'Odin' and Stalin's Secret Committee

[roverS3]

The 15th of October 1940, Vologda, 1°C, 5am Moscow Time.

I was awoken by the ringing of the intruder alarm. When I opened my bedroom door, five heavily armed ex-military and ex-gru commandos (all officially KIA in Finland or on exercise) were rushing through the hallway from their sleeping quarters towards the concealed entrance of our compound's main bunker. With the alarm ringing, I hadn't even noticed that the telephone in my room was ringing. I picked it up and it was the commander of the Guard, ex Field Marshall Egorov:

"Odin, sir, you have to see this! It's a woman, and she's standing right in front of the door of the main bunker. She seems to have gotten through the outer fence with the "Military training ground, all trespassers will be shot" signs, past the sentries, through the minefields, over the inner wall and across the landing strip, all without being noticed... I can't believe it! Orders sir? Do we shoot her, capture her? No one has ever been so foolish to even cross the outer fence. What do we do now?..."
​

ex Field Marshall Egorov had himself assembled the men to guard the compound, he had shaped this small unit of elite soldiers into a very effective and well hidden defensive force. He had overseen the installation of the minefields, the construction of the wall, tunnels,... He was a can do kind of man, and the most skilled in defensive warfare of all our resident ex-Red Army officers. He had greatly improved the defences of our compound, but now it seems a woman, alone, had gotten through all of that. He was clearly distraught, and luckily I was there, because this ex Field Marshall was at a loss for words...

I replied quickly and sternly:

"Open the door and lead her to one of the empty offices, tell her to wait there and lock the door. If she tries anything, restrain her. It's not like she can run anywhere now that we know she's there.. but just in case, place guards at the door and at all the windows. I'll be right down."​

I dressed myself in a big hurry and ran down to the office where she was now held. All the men were talking, there were women who lived and worked in the compound, analysts, radio operators, secretaries, even a few guards, a few were wives of internal members, but none had had quite the effect of this one. The guards all seemed in awe of their prisoner, of her skill, her beauty, but it was more than that, she seemed to be more in control of the situation than any of the men guarding her. It was clear that, if she was sitting in that office, it was because she had wanted to be there, not because we put her there or kept her there. She seemed entirely unimpressed by any of it. When I opened the door she greeted me:

"Ah, you must be 'Odin'. Sorry to drag you out of bed, but getting in here by day would have been too much of a hassle...It's not like you can ring a door bell in this place and even I couldn't find a single phone number for it"
​

She spoke in perfect Russian with a barely noticeable French accent.
I hesitated, and before I could formulate a response, she continued:

"I used to be a GRU operative in Paris, you see, I was born there, Russian mother, French father. In 1936, we returned to the Soviet Union, Leningrad to be precise, I was 18 then, and I was quickly picked up by the GRU, thanks to my perfect French, my good looks, and my great test scores. Naturally I was sent back to France. Most of my colleagues stole technology, but I spent most of my time seducing members of the Sureté d'état, and then eliminating them once I got them on their own. Besides seducing french spies, I had an affair with my handler, whom you may, or may not, know. Let's just say that he reported directly to the man you call 'Shest'.

So, one night of passion, my handler tells me that a particularly skilled Canadian spy-hunter was on his tail, he would soon be compromised and this was the last time he would be seeing me romantically, because he didn't want to compromise my cover as well. That night, I had him tell me everything he knew, about his boss, and how his boss had reached out to him under different names of highly placed Soviet Intelligence officials, 'Shest' had been disguised, but my handler had a knack for recognising voices.... My handler and lover was shot by this Canadian a few days later, but what he told me about his boss got me thinking....

I managed to arrange for me to report directly to 'Shest' and I started digging, and the more I dug, the more I found 'Shest' 's history did not add up to explain how he had gotten into this position, unless of course, there had been influence from above... I never shared any of these suspicions with my new boss, as I knew him to be quite ruthless when it came to comments on his history...

Under his authority, I was sent to spy on a couple of French Army Maréchals in order to gain intelligence on German capabilities and troop numbers. Besides the intelligence I was looking for, I discovered something else entirely... A group of these officers had started talking to the Germans about a surrender, without the approval of the central Government. They proposed an arrangement where France would be divided into two areas, one including Paris, the Maginot line, and the Atlantic coast would be under direct control of the Germans, while in the rest of the country, a subservient Government would be set up, probably with Maréchal Pétain at it's head... I believed 'Shest' could not be trusted entirely, so I didn't tell him about this. I foiled the plot myself through a combination of seduction and blackmail... One by one I seduced those involved, had a picture taken of us together, and then threatened to send it to their wives if they continued to advance their plot. After two weeks, there was no more plot, as all the participants who had any power pulled out one after the other...

Once they realised what had happened, and that they were all being blackmailed by the same woman, they decided they would try to kill me, and then proceed with the plot. That was easier said than done however... I dropped off the radar, and they started circulating a picture of me, saying I was a German spy, it's not as if any of them could have ever guessed I was Russian. I always framed my threats as if I was a patriotic french girl who wanted the army to fight until the bitter end...

