Decisive Campaigns Case Blue: 1st Panzer Retreats

I returned to the "short game" for Operation Uranus today for the 1st time in over a year.  I started this game in 2012 and have been playing it periodically since then.

I've done a lot of reading about the Eastern Front recently and it's opened my mind to the strategic difficulties facing the Germans and given me a deeper appreciation for the operations represented in this game.

This morning I've been focused on trying to extricate 1st Panzer Army from the southern oilfields.  They are hundreds of miles away from the center of Army Group South and find themselves retreating back across a series of rivers with hordes of Russian formations nipping at their flanks.


This is the starting situation.  My goal is to remove SS division Wiking back across the river to the north as well as withdraw the 23rd Panzer division without leaving a regiment or two trapped on the wrong side of the river.  There is a Romanian regiment to the south that has found itself cutoff and I don't think I can rescue it.  If i can get the 23rd back safely I am going to put them into an operational reserve so I have a strong tank formation to counter any breakthroughs. 
My strong line which had been confronting the Soviets has mostly pulled back across the river near Prokladny.  I've used my Luftwaffe aerial units for recon mostly but I did conduct one airstrike against a Soviet infantry formation that was NE of the Flak unit (north side of the arrowhead).  The Luftwaffe FLAK divisions are more interesting to me now as I always thought they were subordinate to the German Army.  However since I've been reading von Manstein's Lost Victories I've learned that Goering was trying to create a second army for Hitler that was "more loyal."  
Will post more again later today.  I am very excited about returning to this game.

Comments

Doug Miller said…
Very cool Chris! I really do love these games. I have a couple I've paused about this long myself that I need to get back to.
Chris said…
Doug it was fun to get back into and I spent some more time today looking over the interface. This game provides a ton of information. I think the combat is a little suspect but thats okay.

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