Introduction

This article describes a possible German attack against Fred Allen's Soviet deployment, one of the six setups that were published in TEMs # 21 and # 22. In carrying out the attack I simulated average die rolls to produce expected combat results, and destroyed Soviet units with 455 attack strength points (294 isolated), two river flotillas, and three Stalin Line forts by the end of the Axis regular Jun II 41 turn. This is about 100 strength points above average, sufficient that I felt describing the methods used would be of interest to Europa players, particularly new players. I like to read articles that provide ideas on how to play the game, such as Trey Nelson's article on the VVS in TEM # 26, and Rick Gayler's various "trick" comments. In a similar vein, the attack methods used against Fred's deployment demonstrate many useful techniques. The article is written for beginning players, and so veterans should excuse my stating the obvious.

The whole purpose of any Soviet defensive set-up is to prevent as much damage by the Germans as possible. To achieve this end, one should first study German capabilities.

German units have greater mobility than Soviet units, and the MP costs for moving through ZOCs are especially low for the Axis in June and July of 1941. Axis units can use this superior movement capability to surround Soviet units and attack them from the rear (i.e., from the east westward). A surrounded unit that can only retreat through ZOCs is destroyed with no possible loss to the attackers at odds of 6:1 (0), since DR results become DEs when retreating through ZOCs. The same attack when the unit is not surrounded would require 8:1 odds (a DH result has the same effect as a DE against a single unit).

Die-roll modifications can change the odds required. The German has two movement and combat phases, and an exploitation phase before the Soviet can react on Jun II 41. The German can therefore use his surprise attack to open gaps. In the regular Jun II 41 turn he can then attack from the rear as well as attack hexes further to the east. This cannot be prevented. However, if there are any gaps during the surprise movement phase, then the German surprise attack is more devastating. This can be prevented.

The Germans can be quite restricted in the surprise attack turn. There are only a limited number of hexes the Germans can attack due to the compressed frontier frontage. The Germans can stack an average of about 35 attack strength points per hex across the entire frontier at start. Against some Soviet defenses, however, not all German units are able to get involved in the surprise attack. This is because the Soviets have minimized the number of hexes that can be attacked during the surprise turn (this can be as low as 35 hexes).

Thus, out of the 1,121 attack strength points available to the Germans in the surprise attack, a significant number of might not be able to participate. And unless the German is willing to make 4:1 and 5:1 attacks along the entire front line, some front-rank Soviet units will not be attacked in the surprise attack turn at all. Clearly, those that are not attacked or survive the surprise attack can be attacked in the regular turn, but the more units that survive the surprise attack, the harder it is to kill them all in the regular turn.

Therefore, it is more important for the Soviets to make the surprise attack difficult for the Germans than the regular Jun II attack. In the regular Jun II attack the German has more hexes to attack from, which means that more ground strength can be directed against any one hex. Air units can also be added as ground support where more force is required than ground units can provide. (They should not be added during the surprise attack, because they are needed to make the surprise air attack against the Soviet Air Force. Any German player who uses the Luftwaffe for any other purpose during the surprise attack is inviting defeat.)

Blunting the special capabilities of German units is also important. One effective use of armor effects is to team a panzer division with 6 REs of armorneutral units and 18 REs of units with no armor effects capability. This is still a +1 attack due to 1/7 AECA. Almost as good is to team a panzer division with 6 REs of neutral units in a +3 attack, where the defender has no anti-tank capability. The plus modifiers from AECA can increase effective attack strength by about 15%. (However, keep in mind there are times when it is necessary to make a panzer attack against difficult terrain in order to gain a positional advantage for later.)

To counter this, the best use of Soviet tank and anti-tank units is in the first line of hexes, not the second. It is especially difficult for the Germans to attack a series of adjacent hexes that are swamp, forest, fort, and full ATEC, and the Soviets can form such a line in the Ukraine. This can mean that a few more units will likely survive the surprise attack. With fewer hexes from which to attack the second line and more units to attack, the regular Jun II attack is made more difficult. Tank units lose their armor effects when they are placed in forest or swamp hexes. Therefore, place them in clear, rough, or woods terrain to get the most out of them. Where the Germans must attack head-on against a line of hexes, the attacks should be sequenced so that some units advance after combat to surround hexes that are attacked later in the phase with ZOC's.

