Question about game's mechanics

[RVPERTVS]

I'm pretty new to this game and I love it, though I have some questions regarding gameplay (abusing of your generosity):

I'm currently playing stand alone USA vs. URSS 1972 13 turn meeting engagements battles on random 130 w x 80 h desert maps (just as the cd manual suggests). Most of the time I win marginal victories, sometimes I get wiped out, and sometimes things end up pretty much even, and it's been a lot of fun so far.

I have notice that all the idea behind the tactics I have used consists in delivering more firepower than the enemy at a given place and time in order to "win the fire fight"; in other words: to position my units (according to a plan of course) in such a manner that after some combat I will end up with more and less suppressed units than my enemy.

Taking the above into consideration,I have also notice that facing the enemy in those fire-fights implies loses, I mean,I have to face the enemy showing him my position so he can take shots at me as well, because if he is in my range of fire that means I'm also in his range of fire as well. He can't hit me through smoke but neither do I.

So my qestions are:

1.- Am I doing it right so far?...I mean, is "winning the fire fight" in short battles (13 turns as the ones I'm playing)the sole objective (and taking the flags of course)I should pursue so I must plan accordingly?

2.- In order to "win the fire-fight", I neccesarily have to take loses, I mean, what's the best way to minimize loses in the type of battle I'm currently playing (described above)?

Thank's in advance, and congratulations for such a great game.