The Great Patriotic War

On the 23rd of august 1939 we signed a pact with the Third Reich, the pact is called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. In this pact we agreed a non aggression between our countries.
Unknown for the rest of the world was a secret protocol where we divided Romania, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia into German and Soviet spheres of influence.


German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signing the treaty in Moscow.

Shortly after this agreement on the 1st of September the Germans invaded the Polish state, to protect our Russian and Ukrainian brothers we entered the eastern part of Poland.


The invasion of Poland.


German soldiers greet a Red Army tank crew near Brest-Litovsk.

20 months later the map of Europe looked completely different, the German Blitzkrieg ran over Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia and Greece. These quick victories stunned Stavka, who were anticipating a long struggle in the west for the Germans and Western Allies.
There was no question now that in the coming years a war between us and the Axis would happen, but Hitler first would have to deal with the British. Only a fool would start a war on 2 fronts.


Europe June 1941.

Meanwhile we where rearming and retraining the red army to prepare for war in the summer of 1942, these measures are happening right now. Divisions are under strength and being redeployed, many vehicles have no spare parts, many crews don’t know how to repair their own vehicle.


There is still a lot of work to do before we can face fascist Europe.

After the war against Finland we came to the conclusion we utterly failed on the ground, although we won the war and moved the border away from Leningrad.
The red army couldn’t even win some battles where we had a 10 to 1 advantage in manpower, whole tank columns got knocked out by a few Finnish soldiers who moves on skis. At the end of the war Finnish propaganda claimed 250.000 Soviet casualties.


Finns inspecting knocked out Soviet tank.
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21st of June 1941 21:33

A patrol of the 13th army part of the 1st Belorussian front heard screams coming from the wood, a few minutes later they captured a German soldier. The soldier immediately began talking “the invasion starts tomorrow” “I’m a communist, Hitler bad”, he kept repeating this over and over again.


The German soldier, he was part of the 10th motorized infantry division which was part of the 2nd Panzer Group.

Division HQ immediately contacted front command:
“we captured a German soldier who claims the Germans are attacking at 04:00 tonight!”
Front command answered:
“you are not the first, this is the 3rd soldier this evening general! On other sectors the same is happening, I got a feeling this is the real thing”.

Meanwhile at the Stavka HQ

Chief of Staff Georgiy K. Zhukov of the phone with Stalin:
Zhukov:
“Boss we have been getting all kinds of indications for months that the Germans would attack around this time, we should put the troops on full alert?”
Stalin:
“General, you and I know these reports have been coming for months, about a month ago you where a 110 % sure we would be attacked the next morning. Nothing happened, why should we act this time?”
Zhukov:
“If the Germans attack this year, they will tonight, I’m sure this is it. Every Front is calling with strange reports about engines, soldiers crossing… “SILENCE!!! Georgiy!!” Stalin screamed!
Stalin:
“I’ll see you at breakfast in STAVKA HQ, we will talk about it. Sleep tight, I know I will”.


Stalin and his Comrades.

The indications General Zhukov is talking about:
- In august 1940 the British warned us that the Germans would attack us, Stalin did not trust them. He thought this was a trick to lure the Soviet Union into the war.
- The Americans also warned us, Stalin chose not to act, only small defensive plans were made.
- Partial alert was introduced in April 1941 after repeated alerts coming from spies in Switzerland and Japan.
- A German plane was shot down in the western part of Ukraine in mid April, the Pilots burned photo’s taken before they were captured. They claimed they were lost on their way to Krakau. This had to be a complete lie, they where about 250 kilometers away from Krakau!


Captured Luftwaffe personnel.

22st of June 1941 00:35

- Reports of the sounds of multiple engines from the other side of the border where now coming from all fronts.

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22nd of June 1941 01:10 Chief of Staff Georgiy K. Zhukov’s office

Zhukov walked to the map table, and took another good look at the maps of all the different fronts he formed two months ago. General Zhukov gave this order to the military districts in peacetime, while a order to form fronts normally only happened in wartime. There were three different military districts when he took command, Zhukov ordered these districts to form fronts: in the Ukraine and Byelorussia there would be three fronts each in case of war, 2 would be added to the existing front when the war started. He expected a war with Germany (he thought was inescapable) would be fought and decided in these two areas. There was also a Baltic, Leningrad, Krim, Karelian and Caucasus front.
Each front have multiple armies and their own air force organization, if needed the front could use its own reserves. Stavka high command could allocate al other reserves.

245 divisions where in the European part of the Soviet Union.
156 where allocated to different front sectors.
89 divisions were under the control of Stavka as a reserve.
49 divisions were momentarily being redeployed.



While hanging over maps of the Soviet European Theater, he began thinking what the situation would be in the case of war with Germany at this moment:


First he looked at the Karelian Front: “only important in case of a Finnish attack”! He turned the page.


