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Ja! Keep the Führer drugged and the let the Generals wage the war to a victory! 
It is just common military sense to engage the enemy in a terrain that favours them less, and gives you lesser penalties. The AI will comes out, since it is retarded and STAVKA assumes the victorious Soviet forces are heroically pushing the invaders back. Then you cut off their spearhead and destroy it. Then you let them out again. You cut off their next spearhead. You keep doing this until you have thinned the ranks of defenders enough, and they no longer are willing to send anyone out to the obvious trap. The AI never knows you are repeating the same stratagem, it will keep advancing because it is programmed to take empty provinces, even if it means potential encirclement of a few formations.
Choose a Kessel-province a few provinces away from the city itself, allow them to keep 1 provinces near the city that has the fort, let them march to the 3rd provinces and then to 4th province away from the city, and then attack the 3rd province and encircle those in the 4th province. Then finish them off, and repeat the same process next week. Just make sure the chosen provinces have terrain that is least harmful and least costly to you, preferably open ground where defenders have little cover, clear of natural defences like rivers. If no such exist, then still choose the least expensive provinces to exploit this tactic.
It is just common military sense to engage the enemy in a terrain that favours them less, and gives you lesser penalties. The AI will comes out, since it is retarded and STAVKA assumes the victorious Soviet forces are heroically pushing the invaders back. Then you cut off their spearhead and destroy it. Then you let them out again. You cut off their next spearhead. You keep doing this until you have thinned the ranks of defenders enough, and they no longer are willing to send anyone out to the obvious trap. The AI never knows you are repeating the same stratagem, it will keep advancing because it is programmed to take empty provinces, even if it means potential encirclement of a few formations.
Choose a Kessel-province a few provinces away from the city itself, allow them to keep 1 provinces near the city that has the fort, let them march to the 3rd provinces and then to 4th province away from the city, and then attack the 3rd province and encircle those in the 4th province. Then finish them off, and repeat the same process next week. Just make sure the chosen provinces have terrain that is least harmful and least costly to you, preferably open ground where defenders have little cover, clear of natural defences like rivers. If no such exist, then still choose the least expensive provinces to exploit this tactic.
I agree... you can think it's a little gamey... it could be against Western forces, but here were are talking about early war Stavka.... just remember in 1942 Model destroyed around 15-20 divs just letting them infiltrate and then closing the gap
And everytime, they did it against the orders from "the Top"... The arguments between Lanz and Hausser (concerning the evacuation of Kharkov in February '43) are one very good example too.
Besides, each time this situation occured, it was as a reaction to a Soviet thrust i.e. "we have to withdraw, how can we turn this to our advantage ?".
In NO case, the Germans voluntarily gave up some grounds in order to set a trap.
In my current situation in Leningrad, it would be really too gamey. Furthermore, a 4-provinces withdrawal would also mean moving back to Pskov. Inakzeptabel !!!
Besides, each time this situation occured, it was as a reaction to a Soviet thrust i.e. "we have to withdraw, how can we turn this to our advantage ?".
In NO case, the Germans voluntarily gave up some grounds in order to set a trap.
In my current situation in Leningrad, it would be really too gamey. Furthermore, a 4-provinces withdrawal would also mean moving back to Pskov. Inakzeptabel !!!
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To be fair, Von Manstein argued for such tactics since late 1942... true that "the Top" did not allow it, and even Hausser was not given the well deserved oak leaves for the Iron Cross due to disobeying a direct order from "the Top"
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Sorry for the long delay, Guys, but I had (again) to pay my due to RL since November 13th...
This AAR will resume very soon.
This AAR will resume very soon.
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No, it was not.
Such an AAR is a real organization nightmare and I simply needed some time to review my notes and to remember everything.
Next update is currently being written...
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Nice little piece of historical analysis, Nicegil. I would have gone for attacking Leningrad now rather than allow them to dig in and to try and get the city captured before winter sets in and the expected Soviet offensive.
