Stalingrad 42 Breakout Group Zhuravlev

[Plain Ian]

Planning in progress...........

[Plain Ian]

Checking artillery options and I noticed this. 59th Gds Artillery is the divisional unit for 33rd Gds Division. For some reason its giving me the option of targeting group A? It's no where near any of the indirect spotters? The only other units from 33rd Gds are in the pocket to the north?

Any ideas? I can't complain as this will suit me to target this hex but it would be nice to know why the game engine is allowing me to do this.

[MikeC]

Checking artillery options and I noticed this. 59th Gds Artillery is the divisional unit for 33rd Gds Division. For some reason its giving me the option of targeting group A? It's no where near any of the indirect spotters? The only other units from 33rd Gds are in the pocket to the north?

Any ideas? I can't complain as this will suit me to target this hex but it would be nice to know why the game engine is allowing me to do this.

No explanation, but I have seen a similar effect.

[Ricky B]

The best I have come up with, and I think it may be what is happening here, is if those units are also triggering a ? spotting through dust/movement into the hex, that seems to explain it is some cases. No way to verify, outside of possibly turning off on map results and seeing the combat factors, I believe I tried that years ago when I wondered and could see a reduced firepower similar to other fire at units out of all vis range, showing as just a ?.

[Plain Ian]

The best I have come up with, and I think it may be what is happening here, is if those units are also triggering a ? spotting through dust/movement into the hex, that seems to explain it is some cases. No way to verify, outside of possibly turning off on map results and seeing the combat factors, I believe I tried that years ago when I wondered and could see a reduced firepower similar to other fire at units out of all vis range, showing as just a ?.

Thanks Rick. The units didn't move but they might have fired. Not in Mike's turn. That man saves his bullets! They might have fired defensively in my turn?

Anyway news from the front coming up.........

[Plain Ian]

News from the front. Its not good......



The assault into the pocket failed!




Stalin is not amused.



VP total and breakdown below. Points tally for the turn is healthy but the whole turn was about getting a tank unit adjacent to the pocket. My artillery let me down and the 650th disappointed with its shooting. 





Map tomorrow night.

[Plain Ian]

Turn 22 Russian
 
For this turn I did my artillery before my moves. Usually I do my artillery during my moves so that if new targets appear I can take advantage of it. The aim of artillery is the same. Disrupt the target to allow assaults.
 

 
Artillery availability was good, only the 5th Gds Mortar/Rkt were unavailable. I had two good Rgts (18 x 122mm) whch could target the hex I needed to help my assault on his Marder group. 
Results shown above were reasonable. The 725th result was poor as this unit has 32 tubes? I was also hoping that the 1158th would kill 10+ of his non disrupted infantry supporting the Marders and disrupt them. I managed 4!



And these are my moves. Not all the casualties have been show but hopefully there is enough explanation on the map for everyone to follow things.

The two isolated hexes in my rear (X and Y) have been dealt with. I managed another assault with the 3/863rd. But my attacks/assaults on his blocking unit (Z) failed. The Marders were eliminated but the small (XX men) unit of the 113th did not disrupt and held the hex despite my best efforts. The hex contains two other units from the 305th but these were disrupted to begin with.

At Verkne the 1/133rd was faced with a stack containing a disrupted 88mm unit in T- mode no less, a disrupted Pioneer XX unit, an undisrupted AA XX unit and an undisrupted 305th XXX unit. Rather than eliminate the 88mm I tried to disrupt both of the undisrupted units. The casualties inflicted were clearly not high enough to do this, so the 182nd was spared an assault attempt. A pity to as this would have put me adjacent to the 100 VP hex. I've brought up the 2/133rd. The 396th did manage to kill an 88mm at 2 hex range and also inflicted damage on the Pioneers adjacent.

Anyway I await Mikes response. Well actually its already back but I won't have time to check it tonight.

[Plain Ian]

Ok first the boring bits. VP scores.



And the breakdown to make sense of the losses.



Not the worst loss to date. Its a 60 point swing. Last turn saw a 67 point swing. And of course the eagle eyed watcher will notice that thee is no change in Objective points so Svechinkovskiy still holds! Hurrrah! I also note Gemana losses were relatively high as well.

So on to the maps.

[Plain Ian]

The Pocket



Well the pocket is down to two groups. One group still clinging to the town and the other group which contains most of remnants of the pocket.

Mike played pretty carefully. The 2/84th at Svechinkovskiy was undisrupted so he directed a lot of fire at this. (Nebelwerfers must have been off line?) A lot of fire. He eliminated the unit even though i think it disupted afte the second or third salvo! I think that was the reason that he could only muste 3 small assaults.

Assault 4 worked well and shifted my forces first time.

There then followed several assaults (5-6) which racked up substantial losses because of a lack of a retreat path. He eventually took the hex with one unit I think?

Mike then attempted to reduce the last pocket and the losses and disruption suggest that he had marginal odds? He lost a StuG here which evened up things as I lost a T-34 in an earlier assault.

So lets look at the situation. New thread.

[Plain Ian]

Current situation is shown above. Mike still has two blocks A and B to the south. A shows as Isolated but he has units adjacent to it. Stack B looks pretty formidable.

Composition and status of the pocket is outlined. The 1/40th is actually undisrupted. Total stacking value of the hex is 1288. (27 veh and 1018 men)

Despite command problems (3 HQ's out of command) supply is reasonable for the Russians. Only two units are Low Ammo.....yes folks the 378th and 650th. Cruel but it makes sense as they have done most of the fighting. 

Air is available and the only two artillery units with range to reach the pocket (1105th/1158th) are available as well! There is only 1 undisrupted unit between the tanks and the southern pocket. The damned 113th unit which stopped last turns assaults dead.

I didn't think I would get another chance but........future is bright maybe....can't see an emoji thingie with shades...