The set-up rules limit the number of units that can be placed in any one area. This and the capabilities of the German units force the Soviets to adopt certain defensive strategies. The Soviet defense must be designed to minimize as many German capabilities as possible. The defense should have a solid line of hexes from the Baltic Sea to the Hungarian border occupied by enough defense strength points so that any given hex cannot be overrun. In the Pripyat Marsh some hexes can be left unoccupied due to the terrain effects on combat/motorized (hereafter c/m) movement in swamp and forest hexes. (However, be careful- the German cavalry and Jager divisions can move quickly through this terrain.)

The Soviets should assume that every hex the Germans can attack in the surprise turn will be destroyed, and then calculate where the Germans can reach from there. Those hex that can be attacked must not allow the Germans to move on to key locations. The Soviets can then place a stop line out of the reach of the invading Germans. However, the Soviets must ensure that the Germans cannot overrun the hexes of the stop line, including the possibility that the Germans might forego attacking during the regular Jun II combat phase in order to move further east for the express purpose of conducting an overrun against the stop line during the Jun II exploitation phase.

In the Baltic and Western MDs, a second line of hexes will prevent movement east by infantry and deep penetration by c/m units. It is possible to have a second line of seven defense points in every third hex from the Baltic to the Pripyat Marsh. This can be done if every available defense point in the Baltic MD is used, and by defending hexes 1B:2323, 1B:2422, and 1B:2522 instead of directly on the border. In the Ukraine, a solid second line is both possible and necessary; even a third line is feasible.

Fred's defense violates many of the above principles, and the ill effects of this can be demonstrated by what happens in only a few key hexes.

[In fairness to Fred, we should acknowledge that he was brave enough in the first place to publish his deployment, knowing that others around the country would be doing just what Howard is doing here. Also, that particular deployment is many months old and Fred has quite possibly made adjustments since its publication. -VAH]

North of the Pripyat Marsh

Hex 1B:2423 is the first key hex. It was defended by 5 defense points--and it was overrun. I used 12-10 and 11-10 panzer divisions; a 9-10 motorized division, 5-3-8, 3-2-8, and 3-1-8 artillery units; and a 4-2-10* panzer and 3-6* infantry regimental breakdown. It should be obvious to every wargamer that the best use of the gap created by this overrun is to move the bulk of Army Group North through the gap to surround and attack from the rear the rest of the Soviet frontier forces in the Baltic MD. As a result of this, all Soviet units from 1B:2124 to 1B:2720 were killed.

This allowed c/m units, in the regular Jun II turn, to reach 1B:1815 and 1B:1916, and artillery units to reach 1B:1817 and 1B:1917. Riga was attacked at 6:1 (surrounded) using only ground units. One panzer division attacked Daugavpils (1B:2512) and in the exploitation phase overran the Soviets at Polotsk (1B:2906). The rest of the force that could exploit formed a solid line from 1B:1612 to 1B:2511. This defense line included "mini-divisions". A mini-division is any hex with an artillery unit (for support) stacked with miscellaneous c/m units. My favorite is a motorized artillery regiment, a 2-10 heavy AA regiment and two assault gun battalions. It is full ATEC, full AECA, and 1/2 AECD.

Much of the area behind this forward defense line (after exploitation) was occupied by units or placed in APZOCs. This was to prevent partisans from being placed in such a way as to prevent German admin movement into the area during July. (Movement interference is the most effective use for partisans in the first two months of the war.) Against Fred, many AGN infantry divisions could actually admin move (after advancing in the surprise attack phase) into the Baltic MD during the regular Jun II turn.

Proper spacing of German rear-area troops can also insure that forward c/m units have an occupied hex they can retreat to. Further, it helps to minimize the effects of any Soviet breakthroughs.

A 2-10 motorized engineer regiment passed through 1B:2423 and built a temporary airfield in 1B:2212 in the regular Jun II turn. Two fighters provided ground support at Wilno, then returned to the temporary field in 1B:2212 to provide air cover for the forward defense line.

