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This is dangerous talk. How can you produce the terrifying detail if you are updating frequently? It makes no sense...
This totally is not a scheme to secretly cause the authAAR to eventually double the amount of detail whilst whistling innocently. No, no...
 
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This totally is not a scheme to secretly cause the authAAR to eventually double the amount of detail whilst whistling innocently. No, no...
The Soviet way. Double the updates, double the detail, and if you can't deliver (or find someone else to blame), it's off to Siberia with you.
 
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The Soviet way. Double the updates, double the detail, and if you can't deliver (or find someone else to blame), it's off to Siberia with you.
It sounds like our poor authAAR may be condemned to a Stakhanovite hell. Oh, the horror.
 
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The Soviet way. Double the updates, double the detail, and if you can't deliver (or find someone else to blame), it's off to Siberia with you.
5 in 4! 5 in 4!
 
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5 in 4! 5 in 4!
Soviet productivity history suggests this translates to 5 hours actual work per 4 week period. Sounds achievable.
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I'll note that while the value of DDs for ASW is well-known, CLs can serve well as AA platforms to support the CAGs in a scrap, certainly a useful role.
Considering that many wartime CL's were designed primarily as AA platforms, this makes a lot of sense.

As you should be, the insane project of terrifying detail is a path few dare to tread. Others will do insane projects (one thinks of @Wraith11B and his six computer monstrosity) but they recoil from the terrifying detail. You are to be commended on successfully doing both.
DYAEiOu.gif
I don't know what I was thinking when I started this, but it surely looks like this AAR will go on for years and years. It's good because I enjoy writing it, but it also means I'm putting other ideas for AAR's on the back burner, at least until I feel like I can upgrade Odin about once a month, and start writing another AAR without jeopardising my studies, career, music projects, and potential romantic aspirations. As I write this, I realise that second AAR will still be a long time coming.

This is dangerous talk. How can you produce the terrifying detail if you are updating frequently? It makes no sense...
Yes. You tell them. With great detail comes great delays between updates. Glad to have someone in my court.

This totally is not a scheme to secretly cause the authAAR to eventually double the amount of detail whilst whistling innocently. No, no...
The Soviet way. Double the updates, double the detail, and if you can't deliver (or find someone else to blame), it's off to Siberia with you.
To paraphrase an old Communist joke: I have a pile of detailed updates that reaches all the way to the feet of God himself.

It sounds like our poor authAAR may be condemned to a Stakhanovite hell. Oh, the horror.
This seems likely, based on the unrealistic update production numbers stated above.

5 in 4! 5 in 4!
Soviet productivity history suggests this translates to 5 hours actual work per 4 week period. Sounds achievable.
DYAEiOu.gif
5 hours of work per 4 week period is perfectly achievable. I'm actually working more than that on this AAR.

Anyhow, my project is getting intense and I have to make progress on my thesis, so don't expect more than one update a month for the foreseeable future, especially if I keep the current format.

Thanks for the encouragement, this kind of banter shows me what I'm missing by not finishing the next narrative update, so maybe you are right after all, and this ploy may work to bring forward the delivery of the next instalment, and to increase the level of detail even further. Perhaps.
 
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I don't know what I was thinking when I started this, but it surely looks like this AAR will go on for years and years. It's good because I enjoy writing it, but it also means I'm putting other ideas for AAR's on the back burner
I know the feeling, brother. Even with four going at once, there are about another 4-5 firm AAR ideas I cant take up. But these are self-inflicted wounds. ;)
Anyhow, my project is getting intense and I have to make progress on my thesis
You really do need to ensure that is done, my friend. We will wait for you, don’t worry. Just do an update - perhaps a shorter one, if no less detailed - when you feel like a switch from studies. Slower than real time is fine! As someone once said. :D
and to increase the level of detail even further. Perhaps.
Increase!? Perhaps not - that way lies o_O
 
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Five-year plans for the AAR when? I feel like there is a serious lack of a State Central AAR Planning Committee.

Best of luck with your thesis. The Soviet Union - and the committee - shall wait patiently.
 
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28th of September 1942, 'Odinatsat' #16, Detective Rozïtis is on the case.
28th of September 1942, Vologda, -1,2°C, 7pm Moscow Time

As I was about to sit down for dinner, I received a large envelope. It was news from Leningrad, urgently sent over by 'Shest'. Things only seem to be getting worse over there.

The investigation into Captain Lieutenant Zimkov's death had barely gotten off the ground as another body was discovered. A certain Herbert Smith, assistant to the British cultural attaché in Leningrad, was stabbed to death in an alley using the same type of knife. Another typewritten note was pinned to the victim, using the murder weapon. This time it said 'Sometimes your friends aren't what they seem. Just like you Lisa'. There was little doubt this was the same killer, as a typewritten note made once again reference to a foreign female first name. Of course, no one except for those already in the know, has been informed that both 'Lisa' and 'Yvonne' were code-names used by the person now known as Major Irina Goleniewsky. Those of us that are 'in the know' are rather worried, as is the Leningrad NKVD office.

With this new, British, body the case went beyond the remit of the Red Navy went right out of the window. British, and to a lesser extent, American, diplomatic pressure meant that a carefully selected member of the regular police force had to be appointed. Police Inspector Ivars Rozïtis, a homicide detective of Latvian descent was put on the case. Fluent in Russian, Latvian, English, and German, Rozïtis also has the highest rate of solved cases on the Baltic coast, at least.

He is, of course, to be partnered by a young NKVD operative. The assistance of an NKVD Lieutenant is never optional. We will now follow the case from Lt. Lyadov's reports on Rozïtis (and the case).

KIM-10-50_pre-production-min.jpg

The KIM-10 was supposed to be the Soviet Union's first mass-produced people's car (the GAZ-M1 was still too expensive and was mostly used as a staff car, a police car, or the personal transportation of party officials who weren't quite important enough to get a ZiS-101). It was roughly the size of a current-day compact city car like the VW Up. The 1939 design was heavily 'inspired' by the Ford Prefect (Ford UK 1938), though the KIM-10 was marginally smaller than it's British cousin, and featured many cosmetic differences, like the front end design which was very similar to that of the ZiS-101 limousine. Powered by a 30hp 1172cc 4-cylinder engine, it was never going to break speed records, though it does weigh only 840kg, and sports a modern mechanical transmission with three gears. Prototypes were tested in 1940, and many alterations were made following requests by the council of Comissars. These alterations resulted in the particularly rare two-door and convertible variants, which were preferred by the Soviet leadership. However, once they started production by the end of 1940, it became clear that these alterations had needlessly made production more complicated, and the car less practical, so limited production was halted after only a couple hundred cars were produced. They went back to the drawing board, and the final prototypes were of a four-door model which resembled the Ford Prefect more closely. The German invasion cut short any remaining plans for mass production (they were projecting 50.000 vehicles per year by 1942). Post-war the KIM-10 was considered outdated, and the Moskovich 400 became the Soviet Union's car for the masses instead. One might assume that as the war came one year later, that many more than 338 KIM-10s would have been produced in this ATL, 50.000 probably being an unrealistic estimate as military production would have ramped up anyway. Most, if not all of those thousands of additional KIM-10's would probably have been of the 4-door variant, the KIM-10-52. Detective Rozïtis managed to get one of the rare hard-top two-door KIM-10-50 pre-production models.

