Plaid vs Vokt CEAW GS 3.2 beta AAR -- rematch

[Plaid]

Another SW turn with one German infantry destroyed and another one reduced to 1 step. Italian corps and number of axis minors units also take damage.



Axis turn:

Another retreat in area north of Kiev, little happens elsewhere.

Finns attempt to take Petrozavodsk, but only managed to reduce garrison here to 2 steps.





In Africa mop up action is complete, Italians are going to have some rest here for now.



US convoy turned out to be barely escorted and attacked by 2 uboats.



PPs were utilized on repairs and upgrades this time.

[Plaid]

Allied turn: ground attacks only against Romanian garrison in Bryansk, which survived at 1 step.

Soviet air units finished off depleted retreating Italian and German corps units.





USN DD attack our sub for 3:1 result (not in our favour). Those subs are heading for upgrades aswell now.



During axis turn fair weather rolled all across the map.

As a result counteroffensive launched between Bryansk and Gomel. 2 mechs (one of which was guard) and 2 corps destroyed.
Also destroyed garrison SE of Novgorod. Finns captured Petrozavodsk.





Moscow bombed into 0 production. Axis units still suffer from reduced effectiveness after SW, thing supposed to get better in few turns.

2 more corps recruited for Germany.

[Plaid]

Soviet troops retreat, abandoning Gomel.





Strategic bombing campaign started, though RAF takes some damage.



During axis turn we attack mostly in the North, where our goal is to link with Finns and completely clear Novgorod-Leningrad area of soviet troops.

Novgorod was bombed by 2 TACs for 2 damage, unit becomes guard. Odds for ground attack are not good.



Also destroyed Soviet corps in Chernigov and unopposed advance in the south:



Battered Romanian TAC (reduced to 4 steps by soviet FTR direct attack) railed to Hamburg. Fighters there also repaired.



Large Soviet convoy emerges during LL phase:



German armour unit deployed previous turn is upgraded into elite, 2 more corps purchased for Germany. Italy use PPs for repairs.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

Why is the Axis oil reserves so low at the start of the possible 1942 offensive? DId you have to burn a lot of oil retreating during the winter?

I usually have 600+ oil in May 1942 as the Axis. Enough to have a decent 1942 offensive. Late 1941 I usually rail my armor / air units to safety to save oil and resist the temptation to use airstrikes against Russian units.

[Plaid]

Why is the Axis oil reserves so low at the start of the possible 1942 offensive? DId you have to burn a lot of oil retreating during the winter?

I usually have 600+ oil in May 1942 as the Axis. Enough to have a decent 1942 offensive. Late 1941 I usually rail my armor / air units to safety to save oil and resist the temptation to use airstrikes against Russian units.

It's partly because Yugoslavia skipped or strategic bombers flying in the west almost every turn, but in previous game axis oil also went low in 1942-43. Still it's less of a problem than odds when attacking entrenched Soviet infantry units.

[Plaid]

Soviet troops take defensive stance, no counterattacks for now:





Northern convoy turned out to be heavily escorted, we will not attack it:



Axis turn: number of Soviet units destroyed, Novgorod captured and Finland linked to main supply line. Leningrad bombed strategically into orange production (will be 0 next turn for sure).

Fair deal of troops trapped near Leningrad. Sadly all of them are garrisons.





Some attacks just failed and units became guards instead of forward retreating where I need them.

Strategic campaign over Germany continues, but RAF fighters suffer some real damage.



PPs were used for repairs and upgrades, rest were saved. Oil situation is worrying again. Probably skipping Yugoslavia is a problem.

[Plaid]

Soviets counterattack, destroying corps and mech.



British sub attacks German battleship in France.



Ruhr reduced to 2 PPs (no screen).

German fighters leave Hamburg and rebase to Prague, to intercept only unescorted bombers. It means Ruhr region is left only with flak protection.

Eastern front:

Leningrad cut from the rest of soviet troops - its lots of garrisons our of supply there.



Also breakthrough near Cherepovets.

In the South probing action near Dnepropetrovsk. Reserve infantry units and SS panzerkorps railed here, since this flank of Soviet positions seem exposed.



And another convoy spotted. Likely will be protected by 3-4 destroyers again.



Spent German PPs on repairs and purchased 1 corps, saved the rest. I can purchase few more fighters, but it is already hard to repair existing ones.

[Plaid]

Soviet infantry counterattack occured, destroying Builgarian corps.



During axis turn cities of Leningrad and Dnepropetrovsk are attacked, but both hold.





Small breakthrough achieved near Kalining with soviet corps retreating out of the area and German units crossing Volga.
No Soviet heavy units there, we can achieve something.

