1st Ukraine Front - Insiders look at a Play Test

[Ricky B]

By the way, you may want to break up each turn into separate posts - the number of images, after you post 6 or 8 turns on a page, makes the page take a very long time, even on a T1, to display the bottom of the page. The split will halve the amount of data required to view the page.

Rick

[The SNAFU]

Strela

I have looked forward to reading the progress report each day since you began. It is interesting to see how the scenario is playing out for both sides. Your summary of events has been very enjoyable.

How is the game being played, 2 human opponents or vs. the AI?

[Strela]

@Ricky B- I would prefer to leave it in one post as that has been the way the other AAR's have been done. I understand your issue - particularly as we near the end of a 'page'. The good news is that we have just started page 3 ;)

@The SNAFU - its two human - me vs me in this case :cheeky: It has been played a number of times by my playtest team and we have collaborated on some of the most recent changes, but for the AAR I am playing both sides. I actually turn on the AI for the opposite side so that FOW is on while I do a turn. It's not hard to totally forget what the other side is up to and only focus on the active side.

I also wanted to do the AAR as a little bit of 'marketing' for the Korsun_ALT scenarios as they have changed so dramatically to stock - I also wanted to dispel some of the comments by players that the Russians can't breakthrough - which I think is fueled by not realising that the Russians took a number of days to achieve this. Players will see it will happen, just slightly longer than they expected.

Finally, I want to remind readers this playtest is of a V3 scenario, only V2 is out on VM's site - but they are very playable as is - V3 will just be closer to the historical timeline.

[Strela]

Bugger.... Just lost all the text for Turn 9 while sitting in a hotel in Delhi, India. Unfortunately antiquated internet links has conspired to delay the latest installment. Had just pressed the final preview and lost it alll :mad: Will rewrite soon.

[Strela]

Soviet Turn

Trying to remember what I had written before and will use the 'Save as Draft' function more often!

The 12am to 4am turn sees both sides regroup after an exhaustive day of heavy combat - what will day 2 of the offensive bring?

The supply state across the map has changed and there have been reports of improving weather - maybe air will be available when the sun comes up?





The 233rd Tank Bde is transferred from 6th GTA to 27th Army to allow it to utilise local artillery resources. 233rd will pause this turn to hopefully refit and prepare for the decisive push.

Many of 27th Army's spearheads are low on fuel or ammo. Artillery manages to disrupt German units defending the south of Baran'ye Pole and a hasty assault pushes the German's back.





40th Army is still focused on expanding the gap in the German lines forced by 5th MC. This will allow Pavlovka to be bypassed and compromised. Artillery fire manages to disrupt the Feld Ersatz Bn holding the southern flank and a violent assault by 2nd MB pushes the Germans back.

5th GTC follow up a heavy artillery barrage and eject the Germans from the southern most hex of Motylevka. The town is becoming more untenable. With entrenchments in front, the German bunker line is looking like an island in an increasing red sea.

Other than these two assaults the remainder of 40th Army and 6th GTA rest and refit. The new day will bring more opportunity.




German Turn

German forces desperately need a break. A full day of Soviet offensive have worn down the defenders. Though no formation has been lost, casualties have been heavy and material (mainly AT and artillery) abandoned or overrun.





The sector has died down. Russian forces failed to materialise in 198th Infantry sector. South of Baran'ye Pole a violent assault ejects I/GR 248 out of their entrenchments.

Most German forces decide to hold in place, with the exception of the artillery which continued to head towards G'niloy Tikich crossings. All in all, the retrograde movement has been steady, but organized. The link between 88th & 198th Infantry Divisions have been maintained and casualties acceptable. This is all the more impressive considering the speed that the initial bunker line was broken.





34th Infantry Division is in a quandary. When to run? 5th MC has managed to open the breach south of Pavlovka and are now free to  push further troops through. Pulling back, will allow the Russians to mass and more importantly abandon the remaining bunkers. The forces on either flank of the breach are too weak to close it and desperately in need of a break anyway. I/FE 34 is a great example of the intensity of the fighting having lost 40% of its strength in two engagements.

5th GTC has taken another hex of Motylevka and the German hold on town will soon be tenuous. Units from 198th Infantry Division are moving across to Repki with an intention of holding in or near the town.

Otherwise, all positions are held. No bunkers are abandoned as the exhausted troops need a break. Dawn will probably be the time to redeploy…






Casualties have slown – probably reflective of the lower number of engagements – a lull before the storm?

[Strela]

Soviet Turn

As the sun comes up an ominous rumble is heard in the distance - aircraft...

An action packed turn follows....





Russian Sturmoviks streak low across the morning snow targeting a hapless Marder company and Infantry formation. The infantry surprised by the Soviet aircraft disrupt while Marders burn in the background.





27th Army infantry push forward and find the German rearguards digging in - the resupplied 233rd Tank Bde moves forward after a short rocket barrage and promptly overruns 3 German formations near Krasnogorodka. The disrupted Germans are quickly surrounded by the advancing infantry and the 612th Tank Bn. A further hex near Baran'ye Pole is cleared and the highway is definitely blocked.





