We realize that Resources will be extremely tight in this battle on the Hard Difficulty setting, but somehow you need to find a way to build an Airfield or two in addition to all the other buildings and units that must be hurriedly produced. Airfields not only give you access to Call-In Bombers, but also let you produce interceptors, fighter-bombers, and drop paratroops — all of which will be needed at some point in the battle ahead. And Research Labs, though expensive, will provide you with a steady source of Resources and, when things calm down and you have more to spend, the opportunity to implement all sorts of upgrades.
When you’ve produced four or five Wirbelwinds to accompany your Heroes, the Core Units, and the Flammwagen APCs carrying Wehrmacht Infantry, advance to the POW camp and rescue Hardt. From the base, move in a northeasterly direction and hit the camp from the southeast and east; this will place your units out of the range of a Moving Giant Turret to the west. Take special note to use your Wirbelwinds to protect the camp from enemy bombers before and during the rescue, and to guard Preiss once he is free — the Commies will send every plane they’ve got in an attempt to prevent you from achieving this objective!
Getting Hardt safely out of the camp is one thing; winning the battle is another. You are heavily outnumbered: besides the huge Southeast Soviet Base, there are other Soviet bases all along the eastern edge of the map, including the Ice Spitter factory Preiss has told you about. Given your limited income, your best hope is to reach the Radio Station and call Hardt for assistance. Additionally, capturing the Radio Station will give you access to a mine and its much-needed resources.
Circle counterclockwise around the POW camp and head west, in the general direction of the Moving Giant Turret that has been pounding you with fire from the bluff north of your base. Above all else, you must protect your Wirbelwinds! They’ll be your only protection against Soviet fighter-bombers until you get some Me 262s in the sky (which, by the way, are very prone to AA fire). As you move past the Moving Giant Turret and into the western path leading up to the Radio Station, several tanks will peel off and attempt to stop you; use this diversion to send Jetpack Infantry to the location of the Moving Giant Turret and destroy either the Aggregator or War Factory here. Follow it up with Call-In Hornet Bombers to finish off this thorn in your side.
