The Kuniworth-Jersey People's War

[JerseyJohn]

Thanks Yogi, very much enjoying this too, as you said, not just the play but being able to analyze the scenario with Kuni and JDF and also being able to have fun with the AAR.

[Kuniworth]

July 27, 1941

The russian counteroffensive in the south was not for free. Lines are running thin elsewhere and germans continue it's rampart in the center.

FINLAND

Standstill.

NORTH

Armygroup North presses into Estonia obviously aiming for the strategic port of Talinn. Pskov still in russian hands but we can observe german infantry corps moving up, possibly to secure the german right flank or to assault.

CENTER

Germans caught the russian defenders off guard last week and now the fascist drive continue. 5 german panzer groups slices into the southern defences of Smolensk piercing the outer defences. It's not easy to stand up against 5 Panzer Corps with 3-4 stars of experience. Russians are desperately trying to restore a defensiveline.

Luftwaffe routs the red airforce, it's too expensive to reinforce anyway.

Red army soldiers defending the outskirts of Smolensk.

SOUTH

Russian onslaught continues. 1 german army corps destroyed and the remaining 14th Panzer Corps wiped out. Armygroup south is stumbling and we desperately try to keep the pressure up but it is kinda hard when you trade tank armies for infantry. We lose about 2 tank armies a turn, that is like 1000+ tanks per week to give you guys some perspective. German infantry is kinda hard to fight too, it took us four well supported army-attacks to destroy 1 german corps.

The carnage will soon force one side to withdraw.

T-34 advances south of Tarnopol

ROMANIAN FRONT

Antonescu continue the slow process of advancing north of the stalin line fortifications along river Dniestr.

WORLD

USA declares embargo on agressor-states.

[JerseyJohn]

Early August, 1941

Finland

The 7th F Corps (penal) continues to march and countermarch till those scoundrels have learned their lesson, that crime does not pay.

Army Group North

Panzers and infantry attack Talinn, cutting it off by land, while the bulk of the army group continues toward Pskov to the south.

Army Group Center

Fierce fighting with losses to both sides continues around Smolensk, where a Soviet corps has been destroyed and the garrison maintains a tenuous land connection to the north.

Army Group South

Fieldmarshall von Rundstedt's ordeal continues. In fierce counterattacks a Soviet tank army has been destroyed in this grim battle of attrition.

Rumania

Fieldmarshall Antonescu is unable to operate any of the 3 German corps to von Rundstedt's command, as requested. Elements of his command continue moving northward, however, attempting a linkup.

[Kuniworth]

August 3, 1941

NORTH

Talinn under siege. 65th Rifle Corps will fight to the death.

CENTER

German units must be feeling the logistical problems because the panzers lost some punch it seems. Smolensk will probably go down next turn, not much we can do. All reserves go to Moscow-defence now, 4 new reserve armies arrive.

SOUTH

Another german infantry corps is overrun by the onslaught and another(17th inf Corps) brought down to 1. Luftwaffe retreats to Lvov and the german lines are cracking. Tarnopol still fascist but is almost cut off from the rest of the lines.

Our losses are staggering, it takes 4 attacks to destroy a infantry corps. Almost all of mother russias tank reserves have been lost in what surely most be the largest single battle in history.

[JerseyJohn]

Finland

No action reported.

Fieldmarshall Mannerheim steadfastly refuses to take Leningrad.

Army Group North

The key harbor city of Talinn is taken with the loss of a Soviet infantry corps. German Panzers move along the Baltic coast on their way to fully liberating the region from Soviet oppression.

Army Group Center

Smolensk is taken and a Soviet infantry corps is destroyed. German infantry continue moving east behind the panzer spearheads.

Army Group South

A change in command is necessitated.

Fieldmarshall von Rundstedt is rushed home to a well deserved sick leave preparatory to reassignment in the Autumn.

He is replaced by 6th Army Commander, Fieldmarshal Walter von Reichenau, an ardent National Socialist and veteran army commander of the Polish and French campaigns.

The link with Hungarian fieldmarshall Beregfy is realized. Massive replacements and reinforcements are rushed to the Lvov and Tarnopol areas.

Army group commander von Reichenau consolodates his defense and counterattacks west of Tarnopol where combined German-Italian and Hungarian actions lead to the destruction of yet another Soviet Tank Army.

Hitler confides to Eastern Theater CinC, Johan von Jersey that, "If a few months ago anyone had told me there were so many Soviet tanks I'd have said, 'You sir are seeing double, triple, ten times as many as what there actually are.'"

Rumanian Front

Fieldmarshall Antonescu continues maneuvering in a northerly direction while holding Bessarabia.

[ July 24, 2006, 10:18 PM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ]

[Kuniworth]

August 10, 1941

NORTH

Baltic Fleet leaves the mainbase of Talinn as the 65th Rifle Corps is wiped out.

USSR Battleship Marat.

Heavy bombardments from the whole baltic fleet on the german panzers at Narva, but no damaged caused. Meanwhile Kuznetsov is continuing to urge his troops to dig in at Pskov which will be the next natural target for Armygroup North.

CENTER

The situation is quickly deteriorating as german panzers capture Smolensk and then strike North on the east of the city. From the Northwest of the city german infantry strikes east to link up with the panzers. Result is that the city of Vitebsk is surrounded with the 20th, 21st and 44th Rifle Corps trapped there.

The soviet high command, enraged by the developments, sacks Pavlov and brings in Georghi Zhukov with the task of saving the capital.

SOUTH

New reserves, including the italian expeditionary corps are rushed in to prevent the complete annihilation of Armygroup South. Realising his crushing victory Kirponos decides to withdraw his tank reserves and set up a defensive posture east of Tarnopol.

So ends the soviet counterattack in the northern Ukraine; with heavy losses in men and material, Kirponos Southwest Front has shown the world that the nazi-warmachine can be defeated on the battlefield.

Infantry of the Southwest Front preparing defences.

Mikhail Kirponos, hero of the Soviet Union and the man that routed Armygroup South

WORLD

USA and UK declares the Atlantic Charter.

[JerseyJohn]

Week beginning August 17, 1941

An unexpected development.

With supplies furnished by the gangster Churchill and his American thug buddies, the Yugoslavian bandit leader Josip Boz Tito

leads an army to the outskirts of Trieste, urging Italy to withdraw from the Axis and join in a confederation of bandits, rapists, murderers and thieves. Germany rushes the battle hardened 5th corps to the endangered city with instructions to route and destroy these criminals.

Italian dictator, Il Duce Benito Mussilini berets the German ambassador,

"Whatsa'matta? I save'a you whole army group an'the thanks I get is these Yugoos tryan'take Trieste cause my troops are off helping out. That criminal, he call me a whore monger an'a skirt chaser and tell my people to join his band of thieves, rapists an' murderers and I say, hey, what's wrong with the one we already got in Berlin?"

Army Group North

Having taken Talinn, the German Panzers move unopposed through the Baltic countryside, part of a grat Pincers movement with AGNs infantry to the south of Pskov.

Army Group Center

Vitebsk is assaulted by the infantry and armor of Army Group Center, it's garrison annihlated, along with the Soviet defenders to it's south, two Rifle Corps destroyed but German forces are as yet unable to occupy the shell ravaged city.

Army Group South

Fieldmarshall Reichenau continues to reorganize and reinforce his new command and assures the Fuhrer that it will soon resume the offensive and will take Kiev.

Fieldmarshall von Rundstedt, even before taking convalescent leave, arrives in Paris for his new post, Commander in Chief West.

Reporting to the High Command en route, he assures the Fuhrer and his staff that Germany cannot afford to underestimate the fighting ability of the Russian soldier, nor the resolve of their leaders.

"Never has there been a bloodbath such as the Battle of Tarnopol. What were there, perhaps a million casualties? 400,000 of our own dead, wounded and missing with at least 600,000 of their own. And they kept attacking, day after day. A meat grinder that our army is not designed to deal with. I have heard the Russians written off as subhumans but, gentlemen, I assure you that in combat they are more superhuman than subhuman."

[Kuniworth]

Aug 17, 1941

Not much action to report. No russian offensives.

NORTH

A rather uncomfortable situation is developing as Army group North try to surround Pskov from north and south. No action, german panzers are roaming free in the marshy terrain.

CENTER

Germans are having problems with logistics. Despite immense superiority Vitebsk could not be taken. Russians make no attempt to relieve the surviving corps and it will be annihilated soon. They died as brave heroes.

SOUTH

Both sides are completly exhausted and unable to conduct offensive operations. Of the russian formations that destroyed the 1st Panzer Army only the 7th Tank Army remain. The rest are all gone.

Without Armour the fascists will have a hard time advancing into the Ukraine.

[JerseyJohn]

Army Group North

The panzers moving east has prompted the Soviets to send large reinforcements to the east of Pskov. FM von Leeb adjusts his battle plan accordingly.

Army Group Center

Rinforcement and reorganization even as the remaining Soviets are cleared from the Vitebsk area and the city occupied by German infantry.