To make a long story short, a clever Australian spy-hunter caught up with me in Marseilles, as I was about to leave on a hydroplane towards French Indochina. Luckily I'm more attractive than my former lover had been, especially to a young Australian man, and I seduced him into faking my killing. To all intents and purposes I was killed by a bomb placed in the hydroplane I was supposed to be on... I guess you'll have to revise your statistics about the amount of Soviet spies killed in France, down by one..."
​

She stopped talking, and I could finally get a word in:

"How did you find out about this place? What do you know about us? Who should we eliminate to make sure something like this never happens again?..."
​

She hadn't stopped to allow me to talk, as her annoyed look told me, she was just pausing to let things sink in, and to show me a picture of the hydroplane, a 1935 Latécoère 300, an Air France postal plane. I could swear I caught a glimpse of sadness in her eye at the demise of this beautiful hydroplane, but that may just have been my imagination...

This beauty was blown up shortly after take off, the records show only the crew, the mail, and a mysterious woman were on board. French and Australian Intelligence consider her to have been a German spy... but she was GRU, or that's what 'Shest's records show... she even outplayed the master...

"While all of this was going on, I reported to 'Shest' ' about German troop dispositions, and he knew about my seducing of high ranking Army officers, thinking that it's only purpose was intelligence gathering... One day, while I was making my report to him, the telephone next to him on the wall of the bar rang. As only the two of us knew we would be in this particular bar, as we had only decided for this one a mere five minutes before the call, I expected some surprise on his part. But he wasn't surprised, he seemed a bit annoyed, but he took the call... After the call, during which he had said next to nothing, seeing the distraught look on my face, he told me I shouldn't worry, and that the caller was on our side.

Of course this only awakened my curiosity, and from then on I scouted every possible location for a meeting in advance, and set up listening equipment on the telephone lines. A couple of weeks later, when he had just come down from Moskva again, he got another call, and this time I heard every word... And that's how I found out there was some kind of secret organisation where people had huge influence and numbers instead of names. That's when I first heard 'Tri's voice, I pegged him for a Soviet Diplomat, or even a member of the politburo, with his demeanour of utter confidence and his way of coming straight to the point, giving his opinion, then just hanging up, he had to be high up in the food chain... It still didn't explain how he always knew where 'Shest' was... I don't have an answer for that one, yet...

Back to the story, One day I found a safe hidden in a hiding space I had never even noticed, inside the wall behind some loose panelling, effectively in the house next door. I managed to guess 'Shest' s combination, as I knew him intimately by now, well not intimately like that... we were never lovers... but I had been researching him for months and listening in on his calls from Paris for weeks by then... Anyway. Inside the safe I found strange reports with very accurate data on the Soviet Union, they were your reports, and I noticed that most of them had Vologda, next to the time and date. That's when I knew that if I ever needed to disappear, I would go to Vologda, and find the place that doesn't exist, as you guys seem to not exist rather well, all the while staying active and gathering better intelligence on the inner workings of the Soviet Union than anything I've ever seen. That's the kind of team I can see myself be a part of... after my demise.

I'm here to apply for an active position as a non existent person with a number instead of a name that serves the higher purpose of advancing the Soviet Union outside of any government bureaucracy or censorship. As I see it, you have only two real choices, hire me, or execute me, and I can all but guarantee that I won't be dead if you pick the second option. I'm sure you realise that locking me up really isn't an option as I would be out of here just as easily as I got in... so, what do you say."
​

I replied that any addition to the Committee, especially at the level of a numbered correspondent, had to be authorised by Stalin. I noted that if she could convince Stalin on his next visit, she could become an active member, as her skills would clearly be a valuable addition to our ranks. The only problem was that, having executed so many missions on her own, without authorisation from a superior, it wasn't clear if she could be trusted.

For starters I told her she had to stay within the grounds with an escort of guards at all times until the rest of the Committee and comrade Stalin himself had agreed to let her work for us. As a counter to her promise that she could run away whenever she wanted, I reminded her of the fact that 'Tri' could find anyone, whenever he wanted...

Then I left the room and had Egorov select his two best female guards to escort the young woman around the facility.

What do the external members of the Committee think about this, should we take this woman on?

(no names will be used as per protocol, any names or cover-identities of members mentioned during the interview have of course been replaced by the assigned number.)

For now she will be referred to as 'Odinadtsat' (Eleven),

Greetings,

'Odin'

OOC:
Thank you Markkur for inspiring this story, an explanation of why there is no Vichy. Here is the 'shadow' that made it all happen.

 

[Eurasia]

She sounds interesting Comrade. But she is, maybe, a little too independent. Maybe a field test - to gain information that is important but not so important that if she fails we have lost anything?

And her handler should be a loyal female, married, with family. In other words, strong ties to the Soviet Union. Nobody she can turn easily.

 

[markkur]

She sounds interesting Comrade. But she is, maybe, a little too independent. Maybe a field test - to gain information that is important but not so important that if she fails we have lost anything?

And her handler should be a loyal female, married, with family. In other words, strong ties to the Soviet Union. Nobody she can turn easily.

I second the above. A controlled-test would be extremely risky for you to bypass.

And a very nice explanation (tale) well told.<thumb-up>

 

[Bullfilter]

The 15th of October 1940, Vologda, 1°C, 5am Moscow Time.

