Time of Fury beta version Barbarossa solo AAR

After action reports for Time of Fury

Moderators: Slitherine Core, Time of Fury Design

Hairog
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Sergeant First Class - Elite Panzer IIIL
Posts: 406
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:26 am
Contact:

Post by Hairog »

Excellent start to a great AAR.
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

The Admiral Hipper has been in Kiel for repairs. Unlike the historical situation, wherein Hitler repeatedly turned hot and cold with regard to the naval budget, I have no intention in this war of repairing or building capital ships. So I'm sorely tempted to send the Hipper off to join the Baltic Fleet. It's guns should account for a Soviet tug or two.

Image
Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

It's 4 AM, June 22, 1941. Barbarossa begins.

An army marches on its belly - isn't that the saying? So railroads are going to be the key to keeping the army supplied. Example, the Railroad from East Prussia north to Riga. AGN has to take and control that line. It will have to be quickly repaired and reguaged.

Trouble is, the Soviets know this just as well as the Germans. Case in point, the Soviet 12 Armored Corps, in forward positions along the rail line. A perfect opportunity for the Wermacht to display its combined arms capability to smash that Soviet unit to smitherines.

38th Corps can do the job by itself, but with the help of the Luftwaffe, it will be a lot 'cleaner' and quicker.

In this instance, Stuka tank-busters rain down on the Soviets. In game terms, what was going to be a 5 to 1 combat odds, infantry vs tanks, becomes 7 to 1, with German combined arms.

This kind of combined arms attack is going to take place all along the front.

Image

Detailed combat reports are available. In preferences one can put these on a display timer, or require a mouse click to close. Note the record of planes, tanks, personnel lost - these are directly tied into current strength of a unit.

Image

With the tank corps out of the way, 4th Panzer Army rushes forward. Here comes into play one of the most elegant ways to depict railroad control and repair that I've seen in wargames. Damaged rail hexes are clearly marked. Construction and repair assets follow along behind the combat troops to get the capture rail lines ready for use by the Wermacht. There are no repair units under player control. That bit of micromanagement is not needed.

Image
Last edited by gwgardner on Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

AGS's first week advance is shown here in two different map modes.

The first shows the normal map mode, using more or less natural colors, borders denoted by lines.

Image

The second shows the same area, but color coded to show the gains that AGS has made into Soviet territory.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

The Soviets are in shock, and at first their entire air force was grounded. However, I did not do a good job of seeking out and destroying their air units on the ground. Within a few days of the initial attack on June 22, the Red Air Force has struck back against lead elements of Army Group Center.

The Soviet bombers made it through on their first run, but German fighters intercepted their second attack.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

Naval action is reported between turns, after all countries have moved their fleets.

I had put all my subs out to sea in raider mode. U-84 was lucky enough to come across a British battle group including the carrier Indomitable. Such a target was not to be passed up, so the U-84 snuck inside the carrier's screen and got off two torpedoes before turning to run.

One torpedo hit, and did 3 SP damage to the Indomitable. But that ship and its escort, led by the HMS Rodney [remember that a ship in this game is actually a named ship plus destroyers and other auxilliary ships] then went on the hunt and were able to trace the sub's movements and start firing depth charges.

Image

Forced to the surface by repeated concussions, the sub was easy pickings for the Indomitable's hunters. U-84 went down with its deck gun firing, but it was just no match for the British task force.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

After a week of operations attempting to hunt down Allied convoys, my sub force has had less than savory results.

Image

Obtaining one successful raid, with one kill, has to be contrasted with my own losses.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

Situation Inhospitable in the Libyan desert.

My Afrikakorps attempted a headon assault against Tobruk, but was repulsed with heavy losses. I won't try that again.

Recon shows that the British are moving up mobile forces west of Sidi Barrani. In a daring raid, their Escarpment Force brigade has taken Fort Capuzzo. If they can follow up on that, they threaten to encircle my forward force.

I'm going to pull back and attempt to besiege Tobruk, holding off the British with the AfrikaKorps and my air forces. It looks dicey however, because the enemy clearly outnmubers my forces.

