Leningrad 1941 Final Assault

[rebel15nc]

So once you are closed up on the city like I am now, what is the best method to assault and capture it? We are at the beginning of Turn 15 so I have 3 more clear turns.
From West to East, the Reds have the following:
Hex 81,16 Fort Level 4 Heavy Urban Hex Leningrad hex with units rated 4=82 not behind the river.
Hex 82,16 Fort Level 3 City Hex Pavlovo hex with units rated 4=30 behind the Neva river.
Hex 83,16 Fort Level 3 Light Woods Hex with units rated 4=27 behind the Neva River.
My German units are directly next to all of the above Red units so any attack on the middle or right most units will be across the Major River.
I only have a short window to get this right. What is my best move? I am not even sure if it is possible to put the units in the Leningrad area out of supply or if they are out of supply now.
Should I use Infantry alone for the assaults or should I use Panzer troops? I have plenty of troops in the area but do not have time to learn on the job about the best way to capture a heavy urban hex or how to attack across a major river.
Any help will be appreciated.
Rebel15NC

[Klydon]

If you can swing it, you need two assault groups to attack the woods hex and armor standing by to go across and knock out the port to cut supply to the city. Once that happens, Leningrad is done. The rest of the city doesn't really matter.

The first attack may not work, so you will need to make 1 deliberate attack and then move units in and out to make a second attempt. Do not use the armor if you can avoid it and make sure it has plenty of movement left in order to jump across the river.

You will need plenty of support units, especially pioneers. Your corps making the assault should have the best possible commanders (lot of people like using Model to spearhead their assault on the city).

Once you get the port city on the west side of Lake Ladoga, the combat factors for the Russians should drop a fair amount and you can clean up the rest of the pocket. The two key hexes to get to release the Finns (so they can help) is the center city hex and the one to the NW of it I believe.

Even if you don't get the job done by mud, (but do capture the port), you will have a couple of turns during frost to finish cleaning up the pocket. The added bonus there is anything killed won't be coming back for free.

My two cents.

[timmyab]

The light woods hex is best because it has the lowest terrain modifier.I would expect a 4=27 defense to fall most times if the assault is well prepared.
Ideally you plan for the assault well in advance.Form six of your best divisions into two assault corps with a top infantry leader in charge of the largest, (probably Model).Pack these HQs out with artillery.Attach at least one pioneer battalion directly to each of the six assault divisions, two each if possible plus any other support units you have.Place 18th army HQ as close to the action as you can.Attach two or three more divisions directly to 18th army HQ and make sure it's commander has a good initiative rating.Place these divisions in reserve and put them directly behind the assault corps.Have at least one panzer corps nearby, fully fueled and ready to exploit a successful assault.Make sure none of your HQ are overloaded.
Reinforce Luftflotte 1 and get it as close to the action as you can.

[rebel15nc]

How do you move attached support units from one HQ to another? I know how to move them from a HQ to a Division under it and back but not how to move say a Pioneer or Artillery unit that is in say Army Group South to a Corps HQ in Army Group North......Help please.....Leningrad hangs in the balance.

[Peltonx]

Go to HQ you want to move unit out of.

Click the support unit = SU you want to move.

Click HHQ, its on right under unit sybol

The it opens a window where units can go, most times it will only go from say GHC to and army and not a Corp or division. Unless they are withen 10 hexes i beleive.

Make up of assault gruop should be 2 infantry Corp and 1 PZ Corp.
PZ divisions on reserve mode before infantry assault-one broken down into regiments.

Divisions should have a min of 1 pioneer per infantry division, I set-up 1 Corp with the 4 highest morale divisions.

Bomb hex once, then assault with infantry. If it fails it should drop the fort lvl, assault a 2nd time.

You might not take it first turn, but as long as you have allot of pioneers it will drop lvls and should fall the next turn or turn 3 at leastest.

You have 4 snow turns so should be np.

[swkuh]

Compliments Pelton for clear exposition of best attack set-ups. Anticipate ideas could be applied most anywhere, either side. Of course, getting there first with the most counts, too.