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The battle for Riga is almost over:
 

Here's the minimap view of the moves from turns 1 thro 4:
 

Here's a close-up of some of the front lines at the end of Axis turn 4:
 

The Axis onslaught has been pretty relentless in these opening rounds. This has led to some of the historic type choices they were left with in 41, people for time. The question that leads to is just how many people to buy the time? I've been pulling back from the east, moving stuff west from the east and south. I'm trying to slow the Axis down and make them pay heavily for some of the urban areas that will fall anyways. Here are a few screen shots, a movie, and the Red Army losses so far.

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The battle for Minsk has begun:
 

Only got two combat rounds this turn.  This is the minimap view of the movies in Axis turn 5:
 

Here's how the Red Army defensive lines are starting to shape up. It's still too early too try any major efforts west of Moscow. It would probably lead to massive losses of men and equipment that will be needed in some later turns.

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The Southern Axis units have made it into across the river and into Odessa territory:
 

Here's the moves to reduce Minsk in rounds 1 throu 4 of Axis turn 6:
 

Here's the minimap view of the moves for turns 1 thru Axis turn 6:

Once again the turn consisted of a whole lot of advancing towards the rear areas. The Red Army's attempted delaying action at Minsk was an unmitigated disaster losing pretty well a whole army. The Axis is ahead of the historic scedule so the full preparation on the the Luga and Vyazema lines is taking precedence over any major delaying actions. There won't be desperate actions on the Bug and Dnieper Rivers like there were in 1941. In the movie you can seen the defenses evolving as well as the retreat and movement from the east. Posting a table of the losses thus far.

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Here's an Axis view of the front lines as of the beginning of Axis turn 7:
 

And a view of the front lines in the Odessa area as of the beginning of Axis turn 7:

And the situation north of Leningrad at the beginning of Axis turn 7:

Here's the minimap view of the moves for turns 1 thro 7:
 

Here is how the lines are shaping up from the Red Army view of things. Not a whole lot has changed from the last turn. There are still many pockets of resistance that are trying to delay the Wehrmacht advance while reserves come in from Siberia and elsewhere. The preservation of some of the more viable and vital formations is coming along as well as can be expected and some have already reached the locations of their intended defense.

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The forces that were left to stand and fight in the Baltic Republics have gradually been disentegrated, hopefully at a good cost to the Wehrmacht. The Red Army intends to hold Lenningrad despite the two fronts that are closing in on it. This turn roughly 30 division were transported by rail to take up positions on the Luga and Ladoga fronts north and south of the city. Here is a shot of the defenses taking shape south of the city.

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On the southern front there really isn't a hope of holding back the Wehrmacht. I had at my disposal enough formations to take a significant defensive position on the Dnieper river but instead opted for a substantive delaying action in the Kiev area. Komrade Marshall Stalin may have thought that 500,000 men lost for Kiev was a good buy but I disagree.

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Lastly the most important defense works going on in the entire front are around Moscow. At this point I don't really think I can mass enough forces to blunt the offensive enough to turn the situation to my favor. Therefore the majority of reinforcements are going to Moscow and retreating formations are digging in a little further back than the historic Vyezma line. This coupled with sufficent stubborn delaying actions further west are my hopes to make the Barbarossa machine run out of gas. Moscow is intended to to the Rocky shore that wrecks the wehrmacht ship so to speak.

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Here is the current air situation. Not quite as bad as I was expecting. I hope that we can maintain air superiority until the main battle and ensuing counter offensive begins

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The Soviet Army is doing a good job delaying the advance since it's already turn 8 and I'm only now showing up at the chokepoints to the entrance to the Leningrad area:
 

Here's the front lines so far ( beginning of Axis turn 8 ) :
 

Here's some Axis losses so far: ( 2nd combat round of Axis turn 8 ):
 

Here's the moves that happened in the Odessa area during turns 7 and 8: