Newbie: Which PzC game to begin?

[Ricky B]

And these 100 hexes in line were ALL occupied contiguously by at least one unit?! Or where they spaced with each of their ZOCs covering one another's ZOC?

It's hard for me to visualise it, yet.

They were spaced, but the ZOCs connected. It only takes a ZOC from a unit to block supply and so force isolation. And yes, an enemy ZOC occupied by one of your units will allow supply through that hex anyway, if that opens up a supply route.