21st of August 1942, Vologda, 2,6°C, 6pm Moscow Time
'Shest' has been keeping me informed of 'Odinatsat's whereabouts in a series of short reports:
14th of August 1942
In the context of 'Odinatsat's promotion to Major, an NKVD interview has to take place, this is routine, and thus unlikely to arouse particular suspicion. Of course, the opportunity will be taken to subtly notify her of the Markkur situation, and to invite her to join the new NKVD commando & partisan training initiative we're just starting up. I hand picked a man from the Kyiv NKVD office to prosecute the interview using very specific wording, integrating some of the old codes I used to communicate with her when we were working together in France two years ago. I'm sure she'll figure it out.
16th of August 1942
I've obtained the report from the interview. It looks like she got the message, though she hasn't indicated how she's going to act. She told the NKVD officer she had to think over his offer of a prominent role within the NKVD commando & partisan training programme. On another note, she has now passed every test she needed to for an expedited promotion to Major. (Physical requirements were waived due to the injuries she sustained, and her excellent form on previous tests) With Lt.Gen. Popov's backing, it will no-doubt become official very soon.
The 17th of August 1942
We're going to have to rethink our plan for dealing with the Americans. Despite the NKVD's (my) suggestions, Major Goleniewsky hasn't applied for the job at the NKVD commando & partisan training programme. Now, I realise that a promise had been made to her, and that she could pick her next job within the Red Army, but this is still highly irregular. With anyone else in the Red Army, being allowed to pick your next job means that you go to where the state wants you out of the goodness of your heart, and if you don't you get to choose between a variety of jobs in Siberia.
Now, instead of 'Odinatsat', who already has a prior relationship with General Markkur, we'll have to send another operative, who will have to start from scratch. NKVD Major of State Security Vladimir Lavrentyev will lead the commando & partisan training programme. He has had extensive experience with guerrilla warfare and sabotage operations as a teen in the civil war, but he's not the best spy. A pair of instructors from the OSS's Camp X will arrive shortly to teach our commando's about the modern tools of sabotage developed in the UK & the US. Another area where 11 has valuable experience. A certain Captain Johnson (Lt. Johnson back in Stockholm) will be the permanent liaison with Camp X and the OSS. Our intelligence indicates that he is to report directly to General Markkur, who has now been appointed as the foremost Liaison officer of the USA to the Soviet Union. He has set up shop at 13 Mokhovaya Street (Moskva, US Embassy to the Soviet Union). Arrangements have already been made for select commando's and operatives to go through the VDV's parachute training. The training programme is looking promising though it will take time to get off the ground.
Back to our contrarian sharpshooter with the broken leg. Collating 'Dva's, Chtey're's, 'Piat's and my own sources, I have managed to establish where she has ended up (the easy part), and also why. Her lover, Starshina Sergei Kharkov applied, and has been accepted for a position in Leningrad. There, he will be amongst the first VVS Mechanics to get hands on with the American Airframes that have started arriving from the US. Following the Starshina to the Leningrad area, Major Goleniewsky has applied for a teaching position at the M.V. Frunze Red Banner Higher Naval School. This will likely give her the option to transfer to the Naval Infantry with some additional training. Thanks to her valuable front line experience, more than Lt.Gen. Popov's limited connections in the Navy, she's been approved for the job. She will likely find herself teaching young Naval Infantry cadets all about handling sharpshooters in the field, whether they are on our side, or the enemy's. Despite this clear move away from the Red Army, and the intelligence and state security apparatus, she continues to be under non-NKVD (most likely OSS) surveillance. My own people have had to back off somewhat to avoid rousing suspicions, however unfounded, that 'Odinatsat' is doing anything other than being a Red Army (soon to be Naval Infantry) Officer and Instructor. These are tense times.
It looks like 'Odinatsat' is doing her own thing, once again. I don't mind, but it does seem to rub some people the wrong way. I guess we'll have to wait and see where she ends up once her leg is healed, and she's back in shape. For now, teaching some Marines seems like the sort of thing she'd be good at.
Let's now go to the War Reporting for the last 10 days:
Arctic Front (NOR): XXXIV GSK / 1st AG / Leningrad HQ:
Our Mountaineers have all but reached the limits of Norway's Arctic Infrastructure. It looks like an overland passage towards
Tromso will not be feasible without the construction of a new road through frozen, inhospitable, terrain.
Finland (FIN): NKGBF / Leningrad HQ:
With all of the NKGBF now bearing down on the fascist insurgents, the Finnish traitors were in trouble. On the 11th, Sr.Maj.GB Skvortsov's 1st mounted brigade started pushing the 2nd Finnish Partisans out of Varkaus (1). By 3pm the next day, the province was cleared of rabble. Meanwhile, the other mounted brigades took full advantage of their speed, recovering a lot of ground.
4 NKGBFKB managed to separate the 3rd Finnish Partisans, in Rautavaara, from the rest of the rebels by taking Siilinjärvi on the 15th. A brief skirmish (2) ended almost as soon as it started as the Finns found themselves outmatched, and in danger of being encircled. On the 18th, Sr.Maj.GB Maligin's 3rd Mounted Brigade charged into Rautavara from Iisalmi, to it's West (3). This allowed 4 NKGBFKB to take Juuka unopposed, trapping the 3rd Finnish Partisans in place. They were methodically rooted out, and by 11am on the 20th, Rautavara was once again under our total control. 2.870 Partisans were captured, and 130 were killed.
