


This is where the action will be in '42. I've even started attacking specific Russian units without air bombardment


Very low German and Italian casualties, there has been very little action in the Med. Note the high Russian Tank casualties, but low air losses.

42 Summer Offensive
After two or three turns of attack and counter-attack the Russian lines in the south evaporated, I was then able to advance rapidly into the heartland of Russia and was even able to push back the Russians in the northern forests. It all looks good for '43.

Meanwhile it's been very quiet in the rest of Europe, and I was able to completely destroy the 8th Army as they positioned some of their troops in the desert rather than along the coast. I was able to cut-off the British troops from supply. with a blitzkrieg from Tobruk sent along the coast.

Screen caps after 42/43 Winter


Russians attempted to break stalemate in Finland. With the aid of a TAC and two FTRs I was able to destroy his Tanks, but not without losing some units. THe Russains made solid gains but forgot to protect their supply lines, as I have now cut them off.


Once the Russian defence lines were breached it was clear country in the south


My oil reserves did get low near the end of the 42 Summer, but after a restful winter they are healthy again. The baku oil-fields are not a strategic requirement.


German casualties have risen rapidly, but the Russians fared much worse. Note the very low US casualties, the only US units I've seen so far are in Ireland of all places.

Postscript
In the 43 Summer campaign I surrounded and took Moscow and pushed to the Urals, but was still several hexes away from Omsk. I made the mistake of continuing to attack the Russian defense in the Urals, and got rather badly mauled. I waited until the 44 Summer and then continued the assault on Omsk. After a spirited resistance from the Russians my opponent surrendered the game as I got within one hex of Omsk. We were also still duking it out in Libya and I held the rest of continental Europe except Spain.

What did I learn from this game. Not that much as the Axis, but if I was the Russians don't take the Germans on in '41 or early '42. Bide your time and your strength and wait until the Axis begin to weaken, and make sure you eliminate some Axis units in the '41 winter.

Versus Lynz
Again another June 2 start for Barbarossa with similar results. The screencaps are from the first fair weather turn after the 41/42 Severe Winter, so you can see where the Russians are hiding. Lynz was very conservative with his Russians and seems to have retreated them away from any clear terrain.

I currently hold Norway, Yugolavia and Greece, Libya, as well as most of Vichy France and half of Algeria and all of Tunisia. Lynz DOW'd Vichy France in the middle of '41, so I've had lots of PPs to play with.


Been very quiet in Finland. I've been figuring out there is no real point attacking in this sector.


I don't think our two main battle lines have ever met so far.



Postscript
Eventually I was able to attack the Russians in the Caucauses with overwhelming air power, cutting off several Russian units that had strayed into the marshes and pretty much destroying the rest. Lynz had based his air units too close to the front and I was able to whittle them down pretty quickly. He also left Omsk/Urals pretty much undefended and I was able to capture that area in late '43. All he really had left was a large hedgehog defense around Moscow in '44. I was able to cave in the Eastern side of defense circle, again using the same air assets that had pummelled the Russians in the Caucauses the year before. By June '44 Russia surrenderred and my opponent admitted defeat.

massina_nz wrote:Versus Lynz
Again another June 2 start for Barbarossa with similar results. The screencaps are from the first fair weather turn after the 41/42 Severe Winter, so you can see where the Russians are hiding. Lynz was very conservative with his Russians and seems to have retreated them away from any clear terrain.

Surely this must be looking very good for the Axis - a seemingly totally infantry based army giving up vast tracts of land? Stalingrad and Caucasus should be within reach. Of course depends on what US/UK are able to do in the Med or elsewhere.

You could probably update our one to show the 1942 summer and winter action, and my Free french comeback in north africa.

trulster wrote:

massina_nz wrote:Versus Lynz
Again another June 2 start for Barbarossa with similar results. The screencaps are from the first fair weather turn after the 41/42 Severe Winter, so you can see where the Russians are hiding. Lynz was very conservative with his Russians and seems to have retreated them away from any clear terrain.

Surely this must be looking very good for the Axis - a seemingly totally infantry based army giving up vast tracts of land? Stalingrad and Caucasus should be within reach. Of course depends on what US/UK are able to do in the Med or elsewhere.

Truls, I hope this is not a pointed comment about how I defended Russia in our game.

Yes it is looking good in the first few Summer turns of '42. Lynz is still retreating, I can barely keep up with him. I presume if I cut-off the Russian troops in the Caucauses (sp?) then he won't be able to rail troops there. Will it affect his supply level as well as he won't have a direct link to Moscow?

AdmiralSarek wrote:You could probably update our one to show the 1942 summer and winter action, and my Free french comeback in north africa.

Jared, yep, just updated it. i kept it in the same posting so it would flow better.

massina_nz wrote:
Truls, I hope this is not a pointed comment about how I defended Russia in our game.

