Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

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caliJP
Posts: 320
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:26 pm
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Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

JC & I started a game a while back (actually Oct/Nov last year), him as German and me as Russian. We started with 1.0.7.11beta and have kept going with that version since then. We are both fairly new to the game, so not masters for sure. I have played 4 games as German (all my opponents gave up by T10 or earlier unfortunately), and this is my first real game as Russian (I gave up one previous game quickly after a crazy Lvov opening).
I wanted to post an AAR to get some feedback on our game play & strategy. It may be useful to some newbies also, as one strategy data point, and I am adding my own impressions.

This is a much-delayed AAR, as we are now in Fall 1942, and going strong. I am just now getting around to organize this AAR, so I think I will update it quickly so it can catch up to where we are in the game in the not-too distant future.

Game parameters:
- Full FoW
- All normal settings
- Random weather
- 290 VP
- Reduced blizzard

House rules:
- No bombing of HQ unless it is part of a stack
- No dropping of paratroops in isolated manner just to break supply lines. Paras must be used in combined operations with other troops to achieve a military objective
- No freeing the romanians or huns before T3 by the germans
- To prevent a crazy Lvov pocket: Germans can't get further east than hex column 56 on T1. This allows bagging most of the soviets along the border, but not the entire SW front before the soviets even move 1 unit!
- Soviets to try to defend forward as much as possible, no running like crazy. Retreat only when an obvious encirclement danger is seen.

In this AAR I’ll show maps after my (soviet) moves
JP
caliJP
Posts: 320
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T1 North:
Fairly standard German opening, Riga is taken and Daugava crossed. Soviets retreat to start forming a defense line south of Pskov along Velikaya and Sinyaya rivers. A few speed bumps left in marches in front of that. One pocket is broken west of Riga. Those units are condemned, but they should create some speed bump for T2.


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

Sorry I mixed the image, this is the North



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caliJP
Posts: 320
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T1 Center:
Also fairly standard German opening and pockets. Germans get very close to Minsk but do not reach it. Soviets retreat to the Dnepr and Landbridge while leaving some speed bumps in front of that along the Berezina.

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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T1 South:
The Germans make the Lvov and Kovno pockets. Remains of the SW Front retreat and form 2 defensive lines, one just east of Rovno, and one further east. I try to have my tank & motorized divisions behind the infantry to provide reserve and depth to the defense. Additionally some units line up on the east side of the Dnepr. My goal is to get the fort level there to 2 before the Germans reach the Dnepr, and use it as the first real solid defense line in the south.

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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T2:
General organization: by T2, I have most of the soviets corps disbanded. Even though they go away for free later, I find they really get in the way, so I spend the extra AP. This allows me to quickly organize the red army in armies, with all SUs at army level to be available to support any combat unit in each army. I also keep the CP in each army at 18 or below, so that when the CP level of armies is reduced to 18 later I don’t have to spend APs to move units around. APs are short later in 1942, but not that much in 1941 when you don’t have the manpower to build more units anyway.

North: Panzers wipe out the few speed bumps, and continue moving north and east, reaching the soviet defense line south of Pskov. The German infantry cleans up all the pockets made on T1. Some of the soviet tank and motorized units are placed in good defensive terrain behind the first line to provide some depth to the defense.


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T2 Center:
Like in the north, most of the speed bumps are wiped out by the Germans, and the major pocket north of Brest-Litovsk is cleaned up. However a few soviet units around Minsk are able to isolate the German spearhead. This should slow it down a bit… More units get brought up to the Dniepr and Landbridge.

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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T2 South:
The Lvov and Konvno first soviet line of defense by Rovno (northern part of line) gets pierced, remaining soviets units retreat to the second line. A new line of defense in front of Kiev gets pieced together. The goal is to get some fort level to be used later by retreating SW Front units.


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T3 North:
It is quiet, Germans must be waiting for infantry…


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T3 Center:
Quiet here also, the Germans must be waiting for infantry… I line up some shell units that just arrived into a line by Smolensk. This will be a fallback line when the Landbridge line gets smashed, which I know it will…. As in other sectors, I place some armored units 2-3 hex behind the line to act as reserve and also deepen the defense.



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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T3 South:
The Germans continue to move east, and the southern part of my first line of defense gets smashed…

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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T3 Odessa sector:
The soviet Southern Front retreats to the Dnetsr river to start forming a defense line (started T2 actually). A hodge-podge of units also line up along the Y. Bug river to build-up and start digging a second line of defense.


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T4 North:
The Pskov line gets smashed, the soviets retreat to the marches east of the line. Also a line along the Luga river gets pieced together (getting everything I can from the line in Finland), and a line between Novgorod and the Peipus Lake gets formed. This one is really more intended as a speed bump than anything else. Germans capture Tallinn and turn east. Not showing on map, but Finns start pushing…


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T4 Center:
A German spearhead reaches the bend on the Dnepr river, but some soviet units manage to isolate it by flipping some hexes. Since the Germans were able to push over my Landbridge units so easily before they had a chance to dig-in, I retreat to avoid being pocketed. Also I am hoping to have a more in-depth defense when combined with other units that were behind the line. The lines gets thicker as more and more new units arrive, which allow me to build a more in-depth defense.


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T4 South:
Ouch, I mis-calculated how far the panzers can go! A lot of the SW front gets pocketed! However by sending a cavalry unit from the outside to push the thin German panzer line, I re-open the pocket and then trapped units are able to punch a bigger hole and start escaping east… I am also able to punch another hole in the German line north of that and isolate a few Germans panzers… My line in front of Kiev becomes more complete and lines up with a new line south of it. I keep lining up units along the Dnepr also.


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T4 Odessa:
Seeing the progress of the German AGS, my Dnestr line seems too far west and could be turned from the North, so I retreat to the Y. Bug river.

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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T5 North:
The Germans push slowly, still waiting for infantry I think


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T5 Center:
I can see more & more units gathering in front of the Dnepr, I know the onslaught is coming! I know I won’t be able to hold the Dnepr long, so I prepare another line on the Prnoya river, and one along Smolensk/Oster river. Finally a third line made of beat-up units line up along the Dnepr east of Smolensk for a third line.


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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T5 South:
Many units were able to escape the pocket and are retreating. But the Germans closed the pocket again, this time for good. My line along the Dnepr is starting to take shape. Some ghosts take position along the Vorskla river, to prepare a new defense line, which will hopefully continue south along the Dnepr/D+Z and Molochna river once more units arrive.

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caliJP
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RE: Grand Campaign 1941 - JC vs JP

Post by caliJP »

T5 Odessa sector:
More soviet units line up along the Y. Bug river, and I left a few speed bumps in front of that.


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