[Need Help] Always lose defending Soviet from Germany

[petrovchris]

Hi guys, thanks for all your tips and advice, but again, I was always lose to defend the Poland. I didn't know what I was doing wrong.
So here is my screen shot. Maybe you can give me some details.
Divisions in the field were all Infantry units, Since My production still catch up all equipment for the infantry, so by the times Germany war with soviet, I still didn't have armor division to attack.
I was starting to build Military factory at mid 1939. I have 2k fighters. But germany still can push me. Did I defend with the wrong front lines, or I just to up front ahead, maybe I need to move back near Moscow, and defend from there?
I have 5x24 division front lines in border with Poland, and 2x24 division in Hungary, but Germany push faster from there.
Any help greatly appreciated,
I have 300 hours play hoi4, but this is the first time I got frustrated playing hoi4 (already retry 5-10 times) - defending Soviet from Germany.

If you insist of using defensive plans, never draw the line using the Field Marshal. Draw the lines using the generals, 6 provinces per army, tops. See how one of your armies, all 24 divisions of it, are in a single province? Should not happen. Make sure you have second defensive line, right behind the first. It is ok to be pushed back, as long as they pay 5-10 to 1. It is not ok to allow encirclements. Also, I see you are attacking. Don't attack until the enemy strength and organization goes down. You are using bad Field Marshal. Promote some of your good generals instead.

 

[Jellico]

I think you could still stand to build more troops. You have more than you initially had but you could honestly probably fit another army group on your front with Germany. IRL the Soviets had nearly 3 million men on the frontlines at the start of Barbarossa with another 14 million in reserve. Keep your guys on the frontline well equipped and maybe have some reserves that are more barebones by using a different template. This way you won't need as much equipment to support them. You can use reserve to plug up holes that pop up on your front lines.

 

[GAGA Extrem]

It's hard to evaluate this stuff remotely, but I'd make two suggestions:

(1) Limit your CIC buildup to 1938, then switch to MIC with some air bases, infra and forts sprinkled inbetween.
SOV has a strong CIC base and can go into Total War Economy if necessary. Spamming more CIC does allow you to snowball harder once the war has started - but if you survive the first year you have won anyway.

(2) Build more divisions.
I usually go with a default 7xINF/2xART[+ENG, ART, LOG, REC] template that gradually gets adjusted to 6xINF/2xART/1xHTD[+ENG, ART, RART, LOG, REC] over time. By late 1940 you want at least 400, better 450 divisions basic divisions. Can be achieved by running one full line of INF EQ, SUPP EQ and ART EQ, with a second line of ART EQ once the remaining base production (FGT/CAS) is in place (once ART demand is fulfilled it can be switched to RART EQ).

- - - - -

In terms of strategic deployment, I usually go for 5 divisions behind the long river line and 3 divisions up front to reduce German momentum and absorb the initial blow. Key locations like Kiev and the Smolensk gap should be defender by 10+ divisions.

As for tanks, I usually limit myself to 24 light tank divisions that are used for breakthroughs. The airforce with CAS is usually enough to break any serious resistance.