These are pre-arial reconnaissance, however, so if the Soviets seem thin on the ground it's because of that. They certainly have more units to oppose me, especially around Leningrad, Moscow, Kharkov, etc.
The Finns entered combat last turn, and knocked a couple Soviet units about in the north. The Soviets are pulling back, and I need to chase them and trap as many as I can because they'll just garrison Lenningrad. I want to take the city, and take it soon, as it can cement my naval control of the Baltic and supplies from the sea, and free up piles of divisions from a drive toward Moscow and the area around it.
Finland:
I got really, really lucky in the north. I had just enough MPs left to reach Pskov, assault the units dug in on the west side of the river, then two of the hexes on the east side, and then push a reserve unit through the mess and seize the city itself. I'm not sure it's technically a coup-de-main but I took the city on the run. Instead of having to pry out the Soviets from dug-in positions across a river, I just had to keep expanding my position and rammed a lot of infantry up through the gap.
Army Group North:
In the center, a bit of the same. Keeping in my mind my twin goals of a) not getting my panzers pinched off and isolated while b) not giving the Soviets a chance to form a defensive line, I kept up a steady move against Smolensk. A key I learned in my previous games was to punch a hole with my panzers and motorized divisions, line the sides of the hole with infantry, and then rush through. I haven't pulled off much of a kessel/pocket in a while, though, which concerns me, but having played Road to Smolensk and spent it grinding against dug-in troops in a solid line I'm happy with my current situation. I'll see if I can encircle some troops and cut off Smolensk and wipe out some more divisions. I also managed to punch across the river right near a bend, forcing the Soviets back from my easiest transit corridor. That reduced the ZOC effect across the river and means other units can move just a bit faster.
I also had two of my panzer corps do a HQ Buildup last turn - so they should have some rest and have more fuel and supplies and ammo this turn.
Army Group Center:
In the south, though, it's been tougher. The Lvov pocket was formed June 22-26 and closed since June 27th yet Lvov had a massive amount of supplies. So many of the units are still in good shape. I've been hammering them down but it's taking more effort than I expected. Although I was able to seize Kiev in a true coup-de-main (I just drove in, it was empty once I smashed a brigade in front of the city), it's so damn far from the trains and supplies that fuel has been a real issue. So is my porous flank to the south and somewhat to the north, too. The Soviets helped me by pulling back. I'll regret letting those divisions escape but I couldn't close them off without abandoning Kiev and my river crossing. I won't want to fight for those again.
Lvov Pocket:
Kiev:
Rumanian Border:
Overall it's been a lot of fun. There is so much to do and so few troops to do it, and the distances are staggering. Converting Soviet-gauge to standard European-gauge rails is a major issue in the game. Keeping them open is, too. I have no experience garrisoning against partisans, either, and I'm not sure how to go about doing it. I will figure it out. It's a tough game, too. Units have Movement Points (MP), Fatigue, damaged and ready AFVs/Guns/Squads/Trucks/etc., supplies, fuel, ammo, experience levels, morale, leadership skills of their leaders . . . and distance from the HQ matters, and the HQ from the superior HQ, and all of them from eventually O.K.H. and supply sources as well. You can use Administration Points to promote leaders or shift them around, or put them into units (I wasn't letting, say, Walter Model sit out the early part of the war) . . . but the cost varies based on how much of a change of the chain-of-command is involved. And leaders who don't like each other won't cooperate well. It's a mess. You get a real feel for how vast the war was.
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