Two He 111 H aircraft staged through the airfield in 1B:2212 to bomb the MoscowLeningrad rail line. Ants (any 1-10 or 0-1-10 units) moved through the gap and eventually occupied 1B:0907, 1B:2006, 1B:2602, 1B:2507, 1B:3003, 1B:3105, 1B:3008, 1B:3505 and 1B:3604. If you have heard or read about the "ant problem" this is what was meant. Such placement of ants hinders (by occupation and ownership of hexes) an effective Soviet response to the rapid German advance. The purpose is to maintain the German tempo for the July turns.

It is not possible for any Soviet deployment to prevent an attack on Riga. Since an attack can be made, the Soviet player has the option of making it easy or difficult. Most players try to make it difficult, with varying degrees of success. The usual method is to have hex 1B:2123 occupied with seven defense points (after retreats). Only units with 10 movement points can then attack Riga, and then only from across a river. This means that capturing Riga will require large quantities of c/m troops and air power. These forces could put their unique capabilities to better use elsewhere.

However, it might be even better to let the Germans take Riga easily. If 24 c/m factors can attack from the east they are nearly certain to subdue Riga with minimal air support since they will both surround the city and be across the Dvina River. This article demonstrates how far east the German can exploit if the defense of Riga attracts a crowd.

Only aggressive Germans would give up an attack by two or three c/m divisions just to move a little further past Riga. Defending Riga in strength is costly for the Soviets in terms of units that could otherwise be placed on the front lines or spared altogether-not defending Riga might allow nondivisional units to be placed in the rear, at Narva for example. If one adopts this "runaway" concept of defense, then all other areas of the defense should also place minimal strength on the front line. However, this will allow most German players to kill all front-line Soviet units with ground units alone, in turn opening the door for more aggressive penetration deep into the Soviet rear.

If not needed for ground support, Axis air units can fly other missions, like bombing marshalling yards. Roy Lane tells me he once reduced the Soviets to 11 rail capacity through marshalling-yard strikes during the Jun II turn. However, if the Soviets are aware of the risk, they can take steps to make attacks on marshalling yards harder (placement of fighters and flak), or less effective (placement of units within administrative movement range of where they may be needed). For instance, Fred places a large number of units in Kalinin (2A:2721); these can almost reach Leningrad using admin movement.

Daugavpils (a crucial bottleneck to the German advance) cannot be attacked in the regular Jun II turn if the Soviets set up directly along the border and there is no gap or overrun allowed. If the town itself is defended by six defense points it cannot be overrun in the exploitation phase (one of the two 5-3-8 motorized artillery regiments begins the game too far away with Panzergruppe Guderian).

Hex 1B:3019 is the second key hex. In this area Fred uses the river as part of his defense, a ploy that can cause the Germans some problems. But gaps (i.e., bridgeheads) can be made in the surprise turn and follow-up attacks in the regular turn can be very costly to the Soviet. I attacked hex 1B:3019 with two 7-6 and two 8-6 infantry divisions, a 6-10 motorized division and enough artillery for a 7:1 (-3) attack. This ensured that the hex would be taken.

My die roll turned out to be the worst result--a DR. But even this bad luck was overcome. The next attack was against the hex to the south (1B:3120). The attack was by three 8-6 infantry divisions, three 2-1-10 assault guns and two 5-factor artillery units. This was a 5:1 (+1) surrounded attack. The worst that could happen was for a cadre to retreat, which would cause no problem. In the regular turn the 6-10 motorized division reached 1B:3015. Wilno (1B:3016) and the rest of the defense line was defeated (surrounded and isolated). Exploitation by the c/m units was to the northeast.

As an aside, most Soviet players defend directly along the border of the Baltic MD instead of trying to use the river. This keeps the German infantry units a few hexes further away from Moskva in the area that is the closest to it at the start of play.

Hex 1B:3320 is the third key hex. Even a river defense (deploying the main line behind the Nieman River in the Baltic MD) such as Fred's should defend 1B:3220 in strength. This attack shows why. Hex 1B:3320 was attacked from 1B:3220 with a force consisting of three 12-10 panzer divisions, a broken down motorized division, a 2-10 heavy AA regiment, a 5-3-8 c/m artillery regiment, and a 3-8 artillery regiment, which resulted in a 6:1 (+2) attack. This guaranteed that the defending division would be eliminated (since a DH is as good as a DE against a single unit). From 1B:3320 this powerful force was able to reach several key hexes during the Jun II turn.

