Slitherine

Has anyone done the strachwitz offensive in gc44east?. Any tips or replys or video's?. looks impossible, (i normally do the other path) without losing core units. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Hugh,
this is the force I used and a summary of how I did it. Good Luck|

The Long War
Starchwitz Offensive
Field marshal Level, Starting Points 38595
After Replenishment and re-enforcements 35537 points Lost a lot more points than I thought in the last game, bruising!

Core
8x SS GebirgsJager 43 and SDkfz 250/251
1x Bridging engineer
1x SS MG 42 and SDkfz 250
1x SS Panther A
19x SS Tiger I
5x SS 17cm K18's and SDkfz 7's
3x SS 21cm MRS and SDkfz 7's
4x SS sIG 33
1x Su 122 captured during the game
1x SS Flak 36 and tractor
4x Fw 190A
2x Bf 109G
4x Ju 87G
1x Ju 87B Recon
2x Me 410A
3x Ju 188A

I split the core into 6 kamf, each fought individual battles before joining up into bigger and bigger Kamf forcing the Russians back, SpAAg's and AA caused serious damage to my air core, but they were key to destroying heavy soviet armour. While 85% of the core ground their way through the soviet defences the rest left Narva via the bridging engineer and travelled down the east flank clearing soviet units and outflanking defences clearing heavily defended crossings from the rear and allowing all flags to be taken. Brutal and costly.

I got a DV after 19/19 turns and ended on 36056 points. Not my favourite game, absolutely Brutal crossings 1 after another.

Martin.

Thanks for info milliethedog. Although its nikki's upgraded grand campaign I am using the origional equipment file so I only have 7 SE tigers (but overstrengthed) , the max allowed at this point and 5 ordinary tigers (at strength 10 as I dont overstrength ordinary tanks because of the soft cap which I play with as it forces you to think different ways). I tend not to keep catured tanks as they are a technological dead end so i took one look at the scenario and thought I probably even wouldnt get an MV without losing core units! and I really dont like losing core units although I have lots of spare prestige. Basically its a tank slugfest and you had 20 good ones as opposed to my 12, too much difference i think. I dont like these small maps with ridiculous amounts of units - it turns the game into a repetative arcade game .It limits the required creative thinking. I wonder how many of the scenarios for PZ2 will do the same thing despite the obvious lessons from PZ1 of the popularity of low unit density big scenarios.

Whoa. thats a lot of tigers...i usually only use like 2 of them max... tend to keep my tank force realistic, with Panthers and PzIVH 50/50..

I think gc44 and 45 would be impossible without a handfull of tigers WITHOUT regularly losing lots of core units. The other path (non-strachwitz) in gc44 is easier.

Here was my playthrough on that scenario on Field Marshall level, I will take the other route when/if I get there on my Manstein playthrough


Strachwitz Offensive
Starting Prestige 56106 after replacements and overstrength 51182 (I am supposed to earn 100 per round)

Brought 3 of my Grenadiers including Freidrich Pein, Movement Gerbisjager, 2 Pioniere's, Matthaus Hetzenauer; 2 AA's; Elephant; 10 arty's; 11 tanks including 5 SE Tigers, KV-85, 2 KV-1C's, +1 att Panther, Eric Litzke, and Heinz Rondorf; 4 fighters Walter Nowatny, 2 +2 Def Fighters, and 1 +3 def Fighters; 2 Tac Bombers including +1 Def and Uber Rudel; and 2 Strat Bombers.

Day 1 Rainy (Awarded 52)
Destroyed 2 Conscripts.
Day 1 ai CA nothing

Day 2 Sunny (Again awarded 52)
Pressuring Tuusna and seized airfield near Russiku.
Destroyed T-60, SU-76, Conscript, and SPAAG.
Green KV-1C awarded +3 att hero.
Day 2 ai CA
Bomber hit SE Tiger -2 me; Bomber, KV-85, ISU-152 hit Green KV-85 -8 me and T-34/41 hit aiG 38(t) -7 me.

