Dog Fight - Ostkreig Tournament Round 2

[Dog Soldier]

Panzer VI,

Interesting suggestion. There was a problem as I saw it during the game.

The "units in the far west" are LW infantry. They are morale level D. With the snow conditions in the scenario, they can only move two hexes per turn. A good player, like RickyB will keep in contact with them until he sees a break with the board edge. Remember, There is a lone Russian T-34 unit deep in the Axis rear. Once he sees a status of no longer isolated, RickyB will know the door is open somewhere.

Yeah, I know. An isolated unit should not work like a powerful 20 km radio spotter to call the VST trucks in and end their isolation. It would be an improvement to the game engine to have an isolated unit require the existing conditions and a LOS to a friendly unit before ending isolation. Low fuel, and low ammo markers could be checked for removal the next turn after isolation ends
That way such a unit as RickyB's T-34's would not know the status of the front since they can not see or really communicate to have a supply truck wander though no mans land in the vast Russian steppe and find them in less than two hours. The isolated unit would behave very cautiously, due to lower morale from isolation status, low fuel and or low ammo. Think that these status markers cause the unit to perform below the level it would if it was secure on it's side of the front and had friends on it's flanks. It does not mean the unit dumped what supply it was carrying. We God like commanders can click and order our units to move in an aggressive manner far beyond what the sane unit commander would do. In fact, you, the player as overall commander might just think the isolated unit was a write off after some time with no contact with friendly forces. You would at least be ignorant of where they are and what shape they were in.

Then those T-34s will put the pedal down and just run right around the Axis left. Bye, Bye, surrounded LW infantry and later the entire Axis force. The motorized infantry will follow behind in the wake of those T-34's. The 250 point VP hex south of the State Farm would be over run. Russians could link up with the Red Cavalry deep in the German rear. Russian units could then exit the south edge VP hexes at will until victory is achieved. Or they could push north and squeeze the Axis army like dolphins circling a ball of mackerel on the Discovery channel.

That is my case for maintaining contact with the western board edge until it becomes necessary to run for the area around Verkhne-Solo'skiy.

The low morale level of the LW division is exactly why I am trying to keep them out of contact with the Russians on that flank. A force in being is better than a dead one.

Dog Soldier

[Panzer VI]

Never thought about that.

Can't wait to see what will happen next in this battle of great commanders.

Panzer VI

[von Nev]

Thanks for the thoughts on the strategies. I look forward to seeing how this plays out.

Marty

[Ricky B]

Soviet Turn 7.

Things continue to move along the path I desire, although without any major excitement. After my withdrawal in the west, Brian's tanks are out of sight this turn and it appears may be moving back toward the central bridgehead, where one panzer unit is visible. Either way, I will avoid the area his panzer units struck from as they are very tough units to deal with compared to the German infantry. Meanwhile the German infantry just northwest of there are all disrupted and I have infantry ready to strike so I will shift the focus of my attack to that area.

In the center I may be able to open a hole for a couple of tank units to break through and join my T34 already in the enemy rear. And most exciting, in the east the Germans have only a single unit holding my cavalry in check, so with everyone in position and in good order this will be the turn I will assault, even if I don't disrupt the defending unit.



The western forces move forward as planned, although only 2 of 4 T34 units participate. One rests, at 52% strength and high yellow fatigue, while the other remains low fuel after 7 turns. I find that the German panzers are still in the west as one of my infantry units moves adjacent to them.

In the center, I am able to push Brian's disrupted infantry unit back, thus allowing my infantry unit nearly trapped by the Germans to pull back, and I send a recon vehicle and light tank unit through the gap thus formed. However, as shown below, these units run into a German 88 unit, fortunately in travel mode.

In the east, my cavalry assault throws the Germans out of their defensive position, finally freeing my large cavalry force to take a more active role in the battle. The result is that Brian is faced with 3 leaks in his dyke, any of which could open up into a major hole.



Rick

[Dog Soldier]

German turn 8.
18:00 PM December 12, 1942
Snow Conditions
Dusk Visibility 1km.


Victory points after the German
turn eight.


The Russians broke through from the Sulatskiy bridgehead with two units, an armored car and some T-70 tanks. I surrounded them and sealed the breach. I lost two 88mm guns from a battery that they bumped into that was still limbered. The 88mm AT guns backed up a hex and allowed the infantry to isolate the Russian armor. In this way I allow the AT guns to deploy out of LOS, so no defensive fire and set a trap for the isolated T-34'ws should they come here to aid the now isolated units. When the daylight returns I may recover the AT guns lost in the Russian turn. I will certainly recover fatigue for the AT unit. The 88mm battery will then be able to fire at a two hex range without defensive fire from the Russian armor. Only artillery from the bridgehead will be able to reach the 88mm battery, and then maybe not as the Russian armor may not spot for the longer range guns. This is a chance I will have to take. Soviet artillery is the only thing my 88mm AT needs to fear.

I drove along the river from Gelovsky. This is risky. If the Russians get a ZOC behind my troops there from across the river, I could be surrounded and isolated. Still I need to push to the bridge so I finish the Russians here.

I continue to damage any T-34 unit I can reach with my armor on the western side. I expect RickyB will wait until all his infantry up north crosses the river before continuing the attack there.


The cavalry have broken into the village I was using to contain them. Now I will be in big trouble there. I pulled my units back. The Russians will have to come to get me. I disrupted the Russian lead unit. Ten turns to go and I think the Russian T-34 unit that is still hiding in the low visibility behind my lines will show up over there to spring the cavalry loose. Then, I will be in big trouble.

Dog Soldier

[Ricky B]

Soviet Turn 8.