This morning 1 NKGBFKB moved into Kuusjärvi, trapping 1st Finnish Revolters in Othari, to it's South. The other ca. 6.000 Partisans have been corralled into a three-province area. Skvortsov's Mounted Brigade came under attack from all of them, but the Partisans are already disorganised, and the NKGBF have had more training, they have better weapons, and horses. This uprising will soon be over, and the Finnish people will again be safe from foreign agents and enemies of the state.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners (of War) |
Finnish Insurgents | 8.996 | 213 | 2.870 |
Soviet Union | 18.000 | 15 | 0 |
Denmark (DK): XXXIII SK / Leningrad HQ:
"First Italians, then Bulgarians. When are we going to get to shoot some actual Germans?" - Maj.Gen. Simoniak after the 5th battle of Slagelse, aka the 1st Danish Bulgarian Turkey Shoot.
Bulgarian General-maior Hadjipetkov tried his hand at forcing a crossing of the Great Belt. His binary Infantry Division, 12ra PD, fared no better than the Italian one that had come before it, only Hadjipetkov proved to be more stubborn. Between 6am and 6pm on the 21st (today), over 1.000 Bulgarian troops were shot out of the water, with just a single casualty on our side to show for it. Our position in Denmark remains strong.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Bulgaria | 7.960 | 1.056 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 43.976 | 15 | 0 |
Main Front Overview:
Evolution of the main front of the GPW over the last 10 days, divided into 9 sectors.
Latvia Sector (LAT): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
After the loss of Riga, things calmed down here. The Axis left Jelgava in the hands of a disorganised 1 Pesi Divize. MajGen. Cheremisov didn't let the opportunity slip, having his 102 SD charge into the province at 11am on the 12th. The well-rested riflemen had pushed Kubela's men out with relative ease by noon.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Slovakia | 9.000 | 17 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 10.999 | 16 | 0 |
No bombing missions, nor aerial encounters in this area.
Lithuania Sector 1 (LITH1 / North of the Memel): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
"Gentlemen, we have been fighting for days on end, proudly liberating Panevezys from the Hun. But now is not the time to rest. We will press on, and hit the Germans fast and hard in Raseinai. We will shock their infantry with the speed and violence of our advance. The enemy won't be allowed to catch his breath until he has been evicted from the premises, you'll make sure of it." - Maj.Gen. Dratvin firing up his troops for the 2nd Battle of Raseinai (3).
A three-pronged 4-Division Red Army offensive into Panevezys (1) got started at 10pm on the 11th. GenLt. Behlendorff's 4 PzD valiantly resisted for 36 hours before retreating at 10am on the 13th, the Panzer IV's having taken a beating from our 100mm Anti-Tank guns. 1.150 German tankers and grenadiers lost their lives, for fewer than 350 riflemen.
That wasn't the end of it, though, as before the area could be occupied, 4 ID arrived in Panevezys at 5pm on the 14th, prompting another battle (1), which was won by 6am the next morning. Genlt. Haase C.'s infantrymen lost over 400 of their number, for barely over 100 of MajGen. Dratvin's riflemen.
The momentum of the victory in Panevezys (1) was carried forward into an attack on Raseinai (3) at 10am on the 18th. Dratvin's 120 SD took the lead along with 105 SD. Genlt. Straube's 2 binary Infantry Divisions stood their ground stubbornly and things were further complicated as von Kempski's 36 ID hit Panevezys (4) at 4am on the 19th. The pressure on Raseinai (3) was maintained, and it was decided in our favour when a pair of Motorised Rifle Divisions attacked the enemy flank (5) from Kaunas on the evening of the 20th. Raseinai (3 & 5) fell at 1am on the 21st, and the German attack on Panevezys (4) was called off at 9am. It was a bloody pair of battles for both sides with over 1.300 Soviet and close to 2.500 German casualties.
9 TD in Jurbarkas came under attack (2) from 3 sides at 3am on the 12th. Genlt. von Hubicki's force consisted of 7 PzD, attacking from across the Memel river, and 3 Infantry Divisions. MajGen. Beloborodov's men fought tooth and nail to hold their ground, but with no forthcoming reinforcements, they were forced to retreat to Kaunas amidst mounting casualties after two days of fighting. They left behind over 1.200 of their tanker comrades, having taken about 500 enemies with them.
STAVKA is going back on the offensive, having launched two more battles today, one into Ariogala, and another into Siauliai.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Germany | 65.754 | 4.563 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 185.176 | 2.978 | 0 |
| Air to ground damage | KIA air crew | Fighters deployed | Fighters lost | Bombers deployed | Bombers lost |
Germany | | 286 | 184 x FW-190 (Ftr) | 50 x FW-190 (Ftr) | 339 x Ju-88 (Tac) | 59 x Ju-88 (Tac) |
AXIS | 1.629 KIA | | | | | |
Soviet Union | 188 KIA | 94 | 494 x Yak-7 (Int)
247 x La-7 (Ftr) | 50 x Yak-7 (Int)
8 x La-7 (Ftr) | 248 x Il-10 (CAS)
200 x Yak-4 (Tac) | 12 x Il-10 (CAS)
6 x Yak-4 (Tac) |
Over 150 Ju-88's and 100 FW-190's were intercepted over Pasvalis at 5am on the 12th, by LtGen.Av. Astakhov's II IAK. The 482 Yak-7's arrived before Gen.dFl. Dörstling's FK VI reached it's target and the Junkers' had to jettison their bombs. On the ground, our forces were free to continue their charge into Panevezys (1) unperturbed. The ensuing dogfight claimed 18 Yak-7's and over 50 enemy aeroplanes.
