-An AAR based on an ongoing PBEM campaign with Highlandcharge (Reds, Hosting) and Schmolywar (Siberians)
Turn 1: Early June 1918
The Southern Whites have a lot of advantages in the Grand Campaign, none of which are manpower related. We do however have a lot of good troops to throw at the Reds straight way.
A lucky Red player might be able to save Sorokin's army starting out locked in place at Zernograd, but the odds are against it. (I've done it myself as the Reds a couple of times, and used that army to either take out the Caucasus or reinforce Tzaritsyn.)
The overall objective is to secure the Southern region, Tzaritsyn, and the Ukraine. Less important is the Northern front, which will serve to force the Reds to split their forces, as Petrograd will b the main target for the few units dedicated to the Northern Front.
Not having a lot of troops at the start makes it a little easier to reorganize and still keep track of things.
I organize all my cavalry in Azov into divisions in a single 'column', headed by Ergeli (division commander and column leader), Markov (division leader) and Bogaevsky, and order it to move in offensive stance through Stefanidinodar and Kanevskaya to Tikhoretsk, which should take 5 days.
The remaining troops in Azov, the infantry and are organized under the Cossack 2-star leader Denisov's corps, under Denikin's Volunteer Army, and move in offensive stance through Zernograd (where the big red army of Sorokin is stuck,) and Kugoyeyskaya and finally Tikhoretsk. This should also take 5 days, but delays are expected as he will be fighting Reds on the way.
In the north, the British "North russian Expedition Force" has been ordered to move from Mumansk to Segezha, arriving in 29 days.
In the northern Caucasus, "Bisherakov's Column", a division of 10,000 men, is ordered to assault Grozny from Malgobek, while smaller detachments of Southern Cossacks strike at weaker or undefended target cities.
In Bataisk, the "2nd Kuban Brigade", a cavalry division consisting of three cavalry regiments (all southern Cossacks) under 1-star general Udovenko, is ordered to move through Maloorlovskiy, Salsk, Romaovski Khoutor, to arrive in Kurganinsk, north of the Red city of Armavir on day 4.
"Mamontov's Force" in Semikarakorski, a 10,000 man strong corps under Denikin's Volunteer Army, is ordered to Salsk via Maloorlovskiy, arriving at day 8.
Finally, two Cossack detachments are ordered to cross the river from Novocherkassk to garrison Bataisk, leaving the remainign 6,000 men under Poliakov to garrison Novocherkassk.
These forces will hopefully defeat Sorokon and cut off his line of retreat, and eventually destroy the army completely. Worst case is the Reds withdrawing to the northern Caucasus and maintaining an army-in-being at my back throughout the campaign for Tzaritsyn.
No new units are purchased this turn, all money and manpower are spent on reinforcements.