First Grand Campaign '41 - '45

[HRL58]

ORIGINAL: NotOneStepBack

Is there any special way you dig in, such as building fortifications, or do you mean just hold the line?

The longer a unit stays in a hex the better the fortifications in that hex become (click the fort button to se the level on the map). How fast it build depend on the contruction value of the unit (I'll guess). This value can, as I understand, be increased by assigning pioniers.

Units staying in level 3 and 4 forts or big cities/urban areas have the best chance to stay put during the blizzard turns.

[Scook_99]

Generally leaving troops in place to let them improve the fortification level of the hex they are in. building forts has limited use, and is generally a drain on manpower the 1st winter. Best way to see how that works is to play two games, one with and one without fortifications.

[HRL58]

ORIGINAL: Scook_99

Generally leaving troops in place to let them improve the fortification level of the hex they are in. building forts has limited use, and is generally a drain on manpower the 1st winter. Best way to see how that works is to play two games, one with and one without fortifications.

The best use of forts imo, is to use them as protection of important trunk rail lines in the rear area. Build one every 3 hex and set TOE to max 50, and no partisans will harass that railroad (at least none I've seen)

[Scook_99]

ORIGINAL: HRL58

ORIGINAL: Scook_99

Generally leaving troops in place to let them improve the fortification level of the hex they are in. building forts has limited use, and is generally a drain on manpower the 1st winter. Best way to see how that works is to play two games, one with and one without fortifications.

The best use of forts imo, is to use them as protection of important trunk rail lines in the rear area. Build one every 3 hex and set TOE to max 50, and no partisans will harass that railroad (at least none I've seen)

It actually takes less manpower just to garrison the cities properly and chase down the few partisans that pop up. I can't speak to late 1943+ starting from a 1941 campaign. It might be better later when the rail lines are shorter late game, but not there yet

[NotOneStepBack]

The first turn of mud just hit, and I'm literally one hex from Leningrad, and about 50 miles from Stalino and Moscow, dig in? I'm definitely going to press on Leningrad as hard as possible still.

[HRL58]

ORIGINAL: NotOneStepBack

The first turn of mud just hit, and I'm literally one hex from Leningrad, and about 50 miles from Stalino and Moscow, dig in? I'm definitely going to press on Leningrad as hard as possible still.

You should definetly go for Leningrad, but dig in on the other fronts. Make the final assault on Leningrad during the snow turns after the mud, before the blizzard

[NotOneStepBack]

I'm a bit shocked at how much the mud helps the defenders, I need one hex infront of Leningrad to make a two-hex assault, and it's quite a struggle, even outnumbering them 3-1, impressive, you're all right, I'll have to stop advancing on other fronts now or I'm screwed. Sucks, I was so close to breaking them in half...guess like real life.

[HRL58]

Use the mud turns to beef up the Leningrad assault unit stacks (infantry is best) with loads of Pioniers, Sturmgeschutz and Flammpanzers ...and their corps HQ:s with K3 Guns, heavy nebelwerfers and heavy howitzers (the 355 mm:s).

Then you got two turns to do the kill before the blizzard

[jzardos]

Is there only two turns of snow after mud in 41?

[HRL58]

ORIGINAL: jzardos

Is there only two turns of snow after mud in 41?

It could have been three, don't remember now ...I'm still in the blizzard schock

But I managed to take a bridgehead across the Neva river on the eastern wood hex the turn before mud. Then assaulted the Ossinowez Ladoga port on the first snow turn, cleared the rest of Leningrad next turn and got the finns in action along the Volkov river just in time for blizzard.

[NotOneStepBack]

Ok, Leningrad has a modified CV os 6000.....how is this remotely possible to take the city before the blizzard, when I can attack it only from two hexes??

[cookie monster]

Isolate it first. Take the three Lake Ladoga ports to cut the supply.

The defenders will be alot weaker then.

See here. http://witewiki.com/index.php?title=Isolate_Leningrad

[NotOneStepBack]

Wow, I didn't even think of that, thanks. I've learned so much in this short amount of time, unforunately I can't pull that off before the blizzard. Once I experience that, I might take all I have applied and try again, not sure yet.

[cookie monster]

If your not sure then ask, if you have the time read witewiki and sort the war rooms threads by hits...

Then you will have all the info you need.

[HRL58]

Another approach (aginst the AI) is to:

1. Cut the railroad at Mga.

2. Capture Schlusselburg and the hex east of Kolpino (now the whole Leningrad area is forced to beachhead supply).

3. Use these two hexes (in 2) to attack north over the Neva and take the light wood hex east of Pawlowo.

4. Take the Ladoga port north east of this hex, and Leningrad is out of supply.

     
The first two steps could be done by turn 7-9 with aggressive use of the 4 Panzergroup before the russians fortyfi to lvl 4 forts. But then you'll have to wait for the infantry of 18 Army to move up to do the heavy fighting.

[ComradeP]

Turn 22, 23 and 24 are snow turns with non-random weather.

[NotOneStepBack]

I restarted and managed to take leningrad, and am at the gates of Moscow again, but the blizzard is killing me, and it's early '42. I'm managing to hold my lines and am rotating troops around, but there doesn't seem to be much of anything else I can do.

Is it possible to launch a Moscow offensive in '42 and secure victory?

[jomni]

ORIGINAL: NotOneStepBack
Is it possible to launch a Moscow offensive in '42 and secure victory?

Honestly, even if you take Moscow victory is still a long way to go.

[gradenko2k]

Manage your max TOEs - if you focus your replacements to only go to specific units, it's possible to get one Army Group back to ~80%, which should let you launch an offensive across one part of the front.

[HRL58]

ORIGINAL: NotOneStepBack

I restarted and managed to take leningrad, and am at the gates of Moscow again, but the blizzard is killing me, and it's early '42. I'm managing to hold my lines and am rotating troops around, but there doesn't seem to be much of anything else I can do.

Conserve some 5-8 of your elite divisions (1st & 4th Pz div, the inf of I corps, etc) and rail them back to Eastprussia for refit in winter quarters. Then you have a good fresh offensive striking force to commit during the snow turns in early spring 42, so you don't have to wait for the frontline units to get up in strenght.