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An AAR in the inside

1600 (GMT +1) February 1st, 2009
Cabinet Meeting, Berlin, Germany

As yet another Cabinet Meeting about some useless stuff was taking place in the German capital, Speer came in out of the blue, declaring: "On a side note from my production panel, this AAR has finally reached a milestone and is about to reach another. On the 26th of January this AAR has surpassed the reasonable amount of 100,000 views per 878 replies, and its first birthday is just two days off: 3rd of February."​

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"So who cares?" Bormann asked.

"But Martin, it'd be a polite action to thank our readers for everything they've suffered over these months. I mean, listening to hundreds of Cabinet Meetings, or knowing that in the battle of Gdov the German forces have taken 17 square inches from the Soviets for the 89th time is not really the most entertaining thing in the world. It's quite boring, to say the least. And yet, this AAR is 10th in the 'Most Read AARs Ever' list and that its Views/Replies ratio is 115.07, practically one of the highest, if not the highest value ever attained in the--"

"Albert, has it anything to do with better guns, faster production, or more oil for our Armed Forces?"

"Er, no."

"Then shut this whole damned thing up and get back to serious work, fast. FASTER, I said!" Bormann added, while whipping Speer with a cat o' nine tails "And fix that production slider, this friggin' whip is made of paper."​
 
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Die rote Götterdämmerung

0000 November 13th 1946
Intelligence Dept., Berlin

The campaign in the Soviet Union was giving Germany territory, resources, and a lot of free time.​

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Apparently, Hugo Sperrle and his team were wasting time in researching useless Air doctrines.​

1100 November 13th 1946
Odessa, Soviet Union

The latest German conquests in the Soviet Union cornered the last bits of the Soviet Army in southern Ukraine, isolated from the mainland, barely supplied through Odessa. Forty-four German divisions would launch a probing attack to see if the city was defended scarcely enough to allow for the complete isolation of the pocket.​

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But forty-four divisions found out that the Soviets had fortified too well into the city, and so it was impossible to take it within reasonable limits of time and casualties. Another approach had to be taken, but before that would happen, the pocket would be further reduced with attacks on Cherkassy, in the North; the attack on Odessa would be abandoned shortly thereafter.​

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Therefore, instead of assaulting the city directly, German forces would smooth the rough edges of the pocket. Kherson was attacked and easily occupied, isolating three Soviet divisions in a small pocket in Perekop.​

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The pocket did not stand a chance against Model's twelve divisions, and three more Soviet divisions were erased from the Soviet military bureaucratic system. Lots of new division names to use again.​

0100 November 23rd 1946
Cherkassy, Soviet Union

The freezing cold was everything that the Soviets possessed to face ninety-nine German divisions attacking from every direction.​

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There was one Soviet soldier per ten Germans, and yet they managed to stave off the attackers for some minutes, just the time to organize a honourable retreat.​

0000 November 29th 1946
Intelligence Dept., Berlin

Germany's eyes were already set far away from the Soviet Union, whose fate was seen as sealed already, and German researchers were already making sure that next steps on foreign soil would be feasible.​

107-06-ImpLightCarrier.jpg

Researching in a field where the gap between Germany and the Allies was so deep was either sane optimism or pure folly in hoping that a future Kriegsmarine would be able to pose a threat to the combined might of the US, UK and perhaps Japanese fleets. But there had to be a chance, and if there was one, it wasn't to be left unused.​

1400 November 25th 1946
Odessa, Soviet Union

Seeing as Odessa was almost impregnable even with sheer odds on German favour, and that there was no other way of cutting the pocket off its supply convoys without taking Odessa, another route had to be explored to take the city. Finally, Germany attempted a strategy never tried before by its Armed Forces, where their level of experience was relatively naive.​

107-07-OdessaInfra.jpg

Carpet bombing a city's infrastructure was not a standard in German books, rather in the Allied ones. This baptism of fire for an ever unseen German strategic bombing was largely successful, however, as a few well-aimed air sorties were enough to raze Odessa's infrastructure to a logistical nightmare for the defending forces.​

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The following morning von Rundstedt launched another attack on the city, and this time the Soviets showed much less integrity than in the previous attack. Forty-eight divisions against thirteen were enough to prove that Odessa had to fall.​
 
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Cabinet Meeting December 1946

0000 December 1st 1946
Reichstag, Berlin

"So Albert, what is your say about this November?"