Day 3 Sunny (Awarded 61)
Seized Tuusna.
Destroyed ISU-152, 3 T-34/41's, SU-76, 2 Conscript's, IL-2, SMG, and KV-85.
Matthaus Hetzenauer awarded Iron Cross 2nd class.
Day 3 ai CA
KV-1C hit by Bomber -2 me; 2 T-34/41's hit Pioniere guarded by arty -6 me -5 them; 2 AA's hit Strat Bomber -3 me; and AA hit +2 Def Bomber -2 me.

Day 4 Cloudy (Awarded 68)
Seized airfield in Northern part near Narva.
Destroyed Pe-2, 3 SMG's, T-60, Il-4, ISU-152, 2 T-34/41's, and SU-76.
+1 Def Grenadier awarded +1 Spot 2nd hero
+1 Def +1 Init SE Tiger awarded +1 Movement 3rd hero.
Bought 7 elite rep fro siG 38(t) and 8 reg rep for KV-85.
Day 4 ai CA
Arty and T-34/41 hit Matthaus Hetzenauer guarded by arty -1 me; Enemy seized Kaaterman; KV-85 hit KV-1C -2 each; M16GMC hit Strat Bomber -2 me; and arty hit Frederich Pein -1 me.

Day 5 Sunny (Awarded 66)
Retook Kaaternu and seized Kuningakula.
Destroyed 2 KV-85's, 3 SU-76's, Conscript, 2 T-34/41's, SPAAG, 85mm AA, and M16GMC.
Day 5 ai CA
T-34/41 hit SU-122 -3 me; T-34/41 hit Freidrich Pein -7 me -1 them; Cavalry hit 88 -4 me -3 them.

Day 6 Sunny (Awarded 71)
Pressuring Perminskula and seized Narva Crossing (16,9)
Destroyed KV-85, Conscript, 2 T-34/41's, Cavalry, and 85mm AT.
Movement Gerbisjager awarded Knights Cross with Oak Leaves for 1300 kills and Uber Rudel awarded Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds for 2600 kills.
(This is the highest award that I have received thus far and am awaiting with baited breath to finally be awarded the ultimate German Award. I am anticipating receiving it at 3400 kills, but hoping I might be lucky and receive it at 3000 kills. I cannot imagine what it will be as I recognize they are not using anything that can directly link them to the Nazi's, such as anything with the swastika.)
Day 6 ai CA
3 AA's hit +2 Def Fighter -4 me.

Day 7 Sunny (Awarded 81)
Seized Gorodenka and pressuring Otradhoye.
Destroyed SPAAG, 3 T-34/41's, 2 Conscript's, and 76.2 mm AT.
SU-122 awarded Iron Cross 1st Class.
Bought 5 Elite Replacements for Freidrich Pein.
Day 7 ai CA
Arty and Bomber hit 88 -2 me; Enemy destroyed my +1 Initiative 88 NUTS!!!; Bomber and T-34/43 hit KV-1C on river -7 me -2 them.

Day 8 Cloudy (Awarded 84)
Brought Otto Kittel to replace the lost 88.
Destroyed T-60, Cavalry, m16GMC, 37mm AA, and 78.2mm AT.
Bought 1 elite rep for Grenadier; 4 Elite for Pioniere.
Day 8 ai CA
T-34/43 and SU-85 hit SU-122 leaving me with 1 str ; AA hit Walter Nowatny -2 me; arty hit 88 -1 me.

Day 9 Sunny (Awarded 81)
Destroyed Conscript, 3 T-34/43's, SU-85, IL-4, Il-2, Pe-2, and 85mm AA.
Bought 3 elite rep for +4 Att AA and 6 elite rep for KV-1C.
Day 9 ai CA
Enemy destroyed my green SU-122. (Man I am getting creamed by some of these superior units. )
Arty and SMG hit Pioniere -3 me; and AA Hit +3 Def Fighter -1 me.

Day 10 Sunny (Awarded 82)
Seized Narva Crossing (11,27) and airfield next to Perminshula.
Destroyed Cavalry, 76.2mm arty, T-34/43, BA-10, 122mm arty, Katyusha, and 37mm AA.
Bought 9 elite rep for original SU-122 and brought in +6 Att Tac Bomber to replace lost SU-122.
Day 10 ai CA
AA hit Walter Nowatny -6 me; 2 AA's hit Otto Kittel -5 me; arty and SMG hit Grenadier -4 me -3 them.