I was awoken by the ringing of the intruder alarm. When I opened my bedroom door, five heavily armed ex-military and ex-gru commandos (all officially KIA in Finland or on exercise) were rushing through the hallway from their sleeping quarters towards the concealed entrance of our compound's main bunker. With the alarm ringing, I hadn't even noticed that the telephone in my room was ringing. I picked it up and it was the commander of the Guard, ex Field Marshall Egorov:

"Odin, sir, you have to see this! It's a woman, and she's standing right in front of the door of the main bunker. She seems to have gotten through the outer fence with the "Military training ground, all trespassers will be shot" signs, past the sentries, through the minefields, over the inner wall and across the landing strip, all without being noticed... I can't believe it! Orders sir? Do we shoot her, capture her? No one has ever been so foolish to even cross the outer fence. What do we do now?..."
​

ex Field Marshall Egorov had himself assembled the men to guard the compound, he had shaped this small unit of elite soldiers into a very effective and well hidden defensive force. He had overseen the installation of the minefields, the construction of the wall, tunnels,... He was a can do kind of man, and the most skilled in defensive warfare of all our resident ex-Red Army officers. He had greatly improved the defences of our compound, but now it seems a woman, alone, had gotten through all of that. He was clearly distraught, and luckily I was there, because this ex Field Marshall was at a loss for words...

I replied quickly and sternly:

"Open the door and lead her to one of the empty offices, tell her to wait there and lock the door. If she tries anything, restrain her. It's not like she can run anywhere now that we know she's there.. but just in case, place guards at the door and at all the windows. I'll be right down."​

I dressed myself in a big hurry and ran down to the office where she was now held. All the men were talking, there were women who lived and worked in the compound, analysts, radio operators, secretaries, even a few guards, a few were wives of internal members, but none had had quite the effect of this one. The guards all seemed in awe of their prisoner, of her skill, her beauty, but it was more than that, she seemed to be more in control of the situation than any of the men guarding her. It was clear that, if she was sitting in that office, it was because she had wanted to be there, not because we put her there or kept her there. She seemed entirely unimpressed by any of it. When I opened the door she greeted me:

"Ah, you must be 'Odin'. Sorry to drag you out of bed, but getting in here by day would have been too much of a hassle...It's not like you can ring a door bell in this place and even I couldn't find a single phone number for it"
​

She spoke in perfect Russian with a barely noticeable French accent.
I hesitated, and before I could formulate a response, she continued:

"I used to be a GRU operative in Paris, you see, I was born there, Russian mother, French father. In 1936, we returned to the Soviet Union, Leningrad to be precise, I was 18 then, and I was quickly picked up by the GRU, thanks to my perfect French, my good looks, and my great test scores. Naturally I was sent back to France. Most of my colleagues stole technology, but I spent most of my time seducing members of the Sureté d'état, and then eliminating them once I got them on their own. Besides seducing french spies, I had an affair with my handler, whom you may, or may not, know. Let's just say that he reported directly to the man you call 'Shest'.

So, one night of passion, my handler tells me that a particularly skilled Canadian spy-hunter was on his tail, he would soon be compromised and this was the last time he would be seeing me romantically, because he didn't want to compromise my cover as well. That night, I had him tell me everything he knew, about his boss, and how his boss had reached out to him under different names of highly placed Soviet Intelligence officials, 'Shest' had been disguised, but my handler had a knack for recognising voices.... My handler and lover was shot by this Canadian a few days later, but what he told me about his boss got me thinking....

I managed to arrange for me to report directly to 'Shest' and I started digging, and the more I dug, the more I found 'Shest' 's history did not add up to explain how he had gotten into this position, unless of course, there had been influence from above... I never shared any of these suspicions with my new boss, as I knew him to be quite ruthless when it came to comments on his history...

Under his authority, I was sent to spy on a couple of French Army Maréchals in order to gain intelligence on German capabilities and troop numbers. Besides the intelligence I was looking for, I discovered something else entirely... A group of these officers had started talking to the Germans about a surrender, without the approval of the central Government. They proposed an arrangement where France would be divided into two areas, one including Paris, the Maginot line, and the Atlantic coast would be under direct control of the Germans, while in the rest of the country, a subservient Government would be set up, probably with Maréchal Pétain at it's head... I believed 'Shest' could not be trusted entirely, so I didn't tell him about this. I foiled the plot myself through a combination of seduction and blackmail... One by one I seduced those involved, had a picture taken of us together, and then threatened to send it to their wives if they continued to advance their plot. After two weeks, there was no more plot, as all the participants who had any power pulled out one after the other...

Once they realised what had happened, and that they were all being blackmailed by the same woman, they decided they would try to kill me, and then proceed with the plot. That was easier said than done however... I dropped off the radar, and they started circulating a picture of me, saying I was a German spy, it's not as if any of them could have ever guessed I was Russian. I always framed my threats as if I was a patriotic french girl who wanted the army to fight until the bitter end...

To make a long story short, a clever Australian spy-hunter caught up with me in Marseilles, as I was about to leave on a hydroplane towards French Indochina. Luckily I'm more attractive than my former lover had been, especially to a young Australian man, and I seduced him into faking my killing. To all intents and purposes I was killed by a bomb placed in the hydroplane I was supposed to be on... I guess you'll have to revise your statistics about the amount of Soviet spies killed in France, down by one..."
​

She stopped talking, and I could finally get a word in:

"How did you find out about this place? What do you know about us? Who should we eliminate to make sure something like this never happens again?..."
​

She hadn't stopped to allow me to talk, as her annoyed look told me, she was just pausing to let things sink in, and to show me a picture of the hydroplane, a 1935 Latécoère 300, an Air France postal plane. I could swear I caught a glimpse of sadness in her eye at the demise of this beautiful hydroplane, but that may just have been my imagination...

