Idaho defends the Motherland

[IdahoNYer]

Well, having held back the Soviet hordes from taking Berlin, the shoe is now on the other foot. My turn to defend the Rodina and then turn the tide to take Berlin against my old nemesis, Scar.

This will be my first go as the Soviets - did one game against the AI to get a feel for it through Dec 41.

I've read through some of the AARs and the great stuff in the war room on the forum - so, I'm probably as ready as I'll ever be.....which ain't very!

Any advice will be appreciated as I'll try to maintain the AAR as well....

Good luck Scar, hope this is another good one!

[Scarz]

This is my last post on this forum, as I will be banished to the invader forum I will start shortly. Onward to Moscow! Good luck IdahoNYer.

[Farfarer61]

Have fun. We're all in our own private Idaho

[janh]

Popcorn and beer! I will be watching this one closely. Have fun with the match!

[juret]

nice gonna follow this one

[schascha]

+1javascript:void(AddText('[:)]'))

[IdahoNYer]

And away we go! Solid turn by Scar across the front - fairly standard openings pocketing most of the forward Soviet armies. Panzers push east rapidly.

As for Soviet strategy at start, we'll try and hold Moscow at all costs. While I realize the Germans can seize anything they set their minds to, I'll try and make him pay a high cost for Leningrad. If I can make him bring additional panzers north, it could, in theory give Moscow some respite.

My goal across the front during the summer of 1941 is to effectivly delay, isolating panzer spearheads whenever possible, while not losing too many troops in the process. A fine balancing act to be sure.... At any rate, I'm not going to do a "Sir Robin" and pull east as fast as I can go, or do a "carpet", but rather attempt a series of defensive belts, each getting progressively stronger as the Germans drive east. Key to that is mazimizing use of terrain, fortifying whenever possible, and local counterattacks.

Beyond that, not much. Will be interesting to see how Scar weights his main effort and what he's attempting to do.

Being new to the Soviet side, this will be a learning experience. And turn one didn't disappoint. As I'm scrolling the mouse to see what the German stacks consist of, I notice the rail damage. In most hexes is says "axis rail damage 100". But in a few hexes I notice "Axis rail damage 1". Now I've found something interesting - I can determine where he's repairing the rails!!! NEVER knew that! That's great to know as a basis for a hex to be held at all costs, or an objective for a counterattack.

I also found out that HQs that are isolated can "relocate" to a friendly hex outside of a pocket. This "bounces" the HQs toward friendly lines to avoid capture - along with any support units it contains. They take some losses in the relocation, but might just survive to fight another day. A leader may be killed in the process, but it beats losing it all in a turn to a surrender. I did also find out you need to watch carefully which leader the AI decides to replace the killed leader with - had Zhukov as a replacement to the 13th Army - nope, can't have that....and transferred him to take the Northern Front and defend Leningrad!

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 1; Jun 22, 1941........Clear


Here in the Baltic States, NW Front is largely combat ineffective, but what forces are available attempt to slow the German juggernaut down. While the Germans take the Baltic ports, they are not garrisoned, allowing the two isolated Soviet Rifle divisions to regain the ports - and supply. The 22 NKVD Rifle Div in Riga sorties south 10 miles, linking up with lead patrols of the 28th Tank Div cutting a small corridor. Two other Rifle divisions cut a similar corridor the southeast - this isolates the German panzer spearhead. It won't hold of course, but it should slow him down a bit - which is a good thing too. There really isn't much of line established at the Pskov position yet.

Now that the Baltic pocket is no longer isolated, I can change the HQ of support units in the pocket - such as moving artillery regiments to STAVKA at the cost of 1 AP each. A true bargain! Keep them in the inventory and out of POW cages!

Further east we'll try and set up a line at the Pskov postion. Pretty bare right now...

[IdahoNYer]

Prospects in the Western Front's area of operations look bleak. What looks to be two Panzergruppe push rapidly east, encircling most of the Western Front along the border. What's left is in poor shape to delay, let alone hold. I attempt to cut off the panzer speahead, but can't close the gap west of Minsk. Perhaps that 10 mile gap will at least slow supplies forward????

Not much can be done in the Bialystok Pocket, other than relocating the HQs inside to the east. Its better than nothing..

I've put together a very thin delay line along the Berezina River as the defenses further east along the Dniepr are not manned yet.

[IdahoNYer]

Here in Southwestern Front's area, we actually have some success! While Scar established the standard Lvov pocket - we've managed to cut off most, if not all, the panzer spearheads in two places.

