Uncle! Stukov will rule the world, until another time traveler comes back in time to give him advice and kill him...uh, right? 
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Stukov's the man! He doesn't make up pathetic excuses, he just let's others know they can do nothing but be conquered! Now you can ask USSA to join you...
heh... the Soviets no longer have a psychotic Georgian who wants to murder every other person he meets in power--they've got a psychotic Time-traveler man who wants to conquer every other... er, every country he sees. :rofl:
generalbob: :rofl:
Mettermrck: No more time travel. I think I've bashed that into this enough times. But, you never know
Jopi: Yes, I COULD.
Morpheus506: Meh.....20 dissent hits for attacking Tannu Tuva? *Sigh* All that paperwork........
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Stukov sat in Stalin's old chair with his eyes closed and his temples throbbing almost painfully. He rubbed his fingers over it, trying to relieve some of the pressure. The room was filled with people performing the usual beurocratic jibberish Stukov so despised in modern war.
"Why can't we just have two sides shoot at each other?" he thought.
The volume grew louder still, as voices tried shouting over the rest. Stukov seethed in anger until he exploded.
Slamming his fist down and shooting out of his chair, "Enough!" he shouted. The room fell instantly silent, all eyes on him.
Stukov violently motioned towards the door, "Everyone out! Go drive someone else insane!" The room emptied in moments.
The room now silent, Stukov sighed in relief, slumping down into his chair. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.
The door quietly opened and Azuren stepped in, her expression of mock frustration, "With you in charge, it's a wonder we get anything done."
Stukov smiled at the soothing sound of her voice, "I'm just the handsome figurehead that smiles and waves to the cameras and kisses babies."
Azuren walked up to him and kissed him. Stukov opened one eye and looked at her, "You're no baby."
"Lucky you."
Stukov laughed, sitting up and reopening his eyes, "So what's the news from the...." Stukov paused, counting on his fingers, "eight fronts?"
"We have 18 divisions at the outskirts of Paris, Sicily is ours, Karachi and southern Burma, Hong Kong, and Albania have fallen. We captured Metz and the Maginot defenses, and the rest have been surrounded."
"We could have taken Colmar if we'd had paratroopers. It was undefended."
Azuren sighed in frustration, "The planes weren't ready. They'll all be operational by July. But if you'd just given me more time....."
Stukov cut her off, putting his palm up, "If I'd pushed the deadline back for you, people would talk."
She rolled her eyes, "Half the staff already knows we sleep together."
Stukov snorted, "Lucky you. Besides, I'd rather half the staff know I'm not whipped."
"You are."
"Yeah," he said, grinning, "But they don't know that."
Stukov continued, "So what's the bad news?"
"What makes you think there's bad news?" Azuren asked jokingly.
"This is war. We always have bad news."
Azuren sighed, "Aside from the paratroopers, we lost an entire army in Luxembourg. Though most of it was from the Polish recruits. They tore up the army so badly that we had to disband it."
"We can always get more."
"Anyway," she said, though smiling at his heartless comment, "The Allies have 120,000 in Naples, we can't breach the Allied defenses in southern France, Popov's army is cut off south of Belgrad, though Pavlov's moving to save him, we're struggling in Indochina, North Africa is lost, and we've gone nowhere in the Pacific."
Stukov curled his wrist disintrestedly, "If we can destroy them in France, toppling the rest would be as easy as knocking down a house of cards."
"You sound awfully confident," Azuren warned, "Remember that war is never certain."
Stukov leaned in and kissed Azuren, "Considering what we've done without your precious paratroopers, we'll do well enough."
"Why don't you go drive someone else insane, Alexei?"
Northern France and the Low Countries, the most important front of the war
Mettermrck: No more time travel. I think I've bashed that into this enough times. But, you never know
Jopi: Yes, I COULD.
Morpheus506: Meh.....20 dissent hits for attacking Tannu Tuva? *Sigh* All that paperwork........
------------------------------------------------
Stukov sat in Stalin's old chair with his eyes closed and his temples throbbing almost painfully. He rubbed his fingers over it, trying to relieve some of the pressure. The room was filled with people performing the usual beurocratic jibberish Stukov so despised in modern war.
"Why can't we just have two sides shoot at each other?" he thought.
The volume grew louder still, as voices tried shouting over the rest. Stukov seethed in anger until he exploded.
Slamming his fist down and shooting out of his chair, "Enough!" he shouted. The room fell instantly silent, all eyes on him.
