A Tournament of Shadows - Soviet AAR

Soviet AAR for Hearts of Iron III

Start Date: 1st January 1936.
Game Version: Hearts of Iron III - Their Finest Hour Expansion Version 4.02
Scenario: Standard 1936 The Road to War Scenario, Single Player, Normal Difficulty
Style: This AAR will use a combination of first person and “history book”-style narratives to tell the story.

Campaign Goal: To pursue the vision of the Third International and use all available means, including armed force, to overthrow the international bourgeoisie, achieve the COMINTERN vision of world communism, and the create an International Soviet Republic as the initial stage towards a complete abolition of the state.

Personal Goal: To enhance my gaming experience by immersing myself in the history of the period, researching the historical motivations and events portrayed and present an enjoyable reading experience for my readers.

House rules to be employed in the playing of this game.
1. No cheating.
2. Nothing too gamey.
3. Ignore the benefits of hindsight and my historical knowledge of world events as far as humanly possible.
4. Have as much fun as possible.

As a case in point I am going to try and forget that WW2 ever happened.

'Peace for our time'
On 30 September 1938, two years after the start date of this game, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced confidently that 'we shall have peace for our time'.

Of course we all know that he was wrong. But there is no justification for assuming that in 1936 Stalin and the other members of the Soviet leadership had any clearer insight into the storm that was heading their way. And yet, players of Hearts of Iron 3 typically begin planning for the start of WW2 from the 1st January 1936.

I'm going to try not to do that, or at least try not to make it too obvious.

Work on this AAR began on Thursday 21st January 2015.

Notes to readers:
I am more than happy to discuss the content of this AAR, and the history behind it in a polite and civilised manner.

However, please be aware that this is just a game and any opinions expressed in the narrative are intended to be in keeping with the attitudes of the characters portrayed and in the interests of making it a good story and are not necessarily my own.

The First Five Year Plan

Prior to 1927 things had not been going well for the Soviets. They had found themselves beset by threats from both within and without. These troubles were due in no small measure to the constant meddlesome plotting of the British.

This animosity from the British was certainly fuelled by the fact that Tsar Nicholas had been a cousin to their King. But even before the execution of the Russian Royal Family Britain had considered the Imperial Russian Empire as a rival in what they called 'The Great Game', and had an over-inflated opinion of their own role and influence in world affairs. It was therefore predictable that Britain would see itself as a major player in dealing with the Soviet Union, and that they in turn would perceive Britain to be a major threat to them.

Britain had already succeeded in rallying the leaders of many other Imperialist nations to their cause, and had persuaded them to cut diplomatic relations with the Soviets. They and their friends had actively supported the monarchist uprisings that had caused the death of millions in the early 1920's, and their agents were constantly stirring up unrest amongst the Soviet people.

Isolated and surrounded by hostile neighbours the leaders of the Soviet people were convinced that, if the dream of international communism were not to be stifled, then they had to act decisively now.

In a speech at the First All-Union Conference of Leading Personnel of Socialist Industry on 4th February 1931, Stalin stated that:.

We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or they will bury us.

It was the fear that these tensions would escalate and strangle the young Soviet nation in its cradle that forced the Soviet Council of People's Commissars to adopt a policy of rapid industrialization, so that they might be ready to face such a challenge if it arose.

At the Central Committee plenum on the 19th December 1930, Vyacheslav Molotov had succeeded Alexey Rykov as the Chairman of the Council of People Commissars. He had immediately begun the urgent task of implementing the policies already drafted by Joseph Stalin and agreed by the party.

The most important of these policies was the collectivisation of Soviet farmland.

In 1921, the Soviets had approved a New Economic Policy (NEP) proposed by Lenin. It had been successful in increasing the productivity of Soviet farms by an estimated 40%. But had done so at the expense of allowing farmers to trade some of their own produce. This in turn had led to the rise of the Kulak's, (a land owning class of peasant farmer), and the NEPmen (traders who produced nothing themselves, but made their money by buying produce cheaply and selling it at a profit).

To many party members the Kulaks and NEPmen were considered capitalists. Content to let others starve whilst they hoarded grain and waited for the price to rise before they sold it to their fellow workers, and they were bitterly opposed to the NEP because it encouraged them.

The issue came to a head in 1928, when the amount of grain made available for purchase by the state fell below the amount considered necessary to sustain the nation. There was hunger in the cities and industrial areas and many workers began drifting back to the rural areas where rumours suggested that food was easier to obtain.

Stalin and many other members of the party blamed the shortages on grain hoarding by the Kulak's and NEPmen, and believed that it was time they were brought back into the fold and taught to recognise their responsibility to feed the nation rather than feed off it. Collectivisation was agreed to be the way this could be achieved.

Molotov was chosen to co-ordinate this collectivisation which dispossessed the Kulaks of their land and merged it into larger and more efficient state run farms. This also freed the excess of agricultural workers for work on the massive construction projects needed to exploit the Soviet Union's vast reserves of natural resources and increase its maximum manufacturing potential.

Molotov was always a good organiser despite what Trotsky and his clique had said about him, and so, he was the obvious choice to oversee the implementation of the first five year plan, and did so efficiently following Stalin’s lead in using a combination of force and propaganda to crush any opposition from the farmers and workers affected.

By 1931 twenty-five million Kulaks had been dispossessed and tranported to labour camps to work on new construction projects located east of the Ural mountains. Hundred’s of thousands died from exposure and overwork whilst working on those projects, but the work continued urgently because, as Stalin had already noted, time was critical.

Molotov personally signed the Law of Spielets which demanded the execution of anyone guilty of stealing property from a state enterprise, and he also chaired the Extraordinary Commission for Grain Delivery in the Ukraine which seized a reported 4.2 million tonnes of grain from the local people creating a local famine which the Ukrainians still refer to as the Holodomor, or 'extermination by hunger'.

Best estimates suggest that between seven and eleven million people died, either from starvation or exhaustion over the period between 1930 and 1934, when the First Five Year Plan was suspended.

But nevertheless the First Five Year Plan worked.

• Between 1927 and 1939 Soviet steel production rose from 4 million tons to 17.5 million tons.
  
  
• Over the same period the production of pig-iron had risen from 3.3 million tons to 14.5 million tons.
  
  
• The manufacture of machine tools had also increased from 2,000 to nearly 50,000 by 1940.
  
  and
  
  
• The number of skilled engineers had risen from 500,000 in 1928 to over 2.5 million by 1940.

But, Stalin was still not satisfied. He believed that to survive the Soviet Union had to be able to out produce every other nation of the world. Only then would it truly be safe.

1936: The Second Five Year Plan

Josif Vissarionovich Stalin, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party stared out of the window at the boats ploughing their slow paths along the Moscva River below.

He often did this when he was thinking, he found that it re-assured him to see the constant activity on the water below. Confirmation that the life blood of the nation was still flowing, albeit very slowly, and therefore the Soviet nation still lived.

But today was not a day for such romantic non-sense. He could dream on his own time.

It was time to get back to work.

‘The First Five Year Plan is complete.’ He said. ‘It has been a painful process but we workers are used to pain and suffering. That which does not kill us, makes us stronger does it not? he said repeating his father’s favourite phrase and turning to the others in the room for their affirmation. ‘and we are stronger now than we were in twenty-eight. Are we not?’ Again grunts and nods from his comrades seated at the table in the centre of the room.

‘The rationalisation and collectivisation of our agricultural resources has released many workers from their age old bondage to the land and freed them to work in our new factories. It will facilitate the mobilisation of the vast resources we have at our disposal so that our future plans will not be hampered by local distractions and selfish interests.’

He paused to take another pull on his pipe. ‘Overall I am pleased with the outcome, and by the end of this year the Congress will formalise these new arrangements in a revised constitution.’

‘In the meantime we must look to the future. He began to pace now, another wasteful habit when he was thinking. 'We Soviets have spent far too long hampered by leaders who looked for inspiration in the past. From tradition, from the accepted way of living.’

He was preaching now and his audience knew not to interrupt even though they had heard it all before and knew the theme by rote. For this was the message they were expected to carry with them back to their departments, and must weave into their own plans,

‘If we are to survive as a nation, and as a people, we must break the old bonds that restrict our vision, and instead embrace a revolutionary way of living in the same way as we have embraced our revolutionary way of government.’

‘It will not be easy, we workers are a proud and stubborn people, often set in our ways and dedicated to our traditions. The first plan has shown us how hard it can be to embrace change.
‘But change we must,’ he paused for effect and got the expected grunts of agreement.

Then his voice took on the tone of a conspirator and he learnt forward on the table deliberately catching the eye of everyone in the room. ‘Because if we do not move forward then we will inevitably fall back, and the reactionaries amongst us’ he said pointing to the window with his pipe ‘will use our doubt and our fear of the future to undermine our resolve and destroy us.’

He stood up and scanned the faces in the room again.

‘The new Chancellor in Germany knows this too. Is that not so Mikhail?’ He added directing his comment at Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union. 'It is indeed Comrade Secretary.' replied Molotov keeping to the more formal response in the mixed company of the meeting.

Stalin continued ‘The changes he has made to his peoples vision of the future should be an inspiration to us, and a warning. He stood again and resumed his pacing.

'Germany is becoming more powerful by the day under his inspirational leadership, and if we do not emulate his example we will be brushed aside and relegated to obscurity in the new world order that must inevitably emerge.’

He turned back to the window and stared silently out across the river for a few seconds pondering the view once again.

‘The Americans have these buildings they call skyscrapers’ he said studying the skyline across the river. ‘We should build some. It will prove to the world that we are a modern, progressive country. Don’t you agree?’ he turned to catch the eye of Valery Mezhlauk, Chairman of the State Planning Committee who reacted like a rabbit suddenly caught in the cross-hairs of a hunter. 'Y-Y-Yes Comrade Secretary.' he stammered.

‘Good, then see to it. Stalin turned once more to the window 'When foreigners come to Moskva, they will see our skyscrapers and know that we Soviets are progressive as American’s.’ Mezhlauk quickly scribbled two notes on his desk pad 'What are skyscrapers?' and 'How are they made?'. He paused but thought better of adding 'Who do I blame?' There was no need to record such an obvious consideration in writing.

Stalin paused for a moment watching the boats on the river, then turned away and for the first time since the start of the meeting he sat down at the table. ‘Enough talk of the future comrades’ he announced ‘we have work to do today.‘

And the meeting to approve the Second Five Year Plan began.

Industrialisation

Molotov opened his notebook and adjusted his glasses, Stalin had finished talking, and this was his territory now. He was a man who loved detail, and order, and facts, and figures. Stalin might have the vision and imposing presence to deliver it, but Molotov was the man who made it happen, and confirmed when it had.

Trotsky had called him called him "mediocrity personified". But Trotsky was an idiot, so wrapped up in his own brilliance that he could not appreciate the contribution of others. Stalin valued Molotov for what he could do, and the two of them made a great team.

He laid a paper on the table pointing out a long list of figures.

Country	Base IC
USA	256
Soviet Union	161
Britain	161
Germany	144
France	98
Japan	94
France	69

'As you can see comrades' Molotov explained 'After completion of the First Five Year Plan, our base industrial capacity already equals that of Britain and all the other major powers. In fact, only the USA are still significantly ahead of us in this respect.'

'Not good enough' growled Stalin 'We must be able to out produce all of them.'

'I understand that Comrade Secretary' replied Molotov 'which is why I propose that in this plan we initiate a further six industrialisation projects in the Ural region as shown here.' and with that he produced a map of the central Soviet Union marked with six large circles.

These locations are Omsk; Novosibirsk; Alma Ata; Tashkent; Pervoural'ski and Aleksandrovskoe. The sites have already been surveyed and we believe they will provide a further 35 IC. Which will bring us closer to the USA,.

Stalin scowled at the map 'It will have to do for now, but it will still leave us chasing the Americans. As soon as the first of these projects is complete we must review our situation.

The Red Army

Stalin let Molotov clear his papers before moving on 'Commissar Trotsky may have given us victory over the Whites. But he has left us with a mess to deal with now he has gone.'

'My men are ready to die for the Motherland' announced Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, Peoples Commissar for Defence confidently, and Stalin turned on him.

'They are NOT your men, they are our men, AND we don't want them to die for our country, we want them to kill for it.' It was only a short burst of anger, a flash of the claws. But it was enough to silence Voroshilov and put him in his place. Stalin took a more conciliatory tone 'It is this attitude Klim, and the complacency that it creates that is holding the Army back. It is easy to die for your country, it is much harder to kill for it. Voroshilvo said nothing.

'Comrade Secretary, as you said yourself, we workers are a stubborn lot, and soldiers are no different. It takes time for us to accept new ideas.'

This comment was from Marshal Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky, the Chief of the General Staff. An ambitious man who once openly declared that he would either be a General by the age of 30, or he would be dead. He was now 43 and a Marshal of the Red Army, and he was still alive.

'We do not have the time.' replied Stalin 'the enemy is at the gates. You yourself have written theoretical papers on how they might be defeated. But what good is theory if the sword is blunt.'

Stalin turned to Molotov content that for the moment he had made his point. Tukhachevsky might think of himself as the Soviet Napoleon with all his clever tactical theories, but even he had to admit words don't kill enemy soldiers. 'Comrade Molotov, can you enlighten us as to the current state of our Army.'

Molotov smirked and opened yet another of the folders neatly ranged before him. 'Comrade Stalin, I can report the following...' and with that he began to read from the file.

Red Army 1936	Rifle	Motor	Mech	Mountain	Garrison	Artillery	Cavalry	Arm'd Car	Light Tank
Regiments	294	35	-	33	12	4	10	6	21

'The most obvious thing to note Comrade Secretary, is the lack of artillery.' concluded Molotov 'I do not claim to be an expert on military matters, but I believe with that many infantry regiments we ought to have about 124 artillery regiments providing support, and as you can see we currently have just four.'

'Comrade Molotov is correct.' Interrupted Tukhachevsky 'But I cannot deploy guns that I do not have.'

'And yet the ones you do have are deployed in support of garrison regiments.' Molotov noted mischievously.

Tukhachevsky bristled at the implied criticism 'As Comrade Molotov has admitted, he is not well versed in military matters otherwise he would have noted that the Garrison Divisions that these guns are attached to are guarding Moskva; Vladivosk; Stalingrad and Leningrad. All of which have been key objectives for the monarchists in the past. Infantry do not need artillery support to round up dissidents and rebels through forests. Perhaps he would do better to explain why his industrialisation projects have yet to deliver all these missing guns he mentions.'

'Comrades, enough' interupted Stalin 'The point is we need more guns, and I will make sure we have them. We shall schedule the manufacture of another 124 Regiments of Artillery in this five year plan, to be allocated according to the priorities I shall discuss with Marshal Tukhachevsky later.' He waited for the atmosphere to calm slightly 'Now, please Mikhail continue with your report.'

'Comrade Secretary, I was merely going to add that apart from the obvious shortage of artillery, the army is well equipped and trained to the latest standards. In fact, our cavalry are currently fully equipped with the new PPD machine pistols designed by Vasily Degtyaryov.'.

'An excellent weapon.' chipped in Tukhachevsky 'I shall be glad when we have enough to issue them to our Rifle Regiments also.' Stalin glared at him, and he fell silent.

'The final observation I have to make is that although almost fourteen years have passed since the 11th Congress the resolutions we agreed upon to strengthen the Army have still not been implemented and I think we should know why?' Shot fired Molotov sat back smuggly and waited to see what reaction there would be from Tukhachevsky and Voroshilvo.

Voroshilvo remained silent, he had not said a word since Stalins outburst, and Tukhachevsky's face flushed red with anger but his response was carefully weighed and thoughful.

'Comrade Secretary,' he replied 'What Comrade Molotov says is true. Although the size of the army has been reduced we have not met the target of 800,000 set in 1922. World events particularly in the Far East have forced us to keep the Regiments on the Manchukuo border at full strength in case the Japanese should attempt to occupy Vladivostok again.'

It is also true that not all of our Regiments have been restructured into the new corps formations dictated by the congress. I am not going to make excuses for this Comrade Secretary. The fact is that decisions made in Moscow are not always easy to implement in the field.

We have 30 Corps that comply with the directive and contain either two or three divisions each. However, a further 30 do not, either because operational demands do not justify the minimum number of divisions specified, or because they demand more.

Likewise, we still have 23 Army HQ's. Of which, 16 are needed to co-ordinate the operations of multiple Corps, and 7 are functioning independently with divisions reporting directly to them.

We also have 25 Divisions that report directly to an Army Front HQ simply because the distances they are covering are so great that they cannot be co-ordinated by a Corps HQ effectively. I would stress that some of these arrangements are experimental and subject to further evaluation.

But the point I want to make is that we have not ignored the directives of the 11th Congress as Comrade Molotov seems to be suggesting, rather we are still in the process of completing the transition.'

'For fourteen years?' observed Stalin with a scowl 'Wars are fought and won in less than half that time. It is taking too long.'

Stalin let that point hang in the air before continuing 'I understand operational necessity...and I agree that politicians in their nice warm offices cannot predict the needs of an army with mud on its boots. However, I also suspect that you are having to deal with resistance to these changes, perhaps from the old guard in our officer corps. Therefore, I am going to help you. I am personally going to oversee these changes, and I am going to appoint officers from the NKVD to monitor the progress of the transition and assist where necessary to overcome any obstacles.

We can discuss whether the directives of the 11th Congress are workable, and if necessary I will overrule them. But what I won't tolerate is this muddle and delay which has been allowed to hamstring the Army.'

The mention of the NKVD silenced any further debate.

The Red Air Force

Molotov now opened another folder 'We must now consider the state of our brave air force.' he commented with a smile.
'Ah! yes my brave eagles of the air.' commented Stalin clearly pleased to have done with the army at last.

'Quite! Comrade Secretary' snapped Molotov slightly irritated at the interruption. 'But unfortunately there are not many of them.'

'But how many heroes can one nation need.' replied Stalin glancing over to General Yacob Alksnis the commander of the Red Air Force and giving him a wink.

'Well if I might venture an opinion Comrade Secretary, then I would say at least as many as our enemies.' said Molotov bluntly. The grin dropped from Stalin's face and he turned to Molotov 'Do you know how many pilots our enemies have?' Stalin asked pointedly.

'No, Comrade Secretary, not yet our intelligence efforts have been focussed elsewhere. But we should not be complacent, and we are not making full use of the resources we have available to us currently. In fact, much of our current airfield capacity is under-utilised'

IAD Fighter Aviation Divisions	BAD Bomber Aviation Divisions	Airfield Capacity
8	4	123

Ah! Well in that case I agree. We cannot have resources wasted, especially airfields. Every airfield we have should be fully exploited.' Stalin announced assertively 'What do you propose, Mikhail.'

I recommend that we concentrate our efforts on the formation of more fighter divisions Comrade Secretrary. Fighters will have more value in defending our borders from enemy bombers, and we can always build bombers when we have something to bomb.

So, you want us to form another 115 Fighter Aviation Divisions? queried Stalin 'That is a lot of aircraft production, not to mention the training of pilots to fly them.'

'No! Comrade Secretary' replied Molotov 'At least not quite that many. i would suggest an initial target of 64 new Fighter Divisions by 1941, with the decision on whether to add 47 Bomber Divisions reviewed annually as situations dictate.'

'The good news is that our technology in both the construction of fighters and bombers is up to date. The Polikarpov i15 fighter is an excellent machine. So we can begin production immediately.'

'The bad news is that our ground crew training has not been reviewed and improved since the end of The Great War, and so we will need to invest research into the latest techniques if we are to compete with our enemies on an equal basis.' added Molotov closing his folder to indicate that he had finished.

'We can rectify the training issues, and by concentrating on our fighter divisions we can give priority to fighter pilot and ground crew training. Which will speed up the process.' agreed Stalin

'Well what do you think Yacob, lots more toys to play with.' he added smiling at his Air Force General.

'Excellent! Comrade Secretary.' Responded General Alksnis. 'I shall make sure that they are put to good use.'

The Red Banner Fleet

'Vladimir you have been very patient, but let us now talk about the navy.' said Stalin.

'As you wish Comrade Secretary.' replied Fleet Flagman of the First Rank Valdimir M. Orlov, Chief of the Naval Forces of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.

Molotov opened yet another folder. 'As we all know the 11th Congress were keen that our navy should be expanded into one of the most powerful in the world, and an ambitious ship building programme was agreed in 1926. However, the First Five Year Plan only sanctioned the construction of one destroyer and two submarines and these are all due for completion in the next three months.'

'Two submarines and a destroyer will hardly make us the most powerful navy in the world, and this problem is compounded by the fact that these ships have been so long under construction that their designs are no longer up to date.'

The Red Banner Fleet currently consists of:

Battleships	Heavy Cruisers	Light Cruisers	Destroyers	Submarines	Transports
3	1	3	4	21	1

'Of these ships only the submarines and the destroyers can be considered of modern design. The battleships are of the pre-revolutionary 1918 design, as are the cruisers.'

'I would recommend that if we are to invest in a major ship building programme, then a pre-requisite must be to update our ship design and ship building capabilities. Indeed, were it not for the fact that the destroyer and submarines are so close to completion I would have suggested that these projects be cancelled and the resources directed elsewhere.'

'That sounds sensible.' Said Stalin 'Comrade Orlov you must be disappointed, but do you agree that Comrade Molotov's reasoning is sound?'

Orlov stopped fiddling with the pencil on his desk pad and looked up. 'Reasonable or not Comrade Secretary, it means that The Red Banner Fleet can no longer be considered a significant naval power. Even in 1930 when I visited Germany for the joint naval negotiations Admiral Brutzer was dismissive of the power of our navy, and I saw for myself the impressive naval construction programme they had underway.'

'But Brutzer himself admitted that even with all the effort Germany is making they would not be able to challenge the Royal Navy on the open sea. I also know that Japan has embarked on a major project to increase the power of its navy, which will render our Pacific Fleet impotent in its ports should the situation in Manchukuo escalate.'

'In short Comrade Secretary unless we embark on a major ship building programme as a matter of urgency our navy will no longer have a place on the world stage. Comrade Lenin understood this which is why he sanctioned a major investment in the Soviet Navy.'

'But it seems the message has been lost.'

'Not lost' interrupted Stalin trying hard to suppress his annoyance at Orlov's obvious criticism of his first five year plan 'merely re-scheduled.'

Stalin smiled at Orlov though his eyes betrayed his annoyance 'You must try to see the bigger picture Vladimir, we are dealing with a crisis which cannot be resolved by your ships. Unless you can sail them to Moskva of course. Stalin grinned at his own joke, but nobody laughed.

Whatever, you say Comrade Secretary replied Orlov staring at his pencil and avoiding Stalin's eyes..

'Then it is agreed. There will be no further investment in the navy during this five year plan, although we shall complete the three existing naval projects as soon as priorities allow.'

Research and Technology

'Comrade Secretary perhaps we should move on and talk about our plans for research and technology.' Molotovo reached for yet another of his folders.

'Of course Mikhael, please proceed.' said Stalin

'Well the good news is that our total leadership rating is now 19.90, which means that we have the ability to manage a maximum of 20 simultaneous research projects. Assuming of course we do not assign some of these leadership skills to something else.'

'How does that compare with the other major powers?' asked Stalin.

'That's difficult to say' admitted Molotov 'We have had reports from our agents of course, but quite honestly some of them are difficult to accept as accurate. The report from our agents in Germany for example claims they have a leadership potential of 63.38, which would be phenomenal if it were true, but we know it isn't because we have visited Germany and know that it is closer to 20.00 or 21.00.'

'It seems our agents are easily impressed,' quipped Stalin 'and in the meantime we must fight blind.'

'I'm afraid so' Comrade Secretary. I suspect that foreign leadership potential is overstated by at least 250% in our intelligence reports'

Well at least we know our own potential and limitations, so which research projects do you suggest we concentrate on. asked Stalin.

Infantry

As already stated Comrade Secretary, our Infantry already have up to date equipment training, but nevertheless I propose we continue to work on improvements. They are after all the most numerous and powerful aspect of The Red Army at the moment, and if we can improve our knowledge to Level 3, we will unlock the potential to upgrade the Motorised Rifle Regiments attached to our Tank Divisions with Mechanised equipment.
I have marked the four necessary projects on the plan above Comrade Secretary.

Armour

I would suggest that we continue to research light armour technologies with the aim of unlocking our ability to manufacture both Medium Armour and Self-propelled artillery.
That's another four projects bringing the total to 8.

Fighters

As we plan to invest heavily in the construction of further fighter aircraft I propose that we also do our best to improve their design, and I've scheduled a full set of projects to improve our fighters. The initial objective being to develop a Multi-Role Fighter capable of delivering both air superiority and supporting our ground forces.
That increases the total number of projects to 12.

Industry

With all the production we have planned over the next five years, and with the aim of maximizing the benefits gained from our Industrialisation Plan. I have proposed further research into Industrial Production and Industrial Efficiency. I've also included research into improved supply production as this will reduce the IC cost of supporting our troops.
That increases the total number of projects to 15.

Note: That I have marked two further projects in white (Agriculture and Education), which I propose should be started as soon as circumstances allow, and preferably within the next 12 months. Education in particular is needed to increase our potential to schedule more research in the future.

Theory

I have not included a lot of theoretical research in my proposal simply because there are so many other demands on our time. But I have suggested two projects which will look at ways to improve the transportation and organisation of supplies, and a third which will look at ways to improve the support provided by the civilian authorities when repairing any damage sustained from enemy attacks.
Thats 18 projects.

Air Force Doctrines and Training

As noted earlier our air force training is badly out of date, and it would be nice to invest in its improvement. But quite honestly until we have more planes it would not return much benefit. I therefore propose that we limit our research to one token project for the time being, and I have proposed we try to improve the training of our ground crews as a priority.


'That brings the total number of projects to 19, which is probably more than we can cope with at present Comrade Secretary. Once we have assigned leadership to Espionage and Diplomacy.'

'Very good Mikhail' replied Stalin 'Has anyone any objections to Comrade Molotov's proposals?'

There were none.

Initial Soviet Foriegn Policy

'Good! Well that brings us to a very important subject.' declared Molotov reaching for yet another folder. 'Which is how we deal with the rest of the world.'

The way I see it we have two overarching goals in our relationships and interactions with other nations. Announced Molotov sounding for all the world like school teacher instructing a class of students.

• Firstly, we must promote the benefits of socialist revolution to the rest of the world, and pursue the aims set by the vision of international communism.
  
  
• Secondly, we must act against the spread of capitalism and its associated Imperialist ideology.

Everyone nodded as this had long been Soviet Policy, and oft repeated at party political meetings.

To achieve these goals I propose a two pronged approach.

• Diplomatically we should seek to influence those countries that already show an interest in joining the COMINTERN and are likely to be persuaded to join us.
  
  
• At the same time we should seek to destabilise and subvert the efforts of those countries who promote capitalism and have Imperialist goals.

Can you be more explicit Comrade Molotov? Asked Maxim Maximovich Litvinov the Peoples Commissar for Foreign Affairs. Has there been some major change of policy that my department is not aware of?

'Not as far as your department is concerned Comrade Litvinov.' replied Stalin 'You will continue to offer the hand of friendship to Britain, France and the United States and to represent our people at the League of Nations. Nothing has changed in that respect. There has merely been some revision of our strategy in the tournament of shadows. Nothing more.'

What is proposed Comrades is that we dispatch immediate delegations to both Turkey and Sinkiang.



Sinkiang is drifting towards the Comintern anyway, but with our influence they will join us earlier. Turkey is less certain, but we believe they can be persuaded. The influencing of these two nations will help us achieve our eventual plan for a buffer zone of friendly states along our Southern Border.



To assist us in this influence and to generally seek to dissuade vacillating nations from joining the empire of one of the imperialist factions, We also propose to begin a secret campaign to spread the word that both Germany and Britain pose a serious threat to world peace.
'Orlov shot upright in his seat and dropped his pencil.'You can't be serious! Comrade Secretary. Are we really planning to spread anti-German propaganda?

What of the Treaty of Rapallo, what of the Treaty of Berlin, surely we are brothers with Germany in the socialist struggle against capitalism. I have visited Germany many times in the spirit of Soviet-German co-operation, Germany has shared her secrets with us. Am I to do this now with a smile on my face and a dagger behind my back?'

Stalin waited until Orlov paused before responding 'Comrade Orlov. I admire your loyalty to your fascist friends. But do not let their smiles and handshakes fool you, they all have daggers hidden behind their backs even if you do not, and they might call themselves National Socialists, but they have no interest in the freedom of the worker.

Since Herr Hitler came to power the capitalist leaders of German industry have done nothing but prosper from the slavery of their German workers. Shares in German companies have risen in value even higher than those of capitalist Britain.

If that is not enough to convince you, then look at the friends your friend likes to keep.

A man can be known by the company he keeps. Like Imperialist Japan who even now threatens our borders in the Far East, or Fascist Italy whose dictator struts around Berlin like a peacock whilst his people starve.

Herr Hitler is gathering capitalist vultures to his bosom from all over the globe, even countries on our own western borders, our very neighbours are being tempted towards his promises of personal power and protection.

Herr Hitler might be offering us his hand in friendship, but at the same time he has ordered the murder of our Communist brothers in his country. So do not talk to us about treaties and German friendship.

When the time comes we may have to deal with these fake socialists, but for the time being we will play along with their game. For the moment the printed word is the strongest weapon our party has to hand, and we will use it to blunt Herr Hitler's sword.



'But this is a major change in policy, who has sanctioned it?' complained Orlov

Nothing has changed Comrade Orlov. Our policy of friendship with Germany remains intact. All we are discussing is the passing of a shadow between us. smiled Stalin 'Do not concern yourself about it.

'So, it is agreed we proceed as Comrade Molotov has proposed,'

There is the question of Persia, Comrade Secretary. mentioned Molotov.



Are yes Persia. They are a potential weakness along our southern border. But they are capable of being influenced to join the Comintern. The current ruling party are being drawn towards an Axis alliance, but that might change if our activities to promote Germany as a threat are successful. We should monitor the situation in Persia, as it will be a good indicator of the success of our plans. And if that doesn't work we can always send a diplomatic delegation. Replied Stalin.

Year 1: 1936 - 1937 'Far We'll Go Side by Side'

True to his word Stalin took over the responsibility for re-organising The Red Army. He side-lined Lazar Kaganovich who was formerly the Peoples Commissar for Armaments and Transport and took over the role himself.

Working with Tukhachevsky, Voroshilvo and the other Marshals, Stalin reviewed every aspect of The Red Armies organisation and equipment agreeing the changes that were necessary and motivating the men who needed to make them happen.

And in his shadow walked Genrikh Grigoryevich Yagoda director of the NKVD, and Peoples Commissar for Internal Affairs. He and his officers embedded themselves into the activities of every HQ command from the smallest Division to the largest Theatre and monitored everything that was said or written reporting what they found only to Stalin himself.

Stalin listened considered and made decisions.

Once those decisions were made it was up to the Marshals and Generals to implement them without further debate, and Yagoda and his officers looked over their shoulders to ensure it was done.

But Stalin was not unreasonable. He listened to the problems and where he considered it justified he over-ruled the directives that the XI Congress had made in 1922. He accepted Tukhachevsky's argument that a flatter command structure in which Corps reported directly to Fronts was not practical and would leave the army lacking in command and control.

He also agreed that a fixed allocation of three Divisions to every Corps was not always optimal, especially due to the shortage of experienced Corps Commanders. He also accepted, that because of the width of some of the fronts that a Corps was asked to defend, restricting them to three divisions was impractical and would leave them unable to keep a reserve.



The existing defence zones from 1935 were abandoned and the defence of the Soviet Union was divided into six new Defence Theatres.

• Stavka:

  Defended the central area from the European Plains in the west to Siberia in the east, and would act as a Reserve Front which could be sent to any point of crisis.
  
  

• Northern:

  Defended the western frontier area from the Pripyat Marshes to the port of Arkhangel'sk.
  
  

• Southern:

  Defended the western frontier to the south of the Pripyat Marshes and along the Black Sea Coast.
  
  

• Central Asia:

  Defended the southern borders of the Soviet Union from the Caspian Sea to the southern borders of the Peoples Republic of Tannu Tuva.
  
  

• Far Eastern:

  Defended the eastern borders of the Soviet Union from the Peoples Republic of Mongolia to the coast of the Bering Sea.
  
  Because of the huge areas which had to be covered by these Defence Theatre Commands they were further divided into a number of Fronts. These Fronts were intended to be flexible and subject to change according to operational requirements, but the initial assignments were as follows:
  

  	Northern Front: The Kola Peninsula, Murmansk and Arkhangel'sk. North-Western Front: Karelian Isthmus, Gulf of Finland, Estonian Border. Western Front: Soviet Border between Lake Pihkva in the north to the Pripyat Marshes in the south.
  	South-Western Front: Soviet Border from the Pripyat Marshes in the north to Horodok in the South. Southern Front: Soviet Border from Kamianets Podilskyi in the north to Sevastopol in the south. Trancaucasus Front: Soviet Border from the Sea of Azov to the Caspian Sea.
  	Central Asia Front: The southern Soviet border from the Caspian Sea to Tannu Tuva in the east.
  	Far Eastern Front: The Manchukuo Border from Vladivostock to Ust' Karsk in the west. Transbaikal Front: The Mongolian border as far west as Irkutsk.
  	Stavka Reserve Front: Defending Moskva and Tula.

  Every Division was reviewed and either disbanded or brought up to optimal strength.
  
  Fresh Divisions were mobilised as reserves to make up the strength of some Corps. Whilst some Corps and Armies were disbanded and their Divisions re-assigned to make up the strength of others.
  
  
  Every Corps was reviewed and either disbanded or allocated Divisions to bring it up to an operational strength of between 2 and 5 Divisions.
  
  Every Army was reviewed and either disbanded or assigned Corps or Divisions to meet its operational needs.
  
  Armies were then assigned to Fronts and moved to cover their new sphere of operations.
  
  Everywhere there was movement. Divisions marched from A to B, then B to A, and sometimes to D. Fresh Regiments were marching to join their Divisions, Divisions marching to join their Corps and Corps marching to join their Armies.
  
  To those not in the know it seemed like chaos but to Stalin and his advisors it was all coming together nicely.

1936 April: The Spanish Civil War

In early 1936 the Soviet Union’s foreign policy had ignored Republican Spain.

From the Soviet perspective although Spain claimed to be a Socialist Democracy, in practice it’s government was divided between:

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE - Partido Socialista Obrero Español)

and

The Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Right-wing Groups
(CEDA - Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas).

Neither of these parties were showing any interest in the benefits of international Communism and the general drift of both was towards an alliance with Britain and it's capitalist allies.

The Communist Party of Spain (PCE - Partido Comunista de España) could only command the support of 3% of the population and so Stalin had dismissed Spain as irrelevant to Soviet plans.

In April 1936 the power struggle between the PSOE (who represented the workers, trade unions, socialists and peasants) and the CEDA (who represented the monarchists, landowners, employers, the church and the army.) finally erupted into violence when the army rebelled to forcibly remove the PSOE from power, and civil war ensued. The Nationalist’s rallied behind the Army, whilst the Socialists came to the defence of the Republic.

Britain and France immediately called for a policy of non-intervention and most of the other major nations agreed to leave Spain to decide its own future.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Historically this plea by Chamerberlain for non-intervention was largely ignored and many nations sought to influence the outcome of the Spanish Civil War in their own favour. However, in this game the pledge not to interfere seems to have been honoured.

By May 1936, things were not going well for the Nationalist and they began petitioning Germany for assistance. These requests appeared to fall on deaf ears and Germany continued to comply with the non-intervention agreement. The initial Nationalist drive towards Madrid had been blocked and was losing momentum, whilst the Republican's were beginning to push back on several fronts.



By June 1936, the Republican's appeared to be gaining the upper hand and the Nationalists were losing ground. Their initial advance on Madrid had been halted and they were being driven back towards the coasts.

All outward indications suggested that the non-intervention agreement was still holding, although the Soviet Union had begun to sell the Republican’s limited quantities of arms and ammunition on a strictly cash only basis.

1936 June: The Dust Settles

Six months have passed since the agreement of the Second Five Year Plan, and the initial review of The Red Army was complete.

Production Schedule

The production schedule had been updated with the additional Reserve Divisions needed to bring all of The Red Army formations up to strength and now included:

Project Type	Schedule	Notes
Industrial	40	35 from Five Year Plan +5 Ordered by Stalin
Artillery	95	3 have been delivered/26 to be scheduled
Interceptors	54	10 more to be scheduled
Mountain Rifle Div.	4	Required to complete Corps/Ordered by Stalin
Light Tank Div.	11	Required to completed Corps/Ordered by Stalin
Rifle Divisions	36	Required to complete Corps/Ordered by Stalin
Cavalry Divisions	7	Required to complete Corps/Ordered by Stalin

The additional divisions were ordered by Stalin to make up the deficiencies that had been noted in Corps Composition during the review of the army. Strictly speaking their formation was contrary to the strategy agreed by the XI Congress, but they were only reserve formations intended to act as cadres for recruitment should the army be mobilised and Stalin was confident that they were necessary.

Foreign Affairs

The only major event reported by Commissar Litvinov, was the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Which the Soviets watched with interest, but as neither faction were seeking direct alignment or support from the Comintern it's outcome was only of passing interest to Stalin.

However, there was a constant flow of other information from the Soviet agents and activists around the world and this needed to be assessed.

'Litvinov reports that the Germans are actively seeking to influence Belgium towards forming an alliance.' Stalin looked up from the report he was reading

Belgium	AXIS Influence	AXIS	0.86	2.64	4.34
Sweden	AXIS Influence	AXIS	0.71	2.01	4.67		Tungsten; Ballbearings
Switzerland	AXIS Influence	AXIS	0.77	2.36	4.33

'Yes, I read that' replied Molotov. 'Its an odd choice. Belgium's neutrality is guarantee by Britain, so why would they be interested in an alliance with Germany.' Stalin pondered 'Perhaps Herr Hitler wants to use Antwerp as a new base for his submarines. That would upset the British, right opposite the port of London.'

Molotov chuckled 'Its more likely that Herr Hitler has developed a taste for chocolate. But, whatever the reason there is nothing more that we can do about in in practical terms. Our activists are already promoting the idea of 'The Fascist Threat'. Its up to Britain to intervene directly if they wish to maintain their influence over Belgium.'

Stalin grunted his agreement 'Meanwhile, it seems that the USA are trying to lock down everything that moves in the America's. Have you seen this list of countries whose independence they have guaranteed?'

Countries whose independence is guaranteed by the USA

• Argentina
  
• Bolivia
  
• Brazil
  
• Canada
  
• Chile
  
• Colombia
  
• Costa Rica
  
• El Salvador
  
• Guatemala
  
• Honduras
  
• Mexico
  
• Nicaragua
  
• Panama
  
• Paraguay
  
• Peru
  
• Uruguay
  
• Venezuela

'Knowing how volatile most of those countries are, I suspect that the American's will soon be running around like those 'Keystone Cops' in their movies trying to put out all the fires.' replied Molotov.

'Do you think it might be a pretext for them to move their troops in and take up occupation?' asked Stalin. Molotov shrugged 'Perhaps, though the Americans always claim to have no Imperialist ambitions. It might just be an attempt to keep their noisy neighbours quiet.'

Stalin returned to studying the report.
'There is nothing new here about Japan.' noted Stalin

'No!' replied Moltov 'It appears that all is quiet on the Far Eastern front.'

'Well that's something I suppose. How are our own diplomatic missions progressing?' asked Stalin.

Sinkiang	Soviet Influence	COM	5.26	0.04	0.04	Neighbour
Turkey	Soviet Influence	AXIS	3.18	0.60	3.71	Neighbour

'Sinkiang is rushing towards our open arms and should be ready to sign a treaty within a year.

'Unfortunately, Turkey is being stubborn but hopefully once our agents start spreading more rumours of atrocities in Germany their interest in joining the Axis will wither away and our diplomats will have more success.

Stalin studied the rest of Litvinov's report listing the known drifts in alignment amongst the Soviet Unions neighbours.

Afghamistan		COMINT	3.98	0.69	0.04	Neighbour
Estonia		AXIS	6.82	0.69	7.78	Neighbour
Finland		ALLIES	1.00	1.95	1.74	Neighbour
Japan		AXIS	0.10	0.00	0.53	Neighbour
Manchukuo		AXIS	0.02	0.02	0.46	Neighbour
Mongolia		COMINT	N/A	N/A	N/A	Neighbour	COMINTERN Member
Persia		AXIS	3.56	1.82	4.26	Neighbour
Poland		AXIS	0.72	0.57	2.79	Neighbour
Romania		ALLIES	0.87	3.02	1.85	Neighbour
Tannu Tuva		COMINT	N/A	N/A	N/A	Neighbour	COMINTERN Member

'I'm not happy to see that Finland is drifting towards the Allies. The Finnish border is only 50km's from Leningrad. If Britain decides to launch another pro-monarchist invasion I don't want them using Finland as a staging area for their troops and planes.' he said.

I know its not an ideal situation. We could try to influence them away from the Allies? noted Molotov.

'Perhaps, but we are already investing a lot of our leadership in these diplomatic missions. Let's watch the situation for a few more months. Perhaps, our efforts to spread the truth about the Imperialist threat from Britain will change their minds. Or, perhaps Herr Hitler is also interested in avoiding an Allied presence in the Baltic and will do our work for us.'

Perhaps!...it seems he is already taking an unhealthy interest in Sweden. So, I doubt he wants a British aligned Finland for a neighbour . Noted Molotov.

1936 October: Spanish Civil War Ends

The Spanish Civil war is now into its sixth month, and after the significant gains made by the Republicans in June, the Nationalists led by General Franco managed to rally and return to the offensive in July.



Republican resistance quickly crumbled and by October the Nationalists controlled Madrid and the entire North of Spain. The Republicans are driven back into two small area's in the east and west of the country and make one last desperate bid to join forces and recover the initiative.



However, it was a futile effort and as Nationalist forces captured the last Republican held city in Murcia they surrendered and Spain submitted to the dictatorship of Franco.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Historically the Spanish Civil War dragged on for a further two years not ending until April 1939. So, perhaps the lack of intervention on this occassion shortened the suffering of the Spanish people.

Year 2: 1937-1938 'The Enemy Within'

The first formal review of the second five year plan took place in Moscow in early January.

This was expected to become a regular feature of Soviet planning giving the leadership an opportunity to make minor modifications to their plans in the light of performance and events in the previous year.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

When playing the game I normally pause the game at the start of the every new year precisely for this purpose, and so it seemed natural to record similar reviews in the AAR.

Production Schedule

Project Type	Scheduled	Completed	Notes
Industrial	41	-	Six new IC due for completion in February.
Artillery Regiments	90	11	Priority given to Northern Theatre
Interceptor Wings	62	2
Mountain Rifle Div.	3	3
Light Tank Div.	9	4
Rifle Divisions	34	6
Cavalry Divisions	7	-

'It's a matter of priorities.' explained Molotov 'You scheduled the formation of a lot of new Divisions last year which were not part of the original plan.'

'They are necessary.' growled Stalin.

'That is not the issue.' responded Molotov 'the simple fact is that they are using industrial capacity that was originally assigned to planned production. We are trying to do too much at once.'

'It's not enough.' Stalin turned to the map of the Soviet Union on the wall of his office and frowned at the pins marking the positions of the armies and corps of The Red Army. 'This map scares me' he said glancing back at Molotov 'see how thin our defences are?'

It takes a minimum of ten regiments to provide a single line of defence in a border province. That's at least three Divisions, ideally four, defending every border province. Even then it would only give us enough men for a single static defence line. Once an enemy has kicked in the door there will be nothing to stop him. Stalin scanned the map once again.

Soviet Front Analysis

Front	Width/Provinces	Optimal Divisions	Available Divisions	Mobile Divisions
Far Eastern	32	128	19	-
Southern	9	36	9	2
Transcaucasus	3	12	9	-
South-West	19	76	35	7
Central Asia	2	8	2	-
North-West	6	24	11	1
Northern	9	36	16	5
Western	18	72	12	9
Totals	98	372	113	24

But Tukhachevskii favours a different strategy anyway. He calls it 'Deep Battle'. He accepts that we need to form a defensive line to block the enemy advance and pin it in place. But says we must recognise and plan for the inevitable fact that it will eventually be breached. He believes that we should have a second line behind the first ready to contain the breach, and that our armour and cavalry should be held back from the defensive battle and used to counter their thrusts and envelop and ultimately destroy their incursions.

'It is a clever strategy worthy of a Napoleonchik, and I've formally approved it. It was circulated as Field Regulation PU-36 last month. But it requires even more troops to put it into practice, and at the moment we are being forced to use our armour and cavalry to fill the gaps in our first line of defence. We barely have the Divisions to put a screen along our borders let alone defend them.'

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

See: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/deep-battle-the-vision-of-marshall-tukhachevskii.htm/2

Molotov listened to Stalin as he described the virtues of Tukhachevskii's plan and looked worried 'Joseph has it ever occurred to you that this 'Deep Battle Strategy' could just be an excuse to justify an increase in the size of the army?'

Stalin turned and frowned at Molotov who continued 'The army is a powerful weapon. Whoever wields it, is by implication, a powerful man, and we both know how ambitious Tukhachevskii is.'

'You don't like him do you?' Stalin gave Molotov a challenging stare.

Molotov pouted 'Soldiers irritate me, they're all noise and medals, but fortunately they are not usually very bright. But Tukhachevskii is different. He's clever, and he's ambitious. I worry about him, and so should you. For the moment he just wants a bigger army. But if you give him that where will his ambitions turn next?'

Stalin waved his hand dismissively 'He's was investigated six years ago, and the NKVD gave him a clean slate.'

Molotov shrugged 'People change Joseph, and so do circumstances. He seems to have gained a lot of influence in the past year, even over you.'

1937: January Research Review

Land Research
Having reached 1938 (Lvl 3) in all four infantry equipment technologies further research has been suspended as continuing would be inefficient in 1936.

The four research slots have now been assigned to Medium Armour research.


Armour Research
Medium armour research is complete and we have a design for the basic T-18 Medium Tank ready for production.

However, no industrial capacity has been assigned to replace our existing light tanks as yet. Instead research is continuing into better armour, engines and reliability. So, that when the time is right to invest in replacement armour it will be the best that can be provided.
The original T-27 Light Tanks have also been superceded by the newly designed BT-5's. So that even those reconnaisance and cavalry divisions that are not scheduled for upgrade to medium tank divisions will see an improvement. However, further Light Tank research will be needed before we can unlock the self-propelled artillery needed to complete our Motorised Rifle Divisions.


Fighter Research
Research into Basic single engine aircraft design is complete and the Polikarpov i15 has been superceded by a new Polikarpov i16 monoplane. These will begin to be issued to front line Fighter Aviation Divisions (IAD) as soon as production capacity is available.




Industry Research
Industrial research is continuing and has reached level 4. We are also continuing with priority research on Supply Production technologies and Education. These technologies will maximise the output from our Base IC and increase the Leadership potential of our workforce.


Theory Research
Initial research into Supply Organisation and Transportation is complete and has been suspended temporarily to allow research into Artillery Barrels, Ammunition, Carriages and Sights to be started.
We will return to this research later in the year.

Land Doctrines
The decision was made to begin research towards the Grand Battle Plan doctrine.

Central Planning and Grand Battle plan will give our troops a better chance of conducting counter-attacks and reinforcing their front line defenders if they have reserves available. Also by researching basic Infantry Warfare we add +10% Organisation to our infantry thus making them more resilient.

Air Doctrines
The retraining of Fighter Ground Crew and Interception Tactic's is under way and will continue to bring the personnel in our Fighter Aviation Divisions up to date with the latest techniques and tactics.

1937 January: Foriegn Affairs Update

The only major event since the victory of the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War was the news that Italy had invaded and puppetted Ethiopia. This was slightly annoying as Ethiopia were just beginning to take an interest in the Communist International at the time.

SOVIET Influence
The Soviets were now actively seeking to influence Persia and Afghanistan, in addition to the missions to Sinkiang and Turkey that were approved a year ago.

Afghanistan	SOVIET Influence	COMINTERN	7.69	0.69	3.61	Neighbour
Persia	SOVIET Influence	COMINTERN	7.58	1.82	4.48	Neighbour
Turkey	SOVIET Influence	COMINTERN	3.93	0.85	3.71	Neighbour
Sinkiang	SOVIET Influence	COMINTERN	6.65	0.04	0.04	Neighbour

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

I was interested to note that Turkey was now drifting towards the COMINTERN, when six months ago they were drifting towards the AXIS despite Soviet Influence. I'm not sure if this is the result of the threat the Soviets are increasing on Germany, or the 'Support Our Party' mission assigned to Soviet agents operating in Turkey which has increased the popularity of the PCP to 9%.

AXIS Influence
'Litvinov reports that the Germany have abandoned their attempt to influence Belgium and are now focussing their efforts on Scandanavia.

Norway	AXIS Influence	AXIS	1.07	2.48	6.06
Sweden	AXIS Influence	AXIS	0.71	2.12	5.84		Tungsten; Ballbearings
Switzerland	AXIS Influence	AXIS	0.77	2.46	5.86

'That makes more sense.' Noted Stalin 'though I'm curious why they don't try to influence Finland too.'

ALLIED Influence
'Having lost their Spanish friends on the Iberian peninsula it looks as though Britain is trying to coax Portugal to join their faction.' Noted Molotov.

Country

Action

Drift

COMINT

ALLIES

AXIS

Interest

Notes

Portugal

ALLIED Influence

ALLIES

0.69

3.83

3.83

Stalin studied the report. 'I suppose it will keep General Franco on his toes. I'm surprised they haven't guaranteed Portugal's independence just to make sure Franco doesn't try to annex them.'

1937 January: The Great Officer Purge

In January 1937 Commissar Yagoda delivered his final report on the state of the Soviet Officer Corps.













The report listed a total of forty-one officers of all ranks, and from all services who had failed in their duties, or were considered to be a danger to the state.

Stalin studied the list for some time, and there were three more last minute additions.

Vladimir Orlov Fleet Flagman of the First Rank, Chief of the Naval Forces of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Who had objected to the proposed use of propaganda to increase the threat posed by Germany, was arrested, accused of passing secrets to enemies of the state, and executed.

Mikhail Tukhachevsky Marshal of the Soviet Union, Chief of the General Staff, 'the Soviet Napoleon' who had defended the Red Army against the criticisms of Molotov a year before was arrested and accused of involvement in an 'anti-Soviet Trotskyist military organization', treason and passing secrets to members of the German General Staff.

The final and most surprising addition was Genrikh Yagoda the author of the initial list, and head of the year long investigation. He was arrested along with a number of his fellow officers some time after the report was delivered to Stalin. They were accused of being involved in a plot against Joseph Stalin. Yagoda was also accused of having been the mastermind behind the assassination of Sergy Kirov in 1934 and to have worked secrectly for the German intelligence service.

Yagoda also signed a confession admitting that he was behind a plot to try and poison Stalin and other members of the Politburo. He was found guilty and executed shortly afterwards.

1937 April: Stalin consolidates his power.

Having eliminated any serious opposition amongst his fellow party members and the armed forces Stalin has used his increased power and influence to enact the following new laws for the Soviet Union.

Totalitarian System	consumer demand during war -0.04 partisan efficiency +4% ruling party support +0.3 counter intelligence +0.25.
Three Year Draft	reserves penalty 25% manpower +25% peacetime manpower rotation 2% officer recruitment +25%
War Economy	Wartime Consumer Demand -2% IC +25% Money -25% Resources 10%
Massive Education Investment	Money -25% Leadership +20%
Heavy Industry Emphasis	Industrial Efficiency +5% Peacetime Consumer Goods Demand +10% Supply Throughput +10%
Propaganda Press	National Unity Rate -10% Counter Espionage +10% Drift -10%
Specialist Training	Unit Recruitment Time +20% Unit Starting Experience +25

Germany has stopped trying to influence Norway and Switzerland and has returned to trying to pressure Belgium into joining the AXIS, or at least delay their decision to join the Allies.

Whilst Switzerland and Saudi Arabia have both contacted the Soviet Union to discuss the benefits of joining the COMINTERN. It seems that both have heard worrying rumours about Germany and Britain and are looking for protection from elsewhere.

Research into Civil Defence Theory has been completed and the resources have been assigned instead to Medium Tank Armament.

Base IC has increased by +6 to 167 upon completing the first of the Industrialisation Projects in Siberia.

1937 August: Sinkiang joins the COMINTERN

From May through to August there were no major events to distract Stalin from consolidating his power in the Soviet Union. The deaths of so many Soviet party officials and officers seemed to go relatively unnoticed around the rest of the world, and there was no obvious international backlash.

The Soviet Propaganda Press did a good job of justifying the purges within the Soviet Union.

National Unity actually increased from 56% before the start of the purges to 81% afterwards, and there was no civil unrest as a consequence of the killings. Although there was a slight negative impact on research and development due to the resulting Disorganised Leadership penalty.

In May Germany gave up trying to convince Norway to join the AXIS and sent their diplomats back to Belgium. Meanwhile, the UK withdrew their diplomats from Portugal, and sent them to Greece. Both Portugal and Greece seemed determined to drift towards the AXIS, but Britain seemed uncertain which of them it wished to influence otherwise.


The Soviets were surprised to receive diplomatic delegations from Sweden, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Tibet during May all of which were expressing an interest in eventually joining the COMINTERN. They were received politely but Stalin refused to sanction any further diplomatic missions than those already in place.

In June, Germany once again withdrew its diplomats this time from Belgium and sent them back to Norway. The only conclusion that Soviet intelligence could make of this apparent indecision was that Hitler was trying to delay both Belgium and Norway from joining the Allies, but did not have the diplomats to do both at once.

This might also explain the behaviour of Britain which also switched it's influence back to Portugal from Greece.

Soviet armour research made another breakthrough announcing the development of the new T-28 Medium Tank. This tank would replace the T-18 developed last year, even before it had been issued to any Tank Divisions.

In July, Germany's diplomats seemed to be in a state of chaos. They began the month trying to influence Sweden; the Netherlands and Switzerland. Then on the 22nd they abandoned all three missions and returned once again to Norway.

The UK also changed their diplomatic focus, withdrawing their diplomats once again from Portugal and sending them to influence South Africa.

Whilst diplomats from Germany and the UK have been flitting back and forth and achieving very little, the Soviets have remained firmly focussed on developing trust and influence with their neighbours along the Central Asian border. Namely; Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan and Sinkiang.

In August the first of these, Sinkiang, announced that it was ready to sign the pact and join the COMINTERN.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Checking other players Soviet Campaigns, it looks as though my diplomatic influence mission to Sinkiang shaved about three years off the date when they joined the Comintern.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

So far the Foreign Policy Strategy outlined in the five year plan seems to be working well for the Soviet Union.

The decision to concentrate our agents in the UK and Germany on ‘Increasing Threat’ (which I interpret to mean spreading subversion and propaganda about atrocities and malicious intent on the part of the target nation.) seems to have created a general lack of trust in the intentions of both nations.

This has not only made them unpopular in the Soviet Union, but has led to a general distrust of their intentions amongst the other nations of the world and, as the COMINTERN is the only other option on the table, there has been a consequent drift (if only slight) towards the Soviet Union as the only safe haven available.

What is doubly interesting is that it looks as though it has even worked on the UK and Germany themselves. Because, instead of acting to block Soviet diplomatic influence they are focussing on trying to counter each other’s. Presumably in the belief that the other poses a bigger threat than the Soviet Union. So, in terms of the ‘Tournament of Shadows’ it looks as though the Soviet Union is dominating the play at the moment.

My only real concern is that all this diplomatic and intelligence effort is putting a heavy demand on Soviet Leadership and is creating a lack of leadership for equally important activities like technology research and officer recruitment.

At some point I am either going to have to cut back on the diplomatic and intelligence activity, or do something to increase Soviet leadership (though I’m not even sure if that’s possible.)

1937 September: The Second Sino-Japanese War

Japan has invaded Shanxi whose independence is guaranteed by both Nationalist China and Yunnan. As a consquence all three countries are now at war with Japan and her ally Manchukuo.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident

The exact details of the events justifying this conflict are disputed, but initial reports state that Japanese troops stationed at Fengtai were conducting a military night exercise near the town of Wanping (a walled town 10.2 miles southwest of Beijing) when fire was exchanged between them and the Chinese garrison.