From Lt Lyadov's reports:

25th of September

A small light blue car, one of those new Komsomol cars (KIM-10) approached at a leisurely pace. It's small size allowed it to fit into the alleyway, and only once it was just ten metres from the body did it sputter to a halt. Opening the door energetically, the driver slammed it into the wall, before squeezing out without much trouble. He walked straight towards me with an outstretched hand, as he came to a halt, he said, in a manufactured jovial tone:​
"You must be Lt. Lyadov, my guardian for this investigation, it's a pleasure to meet you."​
"The pleasure is all mine Detective."​
Rozïtis proceeded to go over the crime scene while slowly whistling the second movement of Tsjaikovski's violin concerto. I followed his every move. During the first violin solo, he carefully examined the bloodspatter, going back and forth between the corpse and the bloodmarks, then as as he whistled the clarinet's response, he looked over the note, before moving on to the murder weapon just as the violin picked up the melody again. There was a pleasing rhythm to his movements as if his examination of the crime scene was some elaborate choreography to the music in his head. As the melody reached it's climax, he started re-enacting the murder, taking the place of the murder, then that of the victim. At this point, I noticed all the police and NKVD officers were looking at him. Once the orchestra reached that final note, he turned to me, and right as the thrid movement would have started, he said:​
"I've seen what I needed, let's go to the other crime scene."​
I joined him on the passenger seat of his tiny automobile. He drove calmly and confidently, occasionally looking at the clock but never rushing.​
As we ground to a halt, the detective started whistling the violin solo of the Tschaikovsky violin concerto's third movement, then, very suddenly got out of the car, almost dancing his way to the spot Captain Lieutenant Zimkov was murdered 7 days ago. As not much was left of the crime scene, he only got through the first violin solo before getting back to the car somewhat frustrated.​
"Lieutenant Lyadov, answer me this. Why do they always call me in after they cleard the crime scene, and tampered with the evidence?"​
He was smart enough not to elaborate on which 'they' he had a bit of a gripe against. In the car-ride to the naval academy, he started interrogating me on my knowledge of the case.​
"So, Lyadov, noticed anything odd about the typwritten letters?"​
"Well, they both mention a woman's name in a way that implies the perpetrator is trying to send a message?"​
"The killer is sending messages to women, or possibly to one woman with multiple names. I'm sure any novice could figure that out. Notice anything about the text itself? I'm sure you've used a typewriter before."​
He pointed to the latest letter that laid on the dashboard. Carefully, I opened it, and looked at the letters. Something was off, and I had to go back in my mind to the last time I used a typewriter to figure it out.​
"The typeface is off, I can't put my finger on it, but I've never seen these defects in any typewriter I've come across. Were the letters altered in some way? Or maybe it's a very rare model of typewriter?"​
"Indeed Lyadov, the typewriter those letters were written on has been tampered with to make it harder to identify. I can tell this is going to be a tricky one, and I'm sure we'll have a good time solving it together."​
At the Naval academy the detectivive and myself were brought up to speed by the Red Navy investigator on what he had been able to find out, which turned out to be not much beyond the obvious.​

26th of September.

Detective Rozïtis took over a small disused office in order to interrogate Capt. Lt. Zimkov's students and colleagues.​
- for the sake of brevity, only the interview with Major Goleniewsky has been included here -​
Rozïtis: What was your relationship with the victim?​
Goleniewsky: We were colleagues, sometimes we had lunch together. He was rather reserved, a competent instructor tough. We would sometimes discuss training procedures, and the performance of our cadets, never anything personal.​
R: All right. When's the last time you saw the victim?​
G: At lunch, before my trip to Norway. That was on the 10th of September, I believe.​
R: Did you ever meet Capt. Lt. Zimkov outside of work?​
G: I would bump into him sometimes, when I was out in the town, but I never specifically planned to meet with him outside of work. As I said, we weren't that close.​
R: Hm, I guess that makes sense. So when was the last time, you 'bumped into' him?​
(It should be noted that a cadet previously pointed out in his interview that he had seen 'Odinatsat' talk to Zimkov on the 8th outside one of the harbour's nicer bars, mostly frequented by Red Navy officers.)​
G: I'm not sure, I talked to him a few days before I left for Norway, in the evening, not sure which day exactly, as I don't tend to remember things that well when I consume copious amounts of vodka.​
I could tell Rozïtis wasn't buying her story, but she remained perfectly calm, confident that she was telling the truth. If she was hiding something, she was darn good at it.​
R: I've heard that you used to work for the GRU before joining the Red Army. Did you ever go by the codename 'Lisa' or 'Yvonne'?​
G: That's classified, but because you're being nice about it I'll give you an answer. No, I never used 'Lisa' or 'Yvonne' as an alias in my espionage career. To be fair, I mostly did clerical work, that's why I joined the armed forces, not enough excitement.​
R: I highly doubt that, I've heard from your colleagues and cadets, off the record of course, that you have a very special skillset, and that you might even be running some operations on the side.​
G: My life has changed, I've met a great man, I've been thinking of maybe getting married. Besides some off the books training operations with my more promising cadets, I'm not involved in anything clandestine, that spy stuff is behind me now.​
I'm sorry Zimkov is dead, but these murders have nothing to do with me or my past. Don't hesitate to come to me with any espionage-related questions if the NKVD doesn't feel like coöperating with your investigation.​
R: All right, let me take advantage of your espionage knowledge right now. In your profesionnal opinion, was Herbert Smith a British spy? - He slid over his, highly redacted, file on Herbert Smith.​
G: Yes, definitely a British spy, looks like an SIS type to me.​
R: How can you tell?​
G: First off there's the title: 'Assistant to the Cultural Attaché', that's a dead giveaway. He can just show up to a couple of cultural events every month, and he has a perfect cover. Those same cultural events can also function as dead drops, and as they tend to be attended by a lot of people, they tend to allow for relatively anonymous meetings as well. Then there is the name...​
Rozïtis cut her off:​
A common British name, but not to the point where it becomes suspicious.​
G: Indeed, but why did you even ask me? You seem to have excellent deductive skills, you must have known he was a spy as soon as you saw his file.​
R: That would be telling, wouldn't it. All right, I don't think I'll get anything more out of this. You can go, Yvonne.​
Goleniewsky didn't flinch, and just looked at him with confusion.​
R: I'm sorry, Major Goleniewsky, you can go.​
As soon as she had left the room, Rozïtis turned to me:​
"It was worth a try" he said.​
"We're going to have to watch this one. She's either a reformed spy, or she's a very good liar, and as I've never met a truly reformed spy, I'm going to go with the latter."​

27th of September

Today, interviews at the British embassy confirmed the hypothesis that Smith was indeed a spy. The responses from interviewees could be summed up as the most polite stonewall in recorded history. Smith was a model employee, a regular upper middle-class chap with a passion for the fine arts, no vices, nothing interesting in his life, a wife back home in England, and no past to speak of. The stories were perfectly rehearsed, and as soon as we got into the car, Rozïtis exclaimed that the day had been wasted. He looked me in the eyes and asked me point blank whether there was any information the NKVD was holding back on Smith, and on Goleniewsky. My reply was simple:​
"Detective, that's an entirely inappropriate question, and you know it. The NKVD gives you the information you need to know, nothing more, nothing less."​
"It's been a long day Lyadov. Let's get a good night's sleep, we have a lot to do tomorrow."​
My recommendation on Detective Rozïtis is to keep him on the job, and under my close watch. He seems perfectly capable at dealing with this matter in an acceptable manner. Diplomatic issues with the Brits were avoided, and despite a little prodding, no state security boundaries were overstepped, even if this investigation might be somewhat hampered by our lack of access to classified information. The security of the state, of course, supercedes any individual investigation. We will do our very best with the tools at our disposal.​
NKVD Lt. Lyadov​

InspectorRozïtis_Sydney-min.jpg

A picture of Ivars Rozïtis examining a crime scene in Riga in april 1941. He prefers to work alone, though he will tolerate to be placed under surveillance for particularly sensitive cases like this one. Working within the system, and getting results despite it's limitations, is how he got to where he is. A true pragmatist, he's not about to throw that all away and relocate to Siberia.

Some notes on surrounding events in Leningrad from 'Shest':

Captain Cecil Clarke has arrived in Leningrad. Travelling under the alias "Joseph Brown", he will replace the assistant cultural attaché, at least officially. He's likely there to do his own investigation on the murder of 'Herbert Smith' and/or to pick up where Smith left off in his mission, whatever that may be.​
The Americans are also doing peculiar things, as a large sealed crate was offloaded from a Liberty ship bringing in Lend-Lease aid. This is nothing out of the ordinary, except that a squad of US Marines was present during the offloading to make sure no one tried to open it, or tamper with it in any way. It remains there, on the quay, sealed, under USMC guard and diplomatic protection.​
At the Naval Academy, Goleniewsky has started training her 5 best cadets, the ones that pulled the 'Ocean Senior' stunt, after hours. My agent on the ground tell me that she seems to be teaching them basic spy-craft, and that Rozïtis hasn't caught on to the fact she's doing this, not yet anyway. What she plans to do with these assets remains a mistery.​

One wonders just how much Rozïtis is going to be able to do on this own, as he's up against several layers of classified information, and has people, like 'Odinastat', and members of the NKVD, who are deliberately feeding him false and incomplete information to protect themselves. Surely, 'Odinatsat' is also investigating these murders on her own time, as the potential connections to her past are getting hard to ignore. Who will the killer come after next? How long until the OSS gets involved in some way? Only time will tell, as we will continue to closely follow Rozïtis' investigation and 'Shest's intelligence. Interference by the Secret Committee, beyond observation, is to be avoided at all cost as our secrecy is more important than the life of any of our members.