View attachment 298344
This beauty was blown up shortly after take off, the records show only the crew, the mail, and a mysterious woman were on board. French and Australian Intelligence consider her to have been a German spy... but she was GRU, or that's what 'Shest's records show... she even outplayed the master...

"While all of this was going on, I reported to 'Shest' ' about German troop dispositions, and he knew about my seducing of high ranking Army officers, thinking that it's only purpose was intelligence gathering... One day, while I was making my report to him, the telephone next to him on the wall of the bar rang. As only the two of us knew we would be in this particular bar, as we had only decided for this one a mere five minutes before the call, I expected some surprise on his part. But he wasn't surprised, he seemed a bit annoyed, but he took the call... After the call, during which he had said next to nothing, seeing the distraught look on my face, he told me I shouldn't worry, and that the caller was on our side.

Of course this only awakened my curiosity, and from then on I scouted every possible location for a meeting in advance, and set up listening equipment on the telephone lines. A couple of weeks later, when he had just come down from Moskva again, he got another call, and this time I heard every word... And that's how I found out there was some kind of secret organisation where people had huge influence and numbers instead of names. That's when I first heard 'Tri's voice, I pegged him for a Soviet Diplomat, or even a member of the politburo, with his demeanour of utter confidence and his way of coming straight to the point, giving his opinion, then just hanging up, he had to be high up in the food chain... It still didn't explain how he always knew where 'Shest' was... I don't have an answer for that one, yet...

Back to the story, One day I found a safe hidden in a hiding space I had never even noticed, inside the wall behind some loose panelling, effectively in the house next door. I managed to guess 'Shest' s combination, as I knew him intimately by now, well not intimately like that... we were never lovers... but I had been researching him for months and listening in on his calls from Paris for weeks by then... Anyway. Inside the safe I found strange reports with very accurate data on the Soviet Union, they were your reports, and I noticed that most of them had Vologda, next to the time and date. That's when I knew that if I ever needed to disappear, I would go to Vologda, and find the place that doesn't exist, as you guys seem to not exist rather well, all the while staying active and gathering better intelligence on the inner workings of the Soviet Union than anything I've ever seen. That's the kind of team I can see myself be a part of... after my demise.

I'm here to apply for an active position as a non existent person with a number instead of a name that serves the higher purpose of advancing the Soviet Union outside of any government bureaucracy or censorship. As I see it, you have only two real choices, hire me, or execute me, and I can all but guarantee that I won't be dead if you pick the second option. I'm sure you realise that locking me up really isn't an option as I would be out of here just as easily as I got in... so, what do you say."
​

I replied that any addition to the Committee, especially at the level of a numbered correspondent, had to be authorised by Stalin. I noted that if she could convince Stalin on his next visit, she could become an active member, as her skills would clearly be a valuable addition to our ranks. The only problem was that, having executed so many missions on her own, without authorisation from a superior, it wasn't clear if she could be trusted.

For starters I told her she had to stay within the grounds with an escort of guards at all times until the rest of the Committee and comrade Stalin himself had agreed to let her work for us. As a counter to her promise that she could run away whenever she wanted, I reminded her of the fact that 'Tri' could find anyone, whenever he wanted...

Then I left the room and had Egorov select his two best female guards to escort the young woman around the facility.

What do the external members of the Committee think about this, should we take this woman on?

(no names will be used as per protocol, any names or cover-identities of members mentioned during the interview have of course been replaced by the assigned number.)

For now she will be referred to as 'Odinadtsat' (Eleven),

Greetings,

'Odin'

OOC:
Thank you Markkur for inspiring this story, an explanation of why there is no Vichy. Here is the 'shadow' that made it all happen.

Nice character digression! I hope she passes whatever tests she is subjected to - just watch out she doesn't end up as 'Number One'

 

[roverS3]

The 16th of October 1940, Vologda, 2,0°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 7th and the 16th of October 1940,

by 'Odin'

Army:

Another Regiment's worth of Su-152 Self-Propelled Artillery has been delivered. 42. GvSAP will reinforce Maj. General Rybalko's 4. GvTD, I GvTK, 2ya Tankovaya Diviziya, Armoured Army Group, STAVKA.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 590 / 1.770.000
Support troops: 199 / 199.000

Total fighting troops: 789 / 1.969.000​

Headquarters: 56 / 56.000

Total Army Personnel: 845 / 2.025.000​

Officers: 74.650+ / 84.500 needed / 88,343 %
Active Leaders: 236 / 111 more available
Production of Su-152's continues for another SP Art Regiment.
​

Air Force:

100 Li-2 Transport planes, forming 3TrAD have been deployed, they will join I. TrAK
Aeroplane Numbers (Wings/Planes):

Interceptors: 21 / 2.100
Multi-Role Fighters: 2 / 200
Close Air Support: 4 / 400
Carrier Air Groups: 5 / 500

Single Engined: 32 / 3.200​

Tactical Bomber: 4 / 400

Total Bombers: 8 / 800​

Transport Planes: 2 / 200

Total VVS: 32 / 3.200
Total Navy: 5 / 500
Total Airplanes: 37 / 3.700​

Active Leaders: 13 / 17 Reserve
Another Il-2 production line has been started
​

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days
​

Politics / International:

No legislative changes
Sinkiang has offered us Military Access, the Soviet Union has accepted their offer.
The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 85,2
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 85,7

