Defending the Rodina - A Soviet WiTE2 AAR

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: Sardaukar

I'll be very interested about naval/para invasion of Romania. That might get things rolling faster in south.

ORIGINAL: MAS

+1 Please show details of how your amphibious / para ops are conducted!

Setting up a naval invasion is easy (if a bit slow). Its the same mechanism as in WiTW, place your TaskForce/Naval HQ in a port, stack combat unit(s) and over time they will build up amphib preparation points, once the TF has 50 it can invade (but will see heavy attrition losses - best to wait till its 80+).

Here you can see the units in Sevastopol (fully ready so I can do this when I want), its target next to Constanta and the 2 related air drop targets (shaded in purple rather than red)




Paratroop operations are incredibly easy to set up. Usually takes 2 turns for them to prepare (again the WiTW rule) when ready they look like:



Now you order the actual operation via the F9 screen - both plan and execute.

If I want to change the target, I simply open f9, go to the airborne tab and click on my new target hex. If the mission had been ready to conduct, the option to drop would have come up and suitable planes assigned (which you can then adjust if you wish



As you can see, you use the same F9 for supply drops, unit transfers and airborne.

I used to find the process for carrying out airborne operations in WiTE1 nearly impossible to work out, this wee bit of the UI simplifies it to a couple of clicks.

edit: Just to show what the actual commitment routine is, this takes an airborne brigade that is ready to drop.

Note its selected the air groups to use - I can add or remove to taste, all I need to do is to click on LAUNCH and off they go ...

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: MAS

...

It's eye opening to see how far most of the German fighter pilot's skill levels have dropped. Is that partly due to not enough fuel to train them? Or is it just the AI rushing them to battle from Reserve before they've completed training?

What do the two column headers DAM and DAMD stand for, and what do the large 3 - 4 digit numbers represent under them?

Yes, I think it may be less than careful in that respect, and more focussed on using available planes. As I'm doing, the solutionfor a human player is a fairly obsessive use of the national reserve to train up new pilots. For me, this is not just genuinely new air groups (I get very few now), its that if I exceed my turn allocation of trained pilots I know that units that took heavy losses will see a significant drop in experience.

Damage inflicted/received



So its a degree of damage to the planes below that of being shot down. This can feed into operational losses but also low morale. More for WiTW, a major part of the strategic air war is for the Axis side to inflict damage on the allied bombers (don't fuss too much about actually shooting them down), that triggers low morale and low morale formations need to be rested till they recover (so they are not bombing the Reich).

ORIGINAL: jacktimes2

Good to know about recon planes becoming markedly rarer as the war carries on. I've had that jump up and bite me in WITW before.

We've added a few of these warnings to the Player's Notes. With the Soviets you have a lot of recon assets in 1941, clearly you need to use it to try and track German commitments (& where their rails are repaired), but also don't just go on fishing flights over quieter sectors.

I'm sure that every Allied player in their first GC happily runs substantive recon over N France in 1943, and then finds out they have too few recon planes for 1944 ... I certainly learnt that one the hard way [;)]

[MAS]

That does look easy, and more realistic than WITE. Thanks!

[keitherson]

That's really a relief about how simple the airborne stuff is now. In WITE I don't even bother with the system even when I know it would be advantageous just because it is so confusing to get it to work. It looks very clear and easy to use now.

In the screenshot with the two airborne brigades, what is the number next to the two crossed swords? Is that CPP? And also the one between that one and supply % that's kind of shaped like the number 6?

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: MAS

That does look easy, and more realistic than WITE. Thanks!

ORIGINAL: keitherson

That's really a relief about how simple the airborne stuff is now. In WITE I don't even bother with the system even when I know it would be advantageous just because it is so confusing to get it to work. It looks very clear and easy to use now.

In the screenshot with the two airborne brigades, what is the number next to the two crossed swords? Is that CPP? And also the one between that one and supply % that's kind of shaped like the number 6?

aye, I agree every time I wanted to do an airborne operation in WiTE1 I had to get the manual open and set up a test situation (which was not feasible in a server game), just to get the clicks right. But here, place airborne unit on an airbase, open F9, left click on target hex, 2 turns later you can execute the mission.

A huge amount of work has gone into the UI. I suspect player's may find somethings a bit odd as the well learnt (hard learnt) WiTE1 sequences don't work but once the new approach makes sense its invariably far easier.

The cross-swords number is their normal CPP for ground operations etc, the '6' us the average fatigue in the unit (so those are at 0 since they've been sat lounging around a sunny airbase in the Crimea for quite a few turns)

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: MAS



It's eye opening to see how far most of the German fighter pilot's skill levels have dropped. Is that partly due to not enough fuel to train them? Or is it just the AI rushing them to battle from Reserve before they've completed training?

The air campaign conducted by the Western Allies is likely having an impact as well. The LW has to keep a lot of fighters stationed there in 1944.

[loki100]

10 June 1944

T151


The weather (and my preferences) led to a repeat of last week. No action north of the Pripyet but a lot in the Ukraine. 4 Ukr continues a brutal set of attritional battles as it pushes towards Odessa. One advantage is 2 rounds of heavy fighting have also left the German units in the current sector badly weakened.

