'AARchtung panzer!' II (WiF2)

[vondertann]

I don't want to be a quibbler, but I think Hauser missed an opportunity here by not choosing option 2a:
By pushing into Nabereznye Chelny with 10 of his ArmDivs, he would have blocked the retreating path for >25 units (Ulyanovsk and Zelenodolsk) and from my armchair General's view I'd think it would have been worth the risk. 10 Divs should be able to hold the ground against a combined attack from Kazan and Orenburg (though I admit I don't now what could hve come from Ufa and Sterlitamak). One ARM could have attacked from Ulyanovsk to Toglyatti with the support of the Divisions in Volsk to secure the southern flank and to bag the units retreating out of Kubyshev (though I admit that they would have been to slow to catch them).
Reasons:
- The annihilation of the 25+ divisions in addition to those of Penza would have smashed the Steppenfront (as you said above) instead of just pushing them back to fight them later. STAVKA would have been forced to transfer troops in that area, weakening other fronts.
- You are forced to use a big part of your airforce in that region anyway.
- You would have gained more buffer to the east (and thus more ground to give to the west).
- You could have abandoned the attack on Kostroma, going Gorki - Vyatka - Syktyvkar (I just broke my Keyboyardy!) - Uhta (a path you were already attacking along I think).

Am I to optimistic in my assumptions?

 

[Lucifer]

Damn and blast, STAVKA, unleash some can of Bagration on these insufferable Teutonish hordes!!!

Somebody has to find and dispose of this traitor! He is adding at least 5% of dissent just by himself

I don't want to be a quibbler, but I think Hauser missed an opportunity here by not choosing option 2a:
By pushing into Nabereznye Chelny with 10 of his ArmDivs, he would have blocked the retreating path for >25 units (Ulyanovsk and Zelenodolsk) and from my armchair General's view I'd think it would have been worth the risk. 10 Divs should be able to hold the ground against a combined attack from Kazan and Orenburg (though I admit I don't now what could hve come from Ufa and Sterlitamak). One ARM could have attacked from Ulyanovsk to Toglyatti with the support of the Divisions in Volsk to secure the southern flank and to bag the units retreating out of Kubyshev (though I admit that they would have been to slow to catch them).
Reasons:
- The annihilation of the 25+ divisions in addition to those of Penza would have smashed the Steppenfront (as you said above) instead of just pushing them back to fight them later. STAVKA would have been forced to transfer troops in that area, weakening other fronts.
- You are forced to use a big part of your airforce in that region anyway.
- You would have gained more buffer to the east (and thus more ground to give to the west).
- You could have abandoned the attack on Kostroma, going Gorki - Vyatka - Syktyvkar (I just broke my Keyboyardy!) - Uhta (a path you were already attacking along I think).

Am I to optimistic in my assumptions?

Short answer: yes, you are very optimistic. When yellow arrows are displayed, we should not assume that all the units in the province are moving. I know for a fact (air raid) that there were units totally dug in in the provinces you would have wanted me to attack. The fight would have gone on, with enemy reinforcements arriving. Probably I would have succeeded at the end to bag 30-40 units (including the ones already retreating from Penza, but without being sure that I will have been able to prevent them from reconnecting with their lines.
What I am sure off is that Hauser's PzDs would have exhausted their entire Org and that it would have been impossible to encircle Moscow.
So, yes I probably missed an opportunity but I did so aiming at a bigger success. Only time will say.

 

[Lucifer]

<- Von Weichs' masterful offensive | Loki phase 2: Das Uranprojekt ->​

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[Eugenioso]

Shit be goin south yo

 

[Faeelin]

I don't know how you can pull this off. Welp, time to learn Russian.

 

[Lucifer]

Shit be goin south yo

I don't know how you can pull this off. Welp, time to learn Russian.

Why these comments? This latest update didn’t show anything really bad happening for the Axis.
Or is it defeatism? More dissent to root out?

 

[Lucifer]

<- 300 & 7000 | Oil shortage? & Unsealing the kessel ->​

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[Lucifer]

<- Loki phase 2: Das Uranprojekt | Panzer dash! ->​

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[Vilcoyote]

I understand why so many trucks left Germany since last winter, but can't you rely more on train instead of using fuel to bring more fuel on the front , the people from das Ministerrat für die Reichsverteidigung will be happier

I hope it will be the last major offensive and the end of the soviets, one more offensive like that and you will be stuck for good

 

[Lucifer]

I understand why so many trucks left Germany since last winter, but can't you rely more on train instead of using fuel to bring more fuel on the front , the people from das Ministerrat für die Reichsverteidigung will be happier

I hope it will be the last major offensive and the end of the soviets, one more offensive like that and you will be stuck for good

Hauser would love to have the trains to supply his front line units, but he needs them to redeploy units from the rear instead. He could also draft some employees from Das Ministerrat für die Reichsverteidigung to replace his losses if they are unable to fulfill their duty from their offices.
I wish it will be the last offensive as well as the Reich won’t have replenished his oil stockpile before 1943.