Stukov violently motioned towards the door, "Everyone out! Go drive someone else insane!" The room emptied in moments.
The room now silent, Stukov sighed in relief, slumping down into his chair. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.
The door quietly opened and Azuren stepped in, her expression of mock frustration, "With you in charge, it's a wonder we get anything done."
Stukov smiled at the soothing sound of her voice, "I'm just the handsome figurehead that smiles and waves to the cameras and kisses babies."
Azuren walked up to him and kissed him. Stukov opened one eye and looked at her, "You're no baby."
"Lucky you."
Stukov laughed, sitting up and reopening his eyes, "So what's the news from the...." Stukov paused, counting on his fingers, "eight fronts?"
"We have 18 divisions at the outskirts of Paris, Sicily is ours, Karachi and southern Burma, Hong Kong, and Albania have fallen. We captured Metz and the Maginot defenses, and the rest have been surrounded."
"We could have taken Colmar if we'd had paratroopers. It was undefended."
Azuren sighed in frustration, "The planes weren't ready. They'll all be operational by July. But if you'd just given me more time....."
Stukov cut her off, putting his palm up, "If I'd pushed the deadline back for you, people would talk."
She rolled her eyes, "Half the staff already knows we sleep together."
Stukov snorted, "Lucky you. Besides, I'd rather half the staff know I'm not whipped."
"You are."
"Yeah," he said, grinning, "But they don't know that."
Stukov continued, "So what's the bad news?"
"What makes you think there's bad news?" Azuren asked jokingly.
"This is war. We always have bad news."
Azuren sighed, "Aside from the paratroopers, we lost an entire army in Luxembourg. Though most of it was from the Polish recruits. They tore up the army so badly that we had to disband it."
"We can always get more."
"Anyway," she said, though smiling at his heartless comment, "The Allies have 120,000 in Naples, we can't breach the Allied defenses in southern France, Popov's army is cut off south of Belgrad, though Pavlov's moving to save him, we're struggling in Indochina, North Africa is lost, and we've gone nowhere in the Pacific."
Stukov curled his wrist disintrestedly, "If we can destroy them in France, toppling the rest would be as easy as knocking down a house of cards."
"You sound awfully confident," Azuren warned, "Remember that war is never certain."
Stukov leaned in and kissed Azuren, "Considering what we've done without your precious paratroopers, we'll do well enough."
"Why don't you go drive someone else insane, Alexei?"
Northern France and the Low Countries, the most important front of the war
Is there a passage between Colmar and Besancon? It looks like there is, and you should charge on into Besancon to cut off that escape... Maybe feint into Vichy or Caen to fake them out first, but destroying that pocket would free up a whole bunch of men
It looks like there's a slight passage. I remember that annoyingly from a German game I played. Potential victory there though. Eight fronts?!? I'm not worthy.
"Only an idiot would fight a war on two fronts. Only an heir to the kingdom of idiots would fight a war on a dozen fronts."
- Londo Mollari
- Londo Mollari
I've read this AAR almost from one end to the other. Very good creative writing, TC pilot. Very very good ! thanks for the good moment I spent reading all this.
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Jopi : I came to one post from you Jopi, speaking about french and mentioning a link to one of the most stupid page (but humoristically stupid of course, and funny ) I've read - saying french had been losers in history all the way. French's military is currently ridiculous, but do not speak of it through ages this way, tis not very kind to the french, and not as historical as it should be (or at least, mention the times where they were good, along with the times where they were bad).
The link you mentioned spoke of Gallic wars with french as eternal losers ; Vercingetorix made more than what many other celtic tribes managed to do at there, so why not calling germans losers as well. The link also forgot Charlemagne it seems. And it also puts Napolean as a loser ; what a shame, I do suppose Rommel was also one then, and Germany in the second World War was this bad too since in the end they failed, just like Napoleon did of course, if the world had only known victors, it would have been united under one flag a long time ago.
For the American Independance, eternal cultural debate, but militarily studying the tactical maps of the battle where French led their main intervention could prove a few things. It was one of the first and only times the english fleet had been defeated (especially by the french), and to have a french fleet there instead of an english one made it possible for this battle to be won. Of course, the American Independance war was an American one.
Truth is, in history, many nations had the time where they were great powers ; this is what makes History. Let's not make the present speak for it, for History lies in the past, and this is Culture. China also had been a great power. Japan surely was, and the Roman Empire was as well.
