Routing/shattering all those Soviet units on T1 costs a lot of CPP and lets large numbers of men escape. If they are pocketed then the pockets can be reduced by some dedicated 'pocket reduction' divisions while a good part of the army charges forwards as fast as possible. Killing unpocketed forts lets a lot of their manpower escape.I genuinely believe right now that while pocketing is important in this game, the benefits to routing is also really useful. While there is a unit left behind that can ZOC, it is extremely weak until it is given replacements. Doing this will clog up the soviet supply network. If they are sent back to the reserve to fully reinforce that will take multiple turns and the unit will have low experience, forcing you to leave it in the reserve box to train it up or send it to the front, taking up rail capacity and becoming a free meal for my units. Pocketing ties up units and in the open spaces of the south where lines can get stretched, I need to keep my units concentrated and every turn there has to be damage dealt and threats the Soviet player must respond to.
True, the routed units have little combat value for a few turns but I expect HLYA to protect as many as he can and then you will be facing a larger Soviet army come mid to late summer.
Taking Ventspils on T1 is also important to isolate the units in Courland, it just takes one unit from a broken down Mot division.
Maybe you will prove me wrong with your strategy, good luck with it !
Wonder what the going price would be for his services.
