In a six hour session, Richard and I completed the first and second turns of this monster game. I have made two posts to better manage the size of the images (hi-res). The following images are the German declared attacks in the second turn.
Army Group North
Race to Riga
Army Group Centre
Minsk is still a long way away
Army Group South
By passing Lvov
Here is some commentary from Richard:
We are nearly through the initial invasion turns with all the attendant restrictions (well apart from the Rumanian Front of course).
As far as deciding on where best to send Soviet reinforcements where there is an option, I think we will need to play that by ear. That 21st Army for instance, it probably needs to stay somewhat on the boundary between the two play areas so it can cover both flanks. It was historically sent North as a result of the actual situation on the ground in the South. I think it would be prudent not have it wholly committed on the central front at this early stage. It should possibly track westerly from its current position to enable it to swing either way to deal with emerging threats.
There will be a couple of big battles on the AGS sector with some powerful Soviet Stacks -there certainly won't be easy victories at relatively low odds. Up North, Riga should be assailable within 2 turns hopefully and the Dvina can be breached in at least one location. AGC is still in the reconcentration phase, certainly on the Northern Minsk pincer. The infantry is just so slow and the mopping up efforts take time too.
There was one other AGN VP location taken, Siauliai, in Lithuania, which would have precipitated the Mandatory Attack VPs being earned. The totals by AG area are AGN 6 VPs, AGC 8 VPs, AGS 7 VPs.
But wait, there is more. Inspired, Richard has provided this log of play:
Turn 1
AGN
The two main axes of advance in this sector were North East along the main road to Riga and passing through and directly east (to one of the main objectives for this sector) advancing into a position North of Kaunas. This advance needed to be as rapid as possible in order to support the attack from the North as well as cut off any possibility of reinforcements arriving to bolster the defence.
Despite the heavily forested positions, the Soviet frontier defences were pushed aside and the Panzer Corps of 8th Panzer Division and 3rd and 30th Motorised Divisions raced for their positions North of Kaunas along the twisting roads of Lithuania. The Infantry advanced into the positions providing a cover screen to this long exposed flank.
The other Panzer Corps comprising 1st and 6th Panzer Divisions struck out towards Siauliui, sweeping aside the defenders.
Further west, minor screening forces advanced Northward towards the main road leading to Liepaja in Latvia on the coast.
AGC
A series of co-ordinated attacks by a Panzer Corps comprising two full Panzer and one Motorised Divisions along with motorised Flak and Engineer units in the lightly defended area South of Kaunas opened a very wide breach in the Soviet defensive screen. Bypassing the fortified defenders in front of Kaunas, the 20th Motorised commenced its dash to Vilnius which was reached in the second segment of the extended invasion turn. The defending Flak unit was quickly overwhelmed and Vilnius was seized.
The 20th Motorised set up a defensive position in the city and awaited the rest of the army still engaged around Kaunas.
Further back at Kaunas, Infantry and artillery units closed to engaged the fortified Soviet Units in front of Kaunas, after opening the breach in the Soviet lines, 7th and 20th Panzer Divisions swung North and moved around the southern flank of the city to be in a position to attack the city in the next combat phase.
Kaunas is an extremely important city, being the junction of two major roads, one leading to Daugavpils and the other to Minsk. A railway line also intersects these roads. Once the railroad has been converted into a space containing a major road, contiguous hexes up to 21 hexes away can be supplied.
To the North of Kaunas, another Panzer Corps of AGN has also got into position to attack Kaunas from the North having swept aside the defenders in front of them.
Maximum available Luftwaffe support was provided to the attack at Kaunas, which despite the high odds was still not guaranteed to be taken. Two Ju-87 Stuka units and a Henschel 123 unit were sent against the defender. The Soviet AA gunners took a heavy toll, destroying the Hs-123 and damaging one of the Stuka units.
The overwhelmed defenders of Kaunas where annihilated, including the HQ of the 11th Army.
The two other main objectives for AGC in the initial phases are Brest, including its Citadel and Grodno. Both cities are important for the same reasons as Kaunas is, with major road and railway lines passing through them.
The Citadel and initial defensive belt of Brest succumbed to a massive assault, which included the Super Heavy artillery of four railway guns. For perspective, regular artillery has a range of 2 hexes measured from the firing hex to the target inclusive. These railway guns have a range of 8 hexes!
South of Brest, a full Panzer Corps crossed the river Bug with the aid of bridging equipment and advanced sweeping aside the weak line of defenders. To the North of Brest, another Panzer Corps crossed the Bug also aided by bridging equipment. Both of these spearheads swept aside defenders around and raced North East on the two main roads diverging from Brest.
