Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbott Shaull
...I would think they would of been better off with offensive in the south if this was their intentions for the offensive. The Polish in the north were pretty well spent by this time. Granted there were some units if they wanted too who could carry out offensive attacks...
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In the north, Nato were quite strong compared to the Pact forces, while in the South, Soviet units formed a near impenetrable barrier for 2000 era Nato. The supply chain is one of the reasons I have for the summer Nato offensive swinging south down to Lodz (US 5th ID). If all had gone well, the 5th would have been supported by at least the US 50th AD, 116th ACR and the Canadians (the Marines and 8th ID needed elsewhere.
The rest of III German Army would have followed on securing the flanks, and perhaps some elements leapfrogging the US XI Corp and driving even further south to close the trap on the Soviets at the Czech border.
While not directly threatening food production in the encircled areas, it would have made supply of other material rather difficult (entailing a difficult journey through mountains). Essentially it would have achieved the same goal as a direct attack but without the massive casualties - the Soviets would have been forced back to or past the Wisla or risk encirclement.
Of course as we know, the 5th got stomped before much else could happen, radically altering the course of the war and effectively ending any further offensive action of significance from either side for years to come.