A good evening to you,

'Odin'
 
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You really do need to ensure that is done, my friend. We will wait for you, don’t worry. Just do an update - perhaps a shorter one, if no less detailed - when you feel like a switch from studies. Slower than real time is fine! As someone once said. :D


Five-year plans for the AAR when? I feel like there is a serious lack of a State Central AAR Planning Committee.
I could make a five year plan, but just like the historical 5-year plans, I'm almost guaranteed to over-promise and under-deliver.

Increase!? Perhaps not - that way lies o_O
Yes, what was I thinking.

Best of luck with your thesis. The Soviet Union - and the committee - shall wait patiently.
Well, about that. I realise you've all been waiting patiently for a bit longer than anticipated. This is due to an unexpected health issue. I have a hernia, which limited my mobility in my right leg up to a few weeks ago. I've been going all out on the physical therapy since the beginning of April, and have gotten back over 95% control and power to my right leg, as well as reduced my back pain to near 0. This has taken up a significant amount of my time and energy, to the point where both my thesis and this AAR were placed on the back burner, and it will continue to do so to a lesser extent. The 30th of September GPW update has been mostly done for two months now, so as soon as I take another day off, it will be posted, hopefully within the month, this time around.

I hope you're all doing well as we carefully venture back out into the world now COVID restrictions are slowly being lifted across the developed world, and vaccines are distributed at an increasing rate.
 
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Rozïtis proceeded to go over the crime scene while slowly whistling the second movement of Tsjaikovski's violin concerto. I followed his every move. During the first violin solo, he carefully examined the bloodspatter, going back and forth between the corpse and the bloodmarks, then as as he whistled the clarinet's response, he looked over the note, before moving on to the murder weapon just as the violin picked up the melody again. There was a pleasing rhythm to his movements as if his examination of the crime scene was some elaborate choreography to the music in his head. As the melody reached it's climax, he started re-enacting the murder, taking the place of the murder, then that of the victim. At this point, I noticed all the police and NKVD officers were looking at him. Once the orchestra reached that final note, he turned to me, and right as the thrid movement would have started, he said:
I can tell already that we are going to like this man.

"Indeed Lyadov, the typewriter those letters were written on has been tampered with to make it harder to identify. I can tell this is going to be a tricky one, and I'm sure we'll have a good time solving it together."
Clever. Whoever we are up against is sure to be a suitably formidable criminal mind.

As soon as she had left the room, Rozïtis turned to me:"It was worth a try" he said."We're going to have to watch this one. She's either a reformed spy, or she's a very good liar, and as I've never met a truly reformed spy, I'm going to go with the latter."
Smart man.

A true pragmatist, he's not about to throw that all away and relocate to Siberia.
Ah, yes, because people always relocate to Siberia out of naive idealism trumping proper Soviet pragmatism. It is known, Comrade.
DYAEiOu.gif


I could make a five year plan, but just like the historical 5-year plans, I'm almost guaranteed to over-promise and under-deliver.
As this seems entirely on brand I would wholeheartedly recommend doing exactly this.

A nice update this one, both readable and good fun. Best wishes to you in your continued recovery as you transition back to focusing on the important things in life, and also your thesis. ;)
 
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assistant to the British cultural attaché in Leningrad,
Well, MI6 then, of course.
Detective Rozïtis managed to get one of the rare hard-top two-door KIM-10-50 pre-production models.
Lucky him! we know Odin et al are back when we get a comprehensive background and nice pic of some vintage Soviet auto! :D
Rozïtis proceeded to go over the crime scene while slowly whistling the second movement of Tsjaikovski's violin concerto.
Something you play yourself as part of an orchestra/ensemble? A favourite?
All right, let me take advantage of your espionage knowledge right now. In your profesionnal opinion, was Herbert Smith a British spy? - He slid over his, highly redacted, file on Herbert Smith.
well, elementary my dear Rozïtis! :p
Yes, definitely a British spy, looks like an SIS type to me.
Clearly.
G: First off there's the title: 'Assistant to the Cultural Attaché', that's a dead giveaway.
certainement!
You can go, Yvonne.
Goleniewsky didn't flinch, and just looked at him with confusion.
It was a nice try, but she’s too well trained to fall for that one.
She's either a reformed spy, or she's a very good liar, and as I've never met a truly reformed spy, I'm going to go with the latter.
Nice line.
What she plans to do with these assets remains a mistery.
Well if the pursuer is some Nazi goon, then let’s hope they end up being used to put him to a suitably grisly end.

Again, welcome back. :)
 
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Well, MI6 then, of course.
That wasn't particularly hard to guess, but still, great job.

Lucky him! we know Odin et al are back when we get a comprehensive background and nice pic of some vintage Soviet auto! :D
I only recently found out about the KIM-10. I always liked that Colombo has such a distinctive car, so I wanted to find something special for Rozïtis to drive. It's special enough, but not intimidating or even particularly fast. He's not in a hurry, and he prefers to be underestimated. In his position he could have had a GAZ-M1, or maybe even an older ZiS if he played his cards right, but such a vehicle would make him look like a bit of a big shot, and that's exactly the opposite of what he wants.

I can tell already that we are going to like this man.
Something you play yourself as part of an orchestra/ensemble? A favourite?
I haven't played that one myself, but I was listening to some violin concerto's as I was planning this update, and Tchaïkovski seemed just right for the occasion. I do have many favourites, and that's probably one of them, though it's not in my top 5 of classical music pieces. You'll see why I picked this, at least in part, in future updates with Rozïtis.

Clever. Whoever we are up against is sure to be a suitably formidable criminal mind.
Indeed, but who are they? This investigation is a mess with so many layers of secrecy, it could take quite some time before someone figures out who's behind all this.

well, elementary my dear Rozïtis! :p
I'm not sure Rozïtis would be Watson in this scenario. It seems unlikely to me that he wouldn't have figured out Smith was a spy. Asking that question was a way of both testing Goleniewsky to make sure she was a (ex-)spy, and a way to seem less astute than he really is so she lets her guard down a bit or doesn't see him as a threat.

It was a nice try, but she’s too well trained to fall for that one.
Yep, she was very unlikely to fall for that one. Once again, I wonder to what degree Rozïtis tried it because he thought it might work, and to what degree he did so because it's a rather rudimentary tactic, and it might once again lead to Goleniewsky underestimating him.

Nice line.
I'm quite pleased with that one myself, nice of you to notice.

Well if the pursuer is some Nazi goon, then let’s hope they end up being used to put him to a suitably grisly end.
I have a rough roadmap of this whole storyline planned out, and I know who's behind the murders. There will be no spoilers here. Nice try though. And yes, I do hope whoever is behind this meets a grisly end.

A nice update this one, both readable and good fun. Best wishes to you in your continued recovery as you transition back to focusing on the important things in life, and also your thesis. ;)
My original plan, written a few months ago (around the time I posted about the 1st murder) didn't include Rozïtis, but coming back to it after a month of hiatus made me realise that the best way to tell it was through a new character. I'm quite like spy and detective stories, be they novels, tv series, or movies, so why not try my hand at a detective.
Right now, my final project, due at the end of June is more important than the Thesis, which will be due in mid-August. I've also secured a great internship for this summer, which I have to do and write a report about to be able to graduate, so I'm definitely going to be busy. This Hernia really came at the worst possible time as without it I could have all but guaranteed graduating in September. At least when this final project is wrapped up, and it is going quite well, the hardest part of my Architecture studies will be behind me, and graduating becomes a question of when, not if.

Again, welcome back. :)
Glad to be back, and thank you for your support, both for this AAR, and in general.
 
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At least when this final project is wrapped up, and it is going quite well, the hardest part of my Architecture studies will be behind me, and graduating becomes a question of when, not if.
That really is good, as I know it has been a long and sometimes difficult journey. But that will make it all the more rewarding when it is done.
 