During the following battle of Raseinai (3), Gen.dFl. Kesselring's FK IV hit Panevezys at 9am on the 21st, inflicting close to 200 casualties on the ground. They were intercepted by Astakhov's Yak-7's while they were dropping their bombs, and close to 60 German aircraft were downed for 32 of our fighters.
In an ultimately futile attempt to save our hold on Jurbarkas (2), LtGen.Av. Golovanov's Yak-4's hit Ariogala 4 times on the 12th and the 13th.
IV ShAK flew 4 missions over Raseinai on the 19th and 20th. The Il-10's flew a further 2 missions over Ariogala on the 21st.
Lithuania Sector 2 (LITH2 / South of the Memel): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
| Air to ground damage | KIA air crew | Fighters deployed | Fighters lost | Bombers deployed | Bombers lost |
Germany | 10,85 Infrastructure
347.820 t of Supplies
5.132 m^3 of Fuel | 35 | 259 x Me-109 (Int) | 35 x Me-109 (Int) | 0 | 0 |
AXIS | 572 KIA | | | | | |
Soviet Union | 0 | 74 | 372 x Yak-7 (Int)
124 x La-7 (Ftr) | 42 x Yak-7 (Int)
4 x La-7 (Ftr) | 248 x Il-10 (CAS)
162 x TB-3 (Str) | 7 x Il-10 (CAS)
7 x TB-3 (Str) |
With no ground combat in this sector, LtGen.Av. Kalinin's 162 TB-3's had clear skies to fly Logistical strikes on a series of provinces to the South of the Memel river. After 2 final missions over Mariampolé on the 11th, the province's infrastructure was thoroughly reduced to medieval standards. Tilsit was up next, with 8 missions over 5 days achieving the same result. Now, the operation has shifted to Kybartai with 4 missions flown before today.
Further from the front, LtGen.Av. Astakhov's II IAK intercepted Gen.dFl. Klepke's Me-109's over Königsberg on the 14th. After 3 hours, the Germans broke off the engagement. Losses on both sides were minimal.
On the 20th, flying to the very edge of the Yak-7's range, II IAK chased JK I's 200 Me-109's all the way to Gdansk (Danzig / not on the map), intercepting them at 2pm over their own bases. Despite fighting with one eye on the fuel gauge and having to evade heavy Anti-Air Artillery, our losses were relatively low: 19 Yak-7's were lost for 16 of Gen.dFl. Klepke's Messerschmitt's.
Poland Sector 1 (POL1 / Nyoman/Memel bend): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
Two attacks into Grodno were called off shortly after they started. The first, at 8pm on the 11th was cut short because our T-34s were getting stuck in the marshy ground when they attempted to circumvent the first AT position they encountered. As all three participating Soviet Divisions were Tank units, this was a serious problem that would significantly slow down their offensive and cause many casualties.
The second attack, at 6am on the 16th, was better suited for the treacherous terrain. It consisted of a Motorised Rifle Division, including sappers, but it came too late, as the enemy had reinforced the province with WSS troops and King Tigers, more than tripling the number of defenders. It was called off mere minutes after it started. Grodno remains in German hands, as a rather annoying enemy beachhead on our side of the Memel river.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Germany | 32.461 | 39 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 43.987 | 43 | 0 |
Poland Sector 2 (POL2 / Nyoman-Prypyats): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
"The teutonic invaders have drenched the soil of Domonovo in Soviet blood. Now is our chance to return the favour once again. We will attack from four sides, with overwhelming numerical superiority, and extreme prejudice. For our slain comrades, and for the people of the Soviet Union." - MajGen. Fillipovsky adressing his own 109 MSD before the massive attack on Domonovo (5)
Here too, the Red Army went on the offensive, with 3 KavD and 81 MSD charging into Rozana (1) at 8pm on the 11th. They faced some serious opposition, SSD (mot) 'Reich' & 5 ID were dug in and ready for a fight in the forest. The result was a toss-up, and by 6am the next morning MajGen. Shumilov, frustrated with the lack of progress, called it quits.
3 KavD relocated to Zelva, and on the 16th, another attack on Rozana (3) started, this time 135 MSD was supporting the MajGen. Kurochkin P.A.'s armoured cavalry from Slonim. They found only SSD (mot) 'Reich' was still there. Thanks to these superior numbers, the two-pronged attack hit home by 8pm that same day, as Genlt. von Randow's elite WSS withdrew.
