41-45GC - A FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL - GLVACA (Sov) v SJ80 (Axis) - NO SJ80

[glvaca]

This will be my first AAR and to my own surprise it's going to be from the Soviet perspective. I had always wanted to do one but always figured it would be from the Axis perspective. Well, maybe later.
This is my third pbem as the Soviet. The 2 previous ended with a German surrender either just before Blizzard or half way through. I specifically responded to SJ80 thread after I read his previous AAR because I wanted to play an aggressive German player who knows the value of concentration and speed of maneuvre. I can tell you now, I have not been dissapointed! In fact, I have been tested to the core and it has confirmed my strong belief that 1941 is very, very hard as the Soviet player. Anyone who argues differently has never played the Soviet versus a skilled German, is a fool, or both.

We have several house rules:
1. No bombing of HQ's if stacked without a combat unit.
2. No use of mule HQ's. So no HQ buildups for empty HQ's in the rear, move forward and then attach Panzers too.
3. During the game we agree to no airdrops farther than 10 hexes starting count from the most friendly unit.

Since morale is probably the most important soft factor in the game, I always play with it selected. Even if it is often depressing as the Soviet it's still useful to see the German quality you are facing as it helps to establish the Schwerpunkt of your opponent.

The game is currently at Turn 18 and it has been a nail biter for me from Turn 2 (you'll soon see why). But let's start with listing my start of the game objectives:
1. Preserve my army to enable me to launch a credible blizzard offrensive.
2. Stop the German advance as far West as possible.
3. Ideally, hold on to the Lower and Dnepr bend as a spring board for the Blizzard counter offensive.
4. As an absolute minimum hold on to Moscow, Voronezh and Rostov. In my previous games I have never lost Kharkov for example.

The game started with version 1.05.xx but has been progressively upgraded to the latest version and is currently at 1.06.03 beta.

[glvaca]

TURN 1

The first turn is pretty standard by now but also of high quality. All pockets are air tight and can't be broken.
The one strange thing is in the North, where Sebastian (SJ80) prefers to surround rather than route the border defenders. He also fails to capture Riga although he does cross the Daugava setting himself up for a rapid advance towards Pskov.

Sitrep before Soviet moves:
North and Center

[glvaca]

South:

[glvaca]

Losses:

[glvaca]

More losses:

[glvaca]

Soviet move:
I spend most of my precious AP to disband 6 corps, 4 fortified regions, assign Feyodor Tulbhukin to command 4th Army (which I provide with 4 RR bridgades) and which will be responsible for the defence of the land bridge. Many will argue against disbading Corps as they go away for free but I want to have a descent amount of support units my armies ASAP, disbanding selective Corps will help with that at only 1AP.

I'm also very freaky about C&C, and spend a lot of AP's to have as clean as possible C&C. Probably too much but I think it is one of the ways to make a difference in the game. Many times combats are won or lost by fractions, losing or winning can be determined by not having the -30% modifier.

I also put most of my army in the North, Center and Kiev region on refit. Only the extreme South will have to wait as I anticipate I have more time there. With the massive amount of replacements in the first turns, this will transform many weak divisions into "strong" ones.
I rail out as much as I can in the South and rail in as many unfrozen reserves as I can and use the best divisions to shore up the center and North. What I can't rail out in the South is consolidated in an attempt to survive the next turn and then make a run for it.

Overview North/Center after Soviet moves:

[glvaca]

Close up Pskov defences:

[glvaca]

Close up upper Dnepr "defences":
I'm basically expecting a classic 2 pronged attack through Borisov and Bobruisk. Still I want to guard against an outflanking move through Ushashi and Lepel.
At the same time I'm building my defences for the land bridge and but have limited forces to spare to put behind the Dnept bend.

[glvaca]

South:
Here I make a run for the Dnepr. I don't believe in fighting East of the Dnepr and want to preszerve maximum strength to fight on the Dnepr and further East as I possible can. Unfortunately, I can't rail everything out and some units are still frozen.

[glvaca]

TURN 2

Feeling pretty confident I open turn 2 and get a shock. Well, actually 2 shocks.
In the North, Sebastian has swept away my screen and crossed the Velikaya with easy. 7th Panzer is identified in the area which leads to the conclusion that Leningrad is one of his prime objectives early on in the campaign.
In the Center an outright dissaster has taken shape; he has managed to cross the upper Dnepr bend with 2 Mech divisions! Not pretty. This is blitzkrieg of the highest order and he's got my full attention now! [X(]

[glvaca]

South:
Nothing dramatic except that I lose the divisions I couldn't rail out last turn. Clearly, I cannot expect to get away with sloppiness!