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Post-war the KIM-10 was considered outdated, and the Moskovich 400 became the Soviet Union's car for the masses instead.
Some excellent car facts there, given how bad the Moskvitch 400 was I dread to think what the KIM-10 was like if it was thought outdated. As an example the Moskvitch 400 didn't have a 0-60mph, because it could not in fact reach 60mph. It's 0-50mph time, based on the speed it could actually reach, was only twice as long as that of the Ford Prefect that 'inspired' it. These are the little details that make you realise quite how bad the Soviets were at most forms of non-military engineering.

Surely, 'Odinatsat' is also investigating these murders on her own time
Why would she, when she is in fact the murderer. I've no real evidence for this, but it does seem like the sort of thing she would do. I feel this sort of rushed and illinformed judgement is absolutely in the spirit of NKVD 'justice' so is entirely appropriate here.

In any event, congratulations on securing an internship, good luck with your final project and I wish you every success on your continuing journey to graduation. We will, of course, continue to understand should those matter take priority. :)
 
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Welcome back, first of all!

A real whodunit, on the streets of Leningrad, while Europe burns under the flames of war... Well, let's just say the good detective's slight penchant for the dramatic is not out of the tune at all. And with MI6 on one side, Lt. Golenievsky on another, our as-of-yet unknown murderer on yet another, and the NKVD trying its best to keep him in the dark, he'll need every bit of help he can get.

Oh, and let's not forget the Americans scheming. Weird crates under military guard? I'll bet a bottle of vodka that sooner or later, they'll be involved as well, if they already aren't. Someone out somewhere knows way too much...
 
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That really is good, as I know it has been a long and sometimes difficult journey. But that will make it all the more rewarding when it is done.
In any event, congratulations on securing an internship, good luck with your final project and I wish you every success on your continuing journey to graduation. We will, of course, continue to understand should those matter take priority. :)
The end is near... and where projects are concerned it went faster than expected. With a passing grade for the 2 previous projects, and this one being very likely to pass as well, I'm happy to have managed to turn things around on that front, after having passed just 1 out of the 5 semester's projects before them. Most of all, I'm glad it's almost over, even if it was educative, it was and is an emotionally taxing undertaking to study architecture, at least in the way it is taught today.

Some excellent car facts there, given how bad the Moskvitch 400 was I dread to think what the KIM-10 was like if it was thought outdated. As an example the Moskvitch 400 didn't have a 0-60mph, because it could not in fact reach 60mph. It's 0-50mph time, based on the speed it could actually reach, was only twice as long as that of the Ford Prefect that 'inspired' it. These are the little details that make you realise quite how bad the Soviets were at most forms of non-military engineering.
I looked into this, as my basic automobile research was concentrated on the pre-war and war years, but based on wikipedia, the Moskovitch 400 is suspiciously similar to the KIM-10, but with an even smaller engine, and some additional inspiration from the opel Kadett.

Why would she, when she is in fact the murderer. I've no real evidence for this, but it does seem like the sort of thing she would do. I feel this sort of rushed and illinformed judgement is absolutely in the spirit of NKVD 'justice' so is entirely appropriate here.
That kind of rushed judgement is indeed typical of the NKVD. That said, there will be no spoilers in my replies.

A real whodunit, on the streets of Leningrad, while Europe burns under the flames of war... Well, let's just say the good detective's slight penchant for the dramatic is not out of the tune at all. And with MI6 on one side, Lt. Golenievsky on another, our as-of-yet unknown murderer on yet another, and the NKVD trying its best to keep him in the dark, he'll need every bit of help he can get.
'not out of tune' that's a good one. As much as he likes to work alone, it looks like he needs help on this one, but who can be relied upon to help him truthfully? Everyone who may know something has something to hide, and their own agenda. It's definitely not going to be an easy one to crack.

Oh, and let's not forget the Americans scheming. Weird crates under military guard? I'll bet a bottle of vodka that sooner or later, they'll be involved as well, if they already aren't. Someone out somewhere knows way too much...
I'm not sure anyone would take you up on that. The question is not if the Americans get involved, but how.

No update this weekend, maybe next weekend. I guess we'll all find out.
 
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30th of September 1942, 'Odin': GPW 10-day Report #10
30th of September 1942, Vologda, -1,0°C, 6pm Moscow Time

'Shest' sent over the transcript of a top secret report about a secret meeting in German-occupied Brevik, on Norway's Southern coast, 70 km East of Kristiansand.

Participants: Major Guskov from General Vlassov's staff (8ya Armiya), Senior Major Boykov (NKVD), General de Artillerie Friedrich Wilhelm Brandt (9. Armee), GenDiv Guiseppe de Stefanis (15a DF).

Senior Major Boykov started off proceedings:
"General Vlassov has a stone in his shoe, Generalleutnant. You can remove it."

Brandt: "Only one stone?"

Boykov: "It's dangerous. A well-trained band of commando's who know the lay of the land. You will have to take precautions."

Brandt: "Tell me what you want me to do. I will tell you my price."

Guskov, taking a taste of the food the Russians had brought with them: "Ah, what bread."

de Stefanis: "Vodka!"

Guskov: "Quadruple distillation ... only in Russia"

de Stefains: "Alla, Salute"

...

The object of this meeting was to make a top secret deal with the enemy so that the already pocketed Axis forces deal with Royalist Norwegian insurgents in Next-door Skien. This way the Soviet Union can avoid a major diplomatic upset with the Allies, who ostensibly support the Norwegian government in exile, and who trained this particular band of bourgeois terrorists. As the US threatened with an end to lend-lease to the Soviet Union, this was the only realistic option to avoid the creation of a tiny Royalist Norwegian state in the middle of the future Socialist People's Republic of Norway.

We'll find out if it worked in about a week, by which time, if the deal goes through, the Axis will have removed that stone from our shoe, in exchange for a temporary localised cease-fire, promises of lenient treatment in captivity, and a sizeable shipment of ammunition, medicine, and food.

Now, onto the report of the last ten day's hostilities:

Norwegian Front (Norway): 8ya Armiya / Leningrad HQ:
"What do you mean, we have to go around the Norwegians? We're liberating this country from the Nazi oppressors, and they have the gall to stand in the way of the worker's revolution. They're a bunch of deluded Bourgeois royalists, and the only reason we're not sending them all to Siberia right now is because they went and cried to their British imperialist friends." - General Vlassov on the 28th of September

On the 22nd Our Mountaineers made it to Haukligrend. Taking multiple shortcuts by climbing near-vertical rockfaces, they managed to cut off the retreat of 96 ID in the process. With no-where else to go, the 7.116 men of Genlt. Borowietz's Division were taken into captivity.

The outskirts of Kristiansand were reached on the 25th. Further progress towards the port was halted by a depleted but dug-in Italian Division. MajGen Primakov T.S. launched an attack (1) at 4pm the same day. Breaking 15a DF's resolve just 25 hours and over 400 dead Italians later. The final port in Southern Norway was finally in Soviet hands, and just 100 riflemen paid the ultimate price for it.

Two more Mountain Rifle Divisions were delivered to Oslo by the Black Sea Fleet on the 22nd, they immediately started moving westward in an effort to contain enemy forces between them and the advancing Rifle Corps to the South.
On the 24th, just after both Moutain Divisions had left a German probe into Oslo (2) was easily rebuked by 2 VDD alone.
112 GSD arrived in Rollag on the 26th, just in time to prevent 13 ID from slipping the noose. They retreated after a short skirmish. (3)

213 Sicherungs-Division, previously Oslo's Garrison, was overrun in Bygland on the 28th, along with 9th Army. Another 6.611 enemy combattants were taken into custody.
Right next door, in Skien, a revolt broke out. It seems partisans and guerrillas, funded and trained by the British and the Norwegian government in exile, had been lying low in this rather insignificant province. Once the German supply lines had been severed by the Red Army, they saw their chance and easily established a bit of Norway that was loyal to the king.
Before our riflemen could evict such royalist rabble, US liaison officers intervened, clarifying that the uprising had the official support of the Allies, and the Americans. This was confirmed when the American Ambassador arrived at the Kremlin in person a few hours later, stating in no uncertain terms that if our troops were to trespass into the sovereign Norwegian territory of Skien, we would not be getting any more lend-lease aid, he suggested the British might even see it as an act of war.

