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In the centre the Germans take a couple of giant strides towards Moscow, brushing aside the flimsy Smolensk line. Alarm bells are ringing in the Kremlin.

At Kiev, the Germans have effortlessly expanded their bridgehead. I'm still planning to fight forward here, so this sector is my main effort at defeating Barbarossa.

So, another defence is patched before Moscow, based on Rokossovsky's 34th Army, well dug in behind a river line. If this cracks next go, the odds on my holding Moscow will have lengthened considerably.

Kiev. The stage is set for an epic battle.

So how are you doing on vehicle losses? - I see you're using TD:s in the 1st line.

My vehicle count is healthy - I'm only about 70k short of what I need, and (I think) there are a reasonable number in the pool.

Turn 9

Leningrad. The Germans eradicate the encircled army and prepare themselves to spring forward, next turn presumably.

Centre. I am relieved to discover that the Group Rokossovsky has held the line. It must be buttressed immediately.

The centre. Where is everyone?

Kiev. To the north the fighting has been brutal as the Germans win a bit more room for manoeuvre. To the south, however, we have an extremely ambitious panzer lunge. Surely this can't be right?

Soviet responses. The Moscow defences are arranged thus:

At Poltova, we try once more to encircle a German panzer division. Or two.

In the centre, my wish has been granted, and we are both sucked into a battle of complex encirclement and counter encirclement. Marvellous.

Hooper, you are playing a very dangerous game. It all depends really on how your opponent reacts. I have a very simple rule as the Axis player, a rule that shows my bias to attack rather then encirlement. The rule is I win every time my landsers launch a deliberate attack. A corollary to that rule is that I win even more if the soviet target is not entrenched and in good terrian. Why do I win? In my view the soviets cannot, in 1941, stand up to 30 or 40 or more deliberate attacks on their forces and this goes double in the clear.

In the center and especially in the south, it looks to me like you have 20 or more divisions ripe for being deliberately attacked. While I think you are not in danger of encirclement as the panzers look out of gas, you may open a turn and see 30 routed soviet units. While the soviet can take a beating, if you subject your army to this at this time and do it again and again you risk collaspe at the end of the campaign season.

In 1941, any turn the soviet does not retreat 3 or 4 hexes to create alittle space designed to protect him from the full fury of landser deliberate attack power, the soviet is taking a risk. Sometimes it can be worth it, sometimes not. That I think is the challenge of being the soviet......how long to keep your head in the tiger's mouth. In my view, starting your turn next to german infantry is a decision of grave importance.

Good Luck

Vandev

You're quite right, it is a dangerous game. But it's also a more interesting game than just pulling back and relying on the Germans' logistical problems.

Dangerous choices are the most fun. I like what you are doing and playing with the head of your opponent as well as with his units can be fun and effective. It is all about timing. Good luck to you.

Vandev

Turn 10

At Leningrad, the Germans attack on a broad front to breach the firstline Soviet fortifications.

In the NW a force of panzer-supported infantry attack the thinly defended front south of the Valdai.

At Moscow we have another broad front attack, however it is stronger towards the north. This may be co-ordinated with the attack towards Vyshny Volochek. In principle this isn't too dangerous: although much of 20th Army is encircled Rokossovsky is still holding the line.

In the Kiev battles, the German's consolidate their position, but fail to rescue the trapped panzer division at Poltava, which is forced to surrender. A difficult decision now: to fight on or to withdraw towards Kharkov leaving suicidal rearguards.