One 12-10 moved to 1B:3715. The motorized division and the artillery units moved to 1B:3615. The two Soviet divisions in hex 1B:3614 were destroyed with the assistance of heavy ground support by the Luftwaffe. The Stalin Line fort in 1B:3813 was overrun in the exploitation phase. Another 12- 10 went to 1B:3917. A 1-10 AA unit moved to 1B:3717 which isolated and surrounded the defender in 1B:3816. In the exploitation phase, the panzer division overran 1B:4109, but stayed in 1B:4110. The 1-10 AA unit exploited to 1B:4111, which prevented the Soviets from placing a partisan there. Otherwise, a partisan could be placed in the hex and if the panzer division were forced to retreat it could be forced to retreat into a hex in a ZOC. That's how a partisan unit can kill a panzer division.

The third 12-10 broke down into supported regiments. The panzer regiment moved to 1B:3521. One motorized regiment entered 1B:3319, thus completing the surrounding of 1B:3219. The second motorized regiment overran the airfield in 1B:3621. The second 1-10 heavy AA unit overran the airfield in 1B:4020. The 3-8 artillery regiment from 1B:3121 moved through 1B:3320 to 1B:3420. Some ants also reached 1B:3420. The infantry divisions from 1B:3121 moved to 1B:3320.

Vacant hex 1B:3823 is the fourth key hex. The reserve Jager division from Army Group South reached this hex in the surprise turn. In the regular Jun II turn, the regiments of the division reached 1B:3721 and 1B:3921. A 1-7 security regiment reached 1B:3823 and then 1B:3821. This completed the total encirclement of all Soviet units from 1B:3321 to 1B:3722. Every hex around this pocket was occupied by a German unit. By using air units, every hex was attacked with enough force to require a retreat. No cadres could survive.

Breaking down the 12-10 panzer division was costly (only one RE is full AECA) but it was worth it. I prefer not having to worry about any surviving cadres. Exploiting units formed a solid line from 1B:3811 through 1B:3612 to 1B:3615. Other units exploited to occupy the rail line from 1B:2512 to 1B:3015.

The number of Soviet units that must deploy near Bialystok (1B:3524) means that a solid second line is possible for a few hexes. However, hex 1B:3420 cannot have Soviet units placed in it. Thus, it is impossible to have a completely solid second line-it may be better to put the extra units in the front line for the surprise attack.

Vacant hex 1B:4324 is the fifth key hex. A Jager division reached 1B:4324 in the surprise turn and 1B:4220 in the regular Jun II turn. This completed the isolation of a three-hex pocket from 1B:4121 to 1B:3922, which, in turn, meant the destruction of every Soviet unit from 1B:4121 north to 1B:1611 and east of Minsk (1B:3611), except for one division in 1B:3515. And, after the German exploitation, the Soviets can do little to retaliate in the sector. Moreover, almost everything that was killed was isolated. During the exploitation phase Pinsk (1B:4218) was overrun.

The area behind the German defense line near Minsk was occupied or was in an APZOC. The Soviets cannot prevent German Jul I infantry reinforcements from attacking Minsk during Jul I.

The cavalry division reached 1B:4522 in the surprise turn and 1B:4619 in the regular Jun II turn. The cavalry division is a powerful unit in June. In this article it moved south. Sometimes it can move as far north as 1B:3420, and it is a threat to attack Pinsk. The AGS reserve Jager division can do many of the same things. These divisions in the rear of Soviet units means that some DRs become DEs. Placing more units on the front line prevents such penetrations into the rear. But, usually, the few units that are saved by defending the swamp heavily are not worth the cost in additional units that must be put on the front line to be killed in July. The goal should be to place as few units in the front line as possible, provided no breakthroughs are allowed.

South of the Pripyat Marsh

Hex 1B:4823 is the sixth key hex. It had five defense points-and it was also overrun. Three 11-10 panzer divisions from Army Group Center had just enough movement points to join in the overrun. A broken down motorized division, the 3-10 heavy AA unit, a 5-3-8 and a 3-8 artillery regiment comprised the 50-point overrun stack. I moved a 2-10 heavy AA unit into the hex instead of the 3-10 AA unit. A total of 41 attack points attacked 1B:4822. This was overkill but from 1B:4822 these 10-movement point units reached 1B:5015 and 3B:0116 during the Jun II move. With lots of air support, hexes 1B:5014 and 3B:0115 were attacked (with a 1/6 chance that an antitank unit would survive). This allowed 40 of the 41 attack points to overrun a 4-6 division in 1B:5013 in exploitation. Part of the force also overran a 3-2-8 cadre in 1B:5011.