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Italy4.9904080
Germany14.1317113.727
AXIS19.12149713.727
Soviet Union28.9851390
NOR_42-09-30-min.JPG
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
AXIS1.727 KIA0////
Soviet Union/6128 x La-7VM (CAG)2 x La-7VM (CAG)128 x Il-10VM (CAG)2 x Il-10VM (CAG)

CaptAF. 1st Class Zhavronkov's 1 & 7 KPA, based out of Oslo, continued to harrass 27 ID, which was slowly closing in on the Norwegian Capital. First, they bombed Brevik 6 times (20th-22nd), then Tonsberg 8 times (22nd-24th), and finally Drammen once (24th).

The ship-based CAGs of the RBBF concentrated entirely on Kristiansand. CaptAF. 2nd Class Knriukni's Il-10VM's performed 17 ground attacks over 5 days. (20th-24th).

All is quiet on the Danish front

Baltic Fleet & Northern Fleet: (Baltic Sea, North Sea & Norwegian Coast) RBBF & NF / Leningrad HQ:
"Captain. Sink those transports! Not a single crate of supplies, and nor a single enemy combattant will make it to Norway on my watch."
VADM Kuznetsov to the captain of Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya as the first transports are spotted slipping out of Fredrikshavn. Not ten minutes later the bridge was hit by a German-made 15" shell. The Vice-Admiral was unscathed, he was unable to rally his ships in time to focus fire on Tirpitz and save Krasnyi Kavkaz. Captain Moskalenko died in action.

Red Navy Port Strikes on Fredrikshavn lead to two naval battles.

The first started at 8am on the 25th, shortly after the first port strike had ended. Seeking to escape the Navy's bombers, VADM Dönitz steamed his fleet right into VADM Kuznetsov's awaiting Red Banner Baltic Fleet.

The German fleet was centred around Battleship Tirpitz:
Tirpitz (BB), Nürnberg (CL), 1 ZG & 2 ZG (DD, G7-class), 5 ZG (DD, Z46-class), and 6 transport flotilla's (2 TTF, 3 TTF, 5 TTF, 8 TTF, 9 TTF, & 10 TTF).

The RBBF:
Oktyabrskaya Revoluciya (BB), Parizhkaya Kommuna (BB), Moskva (CVL), Leningrad (CVL), Krasnyi Kavkaz (CA), Profitern (CL), 1 FE, 5 FE, & 7 FE (DD, Novik-class), 4 FE & 8 FE (DD, Gnevniy-class), 3 FE (DD, Kiev-Class).
The old submarines of II Flot Podlodok, and IX Flot Podlodok were caught in the crossfire:
II FP: 11 FP, 17 FP, & 18 FP (SS, AG-boat), 1 FP, 2 FP (SS, Series II)
IX FP: 23 FP & 24 FP (SS, AG-boat)

Airpower was one-sided, as our CAGs operated with impunity, hampered only by the stormy weather and German AA:
1 KPA, 2 KPA, 7 KPA, 8 KPA: 127 x Il-10VM & 126 x La-7VM

For 7 hours, both sides traded blows in the midst of a storm. Despite the Red Navy's superior numbers, the German crews were better trained. They also chose their targets better, aimed better, and coordinated their fire to a high degree. Tirpitz's 380mm shells wreaked havoc, sinking Krasnyi Kavkaz first, and then destroying all 5 Novik-class destroyers of 1 Flotiliya Esmintsev.
Our submarines were targeted by the enemy destroyers: 2 Flotiliya Podlodok lost 2 of it's 5 Series II submarines, and 11 Flotiliya Podlodok lost 2 out of 7 AG-boat type submarines.
In return, Oktyabrskaya Revoluciya sunk a flotilla of transports (9 TTF), and Moskva's CAG sunk another (8 TTF). Of the enemy ships, Nürnberg was hit the hardest, having been reduced to a listing smouldering hulk, that managed to only just limp back into port along with the rest of the fleet. Tirpitz itself escaped with only minor damage to it's superstructure, as the Gangut-class's 305mm shells had trouble penetrating it's armour, and our CAG's were concentrating on the transports.

That night, VADM Dönitz attempted to sneak out two under-strength transport flotilla's under the cover of darkness, leaving RADM Saalwächter in charge of the main fleet in Fredrikshavn. The RBBF, having lost it's Heavy Cruiser and nearly 1.900 lives, was out for blood, and despite the storm and the darkness, they threw everything they had at the 8 transports as soon as they exited the port at 3am. This time, the submarines proved an asset, with 24 Flotiliya Podlodok hunting down and sinking all three transports of 10 TTF. Only 2 KPA was available, and with the weather even worse than during the previous day they couldn't do much. The other CAG's were over Fredrikshavn
In three hours, 4 of the 8 transports had been sunk, and another was listing rather seriously. It's unknown whether VADM Dönitz was on one of the surviving ships, or whether he was forced to get back to Denmark in a lifeboat.

KIA sailorsCapital Ships DeployedCapital Ships lostEscorts/Subs deployedEscorts/Subs lostTransports deployedTransports lost
Germany3.936Tirpitz (BB)/Nürnberg (CL)/24 (6xTP)14 (8 TTF, 9 TTF)
Soviet Union1.9672 x Gangut-Class (BB)
Krasnyi Kavkaz (CA)
2 x Moskva-Class (CVL)
Krasnyi Kavkaz (CA)Profitern (CL)
20 x Novik-Class (4xDD)
5 x Kiev-Class (1xDD)
35 x AG-Boat (5xSS)
10 x Series II (2xSS)
0 x Il-10VM (CAG)//
SCA_42-09-30-min.jpg
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
Germany1.341 Naval Base Infrastructure
955 KM personnel KIA
Nürnberg (CL)
3. TTF & 5. TTF (TP)
00000
Soviet Union036125 x La-7VM (CAG)12 x La-7VM (CAG)126 x Il-10VM (CAG)12 x Il-10VM (CAG)
At 4am on the 25th, with the RBBF parked right off-shore, port strikes on Fredrikshavn began. In total 4 GAG wings would participate: 2 KPA & 8 KPA from the Carriers Moskva and Leningrad, 1 KPA & 7 KPA from Oslo Air Base. One KPA remained on duty to provide CAP for the RBBF, on a rotating basis.
On the first mission it became clear that this would be a tough nut to crack. The ships in port were the following: Tirpitz (BB), Nürnberg (CL), 1 ZG & 2 ZG (DD(G7-class)), 5 ZG (DD(Z46-class)), and 6 transport flotilla's (2 TTF, 3 TTF, 5 TTF, 8 TTF, 9 TTF, & 10 TTF).
Following the first strike, VADM Dönitz sortied with his entire fleet to attack the RBBF (see above).
The port strikes continued on the evening of the 25th, after the German fleet had returned to port. The Cruiser Nürnberg, already heavily listing from the naval battle, was finished off first.

Over the course of 5 days and 9 bombing runs of anywhere between 56 and 192 aircraft, 3 TTF and 5 TTF were also sunk in port, with all the other naval units sustaining heavy damage. An estimated 1.000 Kriegsmarine personnel was killed, and 24 of our aeroplanes were lost.

Main Front Overview:
OV2_42-09-30-min.jpg

A Tiger II Heavy Tank of 1 sPzD, destroyed in Jurmala during an attempt to break out of the Riga pocket.

1st Baltic Front (1st BALT F. / Latvian SSR): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
"They can try to break out all they want. Every man or vehicle they lose in their futile attempts will be one we won't have to face when we go into the city. They might not know it yet, but they are doomed." - 22nd of June, MajGen. Moskalenko is confident his three Divisions can repell Genlt. von Thoma's attempt to break the encirclement of Riga. He was later proven right.

Genlt. von Thoma's King Tigers had been trying desperately to break out of Riga through Jurmala (1) for three days, when, at 9am on the 22nd, MajGen Kuznec launched his 5-Division 4-pronged, offensive to liberate the city (4). 1 sPzD proved unable to protect it's flank and keep putting pressure on Jurmala. They surrendered at 11am. 58 ID and 197 ID, now lead by Genlt. Steiner, continued to resist the inevitable, until Steiner's 58 ID broke under the pressure at 2pm on the 25th. Genlt. Kleemann's stuborn 197 ID desperately held on against over six times their number, until they too could take no more. by 6pm on the 26th, 18.771 enemy combattants had been captured.
Close to 2.800 riflemen and over 3.900 Germans were killed in action.