The Leningrad Front: “These troops should be able to hold out in case of a attack on the city and it’s vital port”


The Baltic Front: “Needs to be strengthened, in case of defeat fall back on Riga and the river Daugava”


The Belorussian Front: “Field Marshall Timoshenko’s career could be made or broken in case of a German attack in this sector. Very important… very important front..!!”


The first Ukrainian Front: “The city of Kiev relies on this front, heavily defended sector but also the best place for the Germans to use their Panzer”.


The second Ukrainian Front: “Has two rivers it can fall back on: the Dniester and the Prut, in case of a breakthrough at the first Ukrainian front they also have to retreat”


The Crimean Front: “We need to hold on to Sevastopol at any price, this is the home of the Black seas fleet!!”


The Caucasus Front: “Only in case of a German/Turkish alliance, which is very unlikely. They will properly lose a lot of divisions to other fronts in case of war”


Asian Fronts: “These damn Japanese, glad they are bogged down in China, but still we need a guarantee they won’t attack us in case of a war in Europe!”

Stalin always talked about a massive armored counterattack after a week of an invasion, but Stalin believed in a war in 1942. Zhukov knew a counter offensive in a war with Germany this summer would end disastrous. The new T-34 was only added to a few mechanized formations, Zhukov knew that these tanks could make a difference in a war with Germany. If he could he would switch al the 20.000 outdated tanks for 2.000 T-34’s in an instance. Stalin believed in numbers, the thought of a large counter attack with all these vehicles brought a big smile on the face of the Boss.


T34/76 column in Riga on the move to the border April 1941.

Zhukov also knew the red army infantry could not match the German infantry, insufficient weaponry, training and ammunition made the infantry divisions only capable to slow down the Whermacht. The will to fight to the last man under any circumstance was needed from the red army soldiers. A strict system of rules and regulations need to be created by soviet high command.


Soviet infantry on the move in a forests Byelorussia April 1941

A fighting retreat to the line Riga – Smolensk, Smolensk – Odessa became his plan.
“Fighting on the plains of the Ukraine should be avoided by any means as the German Panzers would be in their ideal situation”. “The Ukrainian Front should be strengthened by enough divisions to avoid a breakthrough at this front”.
“If we could avoid a total collapse until the winter, we would be save to start thinking about countering the invasion” Zhukov thought!


Zhukov: “I’ll try to get some sleep, I got a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day!”
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22nd of June 1941 04:00

Red army soldiers were woken by thunder in the distant, seconds later after the impact of the shell and the following blast the soldiers knew: its war!


German Artillery of the 18th army near Memel.


Red Army troops running from the barracks to their trenches.

All across the border, from the Baltic to the black sea an army of 3,5 million men 3.500 tanks began moving east. The Great Patriotic war had started!


German infantry and tanks of the 6th Panzer-Division advancing on Grodno.

The first reports


8th army with her 2 divisions fighting for their lives around Siauliai.

Numerous Generals called the Front commanders to ask for the armored reserve to help on their part of the front.

General Popov commander of the Baltic Front, on the phone with Lt General Sandalov of 8th Army:
“How many days can you hold out General?”
Lt General Sandalov:
“Days? Hours, at most 12 hours, when will the reserve be here?”
General Popov:
“The reserve will be there, just hold out!”
Lt General Sandalov:
“We will do our best sir!”


General Popov ordered 2 mechanized formations to help out 8th army.


The German 16th Army also attacked toward Alytus from East Prussia.


General Lutchinsky who leads the defense of Grodno reported that he is under attack by the 4th Panzer group.


Forces around Bialystok reported being under heavy pressure.


The same was happening in the Lomza district.


Brest-Litovsk under attack by forces commanded by a very capable General: von Manstein.

The Bialystok-Lomza Bulge


Field Marshall Timoshenko gave the order to retreat from the bulge after authorization from Zhukov. Sending in reserves would endanger too many troops from being encircled in case of a break true north and south of the Bialystok-Lomza Bulge. Most of the mobile reserves were send to Grodno to help Lt General Lutchinski's defence of the city.


The first Soviet troops in the war to retreat are the troops from the Bialystok-Lomza bulge after only 1 day of fighting they move east, abandoning allot of equipment.

22nd of June 20:00 Stavka HQ

Stalin entered the room were Zhukov and the rest of his staff was waiting:
Stalin:
“Give me a complete report on the situation after dinner, I also want to start planning our grand counter offensive!”





Next update will contain the rest of the front’s, there is allot happening there.
- Suggestions on strategy and advise are welcome, join the high command !.
- Let me know if there is something you wane see, enough screenshots are being made .
- My first AAR! Let me know how I'm doing!
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