There are significant frontier defences to the West and Northwest of Grodno as well as heavily forested terrain and minor rivers. Consequently, these need to be overcome before an attack on Grodno can
be attempted. The initial attacks and subsequent exploitation by motorised units, put the city on the front line, however, the difficult terrain and still significant defensive positions directly to the west of the city meant that only a relatively weak assault could be attempted as there was a significant defensive force int he city. Despite Stuka units evading the Soviet AA the attack, whilst inflicting losses, resulted in a stalemate.
Elsewhere the mainly infantry dominated forces pressed on the Soviet frontier defences in the broad salient centred on Bialystok. The Northern part of this force contains extremely weak units and really
only acts as a screen. The majority of the attacking was from the South and all the frontier defences were easily breached, although without the ability to exploit like the motorised units, it is a slow process.
AGS
Army Group South meanwhile battered against the frontier defences to the North West of Lvov without significant success. Further to the North the Motorised elements succeeded in crossing the Bug and advancing directly eastward along the main road skirting the Southern Edge of the Pripet
marshes.
A significant portion of AGS forces were still arriving from the Balkan campaign, combined with major traffic jams in the area meant that for game purposes many units could not move in the first game turn.
VP Summary
Vilnius captured: +2 VP
Soviet HQ Destroyed: +2VP
Kaunas captured: +2VP
Brest Captured: +2VP
Mandated Attacks not made (AGC Sector): +2VPs
Soviet Armour and Artillery Step Losses (1 per six): +1 VP
Turn 2
AGN
Despite the seizure of Kaunas, there remained a significant force which needed to be mopped up to the west of Kaunas. Whilst these were immediately destroyed, significantly, this required delaying the
eastward advance of several Panzer divisions. Nevertheless, infantry elements continued eastward through the breach to the South of Kaunas with the aim of screening the line of supply to Vilnius and also relieving the exposed on all sides, 20th Motorised Division occupying the city at the very tip of the advance.
The 3rd Motorised Division raced along the main road from Kaunas to a position just outside Daugavpils
Further North East, Siauliui was taken and a general advance ensued to the North into the Courland peninsula, along the road to Riga and to the North East pursuing the withdrawing defenders.
AGC
In spite of a much larger attack, fully supported by artillery and aircraft against Grodno, the fickle CRT failed to produce the desired result and the city continued to hold despite further attrition. The remaining defenders to the West of Grodno were destroyed and the city is now completely surrounded. It will definitely fall in the next turn, however, holding up the advance at this juncture has allowed a large number of units to make their way eastwards covering the approaches to the South West of Minsk.
Further South the now unshackled Panzer Corps moving in parallel from round Brest continued to sweep aside resistance and are now in a position to continue eastward to Baranovichi and beyond as the Southern Minsk pincer.
The Bialystok salient continued to collapse and with the destruction of the defenders in front of Grodno, it is all but encircled. For illustrative purposes, the infantry involved in this area represent approximately two thirds of AGC Infantry and there will be a long slow advance ahead of them before they can catch up with the motorised elements which are currently racing ahead on either flank.
AGS
With the full complement of units now available, AGS continued battering the defences to the north west of Lvov for some incremental gains against the defenders who had regrouped in the meantime.
Further north, the concentrated Panzer Corps easily destroyed defenders at and to the south of Kovel, capturing that town. Immediately further south, the remaining fortified positions were also overwhelmed. Further to the north, an expeditionary force is making its way along the back roads of the Pripet Marches with a view to outflanking the now considerably reformed defensive lines along the Styr River line. There is a now a significant concentration of Soviet forces including powerful armoured divisions here, so attacks against them will be at relatively low odds. The road directly east towards Rovno is the main prize in this area and should result in some heavy fighting in turns ahead.
VP Summary
AGN took Special Reinforcement Pool: two Infantry Divisions and one Engineer Regiment - for a cost of -1VP.
Siauliui Captured: +2VPs
Przemysl Captured: +1VP
Kovel Captured: +1VP
Mandated Attacks Not Made (AGN Sector): +2VPs
Mandated Attacks Not Made (AGS Sector): +3VPs
Soviet Armour and Artillery Losses (AGC): +1VP
Headquarters Destroyed AGC and AGS: +2VP per sector
Good to see there is some backbone in teh Soviet Defence - we have all dealt with and still dealing with fickle CRT - Mike
ReplyDeleteThe CRT is interesting in this game. D10 no more than a +/- 3 in adjustments. Some results have increased losses like in WiF. We are yet to see impacts from running out of supply and fuel (this will happen real soon with AGC) and of course weather.
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