Fast Heinz vs General Staff

[fast Heinz]

Started Historical game today, only turn one. MikeJ attack sacred me into going historical....keep the Nazi away for awhile.

Who exactly are the Don Front Armies?

[fast Heinz]

Comrades;
Here is what Genl Staff did to me turn 2. Historical game.

6th Army is breaking out, very intensive arty bombardments. Losses 16-1 in his favor.

He thinks game is imbalanced in favor of Germans?

Any advice is welcome.

[laszlo.nemedi]

As it seems to only the south option is the best for us!


OK my thoughts (need a lot of planning):
your only aim should be to seal the pocket, you can only slow down the south attack.

So you should extend the defense front of the 8 Cav Corps, so you can move your 5TA and any other unit you find into the gap between the 6th Army and the reliving force.
The 13Mech should bring back to the pocket (I tested you can build a defense line at the *** border). You can leave some splitted unit to slow down the advance on the south but don't expect much. (If you can hold the pocket, but lost the south region is still not a big disaster, than let the pocket free...
Move your forces around the pocket (the Don front) to strengthen the west side of the pocket (you know move every unit one or two hexes west to achive some free unit in the west of the pocket).

Well I think not much difference between MikeJ and General Staff, so first try to survive. (I would even move some unit from the north to help in the center, you can attack there with the remaining forces, as I do in my game.)

[laszlo.nemedi]

Oh forget to add: DIG IN IGNORE LOSSES!!!!

[fast Heinz]

Turn 3 after German phases. 6th army almost out, no way I can keep it pocketed. Don forces decimated by artillery. Trying to survive and waiting for little saturn...flank attack.

14 to 2 loses a new record?

A bullet in the head awaits the soviet commander.

[laszlo.nemedi]

Turn 3 after German phases. 6th army almost out, no way I can keep it pocketed. Don forces decimated by artillery. Trying to survive and waiting for little saturn...flank attack.

14 to 2 loses a new record?

A bullet in the head awaits the soviet commander.

First of all: change everywhere limit losses to ignore losses even if they are in orange state,
then throw as many units as you can do around (70,29), of course avoid their excirclement, move your don forces to make them thin to free up some of them and throw them around (79,35) but defend your supply point in the neighbourhood. If your forces activated in the south build a defense hedgehog line around your supply point (81,52).

He will make a contact with the sixth army, but your aim now to cut them off again, the worrying thing is in the south...

So don't give up, there is nothing defend on the soviet side, you have to be agressive in attack to hope any result, so go for all or nothing...

((To the others, maybe we should shot him to ease his pain in the future... :D

[Tiberius]

Fear not general. The great comrade West Pointer is a benevolent Stalin. No firing squad for you I'm sure.

[laszlo.nemedi]

Just for the record: in my game the german could make a contact with the 6th army, so it is not a big deal but you have to put everything to cut them again, not an easy thing thou

[fast Heinz]

Thanks for the input.....I won't give up, I'm learning.

But this magnifies the issues with the initial deployment...

I have yet to hardly move, and my armies watch themselves get surrounded and attacked and don't activate?

Big challange. Crown Royal will help. err Wodka.

[Heinz57]

Yes...Vodka!

[fast Heinz]

Trun 4, Nazis link with the 6th army! don front virtually destroyed with out having a chance to move! A good german can make Russian life tough!

He is sending 27th pz N. to stop Little Saturn. And trying to surround So. Red army.

Looks grim. I haven't been able to move many men, don't know what I could have done different.

Germans in siberia by summer.

[Heinz57]

Looks bad, but isn't catastrophic. His shock bonus is over, so he'll have a slightly more difficult go of things here on out.

In the north, attack and keep attacking everything that gets in the way from Rossosh to Chern. Should've probably engaged in doing so from the beginning of T2, but you can make up for it with the Saturn Shock. Watch terrain...before moving your armor next to enemy units, make sure its not on Frozen Hills, or in Badlands unless there's a road running through it. The terrain can slow you down quite a bit. That he's already got reinforcements into the area will make it that much more difficult for you.

You will probably have to write off everything south of Stalingrad, and establish an "active defense" near Stalingrad -- hitting him with anything you can to the best of your ability. Break units down into thirds if you need. Tie as many of his forces up as possible with what you do have south of Stalingrad.

Diverting forces from 2nd Guards Army toward the pocket, is probably not a good idea -- it only reduces the strength of your offensive. You have 5th Tank Army there, in good order, and Don Front north of Stalingrad is still in reasonably good shape. Contain with what you do have there -- and direct everything you can into the offensive.

Read the notes in all the other threads for other advice, there's a LOT of it and it begins with what Laszlo has been telling EVERYBODY from the very start -- DIG IN, IGNORE LOSSES FOR EVERYTHING BY END OF TURN.

Good Luck.