VOTG CG2 Chuikov's Dispatches

[Paul S NJ]

Here’s my aar of VOTG CG2 with Joe Markham. I’m trying a different style with it. – Paul 5/5/09

Joe- don't read this until after the scenario is over!

14 SEP Dispatch 0200 (pregame)
From: Commander 62nd Army - Gen. Chuikov
To: Gen. Kruschev

I, Vasily Chuikov, newly appointed commander of the 62nd Army, have the honor of defending the city named for our leader. While I have only arrived on two days ago, I must stabilize the situation immediately. I have told my staff, ‘The only way to hold this city is to pay in lives, time is blood’. (check out the good bio on Chuikov at http://www.theeasternfront. co.uk/Commanders/russian/chuikov.htm).

The focus of these dispatches are the struggle for the central portion of the city. I now find myself organizing a mixed force of defenders preparing to meet the onslaught of a strong German attack. In this 2 KM sector (50 hexes north to south) my initial defenders are 6 companies (coy) of NKVD/militia with 2 coy of regulars. Prior fighting has heavily depleted 3 coy and lightly depleted a fourth. Fortunately one coy has been reinforced. Reinforcing the original 3 T34s in the area, I brought up (and dug into rubble) another platoon of T34s, only to have one lost out of sector for an unknown reason. “Find me that tank commander’s name Major, I want to set an example with him!” I have also brought up 4 ART guns and 5 MOL projectors to stiffen the anti-tank abilities of the line. Finally I rely on a dedicated battery of ART on the eastern bank of the Volga (80mm) and have brought forward a few additional specially trained marksmen and mines I have confiscated from the riverbank depot (SAN 6, 40 additional FPP). I also have a strike force of heavy tanks, and SMG troops to be prepared to move on my personal command and follow me (as represented by the 10-0 ‘Gorgorov’ counter) to reinforce the southern flank or possibly even wade into the German flank. Overall my 83 squads, 4 guns, 9 tanks should face a similar number of attackers. There are many other units I would like to bring into the line but they are required elsewhere (like to also buy the 76* guns, another OBA, and a couple more Forts to increase the booby-trap levels). However the southern flank reinforcements need time to restock ammunition (arriving on a DR < the turn) and the two newly arrived NKVD coy and the mol-Ps both need additional rest (bought in reserve) before their offensive potential is restored.

I anticipate an attack focused on the southern sector of the battlefield, where the terrain is most suited to an extended defensive campaign. Absolute enemy air superiority makes mobility low/nonexistent, so all have been warned to be in position at dawn. However my regretable experiences in the Finnish campaign taught me that a clever, motivated and well positioned defense can hold against even the most powerful combined arms attack.

My day one strategy in this initial fight is to repel and punish the southern flank of the attack. I have positioned 51 of the initial 68 squads, 8 of 9 tanks/guns, and dedicated the artillery support to defenders in the southern 20 hexes of the defense. That’s also where I will lead the 4 heavy tanks and 15 squads (eventually, and hopefully sooner than later). Finally the two heavy mortars will provide smoke and fire support from the 2nd level of the Nail factory and K41.

The middle twenty hexes are manned by only 3 conscript squads as well as a 'maskirova' (deception plan) based on 18 dummy reserve counters. To be strong one must accept risk! My hope is that the lack of strategic value in the center and distance to the waterworks and specialist’s house dissuade the attacker from invested too much in this sector until late in the day.
In the northern ten hexes, I have instructed the reinforced reserve NKVD coy with 3 Molotov projectors to prepare a strongpoint out of the K8 building and have provided one ART gun to backstop them from across the main square. I have also provided them a lone commissar, NKVD squad and MMG in K8(1) to provide some long range fire on approaching Germans. My hope is this group has to defend against only 1-2 German coy. More than that and the entire flank may need to be re-established in a night battle.

Fortifications have focused on mines, 6 antipersonnel factors in G40, G41 and L34. The lone AT mine to impede the bypass of the rail cars in E41. The children’s home and K8 building are NKVD fanatic strongpoints to be held at all costs. The Nail Factory is also a fanatic strongpoint (although fortifying M39 required using 10 FPP of purchased FPP, a real waste). H40 and H41 will provide fortified defensive locations behind the mines. Only one squad is hidden (a 426 in H9(1)) with the hope of close combat against broken units on the ground floor. Hasty roadblocks are in C42/43, G46/F45, K39/L39, K35/L35, K34/L33, K46/L45, E46/E47, C46/C47.