[Plaid]

No offensive action from Allies - only strategic bombing campaign, attacks against German ships parked at French ports.

Also fighter attacked Italian positions in Lybia.







During axis turn cities of Leningrad, Dnepropetrovsk, Vologda and Yaroslavl fall to German hands.





Small 17 PP Soviet convoy sunk near origin point:



Critical artillery tech (+1 ground attack for infantry) reached and most units upgrade. Also purchased 3rd armour lab for Germany.

Anohter mech unit purchased for Italy.

[Plaid]

Small Soviet counterattack picked infantry unit near Kaluga.

Another one was bombed by TACs but mostly intact with 8 steps.



German BB unit keep being harassed by CV and sub and is reduced to 3 steps.



Looks like allies are launching new attack in Lybia.



Axis turn:

Naval units will try to escape from French ports. Probably battleship at 3 steps will be sunk.



Heavily escorted convoy spotted. No chance to attack, we will look for another one.



Attack near Kalinin destroys Soviet corps and occupies another hex across Volga. Additional forces railed to the area, including Manstein HQ armour from Leningrad
and II SS Panzerkorps from Dnepropetrovsk.



No offensive actions in the south:



All German and Italian PPs were spent on repairs and upgrades.

[Cybvep]

You are killing many Soviet units, that's good. The Soviets don't seem very powerful and with Moscow at 0 PP and Leningrad taken, their revenue can't be that high. The Brits have probably recovered from their losses because of convoy income, but the cost and logistics involved in the Battle of the Atlantic mean that you don't need to fear 1943 Overlord much. I'm quite sure that Vokt will attack Libya only when the Americans begin Operation Torch.

Maybe you should stop the Eastern offensives earlier than usual and conserve oil? Don't bother with taking Soviet territory, you have enough. Move your units to defensive positions, dig in and wait. Give ground during winter if the alternative means losing units. Also, if you haven't done this already, you should put a focus point on Industry, which affects oil production. And if you want to protect the Ruhr, you can put a FTR unit on sentry there (= no interception and only 1 STRAT attack).

[Peter Stauffenberg]

If you capture Belomorsk then you cut-off the Soviet rail supply to Murmansk and that means the north convoy won't go to Russia in non clear weather because the Archangel port is frozen. That means fewer PP's to Russia. The PP's will go to UK instead.

[Plaid]

You are killing many Soviet units, that's good. The Soviets don't seem very powerful and with Moscow at 0 PP and Leningrad taken, their revenue can't be that high. The Brits have probably recovered from their losses because of convoy income, but the cost and logistics involved in the Battle of the Atlantic mean that you don't need to fear 1943 Overlord much. I'm quite sure that Vokt will attack Libya only when the Americans begin Operation Torch.

Maybe you should stop the Eastern offensives earlier than usual and conserve oil? Don't bother with taking Soviet territory, you have enough. Move your units to defensive positions, dig in and wait. Give ground during winter if the alternative means losing units. Also, if you haven't done this already, you should put a focus point on Industry, which affects oil production. And if you want to protect the Ruhr, you can put a FTR unit on sentry there (= no interception and only 1 STRAT attack).

Thats right, many Soviet units are killed, but they are mostly low value garrisons. Oil level is lower than I like, but it is manageable. Even if I had limitless oil, I would not be able to launch all-out attack across the front because of poor odds vs entrnched infantry.

Industry tech was focused as soon as focus point arrived (somewhen in 1941).

Putting German fighter in Ruhr will mean it will be attacked by RAF fighter, its more PP damage than from resource bombed (and no free flak hit).

[Plaid]

If you capture Belomorsk then you cut-off the Soviet rail supply to Murmansk and that means the north convoy won't go to Russia in non clear weather because the Archangel port is frozen. That means fewer PP's to Russia. The PP's will go to UK instead.

North convoys are not making it through anyway, so I have little care about their destination at the moment.

[Peter Stauffenberg]

I have a feeling this game will end up quite differently from the last game.


What do you think is the major differences in strategy on your side giving you a much better hand to play now?

In the last game we believed it was the late start of Barbarossa (June 22nd) that contributed mostly to the Axis struggles. You had to attack Russia later than you intended due to weather so that can't be the main reason.

In the last game you attacked south and hit air because Vokt retreated his Russians. This time you smash through well defended front lines in the north. Could that be the reason? That this time you're actually going for kills and not territory? So maybe the Russian strategy will have to retreat wherever you attack, even in the north.

The big encirclement of Russian units in the north definitely contributed and that was probably a strategic error by Vokt. He should either have defended harder here with better units or fallen back before the units were cut off.

[Plaid]

I don't think 1942 campaign in the east was major success. Most destroyed units are low value garrisons and corps. Its probably very easy to replace them for Vokt.
All valueable shock units were carefully preserved.

