From: paulha@sonic.net (Paul Haase)
Subject: Info on Destruction of Army Group Center (SPI)--errata, counter counts,
Ty Bomba's Moves 12 article

SPI Consolidated Errata & Addenda (as of 31 May 73)

S&T #36 (Destruction of Army Group Center)

As a result of post-publication playtesting and questions or comments
received from SPI customers, the following errata has been assembled to
clarify play of this simulation:

[8.9] TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART
For all purposes treat the four fortified cities of Vitebesk, Orsha,
Mogliev, and Bobruisk as identical to fortified line hexes. All fortified
hexes termed non-existent by the Scenario in play are treated as clear
terrain hexes.
***

[9.1] SUPPLY SOURCES
The German Player may use as a Supply Source any rail hex to the WEST (not
east as printed) of the Scenario's Start Line...
***

[10.2] TURN RECORD/REINDFORCEMENT CHART
The designation for the quantity and entry direction of the German 7th Turn
reinforcement should be (1w).
***

[14.43]
GERMAN DEPLOYMENT AND RESTRICTIONS
The twenty-five Strength Points referred to may be placed anywhere on the
map to the WEST (not east as printed) of the German Fortified Line.
***

Note: Discrepencies between the counter-mix and the Order of Battle and
Reinforcement Track do _not_ reflect an error in the latter. Several extra
German counters have been provided which are not necessary for game-play.
________________________________________________________________________________

DAGC counter information (200 total):

German:
65x 2-5 inf.
13x 1-4 inf.
 3x 1-5 inf. 
 1x 1-5 ski
 1x 1-5 cav.
14x 1-8 kampfgruppe
 8x 5-8 arm.
 6x 4-8 mech.

Soviet:
57x 3-4 inf.
 9x 4-5 gd. inf.
 3x 3-5 cav.
 7x 5-6 arm.
 2x 6-6 mech.
 3x (1)-1 railhead

Misc:
1x grey blank
2x 1/2 grey, 1/2 brown blank
2x 1/2 grey, 1/2 dk. grey blank
2x brown blank
1x Game Turn
________________________________________________________________________________

>Here is the article, as it appeared in Footnotes, Moves 12, Dec/Jan
>1974, published by SPI. /Text/ appeared in italics.
>
>DAGC Reconsidered
>
>On May 24, 1944, General Busch, commander of Army Group Center, called
>his army commanders together and told them that he agreed completely
>with Hitler's idea of the rigid defense. Not one centimeter of ground
>was to be surrendered to the enemy that summer, all units were to hold
>fast. The immediate reaction of the army commanders appears not to have
>been recorded, but it must have been close to the German equivalent of
>"Far Out!"
>
>Indeed, when playing DAGC's full-historic scenario (15.1) it seems that
>the German position is entirely hopeless. Not only is that player
>committed to defending a front of completely impractical length, but on
>the first turn the major portion of his army is rendered immobile. The
>German is in a very, very bad spot, but not so bad as to make the
>scenario not worth playing. Consider the following proposed German set
>up which we feel lends at least some chance of success to that player:
>(Italic hex numbers indicate that the unit is a part of the initial
>mobile reserve.)
>
>2-5's: 1833, 1831, 2030, 2229, 2529, 2729, 2929, 3129, 3329, 3629, 3828,
>3927, 4025, 4224, 4423(2), 4421(2), 4420(2), 4519, 3316, 4810(2),
>4709(2), 4606, 4506(2), 4307, 4205(2), 4104(2), 4001(2).
>
>1-5's: 2527, /4517, 4409, 3803/.
>
>1-4's: 1616, 4121, 2310, 2901, 4615, 4611, 4606(2), 4717, 4915, 4912.
>
>4-9's: /3521. 4613, 4005/.
>
>5-8's: 4519, /4319, 4108/.
>
>The above set up is designed to meet major Soviet thrusts coming
>somewhere between the Bobruisk area and the north edge of the map. It
>probably is not wise for the Soviet player to attack through the Pripet
>Marshes; he doesn't get points for taking ground, just killing German
>units, and he doesn't have enough mechanized stuff to pull off anything
>grandiose like a Pinsk to Polotsk pincer. The only pockets he's
>interested in forming are /relatively/ small ones which he can
>immediately destroy.
>
>The German defense strategy the set up envisages is composed of three
>phases. The first phase consists of only turn one. Then the German has
>to maneuver his mobile reserve so as to prevent further rapid expansion
>of Soviet breakthroughs before the rest of the Army Group is free to
>move. Don't try any sort of counter-attacking, no matter how tempting
>some situation may look; if you do, on turn two you may find your
>attacking units in turn being surrounded and destroyed. The German
>simply does not have the muscle to react violently on turn one.
>
>The second phase of the defense will come between turns two and four
>inclusive. The German object here is to get his freed forces west of the
>Berezina River intact. A lot will depend on the turn one success (or
>lack of it) of your reserves blocking action, but there is one rule to
>be followed no matter what: /If it can move west, move it west./
>
>Phase three will, if the German has been fairly successful thus far,
>probably seem like an anticlimax to the players. It consists of a
>continued German withdrawal west from the Berezina. At this point you
>will no doubt already know who has "won" the game.
>
>/A word on counterattacks:/ At times situations might arise where some
>Soviet unit will have been carelessly left out on a limb. It may look
>like an easy kill, but be extremely careful. If you use infantry in the
>attack it has to stay out there, and probably get pounced on next Soviet
>turn. On the other hand, if you make an armored assault, you can use the
>second Movement Phase to run away again, but with the odds chart being
>what it is, you take a terrible chance of an exchange.
>
>Here is a suggested victory condition we feel should be added to the
>game (all scenarios): "At the end of Game-Turn ten, if the Soviet Player
>has managed to establish an unbroken line of hexes stretching from the
>east edge of the map to the Baltic Sea (the body of water between Memel
>and Konigsberg) which is covered with his units or their zones of
>control, he wins a decisive victory." [He just isolated Army Group
>North.] - /Tyrone Bomba/
>
>
>By the way, my recollection is this strategy worked well, but it made
>for a boring game. "Run away!" to quote _Monty Python and the Holy
>Grail_.
>
>If you try Mr. Bomba's strategy, I would be interested to know how it
>turns out for you.
>
>Regards,
>
>Randy
________________________________________________________________________________