A false tank (strangely called a ‘Lamont’ by the soldiers) has been placed in F46, while dug in tanks are in L34 and K39 (to protect them from stukas) and the other platoon is n H44, I45, and G47. The noise of digging in the tanks has no doubt revealed them to the attacker, although by dawn they should gain some concealment from early air attacks. The ART guns have been placed in the factory in I47, I48 and nearby in H46 while the 4th is north in R4.

If the German uses his 55-60 initial squads (assuming recycling stukas and 2 'blue' infantry coy are bought at least) in the south, then I’m set. If he goes heavy in the north or center right from turn 1, then I’m in trouble.

Let the valor of every soviet soldier propel him to repel this heinous assault (or die trying)!!!

 

[Paul S NJ]

Joe- you can read this

14 SEP Dispatch 1200 (post German turn 4)
From: Commander 62nd Army - Gen. Chuikov
To: Gen. Kruschev (listeroids)

Tovarisch,

A brief situation report of events so far. The German assault has been less strong than expected, and so far is contained.

While the predawn aerial bombardments (two) on the southern flank near the children's home did rubble a small building on top of a conscript squad and destroy a hasty roadblock, no other damage was sustained due to most defenders initially occupying cellar locations.

Turn one it seemed only one company of reinforcing attackers entered. The attacker sent one thrust and 5 assault guns south towards the main rail station, one in the center towards M30 and one north with 5 assault guns towards the K8 strongpoint. Dive bombers have clouded the skies (1.5/turn on average), although turn 1 there were none were in sector, permitting some limited redeployment. A patriotic civilian has reported the attacker lost 2 StugB, one 81 mtr, and 3 HMG to a predawn raiding party (depletion). :bite:

Losses to date have been light on both sides. The additional new snipers and liberally littered explosive traps so far have been fruitless. However a T34 commander and a mol-p crew each claim one assault gun knocked out. Also two assault guns appear to have left the field due to gun malfunctions. Attackers losses are only two squads vs four defending squads and one heavy mortar malfunctioned and disabled by its crew (18 CVP to 10 CVP). One leader and squad sent into the sewers seemed to have lost their way, at least for now. Our supporting artillery fire has been helpful, although a fire mission did manage to hit two locations very full of defenders. Those sorts of risks are acceptable in order to 'hug' the attacker and prevent them from fully employing their significant firepower.

All soviet purchases (SAN, OBA, Fort, 76L gun, T34, 2 Mol-P, and two NKVD coy) have been revealed to the attacker. The attacker has only revealed an extra aerial BB, recycling stukas, and an infantry coy, leaving 11 CPP unaccounted for :hmmm:

Currently the southern thrust (F44 to F37) has been rebuffed and two german HMGs lay unpossessed with in (potential) striking range of a counterattack. The central thrust (M30 to H33) has pushed strongly across the K hexrow road but just activated a couple platoons of reserves. Two german platoons near M24 face light opposition. The northern thrust near I9 is now dueling with the K8 strongpoint defenders.

All in all I am pleased to report that the morning's fighting has gone per plan.

Key uncertainties in the afternoon remain:
1- while the german northern reinforcements will have at least 14 squads, they may have as many as 30 :nervous: . If the latter figure is correct and they enter turn 5, the northern defenders will be hard pressed to contain a breakthrough.
2- timing is critical for our southern reinforcements (4 KV and 14 squads) vs the german reinforcements headed that way (probably 15 squads). Whichever arrive first will have a critical advantage.
3- The arrival of promised of Guards reinforcements tonight is vital. They may be required to attack immediately to restore the defensive front or may have some time to rest in the rear area. Time will tell.

Another dispatch will be sent when the day's fighting concludes.

Gen. Chuikov (Paul)

 

[Bob Holmstrom]

Excellent Paul.

My defense is set up and Miller is coming over Tuesday to commence the fighting. We are also doing a all dayer Saturday, so we should have day 1 done and an AAR posted by next Monday.

Hopefully i can contain the German onslaught...

 

[Bob Miller]

Great job on the AAR Paul. I wish you and Joe the best of luck in this battle. Is this the Joe that I meet a few times at ASLOK I wonder? Six-pack Joe I called him (nothing to do with his abs) after a few late night bull sessions over a beer or seven.

Were either of those two purchased companies done so in reserve? Did you go both NKVD or was one a SMG coy? If I know Bob, he did the one of each option for our game. He has 25 reserve spots on the board. Too few for two companies in reserve but too many (I think) for just one company in reserve.