Write faster!
All right... It took longer than expected but the next update will be uploaded today.
Thanks.
Leningrad is only one objective within a whole campaign. I must consider ALL the aspects in the long run too (MP, in this very case...). In the last updates, I still wasn't sure what I was going to do with this city. Events decided for me...
1941
October 1st - October 11th
"Unternehmen 'Taifun'"
October 1st - October 11th
"Unternehmen 'Taifun'"
Hauptquartier der Luftflotte 4, Kursk - 1941, October the 3rd - 1100
General Löhr, CO Luftflotte 4, meets General von Richthoffen, CO VIII. Fliegerkorps.
- "General von Richthoffen reporting as ordered, Herr General !
- At ease, mein lieber Wolfram. My Chief of Staff already told me the main part but I wanted to have your personal analysis of the situation.
Was it as bad as I heard ?
- Well... it mostly depends on your point of view : on the tactical aspect, we fully fulfilled our first objective, Herr General.
In cooperation with the II. Fliegerkorps, my VIII. Fliegerkorps succeded in providing massive air support to the units of the XXXXVI. AK (mot.) in Mtsensk. In less than 12 hours, a breach was made in the Soviet lines. Same goes, to a lesser extend, in Korsakovo. Our Panzer are moving forward by now.
Today, I sent my boys further north to smash the Soviet positions in Arsenjevo. It seems Ivan is offering a tough resistance over there and the XXIV. AK (mot.) is still blocked. However...
- Go on, Wolfram.
Air Battle over Mtsensk
As expected, Ivan was here with all his fighters. The air battle over Mtsensk costed us over 350 aircrafts, for the 2 Fliegerkorps alone. All together, I assume we should reach the mark of 500 airplanes destroyed or badly damaged. I asked reinforcements from the Lehrgeschwader 2 but it appeared that fuel hasn't been delivered to them and their aircrafts stayed grounded... and still are.
- Any estimations of the casualties on Soviet side ?
- You know the pilots, Herr General... always exagerating. However, our lowest estimation is that they lost around 300 fighters and their bombers have been hit quite hard too. Our air raid this morning received a warm welcome from the VVS but not as bad as yesterday. May be a sign that they suffered badly too.
Cratering Voronezh
- Thanks for the help, Herr General. I'll send General Plugbeil a Xmas card...
- No need to be sarcastic, Wolfram. I know how painful it is to lose men. Try to see the bright side of the story : by attracting all the Soviet fighters, your boys gave free hands to von Greim's V. Fliegerkorps in the north. I got General Keller on the phone and he told me that his aircrafts could operate unhampered, paving the way to the 4. Panzergruppe.
- I'm glad to hear that, Herr General but still...
With this casualty rate, within 2 days, 3 tops, I will be forced to stop the air operations. Our ground forces will be on their own.
- Hopefully, it will be enough..."
Hauptquartier der Panzergruppe 'Afrika', Marsa Matruh - 1941, October the 9th - 1430
General Rommel, CO Panzergruppe 'Afrika', meets Generalmajor Gause, his Chief of Staff.
- "It seems we have the Brits on the run, Herr General. Is it true that Mussolini just sent a white horse in Africa so that he can make his enter in Cairo "properly" ?
- Sadly it is, mein lieber Gause. These people will never learn how to conduct a war...
- I beg your pardon, Herr General, but this time, I hardly see how our British friends could recover. The 5 divisions they lost in the Bi'r Abu Al Hudum pocket represented the bulk of their army in Egypt. With the exception of the garrison in Alexandria, only service units remain between us and the Suez Canal. El Duce should hurry up because the 7o Reggimento bersaglieri will enter Cairo in the next 2 or 3 days and the vanguards of the XX. CA are only 50 km away from Port Saïd and the Suez Canal.
