Exciting, we finally have war! You will be able to test your Navy against that of Finland.
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Pics fin(n)ished, and about half the crappy meagre text you're used to as well. But gotta go now, so I'll post it only tonight. My apologies.
The War with Finland was not one for which the Red Fleet was by any means essential. But as the first armed conflict since the start of the 10 Year Plan, it was for Commissar Viktorov a most vital moment.
The Navy had to preform well and show it deserved all the resources thus far devoted to it. Four objectives were considered necessary for this:
Determined to complete these objectives, the Soviet ships left port.
In the Barents Sea, the just-commissioned Murmansk set a thin blockade of Finland's Petsamo coast, together with submarines operating further into the open sea.
But it was in the Baltic that the Navy's success would be decided.
There too the submarine fleet was made to patrol the waters, with orders to sink any ship travelling from or to Finnish harbours.
And, of course, the surface fleet was sent to blockade the two main harbours of Helsinki and Turku. Shortly after leaving Leningrad, the two Finnish coastal defence ships Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen were detected intending to position themselves in a favourable position for the defence of their islands.
The heavily armed Väinämöinen
Upon seeing the Baltic Fleet they attempted an escape, but their low speed allowed the experienced crew of the Marat to still fire a salvo of it's old but still mighty cannons.
In the following months the Finnish Navy would not try any more operations, possibly out of fear of losing it's only remaining capital ship, and apart from a handful of Swedish ships no considerable trade would reach Finland.
But while this undoubtfully meant the Red Fleet was meeting it's objectives, the same couldn't be said about the Red Army, which despite numerical superiority was failing to submit Finland with the speed Stalin expected. In fact, it was failing to submit Finland at all.
Commissar Viktorov was only relatively comfortable with the situation. While it was true the current fiasco couldn't be blamed on him, it was no less true that an irate Stalin was a dangerous boss for anyone to have.
Still, the Naval Commissariat's work continued, and in no small scale. In February three new battleships were commissioned, the first of the Gangut-class. The Gangut itself was finished in Leningrad, the Rossiya in Vladivostok and the Arkhangeslk in Sevastopol.
A week later, the first divisions of Naval Infantry concluded training and were deemed ready for service.
In that very same day, Admiral Kuznetsov presented his proposal to Commissar Viktorov. The idea was risky, filled potential to either bring Glory to a so far competent but unremarkable campaign, or turn that same campaign into even further humiliation.
But the Soviet Union wasn't built by the fear of failing a Revolution - and by Lenin it's Navy wasn't going to let fear decide either! The Baltic Surface Fleet was ordered back into Leningrad.
As hoped, the Finns didn't have enough reserves to effectively counter a Soviet disembark they didn't even consider in their plans. Faced with the possibility of a direct attack on Helsinki, they offered terms.
Stalin was only too pleased to accept them, and finally end the shame that had been cast on the Red Army for the past 3 months.
The Soviet Navy that had given him that relief was quickly elevated to heroic status, appearing in an ever-increasing number of propaganda posters, films, photos and speeches. The just-created Naval Infantry was a sensation in newspapers all over the World. The mood, status and research resources in the Naval Commissariat were the highest since it's foundation.
Stalin raised us to be faithful to the Soviet People
The Navy had to preform well and show it deserved all the resources thus far devoted to it. Four objectives were considered necessary for this:
- Protect Red Army operations near the shore.
- Stop or greatly difficult Finnish Army operations near the shore.
- Support the occupation of Finnish islands.
- Make trade with Finland impossible, both in the Baltic and the Arctic.
Determined to complete these objectives, the Soviet ships left port.
In the Barents Sea, the just-commissioned Murmansk set a thin blockade of Finland's Petsamo coast, together with submarines operating further into the open sea.
But it was in the Baltic that the Navy's success would be decided.
There too the submarine fleet was made to patrol the waters, with orders to sink any ship travelling from or to Finnish harbours.
And, of course, the surface fleet was sent to blockade the two main harbours of Helsinki and Turku. Shortly after leaving Leningrad, the two Finnish coastal defence ships Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen were detected intending to position themselves in a favourable position for the defence of their islands.
