Need some advice - Krasnaya Polyana

[nubjager]

I recently purchased all the DLC I was missing - no complaints, no big technical difficulties (though the patching process is agonizing... ), but I'm hitting a wall in the Krasnaya Polyana campaign, around turn 4/5. Soviet T-34's and a few KV-1's are making mincemeat of my innumerable halftracks (well, not innumerable anymore...), I have a grand total of two Stugs and no air support or artillery to stem the tide. My attacks are faltering, casualties mounting, and the Stugs are taking a serious beating and it is only a matter of time before they are taken out.

Has anyone here played the KP campaign as the Germans? How'd you do it?

AI command is off; I'm considering turning it on so I can make use of the nice PaK 40's they love to deploy 500m behind the frontline, otherwise, am I missing something obvious?

[Void]

yes turn on AI and it´s quite easy

[Flashburn]

no leave ai off.......use your heavy halftracks in a classic ambush......   lol

[Lemonade]

no leave ai off.......use your heavy halftracks in a classic ambush......   lol

Good luck with this.

Nubjager, I'd say keep Allied AI Command ON at all times. Allied AI is pretty much awful, like a five-year old child playing with plastic toy-soldiers (to me it seems it doesn't have a clue on what to do with his forces on both, the tactical and operational map), so having it act on its own only makes one go bananas. That's odd, considering the enemy AI is pretty good.

I don't have Krasnaya Polana yet, but If your infantry is dug-in then perhaps try deploying it right behind a tree line (if any is available), or right at the start of some reverse slope, so tanks can't shoot them unless they go around. All this on a predicted direction of enemy advance. Keep your StuGs and 251/9 hidden on the flanks until the very last moment, when enemy detects most of your trenches and his tanks are busy spraying their guns at your infantry (CQ). Then roll the out of cover and begin hammering at their sides. With a bit of luck, you might knock some of them out, especially those T-34's as it's a completely different thing with those bloody KV juggernauts...
It reminds me of a similar battle I had during the Fall Blau campaign (although I had a lot of artillery there, to fend off infantry):

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/1092/shortaar.jpg (1.5MB)

Oh, and while you're fending off those tanks, you can dedicate your 251/1's to capture some objectives. They're pretty fast, especially on roads so I found them very useful on "infiltration" missions behind enemy lines.

If your troops didn't have time to dig-in, or enemy tanks advance with a lot of infantry, you might try hiding in buildings (if any are nearby) or just moving your forces towards enemy objectives, but completely out of enemy forces' sight. Just totally avoid them and try to catch the enemy in the Kessel.
(http://graviteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=10464.0)

Depending on your situation, you might find these hints a complete BS, but I just wanted to throw some of my five cents in. Perhaps they might help and so I hope.

[Flashburn]

You get a platoon full of 75mm armed halftracts and 2 stugs........btw.  On the other hand I have only finished it from Soviet side......  dying to see what happens going up against KV-1's with pop guns.  Got distracted by Fall Blau as well.............  Finally found where the heck GG put it on the HD last week.   

[nubjager]

I saw two AI PaK 40's spend over 50% of their shells on a KV-1... Killed a crew member and inflicted 4 or 5 damage "units" (radio, machine gun, etc... I don't know them all off-hand and I don't remember, but there were 4 or 5 items listed as damaged!) but never managed to take it out..! I sent a Stug to flank it but daylight was fading and I couldn't locate it in time.

Anyhow, yes, the 75mm halftracks are very useful in taking out Soviet APCs, T-70's and blunting the edge of a T-34 spearhead but those KV-1 are BEASTS.

I'm going to tough out (and lose ) the scenario with AI control off and then give it a second go with it turned on.

[Bekro]

Pak 40 is able to take out KVs you just need a lucky shoot  . If you can get the right angle ,from sides or event better from rear, you can easily destroy KVs. Additionaly, your Stug can be a better platform as they are able to approach to KVs from different angles and also in close distance and right angles 7.5 cm SDKFZ can done that as well. Be careful with Stugs do not try to fight KVs from face try to flank them