Defense of Beuthen, Chorzow & Katowice. P-39

[Steel God]

[quote pid="459436" dateline="1779027479"]
I am the German commander of GruppeSud in the CG (it's a 3 player game, 2 Germans, 1 Pole).  The 23rd and 55th PD, indeed the entirety of GO Slask and GO Bielsko were immolated in the Katowice pocket we created.  The attached image shows the jump map from that game at a point sometime between days 3 and 4 of the battle.  You can see the pockets created (and by passed) in the lower left of the map, while the 10th Army Spearheads are half way to Radom.

I can not categorically state that defending this area is a net negative VP wise for the Poles because a) I have only these 2 examples to base it on (too small a data set) and b) I've not yet tried my hand as the Poles (possible biased perception).  But I can say with some confidence that the defenses in the area will hurt the Germans only if the German Commander obliges the Poles by attacking directly into them.  Given their vastly more mobile formations, I just don't know why the German would do it, unless he is compelled to.  My limited experience says there is not much the Poles can do to compel me to do that.

The jump map shows dramatic German brakethroughs. If you're going to lose GO Slask and GO Bielsko and all their component assests you should fight it out in all those prepared positions. All those forts, pillboxes and bunkers are there for a reason. The Poles can't fight this one out in open ground. German infantry have soft target fire values of 9 and 11. The Poles 5. Do the math. The jump map suggests the Poles are done for. Evidently they opted for some sort of strategic retreat abandoning all their forts and adjacent -50% industrial hexes. Hey- you dig in on an industrial hex and it's - 90% !! Those hexes can hold a long time. Those forward prepared positons must be held. Early in the game the Poles have c. 90 RR capacity. They have massive strength that needs to mount up on RR and get centralized. In the meantime those prepared positions must be held to hold onto space. 
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Nope, no strategic retreat.  They fought tenaciously in their border positions (and died in them).  The great thing about war gaming is we are free to try out our own strategies and can agree to disagree.

Good Luck, and Good Gaming; always.