Huge Soviet formations of more than a dozen armies are observed in the lines to the east and south running Velikiey Luki - Vyazma - Tula - Orel

Fieldmarshall Johan Jersey meets at the HQ of Fieldmarshall von Bock to discuss future operations en route to Moscow.

Army Group South

Fieldmarshall von Reichenau continues reorganized his forces and reports he will soon be ready to resume offensive actions, even without attached panzers. Meanwhile the AG command authorizes draconian measures to be taken against local Ukranians and ethnic minorities accused of helping the Soviets during the recent gargantuan battles.

Parisian activity reported in Belorussia and, in the Balkans, the 5th corps attacks Titos irregulars and reduces them from 5 to 2.

Italy forms the Garribaldi HQ east of Trieste.

[Kuniworth]

August 24, 1941

No action. Russians are preparing defences and germans are preparing the next offensives. Worth noting; germans withdraw the tanks of Armygroup North back to Narva.

Funny stuff; only allied unit with 1 medal of experience are the partisans outside Trieste.

[JerseyJohn]

That is pretty funny considering all the fighting that's taken place.

Partisan army attacked again, reduced to 1, now has 2 medals!

Reorganization all along the Axis lines. Large Soviet buildups and a Soviet offensive believed to be in the making against Army Grop Center.

An American from Boise, Idaho is taken to Berlin. Supposedly a tourist, he claims to be Kuniworth's arch-enemy, but no body at the foreign services can make sense of anything he says.

American) When is a Kuni just Puni?

Interogattor) I don't know. Why are you in Germany?

American) Who's too old but also too young, too fat but also too skinny?

Interrogator) I don't know. Why are you in Germany?

American) When does a --?

Interrogator) Why are you in Germany?

[Kuniworth]

August 31, 1941

All is quiet on the eastern front.

Kuniworthski is observed rather happy whistling on the Rolling stones hit "Tahaha-ime is on my side, yes it is.."

[JerseyJohn]

Week beginning Sept 7, 1941

Army Group North

Frustrated in his outflanking effort, FM von Leeb begins probing Pskov's Northwestern Defenses.

Army Group Center

Air strikes destroy the remnants of a Soviet Air Army on the ground, south of Gomel as panzer units probe the cities northern defenses.

Army Group South

FM von Reichenau resumes the Kiev offensive, attacking east and destroying a Soviet corps defending Zhitomir, which is occupied by the Italian Expiditionary Force.

Partisan activity in Belorussia and Albania.

The German fifth corps attacks and destroys the Yugoslavian paritsans east of Trieste.

[Kuniworth]

September 7, 1941

The Red Army is assaulting the enemy all along the front in a probing counterattack!

NORTH

The Northwest Front, now commanded by Konev launch an offensive south of Pskov with reinforcements from Novgorod and Demyansk sectors. The results are not so good but the german 28th corps is blooded and reduced to 6.

Meanwhile german panzers are attacking the city-fortifications from Northwest with little success.

Photo of fortifications at Pskov, under attack from the northwest by the german 4th Panzer Army.

CENTER

It's difficult to know the german intentions but they have launched a minor attack at Gomel with Panzers. This is a weakly defended area due to lack of reinforcements.

Zhukov decides to take the offensive and launches the troops of the West Front between Velikiye Luki and Vyazma forward against Smolensk and Vitebsk. The offensive smash into the german Armygroup Center, and by sheer numbers pulverizing two infantry corps and advancing to 2 hexes from Smolensk and Vitebsk.

Tank forces recieving further instructions about the offensive.

SOUTH

Following the loss of Zhitomir, the southwest Front launches a counteroffensive from Kiev and Uman. 4 armies and a Tank Army assaults the Italian Expeditionary Corps in the city and vipe out the italians to the last man. Unfortunatley Kirponos troops are unable to enter the city. The red airforce flies a number of sorties, for the first time since the beginning of the war.

Further south the troops from Uman rams the right flank of Armygroup South, overruns the rumanian Munte/Mountain Corps and threaten the HQs of the hungarians and Reichenau.

[Hyazinth von Strachwitz]

Where can we vote for the best AAR thread? I would vote for this one..

[JerseyJohn]

Thanks Hyazinth, appreciated.

Looks like this particular game is over to allow Maestro Kuni to adjust the scenario.

Hopefully we'll start again and go at a new AAR in the near future.

Meanwhile, the AAR thread at SCBuntaland

< SCBuntaland Link >

has a pretty interesting analysis of what game aspects need to be adjusted.

