Handling Finn defense as USSR

[jjdenver]

Hi,

What's the usual way to handle Finland? Does USSR normally withdraw all mobile units to the "no attack" line and form a defense line just behind it so that Finns can't just move through?

Are Fortified areas usually disbanded?

Thx for any thoughts

[B455]

Hmm I still don't have the game, but my answer to your question is likely yes. I think the stop-line feature should be optional or variable somehow. As it is, the Soviets just need to man the stopline and that's it. The Finnish front becomes skewed what comes to history of 1941-42 and thus the battle of Leningrad itself becomes somewhat skewed. The 1944 Soviet attack should be more interesting as it would become Finland's survival battle of course. My two cents.

[ComradeP]

You can't disband the fortified regions at the border prior to Finland's activation, in which case they're usually screwed on the turn they activate.

I normally garrison the no attack line with NKVD regiments (I rail them there and disband the ones I don't need). I disband the fortified region on the no attack line, as it will only hinder me later when I'm attacking. The NKVD units usually have decent morale, so even if Leningrad is captured by surprise, they'll mostly keep retreating instead of routing, buying you time.

I reassign the support units in the two fortified regions at Hanko ASAP. Creating new ones costs the same amount of AP's as moving those, but they're already up to strength.

[jjdenver]

Oh great info - thx.

There are a bunch of air commands in the north - a baltic command, a PVO command, the north front air command, a long range air command. Do you usually just leave the north front in Leningrad and move the rest away? It seems like too many air commands are in the area.

Also this question is off the topic of this thread - but you mentioned in another thread that you disband motorcycle regiments? Why? It seems like they might be useful in tank armies later since they are self-motorized infantry support units. Maybe I'm missing something about them, but having fast infantry support units seems better than re-purposing those guys as straight leg?

Another off topic question is that I generally agree w/ your assessment from another thread that good Soviet leaders should be unassigned or assigned to rear area HQ's to avoid dying during the first few months of the war. How much manual leader movement do you normally do in June/July? I moved a few high value mech leaders out of their commands to save them but it's quite expensive in admin points to do it.

[ComradeP]

I mostly use the PVO command for the southern shore of Lake Ladoga (to cover the Finnish front at the no attack line), the Baltic Fleet command for the Baltic states and (after German advances) the Narva area, the Northern Front units for the area between Narva and Pskov/Novgorod, Northwest Front to cover the area between Pskov/Novgorod and the Daugava/Western Dvina and I concentrate all Long Range bases in the central part of the map.

I don't move corps leaders out of their HQ's. After turn 1, the ones that are going to die in pockets will be pocketed, the rest will simply return to the leader pool in a few turns when their HQ disbands. I might lose a few to unlucky proximity to the front checks, but not many.

I disband motorcycle regiments because their combat potential is negligible, they consume most of your armoured car production for a while (support units are always refitting, and Soviet armoured car production is low until 1942) and they generally require too many different ground element types for my liking. After upgrading TOE's in early 1943, they'll require 10 tanks each yet still have virtually no combat potential. I prefer support units that use one or only a few ground element types and don't strain equipment production in any way.

Oh, and I move everything that can move the hell out of Finland to the no attack line ASAP.

[jjdenver]

ORIGINAL: ComradeP
I mostly use the PVO command for the southern shore of Lake Ladoga (to cover the Finnish front at the no attack line)

This possibly confuses me. When you say cover the Finn front - I thought the Finns can't attack so why do you need air cover there? Or do you mean you leave them as empty shells on the lake so the Finns can't just walk across during ice periods?

[Gandalf]

ORIGINAL: jjdenver

ORIGINAL: ComradeP
I mostly use the PVO command for the southern shore of Lake Ladoga (to cover the Finnish front at the no attack line)

This possibly confuses me. When you say cover the Finn front - I thought the Finns can't attack so why do you need air cover there? Or do you mean you leave them as empty shells on the lake so the Finns can't just walk across during ice periods?

Finnish No Attack Line: Marks the area that Finnish units are prohibited from attacking in unless Leningrad is Axis controlled (19.1.2).

In other words... if Leningrad becomes Axis controlled then...

[ComradeP]

Also keep in mind that even though the Finns can't attack you, you can still attack them. The Finns don't have much of an aircraft pool, so you could attrite them through sustained operations (yes, you'll lose lots of planes, but eventually it will work).

[Swayin]

Also remember that the "no-attack line" doesn't mean a "no advance line." The Finns will be happy to take any territory you leave them without firing a shot if they can.

[jjdenver]

I'm still confused by the comment on this thread about using air command to cover the Finn no attack line. How can air units cover the line? If the Finns belly up to them, they displace right? So the Finns can just displace them south and keep moving w/o any attacks. So what does using them to cover the Finn no attack line actually mean?

Thx

[ComradeP]

I meant "cover" as in: provide air support/an air umbrella for that sector of the front, not as in: actually placing them at the no attack line.