I can't see Joe's Germans making any headway attacking to the south when you have 51 of the at start 68 squads waiting in that sector. Germans need to be classic bullies to win this initial date scenario and the CG as a whole. Pick on a weaker isolated sector of the opponent and destroy those troops in that sector at near 100% consumption with minimal casualties on himself.

It seems more often than not the bombardments are a waste unless one gets lucky with a rubble on a building. Still I'm going to place a few bucks on the Lords of the Artillery to soften up a few commies.

Bob, get our AAR thread set up as well and post those pictures.

Lastly, I'm glad to see my "Lamont" term getting some love.

 

[Paul S NJ]

Bob/Bob,

Thanks, looking forward to seeing your aar.

I bought the two NKVD and two mol-p in reserve to have extra CPP for OBA/SAN/Forts. I like the 628s and commissars of the NKVD, plus battle hardening will eventually turn surviving 426s into 527s. Though I see why the extra firepower, movement and morale of the 527s is attractive.

I've been lucky that Joe's northern (dr) reinforcements aren't on yet (only 25% chance of not entering by turn 4). Assuming they enter turn 5 (2/3 chance), they can still cause some big trouble for me.

Paul

 

[Paul S NJ]

14 DAY AAR
Comrade Khrushchev good news, the enemy’s attack has been stopped at our planned main line of resistance the front line (goes A46- F43-G39-K33-N28-to M12, except the block of L20 being no man’s land, then to N9 and L1 curving around the west of the L8 building). One key factor contributing to this success though was the Germans not launching their northern thrust (the dr reinforcements) until turn 6. They didn’t have enough time to take the L8 building. In addition the fascists reinforced this wing with an additional infantry company and sturm platoon (some 30 squads). The German southern reinforcements didn’t enter until turn 8 thankfully, since my heavy tanks and supporting infantry NEVER managed to make there way to the action, despite my personal supervision of the detachment commander (may he rest in peace).
Overall losses in terrain and troops were moderate ( 42 CVP lost by the Russians and 57 by the Germans. Russians lost both 82 mortars, two commissars, three crews, and 15 squads (including 5 NKVD). Germans lost 3 Stug’s, an AAHT, 12 squads, and 5 leaders). The conscripts fought bravely but two full squads were eliminated by commissars and another two full squads were eliminated by fate.
I’ve awarded several posthumous hero of the Soviet Union medals. The first goes to Private Dushevsky who single handedly charged forward, surviving a Stuka attack, to grab not one but two heavy machine guns (abandoned by the fascists due to our artillery support) and destroy them forever before being killed by a German hero in CC. Another goes to a conscript squad who was led into the sewers and emerged to destroy an AA halftrack. The final award goes to the crew of the 82 Mortar in the Nail factory. After displacing to the rear hex of the building (via the use of the mortar’s unique ability to fire and mantle/dismantle) this mortar seriously impeded the central German advance and wounded the German regimental commander (a heroic 10-2) before a swarm of three consecutive Stukas attacked and finally landed a direct strike on it.
Comrade, it was good to see the Guards battalions make it across the Volga. Now we will see how the fascists like being on the receiving end of our attentions!

 

[=FC=Gorgon]

So.....night counterattack? :ar15:

 

[Paul S NJ]

Of yeah, night counterattack will commence tonight. Hurraaaaah!!

Attached is a nice pic of General Chuikov.

I have pics of 14 Day about turn 5 and the setup for 14 Night counterattack but the file size is too big for this forum.

Send me a private note and I can forward the pics to you.

Paul

 

[Paul S NJ]

14 Night Prep (don’t read this yet Joe)

Comrade Khrushchev, our preparations for our night assault are complete. The Guards have come ashore in strength (2 Guards rifle and 2 Storm platoons in reserve, all full strength) while the Tank Brigade brought forward 2 KVs and 3 T34s which were promptly dug into the southern perimeter. Additionally, extra explosives have been supplied to create additional headaches for the fascists (booby trap level B).