Tobruk is vital for both sides in this conflict. I have an entire German corps embarking on ships in Athens, but if I send it to Tripoli it will take weeks to drive east on the coastal road to the front. I need to be able to debark at Tobruk!


Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

Partisan activity is something that the Germans must contend with throughout the Greater Reich. Yugoslavia has no sooner been conquered and subdivided, than the locals have taken to the mountains and forests to plan revenge. In the new state of Croatia, a partisan brigade is discovered near a vital rail junction northeast of Belgrade. If this renegade group is not taken out, it and others like it could disrupt transport to the front.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

Beginning of July, '41

It's the third week of Barbarossa. I've ordered one coastal sub a week, have two infantry divisions in training camps, and have reinforced some air units. Looking to the future, I've decided to max out on research spending, investing in infantry, armor, air, and sub technological advances. I won't invest a penny in naval research, other than subs. Nor in that will-o-the-wisp thing called nuclear.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

In North Africa the situation is no longer inhospitable. It's downright unfriendly.

I'm hitting the lead British units with bombing runs, but don't know if that's going to be enough to forestall their continued effort to flank me on the south. My goal right now has been to extract the Italian 21st Corps, but the slackers are moving so slow! Alright, they're low on supplies, but don't they understand the urgency of the situation?

I'm barely covering Tobruk now, putting everything into stopping the Brits. Depending on how determined their commander is, I may have to abandon the Italian infantry and fall back before my air bases are threatened.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

British provacateurs have instigated the lawless element in occupied France to go on a criminal rampage. They call themselves the Resistance!

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

July 9th

It's 17 days into Barbarossa. My Wermacht has had varying degrees of success compared to history. Biggest failure: I have focused more on advancing to objectives than encircling and destroying Soviet units.

Image

AGN has had fairly good success, having taken Riga and advanced into southern Estonia. Approximately 5 Soviet divisions that had formed a line just north of Riga have now melted back into the forests and swamps. Whether they have moved farther north or elsewhere I don't know.

Image

Lead elements of AGC's 2nd Panzer Army are 90 miles from Minsk. Historically, AGC should already be poised on the Dnieper, preparing to cross for the push on Smolensk. The Soviet AI has desperately demoralized and weak units, but they have effectively laid roadblocks that I have to overcome one by one, stopping my advance. Infantry is lagging behind, primarily for the same reason. However, the movement rate of infantry may need to be tweaked a bit - and this is one of the finest features of Time of Fury - such factors as movement speed can be easily tweaked.

Image

AGS has a hard slog across the hills and dales east of the Carpathians. I made the mistake of sending some of my mobilized infantry into the Pripets, in a laudible attempt to guard my flanks - but it backfired. The Soviets just dissolved into the swamps and I have yet to extract my units. So 1st Panzer is strung out over 300 miles of territory.

When Soviet tank units do stand and fight, they are tough to bring down unless I hit them hard with my own armor.

Image

My polyglot force advancing out of Romania have hit a wall of strong Soviet units determined to keep me out of Odessa, and doing a good job of it so far. I have brought two corps of reinforcements into the region from France, and the Romanians themselves are still bringing in reinforcements.

The Soviet AI does not hesitate to hit me when the opportunity presents itself. Witness my 72nd Infantry Division, southwest of Kishinev. I knew it was vulnerable when my roving recon flights reported strong Soviet tank units in the area. Sure enough, those tanks slammed into the 72nd and gave it a drubbing. An important feature of Time of Fury is that a unit gets reinforcements at a slower rate when not in home territory, so I'm going to have to withdraw the 72nd from the line, and march it back closer to supply bases to get it back up to fighting strength.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

As the 3rd-4th week unfolds in the north, an opportunity presents itself. Recon shows that the Soviets have a concentration of armor around Vilnius. AGN is driving into Estonia. AGC is poised to test the defense of Minsk.

So I have a big decision. Should I redirect 3rd Panzer Army to attempt an encirclement of the Vilnius tank defenders? Or press on with the everything towards Minsk and Smolensk, and leave the infantry to take out the tanks?

