Snapshot AAR Barbarossa South

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:39 am

I always wanted to play the Barbarossa South scenario. It's a very plausible 'what if' that could have changed the course of WWII.

In this scenario, the entire armored force of the Reich (with the exception of the Afrikakorps) is poised to strike into the breadbasket of the USSR, the industrial heartland, and the oil fields of the south. A screening force of infantry is tasked with guarding the northern flank, and pushing forward to liberate the Baltics.

The following screenshots were taken on September 16, almost three months into the campaign, and just prior to the expected onset of the rainy season.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:48 am

Army Group Caucasus was ordered to take the Crimea and Rostov, as gateways to the Caucasus. That has been accomplished (although the siege of Sevastopol is still underway). Maikop was taken, which meant a boost to the Reich's oil reserves. However, it is clear that if the weather closes in, it will be difficult to take the rest of the Caucasus.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:56 am

Panzer Army Caucasus has a powerful punch, but is seriously over extended. I need to move infantry up, but the RRs have been taxed to the limit just keeping the panzer columns moving forward. We know that the Russians are going to establish a line eventually, but have been rushing forward against their weak strongpoints so far.

I'm just hoping that the weather in this region will not be so bad that I have to halt the advance as Winter approaches.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:03 am

Panzer Army Ukraine has succeeded in taking the Ukraine, and is now approaching Stalingrad from the SW and NW. The Soviets are of course rushing in everything they can scrape up to hold the city. I basically have two weeks of good weather left. Stalingrad may be out of reach until the summer of '42.

Panzer Army Don took Kiev and captured all crossings of the Don River as a defensive flank for the upcoming Winter. Its panzer forces have now been rushed towards the SE to help with the taking of Stalingrad. But again - perhaps too late.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:13 am

Panzer Army Don has turned over responsibility for setting up a defensive position along the Don River to Army Group Don. That force is going to have to pull back from its forward positions and solidify its front from Gomel all the way across to Kursk. Infantry units are being shipped to the front from the homeland on a weekly basis.

As a harbinger of things to come on this front, the Russians have already started to hit back from the White Russian marshes, and from their position around Gomel. One German division was completely destroyed here.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:21 am

Army Group North has freed Estonia and Latvia, but is still short of its goal of taking Lithuania. It is probable that it will have to halt its advance and solidify a line from Riga to Minsk to the Pripets.

The Soviets are still holding out at Minsk.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 5:12 pm

October 1

Two weeks more into the campaign and the weather is still holding. Unfortunately, the Soviet defense of the Caucasus is stiffening. Baku looks far away.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:10 am

Panzer Army Ukraine has entered Stalingrad, but the Soviets are dug-in hard on both sides of the Volga. It's a slug-fest, but its clear now that the city will fall. Now the question is: can I take the last RR that connects the Caucasus to the rest of the USSR? So the goal for this winter is to make an all-out push towards Astrakhan. It sits at the mouth of the Volga, the key to the Caucasus.

gwgardner · Post by **gwgardner** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:33 am

No sooner did I reveal my plan of genius ... and the weather turns sour. Here comes the mud. Note that the cold is closing in also, with snow mixed in with the rain.

Perhaps I will have to settle for cutting that last RR south to Astrakhan. Oh, I can cut it, but can I hold it?