My V1.05 Barbarossas - various games

[massina_nz]

Hi, as mentioned in a thread on the General Discussion board, I'm currently playing a double-blind game(s) against another opponent. We are both named Craig!

I had been keeping some screen dumps to post an AAR once both of the games were complete, because I don't think someone has done an AAR for a Double-blind game yet. But my opponent is somewhat less experienced than myself, not that I'm that experienced.

Well our game got out of sync pretty quickly, I took Paris in around July '40 and my opponent in March '41. I've got Norway and Greece in the bag, and I skipped Yugoslavia. I've also got well prepared defenses around Tripoli, Benghazi and Tobruk, and I have a TAC on Crete causing misery to the 8th Army in Libya, the RN as well have been hit hard in the Med, As the Allies I've got Norway, Tobruk and Benghazi, he has France and not much else. Not very balanced. But..... we did start Barbarossa at the same time...so maybe a good reason for a short AAR. So I'll keep this AAR going until the Severe Winter ends at the beginning of '42.

[massina_nz]

Okay I've had to back-engineer the last turn so the screen dumps are from the start of the turn, not the end.

July 12 1941 - Me as Axis

This is my second turn of Barbarossa.

Finland
I've sent two INFs to Finland, I attack one GAR in the Karelin peninsula, and the Finnish INF to the northof Leningrad pushes the GAR to the north of it back a hex.

North Sector
I hit the Soviet ARM (which I see as my main threat) with two TACs and an ARM, it retreats back to red status and with three steps remaining. I kill a couple of GARs and an INF (IIRC). I'm using the STRs as recon. I also seal the pocket north of Brest-Litovsk and use the Italian INFs to reduce the GARs in the pocket. I also isolate the two GARs west of Riga.


South Sector
I destroy the two GARs in the Carpathians, and some INFs, GARs and a MECH in a general advance. I hit the Soviet BB with two TACs and the DD, reducing it to 4-steps.

[massina_nz]

June 2 1942 - Me as Allies

Again images are as of start of turn, not the end.

Finland
He attacks my GARs outside Leningrad.


Northern Sector
Widespread slaughter of GARs, I retreat everything away, and train anything outside the Wehrmacht reach.


Southern Sector
GARs attacked on a wide front, again I retreat everything back that I can.

[massina_nz]

1 August 1941 Me as Axis

(pictures as at end of my turn this time)

Finland
I attack his GAR outside Leningrad. I'm hoping to destroy the two GARs while they are low on effectiveness. I'm not aiming on taking Leningrad. My German troops are moving to engage the other GARs

Northern Sector
I kill 3-4 Russian units and hammer some others. Even though I'm thinning his lines, I'm looking a bit stretched in this sector, so my first re-inforcements will ship in to Vilna.


Southern Sector
I kill 5-6 units and take Odessa (bye bye Russian BB), there maybe some chances here for some encirlements, either this turn or the next as my strong elements are on the wings. Cannae anyone?

[massina_nz]

22 June 1942 Me as Allies

Finland
Pretty quiet


Northern Sector
Mass retreat on my part, god we're a long way away from each other. Axis spent their turn mopping up remaining trapped GARs.


Southern Sector
Carpathian pocket still holding out, otherwise it's head for the hills. I want to seal off the Crimea, so I can at least have a go at Ploesti once the STRs recover enough. Otherwise they are pretty redundant.

[massina_nz]

12 July 1941 Me as Allies

Finland
Not much happening here


Northern Sector
Not much happening here either


Southern Sector
And yes, you guessed it, not much happening here as well.


My opponent is still attempting to capture cities in French from the implacable Brits, which is tiyng up a lot of his resources.

[schwerpunkt]

"My opponent is still attempting to capture cities in French from the implacable Brits, which is tiyng up a lot of his resources."

Doesnt sound like this is a very typical Barbarossa then if the German player is fighting for cities in France? Did he garrison them poorly or just not respond well to British amphibious threats?

[massina_nz]

No it's not typical, I'm kinda wondering if there is any point in continuing the AAR. Given both Barbarossas aren't really developing within the standard norms, in fact they seem to be exact opposites. I just thought it might be worthwhile doing a short v1.04 AAR. Maybe I should just continue with the one as myself as Axis.

BTW his problems with France were from neither of the causes you postulated. It was because he didn't take Paris until March '41, and I had left 4 UK GARs in French coastal cities.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

How is it possible to hold Paris till March 1941? Didn't the Axis player build a new bomber and fighter? When did he attack Belgium?