The Germans are on the offensive again, they have taken Kongsberg again. It's looking like this war will be an eternal stalemate...​

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,7
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,5

It seems the Italians have poured some reinforcements into this front, probably through Bengasi, as they have managed to push the British away from the Port town, taking Zawiyat Masus back. The British moved sideways, taking territory along the Mediterranean coast by taking Susah and Derna. This should improve the flow of supply, and gives the British more options towards Bengasi...​

French North Africa Front

France is a Government in exile.
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,5

Our analysts really believe some reinforcements have come to Libya on the Italian side, because on the Tunisia front, the French haven't been able to move forward either. This means that either the French have Supply issues, or the Italians have the troops to hold them back and gingerly push the British back to the East.​

East Africa & Ethiopia Front

Ethiopia (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 75,8
France is a Government in exile.
United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,7
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,5

No movement whatsoever here for the last ten days
​

Industry:

The new factories in Berezniki and Uray are now fully operational.
Production has started on Heavy AA Guns, enough to form 6 batteries. These will be placed in fixed emplacements in and around cities, Air Bases, and Fortifications to provide some added protection against enemy Air Attack.
Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 238 / 321
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 13,80 / 13,88
Reinforcement: 1,10 / 1,20
Supplies: 37,65 / 37,19
Production: 239,56 / 239,56
Consumer Goods: 28,89 / 28,89 (+0,18)​

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes =
Metal: 87.537 tonnes +
Rares: 30.101 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels =
Supplies: 25.293 tonnes +
Fuel: 99.566 barrels +
Money: 1.976 -
​

Intelligence:

Spy numbers, spies in (active / added / lost / caught by us)

France (Covert Operations / Counterespionage): 5 / 0 / 0 / 0

{ Germany (/): 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 }
{ Japan (/): 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 }
{ UK (/): 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 }​

Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Total: 5 / 0 / 0 / 3​

Reserves: 10
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,29
We have so far recruited 12 like-minded Covert Operatives in our French sleeper cell.
Finally, some more intruders have been caught...
We now have enough trained reserves to staff a full espionage mission, soon we will have some extras as replacements, we will have to see how we use them. Send them back to the UK to steal technology, send them to Germany, maybe Italy for naval technology? If any external members have ideas on where best to launch our next technological espionage mission, don't hold back...
​

Research:

A new design for Destroyer mounted 37mm AA-Guns (Level 3) is ready for production. They should improve our Destroyer's Air Defences and thus give better protection against Aerial attacks on our fleets outside of fighter cover, as well as helping our CAG's win the battle for Air supremacy overhead.

Sailors testing the new 37mm AA-Guns, the 61-K Gun was based on an older 45mm gun, which was based on a Swedish Bofors 25mm Gun... Historically it replaced the 45mm Gun that replaces it in HOI3. It was developed in the late 30s, and production started in earnest in 1940. It was purpose built as a Naval AA Gun, in contrast to the 45mm it replaced in OT, which was a modified AT gun. (In HOI3 the 45mm is a Level 4 DD AA-gun while the 37mm is Level 3...it seems they just put them in order of ascending calibre...)​

Now our navy researchers are looking into Anti-Submarine Weapons (Level 1) and detection tactics to be mounted on our Small Warships. The navy insists in having at least a limited reasonably modern Anti-Submarine capability, and the Secret Committee agrees, wanting to be able to make the Baltic into a kill zone for any Axis Submarines, or ships fleeing the Atlantic and the Royal Navy.
​

Statistics:

National Unity: 83,003 (+0,01)
Neutrality: 0,00 =
Dissent: 0,00 =
Manpower:

Available: 2.022.000 Men
To reinforce(need): 1.520 Men
To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)​

No changes in Party Popularity for the last ten days
Party Organisation:

- Communist Party: 71,32 (+0,5)
- Trotskyite: 11,00 =
- Bukharinite: 6,10 =

- Octobrist: 6,60 =
- Trudoviks: 3,40 =
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

- Tsarists: 0,50 =
- NTS: 0,90 =
- POA: 0,00 =
​

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 16th of October 1940, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'​

 

[roverS3]

She sounds interesting Comrade. But she is, maybe, a little too independent. Maybe a field test - to gain information that is important but not so important that if she fails we have lost anything?

A controlled-test would be extremely risky for you to bypass.

I have to agree, she is independent to a scary degree, and we have to make sure, this independence does not become a liability. In other words, we need to make sure her loyalties are rock solid before sending her out.

And her handler should be a loyal female, married, with family. In other words, strong ties to the Soviet Union. Nobody she can turn easily.

Well, it could be tough to find someone appropriate, the committee, with it's policy of having all senior personnel officially dead, is not a place where people tend to start a family.
There are really only two choices for their kids: Have them follow their entire education within the Secret Committee Compound and take any possibility of a 'normal' life away from them. Or separate them from their parents to a certain degree. Kids in the outside world make it difficult to shed the cover identity you use as their parent. (Them not knowing about the secret Committee is the only way to give them a chance at a 'normal' life...). The people in the Committee either wilfully faked their death as a rite of passage after agreeing to the terms of life within the Committee, or they chose the Committee over real, inevitable death.