A probe into Vainode (2) was called off when Dobele (3) was attacked by Genlt. von Bismarck's three-division force at 5am on the 23rd. MajGen. Remizov used the forest to his advantage, countering the enemy Shock attack with cleverly placed Ambushes. This wasn't enough, however, and by 9pm on the 21st, 9 TD was forced to withdraw, leaving only Remizov's 78 SD manning the line alone. The next morning the jig was up, and the general retreat was called at 8am.
The fight wasn't over though, for at 7pm that same day, 53 SD arrived in Dobele, blocking the enemy advance and triggering another battle (3 & 5). A flanking attack on Vainode (6) did't get very far, lasting just one night, and at noon on the 28th, 53 SD was forced to withdraw in turn. The red army suffered over 2.400 casualties in it's attempts to hold Dobele, inflicting fewer than 2.000 on the Wehrmacht.
A counter-attack into Dobele (7) was mounted that evening, and called off at 6am on the 29th with minimal casualties on either side.

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany96.3606.17918.771
Soviet Union153.4375.3690
BAL1_42-09-30-min.JPG
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
Germany15685 x FW-190 (Ftr)52 x FW-190 (Ftr)186 x Ju-88 (Tac)26 x Ju-88 (Tac)
AXIS2.716 KIA156
Soviet Union198 KIA106372 x Yak-7 (Int)
248 x La-7 (Ftr)
54 x Yak-7 (Int)
12 x La-7 (Ftr)
495 x Il-10 (CAS)20 x Il-10 (CAS)

FK II managed to drop some bombs on Jurmala on the 22nd before LtGenAv. Eremin's Yak-7's arrived to break up Genlt. Dörstling's bombers (1). The Ju-88's returned later the same day (2), but the Yak-7's were waiting for them. 52 Me-109's and 26 Ju-88's were downed, for the loss of 54 Yak-7's.

GenLtAv. Zhigarev's I ShAK flew 11 missions over Riga (21st-26th), and 3 missions over Saldus (Battle of Dobele, 27th, 28th).

The Il-10's of V ShAK bombed Saldus 7 times (Battle of Dobele, 23rd-26th)

2nd Baltic Front (2nd BALT F. / Lithuanian SSR North of the Memel): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
"We have paid for this victory with thousands of our own. It is now our responsibility, our duty to the dead, to hold Taurage, to make the enemy pay dearly for any attempt at taking these bloodsoaked woods from us." - MajGen Malyshev riles up his forces after they liberated Taurage for the 4th time on the 22nd. In the end, his words were not enough in the face of overwhelming odds.

A rather optimistic attack on German forces in Plunge (3), staring on the 20th with a 2-1 disadvantage, turned into an unlikely victory after 19 SD reinforced MajGen Kamkov's own 91 SD, on the morning of the 22nd, breaking enemy resolve and forcing a withdrawal by 2pm.
Responding to our own flanking attack on Vainode (see above), a German two-division force ehaded up by Genlt. von Randow's SSD (mot) 'Reich' charged into Plunge (8) early on the 27th. MajGen. Kamkov's two divsions managed to hold the line, until 183 ID reinforced the enemy offensive on the 28th, forcing our forces to withdraw at 9pm that same day.
This back and forth cost the Red Army close to 1.400 men, for just over 1.250 enemy combattants neutralised.

The battle for Taurage (1 & 2) had started as a single Division attack on the 17th. Genlt. Phleps must have felt rather confident, having both 5 sPzD and 169 ID to repell our riflemen. He even managed to turn back the red army's Assaults with heavy Counter-Attacks. However, 2nd Army Group persevered, funneling ever more rifle divisions into the meatgrinder. 120 SD reinforced on the 17th, 34 SD, but also 83 ID, on the 18th, and 50 SD on the 20th. Only on the 20th, after three full days, was MajGen. Malyshev to pull out his 235 SD, handing command of the offensive to MajGen Vasilev. The latter immediately proved why he had been chosen by ordering Shock attacks to ensure the enemy was unable to delay his forces as they waited for reinforcements. This soon proved too much for 169 ID, which was routed at noon that same day, and two days later, at 9am on the 22nd, victory had been achieved.
It all proved rather shortlived as 34 SD found itself under attack (4) from three directions by four enemy divisions, as soon as it arrived in Taurage on the 24th. After just 30 hours of combat the area was vacated once again.
The Wehrmacht didn't prove any more capable at solidifying victory. Genlt. Haase's own 4 ID arrived in Taurage on the 25th, but with numbers on his side MajGen Tamruchi dispatched the enemy infantry in a single day (1 & 5).
Arriving too late to save 4 ID, Genlt. Ruoff's 35 ID still managed to beat our forces into the province on the 27th, leading to another day and a half of fighting (1 & 5) before Taurage was finally secured. It was a costly victory: Over 4.400 riflemen paid the price, killing over 4.700 of the enemy.
A German probe into Taurage (9) this morning (30th) was easily repulsed, showing that, for now, the area is in our grasp again.

On the 27th, two enemy probes were easily repulsed by our forces in Jurbarkas (6) and Kaunas (7). Another attempt on Jurbarkas (6), on the 30th, wasn't any more successful.

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany213.6176.7140
Soviet Union263.0395.9650
BAL2_42-09-30-min.JPG
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
Germany142111 x FW-190 (Ftr)54 x FW-190 (Ftr)165 x Ju-88 (Tac)22 x Ju-88 (Tac)
AXIS2.586 KIA
Soviet Union0 KIA103496 x Yak-7 (Int)
248 x La-7 (Ftr)
9 x Yak-7 (Int)
20 x La-7 (Ftr)
201 x Yak-4 (Tac)
248 x Il-10 (CAS)
3 x Yak-4 (Tac)
34 x Il-10 (CAS)

Genlt. Sperrle got his FK I intercepted over Plunge on the 28th, by LtGenAv. Astakhov's II IAK before reaching his targets.

LtGenAv. Goryunov's Il-10's bombed Taurage 3 times (21st-22nd), and Palanga 4 times (Battle of Plunge, 27th-28th).

The Yak-4's of I BAK flew 3 missions over Plunge (21st-22nd), 3 missions over Pogegen (Battle of Taurage, 24th-25th), and 5 missions over Taurage (25th-26th, 28th)

3rd Baltic Front (3rd BALT F. / Lithuanian SSR South of the Memel): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
Mariampolè became a favoured target for Red Army cross-river probing attacks. One from Kaunas (1), and two from Alytus (3) on the 27th, another from Alytus on the 28th (3), and then two attempts at a pincer attack on the 30th (1 & 3). Enemy defenses in Kybartai (5) and Tilsit (6) were also tested earlier today. All of these attacks were called off after a few hours.
Enemy counter-probes weren't any more succcessful: One into Alytus on the 27th (2), and 2 into Kaisiadorys on the 28th (4)

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany200.1938220
Soviet Union290.8868360
BAL3_42-09-30-min.JPG

Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
Germany1,777 Infrastructure
261.271 t of supplies
8.021 m^3 of fuel
AXIS418 KIA
Soviet Union044243 x La-7 (Ftr)2 x La-7 (Ftr)72 x TB-3 (Str)
495 x Il-10 (CAS)
4 x TB-3 (Str)
5 x Il-10 (CAS)

The TB-3's of 1 DBAD continued their Logistical bombing, hitting Cranz 9 times (21st-29th), before changing targets to Labiau (1 mission, 30th).

LtGenAv. Goryunov's Il-10's flew 2 missions over Tilsit (30th)

I ShAK made a single bombing run on Mariampolè (30th)

1st Byelorussian Front (1st Byel. F. / Byelorussian SSR Nyoman/Memel bend): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
BEL1_42-09-30-min.JPG

Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
AXIS272 KIA0000
Soviet Union0 KIA2124 x La-7 (Ftr)0 x La-7 (Ftr)248 x Il-10 (CAS)1 x Il-10 (CAS)

IV ShAK flew a single bombing mission over Sokolka (Battle of Wolkowysk, 27th).

2nd Byelorussian Front (2nd Byel. F. / Byelorussian SSR between the Nyoman & Prypyat): 2 AG & Arm AG / Moskva HQ:
"The enemy will not soon forget this Battle. I want to underline the vigour and speed with which we have struck. Speed is the future of warfare gentlemen, the Germans may think they invented it, but today, they're the ones with the bloody nose." - MajGen Biriuzov is tiumphant as he adresses his men following their stunning victory in Wolkowysk on the 22nd. The province would be lost within a week, but the dead Germans would remain dead.

