"Reich Redux" A Sparse TRM 1.08.4 AAR

[LimaTango]

July 1941


Kamfpgruppe Doctrine/ Arctic Warfare Training


Agricultural Production/ Frontline Supply Service


Slider move toward Central Planning to bump up TC


The month starts out strong wth the Heer advancing into Kiev, Priluki and Riga.

The Kessel begins to take shape around the Pripet Marshes and AG Nord and Sud begin taking strides to their secondary objectives.

The Germans enforce the Total Occupation policy in the East. In the far north, the Finns and Huns continue to drive the Russians out of the peninsula.

A sudden Soviet counterattack forces the Hungarian unit holding Grodno to retreat. The High Command rushes forces there to prevent a sundering of their deep penetration.

The Soviets rout the first reinforcements coming into Grodno and continue their threatening advance. At sea, the Soviet Baltic Squadron has somehow evaded the Tirpitz SAG off Leningrad, sailed through the straits off Copenhagen and taken a post in the North Sea. (I thought the straits were impassable to foes???)

An airborne drop is made into Grodno to buy some time for reinforcements to arrive, while around Kiev the Heer makes progress towards forming two pockets.

A seaborne landing in Yevpatoriya sets the anvil for the hammer coming down from Kiev. The hole at Grodno is finally plugged before the lines are severed. Far to the southeast, Nepal falls to the Italians.

On July 5th the High Command announces two pockets formed. If the Soviets do not break out their losses will have an impact.

The last of the Red Army is being rounded up on the Karelian Peninsula. One German Korps is ferried from Murmansk to Narvik for refitting.

STAVKA reacts to the incursion near Sevastopol, as AG Sud keeps driving south to the Black Sea. The Luftwaffe continues to batter the Red Fleet at their moorings, allowing unimpeded movement by the Romanian Transport Squadron.

Melitopol is overrun the same day Tallinn is captured.

General van Manstein drives on Mogilev as the pockets begin to be reduced.

The news is all good on the 10th. Two Mechanized divisions stand up, the Heer gains an improved doctrine and an Italian division, and the southernmost pocket is formed. All primary and secondary objectives are met on day 20 of the operation.

The Abwehr displays their battle map for the High Command.

 

[Gringoesteban]

Thank you for reading along! I think everyone else is lost in new-forum-land!

I'm following as best I can but I have been traveling. Went to the Imperial War Museum in London last week and saw a G7e/T3 torpedo and an Enigma machine. Saw the Ploesti oilfields (or at least what is left of them now that most of the oil has run out) from the window of my train earlier today.



Regarding the org regain minister, I don’t have a clear basis for which ministers to use, so I just go with whatever seems to make the most sense to me. I have stuck with (+20 Morale Leader) for most of my German games and it seems to be a universal boon to air, land and sea forces.

I am the same. I have no scientific basis for using the org regain minister but that's the one I always seem to go with.

 

[MagooNZ]

Agree, postings on the AoD page are much reduced following the changeover to the new format. Commander666 said just before this that he was going to take a long break, possibly even leaving the site for good. I missed the benefit of faster org regain for ships & aircraft. Perhaps strength is restored faster than organisation, without the +20 org regain minister. Will make an effort to take note of this.

 

[Mr_B0narpte]

Barbarossa looks to be going very well, good luck slaying the Red Bear!

I especially like all the clear information and abundance of screenshots.

EDIT: Quite surprised by the naval battle you had off the coast of Denmark in late-39. Congratulations on the result, but it does make me question if Gringo still needs to weaken submarines a bit more.

 

[Gringoesteban]

Quite surprised by the naval battle you had off the coast of Denmark in late-39. Congratulations on the result, but it does make me question if Gringo still needs to weaken submarines a bit more.

My U-boat losses were horrendous in my last game, but since I built well over 100 subs, I was eventually able to wear down the Royal Navy and sink all its convoy ships. LimaTango must be a far better admiral than I am....

 

[MagooNZ]

Gringo, for the next version could you edit the GER Africa Corp & ITA North Africa Corp events so that if the Axis has captured Suez, but not Crete, these events will fire. ITA didn't lose Bengazhi, Tobruk, and I (GER) have taken both Alex & Suez, but I still didn't get the Africa Corp formed. GER & ITA don't have a powerful enough navy to amphib invade Crete, even though the Med is now fully closed off, ENG still has Malta as well. Seems a little unfair that the Axis is punished for doing reasonably well (but not getting Crete yet), where as if they had done very badly (lost those 2 ITA provinces) they would already have the Africa Corp.

