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I took the liberty of calculating the troop density across the line. The soviets have 96 divisions in Stryj. A straight line across it is about 250-300 km. Assuming one division contains 10,000 soldiers. A typical estimate although low as by WWI . That means there are 960,000 soldiers defending 250,000 m of line. Or about one soldier per 26 cm. The high end estimates say 31 cm. Standing room only.

Please remember that the line is probably curved so this isn't very accurate, but very interesting.
 
Thlawrence said:
I took the liberty of calculating the troop density across the line. The soviets have 96 divisions in Stryj. A straight line across it is about 250-300 km. Assuming one division contains 10,000 soldiers. A typical estimate although low as by WWI . That means there are 960,000 soldiers defending 250,000 m of line. Or about one soldier per 26 cm. The high end estimates say 31 cm. Standing room only.

Please remember that the line is probably curved so this isn't very accurate, but very interesting.
The line would definitely be curved, at least it used to be- the Germans were attacking from 3 directions before Lvov and Beltsy were emptied.

The fact that the attack progress jumped from 67.1% to 70.2% over the course of 13 hours (and the withdrawal of 15 German divisions from the attack) can only mean trouble for the Soviets. Add in the fact that they're out of supply at least 12 hours of the day, and this battle's already a German victory.
 
Wow. Just wow :eek:

If this is a German victory, and I see no way how could they lose now, the NKVD is gonna be busy shooting all the Soviet officers involved in this catastrophic setback.

Onwards to Moscow, liberate the oppressed people of the Soviet Union! ;)
 
HKslan - The update should really contain an answer now :)

bbcrackmonkey, SgtPepper20 - Stalingrad is surely not forgotten by many of the survived veterans now fighting in Stryj. As for the encirclement, I'm sure there are many better or bigger than mine :) I am just really lucky to say the least, as the AI had provided me with an excellent occasion.

Thlawrence, dublish - That's an interesting calculation. 26 cm is about as much as being in a very dense crowd. To address this problem, I will make sure there will be much more free space in the future by, er, persuading them to move elsewhere :) German victory is indeed at hand.

Winner- As much as my bureaucracy will be busy dealing with one million prisoners. Stalin will for sure go mad.

Enewald - Indeed it is, else I would have lost by, say, Sept. 1st.

Folgore80 - Just uncross your fingers... :p

Update.
 
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Eastern Gamble

0600 August 27th 1944
Milan, Northern Italy

Three divisions had completed their redeployment from France. Ringel would be the first to benefit from such redeployments; the number of British divisions in Italy were starting to worry him.​

031-1-Milan.jpg

Their destination would now be Rimini.​

0500 August 27th 1944
Stryj, Poland

Among the high-ranked generals of the Wehrmacht, Rommel was the most nervous at the moment. He could not believe he was at the verge of winning a battle against such odds and encircling a hundred divisions.​

031-2-Stryj.jpg

He was tormented by the probability that the Soviets could've been preparing a trap for him. This fear haunted him night and day since he ordered to commence the encirclement. Nevertheless, the battle of Stryj was seeing its ending stage.​

1100 August 27th 1944
Stanislawow, Poland

3. SS Panzerkorps, led by Lt. General Grasser, was no longer alone as nine other divisions blocked any attempt at breaking the defense. Now that his hands weren't tied anymore, Grasser could now complete the last step to the encirclement along with the other twelve divisions already marching from South.​

031-3-BeltsyMove.jpg

Soviet troops in Stryj would begin to tremble in fear at the sight of Germans everywhere surrounding them.​

1900 August 27th 1944
Eastern Front

As the Luftwaffe didn't prove to be the decisive factor, and as losses to attrition were mounting to the already mauled squadrons, Göring authorized the whole Luftwaffe to rest and to not carry out any operation in the future till they were at maximum strenght, if not for emergency situations.​

031-4-LuftwaffeRest.jpg

With Rommel going to win in Stryj, he didn't really need planes anyways; the Luftwaffe needed rest and repairs, and now it was time to let them have it.​

0230 August 29th 1944
3. SS Panzerkorps, Beltsy, Romania

"Herr Rommel, urgent message from 3. SS Panzerkorps!" an aide hastily entered the tent in which Rommel was examinating a map, or at least he was trying to. He had not slept for days and now the news of such message made him shatter in fear.

"Could this possibly be a message of defeat? What are you waiting there! It's urgent, isn't it? Hand me tha-that message over!" Rommel's voice tried to be firm and loud, but such tense days made his voice sound like it came from the netherworld.

He did not even dismissed the aide as he eagerly opened the message; his eyes quickly rolled through the words looking for whatever spelled "disaster!" or "defeat" or "alarming".