The situation escalated with both sides calling up reinforcements and at 4am in the morning the Japanese mounted a full scale assault on the Chinese positions near the Marco Polo Bridge (690 feet west-southwest of Wanping), and at the modern railway bridge (1,095 feet north of the Marco Polo Bridge).

The Second Sino-Japanese War had begun.

Japanese War Goals:

Capture the Chinese Coast.

Molotov sidled into Stalin’s office carrying the inevitable stack of folders. Stalin turned from his study of the map on the wall as he crossed the room behind him ‘I hear that Japan has revealed its Imperialist ambitions.’

‘Yes! They crossed the Shanxi border a few days ago, and the whole of Nationalist China and Yunnan are mobilising to drive them back over it.’ Confirmed Molotov.

‘Well at least it might take the pressure of our Far Eastern borders for a few months. Field Marshal Sokolovskij reports that many of the Japanese divisions he was facing on the Far Eastern Front have been withdrawn and replaced with local militia or garrison troops.

Has Nationalist China asked for any assistance?
‘No! Litvinov tells me that they seem content to deal with the situation alone.

Communist China is nervous but seems reluctant to do anything to provoke Japanese aggression.

But Mongolia is moving its troops closer to the Shanxi border just in case.

‘We may need to send troops into Mongolia to support them if necessary, but for the time being tell Litvinov to send a delegation to Japan and make it clear that the Soviet Union will not tolerate any threat to Mongolian independence.’

'I doubt Japan have any interest in Mongolia. They claim that they are only interested in the resources along China's Pacific coast. Invading Mongolia would be a lot of effort for little reward.'

'True!' noted Stalin 'But we owe it too our friends to make the right noises, besides it won't hurt to let the Japanese know that we are not prepared to grant them free reign in Asia.' Stalin turned back to the map 'At least with Singkiang in the pact we now have a complete buffer zone between our southern border and China.'

1937 September: Japan and Italy join the AXIS

Italy has joined the AXIS together with her ally Ethiopia, and Japan has joined the AXIS with her ally Manchukuo.

This event caused a ripple of concern amongst the Soviet Leadership.

It was not completely unexpected as both Italy and Japan had been drifting towards AXIS membership for some time. However, now that it had happened the AXIS were suddenly the most powerful faction in the world.

However, from the Soviet perspective, the main concern was that they now found themselves with a powerful AXIS presence close to their Eastern and Western borders.


It was hard for Stalin to imagine any alternative outcome to this situation than the likelihood that the Soviet Union would eventually find itself under attack from both directions at once. This being the case Stalin’s first reaction was to try and play for time and he immediately sent Molotov to Germany with instructions to persuade Hitler that he was considering an alliance with Germany.

1937 December: Shanxi Surrenders to Japan

Shanxi province has surrendered to Japan, whose forces are now advancing south into Nationalist China. Chinese forces have formed a defensive line along the Yellow River in an attempt to stop them.

Molotov has returned from Germany.

Molotov has returned from his visit to Germany and reported on his negotiations with the German Fuhrer.

'Well what did our friend Herr Hitler, have to say for himself?' asked Stalin after Molotov had settled himself in his chair.

Molotov shrugged 'He seemed genuinely interested in the idea of a Soviet-Axis alliance, or pact as he preferred to call it.'

Stalin seemed surprised 'Really! Was it that simple?'

’There was a lot of hot-air early on about the common ground between our two countries. How we were both anti-capitalist and anti-democracy and how there are common elements in the ideology of Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union.’

’Ha!' spat Stalin ’I have no problem at all with democracy, as long as I get to count the votes.'

’Exactly! And he never mentioned Japan, of course. said Molotov ’In fact, the subject seemed to be deliberately avoided.’

’Instead, they seemed obsessed with stressing our common grievances with ‘the Capitalist West'. In fact, they seemed almost fanatical about it. How neither Germany, nor Italy had anything in common with the capitalist west, and how unnatural it was that a socialist state would stand on the side of the western democracies. Molotov grimaced ’I concluded in the end that it was all fignya, and they were just telling me what they thought I wanted to hear and assuming I was an idiot. But of course I played along. I was curious where it was actually leading.’

Stalin leaned forward ’So, they were receptive to the idea of some sort of alliance then.’
'Worryingly so,' replied Molotov 'In fact, I found myself having to think up excuses not to sign an agreement right there and then. Within two days of my arrival their foreign minister, Ribbentrop, had drafted a proposal and was pressuring me to sign it.

’What did it say?’ asked Stalin intrigued.

’Well basically it was suggesting a division of the world into four spheres of influence. They were very keen on the idea that we all focus our interest to the south. In our case, to Iran and eventually India. Whilst leaving Germany uninhibited influence over Scandinavia and the Balkans. Italy were also to project their interests to the south toward North Africa and Egypt.’

’That would mean war with the British Empire. Is that what they were proposing?’ asked Stalin.

’That was never mentioned explicitly, but that is definitely the implication. At least for ourselves, Italy and probably Japan.

If Japan keeps pushing south it will eventually find its advance blocked by British held possessions like Hong Kong and Singapore anyway. But the same would be true if we decided to push south into India or Iran as suggested. Or if Italy tried to invade Egypt.

It’s hard to conclude anything other than the fact that Germany is trying to engineer the destruction of the British Empire, and they seem to assume that we will be willing participants, if only because it would give us easy access to the sea.

Molotov smirked 'I actually asked to which sea they were referring and they became rather coy, suggesting that it would be a matter for us to decide.’ Molotov chuckled and placed one of his folders on the table. ’I kept a copy of the initial German proposal for your amusement. But basically I spent the next few weeks pulling it to pieces and being generally argumentative about anything I could find in it to pick at. For example, look here’ said Molotov flicking through the pages until he found a highlighted passage. ’It mentions here, 'The New Order in Europe' and here it refers to 'The Greater Asian Theatre', but doesn’t explain what these terms actually mean. They just seem to be vague concepts that the Germans have in their heads but can’t or won’t describe in detail. As I said to Ribbentrop, we are a neutral and peace loving nation how can we sign such an agreement without understanding exactly what obligations it imposes on us.’

Stalin laughed ’I can see I chose the right man for this mission, Mikhail. They must have really hated you.’

’They seemed to think we were looking for a military alliance, and were very keen to point out that Germany needed no material or military assistance from the Soviet Union at all. All they wanted was our assurance that we would limit our interests to an agreed sphere of influence and not encroach upon any of the spheres agreed with the other members of their pact.’

’So, basically they want our assurances that we will keep out of their way.’ nodded Stalin

’That’s about it. We stay away from Scandinavia, the Balkans, North Africa, Egypt, the Greater Asian Theatre, whatever that means. Oh! and Turkey was mentioned. But I put my foot down at that point and they backed off.

They also mentioned Finland, but I refused to discuss any assurances in that respect, stating that as far as we were concerned Finland was not part of Scandinavia and would have to be discussed separately. I reasoned that you wouldn't want Germany for a neighbour any more than the British. They agreed to that subject to an assurance that they would be given free access to Finland’s resources if they were required. Though what they need from Finland is anybody’s guess’

’This is amazing’ said Stalin looking through the copy of the German proposal ’They have pretty much given us their entire future strategy. What did they say about Poland and the western border region?’

’Not a lot, there was some vague suggestion that two great nations such as Germany and the Soviet Union had no need to get into conflict over the fate of a few minor countries, and that any interests we might have in the land between our two borders could be resolved amicably.

’This is hard to believe. said Stalin I sent you to Germany to play for time, and you’ve come back holding a plan for world domination.’

’It certainly looks like it. agreed Molotov.

’How long do you think we can keep them on the hook, before we have to agree to something?’ asked Stalin

’Well you know me Joseph, I can be a real stickler for detail even at the best of times.’ laughed Molotov. ’Oh! And by the way, I told Ribbentrop I hate flying. Which is actually true. So, every time we meet I have insisted that I travel by train. That will add a week to every trip easily.’

'Well you don't need to go back immediately. said Stalin 'I need you here for next months annual review, and before you go back we should come up with some sort of counter-proposal for the fascists.'

'We should demand something ridiculous that the Germans can't possibly agree to, like half of Poland. That will keep them talking even longer.' said Molotov.

'Yes, that should buy us more time.' agreed Stalin.

Year 3: 1938-1939 ‘My hand on the tiller.’

The second formal review of the current five year plan took place in early January and Molotov stayed in Moscow to attend. Ribbentrop suggested that he could fly to Moscow to meet with him and continue discussion of the proposed Four-Party AXIS Pact. But Molotov politely rejected the suggestion claiming that for the moment affairs of state required his full attention.

Production

Project Type	Scheduled	Completed	Notes
Industrial	28	13	Six new IC due for completion in July and August.
Artillery Regiments	62	31	Northern theatre fully equipped, priority switched to Western theatres.
Interceptor Divisions	49	13	Soviet factories are still producing the Polikarpov i15 at the moment, having not been retooled for the manufacture of the new i16's.
Mountain Rifle Div.	1	5
Light Tank Div.	7	6
Rifle Divisions	30	10
Cavalry Divisions	7	-
Submarines	2	-	Production suspended
Destroyers	1	-	Production suspended

’Why have we not switched production to the latest aircraft and tank designs?’ Asked Stalin.

’We could.’ replied Molotov ’But I am assured that to do so would take time, and it seemed that you were more interested in forming these new divisions quickly and getting them deployed.'

'Once we have the troops deployed we can begin upgrading their equipment.’

Stalin grunted and returned his attention to the production schedule. It seemed wasteful to him to continue manufacturing tanks that were already obsolete and due for replacement. But he trusted Molotov to have done his homework and to have chosen the optimal strategy.

‘We are behind schedule.’ he commented.

’That’s true, but as I explained last year we are equipping a number of new Divisions for the Army, which were not in the original plan.’ said Molotov ’We could back schedule the equipping of those Divisions and concentrate production on the original schedule if you prefer.’

Stalin just grunted again and ignored the question. Molotov could be annoying sometimes.

Industrialisation

’I notice that our base IC is up to 174 now, is that not helping?’ He asked.

’It’s certainly helping, as are the improvements we are making in production techniques. We are manufacturing more and faster than we were in 1936, and that will continue to be the case as more of our industrialisation and research projects are completed.' confirmed Molotov ’Our Base IC is still higher than that of Germany, Britain and Japan. In fact, Japan seems to be the only nation that has increased its Base IC since 1936, and that may be just be the result of it’s recent conquest of Shanxi.’

USA	256	?
Soviet Union	161	174
Britain	161	161
Germany	144	144
France	98
Japan	94	97
France	69	?

‘We have no up to date figures for the American’s?’ asked Stalin.

’ No! Comrade Secretary. Unfortunately our American agents have been arrested, and we have yet to replace them.’ replied Litvinov.

’No matter, for the moment the Americans do not seem to be a threat. said Stalin.

Technology

’We are still struggling to maintain our research programmes. But the demands on our leadership from the diplomatic and intelligence services seems to grow month by month. complained Molotov.

’It is a problem.’ agreed Stalin ’But knowing what we now know about Herr Hitler’s ambitions it seems even more important that we continue to have a strong presence in the game of shadows.’

’Comrade Secretary, should we warn Britain of the threat they are under from Germany and her allies?’ asked Litvinov.

Stalin laughed ’Maxim in case you have not noticed we have been warning Britain, and the rest of the world about the dangers of Fascism for the past two years. The only difference is that now we know that we are telling the truth.’

’But we could send the British government a copy of the proposal that Comrade Molotov brought back from Berlin.’ Litvinov stated pointing to the pile of folders Molotov had brought to the meeting.

’We have been sending such documents to London for months’ said Stalin ’The only difference being that the previous ones were printed on German paper, using German ink here in Moscow, and were more believable than the one Molotov brought back from Berlin.'

'No! I think it unwise to send a copy of that document to London. It could even be counter-productive. If they decided it was too fantastic to be real they might conclude that everything else we have sent them is equally dubious.'

'Plus, if Germany found out they would know where it came from and it could jeopardise our ongoing negotiations with Herr Hitler.

As the meeting finally broke up Stalin called Voroshilov back and closed the door. 'Klim I'm afraid I have decided to remove you from your post as Commissar for Defence.'

Voroshilov's face drained of colour 'But I am a loyal party member....I would never do anything to harm the Motherland...or you, You must beleive me.'

Stalin reached out and steadied him 'Don't worry comrade, your loyalty is not in question. I have merely decided that the time has come for me to have my own hand on the tiller. It is no reflection on you or your loyalty at all.'

He walked over to his desk and picked up a slip of paper which he handed to Voroshilov. 'You're new assignment.' he said with a re-assuring smile 'I want you to assume personal responsibility for the efficient operation of our port and naval facilties at Murmansk, and for the adminstration and supply of the Northern Red Banner Fleet. It is an important responsibility, but I know I can rely on you.' said Stalin.

Voroshilov took the slip of paper and looked at it. 'Thank you Comrade Secretary.' he mumbled as he turned and headed for the door.

A few minutes after Voroshilov had left Molotov stuck his head around the door. 'All sorted? he asked cryptically ’Yes! Poor Klim is on his way to Murmansk.’ replied Stalin.

’It’s for the best I’m sure. At least now you have complete control of the army.’ said Molotov.

’I’m sure your right.’ replied Stalin

1938 January: Japanese forces cross the Yellow River.

Japanese forces have crossed the Yellow River at two places and are driving south towards the capital of Nationalist China.

Mongolia have purchased a production license for one division of SU-2 close support aircraft from the Soviet Union to help bolster their defences.

The independence of Mongolia has been guaranteed by the Soviet Union.

New Officers Appointed

At the start of the year 43 newly promoted officers reported for duty. One field Marshal and forty-two Major Generals.

Stalin immediately assigned them to their commands making sure that any with Winter Specialist training were given priority consideration for commands in the Northern Theatre, and any with Battle Master skills were assigned to Tank or Motorised Divisions.

However, despite this there were still a large number of divisions which were without commanders.

1938 February: Japanese Forces reach the Yangtze River.

The Japanese forces on the western flank of their advance have reached the Yangtze River, where once again the Chinese appear to be trying to make a stand.

However, it does not look as though they have enough strength to cover the entire front and in the east and centre the Japanese are still managing to push southwards towards Wuhan, and have captured the port at Qindao.

The United Kingdom have intervened to influence Tibet away from its drift towards joining the Comintern.

This is the first direct action taken by the British to interfere with the spread of international communism.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Over the first two months of 1938, three more Artillery Regiments have been delivered from the production schedule and assigned to the Northern Front.

However, I am still finding things that need tweaking in the Soviet OOB. This month saw the disbanding of the Soviet 8th Army, which I discovered to only consist of a single corps of three divisions. The Corps was transferred to the 23rd Army, which brought its strength up to four Corps, and the 8th Army HQ was disbanded freeing up another commander for a more useful assignment.

It has taken me just under two weeks to write up this AAR to the point I had reached in the actual game. (e.g. Jan 1938). So, from this point onwards I have no more idea what will happen next than you have, and the only clues I have are my limited historical knowledge, and what I’ve seen in other ‘Lets Plays etc.

However, I have an ominous foreboding that things may not go well for my Soviet Union. I think that having deliberately chosen to ignore history and play the game as though Stalin and Molotov are ignorant of the future I have denied myself the opportunity to properly prepare for 1941 and the likely German invasion.

Surprisingly, the real Stalin has helped a lot. Apparently, he was pretty neurotic about potential enemies and obsessed about the Soviet Union being ready to defend itself within ten years (by 1941). So, I’ve been able to use his real-life paranoia as justification for a lot of preparation that wouldn’t normally have been logical. The XI Congress in 1922, which is mentioned several times in the early part of this AAR, was actually in favour of a reduction in the size of the Red Army to 800,000 men and a flattening of its command structure to reduce the number of officers needed to run it. Stalin has pretty much ignored this directive as he did in real life, and ploughed on with re-armament regardless.

Likewise, the bolstering of the Northern Army Front might be seen as a blatant bit of gamesmanship to prepare for the forthcoming Winter War with Finland. But in fact, Stalin was really worried about this front historically, simply because it was the closest location to Britain with ports where a British led monarchist army could land. In fact, that was where Britain had landed troops during the Russian Civil War just a decade or so earlier.

So Stalin considered Karelia to be a weak point in the Soviet defences. He was also obsessed with the role that Finalnd might play in such an invasion, especially as their border is so close to Leningrad.

Stalin's paranoia is definitely helping, but I’m still painfully aware that all the HOI3 guides suggest a much more rapid and focussed build up of the Red Army, and I really can’t justify that within the context of the game I’m playing. I just hope that when things do blow up in my face I have done enough for the Soviet Union to survive the storm.

1938 March: Japanese breach the Yangtze River Line

Japanese forces have managed to breach the Chinese defence line along the Yangtze River and are continuing to push south on a broad front towards the Chinese capital Nanjing.

1938 April: Japanese troops reach Nanjing

Japanese troops have continued to push south through China and are now within striking distance of the Nationalist Capital at Nanjing.

Soviet Engineers reveal plans for new medium tank.

Soviet enginners have announced their latest design for a medium tank. The BT-7M will replace the T-28 as the latest weapon of choice for Soviet Tank Divisions following completion of the latest research into Medium Tank design.

The BT7-M features improved armour and performance, and will shortly include a more effective main gun.

1938 May: Chinese Capital seized by Japan.

Molotov breezed into the office and dumped the inevitable pile of folders on Stalin’s desk. ‘Morning Joseph’ he smiled.

Stalin standing and pondering the map on his office wall as he often did just grunted. ‘The Chinese have lost Nanjing’ he said ‘it can’t be long now. Perhaps another month.’

‘Perhaps!’ replied Molotov sorting through his papers and not really paying much attention.

‘I wonder if we should send another Army to the Eastern Front, just in case.’ Thinking out loud.

‘In case of what?’ asked Molotov still not really focussed on Stalin’s conversation

‘In Case.’ Growled Stalin turning from the map and confronting Molotov to get his full attention. 'The Japanese Imperialists turn their attention to us next.’

‘Oh! They won’t do that.’ Said Molotov lightly.

‘How can you be so certain?' Snapped Stalin ‘Taken up divination in your spare time.’

‘I don’t need to’ smirked Molotov ‘I have Ribbentrop.’

‘He told you this?’ asked Stalin amazed.

‘Do you think I would be so foolish as to ask?’ scoffed Molotov ‘The mans an idiot, but he’s not stupid. If he thought we were concerned about the Japanese he would be bound to report it to his masters.’

‘So you don’t know?’ challenged Stalin.

‘Well nothing is one hundred percent certain. Do you actually think Ribbentrop believes everything I tell him?’ asked Molotov.

Stalin grunted ‘Even I don’t believe everything you tell me.’ He teased.

Molotov pretended to look hurt ‘But we do know that Germany, Italy and Japan have an agreement, and we know that the terms of that agreement divide the world up into spheres of influence, and that they have each agreed the boundaries of their own sphere.’ He gestured at the map. ‘We even know broadly what those boundaries are and who gets what, and what we will get if we join their little pact.’ Stalin nodded his understanding.

‘So!’ said Molotov as though he was stating the obvious ‘it stands to reason that Japan’s Greater Asian Sphere of Influence can’t include us, otherwise why would we be invited to the party?’

Stalin considered the question ‘To make us think we are safe.’

Molotov laughed ‘You’re problem Joseph is that you think like a Russian, everything is a conspiracy to you.’ He turned and placed a reassuring hand on Stalin’s shoulder ‘No, I think Germany genuinely wants to keep us quiet. They have plans for their New World Order and they don’t want us interfering in them. So, I think Herr Hitler will have his Japanese allies on a very tight leash.’

New Technology Advances

Molotov - Ribbentrop Update

'So, talking of Ribbentrop how did he react to our proposal about Poland?' asked Stalin.

'He seemed geniunely surprised.' said Molotov.

'Didn't he reject it out of hand?' asked Stalin.

'No! far from it. He asked for a break to consider the content of it. Which in his case means a chance to run to Hilter and get further guidance. But, when he came back he had clearly been told to continue negotiations.' said Molotov.

'You mean they are actually prepared to give us half of Poland?' Queried Stalin.

'Apparently! shrugged Molotov 'There was some posturing on their part about Poland being a Baltic state and therefore strictly speaking part of their sphere of influence. But I refused to accept that argument pointing out that simply having a coastline on the Baltic doesn't make Poland a Baltic state. On that basis Germany would be a Baltic state, he didn't like that, but it shut him up, and it wasted a whole afternoon as I insisted on clarification of the German definition of the Baltic and a Baltic state.

It helped that his German maps don't actually call it the Baltic, so the whole afternoon became a geography lesson. But it appears that Germany are only really interested in what they call Estonia; Livonia and Kurland, or Estonia, Lavia and and Lithuania to you and I. They want to create a new state for the so-called Baltic Germans.'

'You didn't agree to that did you?' asked Stalin concerned

'No! of course not' retorted Molotov 'As if I would. All it led to was another day of discussion about the ethnicity of the population of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.'

'You know' said Stalin 'We should have asked for the whole of Poland.'

'Or!' Said Molotov with a devious glint in his eye 'We could insist on the three Baltic States.'

'But I thought you said that they were the states Herr Hitler specifically wants within his sphere of influence.'

'They are, but that's the point. If we demand them, then Ribbentrop will have to go back to Hitler for guidance and he will get upset and need time to calm down. Then Ribbentrop will need rebriefing. In the meantime, I'll be back here on urgent business and won't able to return to Germany for weeks. It's good for at least another two months delay possibly three.'

'Anyway, Ribbentrops justification for wanting them is flawed.' said Molotov.

'What do you mean flawed.' asked Stalin.

'Well you know I said we we spent a day discussing the ethnicity of the Balts.' Stalin nodded.

'Well thats because Hitler claims that a large number of them are ethnic Germans. It's all tied in with ancient history and something the Germans call the 'Ostsiedlung' that happened in medieval times. Anyway, apparently Hitler has this obsession with uniting these medieval Germans with the rest of Germany, hence his interest in the Baltic states.

But I've been doing my own research, and its all rubbish. Only about ten percent of Balts can claim any German ancestry at all, and over the centuries most have interbred with the locals, and other foreign landowning aristrocracy. So they are hardly pure German ethnic stock.

They also happen to be descended from the local landed aristocricy so they hardly need liberating. Most of them own huge farming estates. If anything we would have more justification for moving to liberate their poor downtrodden workers. Molotov grinned 'And anyway do we really want a fascist influenced Union of Baltic German capitalists sitting on our borders.

Stalin laughed 'Thats brilliant, get Litvinov to help you draft a revised proposal.' he paused suddenly concerned 'You don't think we might be pushing Herr Hiller a bit too far. This is about delaying his plans, not provoking him?

'Don't worry, if I think we have over-stepped the mark I can always make some concessions. But I don't think Germany is really that interested in the Baltic. I think their primary interest is in the Balkans and Scandanavia'

1938 June: China Surrenders

As predicted Nationalist China surrendered to the Japanese at the start of the month, and Japan immediately seized control of a large stretch of its coastline and the cities of Nanjing and Guangzhou (near Hong Kong).


The former state of Shanxi and the northern provinces of China were formed into a new Japanese puppet state called Mengukuo, which along with Manchukuo now steteched along the entire southern border of Mongolia and the Soviet Unions Far Eastern Front.

Shifts in the Tournament of Shadows.

In June the tournament of shadows took a slightly new path. Litvinov reported that German diplomats had begun visiting both Saudi Arabia and Persia and were actively seeking to influence the respective governments of these nations towards and alliance with the Axis.

Stalin was not happy with the news partly because up to that point Soviet diplomats had been given free reign in the area south of the Soviet border. But also because according to the ongoing negotiations between Molotov and Ribbentrop both Saudi Arabia and Persia fell within the proposed Soviet Sphere of Influence, and therefore, German diplomats had no business trying to influence their decisions.

In practice of course there was little the Soviets could do about the situation. They could hardly complain to Germany as despite the protracted negotiations between Molotov and Ribbentrop nothing had yet been agreed. So, strictly speaking neither party was bound by the proposed arrangement of the spheres of influence. Germany could merely argue ‘Sign the pact and we’ll withdraw our diplomats.' which would put the Soviets on the spot and force them to commit.

It was also a fact that in reality Soviet foreign policy had never included Saudi Arabia anyway. The Soviet influence in that country had simply arisen because the Saudi’s had invited it, and now it seemed that they had changed their minds.

Persia on the other hand was a different story, as it shared a direct border with the Soviet Union, and Stalin was not happy with it drifting towards an alliance with either Germany or Great Britain.

'What do you suggest?' asked Stalin.

Litvinov considered the question before answering. 'We could withdraw our diplomats from Saudi Arabia, which might encourage Germany to do likewise. But that seems unlikely and we certainly don't want to allow Germany unrestricted access to the Persian government, so its out of the question there.'

'Perhaps, Comrade Molotov can speak with Herr Ribbentrop and negotiate a compromise. Germany removes its diplomats from Persia and we remove ours from Saudi Arabia.' He paused as if considering whether to proceed. 'If we wanted to be more aggressive in our response, we could send a diplomatic team to Austria, and seek to influence them to join the Comintern. Herr Hitler would be forced to respond, and may withdraw his team from Saudi Arabia or Persia to counter our influence.'

'Would Austria actually allow us to send a diplomatic team?' asked Stalin.

'Oh! yes.' replied Litvinov 'The Austrian government have been in secret contact with us for some time about the possibility of our support. They are not happy with Fascist Italy controlling their former ports along the Adriatic Coast and have been unable to get agreement with Herr Hitler for their reparation.'

Stalin considered Litvinov's statement quietly for a few seconds 'No! I don't think so. Tempting as it may seem we really can't become embroiled in a territorial dispute between Austria and Italy. I think instead we should do as you first suggested and withdraw our diplomats from Saudi Arabia. But as far as Persia is concerned I'll have a word with Proskurov and get him to increase the priority of our support for friendly elements in the Persian government, We may even have to consider a coup, if all else fails.'

Technology Advance

The first of the artillery advances was completed this month. Agriculture has been improved to 1940 standards and research has been temporarily suspended.

1938 June: The Conflict of Shadows.

The hostilities in China having ended the month of June 1938 passed in relative peace.

The Far Eastern Theatre reported the re-appearance of regular Japanese infantry divisions along the border with Manchukuo. But apart from that ominous piece of information all was quiet.

At least on the surface.

However, below the surface the war of the shadows had escalated significantly as diplomats and intelligence agents competed for influence and control over those nations of specific interest to their masters.

In the Far East, British and Japanese diplomats competed for influence over the government of Siam.

Whilst in Central Asia Soviet and German diplomats both sought to gain influence over Persia and Afghanistan.

Litvinov reported that German diplomats had also begun visiting Saudi Arabia and were actively seeking to influence all three governments towards an alliance with the Axis.



Stalin found this sudden change in the game yet another thing to worry about. Mainly because up to that point Soviet diplomats had been given virtually free reign in the area to the south of the Soviet Union. But, also because Ribbentrop had stated that Central Asia fell within the proposed Soviet Sphere of Influence, and therefore, German diplomats had no business interfering and trying to influence nations in that area.


In practice of course there was little the Soviets could do about the situation. They could hardly complain to Germany as despite the protracted negotiations between Molotov and Ribbentrop nothing had actually been agreed. So strictly speaking neither party was bound by the proposed spheres of influence. Germany could merely argue ‘Sign the pact and we’ll withdraw our diplomats, which would put the Soviets on the spot and force them to commit.’

It was also a fact that in reality Soviet foreign policy had never included Saudi Arabia anyway. The Soviet influence in that country had simply arisen because the Saudi’s had invited it, and now it seemed that they had changed their minds.

Persia and Afghanistan on the other hand were a different story, as they shared a border with the Soviet Union, and Stalin was not happy with either drifting towards an alliance with Germany or Great Britain.

The Soviet delegation was withdrawn from Saudi Arabia as it was reasoned that even if Saudi joined the Axis it really didn't affect the Soviet Union, and with British controlled Iraq as a neighbour it would merely increase the tensions between these two powers. Which could be to the Soviets advantage.

The meantime the Soviet intelligence service were instructed to increase the priority of its activities in Persia and Afghanistan by providing as much support as possible for any local politicians who were in favour of Soviet alignment.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

German Diplomacy: June 1938

I'm not sure why there was such a sudden increase in diplomatic activity this month. I don't know if it was scripted into the programme, triggered by an event, or simply random chance.

But whatever the reason Germany has suddenly launched six major diplomatic initiatives that seem to be deliberately targeted at nations which are of interest to the Allies or Comintern. Including two of the three which are of most interest to the Soviet Union.

To make matters worse German influence adds about +14 pro-Axis drift, whilst Soviet influence only adds +7 pro-Comintern. So, German influence trumps Soviet influence in every confrontation. I'm assuming this is because most of the nations involved are totalitarian regimes and thus ideologically similar to the Fascists.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

British Diplomacy: June 1938

Whilst not as significant as the sudden increase in German diplomatic effort the British effort has nevertheless increased this month and changed focus. Up to now the British have contented themselves with trying to influence a single nation at a time, and usually one which is close to Allied Alignment anyway. e.g. Belgium; South Africa and Canada.

However, suddenly this month they doubled their activity to two nations and seem to have deliberately chosen to go head to head with the Axis and target Sweden and Siam.

Siam in particular is what looks like a deliberate strategic choice, because since the Japanese invasion of China it's the next most significant country along the East Asian coast and borders directly with British held Malaya and India. So, it's a sensible AI decision to try and prevent it joining the AXIS. Which makes me wonder if it's actually a random AI action.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Japanese Diplomacy: June 1938

The Japanese diplomatic action this month is the first diplomatic venture they have attempted since the start of the game, and once again it seems pretty intelligent.

Siam is the next logical target for invasion along the East Asian coastline, and so it makes perfect sense to try and influence it towards an AXIS alignment, or at least to avoid it joining the Allies. If it were to join the Allies then Japan would be unable to invade without the risk of triggering a war with Britain and her allies the French.

In fact, it's not clear which came first. Did Japan seek to influence Siam towards the Axis and Britain respond to counter their action, or did Britain decide to try and bring Siam into the Allied fold and Japan act to prevent it?

Either way it makes perfect sense, and leaves me pondering how the AI works in this respect.

1938 July: Concern in the East.

July 1938 was another peaceful month for most of the world, people enjoyed the sunshine or complained about the heat.

However, the land line from Vladivostok to Moscow was seldom at peace. Marshal Fedorov, Commander of the Far Eastern Military District was on the line daily reporting on the rapid build-up of Japanese and Manchurian troops along the Soviet border. He made constant requests for more troops to bolster the Far Eastern Front, but the number of divisions he requested far exceeded the number that Stalin could provide.



Nevertheless, and despite Molotov’s confident assurances that Japan would never attack the Soviet Union whilst his negotiations with Ribbentrop were ongoing, he did give the Far Eastern Front priority for all new troop deployments. It wasn’t much, a new cavalry division and an artillery regiment, but it let Fedorov know he was being listened to and taken seriously.

Technology Advances

Central Planning techniques improved to 1936 standards, whilst Artillery Carriages were improved to the latest 1938 designs.

Diplomatic Activity

The Japanese continue to apply pressure on Siam to join the Axis Alliance, and have been opposed successfully by the British. Siam continues to drift towards joining the Allies.

The British have also intervened in successfully to persuade Romania to drift towards the Allies despite the best efforts of German diplomats are trying to influence the PNL Government towards the Axis Pact.

The Germans are also still trying to influence Persia , Afghanistan and Nationalist China to join the Axis. A move opposed without success by the Soviet Union. However, Turkey continues to drift towards the Comintern, and once again Switzerland and Sweden have shown an interest in Comintern membership.

1938 August: A shadow falls on Turkey

The month of August brought little joy for the Soviets.

At the start of the month Stalin decided to cease issuing anti-British propaganda in the hope that this would increase the general drift towards the Allied faction and thus distract the Fascists from trying to influence Persia and Afghanistan.

But the scheme back-fired when the British, no longer required to keep a diplomatic team in Siam decided to send them to Turkey instead.

This obvious mission to try and lure Turkey away from joining the Comintern caused Stalin to immediately reverse his decision and order a renewal of anti-British propaganda.

However, this event confirmed Stalin’s belief that the Soviet Union was surrounded by enemies intent on compromising its borders.

Far Eastern Border Defence

Work began this month to bolster the defences along the Soviet border with Manchukuo by constructing fortified positions around Vladivostok and along the line of the TransSiberian railroad.

Diplomatic Activity

Germany has sent diplomats to Switzerland and successfully influenced them back towards joining the Axis faction.

Japan has abandoned its attempt to influence Siam and has redirected it’s diplomats to Communist China, although they were already drifting towards Axis membership anyway.

No has changes have been made to the diplomatic missions of the Soviet Union, who are still trying to secure their southern border by alliances with Turkey; Persia and Afghanistan.

Britain has sent a diplomatic mission to Turkey in an attempt to persuade them towards an alliance with the Allied Faction. However, the attempt failed (Soviet 5.31 v Britain 3.27)

1938 September: Crisis over Czechoslovakia averted.

On the 10th September Hermann Göring the German Reichsminister of Aviation made an inflammatory speech at the Nuremberg Rally, accusing the Czech government of "oppressing a cultured people".

This was followed on the 12th by the German chancellor himself Adolf Hitler making a bombastic speech declaring that the oppression of Sudeten Germans must end.

The term Sudeten was derived from the name of the Sudetese mountain range in central europe. The area around these mountains was populated by large numbers of german speaking Czech's and was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Hitler had begun calling this area the Sudetenland, even though no such country had ever existed historically and began pressurizing the Czech Government to cede the entire area to Germany.

The Czechoslovak government had already offered an alternative proposal guaranteeing all nationalities living in Czechoslovakia proportional representation in state offices and equal recognition under Czech law. But this proposal had been rejected by Konrad Henlein the Sudetendeutsche Heimatfront ("Sudeten German Home Front", SHF) who broke off negotiations with the Czech government after making allegations of Czech police brutality against enthic Germans.

The day after Hitler speech at the Nuremburg rally Sudeten Germans began attacking police stations and other Czechoslovak Government offices, forcing the Czech government to declare martial law.

Alarmed by the escalating violence in Czechslovakia and threats of armed intervention from Germany. The British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain boarded a plane for the first time in his life and flew to Berchtesgaden to meet with Adolf Hitler. The French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier had already met with him two days earlier and urged him to make the best deal he could with Hitler. The French were particularly concerned as they were bound by treaty to march to Czechosloavakia's defence if Germany were to invade. However, Chamberlain was confident that he could avoid anyone having to go to war over such a trivial issue.

On the 17th Chamberlain flew back to Britain and reported to his goverment that it was his belief that a settlement of the Sudeten matter would satisfy Hitler's ambitions and the next day he met with the French Prime Minister the French foreign minister Georges Bonnet in London to agree a proposal allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.

On the 19th the British and French part flew to Prague and presented their Anglo-French proposal to the Czech Government. The British and French ambassadors informed Czechoslovakian President Edvard Beneš that his country would have to accept their plan or face Germany alone, and that neither Britain nor France were prepared to go to war with Germany to protect them.

The Czechoslovakian President immediately resigned in disgust along with his government and was replaced by a reluctant General Jan Syrový as the head of government. Syrový complained that he was just a soldier, not a politician, and that he lacked the qualifications and relevant experience to qualify him for such an important post. But President Edvard Beneš told him that the nation needed him and that, as a soldier, he should regard it as an order. With some reluctance, Syrový then accepted.

Neville Chamberlain returned to Germany and met with Hitler again to inform him that an agreement for the annexation of the Sudetenland had been reached on the terms agreed at their earlier metting. But Hitler had changed his mind and now insisted on harsher terms and more territory.

On the 23rd the new Czechoslovakian government ordered the full mobilization of its military, and France in accordance with its treaty ordered a partial mobilization as a gesture of support.

On the 25th Czechoslovakia rejected Hitler's latest demands referring to them as "an ultimatum given to a defeated nation, not a sovereign one."

On the 26th Hitler made a speech threatening Czechoslovakia with war. "My patience is exhausted", Hitler declared."If Beneš does not want peace we will have to take matters into our own hands." (It appears that Chamberlain had failed to mention that Beneš had resigned.)

On the 27th the French government panicked and announced that France was not prepared to enter into a war purely over Czechoslovakia. Neville Chamberlain gave a radio address saying, "However much we may sympathize with a small nation confronted by a big and powerful neighbor, we cannot in all circumstances undertake to involve the whole British Empire in a war simply on her account. If we have to fight it must be on larger issues than that."

Sensing that he now had both his opponents on the ropes Hitler invited Britain and Frence to a four-party conference on the 28th in Munich between Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy. To resolve the issue of the Sudetenland once and for all.

On the 29th Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Édouard Daladier and Benito Mussolini met in Munich to settle the Sudetenland crisis. Czechoslovakia was not invited. However, Poland sensing blood sent it's own ultimatum to Czechoslovakia demanding the annexation of Teschen.

At 1 a.m. on the morning of the 30th September Britain and France agreed to Hitlers demands and agreed that Czechoslovakia would cede the Sudetenland to Germany. The territorial integrity of the rest of Czechoslovakia was guaranteed by all signatories.

30th September Neville Chamberlain flew back to Britain and declared "peace for our time".

Stalin looked up from the newspaper report he was reading 'And where is my peice of paper, Mikhail?'

'Why am I not being cheered as hero for saving the world from war over the Baltic States?'

'We stand up to Herr Hitler and tell him. No! you cannot have them, and the whole world turns it's back on us. This Chamberlain goes crawling to Hitler and gives him everything he wants, and the world hails him as a hero. Where is the justice in that?'

'That agreement isn't worth the paper it is written on Joseph. We know Hitlers ambitions aren't limited to this Sudetenland he has invented. Hitler is living in a fantasy world where he is some sort of Teutonic hero and he won't rest until he has united everyone he considers German.'

Stalin nods turning to the map on his office wall. 'You're right Mikhail. But I wonder how many Persian's speak German. He'll have to come up with a new excuse for them I think.'

1938 September: Ongoing Diplomactic Events.

Little had changed in the diplomatic arena.
The British were still trying to influence Turkey away from joining the Comintern, and were in turn being opposed by German diplomats for influence over Romania, and by the Japanese who had returned their diplomatic team to Siam.

Soviet interests in Persia and Afghanistan were still being frustrated by the interference of Germany.

But Turkey was still drifting towards the Comintern, and Siam was still drifting towards the Allies. Only the German missions to Romania, Persia and Afghanistan seemed to be affecting the game of shadows.

Technology

Soviet Fighter Ground Crew Training has been improved to 1938 standards and further research has been suspended.

1938 October: Bear with a sore head.

Under any other circumstances the month of October 1938 would have been considered a good month for the Soviet Union.
Research was completed on a new gun for the BT-5 Light Tank, and the basic equipment and composition of the new Engineer Regiments was finally ready for recruitment to be commenced.
Production and recruitment of 41 of these new Engineer Regiments was immediately scheduled over the next 23 months. The aim being to assign one regiment to each of the 41 existing mobile divisions, whether cavalry, tank or motor rifle.

Further goods news came in the form of a naval document smuggled out of Germany by anti-fascist agents which provided full details of the latest Destroyer Crew Training provided to the German Navy.

And the final cause for celebration was the withdrawal of German diplomats from Afghanistan, which at last granted the Soviets unhindered influence over the Afghan government and a resulting drift back towards the Comintern.

However, none of these successes restored the good humour of Stalin who remained moody and irritable. Though nobody would say so openly the general consensus in the back offices and corridors of the Kremlin was that he was sulking about the diplomatic coup achieved by Chamberlain on the 30th September.

To make matters worse the British and French were indulging in an ongoing orgy of mutual backslapping and congratulation which was even being extended to include positive media coverage of Hitler and Ribbentrop as men of reason willing to consider compromise in the interests of peace.

The news reports seemed unable or unwilling to let the story die, and so each new day delivered fresh reminders of the fact that Stalin and the Soviet people were excluded from the general celebration and acclaim. Even in the League of Nations Litvinov had reported that the Soviet delegation had been side-lined and ignored in the general stampede to congratulate Britain, France and Germany.

Molotov had quickly learned to avoid the subject as much as possible, and to limit to a bare minimum the amount of media coverage that found it’s way into Stalin’s Office. However, nothing could hide the simple fact that whatever Chamberlain had said to Hitler seemed to have worked. The deadline for the annexation of The Sudetenland had come and gone, and nothing had happened. Czechoslovakian borders remained unchanged and the supplementary territorial demands from Poland and Hungary had been largely drowned out in the cheers for the victory of appeasement.

Of course this was all good news, though Molotov found he was constantly having to remind himself of this fact despite the awkward shadow it was casting over his relationship with Stalin.

He was also puzzled as to why Chamberlain’s strategy had worked, but the only alternative explanation he had had from his contacts in Germany was that the German General Staff had requested more time to prepare before being forced into a potential conflict.

Molotov found it hard to believe that Hitler would be swayed from his ambitions by a plea for more time from his generals. Nevertheless, nothing had happened and even Molotov was beginning to wonder if Chamberlain’s claim of having achieved ‘Peace for our time’ was actually true.

1938 November: Our Fast Tanks

The new BT-7 Cavalry Tank chassis was finally delivered and work immediately bagan on the design of a self-propelled artillery variant for allocation to Soviet Tank and Motorised Dvisions.
To coincide with this Soviet engineers also announced the latest improvement developed for Soviet Artillery Barrels and Ammunition, which would ensure the performance of the artillery was up to modern standards.

Diplomacy

Soviet diplomats continued to influence it's southern neighbours towards joining the Comintern. But interference from Germany in Persia still frustrated their efforts,

• Afghanistan [Comintern +13.24]
  
• Persia [Axis +20.45]
  
• Turkey [Comintern +7.11]

As well as trying to influence Persia, Germany has sent diplomatic teams to Nationalist China and Bulgaria this month. However, Nationalist China are not very receptive given that Germany's Axis ally Japan occupies a large potion of their country.

• Bulgaria [Axis +11.20]
  
• Persia [Axis +20.45]
  
• Nationalist China [Comintern +1.00]

Japan has once again withdrawn it's diplomats from Siam and returned then to Communist China. Which is now drifting towards joining the Axis.

• Communist China [Axis +12.76]

The British continue to try and influence Turkey away from joining the Comintern and Siam towards joining the Allies.

They have also sent diplomatic missions to Tibet and Brazil.

• Romania [Allies +7.62]
  
• Turkey [Comintern +7.11]
  
• Tibet [Allies +4.49]
  
• Siam [Allies +7.63]
  
• Brazil [Allies +6.03]

1938 December: Mussolini lightens the mood.

Molotov’s relationship with Stalin remained strained throughout November and December, although it eased a bit as the media frenzy over the Czechoslovakian crisis faded.

Mussolini unwittingly helped matters when he demanded that France hands over Tunisia to the Fascist Italian Empire.

It caused riots and several deaths in Tunis, but at least it vindicated Molotov’s earlier assessment that the Axis powers were not going to comply with Chamberlain’s vision of ‘Peace For Our Time’.

Like Hitler with The Sudetenland, Mussolini claimed to be liberating the descendants of italian settlers. According to him over 35% of Tunisian's were of Italian descent and should not be subject to French rule.

'Tunisia is an Italian colony administered by French managers.'

What Mussolini's demands clearly indicated was that Italy was still working within the limitations imposed by its allocated Axis sphere of influence as described by Molotov, and that at least restored Molotov's credibility with Stalin.

A long sea voyage

The decision was made this month to transfer the Soviet Transport Fleet from Vladivostok to Leningrad. The reasoning for this was simply that there seemed little value in them remaining in Vladivostok as there were no plans that needed them, whereas they might prove useful for short range troop movements in the Baltic.

It was a long but fortunately uneventful voyage which took most of the month to complete.

The Stalin Line

The first stage of the Stalin Line was commenced this month, with work details re-assigned from Serbia laying mines and building fortifications between Vladivostok and Bikin. Once this first stage is completed the work will move north and continue the line as far as the city of Khabarovsk.

Research and Technology

Further advancements in air training and tactic's have brought our airforce up to date withn the latest fighter techniques.
Whilst training in Mass Assault tactics has improve the morale and confidence of our infantry.

Year 4 1939-1940: The Threat from the East

The Red Army Review

Another year had passed and as had become standard practice Stalin and Molotov sat down to review the state of the Soviet nation and it's armed forces.

Only two years remained before the predicted deadline set by Stalin for the survival of the Soviet Union and so the urgency remained great. But the apparent lack of immediate threats meant that the meeting had a strange air of circumspection.

New Commanders

'The first good news is that we have eight-six newly promoted Division Commanders (KomDiv) ready to be assigned commands.' Molotov handed over the list of names for Stalins perusal.

'Excellent! Lets assign the most promising of them to the mobile divisions and the least talented to the rifle divisions.' Stalin looked down the list. 'Also lets make sure we get rid of the last of the old Tzarist Officers we were forced to use to command divisions, and replace the poorest of our Corps Commanders (Komcor) with the best of these new officers. We can't afford to waste any of their talents.'

'That will leave us with eight unassigned division commanders, five of whom are from the old guard.' reported Molotov. 'Well we still have thirty-one divisions in the re-armament programme that haven't been mobilised so hopefully this year will produce enough new commanders to lead them. But it will have to do for now.' Stalin closed the folder.

Front Readiness Review

The next folder produced by Molotov showed a breakdown of the strength of each front and an assessment of the optimal strength required to defend it.

Front	Povinces	Optimal Strength	current Strength	Deficiency
Stavka Reserve	1	4 Divisions	4 Divisions	None
Far Eastern	17	68 Divisions	14 Divisions	54 Divisions
Transbaikal	12	48 Divisions	6 Divisions	42 Divisions
Southern	9	36 Divisions	13 Divisions	23 Divisions
Stalingrad	1	4 Divisions	1 Division	3 Divisions
Transcaucasian	3	12 Divisions	8 Divisions	4 Divisions
South Western	18	72 Divisions	44 Divisions	28 Divisions
Central Asian	1	4 Divisions	4 Divisions	None
North Western	6	24 Divisions	15 Divisions	9 Divisions
Northern	8	24 Divisions	22 Divisions	2 Divisions
Western	18	72 Divisions	31 Divisions	41 Divisions
TOTAL	94	368 Divisions	162 Divisions	206 Divisions

'As you can see we are still significantly below the optimal number of divisions needed to defend our borders effectively. But given the shortage of Divisional Commanders there is not a lot to be gained even if we were able to produce two hundred divisions out of thin air.' explained Molotov 'The best we can hope for is that we are not attacked on all fronts at once and can transfer divisions from one to the other as necessity dictates.'

'If it were not for the shortage of commanders I would have insisted on shortening the training programme for new recruits and producing Garrison Divisions to make up the shortfall. But as you say there is little point without the commanders to lead them.' confirmed Stalin. 'Better instead to try and make sure the troops we do have are as effective as we can make them.'

Mobilisation Review

The next folder summarised the number of Regiments currently available and those still scheduled for mobilisation.

Regiment Type	Active	Since 1936	Scheduled
Armoured Car	8	2	5
Artillery	59	55	84
Mountain Rifle	48	15	0
Cavalry	14	4	10
Garrison Infantry	12	0	0
Rifle Regiment	324	30	78
Light Tank Regiment	33	12	8
Medium Tank Regiment	0	0	1
Motor Rifle Regiment	43	8	4
Engineer Regiment	0	0	33
Fighter Aviation Divisions	23	19	39
Bomber Aviation Divisions	4	0	0

'There is still a lot to do.' commented Stalin 'But if we are attacked I may want to abandon most of the scheduled production and concentrate on upgrading our existing equipment. Tank Divisions in particular must been supplied with the latest Medium Tanks, so there is no point continuing with the Light Tank production. Likewise, the cavalry will need to be replaced with Light Tank Regiments, and fighter production updated to the latest planes.'

'But we stick to the plan for the time being?' Asked Molotov. Stalin nodded 'There is no need to disrupt production until we need to.'

1939 January: Blessed are the peace-makers.

USA Champions of Democracy

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the 1939 State of the Union Address to Congress.'A war which threatened to envelop the world in flames has been averted; but it has become increasingly clear that world peace is not assured', Roosevelt warned.'The deadline of danger from within and from without is not within our control. The hour-glass may be in the hands of other nations. Our own hour-glass tells us that we are off on a race to make democracy work, so that we may be efficient in peace and therefore secure in national defence.'

Stalin threw the newspaper in the bin beside his desk. Even the Americans were making speeches about peace now. A somewhat different tune to the one they sang in 1918, when they invaded the Soviet Union.

Hitler tries to bully Beck

Hitler tries to bully the Polish Foreign Minister Józef Beck into handing the City of Danzig over to Germany. It appears that Germany have discovered more ancient German settlers that need rescuing. Beck avoided committing to a agreement on the issue, but said that Polish public opinion would oppose any change in Danzig's status.

The city was supposed to be under League of Nations protection, so Stalin failed to see what business it's status was to either Germany or Poland.

Neville Chamberlain muscles in on Frances problems.

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his foreign minister Lord Halifax met with their French counterparts Édouard Daladier and Georges Bonnet in Paris. Britain announced that it was prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with France in rejecting any Italian territorial demands made upon French colonial possessions.

He then flew to Rome and met with Benito Mussolini, ’No doubt hoping to obtain another piece of paper to wave at the cameras.’ sneered Stalin.

But apparently all he got was a lot of cheering Italians. Mussolini said that Italy desired peace but made no promises. ’I would have told him to mind your own damned business.’ Snarled Stalin.

Advance Construction Techniques Learned by Soviet Engineers.

Soviet Engineers have learned advanced construction techniues which will only them to make improvements to Soviet infrastructure and speed the movement of supplies and goods around the country.

A token project has been scheduled for the province of Arbuzynka in the Ukraine, but Stalin has made it clear that no major infrastructure projects will be sanctioned during the current five year plan, which is not due to end until December 1941.

Changes in command.

The formation of several new divisions this month, including the 14th Cavalry Division in the Far Eastern Military District, has prompted a minor re-shuffle of commanders across the Red Army and the formation of the 18th Cavalry Corps on the Far Eastern Front. Several of the newly appointed Komdiv’s (Division Commanders) with skill levels of 3 or 4 have been given meteoric promotion to command of a Corps, Army or Front (Army Group) replacing existing commanders who found themselves demoted to lesser positions.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

This is something I do periodically anyway, but having just had a new intake of Major Generals and having formed a new Cavalry Corps it seemed sensible to look for worthy leaders amongst them. There were in fact three or four Skill 3 and 4 leaders that were better then some of the existing Corps, Army and Army Group commanders and so I decided to swap them out and replace them by demoting and shuffling them down the chain of command. Generally I try to put the highest skilled commanders in charge of Army Groups (referred to as Fronts in my game). At the moment i can do this without penalty as none of my commanders have any experience. Later any change of rank involves a loss of experience.

1939 February: For they shall inherit the earth.

Diplomacy and Intelligence

The British government launched a massive campaign this month to influence as many nations as possible to join the Allied Faction.

These include three of the Soviet Unions neighbours (Turkey; Poland and Romania) although Soviet influence in Turkey is still strong enough to keep them drifting towards Comintern membership. Allied diplomats are also losing the battle for influence in Siam which is now drifting towards Axis membership.

It appears that the Soviet Union is not the only nations dubious about Britain's assumed role as peace-maker for the world.

Germany has finally withdrawn its diplomats from Persia, and consequently that nation is drifting back towards Comintern Membership, along with Afghanistan and Turkey.

Instead German diplomats have begun influencing Bulgaria and Nationalist China. Both of which are now drifting towards Axis membership. But at least they are not bordering onto the Soviet Union.

Now that British diplomats are distracted with their tour of South America the Japanese have returned to Siam and are successfully influencing them towards joining the Axis faction.

Soviet diplomactic strategy remains the same as it was in 1936. Namely to protect its southern borders with the Middle East and Asia by a line of buffer states.

This policy has proven expensive in terms of the leadership resources needed to maintain a diplomatic and intelligence effort in the countries involved. But if successful should significant reduce the need to military units to guard those frontiers.

Research and Technology

Soviet Enginners report further improvements to the design of artillery carriages and guns sights ensuring that Soviet artillery will be on a par with any other army in the world.

Further improvements have been made to Central Planning process and procedure bringing Soviet planning up to 1938 standards. However, more work is needed to ensure that it is on a par with the rest of the world and to allow Grand Battle Plannning to be undertaken.

1939 March: First Among Equals.

In the spring of 1939 the Soviet Union organised another parade in Red Square. But unlike the earlier parades of 1935-1937 this one was not overtly militaristic in content but was designed to celebrate the benefits and future of the communist vision.

Delegations were called upon from the youth of all the Soviet Republic’s to display the achievements and the solidarity of the communist regime. Stalin was keen to demonstrate to the world, and particularly to those nations who were drifting towards joining the Communist Internationale (Comintern) that unlike Germany and the other capitalist nations who judged the value of a person by the colour of their skin, shape of their eyes or religion of their parents, the Soviet Union judged its people by their contribution to the community.

The parades were designed to celebrate both the vitality and diversity of Soviet youth and were intended to be a direct contrast to similar parades held in Germany which were intended to promote Hitler’s personal template for ethnic purity, or the general conflict amongst the capitalist nations over claims of racial dominance.

Basically it was part of a huge propaganda campaign aimed at encouraging nations thinking of joining the Comintern that they would be treated as equals and persuading people who were under threat of division along ethnic lines to seek the safe haven of Communism.

Stalin thought the parade went very well and showed the Soviets nation as in a positive light.

Molotov was less certain.

He pointed out that most capitalist nations relied upon the internal divisions between their people to distract them from rising up against the injustices of their masters.‘Better that the peasants are kept busy killing each other than turning on them.’ As he put it. He thought the parades would merely emphasise the threat that communism posed for those in positions of power in capitalist or fascist nations, and harden their resolve to stamp out communism not only in their own countries but in the Soviet Union itself.

Diplomacy and Intelligence

The British were successfully influencing Poland; Romania; Brazil and Uruguay towards joining the Allied faction.

But Turkey was drifting towards Comintern membership and Japan was still winning the battle for influence in Siam which was still drifting towards Axis membership.

Germany found itself unable to counter the drift of Romania towards the Allies but was successful in influence Afghanistan and Nationalist China back towards Axis membership.

Japan was successfully influencing Siam towards Axis membership.

Germany was once more interfering in Soviet influence along it's southern border and Afghanistan was being drawn away from Comintern membership by the lure of fascism.

However, Persian and Turkey were still drifting towards the Comintern, as was Tibet due to the British withdrawing their influence.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

As you can probably tell, not a lot is happening in the actual game at the moment and so I'm padding out the story line with relevant events from the historical timeline. Most of these tend to fit in nicely with the background story, although I'm having to ignore those that relate to ongoing conflicts in Spain and China, as those wars have already ended in my game.

The big uncertainty at the moment is whether WW2 is actually going to happen. I have been told by people on the Paradox forum that by now Germany should have done something, and the fact that it hasn't suggests that it is not going to start WW2 by invading Poland. I deliberately haven't checked if this is the case by tag-switching to Germany and checking their event history as I figured that would be cheating and thus contrary to the rules I set myself for this AAR. The uncertainty is in fact part of the story, and so I'm keeping myself in the dark about whats likely to happen. Certainly, if WW2 is not underway by the end of this year I must assume that appeasement has worked, and its not going to happen. The question then will be what to do instead.

1939 April: Our pride and joy

Tachanka

Soviet engineers announced their design for a new self-propelled gun this month. A beautiful beast consisting of a 122mm artillery piece mounted on a modified T34 chassis far in advance of the existing BT-7 chassis currently used by our tanks.

This new self-propelled gun will go into immediate production next month and a regiment will be attached to every mobile division in the army.

In addition the engineers have returned to review the equipment of the Soviet Rifle Divisions and have announced improved versions of the existing small arms which will ensure that our infantry have the most modern weapons available today.

This will soon be followed by improvements in anti-tank, infantry support and light artillery weapons to ensure that our infantry is the most well-equipped in the world.

Tashkent Industrialisation Complete.