Our armoured cavalry spearheaded a three-division offensive into Wolkowysk (1) on the 20th. Facing three enemy infantry divisions, the odds initially looked relatively even, but after two days, the German units started to break, 29 ID (mot) at 8am, 33 ID at 4pm, and finally 4 Leichte Division at 7pm on the 22nd.
As soon as 3 KavD arrived in Wolkowysk during the night, they came under attack (3) from 18 ID. A motorised rifle division reinforced the defence at noon, and the battle was won by 10am the next morning.
Almost 1.350 soviet, and over 3.200 German casualties were counted.
Buoyed by the success in Wolkowysk, and sensing a weakness in the German lines, 6 KavD charged into Rozana (4) on the 26th, routing a pair of battered infantry divisions in no more than 3 hours.
In the early hours of the 27th, with only a battered 84 MSD holding the area, Genlt. van Faber du Faur launched a two-division attack into Wolkowysk (5). Predictably it ended in defeat 26 hours later. German troops have yet to occupy the province.

Malkowicze, defended by an already disorganised 9 KavD, held just 30 hours against a single division attack (2) ending at 7am on the 24th.
MajGen. Shumilov's 81 MSD managed to slip into Malkowicze before it was occupied, but the tired Motosied riflemen proved even less able to hold the line, breaking at 2pm on the 27th after just 15 hours of combat.
A courageous attack on Domonovo (6) started in the afternoon of the 26th, with 36 MSD facing off against two dug-in Infantry divisions lead by Genlt. Rommel. Our forces made little headway. 41 hours and over 650 soviet casualties later, MajGen Maslennikov called off the operation, which did succeed in delaying the enemy occupation of Malkowicze. (2)

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany98.6264.4200
Soviet Union104.3342.6410
BEL2_42-09-30-min.JPG
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
AXIS3 Heavy AA Guns
0,611 Infrastructure
40.463 t of supplies
1.579 m^3 of fuel
2.698 KIA
Soviet Union0 KIA58248 x La-7 (Ftr)10 x La-7 (Ftr)81 x TB-3 (Str)
201 x Yak-4 (Tac)
248 x Il-10 (CAS)
2 x TB-3 (Str)
8 x Yak-4 (Tac)
8 x Il-10 (CAS)

LtGenAv. Rudenko's IV ShAK flew 3 missions over Wolkowysk (21st-22nd), followed by 6 over Swislocz (Battle of Wolkowysk, 23rd-25th), and 3 over Domonovo (Battle of Makowicze, 26th, 28th).

I BAK's Yak-4's bombed Domonovo 7 times (23rd, 27th, 29th-30th)

Two Logistical strikes were flown over Maloryta (27th-28th), but the presence of Heavy AA has dissuaded any follow-ups by MajGenAv. Reshetnikov's 2 DBAD. Another target will have to be selected.

1st Ukrainian Front (1st Ukr. F. / Ukrainian SSR between the Prypyat & Western Bug): 3 AG & Arm AG / Brjansk HQ:
"This is where we stop the Hun dead in his tracks, today is when the enemy runs into a brick wall. The Bug will not be crossed again in Luboml, the Soviet Union depends on us to make it so. We will not let them down." - MajGen Ptuhin riles up his troops for the defense of Luboml on the 23rd.

After over three days of fighting, MajGen. Kravchenko halted his attack on Switaz (1). It had started of rather well on the 18th, with 14 TTGvD taking the upper hand against 20 ID (mot), but 26 hours in, the defence was reinforced with a fresh 13 ID (mot), and it all went downhill from there. The Red Army lost 1.350 elite soldiers for fewer than 1.000 Wehrmacht losses.
On the 27th, a second attempt was made to liberate Switaz (5). This time, MajGen Chernyak attacked with three fresh rifle divisions. With only pair of battered motorised divisions to stop them, they took the province at 3pm after just 11 hours of fighting.

A battered 19 ID was easily evicted from Zamosc on the 21st. That evening, 5 PzD slipped into the area, prompting another battle (2), and proving a tougher nut to crack. At 6am on the 23rd, 62 SD called it quits, having suffered twice as many casualties as the enemy.
MajGen. Ptuhin found himself having to defend Luboml from a two-division, two-pronged assault (3) on the 23rd. Lucky for him, he had 4 rifle Divisions to do so. Genlt. von Roques did manage to reinforce his attack with 5 PzD late on the 24th, flanking our forces from the West (4). Despit this, both panzer divisions were attacking across the Bug river, and two days later, at 3pm on the 26th, the enemy stopped coming. As the smoke cleared the terrible toll of the battle became clear: Close to 1.600 Soviet corpses, and over 3.300 German ones were counted.
Taking advantage of a weakened 5 PzD, 49 SD charged into Zamosc (2) on the 26th. Genlt. Balck had a few tricks up his sleeve, as he skillfully countered MajGen. Rivkin's attack with a series of counter-attacks. This wasn't enought to save him, and by 5pm on the 28th, the German tankers could take no more.

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany77.9215.7630
Soviet Union120.8674.7350
UKR1_42-09-30-min.JPG
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
AXIS2.255 KIA
Soviet Union0 KIA30248 x La-7 (Ftr)4 x La-7 (Ftr)495 x Il-10 (CAS)13 x Il-10 (CAS)

IV ShAK hit Switaz once (21st).

MarshallAv. Novikov's II ShAK flew 2 missions over Zamosc (22nd), followed by 8 missions over Switaz (24th-26th), and another 4 missions over Zamosc (27th-28th).

2nd Ukrainian Front (2nd Ukr. F. / Ukrainian SSR between the Western Bug & Dniestr): 3 AG / Brjansk HQ:
Jaroslaw (1) was lost at 4am on the 21st, after a bloody drawn out battle that had started three days earlier. With just a single infantry unit en either side, over 1.050 Soviet and over 600 German casualties were counted.
That evening, a a two-pronged three-division offensive into Rawa Ruska (2) was launched by MajGen Nikishin. 223 ID was on the recieving end of the operation, which was spearheaded by 10 TTGvD. Unsurprisingly, victory wa ours at 5pm on the 22nd, after just 24 hours. The red army suffered fewer than 250 losses for more than 1.300 inflicted losses.

Further to the South, a weakness in the enemy lines was discovered. Humenne was held by a single tired Hungarian division, which was quickly swept aside (3) on the 22nd.
When 9 TP arrived in the area that night, a second battle started (3), and by 9am the path was clear once more. The first Slovakian province has been liberated, but Bratislava is still a long way away.
A Soviet probe into Gorlice (4) on the 27th failed to get anywhere.
At 7am on the 29th, a Slovak-Hungarian offensive was launched to take back Humenne (5). The 3-pronged 4-division operation was spearheaded by none other than DivGen Jany's 2 Pesi Divize. MajGen. Purkaev's outnumbered 183 SD managed to hold out just 30 hours, sounding the retreat just one hour ago. (5pm on the 30th). Almost 950 Soviet casualties were counted, for fewer than 150 Slovaks and fewer than 300 Hungarians.

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany15.7421.9320
Hungary59.5374290
Slovakia8.9971370
AXIS84.2762.4980
Soviet Union109.7032.3430
UKR2_42-09-30-min.JPG
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
Germany50 x Me-109 (Int)47 x Me-109 (Int)
AXIS2.255 KIA
Soviet Union0 KIA41372 x Yak-7 (Int)
124 x La-7 (Ftr)
0 x Yak-7 (Int)
37 x La-7 (Ftr)
248 x Il-10 (CAS)2 x Il-10 (CAS)

II ShAK's Il-10's bombed Debica twice (Battle of Jaroslaw, 21st), and Gorlice 4 times (Battle of Humenne, 29th-30th).

Genmaj. Fisser attempted to disrupt the missions over Golrice with his 50 Me-109G's. Despite the intervention of GenLtAv. Rychagov's IV IAK, 36 La-7's were shot down. 27 Messerschmitts were also shot down, leaving JG 4 with just 23 planes out of 112.

