Surprise Turn

Things are tough on the right flank around Brest. 2nd Panzer sends the cavalry division through the swamp, around the right flank, to cut off any retreats towards Pinsk. I trash the first defense line in hexes 1B:4023 and 4123 hoping to eventually head down the Brest-Baranowicze road. The second line is overrun proof, so it will have to be attacked next turn. Brest is too strong to take, so we'll wait for the Reds to become U-2. Let 'em eat grass.

In the center, 4th Army overruns some border guards with infantry and attacks up the Bialystok road. I barely take forest hex 1B:3523 with an infantry attack. The road hex in 1B3:3623 falls. Further north, all 9th Army can do is blast the weakest hex (1B:3321) and veer north of all the strong Soviet armor southwest of Grodno.

On the left flank, 3rd Panzer blasts 11th Army and gains a bridgehead across the Neman. Now that we're all on the same side of the river, the rest of the Soviet divisions can be overrun in Jun II. Overall, my attacks succeeded, but I like to make automatic-odds attacks to keep surprises down.

June II

On my right flank, the cavalry division moves again and gets behind his second defense line. Cutting off retreat routes with a ZOC means a DR does not doom your breakthrough chances. This is important since the Russians are in favorable terrain with ATEC (-2 in total). For the Soviets, choice deployment of antitank units can really make a difference. Along the BrestBaranowicze road, I blow a twohex wide hole 013:4122 and 4022) through the second line. 2nd Panzer can finally break out in the exploitation phase; however, they can only reach four hexes south of Minsk. I swing some motorized behind Soviet 10th Army around 1B:3721 to cut off any retreat. Luftwaffe flak units are a must to send with motorized if Soviet armor is around. No Soviets will get away in the AGC area. Brest is still eating grass.

In my center, 4th Army has slower going against all the armor around Grodno. Moving up the road, I blast a Red cavalry division in the second line (1B:3622). However, I can't exploit since there is no panzer division in the area. Why do I always seem to be one panzer division short? In the mechanized phase I divert a motorized division and a motorized artillery from 2nd Panzer to 4th Army.

On my left flank with 3rd Panzer, it's HOT TIME in Russia. I overrun four divisions: two armor and two infantry on the east side of the Neman river. I even manage to overwhelm an armor division with a 40-point infantry stack! (three 8-6, three 2-8, and two 5-3-6/8 art). Now there is a huge hole to mech move through. Next turn, infantry can pour through using admin. movement. After overrunning, I send a second smaller wave of motorized to attack Daugavpils. I get a DR, but the commandos do their job and cut off the retreat. In the mech phase, armor reaches Minsk and cuts it off, except for one hex in the north where I can only get a ZOC. In the Soviet turn, he will probably move into the hex and restore supply. So much for a quick U-2.

In the Center of It All Planning the 1941 Invasion of the USSR

Introduction and Initial Set Up
Surprise and Jun II Turns
Jul, Aug, and Sep Turns
Oct, Nov, Dec Turns
Summary