Prussia in Peril - East Prussia '14 Central Powers AAR - major victory turn 114

[ComradeP]

Turn 17 06:00 22nd of August 1914

1st Army is Fixed.



Hauptreserve Koenigsberg is holding a line at the Angerapp for the moment.

Gemischte Landwehr Brigade 2 is moving west. A cavalry squadron from Koenigsberg is moving into the area as well.



A rearguard from 36. ID keeps the Russians honest.

The Russians crossed the Angerapp in front of 1. Reserve Division, but my opponent correctly decided that staying there would be suicidal due to the rest of 1st Army being Fixed.

Using every available north-south road, all the non-Reserve units continue to move south.



The layout of the road and rail network was one of the reasons why I moved 36. Reserve Division to the area east of Angerburg.

It simplifies road movement for the formations moving south, and there's a convenient more or less parallel rail line at Angerburg which allowed me to switch units to Rail mode in a more efficient way: every unit that wouldn't switch to rail mode next turn could stay on the primary road.

At this point I wasn't sure where I'd end up sending XVII Armeekorps. The destination ended up being Ortelsburg.



The reservists at Nikolaiken are digging in. It might look like an overcommitment, but sending a brigade there was necessary in my opinion to counter any risk of cavalry units moving across the river there and to buy time if the Russian II Army Corps went there.

In the historical battle for Tannenberg, the Russians advanced quite far into East Prussia before being defeated. I picked a forward defense instead.



A fairly solid line is in place at Friedrichshof, with reservists holding the area on the other side of the Szkwa. The Russian cavalry units in the area are Cossack units from the screen in front of VI Army Corps. The corps HQ is at the bottom right.

As I had hoped, the Russians deployed in front of 37. ID. That allows me to limit their advance to 2-3 hexes each turn.

The units from 41. ID at Janovo are involved in a bloody brawl with the Russian 8th Infantry Division, but succeeded in delaying the Russians. Two Russian battalions walked straight into an infantry/MG stack and became Broken in 1 turn. Most 2nd Army formations start with 90 Fatigue, so a few costly hits result in Max Fatigue unless they rest at night.



The first Russian infantry units arrive at the pre-war border. Russian cavalry is probing the line.

The first units of 1. Kavallerie Division are moving towards Heinrichsdorf. At this point, my plan was to strike the Russian 15th Cavalry Division in the flank.

You can see more trains arriving in Neidenburg, carrying the lead elements of 2. ID.