Gary Grisby's War in the East. A Single Player DAR.

[Nathangun]

Gentlemen, I am embarking for the Eastern front to command Army Group North, my objective, Leningrad.
After buying the game several weeks ago (on sale) I read some AAR's and came acrosss this one http://wac.3aff.edgecastcdn.net/803AFF/witewiki/images/Operational_Boot_Camp_2010_v1.05.pdf
After reading what all the symbols meant and the first turn play through I couldn't wait to get stuck in and have a crack at the game.

22 June 1941

Here is a map of my area of operations. The red flags are priority targets, the red and grey flags are secondary targets and the grey are low priority. I have 15 turns to complete my mission.

The Finnish front isn't active so I won't bother with the details of this front until it becomes active.

Now let's have a look at my OOB.

My opening Gambit

The 18th & 16th Armies will assault the Soviet border garrisons while the Panzer Group 4 (Pz Gr 4 as it will now be called) will spearhead my breakthrough.

II Corps of the 16th Army will aim for Kaunas while the two remaining corps, the XXVII & X Corps will wheel around the Dubysa river hold the Soviet units in check.

XXXVIII Corps of the 18th Army will strike along the coast clearing the ports of Soviets which can be used as future supply points. XXVI Corps & I Corps will assaults the Soviet units and push them back as far as possible.

The 4th Pz Group will exploit any openings and will try and get around the rear of the Soviet support units and HQ's to complete an encirclement.

Before I launch my attack, a little recon is in order. I order Luftwaffe to recon the Soviet rear areas.

My opening assaults by the 18th and 16th Armies brush aside the Soviet units and the Panzers of Pz Gr 4 race forward. The assault is a complete success! Soviet forces are trapped in the Siauliai pocket (the town Siaulia is located at the northern tip of the pocket) trapping 6 Divisions, including a tank division, a AT artillery brigade and two HQ units. Another 6 division where almost trapped in the Kurland pennelisa, a tentative rail line to the west of Riga is all that supplies them, also the port town of Memel that can deliver a small amount of supplies.

 

[Nathangun]

Turn2

29 June 1941
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XXVIII Corps of the 18th Army and the I Corps of the 16th Army destroy the Siaulia pocket capturing over 6000 prisoners.

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Pz Gr 4 race ahead and capture bridgeheads over the Daungava river.
The Soviets abandon Riga which was captured 'on the bounce' by the Totenkopf SS Motorized Division.

In the Kurland pocket, Soviet resistance is hard, but my troops are pushing them back.

With most of Lithuania and Latvia conquered, the local population rejoice at our arrival.

Turn 3

3 July 1941
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Pz Gr 4 is well spread out, but I move my infantry Divisions over the Daungava river and regroup Pz Gr 4 to strike towards one of the VL (victory locations) the town of Pskov, seen here in the screenie below, the western VL flag, south of lake Pskov.
The 18th Army continue to reduce the stubborn defence of the Kurland pocket.

Future problems.

As with the advance of my units deep into Soviet territory, the problem of supply rears it's ugly head. Construction battalions are sent to change the gauge of the rail lines, this takes time. In the screenie below, the green dots are converted rail lines while the orange dots are under conversion and the red dots are still Soviet gauge.
Each hex is twenty miles (I think).

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If anyone whats anything explained or a screenshot of any particular thing, let me know.

 

[Villiamza]

Good stuff, keep em coming.
Have you ever played this through PBEM?

 

[Nathangun]

Good stuff, keep em coming.
Have you ever played this through PBEM?

No, this is my first play through.

 

[Nathangun]

Hadn't played this in a while, due to the font been so small to tired eyes, but I found a way to make the fonts bigger so I'm back in the hot seat. Oh, each hex is 10 KM.

Turn 4

10 July 1941
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The XXXXI Panzer Corps strike north led by the Totenkopf SS Motorized Division and cut the rail link to Tallinn.
XXXVIII Infantry Corps of the 18th Army has finished fighting in the Kurland pocket.​

Turn 5

17 July 1941

Finland joins the war
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The Totenkopf SS Motorized Division capture Tallinn. L Corps approach Tallinn from the south west.​

The Finnish front

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The Finnish government gave its military limited objectives, and as such, there is a 'No Attack Line' that can been seen in the screenie above.

The first attacks weren't successful as I hoped, but gaps where in the Soviet lines and some holes were punctured.

Turn 6

24 July 1941
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The Finnish forces completely wipe out the Soviet frontier garrisons and advance 60-80 KM.

XXXXI Corps advance towards Narva while L Corps take control of the Tallinn region.

In the centre the Soviets move a massive amount of reinforcements along the Velikaya river.
The 18th Army move up to the line, I think I've missed my opportunity in the last turn for the 4th Pz Gr but at least they have rested and resupplied sufficiently, my choice is to pull them out of the line or strike now before the Soviets dig in effectively.

