Invading the Soviet Union as Germany in the Blitzkrieg Scenario

[jaksmit1521]

Hi, I'm a big WWII history fanatic and like to play as close to realistic as I can get when being Germany in HOI4 with the Hydra update. Unfortunately I am having a hell of a time invading the Soviet Union around June 1941. I never have enough divisions to break the pact and end up having to wait until August to launch Operation Barbarossa. By that time the Soviets have more than enough time to prepare and they push me back! Is there something I'm doing wrong? Please help!

[The Notorious GSB]

Surely if you're invading the Soviets in a realistic scenario you're expecting to be pushed back?

How many divisions short are you? I've never had that as a problem, to be honest. What is it that's limiting your ability to produce more?

[ᛁᛖᛊᚢᛊ ᚨᚱ ᚷᚢᛞ]

In real life Germany invaded the soviet union with 2,5 million men including 3000 tanks and 2000 airplanes. They had three army groups. Army group north, army group center and army group south. The axis forces alltogether made up 4,5 million men. This is more than enough to destroy the soviet union in hearts of iron 4.

Make sure to have realistic numbers and realistic divisions so that you become more successful. Many German infantry divisions during ww2 had tank hunters (STUG, Jagdpanther) in them so put some of those in your infantry divisions to get some extra hard attack against the huge chunk of small tanks that the soviets have. They also tended to have field cannons and artillery cannons not as support companies but as normal companies alongside infantry to be more effective against the Soviet KV-1s and T-34s.

Remember to also use spearhead attacks with Panzer armies. Panzer armies are usually made up 12 panzer divisions and 12 mechanized/motorized divisions. This is so that they can maintain highspeed and high penetration through enemy lines. If you are fighting a lot of infantry you want a lot of soft attack and if you are fighting mechanized or panzers then get more hard attack. Focus on hard attack for your panzers so that they can quickly punch through soviet lines and surround them.

Last night I made the largest encirclement that I have ever done. 1,4 million soviet troops surrounded in a beautiful spearhead encirclement, also called Blitzkrieg. You might know some of this information but I'm saying it anyways just to be sure. You need to have at least 150 divisions when you invade and just train them early in 1940, even if they don't have enough equipment just put them out in the field and exercise them until they are trained. I have even used entierly green divisions when invading the soviet union as long as they have other divisions around them that are trained they will be fine.

[jaksmit1521]

When do you get assault guns and tank destroyers as Germany? I've never been able to get them for some reason. Am i missing something that I havent downloaded or bought?

[ᛁᛖᛊᚢᛊ ᚨᚱ ᚷᚢᛞ]

Originally posted by jaksmit1521:

When do you get assault guns and tank destroyers as Germany? I've never been able to get them for some reason. Am i missing something that I havent downloaded or bought?

When you research tanks there are small icons to the right of every tankpicture in the research menu, these small three boxes constitue anti air tanks, artillery tanks and tank hunter tanks. Research these and you can begin production.

[Captain of the 4th Company]

Are TDs worth it? I mean, when should ine start producing them? Place them in INF divs or in TANK divs?

[jaksmit1521]

Thanks Pallas for the heads up........ Hey I still have a few questions about how to break the non aggression pact in June 1941 and invade the Soviet Union.... How many divisions do you usually place on the border to break the pact?

[andersrlarsen]

if i dont remember wrong, it was simply the amount of divisions that determin wheter you can break the pact.
so, you can simply just make a template with only 1 single infantry brigade, and then mass produce that division and place them on the border. this make it easy to build up the necessary divisions, but they wont be much use once the war begin.

[ᛁᛖᛊᚢᛊ ᚨᚱ ᚷᚢᛞ]

Originally posted by jaksmit1521:

Thanks Pallas for the heads up........ Hey I still have a few questions about how to break the non aggression pact in June 1941 and invade the Soviet Union.... How many divisions do you usually place on the border to break the pact?

It depends, sometimes I use 150 divisions and other times I use 250 divisions. It depends on my playstyle. It should work as long as you have over 100 divisions which you should have before you invade France.

[ᛁᛖᛊᚢᛊ ᚨᚱ ᚷᚢᛞ]

Originally posted by Captain of the 4th Company:

Are TDs worth it? I mean, when should ine start producing them? Place them in INF divs or in TANK divs?

Tank Hunters are fantastic, I always use them in my infantry divisions and they usually constitute 1-2 companies in my infantry division. 2 if the combat width is 40 and 1 if it's 20. It provides really good hard attack for the infantry and they can also be used in panzer divisions without slowing anyone down which is preferable to me at least.