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

The opportunity is too savory to pass up, so I directed 39th Panzer in combination with 17th Infantry to drive directly against the Vilnius defenses. Taking Vilnius will drop the supply of the rest of the defenders sourrounding Vilnius to zip. Then the rest of 3rd Panzer Army will swing up to the northeast to trap the Soviets.

Big bonus, my advance on Vilnius reveals that two air groups - including strategic bombers - are hastily pulling up stakes and struggling to get in the air before I arrive. They may get the planes away, but their entire ground crew and logistics are done for.

Image

Got'em! In the process of swinging my armor in to take those air groups, I've left my own southern flank wide open for the Soviet 17th Tank Army to escape. 2nd Panzer's commander, Generaloberst Guderian, is screaming bloody murder that he will not peel off even a single regiment to close that gaping hole. High Command lets him have his head. It's going to be up to the infantry to force march into the breach.

Oh, and notice that in my determination to get those air groups, I failed to completely close the circle on the Soviets. They'll still be able to get minimal supply.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

Minsk fell to AGC, the fortress at Brest-Litovsk, guarding the rail line through the Pripets fell to repeated infantry assaults, and in the far south Odessa is now liberated from the Soviets.

Intense fighting west of Kishinev failed to break the Soviet line there, but near Odessa, the 102 Panzer Brigade that I had brought in from France went into action immediately and smashed through the defenses of that city. Once rail lines are repaired into Odessa, it will be a valuable supply hub.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

In Libya the British continue their push with their Escarpment Force, still attempting either to flank the Afrikakorps, or to simply close off any escape route to the west.

What to do? Should I leave it up to the audacious Rommel? Or be cautious, and order him to withdraw everything movable to the west, leaving the hapless Italian 21st Infantry Corps to dangle on the vine? One factor that favors caution is that British air strikes out of Malta have disrupted my transport of supplies for the last two weeks. Therefore the effectiveness rating of my forces in North Africa has been reduced.

For two weeks I've taken a huge risk, that the AI would not break out of Tobruk. The imperative for the British is to hold Tobruk, but if the AI is smart enough to ship in a replacement garrison, the unit there already could easily just head west and start engulfing my airbases.

Image

In the end, I turned cautious.

Image

Note that I hammered the Aussie 7th from the air over and over again, losing at several Italian air strength points to no obviouis effect. I had forgotten the crucial characteristic of air-to-ground combat in Time of Fury: air power cannot destroy a ground unit; it can reduce a units strength to a certain point, but after that, it will only reduce the units effectiveness.

Meanwhile, reinforcements have arrived in Tripoli, but they are a long way off. The best I can hope for at this point, is to reestablish a holding line at some point between Tripoli and Benghazi.

Image
Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

Week 4 of Barbarossa. The Soviets are holding strong around Vinnitsa, with their strongest armored units. I just don't have enough assets to make any kind of direct assault, so am working on cutting those units off from their supply lines.

One hindrance, even though I have Odessa now, is that my own supply lines are long.

Enter the convoy! One of the most interesting, strategy-changing new features of Time of Fury is the convoy from an allied port. So I've just set up an GERMAN convoy from Constanza in Romania to Odessa. If the Soviet Black Sea fleet doesn't intercept this convoy, I'll be able to get full supply into Odessa even before establishing a rail connection.

Image
gwgardner
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Lieutenant-General - Nashorn
Posts: 3471
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:59 am

Post by gwgardner »

Meanwhile along the Atlantic Wall ...

Recall that French Resistance unit that established an armed presence in Northern France. Unfortunately my local commander did not take the threat seriously, and the result is that hundreds of Frenchmen have rushed to the flag. Now their strength has gone up precipitously. I'll no longer be able to squash them. I'll have to bring in some help.

Worst thing is that the British are providing supply to that Maquis unit, directly from the beachhead.



Image
Magpius
Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 7:53 am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Wow

Post by Magpius »

Great AAR GW.,
Is the A.I. more aggressive or playing differently to the TOW equivalent?
Is rail supply now in effect or only benefiting strat moves?
(and thanks for showcasing my, and all the other modder's efforts here)
Agent S
Post Reply

Return to “Time of Fury AAR's”