A different combination overran a Stalin Line fort in 1B:4911. This allowed the remaining 1-10 heavy AA unit to overrun 1B:4710 and occupy 1B:4610. A solid German defense line along 1B:5012-3B:0113- 3B:0114 was formed during the exploitation phase. During the regular Jun II turn a powerful force moved through hex 1B:4822 to such hexes as 1B:5020, 1B:5022 and 3B:0122. A Jager division reached 1B:4819.

This completed the isolation of the Soviet tank divisions in 1B:4720 and 1B:4620. However, both divisions could have surviving cadres retreat. A retreat north into the swamp is no threat to the Germans. And a retreat after combat by the cadre in 1B:4720 can be overrun, which, for demonstration purposes, I overran in 1B:4819, a forest hex.

Hex 3B:0327 is the seventh key hex. Fred left it undefended. In the surprise turn a few units moved into this hex, and then attacked into adjacent hexes. If the Germans had been forced to attack this hex to occupy it they would have had a much more difficult time breaking out in this sector... Anyway, in the regular Jun II turn units moved through this gap to 3B:0122, 3B:0124 and 3B:0422. This completed the isolation of the entire frontier army in the Ukraine. During the exploitation phase, I overran the Stalin Line fort in 1B:4915 and formed a solid line from 3B:0115 to 3B:0124 completing the line that started in 1B:5012. Hexes were occupied or put into an APZOC to ensure full administrative movement through the region during July. The mountain division reached 3B:0825 to attack into a mountain hex.

In the Ukraine, the Soviets must deploy in three solid defensive lines. This allows the 11-6-8 tank divisions to escape. However, due to scarcity of Soviet units, a German mountain, Jager, or c/m division can sometimes turn the Soviet southern flank in the Ukraine. But as with the German cavalry division to the north, it may be better to allow this than use more troops to prevent it.

In any event, keeping the two forward defense lines adjacent to one another provides a safe haven for survivors on the front to retreat. However, the set-up rules do not provide enough Soviet units to construct two solid lines along the border, so the lines must be built further back. With that in mind, there is no point in occupying Lwow unless it is part of the defense line. (By the way, is anyone else out there troubled that the Soviet railroad engineer unit does not have to be placed on a rail line and border guards do not have to be placed adjacent to the border?)

Further south, Fred deployed thinly along the Bessarabian frontier, occupying every third hex. To take full advantage of this, a Rumanian division moved from 3B:3016 to 3B:2916, while artillery units remained behind in 3B:3016 and 3B:3017. Another artillery unit moved to 3B:3018. Other Rumanian divisions moved to 3B:2816, 3B:2817, and 3B:2818, which isolated and surrounded hexes 3B:2917 and 3B:2918. It was not difficult to surround the other units of Fred's every-third-hex defense.

Some Germans and Rumanians moved south to assist the Rumanian 4th Army. To the north, a mountain division moved from 3B:1325 to 3B:1026 which isolated and surrounded another two Soviet divisions. The entire Soviet force near the border was then destroyed except for one division near the Black Sea, which was prevented from escaping by harassment. The Axis forward position in the region at the end of the Jun 11 turn was almost a solid line of troops. There was no place where the Soviet could counterattack with any success.

Normally, Rumania is vulnerable to an attack until Army Group South can come to the rescue. In my opinion, Fred set up too far to the east to counterattack Rumania. It appears as if he was preparing to adopt a run-and-hide strategy.

[Having played Fred before, I can attest that he is a staunch proponent of the "Runaway Defense". -RMG]

Players who heavily defend the Bessarabian border at least preserve the option of attacking Rumania. One possible German countermeasure to this is to strategically rail German divisions to Rumania in June. In one game I used rail to move all of the Rumanian 4th Army north where it joined the 3rd Army in the attack. This meant that Army Group South could save them sooner. The Soviets attacked anyway. (As an aside, the Axis player should never let his Rumanian cadres be destroyed. The Axis player can rebuild about one cadre to division per turn with his Rumanian replacements and special replacements. Rebuilding them in the Soviet Union allows the use of replacement points that otherwise must build units that are held in reserve until released.)