It was tempting to thrust the Guards immediately into the fray in the far north where they may enter, but by holding them in reserve I was able to reconstitute them and add a second storm platoon. I was initially expecting a heavy weapons unit to join the defense, but was happy to receive the tanks instead as the capability to recover the dug-in tanks and then redeploy them (on a dr 1-4) as needed to the front line will be very useful. The Germans have about 75-80 squads, 1 Stug, 3 Stuglets, but only one FT and only 3 HMGs. We have 68 squads (including 25 conscripts) plus the 30 elite in reserve. The survival of the 7 mobile tanks and 4 guns provides us a powerful offensive punch. The seven dug-in tanks will provide a reserve of tanks that can be recovered for the 15th day German attack. I expect the fascists to have limited new infantry reserves, perhaps only one Pioneer/Sturm platoon.

After viewing the German setup which had a broad 3-4 hex deep defense across the front (and no assault guns onboard), I’ve ordered all the non-militia/reserve units to attack in the center of the German line (roughly M20 to K33). As I learned in my observer role in China, overwhelming mass at the point of attack is vital to the success of a night attack due to a night defender’s lack of mobility. This attack will focus 50 squads, the 7 mobile tanks, and 3 guns plus 7 commissars against only 600 meters (15 hexes) of front. Twenty conscripts and the reserves will defend the northernmost 800 meters (20 hexes) and the southernmost 600 meters (15 hexes) of the front.

Hopefully the concentration of combat power at point blank range will quickly break the German lines. I will lead this assault myself to encourage the full commitment of our troops!

Gen. Chuikov

 

[Bob Holmstrom]

Of yeah, night counterattack will commence tonight. Hurraaaaah!!

Attached is a nice pic of General Chuikov.

I have pics of 14 Day about turn 5 and the setup for 14 Night counterattack but the file size is too big for this forum.

Send me a private note and I can forward the pics to you.

Paul

Great AAR as always Paul.

I had the same problem with my photos, but you can resize them using Photoshop or a similar program. It's very easy; takes a couple of minutes.

 

[Paul S NJ]

Thanks Bob, that was easy.

Here are the 14 day pictures at about the end of turn 5. You can see the heroic 10-2 leading a breakthrough in the center, the southern and northern attacks stuffed (pre-dr reinforcements who came in on turn 6) and a stiff fight in the center/south.

Paul

 

[Paul S NJ]

Here's the 14 Night Counter-attack set up pics.

We played turn 1 yesterday. Seems Joe placed most of his HMG/MMG and -2 leaders in the north anticipating a guards-led attack. Since the reinforcements were all in reserve, this didn't materialize.

In the center the large (20-30 FP) firegroups, tanks and guns adjacent to the germans prepped to decent effect. Return defensive fire was generally ineffective, although numerous dummy cloaks were taken off. Then cloaked 447/527s then advanced into CC to good effect. :hurt: Losses so far are 7 german squads to 1/2 russian.

The north and the south are 'phony wars', although the two Mol-Ps in the south set up in a mined building in the front line next to a wrecked Stug and managed to burn it :smoke:

Paul

 

[Bob Miller]

The Russians will be in Berlin by April 44.

 

[Bob Miller]

Rereading some of your earlier posting prompted some comments.

Joe purshased on 14D an additional Green RG rifle company and Green RG platoon. When that single reinforcement dr for all Green troops (CG given rifle coy and plat plus one each as purchased RGs) didn't enter until an ungodly turn six (mine arrived that late as well), Joe's chances to take that critical K8 building was lost. However he should have purchased them as Blue RG group and enter them at hex 20 on the first turn. They could start the attack on the K8 building by turn 3 that way. Still it was resonable to expect that they should enter by turn 3. Bad luck that they didn't.

Also he should have seen that you were loaded for bear (where does that saying come from anyways?) as you said you had 51 of 68 squads and 8 of 9 tanks set up in the southern 20 hexes. His decision to attack that brown infested area with just the CG given troops seems pretty suspect to me. Granted I can see that he would not want to waste those two bombardments (have to pre-reg the hexes before seeing Russian set-up) by not following up with an infantry attack over that bombarded area, but you outnumbered him in that sector. He was setting himself up for too high casualties.

Now at night you made most of your infantry purchases as reserves. That does give Joe some breathing room as close to 30 Russian squads are out of action. Do the Russians have enough troops that survived 14D to put a serious hurt on the Germans here at night? Your killstacks look pretty high. Maybe so.

Lastly Joe needed to decide how much of his captured territory was "mission critical" to hold during the night. Those hexes that were not, give up, and tighten up his "mission critical" perimeter. Take those troops even and enter them on turn one. Not subject to No Move then. The front line wasn't that far from the western board edge.

 

[Stacks]

..........The noise of digging in the tanks has no doubt revealed them to the attacker, although by dawn they should gain some concealment from early air attacks....

