Eastern Front 1941: Lachend kommt der Sommer

My second post on Eastern Front 1941 will cover the months of July and August, split into three phases representing nine turns. I've tried to make this as narratively interesting and easily digestible as I could, and apologize if I've totally failed.

June 29 - July 12

 

Finland:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
2 Finnish Infantry	112	109	1 Militia Army
4 Finnish Infantry	104	99	4 Militia Army

The Finns hold their ground, the Russian militia outside Leningrad hold theirs. This region will be irrelevant for awhile.

 

Poland/Slovakia: 

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
		92	8 Infantry Army
38 Infantry Corps	120	86	7 Tank Army
41 Panzer Corps	195
28 Infantry Corps	112
56 Panzer Corps	194	69	1 Tank Army
10 Infantry Corps	101	88	4 Infantry Army
26 Infantry Corps	104
1 Infantry Corps	120	81	8 Tank Army
2 Infantry Corps	123
24 Panzer Corps	192	76	3 Cavalry Army
5 Infantry Corps	136
6 Infantry Corps	127
46 Panzer Corps	181	105	10 Infantry Army
7 Infantry Corps	150
47 Panzer Corps	192	60	5 Tank Army
8 Infantry Corps	129
57 Panzer Corps	171
9 Infantry Corps	136
3 Panzer Corps	202	119	6 Infantry Army
14 Panzer Corps	193
29 Infantry Corps	111
49 Infantry Corps	140
48 Panzer Corps	191	108	26 Infantry Army
17 Infantry Corps	119	43	3 Tank Army
4 Infantry Corps	142	78	4 Tank Army

 

The Wehrmacht holds a massive strength advantage here which I intend to continue to exploit while I still can. One of the Russian tank armies is even cut off from supplies, weakening its combat power.

Hungary:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
54 Infantry Corps	106	80	12 Tank Army
		75	5 Cavalry Army
30 Infantry Corps	131	35	11 Tank Army
11 Infantry Corps	125	122	9 Infantry Army

 

I'm outnumbered here but not outpowered. The 11th tank army is cut off, but may slip past my own infantry. I'm not going to worry about it too much.

Romania:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
4 Rumanian Infantry	92	83	4 Cavalry Army
2 Rumanian Infantry	96
1 Rumanian Infantry	97	78	2 Cavalry Army

 

Advantage: Romanians, but Odessa lies ahead, guarded by two more infantry armies. I'll need to be careful not to push too far in without backup.

My day-to-day simulation tactics worked well before - I'm going to keep doing them for now. The northern armies will continue to encircle, break through, and pincer isolated Russians when possible, and my units not engaged in combat will move toward objectives or southward to aid the fighting there. Russian units are to be pushed into the swamp, but not pursued - by the time they scrape themselves out of the mud I expect they will be cut off from supply and nonthreatening.

 

The final plan is even more chaotic than the one before!

Over the next two weeks, I'm careful to have my units stay out of the swamp as they push forward, but it's complicated to navigate the terrain here while also fighting. My main group splits into two as they go around the swamp, some going north, others going south.

Up north, I actually have a few of my units withdraw as they approach Riga, where they'd be outnumbered. Minsk, the closest city by the marshes, is besieged.

I've also received two new divisions as reinforcements; a fully powered Panzer unit from Warsaw, and a mediocre Hungarian armor unit in the Carpathian mountains. But the Soviets have received far more, which we'll see in a bit.

 

My battle reports - pink represents reinforcements and/or reserve units that were previously disengaged.