Quite a few lower level secretaries, cleaners, clerks and Analysts who only work on the compound itself do have families in Vologda to which they return every night, pretending they just came back from their run of the mill job in some huge bureaucratic institution. So we would have to find someone smart enough without prior ties to the security apparatus, with a family, an ironclad cover job, and the capacity to handle an asset from a long way away as we couldn't afford to put such a person in any real danger, nor even in a position where they might get noticed... If discovered, having a 'real' identity with a family would seriously complicate any transition to a new cover identity. Possibly having them lose all contact with their family, or having to bring their family into the Committee without even giving them a choice...
I'm just saying that it won't be easy, but I'm sure that we can figure something out...

Nice character digression! I hope she passes whatever tests she is subjected to - just watch out she doesn't end up as 'Number One'

Well, there is always that risk, but I don't think comrade Stalin would take her independence over my (for now) unquestionable loyalty any time soon. No matter her looks or seductive powers, I 'd like to think he can look past that, otherwise I don't see how he got to his current position.

Thanks for these prompt responses, we have a ten person team trying to come up with a suitable test that could still yield useful, but not essential, information, we'll have to see what they come up with.

Greetings,

'Odin'

 

[Eurasia]

Thanks for these prompt responses, we have a ten person team trying to come up with a suitable test that could still yield useful, but not essential, information, we'll have to see what they come up with.

If it is still open for debate may I toss in the suggestion of sending her to Malta? The UK conveys pass through there as do their reinforcements. Also, it is a major naval port and air base.

By counting transports, watching the air bases, and so on she could tell us a lot about the power of the Allies in the Mediterranean and which way the war is going in Africa. Her French accent would allow her to take on the cover of French citizen having fled France or North Africa.

And if she fails - well no harm done.

Of course a more dangerous mission would be to send her into the French territories occupied by the Italians in Africa to get a better picture of the Axis.

 

[markkur]

I do like the Malta post but for choice, I'll add, I can also see some benefits to a placement inside your code-breakers working on French Government communiques'. For a twist (but more work for you) maybe "the test" wherever it is - is a man-fatale, some loyal muscled flesh-sculpture (Soviet Olympian?) that charms his way into her assignment as well as her outside interests? By her introduction, I consider her to be a "loose cannon" and mainly by her pathway to HQ. However, maybe that is a front and she parachuted in because of a leak that you were not aware existed. <LOL>

 

[roverS3]

If it is still open for debate may I toss in the suggestion of sending her to Malta? The UK conveys pass through there as do their reinforcements. Also, it is a major naval port and air base.

I do like the Malta post but for choice,

It's not necessarily a bad idea, but would probably make it tough to keep tabs on her, to actually handle her and make sure she's not doing anything questionable in regards to her loyalties or her assignment...

By counting transports, watching the air bases, and so on she could tell us a lot about the power of the Allies in the Mediterranean and which way the war is going in Africa. Her French accent would allow her to take on the cover of French citizen having fled France or North Africa.

This is of course why it's not a bad idea...

Of course a more dangerous mission would be to send her into the French territories occupied by the Italians in Africa to get a better picture of the Axis.

This would be more exciting, but even more difficult to follow up than Malta, so it's not exactly suited for a test of loyalty...

I can also see some benefits to a placement inside your code-breakers working on French Government communiques'.

This might be just the thing she needs, some office work so we can get her talking and keep a close watch...

For a twist (but more work for you) maybe "the test" wherever it is - is a man-fatale, some loyal muscled flesh-sculpture (Soviet Olympian?) that charms his way into her assignment as well as her outside interests?

I'm not so sure she would fall for her own methods, seeing how ruthless she is in exploiting her romantic conquests, I don't see her becoming head over heals at the first sight of a good hulk of muscled, sculpted, man-flesh. Maybe no one ever tried... Maybe we should try it anyway... There is always the risk of the man fatale falling for her charms, seeing how much of a charmer she is, it would be a true seduction battle with an uncertain outcome...

By her introduction, I consider her to be a "loose cannon" and mainly by her pathway to HQ. However, maybe that is a front and she parachuted in because of a leak that you were not aware existed. <LOL>

For all we know she might be a French double agent, she grew up there, went to school there, she's been in France for quite a bit longer than she has been in the Motherland. Right now the interests of France and the Soviet Union might be pretty much aligned, but nothing tells us this will remain the case forever. Finding where her loyalties really lie, that's the challenge we face before we, or Stalin can sign off on her doing field work and intelligence gathering independently... This is a really tough nut to crack, and not only do we need the right person for the job, someone who is not susceptible to her charms, and someone who can spot a lie a mile away, we need to find the right circumstances. This is uncharted territory for the Committee, and we need to do this right, as the survival of the Committee, Stalin, and ultimately the Soviet Union might very well be at play here.

And if she fails - well no harm done.

Failing might even calm her down a bit, make her lose some of that aura of invincibility she had when she knocked on the door... Maybe we could engineer a failed mission...

This is all very interesting, and will be taken into consideration. I will of course report on any decisions made on this topic as I have the final responsibility in making sure this is handled right. Feel free to propose other tests if any come to mind, or respond to comments made above... Ideally we should start the main test before the end of November, as we would like to have a final verdict on her situation and usefulness by the end of the year.

Greetings,

'Odin'

 

[serutan]

Too bad she didn't turn out to be Devyat Desyat Devyat. Then you would have only been lacking Vosyem Desyat Shest for guaranteed victory...