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Well, I apologize for the parenthesis, that is back a few weeks for those who have been reading this topic since its start and must sound completely meaningless.
You can resume now
thanks for the good moment I spent reading all this.----------------------------------------------
Jopi : I came to one post from you Jopi, speaking about french and mentioning a link to one of the most stupid page (but humoristically stupid of course, and funny
) I've read - saying french had been losers in history all the way. French's military is currently ridiculous, but do not speak of it through ages this way, tis not very kind to the french, and not as historical as it should be (or at least, mention the times where they were good, along with the times where they were bad).The link you mentioned spoke of Gallic wars with french as eternal losers ; Vercingetorix made more than what many other celtic tribes managed to do at there, so why not calling germans losers as well. The link also forgot Charlemagne it seems. And it also puts Napolean as a loser ; what a shame, I do suppose Rommel was also one then, and Germany in the second World War was this bad too since in the end they failed, just like Napoleon did
of course, if the world had only known victors, it would have been united under one flag a long time ago.For the American Independance, eternal cultural debate, but militarily studying the tactical maps of the battle where French led their main intervention could prove a few things. It was one of the first and only times the english fleet had been defeated (especially by the french), and to have a french fleet there instead of an english one made it possible for this battle to be won. Of course, the American Independance war was an American one.
Truth is, in history, many nations had the time where they were great powers ; this is what makes History. Let's not make the present speak for it, for History lies in the past, and this is Culture. China also had been a great power. Japan surely was, and the Roman Empire was as well.
--------------------------------------------------------
Well, I apologize for the parenthesis, that is back a few weeks for those who have been reading this topic since its start and must sound completely meaningless.
You can resume now
Morpheus506: Nope
Mettermrck: 8 fronts indeed, though Indochina, Sicily, and southern France aren't really much of a front.
Dan Cook: Praise well deserved indeed
Jopi: Call me the Emperor of Idiots, then :rofl:
Aekar: Thank you. All this praise is quite uplifting.
------------------------------------------
June 1943 began quietly. Aside from the fall of Tobruk, the last Soviet port in North Africa, and Tirana to the Allies, there was little major conflict. But that would all change as the month rolled by.
Before the Allies could rally an appropriate defense on the Seine River, the Soviets struck simultaneously across the entire line. The 14th Army and the 2nd Polish Army attacked the Allied forces hard, driving them slowly out of the city and surrounding areas until finally forcing the French out of the capital on the 3rd, just 3 years after the Germans had siezed the city. Meanwhile, to the south, the 10th Army struck at Auxerre, crushing the Allied forces in 12 hours. In Normandy, the 6th Army marched unopposed into Caen on the same day as Paris fell. The 6th began spliting to take complete advantage of the defenseless French territory, moving simultaneously on Rennes, Cherbourg, and Le Mans.
In Norway, the "tiny" 7th Army of 40,000 defeated Norweigan forces south of Narvik and inexorably pushed on to Trondheim, unimpeded by the unhospitable terrain. At Naples, the 16th Army engaged a 130,000 combined Allied landing force, slowly blasting its way towards the ports. On the 6th, routed and cut-off, the Allied force surrendered.
Back in France, the Soviet forces, unlike the Germans in 1940, pushed onwards from Paris, taking Orleans late on the 4th. On the 5th, the 18th Army engaged the Allies east of Toulon, trying to break the deadlock in southern France. In the north, Zhukov's 4th Shock Army, broke through the French defenses at Colmar and its Maginot fortresses on the 7th. What had at first been a simple probe and turned into a major victory. 50 Allied, primarily French, divisions were now trapped at Strasbourg. Zhukov, virtually unbloodied from the battle at Colmar, raced north after the fleeing Allies. On the 10th, surrounded, unsupplied, and demoralized, the Allied lines were smashed to pieces by the furious attacks by Zhukov's army. With the entire Rhine frontier cleared, the Soviets repositioned a huge percentage of their forces to other areas. Some were sent west to quicken the advance, while others were sent east to deal with the annoyance Yugoslavia's suprising resistance was causing
Elsewhere along the front, Soviet armies prevailed. In Toulon the Soviets finally broke the stalemate, opening up the "rear" of the Allied lines to the north. In Normandy, the Soviet advance was finally stopped by a small French force. Besancon fell as well, threatening to pocket the Allied forces in the south. The only bright spot for the Allies was the succesful defense of Bourges, in which the Soviet 14th Army suffered 75% casualties. In little less than 12 days, the Allied situation in France had turned disasterous. Virtually any hope of a counter-offensive like that against the Germans was hopeless. All the Allies could do was retreat and pray for a miracle.