The Arctic

I made a major effort in the Arctic. During June, one division, two HQs and a 0-1-10 light AA unit (to 6A:4426) are moved to the Arctic by sea. Six regiments and a total of 8 resource points are moved to Finland by air (employing three He 111 H air units and four gliders). In the Jul I turn an 8-6 infantry division from the Jul I reinforcements and the 3-2-6 artillery regiment in Riga can move to 5A:2704 in the Arctic. This yields troops for the formation of a four-hex-wide front of hexes with at least twelve attack points and +1 AECA along the road to Kandalaksha. With 24 tactical bombing factors available, a total of 60 factors can attack the point hex (most likely 6A:2426) of the Soviet defense in the sector. Finnish units are used as flankers.

The 4th Mountain Division (which arrives on Jul I) is another good unit to move to the Arctic. This allows the formation of a three-hex front (of seven attack points each) aimed directly at Murmansk from Petsamo. Each of the two roads south of Salla have ten attack points moving down them-enough to overrun weak units along the way. Such an overrun would allow the 3-10 Nord Division to end its movement on or near the rail line to Murmansk.

A mountain division, supplied by air, should move towards 6A:2122. From there it can threaten to occupy the rail line at 6A:2321 or 6A:2018. Remember that it takes resource points to fuel the air units flying missions in the Arctic. Also be careful not to move more than ten Finnish REs out of 1939 Finland north of the 'A' weather line. The cavalry brigade (just south of the 'A' line) and the aforementioned German AA battalion are constant threats to cut the Murmansk rail line. The Soviets can counter each threat but cannot usually counter them all, even if the rail line to Murmansk is not broken by air attack.

The Germans can place two new air units in Norway on Jul I if they deactivate the Hs123A, which circumvents the normally great difficulty in getting reinforcing units to the Arctic. Typically, at the end of a movement phase a divisional HQ can be naval transported to the Arctic while its regiments are still on airfields in Germany. During the air phase the regiments are flown to Finland, but assembly is not allowed at the end of the air phase.

Therefore, only two regiments can be in one hex or one regiment and the HQ. This means the division must be spread all over the Arctic, which makes it harder to reach an attack position and assemble in July. I wonder if the rules designers intended this problem? You might also want to consider moving some Jager units to the Arctic as well. In the Arctic a light infantry unit has more movement capability than any other unit, at least during clear weather.

I made two extended-range bombing attacks on the rail line to Murmansk in the surprise air attack phase, landing in Norway. The He 111 H aircraft I used had to fly over Finland to land in Norway. In the regular Jun II turn, I conducted four normal-range attacks (one staged through 1B:1213) and an air-naval interaction mission intended to keep the destroyer in Arkhangelsk.

Southern Finland is vulnerable to a Soviet attack before winter. Therefore, Finnish forces should always have a second line to make sure they are not cut off from a supply source.

Operations

The situation facing me as I studied Fred's deployment meant that shifting troops north during the surprise turn, then moving them south in the regular Jun II turn was the optimum employment of available forces. However, excess Axis units in the Baltic MD could not reach the Ukraine by operational rail and then attack during the Jun II turn. So I had to move them by rail strategically. This cost three resource points, but was well worth it. More infantry and c/m units ended up south of the Pripyat Marsh than I like from a strategic perspective, but the tactical results fully justified my choice.

There are several ways that the resulting imbalance of forces in the south could be readjusted to the north if I were actually playing this game with Fred. First, the Jul I replacements and reinforcements could be sent north. Most players do this anyway. Also, some units can admin move north, although this takes them out of action for at least one turn. Other units (like those in 3B:0227) can stay on a rail line and be moved by rail to the north.

Unfortunately, this is most useful on Jul I when rail capacity is already in high demand. So adopting such a course would require the expenditure of more resource points. Probably the best operational solution is to advance those units intended for more northerly operations along the south edge of the Pripyat Marsh, and then move them north- east as opportunity occasions. This way, Axis forces can remain in battle with the Soviets for as long as possible.