 

[LimaTango]

@MagooNZ I also stick with the Armored Spearheads Chief of Army but I am tempted to try the Guns and Butter one some day.

@ Gringo I would trade playing the game any day for the awesome trip you are having. I keep thinking that next year will be the year I can go to Europe and I have been thinking that for decades now.

Regarding U-boats I have taken very few losses but that English merchant marine just keeps chugging along. I don't know if I am having any impact except the dissent hits for German Activity.

@ Mr_BOnaparte Thanks for reading along. I have always had good fortune with Germany against the Royal Navy but as it really boils down to 3-4 large battles for dominance it could be pure luck. I do try to have naval doctrines in place for the start of the war and maybe that turns the tide?

 

[LimaTango]

July 11, 1941


With three pockets formed, the Heer slows to reduce them and to regain some organization for the mobile forces. Axis Minors step up and batter away at the disorganized and out-of-supply Russian forces.


At sea, the Battle of the Atlantic carries on, with the Allies merchant shipping lanes under siege.

Army Group Mitte is pushing their Kessel closed as STAVKA raises a new Central Front.

The noose begins to tighten in the south…

Stalin’s Organ strikes terror into those exposed to it. J


Far distant, the Italians roll into Katmandu, while on the Ostfront Army Group Nord approaches Archangelsk.

The attack goes in against the last Soviet Arctic port.

By the 19th, two pockets are closed and Archangelsk is in German hands. The High command is mystified as Russian troops pass across the straits east of Kerch even though a Romanian warship is posted there.

At last the Heer is across to Novorossisk. The Romanian transport squadron begins to shuttle tired troops to Constanta and fresh troops to the front.

With the southern pocket almost overrun, the Heer begins to prepare for the next phase of Barbarossa. As infantry arrives at the static front, mobile forces are rotated to Lublin and Konigsberg for some R&R before moving to their new jump-off points.

With the Arctic ports captured, Lend-Lease shipments are restricted.


(Note: the territories were captured for Finland, but the Finns want only the peninsula and refuse offensive actions further south. The next time the game crashed, I edited the save to take these territories for Germany.)

There is a minor battle in the White Sea with Red Banner Fleet remnants. On land the Italians continue to invest India, trapping several Allied divisions in the northwest.

Another Red Army Front is raised in Rostov to the dismay of Army Group Sud.

And another immediately in Tuapse…

Grand Admiral Raeder manages to corral a Canadian ASW fleet on the High Seas.

July winds down with the Wehrmacht controlling a solid front in the East. Most of the mobile forces are back on station, with about a third still moving east for another round of attacks. The first step is in Sumy, where the defenses crumble quickly.

The Abwehr presents reports to the High Command.

According to the Intelligence arm, the Soviet Union began with 323 Infantry and 31 Armored divisions. We know that they have raised 19 more infantry with the “Barbarossa Decision” plus perhaps 7 more for each of the 6 new Fronts springing up, and perhaps 4 in Kerch, for a total of 388 and 31. Our end of July INTSUM shows 242 and 18 for a possible elimination of 159 ground combat divisions.

 

[MagooNZ]

Must look up the Arctic Ports events to see if it curtails USA Lend Lease events. Worth extending the 1941 autumn line to the last port if it does.
Guns & butter is good if one is doing minimal armoured offensives and is short of ICs for upgrades.
I found a good pre-winter defensive line to achieve, but LimaTango, you are already at or past it in some locations. Kharkov & Stalino, across to Kiev, up the river line (on west) all the way due north to Leningrad. Then just two provinces on the Finish front. Sevestapol is manpower expensive to take unless a lot of firepower can be brought in, so I was going to stop at Meliopol.

18 May Edit: Manpower is down by about 130 since start of campaign. This could become an issue in 1942. This version 1.084 is so much harder than previous versions. Perhaps Lima Tango won't have too many problems because of a competitive navy? I got to the gates of Moscow & Stalingrad summer 42 but have been pushed back, and now the WAllies are invading.

 

[LimaTango]

@ MagooNZ I used basically that Winter Line in my last play through (Uber Allen) and it worked very well. In this case the Wehrmacht is still fully charged up and is going to push hard for more advances as long as they can. Manpower is definitely going to be a factor.

 

[LimaTango]

August 1941


(The game had to be rebooted, so every Soviet air wing seems to attack immediately.)


