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Turn 1

Mr Flam has made a commendable start, securely isolating all but one of his major pockets. Furthermore, of all the Axis players I have yet encountered he is the only one to grasp the importance of neutralising the Russian bomber fleet. He has done so with devastating effect, also destroying most of my recce fleet. My challenge to the Luftwaffe will begin later than in any previous game and somewhat denuded of the heavy bombers I have always relied upon. Meanwhile I am blind to what happens behind his frontline.

North
Riga is taken, the Daugava reached and crossed in several places. None of my forces cut off in the Baltic states have the slightest chance of escape. All that is left for me is to ship, road and rail out as many units from, as yet, unoccupied Latvia and Estonia, to form a defensive line Sinyaya/Velikaya, and in front of Leningrad.

Centre
Again, the Bialystock pocket is tight. Three of my 6 victories this turn were in defence of Minsk, which held out valiantly. I’m able to stick a line together behind the Berezina and screen the area Vitebsk-Orsha on the upper Dnepr. I concentrate troops on the outskirts of Mogilev in the hope that they will protect evacuation of the city’s industries next week.

South
Here Flam has done the allegedly boring drive on Chernovtsy. Well, it’s a great move and that’s why everyone does it. This is the only pocket I was able to open but I don’t count on extracting anything but a few SUs and depleted air units.

I’ve thrown a line together behind Goryn-Zbruch and now worry this is too far forward. Further back, units congregate on the right banks of the Dnepr and in front of Kiev.

Units stream back from the Rumanian border to Odessa while the entrances to the Crimea are already militarised and put under the shovel. West of the upper Dnestr, units occupy hills to delay any Rumanian advance, but there will be no relief attempt on the Chernovtsy pocket. Two corps screen between Vinnitsa and the Kiev defences to inhibit my main concern, a panzer drive on Russian industries west of the Dnepr.

Rumania-

Air
For the first time in any game I’ve played, all aircraft are moved into reserve. There’s no point in doing anything else. Air bases congregate eastwards and around their HQs.

Production
STAVKA raises 10 each of PVO AA regiments and Sapper regiments. A number of same type battalions are disbanded.

ORIGINAL: Mehring
I don’t count on extracting anything but a few SUs and depleted air units.

I’ve thrown a line together behind Goryn-Zbruch and now worry this is too far forward. Further back, units congregate on the right banks of the Dnepr and in front of Kiev.

Good tip about extracting SUs from broken pockets, I'd never thought of doing that before.Six months into the game and I've still got a lot to learn.
I think the main problem with your Goryn-Zbruch line is that it's neither one thing or the other.If you'd gone all in with everything you've got it would be a tough nut for the Germans to crack this turn with very little infantry support.As it is, It looks a bit dodgy with some of your stronger units vulnerable to being surrounded.

ORIGINAL: timmyab

ORIGINAL: Mehring
I don’t count on extracting anything but a few SUs and depleted air units.

I’ve thrown a line together behind Goryn-Zbruch and now worry this is too far forward. Further back, units congregate on the right banks of the Dnepr and in front of Kiev.

Good tip about extracting SUs from broken pockets, I'd never thought of doing that before.Six months into the game and I've still got a lot to learn.
I think the main problem with your Goryn-Zbruch line is that it's neither one thing or the other.If you'd gone all in with everything you've got it would be a tough nut for the Germans to crack this turn with very little infantry support.As it is, It looks a bit dodgy with some of your stronger units vulnerable to being surrounded.

I thought that putting the isolated HQs support level to zero and STAVKA's to 9 would give an AP free SU movement in between turns. It didn't. Fortunately, as you'll see, this pocket broke twice so I was able to transfer the SUs manually.

Flam did a really good job on my southern armies, apart from actually sealing the pocket. There was very little left in the vicinity with any strength and MP to form up a new line. That being the case, the forward line was always going to be a time buyer rather than serious defence.

Right or wrong, what I tried to do was give some ZOC depth to prevent its easy encirclement following a breakthrough which I saw as inevitable. You'll see that the couple of powerful units are not on the front line as I particularly didn't want them encircled.

Turn 2

This week provides me with a little respite, I achieve my immediate strategic objective and to my great surprise, am able to open the Chernovtsy pocket again. Everywhere my front is weak, however, and I need all the time I can get.

Most APs are used rationalising command structure and swapping out a cruddy army commander.

Northwest
Flam has made great advances here, and already probed into my line at Ostrov, before it could properly form. I reoccupy the line and form up behind the Sinyaya-Velikaya rivers. The line is painfully thin.

Centre
My line on the Berezina has been brushed aside but it served its purpose. The attackers came nowhere close to Mogilev. A sustained defence of the Dnepr looks unlikely. Everyone who can makes it behind the river and digs. Five divisions screen between Smolensk and the Mezha.

Moscow Military District and a mechanised corps of Western Front dig in between Rzhev and Vyazma.

South
For real? Cut off a second time but far from air tight, I make contact with Chernovtsy again! Unlocking the trapped HQs last turn and putting support to 0 and STAVKA to 9 did not allow the HQs’ attached SUs to escape. I shift out the Arty, sapper regiments and motorcycle regiments manually.