Mettermrck: 8 fronts indeed, though Indochina, Sicily, and southern France aren't really much of a front.
Dan Cook: Praise well deserved indeed
Jopi: Call me the Emperor of Idiots, then :rofl:
Aekar: Thank you. All this praise is quite uplifting.
------------------------------------------
June 1943 began quietly. Aside from the fall of Tobruk, the last Soviet port in North Africa, and Tirana to the Allies, there was little major conflict. But that would all change as the month rolled by.
Before the Allies could rally an appropriate defense on the Seine River, the Soviets struck simultaneously across the entire line. The 14th Army and the 2nd Polish Army attacked the Allied forces hard, driving them slowly out of the city and surrounding areas until finally forcing the French out of the capital on the 3rd, just 3 years after the Germans had siezed the city. Meanwhile, to the south, the 10th Army struck at Auxerre, crushing the Allied forces in 12 hours. In Normandy, the 6th Army marched unopposed into Caen on the same day as Paris fell. The 6th began spliting to take complete advantage of the defenseless French territory, moving simultaneously on Rennes, Cherbourg, and Le Mans.
In Norway, the "tiny" 7th Army of 40,000 defeated Norweigan forces south of Narvik and inexorably pushed on to Trondheim, unimpeded by the unhospitable terrain. At Naples, the 16th Army engaged a 130,000 combined Allied landing force, slowly blasting its way towards the ports. On the 6th, routed and cut-off, the Allied force surrendered.
Back in France, the Soviet forces, unlike the Germans in 1940, pushed onwards from Paris, taking Orleans late on the 4th. On the 5th, the 18th Army engaged the Allies east of Toulon, trying to break the deadlock in southern France. In the north, Zhukov's 4th Shock Army, broke through the French defenses at Colmar and its Maginot fortresses on the 7th. What had at first been a simple probe and turned into a major victory. 50 Allied, primarily French, divisions were now trapped at Strasbourg. Zhukov, virtually unbloodied from the battle at Colmar, raced north after the fleeing Allies. On the 10th, surrounded, unsupplied, and demoralized, the Allied lines were smashed to pieces by the furious attacks by Zhukov's army. With the entire Rhine frontier cleared, the Soviets repositioned a huge percentage of their forces to other areas. Some were sent west to quicken the advance, while others were sent east to deal with the annoyance Yugoslavia's suprising resistance was causing
Elsewhere along the front, Soviet armies prevailed. In Toulon the Soviets finally broke the stalemate, opening up the "rear" of the Allied lines to the north. In Normandy, the Soviet advance was finally stopped by a small French force. Besancon fell as well, threatening to pocket the Allied forces in the south. The only bright spot for the Allies was the succesful defense of Bourges, in which the Soviet 14th Army suffered 75% casualties. In little less than 12 days, the Allied situation in France had turned disasterous. Virtually any hope of a counter-offensive like that against the Germans was hopeless. All the Allies could do was retreat and pray for a miracle.
You ready? Here comes the pain! Dunkirk will be right around Bordeaux or La Rochelle.
I finally caught up with the whole story. I love these Russian games, they always make me want to play. What's up with all the paratrooper jabs? IIRC the russians were experimenting with paras before anyone else, the time travelers would have known this. Just an observation. Your really kicking butt and I like the way you treated Stalin! I really need to download CORE it looks like you can have so much more fun. Keep up the great work and I'll just say that I wish my Russian campaign was going as well as yours. (Off topic question: how does CORE handle in multiplayer?)
Mettermrck: Fortunately I have no air force to screw up with
klink: Thanks. For some reason, I found the idea of Soviet paratroopers ridiculous. Probably because of their high cost. As for CORE in multiplayer, I wouldn't know, since I set up my "special" version of CORE which becomes incompatible with others.
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June 30th, 1943
On a balcony overlooking the Eifel Tower, Stukov and Azuren looked across the city. While they were alone, Soviet troops and personnel were everywhere, securing the late French capital for the transition to Soviet control.
Azuren cringed in disapproval, "Arrogant French, I never liked this city."
Stukov did not look her way, continuing to gaze over the newest great metroplois to fall to the Soviet war machine, "Somehow, I'm not really suprised."