Basic Static Anti Air Artillery/ Basic Electronic Computers


The Red Air Force takes to the skies in a bid for supremacy, but the Luftwaffe holds the line.

At sea, the Regia Marine takes on a Royal Navy detachment and both sides are bloodied badly.


The High Command begins Phase Three of Barbarossa by moving into Sumy, the springboard for another deep thrust.

STAVKA raises the Southwestern Front as Sumy, Stalino and Novorossisk are invested by the Heer.

Kursk is the next link in the chain as the hammer picks up speed towards the anvil.

Some concrete assistance from Franco finally arrives in the Spanish Blaue division. The Heer is shrugging off small Soviet counterattacks on their pincer arm and Orel is assailed.

`Army Group Mitte continues north into Tula. Troops also are formed on the Baltic coast to secure this area from resupply via sea. A good size force also lurks near Smolensk, awaiting orders.

STAVKA rushes the 40th Army into position to harry the German right flank.

The push to Moscow rolls on in the East, while far south in Persia, the Heer marches into Persia’s rich oil fields, a welcome addition to national resources.

Stalin flees Moscow even as the MDL Is formed to defend it.

The Baltic Coast campaign is progressing well against weary Soviet troops.

The Red Army is driven from Rybinsk in the north, as Army Group Sud begins to make progress into the Caucuses in the southeast.

General progress from the Baltic to the Persian Gulf region.

On August 19, STAVKA brings three entire Army Groups to the front against the tiring Wehrmacht forces. The drive to Moscow is threatened from all sides.

 

[MagooNZ]

Incredible progress, to be at the gates of Moscow so soon. That organisation regain minister must be adding a lot to the army's ability.

 

[LimaTango]

@ MagooNZ The Heer is pushing while the weather is hospitable, as it will take a nasty turn quite soon.

I send my mobile units back for refitting when they reach 50% organization, so I think that minister does help to get them back on their way to the front as quickly as possible.

 

[LimaTango]

19 August 1941


It’s a trap!


General Rommel’s Korps rolls into Rybinsk and is immediately set upon from all sides by fresh Soviet forces. Surrounded, outnumbered and poorly supplied, he circles the panzers and attempts to hang on.

The battle rages in Rybinsk, but elsewhere the Wehrmacht rolls on, pocketing several Red Army divisions south of Smolensk. Smaller mobile Korps are racing to reinforce the Desert Fox.

General Von Manstein arrives as Rommel is forced to withdraw. Now the Soviet forces are beginning to lose their drive in the assault.


Several battles are won in Persia over the poorly equipped Persian forces.

Persian forces make a final stand in Tehran as the Afrika Korps moves in on them.

On the Ostfront, the Heer holds in Rybinsk and then launches an assault on Cherepovets, seeking to link up with Army Group Nord.

Smolensk is assailed at last, and the Russian defenses begin to crumble.

The attack goes in on Teheran.

On August 26, the forces of Army Group Nord and Mitte link up and sever Moscow’s connection to the bulk of the Soviet Union. Along the Baltic coast, Kingisepp falls and only Leningrad is open to resupply from the sea.

The Red Army demonstrates remarkable fecundity, standing up two fronts while cut off from its main supply lines.

Smolensk and Teheran are taken, as a major relief effort is repulsed in Cherepovets. The line is holding!

The pocket in A.G. Mitte is fully reduced. The march to isolate Leningrad begins with the Heer taking Vytegra.

August ends on a high note. Though Rommel’s and other Korps had to be pulled off the front for refitting, Phase Three of Barbarossa, the isolation of Moscow, has been effected.


The Abwehr prepares some reports.

 

[LimaTango]

September 1941


Home Defense Doctrine/ Floating Fortress Doctrine

Improved Armored Railway Transportation/ Defensive Fighter Box Doctrine


Some Soviet troops volunteer in the war against Communism. Coupled with recent losses this unhinges Stalin, who seeks terms. The offer is quickly rejected.

On September 3 the Heer enters and successfully defends Luga, cutting Leningrad off from Moscow. The Soviet Northern Fronts are now isolated from resupply via sea or ground.

In the Caucuses, The Afrika Korps is at the doorstep to Baku, as German mountaineers continue to battle their way southeast. In the north, advance forces are pushed back in Luga, but reinforcements are en route.

The High Command wants the Moscow Kessel reduced, but the sheer number of divisions there forces caution in every advance.

