Europa Games and Military History

Author: John Barr (Page 1 of 2)

July 42

special report by Soviet commander TVD South and South-West

Jul II 42… The Don Front commander surveys the scene and notices that the mixed bag of Axis allies have not yet reached the river. This gives him the opportunity to cross in force with 7+ Tank Corps plus support units. Large air battles erupt over 3 axis hexes, resulting in roughly equally losses, although somewhat to the favor of the Axis (I think something like 1 or 2 kills each, 2 or 3 aborts each, but the Axis did come out ahead by one or two plane losses.) Regardless, the Axis DAS gets through and the southernmost Don Front attack results in a DR (5 or 6:1, +3, but a one is rolled).

The Rumanian troops back up into two hexes, preventing any overruns or breakout opportunities. The northern and middle attacks both get possitive results (DE’s both I believe) and something like 11 pts of Rum & 1 Ital die. All are rebuilt the next turn, but the Rums go into garrison. Unwilling to give up the ground gained, but unable to properly exploit, the Don Front commander forms a hedgehog wedge, with the base against the Don river, the northern line 4 hexes long running east-west, and the southern line 3 hexes long running NW-SE. The hexes each have 12 or 13 pts in the north, 9 pts to the south, plus additional pts in the two pointy nds of the hedgehog.

Aug I 42

3 Armored divs rebuilt (1 completely, 2 from cadres)… Sov cap is flown over the two front hexes of the hedgehog. Don Front gets what it wants, and attracts the attention of the mobile forces of AGS. At the southern base of the hedgehog, and infantry and an armor Corps form up facing a 9 pt Army. To the north, two large armored corps with infantry support face off against a 12 pt
Army. If attacks are completely successful, all but one of the 7 hexes forming the hedgehog will be cut off. Don Front CC laughs off the threat confident that at most DR’s will result… Axis cap is flown over the two flanking hexes, plus over 2 more hexes along the northern Don River that were essentially given up to the axis (6 or 7pts each in forts, but surrounded on 4 sides.)

After figuring out the likely odds, the Don Front commander decides to commit his remaining air force in an attempt to shift the odds back in his favor. In the southern hex, only two fighters remain for escort. The four Axis fighters ignore them, successfully bypassing and shooting down 4 of 5 DAS (one 3 Tac air IL-2 (4?) gets through. Losses are Russian 2 K and 2 A, Axis, 1 A. In the north, 5 unescorted bombers attempt to get through the 5 Axis fighters on cap. Once again, 4 plow into the earth, flaming. One however makes it through (2 tac air). Results Russ: 2K, 2A Axis: 1 Italian K. Following these air battles, free from Sov interrferrence, much Axis GS is brought in… In the south, the 2 pts of flak is unable to drive off the one soviet DAS, Sov flak pushes one off, for little effect. Attack goes in at 8:1, -1 for a DH (the one plane was critical, as the odds would have been 9:1 and a DE would have resulted, leaving behind an
overrunnable stack… even so, there was a 50-50 of the DE.) One Sov armored corp is cadred, and two art III retreat. The northern attack also goes in at 8:1 -1, with an unsuccesfull attempt at a commando raid… 7pts of flack fail to drive off the bomber but it doesn’t matter… A DE is rolled. Only the cadre of the Sov corp remains.

Northward, an attack against the infantry 92 Army is launched with air support, 3:1 +2 for a DH. Against the two semi-surrounded hexes a 7:1 -1 gives a DE against 7 pts, and a 6:1 -1 results in a nasty exchange (only a 1 in 6 of that, argh). A single German inf div is cadred for the loss of 6 sov pts.

An attack against the 91 Army, 19 pts strong in a fort is called off for insufficient air. (4:1 -1 couldn’t be improved upon, and I wanted to limit losses this turn).

Lastly, a surprising attack against the 1st Guards Tank Army is launched… it had been left in the front line in a fort, so there was no AECD. With a mere 3 pts of air support, (1 pt over the
requirement for 5:1), there was a lousy 3% chance for a 6:1… and a 02 was rolled! Still, with a decent shot at an DE, the 6:1 -1 attack results in a DH. One Corps is wiped out, a motorized div is cadred, and an Art III and inf brigade are destroyed.