3 Ukr had 5GTA wrecked by a German counter-attack but again tore apart the front line with massed infantry, artillery and air attacks. Despite the known presence of 3 powerful German Pzr units (GD, 7 and 116 Pzr) again pushed mobile assets deep into the resulting gap.

The reward for pulling off the German mobile reserves into this battle fell to 1 Ukr.

Not only does this have the combat power to break the line it is far better placed for exploitation (due the the super-depots almost all its mobile units had 45-50 MP). With the Pzrs caught up in the defense of Odessa, Soviet tanks pushed up to 50 miles behind the original front line.



T152

All the action still in the Ukraine.

1 Ukr cleared its rear but held back till I could bring up the infantry to break through.

3 Ukr had to focus on extracting a Tanks Corp from encirclement – not helped by a substantial German offensive on its southern flank.

4 Ukr failed to reduce its pocket but managed to deepen the encirclement and edge closer to Odessa.



T153

4 Ukr finishes off the pocket and reaches the outskirts of Odessa. 6 Tank Army is released from the local reserves to provide the mobility to cut off the city if the offensive can be sustained into the next week.

3 Ukr secures the rail lines around Balta and creates a partial encirclement.

Again 1 Ukr gains as a result (well that and having some of my best formations in an enviable supply situation – elite 50 MP tank corps can move some distance).

Capturing Proskurov in a deep exploitation undermines the entire German resupply effort for their southern formations – anything coming from Poland is now going over 2 single track rail lines. Another partial pocket adds to the dilemna facing the AI. In effect, the reward for the attritional slow gains further south is most of their local forces are pretty much fought out, while I still have fresh mobile units sat in reserve.



T154

Expecting a repeat of the Nikolaev bloodbath, I've been bombing Odessa for 4 turns. In the end it was weakly defended and I ended up the proud owner of a totally wrecked port.

4 Ukr took the city that has been a target for the last 5 months and broke through with the lead elements of 6 TA approaching the Dnestr.

This success influenced my planning for 3 Ukr. Rather than risk becoming entangled in the rough ground around Mogilev-Podolsky ordered it to swing south towards Beltsy. It can send some of its mobile elements to 1 Ukr instead [1]

This meant having to deal with the strongest part of the German front.



But with now complete air supremacy a series of German strong points were stormed.

Leading tanks just 20 miles from the Dnestr.



Germans briefly retook Proskurov and broke out of encirclement to the north. However, 1 Ukr well able to both break down strong points and exploit to some depth. With the cutting of the rail line at Yarmolnitsy the German forces in Moldavia are now dependent on Rumanian production and distribution of supplies as only one single track rail line now connects back to Poland.

Unlike the other 2 fronts, 1 Ukr can sustain at least 2 more turns of operations – not least as it has 2 Tank Armies in reserve not even committed to the battle area.



In the meantime, north of the Pripyet, a new offensive is about to start.

T155

A set of German counter-attacks stalled that round of offensives in the Ukraine. Add on low CPP and stretched supply lines.

Both 3 and 4 Ukr faced heavy counter-attacks which render the equivalent of 2 tank armies unable to advance. Both Fronts make a last attempt to gain a jumping off position to renew their offensive as they seek bridgeheads over the Dnestr.



1 Ukr had also faced a major offensive that drove in almost all the armoured spearheads. However, with the advantage of ample local reserves (and overwhelming airpower) it recovered its balance, cutting the eastern rail link to Rumania again, securing the pocket on its junction with 2 Ukr and pushing powerful armoured forces towards Tarnopol.



However, attention is now on the northern tier of Soviet formations.

2 Blr struck to liberate Kaunas and to force AGN to retreat from Riga.

Elements of 3GA opened the offensive easily breaching the German defensive lines again prepared by a massive air assault.



That was repeated across the front as the VVS at worst matched the LW and more usually had air supremacy. By the time the Soviet armoured forces were committed there was a 20 mile gap in the German front. Kaunas was liberated and in places Soviet armour was within 20 miles of the East Prussian border.



If anything, 1 Blr managed an even more dramatic breakthrough as the German defensive lines collapsed over a 70 mile front. Soviet armour and cavalry formations exploited almost at will and 4TA's 4 Mechanized Corp became the first Soviet formation across the 1941 borders. The original plan had envisaged Augustov as the natural end point setting up an invasion of E Prussia later in the summer.



Especially in the Ukraine, Soviet tankers paid a heavy price but overall the relative loss ratio pointed to the near collapse of German resistance in the north.



Both airforces took heavy losses and the Soviet fighters in particular suffered for effectively giving the ground attack planes freedom over the battlefields.




[1] In the end I pulled out an entire tank army to support 1 Blr. I can't solve the supply problem on the Black Sea coast and the extra armour was creating a demand I couldn't meet.

[loki100]

22 July 1944

T156

Further series of German attacks ended the offensive in the Ukraine but with the Soviets having carved out a bridgehead over the lower Dnestr and well placed to take Lvov when they return to the offensive.

In the north, the Germans rebuilt their front lines and the bypassed formations became a major problem.

