ORIGINAL: jwolf
By 1943, with the higher morale (and more supply), I reckon I can push a lot of rifle divisions to 3 cv and line rifle corps to 10-12. At that stage I think I can start to exert pressure on multiple points. Hopefully, I can start to present the historical dilemma to the Germans, if they concentrate to really lash back, I can exploit the gaps, if they remain dispersed, they will struggle to do much more than hang onto increasingly fraying defensive lines.
I think you are right -- but it will take time, maybe the entire 1943 summer campaign season. Of course your job would be easier if SigUp's forces suffered a defeat similar to the historical one at Kursk, but I suspect that SigUp's strategic management is better than Hitler's. [;)]
That one battle with AFV losses 100-0 must have been humiliating. You have proven, however, that you can crack a fortified line. The question is if you can keep up the pressure (not yet, but soon) faster than he can rebuild the forts.
Good luck with what looks like a brutal winter campaign.
Judging by his performance so far, I doubt he has any intention to give me a Stalingrad or Kursk style freebie. I'm dreading the arrival of all those elite SS units in spring 1943.
my basic plan is that I can exhaust his handful of elite units faster than my more numerous, but less competent, units run into the ground.
At the moment it looks like each major sector of the front has 1 Pzr Corps in position, so in those battles at Tambov, I'd spotted another collection to the west (of which some intervened to stop 6 Army) and more to the south (too far to react), so basically his 14 Pzr corps ends up running around. Few turns of that and they'll need to go to the rear.
More importantly, if he really wants to stop me at Tambov, he'll need another Pzr Corps. Sooner or later that has to leave somewhere very exposed, but its then unknown if I can take advantage. The gain for 1943 is with a bit of time (to rebuild morale) and shifting more armies to a core of rifle corps + artillery divisions, then I can attack any weak sector without having to shift in my reserves in order to do so.
My tank losses are inflated by the uselessness of the T-60s and the relative vulnerability of the T-70s. Clearly when I lose, I lose a lot, but its something I can stand for some time. Keeping my current army of 7.7m and 8,000 tanks is relatively easy given what I have in the pools.
Next turn will see the VVS start to convert to 32 plane squadrons. I'll need to do some juggling but that will again pull a lot out of the pools, esp Il-2s, so my ability to hit him across the entire front goes up. Equally important, it'll be less obvious that I am building up for an attack signalled by the arrival of substantial air assets.