1941-10-11 - SitRep Africa
- Both 15. and 21 PzDs are crossing the Nile. Together with the Brandenburger, they should be able to attack Alexandria from the South-East in two days.
- First, I want Alexandria to be encircled before we launch the final assault : push the 21. PzD up to the coast.
- Zu Befehl, Herr General !
Casualties Westfront - October 11th, 1941
- I spoke with General Jodl about that. He fully understands our situation but for the moment, priority has been given to the eastern Front. We must do the best we can with our own means..."
Hauptquartier der HeeresGruppe Süd, Cherkassy- 1941, October the 10th - 1500
Feldmarschall von Rundstedt, CO HGR. Süd, meets General von Sodenstern, his Chief of Staff.
- "Mein lieber Georg, we really have a situation here.
- I'm aware of that, Herr Feldmarschall ; reports of units out of supply are piling up on my desk. Our supply officer is tearing his hair out, desperatly seeking a solution...
- We got lucky so far but we shouldn't pull the string too hard. The 6. Armee succeded in reaching the Don but it was to the expend of the whole Heeresgruppe. 3/4 of our units are running low on supply if not out... Morale and organization have begun to drop as well.
- Adjusting the Soviet railroads to the standart gauge takes time, Herr Feldmarschall, and the massive damages in and around Dniepropetrovsk won't help either. Our supply head-ends have reached Stalino... though the throughput remains unsufficient for our forces in the far south.
- I had a phone call with Jodl this morning : it seems that the Turks agreed to let some supply convoys crossing the Straits, provided the ship are not armed nor escorted.
- Ja, ja... the Montreux Convention, I know...
Supply situation HGr. Süd
- Supplying Sevastopol and Rostov with unarmed freighters will be a risky bet, Herr Feldmarschall. The Black Sea remains a Soviet lake and they've got enough ships to inflict serious losses. But yes, to answer your question, it could be of a great help... in the future.
- Yeah... I know what you mean... What about our present situation, gell ?
- May be we could ask the Luftwaffe to do something for us, Herr Feldmarschall...
I grant you that all the transport airplanes of both Luftflotten 1 and 4 are busy with the air bridge between Poland and Russia but what about those of Luftflotte 2 ? Since the fall of Malta, Feldmarschall Kesselring has ca. 200 Ju52 doing nothing. If we could obtain them, however briefly, we could arrange some airlift from Kharkov to our units...
- Von Sodenstern, you're a genius ! Get me Jodl at the OKW on the phone. I'm pretty sure he will arrange that for us. Brilliant !!!"
OKL Hauptquartier, Berlin - 1941, October the 11th - 0930
Feldmarschall Milch, Generalinspekteur der Luftwaffe, meets General Hans Jeschonnek, Luftwaffen Chief of Staff.
- "Na, General Jeschonnek ? Still not convinced we need more fighters ?
- I must confess that the situation isn't the one I expected, Herr Feldmarschall... But I don't think it is as serious as you pretend.
According to the last report, we still have 4788 aircrafts available from a total of 6200. That's about 78% nominal strength for the whole Luftwaffe, not counting transport airplanes. Our fighter force is proportionally just slightly under with 72%, 1881 out of 2600.
- It's even worse after the last major battles in Russia, my young friend...
You should really stop with the rhetorical BS and the reading of global reports and start looking objectively at the situation !!!
Look !
Luftwaffe TO&E - Western Front
But have you seen the other figures ?
Luftwaffe TO&E - Eastern Front
Luftwaffe TO&E - Mediterranean Theater
- According to the news, the situation in Africa is quite good. The lack of air support shouldn't be a major concern, Herr Felmarschall.
- I'm pretty sure that our soldiers on the ground will be happy to know that they'll have to operate without air support from now on...
Besides, it doesn't come to your mind that such a situation can occur on a theater where air support would be vital ?!! As it currently is in Russia for instance ??!!! We need more fighters !!!