From: paulha@sonic.net (Paul Haase)
Subject: more DAGC stuff

Here's the other MOVES article on Destruction of Army Group Center. I've
left unchanged the obvious typos in the set-up hexes; in most cases the
intention is clear enough. But a couple leave me puzzled. And Mr. Pegues is
surely mistaken about Vitebsk--the garrison rules require 3 German units there. 

Paul Haase
________________________________________________________________________________

Reconsidering a Reconsideration: DAGC (from MOVES 14, p. 15)

In the Footnotes section of MOVES 12 there appeared an article entitled
"DAGC Reconsidered" by Tyrone Bomba. I would like to comment upon and
criticize that article. Point 1: Mr. Bomba's lineup leaves one German
Fortified line hex (5013) uncontrolled (rule 14.41). Without altering his
intentions moving the 1-4 from 4912 to 5012 would solve this problem.

However, there appears to be other oversights, such as stationing a 2-5 in
Minsk where it is possible it may never be triggered into movement. A 1-4
would be much better. Another problem lies in the defense of Vitebsk. Units
there may not move until the German 4th turn and would be susceptible to
bypass and isolation. A single 1-4 would do the trick in this instance. The
bend in the Dvina River would be an excellent secondary defense. Also, the
1-5 in Pinsk would also do well to be replaced by a 1-4. A unit with 5
Movement Points is the only one capable of moving from one Enemy ZOC to
another. Its use would be best in low priority areas or stacked with a 2-5.

Finally, Mr. Bomba's German line is fantastically susceptible to isolation
by Russian infiltration. His units are not close enough together to provide
mutual defense in retreat and leave gaps by which bypassing whole segments
of the line is possible. Not only does he give away the 1-4s in the east
salient, but a combined armor/mechanized and infantry attack from hexes 3629
and 4224 by the Russians will provide odds to instantly destroy those German
units. In the ensuing combat and mechanized advance, an infiltration occurs
behind German lines, not only at the area directly behind the attacks, but
also a second column will severely threaten the German line to the East of
the Berizina River. Enough!

I prefer:

1-4's in Pinsk, Vilna, Grodno, Dvinsk, Minsk, Bobruisk, Vitebsk, and on
hexes 4224, 4912, 5014, 4816.

1-5's on hexes 1831, 1931, 2291, 2529

2-5's on hexes 2828, 3129, 3329, 3428, 3529, 3629, 3828, 3927, 3926, 4025,
4224, 4324, 4424 (2 units), 4419, 4519, 4518, 4516, 4615, 4614, 4612, 4611,
4710, 4709, 4608, 4607, 4307, 4206, 4205, 4104 (2 units), 4003, 4002, 4001.

4-8's on hexes 4500, 4420, 4422.

5-8's on hexes 4407, 4321, 4322.

Of course any German defense can be easily penetrated. But reaction in mass
by the mechanized units will stop more than one or two Russian units as per
Mr. Bomba's line. There is also the effect of all that mechanized force in
one spot that is threatening psychologically and tends to cause Russian
wall-building which destroys the already handicapped Russian mobility.

As for the idea of the German advance being a "no-no," I prefer to keep evil
eyes focused on Russian supply lines. The game _is_ won by point for
destroying units and not area, but if the supply to a Russian segment is
cut, advance and threats stop. The German player need only to wait and
counterattack at his leisure. It is really not that difficult to launch a
counteroffensive.

Now, since both my German line and Mr. Bomba's is a matter of record, I
openly challenge his to a simultaneous games involving our two favored lines.

--William C. Pegues