To the north, the spearhead that took Rovno is cut off by units moving toward the Pripet and linking up with a battered Rifle Div coming to meet them. A tank Div drives west from Rovno to link up with an AT Bde heading east.

The BIG event was a successfull attack, or rather a series of attacks and one finally being succesfull against a panzer regiment. Took four hasty attacks from both sides. The regiment also retreated north, splitting 11Pz and limiting its effectiveness next turn.

And while 14Pz made it to the Rumanian border, it was isolated from the remainder of PanzerGruppe 1 by Soviet units, resulting in the main panzer spearhead being isolated around Tarnopol.

Got lucky here. That fourth attack was the last one I could have managed. This "should" buy me some time to straighten out the line to the east. If nothing else, I was able to remove over half a dozen artillery regiments that would have been lost. While I moved significant portions of the Lvov Pocket's defenders eastward, I'm sure most of those will be encircled again next turn - and lost for good.

[IdahoNYer]

Nothing much exciting in the Southern Front's area. The front pulls eastwards toward the Dnestr River.

Overall, things are bleak. However, cutting off some panzer spearheads offers a glimmer of hope. Of course, the downside to that is that Scar won't make the same mistake twice - he may be a bit more cautious though. And that could work to our advantage as well.

In other areas, I've taken the airforce to the National Reserve for reorganizing. This aspect of the Soviet side baffles me. I see no logic to the Northern Frong having three air commands!! I'm assuming that an air command's name has no bearing on its function?? In other words I could, in theory, move the Baltic Air fleet to support the Orel Military District, right??

[Walloc]

ORIGINAL: IdahoNYer
I'm assuming that an air command's name has no bearing on its function?? In other words I could, in theory, move the Baltic Air fleet to support the Orel Military District, right??

Yes.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

[randallw]

You don't have to worry about surrounded HQs losing everything; they automatically bounce out of a pocket, taking the kind of losses you are seeing from the relocation option.

[Peltonx]

Very good job defending. GHC flanks have been very weak and you have taken advantage of his mistakes.

You have gained a turn alrdy.

A few more major errors by the german side and this will be a very short game.

Things are now very different then when you guys startered your first game, things are much more unforgiving of the german side.

You friend is in allot of trouble alrdy and probably is not going to recover.

The 2 games were friends have flipped sides is very telling of how much harder it is now then before to play German side.

In both cases the German side won the first set of games and in both cases the German side is clearly losing the 2nd set.

The German side can be mastered but requires allot of planning and understanding the CV/Combat/supply systems.

Good job so far.

[sillyflower]

I agree with Pelton - a pretty rubbish 1st german turn. Any more such carelessness and you will get a very easy ride.

[Klydon]

I think this highlights why it is beneficial for the German player to practice his opening turn several times before doing a "real" game or AAR. If the Germans don't get off to a good start, it just snowballs from there.

Good job by Idaho to take advantage of the German miscues here.

[Ketza]

I agree this is a sketchy start. Playing as Axis is very unforgiving. We will see soon enough

[Fishbed]

Been watching before, will be watching again [8D]

Good luck - but for God's sake, don't forget to build these forts at Pavlovo!!! Lately I just can't believe how many seem to forget about locking up the backdoor...

[IdahoNYer]

Apprecitate the confidence guys, but I have a long ways to go with plenty of opportunities to mess things up! However, had some success in opening supply up to pockets again, but of course, there is a cost....

[IdahoNYer]

Turn 2; Jun 26, 1941.......Clear

Started this turn out by evacuating industry. Pulled 3xArmaments from Odessa, Gomel, and Mogilev and 2xArm from the Leningrad area. I've decided to let the forward heavy industry remain as it takes up all too valuable rail.

I've also started to re-deploy the Soviet Air Force back to the on map bases, where air units with a morale/experience of about 50 is eligable to serve forward. We'll see how that works out.

Overall, I'm trying to establish some sort of defensive lines, but still don't have the necessary forces yet. When and where possible, relieve encircled units and isolate exposed panzers.

Here, against AGN, we really don't have much capability to hinder the German panzers - directly. Indirectly, I managed to open a corridor to the Baltic Pocket, which should delay some advancing German infantry from moving forward. The NKVD division in Riga is evacuated by sea, and replaced by a NKVD border regiment. The Pskov line remains very weak and at best can offer a delay. West of Lake Peipus, except for a garrison at Talinin, there isn't much period.

I've brought two "good" divisions (CVs of 3 and 5 respectively) to Leningrad to start digging. At the moment, its the best I can do....