- For the moment, we're going to rotate the units, Herr Feldmarschall. After their last costly attempts and our air raids, the Brits aren't in shape to cause us much harm in western Europe. I've ordered to transfer the JG 52 to the eastern Front so as to replace the JG 53. At the end of the month, I intend to swap the units of Jagdflieger 3 with the whole JG 77. It should restore the situation in Russia.
- Hopefully, the Brits won't seize the opportunity to launch some bombing raids ; the last thing we need now is to have some of our factory turned into a piece of rubbles... I'm warning you, General Jeschonnek : if a head must roll, it won't be mine !!!"
Hauptquartier der HeeresGruppe Mitte, Smolensk- 1941, Same day - 1500
Feldmarschall von Bock, CO HGr. Mitte, meets General von Weichs, CO ArGr. von Weichs.
- "I'm glad to see you, Maximilian. Your units performed quite well in the last days. Big congrats !!!
- Vielen Dank, Herr Feldmarschall. I sincerely hope that everything goes as good for the northern pincer.
- there's nothing to complain about, Maximilian. Till now, Unternehmen 'Taifun' is a success. A costly one, but a success !
Thanks to the air support provided by the V. Fliegerkorps, the 4. Panzergruppe not only succeded in smashing the Soviet defenses but the enemy was in such a disarray that 2 of his divisions were totally routed and overruned, leaving the road toward Kalinin wide opened. The 6. PzD and the 36. ID (mot.) entered the city yesterday and the 1. PzD is right behind them. Both divisions are currently crossing the Volga and they should reach Rogachevo tomorrow morning. From this point, only 90km left to Moscow !
- My 11. PzD and the Lehr-Brigade 900 reached Serpukhov, on the Oka river, in the south. Approximately the same distance to cover... They overruned 2 militia divisions retreating from Tula.
I must confess that, if the initial breakthrough went well in both Mtsensk and Korsakovo, the XXIV. AK (mot.) needed 5 days to dislodge the enemy from Arsenjevo ; fuel and supply issues...
- Don't worry about this, Maximilian. Firstly, because the XXIV. AK (mot.) fought well and finally caught up, and secondly, because the Soviet defenders of Arsenjevo were forced to retreat toward Belev. Now, if you look closely at the map, you'll see that the 6. ID is about to close the bag behind them. 6 Soviet divisions are about to be encircled and destroyed.
Unternehmen 'Taifun' - October 11th
- Right now, the most important is that both pincers link up east of Moscow as quick as possible ; we're going to deal with the units in the city and the pocket later on. Is your right flank secured ?
- After some resistance at first, the 2. Armee managed to reach the Don river. General Schmidt established strong defensive position all along the river and the XXXXVII. and XXXXVIII. AK (mot.) will take care of the rest further north. Unless Ivan has an army hidden somewhere, we should be able to deal with the enemy units we already identified.
- Very good ! My left flank isn't fully secured yet but the 3. Panzergruppe and the II. AK, 16. Armee, keep pushing back the enemy. We should be able to reach the Volga reservoir very soon, provided the weather stays as it is now.
- We are lucky, Herr Feldmarschall : the Rasputitsa is late this year. The temperatures are close to 0° but the sun keeps shining and we have a dry and firm ground for our motorized and supply transportation units.
- When do you expect to reach Moscow, Maximilian ?
- If everything goes well, Herr Feldmarschall, my vanguards will be in the outskirts of Moscow within a week.. may be less.
- Then... We'll see each other on the Red Square. Good luck !"
Ostheer Hauptquartier, Minsk - Same day - 1900
Feldmarschall von Brauchitsch, CinC OKH, meets General Halder, his Chief of Staff.
Preußens Gloria is a well-known military march of the 19th century, composed by Johann Gottfried Piefke (1817–1884).
"Preußens Gloria" ("Prussia's Glory") was written in 1871 after the Kingdom of Prussia's victory in the Franco-Prussian War, which led to the unification of the German states into the new Prussian-led German Empire.