2 Blr had to divert 3GA to clearing the Germans back from the Neman north of Kaunas and 4GA had to move south to cover 1 Blr's northern flank. Despite this, the hastily constructed German defences around Marjampole were quickly overwhelmed and elements of 2TA and 5SA pushed 50 miles westward reaching, and crossing, the Prussian border in several places.



1 Blr's options were constrained by the strong German forces bypassed at Mosty and some localised German counter-attacks.

Despite this 5 and 8 GA again breached the German lines in hilly terrain along the border and elements of 4TA threatened to envelop the German defences at Bialystok as well as cut the rail line from E Prussia near Grajewo.



To provide additional mobility, Stavka ordered the immediate redeployment of 1GTA from the Ukraine [1].

T157

AI struck back hard, costing me a lot of tanks and rendering a number of my mobile formations out of action (as much low MP as any loss of CV). At the same time, AGN abandoned Riga and fell back into East Prussia [2]

Even though the advance was disrupted by the German counter-attacks, 2 Blr broke the German defensive line at Ebenrode and 2 TA was able to push deep into Germany with recon formations only 10 miles from Rastenburg (so one presumes the local wolf population is much diminished).



In contrast, 1 Blr went over to the defensive and eliminated the bypassed formations. The arrival of 1 GTA will provide much needed mobility.

T158

The start of July saw 2 Blr forced over to the defensive by German counter-attacks. This time, 1 Blr managed to regain the initiative, reinforced by 1 GTA, and broke the German defensive lines.

Soviet tanks rapidly (40+ MP does help) exploited the disruption, liberating Bialystok while Soviet cavalry cut the Brest-Ivatsevichi rail line threatening the supply lines to all the axis forces defending Pinsk.



In the Ukraine, 3 and 4 Ukr faced a localised offensive that made it hard to recover and re-organise for the offensive into Rumania. To relieve the pressure, 1 Ukr attacked towards Tarnopol.

It quickly became apparent that the Germans had not expected an early resumption of the offensive and had committed most of their mobile units to the recent attacks on 3 and 4 Ukr.

Cavalry from 1 SA took Tarnopol and Soviet tanks struck deep into the German communications almost capturing Dubno and Brody and leaving the axis units in the south dependent on the rail line running through Stanislav.



You can see a 'super-depot' in place at Vinnitsa, the co-location of a HQ and a NKPS both increases the depot capacity and ensures it fills up (to some extent at the cost of the wider network).

T159

Both 1 and 2 Blr faced constant attacks but there was evidence the German forces were weakening. 2 Blr swapped its angle of attack to the west rather than south-west. With their local reserves entangled in running battles with 1 Blr the Germans had weakened this sector. By the end of the week, Soviet tanks had secured the south bank of the Neman and were within 20 miles of Koenigsberg.



Despite the localised counter-attacks, 1 Blr made further gains, reaching the Polish border and partially encircling a number of German formations.



In the Ukraine, 1 Ukr's offensive had pulled the German reserves which had forced it to retreat, but the effect was to allow 3 and 4 Ukr to break out deep into Bessarabia and elements of 5 GTA were within 10 miles of he Rumanian border.

T160

As the front narrows, pulling some of the formations from the Baltic region into Stavka reserve. Also disbanding a number of non-Gds fighter groups, I have plenty on the map (and am no longer having to send so much to the reserve to recover) to give me a large cadre of pilots. Yak-3s and the useful 9M/9U starting to appear in numbers.

Offensive in the north briefly suspended as the Germans recovered and the need to rest and rebuild the supply nets.

1 and 2 Ukr also paused their main operations as they dealt with the large pocket at Proskurov, however, 5A was able to break through the main German line and cavalry formations liberated Rokitno increasing the supply problems for the axis forces in this sector.



For bonus pts, spot the 'super-depot', as I cross the 1941 borders these become absolutely critical.

To the south, 4 Ukr concentrated on over-running the Dnestr pocket but still managed to break the German defensive line on the Kogilnik enabling elements of 6 TA to push into Moldavia. To the north, 3 Ukr had no problems with bypassed axis units and was able to push across nothern Bessarabia and end the week with its tanks on the Romanian border.



T161

The Finnish armistice was secondary to the main campaign, but this turn Rumania surrendered but the Germans seemed to have been suspicious of their allies and were already in full retreat in the south [3].

So the big news is the collapse of Rumania after 6TA pushed over the border. In the meantime the Allies do something important in Jersey and Guernsey.

E-Stalin sends a passive-aggressive telegram of congratulations, while E-Hitler checks that he has Horthy's address for the planned exchange of christmas cards & butters him up by sending pictures of nice shiny battleships (remember Horthy really was an Admiral).



The AI has responded pretty sensibly with a massive retreat though some units in Moldavia look to have been trapped.



So that long planned air-naval invasion proved to be useful as Soviet paratroopers are airlifted to secure Bucharest and Ploesti while elements of the Coastal Army disembark at Constanta.



Along the Soviet-Polish border regions, much the same happens everywhere. Soviet patrols are pushed out to find the new German defensive line while the assault armies take the chance to re-organise and recover. Early reports suggest a massive German defensive commitment to Koenigsberg but that is now secondary and can be taken by 1 Baltic once the Lithuanian pocket is destroyed.