Yes it is looking good in the first few Summer turns of '42. Lynz is still retreating, I can barely keep up with him. I presume if I cut-off the Russian troops in the Caucauses (sp?) then he won't be able to rail troops there. Will it affect his supply level as well as he won't have a direct link to Moscow?

Hehe not intended, you definitely did not give up the whole of Russia without a fight and got the Germans very close to the breaking point with the (maybe overly offensive) winter offensives of 41.

Anyway, if you make it to the Caspian the Russians are indeed cut off, and they end up with supply level 3, not tasty. In that situation who knows, maybe the UK/US will send stuff up from Persia to aid Stalin...

Versus Richarddsd

Yep, another game. Here's the status after the first Severe Winter.

I took Paris in May. Which is quite early for me, so I did something different and attacked Spain and then Portugal. I also took Yugoslavia. My opponent DOW's Vichy after the US entry into the war.

Barbarossa was launched on June 22, it was very tight for me to launch then and I didn't have my normal complement of Axis forces, especially as Italy has been given the task of garrisoning Spain. Despite this I made good ground as the Russians retreated, and IIRC there wasn't a Russian Winter counter-offensive. I have lots of PPs but I'm already at 75% manpower for both Germany and Italy. In hindsight I would have bought more expensive leaders.




The Russians have retreated to the Don river-line


Some reasonable Russian casualties as we fought over Orel-Kursk-Kharkov

42 Summer Campaign
I managed to cross the Don and engage in some good swirling battles destroying many Russian units, surrounding a few as well, I also lose some units, I then retreated behind the Don at the end of the good weather. There were some Russian Winter coutner-attacks south of Stalingrad but they didn't come to much. Neither of our front lines are two units deep across the whole front.

In other theatres, I still hold Libya, Spain, and Portugal. The Allies have made steady progress through Morroco, Algeria and Tunisia and now hold all those countries. I have been able to sink many allied naval units near Spain.

Status at the end of 42/43 Winter




Yep Axis manpower levels are suffering, but Russian casualties are high as well.


Postscript
I spent most of 44/45 running away from the Soviets and blocking Allied landings in Western Europe. They eventually landed in Denmark but were never able to take a city so they we relqtively easily contained.

The Axis hit oil problems in '44. The bombing of Ploesti assisted in that, but the root cause was much earlier in the game.
1..The Spanish gambit and the early DOW of Vichy France gave me many PPs to play with
2. I used the Italians to garrison Spain, so I could use a couple of their better commanders to give org bonuses for most of the country. This meant less troops for the Eastern front. In addition invading Yugoslavia reduced the available Minor power forces avaialbe as well.
3.. So I built too many units for the Eastern front, rather than less units and instead buying the best commanders (I bought the 55 pt ones). So my manpower dipped quickly.
4. So I then built large quantities of low manpower units, FTRs and TACs, which after upgrades burnt lots of fuel
5. And I used those TACs and FTRs too much, sometimes with little effect, e.g. burn 6 fuel for a 1-step loss, not a fair trade. I should have been more parsimonious with their use.

But despite all this I got a Strategic victory, holding onto to Hamburg, Paris and only losing 1 city in Siciliy.

Just updated game versus Richarddsd (just above this post)

Vs Leridano

Oh yes another game.....

My opponent gave me a bloody nose in France, destroying two ARMs and savaging the other. Despite this I was able to take Paris circa early June IIRC. I went on to take Norway, Greece and Yugoslavia. I also still hold Libya, but the Allies haven't even shown themselves in this theatre yet. Instead they seem to have focussed on strategic bombing of Germany, which was quite annoying until I re-allocated some spare Luftwaffe.

Barbarossa was launched on 2 June. Despite limited panzer resources I was able to advance as far as Orel-Kharkov-Kursk and almost took Rostov, just missed out and decided caution was the better part of valour, and retreated. During Winter the Russians destroyed 3 German INF corps and retreated to the Don river, I advanced after them (which contributed to me losing those 3 INF coprs) so that at the start of Summer (as per the screen caps) I'm pretty close to the Russian lines.





Postscript
My opponent and I got very busy with non CEAW stuff, so he offered to conclude this game until he had more free time. He offered me a draw, which I think was very generous as it was mid-'42 and the Germans were in retreat to the Dnieper river line, and German industry was being bombed very effectively. I did however still have control in the Med, so Italy was bound to last longer than Germany.

I lost a bit of focus on this game, and stopped planning ahead, and in 1942 didn't really have a single strategic objective and let my opponent get the initiative. In some ways I got stymied by my opponent who gave ground rather than casualties. And those significant France campaign losses really did have an affect on Barbarossa. Which I think is the main learning point. Take care of your panzers in 1940 as you'll need them in 1941.

Have updated status of of game vs KingHunter

Have posted update to game with schwerpunkt on this page.