"I say flatten it."
Again, Stukov continued looking across the cityscape, "Somehow, I'm not really suprised."
"You're not even listening to me, are you," she said, glaring at Stukov until he finally cracked into a smile.
"I was, I was," he turned and kissed her, "And soon enough, we'll have the power to do so." He was referring to the continued bludgeoning the Allied armies in France were recieving, the fall of Malta, the inevitable victory in Norway, succesful landings in the Kuril Islands, and the slow, ponderous advance in east India and Indochina.
She smiled, gazing into his eyes for a moment before turning back to the city. A gentle breeze blew her hair into the air. For a moment, she looked north, sighing , then turned back without saying a word.
"When do you think this war will be over?" she asked, breaking the silence.
Stukov exhaled noisily, "Depends on what happens, though I'd say a year and a half, maybe two."
Azuren sighed, "Two more years, huh?"
Stukov chuckled, "Can't wait that long?"
She smiled wannly, "Maybe. It's hard to keep this up. I'm starting to get tired of all this."
Stukov furrowed his brow in concern, "It'll be over soon enough."
"I hope so."
Stukov stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, smiling in satisfaction.
"Did I ever tell you I love you?" Stukov asked jokingly.
Azuren laughed, "Yes, many times."
Stukov smiled, "Just making sure."
A profound silence fell. So quiet was the entire city that a chill went down Stukov's spine.
"Makes you almost forget there's a world war going on," Stukov whispered.
"Almost."
klink: Thanks. For some reason, I found the idea of Soviet paratroopers ridiculous. Probably because of their high cost. As for CORE in multiplayer, I wouldn't know, since I set up my "special" version of CORE which becomes incompatible with others.
-------------------------------------------
June 30th, 1943
On a balcony overlooking the Eifel Tower, Stukov and Azuren looked across the city. While they were alone, Soviet troops and personnel were everywhere, securing the late French capital for the transition to Soviet control.
Azuren cringed in disapproval, "Arrogant French, I never liked this city."
Stukov did not look her way, continuing to gaze over the newest great metroplois to fall to the Soviet war machine, "Somehow, I'm not really suprised."
"I say flatten it."
Again, Stukov continued looking across the cityscape, "Somehow, I'm not really suprised."
"You're not even listening to me, are you," she said, glaring at Stukov until he finally cracked into a smile.
"I was, I was," he turned and kissed her, "And soon enough, we'll have the power to do so." He was referring to the continued bludgeoning the Allied armies in France were recieving, the fall of Malta, the inevitable victory in Norway, succesful landings in the Kuril Islands, and the slow, ponderous advance in east India and Indochina.
She smiled, gazing into his eyes for a moment before turning back to the city. A gentle breeze blew her hair into the air. For a moment, she looked north, sighing , then turned back without saying a word.
"When do you think this war will be over?" she asked, breaking the silence.
Stukov exhaled noisily, "Depends on what happens, though I'd say a year and a half, maybe two."
Azuren sighed, "Two more years, huh?"
Stukov chuckled, "Can't wait that long?"
She smiled wannly, "Maybe. It's hard to keep this up. I'm starting to get tired of all this."
Stukov furrowed his brow in concern, "It'll be over soon enough."
"I hope so."
Stukov stepped closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, smiling in satisfaction.
"Did I ever tell you I love you?" Stukov asked jokingly.
Azuren laughed, "Yes, many times."
Stukov smiled, "Just making sure."
A profound silence fell. So quiet was the entire city that a chill went down Stukov's spine.
"Makes you almost forget there's a world war going on," Stukov whispered.
"Almost."
Figures. The AI gets it half right...protects the northern half of the beachhead, but leaves the southern wide open.
Looks like you've got a nice sunny drive to the new capital. How thoughtful of the French.
Mettermrck[/B]: That has more to do with the actions of the player than the AI's capabilities
Morpheus506: Do not trust the capitalist fog of war! Capitalist plots are everywhere! :wacko:
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July 20th, 1943
The side of the road was filled with an endless line of prisoners. General Konev watched from the backseat of his command vehicle. As the car whipped by at high speed, Konev caught glimpses. The Allied soldiers, a mix of French, British, Canadian, and Belgian troops, looked totally demoralized. Their eyes held vapid looks, the fire gone out. Their uniforms, or what was left of them, were torn and filthy. For them, the war was over.