40th Army picks up the tempo with the early dawn light. 22nd Guards Tank Bde manage to enter Repki and probe the defenses directly to the south. Infantry from 45th MB supported by 127th Tank Regt shoot up STuG Abt 239 and then promptly assaulting it out of its defensive positions. Pushing forward they surprise limbered artillery and destroy a number of tubes. A further assault by 2nd MB infantry widens Pavlovka gap and an advance by 127th Tank Regt , isolates further German infantry. A breakthrough is looking almost certain...



German Turn

The Germans have a huge issue with three forces cut off. In addition Pavlovka is close to being isolated and further Russian forces have been passing by the bunker line, heading generally south east. The clearing weather though allows air to be called in from the Uman airbase - barely 50 kilometres to the south. Pilots will be flying multiple sorties today.













The Luftwaffe have 6 carpet bombing raids - 3 scatter harmlessly, 2 find their mark and the last devastatingly scatters onto a large force of infantry forming up. The devastation of the final bombing raid emboldens the German defenders. If they can push the Russians back from the hex to the south the lines of communications will be cut to the 5th MC spearheads again. Maybe they can be delayed for another turn...?





II/GR107 is the freshest formation and promptly assaults the disordered Soviets. The assault is successful, but the fate of the 2nd Bn is probably sealed.





The successful assault from the Pavlovka defenses barely reduces the pressure. There are no forces to stop the Russian breakthrough this turn with STuG Abt 239 disrupted and trying to recover. On 34th Infantry's left flank, the isolated units are released but their flank is left wide open. Motylevka is finally abandoned and German units are retreating down the road to Vinograd. I/GR 308 is rescued from the Russian cordon and pulled back into the line. Repki is further reinforced and a second line is beginning to form in front of 5th GTC.





233rd Tank Bde's sudden appearance has overwhelmed and cut off the German defenders. The remaining Marders manage to free the isolated forces, but they are precariously exposed. 198th Infantry continue to fall back, while 88th Infantry artillery moves north east towards Boguslav. German forces will soon be fighting in he suburbs of Medvin.





Casualties ramp up reflecting the resumption of combat and the impact of air for the first time....


Turn 11 to follow...

[The SNAFU]

Strela,

I continue to enjoy your dispatches from the front.

While some of the men of II/GR107 are probably going to get the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves for their part in the attack against the Soviet mechanized infantry it is unlikely they will live to see them.

It was a little surprising that the Luftwaffe was able to make such a strong and effective appearance particularly given the fairly light Soviet air activities in Turn 10. Were the Russians holding back on some of their air assets?

Very nice work!

[Strela]

While some of the men of II/GR107 are probably going to get the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves for their part in the attack against the Soviet mechanized infantry it is unlikely they will live to see them.

It was a little surprising that the Luftwaffe was able to make such a strong and effective appearance particularly given the fairly light Soviet air activities in Turn 10. Were the Russians holding back on some of their air assets?

I agree, poor II/GR107 is probably gone after their heroics. You may have noted I have not lost any formations to date, but the Soviet breakthrough required desperate action. In a historical context it is probably appropriate -the German doctrine was based around offense, immediate counterattacks encouraged....

As far as the luftwaffe, the stock scenarios have a very high level of air. We have not changed these (yet) as we need to see the effect through playtesting. In this scenario the Germans have more than double the Soviet air and this was reflected last turn by 3 Russian strikes to 7 German air attacks. Importantly though, 6 of the 7 German air units were carpet bombing and subject to scatter (3 missed), while all of the Russian air was point attacks (Sturmoviks).

Reading both Nash and Zetterling the Russians had a superiority of aircraft (double) but the Germans had the close proximity of Uman air base. The Russians were noted as being pretty ineffective in this battle while German air made a significant impact - particularly when the weather was clearer, though level bomber forces (HE-111) had to be diverted to supply drops and other logistics once the pocket formed.

I also was aggressive with the German air last turn, desperately trying to impact the breach south of Pavlovka. I need to check the parameter data, but I believe there is a lower chance of the German air returning.

All in all, air is a work in process.

Finally to all those following this thread, I am having a (short) hiatus from the AAR this weekend as I am off fishing in Malaysia :smoke: but will have the next installment of 1st Ukraine not long after my return!!

[Mr Grumpy]

Strela,
Excellent AAR, the historical maps were a excellent idea, i don't have K44 so those maps helped me to follow the action and piece the different areas together.

One thing you have confirmed once again is that AT guns are not well modelled by the PzC engine IMO.


Did you catch anything big?

[Strela]

Did you catch anything big?

Well thats an interesting question and I could start a whole another thread on that!!  ;)

If you look at this link you will see one of our short movies from a trip last November  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBW24LGfkyY   (Watch it in HQ if you have time)

We caught over 50 fish in a two day period on that trip - all fish are catch and release so there is no permanent harm...



For those that can't be bothered looking at the link here is one of my fish from last year. This fish is about 3 metres (9 foot) long and about 35 kgs (70 pounds). Most of the ones last weekend were a lot bigger as it was deeper water , probably another 0.5m (couple of feet) and up to 50 kgs (100 pounds)







As far as this weekend it was a competition with teams of 3 anglers - we landed 12 fish and took out 4th place out of 33 teams. Our brother team took out 1st (!) with 17 fish and have won the right to compete in a big tournament in Mexico!!  




Now that we have had that short interlude from our sponsors we will return to the AAR  :P