Poland/Slovakia:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
			115	92	8 Infantry Army
38 Infantry Corps	120	112	36	86	7 Tank Army
41 Panzer Corps	195	195
28 Infantry Corps	112	112
56 Panzer Corps	194	192	73	69	1 Tank Army
10 Infantry Corps	101	97	37	88	4 Infantry Army
26 Infantry Corps	104	104	116		13 Infantry Army
40 Panzer Corps		210	96		6 Tank Army
1 Infantry Corps	120	129	68	81	8 Tank Army
2 Infantry Corps	123	123
24 Panzer Corps	192	93	74	76	3 Cavalry Army
5 Infantry Corps	136	136
6 Infantry Corps	127	127
46 Panzer Corps	181	186	123	105	10 Infantry Army
7 Infantry Corps	150	150
47 Panzer Corps	192	191	64	60	5 Tank Army
8 Infantry Corps	129	129
57 Panzer Corps	171	176
9 Infantry Corps	136	136
3 Panzer Corps	202	202	54	119	6 Infantry Army
14 Panzer Corps	193	191
29 Infantry Corps	111	111	72		1 Cavalry Army
49 Infantry Corps	140	140
48 Panzer Corps	191	191		108	26 Infantry Army
17 Infantry Corps	119	119		43	3 Tank Army
4 Infantry Corps	142	142	35	78	4 Tank Army

 

There's a lot less carnage overall compared to the first turn, especially of the Soviets who I'm pursuing through difficult terrain rather than clashing with up front. The 24th Panzers occupy Minsk but are in a precarious situation, flanked, cut off from supply, and vulnerable to a pincer attack from which escape would be impossible. But if I can open up a little breathing room first, their strength will return.

On the USSR's side, the 8th Infantry is fleeing north and may be out of the picture for a bit. The 4th Tank Army is past my combat lines and lost in the mountains, and perhaps isn't worth pursuing.

Hungary:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
54 Infantry Corps	106	106		80	12 Tank Army
			78	75	5 Cavalry Army
30 Infantry Corps	131	127	72	35	11 Tank Army
1 Hungarian Panzer		96
11 Infantry Corps	125	125	52	122	9 Infantry Army

 

These units are all a bit scattered at this point, but the Soviets are in a particularly bad spot. The 5th Cavalry is separated, and the 11th Tank and 9th Infantry are about to be sandwiched.

Romania:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
			74		2 Infantry Army
4 Rumanian Infantry	92	88	64	83	4 Cavalry Army
2 Rumanian Infantry	96	94	75		7 Infantry Army
1 Rumanian Infantry	97	97	84	78	2 Cavalry Army

 

The Romanians are chasing more than they are fighting, but as Odessa gets close, they may be at a disadvantage.

July 13 - August 2

Holy moly. That's a lot of Soviet reinforcements! For now that is a problem for future Jerry, as I continue to focus on immediate objectives.

My original battle groupings no longer make sense, so I rechart them:

Minsk:

Axis	Current strength	Current strength	USSR
		115	8 Infantry Army
56 Panzer Corps	192
41 Panzer Corps	195	73	1 Tank Army
28 Infantry Corps	112	36	7 Tank Army
38 Infantry Corps	112	79	14 Infantry Army
26 Infantry Corps	104	116	13 Infantry Army
40 Panzer Corps	210	96	6 Tank Army
10 Infantry Corps	97	37	4 Infantry Army
24 Panzer Corps	93	68	8 Tank Army
1 Infantry Corps	129
2 Infantry Corps	123
5 Infantry Corps	136
47 Panzer Corps	191	74	3 Cavalry Army
6 Infantry Corps	127
46 Panzer Corps	186
8 Infantry Corps	129
7 Infantry Corps	150
3 Panzer Corps	202

 

It's time to pull away from Leningrad and crush the resistance around Minsk. The Finns can wait. The 24th Panzers cannot.

Kiev:

Axis	Current strength	Current strength	USSR
		123	10 Infantry Army
		64	5 Tank Army
57 Panzer Corps	176	78	5 Cavalry Army
49 Infantry Corps	140	54	6 Infantry Army
9 Infantry Corps	136
17 Infantry Corps	119
29 Infantry Corps	111	72	1 Cavalry Army
4 Infantry Corps	142
14 Panzer Corps	191	35	4 Tank Army
30 Infantry Corps	127
48 Panzer Corps	191
1 Hungarian Panzer	96

 

Resistance around Kiev is light, but reinforcements are coming and my own forces are a bit disorganized. I must move in quickly but with care to avoid traffic jams. The 4th Tank Army will be ignored.