Molotov was pleased to announce that the industrialisation project at Tashkent is complete and the construction crews have been moved to Irkutsk to commence work on a new industrial centre.

The Champion of Democracy makes the Reichtag laugh.

On the 14th, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent Hitler a message asking, 'Are you willing to give assurance that your armed forces will not attack or invade the territory or possessions of the following independent nations?' Thirty-one countries were then listed.

'If such assurance is given by your Government, I shall immediately transmit it to the Governments of the nations I have named, and I shall simultaneously inquire whether, as I am reasonably sure, each of the nations enumerated above will in turn give like assurance for transmission to you. Reciprocal assurances such as I have outlined will bring to the world an immediate measure of relief.'

A similar message was also sent to Benito Mussolini, who referred to the letter in private as "absurd" but never made a public reply. Roosevelt did not expect anything substantial to come out of the message, but sent it with the intention of demonstrating to the world an important issue between democracies and dictatorships.

On the 28th, Hitler evoked laughter in the Reichstag by reciting, in exaggerated and sarcastic tones, the thirty-one countries that President Roosevelt had listed in the telegram of two weeks earlier.

Glenn Miller records Moonlight Serenade

Also commenting on Britain and Frances pledge to support Poland if they are attacked Hitler repeated that ‘If they expect the Germany of today to sit patiently by until the very last day while they create satellite States and set them against Germany, then they are mistaking the Germany of today for the Germany of before the war.’

Stalin regarded Mlotov coldly across the clutter of his desk 'These capitalists and fascists conitnue to argue over the size of their slice of the cake. Whilst we stand watching, holding an empty plate and hoping to catch some of the crumbs.'

1939 May: Comrade Finklestien withdrawn.

During the May Day celebrations at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Adolf Hitler spoke of an ’international clique of war agitators’, trying to encircle Germany and declared, ’If we want to survive we must be unified.’

'It's like living next to a neighbour that keeps a small yappy dog.' Commented Stalin. 'It makes a lot of noise about everything, but is scared of its own shadow.'

Italy and Germany announced their intention of a signing a military alliance to ‘contribute effectively to assuring peace in Europe.’

Britain offered to mediate in the German-Polish dispute over Danzig. ’Has Litvinov reminded these vultures that Danzig is a free city protected by the League of Nations. Why hasn't the League stepping in and put a stop to this non-sense. Instead we get the British sticking their noses in where they aren’t wanted again.’

’Litvinov has tried to raise this issue at the League of Nations, unfortunately he is not treated with much respect by some of the other members. commented Molotov ’The Germans especially tend to turn off their microphones or leave the room whenever he is allowed to speak. They call him ‘Comrade Finkelstein’ openly in debates, or ‘Stalin’s Jewish Banker’ and of course the other fascist nations copy them.’ Stalin frowned ’Well he can’t represent us if nobody is listening to him. Have him withdrawn he is just making it easy for them to ignore us. The Germans seem willing to listen to you, so you go instead. That’s if you think we should even bother staying, I notice Franco has decided to withdraw Spain’s membership completely.’

’It’s probably worth staying in, if nothing else there is a lot to be learned by listening to debates and dinner conversations afterwards. Are you sure you're happy for me to replace Litvinov?’

’Yes, Do it we can find useful work for him here in Moskva where he won’t be abused.’ frowned Stalin. ’Damn Germans cause nothing but trouble. Look! Now they have signed a ten year political alliance with Italy and have the cheek to call it 'The Pact of Steel'. Most of the steel they have comes from our foundries. They should call it the pact of hot-air and non-sense’.

Further Advances in Infantry Equipment

Soviet infantry is almost completely equipped to 1940 levels 0f equipment.

1939 June: A Return to the Polish Question.

A German–Latvian Non-Aggression Pact and German–Estonian Non-Aggression Pact were signed in Berlin. Joseph Goebbels told a pro-Nazi crowd in the Free City of Danzig that 'reunification with Germany was inevitable, and any power that tried to prevent it was making a mistake if it bases its calculations on the assumption that Germany is weak. It is strong, and unlike some other states whose destinies are in the hands of weak men, this new Germany is led by Adolf Hitler.'

As if to prove the point Hitler announces the formation of a new SS Division in his army named SS Heimwehr Danzig.

Winston Churchill made a speech before the City Carlton Club in which he said, 'If my words could reach Herr Hitler, as indeed they may, I would say to him – pause; consider well before you take a plunge into the terrible unknown. Consider whether your life's work – which may even now be famous in the eyes of history – in raising Germany from frustration and defeat to a point where all the world is waiting for her actions, consider whether all this may not be irretrievably cast away.'

Poland served notice to Germany that it was willing to fight for Danzig and millions of Poles across the nation swore an oath to never allow themselves to be cut off from the Baltic Sea.

Ribbentropp contacted Molotov and congratulated him on getting rid of the Jew, Litvinov. He expressed the hope that now there was no jewish interference Germany and the Soviet Union could return once more to the question of their mutual interest in Poland and the Baltic States.

German Diplomatic Interference

German diplomats have returned to Persia and Afghanistan yet again and are interefering in their resolve to join the Comintern.

Only Turkey is still drifting towards the Comintern at the moment, and intelligence reports that as a result of our 'Support Our Party' efforts over 35% of Turks now support the communist PCP party.

1939 July: Please Mr. Hitler don't start a war.

Molotov in his first address to the League of Nations attempted to propose agreement over the definition of what constituted an act of aggressive by one nation upon another. So, that the League could act in a unified way against any nation in breach of that definition rather than being forced into endless debates about whether a specific act justified a response. However, Britain refused to accept the Soviets definition, or to propose an alternative.

British Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley gave a speech in the Earls Court Exhibition Centre attended by over 20,000 people. He presented a plan that he said would 'bring peace in our time and our children's time' that called for a hands-off policy in Eastern Europe, disarmament in Western Europe, return of colonies to Germany and for the British Empire to concentrate on its own affairs. 'Why is it a moral duty to go to war if a German kicks a Jew across the Polish frontier?' Mosley declared. 'We are going, if the power lies within us ... to say that our generation and our children shall not die like rats in Polish holes.'

In the USA, Idaho senator William Borah stated, 'I do not believe there is going to be any war in Europe between now and the first of January or for some time thereafter.' When asked how he could believe that to be the case given all the evidence to the contray, he merely he said he had hs own sources.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote directly to Adolf Hitler, addressing him as "My friend" and requesting that he refrain from starting a war 'which may reduce humanity to the savage state.'

Britain and France have proposed a meeting with the Soviet Union in Moscow to negotiate a mutual support pact.

Technology Research

Fighter pilot training has been improved to level 3 (1938 standards) and will continue to be improved to bring it fully up to date with modern tactics.


Tactical Command Structures have been reviewed and brought up to level 2 (1937 standards. Priority research is continuing to reach level 3 and unlock the Superior Firepower doctrine which will enable Soviet Divisions to contain five regiments.



Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons have been improved to 1940 standards, which means that Soviet infantry are now equipped with the most up to date weapons available, However, research is still continuing.

1939 August: Dancing with the Devil

The Capitalists Visit.

The initial excitement in Moscow at the prospect of a visit by an Anglo-French military mission rapidly dimmed when the names of the delegates were received.

Instead of high-powered representatives with the authority to make decisions on behalf of their countries Britain sent an Admiral whose only claim to fame was that he had the longest and most impossible to remember name in the Royal Navy, and the French sent General Doumonc who seemed even less notable as Soviet intelligence didn’t even have a file on him.

Stalin was furious at the obvious insult ‘Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia and even Poland were considered worthy of Chamberlain and Daladier, and we get these nobodies, they are not even Government Ministers. What can they hope to achieve?’

‘There is no question of either you or I meeting with them.’ Observed Molotov. ‘No! we must find someone of equal irrelevance to talk to them.’ Agreed Stalin.

Stalin recalled is old friend Kliment Voroshilov from relative obscurity in Murmansk and briefed him to head the Soviet negotiating team knowing that he could be trusted to do exactly what he was told and would be desperate to impress.

To assist him Stalin assigned his Chief of General staff Boris Shaposhnikov an ex-Tsarist officer who had survived the purges, and whom Stalin both trusted and respected as a military theorist. Shaposhnikov’s job was to stop Voroshilov making a fool of himself and to deal with any complicated questions the British and French might ask.

Voroshilov was briefed to offer the Anglo-British delegation the full support of the Soviet nation in curbing the ambitions of Herr Hitler against Poland and the Baltic States.

Boris Shaposhnikov was provided with a list of 120 infantry divisions, 16 cavalry divisions, 5,000 heavy artillery pieces, 9,500 tanks and 5,500 fighter aircraft and bombers which Stalin told him could be deployed along Germany's borders within weeks to encourage Hitler to comply with the demands of the League of Nations. Not all of the units on the list actually existed, but Shaposhnikov could be relied upon to create the impression that they did.

The impression to be given was that as soon as the co-operation of the Poles could be confirmed by the British the Soviet Army would be deployed along the German border and any risk of German aggression stifled.

But when the proposal was put by Voroshilov Admiral Sir Reginald Drax, who led the British delegation, seemed completely taken aback and told his Soviet counterparts that he was authorised only to talk, not to make deals. Furthermore, when asked what forces Britain itself could deploy in the west against possible German aggression, Admiral Drax said there were just sixteen combat ready divisions, leaving the Soviets bewildered by Britain's lack of preparation for the looming conflict.

The different perceptions of the German threat and the disparity in the preparedness of the Soviets and Anglo-French to deal with it left the meeting floundering for anything sensible to discuss.

The Anglo-French seemed unable to grasp the true danger they were in, and all the previous information which Soviet intelligence had released to their governments about Hitler’s plans for world domination seemed to have been ignored. It did not even seem as though the Anglo-French delegates had been briefed on the information released to their governments by Soviet intelligence and were aghast when Voroshilov read them extracts from some of the reports that had been supplied. The meeting eventually broke up having decided nothing and in a mutual air of bewilderment.

Soviet intelligence later reported that upon reaching their private Dacha the British delegation held another long meeting in which Admiral Drax made the observation that he thought the Russians were engaged in some sort of childish game at their expense and that he didn’t believe the Russians were being at all serious.

A dance with the devil.

The Soviet debriefing was equally incredulous ‘Are you sure he said sixteen?....Perhaps it was sixty and you misheard him.’ Pressed Stalin

‘I know what I heard’ snapped Voroshilov ‘In fact I got him to repeat it. It was definitely sixteen.’

‘To be fair to Comrade Voroshilov’ interjected Molotov ‘I have spoken to the interpreter and she is adamant that he said sixteen, and just to make sure I played the recording to several other members of her team and they all concur that he said sixteen.’

‘But that can’t be right, perhaps this British Admiral doesn't understand what an army division is? Perhaps he meant sixteen corps, or sixteen armies. How can Britain threaten Hitler with war if it only has sixteen divisions.’

'Perhaps your right Joseph, but it makes little difference. Whatever he meant the fact is that if Hitler carries out his threat to either Poland, the Baltic States or even to Czechoslovakia then there will be no real support for them or for us from Britain or France. We are on our own.'

'So, we are back to where we started' growled Stalin 'we must dance with the devil again.'

'That will not be a problem Herr Ribbentrop has been ringing me all week trying to arrange a date. It appears that Germany were more concerned about the outcome of the Anglo-French visit that they needed to be.'

'Perhaps, they will give us the whole of Poland after all.' grinned Stalin.

Molotov began gathering his papers from the desk. 'We can only ask.'

'Don't worry Mikhail I have it on good authority that the devil is a party member.'

1939 September: The Storm finally breaks.

Friday 1st	Germany declares war on Poland. The storm finally broke on Friday 1st September when German troops poured across the border into Poland. It seems odd given that Stalin had predicted just such an event and been warning the rest of the world about the threat posed by Germany for years, that when it actually happened it caught Stalin and Molotov completely by surprise. But the truth is that they had managed to convince themselves that Hitler was ‘All bark and no bite’. After all he had threatened Czechoslovakia over The Sudetenland and done nothing; he had tried to annex Austria and then backed down when the Austrians rejected his proposals, he had even tried to claim the Baltic states, but then backed off when Molotov had refused to accept his justification for doing so. Also, right up to the night before Soviet intelligence had believed that negotiations were still ongoing. They reported that Ribbentrop had outlined a new 16 point German proposal to the British on the night of 30/31 August, and that the British had passed it to the Polish government for consideration. The Polish Ambassador Lipski went to see Ribbentrop on 31st August to indicate that Poland was favourably disposed to negotiations, and so as far as the Soviets knew these negotiations were pending. In fact, Hitler had ordered hostilities against Poland to start at 4:45am on the morning of Friday 1st September, and it was not until the Soviet Embassy in Warsaw reported the first fighting inside the Polish border the next morning that the truth stuck home that the war had started and an emergency meeting was called in Stalin’s office. ‘They must be mad.’ Growled Stalin without giving any indication as to whom he was referring. Molotov nodded ‘Now we shall see what the British can do with sixteen divisions.’ Stalin looked up quickly ‘You didn’t tell Ribbentrop about that did you?’ ‘No! Of course not. How would that have helped our bargaining position?’ Molotov replied indignantly ‘But that doesn’t mean that Hitler hasn't heard of it, it was hardly a secret. Why? Do you think it might be what gave him the courage to act?’ ‘Possibly, I doubt Herr Hitler considered the French to be any deterrent they have made it obvious that their answer to everything is to dig a deeper hole to hide in.' 'What puzzles me is why the Poles were so confident as to reject the German demands out of hand.' 'Do you think they were aware of the sixteen divisions?’ Molotov shrugged ‘It doesn’t seem likely, but who knows what the British may have promised them.’
Saturday 2nd
Sunday 3rd	Britiain and France declare war on Germany
Tuesday 5th
Wednesday 6th
Tuesday 12th
Tuesday 19th
Saturday 23rd
Sunday 24th
Saturday 30th

Operations Case White and Weser Day

Stalin was mesmerised by the speed of the German assault it seemed that hardly had one communique been processed reporting the occupation of a polish city than another one was delivered. There was indecision about how the Soviet Union should react, should they mobilize and risk provoking the Germans, or should they wait on events and see if Ribbentrop wanted to continue their earlier negotiations.

There was also concern about the intentions of Japan, who along with its allies had mobilised their forces on the eastern front. What were their intentions?

And on the southern borders Turkey and Persia were now both drifting towards Axis membership despite the long standing efforts to influence them towards joining the Comintern.

'Why did they invade Denmark?' pondered Stalin 'There was no indication of their intentions to do so.'

'Well I’m no strategist' remarked Molotov 'But my guess is that Germany wants to capture Copenhager and thus secure control of the entrance to the Baltic. With Copenhagen's forts in German hands the Royal Navy will be unable to enter the Baltic to land an expeditionary force to assist Poland.'

'Clever' nodded Stalin. 'But we need to know what Hitler plans to do next. If he plans to attack us, then we ought to mobilise now, begin issuing our troops with their new equipment and increase the officer ratio of our divisions.'

'On the other hand if he plans to attack to the west as he claimed was his intention last year then we can use that time to continue our preparations and securing our borders.'

'Hopefully, the US embargo of Japan will make things awkward for them and will eventually starve them of vital resources, but it will take time for those shortages to have an effect, and may even provoke them towards further aggression to secure more reliable sources.'

'But above all we need to know what Hitler is planning, can you discover anything from Ribbentrop, are they still seeking a non-aggression pact?'

1939 October: Where the axe may fall.

Revised plans.

As the dust settled on the events of September, and the first German divisions reached the Soviets western border Stalin began to make the first of the changes he considered necessary to cope with the developing situation.

Changes in leadership

Lavrentiy Beria replaced Sergej Uritskiy as Chief of the Soviet Security with the intention of reducing dissent and boosting the flagging support for the Stalist faction of the party.

At the same time Nikolai Kuznetsov was appointed Chief of the Soviet Navy.

1. The equipping of all incomplete reserve divisions is to be cancelled to release production capacity for the outstanding support regiments, Fighter Aviation Divisions and fortifications. This meant the immediate cancellation of fifteen new Rifle Divisions. But further cancellations are planned once those Divisions in the course of being equipped are deployed.
   
   
2. Soviet agents will work with the Turkish PCP; FMP and Emek Partisi parties to engineer a coup with the intention of removing the current Comhuriyet Halk Partisi from power and replace it with a socialist regime more sympathetic to our ideologies. Thanks to our prolonged support the combined socialist parties already represent 53% of the population, so a coup should have a good chance of success.
   
   
3. The 'Increase threat' action on the UK is to be cancelled and the intelligence priority of the UK reduced to level 1.
   
   
4. The 'Intelligence priority' of Japan is increased to Level 3 and focussed on Technical Espionage.

These priorities will need to be reviewed immediately if either Germany or Japan attacks the Soviet Union or one of its allies.

If a non-aggression pact can be confirmed with the Axis then military action can be considered against either Persia; Finland or Afghanistan.

Military Situation

The Soviet Union currently has the option to go to war with Finland; Estonia; Latvia; Romania; Persia; Turkey; Japan; or Afghanistan. However, it was decided not to initiate any hostile action until the intentions of the Axis became clearer.

At present only Germany is at war with Britain and her allies. She has also been granted military access through Romania.

Japan and her allies have mobilised but so far remain neutral although the USA have declared an embargo on all its resources which may force the Japanese Empire to go to war.

Italy and Ethiopia remain neutral.

Denmark has been conquered by Germany, which means tat Germnay now controls naval access to the Baltic.
The Netherlands has been practically overrun and will probaly surrender shortly. The Germans have also made a small breach in The Maginot Line. The French have also made a small breach in the Germany defences, but it is not clear who has the upper hand.

1939 November: A Nice Little War

The Soviets had been trying to persuade the Finns to co-operate in a mutual defence plan for years, but Finnish reception to Soviet entreaties was decidedly cool, and had not been helped by the violence of Stalin's collectivisation and officer purges which gave the Finns a poor opinion of the Soviet Union.

Instead the Finns had been trying to negotiate a military support arrangement with the Allies but that would be of little value now that Germany had annexed Denmark and controlled the access to The Baltic.

Meanwhile, the growing threat of German aggression had persuaded Sweden to begin negotiations for a mutual defence pact with the Soviet Union, and whilst the Soviets had been careful not to make any commitments to the Swedes they did wonder if the recent German aggression might have made the Finns more responsive to a similar arrangement.

A meeting was arranged with the Finns in Moscow where the Soviets expressed their concern that having sealed the Kattegat and secured unchallenged control of The Baltic Sea the German navy could easily land troops anywhere along the coast of Finland or even directly at Helsinki and then use Finland as a platform to open another invasion front into the Soviet Union.

The Soviet proposal was for a mutual northern defence pact which would allow the Soviet Northern Front to be moved westwards from the Soviet border to the coast of Finland.

The Soviet 14th and 23rd Army’s that currently defend the Soviet Northern Front could provide twenty-two divisions to assist in the defence of Finland, and would be supported by at least four hundred planes and both battleships of Soviet Baltic Fleet, which together with the Finnish Army would make a German invasion of Finland much more difficult, and thus protect both countries.

However, the Finnish representatives were intransigent and distrusted the motives behind the Soviet proposal. They assured Molotov that Finland was committed to a policy of neutrality and that the country would resist any armed incursion.

Molotov came away from the talks frustrated and uncertain as to the future intentions of the Finns. His main concern being that there was a strong Fascist influence in the Finnish Government that might be planning to seek a re-alignment of the country away from the Allies to the Axis.

Given his own experiences he was sure that Ribbentrop must have been in touch with the Finns, and the fact that they were so opposed to the Soviet proposals suggested that they may have been convinced by Germany’s.

If that were the case then a German occupation of Finland might not just be a threat, but a certainty, after all Romania had already granted Hitler’s troops military access to their lands even though they were aligning towards the Allies, so why wouldn’t the Finns do the same if their independence depended upon it.

‘They are either fools, or scoundrels.’ Snarled Stalin when Molotov reported the Finnish intransigence. ’They leave us no choice. We cannot afford to leave Finland as an open door to Leningrad and Northern Russia.‘ He immediately authorised preparations for ‘Operation Polaris’, the Soviet invasion of Finland.

It appears that the Finns had come to a similar conclusion as upon the return of their delegation to Helsinki they immediately began to mobilize their armed forces, even before the Soviets declared war.

Luxemburg Annexed

Germany continues to push westward and has annexed Luxemburg, and occupied most of Belgium. However, so far the Maginot line itself seems to be holding, but its only a matter of time before Hitlers panzers find a route through Belgium and renders it irrelevant.

Sweden is mobilizing

Concerned by events on their borders Sweden has decided to mobilze their army and prepare to meet whatever fate may have in store for it.

Soviet Industrial Improvements

Further industrial improvements have been completed by Soviet engineers which now make it's industry amongst the most advanced in the world. Standards of efficiency and productivity have now reached 1942 standards and further improvements have been suspended as they are too inefficient.

STAVKA 1939 December: Operation Polaris

Operation Polaris

The final plan for the invasion of Finland was drawn up by Marshal Voroshilov based upon the instructions and guidance given to him by Stalin.

Three Soviet Army's were assigned to the mission consisting of a total strength of 34 Divisions.

Army	Strength	Objectives
14ya Armiya [Kalpakchi]	3xRifle Divisions; 4xMountain Divisions; 3xCavalry Divisions	Capture the Finnish ports of Petsamo on the Artic Coast, and Oulu on the Gulf of Bothnia, securing Northern Finland.
23rd Armiya [Tyulen]	9xRifle Divisions; 3xcavalry Divisions	Secure the port of Vaasa on the Gulf of Bothnia, and then drive south towards Tampere; Helsinki and Viipuri to support the 11ya Armiya's advance.
11ya Armiya [Gastilovich]	12xRifle Divisions	Viipuri; Porvo and Helsinki

The Front Commander of the Northern Front, 'Komandarm Zhukov, would be in overall command of the operation, although the 11ya Armiya will continue to report through the commander of the North West Front, 'Komandarm Gorelen'.

The 27ya Armiya consisting of three rifle divisions will act as a strategic reserve, and may be used to make an amphibious assault on the Finnish Coast if the 11ya Armiya becomes pinned down in heavy fighting.


Naval and Air Support Plan.

Force	Strength	Objectives
Northern Fleet	1xDestroyer; 5xSubmarines	Blockade Petsamo.
Baltic Fleet	2xBattleships; 1xDestroyer	Support 11ya Armiya with shore bombardment.
Baltic Fleet	2xSubmarines	Blockade Helsinki/Convoy Raiding
Baltic Fleet	2xSubmarines	Blockade Helsinki/Convoy Raiding
Baltic Fleet	2xSubmarines	Blockade Turku/Convoy Raiding
Baltic Fleet	2xSubmarines	Blockade Oulu/Convoy Raiding
Leningrad Air Army	4xFighter Aviation Divisions	Air superiority Viipuri
Leningrad Air Army	4xFighter Aviation Divisions	Air superiority Helsinki
Leningrad Air Army	2xFighter Aviation Divisions	Air superiority Porvo
Leningrad Air Army	2xBomber Aviation Divisions	Close air support 11ya Armiya

Operation Polaris got off to a bad start for the Soviets.

The truth is that the rapid breakdown of the negotiations with the Finns caught Zhukov and the men of the Northern Front by surprise. Zhukov had been expecting an attack by the Germans on the western border and so had moved as many troops as he could spare southwards in anticipation of a need to reinforce the Western Front.

Also, with the onset of winter the more experienced commanders of the Northern Front, who had all been chosen for their specialist knowledge of winter operations had begun rotating their divisions between the south and north to give as many as possible practical experience of working in artic conditions.

Thus when the warning order of imminent hostilities with Finland was received on the 1st November the Northern Front was in a state of disarray, and the immediate consequence was a massive re-deployment of troops up and down the Northern border as divisions tried to get back to their designated start lines over roads and rail lines clogged with troops heading in the opposite direction and made treacherous by snow and ice.

So, when war was declared on the 1st December many divisions were still struggling to reach their start lines and the opening initiative rested with the Finns who appeared to be in position and already mobilizing.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

To be fair I had noticed a while ago that the AI seemed thoroughly confused about where to place divisions. But up to this point I was content to allow it to be incompetent as it was enough just to get the divisions into the right general area. It wasn't until I activated the Northern Front ready to go to war that I realised just how incompetent the AI had been. In my last game I found that at Corps level the AI could usually be trusted with simple assignments like 'attack this'; or 'defend that'. But what is obvious now is that it cannot be trusted with commanding an Army Group consisting of several Army's and Corps. It doesn't even seem able to manage it's own order of battle to ensure that every division is within command range of it's respective HQ. So, it looks like I'm going to be manually controlled everything above Corps level from now on.

1939 December: The Battle for Karelia (Part 1)

Preparations for war

Orders for the mobilisation of the Soviet Army were issued by Stalin on the morning of Friday 1st December, and at the same time war was declared on Finland and Operation Polaris initiated.
In addition the following orders were issued to put the nation on a war footing:-

• Industrial capacity priority is focus on 'Upgrades'; 'Reinforcement' and 'Supply' until further notice.
  
• Light Tank Regiments that form part of a Tank Division (e.g. a division with more than one tank regiment) are to be withdrawn from the line and equipped with Medium Tanks.
  
• Leadership focus is to be changed from 'Diplomacy', 'Intelligence' and 'Research' to the recruitment of Officers for the Army.
  
• All Army Divisions are to move to their designated start lines, where they will be allocated fresh deployements.

Date	Situation Reports
Friday Dec 1st	Early on the morning of Friday 1st December the ships and submarines of the Soviet Baltic and Northern Fleets slipped quietly out of harbour and made their way to their allotted patrol stations. At the same time the aircraft of the Leningrad and Riga Air Defence Armies were being made ready for action, and moved from their reseve airbases to Leningrad. However, the day itself passed peacefully without a shot being fired.
Saturday Dec. 2nd	At 7am on the morning of Saturday 2nd December the peace was finally broken when the Finnish 1st Infantry Division launched a surprise attack on the positions of Chuikov's 16th Rifle Corps,.which was waiting on its start line at Sestroreksk waiting for it's support Corps to close up before beginning its advance. The resulting battle delayed the advance of the 16th Rifle Corps by fifty-three hours but cost the Finns 435 casualties. A similar but more evenly matched engagement occurred further north at Voinitsa. Two brigades of Finnish cavarly attacked a similar sized force of Soviet Cavalry under command of Komdiv Pavlov. This battle was destined to continue become a prolonged and deadly game of cat and mouse amongst the tree's that lasted for over two weeks as both sides tried to locate and destroy each other. It only ended when the Soviets were finally reinforced by the arrival of a second cavalry division which provided them with the manpower needed to drive the Finns back. In the air the Soviets retaliated with a bombing raid on the Mannerheim Line at Viipuri, which was intercepted by Finnish fighters. The raid managed to drop its bombs but were chased all the way back to the airbase at Leningrad. The Finns were then interecepted by fighters of the Leningrad Air Defence Force. The skies over the Karelian Isthmus were full of planes on the 2nd, as the Finnish airforce struggled against the overwhelming strength of the Soviets.
Tuesday Dec 5th	Reinforced and reorganised after the two day long assault on their positions by the Finns the 16th Rifle Corps finally got the order to advance on the 5th December, and moved into forest of Kivennappa to drive the Finnish 1st Division back towards the Mannerheim line. To their right the Soviet 29th Rifle Corps also moved forward to assault and clear the wooded area of Valkjärvi between their start line and the river Vuoski which guarded the eastern end of the Mannerheim Line. The task of the 29th Rifle Corps looked significantly more challenging than that of the 16th on their left, as they were faced by two fresh Finnish infantry divisions [6th and 12th] that had not taken part in the two day assault on Sestroretsk. However, once the assault began it was soon apparent that these two divisions were badly under strength and severely disorganised. Nevertheless, and despite their disorganised state and severe lack of men, the Finnish 6th and 12th. Divisioona put up a stubborn resistance in Valkjärvi and it took the 29th Rifle Corps nearly three days to force them out of the woods and back beyond the river. Friday Dec 8th The Finnish 1st Flying Regiment (Lentorykmentti 1) conducted a fighter sweep over Leningrad this afternoon which led to a major air battle over the city when fighters from the Riga Air Defence Army arrived to drive them off. The Finns were heavily outnumbered and dispersed with very few casualties. Soviet submarines operating in Åbo Skärgård report numerous convoys sailing to and from the Finnish port of Turku. They have sunk one transport and confirm that the Finnish navy has at least one light cruiser in Turku harbour, but that it has not put to sea. Tuesday Dec 12th On the 12th the 9th ‘Krymskaya’ Cavalry Division which was leading the advance of Shtern’s 11th Cavalry Corps reached Sotkamo and lake Pirttijarvi where they ran into the rear-guard of the Finnish 11th Infantry Division trying to march south across it's front. A five day running battle ensued resulting in the eventual dispersal of the Finnish infantry into the woods although casualties amongst the 9th cavalry were high. Wednesday Dec 13th At 11pm on Wednesday 13th December the troops of the 16th Rifle Corps made the first of a series of attacks on the outer defences of the Mannerheim Line at Koivisto. The attacks were co-ordinated by KomDiv Bochenkov of the 5th Rifle Division as Komkor Chuikov was being treated for a minor injury he suffered during the fighting on the 8th December, and so command had passed to the next senior officer available. The defences were held by the 'Erililset Pataljoona' a punishment battalion, which nevertheless held out against the bombardment and assaults of the 16th Rifle Corps for four days before abandoning the defences and slipping away during the night if the 16th/17th December. Out of the 15,794 Finns committed to the defence of Koivisto.473 were killed, whilst the Soviet lost 135 men in the assaults out of a strength of 29,803. Thursday Dec 14th The day after the 16th Corps began its assault on Koivisto, the 29th Rifle Corps commenced its own assault on the Mannerheim Lines defences at Kakisalmi. This was a much more challenging objective as it involved the crossing of the river Vuoski under fire before being able to commence an assault the fortifications themselves. Fortunately, the defences were only held by the remnants of the Finnish 6th Infantry Division which were still recovering from the earlier battle south of the river. So it was hoped that resistance would not be too determined. Nevertheless it took five days for the 29th Corps to force it’s way across the river and into the defences of Kakisalmi losing 298 men out of the 29,000 committed to the assault. Whilst the Fins lost 235 out of its 17,400 defenders.

1939 December: The Battle for Karelia (Part 2)

Sunday Dec 17th	To the north at Suomussalmi the protracted skirmish between the 24th Cavalry Division and the Finnish Ratsuvakprikaati Cavalry Division intensified as Blucher’s 3rd Cavalry Division arrived to join the fight. Nevertheless, the Finnish cavalry held the Soviets for a further four days and only began to withdraw westwards when the Soviets were finally joined by the third division of the 5th Cavalry Corps [32nd Cavalry Division] at which time they were outnumbered three to one.
Saturday Dec 23rd	Just before dawn on Saturday 23rd December the Soviet 22nd Rifle Division passed through the lines of the 16th and began an assault on the main defences of the Mannerheim Line at Viipuri. The defences were once again held by the hapless men of the EP Division, who having been forced out of their initial positions by the 16th Rifle Corps were now subjected to another assault from fresh troops from the 22nd. This time it was too much for them and after enduring nine hours of brutal bombardment and assaults by Soviet troops they abandoned their positions and fell back across the canal into Antrea. At the same time as the 22nd were making their successful assault on Viipuri, the 29th Rifle Division on their right was suddenly subjected to a desperate counter-attack by the Finnish 10th Infantry Division, which despite being outnumbered by at least three to one tried to delay the Soviet advance by attacking across the river and into the face of their advance. The desperate attack delayed the Soviet advance across the river by just over a day but cost the 11th Division 188 killed.
Tuesday Dec 26th	With the 29th Rifle Corps now across the river Vuoski and in possession of the Mannerheim Line the Finns finally realised the danger they were in and launched another desperate assault to try and retake their fortifications or at least delay any further exploitation by the Soviets. The assault which began under cover of darkness in the hope of catching the Soviets by surprise was made by the 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions. A force of 17,854 men under the command of General Laatikainen. They expected to face just under 30,000 Soviet troops dug into their old fortifications. But their hope was that the Soviets were still recovering from the hard fought battle to capture Kakisalmi and might not be expecting a counter-attack by fresh troops. Unfortunately, what they were not aware of, and not expecting, was that the 29th were in the process of being relieved by their supporting 24th Rifle Corps which was even now making its way over the river with the intention of conducting a 'passage of lines' prior to continuing the advance westwards. So as the Finns launched their attack they were in fact facing six Soviet rifle divisions operating in deep defence rather than the three they were expecting. Nevertheless, this battle is destined to continue right through the rest of December and into the New Year. So, the outcome is still unknown at this time. Having finally driven off the Finnish 11th Division at Sotkamo the 9th Cavalry Division suddenly found itself under attack from the rear by another division consisting of two infantry brigades amounting to just under 6,000 men. Whilst outnumbering them and better equipped the 9th were still recovering for their five day battle with the 11th Infantry Division and were surprised by the sudden appearance of fresh troops emerging from the woods in the opposite direction. Fortunately, it seems the Finns were equally surprised to suddenly run into Soviet cavalry and quickly withdrew into the woods to the north. The suspicion of Komkor Shtern the officer commanding 11th Cavalry Corps is that his men have penetrated the flank of a Finnish infantry column trying to make its way south toward the Karelian Isthmus. But so far he has only confirmed te existence of two divisions, and he has no idea in which direction the enemies main strength lies. So, he doesn’t know if he has severed the head of an enemy column or merely clipped its tail.
wednesday Dec 27th	On Wednesday 27th December in a superb demonstration of Soviet air power and navigational skill Komkor Zhigarev flew a successful mission consisting of 12th and 13th Bomber Aviation Divisions all the way from Leningrad to Vitasaari deep in the heart of Finland and bombed the town and its garrison. The mission had more morale than physical value in that it proved that nowhere in Finland is safe from the might of the Soviet Airforce.
Thursday Dec 28th	On Thursday the 28th December the 24th Rifle Division launched an assault over the Vuoksa River into Antrea with the aim of reducing the pressure on the 29th and 22nd Corps defending Kakisalmi. However, this assault may be cancelled as the river line is heavily defended and the four enemy divisions guarding it are not participating in the attack on Kakisalmi anyway. The sensible approach is probably to hold our bank of the river and prevent the enemy breaking through to restore their communications with Helsinki, whilst waiting for troops from the 19th and 50th Corps to fight their way south and complete the encirclement of the enemy divisions on the far bank of the river. The 16th Rifle Corps has successfully occupied Lappeenranta, effectively severing the direct communication lines between the Finnish army on the far side of the Vuoksa river with Helsinki. All communications and supplies for the finnish troops on the far side of the river will now need to make their way around Lake Saimaa, and hopefully that route will soon be severed by the 19th Corps.
Friday Dec 29th	Huge numbers of Finnish troops are now massed on the far banks of the Vuoksa river, and KomKor Zhigarev is doing his best to make their situation as miserable as possible by bombing them as often as his planes can be re-fueled and re-armed.
Sunday Dec 31st	The Finish 12th Infantry Division is trying to force a way through the 16th Rifle Corps to reopen communications between Helsinki and the Isthmus Army. However with only 4,829 men its seems futile to imagine that they will succeed. Since the first reported sinking on December 8th the Soviet navy had reported a steady stream of kills along the approaches to the Finnish port of Turku. At least eight Finnish merchantmen have been sunk. However. the Finnish navy continues to skulk in the harbour at Turku rather than put to sea.

PRAVDA December 1939: World Events

2nd December: Soviet spies steal Japanese blueprints.

This was a rather nice surprise and much more useful than the German Destroyer Crew Training Blueprint stolen a few months ago.

3rd December: Hungary Joins the AXIS Powers

previewimg=5053324;sizeFull,inline;1939 Dec 3 Hungary joins AXIS.jpg][/previewimg]

8th december: Hungary is mobilizing.

A bit dissappointing as I hadn't realised they were that close to Axis alignment. At one point I was sure they were aligning towards the Comintern.

11th December: Sinkiang is mobilzing.

No idea why, but it's up to them. I did check to make sure they were not under attack.

17th December: Italy declares war on the Allies

18th December: USA embargoes Italy

29th December: Greece joins the Allies.

World Map 30th December 1939

The German army have broken through Belgium and leading elements have reached the French city of Reims. In North Africa, Italian troops have crossed the border into British controlled Eygpt and Frnech controlled Tunisia. Italian marines have landed on the French island of Corsica.

Lessons Learned

For anyone who has struggled through this AAR to this point I thought it might be useful and interesting to list a few lessons I’ve learned from this play-through so far.

• Don’t let the AI deploy your army’s.

  It really screwed up the first month of the Winter War by forcing me to strategically re-deploy most of my divisions back to their Corps HQ locations, and goodness knows how much supply had being wasted over the years because all those divisions were out of touch with their commanders. So, don’t do it, it’s not worth having to deal with the incompetence.
  
  

• Think before you act.

  I realised a few days into the Winter War that I’d screwed up, by ordering all my divisions to strategically deploy back to the designated Corps HQ’s. What I should have done is simply detached the Divisions from their currently designated Corps and attach them to which ever Corps they were now closest too. It would have saved weeks of waiting for divisions to get back to their start lines, but by the time I thought of it I’d already issued all the strategic redeployment orders and it was basically too late.
  
  

• Don’t be heavy handed with Leadership sliders.

  I think it was a mistake to go 100% Officers with my Leadership. I was concerned about how low my Officer% was (e.g. 73%) when everyone reckons 140% is the ideal. But in practice switching Leadership to 100% Officers has not made a lot of difference to my Officer%, whereas it has made a huge difference to Diplomacy; Intelligence and Research. So, I think I’m going to soften my policy a bit and put some leadership back into the other sliders. At least enough to keep Turkey and Afghanistan drifting towards the Comintern and keeping counter-espionage functioning.
  
  

• The Red Army isn’t as bad as I expected it to be.

  I must admit I’m quite pleased with the performance of my divisions so far (apart from the fact that they were in the wrong places as already mentioned.) I suspect they are benefitting from the fact that they all have attached artillery regiments which the Finns seem to lack. But at the moment I do seem to be kicking Finnish butt, when I was half expecting to be in trouble due to my lack of upgrades, doctrines and officers.
  
  

• Soviet Submarines are awesome.

  Which kind of surprises me, as in my last game US submarines were much more advanced but seemed to get fewer kills. It might have something to do with the limited sea room in the Baltic. Sinking merchant convoys in such a small sea must be like shooting fish in a barrel.
  
  

• AAR’s are fun to write, but hard to get right.

  Whilst I’m enjoying the research and creativity of putting this AAR together I am aware that it’s probably quite boring to read. So, I’m kind of torn between the selfish indulgence of putting everything into it, and the sometimes conflicting consideration of keeping it interesting for a reader. But it’s difficult to know what’s working and what’s not working when you’re up to your armpits in the blood and guts of it. So, any constructive criticism will be welcome.
  
  

• Prioritise Upgrades

  This is a late addition, but worth noting if only as a reminder to myself. I realised this morning that I had failed to give my troops fighting in Karelia priority for new equipment upgrades. Which is pretty obvious and should have been done last month.
  
  

• Beware of using Screenshots

  This is another late addition to the list. Some of you may have noticed that some of the images in this AAR have disappeared. When you click on them you get a message sayng that the image has been removed by the Author. Now, strictly spekaing this is true, a few weeks ago I did delete a lot of the early screenshots I had taken from my computer hard drive to save disk space.
  
  What I didn't realise at the time was that deleting a screenshot from your hard drive also deletes it from Steams Screenshot Library, and by the time I noticed several of the early screenshots I had referenced in this AAR had been deleted and removed.
  
  Fortunately, I had not emptied my Recyle bin on my computer and I'm hoping most, if not all these images can be recovered and I have actually begun going through and replacing them with recovered images.
  
  However, its ironic that one of the reasons I chose to do this AAR on Steam was to avoid the common problem of having images disappear on forum hosted AAR's due to the image hosting websites becoming redundant or authors cancelling their subscriptions.
  
  So, to avoid this problem either resign yourself to never deleting screenshots from your HD, or avoid using the screenshots themselves and instead upload images of them to your AAR, and hopefully the images do not get routinely cleared by Steam to save server space.

Year 5 1940-1941: A Race Against Time.

The Red Army Review

Things are definitely improving, as you can see in this video of the 1940 Red Army Review.

Senior Officers now get to parade in open topped Zil limousines for the first time instead of riding a horse. The tanks are getting faster, the guns are getting bigger and we now have more planes to fly over Red Square.

Russian infantry helmets are starting to look a lot more...well Russian. It's actually been interesting to see how many different designs they tried before settling on the classic look.

Also I notice Stalin, Molotov and the other leaders have got tired of waving and now just do a sort of half-hearted high five salute gesture. Perhaps the parades are just so long now that waving constantly gives you severe arm ache.

New Commanders

One hundred and eight (108) new commanders have reported for duty this year. Which means we should have move than enough to command all our existing divisions and plenty of spares for such new divisions as we equip in the future. There are also two Skill 4 commanders in the new batch which will probably deserve promotion to more senior commands, and a large number of Skill 3's and 2's. So, it's likely that a lot of my existing Skill 1 division commanders will have to be replaced and go on half-pay until new divisions make them necessary again.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

That took a while but I now have commanders for all my current divisions and quite a few spare. Nearly all my Division Commanders are skill 2 or greater, all my Corps commanders are skill 3 or above and Army are at least Skill 3 and Front Commanders Skill 4 or 5. I discovered one interest little bug, in that I was unable to assign a Division Commander to one of my Tank Divisions because both its tank regiments were being upgraded. So, the OOB seemed to consider it to be a Regiment because it only had one unit current listed for it.

Front Readiness Review

Molotov's file contained the usual list of figures as shown below.

Front	Povinces	Optimal Strength	current Strength	Deficiency
Stavka Reserve	1	4 Divisions	4 Divisions	None
Far Eastern	17	68 Divisions	19 Divisions	49 Divisions
Transbaikal	12	48 Divisions	6 Divisions	42 Divisions
Southern	9	36 Divisions	15 Divisions	21 Divisions
Stalingrad	1	4 Divisions	1 Division	3 Divisions
Transcaucasian	3	12 Divisions	8 Divisions	4 Divisions
South Western	18	72 Divisions	46 Divisions	26 Divisions
Central Asian	1	4 Divisions	4 Divisions	None
North Western	6	24 Divisions	15 Divisions	9 Divisions
Northern	8	24 Divisions	24 Divisions	None
Western	18	72 Divisions	30 Divisions	42 Divisions
TOTAL	94	368 Divisions	172 Divisions	196 Divisions

Last year the figures showed a deficiency of 206 divisions across all fronts, which confirms that in the past year we have equipped twelve new divisions. However, we are still way below the optimal strength needed to provide an adequate defence for all our key border provinces.

Mobilization Review

The next folder summarised the number of Regiments currently available and those still scheduled for mobilisation.

Regiment Type	Active	Since 1936	Scheduled
Medium Tank Regiment	1	0	20 Light Tank Upgrades
Armoured Car	10	4	Cancelled
Artillery	81	77	62
Mountain Rifle	48	15	0
Cavalry	18	8	Cancelled
Garrison Infantry	12	0	0
Rifle Regiment	345	51	Cancelled
Light Tank Regiment	13	12	Cancelled
Motor Rifle Regiment	45	10	Cancelled
Engineer Regiment	14	14	19
Fighter Aviation Divisions	34	30	28
Bomber Aviation Divisions	4	0	0

Molotov looked over Stalins shoulder and pointed out the key points of note on the schedule before him. 'As you can see Comrade Secretary all divisional mobilisation was cancelled during last year to free up IC to deliver the support regiments needed to complete our existing Divisions. Then with the outbreak of war with Finland most of that production has in turn been redirected to provide replacement equipment for our existing Regiments. What little remains has been focussed on replacing the light tanks currently in use by our 20 Tank Regiments with the latest Medium Battle Tanks.'

Review of Operation Polaris

The obvious problems created by the poor initial deployment of divisions has caused major delays in progress towards the objectives set for this operation.

These delays get steadily worse the further North one travels up the Karelian peninsula, with the worst being near Murmansk where the 42nd Rifle Corps has still not left its start line a month after the start of the operation.

In the south, on the Karelian Isthmus, progress has been reasonably good with only a few days being lost waiting for the supporting troops to get into position.

The main concern is that the delayed start of the operation may have given the Finns more time to prepare and may possibly mean that the operation will take longer than originally anticipated. The expectation was that the entire campaign would be over by Christmas, but that clearly wasn’t feasible and now the hope is that will be over before the end of January.

The only changes proposed to the initial plans and objectives for Operation Polaris are as follows:

• As the advance of the 11ya Armiya has successfully trapped a large number of Finnish troops on the wrong side of the Vuoksa River it seems opportune to hold the river line and prevent them breaking through and re-opening direct communications with Helsinki until the 19th and 50th Corps can move down from the North and complete their encirclement. This will obviously delay the advance of the 11ya Armiya on Helsinki even more, but the alternative is to risk these enemy troops breaking out and causing a potential threat in our rear, or even launching an attack towards Leningrad.
  
  
• In the light of proposal 1 above it may be opportune to call upon the 27ya Armiya being held in strategic reserve to move up and prepare to make a direct and rapid advance on Helsinki instead of the 11ya. Given that the Finnish Fleet does not seem to be a threat it may even be possible to launch a small amphioxus operation across the Gulf of Finland and land the 27th on at or close to the enemy capital, hopefully speeding the capitulation of the Finnish government. However this might not be feasible if too many of the Finnish troops reported to be moving south by the 5th and 11th Cavalry reach Helsinki.

1940 January: Operation Polaris through 'Fire and Ice'

US Anti-Soviet propaganda about the Winter war.

Well that’s January over and done with the any hopes of a quick victory over Finland are dwindling rapidly.

The Finns seem to be everywhere, and at the same time nowhere. The Soviet columns are struggling to move through waist high snow or along ice slicked roads hardly making any headway at all, and yet the Finns seem able to glide over the snow and attack them from any direction they like. Even operating in area’s that the Soviet columns can’t move through.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

The video posted above does have any direct relevance to the context of this section. Lile the animated Katusha video posted earlier I just stumbled across it when I was looking for some action footage of the Winter War. I decided to post it here purely because I thought it was so funny I wanted to share it with you.

The WInter War was certainly not funny, but then no wars are, but this piece of American propaganda by ‘The Friends of Finland’ is so contrived it had me in stitches.

The presenter sounds like washing powder salesman trying to sell an unknown brand he’s never used. And the video itself actually makes no sense, it seems just to consist of nothing more than a series sound bytes strung together to pluck at American emotions, all it needs is someone screaming 'Freedom' every few minutes to complete the package.

So, if we are to believe what we are told all Finns are honest peace loving farmers who want nothing more than to be left alone to grow turnips and live in their designer built high rise apartments surrounded by state of the art architecture and the latest modern conveniences.

But most important of all they all pay their debts (at least to the USA) ahead of time and have complete trust in Adolf Hitler.

It's interesting to reflect that within a year of this video being made the USA was sending money and materials to their new hero the Soviet Union.

But, we are killing a lot of them, in fact most of their attacks are practically suicidal. They throw themselves at our columns in small un-coordinated assaults of one or two brigade strength despite being outnumbered 3 to 1 and die in their hundreds. But every attack causes more delay, and more confusion, and the morale of our men is beginning to suffer as a result.

The hoped for encirclement of the Finns along the Vuoska River looks like being a failure, mainly because the 19th and 50th Rifle Corps couldn’t move fast enough to seal the pocket. The 19th made a brave attempt at doing so but merely became so strung out on the march that it ended up being attacked in detail as it tried to deploy and has had to switch to the defensive whilst it regroups and recovers.

The 50th are finally coming up to support them and look like they may be more successful, but in the meantime our aircraft flying over the area report that most of the Finns are marching northwards around the banks of the Saimaa Lake and have already escaped the trap.

In an attempt to salvage something from the situation the 11ya Armiya have been ordered back onto the offensive and have assaulted Finnish positions on the far bank of the Vuoska River driving in their rear-guard units. They along with the 50th Corps are trying to cut the escape route around the Saimaa as quickly as possible to prevent the last of the Finnish units using it. But once again movement is terribly slow and hampered by intermittent Finnish suicide attacks.

Leadership

One of the things I realised last month is that I had been far too heavy handed in switching all my leadership over to Officer training.

In just one month this has led to the loss of all my influence with Turkey; Persia and Afghanistan and crippled Communist party support in those countries.

Whatever the advantages are for increasing the officer ratio in my divisions the price in terms of Comintern support is too great and I've decided the switch a substantial potion of Soviet Leadership back to Diplomacy and Intelligence.

I just hope I don’t live to regret it.

Renewed Diplomatic Engagements

• 3rd Jan: Influencing Turkey.
  
  
• 5th Jan: Influencing Persia.
  
  
• 7th Jan: Infleunecing Afghanistan.
  
  
• 29th Jan: Influencing Estonia.
  
  
• 29th Jan: Influence over Turkey Stopped.

1940 January: Fighting on the Vuoksi River Line and the Karelian Isthmus.

The agreed strategy for the North-West Front around the Karelian Isthmus was to hold the Vuoksi River Line and keep the Finns focussed on trying to breach it until troops from the 19th and 50th Corps could arrive from the north to encircle and isolate them from supply. At that point it was reasoned that most of the Finnish Isthmus Army would surrender and attention could be turned towards moving on their capital.

Monday 1st Jan: Fighting on the Vuoksi River Line

In accordance with the new strategy the assault by the 22nd Rifle Corps over the Vuoksi River was aborted during the night of the 1st January as it was no longer desired to drive the Finns away from the river. Nevertheless, the 22nd sufferred 866 killed in the aborted assault and inflicted 676 on the enemy.

Further along the river to the east the Finnish assault on the positions of the Soviet 24th and 29th Corps was driven off with heavy loss. 1,512 Finns were killed at a cost of 633 Soviet dead. So, far the new year was proving bloody, but was going according to plan.

Tuesday 2nd Jan: Battle of Sortavala

Further east things were not going as well for the leading elements of the 19th Rifle Corps who were rushing to close the Finns escape route and close the trap. They suddenly found themselves under attack from two fresh Finnish infantry divisions and were forced to halt their advance and set up a chaotic defence in Sortavata.

The Finish assault was destined to last for three days, costing the lives of 431 Soviet soldiers and 315 Finns. However eventually the Soviets were forced to withdraw back over the Yanisyoki River to Imphilahti in order to re-organise and wait for more support.

Wednesday 3rd Jan: Battle of Kitee

To their right the movement of the 88th Rifle Division spearheading the advance of the 50th Rifle Corps towards Kitee was also blocked by contact with the Finnish 13th Infantry Division, and a strange mexican stand-off arose which was to last a full three weeks and only came to an end when the Finns withdrew voluntarily surrendering the province.

Upon first reporting enemy contact the 88th were ordered to hold their positions and wait for support from the rest of the 50th Corps moving up to join them from the rear. But, these troops were struggling to make progress through the heavy snow and ice and so the 88th simply settled down to wait for them to arrive.

Meanwhile the Finns of the 13th Infantry Division had also been ordered to hold their position as they were acting as the flank guard for the withdrawal of the army's main body towards Juva and had no need to move.

So, neither side had orders to attack and simply settled dowb to watch each other until the 21st January.

Saturday 6th Jan: The Finns launch a delaying attack on Kakisalmi

Another suicidal delaying attack was launched against the Soviet positions at Kakisalmi this afternoon. The assault only lasted a few hours but left hundred of Finns dead.

Saturday 6th Jan: Zhigarev's bombers launch a four day bombing campaign on Antrea.

At the same time Zhigarev's Bomber Aviation Army began an intensive bombing campaign against the mass of Finnish Army units gayhered in Antrea which was destined to last for the next four days before being switched to providing support for the 50th Corps at Parikkala.

Thursday 11th Jan: Zhigarv begins a two day bombing campaign to support the 19th Corps at Parikkala.

A two day bombing campaign began today with the hope of breaking up the Finnish assault on the hard-pressed lead elements of the 19th Rifle Corps. However, the bombers were unable to deter the Finnish attackers and the 19th Corps were eventually forced to retire and abandon the province of Sortavala with the loss of 332 men.

Monday 15th Jan: Air battles over the Isthmus.

After days of unrestricted bombing by the Soviet airforce the Finns finally attempted to provide some air cover for their troops today, but their airforce was immediately intercepted by Astakhov's air defence force and dispersed.

However, the true purpose of this attempt by the Finns to secure temporary control of the skies over the isthmus was revealed when Soviet fighter pilots returned to report spotting huge columns of Finnish troops slipping westwards through the trees towards Juva. It immediately became apparent that the Finns were trying to extract their Isthmus Army from the Vuoski River
Line and escape encirclement by making their way north-west towards Juva and around Lake Saimaa.

Tuesday 16th Jan: Soviets storm the Vuoksi River Line.

Yesterday's discovery by the Soviet airforce of a massive Finnish withdrawal from the Vuoski River Line prompted a the decision to launch an imediate full scale assault against the Finnish rear-guard by the Soviet 22nd, 24th and 29th Rifle Corps.

Despite being outnumbered by 92,861 to 18,967 the Finns managed to hold the line for two whole days although they sufferred massive casualites in doing so, losing 1,144 killed compared to the Soviets 316.

Friday 19th Jan: The 16th begins to push towards Helsinki

With the rest of the 11th Army storming the Finnish rear-guard on the Vuoksi River Line the 16th Corps were order to begin the westwards advance along the coast towards Helsinki. The 16th were instructed to secure the airfield at Kouvola, and to engage the Finnish infantry at Savitaipale.

They were also told to expect eventual support on their left flank from the 27th Army which was making its way over the isthmus to join them and would eventually take over the main drive toward the Finnish Capital.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

I had originally considered a naval landing of the 27th Army directly at Helsinki, but the carry weight of my transport was only 40, and the 27th Army weights 115. So, rather than split my force I decided they would have to walk.

The attacks of the 16th Corps were supported by the full weight of the Soviet Airforce.

The attack on Savitaipale was unsuccessful and had to be aborted after suffering 638 casualties, although 456 Finns died in the defences. however the airfield at Kuovola was secured easily with no losses.

Tuesday 23rd Jan: The 50th slam the door on escape to the north.

The 88th Rifle Division have secured Kitee sealing off the Finnish Isthmus Army from the northern escape route towards Eno, and is now moving westwards towards Juva in the hope of completing the encirclement of at least some of the Finnish rear-guard. Although its obvious that most of the Finns have managed to slip out of the trap.

1940 January: The Soviet breakout from the Karelian Isthmus.

Wednesday 24th Jan: Finns launch another delaying attack.

The Finns launched their 12th and 21st Infantry Divisions in another attack to try and delay the advance of the 22nd and 24th Rifle Corps from Antrea. The attack lasted 24 hours and left 521 finnish soldiers dead, whilst the Soviets lost 284.

Thursday 25th Jan: Capturing the airfield at Ruokalahti

As the Finnish attack of Antrea subsided the 29th Rifle Corps advanced to capture the airfield at Ruokalahti. Driving off the RT3 Garrison Division and securing it within 24 hours.

Thursday 25th Jan: Piling on the pressure.

At the same time as the 29th were attacking the airfield the 22nd Corps advanced to push back the Finnish rear-guard in neighbouring Rautjarvi. It took until the 29th to finally break through the enemy defence in a vicious battle that cost the lives of 951 Soviet soldiers and 1,105 Finns.

1940 January: The drive of the 11th Cavalry Corps on the port of Vaasa.

Further north Shtern's 11th Cavalry Corps were struggling westwards towards their first objective, the Finnish port of Vaasa on the Gulf of Bothnia. However, they appear to have run into a Finish infantry corps of unknown strength moving across their path from the north.

Monday 1st Jan. 11th Cavalry Corps push forward towards Kajaani

KomKor Shtern of the 11th Cavalry Corps reports that it has successfully driven the Finnish EP Infantry Division out of its path and is continuing its advance into Kajaani.

Monday 1st Jan. 4pm: The 6th Cavalry capture Kajaani

At 4pm the 6th Cavalry Regiment leading the advance of the 11th Cavalry Corps ran into elements of the Finnish 8th Infantry Division crossing their front from north to south at Kajaani.