Konev turned, looking at General Vatutin sitting next to him, "This one's for the history books, comrade."
Vatutin, his looks a combination of boyish and piggish, looked up from the reports he was reading through, "Huh?" he said distantly, "Oh yes. We're still tallying up the totals, but it looks like we captured over a million men in France."
Konev whistled appreciatively, "We must really have beaten the snot out of them."
"Based on our estimates prior to the war, the French lost about 90% of their army, the British about a fourth of theirs."
Konev habitually ran his hand over his bald head. The Red Army had broken the back of the Allied army, swarming through southern France with little trouble. Soviet infantry and tanks sliced through the weak Allied defenses. As the Allies had retreated, the Soviets would cut them off from other flanks. The Allied retreats were cut-off and destroyed. POWs soared into the hundreds of thousands. By the 18th, all that had remained was a fanatic defense near Brest under General Gamelin and De Gaulle. Both generals had vowed to fight until the end, and the Red Army had been happy to oblige. The Allied forces, mostly French, had been slaughtered, fighting to the bitter end.
All across the globe, news raced back to Moscow, then back out to other armies, of major victories on all fronts. Rangoon had fallen, the Soviets were ponderously pushing through Afghanistan, Allied incursions into China were cut off, Norway and Yugoslavia had surrendered, the siezure of the Kuril Islands, and now France had fallen as well.
"That leaves what's left of the British, and the Canadians in the war," said Konev, brimming with enthusiasm.
Vatutin coughed, "The Allies landed at Sicily again, though Zhukov's going to be deployed to North Africa with Pavlov's 3rd Shock Army."
"Which leaves us only one place to go," Konev said with a boyish grin on his face.
Vatutin paused, then suddenly the realization dawned on him. A smile of his own crept onto his face, "England."
Konev nodded, "That's the one. The transport planes for the paratroopers are finally ready, our armies are being sent to Normandy, and rumor has it the Scharnhorst is scouting the Channel coast. All signs point to London."
Vatutin joked, "Time for us to go where no Soviet has gone before."
Red dots represent temporary Soviet airbases.
Morpheus506: Do not trust the capitalist fog of war! Capitalist plots are everywhere! :wacko:
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July 20th, 1943
The side of the road was filled with an endless line of prisoners. General Konev watched from the backseat of his command vehicle. As the car whipped by at high speed, Konev caught glimpses. The Allied soldiers, a mix of French, British, Canadian, and Belgian troops, looked totally demoralized. Their eyes held vapid looks, the fire gone out. Their uniforms, or what was left of them, were torn and filthy. For them, the war was over.
Konev turned, looking at General Vatutin sitting next to him, "This one's for the history books, comrade."
Vatutin, his looks a combination of boyish and piggish, looked up from the reports he was reading through, "Huh?" he said distantly, "Oh yes. We're still tallying up the totals, but it looks like we captured over a million men in France."
Konev whistled appreciatively, "We must really have beaten the snot out of them."
"Based on our estimates prior to the war, the French lost about 90% of their army, the British about a fourth of theirs."
Konev habitually ran his hand over his bald head. The Red Army had broken the back of the Allied army, swarming through southern France with little trouble. Soviet infantry and tanks sliced through the weak Allied defenses. As the Allies had retreated, the Soviets would cut them off from other flanks. The Allied retreats were cut-off and destroyed. POWs soared into the hundreds of thousands. By the 18th, all that had remained was a fanatic defense near Brest under General Gamelin and De Gaulle. Both generals had vowed to fight until the end, and the Red Army had been happy to oblige. The Allied forces, mostly French, had been slaughtered, fighting to the bitter end.
All across the globe, news raced back to Moscow, then back out to other armies, of major victories on all fronts. Rangoon had fallen, the Soviets were ponderously pushing through Afghanistan, Allied incursions into China were cut off, Norway and Yugoslavia had surrendered, the siezure of the Kuril Islands, and now France had fallen as well.
"That leaves what's left of the British, and the Canadians in the war," said Konev, brimming with enthusiasm.
Vatutin coughed, "The Allies landed at Sicily again, though Zhukov's going to be deployed to North Africa with Pavlov's 3rd Shock Army."
"Which leaves us only one place to go," Konev said with a boyish grin on his face.
Vatutin paused, then suddenly the realization dawned on him. A smile of his own crept onto his face, "England."