 

Dniester River:

Axis	Current strength	Current strength	USSR
11 Infantry Corps	125	72	11 Tank Army
54 Infantry Corps	106	52	9 Infantry Army

 

Two Russian units are sandwiched between two of my own. I should pincer them ASAP and regroup to join the Romanians east by southeast.

 

Odessa:

Axis	Current strength	Current strength	USSR
4 Rumanian Infantry	88	64	4 Cavalry Army
		74	2 Infantry Army
		75	7 Infantry Army
2 Rumanian Infantry	94	84	2 Cavalry Army
1 Rumanian Infantry	97

 

A standoff as I do not have the raw numbers advantage to ensure a minimally costly victory. I will back the Romanians out of the river.

Planning out the mayhem at Minsk is a challenge, but it works - within a week, all Russians are either in the swamp or fleeing. The other plans are comparatively simpler.

 

Unexpectedly, the cavalry units at Odessa flee further east! So do the infantry at Riga. I have the Romanians press forward again, joined with German infantry stacked up by the river. The Kiev group presses on, the forward Minsk group pushes through while the rearguard moves north to Riga and Leningrad.

 

By August 3, I've taken Riga and Kiev, and the Romanians are knocking on Odessa's door. Their backup, though, is distracted - the tank army that I stranded in the mountains found its way out and decided to become a nuisance. One of the infantry units that I attempted to trap at the river also slipped through and went south south, forcing me to send a unit to pursue it - unluckily for it, a new Romanian unit spawned this turn at the black sea.

Battle reports:

Minsk:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
			95		10 Tank Army
			124	115	8 Infantry Army
56 Panzer Corps	192	190	138		22 Infantry Army
41 Panzer Corps	195	190		73	1 Tank Army
28 Infantry Corps	112	109		36	7 Tank Army
38 Infantry Corps	112	112	85	79	14 Infantry Army
26 Infantry Corps	104	104	115		27 Infantry Army
40 Panzer Corps	210	208	96	96	6 Tank Army
10 Infantry Corps	97	97		37	4 Infantry Army
24 Panzer Corps	93	190	108		35 Infantry Army
1 Infantry Corps	129	129	86	68	8 Tank Army
2 Infantry Corps	123	121		116	13 Infantry Army
5 Infantry Corps	136	136
47 Panzer Corps	191	191	80	74	3 Cavalry Army
6 Infantry Corps	127	127
46 Panzer Corps	186	186
8 Infantry Corps	129	129
7 Infantry Corps	150	150
3 Panzer Corps	202	202

 

Kiev:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
			129	123	10 Infantry Army
			70	64	5 Tank Army
57 Panzer Corps	176	170	81	78	5 Cavalry Army
49 Infantry Corps	140	136	121	54	6 Infantry Army
9 Infantry Corps	136	104
17 Infantry Corps	119	117
29 Infantry Corps	111	111		72	1 Cavalry Army
4 Infantry Corps	142	142
14 Panzer Corps	191	191	29	35	4 Tank Army
30 Infantry Corps	127	125
48 Panzer Corps	191	186
1 Hungarian Panzer	96	96

 

There's less Russian blood here than at Minsk because most of them fled. Some of them fled pretty far too - the 6th Infantry made it all the way back across the Volga! Either that or I crushed it and the game just reused its name for reinforcement spawns. The 4th tank army slipped past the Kiev assault group and takes potshots at us from behind - I have a group pursuing it westward.