The cavalry immediately launched a mounted assault and after nine hours of chaotic night fighting the Finns were driven off. However, the attack had cost been costly for the 6th who lost 68 troopers killed. By next morning the 6th Cavalry were also scattered all over the forest and heavily disorganised by the chaotic fighting and pursuit during the night before and were in no position to expliot their victory further.

Tuesday 9th Jan: Finnish counter-attack on Sotkamo.

On Tuesday the 9th January to 6th and 8th Cavalry Regiments of the 11th Cavalry Corps reached Sotkamo where they found themselves under heavy attack from Finnish infantry that occupied the tree's on both side of road and blocked the way forward.

The initial Finnish strength was estimated to be around 8,996 men, but as the battle developed over the next three days fresh Finnish units arrived swellng their numbers of over 17,000, and it was obvious that the 11th Cavalry Corps had penetrated at least a Corps of enemy infantry.

Unable to punch through the enemy the 6th and 8th were forced to abandon their advance and wait for support. 332 Soviet troopers were killed, whilst the Finns lost 110 infantry.

The 11th Cavalry Corps are forced to give ground.

KomKor Shtern now brought up the 9th Cavalry Regiment and attempted to hold Sotkamo.

A bloody battle ensued in which the Soviets lost 639 killed out of 22,000 and the Finns 753 out of 17,648. But despite having the full corps available the Finnish assault could not be held and Shtern was eventually forced order his men to fallback towards the Soviet border.

1940 January: Northern Front - The drive on the port of Oulu.

Further north still the 5th Cavalry Corps and the Far Eastern Special Corps of the Northern Front were making steady but slow progress towards their first objective of Uolu.

Wednesday 3rd Jan: The 5th Cavalry Corps reaches Taivalkoski.

The leading elements of the 5th Cavalry Corps have reached Taivalkoski driving scattered units of Finnish troops out of their path. They are being followed by troops from the Far Eastern Special Corps.

The 9th Mountain Regiment occupies Pudasjarvi.

In the early hours of Friday 19th January the 9th Mountain Rifle Regiment marched into Pudasjarvi forcing the rapid withdrawal of Mannerhiem Headquarters.

From this point the troops of the Far Eastern Special Corps would be leading the advance on Oulu having swapped royes with the 5th Cavalry Corps, who were now taking a more northerly route in the hope of making better time and trapping any further Finnish units trying to move south from the direction of Petsamo.

1940 January: The 42nd Rifle Corps capture the port of Petsamo.

Sunday 14th Jan: The attack on Petsamo finally begins.

Six weeks behind schedule the last elements of the 42nd Rifle Corps have finally arrived at their their start line and the attack on Petsamo is ordered to begin.

After all the delay the attack itself was all over in less than a day and the port was easily captured.

The 42nd Corps begin to push south from Petsamo.

The 42nd Corps have begun to push south from Petsamo driving the Finns before them.

1940 January: Soviet Air Campaign

By this point in the campaign the Soviets had pretty much uncontested control of the skies although the small Finnish airforce had not been completed destroyed.

Tuesday Jan. 2nd: The bombing of Turku.

In a demonstration of the Soviet airpower Zhigarev’s bombers flew all the way Turku and bombed the local port defences. It did not have much practical point but may have affected the enemies morale.

However, on the 6th January Zhigarev received new orders restricting his activities to attacks on Finish positions along the Vuoksi River and the North West Front, and these long range bombing raids were suspended for the rest of the month.

1940 January: Soviet Naval Reports

Blockade of Turku

Soviet submarines operating in the approaches to Turku harbour continue to report the regular sinking of Finnish merchant ships. It is not certain what affect this is having on the military campaign but the cost of so much lost shipping must be enormous.

PRAVDA February 1940: World Events

The German Blitzkrieg

The German blitzkrieg has almost reached Paris, and has also swept along the channel coast capturing Calais and Dunkerque. It probably won't belong now before France falls.

The Italian North African Campaign

The Italians have made substantial territorial gains in both French Tunisia and British Eygpt. They have also completed their capture of the island of Corsica. The only slight issue they have is that at the moment the French seem to have managed to beach their border defences and have occupied Aosta just north of the Italian city of Torino.

Diplomatic Activity

German is now trying to infuence Finland and Ireland to join the Axis. Fortunately, Finland is unlikely to accept their offer before we secure victory in the Winter War, as it was drifting towards the Allies for years prior to German Influence.

Likewise, although Ireland would prove a useful ally for Germany in it's war against the UK its will need a lot of persuasion to join the Axis.

Hungary has joined the Axis, and Greece has joined the Allies. But at the moment the only country showing an interest in the Comintern is Afghanistan. More worrying still is the fact that Turkey is now drifting rapidly towards Axis membership and we need to do something to prevent that happening.

STAVKA February 1940: Operation Polaris Planning Review

North West Front: Capture the Flag.

The Finns appear to be committed to extracting their army from the Vuoksi River Line by marching them around Lake Saimaa.

This means that for the moment our Soviet Corps are operating on interior lines and have the shorter distance to travel to reach Helsinki. It's therefore proposed to continue the pressure on the retreating Finnish Isthmus Army with the 50th, 19th; 24th and 29th Rifle Corps to ensure that they continue to withdraw around the lake.

Meanwhile, the 16th and 22nd Rifle Corps along with the 27th Army will push westwards directly for Helsinki and attempt to capture it before the Finns can reinforce the garrison.

Northern Front: Exploitation and interference.

The Special Corps will complete its mission to capture Uolu and will then turn south and make a run for the airfield and industrial complex at Vaasa. At the same time elements of the Special Corps will move south and attempt to isolate and destroy the Finnish troops currently blocking the advance of the 11th Cavalry Corps at Sotkamo.

The 5th Cavalry Corps will complete their movement to sever any supply routes from Oulu to the north and Petsamo. Once this has been achieved they will establish a defence line along the Kemijoki river to intercept any enemy troops trying to move south in the hope of recapturing Uolu or assisting their comrades.

Finally the 42nd Rifle Corps will withdraw and take up a defensive stance at Petsamo with the 14th Rifle Division. However, their 104th and 122nd Rifle Division's will be detached and will make a strategic redeployment to join the 11th Cavalry Corps at Kuhmo. The objective being to prevent any further retrograde movements by that formation, and to counter any Finnish incursion onto Soviet soil.

1940 February: Courage is not enough.

Time is running out for the Finns. The Soviets have now managed to mass their full strength where is it needed and despite their bravery and sacrifice the Finns cannot stop the Red Army Juggernaut.

The 27-ya Armiya is now within striking distance of Helsinki, and scattered Finnish divisions are desperately trying to reinforce the cities defences, but at a terrible cost.

The Soviet airforce now has unchallenged control of the skies and is bombing anything that moves. The Soviets have even managed to modify their fighters to attack ground targets and are bombing and strafing the Finnish columns as soon as they are spotted.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

No idea why, but I discovered quite by accident that my interceptor units can conduct ground attacks. Not sure how good they are at it, but as they don't have anything else to do I have given them ground attack missions.

Whilst the airforce is harrassing the Finnish army Helsinki itself is under constant bombardment by Soviet battleships moored just offshore in the Gulf of Finland.

Most of the main Finnish army managed to escape encirclement on the Vuoksi River Line thanks to the courageous sacrifice of a few brave divisions who threw themselves into the path of the oncoming Soviet horde and held them long enough for them to slip out of the trap.

Nevertheless, the retreating columns were bombed and strafed all the way around Lake Saimaa, only to fnd their path to Helsinki blocked by two Soviet Corps 16th and 22nd dug in behind the Vääntäjänvirta waiting for them.

Unable to break through this line in their weakened state they are now thwarted by their own country. Being forced to make wider and wider detours around lakes and rivers to try and reach their capital.

Unfortunately the Soviets are now operating on interior lines and can easily deploy troops to block any fresh line of approach.

Realising that the end must be close Stalin and Molotov have sat down to discuss what surrender terms will be demanded and diplomats have been sent to the Finnish government to suggest that they might like to capitulate before Helsinki is completely ruined.

1940 February: Karelian Breakout.

On the extreme right of the Soviet North Western Front the 88th Rifle Division are spearheading a deep battle style thrust by the 50th Rifle Corps.

This corps commanded by Komkor Muzich has been ordered to ignore the fighting to their left along the Yanisyoki River Line, and instead, to push on aggressively to create a deep penetration with the objective of reaching Juva and severing the enemy’s lines of communication and only remaining escape route.

By the beginning of February the 88th had reached Savonlinna scattering any Finnish troops they met on the way.

At dawn on Sunday 4th February the Soviet 29th Rifle Corps supported by the 22nd advanced into Rautjärvi effectively cutting off the only line of retreat for the Finnish rear-guard and the defenders of Ruokolahti Airfield.

This was followed by a full scale assault by the 22nd Rifle Corps on the airfield itself on the evening of the Tuesday 6th February, which put an end to any further interference by the Finnish air force in the campaign and overran the local garrison division.

Fortunately, for the airfield defenders an overnight assault by the Finnish rear-guard on the 184th Rifle Division defending Rautjärvi had taken them by surprise and managed to re-open a corridor to Ruokolahti Airfield which enabled many of them to slip away and withdraw towards Juva.

Two days later on Thursday 8th this corridor was still open and more units of the Finnish rear guard on the Yanisyoki River in Sortavala were making their way through it to safety. Although not fully recovered from their earlier battle the 19th Rifle Corps was ordered to assault the Yanisyoki River line, drive the remaining defenders out of their positions and prevent their escape.

At the same time, but further north, the 88th Rifle Division finally reached the key province of Juva where streams of retreating Finish units were escaping from the isthmus battle and trying to make their way westwards to join the defences around Helsinki.
In the early hours of the morning on the 8th the 88th made a hastily organised attack to try and stem the flow of Finnish units out of their intended encirclement. Unfortunately, they were disorganised by the speed of their advance and the rest of the 50th Corps were not in a position to provide any support, and the attack quickly bogged down against a hastily formed Finish defence.

Two days later on the 10th the 88th launched a second more determined attack having been promised possible support from the 71st and 43rd Divisions who were rushing to join them.

However, by now the Finns had been given time to consolidate their defences and had brought up a third infantry division in support. So, although pushed home bravely the 88th was beaten back, suffering heavy casualties and the escape route remained open.


A similar attack on by two divisions of the 22nd Corps from Ruokolahti on Sunday 11th attempted to cut the retreat of the Finnish rear guard through Rautjärvi, but also failed against fierce Finnish resistance determined to keep the escape route open for their comrades.

It would be another week on Sunday 18th before troops from the 29th Rifle Corps pursuing the last survivors of the Finnish rear guard occupied Rautjärvi again. By which time most of the Finnish Isthmus Army had escaped the pocket and were making their way through Juva and around Lake Saimaa towards the west.

Soviet aircraft reported dense columns of enemy infantry making their way around the north of the lake, which they bombed and strafed continuously.

The isthmus battle finally drew to a close on Tuesday 27th when the 50th Rifle Corps finally occupied Juva and sealed the fate of any Finnish troops still trying to reach it.

The main focus of the campaign now shifted to the east where in the race for Helsinki, the 27th Army were rapidly approaching Helsinki.

1940 February: The Race for Helsinki

On Thursday 1st February the first of the Finnish units that had escaped from the Isthmus pocket began to emerge from their circumvention of Lake Saimaa and march on Helsinki.The Soviet air force were immediately ordered to switch their targeting priority from the tail of the column still trying to reach Juva to the interdiction of those enemy columns who were leading the drive towards their capital.
Following a day of bombing the 24th Rifle Corps were ordered forward to block the enemies advance and force them to take an even longer route.

Well before dawn on the 2nd and still under cover of darkness the 24th Corps stepped off from its start line to begin an attack which would occupy Savitaipale and in doing so block the most direct road from Juva to Helsinki.

By 5pm that same afternoon the road was in Soviet hands and the Finnish troops trying to use it had been scattered or driven back leaving 153 dead on the road. The 24th Corps lost 55 men in the attack.
In an attempt to open an alternative route to the capital the troops of the 11th Infantry Division, North Finland Army Group launched a counter-attack over the Jyrängönvirta against the 33rd Rifle Division during the night of Tuesday 6th February.

This attack was reinforced by the 5th Division on the evening of the same day. But was not pushed home with any vigour and achieved very little. Only 7 Finns were killed trying to cross the waterway.
Having successfully blocked the road to Helsinki since Friday 2nd the 24th Rifle Corps (Komdiv Morgunov) were finally ordered push forward along the road to Mäntyharju on the 10th to seize the Kiepinsalmi Bridge and thus prevent the Finns using it and instead force them to take an even longer route around Pyhävesi Lake.

By Thursday 15th, after five days of fierce fighting, the 24th had successfully driven the 1st and 11th Finnish infantry divisions out of Mäntyharju and captured the town and its crucial bridge. This effectively blocked all westward movement for the Finnish troops escaping from the Karelian Isthmus forcing them to take an even more northerly route around the Pyhävesi. The Soviets lost 391 men during the five day battle the Finns lost 1,351.
Six days later, at 6am on Wednesday 21st troops of the 37th Rifle Division (Komdiv Homenko) made things ever worse for the Finns trying to reach Helsinki by stormed the village of Lahti effectively cutting the main road to their capital from the north east.
At 2pm on the same day leading elements of the 16th Rifle Corps passed through Porvoo displacing the headquarters of the Finnish 4th Army and reached the eastern outskirts of Helsinki.

Two days later on the 23rd the 3rd Rifle Division (Komdiv Raibyzhev) leading the advance of the 27th Army captured Hyvinkää isolating Helsinki from the north. They have currently been ordered to hold their ground and wait for their supporting divisions to join them before commencing their assault on the city.

On the 25th troops of the 16th and 24th Rifle Corps commanded by Komkor Chuikov began a massive assault on Finnish positions at Hartola. The Finns are defending the line of the Tainionvirta River, but if the Soviets can get across and secure the town it will provide a valuable strong point to prevent further Finnish troops interfering in the advance on their capital.

At 6pm on Tuesday 27th February the men of the 37th Rifle Division commanded by Komdiv Homenko began an attack on Riihimäki. The province was held by the 12th Finnish Infantry Division, but they were badly disorganised from their rapid march south to try and reach Helsinki. The capture of Riihimäki will sever another line of approach to the Finnish capital and force the Finns to take an even more westerly route to reach the city.

1940 February: The Northern Front

On Saturday 2nd February the Finnish cavalry appeared on the far bank of the Hiirosenoja River and spent the afternoon firing at any Soviet soldiers that appeared on the other bank. They made no serious attempts to cross the river and after killing a single unfortunate Soviet they finally rode off again leaving the garrison at Oulu in peace.

However, two days later they were back and this time a protracted five day battle ensued before they were finally driven off again leaving 473 dead in and around the river. The Soviet defenders lost 89 men in the battle.

Further North the 5th Cavalry Corps under the temporary command of Komdiv Mitrofanov was making a separate sweep along the north bank of the Kemijoki River looking to intercept any Finnish units trying to escape from Northern Finland and to sever any remaining supply routes over the river.
On the afternoon of Tuesday 6th the 3rd Bessarabian Cavalry Division completed its sweep and turned south crossing to the southern bank of the river using the bridge into Ranau.

It's orders were to continue it’s patrol on the southern bank and to prevent the passage of enemy troops and supplies across the river. However, no sooner had they crossed the bridge than they ran into what appeared to be a small patrol of Finnish cavalry consisting of a mere twenty-two men approaching them from the south.

The Finns must have been cut-off by the movement of Spetsnaz Delniy Vostock (Special Force Far East) during their more southerly advance direct to Oulu, and they were now obviously intent on trying to re-join friendly troops north of the river.

Mannerheim Captured

On realising that their path was blocked by Soviet cavalry they immediately turned off the road to the west and attempted to evade them. However, the cavalry corps had already begun to spread out along the river line and after four days of playing cat and mouse amongst the trees they were finally cornered and surrendered without a fight.

It immediately became apparent that far from being an insignificant cavalry patrol this group was actually the supreme commander of the entire Finnish army Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim and his personal staff. Apparently they had managed to escape capture by Spetsnaz Delniy Vostock and had been trying to make their way north in the hope of re-joining friendly forces.

Mannerheim was immediately escorted to Oulu and handed over to the 9th ‘Kavkazskaya’ Spetsnaz Division, and his capture reported to Stavka.

What to do with Mannerheim?

The commander of the 5th Cavalry Corps near Oulu reports that they have captured Mannerheim and his staff trying to slip through their lines to join their armies in the south.
‘So, it seems our advance on Oulu severed the head off the chicken.’ Commented Stalin ‘Where is he now?’

‘He’s being held by the Spetsnaz at Oulu.’ Answered Shaposhnikov. ’Do you want him brought here?’

Stalin looked puzzled ‘No! Why would I want him brought here?’

‘I thought you might want to discuss the terms of Finland’s surrender with him.’

Stalin scowled ‘Molotov will talk with the Finnish government. I have no intention of talking to any of them least of all a Fascist like Mannerheim.’

Molotov cleared his throat politely and got Stalin’s attention. ‘Actually Comrade Secretary Mannerheim is anti-Fascist. He actually opposed Finland’s pro-fascist policies, if anything he is in favour of closer ties with the Allies.’

Stalin waved his hand dismissively ‘He’s German isn’t he, what’s the difference.’

‘That’s true’ admitted Molotov ‘his family is of German ancestry, although he attended officer training in the Russian Army and served under bloody Nicholas. But now he is fiercely in favour of Finnish independence. They say he even blew cigar smoke in Hitler’s face.’

Stalin laughed ‘A real Finnish hero then.’

‘Yes, Comrade Secretary.’ Replied Molotov.

Stalin thought for a moment ‘Tell Beria to get rid of him then. There are too many Finnish heroes already and I don’t want him blowing cigar smoke in my face.’

'Oh! and I've changed my mind. Send Litvinov to talk with the Finns. I know you don't like flying, and I hear the trains aren't running very well to Helsinki these days. Also if the Finnish government are pro-fascist it will do them good to have to grovel to a jew.'

1940 February: Soviet Naval Reports

During the course of this month Soviet submarines of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet have reported sinking four more Finnish transport ships and one escort vessel.

PRAVDA: March 1940: World Events

German blitzkrieg encircling Paris.

German forces have virtually encircled Paris, and now occupy all of the channel ports as far south as Caen, Some sections of the Maginot Line in the east are still in French hands although they are now isolated and cannot hold out for much longer.

In the mediterranean the French have landed troops on Corsica in an attempt to liberate the island which was occupied by Italian troops last month.

Mussolini's plans for an African Empire suffer a set-back.

In North Africa the Italian invasion of French Tunisia has lost momentum, as British forces in Eygpt launch a large scale counter-attack towards Tobruk.
In a surprise news report last month it was announced that a combined Franco-British force had conquered Ethiopia. Leaving Mussolini's plans for an Italian Empire in Africa in tatters.

The Soviets had been expecting to see some effort by Britain or France to liberate Poland or one of the low countries so the sudden report of a successful attack on the Italian Empire caught them off-guard.

'So, it seems that our capitalist lion has some claws after all' Quipped Stalin 'Perhaps that is where they sent their sixteen divisions.'

Ivan Stěpanovič Isakov appointed People's Commissar of the Navy

Fleet Admiral Ivan S Isakov has been appointed People's Commissar of the Navy by Stalin. His appointment will increase the efficiency of our naval bases in the handling of supplies and repair of ships.

STAVKA: March 1940 Operation Polaris

Litninov meets the Finnish government.

After preliminary communications and the exchange of credentials Litnivov met with a Finnish delegation in Moscow led by Finnish Prime Minister Risto Ryti in early March.

Finland was told that if it wished to avoid complete annexation it must cede at total of twenty provinces to the Soviet Union. Including all of those currently forming the Mannerheim Line, and the port of Hanko.

In addition, the Soviet government demanded the right of veto on any and all candidates for ministerial positions in the Finish government and on the formattion and membeship of Finnish political parties to ensure future harmony and peace between the two nations. [In other words Finland was to become a Sovoet Puppet state.]

Finally Finland would be expected to join the Comintern.

Preparations for Operation Sirius

Changes have been made to troop deployments on the Trancaucasus Front to ensure that sufficient manpower is available if Operation Sirius becomes necessary. The order of battle is still under review, and will not be finalised until Operation Polaris has been concluded.

Soviet Diplomacy

Stalin remains obsessed with the battle for influence over the Soviets neighbour states. In particular, Turkey which despite Soviet influence is drifting towards an alliance with the Axis powers.

Latvia ia also dangerously close to joining the Axis.

Persia, Afghamistan and Estonia are all responding positively to Soviet infleunce at the moment.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

I think at this point it’s worth using a bit of column space to review my thoughts on the Soviet situation and in particular the issue of Soviet diplomacy.

My original strategy and vision for this AAR was to explore a ‘what if’ scenario based upon the principle that the Soviet Union did not know for certain that they were going to be attacked by Germany, or rather, who they might be attacked by and where. Therefore, the assumption was that they would use all the options available to them for defence of their nation including diplomatic influence, propaganda and espionage.

However, this really isn’t working as expected in practice and I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed with the diplomatic and intelligence aspects of HOI3.

Whilst they do appear to work, they don’t seem very cost effective to use, and I can understand why most players ignore them apart from using them as an exploit to lower their own neutrality and get the war started early.

What is obvious is that even making a limited effort to influence three or four neighbouring states towards the benefits of the Comintern has cost so much leadership that it has pretty much brought Soviet research to a standstill. Now, whilst I’m not underestimating the amount of effort required to put together a diplomatic mission, I'm merely a bit dubious that it the effort required equates to the same amount of effort as is required to design a battleship.

But apparently it does, so I am left to face a basic decision on whether to persevere with a very expensive and ineffective game strategy that really isn’t delivering, just because it feels more realistic, or whether to cut my losses and exploit my options to be belligerent and use military might to achieve the same goals much more cost effectively.

I’m not really sure I have much choice, as if I carry on with the original 'Tournament of Shadows' strategy then my military are going to suffer so badly from the consequent lack of leadership investment that I suspect I’m going to lose the game as soon as Germany invades.

So, it’s become a bit of Hobson’s Choice, and short of modding the game I can’t think of a way round it.

1940 March: The Sweep South.

Having secured the port of Oulu and established a strong line of defence to prevent the movement of Finish troops and supplies between North and South Karelia, the forces of the Northern Front turned southwards and began advancing on a broad front driving the scattered Finnish units ahead of them and seeking out any strong areas of enemy resistance.

Since the fighting around the port of Oulo early in February the Finnish cavalry had taken a more passive stance and contented themselves with patrolling the southern bank of the Hiirosenoja River at Rantsila and monitoring Soviet activity around the port.
However, that role was rudely terminated at dusk on Friday the 8th March when Soviet troopers from the 24th Cavalry Division who had successfully crossed the river further downstream suddenly attacked their left flank supported by an assault by troops of the 101st Special Division from the opposite bank of the river. This combined attack quickly overwhelmed the Finns who abandoned their positions along the river and withdrew rapidly to the south.

The soviets did not pursue as the 24th Cavalry had orders to conduct a deep penetration along the coast towards Vaasa with a view to assessing the extent of Finnish resistance, and in the hope of disrupting enemy supply routes.

So, it was left to the 101st to cross the river and follow the retreating Finnish cavalry and they did not have the speed to keep pace with their withdrawal.

A few days later, and on the other side of the Ärjänselkä lake, the 11th Cavalry Corps also began its drive south. It was still recovering from the ordeal it had suffered in February, but had since been reinforced by two rifle divisions seconded to it from the 42nd Corps and was supported by two of the Special Mountain Rifle Divisions from the Spetsnatz Corps. So, KomKor Shtern felt confident enough by Wednesday 13th March to begin pushing south into Sotkamo.
As it happens the Finns did not put up much of a fight as they were concerned that their line of retreat and supply was being threatened and so after a hour of battle they began to fall back. Losses were relatively light the Soviets losing 17 men out of 41,986, and the Finns 65 out of 8,991.
Just over a week later on Thursday 21st March the 20th Special Mountain Division commanded by Haritonov drove south into Iisalmi displacing the Headquarters of the South East Finland Army. This movement severed all supply routes to the north of lake Lampaanjärvi forcing the Finns to take a more southerly route around the lake and through Pielavesi.

Meanwhile on the coast the Finnish cavalry had successfully outpaced the pursuit of the 101st Special division and had thrown itself across the path of the Soviet cavalry at Kokkola. At 1pm on Saturday 23rd March the Soviet 24th Cavalry Div. launch a massive shock assault on the Finnish cavalry, determined to overwhelm them before they have a chance to consolidate their defences.

Unable to resist the assault the Finns began giving ground and conducting selective ambushes and hit and run tactics designed to slow the Soviet advance and inflict heavy casualties. They were successful in delaying the Soviet advance for almost two days and inflicted 130 casualties on the 7,000 men of the 24th. However, it was at a heavy cost the Finns losing 214 men out of an initial strength of 5,996.

Having lost contact with the Finnish cavalry soon after the battle at Ransila on the 8th March the 101st Division continued to push southwards without incident for the next eighteen days. Then in the early hours of Tuesday 26th they reached Karsamaki and suddenly found themselves under assault by troops from the Finnish 6th Infantry Division, which was trying to cross their path from east to west.
The clash in the darkness halted the Soviet advance I its tracks and was brief and violent, but by dawn the Finns had pulled back to Kiuruvesi to the south east. Where they in turn ran into the lead elements of the 11th Cavalry Corps led by Komdiv Platonov. With the Finns now trapped between two Soviet columns they dug in and were preparing for a final battle when word reached them on the morning of the 29th that hostilities had ceased and that their country had surrendered.

1940 March: A Futile Defiance.

The opening assault on Helsinki began at dawn on the 1st March when the 16th Rifle Division stormed into the city from the east supported by elements from the 3rd Rife Division to the north of the city and by naval bombardment from the Soviet ships of the Baltic fleet off the coast.
The Finnish air force made one final sortie to try and disrupt the attacks on their capital but were
interecepted by overwhelming numbers of Soviet fighters.
The attack continued until dusk on the 2nd March before the Finns were finally driven out of the city leaving 31 Soviets dead and 302 Finns,

Saturday 2nd March 1940: Helsinki is now in Soviet hands.

Following the capture of Helsinki the Finnish government relocated their capital to the port of Vaasa on the Gulf of Bothnia, and the focus of the war for both the Finns and the Soviets shifted northwards.

For the troops of the Soviet North Western Front the primary objective now became the isolation and capture of the port of Turku. Whilst the isolation of Vaasa now became the primary objective of the troops from the Northern Front.

Nevertheless, at dusk on the 3rd March the 37th Rifle Division were ordered to push westward and occupy the town of Riihimäki. This was intended to clear the area of Finnish troops who might be planning a counter-attack towards Helsinki and provide a second layer of defence around the city to the North.

The clearance of the area took just over twenty-four hours and cost the 37th one hundred and sixty two casualties. However the defending Finns from the 10th Infantry Division were forced to withdraw to Forsaa leaving 275 dead.

Four days later on Thursday 7th March, the major Soviet assault on Hartola which had begun on the 25th February and involved the entire 16th and 24th Rifle Corps was finally abandoned after ten days of bloody fighting across the Tainionvirta River. The battle left 2,195 Soviets dead out of a total force of 60,990 men, whilst the Finns lost 1,014 out of strength of 17,982.

However, it was a hollow victory for the Finns as by now Helsinki was in Soviet hands. Consequently the Finns were ordered to abandon their attempts to force their way south to Helsinki. So, despite their victory at Hartola, the Finns abandoned their positions on Tainionvirta River as soon as the Soviet attacks slackened and began withdrawing to the north west.

Recognising that the Finnish defence of Tainionvirta River had been thinned the Soviet 24th Corps renewed their offensive at 2pm on Friday 15th March assaulting the positions of the Finnish 4th Infantry Division at Mikkeli.

The resulting battle lasted just over a day during which the Finns put up a stubborn resistance against overwhelming odds. Over 30,000 Soviets troops were committed to the attack against just 8,934 Finns. The Finns lost 658 dead whilst Soviet casualties were 219.

In the meantime the 22nd Rifle Corps was continuing to push westwards towards the port of Turku, and in doing so began to narrow the route for those Finnish divisions trying to reach the port or escape to the north.
At dusk on the 20th the two leading Soviet Divisions came under attack from the Finnish 21st Division trying to prevent them from closing the road north through Forssa. A battle began which was to last two days and would cost the lives of 240 Soviet and 396 Finns. However, the Finns lacked the strength to prevent the Soviets closing the road and were forced to abandon their attack.
As the Finnish assault on Forssa subsided the Soviet 22nd Corps was joined by the leading elements of the 19th which had recently been strategically redeployed from the Isthmus area and together they pushed on and occupied Huittinen.

Now completely isolated on the Hanko peninsula by the Soviet drive towards Turku the Finns made one last attempt to break out to the north and if possible to disrupt the Soviet advance by severing its lines of communication and supply through Riihimaki.
The assault on Riihimaki commenced on the morning of the 24th March and was to last less than twenty-four hours. In truth it was a futile gesture of defiance involving just under 6,000 Finnish soldiers from Coastal Artillery Garrison Division RT2 (Rannikkotykistörykmentti 2) against nearly 11,000 Soviets from the 37th Rifle Division defending the Soviet supply route. The Finns lost 289 men the Soviets a mere 15 men.

A similar desperate attack was conducted by the Finnish 1st Infantry Division at Keuruu with the aim of blunting the advance of the Soviet 29th Corps and delay its northward drive which was threatening to close the corridor between it and its colleagues from the Northern Front who were moving south. It was recognised by the Finns that should two forces be allowed to meet then it would finally sever the supply corridor from Vaasa to the troops holding back the soviet forces in the east.
However, as with their colleagues at Riihimaki the 1st Division found itself heavily outnumbered and unable to make any impression the advancing Soviets of the 11th and 184th Rifle Divisions. The attack delayed the Soviets for less than a day and cost the Finns 370 killed at a cost of 117 Soviet casualties.
On the 27th, having secured Huittinen, the 19th and 22nd Soviet Corps parted company to pursue separate but complimentary missions. The 19th completed their drive westwards along the Kokemäenjoki River effectively isolating the port of Turku from any supplies or assistance from the north, and on the night of the 28th they occupied Pori displacing the headquarters of the Finnish 4th Army. Whilst the 22nd were tasked with making the final direct thrust on the port of Turku itself.

The 22nd reached Turku on the night of the 28th March and found the port undefended, and the Finnish Fleet which had sheltered in the port already leaving the harbour and sailing out into the Gulf of Finland.
The Finnish fleet did not travel far, slipping south along the coast and taking dubious shelter in the harbour of the port at Hanko.

After the numerous successes of Soviet submarines against Finnish convoys the escape of the Finnish navy caused considerable embarrassment to the Soviet Baltic Fleet whose surface ships had been waiting just out of range of the Finnish coastal batteries to intercept just such a move. However, the Soviets had assumed that Finns would try to sail north and so the quick southward dash to Hanko caught them off-guard.

Whilst the failure to sink the Finnish fleet was considered an embarrassment by the Soviet Navy Stalin was to declare it a fortunate act of incompetence, as he realised that an intact Finnish Fleet might prove a useful ally in a future Baltic naval confrontation. In fact, the Finns had barely reached the safety of Hanko harbour when the news was received that at midnight on 29th March Finland had surrendered to the Soviets.

PRAVDA: April 1940: World Events

Finland sues for peace.

On the 29th March the Finnish government finally accepted Soviet terms and surrendered. The Soviet Union has annexed twenty Finnish provinces including the port of Hanko and the defences of the Mannerheim Line. In addition, the Finnish government has resigned and been replaced by a pro-Soviet government, which has allied Finland with the Comintern.

Stalin Reviews the Red Army's Performance.

The performance of the Soviet Officer Corps had been under constant review during the war with Finland and the general conclusion was that improvements were needed.


Stalin also passed specific judgement on the performnce of individual officers, promoting some and demoting others.

Commander	Former Command	Stalin's Judgement
Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov	KomKor 24-ya Korpus	Promoted to KomdArm Transcaucasian Front
Georgiy Fedorovich Zakharov	KomKor 29-ya Korpus	Promoted to KomdArm(1st Rank) North West Front
Mikhail Feofanovich Potapov	KomDiv 11. Strelkovaya Div.	Promoted to KomKor 29-ya Korpus
Gorelen	Komdarm(1st Rank) North West Front	Demoted to KomdArm(2nd Rank) 15-ya Armiya

Germany captures Paris

German troops have captured Paris and are now advancing south toward the Spanish border and Mediterranean Coast. A small Italian force is also heading for Marsielle.

In addition reports have been received that German troops have landed in Norway.

Britain mopping up in Africa.

It appears that Britain is currently dominating events in Africa. Their troops in Ethiopia are mopping up the last Italian resistance. Whilst in North Africa they have almost recovered all of the territory lost in the initial Italian offensive.

Britannia Rules the Waves

Soviet intelligence confirms that both Italy and Germany have suffered significant losses in the naval war against the UK and France.

Worldwide Naval Losses up to April 1940

Country	BB	BC	CA	CL	DD	SS	TP
Italy	1	–	5	7	6	5	11
Germany	-	1	1	5	1	4	-
Nationalist China	-	–	-	8	2	-	1
Greece	-	–	-	-	2	-	2
UK	-	–	-	-	2	-	-

The Italian battleship Littorio has been sunk by the French battlecruiser Dunkerque.

The Graf Spee has been sunk by the British battlecruiser HMS Resolution.

Italian Navy Sunk

Judging by the losses that have been reported above, the Italian navy have sufferred the loss of a significant potion of its fleet and a large number of transports as well as the RM Littorio.

This may explain why it's North African campaign has ground to a halt and why they have been unable to prevent the British occupation of the Ethiopia. it must be assumed that the Royal Navy has secured naval dominance in the Mediterranean and that Italian naval supply and reinforcements have been severely affected.

STAVKA April 1940: Preparations for Operation Sirius

Whilst Litvinov dealt with the Finns in the north Molotov had been sent south with instructions to resolve the Turkish issue once and for all.

In our mutual self-interest.

Since 1936 Stalin had maintained the conviction that Turkey was a key partner in the future defence and protection of the Soviet nation. Not only was Turkey a vital buffer state between British controlled areas of the Middle East and the Transcaucasian border region, but it controlled the crucial naval access in and out of The Black Sea through the Dardanelles. Thus acting as both an outer defence against potential naval invasion along the Crimean coast, and as a potential corridor for access to the Mediterranean for Soviet trade and the Black Sea Fleet.

However, Soviet plans for persuading Turkey to join the Comintern had not been very successful. Despite ploughing a considerable leadership effort into diplomatic influence and supporting Turkish socialism Turkey has remained fickle in both its alignment and future intentions.

Stalin is now convinced that Turkey is being deliberately deceitful and courting attention from both the Axis and the Allies as well as the Comintern in the mistaken belief that it can off-set the interests of one against the other to avoid making any serious commitment.

However, the general drift of Turkish sentiment has recently been pro-Axis, and with Poland already in German hands the prospect of another Axis aligned state on the Soviet border is unacceptable.

An offer they cannot refuse.

Thus Molotov’s mission in March 1940 was to leave the Turks in no doubt as to the importance that the Soviets placed upon the co-operation and freindship of Turkey, and to present them with an offer of mutual support which cannot be refused.

The Soviet Union proposed a mutual defence pact for the protection of the Black Sea, which would require the Turks to accept a Soviet garrison in the Dardanelles, and the basing of Soviet air and naval assets on Turkish soil.

In return the Soviet Union would guarantee the independence of Turkey and provide further troops to assist in its defence if it was attacked.

Molotov was to make it clear that this proposal was non-negotiable and that if ignored or rejected (as Stalin expected it would be) then the Soviets would conclude that Turkey was a threat to the security of The Black Sea and safety of the Soviet nation and declare war on Turkey with the intention of forcing them to comply.

Force Composition Operation Sirius April 1940

Army	Commander	Strength
4th Mek. Army.	Berzann	5 x Tank Div. 10 x Motor Rifle Div.
12th Army.	Semenovskij	11 x Rifle Div.
15tth Army. (newly formed)	Gorelen	8 x Mountain Rifle Div.
Air Support.		6 x Fighter Aviation Divisions
Naval Support.	Red Banner Baltic Fleet	1xBB;1xHC;3xLC;1xDD;3xSS

Phase 1: The Initial Plan.

The initial plan for Operation Sirius envisaged a three pronged attack aimed at the three strategic objectives closest to the Soviet border.

12 Armiya (Semenovskij)	Primary Objective: The port of Trabzon. The 12 Armiya will prevent any Turkish incursions over the Soviet border and protect the right flank of the 4 Mek Armiya to their left.
4 Mek Army (Berzann)	Primary Objective: Ankara. The 4 Mek Armiya was one of the Soviets specialised mechanised armies and Stalin was keen to see how well it performed in action. Its aim was to use the relatively smooth terrain along the central spine of Turkey to make a deep thrust towards their capital. It was hoped that with the 12th and 15th armies protecting its flanks it should be able to keep advancing without too much risk to its line of supply.
15 (Spetsnaz) Armiya (Gorelen)	Primary Objective: Gaziantep. The newly formed 15 Armiya was the smallest of the three army’s assigned to Operation Sirius. But it consisted of eight specially trained mountain rifle divisions, and so was arguably the most appropriately equipped of the three. As such it was given what was expected to be the toughest mission. This was to penetrate the mountainous border region close to the Persian border with Turkey and to drive westward to the coast Mediterranean coast.

Although this was the plan for Operation Sirius it was recognised that it was the first attempt by the Soviet Army to employ mechanised forces and that with the possible exception of the mountain divisions the forces involved had little experience of operating in mountainous terrain. Therefore, problems were expected and the whole operation was considered to be a learning experience for Soviet command.

Some contingency options were identified including the assignment of the 5th and 11th Cavalry Corps to the 4 Mek Armiya to provide it with the ability to continue its mission should fuel supply become a serious issue for its vehicles, and the re-assignment of Spetsnaz Del’niy Vostok (4 x Mountain Divisions) from the Northern Front to bolster the 15th Special Army if it was found to be lacking the strength to fulfil its mission.

Challenging Logistics

A study of the infrastructure in the Transcaucasian region confirmed that supply was going to be a major issue during the operation. The standard of infra-structure along the border region was generally poor and the 4 Mek Armiya were already reporting a lack of fuel for its vehicles.

The Soviets had no intelligence on the state of the infrastructure on the Turkish side of the border, but it was assumed that it would not be much if any better, and so it was anticipated that this would be an operation dominated by logistical constraints

To this end most of the commanders assigned to the operation were skilled at managing logistics and operating with limited supply. Nevertheless, it was recognised that the use of massed formations which had allowed Soviet forces to overwhelm the Finns during Operation Polaris may not be practical in Turkey where issues with supply throughput would probably require forces to be dispersed.

Limited Air Support.

There were only three small airfields available to Operation Sirius of which only two were actually in range of the Turkish border. Thus out of the six fighter aviation divisions assigned to the operation as air support only four would be able to provide active support at any point in time. The other two would act as a reserve.

The range was also limited and the 4 Mek Armiya in particular would be without air cover before it reached its objective, leaving it at the mercy of attack from the Turkish airforce during the final advance on Ankara.

1940 April: The Soviet Invasion of Turkey

Another slow start.

In a sad repetition of the problem at the start of Operation Polaris last December, the Red Army once again found itself unprepared for the outbreak of hostilities with Turkey. Most of their units had not reached their start lines when war was declared, and those that had, were either short of supplies due to the logistical problems of the area, or were still re-organising after a long strategic redeployment to reach the front.

So, the opening shots of Operation Sirius were fired by the air force who began flying ground interdiction missions over the Turkish border on the 1st April. These missions would continue for most of the month, only being interrupted by the need to fend off Turkish tactical bombers that began harassing the 31st Corps later in the month.

The ground interdiction missions did little serious damage, but they did reveal that the Turks were not ready for war. The Soviet pilots were quick to report that the Turkish units they strafed were severely understrength and badly organised. In fact, the first reaction of the Turks to the start of hostilities had been to abandon their border and to try and withdraw their divisions. Presumably to gain time for reinforcement and proper mobilization.

They were fortunate that at this point the Soviets were equally unprepared to exploit their weakness.

A week would pass before the first major confrontation of the war took place, and it occurred not on land but at sea off the coast of Abkhazia. The Soviet Black Sea Fleet had been at sea since the 1st April, and its surface fleet had been patrolling off Arhavi with orders to deliver shore bombardments in support of the eventual advance of the Soviet 12th Army.

Just after nightfall on the 7th April a Turkish fleet was spotted consisting of the battlecruiser TCG Yavuz escorted by two light cruisers and a destroyer. There was a sporadic exchange of fire which lasted about four hours during which neither fleet suffered any serious damage and the Turks eventually broke contact and disappeared in the darkness leaving the Black Sea Fleet to continue with its mission. At this point the Soviet Navy were under instructions not to seek the destruction of the Turkish Fleet, as Stalin was still hopeful that it could be of use in the future defence of the Black Sea.

The land campaign finally commenced on Wednesday the 10th with an attack by the 31st Rifle Corps on Arhavi on the Black Sea coast. This was to prove one of the most costly battles in the opening phase of the war as the Turks were heavily dug in on the banks of The Çoruh River and inflicted a heavy price on the Soviets trying to cross it despite the constant bombardment provided by the Soviet Fleet. It would be ten days before the Turks were finally forced to abandon their defences and withdraw, by which time the battle had cost the lives of 1,279 Soviets and 636 Turks.
On the other flank the 3rd Special Corps of the 15th Army finally began its advance on the Friday 12th with an assault on the Turkish 5th Division defending the hills around Tutak. The Turks held out for four days before being forced to withdraw leaving 327 dead.
The central advance encountered its first resistance on Saturday the 13th April when tanks and motorised infantry from the 3rd Mechanised Corps caught up with infantry from the Turkish 9th Division at Selim. The Turks stood little chance against the Soviet armour and immediately began to retreat losing 279 men in the process, whilst the Soviet lost 38.
This action set the pattern for the rest of the month with Soviet mechanised divisions pushing westwards and driving Turkish infantry and command units ahead of them. The initial goal for the Mechanised forces were the provinces of Tortum and Erzurum at which point it was planned to divide the column and focus the future advance along the several different river valley’s that emanated from that area.

The most disappointing performance so far has been that of the 15th Special Army, which has made very little progress towards its objectives much to the chagrin of its commander KomdArm (2nd Rank) Gorelen. He had already fallen out of favour with Stalin for his alleged lack of aggression as Front Commander of the North Western Front during the Winter War, and having lost his 1st Rank star in Stalin’s review of the Soviet Officer Corps, now found himself in charge of another force which was dragging its heels and not meeting Stalin’s expectations.

However, the issue was not a lack of aggression, in fact, the 15th Army had faced little Turkish opposition. It just seemed to take far too long for them to negotiate the terrain despite their mountain training. This was almost certainly due to Stalin’s insistence that they were issued with attached artillery support, which meant that the lightly equipped infantry were constantly being forced to sit around and wait for their guns to be dragged up hills and mountains before they could continue their advance. Gorelen was left to fret about the possible retribution that Stalin would exact on him for what was essentially Stalin’s mistake. One possibility he considered was to leave the artillery behind with the Corps HQ’s which might at least free the infantry to make up for lost time. But it was a risk, and if the infantry met stiff opposition he would be blamed for any losses.

PRAVDA: May 1940 France Surrenders

News and events from around the world.

4th April 1940: France surrenders to Germany.

The German invasion of France is over, and the French have surrendered to the fascists.

Germany has had its revenge for the humiliation it suffered at the hands of the French in 1918, even insisting on the surrender being signed in the same railway carriage that was used by the French on that occassion.

25th April: Norway Surrenders

Norway has surrendered and has been annexed by Germany. This effectively gives Germany complete control of the European west coast from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the bay of Biscay in the south. However the key question for the Soviets is where will Germany decide to strike next.

The United Kingdom stands alone.

The United Kingdom and its empire must now face the full might of the Axis powers alone with only the narrow protection of the English Channel to protect their homeland from invasion.

However, they are increasing their diplomatic effort to persuade the United States to join the Allies, and so far it appears that the Royal Navy has survived relatively unscathed and has dealt a serious blow to the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean.

The Italian Campaign in North Africa stalls.

The Italian campaign in North Africa appears to have stalled and although Tunis was captured by the Italians this month the British have successfully recovered all the territory that they had previously lost to the Italians in Egypt.

The assumption is that this reversal of fortunes is tied in the heavy Italian naval losses recently reported by Soviet intelligence, and if so it could mean that the British will be making further advances in the Mediterranean.

6th April: Romania is mobilizing.

Romania has mobilized. Though it is not certain whether this is in anticipation of an attack by the Axis or a reaction to our own actions in Turkey. Romania has been aligning towards the Allies for some time, but has given Germany military access through their territory. It is also possible that with their plans for North Africa in tatters that Italy might be tempted to invade the Balkans.

8th April: Bulgaria is mobilizing.

Bulgaria joined the AXIS on the 4th April and is now mobilzing its forces. It is not clear on the purpose for this action. But, it may be a simple reaction to Romania's decision to mobilization two days earlier.

Italy loses Ethiopia.

British forces have continued to mop up the remaining Italian possessions in Ethiopia and consoldating their influence in East Africa.

STAVKA May 1940: Operation Sirius

The operational goal for May is to seize the strategically important provinces of Tortum and Erzurum. From this location the 4th Mechanised Army will divide its advance.

A small column will be detached to make a thrust northwards towards Trabzon with the aim of isolating the port and any Turkish troops still resisting the advance of the 12th Army.

However the main force will split into two columns and continue their advance on both sides of the Kizilirmak River. The southerly column should have a relatively unobstructed route to Ankara, whilst the north route will need to cross the river to enter the city.

The 15th Army will continue its drive westwards and will try detaching its artillery support to improve its speed over the mountains.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

In fact, when I checked this in game, I discovered that only one division in the 15th Army had received its artillery support.

So, that obviously wasn't the main reason for their relatively slow progress. I have moved that artillery to the Corps HQ unit anyway, and things seem to be progressing faster now. Though I doubt that has anything to do with it.

The 12th army will continue to advance westward along the Black Sea coastline, supported where possible by the Black Sea Fleet.

PRAVDA June 1940: The Czech's throw themselves into the flames.

At 5pm on Wednesday 1st May 1940 the government of Czechoslovakia made the fateful decision to join the Allied alliance.

In doing so they immediately placed themselves on the frontline of the conflict and at war with Germany.

Up to that point Hitler had inexplicably honoured whatever agreement over Czechoslovakian neutrality that he had accepted in September 1938. But now that the Czech’s had literally thrown themselves into the fire there was no reason not to proceed with his original plans to annex the entire country.
By the end of May 1940 most of western Czechoslovakia was in German hands including the Sudetenland’s, whilst eastern Czechoslovakia has been overrun by Hungarian troops. The Czech’s had made some limited territorial gains in the north and south, but with their capital almost surrounded by German forces it looks like their surrender is imminent.

Germany invades French Tunisia.

In an audacious if not reckless move Germany managed to launch a naval invasion of French Tunisia in May 1940, landing at Casablanca and capturing the port.

How the Germans managed to get their invasion force past the watchful guns of the Royal Navy remains a mystery. But it was not without loss, and the latest Soviet Naval Intelligence reports confirm that at least one German troop convoy was sunk during the operation.

Whether this invasion will be successful remains to be seen. On the one hand, although the Germans have secured a port, the value of it depends on their ability to keep it supplied and that could be difficult without naval supremacy. Their invasion force could easily find itself isolated, out of supply, and at the mercy of the French.

On the other hand the French are a defeated nation and their ability to resist the German invasion may also be limited. Following the German landing they are also facing a threat on two fronts, and may find it difficult to resist both the new German invasion and the continued threat from the Italians in the east.

The Italian offensive in North Africa.

In addition to the German landings at Casablanca, it looks as though the Italians are back on the offensive. However, interestingly instead of trying to assist their German allies in Tunisia it seems they are hoping to push east towards British held Alexandria.

As with the German operation their likely success will largely depend on their ability to keep their forces supplied and reinforced given the dominance of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean.

What is also interesting is that the British have made no attempt to exploit their successful counter-offensive against the last Italian attack. Instead of pushing westward they seem content to restore the original Egyptian border and wait on events. Which is not very helpful to their French allies in Tunisia.

Operation Sirius makes amazing progess in Turkey.

Last month saw Operation Sirius making amazing territorial gains in the invasion of Turkey. After overcoming initial resistance from Turkish forces on the border the Soviet mechanised forces drove deep behind the Turkish lines scattering enemy command and support units in all directions and are even now launching their opening assault on the Turkish capital.

These gains far exceed the goals set by Stavka at the beginning of the month and are a clear demonstration of the benefits of the ‘Deep Battle’ doctrine adopted by the Soviet Army, and the benefit of ‘fast tanks’.

In the north the 12th Army have captured the port of Trabzon which was their objective, and successfully isolated and destroyed the Turkish 7th Infantry Division.

Whilst in the south the 15th Special Forces Army have isolated several Turkish divisions along the Persian border and are poised to continue their advance to the coast.

STAVKA June 1940: Our Fast Tanks

To say that Stalin was happy with the performance of the Red Army in May 1940, would be a serious under-statement. When Molotov entered his office for the monthly Stavka briefing Stalin was beaming with joy and the room was filled with the stench of the cheap cigars that Stalin always smoked when he was happy.

‘Ah! Mikhail come and join us.’ boomed Stalin gesturing to a seat at the table where the usual group of Peoples Commissars were already seated. ‘I hope you have no bad news hidden in those damned folders of yours. I don’t want you ruining my day.’

Molotov sat and adjusted his glasses before answering. ‘Germany has invaded Czechoslovakia, and has somehow managed to land troops in French Tunisia despite the Royal Navy. Oh! And Bulgaria has invaded Greece. But apart from the seemly unstoppable spread of Fascism all is going according to plan.’

‘Always the pessimist’ chided Stalin ‘Czechoslovakia has also invaded Germany have they not, and the Royal Navy will probably strangle the German invasion of North Africa. The only real surprise is that Herr Hitler was foolish enough to risk his troop transports being sunk?’

Molotov quickly searched through his folders and opened one on Naval Intelligence. ‘You are right Comrade Secretary.’ he finally announced after scanning the list of reported ship losses in the last month ‘The Germans lost an entire troop convoy last month. So, they have paid a heavy price for their landing in Tunisia.’

Stalin smiled smugly, he was always happy when Molotov had to accept that he was right. ‘And as for Greece, well they were foolish enough to put their faith in the British and so deserve their fate. You would have thought that after Poland they would have known better.’

‘Talking about faith we might need to make a gesture of support to the Finns.' replied Molotov as he handed Stalin a report from one of his folders. 'They are massing their forces on the North Karelian border with the former Kingdom of Norway, and it might be prudent to send a few our own to bolster their defences. Just to show willing of course. Perhaps, a garrison at Hanko would be a good idea. Just in case.’

‘You are determined to ruin my day with these distractions aren’t you’ growled Stalin ‘Can we please talk about Turkey?'

‘What about Turkey?’ asked Molotov ‘When I left my office a few minutes ago they were still stubbornly refusing to accept our generous offer of protection and trying to negotiate some sort of support deal with the Axis.’

‘Don’t be so obtuse Mikhail, you know full well that I am talking about the superb performance of our new tank divisions, and the success of Operation Sirius. This month has been a glorious success for the Red Army.’

‘Indeed’ agreed Molotov ‘Though it helps that the Turks seem to have no tanks of their own, or anti-guns as far as we can tell.’

‘Nevertheless,’ growled Stalin ‘Our tanks achieved more than was expected of them this month and are even now attacking the Turkish capital. Even that ‘old woman’ Gorelen seems to have risen to the challenge and grown some balls. His 15th Army have isolated large numbers of Turks in the mountains along the Persian border.’

Molotov coughed politely to get Stalin’s attention. ‘On that point Comrade Secretary, perhaps our commanders in the field should be reminded of your explicit instructions to minimise the losses inflicted on the Turks. As I recall you were keen to try and leave Turkey with an army and navy strong enough to defend itself after we had ensured their co-operation, but according to my reports the 12th Army encircled and practically annihilated their 7th Infantry Division, and in the last naval engagement our fleet almost sunk their only battlecruiser.’

‘Yes! Yes! I’ll get the order repeated. But these are Soviet fighting men we are dealing with, one cannot reason with a bear once it smells blood.’

Operation Sirius goals for June 1940

The meeting then gathered around the map of Turkey laid out on the meeting table to discuss the operational goals for the Transcaucasian Front in June.

‘The obvious first goal will be to capture Ankara’ Stalin pointed to the Turkish capital which was surrounded by Soviet army pins ‘That’s is of course if it hasn’t fallen already whilst Comrade Molotov has been distracting us.’ He added giving Molotov a cheeky grin. ‘After that I propose that we continue with our deep battle strategy and see if we cannot end this operation by July.’

He then laid out the goals for the various armies and corps of the Transcaucasian Front.

17 Mek Korpus	Will make a thrust towards Istanbul, capturing Eregli and Duzce en-route. There is a pass through the mountains that is guarded by the Turks but our tanks should be able to take it. After that the coastal approach to Istanbul is reasonably good for our tanks. Shaposhnikov, Stalin’s Chief of staff, leant over the map ‘That’s a long road. What if the Turks move in behind the 17th and cut it, or if Istanbul is too heavily defended?’ ‘It’s a risk’ agreed Stalin ‘But the 3rd Mek are racing to reach Ankara as we speak and will soon be ready to provide support if necessary. They can either be used to keep the road clear, or to support the attack on the city as circumstances dictate.’
6 Mek Korpus	Will make a separate thrust towards Izmir. It’s not a good road and they may not be able to reach it before the end of the month, but it will keep the Turks from massing to oppose the 17th and if they don’t meet serious opposition the 6th might just make it.
26 Mek Korpus	Will take the Turkish airfield at Eskisehir. Which should stop those annoying Turkish bombers attacking our tanks, and if it’s still serviceable then we can move our own planes forward to support the 17th and 6th. We don’t know how damaged Eskisehir will be, or how many planes it will be able to handle, but at the very least we should rebase Kapitochin’s 96th IAD (Fighter Aviation Division) there as soon as possible. They have been stuck in reserve at Baki since the start of the campaign and are desperate to shoot something. Of course, if the airfield is big enough then we can always send more planes.’

Stalin stood back from the table and took another pull on cigar. ‘Are there any questions or concerns about my plan for the 4th Mechanised Army?’

Nobody had anything to add.

The infantry had slightly less ambitious goals.

12th Army	Will continue to push west along the coast driving any remaining Turks ahead of it.
15th Army	Will continue to push towards the port of Iskenderun, whilst also providing a defensive line to prevent further interference from the Turkish troops it has isolated along the Persian Border.

That concluded the discussion of Operation Sirius and the meeting turned it's attention to other things.

STAVKA June 1940: Support for Finland

'Now let’s discuss Comrade Molotov's act of faith for the Finns.' Stalin teased, giving Molotov a wink. There was a short discussion about the options available and the following orders were issued.

Front	STAVKA's Orders
Northern Front (Zhukov)	Strength to be increased from 4 to 16 x Divisions by re-assigning the 23 Armiya to the Northern Front. Zhukov to re-organise and deploy them as he thinks appropriate. However, the 2 Garrison Division is to be re-deployed from Arkhangelsk to Hanko and will be transferred to the North Western Front command. Zhigarev’s Tupolev bombers will be rebased at Murmansk and transferred to the Northern Front, where they can be used a necessary to support the defence of Northern Karelia.
North-West Front (Zakharov)	Strength to be increased from 12 to 16 x Divisions by re-assigning the 27 Armiya to the North-western Front. The 27 Armiya to be assigned to the defence on Helsinki, but will remain under Soviet Command. The 2nd Garrison Division is to be deployed to Hanko, along with the Baltic submarine fleet which will patrol the Gulf of Finland and the sea lanes into and out of the German Baltic ports to monitor for possible invasion threats. Whilst the six fighter aviation divisions assigned to the North-West Front may be deployed as deemed necessary to defend Leningrad and Southern Karelia.