"Just as boring as my other past months, Martin. The most entertaining thing I did last month was watching the Oil stockpile number go red, then green, red, green, and so forth."

"I get it as there are no entertaining news to tell?"

"Well, let this document speak for itself."​

108-01-Production.jpg

"Our industrial capacity hit a new high, we can satisfy everyone and everything, we have enough energy to run our factories for the next googolplex years, we've lost less than 20,000 last month, Oil is as scarce as penguins in the Caribbean, why do I always have to tell the same things all over again every time?"

"We're all supposed to do that, Albert. Relax, one day we can finally say 'the world is grey, end of story' and do whatever we please thereafter. Ernst, can you break the monotony?"

"I can, Martin. Surprisingly, we haven't hit the Soviets hard this month."​

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"They've lost only five divisions, which isn't really a shame, as they barely possess an Army anymore. I guess things in December will change as Odessa is going to be captured soon. Talking about technology, they've devised an improved Synthetic oil producion and a new Tank Destroyer model. That is all from Mother Russia."​

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"I refuse to comment on the US industry. Better, I refuse to comment on the US entirely, as they do not deserve a pinch of our attention. They've just researched an improved Airborne divisions, as if they were going to fill up the skies of Paris with men."​

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"The UK too has forgot that they're actually fighting a war somewhere in this World and they're just sitting in their island twiddling their thumbs. They did progress technology-wise though, as they devised an improved Turbojet Escort fighter and a new Infantry division."

"Heinz."

"All quiet on the Eastern front. We have taken little beyond Moscow, but we're in no urge of advancing eastwards."​

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"As you can see, we have few divisions and those few are enough to persuade the Soviets that Moscow they'll see again in the postcards."​

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"In the South we're in our final stage of an entire campaign devised for this Summer. The utter destruction of a large part of the Soviet Army this Summer allowed us to continue operations even in deep Winter, and so here we are encircling what is left of the Soviet-held Ukraine. Odessa is the sole link between the battered Soviet forces and their mainland, and we're about to severe this link too."​

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"Our Luftwaffe has done an excellent job in proving itself capable of not only damaging enemy divisions, but also targeting the enemy's infrastructure. They've disrupted the city's infrastructure so well that the ensuing land battle's conditions have improved dramatically, now that the Soviets can no longer count on a reliable communications network among their forces. Odessa is bound to fall very quickly, and with that, a pair of dozens of Soviet divisions."

"Brilliant, as ever. Let's conclude this year with a climatic victory and let's take the Ukraine before New Year's day."

"Talking about years, this AAR is one year old today--" Speer added, quite amiss.

"Again? Albert, I told you that nobody cares."​
 
Mine didn't. The page is perfectly harmless.
 
Die rote Götterdämmerung

2000 December 1st 1946
1. Armee, Odessa, Germany

Odessa eventually fell to the sheer quality of German superiority: numbers, equipment, morale, and planes.​

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Von Kleist occupied the city first, with the Soviet divisions still routing.​

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With the 1946 campaign coming to an end, it was time for the Luftwaffe to rest. Over 4,000 pilots would fly to Moscow to rest and refit, in preparation of 1947.​

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With the Soviets now cut off completely, thirteen divisions and Field Marshal Rokossovsky begged for mercy at the sight of 126 German divisions. Nevertheless, they would manage to hold for five long days.​

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In the meantime, the Soviets did their best try to expel the Germans from Odessa. A vain attempt that would be easily repulsed with a fierce flanking attack.​

1400 December 5th 1946
Bryansk, Soviet Union

Hausser, leading his few divisions in and around Moscow, managed to pocket two isolated Soviet divisions in Bryansk.​

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The prey was rather small this time, but no-one pretended that the Soviet Union could afford to throw so many divisions to hell.​

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Five days of unfair odds were enough to persuade Rokossovsky to retreat. He had no other choice, as his troops would have probably burnt him to the stake had he not ordered to retreat.​

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With Odessa taken and Cherkassy recently captured, only Balta was still in Soviet hands, holding seven divisions, without counting the retreating ones. The attack order was immediate, and so was victory.​

0800 December 11th 1946
Berlin, Germany

The fall of the Bear did not diminish the German war production in any way. The error of not committing the whole German industrial prowess in the early years of the war had nearly been fatal, and it would not be repeated again.​

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As a response, the Lufwaffe was now able to field three more Fighter squadrons, among the most advanced in the world.​

0600 December 28th 1946
Diplomatic Offices, Berlin, Germany

"I'm afraid to announce that our two Countries are now in a state of war."