In the meantime, the 7th battle for Domonovo (2) continued, as 131 MSD held out against an increasing number of enemy units. The battle had started on the 8th of August with Genlt. Koch-Erpach's triangular Infanterie-Division attacking from the South-West. At 6pm on the 11th, as the previous report was sent out, 15 ID was added to the mix, and by 10 am on the 12th, 1 PzD, equipped with PzIII 'Light' Tanks reinforced by attacking our Motorised Riflemen from Slonim to the west. The battle looked lost, then and there, but at 3pm 18 ID withdrew from the fighting, and at 6pm, 36 MSD managed to reinforce the defence. The celebrations were short as 35 ID joined in on the attacking side minutes later, and 131 MSD broke at midnight. Despite the best efforts of MajGen. Maslennikov's outnumbered riflemen, Domonovo (2) fell to the Axis at 8am on the 14th. The stubborn defence cost us close to 2.000 casualties, and about half as many of the enemy.
At 4am on the 16th, MajGen. Filippovsky launched a Soviet attack on Domonovo (5). Charging in with 4 Divisions at the same time, from three sides, he wasn't messing around. Initially, only 5 ID was present, having just arrived after their own victory (2). The defenders were reinforced by 1 PzD at 7pm, a mere three hours before their Infantry broke under the pressure. Genlt. Schmidt R.'s 1 PzD proved to be tougher, and they still had quite a bit of fight in them 24 hours later, when 35 ID joined the defence. The Panzer III's broke at 3pm on the 21st. In the panicked chaos, 35 ID fled with them, and victory was ours. The price was steep: The red army lost close to 1.800 riflemen and the Wehrmacht over 2.500 soldiers, and plenty of Panzer III's.
1 GvSD came under fire in Janow (4) at 6am on the 17th. MajGen. Zhadov's Guards riflemen were not dug in, and they faced two binary Infantry Divisions lead by Genlt. Böttcher F. They held out in the face of superior numbers, foiling Böttcher's Shock attacks by drawing them into ambushes on the 18th. After holding their ground for four days, they could take no more, throwing in the towel at at 10am on the 21st, having killed fewer than 700 attackers and suffered over 1.500 casualties of their own.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Germany | 122.686 | 5.147 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 139.774 | 5.926 | 0 |
| Air to ground damage | KIA air crew | Fighters deployed | Fighters lost | Bombers deployed | Bombers lost |
Germany | | 34 | 265 x Me-109 (Int) | 34 x Me-109 (Int) | 0 | 0 |
AXIS | 7.464 KIA | | | | | |
Soviet Union | 0 | 182 | 496 x Yak-7 (Int)
372 x La-7 (Ftr) | 17 x Yak-7 (Int)
5 x La-7 (Ftr) | 496 x Il-10 (CAS)
201 x Yak-4 (Tac) | 73 x Il-10 (CAS)
7 x Yak-4 (Tac) |
II BAK flew 6 bombing missions on Bereza (11th to 13th) in support of the battle of Domonovo (2). From the 17th, they hit Dywin to it's South for 9 missions in support of the battle of Janow (4) over 5 days. LtGen.Av. Yakovlev's Yak-4's caused over 2.800 casualties in the process.
Marshall Av. Novikov's Il-10's supported our attack on Rozana (3) by flying 7 ground attack missions on the province over 4 days (14th, 16th-18th). A single attack on Swislocz, on the way there, on the 14th supported the battle for Domonovo (2).
At 11pm on the 18th, II ShAK's assault planes were intercepted over Rozana by Klepke's Messerschmitts. Despite the near-simultaneous arrival of LtGen.Av. Khudyakov's Yak-7's, Novikov's Ilyushin's were hit hard. Over 50 bombers, and 16 fighters were lost for 34 enemy aeroplanes.
Meanwhile (16th-18th), the Il-10's of IV ShAK were bombing Domonovo in support of the Red Army offensive into the area (5). LtGen.Av. Rudenko's men flew a total of 6 missions, before IV ShAK was pulled away for operations in Lithuania.
Luckily, two full-strength Assault aviation Divisions were in reserve as the battered II ShAK returned from Rozana. After some nightly reshuffling, Marshall Av. Novikov's unit was ready to go out to bomb Domonovo (5) on the 19th, flying 6 missions in the last three days.