'We may review that plan later if it appears that there is a real threat if an invasion of Karelia from Norway, or along the Finnish coast.' confirmed Stalin 'But hopefully it will be enough to show our intent to stand by our Finnish allies should they need our support. It is after all twice the force offerred by Britain to support her Polish friends.

STAVKA June 1940: Production and Inteligence Review.

Molotov reported as follows
'The good news is that all of the 24 tank regiments from our original Tank Divisions are now equipped with the latest BT7M medium battle tanks.

The last light tanks from the 12ya Tankovaya Diviziya will be replaced with BT7M’s before the end of this month, but that division was one of the new ones that you ordered as part of your review Comrade Secretary and was only formed last month.

As you can see we are also close to completing all of the other equipment upgrades for the army, navy and air force, and so we will soon be able to get back to concentrating on the original production schedule for artillery, planes and engineers set-out in the second five year plan.

Unless of course you want us to begin replacing the light tanks in the Motor rifle Divisions first.' Molotov paused and looked at Stalin.

'How many light tank regiments do we have left?' asked Stalin.

Molotov scrabbled through the papers in his folder 'Um! 13 comrade secretary, but that includes those of the 12th. so, by the end of this month we will have 11 Light Armour Regiments and 27 Medium.'

'And how many does Herr Hitler have?' Stalin challenged.

'Well that's harder to say for certain, since we seem to have been removed from the guest list for Hitler's military parades. But based upon our intelligence calculations and projections no more than 6 light armour and 10 medium armour. Although, they have designed a new heavy tank and have at least one regiment of those already in service.'
'Hmm! much less than I expected' pondered Stalin 'I think we can delay upgrading the last of our light tanks. But, I'll be glad when our officer corps is up to strength and we can begin researching those new T34's the engineers were talking about.'

'I agree. But that isn't going to happen any time soon.' warned Molotov reaching for another folder. 'I've been doing some projections and the sad fact is that the demand for officers is increasing faster than we can train them.' he said handing out a sheet of figures.

Month	Officers Strength	Officers Needed	New Officers per day	Officer shortage
1940-01	54,241	67,900	42	13,659
1940-02	55,527	68,100	41	12,573
1940-03	56,518	69,400	31	12,882
1940-04	57,484	69,800	35	12,316
1940-05	59,001	71,000	52	11,999
1940-06	60,601	71,300	52	10,699

So, what you are telling me is that it has taken us six months to reduce the shortage of officers by 3,000. Stalin noted.

And that at that rate it will take another twenty-two months to completely clear it.' nodded Molotov.

That's impossible. Two years without research. growled Stalin Why has the need for officers increased by 3,400 in the last six months. I thought we cancelled all new divisions in January, most of our production since has been limited to equipment upgrades. Why would that demand more officers? Stalin was getting annoyed now and the cigar was forgotten.

I don't know Comrade Secretary. admitted Molotov Let me look into it, perhaps there is something we can do. It was all he could think to say. There had been new divisions since January, but whether they could account for the increased demand for officers was not clear. But he had to agree with Stalin, another two years without any technology research was unacceptable.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

This was a bit of a mystery, and I had to ask on the Paradox Interactive forums for help explaining it.

Since Jan. 1940 the Soviets have raised eight brand new Regiments and upgraded 24 existing regiments of light tanks to medium tanks. Which at 100 officers per regiment would seem to account for the 3,400 total.

After talking with 'Browd' on the forums I was able to test and confirm that when the 24 light tank regiments were scheduled for upgrade in December 1939, the Soviet officer need had been reduced by 2,400 because they were no longer required for active service regiments. So, strictly speaking only 800 of the 3,400 quoted by Molotov were new officers. The other 2,400 were the result of the upgraded tank regiments returning to active service.

Hopefully, that means the twenty-two month prediction given by Molotov was skewed and it won't actually take that long to recruit enough officers to meet the demand.

1940 June: The successful conclusion of Operation Sirius.

Field Marshall Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke Chief of Staff of the Prussian General Staff from 1857 to 1871 once wrote that:

‘No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force.’

And Stalin’s plan for Operation Sirius in June 1940 was no exception to this rule.

Ankara was captured on Sunday 2nd June 1940. Its garrison was deliberately allowed to escape into the mountains in accordance with Stalin's renewed directive to minimise Turkish losses, and Turkey relocated its capital to Istanbul.

The 3rd Mek Korpus which had been rushing to reach Ankara arrived too late to take part in the assault on the city, but long before the 17th and 6th had recovered from the battle and so it found itself ‘kicking its heels’ with nothing to do by way of support.

At the same time the 17th’s Command and HQ Regiment which was lagging badly behind having failed to keep pace with the speed of its own advance was suddenly pounced upon by a Turkish infantry division near Cankiri and forced to withdraw.

It seemed foolish to have the 3rd Mek standing around doing nothing whilst the Turks were allowed to ambush Soviet generals, and so they were ordered forward to secure the area north and west of Ankara and establish a protective cordon around the city to keep Turkish units at bay.

Likewise further east the 26th Mek. was still recovering from its successful attack on Terme which had cut-off most of the Turkish army defending the mountainous province of Ordu. It was therefore decided to let the 6th Rifle Corps from the 12th Army leap frog ahead of them and begin to clear the route towards Eskisehir (albeit at a much slower pace)

Stalin’s order to avoid excessive Turkish casualties also resulted in the immediate cancellation of a number of Soviet assaults some of which had already begun. This was particularly true in the south where the 15th Spetsnaz Army was in the process of annihilating a number of Turkish Divisions trapped in a pocket along the Persian border. Instead of pressing these attacks the 9th ‘Spetsnaz’ Corps was ordered to encircle and contain the Turks, whilst the 3rd continued the advance on Iskenderun alone.

Similarly, in the north the 33rd Rifle Corps were instructed to contain the Turkish troops trapped against the Black Sea coast but not to attack them. Whilst the 31st and 6th continued to push westward.

At sea the decision was taken to order The Black Sea Fleet back to port effectively avoiding any further confrontations with the Turkish surface fleet and thus preserving the Turkish navy.

So, every effort was being made to minimise Turkish losses in the final few weeks of hostilities.

Finally the tanks roll forward.

After what seemed like an age, but was actually only a few days the 17th and 6th declared that they were fully re-armed and refuelled and ready to continue their advance. The 17th immediately headed for Eregli via the Karabiik pass which by now was clear of defending Turks thanks to the efforts of the 3rd Mek.

In fact, the advance of the 17th Mek was to meet no serious opposition until it reached the river at Kandira where it ran into a strong Turkish defence line consisting of three infantry divisions dug in along the far bank. They immediately began an assault, but found it impossble to get their tanks across the river whilst under fire from the far bank, and it looked as though further advance on Istanbul would be blocked, or at least seriously delayed, and that Stalin’s desire to capture Istanbul and end the campaign by July would not be achieved.
Fortunately, KomKor Gorbatov commanding the 6th Mek Korpus was not adhering strictly to Stalin’s plan. Leaving Ankara at the same time at the 17th Mek the 6th had already deviated from its assigned route to Izmir by capturing Eskisehir airfield.

This objective had been assigned to the 26th Mek, but as already explained they had been delayed by their attack on Terme, and Gorbatov decided it made sense to capture the Turkish airfield as soon as possible to reduce the threat of enemy air attack.

Having captured the airfield the Soviets immediately re-based the 47 IAD and 3 IAD to it, which together with the 96 IAD already based at Ankara meant that the Soviets now had their full air strength of six Fighter Aviation Division’s covering their advance.

Gorbatov then decided that the 6th would continue its advance towards Izmir, but by a slightly more northern route than specified that followed the south bank of the Sakarya River. This route seemed no more difficult than the one prescribed by his orders, but had the advantage that the 6th would be closer to the 17th if they were needed and would be able to strike either north or south as circumstances dictated.

Thus is was that when the 17th ran into the strong Turkish defences at Kandira. The 6th were much closer than they should have been according to the original plan, and more importantly they were already on the Turkish side of the river at Iznik.

Therefore, Gorbatov was able to immediately detach two of his mechanised divisions to outflank the Turkish defence line, forcing them to abandon their positions and attempt to make a hasty withdrawal towards Istanbul.

Furthermore, when Gorbatov heard from his colleague KomKor Rybalko of the 17th that the Turks were falling back and that his tanks were now crossing the river, Gorbatov decided to change the plan yet again. This time by sending one division to block the retreat of the Turks, whilst the other made a high speed dash for Istanbul which, as far as Gorbatov could tell, was undefended.
Thus, in a totally unplanned twist of fate, it was the 205th Motor Rifle Division of the 6th Mechanised Corps which was the first Soviet Division to enter Istanbul, and the Turks surrendered shortly afterwards on the Sunday 23rd June.

PRAVDA July 1940: Turkey embraces Communism

World Events in June 1940

A brief update of events around the world in June 1940.

Czechoslovakia destroyed by Germany.

On the 8th June Czechoslovakia surrendered to Germany and has been annexed by Hitler. It no longer exists as an independant state.

Turkey joins the Comintern.

After a brief military campaign the Soviet Union have persuaded the pro-facist government of Turkey to resign and on the 23 June Turkey formally agreed to join the Comintern as an independent member state, and embrace the benefits of international communism.

German Afrika Korps expands its hold in Morocco.

Despite whatever efforts the Royal Navy might be making to interfere, the German North Africa Corps has gained a significant beachhead in French Morocco.
It is also noted that now the Germans have a viable beachhead at Casablanca the Italia 5th Army has renewed its offensive in Tunisia. So, that the French are having to deal with two fronts.

The Italians threaten Alexandria.

More worrying still is the massive thrust the Italian 10th Army is making towards Alexandria. This has already reached the outskirts of the city and unless the British are able to stop it they may lose Egypt.

The Royal Navy fails to protect North Africa.

Given the massive losses that have reportely been suffered by the Italian fleet it seems odd that the Axis have managed to make such significant gains in North Africa. The only clue that something might have gone wrong is a report from Soviet Naval Intelligence that H.M.S. Revenge has been sunk by the Italian Navy. The first British battleship to be lost since the start of the war.

Compared to the six battleships already lost by the Italian navy this seems relatively trivial, but it does suggest that the Italians still not a spent force in the Mediterranean.

Another Hero of the Soviets

Aleksei Semenovich Zhadov has been made a Hero of the Soviets for his courage and iniitative as KomDiv of the 164th Rifle Division, 31st Corps, 12th Army during Operation Sirius. Stalin has also promoted him to KomKor and awarded him command of the newly formed Spetsnaz Turkestan for the forthcoming Operation Canopus.

STAVKA July 1940: Preparations for Operation Canopus.

In early July STAVKA met to review the threat to the Soviet Union and to discuss further ways to improve the protection of the Soviet Nation.

Now that Czechoslovkia was part of the Nazi state the question arose as to where Hitler would strike next. The most likely targets were thought to be either Sweden in the north, or Romania in the South.

There was some discussion as to whether the Soviet Union should act to guarantee the independence of either, or both these nations. But Stalin was reluctant to provoke a war with Germany earlier than necessary. He also pointed out that Romania had shown no interest in Soviet protection, and so far had preferred to put its faith in British support. He was also quick to point out that any intervention in Sweden would involve a massive extension of Soviet supply lines through Karelia, and additional defence commitments. Neither of which could be supported by the limited transport capabilties of The Baltic Fleet.

Instead his view was that the Soviet Union should continue to consolidate and strengthen its own defences. Most importantly he turned once again to his strategy of securing an unbroken line of buffer states along the Soviet southern border, and the potential threat posed by Japan in the Far East.

Operation Canopus - The Invasion of Afghanistan.

Stalin announced that the next step in his plan to secure the southern border of the Soviet Union would be to enforce the co-operation of Afghanistan.

In the past Afghanistan had shown every intention of accepting the generous offer of Comintern membership, and a lot of leadership effort had been expended trying to persuade them to do so.

However, in recent months they like Turkey have been bombarded by fascist propaganda and influence and were now drift slowly towards the AXIS. Efforts to persuade them otherwise have been made and the cost of both the diplomatic and intelligence activity is now becoming prohibitive.

Stalin is therefore resolved to settle the matter in Afghanistan as it was in Turkey.
Force Composition.
After studying the terrain around Kabul and Hamat, it was concluded that most of the force should be composed of Spetsnaz mountain troops. But, Stalin was quick to spot that there was a less mountainous route from the Soviet Border direct to Kabul.

The recommendation was that this terrain would be suitable for cavalry, but Stalin was still excited about the performance of the Soviet mechanised divisions and insisted that the 4th Mechanised Army be assigned to the task.

There were no airfields along the border with Afghanistan and so no air divisions were assigned to the operation.

Objective	Formations Assigned
Kabul	4 Mek Armiya (Berzarin) (16 divisions) Spetznaz Del'niy Vostok (Popov) (4 Divisions) Spetsnaz Turkestan (Zhadov) (4 Divisions)
Herat	Spetsnaz Kavkazskiy(Batov) (4 Divisions) Spetsnaz Sibirskiy (Govorov) (4 Divisions)

There are no airfields along the border with Afghanistan and so no air divisions were assigned to the operation.

Strengthening Our Eastern Defences.

On the 23rd June Comrade Secretary Stalin made a surprise announcement of his intention to raise a further 75 new divisions of NKVD garrison troops to defend the Sino-Soviet Border.

These troops will relieve the regular army units of the Far Eastern Command from border defence duties and will occupy the newly constructed defences of the Stalin Line along the border with Manchuria.

At the same time a fresh phase of improvements were announced for those defences, which will ensure the the entire border from Vladivostock to Mongolia will have minimum fortification level of 2.

The completion of this project will take over five years to complete and so represents a long term investment in the defence of our nation.

STAVKA July 1940: Operation Orion

Stavka appeared to be over at this point and Molotov was gathering his papers when Stalin rapped on the table to get their attention.

‘Before we close our business’ he said ’I have one more item for the agenda which is very important for us all.’ The meeting settled and everyone returned to the seats.

‘We have already discussed the next potential target of the fascist empire, but we overlooked the one which I believe to be the most likely, and possibly the most dangerous to Soviet security. I believe that Herr Hitler’s next target will be the Baltic States. He tapped the area on the map to reinforce his point.

'Comrade Molotov can confirm that these states were specifically mentioned by Ribbentrop as being of interest the Hitler, and occupying them now would give Germany useful bases along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland and within striking distance of both Leningrad and Helsinki for his air force.' There was a general murmur of acknowledgement that what Stalin was saying made sense.

'My proposal Comrades is both bold, and perhaps a little reckless,' he grinned ‘I propose a pre-emptive strike to annex Estonia and Latvia before he does.’ There was a stunned silence around the table. It was broken by Molotov ‘You mean to return Estonia and Latvia to Motherland, where they belong.’

‘Yes! Precisely.' agreed Stalin. 'They were part of the Soviet nation before they were stolen from us in 1918, as indeed were some of the areas of Turkey we have just liberated from Imperialism. Therefore we cannot risk them falling into fascist hands, and must act to return them to the nation of Soviets before Herr Hitler can snatch them from our grasp again. Not only will this deny the fascists the opportunity to use them as bases for their ships and planes, but it will give us complete control of the Dvina River, which means that our North Western Front can be moved forward and have a secure defence line from the Baltic coast to Vitsebsk along the full length of our Western Front.’

'There are risks of course. Quite apart from Herr Hitler getting upset that we have snatched his prize and ruined whatever plans he had for them. The capitalists will obviously see it at an act of aggression and will chastise us with their wagging fingers, just as they have Herr Hitler. We may even provoke a letter of friendly advice from President Roosevelt asking us to play nicely.' There was a chuckle around the table for everyone had heard of Roosevelt's letter to Hitler and Mussolini.

'But we will gain a much more secure Northern border with Germany, and greater protection for both Leningrad and Helsinki. I think it is worth the risk.' There was a general murmur of agreement around the table and the meeting settled down to discuss the details of the proposed operation.

Operation Orion

Orion would be a two phase operation starting with the invasion of Estonia by the 11th Army (KomdArm Gastilovich) from the North Western Front. The attack would be supported by the guns of the Baltic Fleet from Gulf of Finland and by at least ten Fighter Aviation Divisions based from Helsinki, Leningrad, Viipuri and Simsk.
Phase 2 would begin once Estonia was secure and would involve a two pronged assault. The 11th Army would attack from Estonia in the north, whilst the 3rd Army (KomdArm Shaposhnikov) would attack from the Soviet border in the east. By this point is is also expected that KomKor Reiter's 5th Cavalry Corps will be on hand to expliot any break-through achieved in the Latvian defences.

The Soviets also expect to have at least ten Aviation Divisions on hand to support this attack.

Force Composition
Northern Front - KomdArm(1st Rank) Zhukov

Objective	Formations Assigned
Phase 1: Estonia Tallinn and Tartu	11 Armiya (Gastilovich) 12 x Rifle Divisions. Supported by The Baltic Flle and 10 x Fighter Aviation Divisions.
Phase 2: Latvia Riga ahd Daugavpils	3. Armiya (Shaposhnikov) 9 x Rifle Divisions. 5. Kav. Korpus (Reiter) 4 x Divisions. 11. Armiya (Gastilovich) 12 x Divisions. Supported by The Baltic Fleet and 10 x Fighter Aviation Divisions.

Expected Enemy Strength
According to Soviet intelligence Estonia have 9 x infantry Divisions, no tanks, no planes and no ships. Latvia have a total of 21 Divisions, no tanks, no planes and one submarine.

Timing and Priorities.

Stalin was quick to stress that Operation Orion and Operation Canopus were not to be undertaken at the same time.

Instead his intention was that they be executed in sequence:

• Operation Orion would be commence as soon as the 11th Army was ready on its start lines.
  
• Phase 1: Would be the liberation of Estonia, as already discussed.
  
• Phase 2: The liberation of Latvia not begin until Phase 1 was complete.
  
• Operation Canopus: Would not begin until both phases of Orion were complete.

The aim of this was to prolong the motivation created amongst the Soviet people for as long as possible with as little sacrifice as necessary. Thus maximising productivity of the Soviet workers and preventing them from becoming distracted by any impression that the threat to the motherland had diminished and that it was time to reap the personal benefits they had worked so hard to achieve.

Stalin was also reluctant to demobilise the army but needed an excuse for not doing so, and so the longer he could claim that the Soviets were at war the longer he could keep soldiers with their units and under continued training.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

This might seem somewhat gamey, and as such a breach of the House Rules set at the start of this AAR.

But thinking about it I decided that it fits the general pattern of spin and manipulation which has been used by politicians and other power-mongers throughout history. The best way to keep the population compliant is always to highlight a threat and appeal to their sense of patriotism or sef-preservation. So, If such a threat does not actually exist then it is normal practice to engineer one, which is essentially what Stalin is doing in the game.

The Soviet Union could simply accept that peace has broken out, and Stalin would then be forced to send the soldiers home, and allow Soviet industry to switch their production to the cars, houses, televisions and radios that his workers dream about. They may even decide that now the threat of war has passed they no longer need ‘A man of steel’ to lead them.

So, Stalin is doing what every politician does, he is creating the situation he needs to justify and sustain his policies and maintain his power. In doing so, I am proving that I am no better than any other power-mad megalomaniac manipulating the people into doing what I want them to do.

The only difference being that this is just a game, and unlike some I wouldn’t do it in real life.

1940 July: Operation Orion (Phase 1): The Liberation of Estonia.

It was Wednesday 10th July before KomdArm Gastilovich was able to report that his troops were in position on their start lines and ready to commence Operation Orion. He was immediately given the authority to commence his advance and his troops crossed the Estonian border just before midnight.
First shots were fired on the lead elements of the 22 Korpus approached the positions of the Estonian III Jalaväediviis guarding the border at Rapina at around 11am the next morning and a brief two hour exchange of fire took place that left 39 Soviets and 452 Estonians dead before the defenders were eventually outflanked and forced to retreat.

However, in the north the 29th Corps discovered the border the Estonian border completely unguarded and were able to capture the port of Narva without firing a shot.
On the afternoon of Thursday 11th July Novikov’s 30th Bomber Aviation Division launched the first of several air attacks on the Estonian army in Tallinn. These were supported by the ten fighter aviation divisions assigned to the operation who conducted strafing attacks on any Estonian units attempting to move out of the city towards the front.
The response of the Estonian army was fragmented and confused possibly due to the constant air attacks, but also due to some obvious indecision on whether they ought to be fighting against their countries liberators. In the north, only the I Jalaväediviis managed to leave Tallinn and they attempted to block the advance of the 29 Korpus at Tapa, just east of the city. But were not only subjected to heavy air attack, but also bombardment by the Soviet fleet off the coast. Nevertheless, they managed to hold their positions until dawn on the 19th before slipping away back to Tallinn leaving 394 dead. The Soviet lost 27 men.
In the south the III Jalaväediviis were conducting a costly fighting withdrawal against two Soviet rifle corps. They were outnumbered by at least six to one and even more heavily outgunned. But nobody seemed to be moving to assist them.
In the north the I Jalaväediviis had fought lone battle against the other two Soviet rifle corps and was now being overrun by the 29 Korpus and outflanked by the 16th . These two divisions seemed to be the only Estonian units willing to fight for their country, and as the Soviets closed on Tallinn the remaining five divisions in the city withdrew without a fight leaving only the II Jalaväediviis to conduct a token defence on their capital.

The battle for the Estonian capital last a mere twelve hours and the city fell into Soviet hands at 9pm on the 26th July. The 11 Armiya make an official entry into the city on the 27th and were greeted as liberators by the Estonian people.

The survivors of the III Jalaväediviis made a final stand at Sindi on the coast before surrendering to the 18th Rifle Division on the 28th July, and the Estonian government surrendered the next day.

PRAVDA: August 1940 War in the Pacific.

On the 3rd July Molotov reported that President Roosevelt had just declared a state of Unlimited National Emergency in the United States.

'Does that mean he's lost his glasses again.' quipped Stalin.

Molotov threw him a condescending smile, but in truth he had no idea what it meant. There was nothing in the intelligence reports to explain what was happening, and Molotov wasn't even sure what a National Emergency entailed in the USA.

All he knew at that point was that the USA had not mobilsed its armed forces, the rest was a mystery.

A Day of Infamy.

The mystery was partly resolved three days later when President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, claiming that they had launched an unprovoked attack on the USA.

This promoted another scrabble through the Soviet intelligence reports looking for any evidence of an attack or any losses to American ships. But there was nothing to suggest that any attack had taken place.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Historically Pearl Harbour was attacked on the 7th December 1941. So, once again events in this game seem to be triggering earlier than expected. The USA have entered the war some 17 months earlier than expected, Will Operation Barbarrossa also start early I wonder?

USA joins the Allies.

Molotov and his staff were still searching for an explanation as to the nature of infamy perpetrated by Japan on the USA when the final piece of the puzzle seemed to drop into place.

The USA had joined the Allied Pact, and thrown themselves into the war against the AXIS powers.
Even so the Soviets could find no evidence of an attack by the Japanese provoked or otherwise. On the 7th July the US navy seemed intact, no ship losses had been recorded, and all the US bases were still in US hands.

Just to be sure Soviet intelligence even checked the Japanese ship losses assuming that perhaps the infamous attack had been a disaster and the American's had inflicted all the damage. But nothing was discovered. As far as Soviet intelligence were aware nothing had happened.

Molotov began to suspect that Roosevelt was creating his own lightening, just as Stalin was.

Japan strikes hard and fast.

Whilst nothing could be found to justify the decision by the USA to go to war with Japan on the 6th July, the reaction from the Japanese was both swift and deadly.
Within days the Japanese navy had launched successful invasions of the US bases on Wake Island; Guam and Attu Island. They also captured the British colony of Hong Kong, and the French colony of Zhanjiang.
By the end of the month the Japanese navy had penetrated as far as the Line Islands and had occupied Johnson Island; Palmyra Atoll; Christmas Island and Phoenix Island.

It was an impressive achievement, but not without cost. According to the ship losses report for the 1st August 1940 the Japanese had lost 2 x Cruisers; 3 x Light Cruisers; 3 x Destroyers; 1 x Landing Ship and a troop transport. The American's had lost the light cruiser USS Omaha.

Yugoslavia joins the Axis

In all the excitment over the USA the fact that Yugoslavia had joined the AXIS pact on the 3rd July barely got noticed. Except by Greece who soon found itself having to defend a much longer border than just that with Bulgaria.

AXIS Greater Asia Empire Expands

In Asia the AXIS Greater Asian Empire was expanding repidly. In addition to the occupation of Hong Kong and Zhanjiang and the numerous Pacific islands by the Japanese, the Ma clique which form the Xibei San Ma signed a pact with the AXIS on the 17th July, closely followed by province of Yunnan on the 18th July.
The Ma Clique immediately begun mobilising their armies though at this point their intentions are not clear. They may be planning to invade Tibet, which would extend the AXIS influence further westward towards British controlled India.

STAVKA August 1940: Everything is according to plan.

Operation Orion Phase 2: Liberation of Latvia.

The monthly Stavka meeting at the start of August 1940 had little to discuss regarding Soviet defence. Operation Orion was proceeding according to plan and so no changes were necessary. Even now the 11 Armiya was readying itself on its start lines for Phase 2 of the plan, which would begin as soon as KomdArm Gastilovich confirmed they were ready.

Operation Canopus: The Invasion of Afghanistan.

Likewise preparations for Operation Canopus were proceeding according to plan and the troops assigned to the Central Asian Front for that operation were moving into position as ordered.

Control of the Gulf of Finland

The occupation of Estonia had given the Soviets complete control of the Gulf of Finland which in turn had increased its access to resources and boosted the acquisition of new leadership talent.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

This was an unexpected bonus as I was not aware of the strategic modifier for control of the Gulf of Finland until it popped up. But +10% Leadership and +20 Resources was a nice perk.

The War in the Pacific

There was an inevitable discussion about the sudden outbreak of war between the USA and Japan, and Soviet intelligence were still trying to piece together the clues as to what possible infamy Japan may have perpetrated to justify it.

But regardless of the justification, the fact that it had occurred and that the USA was now part of the Allied faction was recognised by everyone to be a significant event. The only uncertainty was whether the impact upon the Soviet Union would be positive or negative.

From a positive perspective, anything that distracted Japan from hostile actions against the Soviet Union and her allies had to be good news, and already the Far Eastern Command was reporting a withdrawal of Japanese units from the Sino-Soviet borders and their substitution of poorer grade allied units.

Soviet diplomats had already visited Japan in the hope of using their war with the USA as leverage to secure a non-aggression pact. But at the moment the Japanese were still not interested in such a treaty.

From a negative perspective, the first month of the war seemed to have gone remarkably well for the Japanese, who had made significant territorial gains both in the Pacific and Asia. The concern being that unless the USA got its act together Japan might just emerge from the conflict even more powerful that she already was, and by implication, pose an even greater threat to the Soviet Union.

On the other hand if the USA were successful in their war with Japan then the addition of their huge industrial capacity to the Allied cause posed a threat to the Soviet Union in itself and if the Allies were able to defeat the AXIS powers quickly the Soviet Union could find itself the next target.

Is there something wrong with their ships?

There was also a general concern about the apparent failures of the Allied navies to prevent the spread of fascism.

It had always been assumed by the Soviets that the Royal Navy, and more recently the US Navy would hamper if not completely prevent the expansion of the AXIS beyond continental Europe.

But it appears that despite the Royal Navy inflicting heavy losses on the Italian Navy, Italy was still expanding its North African empire, had captured Cairo and was threatening Alexandria. Whilst the German Africa Corps was still gaining ground in French Morocco and Algeria.

Now once again Japan has been able to secure bases as far into the eastern pacific as the Line Islands despite suffering significant ship losses in doing so from the USN.

The question being whether the apparent inability of the Allied navy to project its naval power is a lack of leadership, or simply an inherent shortcoming of naval forces.

For the moment at least this was little more than an academic issue for the Soviets as they have no plans to invest in a powerful navy themselves, nor do they have plans to launch any amphibious invasions against a country with one. But nevertheless it was a puzzle, in that, their preconceived assumptions about the benefits of having a powerful navy did not seem to be working in the Allies favour.

Comparative Naval Strengths Based on Soviet Intelligence Estimates.

Pact	Battleships	Carriers	Cruisers	Submarines
Allied (including USA)	33	9	43	50
AXIS	13	3	23	18
Comintern	3	-	4	23

Soviet Officer and Leadership Crisis.

Molotov presented the meeting with revised estimates for resolving the Soviet Officer shortages, which had been corrected to ignore the impact of unit upgrades.

Month	Officers Strength	Officers Needed	New Officers per day	Officer shortage
1940-01	54,241	67,900	42	13,659
1940-02	55,527	68,100	41	12,573
1940-03	56,518	69,400	31	12,882
1940-04	57,484	69,800	35	12,316
1940-05	59,001	71,000	52	11,999
1940-06	60,601	71,300	52	10,699
1940-07	62,171	72,100	52	9,929
1940-08	63,856	72,800	67	8,944

These figures still suggested that it would be another nine or ten months before the shortage of officers in the Soviet armed forces was resolved, but nevertheless it was a marked improvement on the estimate made in June.

This commitment of leadership points to officer training would therefore continue to hamper, if not prevent, Soviet technical research until the middle of next year.

1940 August: Operation Orion (Phase 2) The Liberation of Latvia

KomdArm Gastilovich reported that the 11 Armiya was on its start lines and ready to commence phase 2 of Operation Orion attack at 10am on Tuesday 6th August.
As soon as the confirmation was received Stalin ordered that the operation should begin. However, it was the 3. Armiya commanded by KomdArm Shaposhnikov that would be the first to see action. Their job was to cross the Latvian frontier on a broad front and to pin the Latvian troops guarding it in place, so that they could not disengage and redeploy.

Whilst 3. Armiya were keeping the Latvians busy along the border the 11.Armiya were to drive rapidly south with the aim of cutting the Latvians lines of supply and communication and securing bridgeheads over the Dvina River.

The main Soviet concern at this point was that, if given time and opportunity, the Latvian Army might fall back from the border and form a more secure defence line along the south bank of the Dvina where it would be much more difficult to dislodge them. So, the 11th were specifically ordered to get across the river as soon as possible and to deny its defensive value to the Latvians.

The same objective was assigned to the Reiters 5. Kav. Korpus who were poised just behind the left flank of the 3. Armiya waiting for an opportunity to rush forward and expliot any breakthrough in the Latvian defences, after which their orders were also to get across the Dvina River as soon as possible.

However, as the 11th raced for the river they found that the lack of suitable roads was forcing them to deviate eastwards. They were under strict orders not to bunch their corps along a single road and so as they moved south they found the shortage of roads forced them to seek alternative routes to the river.

In the west the 29. Korpus were able to make an almost direct advance on Dvina River at Sigulda just to the east of the City of Riga. However, the 24. Korpus on their left were unable to find enough roads and were forced to take a wider route through Valka and Jaunpiebalga to reach the river bridges between Ergli and Aizkraukle which were their primary objective.

Their route change forced the 16 Korpus on their left to make and even more significant deviation in its route which required them to displace to the east even before they crossed the Latvian border at Ape, and that deviation forced the 22. Korpus to perform a similar displacement to Rapina.

Thus the entire of the 11. Armiya was forced to shuffle to the east as it tried to find clear routes over the Latvian border towards the Dvina River, and on their extreme left the 22 Korpus found itself advancing along roads directly to the rear of the Latvian Zemgales Division defending Aluksne where they were constantly being interdicted by Latvian units trying to fall back from the border.
It was also at Aluksne that the first shots in this phase of Operation Orion were fired. The 4. Korpus of the 3. Armiya had begun to close on the Latvian border as soon as they received confirmation that the 11. Armiya was ready to move, and initial contact with the Latvian defenders was made by radio and tannoy calling upon their 'comrades in the Latvian Army' to lay down their arms and surrender to the Red Army in order to avoid pointless bloodshed.

These plea’s were largely ignored and at 11am the first shells landed on the Latvian positions and the soldiers of the 4 Korpus began their assault on the Zemgales Division.

The same situation was repeated along the entire Latvian border and by midnight the first of the Latvian border defences had been overrun and the Latvians were in retreat.
At Ludsa the Latvian anti-tank brigades of their 1st Artillery found themselves the target of almost the entire Soviet air support with over ten air divisions strafing and bombing their positions at dawn on the 7th.

Whilst at sea the first of numerous merchant ships bound for the Latvian port of Liepaja was sunk by Soviet submarines patrolling off their coast.

By the morning of the 9th the 3. Armiya had broken through the Latvian border defences at both Aluksne and Dagda and the 5 Kav.Korpus were ordered forward to take up the pursuit of the retreating Kurzemes Division and breakthrough to secure a bridgehead over the Dvina River at Daugavpils.
However, things were not going so smoothly in the 3rd Army’s centre and at Karsava the Latgales Division successfully drove off the 50th ‘Tamanskaya’ Division despite suffering heavy losses. They immediately attracted retribution from the Soviet air force, who launched a series of bombing and strafing attacks on their positions.

By the 13th August the leading units of the 22.Korpus had reached the banks of the Dvina River and had begun an assault on Jekabpils which would both secure them a bridgehead over the river and sever the last escape route for the Latvian troops trying to escape the pocket between the Soviet 3rd and 11th Armies. On the 14th The bridgehead was secure and the remaining Latvian units were trapped.
On the 16th the Latvians made a futile attempt to break out of the pocket and reach Riga, but were driven back by units of the Soviet 24. Korpus and surrendered on the 19th. The Latgales Division trapped in the Karsava Pocket were the last to lay down their arms on the 20th, after several days of heavy bombing by the Soviet air force.

Having overwhelmed and neutralised the last of the Latvian border troops, the attention on the Soviets turned towards the capture of Riga, the Latvian capital. The Soviet 29. Korpus had been on north bank of the river at Sigulda watching the city for days, but had been ordered to take a defensive stance whilst their comrades secured their river crossings further east.
However, with those crossings secured the Soviets were now moving to encircle the city. The intention was to isolate Riga from potential reinforcement by fresh units from their coastal defences and then overwhelm them with a massive assault by the entire 11. Armiya.

This plan was revised on the 28th August when Soviet bombers flying over the city reported that a large portion of the garrison had been withdrawn and was marching west to avoid the encirclement. They estimated that the Latvian had only left one corps of infantry in the city to defend it, and so the Soviets ordered the assault to begin immediately with the three corps that were then available.
This attack proved highly successful and the city surrendered after three days of fighting on the 31st August.
At sea the Soviet submarine fleet had continued to prey upon the Latvian merchant convoys inflicting heavy losses with the assistance of the Finnish Navy.

Date	Summary of Soviet Naval Reports from the Baltic Fleet
8th Aug	Sunk merchantman bound for Leipaja.
10th Aug	Sunk merchantman bound for Riga.
13th Aug	Sunk merchantman bound for Liepaja.
14th Aug	Sunk merchantman and escort bound for Liepaja.
23rd Aug	Sunk merchantman bound for Riga.
26th Aug	Sunk merchantman bound for Liepaja.
28th Aug	Sunk merchantman bound for Liepaja.
31st Aug	Sunk two merchantman bound for Riga.

In total the Soviet submarine fleet had sunk nine Latvian merchantmen and one convoy escort in the space of just three weeks since the start of the operation.

PRAVDA: September 1940 - Baltic Liberation

The Liberation of Latvia

The comrade workers of Latvia have been liberated from their pro-fascist overlords and returned to the freedom of the Soviet nation.

The heroes of the eleventh army have entered Riga, to cheering crowds of grateful workers just as they had entered Tallinn the month before.

Stalin himself has recognised the achievements of the eleventh army by bestowing the Order of the Red Banner on the Eleventh Army and the title of ‘Liberators of the Soviet People.’

Japan captures Midway

Japan continues to expand it's empire in the Pacific.
This month Japanese forces successfully invaded the American island of Midway, capturing its extensive port and airfields.
Japan has also landed troops on the Philippine Islands of Palawan and Calapan.

The Fascists expand their territory in North Africa.

German and Italian forces have continued to expand their territory in North Africa driving back the forces of the French imperialist army.

Italian Troops Reach the Suez Canal.

Having captured Cairo and Alexandria from the British earlier in the month the Italian Army has successfully reached the west bank of the Suez Canal effectively severing this vital shipping and supply route from the Mediterranean and Asia.

Axis Forces capture Athens and Salonica

Axis supported forces from Yugoslavia and Bulgaria have continued their attacks on Greece and have successfully occupied the northern part of the country including the cities of Athens and Salonica.

Chinese Warlords invade Burma.

The Chinese warlords of Yunnan supported by arms and ammunition supplied by their Japanese allies have invaded the eastern provinces British controlled Indian and the northern provinces of French Siam.

Brazil joins the Allies.

On the 5th August 1940 Brazil signed an alliance with the Allies joining them in the war against the AXIS pact.

Albania joins the AXIS Pact.

On the 31st August the Albanian government finally accepted the inevitable and joined the AXIS Pact in order to safeguard the national independence.

A new submarine joins the Red Banner Baltic Fleet.

Four years after she was ordered the Leninent Class submarine L-10 'Menzhinets' has finally been launched and has joined the Red Banner Baltic Fleet based at Hanko Island. This signifies a watershed in Soviet production in that all naval construction was originally suspended in favour of the production of support weapons for the Red Army.

The launch of another Series II L-Class submarine has been scheduled for later this month, and a Kiev Class destroyer in November.

However, production priority is still focussed on border defence and the expansion of the army.

STAVKA September 1940: Preparation for Operation Regulus

The meeting opened with a quick progress review of Operations Orion and Canopus.

Operation Orion

Operation Orion was still going according to plan, and Stalin expected the pro-Fascist Latvian government to surrender, or at least abandon power and run for relative safety in Germany within a few days.

Operation Canopus

Operation Canopus had not yet commenced but the troops assigned were moving steadily towards their start lines and the operation would commence as soon as they were in position.

The Molotov Defence Line.

‘Once we have Latvia under control’ Stalin instructed Molotov ‘we shall begin work on fortifying the Dvina River line. I want a level three fortified defence line all the way from the Baltic Coast to Vitsyebsk, and both Riga and the city of Vitsyebsk are to be fortified to level five.’

Molotov scribbled down the instructions without comment. ‘So what shall we call this new project comrade.’ Asked Stalin.

‘We already have a Stalin Line under construction in the east.’ Molotov noted without looking up.

‘So, perhaps we call this one the Molotov Line.’ Grinned Stalin ‘Then we are defending the Soviet Nation back to back. You in the west and myself in the east.’

And so the Molotov line was named.

What about Persia?

Molotov asked the question and Stalin hesitated before giving an answer. He was reluctant to divert yet more troops from the Northern and Southern Military Defence Districts to the Central Asian Front, especially as it took so long for them to get there even when using the strategic redeployment option.

However, he realised that if Persia was to be persuaded to join the Comintern then Soviet troops needed to start moving south now to avoid a delay once Operation Canopus was complete. If a decision was not made at this meeting then another month would pass and no troops would be en route to the Persian border.

He had considered simply re-assigning the divisions from Operation Canopus to the invasion of Persia, but recognised that to do so was to accept that there would be an inevitable delay whilst they were redeployed from Afghanistan to the Soviet-Persian border, and that was exactly what he wanted to avoid.

There was in fact no choice but to strip more divisions from the Northern and Southern Military Districts and having accepted the inevitable Stavka settled down to put together a plan.

Operation Regulus - The Invasion of Persia

Operational Plan

It had already been recognised by Soviet military planners that the terrain in Persia was a mixture of extremes. In the north-west and west its borders with the Soviet Union were protected by mountains and any attack from that direction on its capital city of Tehran would be difficult and easy to block.

However, in the north-east and east the Great Salt desert (Dasht-e Kavir) provided a large, relatively flat and open approach to Tehran from the east and a rapid route across the country to its ports on the Persian Gulf.

‘A two pronged attack then’ observed Stalin ‘A slow and painful one from Azerbaijan in the west, and a deep fast penetration from Turkmenistan across The Great Salt Desert.’

Force Plannning.

‘How many divisions will we need to assign?’

The military advisors studied the maps, did their calculations and announced that Operation Regulus would need 12 x Tank/Motor Rifle Divisions; 15 x Rifle Divisions and 3 x Spetsnaz (Mountain) Divisions)

Stalin studied the proposed deployments ‘You can’t have any Spetsnaz’ he commented pointing at the area of the Elburz Mountains close to the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea where the planners were proposing to use them. ‘Those we have are already committed to Operation Canopus, where they have an important offensive role and the role you have assigned them here is purely defensive and would be a waste of their talents. I’ll give you the 24th Army from the Stavka Reserve Front instead. Currently it only has four standard rifle divisions, which means it is weak, but it should be more than enough to stop the Persians pushing north into our territory.’

‘As far as the deep penetration role is concerned we will have to strip our Northern and Southern defence districts of all their remaining tank divisions to put together a force large enough to meet our needs.’ Stalin shrugged ‘But I agree, it needs at least twelve divisions if we are to achieve all our goals.’

‘Malinovski’s 9th Tank Army already has six divisions, and we shall withdraw the 8th and 15th Tank Corps from their current deployments in the North and re-assign them to the 9th to bring it up to the required strength.

‘We will also re-assign the 12th Army from the Reserve to the operation. It has eleven rifle divisions, which will hopefully be sufficient to achieve all the goals for the Azerbaijan front. If the Persians decide to fight they will be defending mountains and rivers, which will be awkward, but their main objective is Tabriz which is very close to the border. After that they merely need to keep the Persians occupied in the west until the 9th can take Tehran from the east.’

'It will leave Moscow defended by a single garrison division which isn’t ideal, but once Operation Orion is over we can redeploy some of those divisions to Moscow for well-deserved rest and re-organisation.'

'Finally I think we can withdraw the 10th Army from the Southern Front and have it provide support for the 9th Tank Army. It only has six divisions but that should be enough to protect the 9th’s line of supply.'

KomdArm Chuikov will be in overall command and the Operation will be co-ordinated by the HQ of the Transcaucasus Front.

Assigned Formations

Transcaucasus Front (Chuikov)

10 Armiya (Cherevichenko) 6 x Rifle Divisions.	Support 9 Tank Army
12 Armiya (Semenovski) 11 x Rifle Divisions.	Occupy Tabriz, push toward Tehran.
9 Tank Armiya (Malinovski) 12 x Tank/Motor Rifle Divisions	Tehran; Esfahan; Ahvaz and Bandar e 'Abbas.
24 Armiya (Tiulenev) 4 x Rifle Divisions	Defend Turkmenistan western border area.

The overall plan agreed the military staff immediately began drafting the orders that would strip yet more Soviet troops from the western Soviet border defences and set them on a march to the south.

What is wrong with the Allies?

Internal and defensive matters concluded the discussion turned to the situation in the wider world. The Soviets were still puzzled by the apparent inability of the Allied powers to stop the spread of the AXIS pact.

On paper the Allies were by far the stronger force, and according to the naval reports the AXIS were losing far more ships. But despite appearing to have the upper hand the AXIS continued to occupy more and more Allied territory. The list was embarrassing and Soviet intelligence were unable to provide a logical explanation for the Allied failures.

Soviet Intelligence Report: Summary of Naval Losses as at 1st September 1940

Navy	Battleships	Carriers	Battle Cruisers	Cruisers	Light CruisersC	Submarines
British Navy	1	-	-	2	1	-
German Navy	-	-	1	2	5	5
Italian Navy	5	-	-	6	11	5
Japanese Navy	-	-	-	5	3	-
US Navy	-	-	-	-	1	-
French Navy	-	-	-	-	-	1

‘My concern’ opined Stalin ‘Is that we are missing something. That there is some vital lesson to be learned from the Allied failures, and if we don't identify what it is we may suffer the same embarrassment as the capitalists if the fascists turn on us.’

‘I think we should take a look, and see if we can detect any clues. I am going to dispatch some of our submarines to the Mediterranean and the Eastern Pacific to see if they can spot any explanation.’

‘We will be sending them into harm’s way. It is a war zone.’ Noted Molotov.

‘It will be useful experience for our submarine commanders.’ Replied Stalin.

1940 September: Latvia returns to the Motherland

The Red Banner 11th Army occupied Riga on the 2nd September, and as predicted the pro-fascist Latvian government fled the city along with most of their rich capitalist lackeys and many of the senior Latvia army officers. Now leaderless the Latvia army laid down their arms and so there was no further fighting after the capture of the city and Latvia formerly returned to the motherland the next day.
Their mission complete the troops of the Red Banner 11th and 3rd Armies were immediately ordered to redeploy along the proposed Molotov Defence Line, and a schedule was prepared for work to begin on the construction of the fortifications.
The 5th Cavalry Corps was withdrawn to the Reserve Front where the intention was to retrain and re-equip it with the latest light tanks and add supporting engineer regiments. The eventually role envisaged for the 5th and 11th and 18th Cavalry Corps being to act as fast tank armies for rapid exploitation and penetration.

1940 September: A dark shadow grows in the west.

There was a ripple of concern amongst the Soviet high command on the 25th September when scouts on the South-Western Front reported that a German Tank Army had appeared on the border near Berezne.
At least three tank divisions had been identified including, most ominously, the Germans only heavy tank division which Soviet intelligence had reported a couple of months ago.

‘It is not coincidence that these tanks have appeared on our border, just as the last of our own have been withdrawn from the South West to participate in Operation Regulus.’ Growled Stalin ‘We must prepare ourselves for the worst.’

‘We could recall the 9th Tank Army from Regulus.’ Suggested Molotov.

Stalin paused considering the suggestion and then shook his head ‘No! No!....It is tempting but it would create a bad impression. We considered the risks when we sent them south, the decision was made knowing how the Germans might react. They have reacted as we expected. Now we deal with it. I don’t want Herr Hitler to think he can interfere with our plans simply by burning some petrol.

‘You think he is bluffing?’ Molotov asked.

‘I don’t know.’ Admitted Stalin ‘I suspect he is upset that we have ruined his plans for a Fascist Baltic Union. But whether he is angry enough to start a war with us?’ he shrugged.

‘What if he does and all our tanks are a month or more way to the south?’ Molotov asked.

‘Then our infantry will have to make sacrifice and suffer.’ Admitted Stalin ‘We can try to delay them at the Dnieper River long enough for our tanks to return. According to your estimates they only have eleven tank divisions and they can’t be everywhere at once. Where they are not we will counter-attack. It will be a chance to see how well our ‘Deep Battle’ strategy works in practice.’

Stalin ponders the information in the report again ‘Hopefully Herr Hitler is just bluffing. But I worry about those heavy tanks, it is a powerful piece to waste on a mere gesture. I think we will need to strengthen the South-Western Front. Re-assign the 3rd Army from the North-West to the South-West and make sure all the airfields in the area are being fully utilised. Move Air Divisions down from the north if they are not. The Red Banner 11th Army will have to defend the Molotov Line alone for the time being.’

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

This is a cause for concern. That the AI has decided to mass tanks on the Soviet border so soon after I sent all the Soviet Tank Divisions south could be a coincidence, or it could be a triggerred response. I could take comfort from my knowledge of history, and just assume that it's too early for Operation Barbarrossa to kick off. But quite apart from my house rule of not explioting my historical insight, the fact is that events in this game have been kicking off early. For example the war between Japan and the USA started seventeen months earlier than it did historically. So, this could be a trend, and I can't assume it isn't.

1940 September: Soviet Naval Reports

Pacific Fleet

Fleet Admiral Shapkin of the Red Banner Pacific Fleet sent a carefully worded report to Moscow on the 4th September. It read:

From: Fleet Admiral Shapkin (Fleet Kommander Red Banner Pacific Fleet –Vladivostok)

To: Fleet Admiral Isakov (People Kommissar of the Soviet Navy - Moscow.)

I regret to report that I am unable to comply with the orders I recently received from Stavka for submarine patrols in the Eastern Pacific around the islands of Midway and Hawaii.

The submarines currently under my command simply do not have the operational range necessary to reach the Eastern Pacific from the bases we have available to the Pacific fleet.

10 Podlodok Flot (10th Submarine Flotilla) commanded by KomFLot Pantelelev has three Shchuka-class boats which have an operational range of 6,000 nautical miles.  Theoretically they might be able to reach the Marshal Islands (mid-Pacific).  But in practice, having circumvented the Islands of Japan and assuming a reasonable fuel reserve would be necessary for patrolling and gathering intelligence, the furthest they could effectively operate is Saipan and the islands of the Marianas Chain.

11 Podlodok Flot (11th Submarine Flotilla) commanded by KomFlot Gorshkov has two Series II ‘Leninets’-class boats.  These are based on a British design, and have an operational range of under 4.500 nautical miles.  Consequently they are unable to patrol effectively beyond the Sea of Japan.

Stalin frowned and placed the report down on his desk ‘Who is responsible for this?’

Molotov who had already seen the report shuffled awkwardly ‘Nobody, Comrade Secretary. Or at least nobody who is still with us today. The plans for the expansion of the Soviet Fleet were made and implemented by Trotsky and would have been approved and implemented by Fleet Commander Orlov. These are decisions made before either of us were responsible or indeed Fleet Admiral Isakov. Even the ships currently nearing completion in the production schedule are projects initiated and carried forward from the time of the First Five Year plan.’

‘What idiot would order short range submarines for the Pacific Ocean.’ Snorted Stalin

‘Well to be fair our submarines have done remarkably well so far in the Baltic. They seem perfectly adequate for that sort of role.’ Ventured Molotov trying to lighten Stalin’s mood.

‘Nevertheless, I want a full report on the state of our submarine fleet ready for Stavka at the end of this month, and recommendations for what should be done to correct Trotsky’s mistake.’

Sighting Reports Pacific Fleet

Date	Source	Location	Report
0904	11 Flot		Detected radio traffic Japanese fleet, Sea of Japan. Naval base at Akita in use defended by one division.
0910	11 Flot		Japanese Carrier Fleet spotted sailing from Akita. Etmiated strength three light carriers plus escorts. Heading north towards Tsugaru Strait, presumed to be bound for the Pacific.
0930	10 Flot	Marianas Islands	Siapan defended by one Japanese garrison division. Nothing else to report.

Black Sea Fleet

9 Podlodok Flot (9th Submarine Flotilla) commanded by KomFlot Tributs has been re-based to the Turkish port of Izmir to extend its operational range as far as the Ionian Sea.

Date	Source	Location	Report
0903	9 Flot		Movement of large numbers of Bulgarian and German tropps south along the Aegean coast bound for southern greece. Estimate 30,000 men
0904	9 Flot		Deteched radio traffic from British Fleet. unable to determine strength or composition.
0905	9 Flot		Southern Italian Coastal defences Messina defended by Italian Army Group. Port of Messina is in use.
0913	9 Flot		Italian troops reported massing in the Messian region.
0914	9 Flot		Bulgarian troops have invaded southern greece.
0919	9 Flot		Italian Battleship and destroyer escort spotted off the coast of Messian heading for the Adriatic Sea.
0924	9 Flot		Italian Army Group including motorised divisions reported at Messina. Possible invasion force though no confirmation of troop transports at present.
0926	9 Flot		Yugoslavian invasion of Crete still in progress, however, a secondary landing may have been driven off by ships of the Greek navy.

Baltic and Northern Fleets

12 Podlodok Flot (12th Submarine Flotilla) commanded by KomFlot Golovko is dispatched from the Baltic Fleet to the English Channel with orders to gather intelligence on the readiness of the British to defend their homeland, and the of the Germans to invade it.

15 Podlodok Flot (15th Submarine Flotilla) Commanded by KomFlot Mannesko is dispatched from the Northern Fleet to scout the Norwegian Coast as far south as possible to warn of any build up of threat to Finland.

Date	Source	Location	Report
0907	15 Flot		Local fishermen report a German Army Group consisting of at least 30,000 men stationed in the Tromsø area. However, there were no reports of supporting ships or aircraft in the area.
0913	12 Flot		Dover Area reported to be defended by a corps of British Infantry plus six ships in Dover Harbour and supporting aircraft.
0915	12 Flot		Coastal defences further north appear practically non-existent local contacts report that Lowestoft is defended by a single Brazilian Division.
0918	12 Flot		The Royal Navy reacted to our presence off the Norfolk Coast by dispatching a naval patrol of their own but we were able to avoid contact. The opposite coast was occupied by an army of German mobile troops. There are German naval forces at Amsterdam and Antwerp. But for the moment the British appear to control the channel.

PRAVDA: October 1940 - British fight back.

Mainland Greece has been completely occupied by the fascist backed forces of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.
However, an attempt to launch a naval invasion of Crete has been less successful thanks to the intervention of the Greek Navy which is reported to have sunk at less one Yugoslavian Troop Convoy and left their comrades temporarily stranded on the beaches without support. Whether this marks a turning point in the war between the capitalists and fascists remains to be seen.

Allied Expansion in South America.

Following the intervention of the USA in the war against fascism the Allied powers have been putting considerable pressure on other governments in the America’s to join them in the war. Paraguay joined the Allies on the 3rd September, quickly followed by Venezuela on the 10th and latest reports from Britain indicate that Brazilian troops are already being deployed along to coast of the English Channel to defend England from possible German invasion.

Albania is mobilizing.

Having joined the AXIS last month the Albanians are mobilizing troops and are probably hoping to join the victorious AXIS forces rampaging through the Balkans.

AXIS tanks massing on the Soviet border.

On the 25th September the appearance of a German Tank Army on the Soviet western border resulted in the troops of the South Western Front being placed on high alert. Comrade Stalin has reviewed the potential threat and ordered the heroic 3rd Army to join the South Western Front fresh from their success in the liberation of Latvia.

The North African Campaign.

Axis forces continue to make territorial gains in French Algeria. German and Italian forces are driving along the coast and are likely to meet in days effectively severing all links between the French colonies and the Mediterranean Sea.
However, in Egypt the British have rallied and launched a counter-attack which has driven the Italian 10th Army away from the Suez Canal and recaptured both Cairo and Alexandria. Whether the British can maintain this pressure remains to be seen, especially as naval intelligence have reported the assembly of a fresh Italian Army at Messina, which may eventually be intended to reinforce their North African forces.

No change in Burma

Chinese forces are consolidating the new territories in Burma, but no further gains have been made in the last month, and the Allies have not been able to restore their original border.

Japan invades the Philippine mainland.

Japanese forces have launched a successful invasion of the Philippine mainland and have a established a beachhead effectively dividing the island in two.
Elsewhere in the Pacific no further Japanese expansion has been noted. Hawaii and Jarvis Island is still in American hands.

STAVKA October 1940: Messing about with boats.

October 1940 and the Soviet Union was temporarily at peace. The 4th Tank Army was still not in a position to begin Operation Canopus, and consequently the demand for consumer goods had risen as Soviet workers became complacent and eager to reap some reward for their labour and sacrifice. Military production had slowed, but until Operation Canopus was launched nothing could be done.

Moltov’s Submarine Report

‘I have the results of my investigation into the state of our submarine fleet here.’ Molotov announced ‘But before I report my findings I would like to remind everyone that the Navy has been deliberately ignored since the First Five Year Plan in 1928. This is in fact the first time we have looked at the state of the Soviet Navy since, and none of us around this table had any part in the decisions made at that time and cannot be held responsible for the current situation.’

Stalin interrupted ‘Alright Mikael you have made your point. If I promise not to have anybody shot as result of your report. Least of all the messenger, can we please get on?’ There was a ripple of nervous laughter round the table. Molotov begun to chuckle and then stifled it by nervously clearing his throat when he realised that Stalin might not be joking.

‘Ha-hrm! Of course Comrade Secretary.’ Molotov still looked concerned ‘Well the situation is complicated. We found very little consistency in the design or specification of our current submarine fleet. In fact, to compile this report we had to inspect the maintenance records of each of our current boats separately.’

‘Every boat is different?’ queried Stalin

‘No!’ answered Molotov ‘Not every boat. But the specification cannot be assumed just by looking at the Class prefix of its number, its Model/Design Number, or even by specification issued to its Production Project. There are a number of exceptions as you can see from the report.’

‘Why?’ demanded Stalin.

‘Well every exception has a story. But the common explanation is expediency.’ noted Molotov. ‘During the First Five Year Plan there was a lot of pressure on our shipyards to deliver submarines quickly, and to meet their quotas. But there were occasional shortages of components, and so alternatives were substituted, as a last resort, to complete a boat and meet a deadline.