[glvaca]

Clearly, I'm faced with a serious crisis in the Center and to a lesser extent in the North. Both require a strong response to keep the situation under controle.
Again, the South is pillaged of it's strongest divisions which are railed to shore up the center.
13th Army (Rodion Malinovsky) is reinforced and deployed against the German bridgehead. Depth is added by deploying strongpoints to the rear. It's not enough, I'm sure, but it's the best I can do for the moment. On a possitive note, the Mech divs are SP55, which, I hope, will limit their mobility severely.
I give up the the East Dnepr as staying there can only lead to a pocket.
The land bridge is further reinforced to prevent a shift of direction.

[glvaca]

In the North I deploy everything I can get my hands on to slow his advance. On the positive side, his infantry is at least 1 to 2 turns away so I'm hoping that my defense of Pskov and the swamp area's, with some depth, will at least prevent a serious breakthrough to Leningrad where I have virtually nothing to hold him.
NW fronts 27th Army (Nikolai Berzarim) is tasked with holding the fascists at bay.

[glvaca]

South:
Here I continue to run away as fast as possible and put every effort in preparing a strong defense of the Dnepr.
Unfortunately, with the dire situation in the Center and North, few AP's remain to sort out C&C, or to invest in RR contruction brigades so digging in is slower than I would want...
In addition, many of the best divisions are transfered North which will unavoidably weaken the defense.

[Flaviusx]

Needs more picketing. You're giving the axis too much room for maneuver, particularly down south. (But also in the center.) There's zero point, for example, in withdrawing NKVD units to the Dnepr -- those guys should be zocing the front line. They are going to disband anyways. Just keep throwing junk at him. NKVD, airborne brigades, low morale infantry, antitank brigades, that sort of thing. One unit every three hexes, keep contact with the Axis. No more than this, however. The key is to maintain a skirmish line, but no more than the absolute minimum.

I would have sent more north and less to the center. I hardly bother defending the Smolensk corridor anymore, frankly. You could easily have a dozen more divisions near Pskov this way.

The defense of the Dnepr ought to incorporate terrain features west of it. The marsh and rough hexes in particular.

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Needs more picketing. You're giving the axis too much room for maneuver, particularly down south. (But also in the center.) There's zero point, for example, in withdrawing NKVD units to the Dnepr -- those guys should be zocing the front line. They are going to disband anyways. Just keep throwing junk at him. NKVD, airborne brigades, low morale infantry, antitank brigades, that sort of thing. One unit every three hexes, keep contact with the Axis. No more than this, however. The key is to maintain a skirmish line, but no more than the absolute minimum.

I would have sent more north and less to the center. I hardly bother defending the Smolensk corridor anymore, frankly. You could easily have a dozen more divisions near Pskov this way.

The defense of the Dnepr ought to incorporate terrain features west of it. The marsh and rough hexes in particular.

Nah, I don't agree with that concept. I not only find it totally ahistorical, it also doesn't work. If I'm confronted with that as a German, I laugh, actually. If you're playing opponents who fall for that, you should look for better stuff.

Tha choice between North and Center is a difficult one and I guess more a personal choice than anything else. Under the current situation, remember, this is turn 2 you're seeing, I'm not about to give up the Dnepr without a fight at this early stage. I need to buy time, and none better than at that particular spot while I wait for reinforcements. The tricky bit is knowing when to call it quits and retreat to the next line...

As I said in the first post, One of my key objectives is to hold Moscow, I'm prepared to lose Leningrad, but not without a fight.

EDIT: As to defending the marshes etc... to the West of the Dnepr, with 2 mech divs over the Dnepr and with the critical situation as a result, evertyhing you deploy West of the Dnepr is actually not contributing anything to the defense and is begging to be cut of when he bursts out of his birdgehead, which he eventually will. So, we'll just have to disagree on this one, again.

[Flaviusx]

It's worked just fine against every Axis player I've done this against, including Pelton.

[glvaca]

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

It's worked just fine against every Axis player I've done this against, including Pelton.

Yes, and as you yourself said in that game, the reason it worked is because Pelton didn't bother to establish pockets.
I do, and contrary to what seems to popular belief, the Russians don't have anything to throw away for free.

In the end it's a matter of preference. If you like it and it works for you, that's great.

[glvaca]

To finish turn 2, overview of the North and Center:

[Flaviusx]

The picket line, if done correctly, is totally expendable and costs more for the Axis to pocket than for the Soviet to establish. The point is to make the Axis waste time and energy to clear it. It's about feeding the beast just enough to slow it down without compromising yourself. And I'm still wondering why you are trying to save the NKVD units in particular.