September 9 Persia is annexed. On the 12th STAVKA begins shooting soldiers attempting to withdraw.

Three more British divisions are marked for death in Egypt.

The pace slows as several Korps refit, but the Heer is still advancing on all fronts.

(computer crash forced a restart here)


STAVKA opens another front in the Caucuses.

Lugo is again invested and is holding firm this time. The Moscow pocket begins to close in.

The Italian army and navy have surrounded the last British presence in India and begin their assault.

At the same time, Army Group Sud moves to clear the port of Sevastopol for use by Axis log trains.

 

[LimaTango]

September 25, 1941


The defenders are beginning to lose heart in Calcutta, besieged on all sides.

On September 27, Army Group Nord moves on Leningrad, from three adjoining provinces and over the beaches, supported by air strikes and naval gunfire.

Sevastopol and Calcutta surrender almost simultaneously, as the paratroops join the battle in Leningrad.

An air drop goes in at Rostov as well.

The Luftwaffe veterans pounce on Soviet aircraft fleeing Leningrad.

Rostov falls on the 29th and th defenders in Leningrad are increasingly desperate, though they do hold through the end of the month.

The Kriegsmarine continues their efforts to strangle British commerce with a wide-flung deployment of wolfpacks.

Back on the Ostfront, Leningrad is taken. The Moscow Kessel is now the only holdout behind the lines. Ominously, the first snowfalls begin to occur over the front lines.

The Abwehr prepares some reports, noting that the Red Army has lost 3 million men to date.

In the Black Sea, the last of the Red Fleet Black Sea Squadron interferes with troop movements.

The Red Fleet Baltic Squadron sorties for perhaps the last time. On the diplomatic front, Turkey offers to join the Axis, but their offer is declined, in a friendly manner.

The Heer continues to push forward in the south, hampered by both mud and snow.

The prospect for a breakout from Moscow dim as the noose is drawn tighter, day by day.

 

[Gringoesteban]

Very good progress so far.

You have about a month to clear the Moscow pocket before the Soviet winter counteroffensive begins. If you can do that, then it shouldn't be too hard to achieve Bitter Peace by Fall 1942. The Soviets airlift supplies to Demyansk by event if that region is surrounded, but from the screenshot above it looks like you are about to capture Demyansk.

If you don't capture Moscow by the end of November, and all those divisions are able to escape, then you may have some difficulties in 1942, but otherwise it looks like Stalin is doomed.

 

[LimaTango]

@Gringoesteban I saw those daily airlifts and I think I am seeing Moscow producing it's own supplies each day, which I don't recall seeing before. Very nice!

I am posting up October now and the pocket is not relieved thus far. Stalin and his lapdogs keep fielding fresh forces and the frozen ground is dragging things to a grinding halt, it appears.

 

[LimaTango]

October 1941


Arctic Warfare Training/ Early Marine Division

Night Strikes Doctrine/ Combat Unit Destruction Doctrine

Improved Decimetric Radar Warning sites/ Deep Vehicle Repair Organization


Progress is made to isolate Baku in the south, and shrink the Moscow pocket in the North.

Soviet armor counterattacks near Stalingrad, but is no match for Rommel and von Manstein’s Korps, back at the front again.

The Red army counterattacks in Babol and forces the Heer to regroup and try again there.

Army Group Sud continues to push towards Stalingrad and Baku. Almost unnoticed, the Italians take Diego Garcia on the 13th, pushing the Royal Navy another step back.

Rommel is completing a small encirclement, but the frozen ground drains organization at a noticeable rate.

STAVKA rallies a formidable defense in Stalingrad. This city is a fortress and the High Command orders it surrounded/.

Still more Red Army divisions arrive at the front, a nearly daily occurrence lately.

Rommel leads the breakthrough in Kamyshin as the Heer marches on into the Russian hinterlands.

Army Group Nord keeps the pressure up around the Moscow pocket, where whole armies seek a breakout site.

Most of the action remains in the south, where operations continue in the only terrain not completely blanketed by snow.

The Kessel stays on the boil…

It’s a long way from the Polish border, and the Wehrmacht is stretched thin.

Closing this pocket would free up some forces for the inevitable counteroffensive.

The Abwehr prepares the monthly reports.

 

[Gringoesteban]

I am surprised you are still attacking in the Stalingrad area in bad weather. I would have moved all my mobile units north to finish off the Moscow kessel.