 

[Bullfilter]

Perhaps the loyalty test has already commenced: has she perhaps been sent by Stalin to test Odin's loyalty and that of the Committee? It would be standard procedure. If so, Odin has responded well by deferring judgement on her case to the General Secretary!

She seems too fortuitous and talented to waste: I think maybe she should begin German classes. There will soon be great need of some inside info from the Fascists. You know how venal and easily tempted those Nazi brass are. Easily 'led', so to speak!

 

[roverS3]

Too bad she didn't turn out to be Devyat Desyat Devyat. Then you would have only been lacking Vosyem Desyat Shest for guaranteed victory...

9-10-9 7-10-6, I'm afraid I didn't get the reference, a google search didn't help either, please enlighten me.

Perhaps the loyalty test has already commenced: has she perhaps been sent by Stalin to test Odin's loyalty and that of the Committee? It would be standard procedure. If so, Odin has responded well by deferring judgement on her case to the General Secretary!

That would be particularly sly of the General Secretary, and I wouldn't put it past him... especially considering how easily she managed to get inside the compound. Maybe there was some help from above?

She seems too fortuitous and talented to waste: I think maybe she should begin German classes. There will soon be great need of some inside info from the Fascists. You know how venal and easily tempted those Nazi brass are. Easily 'led', so to speak!

We wouldn't want to waste her talents, but we also need to be sure they won't be used against our interests at some point in time...
Maybe Italian will be more in her wheelhouse, seeing as she already speaks perfect French, Italian will be easier for her to learn than German, especially if she was taught Latin in her Parisian Collège (High School / Secondary School), which is quite likely. Of course, we could always teach her to speak German with an Italian accent, that would really work to charm the German top brass... a gorgeous woman from an allied nation, there's no reason for a German to be distrustful, is there... and Germans won't hear it if her Italian accent is imperfect... as long as it isn't too french.

Thanks for your insight, this is one hell of a conundrum...

Greetings,

'Odin'

 

[roverS3]

The 23rd of October 1940, Sevastopol, 11,8°C, 11pm Moscow Time

I'm here in Leningrad, officially as a captain of a small convoy escort vessel, basically an old whale ship with some AA guns, giving me access to the docks. Our ten Sevastopol-Class Destroyers, forming all of the grandly named I. Avianosets Flote (I Aircraft Carrier Fleet), have finally returned from their largest exercise to date. Officially they made the long trip all the way to the Skerks Channel on the Tunisian coast to try out the first production version of the new 37mm Destroyer AA Gun in a hotter atmosphere.

The ships eft on the 17th and now, at 9pm on the 23rd, they have returned, a Secret Committee asset on the crew of the lead Destroyer have deposited a copy of the secret 'troop movements along the Libyan coast' report into a dead drop. Where yours truly picked it up just minutes ago:

This map is patched together from Intel gathered over two days, but it never shows the same unit twice, and more importantly it shows us that the Italians have quite a few divisions in the area. A good part of these have to be recent reinforcements or the British advance would never have materialised... It seems the Italians are really throwing manpower into Northern Africa, let us hope it doesn't work out for them... There seems to be no Garrison in Tunis, and no major ships in Bengasi, nor in Tunis for that matter... Looked at from this perspective, the Allies should be lucky to hold on to their territory during the next few months. No significant reinforcements were spotted behind the British lines...
​

The newly installed Radar was a real success, as it allowed the crews to spot fleets more than 100kms away and made this intelligence gathering much easier. (The fact that we have Radar on our ships is however a closely guarded secret, so the official reason for the trip was testing the new AA Gun, it was fired twice on the whole trip... and worked.). The current Radar is not good enough to actually distinguish between ship types and fleet sizes, it did manage to tell us which nation the fleets were from (the technicians in the report write about recognising the language of intercepted radio messages, but that they were too garbled to make out any actual words). It's still a huge help to our fleets.

A few days ago, a couple of Submarines got back to Leningrad after a top secret trip along the shores of Norway, another map was delivered:

We can see that the Oslo area is well staffed by the Norwegian Army, the main German Fleet is sitting in Fredrikshavn along with tens of thousands of soldiers. It seems the Germans still have no transports, and if they ever build some again, Norway will be in real trouble. Otherwise, a small Norwegian fleet was spotted on sonar, but they weren't identified, teh same is true of the British Fleet that was spotted in the Eastern Norwegian Trench a couple of hours before.
​

Our Navy has proven again that it can offer valuable intelligence by just sailing along, covertly or overtly.

The Committee is still weighing options concerning our recent surprise visitor,

Greetings,

'Odin'

 

[serutan]

9-10-9 7-10-6, I'm afraid I didn't get the reference, a google search didn't help either, please enlighten me.

That's actually 99 and 86 (Devyat Desyat = 90, Vosyem Desayat = 80) . I think googling those will produce some results.

 

[Bullfilter]

That's actually 99 and 86 (Devyat Desyat = 90, Vosyem Desayat = 80) . I think googling those will produce some results.

I just looked it up on my shoe-phone.

 

[roverS3]

That's actually 99 and 86 (Devyat Desyat = 90, Vosyem Desayat = 80) . I think googling those will produce some results.

Isn't 99, Devyanosto Devyat? I can't say I'm an expert on Russian numerals, so I might be wrong...

I just looked it up on my shoe-phone.

Now it all makes perfect sense... seems like I should go and watch 'Get Smart' for inspiration...