3rd Ukrainian Front (3rd UF. / Hungarian Border West of Skole) 3 AG & 4 AG / Odessa HQ:
A two-pronged three-division offensive into Svalava (1) proved too much for 143 SD, despite the superior tactics used by the red army. They folded at 6pm on the 22nd, after nearly three days of fighting, having killed two men for every one they lost.
On the 25th, Genlt. Conrath, buoyed by the Hungarian success, sent his 231 ID into Uzhorod (2). The Germans hit a wall, MajGen Erastov's three rifle divisions. Even the late arrival of 12 ID on the 26th couldn't stave off the inevitable, and at 10am on the 27th all offensive operations ceased. Almost 1.600 German soldiers had been killed for fewer than 450 Soviet ones.
Surprisingly, the first enemy division to enter Svalava on the 27th was Bulgarian. Regardless, it found itself on the recieving end of a pincer attack (3), which resulted in a Soviet victory before sunrise the next day.

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany7.9451.5960
Hungary19.9981.0850
Bulgaria7.5543600
AXIS35.4973.0410
Soviet Union65.5611.0370
UKR3_42-09-30-min.JPG
Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
Hungary1,208 Infrastructure
229.657 t of supplies
6.526 m^3 of fuel
47367 x CR.32 (Int)47 x CR.32 (Int)
AXIS1.530 KIA
Soviet Union0 KIA77372 x Yak-7 (Int)
248 x La-7 (Ftr)
0 x Yak-7 (Int)
7 x La-7 (Ftr)
81 x TB-3 (Str)
493 x Il-10 (CAS)
0 x TB-3 (Str)
35 x Il-10 (CAS)

LtGenAv. Kutakhov flew 8 missions over Mukacevo (21st-22nd, 26th-27th).
On that final day, Genlt. Rakosi's 1 VE arrived to spoil the party. Once again, the biplanes did their work, downing 23 Il-10's. IV IAK's Yak-7's soon arrived to chase them away, downing 47 CR.32's.
After some R&R and the rotation of one of it's Assault bomber Divisions, III ShAK was back, flying 4 missions over Sop (29th-30th).

As previous Logistical strikes were already having an effect, MajGenAv. Reshetnikov's TB-3's proceeded to hammer any and all infrastructure links between the front and the Hungarian interior. After 10 more missions (27th-28th), the flow of supplies had been reduced to a trickle.

4th Ukrainian Front (4th Ukr. F. / Hungarian Border East of Dolina) 3 AG & 4 AG / Odessa HQ:
1 SD took another crack at the mountains of Rachov (1), held by a single Hungarian division this time, on the 23rd. After just 23 hours, the attack was called off. It's unclear why as casualties were even and progress was being made.
The attack on Chust (2), starting that same morning forced 2 Gly and 231 ID, both out of supply and battered, to withdraw, reducing it's opposition to 36 ID (mot). However, despite making some progress, the operation was called off at 3pm on the 24th.

Forces engaged in battle:Forces killed in action:Prisoners (of war):
Germany15.9361430
Hungary37.5361740
AXIS53.4723170
Soviet Union32.9924160
UKR4_42-09-30-min.JPG

Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
AXIS968 KIA
Soviet Union0 KIA22124 x La-7 (Ftr) 4 x La-7 (Ftr) 248 x Il-10 (CAS)9 x Il-10 (CAS)

MarshallAv. Novikov's Il-10's flew 2 missions over Chust (23rd)

III ShAK bombed Rachov twice (23rd), and Chust twice (24th).

Black Sea Fleet (Black Sea, Aegean Sea & Mediterranean Sea) BSF / Odessa HQ:
MED_42-09-30-min.jpg

Air to ground damageKIA air crewFighters deployedFighters lostBombers deployedBombers lost
Bulgaria495 x He-51 (Int)4 x He-51 (Int)00
Soviet Union0 KIA1128 x La-7VM (CAG)1 x La-7VM (CAG)128 x Il-10VM (CAG)0 x Il-10VM (CAG)
Once more the Bulgarians tried to have their fun with I Avianosets' air patrols over the Northern Aegean on the 26th. Genmai. Ayrjanov's fighters were unable to do much in the middle of the night, and just one groupe of 4 Heinkel bi-planes managed to make contact. All four were promptly shot down, for the loss of just 1 La-7VM.

Totals losses:
Last 10 daysEngaged in BattleKilled in battleKilled by bombsAir Crew KIAKIA at seaTotal KIAPrisoners of War
Slovakia8.997137/001370
Bulgaria7.554360/003600
Hungary117.0711.688/4701.7350
Italy4.990408/004080
Germany740.47127.640/3453.93631.92132.498
AXIS879.08330.23316.0133963.93650.57832.498
Soviet Union1.169.80423.4811988151.96726.4610
OV_42-09-30-min.jpg

Norwegian Resistance in Skien.
GPW (100 days)Engaged in BattleKilled in battleKilled by bombsAir Crew KIAKIA at seaTotal KIAPrisoners of War
Slovakia52.8363.049/26903.3180
Bulgaria337.01812.353/6031012.7230
Hungary2.178.70834.219/1.275035.4940
Italy176.3506.498/5731.0038.0740
Germany7.020.264231.055/7.42312.148249.67157.984
AXIS9.765.176287.174148.9479.60213.151458.23457.984
Soviet Union12.683.350236.0592.6196.4783.234249.45168.482

Aeroplane losses:

GPW (100 days)FightersSmall BombersMedium BombersLarge BombersTransports
Slovakia/89 x A.304///
Bulgaria64 x He-51B////
Hungary299 x CR.32/CR.42272 x Ju-87B-2389 x Ju-86K-2//
Italy//53 x SM.79-III
41 x CZ.1007bis
/11 x SM.75bis
Germany1.159 x FW-190A-3
908 x Me-109G-5
159 x Hs-129B-21.285 x Ju-88A-461 x Ju-2908 x Me-232D-1
AXIS1.173 x Int, 1.053 x Ftr520 x CAS1.667 x Tac, 53 x Nav61 x Nav19 x Tra
Soviet Union1.082 x Yak-7
993 x La-7
254 x La-7VM
1.056 x Il-10
254 x Il-10VM
513 x Yak-472 x TB-347 x Li-2

Except for the annoying Norwegian insurgents, the Southern Norwegian campaign has gone to plan, with thousands of Axis soldiers and officers marched off into captivity, and the remaining forces cornered and cut off from all avenues for supply and reinforcement. One does wonder whether more British-trained insurgents and commando's will pop up in Norway. We do hope not, as the post-war diplomatic minefield that follows would be problematic to say the least.
A German Heavy tank Division was taken out of the war as Riga was finally liberated. A breakthrough to the Lithuanian Baltic coast remains elusive as ever, with many back and forth battles, and little progress towards the encirclement of the remaining Axis forces in Latvia.
The Red Army has made significant net gains in the centre, liberating chunks of Byelorussia, and Northern Ukraine. In the South, we've even started moving into enemy territory, both in Western Poland and Slovakia. An encirclement of Hungarian troops between our forces and the Romanian border now also seems ever more likely.
The Army lost no units while taking 5 Axis Divisions out of the fight, and trapping another 4 on the Southern Norwegian coast.

As always, your input is valued,

Greetings,

'Odin'
 
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The German High Command must be panicking with so many plates in the air. The East Front AND Norway AND Denmark. And the impression I got is their Air Forces seem to be thin or focused only in certain regions...
 
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A very encouraging report, overall. The 1 sPzD, a thorn in the side of the Baltic fronts, has been taken out, and that alone is surely cause for celebration, but the several infantry divisions captured alongside it are a very welcome boon. Despite the slow going, at least it's in the right direction now. If only the Ukrainian fronts managed to create the long-hoped encirclement in the south, we could be making progress on both ends, but even just advancing into Slovakian territory is welcome. It makes lateral movement along the front more difficult, and further complicates the situation for the Hungarians. Can't forget the German bulge in the center either, which 1st UF is commendably squeezing, and so is 2nd BF too.

Unfortunate about the Norwegians. You'd think they'd be grateful we're stepping in to evict the Germans, but alas. Dealing with the Germans has the potential to backfire too. Ah well, we'll see.

All in all though, a very good reporting period. We're making gains on most sectors, our casualties are remaining manageable, and the VVS is doing a lot of work to keep things going smoothly. Perhaps we should consider giving them even more air-to-ground ability? The Il-10s sure seem to be tearing the enemy to shreds, and even the obsolete TB-3s are inflicting respectable damage to the Fascists' supply lines.
 
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