Dniester River

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
11 Infantry Corps	125	124		72	11 Tank Army
54 Infantry Corps	106	105	97	52	9 Infantry Army
23 Infantry Corps		95

 

The tank army here fell victim to my trap. The infantry wriggled out of it and is currently being a pain.

Odessa:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
4 Rumanian Infantry	88	88	90	64	4 Cavalry Army
			80	74	2 Infantry Army
1 Rumanian Infantry	97	95	74	75	7 Infantry Army
2 Rumanian Infantry	94	93	90	84	2 Cavalry Army
5 Rumanian Infantry		52

 

Odessa isn't quite taken yet, but it will be soon. Only two armies still defend it now - Romania never needed Germany's help, it turns out. 

August 2 - August 30

Riga:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
		103	7 Militia Army
40 Panzer Corps	208	95	10 Tank Army
		132	20 Infantry Army
		104	11 Militia Army
24 Panzer Corps	190	108	35 Infantry Army
26 Infantry Corps	104	124	8 Infantry Army
28 Infantry Corps	109	115	27 Infantry Army
1 Infantry Corps	129	110	24 Infantry Army
3 Panzer Corps	202
38 Infantry Corps	112

 

I want to push the Soviets back to give my panzers a clear path to Leningrad. Resistance here is significant, though the militia can't attack proactively.

 

Minsk:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
		85	14 Infantry Army
56 Panzer Corps	190	138	22 Infantry Army
10 Infantry Corps	97
7 Infantry Corps	150
47 Panzer Corps	191	96	6 Tank Army
46 Panzer Corps	186
2 Infantry Corps	121
41 Panzer Corps	190	123	21 Infantry Army
5 Infantry Corps	136	115	19 Infantry Army
8 Infantry Corps	129	73	2 Tank Army
6 Infantry Corps	127	86	8 Tank Army

 

Get out of the swamp and push on to Smolensk. 6th tanks are ready to fall, and after that only two infantry are immediate obstacles, but four more companies await south.

 

Kiev:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
49 Infantry Corps	136	81	5 Cavalry Army
		129	10 Infantry Army
48 Panzer Corps	186
17 Infantry Corps	117	70	5 Tank Army
9 Infantry Corps	104
57 Panzer Corps	170	80	3 Cavalry Army
29 Infantry Corps	111

 

Move east and leave the Russians behind in the swamp. If they crawl out, push them back in. Bear north to support the assault on Smolensk.

 

Dniester River:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
23 Infantry Corps	95
4 Infantry Corps	142	29	4 Tank Army
1 Hungarian Panzer	96
30 Infantry Corps	125
11 Infantry Corps	124
14 Panzer Corps	191

Finish off the tank army. Keep moving east to support the Romanians.

 

Black Sea: 

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
54 Infantry Corps	105	97	9 Infantry Army
5 Rumanian Infantry	52

 

Finish off the straggling infantry. Move northeast to join the Romanians at Odessa.

 

Odessa:

Axis	Strength	Strength	USSR
		90	4 Cavalry Army
		85	16 Infantry Army
		80	2 Infantry Army
4 Rumanian Infantry	88
1 Rumanian Infantry	95	74	7 Infantry Army
2 Rumanian Infantry	93	90	2 Cavalry Army

 

Fight the two units at Odessa but be wary of the three units across the river. Help is (hopefully) on the way.

 

By now, several Russian reinforcements have reached the front, and more are coming!

For the next turns, I have to adjust my methods. I can no longer assume the Russians will stay put, and now in my day-to-day simulations, I move them first, following the same rules that I move my pieces by.

Withdrawing a vulnerable Panzer Corps in late August

 

Playing out the month of August this way takes me awhile. But despite some goofs that nearly cost me a valuable Panzer company or two, I make big gains, especially on the last week. Leningrad falls, Odessa is ready to be taken, and Smolensk looks vulnerable. Warsaw continues to supply new units, but Stalingrad supplies many more.

