For this new Barbarossa scenario the first objectives will be as follow :
- AGN will capture 2 in the Baltic states :Ventspils , Riga
- AGC will seize 4 of them : Vilnius, Minsk, Vitebsk and Smolensk
- AGS will take the whole Dniepr bend for 4 objectives : Lvov , Odessa, KrivoiRog and Vinnitsa
When these first goals will be taken , Wermacht must be in position to make a decisive choice :
either attack Moscow with gathered forces of 3 Panzer Gruppe , or other possibility : Strike in central Russia and Ukrainia and secure Kiev , Dnepopetrovsk , Orel ,Kharkov ,Voronej, Stalino and Talinin .
( due to lack of available gaming table , this game will be played on Vassal )
Turn 1 ( June )
Situation after initial attacks and movements
In Ukrainia, attacks in the crucial zone between Lwow and Kowel were all successful , giving access to a large advance.
In Belarus, Guderian exploits the success and surround Minsk
And Guderian doesn't stop his panzers ! Dnepr is immediately crossed , Orcha and Moghilev are surrounded ( the two 2Pz chits are pulled in a row )
Guderian HQ is positionned to be in range of a 6 hexes advance of supply depot ...
Stavka launches rather efficient counterattacks and delivers Mogilev. Reinforcements are urged to the front ( counterattack+move are pulled)
Situation inUkrainia after 2 activations of Von Kleist PzGruppe .
Hoepner crosses the Dvina
MAJOR ISSUE :
DURING TURN ONE , THERE IS NO DOUBLE ACTIVATION OF 2nd and 1st Pz .
THIS AAR IS THEREFORE TOTALY INVALID ! ! !
( but anyway , this is a game :) )
Chits pulled :
Turn 2 ( July)
Axis pushes forward and organise assaults ( Move + Attack pulled )
But Stavka immediately counterattack with nice success :
In Ukrainia pincer assaults are repulsed :
While resistance in front of Vitebsk and Smolensk is strenghtening
But once again Guderian launches an ambitious attack :
It is now the end of July :
In August, everything will now depend on chit drawing :
Around Smolensk and Vitebsk , Soviet armies are nearly surrounded , but still supplied . a quick counter attack could ruin Axis efforts !
The same situation exists in Ukrainia , where nearly all the soviet army is surrounded but not yet isolated
Turn 3 ( August )
After initial Axis move, the month begins with a very early logistic phase . It is followed by Hoth's brilliant offensive that achieves the encirclement of Smolensk/Vitebsk
But , Soviets pull CounterAttack + Move + Stavka : These actions succeed to break the Ukrainian pocket , but fail in the region of Smolensk , despite large losses on German side .
Initiative is now on Axis hands ...
After its double activation ,Von Kleist re-closes the isolated pockekts, crosses the Dnepr and surround Kiev !
And Guderian strikes again ...
In central Russia , supply situation is good, but in Ukrainia , supply depots are far away , due to remaining isolated soviet divisions .
Also , in baltic states, Ventsipils is still resisting ( 1 on die )
Turn 4 ( September / Mixed )
Objective : MOSCOW !
And Ukrainia !
By beginning of October , Soviet army in on its knees . It has lost huge amounts of troops and defensive lines are nowhere clear . But in front of this , German panzers are exhausted and mainly OOS . ...
chits pulled during turn 4 :
Turn 5 ( October / Mud )
Soviets use their initiative as a move and try to fill the gaps in their lines . They mainly reinforce Moscow front as the immediate threat is here .
OKH is now faced with a crucial choice : try Moscow or try 28 objectives ?
1Pz Army chit is pulled first for Axis .
Moscow, defended by the best remaining Soviet troops and Guderian's troops mostly OOS looks impossible to take .
5 objectives are still to capture :
- Odessa is well defended but under Luftwaffe threat , so cannot be reinforced. It must be taken. remains 4 ... Tallin is way too far
- Dnepopetrovsk and Zaporozieh both look feasable .. remains 2
- Kharkov looks not reachable by OOS panzers
- the only possibility remaining is go for Tula and Orel with Hoth and hope for good moves against Stalino.
This is the plan that OKH will launch !
In this crucial Mud turn , the chits are pulled in this order :
1st Panzer activation, followed by move and combat result in a frontal assault against poorly defended key Dnepr objectives that both fall into invader's hands :
In the central front , Guderian activation allows a slow redeployment of panzers but due to lack of supply , these moves don't look very dangerous, even if Tula's outskirts are approached.
8th Luftwaffe air fleets succeeds in softening defenses in front of Hoth panzers .
Now all remaining hopes of Wermacht are in the hands of Hoth's panzers , which are the only forces still in good supply.
Another air strike is asked to 8th air army .... and it is successfull !
A hole is now open for the panzers which exploit this unexpected opportunity ... and roll in the open muddy plains !
As incredible as it can look, Panzers have rolled in the mud and seized 4 objectives during this month !
Turn 6 ( November / Mix )
After these first activations, here is the situation :
Every fronts are now a matter of OOS and isolated units
Both sides are too exhausted to try anything else :
A terrible news arrives in OKH : Assaults against Odessa and Talin are both rejected ... It means that Barbarossa will be lost !
Turn 7 ( December / Snow )
Winter is coming and Stavka launches 2 shock armies to free Tula from occupation . After stavka and combat chits, Tula is retaken .
By the end of turn 7 , general situation is not so bad for Germans armies that look in position to resist their first winter campaign . but with only 28 objectives , Barbarossa campaing is lost , and even a full campaign would be lost ..
this bloody campaign is ended ...