4 Ukr is currently one of the largest as it has absorbed the Rumanian formations – most of those will be in reserve soon enough but need the ones in Rumania proper for the moment and the mountain divisions are going to be very useful.



Probably a good time for a VP discussion.

So that is Rumania gone 6 weeks early (well more strictly Bucharest and Ploesti taken early). Fears of the HWM evaporate (even if the AI had matched the StB score) and I know think there are 2 potential ways to win. The April 1945 auto-win target is feasible (if I can make progress into Hungary and Austria - which is a logistics challenge) or Berlin before the end of May.

In the south, there are 70 feasible pts (100 if you include Prague) but unless the AI collapses then they are not going to be easy.

Ignoring Berlin (& cities that the Soviets never took) there are 190 VP available (say with 56/66 bonus pts), That is another +250.



On what is now the main sector, Warsaw and Lvov are my obvious next targets (Koenigsberg is rather well defended) then nothing significant till I reach the Oder-Elbe sector.



Another major re-organisation will see 1 Baltic assigned to Koenigsberg, 2 Blr to drive into E Prussia and 1 Blr towards Warsaw. The hope here is to join up with 1 Ukr.

[1] Clearly I should have done this during the spring rains but was hoping to resolve my supply situation and then use this army

[2] Sensible, no Courland pocket for E-Adolf

[3] It is very vulnerable as one of the trigger locations is right on the border with Bessarabia. This is one of those instances were a German player is very aware of the tight-rope once the Soviets are over the Dnestr but the AI is a bit less aware of specific locations. Still it responded annoyingly well.

The Soviets gain the Rumanian rail net intact but then lose any hexes that flip back to German control. In this case, I hold the rails in central Rumania but the links back to the Dnestr are all broken. Constanta is the only way to bring supply into this sector at the moment.

Still E-Adolf is fast running out of friends.

[loki100]

26 August1944

T162

One consequence of reaching the 1941 borders is my supply net becomes more fragile and I need to be more careful in the trade-offs between depot locations, railheads and the truck pool.

This turn, the entire Soviet army had a rest (well some units moved long distances) and I disbanded all my super-depots to optimise rail repair [1]

The truck situation is fine, just need to keep an eye on it. The non-existent rail net in the Baltics is a short term problem but I can also start to shed combat formations back into the reserve (so reduce demand).



T163

The start of August saw Bulgaria surrender [2] and the Allies finally break out of Normandy.

The second phase of the Soviet summer offensive opened in East Prussia. A strong (all level #3 forts) German defensive line was dismantled by the usual infantry, artillery and massed air attacks.

Well rested Soviet armour was then able to exploit to depth.

7 divisions, incl the HG Panzer division were cut off around Angerburg, another 8 were in partial encirclement near Schippenbell – both groups could be rescued by a determined counter-blow but if the Germans committed their reserves to dealing with 2 Blr, they would simply weaken their lines facing 1 Blr.



T164

2 Blr resumed its offensive facing heavy counter-attacks but also over-running the bypassed HG Pzr. German formations falling back from Loetzen were surrounded again and Koenigsberg was isolated.



This time, 1 Blr faced the task of breaching a well prepared German defensive line. The result was some of the heaviest fighting of the war as Soviet formations pushed through two well prepared defensive belts, bypassing strong points. By the time 4TA and 1GTA were introduced to exploit the breaches the scope for substantial gains had gone.

Even so the offensive promised the ability to bypass Warsaw to the south and to link up with 1 Ukr's coming offensive in SE Poland.



To the south, the mountain troops of 3 and 4 Ukr started to engage with the German defensive lines in the Carpathians while 4 Ukr (including the Rumanian formations) pushed along the Danube valley and arrived on the Serbian border.

T165

A strong German response stalled 1 Blr forcing it to divert some of its efforts to clearing the flanks. Even so Deblin was captured and the bulk of 4TA established a bridgehead over the Vistula near Radom.




2 Blr had also faced a local counter-offensive but had inflicted heavy losses on the attackers.



In turn, they had little difficulty disposing of the bypassed formations and breaking through the German line in the woods around Allenstein.

The operational choice to avoid sectors where the Pzrs were present enabled steady gains, but at the constant risk of counter-attacks.



To the south, 3 Ukr started to push into the Carpathian line while 1 Ukr opened its offensive with possibly the heaviest air battles of the war raging over the battlefields.



The relative failure of 1 Blr to break out at Deblin scaled back the exploitation by 1 Ukr. 3GTA was kept back in reserve given the powerful German Pzr units deployed to the flanks of the breakthrough.



T166

1 Blr faced heavy attacks that briefly cost it the bridgehead over the Vistula and saw the Germans retake Deblin. However, the Germans in turn were now overextended and 8 GA was able to secure the bridgehead and take Radom. With the German line broken again, Soviet cavalry and tanks pushed south and linked up with elements of 1 Ukr.

With their supply lines now badly stretched, 1 Ukr was struggling to sustain the offensive westwards and had swung north to try and encircle the German units in the Lublin sector.



