Here are some brief details of our game, conducted in Sydney in 1996. 1 started as one of the German players but personal matters forced me to drop out after 8 turns. The other German player prefer to use the phrase "put up against the wall and shot," as I was the player that rolled '1' on two attacks, each 3:1 (-2) against Kiev and Odessa - both for AH results ...

1941

Arctic: Murmansk is cut off at the White Sea OCT II. Even though it remains isolated Murmansk itself holds out another year.

AGN: Quite successful, AGN almost cut Leningrad off and captured one of the northern hexes of Leningrad using Finns. The hex was retaken 2 turns later.

AGC: No real major efforts here towards Moscow. Offensive stalls in Valdai hills. Germans almost take Kalinin, which is the site of much bitter fighting. The Soviet player does not employ a runaway strategy (not exactly a forward defense either but he really makes the Axis players work for the various cities).

AGS: Most significantly, I attempt two attacks at 3:1 (-2) on JUL II against Kiev and Odessa and roll AH's for both. Kharkov falls in OCT II on a 1 hex assault. Russians attempt to cut the city off but fail. Weather then turns bad. Over the next seven months there is intense fighting around the city. The Soviets recapture the city in DEC II but fail to hold it substantially, finally losing the town in MAY II 42, which results in one of the biggest pockets I have seen. The pocket originally contains about 600 factors of Russian troops, only about 300 escape. The rest are obliterated over June and July.

1942

AGN: SW, SE and E hexes of Leningrad fall with the onset of clear weather. The Soviet retake the eastern hex immediately, the southeast hex a few turns later.

AGC: The front remains relatively static for most of the year.

AGS: The Soviet player has one big weakness. He assumes that NKVD units are invincible. This leads to he fall of Rostov in July 42, as the Germans attack a defender in front of Rostov, force an exchange, overrun the cadres and then overrun the 3-6 Inf XX in Rostov. The Soviet player makes the first of three big mistakes. He decides to stay and hold the river line that runs behind Rostov - but all he has to defend the line with is his weak 6-4-8 tank corps. Heavy armored losses are inflicted on the Russian forces from which they will never recover. (As of SEP II 44 the Soviets have no tank brigades on the board and have 4 dead tank corps and about 8 corps at cadre strength.)

The second big Soviet mistake occurs in the battles around Voronezh. The Germans take the town but only have a relatively small army (all C/M) in the area. The Soviets decide to stay and pressure the Germans. While the Soviet force is numerically bigger, it is all infantry. For the duration of the summer the Germans just attack and eliminate infantry. The third Soviet mistake happens in the late spring/early winter of 42 - 43. Fearing the Germans will drive on Stalingrad he sets up two army groups, one to the north of Stalingrad, the other to the south. Each is about 250 points in size. The German swings his offensive straight at the southern flank of Stalingrad - forcing them back from supply sources. This entire army remains out of supply for about seven turns, and thus is ineffective in the winter months. (The Germans also have an army coming in along the road that runs SW from Stalingrad.)

1943

AGN: The front is stagnant, but Finland falls to the Soviets late in the year.

AGC: Soviets slowly gain ground.

AGS: On the JAN I turn a Soviet attack bomber becomes aborted in the fighting around Stalingrad. (The significance will become evident later.) The Soviets retake Voronezh in June and slowly force Germans back from the Stalingrad area. At year's end, the front line is back to the small river just east of Rostov.

1944

AGN: In May Soviet forces liberate Leningrad. SEP II, the Soviets and Germans are still fighting around Lake Novgorod. In the Arctic, the Germans still hold Murmansk but are slowly retreating.

AGC: Major Soviet push in the summer. In AUG I, II, and SEP I the Soviets inflict a total of 300 points of losses in this sector. The front line is back to Veluki Luki. There are no Germans from there to Mogilev (not many Russians either as they have also sustained heavy casualties, but enough to gain ground in the next 3 turns or so).

AGS:

Winter: The soviets slowly engulf Kharkov and head towards Kiev with a long thin line of infantry. The tanks are massed between Kharkov and Stalino, anticipating the summer showdown.

Spring: The earliest possible clear weather arrives. The German panzers, still in very good shape slaughter vulnerable Russian infantry, stalling the assault towards Kiev. However, it costs them Stalino. Germans pull back to just east of the Dniepr River. Summer: Soviets cross the Dneipr about half way between Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk, thus ensuring some big tank battles - which the Germans win. In two turns, six Soviet tank'corps are eliminated and three cadred for the loss of only one German corps. At this point in time the Soviets have crossed the Dniepr at the mouth of the river and in force around Dnepropetrovsk, however the Germans still hold Zaparozhe, so many Soviets south of this town are out of supply. The Soviets have been adjacent to, but unable to attack Kiev since May. The game may hinge on weather rolls.

Game turn is end of Sep II 44 play has temporarily halted as the German player is doing contract work 4000 miles away... Game is finely balanced - any side can win, although I think the Russians may just win. And ... 42 turns later, the attack bomber aborted at Stalingrad is still there, still aborted.