The Darkest hour of the Russian Empire 2

[Falconette]

Try the imageshack uploader. I have been using it for my very picture heavy AAR's and it should work perfectly for your's as well.

I used Imageshack, but now they made it unsuitable to work

[Deus Eversor]

go for picassa

son of liberty knows how to fix it, (how to fix it mr Liberty?) and as long you dont make pix >5mb i think you wont know ny troubles in next few years (besides who makes pix of gameplay extend beyond 1mb?)

[Ybakgibumpti]

Best Image hoster is Imgur...

[Aetherius]

You can try NoelShack. It's a french hoster It's like a copy of ImageShack, but I find NS more ergonomic

[son of liberty]

I answered in the pm, but for those who do not know just replace the url tags with img tags. Just quote what I did if that is unclear.

That post now contains both the url link and the img link so you can see exactly what to do.

[Falconette]

Good news. Expect a new update tomorrow

[Nikolai]

Yay! Looking forward to it.

[KotoR45]

Yes! finally another update. I eventually hope for the restoration of Yugoslavia.

[Jedrek]

Can't wait to see the tsardom fight on!

[Falconette]

The Darkest hour of the Russian Empire 2

Chapter Five: 1941
Part XXXIV: Khotyat li russkie voiny*

*Do the Russians really want war?

Manchurian front became a nightmare when the winter came and snow covered the steppes. Russians were well-known to be as tough as possible during such season, but even Siberian soldiers were badly suffering from the weather. Probably, "General Winter" first time used friendly-fire against Russian army.

Two Russian corps leaving Mudanjiang on 14 of December


Cold trenches of Manchuria...

In Huma everything was almost done to break the North-Manchurian front completely. Arkhangelsky believed that the Japanese didn't have any fresh reinforces available.

Arkhangelsky storms Huma

Bulgarian front was bad. Wrangel didn't know what to do - he simply didn't have enough fresh divisions to redeloy them to Constantinople. The most important strategic point in the Black Sea was going to fall very soon. With Bosphorus under their control, Germans could effectively supply their troops in the southern parts of the Russian Empire. Hitler was pleased with Balkan front.

Russian army is pushed out of Adrianople


Russian communication soldier in the Balkans

Wrangel couldn't sacrifice so many troops in Constantinople. He ordered to defend the city as long as possible and sent Black Sea transports to evacuate the troops. On 17 of December rear admiral Geiden left his port and moved to the Holy City.

Operation "Rescue" begins

On the next day Japanese armies reached Mudanjuang. The city was again under Manchukuo's control - offensive in southern Manchuria turned into bloody exhausting stalemate, digged down in the snow.

Japanese army returns


IJA pilots getting instructions - very soon they'll go bombing Russian positions

Heroic defense of Tromso continued - supply genius Mannerheim managed to keep his army in good conditions, but Norwegian army was fighting till the last breath. Arctic front was as stative as Western front in the WW1.

Mannerheim tries again and again

By 22 of December Adrianople was lost and Constantinople was so close for the Axis...

Thrace will be lost...


Bulgarian soldiers in the trenches

The catastrophe began on 24 of December. General Boldyrev, one of the Russian commanders, wasted most of his forces in the bloody defense of Adrianople. So, when he was attacked by 2 German divisions in Gallipoli, his 8 nominal (equal to 1,5 real division) divisions couldn't do anything. Constantinople looked like terrible pocket, but general Masalov (general-governor of Constantinople) was indecisive to evacuate his troops. He believed that he could stop the Germans and Bulgarians there...

Gallipoli in flames


Bulgarian armored car Sd.Kfz. 222

Because of Boldyrev's affair, Geiden couldn't finish his mission - transport squadron was attacked by Luftwaffe bombers, and most of vessels were severely damaged - 3 flotillas were sunk, two returned to Crimea. Wrangel was really angry - he called Boldyrev and Masalov idiots. Evacuation was spoilt. Constantinople was doomed.

Geiden returns with terrific casualties


Russian soldiers from Constantinople corps. Now nothing can save them from death or imprisonment

On the Polish front Russians started performing actively - Germans weren't ready for cruel frosts and stopped their offensives and breakthroughs. It was a great chance for a Russian comeback. On 30 of December general Kruze launched so-called "New Year Offensive" to take Bydgoszcz back.

Russian counterattack on New Year's Eve


Attack, attack!

On the same day Karbyshev, Wrangel (Commader-in-Chief was always on the frontline), Shaposhnikov and Scherbachev stormed Wloclawek.

The Germans will remember that day


Field Marshal Wrangel leads his troops personally

To be continued
Waiting for your comments
Next update: March, 14

[ARC1997]

Grim situation in Thrace.... we shall return. But the black baron is angry... now nothing can save the Germans

[Ivir Baggins]

I'd get some troops and put them into a rear defence line along the Vistula. That should have been done by the Thrace troops, but they are doomed, so that plan will take longer than expected.

[Jedrek]

Do you have any means of evacuating troops from Constantinople?

[Falconette]

@Jedrek: My Baltic fleet transports and Pacific fleet transports are fine. But Pacific is blocked by the Japanese, while Baltic will have to make a great journey across the seas. I think it will be too late and too dangerous...so it looks like a necessary sacrifice

[SovietAmerika]

Let's stop the Jerries before they go to Belarus and Ukraine! Show how much better the Tzarists are at fighting than the Bolsheviks!

[Falconette]

Good motivation, I will

[Deus Eversor]

oooooooooooooooook

i change my mind, appease german warmachine, stand ground at riga-smolensk-kursk-tzarytzyn line!

anyway, you know there was a series of documentaries depicting theaters of ww2 called "battlefield", try to cut off some best scenes, i think they had taken best short parts of films from that period.

[Midge]

I really can't tell whether your winning or not. :S Its quite a lot of fun to read though.

[Leviathan07]

13 million men in manpower left, and 22,000 points in supply: I think he'll win that one

[NACBEAST]

13 million men in manpower left, and 22,000 points in supply: I think he'll win that one

Ahah, yeah. Russian Warfare 101: if you can't beat them immediately and outright, drown them in a sea of dead bodies.