Along the Rumanian-Hungarian border 3 and 4 Ukr were hampered by supply problems but slowly were taking up their positions to move into the Hungarian plain and Budapest.

2 Blr briefly paused its offensive as it dealt with more by-passed German units and re-organised.



Soviet losses very high due to the number (and relative success) of the German attacks.



On map numbers, still not really changing, I've brought a last batch of SU to the map, but also shedding rifle formations to the reserve.




[1] What you ideally want to aim for here is that some of the NKPS/FBD reach their next location in the turn. The depot then won't work fully on the next turn but the turn after it will function.

[2] This happens by event a few turns after Rumania surrenders, it has little direct effect as Bulgaria remains in a Theatre Box – but in a few turns, east Serbia will be freed from the Balkans Theatre and placed on the map.

[vvs007]

once again about air battles:

-Do we not assign one height to the group? for example, on the screen above, the groups work at different heights of 9k and 15k (III.JG52)

- we can see that the more experienced are located below the beginners, in IRL the more experienced are higher, this helps to control the situation and get away with it in time, save the more EXP part of the group

-How does the calculation of damage received and applied? for the whole group (all fires at one and when the damage exceeds the durability value, then one aircraft is considered dead, then the second aircraft, etc.) or by random selection for each aircraft in the group, i.e. many can be damaged, but not one is shot down, although the total damage is many times greater than the strength of one aircraft?

...

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: vvs007

once again about air battles:

-Do we not assign one height to the group? for example, on the screen above, the groups work at different heights of 9k and 15k (III.JG52)

- we can see that the more experienced are located below the beginners, in IRL the more experienced are higher, this helps to control the situation and get away with it in time, save the more EXP part of the group

-How does the calculation of damage received and applied? for the whole group (all fires at one and when the damage exceeds the durability value, then one aircraft is considered dead, then the second aircraft, etc.) or by random selection for each aircraft in the group, i.e. many can be damaged, but not one is shot down, although the total damage is many times greater than the strength of one aircraft?

....

1 - they key off either the mission height set for the AD or the default set using the air directives, most will default to 9,000' as that was the standard between the Soviets and the Germans, intercepts tend to come in at 15,000' which gives fighters looking for a stushie an immediate advantage

2 - each hit triggers a level of damage, too much and tbe plane is a direct loss, some and there is an enhanced chance the plane is either an operational loss or damaged (in the need of repair)

3 - I believe that planes are set up into 1-1 battles but you'd have to set the battle resolution to speed 6 or 7 to see that actually work out

[loki100]

30 September 1944

T167

The recent gains have again stretched my supply lines. The most ready view on this is trucks/unit as the combat formations use their trucks to gain the supply they need.



Elsewhere, mostly a case of small scale operations and 1 Baltic finally started to arrive in its assault positions at Koenigsberg (and received substantial reinforcements of heavy artillery and assault guns).

The exception was 2 Blr with a decent supply net so was able to break the German defensive lines. Soviet tanks captured Torun and established a bridgehead over the Vistula at Grudziadz.



T168

September sees a continuation of the limited gains of recent weeks.

Starting to have predictable problems in Hungary. Most of the mobile formations are resting in Moldavia so 3 Ukr reduced to marginal gains. I need to clear several passes, repair the rails and set up some super-depots on the western side before I can regain much mobility.



Elsewhere, usual pattern of counter-attacks and small gains, starting to encircle Warsaw, collapsing the Lublin pocket and some gains in the Baltic region. Really, all about restoring my communications links and taking key locations for the next major offensives.

T169

Going back to my original notes – this turn was all about supply. In Poland and East Prussia finally rebuilding a useful network, in Hungary 3 Ukr is still fighting on the Carpathian line. 4 Ukr is on the Serbian/Hungarian border but in a dire state for supply. To manage this I have placed it on priority #1 (ie severely constrain demand) as I'm hoping this will stop me losing so many MP as it sheds trucks looking for supply. Some (very limited) improvement in its local supply net. 3 Ukr is on #2 and now has a super depot (admittedly at the end of a single track rail) and seems a bit better (helped by a massive air lift of supply).

In Hungary, 4 Ukr started an attempt to take Szeged despite supply problems (one tank corp had 13 MP almost all due to trucks gone off to find fuel). In effect, any attacks here have to be linear with almost no scope for exploitation – but I don't think the situation will improve, so may as well make the best of a bad situation.



T170

In some ways this was the reward for all that fussing over logistics, Pretty much 1-1 truck/unit ratio and a lot of trucks in the pool. Even in Hungary, my armour has 30 MP (& cavalry up around 16-22).

E-Stalin congratulates his logistics staff. Useful as an extra 200,000 Germans have just been recruited.



Big set-piece assault on Koenigsberg. Well prepared and the Baltic fleet air-arm has isolated the city. Still didn't expect it to fall all at once. But at a cost of 10,000 men, city fighting in WiTE2 can be brutal.



On the main sector, 3 Blr captured Gdansk and 2 Blr secured the west bank of the Vistula. With Koenigsberg now in my hands, I can commit quite a powerful force along the Baltic coast.