Hence submarine L8, despite being a Lenin-Class boat, based on the Series II+* design and produced as part of Project 2 was fitted with a spare AG-Class power plant and only has an 800km Operating range. Less than half that of its sister ships in the same Class, Series and Project.

ShCh-201 of the Black Sea Fleet has a similar story.

Project V called for six Scuka (Pike) Class boats to be built. Three for the Pacific Fleet and three for the Black Sea Fleet. But the project was suspended in 1932 when the First Five Year plan was terminated. The three boats for the Pacific Fleet ShCh121; ShCh122 and ShCh123 had been completed. But only the hull of ShCh201 had been delivered to the Black Sea Fleet. So, the shipyards completed it using whatever components they had on hand, and so it too has an AG Class power plant and an operational range of 800Km instead of the 2,600km specified.

Stalin frowned ‘So what you are telling me is that managers in our shipyards have been stealing components to make up their work quotas. Didn’t you pass a law stating that stealing materials from a state project was punishable by death.’

Molotov squirmed nervously ‘It’s hardly the same thing.’ He suggested ‘The Law of Spielets was intended to prevent workers making a personal profit from selling off state assets. This is more a case of workers using their initiative to deliver a useful product from what would otherwise have been wasted. They should perhaps be rewarded for their ingenuity rather than punished.’

Stalin did not look convinced, but allowed the matter to drop. ‘So, what is your conclusion from all this research?’

‘Well we currently have 22 submarines in active service and will have 23 once the last L-class boat is launched next month. That will make our submarine fleet the largest in the world.’

‘Except that it’s cobbled together from a load of spare parts.’ Mumbled Stalin just to be annoying.

Molotov frowned but continued with his report. ‘Given that our main concern was operational range, I have analysed the power plant performance of every boat and have provided a list of every boat with the same range.

Operating Range	Boats in this Group
800km	A1; A2; A3; AG11; AG12; AG13; AG126; AG127; ShCh201; L8; L9
1,700km	L1; L2; L3; L4; L5; L6; L7; L10 plus L11 (in production)
2,600km	ShCh121; ShCh122; ShCh123

‘As you can see, there are three groups.'

Group/Type	Range	History
A-Group	800km	Boats fitted with a power-plant based on the early American Holland Class design. There are eleven boats fitted with this engine, representing half our current fleet.
L-Group	1,700km	Boats fitted with a power plant based upon a British design. Eight of our boats have been fitted with this engine.
ShCh-Group	2,600km	Boats fitted with a power plant based of our own design, but production was abandoned at the end of the First Five Year Plan, and the design and its designers are no longer with us. Only three boats were ever fitted with the engine.

‘So do we no longer have the ability to manufacture this S-Group engine?’ asked Stalin.

‘Regrettably not Comrade Secretary.’ admitted Molotov ‘The specifications disappeared and it seems that the investigation by the NKVD was somewhat heavy handed in its approach. None of the Engineers involved in the project survived.’

Stalin was silent for a moment contemplating the information ‘Did I order that?’ he finally asked.

‘No Comrade Secretary, as I said this was before our time.’ Replied Molotov.

‘Idiots!’ Stalin exclaimed thumping the table ‘Do we know which of our enemies have the plans?’

‘Not yet! Comrade Secretary.’

Stalin shrugged ‘The milk has been spilt, we must live without the cheese. Perhaps, once the army has enough officers, we can have our engineers look at one of the ShCh boats and re-invent the wheel.’

Sorting out the mess.

After reviewing the Molotov’s findings in more detail the following decisions were made:

Reclassification of Submarines and roles.

Directive-1	All submarines to be assigned a new pennant number based upon their operating range and intended role. Group A: Attack Submarines Pennant Prefix A Group L: Patrol Submarines Pennant Prefix L Group ShCh: Hunter Submarines Pennant Prefix ShCh
Directive-2	Submarine Flotilla's are to be role specific. Every submarine flotilla will be assigned a role based upon the type of submarine assigned to it, and flotilla numbers will be prefixed by A (Attack); L (Patrol) or S (Hunter) to denote this role and ease identification of their primary mission.
Directive-3	Any Attack Flotillas based with the Northern and Pacific Fleets will be transferred to the Baltic or Black Sea, and replaced with Patrol Flotilla’s to provide the former with submarines that have the longest operating ranges possible.
Directive-4	Soviet research will investigate the design of the ShCh long range power plants as soon as possible.

Historical Note.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Whilst Molotov's submarine report accurately reflects the situation in the game, I could find no evidence that the situation in the game is based on historical fact.

According to Soviet submarine records for WW2, the Soviets actually made extensive use of the ShCh or 'Pike' class submarine, which was by far the most popular Soviet submarine design of the war and over 33 were built by 1945. Therefore, the explanation and facts reported by Molotov above are entirely fictional and have been invented by me to justify an a-historic situation in the game.

I am not even certain if it is practical in an engineering sense to fit non-standard engine components into a submarine hull for which they were not originally designed.

So, whilst every effort has been made to use historical facts as the basis for this AAR, this is definitely NOT one of those occasions.

STAVKA October 1940: Officer Recruitment

Molotov reported that the Red Army still needed another 5,751 officers. But that recruitment was reducing this deficit by over 2,000 per month. He therefore predicted that the officer shortage would be resolved by the end of this year.

‘I’m sorry Mikael, but I think I’m going to have to ruin your calculations again.’ Stalin explained ‘With those German heavy tanks poised on our border I think I would be happier if our engineers were making at least some progress towards the delivery of those new T34 tanks they were working on.’

‘I think we must re-establish at least a few of the projects that we suspended in January, just to keep them ticking over and focussed on new idea’s and innovations. By not researching anything at all we are allowing our accumulated knowledge of these subjects to decay.’

Molotov scribbled a few calculations. ‘If we were to re-establish the four armour projects this month. The loss of leadership will add about a month to the resolution of the officer crisis.’

‘And when would the tank research deliver its results?’ asked Stalin

‘Probably by February 1941, if the work is prioritised and not interrupted.’ replied Moltov. There was a hint of accusation in Molotov's tone, that Stalin pretended not to notice.

‘Then let’s do it decided Stalin. I really wanted those T34’s before 1941, but February is better than nothing.

The Dubrouna Gap

‘Comrades, although Operation Orion has secured us the natural defences of the Dvina River to enhance our new Molotov Line and protect our North-Western Front, and the Dnieper River provides similar potential for much of the South-Western Front. There is a gap, here between the cities of Vitsyebsk and Smolensk’ Stalin pointed to the spot on the map laid before them. 'It is close to where General Bagration made his heroic stand against Napoleon in 1812, and it is likely to be an objective for anyone invading the Motherland from the west and heading for Moskva.'
More importantly it was where Stalin would have ordered his tanks to attack if he were invading the Soviet Union, as it relied upon the same strategy of avoiding river crossings and close terrain that he had employed successfully in Turkey, and was hoping to use in Afghanistan and Persia. He naturally assumed that anyone else using fast tank tactics would adopt the same strategy and find the gap at Dubrouna an irresistable target.

‘I do not propose to block this gap.’ Stalin announced smugly ‘But rather to turn it into a trap. He paused for effect and looked at the faces round the table expecting perhaps to see admiration for his brilliance, but he was dissapointed.

'We will let the enemy charge their tanks into it. But we will block the way out with a new line of fortification I have called the Lenin Line her.’ He pointed to a short line running from behind Smolensk to Vitsyebsk. 'Both Vitsyebsk and Smolensk will be turned into defensive strongpoints and each will be held by one of the new NKVD defence corps. Whilst the Molotov and Voroshilov lines will be defended by our rifle divisions.’

‘If an enemy takes the bait and charges into the trap, our aim will be to block them at the Lenin Line, and squeeze in behind them from the Molotov and Voroshilov lines deploying our own tank armies to deal with any breakthroughs and exploit any penetrations.’ Stalin jabbed the map repeatedly to reinforce his point, even now imagining the decisive victory his genius would deliver at Dubrouna.
Molotov studied the map and recognised that the plan might work, provided an enemy was co-operative. But it also meant that any counter-attack from the Molotov or Voroshilvo Lines would have to begin with a river crossing, across the same rivers that Stalin was confident an enemy would be too afraid to attack.

It seemed to him that Stalin was gambling a lot on this one epic battle, he was putting all his chips on red and expecting the ball to drop where he predicted it would. But then Molotov had no brilliant alternative to suggest, and to point out the obvious when Stalin was clearly excited about his plan would not be prudent.

In fact, it was only Stalin's prediction of this as yet undeclared war made in 1931 that had led to the last four years of Soviet innovation and growth. So, as was often the case he kept quiet, perhaps there will be no war, and then it will not matter where we dig.

1940 October: Fleet Manoeuvres

Within days of the Stavka directives paint bushes were out and applying the necessary changes to the pennant numbers of the Soviet submarines affected.

However, whether it was Stalin's intention or not, the submarine commanders were reluctant to change the actual number of their boat. Therefore, ShCh-201 changed its prefix to A, to reflect the fact that it only had an operational range of 800km, and had therefore been re-designated an attack submarine, but it kept its old number becoming A201. Even though there were only eleven subs in that role.

Stalin's directive had not ordered them to change their pennant numbers, and so they didn’t.

Likewise a number of submarine flotilla’s were assigned to new fleets following the Stavka meeting and began their long sea voyages to join their new fleet commands.

KomFlot Gorshkov’s renumbered A11 Pod.Flot, which was patrolling the Sea of Japan as part of the Pacific Fleet, began its long journey to join The Black Sea fleet, where its short range boats would be more effective. They were replaced by KomFlot Stepanov’s L14 Pod.Flot from the Baltic Fleet, providing the Pacific fleet with boats that had over twice the range.

Likewise Pod.Flot A7 was transferred from the Northern Fleet to the Baltic, and this flotilla was replaced with two submarines L1 and L10, which made their way independently to the Northern Fleet where they would form a new Patrol Flotilla.

L1 had been withdrawn from an assignment with a flotilla of A class boats in the Baltic, whilst L10 was the newly built boat which had been awaiting assignment at Hanko.

This re-organisation would eventually result in the following Soviet submarine deployment.

The Lenin Line and bolstering of defences in the west.

Stalin also scheduled the production of fifteen more NKVD city defence divisions, to be organised in five corps of three divisions and assigned specifically to key cities on along the Soviet Western boarder including Riga; Minsk; Vitebsk; Smolensk and Kiev.

These new divisions were slightly different to those ordered for the Far Eastern Front in that they were assigned a regiment of anti-tank guns rather than artillery. The intention being that they would blunt any enemy tank penetration and act as a focal point for local Soviet counter-attacks.

Last minute changes for the 15th Spetsnaz Armiya.

Having settled in their positions on the start line for Operation Canopus the commander of 15 Spetsnaz Armiya (Komdarm Gorelen) probably thought he could relax slightly until the 4th Mek.Armiya were ready to begin their attack.

Unfortunately, back in Moscow Stalin had just left another Stavka Tactical Review meeting, which after protracted discussion had concluded that the optimum force composition of a Soviet Spetsnaz Division should not include supporting artillery. (The logic being that in mountainous terrain the riflemen would merely be hampered by having to drag heavy artillery pieces around with them.)

The debate was still ongoing about whether the artillery should be replaced with something else, but Stalin had decided not to wait, but to withdraw all existing artillery regiments from Spetsnaz Divisions.

There were actually six artillery regiments attached to the 15th Spetznaz Armiya, four of them to the divisions in Spetsnaz Del’niy Vostock, and these now had to be detached and returned to the Reserve Front for re-assignment. The arrival of this Stalin directive ended any hope of relaxation for KomdArm Gorelen as he set about re-organising his command and dispatching his guns northward. Having already lost command of the North-West Front for being indecisive he was determined not to appear so in his new command.

Two regiments were immediately re-assigned to the 33rd Rifle Korpus currently stationed on the border with Persia waiting to participate in Operation Regulus. The other four were ordered to return to Moscow and join the Reserve Army for later assignment.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

There is an ongoing debate about the best division composition for mountain troops in HOI3. Personally, I don't think there is any single right answer, however, my divisions do tend to be used specifically for areas of difficult terrain and so I have decided that artillery are a hinderance despite their obvious firepower advantages.

Removing them from their existing divisions was a tricky exercise, which involvesd detaching divisions from corps, splitting them to create a new unit, then moving everything back where it came from except the artillery. What you end up with is a temporary division with nothing in it but artillery, which you can then move where you want it to go.

1940 October: Operation Canopus has finally commenced.

On the Friday the 11th October KomdArm Berzarin confirmed that the 4 Mek Armiya was finally in position and ready to begin the invasion of Afghanistan. The order was given that the operation would begin at midnight on the morning of Saturday 12th October.
However, not all of the troops were to take part in the opening attacks as KomdArm Federenko the commander of Central Asian Front wanted to minimise combat casualties on both sides by using deep battle strategy to isolate and invest large sections of the Afghan Royal Army and neutralise rather than destroy them.

To this end at the western end of the front Spetsnaz Kavazskiy and Spetsnaz Del’niy Vostok were ordered to hold their positions, whilst Spetsnaz Sibirskiy broke through the enemy border defences and moved to encircle the defenders opposite their positions.

Whilst on the east of the Front the 4 Mek Armiya and Spetsnaz Turkestan were ordered to advance and begin the thrust towards Kabul. The Afghans on this front were already beginning to pull their militia back from the border perhaps aware of the impending attack, and so the Soviets initial objectives in the east were undefended.
The first shots were fired within an hour of the start of the operation, when soldiers from Spetsnaz Sibirskiy encountered elements of the Herat Militia defending Qal’eh ye Now. However, it was immediately apparent that the Afghans were not fully mobilised or organised for battle and they were easily swept aside. Within four hours the Herat Militia were in full retreat leaving 210 men dead on the field, whilst the Spetsnaz lost just 5 men.
In the East first contact was made at 3am on the 13th October by the 83rd Mountain Division of Spetsnaz Turkestan who intercepted elements of the Jalalabad Militia withdrawing from Ishkashim. Once again the Afghans were found to be ill-prepared for battle. Nevertheless, they put up a protracting running resistance which lasted for over thirty hours and left 24 Soviets and 162 Afghans dead.

On the 19th lead elements of Spetsnaz Sibirskiy occupied Taimani displacing the headquarters of the Afghan Royal Army commander and effectively severing the main line of communication between Kabul and Herat.
The 4th Mek.Armiya meanwhile had got off to a slow start, their movements frustrated by both the ground and the weather. However, on the 29th October the 84th Tank Division commanded by KomDiv Glazunov managed to reach Khanabad where it engaged the Herat Cavalry Division of the Royal Army. This was the first Afghan regular division the Soviet had encountered and was far more prepared for battle than the militia units they had met earlier. The battle was destined to last nearly two days and cost the lives of 24 Soviet soldiers and 242 Afghans.
Progress during the opening weeks of Operation Canopus has not been as great as hoped, and certainly not as dramatic as Operation Sirius where these same tanks had made massive advances in a few days.

PRAVDA November 1940: The Allies fight back.

Imperialism spreads in South America and Australasia.

This month has witnessed a number of governments signing agreements with Allied Imperial Alliance.
In South America domination by the USA has encouraged both Mexico and Honduras to join them in the Allied cause.
Whilst in the Pacific both New Zealand and Australia have now been forced to join the Allies as security against the threat of Japanese aggression.

Yugoslavian Fascist troops occupy Crete.

Despite last months successful interception of a troop convoy by the Greek Navy and the naval dominance of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean, Yugoslavian troops have managed to secure the island of Crete and forced the surrender of the Greek government to the Fascists.

The War at Sea.

Soviet intelligence continues to report heavy AXIS naval losses in their war against the Allied powers.

Summary of Naval Losses to 31 October 1940

Ship Class	Axis	Allied	Comintern
Battleships & Battle Cruisers	6	1	-
Aircraft Carriers	-	-	-
Heavy Cruisers	13	5	-
Light Cruisers	1	-	-
Destroyers	23	13	-
Troop Ships & Landing Craft	22	4	1
Submarines	10	1	-

This table confirms the huge price the AXIS are paying in ships for their expansionist strategy. Particularly in troop ships which must be hinering their ability to move troops and supplies.

Nevertheless the AXIS still seem able to get their supply and troop convoys through, and as in the case of the recent invasion of Crete, they seem able to maintain offensive overseas operations despite their lack of naval dominance.

The invasion of Afghanistan

Soviet troops have crossed the border into Afghanistan this month. Our intention being to remove the corrupt pro-Fascist Afghan Royal family from power and establish a peoples government willing to support the ideals of international communism.

The British finally fight back.

In Egypt imperial British forces have finally managed to rally and drive the Italians away from the banks of the Suez Canal and back to the Tunisian border. The cities of Cairo and Alexandria are now back in British hands.
In the west the Axis thrust into French Algeria has run out of impetus just short of securing the final French coast province which would have allowed them to link up along the North African coast.

Japanese expansion halted in the Pacific.

In the Pacific the Japanese drive eastwards has stalled, and at least for the time being, Hawaii remains under US control.
However, their ground forces continue to make good progress in the occupation of the Philippines.

British stabilise the situation in Burma.

In Burma further advances by the Chinese warlords into India and Siam seem to have been blocked. Though the territory overrun last month remains in their hands.

STAVKA November 1940: Never interrupt an enemy if he is making a mistake.

The Stavka in November was another occasion when the Soviet high command found itself with little to discuss.

Operation Canopus was ongoing and there was nothing critical to consider about its progress.

Operation Regulus had not yet begun but the troops assigned to it were deploying on their assigned start lines and no changes to the plan were necessary.

The war between the Axis powers and the Allies whilst interesting was not currently a major concern of the Soviet Union. Reminded of Napoleons advice that 'one should never interrupt an enemy when he is making a mistake', Stalin was content to sit back and monitor the events of the war whilst avoiding any intervention in it.

This month’s report that the Allies had rallied in North Africa and were fighting back against Axis expansion was considered positive by Stalin as he assumed that this would distract Herr Hitler from any thoughts of invading the Soviet Union and divert more Axis troops to North Africa.

That would buy more time for Soviet engineers to perfect the new T34 tank chassis so that he could upgrade his armour, and for Soviet workers to build the fortifications needed to deter such an attack or block it when it comes.

His only real concern at this point was that one of his enemies would begin to grow much stronger at the expense of the other. He was therefore concerned by the early success of the Axis expansion in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific, and he was equally concerned about the growing Allied support in South America and Australasia.

He did not want the war between the Axis and Allies to end with the Soviet Union facing one unified enemy rather than two that had major issues and distractions elsewhere. Therefore, Soviet strategy at this point was to prepare for a major war with either the Axis or Allies, whilst doing nothing to provoke it.

Stalin was also aware of the advice of Sun Tzu that 'Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.' The outcome of any war with the Axis or Allies would be uncertain and so he was content to let them fight each other whilst the Soviets quietly gathered their strength on the sidelines.

1940 November: Afghan Royal Guard surrenders Herat

Operation Canopus continues according to plan in Afghanistan. The only slight disappointment being that the 4th Mechanised Army has failed to deliver the same high speed performance that it did in Turkey.

The reason for this is not clear, but is probably a consequence of the poor infrastructure in Afghanistan and the appalling weather which has turned the few useful roads into muddy tracks that constantly bog down their tanks and vehicles.
However, the 15th Spetsnaz Army have more than made up for the difficulties being experienced by their armoured comrades. These light infantry units who were stripped of the heavy artillery that might have slowed them down by Stalin just before the start of the operation have shown the advantage that determined men on foot can achieve when the terrain does not suit heavy infantry and wheeled transport.

KomdArm Gorelen has given the men of the 15th no respite, delays were not tolerated, excuses were not accepted. Gorelen was determined that Stalin would have no cause to accuse him of lacking drive and aggression again. He had lost his command of the North Western Front after the war with Finland and now he had something to prove, and it showed in the achievements of the men under his command.

By the 8th November Spetsnaz Sibirskiy had completely encircled and isolated Herat, and were also pushing eastwards towards Kabul. A belated attempt by the Afghan Royal Guard to prevent the Moldavskaya Rifle Division severing its last supply routes through Shindand was easily driven off, and two days later the Afghan Royal Guard laid down their weapons and surrendered the city.
Further east troops from Spetsnaz Turkestan were pushing south towards Kabul and driving pockets of resistance from Afghan Militia ahead of them.
By the end of the month the last of the Afghan border defence divisions have either surrendered or been isolated and all that remains is for the 4th Mek Armiya to complete its encirclement of Kabul before the final assault on the Afghan capital.

PRAVDA December 1940: The Philippine Islands surrender.

On Thursday 28th November the last American forces on the Philippine Islands surrendered to the Japanese. The Philippine Islands are now part of the Imperial Japanese Empire.
The American Empire has now lost all of its Pacific Island colonies except the Hawaiian Islands. Jarvis Island having been overrun earlier in the month.

The Afghan Peoples Revolution.

In Afghanistan Soviet forces have defeated the Royal Guard of the self-styled King of Afghanistan Mohammed Zahir Shah and it is believed that he has since fled the country and taken refuge with his imperialist friends in India.

Now that they are free of Imperialist oppression the Afghan people have begun to rally to the cause of the workers revolution and the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan are growing in strength daily.

British consolidate their defences at Tobruk.

The British is North Africa have made further small territorial gain to consolidate their defences around Tobruk.

French Algeria falls to the Axis.

In Algeria the Axis forces from Germany and Italy have finally completed their invasion of the coastal provinces effectively severing all links between the French African colonies and the Mediterranean Coast.

STAVKA December 1940: The eye of the storm.

The Stakva in early December 1940 consisted mainly of a briefing by Stalin on the state of the world.

'The Imperialists and Fascists are spreading war and destruction around the world in pursuit of their selfish ambitions. It will only be a matter of time before their greed brings them into direct conflict with the Soviet people. Their leaders cannot tolerate the existence of a world where workers hold the power to determine their own future.'

Stalin repeated his prediction from 1931 that the Soviet nation was under threat of imminent attack and surrounded by enemies. ‘We must be ready to defend ourselves wherever and whenever they come. But at the moment I see the biggest threat to be from Germany and their Axis lackeys.

If Germany manages to defeat the British, then they may chose to attack us next, either from Poland or through Scandinavia. Likewise if the Japanese continue to dominate the American’s they may choose to repeat their invasion of Siberia and occupation of Vladivostok. Therefore, we must be vigilant and prepare for war, even though we don’t know from where or when it will come.’

Molotov reported that the first five NKVD Internal Defence Division had been mobilised and had been deployed in defence of Vladivostok and the southern tip of the Stalin Defence Line. Leadership of these divisions had been selected from the second tier and reservist officer cadre, commonly referred to as the ‘Old Guard’.

Molotov Also confirmed that the Gnevny-class destroyer Bodry ('Brisk) had been launched from the Marti Yard in the Black Sea on the 12th November and had joined The Black Sea Fleet.


The meeting ended early and only Molotov remained behind.

'Do you really think the Germans will attack us?' he asked once he and Stalin were alone.

‘I doubt it.’ Stalin replied ‘But it’s useful to let the people believe it. A common enemy ensures their compliance, and silences dissent amongst the masses.’

Stalin took another pull on his pipe. ‘Truly, we are surrounded by enemies, and any one of them might decide to attack us. But it is hard to persuade a miner that he has to dig faster on the basis of a threat as vague as that. Herr Hitler and his heavy tanks hovering on our borders does us a favour, providing a much more menacing and immediate danger to motivate our people. In truth he would be a fool to actually attack us. He is already fighting a war against two of the most powerful capitalist nations in the world, and until he has beaten them why would he chose to start a war with us?'

'No! Mikael, I don’t believe the Germans will attack. In fact, I think the Germans are worried that we might attack them. That is why Herr Hitler is sending tanks to our borders, he lets us know he is prepared to defend himself. To deter us from becoming too ambitious. My only surprise is that Herr Ribbentrop is not banging on our door now with offers of friendship and glory to buy our support and compliance. When he does remind him that he still owes us half of Poland.' Stalin grinned.

‘And will we attack them?’ asked Molotov.

Stalin considered the question ‘Perhaps!’ he eventually admitted ‘When the time is right. We ought to liberate our comrades in Poland. But we are not ready yet.'

'Get me those T34 tanks, and let us secure our borders then we shall see. What we must not do is allow the Allies to win the war. I don’t want the British on our borders, or the Americans off our coast.'

1940 December: Oh! The Roads

For the Soviet soldiers of the 4th Mek.Armiya, December in Afghanistan was a war against nature more than a war against the Afghans.

The roads had now become rivers of frozen mud, strong enough to tear the tracks off tanks and deep enough to swallow vehicles up to their axles. Nevertheless, the orders were uncompromising ‘Keep Going! Clear the Road! Move! Move!’

Many questioned why it was still necessary to encircle Kabul, scouts reported the city deserted, the Afghan army seemed to have lost the will to fight. So, why not just march in and take it directly and forget the long encircling march. But though the question was posed many times the answer was just as uncompromising as their orders ‘stick to the plan.’

And so they struggled on through the mud and ice.

Things actually got easier once they cleared the frozen foothills of the northern Hindu Kush and began to emerge onto the plateau region to the south west of Kabul. The hills and mountains were just as steep (plateau being a relative term it seems) and the roads were just as treacherous, but at least they were no longer frozen and the tanks of the 4th began to make better progress.

On Wednesday 4th December the 87th tank regiment leading the column moving around the west of Kabul encountered Afghan cavalry from the Herat Cavalry Division supported by small pockets of Afghan a militia guarding the supply lines out of the Afghan capital through Ghazni.

A prolonged three day battle began between the Soviet light tanks and the Afghan cavalry before the supply line was eventually cut and the province brought under Soviet control. The Afghan cavalry retreating to the south-west whilst the militia returned to the homes in the city.

The following Tuesday a strange encounter occurred further west when scouting detachments from the 3rd Spetsnaz Division mounted on locally requisitions horses ran into a detachment of the Afghan Royal Guard escorting the King of Afghanistan to safety through Kandahar.
A two hour chase ensured as the Soviets tried to prevent the enemy leaders escape, but it was clear that the Royal Guard were riding far better horses than the Soviets had managed to steal and the King and his bodyguards manged to escape to the south east.
On Saturday 14th December the two columns encircling Kabul from the west and east met in Jalalabad and the city was finally isolated. The long awaited attack on the city began almost immediately with the 26th Mek.Korpus to the north of the city ordered to provide the main thrust.
However, in a pattern which had become typical during this operation it was the 15th Spetsnaz Armiya who were the first to arrive and begin the attack. KomdArm Gorelen still pursuing his goal of appearing decisive and aggressive had ordered all of his units close to the city to support the attack of the 26th and with their lighter equipment it was the men of the 60th Special Mountain Rifle Division who reached the suburbs of the city first and began the assault. The defence at that time only consisted of remnants of the Kandahar Militia and the 60th easily overran them and began moving into the city.
The main attack by the 26th Mek was to commence 12 days later on the 26th with tanks and motorised infantry of the corps moving into the city en-masse to take control and accept the cities formal surrender from the Yunus Khan the commander of the Afghan Kandahar Army.

The Soviets are still not in full control of Kabul and isolated pockets of resistance continue to flair up, but essentially the goals of Operation Canopus have been achieved and the Soviets are now in the process of installing a co-operative communist regime in the country.

PRAVDA January 1941: Japanese Blitzkrieg in the Pacific.

Last month the Japanese launched a massive blitzkrieg style operation in the Pacific which appears to be focused on the elimination all British influence in the region.
Malaya has been overrun, and the British naval base at Singapore is under siege.
Japanese forces have also landed in Borneo, whilst further west the Japanese launched a major long range naval invasion which has landed troops at the Australian colonies of New Britain and New Guinea in the Solomon Islands, and has struck further south to land troops at Aukland on the allied island of New Zealand.

USA retake Midway and Wake.

In the central pacific the USA have managed to retake their major naval and air bases on Midway Island and Wake Island.

British offensive in Libya.

In North Africa the British are still on the offensive and gaining ground against the Italians in Libya. Whether this will continue now that the German Africa Corps have linked up with the Italians in Algeria remains to be seen.

STAVKA January 1941: Shuffling the deck.

Revised Front Boundaries

Fresh orders have been issued to the Marshals commanding the Northern and Southern Military Districts outlining the new Front Boundaries and within their commands. These adjustments take into account the changes created to the Soviet boundaries by the recent liberation of Finland, Turkey and the Baltic States.

Northern Military District

The Northern Military District has been expanded to encompass all the newly acquired territory in Finland and the Baltic States. It will be divided into three fronts.


Northern Front – Responsible for the defense of the Karelian Peninsula, Finland, the Scandinavian border with Norway and Sweden and the Baltic and Northern Coast including the ports of Helsinki; Hanko; Oulu, Murmansk and Arkangel.

North-West Front – Responsible for the defense of the Soviet frontier with Lithuania and the Baltic Coast from Riga to Leningrad including the defense of the Molotov Line, Riga and Leningrad.

Western Front – Responsible for the defense of the Soviet border between the Pripet Marshes and the Molotov Line.

Southern Military District

The Southern Military District has been expanded to encompass the newly acquired territory in Turkey and will be divided into two fronts.


South-Western Front – Responsible for the defense of the Soviet Border between the Pripet Marshes in the north to the Black Sea together with the defense of the northern coast of the Black sea and the naval base at Sevastopol.

Southern Front – The defense of Turkey including Istanbul, the Bosporus Strait and the Dardanelles. His Front will also be responsible for the defense of all Soviet naval bases established on the Mediterranean coast and the border with Syria and Iraq.

Front Commanders

Changes have been made in Front Commanders to reflect the revised importance of the two central western fronts (South-West Front and North-West Front) and the rising threat on the Far Eastern Front.

Front	Appointed Commander	Skill Level
Western	Chuikov	6
South-Western	Zhukov	5
Southern	Konev	5
North-Western	Zakharov	5
Northern	Gastilovich	5
Transcaucasus	Tolbukhin	4
Central-Asia	Sokolovski	4
Trans-Baikal	Reiter	4
Far-East	Fedorenko	4
Reserve	Vassilevskij	4

As a result all Front Commanders (Army Groups) are now commanded by officers with a skill level of 4 or greater, and the fronts protecting the shortest routes to Moscow are commanded by the most skilled commanders in the Red Army.

Soviet Red Army Commands

There was also a major reshuffle of Army and Corps command which is too complicated to detail in full, but which, resulted in a situation where:

1. All Army Commander have are Skill level 3 or 4,
2. All Corps Commander are Skill 3,
3. All Red Army Division Commanders are Skill 2 or 3

Army Commanders

Corps Commanders

The new NKVD Defence Divisions are being assigned commanders from the Old Guard and reserve list, primarily to keep as many of the younger officers free for more active assignments. But this policy may change later particularly for Defence Divisions guarding sensitive locations.

On a more detailed note Gorelen the commander of the 15.Spetsnaz Armiya, and former commander of the North-West Front, who had tried so hard to impress Stalin during Operation Canopus kept his Army Command, but failed to win promotion back to Front Command.

Much to his frustration two of his subordinate Corps Commanders were promoted to Army Command, and Reiter a former Corps Commander durring Operation Polaris secured Front Command of the Trans-Baikal.

1941-1946: The Third Five Year Plan

Having completed their review of the existing military organisation the attention of the Soviet leadership now turned to the long term development of the Soviet Union over the next five years.

Industrial Capacity

Country	Base IC	Productive IC
USA	331	579
Soviet	199	268
UK	161	265
Germany	147	249
Japan	116	197

Stalin stared at the table for some time and frowned. 'The Americans have increased their industrial capacity by 75 since 1936.' he noted. Molotov nodded. 'and we have increased our industrial capacity by 37 over the same period.' Molotov swallowed nervously. Stalin slammed his fist on the table 'Not good enough! he growled 'We must treble our industrial development programme. I want to see plans for 120 new factories included in this five year plan.

'Yes, Comrade Secretary.' Molotov avoided Stalin's glare.

Defence Review

The Soviet defence review began with the usual assessment of each Front's readiness to defend its assigned sector. The assessment was based upon the length of the border it must defend, and the number of key locations (ports, cities and airbases) that it must garrison.

Front	Locations	Div. Needed	Div. Available	Shortfall
Northern	18	72	19	53
North-Western	24	96	27	69
Western	13	52	12	40
South-Western	25	100	18	82
Southern	23	92	20	72
Central Asian	11	44	32	12
TransCaucasian	13	52	34	18
TransBaikal	6	24	36	-12
Far Eastern	13	52	34	18

The number of divisions needed is based upon an optimum of four divisions per defence sector, ensuring a combat width of 12 defending every location. This being considered the preference for an effective defence. Note: The TranBaikal Front is currently over allocated with troops as it is about to launch Operation Regulus and invade Persia.

'How many new divisions do we have scheduled?' asked Stalin. Molotov checked his files carefully 'We currently have 10 new NKVD Divisions scheduled for the west, and 72 for the East. So, 82 Comrade Secretary.' he eventually replied. 'And we also have 4 divisions on the Reserve Front.' noted Stalin 'So, in theory we still need a further 266 divisions to fully defend our borders?'

'Yes, Comrade Secretary' agreed Molotov.

'Too many.' observed Stalin 'given our current manpower and production constraints.' He rose and began pacing. 'But at least we have the commanders now, so we can raise new formations'

'Yes, Comrade Secretary.'

'Well then lets at least make a start. How many Army's do we have that do not have their full compliment of divisions and corps?'

Molotov looked stunned 'It would be easier to say which Army's do.' he moaned 'Generally speaking the designated shock armies, 4th Mechanised and 9th Tank have four corps assigned to them as does the 15th Spetsnaz Army, the 11th Red Banner Army and the 26th Army. However, the 2nd; 17th; 24th an 27th have no corps structure at all and are little more than corps strength themselves with only a few divisions assigned to them.'

'Alright! Alright! Snapped Stalin conscious that as self-appointed Commissar of Defence this was his direct responsibility not Molotov's. Five years ago he had condemned Marshal Tukhachevsky on precisely the same issue. 'Let me have a full list of the corps and divisional strengths of every army. And then schedule the new divisions necessary to bring every army up to a minimum of three corps each of four divisions. So, every army has a minimum strength of 12 divisions.'

'Yes, Comrade secretary. Molotov made a careful note on his growing action list.

Research Strategy

The top priority for the third five year plan is to develop and deliver the new T34 medium tank to our tank regiments. ##therefore, the following projects were sanctioned.
The second priority will be the modernisation of Soviet industry,
development of infantry weapons and tactic's will also be scheduled and commence as soon as resources are available.
The navy and air force were not forgotten, but were given a lower priority.
The main naval focus being on improvements to the range of Soviet submarines.

Diplomacy and Intelligence.

Little discussion was spent on diplomacy and intelligence, the general view being that with most of the world at each others throats nobody was listening to Soviet calls for worker liberation, and even Germany had stopped discussing its plans for the New World Order with the Soviet Union.

1941 January: Molotov's Red Army Review

Armiya	Korpus	Diviziya	Notes/Comments
1-ya Armiya	2	7
2-ya Armiya	-	4
3-ya Armiya	3	9
4-ya Armiya	4	16	Mechanised
5-ya Armiya	2	6
6-ya Armiya	2	7
7-ya Armiya	-	-	No Such Unit
8-ya Armiya	1	3
9-ya Armiya	4	13	Tank Army
10-ya Armiya	2	6
11-ya Armiya	4	12	Red Banner Army
12-ya Armiya	3	12
13-ya Armiya	2	6
14-ya Armiya	1	3
15-ya Armiya	4	16	Spetsnaz
16-ya Armiya	-	-	No Such Unit
17-ya Armiya	-	3
18-ya Armiya	-	-	No Such Unit
19-ya Armiya	-	-	No Such Unit
20-ya Armiya	-	-	No Such Unit
21-ya Armiya	-	-	No Such Unit
22-ya Armiya	-	-	No Such Unit
23-ya Armiya	3	12
24-ya Armiya	-	4
25-ya Armiya	1	4
26-ya Armiya	4	12
27-ya Armiya	-	3

Stalin put down the list and looked up 'We have seven armies that do not exist?'

'They exist on paper, but not in reality. There was a shortage of commanders at the time, and anyway it never hurts to inflate the numbers slightly for the foreign press.' observed Molotov.

Stalin nodded 'Well lets begin by scheduling the additional divisions required to bring the smallest armies that do exist up to strength. That's the 2-ya; 8-ya; 14-ya; 17-ya; 24-ya; 25-ya and 27-ya, once that is done we can begin on the rest.'

'The tank and spetsnaz army's are over-strength but I'm happy to leave them like that due to their special roles. However, I shall review the 26-ya Armiya as it has too many corps and they must be under optimum strength as it only has 12 divisions.' Stalin made a note on his pad.
noted

'There are also four independent corps that do not appear on the army list at all.' mentioned Molotov. Stalin looked up and raised an eyebrow as Molotov handed him another list.

Korpus	Diviziya	Notes/Comments
5-ya kavaleriyskiye korpusa	3	Cavalry
15-ya kavaleriyskiye korpusa	4	Cavalry
10-ya korpusa	3	Rifle
12-ya Korpusa	3	Rifle

'Hmm! Well I'll look at the situation of the two rifle corps and see if they can be merged into one of the army's to boost their strength.' he noted.
'But as far as the cavalry are concerned, it is time to take away their horses. I want them re-trained and re-equipped as light tank regiments and we will use them for rapid exploitation. In fact, I think what I shall do is form another shock army, probably using the 7-ya Armiya on your list and I'll place one light and three medium armoured corps in each of the 4-ya; 7-ya and 9-ya using the cavalry as the scouting and rapid penetration force for each Armiya. But we still need those T34's, so I hope our engineers are still on schedule with their research.'

'They are,' confirmed Molotov 'they should be ready for production by the end of February.'

'Good! then I think we have covered everything. Lets put these plans into effect.' concluded Stalin closing his pad and reaching for his pipe.

1941 January: Force Comparison Reports

Molotov then produced the latest force comparison reports detailing the relative strengths of the of the three main world factions.

Pact	Heavy Armour	Medium Armour	Light Armour	Motorised Inf.	Infantry	Artillery	Garrison Troops
Comintern	-	27	13	46	434	117	39
Axis	-	8	8	41	390	35	160
Allies	-	5	3	19	382	14	57

Stalin studied the reports for a few minutes and then threw them across the table at Molotov. 'Rubbish!' he barked 'Complete rubbish.' he sat back in his chair and glared at Molotov. 'According to this report the Axis have no heavy tanks, and yet our scouts saw them with their own eyes parading along our border.'

Molotov instinctively gathered up the scattered reports avoiding Stalin's gaze 'This is true Comrade Secretary, but since the outbreak of the war between the Axis and Allies obtaining accurate information on the strength of their forces has become extremely difficult. Both the Axis and Allies constantly publish inaccurate force composition information just to confuse each other.'

Stalin threw up his hands in exasperation 'So, what am I to do, what point are these reports if the information they contain is unreliable.'

'Forgive me Comrade Secretary but it is the best we have, and it may give a rough estimate of relative strengths.' suggested Molotov.

Stalin nodded 'A very rough estimate perhaps.' he reached out a hand 'Alright let me see what your estimates are for their naval and air strengths.'

Pact	Carriers	Battleships	Heavy Cruisers	Cruisers	Light Cruisers	Submarines	Troop Ships
Comintern	-	3	1	3	-	25	5
Axis	5	13	6	22	14	24	36
Allies	15	33	4	39	10	45	64

'I see the Italian's still claim to have seven battleships, despite the reports we have seen that they were sunk by the Royal Navy.' queried Stalin

'Yes Comrade Secretary, the Italians claim that the reports were exaggerated and that their ships were merely damaged and have since been repaired.' replied Molotov. Stalin snorted but made no further comment.

Pact	Carrier Planes	Close Air Support	Interceptors	Fighters	Naval Bombers	Strategic Bombers	Tactical Bombers
Comintern	-	-	47	3	-	-	5
Axis	8	10	25	10	12	-	25
Allies	22	3	33	2	1	3	14

'The Germans have no strategic bombers?'Stalin raised a quizzical eyebrow at Molotov, who just shrugged. 'Well I suppose it would explain why they haven't tried to attack England.' mused Stalin 'But I still find these reports dubious if not deliberately misleading. Can you provide me with nothing better.'

'I'm afraid not Comrade Secretary, everyone is lying, not least ourselves. Let's not forget our seen non-existent armies.' observed Molotov. Stalin just grunted.

'Well there is nothing to be learnt from these reports, we will simply continue with our own defense plans and hope for the best.'

1941 January: Afghanistan Librerated

On Saturday the 4th January the lead elements of the Soviet 82nd Motor Rifle Division entered Kabul and took control of the city.
Operation Canopus is now complete and all its objectives are in Soviet hands,

On Sunday 5th January Afghanistan surrenders and the Soviets have appointed a new government sympathetic to the will of the people and the Soviet ideals.

The 4th Mechanised Army has immediately been ordered to quit the country and rejoin the Western Front under commander of Marshal Chuikov where it will be delpoyed to cover the Dubrouna Gap and support the defenders of the Lenin Line.

Spetsnaz Del'niy Vostock have been ordered to provide security in Herat, and Spetsnaz Turkestan in Kabul until the new Peoples Democratic Government has been established and is ready to assume control. Whilst Spetsnaz Kavkazskiy and Sirbirskiy have been reassigned to Operation Regulus and will join the invasion of Persia.

1941 January: Operation Regulus Commenced.

It was 1am when the phone rang in Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhim's office.

He had been dozing in his chair expectng the call, and his staff snapped to alert attention as he picked up the receiver. 'You may begin Operation Regulus immediately, comrade Tolbukhim.' growled the voice at the other end of the line unmistakable with its thick peasant accent even over the long distance from Moscow.'Yes, Comrade Stalin.' snapped Tolbukhim. The line went dead as Stalin replaced the receiver. Tolbukhim did likewise gesturing to his aides, who, already briefed, rushed from the office to begin contacting their respective units.

Persia,
This time the troops had been given ample time to reach their start lines and prepare for the operation. Therefore, they were ready and waiting for the orders to advance and by dawn they were on the move driving over the border into Persia.

The Azerbaijan Sector

It was ComdArm Sandalov's 12th Army deployed along the Persian border with Azerbaijan that was the first to leave their start lines. They advanced in three dense road columns confident from earlier intelligence and extensive reconnaissance that the Persian border ahead of them was completely unguarded.



The advance was made in three columns:

• On the right the 31-ya Korpus commanded by Zyrianov marched directly for Tabriz, with orders to secure the city before heading south,
  
• On the left the 9-ya Korpus under Kuznetsov were ordered to the follow the shore of the Caspian Sea and to secure crossings over the River Azerbaycan to prevent the Persians using it as a defence line.
  
• In the centre the 33-ya Korpus were ordered to spearhead the drive south towards Tehran following the main highway from Tabriz.

The advance got off to a quick start with the Soviet soldiers striding across the border as soon as the order was given and they were well inside Persia before dawn on Sunday 5th January.


There was only one serious delay to the Soviet advance, which occurred when Sandalov, who was following in the wake of the 33-ya Korpus noticed an artillery regiment apparently in a state of panic trying to force its way through the columns of riflemen ahead of it.

On enquiring of the regiments colonel as to the reason for his apparent haste and the resulting chaos he was causing, Sandalov was informed that the regiment had failed to receive any order to advance during the night and had been left behind by the 89th Rifle Division when it had marched south. The colonel was merely trying to catch up with his parent unit.

Further investigation revealed that the artillery had only recently arrived in Azerbaijan and was one of those artillery regiments withdrawn from the Spetsnaz Divisions just before the start of Operation Canopus. It had been re-assigned to the 89th Rifle Division, but due to an oversight the commander of the 89th division had not been informed of their arrival and their commander had not been included in the 89th's divisional communication plan.

Annoyed but unable to think of an alternative Sandalov immediately ordered both the artillery and the rest of the 89th Division to halt their advance and return to their start line to sort out their command and control issues before rejoining the advance. Thankful at least that they were not facing any hostile opposition.

The Turkistan Sector

Meanwhile, on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea, along the Persian border with Turkmenistan, events were a little more dramatic, and somewhat slower to get started.

The border here was guarded by a number of Persian divisions and Tiulenev's 24-ya Armiya was given the task of keeping these troops occupied whilst the 9th Tank Armiya broke through their lines at Sabzevar further to the east.

The 24th were in effect the anvil intended to hold the Persia Army in position, whilst the 9th Tank Army was the hammer which would smash through their defences and penetrate deep behind their lines to secure the critical objectives.


The 24th was one of the under-strength armies identified by Molotov in his recent review of the Red Army and only consisted of four rifle divisions instead of the specified twelve. They were under strict orders not to engage the enemy unless they appeared to be withdrawing, as the aim was to minimise losses on both sides and to keep the enemy occupied rather than to drive them back towards their capital.

To this end the 24th spent the next few weeks making a lot of noise, firing a lot of star shells and flares, and manouvring back and forth along the border in a threatening and provocative manner, without actually firing a shot in anger. It appeared to work and none of the Persian divisions deployed opposite them moved from their positions for the rest of the month.

Soviet Deep Battle Doctrine in practice.

The head of the hammer was provided by Malinovskij's 9thTank Army. It was supported by Golikov's 10th Rifle Army, whose job was to occupy and keep the breach in the Persian lines open.

The Hammer Blow Falls

The assault begun at 2am on the 5th and within twelve hours the Persian 3rd Division was in full retreat.

The Tip of the Spear

Having smashed through the Persian 3rd Division the BT7M medium tanks of the 5th and 6th Tank Divisions were left behind to rearm and refit. Their role as the tip of the spear was now assumed by the light tanks of the 212th and 216th Motor Rifle Divisions.

Within five days these T26 Soviet light tanks were pursuing the remants of the Persian defenders through Diz Chah, and the breach in the Persian defence line had been widened and consolidated by supporting infantry from the 10th Army whose job was to keep the breach open and protect the supply lines of the 9th Tank Army.
By the end of January the 9th Tank Army had reached Esfahan, which was the point designated by the operational plan for the army to divide and head for its final operational objectives.

Korpus	Designated Objective
2 Mek.Korpus 26 Tank Korpus	Tehran
15 Mek.Korpus	Ahvaz
8 Mek Korpus	Bander e 'Abbas

In addition, elements of the !5th Spetznas Armiya released from Afghanistan upon completion of Operation Canopus were adding their own contirbution by pushing westwards through Bam towards Bander e 'Abbas.

PRAVDA February 1941: Imperialists invade Albania.

Forces from the Imperialist Alliance have landed in Albania, despite the uncertainty of their situation in North Africa.

It is not known at this time whether the landings are intended to be a serious attempt to restore their domination of the Balkans, or simply a distraction to draw Axis forces away from Egypt.
Meanwhile, in North Africa the Italians have blocked the Allied advance and begun to push eastwards once more towards Tobruch.

Whether the Italians are being assisted by their German allies, or whether the advance has been facilitated by the withdrawal of Allied troops for the invasion of Albania is not known.

The War in the Pacific and South East Asia

The Japanese invasion of New Zealand has been defeated and there have been no further reports of landings in the South-East Pacific area.
However, the Japanese have successfully recaptured the island of Midway, which was liberated by the USA last month.The Japanese have also continued to make gains at the expense of the British Empire in South-East Asia capturing Singapore and gaining ground in British Borneo.

The Central Pacific

In the Central Pacific the USA have managed to capture Johnson Island and Palmyra.However, the Japanese are continuing to push through the jungles of New Guimea towards the Australian held base at Port Moresby. If they can secure Port Moresby then they will have a port and airbase capable of making a direct attack on mainland Australia.

STAVKA: February 1941

Molotov carefully folded his newsheet and laid it neatly beside the ever-present stack of folders before him on the table. He was the last to do so and had deliberately prolonged his study for as long as he dared.

Stalin had barely glanced at his copy only skimming the headlines and throwing it down on the table, and the others had quickly followed suit not wanting to keep him waiting.

Molotov had, in fact, read the newsheet before he even entered the meeting but was still determined to make a point by taking his time. He was after all the most intelligent member present and so he was determined to be seen to study the content longer than the others.

He frowned as he laid the newsheet down. 'I do not understand the strategy of either the Axis or the Allies in this war.' he commented 'Last month the Japanese made a completely unsupportable landing in New Zealand, which must have cost them dearly in men and materials and yet achieved nothing. Now the British have launched an equally pointless landing in Albania, which is merely drawing troops and ships away from North Africa where they are desperately needed.'

Stalin waved his hand in a dismissive gesture 'That is because you are not an imperialist.' he sneered 'For them war is just a game, they see only opportunities for profit and glory not the risks. They are like children running loose in a candy store wanting to eat everything in reach and unable to decide what to grab first. They want it all, and they want it now, no matter what it costs their people.'

Molotov nodded considering Stalin's point, but then raised a possible flaw in Stalin's logic. 'Albania? he queried 'Not much of a candy store. he added.

Stalin guffawed 'Albania is irrelevant.' he snarled reaching over and jabbing a stubby finger at the map on the table in front of him. 'It's just a useful landing place, weakly defended. he explained. 'The Imperialists have no interest in Albania, they are planning to make a thrust into Romania. They are after the oil fields.

Molotov's eyebrows rose. 'But that would put them right on our border. he noted with concern.

'Exactly! growled Stalin 'and we can’t allow that, can we.'

Disk Fail

Unfortunately the External drive of my PC suffered a catastrophic failure before I was able to return to this campaign and I lost all of my saved games. I have begun the campaign again and tried to reproduce the events that took place in the first play-through but inevitably the RNG God has intervened and things are not the same as they were. For one thing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact actually happened in the second play-through and as a result the Soviets already occupy Estonia and Latvia thus negating the need to liberate them with the Red Army.

Also because I lost all the Campaign Plans I was using to track the progress of the war around the world I have no way of knowing what other differences have occurred. However, I'm pretty sure that the USA and Japan are not at war as yet in the second game which will probably make a big difference to events in the Eastern Theatre.

PRAVDA March 1941: The World at War

Fascists Invade Poland

Despite the feeble attempt of Imperialist Britain and France to protect Poland the Fascists still invaded in 1939 and have triggered a world wide war.

Fortunately the Soviet People were astute enough to agree a non-aggression pact with the fascist before the opening of hostilities and so managed to avoid being drawn into the conflict and as a consequence of this agreement have even manged to liberate the people of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia together with the polish peoples living in east of Poland.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Unlike the initial play-through this time the Molotov-Ribbentrop Event did fire and I took advantage of it to gain more territory along the Soviet western border.

Since the invasion of Poland, Germany has annexed most of France and the whole of Norway leaving Sweden isolated and desperate to secure support from the Allies.

Germany has also managed puppet Finland, Yugoslavia, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria leaving the Soviets with a solid wall of Axis powers along their western and northern border.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

The Winter War Event did trigger as usual after Germany invaded Poland. Unfortunately, I was a bit too well prepared on this occasion and the Soviets captured Helsinki so quickly that I was unable to add ‘Puppet’ as a War Goal and so when they surrendered all I got was the ‘Land Demanded’ outcome. This then gave the Germans the opportunity to march in and take over before I could avoid it. Very annoying and I seriously considered reloading and starting the Winter War again but decided just to roll with it

In the South the fascist Yugoslavia has annexed Greece and the Greek government have fled to Crete where they still remain.

Italy has also been busy and have invaded Egypt capturing Alexandria from the British and landing troops on British held Cyprus.

The Southern Front is Stable.

Along the Soviet southern border Operation Sirius (the liberation of Turkey) and Operation Regulus (the liberation of Persia) have been successfully completed and both these states are now Comintern members. As well as providing us with a buffer zone along a large part of our southern border with Imperialist Iraq and India it also provides the Soviet Black Sea Fleet with a number of useful Mediterranean ports along the Turkish coast.

The War in the Pacific

The inevitable war between the USA and Japan has begun with the bombing of the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour and the ‘Day of Infamy’ event.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

This is significantly different to the initial play-through where the USA declared war on Japan in August 1940. The result of this was that Japan had a full six months longer to prepare for war and extend its influence in Asia. I just hope the USA can make up for lost time.

Japan has already annexed Siam, Manchuria and Manchukuo and has expanded its influence across the Pacific as far as the Marshal and Gilbert Islands. Only the Island of Guam still remains in American hands and it is completely isolated. Although Japan has still not attacked the Philippines, which is surprising.

STAVKA March 1941

Stalin looked up from his latest copy of Pravda as the door to his office opened and Molotov entered looking tired and draw as he had done for several weeks now. “Mikael! Still not getting enough sleep I see.” He commented as Molotov sank into a chair at the Committee Table. Molotov nodded “I still have much to do. We lost every record, form, file and chart in the fire. Years of information and intelligence. It will take months to recover and the world doesn’t stop turning as we do so.”

The fire that had ripped through the Central Records Building had virtually gutted the intelligence offices destroying all of Molotov’s files and records. So, that on the table before him lay a pathetically small pile of papers where in the past there would have been an impressive stack of files.

“Decisions are still being made of course...Uninformed decisions....Who knows if they are right or wrong but they cannot be avoided either way. I am told that the cavalry divisions were recalled from the front and are being supplied with tanks as you ordered before the fire. Only this morning did I discover that in the absence of a written directive somebody decided to equip them with medium tanks instead of the light tanks we had planned. They just assumed that was the right thing to do and it’s too late to change the production schedules.”

Stalin nodded and waved his hand dismissively "No! Matter Mikael. Who knows perhaps we will thank providence for the extra armour and the two tank armies we have recalled from the Central Asian Front are equipped with light tanks anyway. So, we simply exchange their roles and delay their refit with medium armour.”

“Nevertheless.” Admitted Molotov “I feel like I am trying to catch a runaway bear and just when I think I have a hold of it, it turns and takes another swipe at me.”

Stalin slaps his hand on the table “Let’s review what information you have recovered” soothed Stalin “We can worry about what we don’t know later.”

Defence Readiness Review

Molotov pulled one of the sheets of paper from the meagre stack before him. "As a priority we have managed to piece together a Defence Review based on local army records." He proceeded to pass a copy to Stalin.

Front	Locations	Div. Needed	Div. Available	Shortfall
Northern	11	44	25	19
North-Western	14	56	22	34
Western	9	36	33	3
South-Western	8	32	35	-3
Southern	11	44	16	28
Central Asian	11	44	6	38
TransCaucasian	19	76	9	67
TransBaikal	6	24	5	19
Far Eastern	22	88	17	71

Molotov points to the figures. "The Defence Front's remain as they were last month, but it looks as though the length of some of their fronts has changed significantly. I'm afraid that as a consequence the number of divisions we need has now risen from 266 to 276."

Stalin frowned "As you say we seem to be chasing the bear and not gaining much ground. How many Divisions do we have in production at the moment. Do we know?"

"Yes! Comrade Secretary. We currently have the ten former cavalry divisions going through their refit to become Tank Divisions, two Light Tank Divisions and an NKVD Garrison Division. Thirteen Divisions in total Comrade Secretary."

"Hardly enough to match the increased demand." Observed Stalin
"We simply do not have the industrial capacity to produce more." explained Molotov
"As I predicted in 1931." sighed Stalin "But our time is running out. Ten years have passed and still we struggle to match the industrial capacity of our enemies."

Industrial Capacity

"The situation is worse than we imagined" agreed Molotov "The truth is that it's not just the number of factories we build that matters but their productivity. Germany for example has fewer factories than we do but still manage to produce more than we do."

Country	Base IC	Productive IC	Productivity %
USA	326	521	160%
Germany	192	321	167%
Soviet	209	282	134%
UK	160	280	175%
Japan	118	171	145%

"Of all the major nations of the world we have the lowest productivity." admitted Molotov "Even Japan has higher productivity." Stalin stared at the figures "I don't understand are we not up to date with our production technology. What are these Imperialists doing that we have not copied or improved upon?" Molotov shrugged "I don't understand it either Comrade Secretary."

"Then find out." growled Stalin "Before its too late."

Leadership Training

Molotov withdrew another paper from his pile. "I am pleased to report that according to the army our decision to encourage more volunteers has addressed their shortage of officers and that Leadership is now 100%"

"Good! It is nice to know something went as planned at least."

"That is true Comrade Secretary, but not without a cost. With all of our leadership volunteers joining the army our diplomatic, intelligence and technology services have been stripped of resources and have practically ground to halt." warned Molotov.