Poland Sector 3 (POL3 / Prypyats-Zakhidnyu Buh): 3 AG & Arm AG / Brjansk HQ:
"It's very simple really. There will be no retreat. We will keep killing each and every kraut that tries to cross the Bug. Until they stop coming, or we're all dead. The river line must be held." - MajGen. Dement'ev as the Wehrmacht attacks Luboml from three sides
Luboml came under attack from three sides on the morning of the 11th. 2 ID and 13 PzD were attacking from Chelm, and Zamosc, across the river Bug. 36 ID (mot) was charging across the plains, coming from Switaz, on the Eastern side of the Bug. Luckily, the province was strongly held by three fresh rifle Divisions (23 SD, 75 SD, 45 SD), under overall command of MajGen. Dement'ev, a decorated veteran of the Winter War. He was still less skilled than his German counterpart, Genlt. Heissmeyer. The enemy commander couldn't change the facts on the ground, and on the 14th, first 13 PzD, and later Heissmeyer's own 2 ID withdrew from the fighting having suffered countless casualties. Genlt. Hänicke's 36 ID (mot), now hopelessly outnumbered, stubbornly continued the attack, until 7am on the 15th, when they too finally broke. The 6th battle of Luboml was an unmitigated success. No territory was lost and the Germans suffered over 3.400 casualties for less than 1.650 on our side.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Germany | 24.986 | 3.440 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 21.987 | 1.641 | 0 |
| Air to ground damage | KIA air crew | Fighters deployed | Fighters lost | Bombers deployed | Bombers lost |
Hungary | | 54 | | | 185 x Ju-86 (Tac) | 27 x Ju-86 (Tac) |
AXIS | 343 KIA | | | | | |
Soviet Union | 145 KIA | 6 | 496 x Yak-7 (Int)
124 x La-7 (Ftr) | 6 x Yak-7 (Int)
0 x La-7 (Ftr) | 248 x Il-10 (CAS) | 0 x Il-10 (CAS) |
Hungarian Genlt. Rapaich's 185 Ju-86 bombers dropped their payloads on our forces in Luboml on the 13th. The Yak-7's of LtGen.Av. Rog arrived too late to stop them, but they did down 27 enemy planes for 6 of our own after the damage was done. Over 140 riflemen were killed by Axis bombs.
LtGen.Av. Zhigarev's Il-10's continued bombing Zamosc in support of the battle of Luboml, flying two missions. (12th & 13th)
Poland Sector 4 (POL4 / Zakhidnyu Buh-Dniestr): 3 AG / 4 AG / Brjansk HQ:
"We may have lost this battle, we may be exhausted, but we will return to the front stronger than ever once we finish lickling our wounds. You have fought bravely, you have given your all in the face of worsening odds and slowed the enemy's advance to a crawl. This has allowed Rogachev's men to take over the positions we vacated mere hours ago before the Germans could get to them. You may rest easy in the knowledge that the enemy has gained nothing." - MajGen. Rivkin after withdrawing his exhausted troops form Krasne after 4 days of intense battle (4 & 5)
The 7th battle of Sanok (1), starting at 8pm on the 11th, was a multinational operation with Hungarian Genmaj. Nagy V. in overall command. His binary Division, 6 Gly, was attacking from Debica, and the triangular Bulgarian 3-ta PPD was attacking from Gorlice. Both were crossing the river San under fire from MajGen. Panfilov's 2 Rifle Divisions. 24 hours in, the Axis international cooperation broke down as the Bulgarians called it quits, having suffered over 500 casualties. Likely cursing the Bulgarian cowards, Nagy had his men continue the fight until his own troops could take no more. The last Hungarians withdrew at 9am on the 13th, leaving behind over 800 casualties. Soviet casualties were below 60.
Buoyed by their defensive success 139 SD and 189 SD took turns charging across the river into Gorlice (2) that same day. MajGen. Panfilov's 139 SD at 10am, and 189 SD at 2pm. Luckily neither attack lasted longer than an hour. Over 400 lives were wasted for a mere 11 Axis killed and no ground gained.
Just as short-lived was the 12th battle of Turka (3), a German attack across the San, originating from Gorlice at 7pm and ending after 1 hour.
The 13th battle of Turka (6) was a different beast. 4 PzD attacked at 6pm on the 14th, from Uzhorod, between the San and the Dniestr. Despite not having to deal with a river crossing, Genlt. Pfeffer's Panzer IV's were still facing 4 well-rested, dug in, rifle Divisions, all with dedicated Anti-Tank Regiments. The results were predictable, and after a full 24 hours, they simply stopped coming, leaving behind over 1.300 dead, and numerous burnt out Panzers. Our own losses were below 200.
MajGen. Rivkin lead a single-Division attack into Zolkiew (4), starting at 2pm on the 11th. The target province was initially defended by Genlt. Müller An.'s 10 ID (mot) alone, and Rivkin managed to foil the enemy's delaying tactics through shock attacks. But, at 10am on the 12th, the defenders were reinforced by 8 ID. With no reinforcements on our side, Rivkin was forced to halt the offensive at 9am on the 14th, as his troops were becoming rather too disorganised. Casualties were rather close at over 850 Soviets and over 750 Germans KIA.
A brief counterattack (5) by 8 ID then forced Rivkin's 49 SD out of Krasne, but before 8 ID could occupy the fortified province, MajGen. Rogachev's 62 SD arrived to do the same. The 4th battle of Krasne (5) started at 5pm on the 15th, it looked like a toss-up right until 9am on the 17th, when 77 GvSD joined in, bolstering the defence.
Then, at 10 am on the 18th, a two-pronged Soviet attack on Zolkiew (7) started with MajGen. Tiulenev's 104 SD attacking from Wlodzimierz Wolynski across the Bug, and 10 TTGvD from Lwow. 8 ID was forced to halt it's attack on Krasne (5) within the hour, but it wasn't enough, and at 9pm Genlt. von Sponeck pulled his Division out of Zolkiew. Casualties for both battles (5 & 7) amounted to over 1.100 German and fewer than 700 Soviet KIA's.
