Just tried this mission again today, and managed to beat it with all secondary objectives complete... and let me tell you, Cobras are key. You'll want every one you can get, even the base model, and you can only afford to loose one or two. You can't hold all both forward flanks, so pick one and concentrate on that and the forward center. You'll still probably loose both flanks, but the side you tried to defend should delay the enemy long enough to keep them from reaching the airbase. For the forward zone you don't defend, pull those units back to the Control Sector closer to the airbase, and reinforce them. Buy up a bunch of recons and spread them around, keeping them out of trouble, and use chopper recon as much as possible. Pull back the recons you start with and redeploy them somewhere safer, because they will die where they are, and almost immediately. The only choppers you'll encounter are scouts, so don't bother with air-defense.

From my experience, the enemy attacks your left flank with lots of armor (T55AMs, T72s), and your right flank with mechanized infantry (in BTR-70s, almost in spamming numbers), supported by some armor. Your center will be attacked by infantry, BMPs, and armor (think... it got so ugly and jumbled up there, I couldn't pick out individual units). You don't actually have to have a command unit in the center in order to complete "Maintain a Forward Position" Secondary objective, just units there in general. Don't bother with expensive armor like the Abrams; they'll just get swamped and picked apart, and you'll want to save them for other missions, I bet. Use cheaper armor instead, like Leo 1A1-1A5s, Chieftains, Starships, Sheridans, whatever. The Bradleys you start with handle themselves well, but they usually all die, so if you want to save them, consider sending in cheaper autocannon units to either bolster them or replace them.

Above all, don't waste your helicopters. If you loose them, you won't be able to respond to enemy attacks fast enough. They are key. Also, keep your units supplied, using your HEMTTs and your Chinook. If your units run out of ammunition, it'll take a long while for supplies or replacement units to get to them, because of the size of the map.

Thank you all for the tips and tactics. I will try to apply them. If I understood well, I should build a mobile reserve made of flexible units to reinforce endangered sectors. Air units are key, but low cost armor and flamethrower can help also. Perhaps one squad of heavy tanks can help. Artillery can be useful to disorganise the ennemy. If I can't keep the foward bases, I should fall back on the airfield and keep perhaps one or two foward positions. Did I forgot something?

If you want to get all the secondary objectives, you need to keep units in the central forward zone, and never be pushed out of there entirely. I think all you need is a single unit hidden in the forest in the zone in order to get that objective.

Your mobile reserve is going to be helicopters, because nothing else can cross the map quick enough to react to danger zones. Ground units have to stick to a position, or else they'll be running around chasing the enemy.

Heavy tanks could work, but make sure they don't get swamped. I didn't try artillery, but I guess using it could keep casualties low (I pretty much lost all the riflemen, M113s, and Dragon teams given at the start of the mission).

Thank you for the additionnal precisions, I will try to apply all of them concretly now. I will probably a hard time, but I have the certitude that after the Soviet onslaught, Germany will rise again from the ashes!

Pfff this mission is giving headaches. The unrelenting pace of the attacks is depressing. I loose my units at a steady pace because I'm not able to micro 3 place in the same time. I don't know how you are able to do that without a pause button to give your orders. I think I will abandon 2 forward bases and only defend the one to the east. The west one has an enormous weak spot on the north west face and the computer seems to rush it with ton of armor. The middle on is no better and has a weak spot at the north on the left. Only the right one is really defencible. Honestly, this is discouraging. I'm not sure that the game is for me. At least in Combat Mission I have the time to think.

I actually managed to keep all forward bases, but it took a few tries. This' one rather tricky, and you have to give it a few goes to see what the AI is up to and then in successive plays react accordingly. Not a fair play, but that's how you keep all the zones.

The main factor here is supply and timid reinforcement of the individual sectors. Your troops are short on ammo from the start, so you really have to focus on minimizing losses while maxing the effort of resupply.

My opening moves;
1 - two command vehicles, with "move fast", taking the flanking reinforcement zones just behind the right and left front sectors. This is a critical point for success, as you can later outplay AI by getting reinforcements to crucial zones much faster.
2 - pre-purchased Chinook flies immediate and successive supplies to Central front zone (exclusively through the game)
3 - use HEMTTs to reinforce other two sectors
4 - buy pre-dep 3 or 4 Cobras for the rest of money, position them around the central sector
5 - micromanaging all the sector defenses to max the effect of defenses
6 - lastly (or possibly in early game) withdraw your front sector COV's to positions well rear of each sector, within woods.

Early game;
You should be able to get the front reinforce zones (and micromanage+supply units) just in time before AI appears. As soon as you do, purchase 2 good tanks to reinforce your right sector with the Bradleys already there. AI opens on the left flank with some ATGM-vehicles, Shilkas and tanksa. A cobra or two, with the bradleys, should be just enough to fend them off. In center they began the main advanve. I recommend using 2 Cobras, M150's and 4 Bradleys well forward to strike and decimate their vanguard, then withdraw them well behind while leaving inf screen in woods to absorb the second push while you resupply. In right, they send some 64's and APC's, but this should be easy to counter with the help of your newly arrived Leo2's or M1's.

Mid-to-late-game;
You should now focus your attention to central and foremost left flanks. Right is relatively safe from now on, and what forces you have there should be enough to hold on until the end with the later addition of a Gepard AA. On left sector, AI will make a VERY strong attack through the wood along the very left edge of the map, as well as around it. After the purchase of the first 1-2 tanks, concentrate all your reinforcement here. Plenty of cheap APC inf deployed to the woods NW from FOB to form a defensive line + ambush close-in AI tanks coming through woods. 2 good tanks backing them up and clearing those that come through to open along the west edges of the map. AI will also fly helos through both woods along right AND west edges of the map. Therefor you need to buy a Gepard in support of both flank reinforcement sectors. In center the battle goes on, you'd like to make a slow delaying withdrawal towards the southernmost tip of the sector. You'd also like to purchase additional 1-2 to support the central sector. You also have your Cobras refuelled/armed at this time, for further strikes.

Endgame;
AI pressure will become intense in left, absolutely horrific in centre, and mild in right (well, at least in relative terms). It's not a question whether you could have eventually or in "real life" held the sectors. You coudn't have. But you can just and just barely keep them till the time runs out. I was maybe like 1-2mins from being totally wiped out from left/central sectors. I ended up with both left and center close to collapse, left force remains gathered around the FOB area and central force packed to the very southernmost woods of sector. Right sector had formed a tight defense ring around woods in the middle of the sector, and actually didn't have to struggle that much.

So, there you go - an in-depth analysis in how you do it!

Sorry for bumping an old topic but do the units that are already in place when you start this mission count towards the quota of units you can use in later missions? I'm really OCD about losing units and it's really depressing losing so many trying to beat this mission.