As part of the victory parade of the returning troops, the march was performed for the first time in public in Frankfurt (Oder).
The march was unknown to a broader public for a long time. In 1909 the manuscript of the almost forgotten tune turned up and was reworked by army-musical inspector Prof. Grawert.
Shortly afterwards it was included in the collection of Prussian army marches.
Today it is one of the best known German army marches. It is often played by the Bundeswehr at official ceremonies and state visits.
It is also a standard tune in many international military bands.
- "Mein lieber Halder, it looks like that Herr Doctor Goebbels and his minions of the PropagandaMinisterium see the war as good as won already...
- It seems the OKW thinks likewise, Herr Feldmarschall. They already started to make an inventory of all buildings in the Russian capital in order to organize the location of the german administration and the lodging passes for the troops... See !
German inventory
- You don't think the Russians will capitulate if we take Moscow, Herr Feldmarschall ?
- Halder... Napoleon took it in 1812 but the Russians kept fighting nevertheless... and they won the war at the end. Moscow is important, a prime requisite if you want, but I'll bet you my yearly salary that Ivan will continue to fight afterward.
So... Instead of dreaming of military parade on the Red Square, may be we should go back to our job. What's the situation right now ?
- So far so good, Herr Feldmarschall :
The first good news is that we finally cleaned up the Kola Peninsula. The Pz-Abt. 40 is now moving back to catch up with our units in White Karelia.
Over there, General von Falkenhorst and his 20. GebirgsArmee are still busy reducing some enemy pockets. Despite a Soviet counter-attack, he's fully confident he will be able to destroy these 4 divisions. Once done, there won't be that much enemy forces left to stop our advance toward the Onega river... and Arkhangelsk.
- Tell von Falkenhorst to do easy : his first priority is to spare his men. Next ?
- Next is Leningrad, Herr Feldmarschall. Ivan lost his defensive position of Gatcina on October 1st. This fight alone costed us over 10.000 men. A foretaste of the Battle of Leningrad, should we ever decide to launch an assault against the city.
The last Soviet position of the outer ring still holds at Oraniyenbaum. Despite massive air strikes from the I. Fliegerkorps, Ivan still offers a stubborn resistance and the divisisons of the 18. Armee are suffering tremendous casualties. Thanks to the fall of Gatcina, we're now able to launch some flanking attacks and we expect to take Orianiyenbaum really soon now.
- Any idea of our casualties in Orianiyenbaum ?
- Not precisely, Herr Feldmarschall, but we assume they're going to be as high as in Gatcina...
Do you still want to take Leningrad by force, Herr Feldmarschall ?
- With Unternehmen 'Taifun' on its way, the 16. Armee has to move east and it will need the support of one of the two armies we have around Leningrad. Since we can't leave only one army to lock the city, a siege is no longer an option : we must launch an assault against Leningrad !
- I don't like it, Herr Feldmarschall, but I'm afraid it's the only option left. For sure, General von Küchler won't be very happy...
- But von Manstein will... After Sevastopol, taking Leningrad will make him de facto a Feldmarschall.
- Dieses arrogante Schwein...!
- Take it easy, mein lieber Halder. I know you don't like the guy but his successes are undeniable. Like it or not, we need men like him.
Carry on !
- As Feldmarschall von Bock reported, Unternehmen 'Taifun' has achieved some real successes. Both him and General von Weichs managed to break through the Soviet defenses. Kalinin and Tula have been taken and our armored columns are only 100km away from Moscow.
SitRep - October 11th, 1941
- It seems Ivan was expecting a frontal attack and/or a "hook" from the area north-west of Kalinin ; that's where his armored units were massed. Hoth's 3. Panzergruppe has a hard time dealing with them but with the help of the XXXX. AK (mot.) outflanking the Soviets from the south, it should be able to reach the Volga west of Jaroslav.