Hope you'll become a member of the place. :cool:

[n0kn0k]

Would you consider posting some screenshots of the game when you're done? It makes it a bit easier to imagine the way the game went then when it's text only.

This was a very nice read for sure.

[Hyazinth von Strachwitz]

@ Jersey John: thx for the invitation..

After reading the AAR thread I get the strong impression that the russian side is way stronger than in reality... a combined counteroffensive as in the "Battle of Tarnopol" isn`t realistic in the early month. Basically if Kuniworth plays the Russians, they play better than in history... I would hinder the russian player to act like this during the first two month by not giving him any good HQs... or even none at all, because in the initial stages the russians didn`t act coordinated.... like they did from 1943 on.

But there will never be a realistic Battle for Russia with SC2, coz this is a game and not a simulation... but I`m pretty sure it was really funny and exciting.

[Konigs]

Excellent AAR, I loved the mix with real history and the Kuniworthski and all the side items, you guys are great.

[JerseyJohn]

Originally posted by n0kn0k:

Would you consider posting some screenshots of the game when you're done? It makes it a bit easier to imagine the way the game went then when it's text only.

This was a very nice read for sure.

Appreciated.

I haven't got a post to the net setup and, in any case, we kept overwriting the same file as it went back and forth.

Hopefully we'll have a few screenshots when we write the next one in a few days. A lot of the situations were really great, especially during those tank battles for Tarnopol and with the AGCenter action around Bryansk and Smolensk. :cool:

[JerseyJohn]

Hyazinth von Strachwitz

Agreed completely. That's one of the things that makes it hard to judge against the historical backdrop, Kuniworth's handling of the Soviets is leaps and bounds above what the actual commanders were allowed to do. Anyway, he's one of the best SC and SC-2 players. I go against him wearing a catcher's mask, batting helmet and chest protector -- oh yeah, don't forget the shinguards. Not that it matters, I end up getting dizzy from the sight of my own blood all the same.

[JerseyJohn]

Konigs,

Appreciated. Kuni is adjusting the scenario a bit, when he's done we'll start another AAR game and, while changing it a little, we'll be doing our best to make that one as good as this one.

Very glad you enjoyed it. We both like to have fun with the photos and storyline.

[Kuniworth]

Ok I've just sent a new version to Jersey. This one includes a lot of pro-axis improvements which seem much needed. But it may very well tilt the balance too much, we will have too see.

The changes are;

- Changed Danzig-port to Gotenhafen.

- Deleted russian starting chit in IT

- Increased occupied cities in USSR to 80%.

- Deleted Partisans in the Baltic States but added Polish Partisans in Lublin, Krakow, Lodz and Warsaw. That is all polish cities on the map except Danzig. The chance of a supply reduction in Poland is rather low – 10%.

- Cost of russian armies are now 400 and Corps 300.

- Reworked tank armies representing of russian Mech Corps;

LENINGRAD

1st & 10th Mech corps still renamed 1st Tank Army numbering 1500 tanks together.

NORTHWEST/BALTIC

3rd & 12th Mech Corps renamed 3rd Tank Army numbering 1400 Tanks.

WEST

17th, 20th(none of those had almost no tanks on june 22nd 1941) together with 11th, 13th and 14th Mech Corps merged into 10th Tank Army, of the western front numbering around 1400 tanks.

6th Mech corps of the west front reformed to 6th Tank Army. Reason that this formation was not merged together with other Mech corps is that it consisted of 1000+ tanks on june 22nd 1941.

ODESSA

2nd and 18th Mech Corps of Odessa district still renamed into 2nd Tank Army numbering 800 tanks.

KIEV

5th Mech Corps moved to Kiev district from Orel(this is historically correct) and merged with 19th and 24th into 5th Tank Army numbering 1600 tanks.

8th Mech Corps merged with 16th Mech Corps to form 8 tank Army just south of Lvov numbering 1300 Tanks.

4th and 15th Mech Corps merged into 4th Tank Army numbering 1700 tanks. Located just west of Tarnopol.

22nd and 9th Mech Corps merged into 9th Tank Army numbering 100 Tanks.

MOSCOW

7th, 21st, 23rd Mech Corps near Orel and Moscow merged and renamed into 7th Tank Army.

CAUCASUS

26th and 28th Mech Corps in Caucasus forged into 11th Tank Army in Baku.

[Kuniworth]

Thus with those changes the russian players priorities will be much harder to do in 1941. Hopefully russian build up will be slowed enough.

[Scook]

I think the killer might be raising the occupied value of Russian cities to 80%. Supply might be too high along with 33% more MPP from Soviet controlled territory.