TCP/IP Game AAR #2

pzgndr · February 19, 2006

Round 3 update. In September 1941, Germans focus on Smolensk and destroy a corps. Leningrad continues to get hit. Greece surrenders after my UK corps is destroyed.

In October Smolensk is taken. The Urals Industry event is triggered and surprisingly so is Siberian Transfer. I think we need to work on that one. Russians continue to upgrade units and rebuild, preparing for winter. My engineers have completed fortifications NW and west of Moscow and start on the SW tile. Hopefully they will be completed in time.

I lose an army north of Leningrad in November. Germans are now appearing with L3 infantry weapons, and I just barely got L1 finally. UK and USA are concentrating on research and building programs. No activity to report. USA did NOT enter historically and I checked to find that the option was not selected. My mistake on setup. Considering that USSR is doing fine with its economy and USA is STILL waiting for L1 IT, I decide to stop Lend Lease to maximize my MPPs. USA buys another chit for IT. Good thing about the Lend Lease and Arctic Convoys is that they allow the Allied player to shift MPPs around depending on who really needs them. In this case, USA needs them more than USSR. Since the IT tech advances are random, each game will be slightly different.

Weather turns to snow in Russia in January but no Russian Winter event triggers. A more recent version has increased this chance but for now it's still 40% in our game. Leningrad defenders hold out under multiple attacks, being reduced to strength 2 but still there. I complete my last fortification SW of Moscow in February. Other than the Germans around Leningrad and a couple just west of Moscow, everyone else is out of spotting range so I can't tell what's lurking. I continue to hold a pocket around Kharkov and Rostov is defended. Another group is formed between Kharkov and Moscow, waiting.

Germans hit Leningrad again in March but it holds. The Russians get a couple of tanks delivered. In April, Leningrad finally falls and the Germans start shifting south. USA preps for war.

In May, USA joins. Germans and Italians immediately attack Switzerland and take it. Not much to report in Russia, other than some partisans west of Moscow get destroyed. It is all too quiet. The Allies continue to research and build.

In June, the Germans come out of hiding and commence Fall Blau in Russia. Kharkov is hit hard and taken in one turn, despite max entrenchment. L3 IW has an effect! I am now counting at least 5 panzers in the east, while I have only 4. I only have 3 HQs and 2 AFs, while I know the Germans have more and better. I do have another HQ and AF on the P/Q for arrival in several turns. Numbers of armies and corps appear balanced, but Germans have better tech and experience. I decide to hold what I've got and see what happens. At end of turn, I'm pleased to find I now have L2 IW and L3 hvy tanks for Russia.

In July attacks on Moscow destroy first the NW fortification and then the SW. A tank battle east of Kharkov destroys one of my tanks. It's not worth counterattacking here, so I withdraw my Kharkov group east behind the Don River. July ends with the Germans destroying the last fort defending Moscow and pushing right up to the capital. USSR is holding, for now, but the defense is still fragile and I'm certainly not prepared to go on the offensive. Germany still has a lot of power available to use.

In the west, I am upgrading my Royal Navy for what appears to be a Battle for the Atlantic which might not happen. I am seeing no U-boats anywhere. USA is starting to mobilize its troops. With Libya under control, the strategic question is where to go - Western Europe or the Med?? I'll think about it for round 4 tomorrow.

Konigs · February 19, 2006

Thanks pzgndr, love reading about the game, seems the allies start was not as strong as it seems.

Konigs · February 19, 2006

Thanks pzgndr, love reading about the game, seems the allies start was not as strong as it seems.

Lars · February 20, 2006

The game is always decided in Russia.

Lars · February 20, 2006

The game is always decided in Russia.

Don't Shoot Me · February 20, 2006

...as was the real war.

Don't Shoot Me · February 20, 2006

...as was the real war.

pzgndr · February 20, 2006

And speaking of Russia, here's another update, where the game in progress is still undecided.

In August 1942 the Germans take Moscow and the government relocates to Stalingrad. The Germans are making very selective attacks, and the panzers are holding back. In the Med he bombs Tripoli. I continue to hold the rest of my "line" in Russia. UK and USA start a bombing campaign in the west. I led off with a carrier attack against his bomber, which drew off interceptors from the Ruhr, and followed that with two air strikes on the bomber. That left my bombers clear to make their runs unopposed.

Action in the east heats up in September. Germans shift north and go after Vologda. It holds but a breakthrough reaches Zhukov HQ and inflicts damage. I try to pull him back but without op move (since he's not adjacent to a city/railhed) but it's not far enough and he's destroyed by air attack. Vologda falls, and I end up losing an army and two corps. I got mud in late September but still managed to launch a tank attack to kill an army. Also this month, USA finally! gets L1 IT. I note that with consumable chits, you only lose one chit when you get an advance and not all. This is good. I had two chits in IT so now I have one and don't have to rush to buy more just yet.

The German offensive continues in October under clear skies. I lose a tank and army and two corps this turn. Another tank is reduced to 3. My defense in the north is now around Gorky.

In November I lose another corps and another breakthrough reaches an air fleet in my rear and inflicts damage. I keep underestimating these L2 motorized corps the Germans have. I counterattack to destroy the offending corps.

December has the Germans starting to put some pressure on Voronezh. Gorky is under pressure but continues to hold. I lose an army east of Moscow and one north of Gorky. I have reinforcements scheduled to arrive over the next several turns, but this fall offensive was pretty tough.

Considering most of the German activity is in the north in Russia, I've been slowly massing some troops around Rostov. The Red Army slowy lurches forward with a small attack near Voronezh and advances several units toward the Donetz mines. This has the intended effect of drawing some of the enemy panzers south and relieving some pressure up north.

We stopped here in January 1943. If you've been paying attention, Axis has lost North Africa and has been AWOL in the Atlantic. But in Russia they've taken Leningrad, Moscow, Vologda and Kharkov. I still hold Sevastopol and Rostov and everything east. Germans have quite a lot of good units and are not overextended. Allies are doing OK but are not yet prepared to assume the burden of attack. USA is up to L2 IT and Russians have L3 IW. One small advantage I have in the east is L3 heavy tanks to the Germans L2.

I could probably be doing better in Russia if Axis had focused more on Africa and the Atlantic, but this is definitely an Axis land strategy game. The western Allies challenge is deciding where and when and how to get back on the continent, and be able to sustain something. I'm not there yet. In the meantime, Axis digs in and continues to upgrade. Did somebody say this was all over??

pzgndr · February 20, 2006