"From: 3. SS Panzerkorps
To: VII. Armeekorps

3. SS Panzerkorps entered the territory of Beltsy at 0200 August 29th with no resistance met whatsoever. Soviet troops in Stryj completely encircled. We expect a counterattack soon. Further reinforcements coming in 20 hours..."​

031-5-Encircle.jpg

Rommel could not read any further as the words "completely encircled" had destroyed whatever little mental integrity had left. As all his fear and disbelief, that mixture of hope and angst, that pain that haunted him for days had been vanquished by this short and cold message from Grasser, and immediately turned to utter joy mixed with incredulity, he felt as he was about to pass out. He didn't, but he felt really weak nonetheless.

In twenty minutes, he immediately met Model to inform him about the news.

"Erwin, what happened to you? Have you been awake for all this time?"

"I couldn't stand the feat of being responsible of either the victory of my fatherland... or her downfall. Now, Walther..." he could not really stand the feat, and it was clearly visible to Model, as while he was extracting Grasser's message, his hands were trembling.

"Does that mean... Erwin, are there any complications...?

"None, not at all Walther... it's just too beautiful to believe it, that's all..."

Model grabbed the message and quickly realized that this was to be 1944's most important happening, perhaps superior to that of the failure of Operation Overlord. A bunch of poorly equipped German divisions that had not even received the forty or so divisions returning from France, had surrounded and cut off ninety six Soviet divisions in one of the worst years for Germany's fortunes.

"That's unbelievable indeed and I have no words to add to it... my good Rommel, you are exhausted. Let me finish off the damned Ruskies in Stryj while you get a period of rest. You deserve it."

"That's an order I agree with much delight."

"Indeed you should. I will immediately forward such delightful news to von Manstein and then to von Rundstedt." The two had nothing more to add, as the news spoke by itself.​

0250 August 29th 1944
VII. Armeekorps Headquarters, Zamosc, Poland

Rommel had just shortly returned from his meeting with Model. He was eager to fulfill that order, but surprisingly enough the same aide entered his tent.

"Herr Rommel, 3. SS Panzerkorps has--"

"Another message?" Rommel gasped "Once again? Hand me it over..."

Once again he feared a second message could've been a signal that the Soviets had instantly turned the tables. Fortunately for him - and his nerves - it was not.

"From: 3. SS Panzerkorps
To: VII. Armeekorps

Scouts reports the territory of Chisinev to be completely vacant. Possible isolation of twenty Soviet divisions in Ismail."

He could not believe he had the occasion to encircle one hundred and twenty divisions.​

031-6-ChisinevFree.jpg

If the Soviets are not able to break the defenses of Stalislawow before reinforcements' arrival, these would be the final days of one-hundred twenty Soviet divisions.​

0300 August 29th 1944
12. Armee, Beltsy, Romania

General Glokke was the first to bring reinforcements to Grasser. One hour after the arrival of Grasser, the Soviets had attacked him and the odds were not favourable at all.​

031-7-BeltsyAttacked.jpg

Reinforcements progressively arrived delaying a possible German setback. They would not retreat at any cost, this time.​

0300 August 30th 1944
Avranches, France

The US had many troops to spare. Some of them were sent to France for a vacation, but they did not know that France was now under German possession.​

031-8-Avranches.jpg

It was not good news for the Americans, as Hausser too planned a similar vacation for some of his troops in the beaches of France.​

031-9-Avranches.jpg

They now had many more friends to play with: ten thousand roughly.​

1300 August 30th 1944
Beltsy, Romania

The arrival of VII. Korps perfectly equipped divisions finally persuaded the Soviets to stop their attack shortly thereafter.​

031-10-BeltsyWin.jpg

The Soviets had probably spent their last attempt at breaking the encirclement.​
 
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Eastern Gamble

continued

031-11-StryjProgressModel.jpg

The news of the encirclement of Stryj was acclaimed with joy by German troops, as in a few hours Model, now leading the attack, had made another impressive thrust deep into the enemy's defense. Soviet resistance was about to fall soon, and with that the free lives of one million soldiers.​
 
Make sure to take out the 20 more divisions in Ismail. This will totally break the Soviet southern flank. All glory to the Fatherland :D
 
Too bad that the Soviet AI of this mod seems to be unable to keep reserves away from a battle. But great job nevertheless, such a victory will compensate the immensive casualties this battle has so far inflicted.
 
Good AAR - Just came across it through a post over at Remble's latest adventure.

I've spent the last page and a half wondering if the encirclement would succeed before I got up to date - and now I'm left with a cliffhanger!

The battles in this mod certainly look a bit more nailbiting than usual.

Looks like I'm signing up to yet another gameplay AAR for a game I don't own and have never played. I should get out more. :eek:o