Following the liberation of Zolkiew MajGen. Obukhov pushed his luck at 1pm on the 19th, attempting to dislodge 3 ID (mot) in Przemysl (8). The commander of 181 SD had only his own Division, and Genlt. von Roques was more skilled than he was. Things quickly started to go wrong when the initial Soviet attack was met by a violent counter attack. Instead of changing tactics, Obukhov doubled down ordering a reckless assault, which was, in turn, blunted by more German counter attacks. Making little progress, and with his troops now markedly less organised than the enemy, Obukhov had to call it a day at 3pm. Losses were about 650 of ours for about 530 of theirs.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Bulgaria | 25.787 | 544 | 0 |
Hungary | 5.996 | 847 | 0 |
Germany | 120.327 | 3.888 | 0 |
AXIS | 152.110 | 5.279 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 196.768 | 2.937 | 0 |
| Air to ground damage | KIA air crew | Fighters deployed | Fighters lost | Bombers deployed | Bombers lost |
Hungary | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 186 x Ju-86 (Tac) | 1 x Ju-86 (Tac) |
AXIS | 343 KIA | | | | | |
Soviet Union | 96 KIA | 16 | 248 x La-7 (Ftr) | 2 x La-7 (Ftr) | 248 x Il-10 (CAS)
201 x Yak-4 (Tac) | 5 x Il-10 (CAS)
2 x Yak-4 (Tac) |
At 8am on the 13th, Hungarian bombers, on their way to Luboml (see above), decided to drop some of their bombs on Sanok (1) along the way. Our own fighters were taken by surprise, as our intelligence indicated their target was Luboml and they had just taken off and were going the wrong way. They had to get back to base, and refuel in a hurry to make it to Luboml in time. 96 casualties were counted on the ground.
LtGen.Av. Zhigarev's I ShAK flew 7 missions over Zolkiew over 4 days, from the 11th to the 14th, in support of the battles of Zolkiew (4) and Krasne (5).
Returning to this sector, his Il-10's hit Jaroslaw twice today. (21st) in support of the ongoing defence of Jaworow.
The Yak-4's of LtGen. Av. Golovanov took over from I ShAK, bombing Zolkiew 6 times over three days, starting on the 16th.
Hungary Sector 1 (HUN1 / West): 3 AG / 4 AG / Odessa HQ:
"4ya Armiya's ColGen. Volskiy has a stone in his shoe, and you have been given the privilege of removing it. Volkmann's troops have far overstayed their welcome in Drohobycz. You will now throw them out with the same vigour a capitalist slumlord's enforcer displays when evicting his proletarian tenants for being late on rent." - MajGen. Ermakov, riling up his troops for his big offensive into Drohobycz (2).
4ya Armiya HQ was given new orders to be more assertive, as Col.Gen. Volskiy seemed to indicate that he could more than handle the Hungarians with the troops he had. The first Soviet attack was a one-Division one into Uzhorod (1), The province was held by three Hungarian binary Division, and 4 PzD, under the overall command of Hungarian Genmaj. Miklos. The attack went in at 4am on the 16th, and despite the early withdrawal of the German Panzers, MajGen. Mitorfanov's riflemen never really had a chance. The whole operation was called off at 6pm, with over 400 Soviet casualties, and fewer than 150 axis ones.
Also on the 16th, starting at 1am, a much better planned battle started. Finally, 4ya Armiya was serious about evicting the Germans from Drohobycz. 4 rifle Divisions, under the overall command of MajGen. Ermakov, attacked simultaneously from 4 different directions (2). Genlt. Volkmann's 2 Infantry Divisions tried to hold back the onslaught, with some limited success at first. The next day, things turned decidedly in our favour, as Volkmann's Masterful Delay tactics were effectively countered by a vigorous Assault. By 8pm on the 17th, all resistance had ceased. Drohobycz was ours again at a cost of over 700 dead riflemen, and over 1.300 killed German infantry.
A second single-Division attack into Turka, at 1am on the 19th, was no more successful than the first. This time around, Miklos had the support of 8 PzD, and they did stick around. MajGen. Purkaev S.F. called off the attack at 3am that night, leaving behind close to 400 of our own and having eliminated fewer than 150 of the enemy.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Hungary | 47.064 | 248 | 0 |
Germany | 32.296 | 1.389 | 0 |
AXIS | 79.360 | 1.637 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 64.889 | 1.525 | 0 |
| Air to ground damage | KIA air crew | Fighters deployed | Fighters lost | Bombers deployed | Bombers lost |
Hungary | | 116 | 333 x CR.32 (Int) | 28 x CR.32 (Int) | 97 x Ju-86 (Tac) | 44 x Ju-86 (Tac) |
AXIS | 618 KIA | | | | | |
Soviet Union | | 43 | 496 x Yak-7 (Int)
122 x La-7 (Ftr) | 1 x Yak-7 (Int)
10 x La-7 (Ftr) | 244 x Il-10 (CAS) | 16 x Il-10 (CAS) |
The Il-10's of I ShAK struck Uzhorod at 11am on the 15th, but as they strafed and bombed the enemy troops, they were intercepted by over 330 CR.32 biplanes. Genlt. Rakosi had come to spoil the party. VI. IAK was quick to respond, and LtGen.Av. Rog's Yak-7's downed 28 biplanes before Rakosi called it a day. 14 Assault planes and 10 La-7's were lost.