 

[roverS3]

The 26th of October 1940, Vologda, 2,0°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 17th and the 26th of October 1940,

by 'Odin'

Army:

4 new TD, Eng support units have been delivered, they have joined 12. TD, 64. TD, 81. TD and 6. TD, II TK, 2ya Tankovaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, STAVKA. Soon all of our TD will have the full five regiments: Arm, Motx2, TD, Eng.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 590 / 1.770.000
Support troops: 207 / 207.000

Total fighting troops: 797 / 1.977.000​

Headquarters: 56 / 56.000

Total Army Personnel: 853 / 2.033.000​

Officers: 75.175 + / 85.300 needed / 88,130 %
Active Leaders: 236 / 111 more available
Heavy 152mm Artillery Guns have now replaced Su-100's in a few factories, two Art Regiment's worth are planned.
Production has also started on lorries for a brand new Motx3, Eng division.
2 more Eng Regiments have started training
​

Air Force:

No changes in the VVS, nor in the Navy Air Fleet for the last 10 days.
​

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days
​

Politics / International:

No legislative changes
The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 85,2
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 85,5

No movement here, again, for the last 10 days...​

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,7
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,5

The Italian reinforcements have started really pushing back the Brits now, they have taken back El Mechili and Suluntah.​

French North Africa Front

France is a Government in exile.
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,5

No movement for the last 20 days.​

East Africa & Ethiopia Front

Ethiopia (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 75,8
France is a Government in exile.
United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,7
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,5

No movement whatsoever here for the last 20 days​

Industry:

Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 238 / 321
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 44,30 / 44,40
Reinforcement: 3,20 / 3,23
Supplies: 5,61 / 37,21
Production: 239,01 / 239,01
Consumer Goods: 28,89 / 28,89​

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes =
Metal: 88.032 tonnes +
Rares: 30.103 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels =
Supplies: 25.401 tonnes +
Fuel: 99.653 barrels +
Money: 1.974 -
​

Intelligence:

Spy numbers, spies in (active / added / lost / caught by us)
France (Covert Operations / Counterespionage): 5 / 0 / 0 / 0

{ Germany (/): 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 }
{ Japan (/): 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 }
{ UK (/): 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 }​

Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Total: 5 / 0 / 0 / 2
Reserves: 10
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,29
We have so far recruited 12 like-minded Covert Operatives in our French sleeper cell.
​

Research:

A new Infantry Anti Tank Weapon (Level 4) design is now ready for production, the 45mm PtP obr. 1938:

Historically the 1937-38 45mm PtP was a light, quick-fire Anti-Tank Gun, it was developed by M.N. Loginov in 1936 with the first production versions deployed in late 1937. It was built in great numbers, but it had some major flaws, chief among which was it's lack of Armour penetration. It was only useful against Armoured personnel carriers and Light Tanks, and could only just knock out early Pz.III's and very early Pz.IV's at close range, putting it's crew in serious danger. Because it was so cheap to produce, virtually every Rifle Battalion on the Western front had a dedicated Platoon with one or two of these, and many Rifle Divisions had an additional Battalion with 12 of these at the Division Level, which comes down to about 16-24 per pure Rifle Division. More than 37.000 of these were built before production was switched in 1943 to the much improved 45mm PtP M1942. It was also deployed in dedicated 16-20 gun AT Regiments early in the war.​

The men behind the cheap AT Gun are now developing better Ammunition and an Improved Barrel (Level 6) design for our main Artillery Guns.
No changes to LS Distrubution
​

Statistics:

National Unity: 83,013 (+0,01)
Neutrality: 0,00 =
Dissent: 0,00 =
Manpower:

Available: 2.022.000 Men
To reinforce(need): 2.710 Men
To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)​

No changes in Party Popularity
Party Organisation:

- Communist Party: 71,40 (+0,52)
- Trotskyite: 11,00 =
- Bukharinite: 6,10 =

- Octobrist: 6,60 =
- Trudoviks: 3,40 =
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

- Tsarists: 0,50 =
- NTS: 0,90 =
- POA: 0,00 =
​

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 26th of October 1940, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'​

 

[markkur]

A/T = check. Rush next round...check? Speaking of A/T I don't recall the status of T/Ds; please remind me...where are we there?

 

[roverS3]

A/T = check. Rush next round...check? Speaking of A/T I don't recall the status of T/Ds; please remind me...where are we there?

The next round is not yet being rushed, first our Art and AT will be brought up to date. (There is so much to research...all in due time...) So somewhere around February-March 1941 we will rush Inf AT (only 1 year ahead of time at this point), maybe that's too late to get the new guns to the troops before the war, ... so be it, we'll get them there during the war.
Dedicated AT Regiments have the 85 mm D-44 (a 1944 gun, so better than historical(Level 3-4))
TD's are Su-100's (1943 100 mm Calibre Tank Destroyer, Also pretty good (Level 4ish))
AT tech is still being researched, so these will be even better by the start of next year... You'll see information about the new dedicated AT Regiment guns before the end of 1940. Possibly new TD's as well.
There is an AT Regiment, with 85mm D-44's in every single Rifle Division in the Western half of the SU, and 1 TD in each rifle corps...
We are investing heavily in updates so our soldiers get the latest equipment as quickly as possible...
If (more like when) the Germans attack I might do a small review of the most common equipment in the field, just the basics...

 

[Eurasia]

Well, looks like the Brits still control the Mediterranean but it won't do them any good if they keep the islands and lose Africa.