Question for experienced players

[Gris]

I only realized last turn before the screen shots above that my units adjacent to the enemy will not upgrade their equipment or will do so slowly while withdrawn and set to refit will do it much quicker.  I had noticed that a bunch of my units were still using T60s instead of T70s.

The refit system has received many changes, but to my knowledge this part of 18.3. Refit Mode still applies.

18.3. Refit Mode - All ground units in refit mode will have the first opportunity to receive replacements during the refit sub-segment. Refit mode allows the player to set up two groups of units, those that will receive replacements first, and those that will receive replacements only after those in the refit group have received as much as they can get given their distance from the nearest railhead. Units in refit mode are normally the only units to receive upgraded equipment, unless the pool of older equipment runs out, at which point units without refit enabled would upgrade if there is newer equipment available.

With the A & B refit system, two groups of units are prioritized over normal replacements. From the What's new PDF.

V1.08.00 – October 21, 2014 New features 1. Reworked ground element upgrade, swap and replacement formulas (including training, sending back damaged or excess elements, converting support squads and adjusting morale and experience) from the ground up. It should result in better utilization of ground pools and choosing better models on upgrade or swap, prioritizing units in the rear over those on the front. Also, it should prevent units on the front from being starved of replacements, by reserving part of manpower, armaments and equipment pools for their use. Refit replacement segment was split into two parts, A and B. In part A only combat units on refit and support units attached to them get replacements. They have a chance to use more manpower, armaments and equipment than their numbers suggest. In part B the units that are considered to be always on refit (like HQs with support units attached to them, airbases and rail construction units) get replacements. This allows the player to better control the units that get replacements, where previously most of the available manpower was used on keeping the HQs up to strength, while combat units were sucked dry. The logistics phase log now gives a much better overview of replacements process.

You have two group always receiving the new equipment and one of those groups (support units) you cannot turn on and off. This is why it is important to rotate armies from time to time out of combat to refit. With the exception of 1941, I have three Soviet Armies in a Front. 3 in combat and one in reserve on refit mode.

Pro Tip: A Soviet Army has a Command Capacity of 18. A Soviet Front has a Command Capacity of 72 allowing 4 Armies. It is effective in 4/42 after the first Blizzard and is the basis of your Soviet force structure. Organizing your force around this structure can help you Commander, manage your refit and replacement system. 3 fighting, 1 resting. 

In addition, the following rule is no longer in effect to minimize player management. 18.2.2. Ground Element Replacements and TOE limited Soviet and Axis Infantry TOEs to 60% and 80% respectively. This was rescinded in V1.08.01 – December 5, 2014, Item #1. Which added another demand to the replacement pool, but reduced the burden on the player to rotate so many units in lieu of the historical outcome, to raise the TOE above this limitation.

Pro Tip: Setting units to refit at least 10 hexes from enemy units on an active rail line will give you the maximum benefit of receiving replacements, moral, experience, and equipment upgrades in the shortest amount of time.

Another excellent point. Keeping a reserve and rotating units out to upgrade and maintain you units is essential for any warfighting effort.

- Gris