All told, this turn 95 pts of Soviets were killed, vs 4 pts of Germans. (No losses in AGN or AGC that I’m aware of… AGN’s one attack resulted in an AS, which necessitated the cancelling of a second attack…. AGC pushed back on a number of hexes, all for no losses as well… WWI on the Eastern front.)

In the mech mov’t phase, on the north side of the hedgehog the armored cadre is overrun as is a pile of russian artillery backing up the pointy part of the hedgehog. Unfortunately, the cadre and artillery in the south (5pts) are strong enough to withstand an overrun, so the axis distribute troops for defense. The five hexes in the hedgehog will have supply (drat… foiled again.)

May and June 1942

In the early summer of ’42, the Germans took a few hexes near Leningrad using the Eastern special forces unit to launch one daring surprise attack about one month after it had failed. The Finns launched a few local attacks on the “seven hex” line killing a couple of Russian divisions and artillery units as the Russians gathered to finally push to Helsinki.

In the center, again, a few hexes were taken and some losses caused but nothing dramatic.

Behind the lines, one turn saw a dramatic attempt by Nazi Sky Gangsters to sieze unoccupied Soviet
replacement cities. This lead to hours of haggling about the rules of war, the Geneva Convention
etc…until the Germans finally attempted to land on Baku, rolled a one (the only bad roll) and it was promptly forgotten.

As for losses, in June I the Russians lost 80 factors and the Germans 24. In June II, the Russians lost 70 and the Germans 7.

April 1942

Well, mud made it’s sticky was back to most of the front and the Germans launch another HUGE airraid on Leningrad. This time, the Soviets kill 4 planes and abort 9 more, but they lose a CL and a CA leaving only two CA in the Baltic fleet. For the turn the Russians lose 31 points and the Germans lose 8. The Russian offensive did continue near Moscow and got a security brigade to sit on the norhtern supply line for Army Group Center.

March 1942

Mar I 42

An EX near Leningrad and some loses near Moscow push the total on this turn to 34 for the axis and 49 for the Russians. The Germans are picking up hexes just south of Leningrad, but the Russians don’t really seem to care.

Mar II 42

Another EX near Leningrad makes the totals for the turn 18 for the axis and 28 for the Russians. But, there was a HUGE German airraid on the soviet fleet in Leningrad where three German bombers were shot down and about 7 were aborted. The result was sinking the two Soviet battleships (that already had 2 points each on them) and wounding the light cruiser. The German attitude was “hey, we can’t use our planes for much during the snow/mud, but they’ll all come back by the time the weather clears.”

Februar 1942

Feb I 42

Finland beats a hasty retreat to within seven hexes of Helsinki in the south and everyone sits around and shivers in the north. Meanwhile, bloody attacks take place near Leningrad and Moscow with the body count reaching 66 factors for the axis and 117 for the Russians.

Feb II 42

A whole lot of nothing. Total loses were 8 axis and 23 Russian.

Jan II 1942

The Germans dropped on Belomorsk and put the Arctic front out of supply.
Meanwhile, the Russians undeterred by lack of mail or the threats to
Moscow and Leningrad continued their assaults on the Finns eliminating a
division and cadre for two others.

AGN: The skies were black with planes as the Germans pushed next to Leningrad for the first time in the game.  Russians retreated rather than take losses
(DR) and moved reserves in their turn.

AGC: The Germans launched three attacks and inflicted heavy losses on the
Russians.  The attacks were not well coordinated, however, as the effect of
surprise wore off before the other attacks were resolved (a DH, followed
by a HX, followed by an EX).  The Russians counterattacked in their turn and
inflicted a HX on a German division suffering from the cold.

AGS: Mud continues, but supply lines advance.

Total losses for Jan II 53 soviet, 27 German and 12 Finnish.

Nov II 41 – Jan I 42

Here’s the update for our FITE/SE game, in a fit of energy, we have completed
everything through the Jan I 1942 turn:

AGN: It has been snowing here since November and it won’t let up until March at
the earliest.  Two massive air raids on Leningrad resulted in just two hits
on Russian BB’s, one of which was subsequently repaired. The Russians
pulled out of three hexes to make a straight line just a few hexes short of
the city. Two attacks on the line were repulsed, one with an AS and the
other with an AR.  Oddly, the Soviet general chose not to advance into the
clear terrain hexes vacated by the AR, Stalin has summoned him for
consultations. Meanwhile, in the North, the Russians launched a massive
assault against the Finns having about a 3-1 overall superiority on that
front.  So far, through January I, they have cadred a 5-6 and a 6-6 division.