Major mistake in old game was standing ground during SW weather. Soviet guard units are very strong with new exp rules (they are like double elites) and can kill axis corps units easily with low damage for themselves. Those units effectively chewed heaps of PP and MP in previous game.

Another difference is bombing. Having even "escorted" targets (i.e. Ruhr and Essen) reduced to 0 PPs in 1941 is 12 PPs * war effort lost every turn. Its like reversed large axis advantage set, it hurts and a lot.
In this game things went opposite way, it was Germans attacking with bombers and Britts defending, so no any early damage to German resources.
Probably as a side effect of damage to UK PP pool 8th army attacked Lybia while being underpowered (no second armour which I like to deploy to the scenario, not a singe TAC unit) and was hurt badly.Now Vokt has to replace those troops, also delaying strategic bomber mass production.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Counteroffensive near Dnepropetrovsk destroys German corps unit without any steps lost (probably supporting air units taken some damage atleast)



No attacks in the center - only unit movement and front reorganizing.



Uboat which spotted convoy in previous turn was swept for 3:2 result.

By the way German BB unit in France was finished off by RN sub and carrier.



British armoured unit attack Italian positions south of Tobruk for good results:



Axis turn:

More heavily escorted convoys spotted:





Looks like real destroyer mass-production for allied navies, very hard to find any target.

Offensive in forest area north of Moscow progress slowly.



Soviet armour unit near Dnepropetrovsk bombed, but only 2 steps of damage inflicted. Also unit becomes guard.



And in Lybia counterattack with air support reduced british armoured unit to 1 step.



New corps unit recruited for Germany. Still quite above 75% MP.

[Plaid]

Soviets counterattack and retake Vladimir from finnish corps.



Western allies keep pushing in Lybia, while damaged armour unit retreats.



Axis turn:

Small scale offensive action in the east with another corps and bunch of garrisons destroyed. Pocket near Leningrad is also dealt with.
Infantry units retreat from Vladimir area to Yaroslavl and establish defensive line here.



Southern sector is stagnant, but I am afraid Soviets will attack now with all those shock units amassed.



Allied strategic bombing capaign progresses, with objects in western Germany in ruins. No bombing outside of fighter escort ranges for now. Also no bombing of capitals
- Vokt said me, his bombers take fair damage from flaks when attacking capital or oil field.

Kriegsmarine DD bumped into sub while trying to move towards Wilhelmshaven, and going to be sunk now.



Italian navy units were sent to supress RAF air bases in Lybia-Egypt border. All 4 attacks failed to do single step of damage, but atlest they will not intercept and lost some effectiveness.
Also spotted retreating armour, which was finished off by FTR (failed to do any damage) and TAC attacks.
Another US mech was reduced to 1 step with only 2 Italian infantry attacks - this thing is rather fragile compared to Soviet units.
New Italian mech unit from reserves arrive to Benghazi.



Again spent all German PPs on repairs and upgrades. I need to start building army group for France to avoid 1943 Overlord.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Small scale Soviet offensie actions destroy German corps near Kaluga and Romanian one near Dnepropetrovsk.





Soviet TAC gone for infantry unit near Yaroslavl unescorted and got heavy hit from Luftwaffe fighter.

In Africa RN shows up and damage Italian warships a bit. Also some allied progress on the ground.



Suprisingly, German DD survived at 1 step and goes into Kiel canal transportation loop.

Axis turn:

Mud weather in the east, so no action there. Only small retreat in the south, where I want to avoid hits from Soviet shock units if possible.





In Africa Italians attempted to encircle McNaughton's HQ mech unit, but failed to force British infantry to retreat. Now Tobruk is exposed with 4 steps mech in the city.



Luftwaffe assets arrive to Greece again.

38 PP Soviet convoy spotted and sunk immediately:



Large US convoy also spotted, probably will be escorted though:



Corps unit purchased for Italy.

[Plaid]

Allied turn:

Soviet troops enter Dnepropetrovsk unopposed. Rest of the eastern front stays static.



US convoy is heavily escorted. Uboats take positions, we might get free hit on next one before DDs return here.
By the way note USN unit Destroyer flotilla 9. Looks like both US and UK have ~ 10 DDs each. Thats huge investment compared to our 6 uboats.



In Lybia allies go for Italian corps outside of Tobruk instead of city itself.



Axis turn:

Mostly quiet in the east, single attack destroyed garrison SW of Yaroslavl and the hex was occupied by German corps.





In Lybia Italians counterattack again, with Luftwaffe air support this time. US mech was destroyed in process and supporting naval units take some serious damage.



Looks like we are holding Tobruk into 1943, quite an achievment.