Konev nodded, "That's the one. The transport planes for the paratroopers are finally ready, our armies are being sent to Normandy, and rumor has it the Scharnhorst is scouting the Channel coast. All signs point to London."
Vatutin joked, "Time for us to go where no Soviet has gone before."
Red dots represent temporary Soviet airbases.
*edits part about the AI*
Great show, TC! Brilliant generaling and command of strategy and tactics! I think perhaps the (edited) might have (edited) a little, so therefore your victory was (edited). Congratulations, though!
Great show, TC! Brilliant generaling and command of strategy and tactics! I think perhaps the (edited) might have (edited) a little, so therefore your victory was (edited). Congratulations, though!
What do you do when the commies land in England,
Fighting on the beaches atop T-34s,
What do you do when the commies land in Wales,
Fighting in the hills with their paratroops,
What do you do when the commies land in Scotland,
Fighting in the streets and in the plains,
O, what do you do when the commies land in Ulster,
Not fighting any as the bombs fall from the sky,
What do you do when the commies land in England,
Fighting on the beaches upon T-34s.
I hate poetry.
Fighting on the beaches atop T-34s,
What do you do when the commies land in Wales,
Fighting in the hills with their paratroops,
What do you do when the commies land in Scotland,
Fighting in the streets and in the plains,
O, what do you do when the commies land in Ulster,
Not fighting any as the bombs fall from the sky,
What do you do when the commies land in England,
Fighting on the beaches upon T-34s.
I hate poetry.
Mettermrck: Indeed. In HoI (sadly not so in Vicky), I apply a strategy where every province along the front is covered. Attacks are only made if it doesn't open up another province to counter-attack by the AI. In this case, my speed, along with the coincidence of where the AI retreated to, allowed me to take provinces before the AI was done retreating. By the game system, the retreating AI, if it retreats to an occupied province, is cut off, and almost always loses the battle, and the army. Quite devastating.
generalbob: And it hates you .
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August 1st, 1943
Along the coast of Normandy, a combined army of 380,000 Soviet soldiers waited anxiously. Anyone could guess where they were going next. Such an operation had never been done on such a scale before. Without aerial or naval superiority, the whole invasion could turn into a disaster.
In an abandoened French manor house somewhere south of the coast, the generals of the armies to take part in the operation conducted a meeting.
On a table in the center of the room was a large map with of the English Channel region. Assembled around in were Vatutin of the 2nd Army, Konev of the 2nd Shock Army, Vorobiev of the 10th Army, Chuikov of the 14th Army, and Govorov of the Airborne Army.
Govorov, who's army's success was integral to the invasion, spoke, holding in his hand a set of orders, "The battleship Scharnhorst, prior to its sinking last week, reported that the coastal defenses of Southampton and Plymouth were unmanned. Thereby, Comrade Stukov modified the plans for Operation Engels to include Plymouth in my army's drop zone."
Chuikov grimaced, "What about the rest of us?"
Govorov's eye twitched for a moment, his handsome face contrasting with Chuikov's, "The rest of the Operation, however, remains the same."
Vorobiev looked confused, "In all honesty, comrade, we don't know what we're supposed to do yet. You were the only one to get the Operation specifics."
Konev and Vatutin both chuckled, much to Govorov's discomfort. Flustered, Govorov spoke again, "Of course," he cleared his throat, "The Airborne Army will be flown from Calais to Southampton and Plymoth under the cover of darkness. Once on the ground, my paratroopers will sieze control of the ports, opening them up for the reinforcements."
He continued, gaining confidence as the other generals listened intently, "Starting with comrade Konev's 2nd Shock Army, the Soviet armies will be ferried across the Channel by troop transports and quickly disembark in the ports."
"Which ports?" asked Vatutin.
"Southampton, since it's the closest at the moment. The paradrops at Plymoth will only be minor and used as cover against the Royal Navy."
"Any hopes of naval support?" asked Vorobiev worriedly.
Konev answered, shaking his head, "None. The Scharnhorst was the only warship in the entire theater, and now it's completely destroyed."
"So it's all luck," grumbled Chuikov.
Vatutin furrowed his brow, "We all know it's risky, but it's the best we can do for now. We need to crush the English while they're still reeling from their losses. We can't afford to wait another year for the new battleships to be completed."
Chuikov looked angrily at Vatutin, "And why not? We could crush the Allies anywhere else too! Why not send more troops to the Pacific? Or Canada? Or India?" Chuikov flailed his right arm into the air, "Why not end the war in any of the other theaters?"
