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Oshawott, you're making good progress at Leningrad and I think you are still on track to cross the Neva around turn 12. Leaving that motorized division exposed is imo a good idea, the main thing is to keep the advance moving. Yeah, it'll probably get routed, but the Soviet is running out of room here quickly and this minor sacrifice is worth it.

That's exactly my thinking. It's all about speed up there. One motorized division makes no difference. Manstein's Corps will be pulled out on T9 to join the attack on Moscow.

Griefhead actually plays a pure preservation of forces strategy. There are no counterattacks. He tries to delay me wherever he can but without losing too many troops to encirclement. He is willing to give up space just as long as he is able to evacuate industry. The industry I destroyed so far is nice but insignificant in the long run. He is already fortifying the Don with cavalry. There will be an ultimate showdown at Moscow. And I think blizzard will be very interesting.

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

Marching the Finnish army into the depths of Russia seems like the worst idea to me since Charles XII of Sweden at Poltava. It would have come to grief for Finland. And Mannerheim knew it. Taking the whole of Karelia was surely enough for him.

Oshawott, you're making good progress at Leningrad and I think you are still on track to cross the Neva around turn 12. Leaving that motorized division exposed is imo a good idea, the main thing is to keep the advance moving. Yeah, it'll probably get routed, but the Soviet is running out of room here quickly and this minor sacrifice is worth it.

Not so bad idea if both Leningrad and Moscow where going down, complete destruction of Bolshevism was a real war goal for most Finns.

Mannerheim was careful, wisely so as history shows, he was also an Anglophile and a Russophile in certain issues.

But thinking he was not prepared to push for more involvement, in different circumstances, is not realistic.

And he was not calling the policies, even if he was influential, the politicians in charge shared the hatred of Soviets.

Half of the population was ready to see Soviet Union destroyed entirely and Russian lands divided in to non-threatening (non-imperial) entitities.
That Finland woud have taken the territories Germans offered, Kola, White Sea etc is almost a certainty.
The legitimacy of Soviet Union was not really respected, those where areas that many Finns felt where justified portion of the historical lands of Novgorod taken over by Moscow.

Majority of Finns did not support any genocide but harsh policies and decisions are a different matter.

ORIGINAL: Oshawott

Oshawott, you're making good progress at Leningrad and I think you are still on track to cross the Neva around turn 12. Leaving that motorized division exposed is imo a good idea, the main thing is to keep the advance moving. Yeah, it'll probably get routed, but the Soviet is running out of room here quickly and this minor sacrifice is worth it.

That's exactly my thinking. It's all about speed up there. One motorized division makes no difference. Manstein's Corps will be pulled out on T9 to join the attack on Moscow.

Griefhead actually plays a pure preservation of forces strategy. There are no counterattacks. He tries to delay me wherever he can but without losing too many troops to encirclement. He is willing to give up space just as long as he is able to evacuate industry. The industry I destroyed so far is nice but insignificant in the long run. He is already fortifying the Don with cavalry. There will be an ultimate showdown at Moscow. And I think blizzard will be very interesting.

What is the minimum of mobile formations you even need in the north? Would it be possible to take out most after Dvina is crossed?

ORIGINAL: Flaviusx

ORIGINAL: smokindave34

I personally think Griefhead is wasting good units holding up the Finns when he could be using them to defend Leningrad or Moscow. Let the Finns run wild - they are not going anywhere of any strategic importance.

Disagree.

I do this every game. Too many Soviet players take a lackadaisical attitude towards the Finns...and find themselves defending at Yaroslavl once Leningrad falls. If you do a hard contain such as this, that will never happen. Leningrad may fall, but the Axis won't go past the Volkhov.

Waiting to deal with the Finns until they hit the Svir is a mistake.

Given the fact that Griefhead is probably going to lose Leningrad a hard contain is more rather than less of a good idea. This is excellent insurance for him.

Flaviusx - that is a defeatist attitude that assumes Leningrad will fall, this won't be tolerated in the Red Army. [:D] I'd go all in to save Leningrad - but agree that in this particular game it appears it's already lost.

T9 - Karelia

The screenshot doesn't show it but Griefhead decides to weaken his defenses and pulls two divisions out of the front. I attack with 6 divisions and everything else on reserve. HQs have lots of engineers and artillery. You can see what the result was. [:@]

T9 - North

Instead of routing my motorized division he just moves most of his troops to safety. I take Shlisselburg but don't have anything to put into this hex.

T9 - Center

In front of Moscow I am able to break through the weakest spot in the line.

T9 - Kursk

Flipping all those hexes really speeds up my advance. I am resealing the Sumy pocket and advance east. Supply is horrible in this sector.

T9 - South

Infantry has finally caught up and is slowly advancing towards Stalino. Tanks are set up for HQ buildup next turn.

T9 - Crimea

Tanks will be rolling in to the Crimea next turn. Supply is actually pretty good here. I really want to clear the Crimea asap. Don;t need this sector of the front causing me troubles during blizzard.

T9 - OOB

I am always amazed how fast the Germans burn through their tanks and how little production they have.

T10 - North

The conquest of Leningrad proceeds according to schedule. In the far north the Finish allies fail to penetrate the Russian defenses.

T10 - Center

The two prong advance towards Moscow is clearly visible. Resistance is heavy. Many Russian division have been put on reserve and are activated.

T10 - South

Infantry advances towards Stalino. Supply in this region is poor. Panzer and motorized divisions stay in the vicinity of Dnepropetrovsk and perform an HQ buildup. Don is being fortified by Russian troops.

T10 - Crimea

One Panzer Corps encircles 5 Russian divisions. The conquest of Crimea should be finished in a couple of turns after which I will move the tanks towards Rostov.

T10 - OOB

Supply east of Kharkov and in front of Kursk is practically nonexistent. The German advance has just been too fast. German infantry is practically starving. The German cavalry division has 0% supplies. A lot of talk in the German army is focused on food. The following footage shows a typical discussion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlr79m1pR3g

You are doing very well. You might have a real shot at Moscow in this game.

You might have a real shot at Moscow in this game.

I will certainly try. We are at T13 right now. It's a slow grind towards Moscow. I am estimating that he has at least 2 million men in and around Moscow. And all the flanks are covered. An epic showdown.

T11 - North

This was way too easy. Not only was the Neva not properly covered but I am also able to take Osinovets with a hasty attack. First Corps will now be pulled out and moved to Moscow. But it's too late for them to really make a difference before mud arrives.

In the north the Finish allies fail again. This concludes the offensive in the north. No need to turn Karelia into a guard factory.