Ugh uploading the first T8 screen shots. I'm a little pissed at myself still for the debacle on the leningrad border. I think i know why the units i created evaporated. I put some Fort units in place just to stop the finns from crossing the no attack line. BUT i forgot the rail line had been cut so I'm assuming they got no reinforcements and thus just disappeared when the finns marched down. Such a pathetic end to such a great location with potential to tie up german forces.
A mistake i hope my soldiers will forgive me for because it's clear that it will spell trouble for moscow. He's obviously going to once again turn his panzer group in AGN towards the south now. In our last couple games he uses that group as soon as Leningrad is isolated as a northern pincer to form a big old pocket in front of moscow.
When i reviewed screens from our older games in the south he is way ahead of schedule. He is actually a couple turns ahead in the north.
Thankfully i had a date day with the wife today so it was a good time to try to cope with the stresses of dealing with the nightmare. I'm back more refreshed and ready to continue the struggle.
In the south my exuberance for cutting off wiking a 2nd time resulted in the encirclement of two armies. I think i found a hole to rescue them though. Unfortunately they will ultimately die but the 2 lines further east will at least have a few more turns to build up. At this point there is also a pocket a few hexes west of kharkov. The last few games kharkov was a pivotal location that was the location of a few sound winter thumpings for the germans. We have most of the factories out of kharkov including the T34's so i'm hoping to at least use it as a place to slow down the germans.
At this pace though it feels like winter will never get here in time. We have another lines that was started at the start of the war by rostov. We're hoping it doesn't get that far but the way things are going now it might just happen. We will need all the luck we can get in the coming months. Mud starts on T17 right? I can never remember.
That's 9 long turns from now. He might make it to the urals by then.