As I was finishing this report, I got news that Genlt. Hellebronth's 97 Ju-86 tactical bombers had been successfully intercepted over Drohobycz. The battle started three hours ago, and it has now ended in a victory for LtGen.Av. Rog and his 496 Yak-7's. 44 Hungarian bombers were downed, and only a single of our fighters was lost.
LtGen.Av. Zhigarev's Assault Bomber Corps struck Uzhorod again on the 19th, and twice on the 20th.
Hungary Sector 2 (HUN2 / Stanislawow): 4 AG / Odessa HQ:
"We attack, they counter-attack, and we hold our ground with ease. Rinse and repeat. They've not even started to make a dent in our numbers, let alone our resolve."
MajGen. Larichev's cynical remarks after his 5th defensive victory in 10 days in Stanislawow. (1 & 2)
Stanislawow came under attack once again at 11pm on the 11th. Hungarian Genmaj. Ternegg K. was presiding over a three-Division, two-pronged, attack (1 & 2). 121 SD, MajGen. Larichev's defending Division had it's work cut out for it, or so it seemed. The riflemen were dug in in the forests, and after a mere three hours, the Hungarians pulled out.
After a few quiet days, MajGen. Larichev's riflemen charged into Rachov (3) at 4am on the 15th. After 2 hours the probe was called off, just in time for a Hungarian attack on Stanislawow, starting at 7am, and lasting 2 hours. MajGen. Schlemin's 51 SD arrived in Stanislawow and doubled the number of defenders. He pushed on into Rachov (3) at 1pm, with only his Division, against 2 enemy Divisions under Genmaj. Heszlény. The Hungarians were disorganised from previous fighting and our riflemen were fresh, but the Moutainous terrain was working against them. Some progress was made, until 4am the next day, when Genmaj. Brunswik spoiled the fun with a two-Division attack on Stanislawow (1), from Volove. MajGen. Schlemin called of his attack two hours later to properly join MajGen. Larichev's defense. In turn, Genmaj. Brunswik ended the battle of Stanislawow (1) at 9am. In all of these skirmishes over 250 Soviet and over 320 Hungarian servicemen lost their lives.
On the 19th, MajGen. Larichev decided the time was ripe for another attack on Rachov (3). At 4am, his riflemen moved into the mountains, backed up by their regiment of SU-100's. They soon found out that the province had been reinforced with 5 PzD. It would have been interesting to see Panzer IV's and SU-100s go toe to toe in mountainous terrain, but it was not to be. Genmaj. Brunswik was back at it, attacking Stanislawow (1) at 7am. 121 SD pulled out of Rachov at 9am, but the Hungarians held fast in their attack for another 6 hours before retreating at 3pm. In total over 200 Soviets, close to 260 Hungarians, and 4 Germans, lost their lives on the 19th.
| Forces engaged in battle: | Forces killed in action | Prisoners of War |
Hungary | 171.444 | 684 | 0 |
Germany | 14.987 | 6 | 0 |
AXIS | 186.431 | 690 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 142.025 | 604 | 0 |
| Air to ground damage | KIA air crew | Fighters deployed | Fighters lost | Bombers deployed | Bombers lost |
Italy | | 205 | 0 | 0 | 112 x CZ.1007 (Tac) | 41 x CZ.1007 (Tac) |
AXIS | 1.920 KIA | | | | | |
Soviet Union | 96 KIA | 37 | 496 x Yak-7 (Int)
247 x La-7 (Ftr) | 1 x Yak-7 (Int)
10 x La-7 (Ftr) | 402 x Yak-4 (Tac) | 13 x Yak-4 (Tac) |
112 Italian CANT Z 1.007bis tactical bombers made an appearance over Stanislawow at noon on the 15th. They were immediately intercepted by LtGen.Av. Rog's fighters and forced to drop their bombs prematurely. Gen.D.A. Briganti's 4 DBT is suspected to have flown in from Albania, and they quickly turned tails. Regardless, the 496 Yak-7's of II IAK made short work of them, shooting down 41 enemy bombers for a single lost fighter.
LtGen.Av. Yakovlev's II BAK flew 3 missions over Volove, and a single one over Rachov during the skirmishes on the 15th & 16th of August.
I BAK started flying missions over Rachov on the 19th. The first mission was flown in support of the battle of Rachov (3), the 4 that followed were in support of the ongoing low-intensity battle for Jablonow.
Baltic/North Atlantic Naval Command: Leningrad HQ:
"The Germans have landing craft?!"
feigning utter shock "Sorry, my mistake. They 'had' landing craft." - VADM Kuznetsov as the last of the German landing craft-carrying ships slips below the waves.
With the Norwegian coast and the German-held Baltic coast covered by Red Navy units, German convoys to Sweden & Norway had no choice but to try and slip the net. It turned out that supplies bound for Norway are being shipped into Oslo and Kristiansand. Moreover, they are also shipping supplies from Stettin to the front to alleviate the road and rail networks. (Which are being deliberately reduced to rubble by the VVS to cut off supplies to the area north of the Memel river).
