Soviet situation at start of turn 9:
The battle for Kharkow is over, the struggle to keep Axis from crossing the Donetz is about to start.
After giving up on Kharkow I continue to pull back there. I have better plans for my 6A than leaving it stranded behind a blown bridge for no return on investment. Being able to immediately repair this Kharkow bridge again is kind of helpful for my retreat over this major river called Donetz.
I decide to test my Sturmoviks after seeing Bonners use most of his fighter groups as airbase raiders. I figured he couldn't have much CAP capacity left. Result: 30 of my escorting fighters and 5 IL-2 lost for a handful of his tanks, bad deal (my screenshot of this combat report was too shocked to be saved properly). It's still too early for guerilla tactics in the air, this attack throws back my buildup for contesting air superiority for several turns…
North of Kharkow I see the opportunity to maul two german regiments in a 3-hex attack. One of those breaks right away, while my tanks have to pursue the other one after it panicks and retreats, and kill it on the neighbouring hex.
By the way Stalin was not happy that Kharkow was not liberated. Showing his outstanding situational awareness he immediately orders me to take Feodosiyia on the Crimea by june 7th. No problem for him that Axis 11A has utterly shattered my Crimean Front and that the Crimea is a supply blackhole. He also forgot to add transport planes, an airborne infantry army and 1000 well piloted fighter planes to my forces, so I'll just pretend I never got this brilliant order.
The biggest threat for mankind is ignorance.
