It reduces the manpower pool available, meaning the Red Army will have a much more difficult time rebuilding its forces. Moscow is also home to a lot of industry. I don't know how many factories the Russians managed to relocate, but industrial production will certainly suffer. The fielding of brigades instead of full divisions is a definite sign that the Red Army has massive problems rebuilding its shattered forces.



It depends. Units cut off will start surrendering after 1-2 weeks by themselves, but I've also seen units still fighting after four weeks. It mainly depends on morale. Their combat value will drop sharply after a full turn of encirclement. I don't think there's a difference between tank and infantry formations in WitE. But of course without fuel the combat value of armoured units suffers horribly.

Since I want to clear out that pocket before the blizzards hit I'll start clearing the Kessel next round.


Turn 23, November 20th 1941

The giant Kessel between Velikie Luki, Rzehv and Vyzhnyvolocheck has been closed! 100+ Soviet formations of brigade and division strength have been surrounded! A cautious estimate puts the number of encircled troops at around 350.000 men.



The trapped troops are already separated by at least 40-50 miles from friendly lines, there's no chance for them escaping any more. 6th Panzerdivision took Vyzhnyvolochek in heavy fighting, which will be an important part of a planned defensive line Vyzhnyvolochek-Torzhok-Kalinin linking the Leningrad and Moscow fronts. Torzhok will fall next week and I'll try as best as I can to take Kalinin, too.

The larger map shows the importance of cutting off that front bulge:



In the Moscow sector I conduct some limited attacks to remove strong Russian forces from the north side of the Oka river. An ad-hoc group involving 7th Panzerdivison, Grossdeutschland regiment, SS Das Reich MotInf division and two infantry divisions throw the Soviets back, although Grossdeutschland suffered serious casualties in the process.




On the central sector of the front Voronezh is taken by 137th and 263rd infantry divisions against fanatical resistance of NKVD troops and two rifle brigades! Supported by everything that XI corps could muster more than 500 artillery pieces were used to smash the Russian positions. With the Red Army fleeing the city 3rd and 4th Panzerdivisions cross the Don.



In the south three infantry corps and one Panzerkorps converge on Voroshilovgrad. In front of my advancing forces in this sector are only battered remains of brigades and divisions with minimal combat value.



All along the front I keep reorganizing my Corps. The rapid advance through the southern steppes and the quagmire of the Rasputitsa having lead to sometimes miserably mixed up units. On happy note: on a 400 mile stretch from Orel to Rostov an organized Soviet front line has disintegrated with resistance limited to local concentrations of smaller formations.

A typical "battle" in this sector is a single, understrength, untrained Soviet rifle brigade with around 2.000 men seriously lacking heavy weapons getting attacked by a veteran German infantry division with 15.000-18.000 men, with a full complement of artillery. The result is rather predictable.

On the Crimea my forces have reached the outskirts of Feodosiya, sealing off the peninsula towards the east. I will dig in here, hoping to defend the isthmus against any attacks. Sevastopol is far too well manned and fortified to take with my limited forces, I will contend myself with sealing it off and hope for spring. There are 9 full Russian divisions in that fortress and because of its port I can't simply starve them. Digging them out will be nasty business and will require at least another full infantry corps.