At 2pm on the 16th, an La-7VM from the Carrier Leningrad (CVL) spotted 10 specialised German transport ships (2 flotilla's) carrying landing craft in the Kattegat. Il-10VM's were scrambled, and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet moved towards the spotted vessels, making contact at 3pm. The ensuing battle was brief and one-sided, ending by 6pm, with the sinking of the last of the enemy transports. The final shots were fired by the Battleship Oktyabrskaya Revoluciya, VADM Kuznetsov's flagship. (and that of the Soviet Navy). It's not clear what the transports were doing there.
More intelligence was gathered by our fleets about German land and Naval assets in the area. A large German Fleet is present in Fredrikshavn, our radar operators on board the Destroyers of the RBBF determined the presence of a Battleship, presumably Tirpitz, amongst several smaller units. Two small fleets were also detected, one in Stavanger, and the other in Narvik. The Southern ports of Norway are much less heavily guarded than Narvik, none of them has more than a single Infantry or Garrison Division holding it. A Southern invasion now seems more likely to succeed than a Northern one. If the Kriegsmarine can be kept at bay. The Black Sea Fleet is already on it's way North with additional transports. The main front seems to have stalled, and 7 new Divisions will be deployed within the next 20 days. STAVKA is seriously considering pulling XXIII SK from Tallin for a Norwegian operation. With the Mountain Rifle Corps up north, the VDV in the mix, and German supply convoys under constant harassment, we could probably take the Southern ports before the Panzers can make their way down.
Black Sea/Aegean/Mediterranean Naval Command: Odessa HQ:
IV FP continues it's convoy raiding in the Central Mediterranean, and RADM Golovko's Carrier Fleet has taken over patrols in the Aegean from the Black Sea Fleet. No remarkable events, except for a slight uptick in the number of convoys sunk.
Totals losses:
Last 10 days | Engaged in Battle | Killed in battle | Killed by bombs | Air Crew KIA | KIA at sea | Total KIA | Prisoners of War |
Slovakia | 9.000 | 17 | / | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Bulgaria | 33.747 | 1.600 | / | 0 | 0 | 1.600 | 0 |
Hungary | 224.504 | 1.779 | / | 172 | 0 | 1.951 | 0 |
Italy | 0 | 0 | / | 205 | 0 | 205 | 0 |
Germany | 413.497 | 18.472 | / | 355 | 3.836 | 22.663 | 0 |
AXIS | 680.748 | 21.868 | 15.462 | 732 | 3.836 | 41.898 | 0 |
Soviet Union | 849.581 | 15.671 | 429 | 491 | 0 | 16.591 | 0 |
GPW (60 days) | Engaged in Battle | Killed in battle | Killed by bombs | Air Crew KIA | KIA at sea | Total KIA | Prisoners of War |
Slovakia | 34.932 | 2.792 | / | 108 | 0 | 2.900 | 0 |
Bulgaria | 69.532 | 3.381 | / | 33 | 310 | 3.724 | 0 |
Hungary | 1.239.086 | 16.349 | / | 760 | 0 | 17.109 | 0 |
Italy | 33.732 | 642 | / | 255 | 1.003 | 1.900 | 0 |
Germany | 4.014.386 | 131.206 | / | 4.625 | 5.116 | 140.947 | 18.294 |
AXIS | 5.391.668 | 154.370 | 82.674 | 5.781 | 6.429 | 249.254 | 18.294 |
Soviet Union | 7.338.540 | 129.039 | 1.772 | 4.437 | 1.131 | 136.379 | 57.778 |
Aeroplane losses:
GPW (60 days) | Fighters | Small Bombers | Medium Bombers | Large Bombers | Transports |
Slovakia | / | 36 x A.304 | / | / | / |
Bulgaria | 33 x He-51B | / | / | / | / |
Hungary | 160 x CR.32 | 203 x Ju-87B-2 | 270 x Ju-86K-2 | / | / |
Italy | / | / | 41 x CZ.1007bis | / | 11 x SM.75bis |
Germany | 692 x FW-190A-3
469 x Me-109G-5 | 42 x Hs-129B-2 | 924 x Ju-88A-4 | 45 x Ju-290 | 8 x Me-232D-1 |
AXIS | 662 x Int, 692 x Ftr | 281 x CAS | 1.235 x Tac | 45 x Nav | 19 x Tra |
Soviet Union | 624 x Yak-7
792 x La-7
233 x La-7VM | 731 x Il-10
234 x Il-10VM | 374 x Yak-4 | 26 x TB-3 | 47 x Li-2 |
In general, things are looking up. The Red Army is taking back a lot more ground than it's losing, especially in the South. If the current trend continues, our forces will venture into enemy territory sooner rather than later.
The North remains a stalemate, with small gains on both sides, though the recovery of
Jelgava's Industry is certainly welcome.
In the South, the Red Army has been pressuring the Germans and the Hungarians relentlessly, pushing them both back to their pre-war borders.
The naval blockade around Norway is complete & intelligence gathered. The South of Norway, which proved to be lightly garrisoned, now seems the better target for an invasion when compared to Narvik.
The Carrier Fleet has taken over Aegean patrols from the Baltic Fleet as the latter has started to make it's way North to assist in a possible operation in Norway.
As always, your input is valued,
Greetings,
'Odin'
Edits: syntax & spelling errors. Size issue with two of the maps. (POL3 & POL4). Filling in Aircrew KIA in the sector Air combat tables.