For the moment, the LVI. AK (mot.) is blocked at Himki but its neighbour, the XXXXI. AK (mot.) has a free path towards Moscow.
Despite some initial difficulties in Arsenjevo, the southern pincer, the 2. PanzerArmee, fully dislocated the Soviet front between the Oka and Don rivers. Guderian has now 3 motorized corps roaring north and no major OpFor in front of him.
Both 4. and 9. Armeen keep the enemy under strong pressure so that it can't disengage its units to face the breakthroughs achieved by our Panzer. The casualties are quite heavy, mostly in the sector of the 9. Armee...
The real big unknown is the strength of the Moscow garrison and if Ivan has units on their way to stop our motorized columns. However, assuming everything goes well, we should be able to bag 30 enemy divisions in this operation.
- Destroying the enemy's potential is as important as to take Moscow. The Ostheer is unable to launch a winter campaign and in the case Ivan won't surrender, which is likely to happen, we'll have to catch a break before launching our final offensive next Spring.
- We already have 27 of their divisions encircled in Leningrad and probably as many will suffer the same fate around Moscow.
I hardly see how the Soviets could possibly recover after the blows they already sustained...
Casualties Ostfront - October 11th, 1941
Is our right flank secured ?
- Both 2. and 6. Armeen attacked as planned and they forced the Soviets to withdraw behind the Don river. Ivan still have a bridgehead at Terbuny but the XXIX. AK is currently taking care of it. Soon we should have the right bank of the Don fully secured. May be we could use the Soviet disarray to order Feldmarschall von Runstedt to take Voronezh...?
- I say "no" for two reasons :
The first is that the supply situation of Heeresgruppe Süd is quite insecure and it won't improve when bad season arrives. It's very unlikely that von Rundstedt can mass enough supply for both his 6. Armee and 1. Panzergruppe. Furthermore, I'd rather see him and his units well entrenched and rested to stop a possible Soviet winter offensive.
The second reason is that Voronezh is a vital position for the Russians ; no doubt they'll mass their units there and it will give us a great opportunity to encircle them when we'll launch our Spring offensive.
There's also a third reason... our current casualties. No need of another bloodshed if the purpose is only to push back the enemy 100-150km eastwards.
Ostheer Manpower - October 11th, 1941
- That's exactly what we're going to do, mein lieber Halder. Right now, we must focus on the Center. South can wait...
Have we finished to clear the Donets elbow ?
- Almost done, Herr Feldmarschall. The Romanian Corpul de Cavalerie is taking care of this. As soon as supply has arrived, the XXXXIX, Geb.K will launch a small offensive on the left bank of the Don to secure their right flank. Otherwise, General von Stülpnagel keeps trying to enlarge his bridgehead south of Rostov. Krasnodar would be in striking distance but...
- Without supply, it would be too risky. Krasnodar is one of the doors leading to the Caucasus but we're going to take care of it on time..."
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As always, a very detailed and enjoyable update. How does it feel to outpace and outperform Rommel?
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Thank... It just took me some time to get back in the saddle. Sorry for the delay.
Rommel... Mhmmm...
I grant you that the situation in Egypt looks quite good for the moment. The collapse of the British forces came right on time because the state of the Luftwaffe in Africa isn't really the best.
One question remains though : what about the British forces in the Middle-east ? They have at least 6 divisions left, may be more...
With the 3 DAK divisions running low on manpower and currently without possible reinforcements, I hope to seize a good defense line on the Suez Canal before the Brits counter-attack.
Rommel... Mhmmm...
I grant you that the situation in Egypt looks quite good for the moment. The collapse of the British forces came right on time because the state of the Luftwaffe in Africa isn't really the best.
One question remains though : what about the British forces in the Middle-east ? They have at least 6 divisions left, may be more...
With the 3 DAK divisions running low on manpower and currently without possible reinforcements, I hope to seize a good defense line on the Suez Canal before the Brits counter-attack.
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