A complete overhaul and re-development of Gary Grigsby's War in the East, with a focus on improvements to historical accuracy, realism, user interface and AI.
I was curious as to the effect on trucks the supply priority of the German motorized corps would have at different priorities at the end of turn one. So, using the Road to Minsk first turn as an example, I have collected data for the entire German side's truck under repair and use when PG2 and PG3 are left on default Supply Priority 4, 3, 2, and 1. Also the LVII corps and one if its units (18 Mot Inf).
As one would expect, but also somewhat revealing too. Being a serial starter, I have many hours playing the Grand Campaign, but have yet to reach September! I plan on starting a new game, and making it to December at least, if not continuing on from that point. I think I'll lower the motorized corps supply priority to "2."
One thing you should take into account, however, is that if you use (and lose) more trucks this turn to stock up on supplies, then if you lower your supply priority next turn, you will not need as many supplies and consequently will use (and lose) fewer trucks next turn.
In addition, at the end of turn 1 the Axis mobile units are typically about 130% or close to it full on supplies and ammo, but fuel is lower. The result of that is that if you set a relatively high supply priority (3 or 4), most of the trucks will be used to bring fuel to the mobile units rather than supply or ammo, since there is already plenty of those. If you use priority 4, it will also bring supply/ammo, but if you are on priority 3, it will pretty much only bring fuel, which results generally in pretty good MP.
So one thing you can consider is going on priority 3 (or 4) but then dropping your supply priority starting on turn 2 (when you will also probably be further from your depots for the most part), rather than dropping immediately to 2.
Also, if you expect the weather to turn bad soon, it may make sense to temporarily raise your supply priority to stock up on supply/ammo/fuel, so that then when the bad weather actually does hit, if you lower your supply priority back down then you won't need to use as many trucks during the bad weather to replenish yourself.
Or alternatively, if this is all too complicated, you can always play the Soviets and just use supply priority 4 for everything without having to think about anything.
Indeed you make some valid points.
My serial restarting continues, as I starved my Motorized Corps attempting to save trucks needing repair.
This is it! I'm going to September without starting over! (I have 416 hours in this game; haven't made it to August even!)
I may drop them to a bit on turn one, and keep them from Priority 4 until a depot is relatively near to them.
I have learned a lot though. Been playing wargames since Avalon Hill's "Arab-Israeli Wars" back in '76 or so. Didn't play WitE or WitW much, really got into WitE2 when it came out, then stayed away for a year or so. I can't stop playing it now though. Best wargame I've ever encountered. Bar none.
Back when WitE2 came out, I did play a long "Vistula to Berlin" campaign as the Soviets. Learned a lot about supply in that campaign. Predictable and rather boring though. Plus, I am a German armor fan. Here's a model of one of Guderian's tanks from the 3rd Pz:
