Sigh. Notwithstanding Michael T, this pure runaway just isn't the way to go, guys. There's plenty of garbage units that can be left behind as pickets to slow the Axis down. Including your mech. You really need only save the infantry (and not even all of that, your crap morale infantry is expendable), mountain units, and cav. Airborne, NKVD, lol mech, AT brigades, there's not much point in saving any of that junk. (Partially excepting the airborne, but you have more of it than you can drop at any given time and you receive lots more of it at the end of the year anyways.)
Also, he mismanaged his northern defense. Pskov can be held for a couple of turns. The Luga line is no fit place to make your first stand. Or even your second one. (The next line is really Leningrad-Novgorod.)
Agreed - at a minimum you need to keep units around to stick on the panzers and motorized units so they can't refit. It's remarkable how quickly you can get their CVs down even with no real combat whatsoever.
With a little more fuel and some stern orders my men smash through repeated Soviet roadblocks and positions. The rail line is not quite cut though and the Facs are all evac'd next turn.