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And finally the South Front. He's attacked in the middle. No problemo [8D] I'm rather confident here. There are two mobile Soviet corps as reserve.

EDIT: well, sorry, he's attacked everywhere. I mean only the middle is empty (no Soviet units there... for now)

And losses. I have lost 'only' 300 planes this turn. Oh, he's obviously finished the guys trapped in the big pocket of the Western Front (and other guys of the Northwest front).

Well, turn 2 sent. So I will discuss some issues. First off, last turn I appointed Zhukov as Boss-in-Chief of the Western district. I too spent APs: I bought contruction Bns for 4 or 5 armies (mostly the ones which will be fighting in the most important sector: the center that is).

And an [possibly unaccurate] observation about my opponent [:)] When he sent the first turn I was rather surprised [8D] I had seen quite many opening moves of the Germans (I mean on these forums) and most of the time the players were using the Panzers quite agressively. So SireChaos is much more prudent or conservative. I will have to remember this, as it can be important [8D]

I think he might want to do what you see on this pic:

As I said above the most important front is the center. So I have placed quite many STAVKA strategic reserves (NOT fully deployed yet: the 16th Army has just arrived from Ukraine -by rail, obviously) [8D]

Oh, the units I managed to save this turn from the pocket west of Riga [8D] Evacuated by sea, that is.

My first deployment in the Southwest Front. Now I have to talk about the RESERVES [8D] The Corps are still on the game. So let's say most of them have 3 divisions. 1 will be on the reserve. The ONLY place where I have been able to do this is in this front [8D] So I have a first line (checkerboard). Behind there is the second line AND the reserves of the first line. Then a third line which will contain the reserves of the second line. 3 lines will be the maximum, I guess. For sure this system has to be polished but now the whole situation (fascist hordes invading the motherland, caught pants down) is a miasma of sh*t [:D]

In the South I have pulled back. What happens here is rather irrelevant. What matters is the SW. If that front falls then the South is doomed if you don't retreat this front, so... Odessa will try to resist though.

Oh, and the Northwest Front. At first, it seemed I would not have units to more or less defend this place, before the hordes (strategic reserves) arrive. But It's not that bad. Plus the 3 divisions I evacuated west of Riga (maybe I can evacuate a few more on next turn, but I doubt it). Let's hope the NKVD guys keep resisting in Riga one or two more turns.

Ah, and from now on, I have to think about Leningrad! Moscow (therefore the center) is prioritary. Leningrad is next on that list. Grosso modo, I think I will need minimum 20 or 30 divisions to defend that place and the line of communication (rail) which has to be a prioritary target for the German player.

I am going to analyse the whole thing

Well, first [primitive] ideas about the defense of Leningrad:

Leningrad + First Line + Second Line:

If everyone gets 3-units stacks then => 10 x 3 = 30 divisions
Same as above but second line only gets 2-units stacks => 9 + 14 = 23 divisions

Leningrad + First Line + Second Line + Third Line:

If everyone gets 3-units stacks I think it's prohibitive, so no need to calculate [X(]

Same as above but only Leningrad and first line get 3-units stacks (the others get 2-units stacks):
9 + 14 + 18 = 41 divisions [X(]

And I must count the reserves: 5 or 6 divisions perhaps?

Humm, I suspect I can't afford that third line (I might be wrong but...) [:D]

Just 2 cents from the cheap seats, but I would be looking to economize on some of your force there. Dig in on the hills to the SW of the city for sure and on the lower two city hexes. The thing you really have to watch for from a tricky German (in my mind anyway) is the Germans getting on the east side of the Volkhov and capturing your ports. The Volkhov with those swamps on the east side are an extremely tough challenge IF there are some Russian units there.

I would also have some units in the swamps on the rail lines to slow any German advance down.

42 divs are a ton to have up there, especially if the German elects to just screen off Leningrad and continue in the middle.

You've taken a very forward position with the Western Front; I hope those guys don't get slaughtered.

Turn 3 - 3 July

In the Northwest I managed to evacuate 2 tank and 1 rifle divisions (units trapped west of Riga) [8D] He hasn't attacked Riga this turn.

In the Western district he is pushing! I will have to cross the river (1 division will stay in Mogilev).

randallw, well, he did not encircle the units [:)] It's hard. You have two choices as the Soviets: 1) run away or 2) delay the enemy. I try 2) but of course I have to be careful. I want to slow him down, I do N O T want him to swallow tons of my divisions. So where's the line between "here I'm relatively safe" and "if I stay here he's going to swallow half of the front" [8D] As a noob it's hard to know, calculate this.

Hahahaha, in the Southwest he wants to swallow my WHOLE front [:D] I can cut off his 2 spearheads (4 Panzer divisions in the north and 2 in the South). Don't know if it's worth, but I would like to terrorise him. The sooner the better [8D]

Would say if you can "cheaply" put his spearheads out of supply, do it. They may still hurt you on the next turn, but if they miss a supply run, their overall supplies go down and it will eventually catch up with him and force those units to take a turn off while they restock.

Definitely there will be an Operation 'There's a Cookie Monster Under Your Bed' [:D]

I am NOT going to attack the spearhead of the north: 4 panzer divisions are way too much [:(] I will NOT fight toe-to-toe with the Germans. I will lose.

But the spearhead on the south... hehehe... the unit SW of the NOW trapped German divisions is a weak (in theory) RUMANIAN panzer division... [:D] I still don't know if I am going to deliberate attack it or wait one more turn, humm...

ORIGINAL: Klydon

Just 2 cents from the cheap seats, but I would be looking to economize on some of your force there. Dig in on the hills to the SW of the city for sure and on the lower two city hexes. The thing you really have to watch for from a tricky German (in my mind anyway) is the Germans getting on the east side of the Volkhov and capturing your ports. The Volkhov with those swamps on the east side are an extremely tough challenge IF there are some Russian units there.

I would also have some units in the swamps on the rail lines to slow any German advance down.

42 divs are a ton to have up there, especially if the German elects to just screen off Leningrad and continue in the middle.

Thanks for your input [:)] I guess that the minimum should be the first line AND the line of communications (black line). The two rough hexes SW of Leningrad are tempting too (red line).

I was foccusing on Leningrad itself. The Volkhov units and the retreating units of the Northwest Front are also an important part of this problem.

Turn 4 - 10 july

In the Northwest he's cleared his rear. Riga fell. But I managed to evacuate like 6 divisions trapped west of Riga (among them 3 tank and 1 motorised divisions) [8D] Not too bad. I have quite many forces in this front now.

In the Western front he's captured Vitebsk (1 division defended it). He hasn't tried to cross the Dnieper river yet. Maybe he will go for Smolensk. Lots of my strategic reserves are there so I predict a massacre (or at least a huge fight)