Axis taking Stalingrad.

[Champagne]

Stalingrad is very difficult to surround before taking and we all know that this is the best method to take a big city: surround it first.

So, if Stalingrad is packed full of Fort level 3 Soviet defenders and it cannot be surrounded, what is the best Axis method for taking it? Crowd the most powerful units, the mobile division, around a hex, bomb the hex, then Normal attack it twice if you can and then Hasty Assault?

Seems like a really tough nut to crack.

[shermanny]

Maybe it just can't be done. A supplied stack of 3 guards rifle corps each supported by sapper regiments and a mix of antitank and flak can probably hold against any possible Axis attack.

But if the Soviets have less than that to defend with, I'd think first you'd want top commanders in charge of a high-morale Army and subordinate Corps that have maximal artillery support. Then you want pioneer regiments, infantry divisions including 78 Sturm, etc. set up to stage several relays of attacks. Panzergrendier divisions participate in the second wave. Panzer divisions stand in reserve just in case they might activate.

If you can get in four rounds of such attacks, so you've got twelve divisions attacking on each round, plus another couple reserve activations now and then, it might fall. If not, you might degrade the forts to where it falls next time.

You'd have to be at a point where the fall of Stalingrad would suffice to win the game to want to do that, because you'd have to strip some other sectors to come up with 60+ good divisions to throw into just that fight.

[Champagne]

I'm trying out the 21 turn Blau scenario. That sound like a good plan. Something like what you describe should work against the AI.

Against a good human player, Stalingrad's northern hex may just be impregnable.

[:)]

[TheOne]

Not that hard really.

3 Corp

3 infantry divisions and 1 mot/mech.

All units with engineers, Corp HQ's with 6 hvy Art each and good commanders and with mobile units in reserve mode.

before starting assaults do a HQBU on all 2-3 corp.

Hit hex with all the JU-87's you have, You should get in 2 attacks and possibly 3 per turn.

This will quickly drop fort levels.

Withen 2-3 turns hex will drop.

This is basicly the same way Leningrads back door is kicked in, which is far harder.

vs the AI or a human there is not a single hex on the map that can not be taken withen 2-3 turns even across a major river.

[Champagne]

Thanks. Although I will say that I've played quite a bit recently and there seems to be a Two limit on Air Bombardment. My air units refuse to bombard an enemy hex more than twice per turn.