Thanks for the AAR Paul,

Would just like to point out that accordingly to the Dug-In Tank rules
(they are the same in Red Barricades as in VotG).
you can read in
D9.52.....An Armored Cupola is never eligible for concealment...
and
D9.54 Dug-In AFV: A Dug-In AFV is treated as an Armored Cupola except as stated otherwise....(there ain´t no exception about concealment).

report from the other Russian Commander...Comrade :smoke:

 

[Paul S NJ]

Melvin,

Thanks, I thought the same thing but in the VOTG Q&A on this forum Tom Morin (the CG designer) said;

Dug-in Tanks in General and for VotG:
Since HIP is a form of concealment, does this mean a dug in tank can be concealed? Or is it HIP by purchase - and then when revealed is forever after unconcealed?

Answer: Sure, it may setup concealed. See the 2nd sentence of V12.6214c, also A12.34.
Tom

Clearly by V12.6214c dug-in tanks can be HIP. They can be concealed by inference and the Q&A. They (and regular non-dug-in tanks) don't get free setup concealment, although I'd suppose they are able to use purchased ? to gain setup concealment. This means the at-start T34 platoon in VOTG CG 2+4 would need to use purchased ?, which I messed up (sorry Joe).

Also your AAR taught me about the 12 on the sighting TC. I had thought an original 12 causes a mistaken attack, but it's only a final TC >= 12. An original 12 just recalls the plane.

Paul

 

[Stacks]

In the VOTG Q&A on this forum Tom Morin (the CG designer) said;

Dug-in Tanks in General and for VotG:
Since HIP is a form of concealment, does this mean a dug in tank can be concealed? Or is it HIP by purchase - and then when revealed is forever after unconcealed?

Answer: Sure, it may setup concealed. See the 2nd sentence of V12.6214c, also A12.34.
Tom

This Q&A "clarification" will probably never be made into official
status errata, and if I played any scenario with dug-in tanks, I would never
allow that a dug-in tank could be concealed even if the scenario was played
on the VotG map.
The references Tom makes doesn´t even mention the issue of concealment of dug-in tanks, but if you would like to play it as House Rule upon agreement with your opponent, sure why not.

2nd sentence of V12.6214c ...A Dug-In AFV may set up using HIP in concealment terrain as per normal Gun HIP rules (A12.34).

1st sentence of V12.6214c ...A Russian AFV platoon.....set up on-map as Dug-In AFV (D9.54).

D9.54 Dug-In AFV: A Dug-In AFV is treated as an Armored Cupola except as stated otherwise....(there ain´t no exception about concealment).

How such is treated
D9.52.....An Armored Cupola is never eligible for concealment...

The reference to A12.34 is not of much use at all in this case.

 

[Paul S NJ]

General Kruschev,

Good tidings tovarisch! Glory to the motherland! The aggressors' threat to our landing zones in central Stalingrad have been decisively checked.

Our counterattack against the center of the German line has resulted in a breakthrough. While they defense appeared evenly spread the southern area by the main rail station was entirely a deception (all dummies). Meanwhile in the north sector (20 hexes) they prepared to repel an anticipated night assault by the newly arriving guards (with some 50 squads with a FT, the retained 100 OBA and a purchased 80 OBA, a purchased pioneer platoon, three -2 leaders and 3 HMG and 4 MMG). In the center (the N hexrow back to the K hexrow) some 30 defending squads were overwhelmed by 50 1st line and elite Russian squads backed by 9 commissars, 7 tanks, and 3 guns.

In close combat and through point blank tank and infantry fire some 16 squads of the enemy were destroyed while another 7 squads were left huddled broken and awaiting extermination in the cellars of K27/K28/L27. Losses in the attack were 7.5 squads (all but one in CC) and a commissar.

Please pass my compliments to STAVKA and let them know that additional reinforcements may be sent to other threatened sectors.

General Chuikov (Paul)

 

[Paul S NJ]

Some folks have talked about losses so, just for kicks, I tracked where squad losses took place in the CG. Since only 1.5 scenarios were done most losses are from 14 day, although those west of hexrow 'O' in the 14N losses photo were from 14 N.

The photos don't show locations within a hex, nor leaders.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Paul

 

[Tork]

Nicely done Paul.

Any details on what made the difference for your night attack? Was it an assault-move/advance pattern of cloaking counters that made it into close combat? Smoke fired from your mortars? Or were you able to mass your HMGs into a decisive firebase?