Down to the south the 9th Army have reached the Dvina river and are in a position to strike towards Vitebsk, hopefully they might swing north and gain a bridgehead over the Dvina river.

I haven't finished turn 6 yet, I'm weighing up my options, will hopefully try to fit in a turn or two over the weekend.

 

[Nathangun]

Turn 7

31 July 1941
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LVI Corps of the 4th Pz Gr attacks across the Velikaya river and strike north with 18th & 16th Armies holding the shoulders of the bulge, I hope to pocket the Soviet troops in Pskov, the town south of Lake Pskov.

Turn 8

7 August 1941
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In the north, XXXVIII Corps of 18th Army with support of the XXXXI Pz Corps attack Soviet positions west of Narva.

The positions were repeatedly attacked but were successful, we took over 7000 prisoners.

The troops of the XXXXI Pz Corps race over the Narva River and turn south with the aim to close the Pskov pocket from the north.

South of Lake Peipus, elements of LVI Corps head north trying to close the Pskov pocket.
The Soviet's try to put pressure on the neck of the bulge, south of Slavkovichi.

Finnish forces advance south on either side of Lake Ladoga meeting little resistance.

 

[Nathangun]

Turn 9

14 August 1941

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Here is an over all view of AGN at the end of turn 9.
The town of Pskov is captured and there is 40,000 or more Soviet troops are caught in the 'Pskov Kessel'.
16th Army attacked along it's entire front, tho some attacks were ill advised and a bit costly than I would have liked but the pressure paid off and II Corps on the southern half of 16th Army has opened a gap and has a clear run to Velikie Luku directly east.
9th Army is facing stiff resistance on it's narrow front.

During the Soviet phase of the turn the Finns were attacked north of Leningrad.

Finnish shock troops take a Soviet position.​

Soviet troops east of Lake Pskov try to escape the closing encirclement, in the screenie below, the Luftwaffe impede their movement with 'Interdicted strikes'.

Turn 10

21 August 1941
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I Corps of the 18th Army reduce the Pskov Kessel capturing over 33,000 troops.
Elements of LVI Pz Crops advance over the Luga River, the last river line south of Leningrad and getting within 20 miles of the city.

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The Soviets attacked a motorised regiment of LVI Pz Crops with 6 Rifle Divisions and a artillery regiment, the results were surprising. This highlights the poor command and control of the Soviets in this period of the war.

The terrain south of Leningrad is wooded and swampy, not ideal tank country. Might have to pull the 4th Pz Gr back.

 

[Nathangun]

Turn 11

28 August 1941
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Finnish troops to the west assault cut off Soviet units west of Terijoki and capture 16,000 prisoners.

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Mopping up operations continue south of the Luga river, two Soviet infantry divisions still operate behind the lines supplied with airdrops (bottom left of screenie).

XXVIII & II Crops of 16th Army advanced seemingly unopposed towards Velikie Luku.

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[mTk]

Pretty sure I am having a lot more fun reading these DAR's than I would having to actually grind through this monster.
For a moment I thought the Finns might actually get the job done!

 

[Ithikial]

Still got one of these games going. I generally play a couple of in game months and then leave it for a while and then come back to play again. In my game it looks like trying to even besiege Leningrad will be my biggest challenge. AI has completly choked the route of Army Group North and left Moscow relatively exposed.

 

[Nathangun]

Turn 12

4 September 1941
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On the eastern side of Lake Ladoga the Finnish VI & VII Corps of the Karelian Front Army advance as far as Olonets.

The two Soviet infantry divisions that where operating south of the Luga river retreated towards Leningrad and where caught and encircled with an additional calvary and mechanised division south of Volosovo on the main Leningrad-Narva rail line by the 56th Inf Div (XXXVIII Corps), Polizei SS Inf Div, 36th Motorised Div, 6th Pz Div (all three of XXXXI Panzer Corps), 1/1 Pz Div, 1/3 Motorised Div (both of the LVI Panzer Corps), 1/269th Inf Div, 21st Inf Div and the 93rd Inf Div (all three of I Corps).

I'll might need resupply the two Panzer Corps as they are little low on fuel, and I plan to swing them both around the east side of Leningrad to cut off the city's supply.

Army Group North enter pine grove near Leningrad


Further Plans


XXVI Corps of 18th Army will advance towards Novgorad then swing northeast towards Bugodoshch & Nebolochi.

Once X Corps of the 16th Army has to fight through the enemy to its front (two weeks should do it) it will then advance northeast towards Lake Ilmen and form a line from Lake Ilmen and the Valdai Hills.

I will send XXVIII & II Corps along the railway line and take up positions along the Volga River.

9th Army (green unit icons) will advance towards Rzhev & Vyazma.