The two overruns in the surprise attack turn are what allows 450 attack points to be destroyed in this exercise rather than the normal 350. In a normal attack there are about 135 isolated points killed and 215 unisolated. This attack plan kills 294 isolated.

In terms of points destroyed and position gained, the Germans are about a turn ahead of usual, by my estimation. Such is the power of two overruns.

The c/m mega corps cannot profitably be used in June against Fred Allen. But it is within movement distance of Minsk at the end of June. My most memorable event in playing this game is using the mega corps to occupy Minsk in June. If you missed the definition of the mega corps by Roy Lane (he used the term "killer wad") in TEM #17, page 41, it is any stack that contains 60 or more attack points.

The composition of the corps can vary slightly, but my favorite mix consists of three 12-10 panzer divisions, two 5-3-8 c/m artillery regiments, Grossdeutsch land Regiment (4-10*), and two 5-3-10 panzer regiments from 11-10 panzer divisions. The ability to overrun two Soviet divisions in movement and exploitation is a combat multiplier that the German should use to its fullest effect whenever possible.

Roy Lane expressed a reluctance to use the mega corps because it concentrates too much force in one area, allowing the Soviets to hinder future movement. I welcome the opportunity. The mere threat forces the Soviets to maintain a front line of seven defense points for about 15 hexes, and a second line of 7-point stacks for about 30 hexes. The mega corps can move through the gap it creates and spread its units around to attack different hexes. The two panzer regiments can assemble into panzer divisions for the attack. This reduces the negative aspects. The good outweighs the bad. In theory, the mega corps could perform more than one overrun per phase, but that is rare. One overrun per turn can be very damaging to a defense, however.

The railroad engineers (and engineers for quick construction and rail line repair) in the Ukraine are placed to move to 1B:4915 and start regauging. This start point is the closest to Kiev. It is a good starting hex even if it is necessary to by-pass Kiev. The fastest way to regauge one stretch of rail line is to start regauging with one regiment (and engineers) and administrative move one regiment (and engineers) forward. The second regiment can regauge eight hexes before the first regiment regauges the twelve hexes to where the second regiment starts.

With the attack plan in this article, on Jul I, one regiment can move to 1B:5013 while regauging two hexes. The other regiment can move to 1B:5013 and regauge it. Army Group South creates a corridor for the next turn's administrative movement. On Jul II one regiment can regauge four hexes. The other regiment can move to 3B:1007 and regauge through 3B:1003 by Sep 1. The first regiment completes regauging to 3B:1007 and move to 4A:1230 on Sep I and joins the spearhead in 4A:1721 on Sep II. Even if there is mud weather on Oct I, if the two units work towards each other they can complete regauging to 4A:1721 on Nov I.

The Soviet should try to delay or otherwise interfere with this schedule. If you use the rules from TEM #19, pages 9 and 10, make appropriate adjustments. Adding the third regiment is not worth it; regauging towards Odessa through Lwow is also important. Engineers with six movement points are the most efficient for quick construction, especially the punitive battalion and the Italian regiment. The railroad engineers in the center are ready to start regauging in 1B:2309. This is one hex closer to Moskva than the Minsk route and does not have the defensible terrain in the west that Minsk does.

The way the air rules work the Soviet will have about the number of air units available on Jun II as its group allowance. For the next six months it will have fewer air units than its group allowance. However, by no later than May, 1942, the Soviet will be disbanding air units. The Soviet has a lot of garbage air units to disband. I will not put many of these planes at risk because I would rather save the pilots. They are ultimately disbanded after having done little for the cause.

There is another way to use them. The rules do not say who places their air units first after the surprise air attack. The Soviet should be busy placing his rear units. After the German has placed his, the Soviet can use that placement, the results of the surprise attack and his experience to make an estimate of where the German planes will move and be used. If he places an I-153 within intercept range, then the German will have his plans disrupted. He will have to send escorts. Patrol attacks may return a few units. If escorts are carrying bombs they can be intercepted if that will change the combat odds, but not under any other circumstance. The risk of loss of the pilots is not worth the possible payback. These air units will be overrun.

So what?