AGC: Well, when it’s Moscow behind you, it’s time to stand and fight.  The Germans
launched a huge assault with 76 factors with a good chance at a 4-1,
however, the winter training is not all that it should have been and, no
doubt due to an ambush, the Germans were spanked with an AH wiping out a
complete armor and two complete infantry divisions for a total of 36 points.
The Germans did learn something about the new style of warfare and the
next turn, Jan I, rolled an EX and a HX for a total of 24 points of losses
for 36 Soviet dead.

AGS: Sevastopol fell to a German assault on November II.  The defenders, no doubt
inspired by the heroic example set by a NKVD battalion, stood to the last
and refused to retreat.  The requirement to thus dig them out house by
house resulted in an EX (not too many factors, this was a small battle).  A
soviet light cruiser was sighted and bombed.  One bomb found it’s way to
the magazine and the ship exploded.  Otherwise, AGS merely repaired rail
lines and moved forward.

Oct II/Nov I 1941

Oct II saw very little ground combat with the Russians losing six factors
and the Germans none.  A series of EX’s and HX’s in Nov I, however, saw the
Russians lose 48 factors, mainly infantry, and the Germans 44.  It is mud
everywhere right now, except in weather zone A where it is snow.  Here is the
breakdown by Army Group:

AGN: The Germans attacked the Russian Battleships in Kronstadt with a vengeance
on
Oct II and the Russian Fighter Command rose to the challenge only to lose
4 shot down and 6 aborted (out of 11) for a loss to the Germans of one
shot down.  The next turn, the Germans bombed the ships again in the face of
max flak and lost six bombers aborted and one shot down.  At the end of
all this, one battleship has 2 hits and the other one three.  On the ground,
the Germans picked up two more hexes as they slog towards Leningrad
and suffered two EXs on the way.

AGC: Rail repair units are working overtime to bring supply back to the spearheads
which are currently living off of numerous truck supply units.
The Germans attacked and pushed the Russians back from about four hexes
and had an EX and a HX in the process.

AGS: Not much as mud finally hit down south.  The Soviets abandoned Sevastopol,
but, on the whole the Germans were so far out of supply that they may
have to pull back.

In other words, not much happens in the mud.  :-)

Sept II 1941

The German Sept II turn is now done and this time the Russians lost 98 factors (mostly infantry, little if any armor) and the Germans lost none. The Russian AA/fighters aborted six germans in the South, aborted enough transports in the center to foil an attempted airdrop into the city (can we say St. Marie Eglise?) and shot down a German fighter and aborted two others
in the north. The action, as always by army group, was as follows:

AGN: two more hexes were gained in the slog towards Leningrad. The finns sat quietly waiting for Hango to surrender and the Russians to thin out their lines.

AGC: The pocket created by last turn’s breakthrough near Moscow was destroyed as a huge bulge was formed with it’s face deadset against the Moscow city limits. Lots and lots of Russian troops are defending the city, so no quick fall is forecast.

AGS: Karkov, Dnjepopetrovsk, and Zaporozhe all fell to German attacks as the panzer columes continued to push against little or no opposition. But, there is a solid line in the distance.

Sept I 1941

Overall, the Soviets lost about 75 points (11 isolated) and the Germans lost 17. Also, the Finns shot down a soviet fighter. Here’s the action by army group.

AGN: The Finns attacked out of Vipuri and rolled a HX taking a German division as the exchage. The Germans captured Novgorod and pushed across the river line in two more hexes, one was a gimme and the other the Germans rolled a full exchage. An air raid on Kronstadt produced one hit on a battleship and one or two aborted bombers.

AGC: In a massive armored thrust, AGC pierced the Soviet line near Podolsk and swung south to semi encircle a number of Soviet divisions. Also, the advance into the Valdai hills commenced with a DR. Supplies were flown in by Ju-52 to the most advanced armored division.

AGS: The long air offensive against the Black Seas fleet finally paid some dividends as the light crusier K.Krim was sunk and two bombers were aborted. Odessa, finally fell as supplies were no longer brought in and the uncontested German advance continued with Kharkov being surrounded and the siege of Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhe continuing.

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