Stalin nodded "Everything has a price Mikael. Everything seems to be a choice between two vital needs." He looks up "I sometimes wonder if Roosevelt has these same choices to make, or whether the USA is so awash with resources that he can afford to do everything."
Molotov shrugs and wonders how close to heresy such a suggestion was.

Stalin snaps back to to the present "Nevertheless! We will extend the Leadership programme for at least another month. It will be good to establish a reserve of trained officer cadets that can fill vacancies and lead our new divisions once they are ready. Equipment is important but without the officers to lead those using it then it is wasted."

"Do we know how far behind is our current technology?" he asked

STAVKA March 1941: Technology Research

"Surprisingly, not as a far as one might expect given the fact that we have stripped them of all resources to focus on officer training." Admitted Molotov as he flicked through the pile of paper on the table to find another sheet of notes.

Industry and Supply

"As you can see our Industrial and supply methods are entirely up to date, which is why it's seem so strange that the productivity of our factories is so poor." he points out.

Infantry Equipment

"Similarly the equipment of our infantry divisions is right up to date and I am told that all our infantry divisions have been supplied with the latest weapon

Armour and Artillery

"As you can see our Armour and Artillery equipment is less than one year old and whilst not completely up to date our next evolution in medium tank development is close to completion."

Fight Plane Design

"We are at least two years behind in the design of our fighter planes and we still haven't come up with a design for a multi-role fighter. But once again the research is underway it has just been delayed by the change in priorities."
"I would also add the pilot training and ground crew training is very good even if the equipment is slightly out of date."

Land Warfare Doctrines

"Our land warfare doctrines are slightly behind the times although our infantry tactics are more up to date than our armoured. But only by a few years and again the work is scheduled but just delayed."

Overall Molotov's report was quite positive and it seems that the decision to change the Soviet leadership priorities to increase officer training had not had such a negative effect as expected.

1941 March: Problems in Afghanistan

For reasons that are not clear the Comintern regime which was installed in Afghanistan last year has been overturned and another pro-Fascist government has taken control of the country.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

In practice of course what happened was that for some reason during the replay Operation Canopus which liberated Afghanistan never took place and so I've had to initiate the invasion late.

Stalin has ordered the 16th Central Asian Spetsnaz Army consisting of nine mountain divisions to resolve the problem and restore the Communist Government. It was planned that the intervention would be supported by troops from the newly liberated Persia.

The Central Asian Front

The destablisation of Afghanistan has created a major weakness in the protection of the Central Asian Front. Afghanistan was a key buffer state between the Soviet border and the Imperialist colony of India. That it has withdrawn from the Comintern is serious enough, however, the new pro-fascist government represents a direct threat to both the Soviet nation and the northern border of India. If we do not restore Afghanistan to the Comintern quickly we have no doubt that the Allies will consider it in their best interests to invade if only to prevent it drifting towards the Axis faction and therefore we are faced with a scenario where if we do nothing Afghanistan will either become an Axis or Allied gateway along our southern border. The same is true of Sinkiang except that at the moment they are drifting towards alignment with the Comintern along with Tibet and so immediate action is not so necessary.

Already the pro-fascist government has begun to cause trouble on our border. The Afghan army crossing our undefended border and occupying the border province of Kala-I-Mor.

Whilst this province has little strategic value this is clearly an act of war and if their incursion is permitted to go unchecked it could eventually threaten the city of Tashkent. Which is a major new industrial centre close to our southern border and a key supply depot on the main supply route to the Far Eastern Front.

To prevent this the 15th and 16th Spetsnaz Armies have been assigned to the Central Asian Front and ordered to quell the uprising and restore the legitimate communist government.

The situation on the Afghan border became steadily worse as the Afghan Army continued to push north unopposed to threaten Tashkent. The Soviet 15th and 16th Armies were marching as hard as they could to meet the threat but having participated in the liberation of Persia they were too far west to protect the city directly. Instead the hope was that the Spetsnaz of the 15th Army would be able to reach the Afghan capital at Kabul before their armies captured Tashkent and thus end the insurrection quickly before any serious damage could be done.

PRAVDA April 1941: Tora Tora Tora!

Rapid Japanese Expansion in the Pacific

The Imperial Japanese Empire has launched a massive campaign of expansion right across the Pacific.

	In the Eastern Pacific the Japanese have captured by Midway and Johnson Island and are poised to attack Hawaii and the main US naval base at Pearl Harbour.
	In the Central Pacific both Guam and Wake Island have been taken leaving the USA with no island bases between Hawaii and The Phillipnes.
	Whilst in the Northern Pacific the Japanese have taken possession of Attu Island and are poised to continue their conquest along the Aleutian Island chain towards the mainland USA.
	In Western and South Pacific the Japanese have launched multiple invasions, Capturing Hong Kong and Zhangjiang, making several landings on the Phillipines and in Siam and also landings in the Dutch provinces of Sumatra and Borneo.

Nothing seems able to stop the advance of the Japanese fleet.

Italy drives the British out of Egypt.

In North Africa the Italians have successfully driven the British out of Egypt and have a foothold on the east bank of the Suez Canal.

Britain on the offensive in the middle east.

However, in the Middle East British forces are on the offensive driving deep into Italian held Saudi Arabia and occupying a large area of the Vichy French held Syria.

Britain drives Italy out of East Africa.

Further south British forces have driven the Italians out of Ethiopa seizing Italian Somaliland and leaving the Italians with no bases in the area.

STAVKA April 1941

Events in the Pacific

"I cannot believe that the Japanese are doing so well in the Pacific. They have achieved so much with so little." remarked Stalin.

"It cannot last." observed Molotov "They must have caught the America's completely unprepared for war and judging by the casualty reports we have seen they have hardly begun to fight.

The Americans have suffered no ship losses at all according to our information and apart from the loss of the Japanese cruiser'Maya' sunk by the 'USS Milwaukee' have not inflicted any either. But unless the Japanese can reach the US mainland and begin to disrupt America's industrial might quickly the Americas will eventually crush them with shear weight of numbers and resources."

Stalin nodded his agreement "We must be careful we do not share the same fate. How is our officer recruitment progressing?"

Battleship Losses to Date

By way of confirmation Molotov produce an intelligence report showing ship losses to foreign navies since the start of the war. This clearly showed that the British and Italians had suffered the most loss to the battleship fleet both losing three battleships whereas the Japanese and Americans had so lost none despite the huge territorial gains made by the Japanese Navy.

Leadership Level

"We are up to 108% Comrade Secretary, at this rate we will reach our target of 140% by July." replied Molotov.

Events in North and East Africa

"I'm surprised the British allowed the Italians to drive them out of Egypt. They may have made substantial territorial gains in Ethiopia and Syria but it hardly seems to outweigh the loss of the Suez Canal." noted Stalin

Molotov nodded "True! But having eliminated all opposition to the south they probably think they can turn north and restore the balance. Have you seen the Italian ship losses?

I doubt they can have much of their fleet still afloat and if they can't keep their army in North Africa supplied they are finished anyway." added Molotov.

All Quiet on the Western Front

Nothing has happened on the Western Front. The Axis have made no attempt so far to invade Sweden, Britain or Ireland although it looks as though the Vichy French may have been forced out of mainland France altogether and only have their overseas territories remaining.

The Afghanistan Campaign

The campaign in Afghanistan is rapidly approaching a critical point with the 15th Army poised to capture Kabul just as the Afghan army is at the gates of the industrial city of Tashkent. "It would be better if we ended it before they reached Tashkent." admitted Stalin "But the fact that they sent their best troops north and left their capital virtually unguarded has certainly made our task easier and less costly in lives."

Production Review

Molotov reported that he was expecting 21 of the new refitted Cavalry Tank Brigades to be delivered before the end of the month.

Great Air Force Strategic Achievement

Molotov was also pleased to report that with the delivery of the last of the Interceptors scheduled in the Five Year Plan the Soviet Air Force had been awarded the Strategic Achievement 'Great Air Force' which would improve both the Soviet Leadership and Organisational Regain by inspiring the troops.

1941 April: The Subjugation of Afghanistan.

	3rd April 1941 After a hard march the 83. Spetsnaz Regiment managed to catch the Afghan Royal Guard before it reached Tashkent and after a fierce engagement forced it to abandon its advance and retreat to the north. It was later trapped between 83. and the 95. Spetsnaz marching down from the north and surrendered without a further fight.
	17th April 1941 The 20. Spetsnaz Regiment begins its assault on the Afghan capital. The battle raged for two days but the Afghan militia finally gave up the fight and withdrew on the 19th.
	24th April 1941 Unfortunately neither the 83. or 95. were able to reach Tashkent in time to prevent the Afghan Cavalry Division approaching from the east from capturing the city. Fortunately, they were close enough to draw the enemy into an immediate battle to defend the city and very little damage was done before it was liberated on the 26th.
	26th April 1941 Tashkent is liberated by the 83. & 95. Spetsnaz Regiments. Only one factory was damaged and little production was lost.

PRAVDA May 1941: Japans Expansion Runs Out Of Steam

West and South Pacific

There has been little further expansion to the Japanese territorial gains in the Pacific. The Americans still hold Hawaii and their naval base at Pearl Harbour and there have been no further landings up the Aleutian Island chain in the north.

In the south and west there have been minor expansions of the Japanese landings on the Philippines and Dutch Sumatra. But their landings in Burma and Borneo have stagnated and remain unchanged.

Afghanistan Victory in Sight

The pro-fascist insurrection in Afghanistan will soon be suppressed and order restored.

In the north the Afghan Royal Guard has been defeated and forced to surrender by the soldiers of the 83. and 95. Spetsnaz Regiments and Tashkent has been relieved. Whilst in the south the 20. Spetsnaz Regiment has defeated the garrison of Kabul and will shortly take possession of the Afghan capital.

British Fight Back in Egypt

The British campaign in East Africa has ended with the Italians completely driven out of Ethiopia and with the completion of that campaign British troops are returning North to deal with the Italian incursions into Egypt.

British advances from Sudan in the south and Palestine in the east have cut of the tip of the Italian advance and now threaten Alexandria.

Vichy-French Counter British Advances in Syria.

Meanwhile in the north a sudden counter-attack by Vichy-French forces has caught the British by surprise and gained considerable territory in Iraq isolating this British units close to the Turkish border.

However, having completed their annexation of Saudi Arabia it is likely that as in Egypt these units will now be flooding back north to deal with the French fascists.

STAVKA May 1941

Stalin and Molotov pondered the map showing the latest military intelligence reports from around the world.

"The British are doing well in Africa and the Middle East." observed Molotov.

"Yes! They have annexed all the Axis possession in East Africa and even annexed Saudi Arabia. A lot of resources there." observed Stalin "If they can hold onto to what they have gained they will be even more powerful once the war is over. Mind you, no doubt Mussolini and Petan are screaming for help from Germany at the moment and if that is forthcoming who knows how well the British will cope.

"It may explain why Herr Hitler has done nothing to expand his own sphere of influence in the west. He appears to have made no further moves against either Britain or Sweden. Perhaps his attention has been distracted to the south."

Molotov looked doubtful "It's possible but you seen the naval intelligence on the Italian navy?" he reminds Stalin "I doubt they could support any further major landings in North Africa. they have lost 19 x Troop Convoys already and can't have many left. Will Hitler really risk more troops on what is beginning to look like a lost cause."

Stalin nodded "Perhaps you're right but the German navy is still largely intact if he choose to commit that. Although I would have expected him to want to deal a knock out blow to Britain before he began any colonial adventures."

The Pacific War

"Anyway it looks like the Japanese have lost their impetus in the Pacific. They have made hardly any gains in the last month." noted Stalin

"It's odd that especially as the Americans seem to have been so passive in dealing with the threat. Our naval intelligence suggests that there have been no major naval battles between the Japanese and US fleets and apart from the sinking of the IJN 'Maya' by the USS 'Milwaukee' last month and a few destroyers sunk there have been no major ship losses on either side. It seems strange that the Americans are not trying to defend themselves especially as their bases on the Philippines are under attack"

"Who knows how these capitalists think Mikael, perhaps they are too busy drinking Coke to care."

Production Review

Leadership

Leadership is now at 110%. Slightly lower than hoped but largely as a result of the new Cavalry/Tank refits and the completion of two new Fast Tank Division which increased the demand for officers.

New Divisions

Eight of the newly refitted cavalry tank brigades were completed this month five of which were assigned to the Southern Front as the 6th Tank Corps to replace the 15th Tank Corps which has been withdrawn to the Reserve Army for refit. The other three have been assigned to the 2nd Tank Corps and held in reserve until it is fully formed.

In addition two Motorised Rifle Divisions were completed and assigned to bring the front line to bring existing Corps up to full strength.

New Production

Only one Cavalry Tank Division is due for completion this month and the rest have been moved up the schedule and are due in June.

However, there is spare industrial capacity available and so five more Rifle Divisions have been added to the schedule along with three more mountain divisions and another Medium Tank Corps.

1941 May: Order restored in Afghanistan

The Afghan capital was occupied by the 20th Spetsnaz Regiment on the 5th May and the pro-fascist government either arrested or forced to flee the city.

On the 6th May a new Communist Government was sworn in and Afghanistan was once more pledged to support the Comintern.

Almost immediately the 15ya Spetznaz Armiya was reassigned to the Transcaucassus Front and began a strategic redeployment to the west. This left the Central Asian Front with just the 16-ya Spetsnaz Army to defend the Soviet border with Afghanistan and Sinkiang.

Sinkiang has not yet joined the Comintern but seems to have every intention of doing so. However should it be seen to be drifting towards the Axis or Allies then the 15-ya Spetsnaz Armiya will be the sword that prods them to take the right path.

PRAVDA June 1941 The Sleeping Giant That Refuses To Wake.

Further Japanese Landings in the Pacific

The Japanese have completed their conquest of the Philippines and initiated further landings in the Dutch East Indies and Line Islands this month.

	In the South Pacific the Philippines are now completely under Japanese control and fresh landings have been made on Sumatra, Java and Celebes in the Dutch East Indies. The only visible response from the USA to all these conquests was an isolated landing at Tarakan, which seems to have little strategic significance or hope of success.
	In the Eastern Pacific the USA continues to hold the Hawaiian Islands and its naval base at Pearl Harbour, but have failed to prevent the Japanese securing the islands of Palmyra, Jarvis and Pheonix effectively driving a wedge between themselves and their Allies

So far, we have seen no evidence, other than the isolated landing at Tarakan, that the Americans are taking any action to counter this Japanese aggression. No US Naval ships have been sunk in battle with the Imperial Japanese Navy and the no Japanese ships have been sunk by the Americans. As far as we can tell the USA are simply watching the Japanese roll-over their allies in the Pacific. It appears that the USA are avoiding battle in the Pacific.

Britain Building An Empire in Africa

Meanwhile the imperialist forces of Britain are building a new empire in Africa and the Middle East.

	As predicted last month, having swept the Italian Fascists out of East Africa the British have turned their attention northwards and have recapture Alexandria and much of the territory they had previously lost in Egypt. They have also opened a second front in North Africa landing troops in Tunisia that have managed to secure a large bridgehead against the pro-fascist Vichy French forces.
	In the Middle East last months gains by the Vichy French forces in Iraq have been completely lost this month and the British are now making rapid progress into Syria and look poised to complete their conquest of the entire area next month unless their allies seend urgently needed support.

It seems clear from the reports we are getting from this area that neither Italy nor Vichy France have the forces necessary to contain the British. But as far as we can tell Germany has failed to provide any assistance and may actually not be capable of doing so given the apparent naval dominance of the British Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. Reported Italian ship losses have been extremely high suggesting that they have lost the ability to support their troops or to transport reinforcements to their North African and Middle Eastern forces leaving the British with a chance to build a new British Empire in the area.

STAVKA June 1941

What are the Americans doing?

Stalin put down the copy of PRAVDA he had been reading on his desk and looked up at Molotov.

"What are the Americans doing?" he growled "I am ashamed for them. It is like having an annoying little dog biting your ankles and yet being too lazy to kick it."

"And what is this pointless landing they have made on Borneo meant to achieve?" he added "It's a criminal waste of lives and total incompetence."

Molotov shrugged "Look on the bright side. The more the Japanese expand to the east the thinner their resources are stretched in the west and if the American's suffer as a consequence then perhaps it will make it will make them easier to catch."

British dominance in the Mediterranean

"My concern if anything is the rising dominance of Britain in the Mediterranean" observed Molotov. "If they expel the Italians and Vichy French from North Africa and the Middle East we will find ourselves with a powerful threat to our southern border similar to that currently posed by Germany."

Stalin nodded "Turkey is hardly in a position to defend itself at present and doesn't provide us with much hope as a buffer state." he admitted. "If anything they will become a liability themselves if attacked and will need support from us."

German Inactivity in the West.

"Speaking of which." added Stalin "Why are Germany not trying to assist their allies?"

"They sit on our border like vultures whilst the British batter their allies to a pulp and seem to be doing nothing to help them. Even if they were too scared to wade across the Channel and capture London surely they could send some ships to help the Italian Navy. Is the British Navy really that formidable?"

"It is odd." admitted Molotov "The Army reports that German forces seem to be massing in considerable strength all along our western front. But to what purpose?"

"They cannot possibly be thinking of attacking us. It would be foolish when they are still surrounded by threats from from Britain, Sweden and Spain and look about to lose their influence in the Mediterranean." he added.

"It would be foolish I agree and lets hope Herr Hitler recognises that fact because I am not sure we are ready to deal with such an attack if it were to come. Perhaps in another year we could give a good account of ourselves but not today." Stalin commented.

Molotov's Readiness Review

"We should probably offer Herr Hitler an extension of our non-aggression pact" observed Molotov "But in the meantime if we want peace we must prepare for war as the saying goes."

The massive drive to recruit more officers has been going well with the Army reporting Leadership Levels of 115% for this month. This has been helped by the announcement last month of 'The Great Airforce' strategic achievement which has been popular with female officer candidates.

Molotov confirmed that he had reviewed the deficiencies of the existing Red Army Order Of Battle and had scheduled the production of enough new units to bring every Division and Corps up to full strength. The current schedule includes 47 x Rifle Divisions; 7 x Motor Rifle Divisions; 3 x Fast Tank Divisions and 3 x Spetsnaz Divisions. It also includes 5 x Motor Rifle Regiments; 5 x Engineer Regiments and 18 x Self-Propelled Artillery Regiments (to support existing Motor Rifle Divisions) plus the remaining refits to the old cavalry divisions.

"Everything is currently in production and we should see the cavalry refits completed this month but most of the remainder will not begin to be delivered until late August and early September." warned Molotov. "We need more time." growled Stalin "Lets hope Hitler is a sensible man."

Real Concerns

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Whilst Stalin and Molotov might still harbour some hope of more time to prepare, at least for the purposes of the story, I have no such hopes. It seems to me that the AI is about to launch Operation Barbarossa whether I'm ready or not, and looking at the stacks of German units along the Soviet Western Front I don't hold out a lot of hope of holding the attack once it begins.

It probably hasn't helped that on this second play through Germany chose to annex the entire of France and displace the Vichy to North Africa and the Middle East. That must have increased the IC significantly meaning more units and more higher leadership.

Nevertheless, I plan to do my best with what I have available and have been seeking guidance on how best to deploy my units and how to make the most effective use of the AI. To this end I have been seeking advice from other players on both the Steam and Paradox Forums.

Organising Air and Naval Operations

Effective Use of AI unit Control[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

AI Objectives: The Nitty-Gritty of How They Work.[forum.paradoxplaza.com]

The overall agreement is that Land Units are best controlled by the AI at Army Level and that some air units can be attached to an Army HQ to provide local air cover and support.

However, Naval and TAC Air Units are probably better attached to Theatre HQ's and managed manually or by giving them a completely separate HQ with its own AI objectives.

So before proceeding further I plan to re-organise my troops and assign the necessary AI Objectives as suggested. I'm also going to read through a useful looking Soviet Guide I just found on the Paradox Forum

Soviet Union HOI3 Wiki[hoi3.paradoxwikis.com]

Probably a bit late for most of this advice but I might get some use out of it. Overall I have real concerns that this game may be ending sooner than hoped in my ignominious defeat.

1941 June: Tensions Mount on the Soviet Border.

The month passed peacefully but there is no doubt that the massing of troops along the Romanian, Bulgarian and Polish border is causing tensions on both sides.

Stalin concerned at the paranoid reports from the Red Army spent the month reviewing its troop deployments and found himself drawn into a massive effort to try and correct some of the obvious mistakes that his local Red Army staff officers had allowed to go uncorrected.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Basically, as noted on the HOI3 forum my attempts to get the AI to deploy units sensibly along the Soviet border failed miserably and in the end I spent most of June manually shuffling units into sensible positions.

Each Army was assigned a section of the front to defend based on its strength and type of unit with the aim being to assign four infantry or tow armoured divisions to each province based on make best use of the combat width (10 per province) available.

As the Soviet Units shifted position it was interesting to note that the German units on the opposite side of the border could be seen mirroring their movements. Their armour and heavy tank divisions in particular were seen to shift their position in the line as though adjusting their front to match the Soviet deployments.

This massive redeployment was not without incident and as units on both sides blundered up and down the front there were inevitable navigation errors and a few instances of units wandering over an unmarked border onto foreign soil. Usually a warning shout or a shot was enough to correct the error but there were a few incidents of trigger happy troops on both sides assuming that the war had started and lives were lost on both sides.
However, overall the men on both sides viewed each other with curiosity rather than hostility. The German soldiers soon discovered that their Soviet counterparts over the border had access to seemingly unlimited quantities of vodka. Whilst the Soviets soon established that German Army field rations were far more edible than their own, and so, there was a constant semi-secret interaction and exchange going on between the two armies all along the front and with it a steady stream of intelligence gathering by both sides.

Not that the soldiers actually knew very much. Apart from unit names and strengths and personal information most soldiers had no idea why they were there, both the German and Soviet soldiers assumed they were there to defend their homeland and that the soldiers they were facing were the potential aggressors and neither was convinced by claims from the other to the contrary. Nevertheless, intelligence officers on both sides gathered what information they could from the exchanges.

Several issues were revealed not least the fact that Soviet Armoured units have still not adopted 'The Spearhead Doctrine' and so cannot match the combat density of their rifle armed colleagues. There are obvious concerns that The German Army probably has adopted the doctrine of concentrated armoured warfare and so not only will Soviet armour be outclassed by the heavier German tanks but also outnumbered in every combat.

PRAVDA July 1941: America Enslaves West Africa

In a surprise event this month troops of the United States of America landed in force at key locations in West Africa and have annexed the entire of Algeria, Morocco; Mauritania, Western Sudan, Senegal and Niger. These former Vichy French colonies are now under American control.

It has been a very busy month for the capitalist American's. For not only have they seized all the French colonies in West Africa, but in the middle east a further landing eliminated what little was left of the Vichy French colony in Syria that the British had not already occupied.

As a consequence poor Turkey now has the Axis on it's western borders and the Allies to the south.

Japan is on the move again in the Pacific.

The sudden appearance of large numbers of American ships and troops in the Mediterranean Theatre probably explains why the Japanese are being given free reign to run amok in the Pacific. Yet another month has passed without any tangible sign of American resistance in the Pacific Theatre other than a couple of minor landings. As far as we can tell the from our Naval intelligence the US Fleet has yet to meet the Imperial Japanese Navy in battle and neither side has suffered any significant naval losses.

	Japanese troops have landed at Aukland in New Zealand. A bold move which now directly threatens the east coast of Australia.
	In the South Pacific the Japanese continue to push eastwards making a number of major landings on the western tip of Dutch New Guinea. Whilst the British on Borneo have made a token gesture to support last months US landing at Tarakan.
	In the Western Pacific the Japanese have begun to push eastwards on both the Dutch held island of Sumatra and in British Malaya. Singapore will soon be under direct threat.
	However, the Japanese have not had it all their own way as US troops landed on Midway this month successfully recaptured the island.

North Africa - Italians in trouble

In North Africa the Italian's are clearly in trouble as the British begin to invade their last stronghold of Libya from both Tunisia in the West and Egypt in the East. Will their German allies come to their aid?

STAVKA July 1941

Molotov entered to find Stalin sitting at his desk looking tired and morose. "Good Morning! Comrade Secretary." he said dutifully. Stalin responded by gesturing to a chair opposite.

"I now understand why you detest army officers so much, Mikael." he groaned "None of them can read a map. In fact,..." he added in exasperation "I have doubts that some of them can read at all,"

"It was that bad?" queried Molotov.

"Worse!" snapped Stalin "Even when they could find the location they were told to defend many of them succeeded in getting lost and some of them even blundered over the border into our German allies and got shot." Molotov winced "But you were successful I believe."

Stalin sighed "Eventually, though there is at least one gap in our defence line, and in some places it is very thin. Our tank commanders have not been taught 'The Spearhead Doctrine' which does not help. It means our 9th Tank Army could not be concentrated as much as I would like and we are having to rely on a layered defence. I need that doctrine researched and published as soon as possible by the way." he commanded "Along with 'Advanced Construction'. Did you realise we don't know how to improve our supply infrastructure?"

"Yes!" admitted Molotov "But I thought we decided to prioritise officer recruitment." he added.

"We did....we do" Stalin waved his hand dismissively "But I want the Spearhead Doctrine, Advanced Construction and the next set of Medium Tank improvements pushed ahead now. We can spare the leadership now surely and I want those T34's as soon as possible."

"As you wish Comrade Secretary. Our Leadership is rising quite well anyway. It was at 118% when I last checked. We can spare five leadership resources." admitted Molotov.

Production Review

Stalin sits back in his chair looking wearily across at Molotov "What's our production status now?" he asks.

"We completed five more factories last month increasing our IC to 287." replied Molotov "I've scheduled another five factories but they will not be completed until September even on the highest priority."
"We also completed the refitting and retraining of the last of the Cavalry Divisions last month and we were able to use them to form the 2nd Tank Corps consisting of five fully equipped medium Tank Divisions. It was released for active service on the 8th June and was added to the 9th Tank Army. I believe you have already assigned it to a defence zone. The other two tank corps are incomplete have have been held in the Reserve Army until we can provide them with their missing support brigades. But that will not be until August Comrade Secretary." Replied Molotov.

"So, nothing scheduled for this month?" asked Stalin

"No! Comrade Secretary. All the divisions and brigades required to bring our current OOB up to full strength have been scheduled but the earliest they will be ready is the 1st August." confirmed Molotov.

Stalin frowns "I'm not sure we have that long." he admits.

Do You Really Think They Will Attack Us?

"Do you really think they will attack us?" asks Molotov.

Stalin shakes his head "No!" he replies "Herr Hitler would be stupid to start another war when he is losing the one he has already started. I certainly wouldn't with the Allies about to kick my Italian friends out of Africa and the Middle East. Once they have done that they will be poised and ready to attack my borders either over the Channel or across the Mediterranean." he sighed deeply. "But then I am not Herr Hitler and we cannot just ignore the build up of German forces in Poland. In truth I suspect he would have attacked us by now had it not been for the sudden collapse of the Italians in North Africa and the appearance of the USA. I think the reason he didn't was to see how the cards played out and now that the situation is clearer he will have to make a decision one way or the other. Help the Italians or attack us and so far you have heard nothing from Ribbentrop about an extension of the Non-Aggression Pact have you."

"No!" admits Molotov.

Stalin shrugs "If they do attack us then I suspect that we will both regret it. We may not be able to hold them, but I'm certain the Allies will take the opportunity to open a second front in their rear at the earliest opportunity. No doubt the French are already pressurising the Allies to win them their country back."

1941 July Into The Unknown

The month begun peacefully enough though an air of tense expectation hung in the warm summer air and there was much talk of war and patriotism.

The Soviet people were warned as in 1918 the Motherland was once more surrounded by enemies intent on its downfall and that an attack could come at anytime. But despite the propaganda Stalin still clung to the hope that the Axis and Allies would distract each other long enough to allow the Soviet Union to make good its deficiencies before such a fight began.

There was still an expectation that Herr Hitler would honour the Axis-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact which still had two years to run. Though every attempt by Molotov to meet with Ribbentrop to confirm this was met by excuses from the Germans.

Minor Adjustments

A number of minor changes were made to the Soviet deployments early in the month. Marshal Vassilevski was recalled from The Central Asian Front and ordered to replace Marshal Malinovski as front commander for of The Southern Front.

Vassilevski had already proved himself to be a rising star in the new leadership of The Red Army and Stalin wanted him in command of this critical sector of the Soviet defensive line where the threat from the fascists in the west met with the threat from the capitalists in the south.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Vassilevski was a Skill 6 commander with over 80% experience and I wanted all my best leaders commanding in the West.

Zhigarev's tactical bombers were recalled from Vladivostock to Istanbul and attached to the Southern Air Defence Command being replaced by an equal number of interceptors from 38. IAD. Stalin hoping that the bombers might prove more useful in dealing with some of the enemies heavier armour than the interceptors.
By the 8th July Molotov was able to confirm that Soviet engineers had finished work on the new sloped Armour and improved tank engines for the Soviet Medium Tanks and that work was commencing on the upgrades to existing equipment in the field. However, the research was remaining focused on further improvements.

9th July 1941: Germany Declares War.

It was the day after that Molotov burst into Stalins office to inform him that Germany had just declared war.

There was a moment of stunned silence as though one had just been told of the death of a loved one and then Stalin got up and walked to the window to watch the boats on the river. "So, now we know. Hitler is a fool after all." he said in a resigned tone.

"So far it is only Germany. We have heard nothing from the other AXIS powers." announced Molotov sounding hopefully.

"Finland?, Romanian?, Bulgaria? Yugoslavia? Japan?" queried Stalin

"Nothing Comrade Secretary" confirmed Molotov "and so far our Fronts report no activity."

"It makes no sense, but if this is true then we must thank Herr Hitler for his arrogance." growled Stalin a spark of hope in his words. "He gives us the gift of righteous anger for the minimum price possible. We must make the most of it."

Stalin Enacts Rigorous New Decrees

Soviet conscription laws are immediately suspended and now every Soviet citizen is required by law to fight for the Motherland. At the same time all industrial capacity is ordered to focus or military projects and work shifts are suspended. Workers will work as long as necessary to meet the demand just as soldiers will fight until the battle is won. "We are in this together now." said Stalin.
Molotov noted his new instructions and then got up to leave before turning at the door. "What reply shall I give to Herr Ribbentrop." he asked.

Stalin pondered the question aware that history might judge him on his reply. "Tell him we will accept Germany's humble apologies for Herr Hitlers mistake together with the entire of Western Poland in reparations for his violation of our sovereignty." he replied "Provided that they cease their aggression immediately." he added.

"He won't like that." observed Molotov.

"I doubt it matters what he likes anymore." replied Stalin.

Soviet Air and Naval Forces Placed on Full Defence Alert.

With the office to himself Stalin picked up the phone and made sure that the Soviet Air Forces and Naval HQ's were placed on 'Full Defence Alert'. Now we shall see if our investment in so many planes was worthwhile he thought.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

I'm quite interested to see how the air and naval units react now that they are at war. I've given them their own Front HQ's so that I can use the AI to control them without automating my land forces. But it remains to be seen how well the AI will handle them. I've certainly seen the AI moving Naval units around the map but so far the planes have been left on the ground. My main concern is that the air units don't do anything and that the naval units go out and get sunk almost immediately.

Sinkiang Joins The Comintern

One of the first consequences of German belligerency was that Sinkiang’s Revolutionary Party immediately requested an invitation to join the Comintern. They had been considering membership for some time as they felt threatened by Axis power along their southern and eastern borders but the German aggression silenced any reservation they may have had to seek support from the Soviets.

Stalin Dictates Terms

One of the first acts after the reality of war with Germany had sunk in was for Stalin to notify Herr Hitler of the price that Germany would have to pay for their aggression. After some careful debate and consideration it was decided to keep the initial Soviet demands quite limited. Stalin reasoned that being too demanding might actually steel Hitler’s resolve to fight on and he was still hopeful that the Germans might still come to their sense and ask for an armistice. So, the Soviet Union limited their demands for reparations to the entire of Western Poland. The logic being that it would at least increase the distance of the Western border from Moscow and the main Soviet industrial areas.

1941 July: Drang Nach Osten

9th July 1941
The excuse eventually provided by Ribbentrop for German aggression was that German was surrounded by enemies and that their experience from the Great War was that they would eventually be starved in to submission by the British blockade unless they acted aggressively to seize the resources they needed to survive. Those resources lay to the east and were currently possessed by the Soviet Union. Hence the decision had been made to take what was needed by force and 'Drang Nach Osten' (The Drive to the East) had begun.

Stalin Hides In The Shadows

Stalin quickly becomes withdrawn and morose as the news of the German attacks multiply. He convinces himself that he has failed the Soviet people. He had seen this threat coming years ago and still failed to stop it or prepared his country to meet the challenge.

He refused to face the Soviet people convinced that they would blame him for their situation as he had blamed others for their shortcomings in the past. Instead he isolated himself whilst he brooded over the news from the front and left Molotov to step up and face the Soviet People.

He convinced himself that there was nothing he could do. Things were moving so fast that they were out of his control and all he could was watch from the sidelines as his world unravelled before his eyes.

Molotov Takes Centre Stage

Citizens of the Soviet Union. The Soviet government and comrade Stalin, have asked me to make the following announcement:

Today, at 4am, German soldiers entered our country, without making any demands and without a declaration of war. They attacked our borders in many places and have subjected our towns to indiscriminate aerial bombardment during which many innocent people have been killed or wounded.

This attack is a treacherous act that has no equal in the history of civilised peoples. The attack on our country was launched despite the fact that a non-aggression treaty exists between us and Germany and that we have observed all conditions of that treaty in full honesty.

The attack on our country was launched despite the fact that during the whole period this treaty has been in force, the German government has never once been able to dispute our observance of this treaty. The entire blame for this assault on the Soviet people lies in with the Fascist German government.

Only after the attack was launched, did the German Ambassador in Moscow inform me of the fact that the German government had decided to go to war against. Allegedly because of the concentration of Red Army units near the German eastern frontier.

In answer to this I informed him on behalf of the Soviet people that the German government has not made a single demand on the Soviet people prior to the attack despite the peace loving attitude of the Soviet Union which makes Fascist Germany the offending party.

I can assure you that our troops and aircraft had not violated the border anywhere prior to this attack and that the claim that Soviet aircraft attacked Romanian airfields, which was transmitted on Romanian radio this morning, is an outright lie and a provocation. A similar lie and provocation is Hitler’s statement of today in which he attempted to fabricate incriminating evidence as to the non-observance of the Soviet-German treaty by the Soviet Union in the past.

Now that the attack on the Soviet Union has been launched, the Soviet government has ordered our troops to repulse the raid and to drive the German forces off the territory of our homeland. This war has not been forced on us by the German people, nor by German workers, farmers and the intelligentsia, whose suffering we understand very well but by a clique of blood thirsty, Fascist German rulers who have suppressed the French, Czechs, Poles, Serbs, Norwegians, Belgians, Danish, Dutch, Greeks and other peoples.

The government of the Soviet Union is unshakeably convinced that our courageous army and navy and the gallant falcons of the Soviet air force shall do their duty towards their motherland and the Soviet people in an honourable fashion and deliver a crushing blow to the aggressor.

It is not the first time that our people must face an arrogant aggressor. During Napoleon’s Russian campaign, our people reacted with the War of the Fatherland; Napoleon suffered a defeat and went down. That shall also happen to the arrogant Hitler who has unleashed a new campaign against our country. The Red Army and our population shall once more wage a triumphant War of the Fatherland for our homeland, for honour and for freedom.

The government of the Soviet Union is firmly convinced that the entire population of our nation, all workers, farmers and the intelligentsia, men and woman, shall meet their obligations and devote themselves to their work with the necessary conviction. Our entire population must now be staunch and unified as never before. Each of us must demand discipline, order and self sacrifice from themselves and others, worthy of a real Soviet Patriot, in order to attend to all needs of the Red Army, the navy and the air force in order to guarantee victory over the enemy.

The government calls on you, citizens of the Soviet Union, to close the ranks around our triumphant Bolshevist party, around our Soviet governemnt and around our great leader, comrade Stalin even further.

Our cause is just. The enemy shall be defeated. Victory shall be ours.

The Vultures Begin To Circle

The initial hope that Germany's limited war might not involve its Axis Allies was soon dashed when Soviet units began to reports attacks by Hungarian troops and Turkey reported that Bulgarian forces had crossed their border.

Molotov began the laborious task of contacting all of his Axis opposite numbers and demanding to know their intentions. It soon became apparent that all of German's Axis allies in the west had opted to join the fight even if some like Romania were hoping to avoid any serious involvement. Molotov was uncompromising in his response to any nation that opted to join the fight informing them that the retribution would be nothing short of total conquest for all of them.

However, Japan and her immediate puppets were still sitting on the fence having nothing to gain by getting involved.

Soviet War Goals

Country	War Goal Demanded
Germany	Western Poland
Italy	Albania
Ethiopia	Instal Communism
Slovakia	Conquer
Hungary	Conquer
Yugoslavia	Conquer
Bulgaria	Conquer
Finland	Conquer
Romania	Conquer

1941 July 9th: Soviet Action Reports

	9th July 1941 : The German spend the first 24 hours probing the Soviet defences looking for weakspots they can exploit. Including one unsuccessful assault on the sector occupied by the Soviet 10th Army to test the resolve of the defenders. It doesn't take them look to discover the Bielsk Podlaski gap. The only section of the Soviet defence line devoid of any defenders.
	10th July 1941 : The Soviet Red Banner Fleet leaves Leningrad and begins to patrol the Baltic. There was initial concern that it might get pounced upon by the much more powerful German Navy, but it never happened and in fact the Soviet fleet had uncontested control of the Baltic for the entire month.
	11th July 1941 First blood to the Soviet Navy. The Baltic Fleet sinks its first Axis Convoy.
	17th July 1941 The Soviet Fleet has uncontested dominance of the Baltic and stalks the Axis Convoy Routes.
	17th July 1941 Soviet S-Class submarines of the Pacific Fleet also put to sea and began searching for Axis Convoys from the belligerent nations. They eventually found one transport and sunk it.
	17th July 1941 On the 17th, eight days after scouting the Bielsk Podlaski Gap, the Germans finally launched an attack on the sector to the north and sent a rifle division into the gap to outflank the Soviet defences. The movement of German infantry into the gap was just what the men of the Kirillov's 84th Motor Rifle Division had been briefed to expect and surging out of their fortified positions their light tanks rushed across the open ground into the rear of the German infantry sending them scurrying in panic back towards their own lines. Its flanking attack routed the rest of the German assault floundered and the 84th returned to its positions.
	23rd July 1941 : It became apparent to Vassilevski commanding the Southern Front that the Romanians were showing no signs of aggression along his front and that if anything they were thinning their battle lines. He decided to test their resolve by launching a limited assault across the river on a two sector front near Husi. The results were surprising because the Romanians immediately quit their positions and retreated without a fight, but their position was immediately taken by the German 9th Panzer Division which Vassilevski didn't even realise was in the area. At first there was a panic as it looked as though the Germans had lured his troops into a trap, but it soon became clear that the 9th Panzer were completely unsupported and they were being overwhelmed.
	24th July 1941 Meanwhile in the centre around the fortified town of Brzesc Litewski a long battle was finally coming to an end. The Germans had tried to bypass the town to the north but sufferred heavy losses against the tanks of the Soviet 9th Tank Army. However, they eventually managed to force a crossing of the river south of the town and faced with the possibility of isolation and defeat the defender fought their way out to the north-east where the 9th Tank Army were already forming another defence line.
	24th July 1941 Further north in the Zolkiew the first major armoured battle of the war was being fought out between Formenko's four medium tank divisions of the 9th Tank Army and the German 2nd and 14th Panzer Divisions supported by two divisions of their new heavy 'King Tiger' tanks. However the combination of the river crossing and the fact that the Soviet BT7M's were heavily dug in negated the German advantage in equipment and they were forced to abandon their assault,
	25th July 1941 Helsinki is captured by troops from the Northern Front.
	25th July 1941 Soviet troops earn their Veteran Army status in the heat of battle.

PRAVDA August 1941: For The Motherland

This Is A Sacred War

Arise vast country,
Arise for a fight to the death.
Against the dark fascist forces,
Against the cursed hordes!

Let your noble wrath boil over like a wave!
For this the peoples war, a sacred war!
A fight to the death for everyone.

We shall repulse the oppressors of all ardent ideas!
The rapists and the plunderers, the torturers of the people.

Those black crossed wings shall not dare to fly over our Motherland!
On her spacious fields no jackboot shall ever tread.!

We shall drive a bullet into every fascist head
Kill every rotten fascist filth!
For the scum of humanity we shall build a solid coffin.

This is the peoples war!
A sacred war to the death!
Let your noble wrath boil over like a wave and kill them every one.

News Front the Front - Our Heroes Stand Firm Against the Fascist Might.

	Northern Front On the Northern Front our brave soldiers have broken the Finnish fascist defences and have already captured the Finnish capital Helsinki. Troops of the 14th and 7th Army are even now driving westward to seize the fascist ports of Oulu, Vaasa and Turku. The end is in sight for Finland.
	North-West Front On the North-West Front troops of the 11th Army have captured Memel which was being used as a supply port for the fascist advance. Troops of the North-West and Western Front have fought a gallant delaying action along the rest of their front and are now dug in along the line of the River Neman and resisting every attempt by the fascist to cross.
	West Front After a brave and spirited resistance the defenders of the fortified city of Lwow (Lvov) were forced to abandon the positions and break out to the north-west before the town was surrounded. The defenders will join other units of the 9th Tank Army guarding the new Neman River line.

Southern Front

It was noticed that along Southern Front the Romanian troops along the River Prut had been remarkably passive since the start of the fascist assault and had made no serious attempts to attack the Soviet positions. Their defences had also been stretch very thin as units had been withdrawn to reinforce the more northerly assaults.

It was decided to launch two limited assaults at Lasi and Chotinu. The purpose was two fold.

• Firstly to test the resolve of the Romanian defenders and
  
• Secondly to establish a bridgehead on the West bank of the Prut from which further assaults could be launched.

Whilst both the initial assaults at Lasi and Chotinu were successful and easily breached the Romanian defences the bridgeheads were immediately counter-attacked by German troops who must have been deployed as a second defence line behind the Romanians to keep them in place.

The Lasi Salient.

At Lasi our troops found themselves facing the German 9th Panzer Division which attempted to drive them back across the river. However, the Romanians refused to assist in supporting the German tank attack and without Romanian infantry support the German tanks were badly chewed up and forced to withdraw.

The Chotinu Salient

At Chotinu three German infantry divisions are attempting to make a similar counter attack but are failing to co-ordinate their assaults and are taking heavy losses.

PRAVDA August 1941: Other World Events

Meanwhile elsewhere in the world this month.

	Bulgaria invades Turkey Fascist forces from Bulgaria have crossed the Turkish border and are besieging Istanbul. However, so far our brave allies are standing firm and six divisions from our 15ya Spetsnaz Armiya are eve now rushing to provide their support.
	The Capitalists Seize the Middle East Capitalist forces from Britain and the USA have seized Syria driving the Italian Fascists out of the Middle East completely. The Italians still have a foothold on the British Island of Cyprus.
	British close in on Benghazi In North Africa a massive pincer movement by British forces in Tunisia and Egypt is about to link up near the port of Benghazi effectively cutting the the last Italian colony on Africa in two and probably leading to their defeat. This will leave the capitalist forces in almost total control of Africa and the Middle East.

The War in the Pacific

Japanese Imperial Forces continue to dominate the Pacific and make further gains particularly in the south and west.

	Japanese Landing in New Zealand Defeated Less successful was last months landing of Japanese troops at Aukland in New Zealand. The New Zealanders responded quickly and the beachhead was quickly eradicated.
	Further Japanese gains in the South Pacific. The American beachhead on the island of Borneo has been destroyed and fresh Japanese landings have been made on New Guinea. The British force which attempted to link up with the American beachhead from British Borneo has been driven back over the border.
	Japanese Threaten Singapore In the western pacific the Japanese have completed their occupation of Malaysia and are now poised to capture Singapore. Whilst on the Dutch Islands of Sumatra and Java further major gains have been made.

STAVKA August 1941: Cauterize the Wound

"Things are going better than we had hoped" pleaded Molotov "You should be proud of what you have achieved."

Stalin grunted but did not look up. "We are still alive for now." he growled "They haven't come for us yet." Molotov looked surprised "Why would they. You warned them that this would happen and you were right." Stalin suddenly jumped to his feet angrily "No! I was wrong. I said Hitler would not attack us. I thought I understood him and that stupid fascist bastard betrayed me. " He turned to look at Molotov "I have killed people for lesser mistakes. Why would the people let me live."

Molotov looks puzzled "Because they need you to lead them to victory." then he grins "Besides they have someone else to hate now and someone whose much easier to kill," he adds. Stalin snorts "Yes! I saw that drivel in PRAVDA. Who writes that stuff?" Molotov shrugs "Does it matter?" he comments "As long as the people believe it,"

Stalin nodded accepting Molotov's logic then looks up "Well if we're no going to die I suppose we ought to make ourselves useful." he said with a grin. "Tell me what we know."

"Of Course Comrade Secretary." replied with a smile opening the folder on the desk before him.

Strategic Effects

"Our army is learning to face the realities of battle and after fighting over 250 battles in the last month now has a solid cadre of veterans giving it 'Veteran Army' status" explained Molotov. "Our leadership has improved as has our organisational resilience and our people are learning to hate their enemy."

"Our noble wrath boils over like a wave." smirks Stalin. "Exactly" confirms Molotov ignoring the obvious sarcasm.

Strategic Warfare Overview

	The Red Army Current Leadership: 123% Base Manpower: 1,494 IC Lost Last Month: 2,506 IC Enemy IC Lost Last Month: 11,176 IC Men Lost Last Month: 1,809 men Enemy Losses Last Month: 8,456 men "According to that we are killing four fascists for every Soviet soldier lost and destroying four times as much of their equipment as they are ours." queried Stalin. "Yes! Apparently so." agreed Molotov. "But I suspect a lot of those Fascist losses were Fins rather than Germans."
	Strategic Bombing Enemy Bombers inflicted 7,395 IC damage on Soviet infrastructure for a loss of 49 IC worth of planes. We inflicted just 195 IC damage of Fascist infrastructure. "Our planes have been intercepting the fascist bombers and so far raids have been limited to front line provinces. Nevertheless, I have scheduled two air regiments of tactical bombers to try to increase the damage inflicted on their infrastructure." explained Molotov.
	Naval We have suffered no naval or cargo losses this month and The Red Banner Baltic Fleet has pretty much dominated the Baltic sinking 85,615 tons of enemy merchant cargo,

Production Review

"We should be getting five new Rifle Divisions tomorrow." announced Molotov handing Stalin the production schedule "And the first of the new self-propelled artillery regiments on the 17th."

"Good!" replied Stalin "I shall make sure to assign them where they are more needed. Probably on the Western Front to help defend the Neman River line."

Technology Review

"Unfortunately we will not be getting the new tank reliability improvements until the beginning of next month and many of the other improvements will not be available until next year." Reported Molotov handing Stalin a copy of the technology report which he accepted without comment.

Front Review

Molotov followed Stalin over to the map of the current battlefront and they began to discuss the current strategic situation.

"The way I see it" explained Stalin "the Fascists have two options." he points to the map. "They have made a breakthrough in our centre but it has left them with a dilemma because the only way forward is through the Pripet Marches and that would seriously delay their tanks." he explains,

"So assuming they will wish to avoid getting mud on their boots that leaves them with a choice between a Northern Breakthrough which would involve them breaching the Nemen River line and fighting their way through the heavily forested area defended by the 4th Fast Tank Army. Or heading South and trying to breakthrough the Pripet River line defended by the 9th Tank Army."

"At the moment it looks like their 12th Panzer Division is leading along the Northern Route. Which I plan to further defend with those five new infantry divisions and the newly arrived 5th Tank Corps. Plus, as soon as the Northern Front forces Finland to capitulate I want the 7th and 23rd Army's transferred from Finland to the Western Front and specifically ordered to defend Minsk. That should close the door on any breakthrough to open ground in along the Northern route. Hopefully, if we can keep their tanks snarled up amongst those forests we can halt them long enough to deliver even more support."

"What if they take the Southern route?" asked Molotov.

"That could be move problematic" admitted Stalin "It's more open south of the marshes and better suited to their armour. But its better suited to ours too, which is why the 9th Tank Army with its medium tanks is deployed there. But to reach that open terrain they will need to breach the Pripet River line guarded by the 2nd Motor Rifle Corps and the 6th Tank Corps. I'd be happier if the 6th had T34s but hopefully their BT7Ms will be enough to delay the crossing of the river and I propose giving the 2nd those new self-propelled guns to provide them with more firepower."

Stalin pondered the map "If they do breakthrough to the south then the 5th Tank Corps will have to be moved to block them and the two armies from Finland will have further to march. It will be a race to block them on the Dniepr River and provide a defence for Kiev."

"The other factor of course are these salients we have created on the west bank of Prut on the Southern Front. If nothing else they seem to be distracting German units from their centre to try and bolster their Romanian allies. If that begins to over extend their centre or northern armies then we may find ourselves able to regain some ground or even begin a counter-offensive." notes Stalin hopefully "As long as we don't get over-confident and make any serious mistakes."

"The Germans must choose the ground, but we must be ready whichever route they choose." warned Stalin.

1941 August: Through Mud and Blood

August began much as July had ended.

In the north three Soviet armies continued their march towards Finland's Baltic ports pushing aside any remaining Finnish opposition.

Whilst at Memel where the Neman River met the Baltic coast the German 7th Panzer Division supported by heavy bombing raids battered itself to pieces trying to recapture the former German supply port.

Much further south a German counter-attack began against the Chotinu Salient on the west bank of the Dnestr River. The initial assault would be successful in driving some of the Soviets back over the Dnestr but the Soviet's recognised Chotinu to be a critical point of weakness in their defence of the Prut River. It was an open flank where the Prut and Dnestr Rivers did not converge and so it had to be defended. Even as the German assault began a massive Soviet counter-offensive was launched to drive the Germans out of the area.
Further south still at Lasi the Soviets continued to expand their salient on the west bank of the Prut driving the German 9th Panzer division and the Romanian defenders out of the town. A counter-attack on the south of the salient by a mixed force of Bulgarian and Yugoslavian divisions was easily driven off and a decision will soon need to be made whether to expand this salient further and attempt a proper breakthrough.

August 2nd: The Fascists have a change of heart.

On the 2nd August five new Soviet Rifle Divisions arrived at the front and were immediately added to the defences forming along the River Neman to block the German drive around the north of the Prip'at marshland However, even before the new Soviet divisions were deployed it was obvious that the German enthusiasm for the northern breakthrough route was on the wane.
	The 12th Panzer Division had halted its advance and its two supporting rifle divisions seemed to be probing the Prip'at marshes looking for an alternative route to the east. There was also an increasing build up of units along the Prip'at River line suggesting that the Germans had decided to try and test the southern route through the defences of the 9th Tank Army.

August 4th: The Attack of the King Tigers

The German assault when it came was much farther south near the city of Lvov. The German 1st Heavy Tank Division boldly attempting a breakthrough in Krasne Sector defended by three medium tank divisions of the 2nd Corps/9th Tank Army.

At first the German breakthrough appeared to gain ground and the inability of the Soviet BT7M tanks to penetrate the armour of the King Tigers spread chaos and confusion amongst the Soviet tank crews. However, as the Germans drove deeper into the Soviet front they found themselves having to face fresh units and under increasing artillery fire from supporting Soviet units defending the line of the Bug River on their left flank. Under the constant bombardment even the German tank crews safe in their impenetrable steel coffins began to lose confidence and cohesion and the German advance began to falter and lose its impetus.


At the same time the attack of the 7th Panzer Division was finally falling apart as after four days of constant battle the Germans had made no progress towards the recapture of the German supply port and the exhausted tank crews gave up and withdrew.

August 9th: Bold Move By Kondratchev.

Four days later and the fascist were still attempting to breakthrough the defences of the 9th Tank Army at Lvov. Front Commander Kondratchev monitoring the reports flooding in from the front line units knows his men are under pressure but so far they seemed to be holding and he has fresh units ready to commit if they don't.

However, his real interest was in the growing number of reports suggesting that the fascists are thinning their lines. Scouts from several sectors were noting German units moving south across their front possibly to bolster their allies defence of the Romanian front or perhaps concentrating in anticipation of a breakthrough at Lvov.

In some cases these German units are being replaced with poorer quality Hungarian or Italian units. Elsewhere sector commanders are reporting that the enemy opposition has been reduced to a single division or no division at all.

Kondratchev sensing that the fascists are overstretching themselves and that opportunities may arise for more limited offensive operations.


In the centre along the Prit'at River line the Germans have reduced their defences to a single unsupported division and Kondratchev decides to release the 2nd Motor Rifle Corps for a limited assault across the river. Their place in the line being taken by the 8th.

The 2nd cross the river without incident and establish a bridgehead on the northern bank, whilst the 8th moves in behind them ready to provide support. However the Germans immediately launch a counter offensive not against the bridgehead but against the former sector occupied by the 2nd. They obviously hoped this sector had been left unguarded but instead ran into the 8th as it was taking up positions to replace them.

The 2nd now on the north bank of the river immediately turn their own attention on the German units trying to cross the river to their left and a massive battle ensues with the Germans caught in the act of trying to cross the river.

Kondratchev watches this battle with interest as he is naturally offensively inclined and see's that multiple opportunities could arise from this assault, Not only is there an opportunity to isolate and destroy the two German infantry divisions currently scouting the Prit'at Marshes, but an even more bold move would be to recapture the fortified city of Brzeac Litewaki (Brest) and a chance to regain all the territory lost since the 9th July.

His only concern being not to allow his own forces to become over-extended or worse still isolated. Kondratchev is well aware of Stalin's attitude to commanders who make mistakes.

1941 August 10: Finland Surrenders

The Finnish ports of Turku and Hanko fell to Soviet troops from the 7ya Armiya on the 9th August and the next day the Finns surrendered to Front Commander Chuikov commanding the Northern Front.

Hardly had the ink dried on the surrender documents than orders were received directing the 7ya Armiya and 19th Rifle Corps to strategically redeploy to the bolster the Soviet western defensive line.

The 7ya Armiya with its ten rifle divisions was ordered to Homel on the Western Front, whilst the five rifle divisions of the 19th Rifle Corps were ordered to Kaunos to rejoin the rest of the 23ya Armiya defending the River Neman.

This left just the 14ya Armiya with fifteen rifle divisions and the Leningrad Defence Force of three garrison divisions to occupy Finland and guard the border with fascist held Norway.

1941 August 10: Expanding the Prip'at bridgehead

Meanwhile on the Prip'at River line the 2nd Motor Rifle Corps had successfully secured a bridgehead on the northern bank with hardly a shot being fired by the Yugoslavian conscripts assigned to guard it. This was one of the sectors which the Germans had stripped of their own troops and left in the care of their lesser committed and equipped allies and the Yugoslav's had been assured that it was a quiet sector. So, when the 2nd crossed its start line and thrust itself across the river it took the Yugoslavians by surprise and whilst the 2nd still lacked their self-propelled artillery support their BT5 fast light tanks rushed in amongst them and spread panic wherever they went. The Yuogoslavians quit their positions with hardly a shot fired in their defence and fled west into Dywin with the 2nd hot on their heels now joined by the 8th who added their support from the far bank of the river.

Faced with such weak opposition Kondratchev began to dream of an even greater prize. Perhaps the recapture of the fortified town of Brest itself or the envelopment of the German Divisions paddling about in the marshland to the east. However, he was also aware of the large concentration of German units reported to be heading for Bereza and so continued to suppress his expectations. There were medium tanks in that German column and whilst forests were bad terrain for tanks he motorised infantry had no anti-tank guns other than those on the BT5's and their man portable weapons. He was not sure how they would cope.

1941 August 12: Panzer Assault on the Lasi Salient

If proof were needed that the Germans were filtering powerful units south to bolster the Romanian front then it was provided in the 12th August when two whole German Panzer Divisions (6th and 8th) suddenly launched a shock attack on the tip of the Lasi Salient.

