The light blue line is the original German start line, the dark blue arrow is my German thrust, and the red arrows are the Russians running around capturing my rear depots like crazy, note the ominous orange dot on all my units signifying supply shortages-
SPOILER ALERT- for the information of OOB newcomers, Demyansk is an enjoyable scenario, your Germans have to break through to link up with a big bunch of pocketed Germans (offscreen to the bottom right of the screenshot).
With hindsight I was too gung-ho by trying to break through to them too early, I should have gone into defensive mode early to weather the storm of early Russian counterattacks and bleed them white, then launch my own offensive.
I mistakenly thought the pocket needed urgent relief, but it turned out they could hold out quite well for a while on their own, so there was no need for me to be so impatient in trying to relieve them.
Like most of the times I used some units to protect the flanks: couple of units in the north and one IIRC in the south with the main army going the way of your dark blue arrow. It seems you tend to prefer charging with everything. "Klotzen, nicht Kleckern", eh? 
