I don't want to be a quibbler, but I think Hauser missed an opportunity here by not choosing option 2a:
By pushing into Nabereznye Chelny with 10 of his ArmDivs, he would have blocked the retreating path for >25 units (Ulyanovsk and Zelenodolsk) and from my armchair General's view I'd think it would have been worth the risk. 10 Divs should be able to hold the ground against a combined attack from Kazan and Orenburg (though I admit I don't now what could hve come from Ufa and Sterlitamak). One ARM could have attacked from Ulyanovsk to Toglyatti with the support of the Divisions in Volsk to secure the southern flank and to bag the units retreating out of Kubyshev (though I admit that they would have been to slow to catch them).
Reasons:
- The annihilation of the 25+ divisions in addition to those of Penza would have smashed the Steppenfront (as you said above) instead of just pushing them back to fight them later. STAVKA would have been forced to transfer troops in that area, weakening other fronts.
- You are forced to use a big part of your airforce in that region anyway.
- You would have gained more buffer to the east (and thus more ground to give to the west).
- You could have abandoned the attack on Kostroma, going Gorki - Vyatka - Syktyvkar (I just broke my Keyboyardy!) - Uhta (a path you were already attacking along I think).
Am I to optimistic in my assumptions?
By pushing into Nabereznye Chelny with 10 of his ArmDivs, he would have blocked the retreating path for >25 units (Ulyanovsk and Zelenodolsk) and from my armchair General's view I'd think it would have been worth the risk. 10 Divs should be able to hold the ground against a combined attack from Kazan and Orenburg (though I admit I don't now what could hve come from Ufa and Sterlitamak). One ARM could have attacked from Ulyanovsk to Toglyatti with the support of the Divisions in Volsk to secure the southern flank and to bag the units retreating out of Kubyshev (though I admit that they would have been to slow to catch them).
Reasons:
- The annihilation of the 25+ divisions in addition to those of Penza would have smashed the Steppenfront (as you said above) instead of just pushing them back to fight them later. STAVKA would have been forced to transfer troops in that area, weakening other fronts.
- You are forced to use a big part of your airforce in that region anyway.
- You would have gained more buffer to the east (and thus more ground to give to the west).
- You could have abandoned the attack on Kostroma, going Gorki - Vyatka - Syktyvkar (I just broke my Keyboyardy!) - Uhta (a path you were already attacking along I think).
Am I to optimistic in my assumptions?