The point of attack was well chosen being open country well suited to the German armour and with a clear unobstructed line of advance right back to the Prut River line. A breakthrough here would split the salient in two and open the defenders on both sides of the breach to envelopment.

The Vaslui Sector facing the initial armoured onslaught was only defended by the 51ya and 25ya Rifle Divisions and had no chance of stopping the advancing panzers on such open ground. They immediately began to give ground falling back towards the river. Whilst Kondratchev tried to decide whether to try and counter the assault or order a full scale withdrawal from the salient.

1941 August 13: Inspired Aggression Spreads North.

Georgy Zhukov, the Front Commander West Front watched the events to the south with growing agitation. At first he had anticipated disaster as he knew Kondratchev was a hot-head and braced himself for the inevitable retribution from Stalin if his gamble caused the loss of Soviet divisions, or worse paved the way for a fascist breakthrough.

However, as the month passed and Kondratchev's salients and bridgehead continued not only to survive but even to grow Zhukov realised that his rival in the south was gaining a lot of kudos for taking the battle to the enemy. Stalin was watching him and judging his other Front Commanders against his example.

There may be a risk in being too aggressive there was also a risk in not being aggressive enough and whilst a rash attack might earn you a bullet from an NKVD pistol to ignore a potential opportunity could easily end the same way.

Not only that but Kondratchev's actions were drawing German units south, away from the Neman River line, and many sectors were now being left lightly guarded or not guarded at all creating a number of opportunities which could be exploited. It was time for Zhukov to roll the dice.

The Gumbinnen Gamble

Zhukov's first gamble was to exploit the open ground behind the fascist position facing the Neman between Mariampole and Konigsberg on the Baltic coast. He realised that in the 4th Fast Tank Army he had the perfect tool to exploit this open corridor and if he moved boldly enough he could trap the German defenders against the river, envelop them, and destroy them in detail.

Korps Commander Bryukov was given the honour of making the assault with his 28th Fast Tank Corps and crossed the river without opposition at Mariampole before following the open ground towards Gumbinnen.

Unfortunately at Gumbinnen the BT5 light tanks of the 28th ran into two German Panzer Divisions (5th & 10th) which were dug into prepared positions and after a prolonged and one-sided tank battle were forced to withdraw.

1941 August 17: The First Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment Delivered.

On August 17th Soviet Tank Factories delivered the first of the planned self-propelled artillery regiments to act as mobile support for its motor rifle divisions.

Based on the T-26 tank chassis the SU-26 was fitted with a regimental 76mm Howitzer for infantry support the first regiment being attached to 12th Motor Rifle Division of the 9th Tank Army.

1941 August 26: The Battle of the Brest Pocket

By the 26th August the Soviet drive toward the fortified town of Brest had almost reached its target.

From the south the 8th Motor Rifle Corps had taken over from the the 2nd to allow it to rest and recuperate from fighting off initial German counter-attacks on the Soviet salient. Now the 8th found themselves under renewed assault by two German Panzer Divisions (12th & 13th) determined to breakthrough their positions and keep a corridor open.

Meanwhile to the north Zhukov's arm of the pincer continued to push south in an attempt to close the gap and link up with the 8th. Zhukov was feeding more and more units into the salient determined to make the link up and trap as many fascist divisions in the Brest pocket as possible.

The Kalvarija Meat-Grinder

Meanwhile Zhukov's attempted envelopment of the fascist forces along the River Neman has stalled and both sides have upped the anti by feeding more powerful fresh units into the fight. Zhukov has relieved the outgunned BT5 tanks of the 28th Fast Tank Corps with the newly arrived BT7M medium tanks of the 5th Tank Corps. Whilst the Germans have withdrawn the 5th and 10th Panzer Divisions and replaced them with the 5th Heavy Panzer Division consisting of their heaviest 'King Tiger' tanks.

Thus the Soviets are still outgunned if not outnumbered and the slug-fest continues in the area around Kalvarija.

Heavy Assault on the Lasi Bridgehead.

The Lasi bridgehead also came under renewed assault after the attack by the 6th and 8th Panzer Divisions on the 12th August failed to drive the Soviet back over the river the Germans are now committing two of their King Tiger Divisions the 1st and the 6th Heavy Panzer in an assault on the 30th Rifle Corps defending the densely forested sector of Botosani. Not perhaps the best terrain for the use of such heavy armour but impressive nevertheless.

1941 August 28: Soviet Envelopment Briefly Achieved.

On the 28th August the two pincers of the Soviet envelopment finally met briefly and the fascist division in the Brest Pocket were briefly isolated from supply and support. However, it was not to last and within 24 hours a German Panzer counter-offensive had broken through at Bereza and the pocket was breached.

1941 August 30: Reinforcements and Revised Plans

Kondratchev realised that his Motor Rifle Divisions had exhausted their fighting ability in the forests east of Brest and that the German Panzers were now heavily commited to keeping a supply corridor open into the pocket.

He therefore decided to shift the focus of his attack to the west and instead launch an armoured thrust across the open ground currently known to be defended by a nothing more that a few divisions of Yugoslavian infantry. This thrust would drive directly for the city of Brest and seek to reclose the pocket further west including not only the original five infantry divisions but also the entire German Panzer corps which was currently holding Bereza.

Early Delivery.

In an unexpected turn of events Molotov burst into Stalin's office to announce that the reinforcements scheduled for release in early September had actually been delivered today. It appears that news from the front had inspired the Soviet workers to even more productivity than demanded and that they had finished their tasks several days ahead of target.

Included were:

• 3 x Medium Tank Divisions
  
• 2 x Self-Propelled Artillary Brigades
  
• 1 x Engineer Brigade
  
• 5 x Motor Rifle Brigades
  
• 1 x Light Armoured Division
  
• 2 x Rifle Divisions
  
• 1 x Mountain Division (Spetsnaz)

Stalin was immediately drawn to his maps and charts trying to decide where best to deploy these unexpected early reinforcements.

He opted use the three medium tank divisions to form the cadre of a new Tank Army, the 27th Tank Army attached to the Southern Front just in case the Germans managed to breakthrough the Lasi Salient.

The two new Rifle Divisions were also assigned to the Southern Front in order to bring the Rifle Corps defending the Prut River line up to full strength. Whilst the two SU-26 self-propelled artillery brigades were added to the divisions of 8th Motor Rifle Corps.

The five Motor Rifle Brigades were used to complete the organisation if the 5th Tank Corps which was lacking infantry support and the Spetsnaz Division was assigned to the 15th Spetsnaz Army fighting a desperate fighting withdrawal action in Turkey.

PRAVDA September 1941: We Are Masters of War

From Finland in the North to Turkey in the South the heroes of the Soviet people are fighting for our Motherland against our hated foes. We are the sons and daughters of heroes fighting as they did for our sacred soil. We are the masters of war and our noble wrath will boil over on our enemies like a wave and kill them every one.

Zhukov's Plan on the Neman

Front Commander Zhukov the bold commander of our Western Front has launched our 4th Fast Tank Army on a massive assault against the fascist forces holding the fortress town of Grumbinnen. The plan will involve a deep thrust into the enemy rear towards the German supply port of Kongisberg on the Baltic Coast which will envelop and isolate the Fascist defenders along the Neman River line.

The Battle For The Brest Pocket

In the centre the battle to close the Brest Pocket continues unabated. Front Commander Kondratchev has now committed elements of his 9th Tank Army in the south to try and drive a wedge through the fascists to the city of Brest, whilst Zhukov continues to push his forces south towards the same objective.

King Tigers flounder in the forests.

Meanwhile the German attempt to destroy the Lasi Salient with a massive armoured assault by two divisions of its heavy King Tiger tanks is beginning to flounder amongst he densely forested defences of the 30th Rifle Corps. It appears for the moment that the German heavy tanks do not cope well in the enclosed terrain.

The Imminent Breakthrough to Ankara.

Hope increases that the three divisions of the 15th Spetsnaz Army trapped in Ankara will be relieved shortly. Their colleagues have fought there way along the south bank of Kizilirmak River and are within sight of the southern outskirts of the city with vital supplies for the garrison.
Comrade Stalin has also directed the 16th Spetsnaz Army to join the relief effort in order ot contain further fascist incursions into the Transcaucasian Front.

Other World News

Here is the news and events from areas away from the main battlefront.

Finland Has Surrendered to the Soviet People.

The puppet fascist government of Finland has finally surrendered to troops of our Northern Front under Front Commander Chuikov. As a consequence fifteen divisions from the 7th and 23rd Army's have been released for service against the fascist on the Polish border.

Only the 14ya Armiya remains in Finland to protect its border with Fascist controlled Norway and the Baltic Coast.

Italian Fascists Surrounded in Libya.

In North Africa the British have continued their conquest of fascist controlled Libya and have successfully drive a wedge between the Italian forces in southern Libya and their sole remaining supply port at Benghazi.

Unless the Italians can achieve a breakthrough to Benghazi within the next few days it is almost certain that their entire North African army will be forced to surrender.

Japan continues to dominate the Pacific

The Imperial Japanese forces continue to dominate the war in the Pacific and have made further major territorial gains including an initial amphibious landing on Kaua'l in the Hawaain Islands and the re-capture of both Wake and Midway.

At that same time Japanese land forces continue to gain ground on Sumatra, Java, Borneo and New Guinea and having occupied the entire of the Malayan Peninsula are currently poised to capture the main British naval base in the Pacific at Singapore.

The American Navy seems unable or unwilling to meet the Japanese fleet in battle to stem this flood of aggression and our naval intelligence suggests that not a single significant confrontation has taken place between the two fleets in the Pacific area leaving the Japanese free to choose their next strike target almost unopposed.

It appears at the moment that the USA is prepared to sacrifice its based in the Pacific in order to pursue a policy of colonial expansion and empire in Africa.

STAVKA September 1941: Stalins Mood Swings

Molotov was always amazed at Stalins sudden and often unpredictable mood-swings. At their meeting only last month he had been morose, withdrawn and talking of his own death, but today he was jovial, confident and almost arrogant in his attitude towards the news from the front.

Molotov was not sure which extreme was more disconcerting but he was wise enough to not to challenge the prevailing tide directly and instead to swim with the flow whilst steering as safe a course as possible.

Strategic Warfare Overview

Molotov placed a slightly more impressive stack of folders than last month on the desk before himself. Clearly his office was gradually replacing the paperwork they lost in the July fire.

"Overall, Comrade Secretary the figures show a general improvement in performance over the last month." opened Molotov.

"A general improvement." mimicked Stalin with a grin "Mikael! You have seen the reports Kondratchev and Zhukov have the fascists dancing to our tune now. We are winning my friend."

"For the moment." agreed Moltov "and the figures support that conclusion. Though I have doubts about some of them to be honest. I'm not sure our front line operatives can be trusted not to paint the lily somewhat." Molotov slid a report sheet over to Stalin and pointed to the figures in the summary. "For example, according to our casualty reports we only suffered 68 casualties in the fighting this month and killed 7,659 fascists." He sat back "I think you must agree that seems implausible even allowing for the total collapse of the Finnish Army." he explained "and only 68 losses in all last months offensive operations?"

"The Air and Naval reports show similar improvements, though not quite so implausible." he added "According to the air force we only suffered 6,046 IC damage from German bombing last month compared to 7,395 IC in July and we shot down 60.3 ICs worth of German bombers compared to 49 ICs in July." Molotov handed Stalin a copy of the sheet "Also according to the navy they sank 110,066 tons of fascist cargo this month compared to 83,615 tons in July. A significant increase in tonnage destroyed."

"And you don't believe your own reports?" asked Stalin.

"Comrade Secretary, I want to believe them. But I am sceptical. Only 68 casualties in a whole month. It makes no sense." shrugs Molotov looking apologetic.

Stalin shrugs "Even if they are exaggerated it makes no difference. We are still winning. The fascists have failed to breach our defences and we are instead breaching theirs despite all their heavy tanks."

Molotov grimaces "That is not entirely true Comrade Secretary. In fact, the fascist did secure a bridgehead north of the Neman River at Taurage for several days. Front Commander Zhukov was forced to divert a whole Rifle Corps to drive the fascist back over the river. It was admittedly a minor breach but a breach nevertheless. Fortunately, the fascists lacked the forces to reinforce it."

Stalin waved his hand dismissively "So, one minor breach. there are lots of things that happen which do not find their way into official reports. For example I notice that you failed to mention the British request for a Lend-Lease treaty last month." Molotov's face coloured "It was not worth mentioning. I knew you would not want to divert industrial capacity to support the capitalists." he stammered

"Exactly! And I failed to mention that there was a failed popular uprising in Warsaw at the start of last month into which the British dropped at least a division of their crack paratroopers. Such things are trivial and not worthy of recording and I'm sure if this bridgehead had been serious Zhukov would have mentioned it. Now lets move on tell me some good news."

Molotov turned to the production schedule.

Production Schedule September 1941

Molotov reported that this month he expected the delivery of five more full Rifle Divisions and another light tank brigade.

Stalin nodded "We will use them to further bolster our Southern Front." he decided "And can you add a further twenty tank divisions to the future build schedule. I want to use them to bring the new 27th Tank Army up to full strength on the Southern Front. Maybe then Kondratchev can really cause some panic amongst the Romanians."

The Turkish Problem

Stalin also announced that he had order the 16th Spetsnaz Army to redeploy from the Central Asian Front to the Transcaucasian Front to assist the 15th Spetsnaz Army defend the Turkish border. He expected the three Spetsnaz Divisions trapped in Ankara to be relieved shortly at which point the entire 15th Army had his permission to make a fighting withdrawal eastwards out of Turkish territory.

The main concern being that the Allies would then invade Turkey and drive the Axis out before taking for themselves. Stalin was not which was worse a fascist Turkey or a capitalist Turkey, but if the Allies took it then the Soviets would not be able to win it back without going to war with Britain and the USA.

Technology Research

Molotov confirmed that the last of class 3 tank improvements should be ready for deployment this month and that the Soviet Engineers were already working on the 1942 improvements.

1941 Sept. 1: Reckless German Assaults

As the month opened the Germans launched a series of reckless assaults on Soviet salients up and down the western front. None of which gained any ground but merely added to the overall death toll. If nothing else these salients were diverting fascist attention from the main defence lines over the rivers.

1941 Sept. 2: The First of the new T34 tanks reach the front.

Soviet engineers have completed the improvements required to the new T34 tank chassis allowing the first of the new T34 tanks to be delivered to our front line units. These will replace the BT7M tanks currently employed in our medium tank divisions starting with the 5th Tank Division fighting with Zhukov on the Northern Front.

This should improve the fighting ability of our tank divisions no end and allow our tanks to meet the German Panzer IIIs and IVs on equal terms. Unfortunately the 76mm guns on these tanks are still not capable of penetrating the armour of the German Heavy Tanks which are appearing in ever larger numbers amongst the German forces.

1941 Sept 2: Breakthrough and Breakout at Ankara

Meanwhile in Turkey, the tenuous supply corridor from the Soviet border forged by the 15th Spetsnaz Army has finally reached Ankara and the three beleaguered divisions of Spetsnaz in the former Turkish capital have breakout of the city and begun their fighting withdrawal to safety.

1941 Sept. 7: Molotov's Mistake

On the seventh the first of Molotov's five new Rifle Divisions was released from training and attached to 48th Rifle Corps on the Southern Front. However, it was not until it reported for duty that it was realised that Molotov had forgotten to schedule the production of its supporting artillery regiment.

An embarrassed Molotov was forced to schedule priority production of five new independent artillery brigades to provide the five Rifle Divisions due for delivery this month and to cancel the orders for the twenty follow up divisions replacing them with new orders that included their artillery support. He then checked all the other order in the production schedule to make sure they were complete.

1941 Sept 8: Britain announces that the end of the war is in sight.

The British have announced that with the fall of Tripoli the end of the war is in sight and the future defeat of Axis power is assured. However, Mussolini was quick to respond by declaring that he still had eight million bayonets available to throw into the fray in needed.

1941 Sept 20: German Tanks on the Georgian border.

The sudden appearance of German tanks on the Turkish border with Georgia caused panic and consternation in the Kremlin. Up to that point the assumption had been that the forces in Turkey were mostly low grade Bulgarian and Yugoslavian troops with just a smattering of German units to provide backbone. But it appears that these German Panzers had stuck to a more northern route and avoided Soviet detection and were now threatening the undefended Transcaucasian border and the port of Batumi. Stalin immediately ordered the newly trained and equipped 115th Rifle Division to Batumi and rescheduled the last planned NKVD Division to garrison Jerevan. However, it was apparent to everyone that neither of these formations would pose much of a challenge to a German Panzer Division and that even if the 15th or 16th Spetsnaz could arrive in time they would not have the anti-tank capability to stop German armour.

Stalin has requested assistance from Persia which will be of little use and is seriously considering pulling the 4th Fast Tank Army from the Northern Front and strategically redeploying it to Georgia. However, Molotov is against this idea arguing that it will weaken the Northern Front leaving it without armour and will not arrive in time or have the ability to deal with the heavier German tanks. He is proposing a calmer approach in sending the newly trained Tank Divisions to Georgia with their new T34 tanks as and when they are equipped.

1941 Sept 23: Turkish Supply Corridor under Threat.

The 23rd dawned with more concern from the Turkish border as it was reported that a German infantry division was now threatening the tenuous corridor of supply for the retreating 15th Spetsnaz Army. Stalin once more threw a newly raised rifle division into their path but the raw conscripts of the 117th Rifle Division were no match for the German infantry and were soon forced to withdraw leaving the Soviet lines of communication completely exposed.

PRAVDA October 1941: The Tide of War Flows Southward

The Red Army Holds Fast.

Despite the repeated and often reckless attempts of the fascists to breakthrough our defences in the west the Red Army are holding fast and refusing to give up an inch of our sacred soil to these jack-booted scum. Every day our army grows stronger and the piles of fascist dead grow higher.

Production of tanks and weapons continues to increase as Soviet workers make super-human efforts to support our fighting men at the front and our new T34 battle tanks are even now bleeding the enemy armoured divisions white with their 76mm guns.

Cowardly Fascist Scum Try To Sneak Through Turkey

Too sacred to face the wrath of our heroic soldiers on the western front many fascist soldiers have crept through the subjugated land of Turkey to threaten the sacred soil of Georgia.

Even as we go to print Comrade Stalin is dealing with this crisis and emergency conscription has been declared to protect the Georgian border and key installations. Georgians are being urged to do everything in their power to resist the fascist forces threatening their homes and to listen for instructions on how they can help defeat the invaders.

The 15th Spetsnaz Army are conducting a successful fighting withdrawal from Turkey to assist, whilst the 16th Spetsnaz Army is already en-route from the Central Asian Theatre to support the Georgian people in their time of need.

Hold on brave Georgia, we're are coming!

Other World News

In North Africa the British and their American allies have captured Tripoli and isolated the remaining Italian forces in Libya. The British Prime Minister has declared that this represents a turning point in the war against fascism and can be considered the 'end of the beginning'.

Mussolini has responded by claiming that he still has 'Eight Million Bayonets' he has not committed to the fight and has called on the Italian people to come forward and fight for their country.

Japan Continues To Expand Its Pacific Empire

The Japanese are continuing to expand their empire in the Pacific making major territorial gains in the Dutch East Indies and making fresh landings on the Hawaiin Islands.

The American response continues to be weak and naval intelligence reports suggest that the US Navy is still actively avoiding a decisive battle with the Imperial Japanese fleet.

STAVKA October 1941: The Dark Mood Returns

It was inevitable that Stalin's positive mood of last month would not last long. in fact, it ended abruptly with the first reports of German tanks on the Turkish border with Georgia. Stalin flew into a rage then rapidly descended into a dark depression that made everyone around him nervous.

Molotov already in a delicate position following his failure to detect the error in the Soviet production schedule for the new Rifle Divisions realised that today's meeting was going to need all his diplomatic skills to get through.

Strategic Warfare Review

Molotov began with an brief overview of the strategic warfare reports. He handed Stalin a summary sheet which he viewed without comment.

Report	July 41	Aug 41	Sept 41
Cargo Tonnage Sunk	85,615	110,066	91,118
Enemy Bomb Damage Suffered	7,395	6,046	17,212
Enemy Bombers Destroyed	49	60	77
Enemy Losses (Manpower)	8,456	7,650	54
Soviet Lossess (Manpower)	1,809	68	51

Molotov coughed politely to get Stalin's attention "As you can see Comrade Secretary the navy continues to inflict a heavy toll on the enemies merchant shipping without any loss to themselves so far. However, its clear that in the last month the enemy have intensified their air offensive and both bomb damage their bomber losses reflect that. Whilst their ground offensive appears to have eased with losses much lower than last month."

"No doubt they are waiting for their sneak attack to draw our men away from the western front." growled Stalin angrily. "Possibly." Admitted Molotov "They have made only token assaults on our salients this month. So they may indeed be relying on their Turkish offensive to weaken our line."

Dealing With The Turkish Front

"How much will it cost us if the fascists occupy Georgia?" asked Stalin

"There are three major cities of value south of the Caucusus" stated Molotov "Batumi, Tbilisi and Baki. They are the most likely to be at risk and together are worth 6 VP," he explained "But out of a total of 170 VP for the entire Union that would be a minor loss. Even if they managed to get beyond the mountains Groznyi and Majkop would only add a further 4 VP to their total."

Stalin nodded "What about the impact on our production?" he asked

"Equally trivial." Answered Molotov "As you know Comrade Secretary most of our industrial capacity has been established East of the Urals. There are merely four factories south of the Caucasus Mountains and another four at Groznyi and Majkop. "So, eight in total. Even if we lost them all the impact on our overall production output would be marginal."

Stalin nodded again and released a sigh. "Nevertheless! I do not want the fascists marching through Georgia. I am thinking of withdrawing the 4th Fast Tank Army from our Northern Front and sending them south to deal with the threat."

Molotov grimaced "That may not be the wisest move Comrade Secretary," he remarked tentatively.

"Why not?" barked Stalin clearly annoyed.

"Because Comrade Secretary it would weaken our Northern Front which may be what the fascists are waiting for and because it will take them at least a month to redeploy to the Turkish border. And also because most of the tanks in that army are light T46 fast tanks and no match for the German medium and heavy tanks on the Turkish border."

Stalin glared at Molotov "So, what would you have me do. Nothing?"

Molotov tried to remain calm "No! Comrade Secretary." he spoke quietly.

"I may be wrong, but suspect those German tank divisions on the Turkish border are newly trained formations who have never seen battle before and they are poorly suited to action in the mountainous terrain of the South Caucasus." he explained "I think we should copy their strategy and send our own newly raised T34 Divisions to teach them a lesson in tank warfare."

"We have four new medium tank divisions due for delivery this month and I propose ordering them to muster at Tbilisi. They will arrive there much faster than the 4th Army could redeploy and equipped with tanks better able to face the enemy. We can also add the 15th Tank Division from the reserve. It's still awaiting delivery of its new T34's, but they too will be delivered this month and we can tell them to collect them at Tbilisi." Stalin was listening attentively.

"That will give us a full T34 tank corps in Tbilisi by the end of the month. Five Divisions armed with our best tanks." He paused and grinned at Stalin. "That should take the edge off their offensive I think." he paused changing the subject. "Also I've noticed that most of the enemy supporting infantry are low grade Bulgarian and Yugoslavian troops and not suited to mountain warfare. The 15th Spetsnaz have had no trouble kicking them out of their way so far. We have 30 divisions of crack Spetsnaz mountain troops heading towards the border who will arrive before the end of the month. Thirty crack mountain divisions plus five T34 Tank Divisions should be enough to keep those fascists busy don't you think Comrade Secretary."

Now it was Stalin's turn to smile. He nodded again more enthusiastically "Let's do it." He said. "I'll issue the orders to the 15th Tank Division. You change the delivery depots for those four tank divisions."

"Yes! Comrade Secretary" acknowledged Molotov.

Technology Research Review

Molotov handed over a final report summary for Stalin to study.

"I'm also pleased to tell you that our engineers will shortly complete their research into Mobile Warfare and Advance Construction Engineering. That should help if we are going to wage war along the Transcaucasian Front. Faster tanks and better logistic's will be possible."

"I've also told our engineers to continue work on tank improvements as we still need as tank that can match those German heavy tanks. The next level of improvement will replace the current 76mm gun on the T34 with an 85mm ZIS-S-5 which will give the T34/85 +4 penetration. Plus increase its armour to 90mm and upgrade its engine to a V44 Diesel. Unfortunately, they don;t expect these advanced to be ready until May of next year at the earliest."

Stalin nodded "Something to look forward to." he replied. "How is leadership recruitment holding out with all these new formations." he asked.

"Well each new division outs more strain on our leadership training." admitted Molotov "But we are currently at 122% and there is still a slow increase despite the increased demand."

"That is good!" agreed Stalin.

1941 October 1st-4th: Soviets Back On The Offensive.

Following last months reckless assaults by the fascists it was noticed once again that they were thinning their lines particularly along the North-West Front. Zhukov his fellow front commanders had rested their troops during the previous month and now determined to exploit the areas of weakness they could perceive in the enemy lines.

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย author:

Probably worth adding a brief explanation here regarding what changes have happened since playing through the August 41 period. Basically, I was not happy with my performance in August 41. I felt my troops were doing well, but that I wasn't actually using them very effectively. They were winning battles but often despite being placed in less than favourable situations by me. Most notably I realised I had placed huge stacks of units in same sector who were suffering stacking penalties unnecessarily and acting as prime targets for enemy bombers. Plus, I found that often I was letting the AI gain envelopment bonuses in situations where a bit more thought might have avoided it. So, I had a bit of a rethink and watched a few video tutorials

and this month I'm trying to be a bit more cautious in how I deploy my units. e.g. Trying to avoid over-stacking in single provinces and broadening my attacks so that they are harder to envelop by the AI whilst making it easier to engineer attacks with wider Combat Widths. So, this month see's a subtle change of plan by the Soviets and so far 'touch wood' its seems to be working.

So, for example, the 28th Fast Tank corps with its light armour has been withdrawn from the Kalvarija Gap where really all it was doing was creating stacking penalties for the 5th Tank Corps to deal with and is being moved elsewhere where they might do more good.

Zhukov's Plan on the North-West Front.

On the North-West Front Zhukov ordered the 5th Tank Corps to continue to hold the Kalvarija Gap for as long as possible to maintain the pressure on the fascist defenders of Grumbinnen. Whilst the 5th were permitted to exploit any weaken they perceived in the fascist defences their main purpose was to try to hold the gap and deny it to the enemy whilst the 28th Fast Tank Corps were to be withdrawn from the line and make a wide sweep through Memel to occupt the Cranz sector which has been left unguarded by the fascists and from there threaten the enemy supply port at Konigsberg.

Again the 28th were not necessarily expected to assault Kongsberg, which Zhukov expects to be heavily defended. However, it may force the fascist to react in order to neutralise the threat and with the fascist line opposite Memel already weakly held it may force the fascist to abandon it to reinforce Konigsberg at which point a bridgehead might be possible that would threaten to envelop Grumbinnen from the west.

Zhukov recognises that nothing may come of these plans depedning upon whether the fascist have much reserve. But he reasons that at the very least it will persuade the fascists that they cannot weaken their forces facing the North-West Front and perhaps force them to recall any units they have ordered elsewhere.

Western Front

In the centre near the city of Brest Zhukov's plan was more aggressive as he had noticed that not only were German infantry divisions wading through the Prip'at Marshland but that several German tank divisions seemed poised to follow them.

The Soviet forces on the northern flank of this German salient now launched a massive assault south towards Brest together with secondary assaults to widen the Soviet salient and drive off nearby supporting divisions.

At the same time the Soviet air force began systematic bombing and strafing of any fascist forces trying to move through the marshes hoping to prevent them using the few roads available and force them to wade through the marshes.

To the South Kondratchev's 9th Tank Army sat poised to exploit any weakness they perceived in the fascist forces facing them. Whilst equally determined not to do anything that might facilitate a fascist breakthrough.

The Prut Salient Expands

In the south the Soviets have continued to expand the Lasi Salient by exploiting any weakeness they can detect in the fascist lines. It now extends for almost the entire length of the Prut River and is being referred to as the Prut Salient.

At Husiatyn the Germans attempted a breakthrough across the river Dnestr but were easily driven off by the three rifle divisions guarding this sector commanded by Corps Commander Nedelin. It seems that the German Heavy tanks are just not suited to river crossings or forests.

Soviets Issue New Doctine On Mobile Warfare.

The Red Army Military Academy has issued new instructions to the Red Army on the conduct and principles for conducting Mobile Warfare which will improve the efficiency of future Soviet tank and mobile infantry operations. It also allows work to commence on the Spearhead Doctrine which will enable the Soviets to use concentrated armoured assaults to breakthrough enemy defences. The Spearhead Doctrine will take a further eight months to complete, but despite this Molotov has elected to delay assigning a full team to it until the Advanced Construction research has been completed as he believes it will be of more immediately benefit especially in supplying our troops on the Turkish front.

1941 October 7: Muddy Boots But No Glory.

After a month of wading through mud and suffering constant harassment from the Red Air Force the German 8th Infantry Division finally reached dry land on the far side of the Prip'at Marshland and stepped off towards the bridges over the River Neman towards the city of Minsk.

However, the 4th Motor Rifle Corps driving around the northern edge of the marshland had no serious problem reaching the Neman bridges before them and the fascist found their path blocked by the 82nd Motor Rifle Regiment.

Improvements in Supply Transportation

Molotov's unsanctioned decision to delay the start of research on the Spearhead Doctrine has born fruit and the improvements to Supply Transportation have been completed ensuring that Soviet supply lines will be more effective with more supplies reaching the front line units.

Research has begun on the Spearhead Doctrine and is expected to be complete by early March 1942. However, the research into Advance Construction Techniques should be available in less than two weeks which will allow work to begin on the construction of better infrastructure to speed the movement of supplies towards the front. This may be particularly necessary for the future campaign in Turkey even though we have not had any major supply problems on the western front.

1941 October 11: Muddy Hell!

The new tactical instructions issued to Soviet commanders seem to be working perfectly. By advancing on a broader front and avoiding the over-concentration of units and the attendant 'stacking penalties' the Soviets have managed to create a much wider salient east of Brest and make better use of envelopment attacks to maximise their offensive power.

As a consequence the 8th Motor Rifle Corps has finally linked up with their comrades from the North and have severed the last supply route through the area east of Brest to the fascist troops currently trying to flounder through the Prip'at Marshlands.

Best estimates suggest that up to nine fascist divisions have been isolated in the marshland including at least two German Panzer Divisions one of which is equipped with their new heavy tanks. These trapped units are under constant air attack from Soviet Air Regiments stationed in Minsk and Kiev and their exit from the marshland is being blocked by the Soviet 6th Motorised Rifle Corps.

The challenge now will be to keep their supply lines cut long enough for them to run out of food, ammunition and supply (About 15 days). However, that may prove difficult as no doubt they will make every effort to either breakout of the pocket or re-open a supply path into it.

1941 October 12: Death from Above.

Even as their supply and communications are cut behind them the first of the Fascist units emerge from the swamp near the Neman river. They immediately come under massive Soviet air attack as the Red Air Force makes a maximum effort to kill as many of them as possible and disrupt their movements.

With the bridges over the Neman guarded by the rifle divisions of the 4th Motor Rifle Corps and nothing but mud behind them the fascists discovered they had no way forward or back only the constant harassment from Soviet fighters overhead and the slow dwindling of their ammunition and fuel supplies.

Nor were things likely to improve unless their comrades were able to breakthrough and rescue them because even now the 28th Fast Tank Army was rushing south from the Northern Front with orders to strategically redeploy to Minsk and drive them back into the marshland.

1941 October 12: Desperate Fascist Counter-attacks Fail

It was therefore vital that the fascists breakthrough the Soviet envelopment and secure a supply corridor for the divisions they had trapped in the Prip'at Pocket before they ran out of fuel, ammunition and food.

They immediately launched two assaults against the Soviet encirclement. The first was spearheaded by the German 12th Panzer Division and directed against the positions of the Soviet 1st Rifle Corps at Bereza and the second led by the 5th and 10th Panzer Divisions fell upon the positions of the 8th Motor Rifle Corps deployed in the forests of Kowei.

Two months ago the appearance of three German Panzer Divisions bearing down upon them might have filled the Soviet riflemen defending these positions with dread and panic. But a lot had changed in the last six weeks. The Soviet infantry had learned through bitter experience that whilst the German tanks were formidable if encountered on open ground where they could use their speed and long range guns to good effect, if they were forced to fight in restricted terrain like the forests of Bereza and Kowei the boot was on the other foot and the infantrymen now had the advantage.

Even the heavy German Tiger tanks were no match for Soviet infantry defending a forest the tanks became trapped in the narrow paths between the tree's and with their visibility restricted by the dense foliage tank hunting became an infantryman's game with anti-tank grenades and sticky bombs easily placed by hand on the vulnerable locations they had learned to target on the tanks hull.

The attack on Bereza quickly floundered as the 12th Panzer was forced to withdraw from the tree's under constant harrassment and without German tank support the fascist infantry quickly lost heart and retreated.

At Kowei the shear number of tanks sent against the positions of the 8th Motor Rifle Corps positions looked as though they might ensure success, However, Front Commander Kondratchev recognising the danger ordered the T34's of the 6th Tank Corps to make a sweeping flank assault into the rear of the German assault to relive the pressure on the infantrymen in the forest.

The four Soviet Tank regiments leading the attack made a perfect armoured assault along the east bank of the River Bug emerging onto the open ground in the rear of the German assault and creating panic amongst the reserve and support units deployed there. The fascists immediately broke of their attack and withdrew hastily into the city of Brest.

The Attempted Fascist Breakout

Whilst these fascist assaults were still being fought the fascists caught in the pocket launched a desperate attempt to breakout of the pocket at Konozyce. This attack was actually successful catching the Soviets by surprise whilst they were shifting positions and forcing them to surrender the sector.

Had either of the main fascist assaults been successful this success might have been significant and enabled the fascist to establish a supply corridor into the pocket. However, as it was the only successful attack the Soviet were quickly able to react to it and drive the fascists back into the swamp. All it actually achieved was the expenditure of a lot of irreplaceable ammunition and fuel.

1941 October 16: The 15th Gets Its T34s

Just north of the Caucasus near the town of Armavir the 15th Tank Division finally took delivery of their brand new T34/75 tanks. The division immediately began training on the new vehicles even as the division continued south towards the Turkish border.

1941 October 18: Fresh Rifle Divisions Deployed to Turkey

In another unexpected achievement by Soviet industry two brand new Rifle Divisions, the 123rd and 124th have been raised and equipped earlier than expected and deployed to the Turkish border to joining the growing Batumi Defence Force.

Soviet Air Force Reveals Poor State Of Fascist Forces

Meanwhile, Soviet pilots making periodic strikes on the fascist positions along the Turkish border are reporting that the majority of enemy units are completely disorganised and unprepared for battle.

This might explain why so far they have made no attempt to begin an offensive into Georgia. However, its unclear as to whether this is due to poor supply and logistical support, or simply, as Molotov believes that these these divisions are hastily raised conscripts with little or no training.

Either way hope is rising that once our elite Spetsnaz forces arrive on the border they will have no problem dealing with them.

1941 October 22: The Death of the 12th Panzer Division

The 6th Tank Corps initially severed the supply corridor through Maloryta serving the 12th Panzer Division on the 20th October and the 1st Rifle Corps supported by elements of the 2nd and 8th Motor Rifle Corps and the 16th Rifle Corps immediately began a final assault to overrun the trapped division.

However, the Germans were not yet ready to abandon their attempts to secure a link up with the comrades trapped in the Prip'at Pocket and a desperate counter attack by the 5th and 10th Panzer Divisions supported by a mixed force of allied infantry managed to drive the 6th Tank Corps out of Maloryta and reopen the supply corridor to the 12th. Whilst ignoring the threat from the 1st Soviet Rifles Corps it continued to push into the Bereza sector hoping to link up with Hungarian troops trying to breakout of the pocket from the inside. As a further safeguard another assault was launched by two Axis Infantry division North of Brest to secure an alternative supply corridor into the Bereza Sector.

For a few hours on the 21st October the 5th and 10th Panzer Division managed to hold the supply corridor to the 12th open and it looked as though they might actually managed to secure a link up with the pocket through Bereza after all.

Fresh Soviet Divisions were rushed towards Bereza to prevent the fascists securing it. Whilst at Maloryta two fresh tank division were order to counter-attack and reseal the corridor.

The 5th and 10th Panzer Divisions still disorganised from their battle on the 21st were unable to face the T34's of the two fresh Soviet tank divisions and withdrew leaving a Yugoslavian Infantry division alone to face the onslaught. At the same time the battle between the 1st Rifle Corps and the 12th Panzer was reaching a conclusion and for a moment the Soviets imagined that the 12th Panzer might just manage to escape through Maloryta before the Yugoslavian defence failed. But unfortunately for the fascist the Soviet T34's overran the Yugoslav defences and slammed the corridor shut just as the 12th Panzers attempted to retreat and caught between the Soviet T34s and the AT Teams of the 1st Rifle Corps the Germans laid down their arms and surrendered.

At the same time that attempted breakout by the Hungarians faltered as did the attempt breakthrough to Bereza by the German infantry north of Brest. All attempts to break into or out of the Prip'at Pocket had now failed.

Fresh Divisions Join the Turkish Front

At the same time as the drama was unfolding on the Western Front four more fresh divisions were being added to the growing defensive line forming on the Turkish border. Three fresh Rifle Divisions and a new Tank Division were deployed between Batumi and Yereven creating a thin but unbroken defence line between the two cities.

It was now just a question as to who takes the first swing. Both the Fascist and Soviet are currently trying to organise themselves as quickly as possible. However, the 15th Spetsnaz Army are rapidly approaching the Turkish border and the 16th will soon be joining them. Once the specialist mountain troops are available even the heavy German Panzers may find the mountains of Turkey untenable.

1941 October 23-24: They Shall Not Pass

The 28th Fast Tank Corps has completed it's strategic redeployment from the North-West Front to Minsk and launches its first assault on the German troops attempting to escape from the Prip'at Marshes along their eastern fringes. The 4th & 12th Fast Tank Divisions easily driving the German 8th Infantry Division back into the mud.

1941 October 24-27: Zhukov's Folly

Emboldened by the success of his plan to isolate the fascists in the marshes and the destruction of the 12th Panzer Division Zhukov now decided on a more ambitious goal.

Encouraged by the confidence expressed in his judgement by Stalin himself Zhukov now proposed to anchor the Soviet advance firmly by the seizure of the fortified town of Brest in the centre of the Soviet advance and still held by fascist troops.

On the 24th October Zhukov launched a shock assault by the 16th Rifle Corps supported on the right by the 5th and the left by the 1st. Four Soviet Rifle Divisions began the assault supported by a further five in reserve. However, Zhukov had failed to take into account the fact that the defenders were commanded by none other than Walter Model himself one of the fascist best practitioners of defensive warfare.

For the next three days the Soviet infantry flung themselves at the defenders of Brest, whilst Model conducted a brilliant flexible defence of the town. To the north and south fascist forces launched diversionary assaults against the Soviet reserve divisions disrupting the Soviet assaults and the battle turned into a costly slug-fest for both sides. But the fascist clung to the town despite appalling loses until all three Soviet divisions were exhausted and unable to launch another attack.

It had been a massive waste of Soviet energy and manpower which drain the fighting spirit of all three Soviet Rifle Divisions and left them desperate for rest and replenishment.

Zhukov was fortunate that his earlier success had made him a hero of the Soviet people, a lesser commander might well have found himself handed a pistol a told to do the decent thing. But Stalin whilst disappointed was too distracted by what followed to consider retribution and now Zhukov's skills were needed to deal with a new crisis.

1941 October 26-31: Vorwärts zum Ruhm

Even before the fighting around Brest finally began to subside the Fascists launch another desperate attack to try and relive their troops trapped in the pocket.

On the 26th the fascist General Maximilian de Angelis ordered an opening assault that drove the Soviets out of the forests of Wolkowysk and pushed on into Zelva. At the same time troops in the pocket successful drove the defenders out of Korrelicze and managed to secure a foothold on the edge of marshland from which they now drove north threatening to secure a tentative link up with de Angelis.
Under normal circumstances de Angelis' attack would have stood little chance of success. But thanks to Zhukov's folly most of the Soviets defenders were already exhausted and demoralised. As de Angelis' assault gained ground the Soviets desperately tried to shore up their defences and block the fascist advance.

In the south the 2nd and 8th Motor Rifle Corps were rushed north making slow progress through though the forested terrain whilst already depleted and exhausted rifle divisions were thrown into the path of the fascist advance in desperate attempt to buy more time for them to arrive.

In the east the 4th Motor Rifle Corps though under-strength were ordered to attack immediately to secure the Soviet airfield at Nowogrode and drive the fascists back into the marshes.

As if to mock the Soviet desperation at that moment Molotov was informed that two whole Soviet Air Regiments had been destroyed over the pocket demoralising the Soviet pilots and losing the Soviet Union their Great Air Force bonus. At the same time the skies over the pocket filled with Fascist war planes bombing anything that moved and making roads and tracks impossible for the movement of supplies.

Both Zhukov and Stalin watched in horror as Soviet soldiers desperately fought to hold the ground they had gained at such cost and preserve the pocket. Whilst Molotov quickly prioritised the replacement of the lost Air Regiments with four new interceptor wings to restore the Soviet air bonus.

1941 October 28-31: New Tank Corps Raised On The Turkish Front

Molotov was able to provide more positive news from the Turkish Front where a new tank corps had now been formed from the 11th, 14th, 15th, 19th and 28th Tank Divisions under command of Korpus Commander Petin. The 11th Tank Corps is will be based at Tbilisit and will begin operations as soon as it is fully organised.

The first of the 15th Spetsnaz Army have also begun moving into position on the flank of the fascist lines and are already driving some of the enemy out of the mountains over looking the Aras valley.

1941 October 31st: 12th Engineer Regiment formed

The 12th Engineer Regiment has been formed and has been attached to the 2nd Fast Tank Division near Minsk.

This leaves only two of the divisions in the 28th Fast Tank Corps awaiting engineer support and Comrade Molotov is reviewing the production schedule to determine when the equipment for the rest will be available.

PRAVDA November 1941: One Hundred Thousand Fascists Trapped.

Front Commander Zhukov has trapped in excess of 100,000 fascist troops in the Prip'at Marches after a brilliant offensive by the combines might of the Red Army.

During the offensive the 1st Rifle Corps were successful in surrounding the German 12th Panzer Division and after a brief struggle almost 10,000 fascists surrendered to the Red Army and have been marched eastwards where they will help in the construction of further industrial sites for the Soviet war effort.

Comrade Stalin has ordered that the prisoners be marched through Red Square on their passage east to allow the Soviet people to see the dejected faces of their enemies. These and the 100,000 still to follow will be put to useful work clearing more land for industrial use in the Urals.

New Tanks For The Turkish Front

The Turkish Front commanded by Front Commander Fedorenko has been receiving the bulk of the reinforcements over the last month following the fall of our Turkish Allies to the fascist Bulgarian horde. As well as the numerous newly trained Rifle Divisions that are joining the 15th Army guarding our Turkish Border the newly formed 11th Tank Corps has also been assigned to the Turkish Front equipped with the very latest T34/76 medium tanks.

Front Commander Fedorenco is now poised to begin the task of liberating Turkey as soon as the 16th Spetsnaz Army joins him from the east.

British Isolate Italians In Libya.

In North Africa the British have successfully linked their forces in Tunisia with those in Egypt and occupied the entire North African coast effectively isolating ant remaining Italian or fascist forces in Libya from any chance of support, supply or reinforcement.

Japanese troops have landed in Sydney

Latest news from the war in the Pacific has confirmed that the first Japanese troops have landed in Australia and have captured the city of Sydney. It appears that nothing the Allied forces can do is able to stop the inexorable advance of the Imperial Japanese Empire.

The Japanese Empire continues to expand in the Pacific.

Elsewhere in the Pacific the Japanese Empire continues to expand. The major British Naval Base at Singapore has been captured leaving the British with no significant naval base in the pacific. Whilst on Borneo and Java the Japanese continue to gain ground against the allies.

Hawaii and Midway recaptured.

Only in the Eastern Pacific is there any sign of a set-back for the Japanese. Here the USA have managed to drive the Japanese out of the Hawaiian Islands and have once again recaptured the the island of Midway.

STAVKA November 1941: The Battle for Zelva

Molotov crept into Stalin's office with his growing stack of report folders clutched protectively against his chest. Meetings with Stalin over the last few weeks had been something of a roller coaster ride as his moods had changed almost daily with the latest reports from the front and Molotov was finding it nerve-racking to cope with the uncertainty. He waited patiently for Stalin to look up from the copy of PRAVDA spread on the desk before him hoping that today would be a 'Good Mood' day.

"When will the fascist prisoners from the 12th Panzer Division arrive in Moscow?" he finally asked when he looked up. "The first will arrive early next week Comrade Secretary," replied Molotov. Stalin nodded and pondered the answer "They are to be marched through the square." he added, "I want to see them from my window and I want the Soviet people to see them." Molotov nodded "Of course Comrade Secretary." he replied. "You have made arrangements for their transportation and work allocations." queried Stalin "Of course, Comrade Secretary the Project directors have been told to expect them and they will be put to work clearing more land for industrialisation as soon as they arrive." Stalin nodded his approval and picked up his pipe.

"Zhukov made a mistake" he observed changing the subject "Became complacent...lost his head." Stalin looked at Molotov who tried to remain passive. "Should I blame him for that?" Stalin asked "He is still one of our best commanders" he waved his pipe dismissively "A little over-zealous perhaps but we should give him the chance to correct his mistake I think."

"Yes! Comrade Secretary. I'm sure he will." affirmed Molotov

"He tells me that the fascists are trying to link up at Zelva and establish a supply corridor through that sector to their men trapped in the marshes. We must prevent that at all costs. I have told him so." explained Stalin "If he succeeds all will be forgiven I think."

"Yes! Comrade Secretary. I'm sure he will." repeated Molotov.

Molotov's Monthly Report

Molotov handed Stalin a copy of his monthly strategic warfare review.

Report	July 41	Aug 41	Sept 41	Oct 41
Cargo Tonnage Sunk	85,615	110,066	91,118	0
Enemy Bomb Damage Suffered	7,395	6,046	17,212	21,267
Enemy Bombers Destroyed	49	60	77	84
Enemy Losses (Manpower)	8,456	7,650	54	12,720
Soviet Lossess (Manpower)	1,809	68	51	105

Stalin looked up in surprise at Molotov "What's this?" he asked pointing to the first line of the report "Have the navy sunk nothing at all last month?" Molotov shrugged "Apparently not. I queried it of course but they have no explanation. It seems the enemy is just not running any convoys." Stalin looked dubious. "Their bombers seem to have been busy though," he notes. "Yes! there has been a steady rise in enemy air activity over the past three months. They clearly hope to break our defences with bombs instead of tanks and our air force is struggling to cope with the numbers."

Stalin nodded "Relieve the front line Air Regiments and replace them with Regiments from the reserve and keep the cycle going we cannot allow the enemy to dominate the air over the battle front." he ordered. Molotov noted the order and passed it to the Air Minister.

"The enemy lost a lot of men last month." Stalin observed "Yes! Comrade Secretary a whole Panzer Division to be exact." Molotov quipped. Stalin nodded.

The Turkish Front

"Front Commander Fedorenko assures me that he should be ready to begin offensive operations later this months" reported Stalin "As soon as the 16th Army arrives from the east."

"The general plan is to hold the border with the newly formed Rifle Divisions, whilst the Spetsnaz work around the fascists eastern flank and seek to isolate their front line troops. Apparently they are already struggling to stay supplied so hopefully, the Spetsnaz will be able to complete their isolation. Once they have no fuel or ammunition Fedorenko will launch his main assault and crush them."

Molotov's Production Report.

"We should complete the equipment of two new Rifle Divisions this month Comrade Secretary. The 126th and the 127th," reported Molotov. "Good! Good! Deploy them to the Turkish Front to assist Fedorenko.

"We can also expect to finish equipping the 21st Fast Tank Division and the 15th Tank Division," added Molotov. "We are still producing light tanks?" queried Stalin. "Yes! Comrade Secretary." confirmed Molotov "Some Fast Tank Corps are still short of their full allocation of light tank divisions." he lied making a careful note to check why he was still producing light tanks despite the release of the T34/76 designs. Fortunately, Stalin didn't push the point and Molotov hoped to have everything sorted before the next meeting. "Assign the 15th Tank Division to the Turkish Front also. No doubt Fedorenko will need a few tanks to deal with the German Panzer Divisions," instructed Stalin.

"We are also about to complete two more Self-Propelled Artillery Regiments, the 5th and 6th and four more towed artillery regiments," reported Molotov. Stalin nodded "Well the SU-76 artillery will go to those Motorised Rifle Divisions that are fighting to prevent the fascist link up at Zelva. The towed artillery I assume you already have allocated." he added.

"Yes! Comrade Secretary," admitted Molotov still embarrassed by his failure to schedule the artillery support needed to complete the last four Rifle Divisions that were forced to go into the line without it last month.

Molotov's Technology Report

"We are still limiting our research to six projects Comrade Secretary, four of which are focussed on developing the new T34/85 tank variant to combat the heavier German Panther and Tiger tanks. But baring further delays it will not be available until June next year." Molotov looked worried but added "However, our analysts confirm that they should have completed work on the new Spearhead Doctrine for our tank divisions by March. That will help offset the German tank superiority." he added.

Stalin just nodded. It would mean using quantity to overwhelm the German superiority in armour quality but it was better than nothing. Molotov failed to mention the work being done to develop a better Mechanical Computing Machine. He was worried Stalin would not approve the sixth project even though Molotov hoped it would improve the expected delivery dates of all future projects and saw it as a useful investment of effort.

Soviet Leadership Is Steady At 122%

"The Army reports that the number of candidates volunteering for leadership training remains steady at 122% despite our losses and the demands of the new divisions." Reported Molotov

"However, there was a drop in candidates following the losses suffered by the Air Force in the battle of the Prip'at Pocket. We need to restore 'The Great Airforce' strategic effect to encourage more volunteers for pilot officer training. I have already scheduled the production of replacement aircraft but they won't be ready until next year. " admitted Molotov.

1941 Nov: Operation Rigel - Fedorenko's Turkish Offensive

Early in November Front Commander Fedorenko submitted his final plan for his offensive in Turkey code-named 'Operation Rigel'.

The general principle of the plan was to hold the Turkish border using the newly formed and unbloodied Rifle Divisions recently assigned to his front. Which would hopefully hold as they were dug in along the mountainous border region of southern Georgia?

At the same time, the more experienced Spetsnaz Divisions of the 15th and 16th Armies would exploit their special skills in mountain warfare to drive west across the Armenian Highlands around the Germans eastern flank and seek to isolate the units forming their front line.

This infiltration and isolation would be supported as far as possible by the newly formed Soviet 11th Tank Corps which would penetrate as deeply as possible along the Tigris River valley. However, the 11th's secondary mission was to dissuade further Allied probes across Turkey's southern border with Syria and Iran.

Stalin was concerned that the Allies were seeking to intervene and occupy Turkey.

The final aim of the operation was left tentative as Fedorenko was unsure how resilient the Axis forces in Turkey would prove to be, or how effective his Spetsnaz Divisions would be against them.

If all went well the idea would be to encircle and defeat the German frontline troops facing him across the Turkish border and then drive west with the aim of recapturing Ankara and liberating Turkey. But he was cautious about the practicality of such an ambitious goal and was careful to qualify it as the best-case scenario.

A more realistic goal was to unsettle the German units ranged along the Turkish border and to force them to fall back to preserve their supply lines. Thus allowing Fedorenko to push forward and gain ground perhaps isolating a few of the slower enemy forces.

Fedorenko's Dilema

To say that Front Commander Yakov Fedorenko was nervous would have been an understatement. He knew that Stalin was expecting great things from Operation Rigel, even imagining the total liberation of Turkey, driving the fascists back over the Dardanelles and the recapture of Istanbul.

But despite the unqualified support and confidence that Stalin had expressed in him, Fedorenko had doubts about the challenge that he faced. Unlike his colleagues Zhukov and Kondrachev on the western front there were no major rivers like the Neman or the Dneiper guarding the border between Georgia and Turkey, just a line of hills and mountains and the troops he had been allocated to guard it were fresh from basic training and untried in battle. He had no idea if they would hold against a determined thrust by the massed German Divisions ranged against them.

He was also painfully aware that whilst his two Spetsnaz Armies were battle-hardened elite troops they had never faced a well trained German force with artillery and armour support and he was not sure if their superior skills in mountain warfare would be enough to offset the Germans superior firepower. Either Operation Rigel would be a heroic victory or an unmitigated disaster and at the moment Fedorenko had no way of predicting which it would be.

The worst-case scenario in his estimation was that the initiation of the offensive would galvanise the German commanders into action rather than panic and that they would launch a concerted counter-offensive that drove in his inexperienced Rifle Divisions and spilt over the mountains into the soft underbelly of the Soviet nation.

If that happened he had no doubt what Stalin's reaction would be. Zhukov might have been given a second chance but he doubted that he would be so lucky.

1941 Nov: Saving the Red Airforce

Molotov had made sure that Yakov Alksnis the Commander of the Red Air Force had made a careful note of Stalin's orders to replace the battle-weary air regiments around the Prip'yat Pocket with fresh units from the rear area's.

The air battle over the pocket had been raged for weeks and many of the front line units were literally worn out. Two had already ceased to exist and one was down to a mere eleven planes out of an establishment of one hundred. Molotov was determined to rescue as many of those remaining as possible simply because replacing them would take months and disrupt his production schedule.

Alksnis was quick to respond quickly withdrawing any Air Regiments whose strength had fallen below 80% from the front line as re-assigning them to the STAVKA Reserve whilst moving their units front their front line bases back to airfields closer to Moskva. It would give the weary pilots a chance to rest and recuperate. Their places at the front taken by fresh regiments from airfields farther from the front.

By the time Alksnis was finished 23 x Interceptor Air Regiments and 2 x Tactical Bomber Regiments had been withdrawn temporarily from front line service into the STAVKA Reserve for rest and replenishment.

[Barl_Zild]

masterpiece

[graham cracker the guinea pig]

i didnt except you to reply lol, if you do get back to playing it i'll probably be reading it

[Didz]

I really need to get back to this campaign as I'm actually quite curious how it will eventually pan out. The Soviets seem to be holding the main German advance along the river line in the western Russia. But the sudden Nazi invasion of Turkey took them a bit by surprise and so there is a desperate campaign underway to try and create a defensive line on that front and to try and claw back the lost territory. It's also interesting because there are allied units getting involved in that fight which creates a secondary issue as the Soviets aren't Allied with the Western Powers in this game.

[graham cracker the guinea pig]

Cool

[John Pork]

interesting

[megu]

Well, who could blame somebody for getting distracted by Medieval Total War xD

Cheers and good luck with this going forwards!

[Didz]

Actually! I haven't abandoned this game yet despite the disk crash that erased all my saved games. However, it is getting very long and is only about halfway through.

Nevertheless thank you for reading it and I'm glad you found it interesting.

I'm a bit distracted by Medieval Total War at the minute but I will be back to save the Red Airforce in due course. And once I get my T34/85 tank upgrades you may at last seen some real offensive action.

At the minute I'm happy to let the Germans wear themselves down trying to breach the Molotov Line. The only planned offensive at the moment is in Turkey where I hope to restore the Soviet border along the line of the Darndenelles

[megu]

I have read this whole AAR in 2 days, and just from the pure blessed writing of Stalin's and Molotov's conversations I've come to decide that this is the best HoI3 AAR I have ever seen, and I have seen plenty, enough ones of USSR alone. I am glad I stumbled upon it, as it is criminally under-viewed. As it was started so long ago, I don't expect it to continiue, really, but it would be just ok if you could at least make a epilogue type entry. You have a real talent for writing!!!

[Didz]

I had a problem with my hard drive and lost all my saved files, but I'm up and running again now.

[Didz]

Hi Brummie, yes the liberation of Poland at least would not be unreasonable.