That does not cost any pilots. Hex 1B:3522 in connection with 1B:3321 makes an interesting combination in the north. In the south, 1B:4822 and 3B:0123 are the best combination. Bombers, such as SB-2's, could be placed in 1B:1724 and 1B:1421. They could bomb a rail line. The German will have to overrun them. This could take the German out of his way. Other bombers could be placed near the front (but not in a hex that can be overrun) in the hope that the German would waste his air units by bombing them. In this manner the garbage units can do more than wait to be disbanded.

The ten Soviet airfields that start near the border should be placed so they are of little use to the Germans. This means they should be twenty-three hexes from the Luga River and ten hexes from Minsk. Hex 1B:3624 meets this requirement. Most of the airfields should be placed in the south unless the Soviet plans to make a major stand at the Stalin Line. Eight airfields will fit in the Ukraine. They are too far from Kiev to be used by the short range air units and unnecessary for the long range air units. I think the set-up rules should say two or three must be in the Baltic MD, three or four in the Western MD, and three or four in the Kiev MD.

The German aborted units from the surprise turn should be placed close to the border in the expectation they will be repaired in the Jun II turn and in the hope that they will be close enough to the front when they are repaired. I am sure many players use the German air in support of the units furthest to the east. But what about the rest. Assume there are two attacks, and one ground unit and one air unit to assist the attacks.

The ground unit should make the attack furthest east. The air unit the one furthest west. If there is a choice of what air unit should make an attack, then the air unit with the lowest movement rating should make the attack furthest east. This allows the air unit to return to a base furthest to the east. It is no accident that some Ju88A's attack so close to the German border in this demonstration.

A Soviet air attack against German rail lines can have the most effect on Jun II 41. At the end of June the German has a lot of infantry near the border and has a lot of units that enter Jul I. Rail breaks have their greatest effect on the German in the Jul I turn by preventing the rapid movement of infantry into certain areas.

The German will be able to use rail somewhere but the Soviet should try to deny one or more areas. The rail lines are more vulnerable to air attacks once regauging starts, but there is less effect on the movement of German units because most have moved past the railhead in the Jul I turn. In this exercise, from Riga to the Black Sea, there is a solid line of hexes covered by Axis patrol attacks. Most rail lines are covered by interceptors. There are a few hexes with AA in them. There are engineers nearby, often in pairs, who could move, by rail if necessary, and repair a break in the Jul I turn. The rail lines are protected.

There are subtle things that prevent the German from occupying Kiev with a panzer division in June and putting the entire Soviet army in the Ukraine out of supply. Kiev is occupied by a 2-3-6 artillery unit, a point of flak and the 0-5 construction engineer. None of these units by themselves have a defense factor. But per Rule 14B, the 0-5 engineer unit allows the artillery unit to defend with its full defense value. This makes no sense in reality, but a rule is a rule.

If Kiev had no defense value then an airlanding unit could land adjacent in the regular turn to attack and occupy the city. If fighters are placed in Kiev then as many escorts as needed could fly at extended range to protect the transports. Several panzer divisions start the exploitation phase ten hexes away. If another division started the exploitation phase in 1B:5019 and was used to do the overrun in 1B:5013, then one of the other three divisions could occupy the airlanding-captured and occupied Kiev.

Hex 3B:1415 can be attacked from 3B:1416 and 3B:1516 by the Rumanian cavalry divisions, the Rumanian armored division, artillery, the 11th Army German c/m units and as much air as is needed to destroy the defending 3-4-7 mountain division. Three ants can enter the hex and exploit to 3B:1812, 3B: 1709 and 3B:0909. A fourth ant could capture 3B: 1410. The remaining c/m units could exploit back one hex to form a solid defense line. This would mean every rail line into the Ukraine would have a German ground unit occupying it. This cuts the supply line. I think the Soviet commander in the Ukraine would fail a morale check in this event. Also note that all the hexes occupied by only siege artillery are very vulnerable to any airlanding attacks.

Most of the success of the attack described here is due to regular Jun II attacks against units that were almost all isolated and surrounded. The technique of attacking every other hex so the rest of the line cannot retreat except through a ZOC is used in the surprise attack but is not needed in the regular attack. To the extent possible, mountain units attack into mountain hexes; air support is used where other units are halved; artillery attacks where other units are halved; troops move east to attack and air attacks in the west; short-range air attacks in the cast and long range air attacks in the west; assault guns are used to obtain +1 attacks in combination with infantry divisions, and combined arms attacks (+1) are made wherever possible.