The heavily armed Väinämöinen
Upon seeing the Baltic Fleet they attempted an escape, but their low speed allowed the experienced crew of the Marat to still fire a salvo of it's old but still mighty cannons.
In the following months the Finnish Navy would not try any more operations, possibly out of fear of losing it's only remaining capital ship, and apart from a handful of Swedish ships no considerable trade would reach Finland.
But while this undoubtfully meant the Red Fleet was meeting it's objectives, the same couldn't be said about the Red Army, which despite numerical superiority was failing to submit Finland with the speed Stalin expected. In fact, it was failing to submit Finland at all.
Commissar Viktorov was only relatively comfortable with the situation. While it was true the current fiasco couldn't be blamed on him, it was no less true that an irate Stalin was a dangerous boss for anyone to have.
Still, the Naval Commissariat's work continued, and in no small scale. In February three new battleships were commissioned, the first of the Gangut-class. The Gangut itself was finished in Leningrad, the Rossiya in Vladivostok and the Arkhangeslk in Sevastopol.
A week later, the first divisions of Naval Infantry concluded training and were deemed ready for service.
In that very same day, Admiral Kuznetsov presented his proposal to Commissar Viktorov. The idea was risky, filled potential to either bring Glory to a so far competent but unremarkable campaign, or turn that same campaign into even further humiliation.
But the Soviet Union wasn't built by the fear of failing a Revolution - and by Lenin it's Navy wasn't going to let fear decide either! The Baltic Surface Fleet was ordered back into Leningrad.
As hoped, the Finns didn't have enough reserves to effectively counter a Soviet disembark they didn't even consider in their plans. Faced with the possibility of a direct attack on Helsinki, they offered terms.
Stalin was only too pleased to accept them, and finally end the shame that had been cast on the Red Army for the past 3 months.
The Soviet Navy that had given him that relief was quickly elevated to heroic status, appearing in an ever-increasing number of propaganda posters, films, photos and speeches. The just-created Naval Infantry was a sensation in newspapers all over the World. The mood, status and research resources in the Naval Commissariat were the highest since it's foundation.
Stalin raised us to be faithful to the Soviet People
Huzzah for sea-based international communism. Keep the red flag flying over the deep blue sea. 
presumably the 'we'll settle for what we asked for' option?
i take it you were roleplaying, there, also?
i take it you were roleplaying, there, also?
Well, at least Navy did well. Without them army would have had difficult times ahead.
Nice operations!
For the first time in almost 20 years, a Russian crewed ship has sunk another ship in combat.
So your Marines really did come in use. That's cool, I wonder if the Germans will take this into account is case they decide to Invade a certain Communist nation.
Alos, please tell us how you got the two flags to be different. No more evasive answers.
For the first time in almost 20 years, a Russian crewed ship has sunk another ship in combat.
So your Marines really did come in use. That's cool, I wonder if the Germans will take this into account is case they decide to Invade a certain Communist nation.
Alos, please tell us how you got the two flags to be different. No more evasive answers.
Very good AAR(I read since the beginning although I do not comment) but why do you keep these strange names for the fleets? I don't know what Paradox meant with it but they sound not russian at all and are definetely not the real names of the soviet fleets.
phargle - Historical "settle for what we asked" option.
BritishImperial - Hm.. yes... you see... I...o
The truth is actually wanted to annex Finland, only the war did go wrong for me and I felt it was time to end the embarrassment. Since that would also help role-play a continued funding for the Navy, I let it roll.
Maj. von Mauser - I did it... with magic!
Amallric - they're wrong? Well then tell me the right names so I can change them when I change the battleships as well!
Everyone else, many thanks for the continued support, I'll be posting another update today hopefully.
BritishImperial - Hm.. yes... you see... I...
oThe truth is actually wanted to annex Finland, only the war did go wrong for me and I felt it was time to end the embarrassment. Since that would also help role-play a continued funding for the Navy, I let it roll.
Maj. von Mauser - I did it... with magic!
Amallric - they're wrong? Well then tell me the right names so I can change them when I change the battleships as well!