Brian has trapped my light armored force that leaked through the center of his lines. However, one of the units involved is a disrupted infantry, and one of his valuable panzer units, so the forces are doing their job as an additional distraction to him. I decided to re-route my T34 in his rear to try and destroy the disrupted infantry unit trapping my units, thus opening up a retreat path and gaining some valuable points. I move into the area of the units, but not up to them, to maintain the element of surprise, and knowing that his 88mm unit is still in the general area.

I know that the cavalry should be able to break out on their own, and there main job is to maintain pressure and tie up units anyway, there are no valuable objectives in the area so it is a sideshow, really.

In the west, Brian has 2 panzer units tied down in the front lines, so I will concentrate as much as possible on them, using all my T 34s to wear them down, along with an infantry assault. This works pretty well and leaves my units well placed for the following turn to keep the pressure on his panzers. I also find another of his panzer units deployed in the front lines with 2 disrupted infantry, so I know that his tanks are all tied down to defensive tasks, limiting their options.

Finally, in the center bridgehead, the pressure has reached the breaking point, and could result is serious problems soon. However, all my HQs were in command this turn which in turn helped many units rally from disrupted status. But as shown in the picture, most of my infantry is near ineffectiveness, with an average strenth of 25% of full strength in the bridgehead. But I hope that the judicious use of my tanks there, including rest for the most worn out of them, will result in enough staying power to survive - Brian can't keep too much pressure on there if he is having to send units to handle threats elsewhere.



Rick

[Dog Soldier]

German turn 9
20:00 PM December 12, 1942
Snow Conditions
Night Visibility 1km.


Victory points after the German
turn nine.


We have reached the halfway point. This is the first turn I actually increased victory points. It is only 12 VP over the last German turn, but that is better than a decline.

I am pressing my attack on the Sulatskiy bridgehead, even though it is night. With the Russian cavalry massing for a breakout, I am going to need to reduce the bridgehead in the next four to five turns. I am opting for direct fire attacks which are causing about 15 -20 Russian infantry casualties per shot. RickyB has withdrawn his flame T-34 unit to rest it for the final attack. It is his best unit inside the bridgehead. I will be repositioning the 11th PD artillery and the 88mm AT guns to prepare to take on that unit in the turns when I assault the VP hex or the west end of the bridge.
In the west I am planning to begin running my LW infantry toward the river line on the south edge.
I have to be careful to maintain contact with the west map edge as long as possible. I want the missing T-34 unit in my rear to be low fuel for the next day to reduce it’s effectiveness when RickyB decides to use it.

The red stars denote approximate places the missing T-34 unit could be hiding. RickyB will be patient to use this unit when it can help surround my defenders and burst my line. I think the most likely place is near the cavalry. This will be difficult to counter as I do not have enough units in the area to double my lines. Breaking down into companies may be my only choice. That will leave the companies facing the cavalry units prone to assault, even if not disrupted. The Soviet cavalry assault values are far better than their direct fire. I reinforced the village hex directly south of the cavalry bridgehead. I moved the weaker company out to protect the rear of the village defenders.

We both have a lot options left. Still I am haunted that Russians make the last move in the game.

Dog Soldier

[Ricky B]

Soviet Turn 9.

The command report shows most of my artillery available, which is good as my central bridgehead needs all the support it can get. I also have a number of units in there recovering strength, including one T34 tank boosting a weak unit's strength to 3! That is important as the tanks are the only units there that can stand up to the German infantry, now that the panzers are all in use elsewhere.

In addition, the Germans have committed 2 panzer units to a defensive stack adjacent to 71 T34s and 850 men in good order. There is another tank unit next to a single motorized infantry unit of mine, with a disrupted flak unit also adjacent to both making the panzer unit vulnerable to being cutoff if I can push back the tanks just northeast of it. My plan this turn is to hit both stacks hard and try to disrupt the units and push through, using T34 firepower and infantry assaults against the German tanks and the motorized infantry against the disrupted flak unit.

The cavalry in the east will continue to push against the weakening German defenders, and my forces behind the enemy lines will just try to survive and tie down the Germans there, using the T34 to open a route for the now disrupted light armor units that are trapped by enemy forces.



In the west, things work out well overall. My assault on the flak unit pushes it into the panzer hex. Now if I can push back the panzers to the northeast I can potentially trap the 2 units and leave a probable hole there. However, Brian's panzers fight for there life and although suffering heavy losses including the destruction of his PzIV unit and heavy losses to the other unit, I am unable to take the hex. My losses against the panzers were only 2 T34s and about 45 men, very worthwhile casualties for destroying or making ineffective 2 panzer units.

In the center, my T34 moves up and assaults the disrupted German infantry nearby, and reaches the trapped units, allowing one to move over to it and making the pocket 2 hexes in size. All three units will be trapped next turn but they should last a lot longer and tie down at least 3 German units for quite awhile.

In the east, I assault the Germans holding back the cavalry even though one unit is not disrupted. I don't normally do this but want to keep the pressure on and figure the losses should favor me even if the attack fails. The net result is heavy German losses, but a possible disaster for me. Both cavalry units are disrupted and can't retreat due to heavy stacking behind them. If Brian suspects this and has enough for to assault, my losses will be extremely heavy and shift the points in his favor for at least this turn, and also greatly weaken my cavalry attack. I have to hope that he doesn't have the reserves nearby to really threaten me there!

Losses for just my part of this turn were: men 247 German to 148 Soviet, vehicles 19 German to 4 Soviet. A very good turn loss wise.



Rick

[Panzer VI]

If I were the german player I would just fall back to my two 250 pt VHexes and pull a custer's last stand......

[Dog Soldier]

Against some one like RickyB you would last about two turns. One turn for him to chase you down and the second turn to destroy you.
This is a time for sang froid!

BTW, Custer not only lost the fight, but his whole command in the process.

Dog Soldier