Elsewhere, 1 Blr surrounds Warsaw and make some small gains in Hungary. Finding it impossible to replace combat losses for 4 Ukr so pull out some divisions from the reserve. They can act as replacements when they reach the front by being merged into my under-strength Rifle Corps.

T171

End of September brings a number of issues to consider. First, the weather going forward is going to be much more unpredictable than it has been before. Less severe, but with more rain/mud.

Second, the Germans may be losing but remain horribly effective. A massive counter-stroke in Hungary wiped out all my recent gains by 3 and 4 Ukr and left me with a problem of how to replace my losses.



A problem that will emerge soon is that the 1939 German-Polish border region has relatively few air bases. This will reduce the value of the short ranged VVS, even if I now have the slightly longer ranged Yak-9M/U to add to the Lend-Lease planes.

First decision is to remove 4 Ukr from assault status and allocate that to 1 Baltic instead. Then create more air support for 3 AA (1 Baltic) by transferring LB and fighter assets from other fronts. Also allocated more air assets to 17 AA (2 Ukr Front). Ran down allocation to 4 AA (4 Ukr) as I can't see how to supply much in that sector (and there are not many air bases) with this being split between 3 AA and 15 AA (1 Blr). 8 AA (3 Ukr) lost assets to 2 AA (1 Ukr).

Basically no sense holding air power back for action in Hungary, its hard enough supplying my combat formations.

5 GTA has been sat in reserve waiting for a move to Hungary, doubt that is ever going to be feasible so given to 1 Ukr for operations in Poland.

My wider view is that I have more chance of reaching Vienna and Prague via Moravia than via Hungary itself. But also an offensive towards Krakow may encourage the AI to fall back in Hungary in any case.

I'll let the formations in S Hungary rest, it maybe I can do more to improve their supply situation. I still have Army HQ in the reserve and they can improve depot capacity and the rail net SE of 3 Ukr is still broken. But my main view is that 2 Ukr can screen NE Hungary and Slovakia while 1 Ukr goes for Moravia. So am going to try and take Krakow in the next few weeks as a starting point.



1 Blr needs to take Warsaw for its logistics, I'll then use it into Lower Silesia, Dresden and towards Berlin from the south. My assumption is the Allies won't help undermine the German NSS network so I need to do it myself. 1 Baltic can clear the coast to Stettin.

Which probably assigns Berlin to 2 Blr but that depends on when I reach the Oder and the strength of the German defences. Apart from improving my starting position, all this can wait till the snow returns – though the better roads might make an autumn offensive feasible. I really need to invest in my logistics system here if I can.


Roughly this sector has 3m men, 60,000 guns, 8,500 tanks and 4,000 aircraft.

So about 40% of my on-map manpower, 50% of the artillery and guns and 45% of the airpower.



So Warsaw taken with a massive artillery bombardment – and a comprehensive air victory too. Pity my bombers had completely wrecked the rail yards. But that, as a super depot, will support the next major offensive.



More generally, both 1 and 2 Blr cleared out bypassed formations and co-operated in a secondary offensive designed to eliminate the German positions NE of the Vistula.



1 Ukr's offensive towards Krakow opened with massive air battles. However, relatively quickly the local VVS assets were able to drive the LW from the skies gving Soviet bombers free reign over the battlefields.

Where the main blow fell, the German front line simply collapsed under the weight of artillery as cavalry and armoured formations ran deep into their rear. The first organised resistance was encountered almost 60 miles behind the original front line as the Soviet armour ran into Pzr divisions held back as the main reserve.



A combination of the defeats in Hungary and 1 Ukr's rapid breakthrough produced heavy tank losses for the Soviets.



Matched by the cost borne by the VVS (almost all from 2 AA behind 1 Ukr).



OOB after all the re-organising. In addition to the comments earlier, 4 Ukr shed a lot of SU (that I didn't replace) and sent a number of weaker formations back to the reserve. A cluster of fresh units ordered out of the reserve but it will easily take 2 (prob 3) turns before they available.

[ranknfile]

I need to temper my impatience of getting my hands on this game with learning as much as I can beforehand. These AARs are very informative.
Thanks for adding an entry on the weekend; it is much appreciated.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: ranknfile

I need to temper my impatience of getting my hands on this game with learning as much as I can beforehand. These AARs are very informative.
Thanks for adding an entry on the weekend; it is much appreciated.

I'm now basically just doing a cut/paste from the original AAR on the beta forum, so we'll stick to a post every other day till this is completed.

Essentially now trying to emphasise this beast of a game is perfectly playable, pretty realistic and good fun even against the AI.

Also hopefully making it clear how the really big stuff around depot management/CPP regain/retention and so on all slot into effective gameplay,


Roger

[ranknfile]

Indeed, learning the “subtleties and nuances” of a game is essential to the best play. Usually one does this thru trial and error. I always place the most importance on a scenario’s first play-through; so learning as much as possible before playing the full scenario is ideal. I’ll start with the recommended scenarios, then tackle the invasion as Germany , eventually playing the entire war as the Soviets.

The game looks grand indeed!

[loki100]

25 November 1944


T172

As I mentioned, one feature of being so far west is the more variable weather. Early October saw torrential rains across Poland so only limited action (the better road net offsets the worst effects but even so this costs me all my air support).