Everyone else, many thanks for the continued support, I'll be posting another update today hopefully.
The months following the Finnish War were ones for introspection and purges in the Red Army, but for the Red Navy they were months for patting one-self in the back and distributing medals.
That didn't mean, of course, it was time to rest on acquired Glory, and advances continued.
The North Fleet was slightly re-enforced with five new destroyers.
Experiments with naval assembly lines were preformed, and special advanced devices to de-code enemy transitions installed at the Naval Commissariat in Leningrad.
Also, a program was initiated aimed at learning as much as possible from the operational experience of the War, limited as it was.
But the most important action might have been the small reform of the Baltic Fleet, for the first time in decades, able to sustain more then one battleship combat fleet.
It was perhaps the international agenda that provided most interest to the months leading to May. And it did so in many fronts.
The Chinese progressists under Mao were, quite surprisingly, fighting a two front war, and winning it! This wasn't a very good situation for the USSR though, since it had (and to a limited degree still did) support the Kuomintang in it's fight against the Japanese.
In March, Germany seemed to decide to dig an even deeper grave for itself, and declared War on Denmark and Norway. They were lucky in Norway, and occupied it.
Later, they would dig that grave a little bit deeper even, apparently decided to repeat the disaster of the Great War, just as Stalin expected, and declared war on the Netherlands and Belgium.
Only a couple of hours before, Baltic provocations had forced the USSR to intervene in the three Republics...
That didn't mean, of course, it was time to rest on acquired Glory, and advances continued.
The North Fleet was slightly re-enforced with five new destroyers.
Experiments with naval assembly lines were preformed, and special advanced devices to de-code enemy transitions installed at the Naval Commissariat in Leningrad.
Also, a program was initiated aimed at learning as much as possible from the operational experience of the War, limited as it was.
But the most important action might have been the small reform of the Baltic Fleet, for the first time in decades, able to sustain more then one battleship combat fleet.
It was perhaps the international agenda that provided most interest to the months leading to May. And it did so in many fronts.
The Chinese progressists under Mao were, quite surprisingly, fighting a two front war, and winning it! This wasn't a very good situation for the USSR though, since it had (and to a limited degree still did) support the Kuomintang in it's fight against the Japanese.
In March, Germany seemed to decide to dig an even deeper grave for itself, and declared War on Denmark and Norway. They were lucky in Norway, and occupied it.
Later, they would dig that grave a little bit deeper even, apparently decided to repeat the disaster of the Great War, just as Stalin expected, and declared war on the Netherlands and Belgium.
Only a couple of hours before, Baltic provocations had forced the USSR to intervene in the three Republics...
Well it's a bit late since you played until '42 but still. Baltic Fleet should be "Krasnoznamenny Baltiysky Flot"(Red-Bannered Baltic Fleet), the "CCCP" thing is not needed. Then you have "Tchernomorsky Flot" for Black Sea Fleet, Tikhookeansky Flot for Pacific Ocean Fleet and Severny Flot for North Fleet. No idea for the separate stack of outdated ships though(since IRL they were ALL outdated
). Maybe Leningrad's Coastal Defense Battery? No its nonsence, one must be mad to imagine the mighty city of Leningrad threatened by enemy, the wise comrade Stalin will never allow this. :rofl:
BritishImperial - Hm.. yes... you see... I...
The truth is actually wanted to annex Finland, only the war did go wrong for me and I felt it was time to end the embarrassment. Since that would also help role-play a continued funding for the Navy, I let it roll.
I supected this. The problem your going to have now is that your going to have to gaurd against Finland during Barbarossa and that coupled with the naval budget means that there's going too be a tad few less troops than normal on the western front. Nice updates though and good to see the Red Navy performing well during its first tests.
Tanesis,
Hah. These navy boys, clogging up production with their floating monstrosities. We'll see how much will they avail them defending Stalingrad. Unless they mean to sail a BB up a river. They'll be begging us tankers and our dirt eating brothers infantry for help, but it will be to late.
What'd be really fun is if the Red Navy could pull off a decent amphibious assault behind German lines and threaten Berlin. Here's to wishful thinking!
-- Beppo
-- Beppo