 

[Faeelin]

Why these comments? This latest update didn’t show anything really bad happening for the Axis.
Or is it defeatism? More dissent to root out?

I just continue to marvel at the imbalance between you and the AI.

If you get the bitter peace, will that be the end of the game? Or will you do Sealion?

 

[Lucifer]

I just continue to marvel at the imbalance between you and the AI.

If you get the bitter peace, will that be the end of the game? Or will you do Sealion?

Ok
If this campaign succeeds, I don't know if I will continue this AAR as I am about to move and I am not sure I will have time for this. If I do, it will have to go faster with more days per update, which is actually possible during the preparation of Sealion II (remember, the first one failed and triggered a series of unfortunate events). Anyway, I am currently playing and updating as if it will happen (production, resources allocated...)

 

[Lucifer]

<- Oil shortage? & Unsealing the kessel | One province too far? ->​

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[J_Master]

Start up the Wagner, because we're entering the final phase!

 

[Lucifer]

Start up the Wagner, because we're entering the final phase!

Yes, the Valkyries are appropriate!
The last time I listened to Wagner, I had this urge to invade Poland.

 

[Lucifer]

<- Panzer dash! | Two furious ->​

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[Ericafaq]

Well that's all. The end of the Soviet Union is a question of time, because now you have access to the Urals and Siberia. And the Soviet AI never protects these territories. I saw two German panzer divisions took Omsk without resistance.
What are the post-war plans for Russia? RK Mosckowien or direct control from Berlin? Who is your next target? Britain or the USA?

 

[spannbeton]

Is it your plan to not close the kessel but have constantly repel them, get them all on the retreat and then close it in order to avoid the ai to go ballistic?

 

[Lucifer]

Well that's all. The end of the Soviet Union is a question of time, because now you have access to the Urals and Siberia. And the Soviet AI never protects these territories. I saw two German panzer divisions took Omsk without resistance.
What are the post-war plans for Russia? RK Mosckowien or direct control from Berlin? Who is your next target? Britain or the USA?

Lol, after reading this I had to check the latest update to be sure that I had not won inadvertently
Moscow is not encircled, I don't have access to the Urals and Siberia (at least not without having to break through 100-150 divisions). And if/once the pocket is created, it won't be easy if the capital is moved and all these units are still supplied. Actually, if this is the case, I may even try to just hold off these units and go for Moscow in the hope to trigger the bitter peace event.
Regarding what you wrote about the fact that the AI doesn't protect these territories, I may have another possible interpretation. In WiF2, the AI (at least for the USSR) has a defense-in-depth strategy, 2 provinces behind the front line. To totally breakthrough, one has to break the heavily defended 1st line, then a less defended 2nd line, then a 3rd one with only 1 or 2 units. When a province is captured, the AI redeploys units to recreate a 3rd line in the rear. If the units of the breakthrough go fast enough, these redeployments don't have time to arrive before their target is captured and are sent back to the capital, leaving the impression that the AI is not reacting.

After Bitter Peace, I would like to see the map with all the RKs and enjoy free shipments of oil from Caucasian puppets.
UK should be the obvious target and I am planning for this. Now, with the resources/units at my disposition, and considering that Africa is Axis-controlled, it may be easier to aim at the USA by invading South America first then to grind my way to the North. But whatever the choice will be, I will need to reorganize and redeploy the Wehrmacht and the forces of its allies.

Is it your plan to not close the kessel but have constantly repel them, get them all on the retreat and then close it in order to avoid the ai to go ballistic?

No and yes.
I intend to close the kessel as fast as possible, but not if the spearhead won't have a chance to resist a counterattack. It is the same strategy used in the Volga bend: first break what could threaten a victory, then go for the main objective to keep it. In the North, I have to wait for Hauser's PzDs to arrive first, then defeat what could endanger a victory before targeting the final obljective, Volodga. I would have followed the same strategy even if I didn't know that the AI will probably go ballistic as you wrote it so well.

Now, to be honest, I have played past mi-august and I obviously know if the offensive succeeded or failed. But I am making sure in the updates or in the comments to narrate only what I knew, thought or guessed at the time when I played.

 

[Vilcoyote]

so much teasing

anyway, even a failed offensive there coundn't mean the end for you, as the red has severals thousand of km to cross before reaching Berlin, and the allies are no more a danger