Slitherine

Is it even possible to get a DV? I've played on all difficulties and these are my conclusions

FM and General It's hard to even get the MV, much less a DV

SGT and LT Too many soviets to take all OBJs

Usually at the last 2 VPS they spam out worthless AT guns and Tanks to use as Cannon Fodder.

Any tips on how to go about this scenario?

I'm not sure this helps you, but it solved the Assault problem for me!

When I think of Sevastopol Assualt, I get a feeling of failure and have memories of prestige flowing away faster than my units were blown away.

Since then, I have gone for the siege - being methodical and patient can usually get a DV with a turn or two to spare.

Easy to get a DV on General, hard to avoid core losses.

Key are the 2 overstrength assault guns you receive as auxiliaries. Do never waste any shot of these before encountering the first fortress.

Make sure to eliminate the fortresses as fast as possible. They are the biggest asset of the AI (if it plays by the textbook), as they provide a spotting range of 4!

Biggest possible mistake is being overambitious. Never move any damaged unit in a new hex if not completely safe. Never move any unit in a hex where it can be hit by multiple artillery and fortresses. Even if it only can be hit by 2 artillery strikes, make sure it has a retreat path if any enemy unit is able to attack it, otherwise you enforce a friendly surrender. Don´t forget that artillery incudes the Soviet warships, which might be hidden - find and destroy them before you enter the area around the bay in Sevastopol.

This is the critical point in the Sevastopol assault anyway. Pause there, use your artillery to eliminate the fortresses in range BEFORE continuing your advance.

I acheived a DV easily 2 times in a row, but changed to Sevastopol siege due to the unacceptable loss of at least 2 highly experienced infantry in the process (not even talking about the prestige losses due to unavoidable Soviet AA hits on planes while attacking ships).

Regards,
Thorsten

Depends on the core you have. I use a lot of inf + art + airforce. Use the heavy siege art to suppress AA, finish off with bombers and use your airforce (strat bombers) to make the fortresses go out of ammo. Once they are low/out of ammo get near them so they cant resupply. I actually regreted I didnt have 3-4 strat bombers for this.
It is costly but once in the city you get some prestige back since you can get many units to surrender. Ive lost 2units on my last try because of bad luck and well timed counter attack from the enemy so watch out.

The ships are not a problem for strat bombers which usually kill them w/o taking hits.

I had a DV on Colonel.

Aloo wrote:...
use your airforce (strat bombers) to make the fortresses go out of ammo. Once they are low/out of ammo get near them so they cant resupply.
...
The ships are not a problem for strat bombers which usually kill them w/o taking hits.

Exactly how I did it. That is the way you bring even fortress Brest (in the first russian scenario) down fast. Strip them from ammo, suppress them not totally when attacking, because you want them to waste the rest of their ammo. I attacked the fortresses with everything I had, repeatedly.

Secondary targets are artillery and AA (normally my primary targets).

I used Tanks often in the frontline. They can take a hit or multiple hits from artillery easier than infantry.

Armored artillery (Sturmpanzer) is more resilent then towed artillery in the case of counter-artillery fire.

I had two level bombers plus the aux level bomber, three or four tac-bombers and a few fighters. Most important are the level bombers for ship-wrecking, ammo-stripping and suppressing.

I guess I had ten or eleven artillery units in action. Artillery units were the key to the DV.

I lose because the AI begins sending out their Suicide troops before I enter the last victory hex. It's very frustrating when they do this

LandMarine47 wrote:I lose because the AI begins sending out their Suicide troops before I enter the last victory hex. It's very frustrating when they do this

Yes, I believe that.
In a lot of scenarios in the GC you have time. In Sevastopol you must press forward hard and steadily. I only was able to do that because I had enough artillery. So I could exchange artillery units when they needed resupply or repair.

In Sevestapol, we should have gottbe atleast 1 extra turn, knowing the Ai

No reason, sorry. If too hard to beat, lower difficulty.

Regards,
Thorsten

One tip: like other people, I have made good experiences with Stug IIIB when they have a range-hero.
Ammo of 8, range of 2, quite immune against enemy artillery and ideal to protect your frontline units in the city.
Personally, in Sevastopol I would use a mix of Stug IIIB, Sturmpanzer and Nebelwerfer.

I have used a towed artillery unit too and attached them to a Kampfgruppe of 2 Fallschirmjäger (as elite infantry in halftrucks), 2 tanks and a recon to clear the area east of Sevastopol clockwise, ending in an attack on the southern part of Sevastopol. But when the towed artillery was too slow or still in trucks I attacked with my units in mass attacks without artillery support. One tank unit was taken away from the Kampfgruppe and directed straight westward in the middle of the map to unite with the mass of my Corps coming from the north.

But then again... there are thousands of ways in PC to reach the goal