 

 

August battle reports:

 

Riga to Leningrad:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
2 Finnish Infantry		112
4 Finnish Infantry		104
40 Panzer Corps	208	199	112	112	4 Militia Army
			95	103	7 Militia Army
			103	95	10 Tank Army
			105		41 Infantry Army
				132	20 Infantry Army
24 Panzer Corps	190	137		104	11 Militia Army
26 Infantry Corps	104	88	49	99	9 Militia Army
28 Infantry Corps	109	108	83	108	35 Infantry Army
1 Infantry Corps	129	129	83	124	8 Infantry Army
3 Panzer Corps	202	202		115	27 Infantry Army
38 Infantry Corps	112	112	113	110	24 Infantry Army
			106		34 Infantry Army

 

The 40th Panzers' trip up the Luga was successful and they've driven Leningrad's militia out, gaining me two Finn armies. The rest of the group was able to break multiple armies at some cost to their own well being, but the Soviets have received reinforcements.

 

Minsk to Smolensk: 

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
			75	85	14 Infantry Army
56 Panzer Corps	190	184	120	138	22 Infantry Army
10 Infantry Corps	97	97
7 Infantry Corps	150	150
47 Panzer Corps	191	183		96	6 Tank Army
46 Panzer Corps	186	186	133		29 Infantry Army
2 Infantry Corps	121	121	192		8 Militia Army
			140		30 Infantry Army
			120		32 Infantry Army
			112		1 Guards Cavalry
			114		31 Infantry Army
41 Panzer Corps	190	154	65	123	21 Infantry Army
5 Infantry Corps	136	68	123	115	19 Infantry Army
			67		5 Infantry Army
8 Infantry Corps	129	129	61	73	2 Tank Army
6 Infantry Corps	127	127	87	86	8 Tank Army

 

Everyone's out of the swamp and Smolensk is all but in my grasp, but the bulk of Stalin's new units are parked just outside. Keeping Smolensk, let alone pushing on to Moscow, is going to be tough.

 

Kiev: 

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
49 Infantry Corps	136	138	69	81	5 Cavalry Army
			137	129	10 Infantry Army
48 Panzer Corps	186	183
17 Infantry Corps	117	108	74	70	5 Tank Army
9 Infantry Corps	104	125
57 Panzer Corps	170	101	88	80	3 Cavalry Army
29 Infantry Corps	111	111	41	103	17 Infantry Army
			124		23 Infantry Army

 

I got carried away and sent my panzers too far east and nearly lost one, and nearly lost another rescuing it. It will be difficult to continue moving them north to support Smolensk.

 

Dniester River:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
23 Infantry Corps	95	95
4 Infantry Corps	142	137		29	4 Tank Army
1 Hungarian Panzer	96	96
30 Infantry Corps	125	125	119		33 Infantry Army
11 Infantry Corps	124	107	118		25 Infantry Army
14 Panzer Corps	191	185

 

The 23rd and 4th Infantries danced with the tanks for a good month before getting them and have some catching up to do. The rest have crossed the South Bug, fought some, and are now staring down two fresh armies at Dnepropetrovsk-by-Dnieper.

 

Black Sea: 

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
54 Infantry Corps	105	100		97	9 Infantry Army
5 Rumanian Infantry	52	47

The 9th Infantry got got in the middle of August and now the 54th and 5th are joined with the other Romanians at Odessa.

 

Odessa:

Axis	Old strength	Current strength	Current strength	Old strength	USSR
			94	90	4 Cavalry Army
				85	16 Infantry Army
				80	2 Infantry Army
4 Rumanian Infantry	88	88
1 Rumanian Infantry	95	88	74	74	7 Infantry Army
2 Rumanian Infantry	93	87	46	90	2 Cavalry Army

 

The Romanians didn't actually have to do that much killing - the 16th and 2nd Infantries ditched Odessa and got destroyed by my advancing armies from the Dniester.

 

Summer's almost over, and it will soon be time for Hitler to go back to school.