T173

Slovakia revolted but unable to link up with the brave rebels apart from in the NE.

Heavy fighting around Krakow saw the city captured, so that can form the next logistics hub.



Some gains in Hungary and 4 Ukr finally captured Szeged.

T174-T176

The rest of October saw sustained rains so eliminated a few pockets and improved the supply network.

T177

Weather was all over the place this week. Most of the Polish-German sector was heavy rains, snow in Bohemia (and in Soviet controlled Poland) and light rain in Hungary.

A rare combination of the right weather in the right place was around Lodz. So 1 Blr attacked to capture the city as a jumping off spot for the next offensive.

As an aside – note how the depot at Warsaw is functioning.



The interaction between depots, rests and mobility is now my main focus. Super depots change the entire supply system – I have 4. 3 set up behind 2 Blr, 1 Blr and 1 Ukr that function well, one behind 3 Ukr that relies on single track rails and a huge air resupply operation. Also a couple of NKPS supporting the conversion process. These then settle down into a new location and the old one starts to move forward. Its worth trying to repair rail links as that hooks in more rail depots (so more capacity) and reduces the amount of freight moving down the main east-west rail lines.

I've 4.6m men in Poland/E Prussia alone and by being careful most of my infantry are 14-16 MP and the majority of the armour > 40MP.

Less good in Hungary where I have 1.7m men. 4 Ukr is struggling and not much I can do to improve it. 3 Ukr is ok, with a functioning super depot but feeling the pinch with infantry mostly 12-14 but my armour rarely gets much >35 MP. If it rests for a couple of turns I can manage 40, in sustained combat it quickly dips into the 20s.

T178

Mid-November and its raining behind the German front and I have blizzards over my airbases. 1 Blr carried on the battle for Lodz facing strong German forces. 3 Ukr managed some gains in eastern Hungary. Main offensive was by 1 Ukr, this time I opted to try and bypass strong points and 6GA outflanked German strong points around Krakow and creating the gap for 3GTA to press over the Czech border and secure the Jablunka Pass.



T179

Weather stays dire but the forescast is for an improvement next week.

As a result, all rather limited. 1 Blr completed the capture of Lodz (so that will be the depot that supports its offensive towards Breslau and the Oder).

The breakthrough by 1GTA and 4TA will probably produce a nasty response, but I want to draw off their reserves so as to weaken its line facing 2 Blr. This has been resting for 5 weeks and is backed by an excellent logistics infrastructure. I'm looking to land a heavy blow when it finally goes over to the offensive.



1 Ukr was badly delayed reducing the strong German pocket at Krakow so no real gains and 2 Ukr still caught up on the German lines in eastern Slovakia.



Still, German losses steadily escalating, this must be badly weakening their Pzr reserves.



Last few turns of destroyed units. My Rifle Brigades were merged with Rifle Corps to try and help 4 Ukr. Axis have lost 2 Pzr and 2 PzrGr divisions as well as 7 Infantry divisions.

[loki100]

30 December 1944

T180

Careful readers will probably guess that something was planned to happen this turn. Weather settled into snow across the entire front line. 3 Ukr made some gains towards Budapest while 1 Ukr continues to claw its way into Moravia in a sequence of murderously heavy tank battles (my logic is some of these stronger German units are better beaten in my turn rather than left to counter-attack). In support, 1 Blr suspended its drive west and the fresh 8 GA enabled a break out into Upper Silesia by both 4TA and 1 GTA.

Soviet estimates were of 15 German divisions cut off (including 7 Pzr/PzrGr) in the Katowice pocket.



To the north, 1 Baltic made gains along the coast but the main attack was the long prepared blow by 2 Blr. The Germans had pulled off their reserves to deal with the earlier attacks by 1 Blr and 1 Ukr leaving them with no effective secondary defensive line on this sector. Their front line around Bydgoscz collapsed under the weight of artillery and air attacks allowing the mobile elements of 5SA and 2GTA to exploit almost at will. The only organised German defense left was the city of Poznan.



Both sides paid a high price for the sustained offensives but the German Pzr forces took yet another heavy blow.



T181

The start of December turn saw major German counter-atttacks in Hungary and around Katowice, opening the pocket and putting both 1 Ukr and 1 Blr on the defensive.

The balance of 1 Blr and 2 Blr became caught up on the bypassed German units and having to restore the supply lines cut by the German counter-attack at Lodz. In addition, the fortress at Poznan demanded a major effort simply to first free cut off Soviet formations and then to encircle the city.



T182

In Hungary,both sides completely exhausted as the front line is now 30 miles east of Budapest. More brutal battles in the Katowice sector but the northern part of 1 Blr made gains as 4 TA exploited and managed to cross the Oder just south of Breslau. However, as with Poznan, the city itself had been turned into a fortress [1]



On the 2 Blr sector, 1 and 3 GA prepared to assault Poznan while 4 GA and 2 GTA swung south exploiting the gap opened by 1 Blr. This enabled them to cross the Oder at Steinau-Glogau. If the Germans lacked the reserves to react, the chance to break through the poor terrain in southern Silesia to Cottbus, if they did then the sector could be returned to 1 Blr.



