Gotterdammerung im Osten AAR

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My current game of GiO against Fishkoff is currently at turn 20; so it's time for me to post an AAR of the fighting up to this point.

Initial Thoughts:

The scale of this scenario is huge, almost as big as DNO, with a great number of units to contend with.

Finnish Front: Sooner or later, Viipuri will be lost. My strategy here is to try and bleed the Russians by the time they capture Viipuri. That may allow me to hold on to Helsinki when the time comes.

AGN/AGC: Delay, delay, delay. I wanted to use the advantage I have that my units on the Central Front start out in a fortified status. As penetrations of the front occur, I would pull my troops back to a line I had built up on the Berezina and Dvina rivers.

Kovel/Lvov: Several rivers run N to S in this area. I intend to take full advantage of this.

Counter-attacks would be mounted when the opportunity presents itself.

Key areas:

Osipovichi/Slutsk region. If I allow Fishkoff to move in here, my whole Berezina line would be outflanked, forcing a further withdrawal.
Consequently, as soon as able, I plan to move several mobile units to the area.

Berezina/Dvina Gap. The only area of my centre not covered by a river. There is some good defensive terrain just N of the Berezina in this area. I will hold with strong Inf. and AT units.

Lvov. The river lines in this region end more or less just N of Lvov and to the west of the city there is some good open terrain for mobile formations. Some strong mobile Divs. will be moved to this region to hold the city as long as possible.

Carpathians. Excellent defensive terrain here. Need to keep an eye on the N/S valleys running to Rumania.

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Turn 4:

Line beginning to form on the Berezina. Mobile units brought up to the Slutsk/Osipovichi area.

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Turn 10:

Defensive line begins to form along the Dvina. Small counter-attack required E of Daugavpils to prevent Russians from reaching the Dvina before the defences are ready.

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Line forming in Berezina/Dvina Gap (blue line)
Some small penetrations across the river E of Minsk.

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Turn 14:

My line in the north has pulled back to the Dvina in it's entirety.

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Strong counter-attacks to seal off a penetration SE of Slutsk and contain the Russians S of Osipovichi.

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On turn 11, the the Kovel/Lvov Front opened to a terrific Russian barrage. The heroic Whermacht fights gallantly to maintain it's front while new defences are erected on the river lines to their rear.

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Penetration across the Dvina E of Riga require an influx of reinforcements to push back. Counter-attack in progress.Turn 19:

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A massive attack towards Lvov by the Russians. Intelligence has identified elements of three Tank Armies in this advance. Reinforcements are rushed to the scene including elmts of 4 Pz Divs. and 2 Pz Gr Divs. Counter-attacks mounted in an effort to pinch off the Russian spearhead and annihilate them.

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Here are some screenshots of the Finnish front.

Turn 4:

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and Turn 14:

The Russians have reached the approachs to Viipuri
and my forces in the eastern sector have just begun to pull back.

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and the eastern sector

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Losses in the game thus far (to turn 19) are 1504 for the Russians and 177 for the German side.
Yeah!! Go me !!

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My opponent decided to throw in the towel at Turn 22.

Here is the Finnish front at the endgame. Solid blue line is the present front, while the hatched blue lines are fallback positions.

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My mainline along the Dvina/Berezina is still holding firm and reserves are dealing with any local penetrations.

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In front of Lvov, my Pz Corps have managed to pocket the bulk of the Soviet 11th Guards Tank Corps & 8th Mech Corps.

In the Pinsk area, I was able to sneak in a Cavalry Btl soth of the Pripet River and blow the bridge cutting off supplies to the Soviet 8th Guards Army and portions of 61st Army.

Green arrows indicate proposed progression of offensive in this area.

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In Rumania, German forces retreat in good order to establish a defensive line along the Prut River. This shortens my lines considerably; freeing up 3 Inf divs for other uses(circled in blue).

3 Pz Divs moved north to the Jassy area to screen this vulnerable sector.