Day 11 Cloudy (Awarded 82)
Seized Plussa River Crossing (20,11)
Destroyed SU-76, ISU-152, 37mm AA, SU-85, 76.2mm arty, and Conscript.
Bought 3 Elite rep for Pioniere and 4 Elite for Grenadier.
Day 11 ai CA
2 AA's hit Strat Bomber -1 me and reg inf hit Wespe guarded by +3 Def arty -2 each.

Day 12 Sunny (Awarded 82)
Pressuring Stantsy and seized Otradnoye.
Destroyed 152mm arty, SMG, 85mm AA, Reg Inf, and Conscript.
Bought 4 elite rep for Freidrich Pein and 6 elite for Walter Nowatny.
Day 12 ai CA
AA hit +6 att tac Bomber -2 me.

Day 13 Sunny (Awarded 80)
Pressuring Bol Borovnya, and seized Narva River Crossing (12,32) and Perminskula.
Destroyed Katyusha, IS-1, KV-85, 2 122 mm arty's, 37mm AA, and 2 reg inf's.
Elephant awarded +1 att 2nd hero.
Day 13 ai CA
T-34/43 ambushed by Tiger -4 them; Reg Inf hit KV-85 -3 me -5 them; AA hit Strat Bomber -1 me; T-34/85 hit Movement Gerbisjager guarded by 2 arty's -2 me -1 them.

Day 14 Sunny (Awarded 91)
Destroyed 2 T-34/43's, 2 Reg Inf's, SU-76, Guards, and T-34/85.
Bought 2 elite rep for movement Gerbisjager.
Day 14 ai CA
Enemy Reseized Narva River Crossing but T-34/43 died doing it.
Mobile AA hit +6 att tac Bomber -3 me; ISU-122 hit Elephant -1 them -2 me; T-34/85 hit Grenadier guarded by arty -2 each; Guards hit Pioniere -4 them -1 me; and arty hit Grenadier -1 me.

Day 15 Sunny (Awarded 100 and from hear on out)
Pressuring Perevolok and seized Chernovskoye and airfield as well as Slantsy, and even seized the airfield in the center of the map.
Destroyed Conscript, ISU-152, SU-76, M16-GMC, T-34-85, Guards, 2 Reg Inf's, T-34/43.
Bought 7 elite rep for SE Tiger and 4 reg rep for +6 att tac Bomber
Day 15 ai CA
Arty hit Polish arty -1 me.

Day 16 Cloudy
Reseized Narva Crossing (12,32)
Destroyed ISU-122 and BA-10.
Day 16 and 17 ai CA Nothing.

Day 17 Cloudy
Seized Bol Borovnya and Prevolok and even airfield near Slantsy.
Destroyed KV-1B, Gaurds, 2 Reg Inf's, 37mm AA, 57mm AT, Katyusha.
Day 18 Sunny
Seized Pl'ussa River Crossing (18,32)
Destroyed 152mm arty, Conscript, 2 57mm AT's, SU-85 and KV-1C.
Day 18 ai CA
2 artys hit my +2 att arty -3 me.

Day 19 Sunny
Seized both remaining Pl'ussa River Crossings and pressuring Peleski.
Destroyed 152mm arty, SU-85, and ISU-152.
Day 19 ai CA a whole lot of nothing..

Decisive Victory
Ending prestige 52034

Took over everything except Peleski and nearby airfield.
I destroyed everything except 1 IS-1, 3 T-34/85's, 5 Reg Inf's, 1 Guards, and 1 37mm AA.

Just done this one - had to replay it to get a DV, as first time I went for a "broad front" offensive and found my five battlegroups lacked the firepower to make good progress. They got bogged down and could not beat the timer.

I decided there were too many Soviet units for my core to fight on a broad front, so second time round, I focussed on three (or rather two and a half) battle groups, bypass infantry in woods where possible. Digging out infantry just takes too long for my now fairly infantry light core. And the Soviet infantry on this map seems fairly passive if skirted. For example, I snuck a division marching SW down the river from Narva, bypassing the Soviets in the woods. And I put more weight into the southern objectives as they were the least accessible. Picking my fights and using concentration of force was the key - it's nice when a game rewards sound battle tactics!

thanks econ21