Halt after Smolensk?

[CatSoup]

So after taking Smolensk do you guys halt your tanks and let them refit a bit and get the rails fixed a stuff before going forward?

I usually take Smolensk on T3 or T4 but then doesn't achieve much for 2-3 turns if I try to press on.

[speedyglides]

Playing against the AI at 100 you can push pretty hard. Panzer divisions will be weakened but the Russian is also weak. You'll have good opportunities to keep advancing. At some point they'll need a rest, but you can abuse them.

My impression is that against a human player it would be very different. You'd expose yourself and give opportunities a human player would not miss.

[Laits]

I would not advise a complete halt after the seizing of Smolensk because you risk to lose the initiative. Perhaps refitting some divisions can be useful but you still need to push hard the Soviet.

[Jango32]

Might be worth waiting until you get the rail to Vitebsk or Orsha, and getting the infantry closer to Smolensk before pushing towards Vyazma.

[carlkay58]

You should always be pushing as much as you can as the Axis in 41. You can rotate back a division or corps for rest and refit but you should try your hardest to keep pushing. That said, sometimes the Soviets give you no choice and take advantage of that to rest/refit as much as you can.

[CatSoup]

You guys don't at least clean out velikie luki before moving further east? seems very dangerous to leave a a gap between AGN and AGC

[Bamilus]

In my lastest games I've tried to take Velikie Luki pretty early because if you get bogged down around there and Pskov the terrain + defender fortification level build up can be brutal. I tend to agree with the other posters that it's best to not wait, at least not on consecutive turns, since heavy forest terrain + level 2 or 3 soviet fort levels will be really annoying to punch through, especially since you'll run into their back lines with same issue.

[tumbi1]

Sorry, newbie here (only tried one 41 campaign so far). I reached the edge of Smolensk at the end of turn 6, as I was worried about supplies, and I have now indeed run into supply problems. I am obviously doing something wrong. Also I am using FOW, and run into the Russians each time I try a push forward by mobile units. This is a bit of a double up, as I have just posted a similar thread. Not sure how to delete the thread?