[KingHunter3059]

I know I have had issues with this, when I failed to capture Paris by 3/41 - It was due to poor planning and better play from my opponent. It still stings, but with better training (GS Guide), and experience - this has not occurred since. But I think it may be systemic in this case, as I too am doing a double blind, and it's FEB 41, and the Germans are just barely in striking range of taking Paris. One of the issues with this game is that my opponent declared war on Switzerland and sent most of his most powerful units to take out that country, which is not good in my opinion, as the Swiss enjoy excellent defensive terrain. It has even tied up his Italian units as well, which means my Brits in the MED have had a cake walk. I have taken Massena and Palermo with garrison units before I secured Tobruk. France looks like Barbarossa in 42. On the other side, I captured Malta in the Med and am fending off a weak counterattack around Tripoli.

[massina_nz]

How is it possible to hold Paris till March 1941? Didn't the Axis player build a new bomber and fighter? When did he attack Belgium?

He's a first timer (as opposed to battered newbie like myself) He lost focus and spread his air elements too thinly. He attacked Belguim and Norway almost simultaneously in the Spring of 1940 (he'd also got bogged down in Denmark & the Netherlands at the same time in Winter). He wasn't able to pierce my lines behind the Meuse for quite a while, it was very 1914ish. So I was able to slowly retreat in France, and give him hell in Norway.

I'll at least post the next couple of turns, but if he doesn't advance far into Russia and in return I squash his Russian units, then this is probably a pretty pointless AAR, other than the learnign point that defending forward as the Russians in GSv1.04 onwards is somewhat precarious. It would have been more interesting if he had defended at the Dvina/Dneiper line and to see if I could have penetrated that.

[massina_nz]

1 August 1941 Me as Allies

Finland
Oh it looks like my opponent is putting himself in a pocket in the Karelin peninsula. Oh dear. I move an INF corp next to Leningrad. Next turn I'll probably ship out the GAR and attack the Finnish INF unit to cut the supply lines.


Northern Sector
Lots of German MECHs but not much movement. There's a handful of German MECHs and ARMs still in France.


Southern Sector
Odessa still holds out. Talk about no-mans land!

[massina_nz]

21 August 1941 Me as Axis

Finland
I take out two GARs and I aim to cut off the supply to two more in the next couple of turns.


Northern
Widespread counter attacks by the Russians. I suffer some losses, and the Italian ARM is pushed back.


In return I destoy 3 INFs and a MECH. I want to keep my lines straight here with no bulges for him to attack. He's repairing his ARM, which could be threat later on, better get my TACs onto it again. At least my airforce doesn't have to move much. The Russian BB is being a pain, he's putting the the two cut-off GARs in supply. My two fleets suffered some losses early in the game and I haven't bothered repairing them, so I can't really take on the BB .


Southern
More Counter-attacks by the Russians. One ARM suffers heavily.


Now I develop some opportunites for encirclement. Not quite a pincer movement, more like a pitchfork. I kill 2 INFs and a MECH. I even attack with my understrength units, which is kinda scary, but they still get odds like 5:1

[massina_nz]

21 August 1941 Me as Allies

Finland
Oh dear he makes the Karelin pocket even easier to accomplish.


So I ship the GAR out and then invade simultaneously and use the INF in Leninigrad to shut the gate. Same old newbie mistake, that I've done once (as the Axis) and never done again.


Russia
Well we're miles apart. You can't see it in the screen scrape, but most of my units are already in white effectiveness.

[massina_nz]

10 September 1941 Me as Axis

Finland
That GAR outside Leningrad is tough, takes three INF attacks and still stands there resolutely. My plan is just to destroy the two GARs and then retreat. In the North I cut-off one GAR. My plan is to cut-off the other two with my superior mobility and take the nearby city and then sit and wait.


Northern Sector
It's getting harder to beat up the Russkies. I kill two INF units, then do something stupid and expose my ARM unit. real dumb, it will die next turn. My plan here is to just sit and attrition the Russians. I need to destroy the Latvia pocket, and then ensure my Axis Minor Ally corps are in the second line for the upcoming winter.


Southern Sector
I lost an ARM in his turn, but I have captured Vinnista. The trap is slowly closing, once it does I should be able to advance across Southern Russia easily, probably even in the winter. Oh, for another TAC, but my one based on Crete is still hammering the Brits to great effect.

[massina_nz]

10 September 1941 Me as Allies

Not much really to report, Odessa still holds out. In Finland I start to attack Helsinki by Air, Sea and Land.

