Need Advice on German spring offensive

[Krieg]

I need some advice on how to break strong soviet lines. It is almost the end of the 41 winter and the front has stabilized. What has developed is more akin to WWI lines. I have been looking for weak spots but the best I can find is a clear section of lvl 4forts and stacked 3 units to a hex, several hexes deep. What is the best method to crack that front in order to allow my panzers through? I have commited significant resources to my break through area, but I dont know how I should crack the forts and drive them from their foxholes. Any help would be appreciated.

Krieg

[PeeDeeAitch]

Are you playing PBEM or against the AI?

[Krieg]

Good question, should have included it before.. its PBEM

[2ndACR]

Did you start December under Beta 2 verison? If so, you might be okay with the replacements. You have already been smacked by the TOE upgrade bug.

You are in for a very hard slog. Not sure you can break the line now. Maybe, but it will hurt bad.

[Krieg]

Started the game late Jan Feb timeframe. So should the plan be to attack or prepare defenses?

[cookie monster]

ORIGINAL: Krieg

I need some advice on how to break strong soviet lines. It is almost the end of the 41 winter and the front has stabilized. What has developed is more akin to WWI lines. I have been looking for weak spots but the best I can find is a clear section of lvl 4forts and stacked 3 units to a hex, several hexes deep. What is the best method to crack that front in order to allow my panzers through? I have commited significant resources to my break through area, but I dont know how I should crack the forts and drive them from their foxholes. Any help would be appreciated.

Krieg

The only advice i can give is to mass your infantry and artillery/pioneer/sappers at the point of advance and punch a 3 hex hole.

infantry and artillery/pioneer/sappers is the standard assault combo for any highly defended & fortified hex/town/city

Don't use your panzers though as you said... higher fort levels give a higher concentration of mines which will damage the AFV's

[PeeDeeAitch]

If you started before beta 3/4 then you have been hit by the TOE and replacement problems (bugs) - your infantry will be a 1/3 shell of itself due to low morale. If your opponant strung himself out in the blizzard you hopefully have your mobile units ready to strike and create a buffer. The problem is that unless he is in the open, mass infantry attacks will be problematic due to the above reductions in morale.
 
If the tanks are ready and he is not entrenched, strike and advance what you can in the snow (if you are lucky you can surround some units and start rebuilding morale), whatever entrench through the mud.  When clear strikes he will be entrenched no matter what, so you need to be too - but his infantry and armor will be rather weak and you should be able to repulse many of his attacks - if you prepare in the mud turns you might even be able to "backhand blow" him by falling back in clear to prepared defenses and when he advances smack him with refreshed tanks in the open.  (do this with a line of forts behind your line a few hexes and pull back in the first clear turn)
 
As 2nd ACR has shown, do not attack high level forts, it will be an exercise in futility.

[bloomstombs2]

When do I have to have to beta 3 patch installed for it to have affect (on not having my infantry wrecked)?Before the blizzard?


Im playing vs the AI. Sorry for hijacking.

[Klydon]

If he is dug in 3 deep level 4's across the board, imo, don't even bother attacking. If you are going to continue the game since you patched late in winter, just counter turtle, build a pile of fortifications yourself and wait for him to advance in the open and then try to smack him around. As 2ndACR's game pretty much proved, it is about impossible to get through those fortifications with 1942 Germans. (Think Kursk a year earlier in that the Germans wore themselves out trying to get through and then the Russians launched a counter offensive against a weaken German).

[2ndACR]

Yep, prior to Dec 41. Anything after that and you get hit with the bugs. TOE upgrade on your infantry div starts in Dec 41. Those hurt, the replacement bug starts to hurt you from day 1, but your heavy losses where you really see it is in Dec 41. That is when the blizzard is destroying your div and you are accepting massive replacements.

[Pawsy]

Try a back hand blow. Retreat and draw him out of his defencive positions and strike him in a mobile battle. He has to move sometime. Dont fight symmetrical