"I see. Want some vodka?"

"I assume you haven't clearly understood, mr. von Ribbentrop? I have just announced, on behalf of my Country, that we are now enemies."

"Yes, but when your Parliament flies the German banner, stay sure, you'll need vodka more than me."​

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Another Superpower threatened the interests of Germany. The Peruvian ambassador left the German country in haste, almost fearing the odd behaviour of von Ribbentrop.​
 
Enewald, fenrir8507 - I have to fear their llama divisions.

RioBrancoBaron - I wish I could! I cannot promise anything.

TheHyphenated1 - The author of Weltkriegschaft is a reader of this little AAR, I am honoured!

Everyone - Thank you all. It frightens me to think that this AAR is one year old, some way.

A new year is upon us, and so it is time of our usual interlude updates. This time I'll be playing a bit with the narration, so the results are unexpected even to me till I write the updates. In this small update, Stalin is not happy at all. Somehow there will also be an update between Stalin and Hitler...
 
Cabinet Meeting January 1947

0015 January 1st 1947
A desolated underground bunker in Naberezhnye Chelny, Soviet Union

In the cold, rigid atmosphere of the Soviet Union, a truck exhausted his fuel reserve and his engine finally died as the truck reached the end of a small dirt road in the middle of nothing.

As the truck stopped its front bumper finally fell to the ground. Eight men hastily left the truck and gathered inside a small, dark and damp room, after entering a concealed door in the ground.

"Shvernik... Molotov... Beria... Meretskov... Kuznetsov... Ilichev... Zhukov... Novikov."

As Stalin stressed each name, the corresponding person humbly nodded with reverence and fear.​

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"Eight people put together don't even amount to a single brain. Scumbags. Meretskov, how many divisions we possess at present?"

"Er... more than many countries, say, the Vatican..."

"Wrong answer. The exact answer is: one hundred and one. Zhukov, how many divisions have we lost in Brest-Litovsk alone?"

Zhukov remained silent, his head deep inside his jacket.

"Thirty-five" Stalin added "thirty bloody divisions. Novikov, what results has our Airforce achieved this year?"

"Uh... we don't possess an Airforce anymore, comrade Secretary."

"Correct answer. We don't possess an airforce. Now comrades, can you all please look at this map?"​

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"You see that grey blob? Somewhere in there there is a thing called "Moscow", it should sound familiar to you all. There also was a thing called "Red Army", and also "millions of conscripts", if I recall correctly."

Then, the so much awaited rage finally erupted.

"Damned fools, traitors!" he yelled, and he raised his pitch as if he were about to cry. In fact his voice was breaking. "I have committed my whole life to only one project, only one... the SSSR!... YOU broke this only project!" he sighed, and enveloped Zhukov's neck with his arm, trying to strangle him. "My comrade Zhukov, you've failed me, comrade Zhukov... hero of the Soviet Union... why have you failed me... why...!"

Zhukov desperately fought to disentagle himself from Stalin's grip with his own arms, and eventhough he struggled for breath, he managed to whisper for help. But the others were too frightened to react to Stalin's attempt at choking Zhukov.

Then Stalin finally resigned his attempt and fell on a chair, burying his face in his hands. Zhukov touched his neck with his hands, as if he had to make sure that it was still here, and it was a relief to breathe again properly. He did not dare oppose a single word of protest to Stalin.

"Molotov..." he finally said "go to Berlin and arrange a meeting with Hitler. This war is over. This war is lost."​
 
Good news, but I thought WiF doesn't have surrender events for some reason? :confused:
 
Really?