[massina_nz]

30 September 1942 Me as Axis

Finland
The Russian GARs actually cut-off my Northern-most INF corps. I didn't think they could do that due to ZOCs, but they did. I batter the two Russian GARs to re-establish supply. The GAR outside Leningrad still holds out despite great odds for me.


Northern Sector
I lost both the 4-step INF and ARM units to Russian counter-attacks. I revert back to artrition tactics and kill an ARM, MECH, INF and 2 GARs. My front line looks much better now and he is running out of units. But I only probably have couple of turns of good weather left. At least I've eradicated the Russians out of Latvia.


Southern Sector
I lost the INF unit holding Vinnsta (it was only 4-steps). I return to more conservative tactics and kill an INF unit and the TAC, and cut supply to the MECH unit, and hopefully ZOC it in place this time. I don't think he has any good opportunites for counter attack here.


So what have I learnt so far. Well the the v1.04 Barbarossa is much like the v1.02 one, except the first turn is a bit more rewarding for the Axis. You still have to follow the same old precepts of making sure your Axis units can't be counter-attacked easily. In regards to the Russian forward defense strategy you need to be patient. Given the limited open spaces to manuever in, you just have to grind the Russians down, which is quite easy, but not very Blitzkrieg. Don't be overly cavalier with your units. Destroy as many Russian untis as you can, you won't take much terrritory, but the 1942 Summer offensive should be much easier as their will be much fewer units to oppose you. So the Bltizkriegs should come in '42.

I'll keep this AAR going until the last turn of Severe Winter for 41/42. THat way maybe you'll get a feel for how potent the Russians can be in the Winter if they've lost a lot of units with the forward defense startegy.

[massina_nz]

20 October 1941 Me as Axis

I'm gonna stop posting my Allied turns as they really aren't particularly interesting. I'll post a summary at the end of the '41 Severe Winter.

It's mud this turn.

Finland
Pretty quiet.


Northern Sector
I destroy a sole INF. Otherwise I rest and repair.


Southern Sector
I destroy a MECH and 2 INF, another set of repairs as well. The mass of GARs on the right flank indicates to me that the Russians are running out of reserves. And their Severe Winter offensive will be very limited here. If I can create a Vinnista pocket, there will be no Winter offensive at all.

[massina_nz]

9 November 1941

I get an unepected turn of FAIR weather (25% chance).

Finland
I spot a GAR "invasion" fleet off Helsinki and move a FTR to block it. If we go back into to Winter next turn then it won't have anywhere to invade.

I keep reducing his GARs in the meanwhile and attack his FTR again.



Northern Sector
I kill another MECH and get ready for winter, I want to have my German INF Korps in the Front line before the Severe winter hits. The Northern Sector is now becoming my holding zone.



Southern Sector
Well 'I make hay while the sun shines' and destroy 1 MECH, 3 INFs and 2 GARs and send Timoshenko off on R&R. It's a bit risky to keep on attacking like this so late in the year, especially with those Axis Minor units being in the front-line. But if I can encircle those Russian units, then I will have nothing really to worry about and a whole lot of vacant Russian land to take. Wierdly I'm hoping for a Winter turn next turn, as it will make it easier for me to take Vinnista as the river penalty is reduced during Winter turns. If I get Mud or Severe Winter then I'll have to retreat and wait until Spring.

[massina_nz]

29 November 1941

Oh dear Severe Winter hits!

Finland
His transport returns to Leningrad. I still make some progress against the GARs and FTR despite all my Axis forces suffering effectiveness drops.



Northern Sector
There's some Russian counter-attcks, but becasue I was in a good position defensively little damage is done to the Wehrmacht. Especially those units in the Baltic states who don't get affected by the winter. Hopefully the Russians will keep attacking and I can reduce their strength further. I've made this mistake as the Russians before, continuing the Winter offensive when the Axis forces recover, getting worsening odds but persisting in the vain hope of breaking the Axis. Maybe my opponent will make the same mistake, he has shown a desire to attack whenever feasible so it is possible.



Southern Sector
Ouch! One INF is lost to a Russian attacks, and 1 is reduced to 1-step (north of Vinnista). I can't retreat it so I repair it in the forlorn hope it might survive, Otherwise I retreat my Mechanised forces on my right flank. My Axis Allies in the centre of my line look shaky, I hope they can hang in there. My opponet has move teh INF corp out of Vinnista, I may be able to take out the GAR in Vinnista, which would be useful in any possible encirclement ploys in the Spring.