I resist the temptation to counterattack 10. mot Div at Gritsev, the payback will be encirclement and destruction of all the units involved. At this point, enough to cut its supply, and that of 10. Pz. The Goryn-Zbruch line is abandoned and its defenders withdraw intact to a new line of defence to the east.

By rail and road, elements of Southwestern and Western Fronts try to escape the Pripyat Marshes.

The units in the Pripyat pose the following problem. I must try to deny to the enemy a rapid advance south of the Pripyat swamps which will allow them to outflank the retreating units from the south, but without being sucked into a defensive battle leading to the encirclement and loss of even more divisions. Played right, this battle will cost the enemy time and I may be able to extricate something from the swamps. If it goes badly, I stand to lose most or all the forces involved and also Kiev’s industries.

Newly released reserves fan out to dig behind the Dnepr, mostly south from Kiev. Units in front of Kiev, behind the Ros and Irpen also dig in to delay an advance on the city.

The Southern Front forms up a temporary line behind the Dnestr, right flank tailing north east against a possible flanker from 1. Pz Group.

Air
A few fighters and a fighter bomber unit are now ready to deploy. They will join the defence of Leningrad. A surviving recce unit near Moscow moves to Western Front to scout the panzer spearheads facing the upper Dnepr.

Production
Mogilev factories evacuated, also two arms factories at Kirovograd. STAVKA takes to the rails to distribute most of its AA and sapper regiments and RR construction brigades.

Turn 3

Leningrad
I’m alarmed at the speed of advance into Estonia and am hoping there is insufficient backup to push past my border defences and bust into Leningrad. Evacuation of the city’s industries will become priority next week or two.

29th Army organises defences along the Luga, while in front of Leningrad, Northern Front digs an outer perimeter centred on the hills.

3rd tank Division heads back towards the Luga, meanwhile adding a little depth to the Pskov line.

Northwest
The Sinyaya-Velikaya line is so weak, if I’m lucky enough not to see a great big pocket when I open up the next Axis turn, I may well pull the whole lot back to the Shelon. The Sinyaya line is extended along the Sorot river and to the hills directly northeast to give some protection from a breakthrough at Pskov. Ostrov is already fallen and what stands in front of the German tanks now will disintegrate under a couple of hasty attacks. I’m worried.

To the south, I abandon Vitebsk and use the Dvina to cover the Front’s southern flank from incursion by AGC.

Centre
Along the upper Dnepr, I attempt to disentangle elements of Western Front from Orel MD. My defences have achieved a little depth but are so feeble, the Dnepr river line will occupy the Germans only a week. I have nothing handy for a counter attack.

I can hinge two river line withdrawals on Loev, south of Gomel, before having to shift the entire Western Front line east.

Three lines are already being dug facing the Vitebsk-Smolensk gap.

Southwest

Very few enemy attacks south of Pripyat this week. Most important seem to be the southeast drive between the Dnestr and Yuzhny, in Southern front sector. This reaches the outskirts of Tulchin and seals off the border armies for good. Since the city has now fallen I must now rename the Chernovtsy pocket. My Excellency hereby gives notice that it shall henceforth be known as the Stanislav Pocket.

Large elements of 5th Army are moving eastwards painfully slowly through the Pripyat region, and don’t look likely to make it back across the Dnepr. The enemy have crossed the S. Sluch at Gorotnitsa, but there’s no deep penetration yet, cutting supply for the Pripyat divisions.

There’s something resembling a front line strung out between, also north and south of, Zhitomir and Vinnitsa. Again, I fear the worst for these units. Any survivors will be pulled right back next week.

The Kiev and Dnepr defences are starting to look more viable for providing breathing space, however. That said, I could conceivably lose Kiev next week to a bold attack. Thankfully there’s not much industry there.

There’s a gap between Kremenchug and Dnepropetrovsk to fill, and south of there will be Southern Front’s responsibility.

Southern Front
This one looks most like an army to me, probably because it’s yet to seriously engage with the enemy. I’m keeping its right at a respectful distance from the advancing German tanks and am now wondering how much to invest in Odessa.

Once Vinnitsa falls, the current line on the Dnestr is untenable and there are trenches that need digging on the lower Dnepr bend.

Air
A few units fill out fighter bases in the Crimea and in front of Moscow. I can now recce the northern and central sectors a little.

Production
Odessa, Gomel and the remains of Kirovograd evacuated, also some vehicle factories in Leningrad. Leningrad and western Ukraine will be competing for rail cap in the next couple of weeks.

APs were spent on a couple of generals, more command rationalisation plus a few fort zones disbanded.

Turn 4
Mud strikes in the Central zone. In one respect this gives me an additional breathing space but as much Axis infantry will probably be advancing towards the frontline through clear weather, my troops retreat through mud is retarded. In places I feel obliged to use rail cap to get units out of trouble.

Leningrad
The northern Finns make their move, breaking my front but as yet, not cutting off any units. My first line east of Sortovala looks able to hold a week. 23rd Army will hope to make it back to Leningrad.

29th Army scrapes together a frontline behind the Narva and a second behind the Luga. Units digging in front of Leningrad are also assigned to it as there are no other Army commands nearby. The centre of the Luga line is virtually empty between 29th Army and units freshly created and assigned to Northwest Front near Novgorod.