Konev rolled his eyes, "We'd being risking just as much. Canada, South Africa, and the Pacific is safe as long as the Royal Navy exists. And the Royal Navy won't exist once Britain falls."
Chuikov, his jaw set, sat down angrily, "I won't have my army drowned in their own blood out on that damn Channel."
Govorov slammed his fist down, drawing attention back to him, "Enough of this bickering! The Premeir has already had his decision. We all know Comrade Stukov is no fool at the workings of the military. He made his decision, and if we want to keep our jobs, we must follow."
Vorobiev coughed, trying to stay unbiased, "Perhaps we should request more time before the Operation begins?"
Govorov shook his head, "The more time we spend means the more time the British will have to prepare. We don't know how much longer we have until those defenses are manned, and we won't know now that our scout is gone."
Chuikov sighed in resignation, "Then I guess we have no choice. May Lenin's spirit have mercy on us all."
generalbob: And it hates you
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August 1st, 1943
Along the coast of Normandy, a combined army of 380,000 Soviet soldiers waited anxiously. Anyone could guess where they were going next. Such an operation had never been done on such a scale before. Without aerial or naval superiority, the whole invasion could turn into a disaster.
In an abandoened French manor house somewhere south of the coast, the generals of the armies to take part in the operation conducted a meeting.
On a table in the center of the room was a large map with of the English Channel region. Assembled around in were Vatutin of the 2nd Army, Konev of the 2nd Shock Army, Vorobiev of the 10th Army, Chuikov of the 14th Army, and Govorov of the Airborne Army.
Govorov, who's army's success was integral to the invasion, spoke, holding in his hand a set of orders, "The battleship Scharnhorst, prior to its sinking last week, reported that the coastal defenses of Southampton and Plymouth were unmanned. Thereby, Comrade Stukov modified the plans for Operation Engels to include Plymouth in my army's drop zone."
Chuikov grimaced, "What about the rest of us?"
Govorov's eye twitched for a moment, his handsome face contrasting with Chuikov's, "The rest of the Operation, however, remains the same."
Vorobiev looked confused, "In all honesty, comrade, we don't know what we're supposed to do yet. You were the only one to get the Operation specifics."
Konev and Vatutin both chuckled, much to Govorov's discomfort. Flustered, Govorov spoke again, "Of course," he cleared his throat, "The Airborne Army will be flown from Calais to Southampton and Plymoth under the cover of darkness. Once on the ground, my paratroopers will sieze control of the ports, opening them up for the reinforcements."
He continued, gaining confidence as the other generals listened intently, "Starting with comrade Konev's 2nd Shock Army, the Soviet armies will be ferried across the Channel by troop transports and quickly disembark in the ports."
"Which ports?" asked Vatutin.
"Southampton, since it's the closest at the moment. The paradrops at Plymoth will only be minor and used as cover against the Royal Navy."
"Any hopes of naval support?" asked Vorobiev worriedly.
Konev answered, shaking his head, "None. The Scharnhorst was the only warship in the entire theater, and now it's completely destroyed."
"So it's all luck," grumbled Chuikov.
Vatutin furrowed his brow, "We all know it's risky, but it's the best we can do for now. We need to crush the English while they're still reeling from their losses. We can't afford to wait another year for the new battleships to be completed."
Chuikov looked angrily at Vatutin, "And why not? We could crush the Allies anywhere else too! Why not send more troops to the Pacific? Or Canada? Or India?" Chuikov flailed his right arm into the air, "Why not end the war in any of the other theaters?"
Konev rolled his eyes, "We'd being risking just as much. Canada, South Africa, and the Pacific is safe as long as the Royal Navy exists. And the Royal Navy won't exist once Britain falls."
Chuikov, his jaw set, sat down angrily, "I won't have my army drowned in their own blood out on that damn Channel."
Govorov slammed his fist down, drawing attention back to him, "Enough of this bickering! The Premeir has already had his decision. We all know Comrade Stukov is no fool at the workings of the military. He made his decision, and if we want to keep our jobs, we must follow."
Vorobiev coughed, trying to stay unbiased, "Perhaps we should request more time before the Operation begins?"
Govorov shook his head, "The more time we spend means the more time the British will have to prepare. We don't know how much longer we have until those defenses are manned, and we won't know now that our scout is gone."
Chuikov sighed in resignation, "Then I guess we have no choice. May Lenin's spirit have mercy on us all."