T183

Katowice finally taken and secured. 3 GA stormed Poznan with the defenders stunned by the weight of air and artillery attacks as the assault infantry closed in.



Elsewhere limited gains for both 1 and 2 Blr as German resistance stiffened and I outran my supply lines.

T184

3 Ukr drives in the German defenders outside Budapest and generates a small pocket as it seeks to encircle the city.



2 Ukr makes limited gains in E Slovakia and also screens the long southern flank of 1 Ukr.

Reasonably rested, 1 Ukr shattered the German line east of Olomouc enabling its mobile elements to almost reach Brunn and to swing north threatening a new pocket of the German units around Brieg and Oppeln [2].



To the north, 8 GA stormed Breslau, further weakening the German defences as the last barrier before the Elbe fell.



With the German front line shattered, 1 Blr completed the encirclement of the German units in the Neisse-Brieg pocket while 1 GTA broke out towards the Elbe cutting German communication lines.



In contrast, 2 Blr briefly suspended its operations as it was facing strong German resistance in poor terrain.

Overview of the situation in Hungary and Czechoslavakia.



Losses.



German surrenders in December. I'm merging some of the Rifle Divisions that come from the NF into 4 Ukr in an atttempt to keep the TOE of the main Rifle Corps up.

Among the German losses are 5 Pzr/PzrGr formations.



[1] I think these are excellent choices, the Soviets need these locations (they have large railyards so are key to the depot network) so they can't be bypassed and these defences have the capacity to demand careful preparations before they fall. The difference compared to the Nikolaev siege is I have some of my best formations to hand to deal with the obstacles.

[2] Fighting over this region always gives me a strong urge for a return to AGEOD's superb Rise of Prussia where one of these fortreses can easily consume a summer of campaigning as you seek to maintain or lift a siege (without anything so disgraceful as actually figthing a battle).

[jlbhung]

It appears that the German AI has not put up some form of a "dotted line" or appropriate reserve/stopper behind the frontline in anticipation of potential breakthroughs. Loki, would you share your assessment of the AI's capability? Do you also have experience of the Soviet AI's performance in defending against German Panzer breakthroughs in 1941.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: jlbhung

It appears that the German AI has not put up some form of a "dotted line" or appropriate reserve/stopper behind the frontline in anticipation of potential breakthroughs. Loki, would you share your assessment of the AI's capability? Do you also have experience of the Soviet AI's performance in defending against German Panzer breakthroughs in 1941.

It had a very strong front line, just no match for stacks of Gds Rifle Corps with 100 CPP backed by a massive artillery and air assault.

What it lacked was a secondary line. That type of complete collapse will happen on T1 of the Vistula-Berlin scenario so its not, as such, an AI issue, its that the game engine does a good place of replicating a set piece late war Soviet offensive.

I'd slao attacked with 1 Blr the turn before precisely to snag the attention of any local reserves.

Now having said that, the AI will give you more weak spots across the front line than a human opponent will, that is consistent across the game and for both sides. What it does, is recover better than a human opponent (if you set the AI morale to 110+ it gains some bonuses in how it forms a line in its own territory). So you get a pattern of breaking through and then quickly running into substantive resistance.

I've played the longer Stal-Berlin scenario as the Axis side (MP) and by this stage a combination of National Morale changes, TOE changes, having to rush units back into the line, having your Pzrs ground down in constant reserve re-actions and counter-attacks, you are constantly on edge of it going very wrong for you. Especially if the Soviet player is patient.

In a MP game, thats where the VP system really shines. If the axis did better in 1941-2 than historical, you have pts in the bank that your opponent needs to make up, even possibly that they may fail to meet the HWM and face defeat at the end of 1944. In effect, the Soviet player can't use the natural rythym of attack-breakout-reorganise and has to try and keep up the pressure without taking operational pauses.

The Soviet 1941 AI is good (again with the caveat of morale =110+). You probably will get a few more pockets (but then pockets are less important than in WiTE1), it usually forms multiple lines, it has some eye for critical hexes and it will make your life a misery with counter-attacks (see the current HtH AAR for how this plays out). The German army in 1941 is strong in a different way to the Soviets in late 1944, not least its a much more finite resource (the one thing the German player doesn't have in 1941 is time for a leisurely wander eastwards). The key to doing well vs the Soviet AI is much the same as in HtH, it is to destroy the Red Army faster than it can generate new forces.

Which is a round-about way of saying that the AI makes decent operational choices both defensivly and offensively. Its good at force matching but a bit unaware of terrain (it is an AI after all and that is one of the most judgemental parts of good WiTE2 play). It makes a few strategic choices (mainly where to attack as the axis in 1942 - but then big strategic choices are not really a feature of WiTE 1/2 games).

I'm not showing it, but when I'm over-stretched its wreaking havoc on my spearheads, it does a pretty decent job at deciding when to break in to release formations and when to write them off (the stuff around Katowice I mention was a good eg).

[Blagrot]

Thanks for the AAR.

I notice in the Breslau fight you apparently killed more Germans than were in the battle, assuming this isn't E-Adolf clearing out the people he blames for the cities fall then I'm curious to know what happened there?