Long Live the Permament Revolution! - a Trotskyist Soviet AAR.

[ThaHoward]

Mushrooms

And so ends the war for the climate in utter defeat.

Mushrooms is good for you!

The climate? We're already ahead of time with wars for oil, but the climate we don't have any time for that!

Next update should come out tommorow.. or on saturday.

 

[ThaHoward]

Chapter 41: The cliffs of England stand.

Spoiler: Music.

Former US aircraft now bringing the Red Guards to England.

The young pilot close his worn out canopy, his flaps an wings were given a final check. The aircrew gave him the thumb up, he responded with the same thumb. With the greatest air-armada ever assembled for one mission he took to the skies on the evening of the 22nd of August. Together with hundreds of other other warplanes they went on the attack. NATO airwings must have believed this was yet another excercise, the Spitfire that intercepte the Soviet pilot showed him a magazine of pornographic material, but he gave no response. They continued in over England with bombers dropping their loads upon the once state of the art British RADAR systems along with coastal fortifications. Before the Spitfire could respond it caught flames going down smashing into the Cliffs of Dover. Naval bombers hit the British ports hoping to take out the Channel Fleet, enabling a seaborne invasion until the arrival of the Home Fleet from Scapa Flow. The Soviet pilot then dived upon the British airfield, strafed it and pacified its force before they could muster a proper response. In the distance he saw other explosions everywhere, oilreserves, barracks, bases and airfields were all under attack; with the exception of urban areas. But the few NATO airplanes in the skies were no longer to be seen, they were all burnt to ashes. As he crosse the Channel back for refueling and reloading the horizon to the back of him was ablaze. In the opposite direction hundreds of new bombers and fighters arrived; but also transport planes ready to deliver their men to an uncertain destiny - and with them the world. The Battle of Britain had just begun.

Local homeguard units are prepared to defend their homes.

Sirens were sounded, chaos and confusion was king. As the first Soviet paratroopers descended upon Britain - the first invaders to set foot on British soil since 1066 - and only came into contact with a few scattered, and hastly put together, British Home Guard defense units. These units were mostly compromised of the elderly, the unfit and those who otherwise weren't eligible for conscription and professional service. Despite a valiant defense and opposition these Home Guard troops were no match for the seasoned veterans of the Red Army, who had fought in every theater of war from Germany to Japan to Persia. The first Soviet paratroopers fell upon England, despite taking out all the Home Guards they were still scattered and disorganized. The battle was young, anything could happen.

Airborne troops sure do earn veterancy rapidly!

Misha Victorovich sat in the door of his transport plane. His uniform flapped in the wind and he enjoyed this time of tranquility of some sort. He was nervous, but this was the last time for a while he could be alone and at peace. He looked over his men, most of them handpicked seasoned veterans for this heroic and daring act. They all knew what their mission was, what was at stakes and they were prepared to be cut off for hours, days and even weeks before the main assault arrived to reinforce. For weeks they'd prepared physically for the coming task, dropping out into the wilderness of Siberia or unknown areas in France. But each man had to prepare himself for the coming task. It was silent, almost too silent. Only sporadic AA fire spit their deadly loads into the skies, only a few airplanes were lost. They were given the red light an Misha ordered his men to ready. After the final check out, and a waiting that seemed like an etirnity, the green light lit up. On pure reflexes Misha and his men jumped out without second thoughts. They steered toward the lights set up by the first wave of pathfinders. Hoping it were not a trap his men steered towards the lights. But it was not. Misha and his did everything according to plan, a few local Home Guard units were quickly taken out and disarmed, and they set up positions in the woods east of Norwich ready to repulse any attack. By 01:00 the two Airborne divisions had landed in full force with all its gliders and troopers.

The coastal batteries of Dover are under attack.

The landingzone west of Dover landed along with the other landingzones in full force on 01:00 on the 23rd of April 1945. The British High Command was in chaos, receving bombing reports from all over England (and even Scotland) and with even reports of Soviet troops on multiple locations all over the south-southeastern coastline. The British command who had committed itself to the fights in the Low Countries was caught off guard. Moreover they relied upon their coastal batteries to fend off an invasion. But they all pointed out toward the seas - not the air. The Soviet paratroopers in a daring move landed their gliders straight on top of the coastal batteries, and jumped down to secure key bridges and tank islands. Soon the well layered and emplaced British defences was taken out by the ingenuity of Soviet engineers or even turned to protect against British troops. The invasion of England was well underway, there was no doubt. Still NATO made a series of critical errors.

Only one British general dare to oppose the Soviets - at a terrible cost.

The evidence was clear, a Soviet invasion was underway. Moreover it was comparatively weak. If NATO mustered a counter-assault they could very well drive the Soviets out to the seas and prevent an outright invasion. But the British was ordered, from the very top, to halt. To not conduct any offensive operations. Their defensive model was based upon having reserves in the rear to better mobilize and strike toward an aggressor, but it was not to be utilized. This greatly angered and frustrated the local British commanders who believed they had to go on the offensive, push the Soviets back to the seas or all might be lost. One can speculate why the British government chose to do so, some argue it was a last resort of Appeasment to not escalate the conflict (who had already escalated into total war) and let negotiations end the conflict. But there was one commander who refused to obey by his orders, and that was Richard O'Connor the commander of the VII. Corps. He ordered his Guards Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division, 6th Guards Tank Brigade and 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division to go on the attack. He reasoned they had to cut them off before they recieved reinforcements and supplies from gliders, dig in and waited until the main force arrived. The VII. Corps attacked right away and cut into the area where the 9th and 10th Airborne Divisions had landed. Heavy fighting ensued on the Cornish countryside, villages and airfields.*

O'Connor is relentless.

Death and destruction folllowed. Through the entire night the British tried to breakthrough the Soviet lines, but they faced heavy opposition from highly efficient warriors. The Soviets utilized their AT guns, mines and other weapons with great effect making the British pay dearly for every inch of land they had to take. Moreover smaller Soviet paratrooper units hid in the woods and in the darkness to let British columns pass through them, only to attack in their rear supplies and encircle them. During the night the British pushed into villages who in turn was reduced to rubble under heavy fighting. But the Soviets still maintained the upperhand. As the sun rose the Soviet bombers came into full effect. Light and medium bombers dived unto the British forced and unleashed their ordanance. But it was the Sturmovik Il-2 who was the most feared. With great precision they attacked British armored vehicles with either rockets or their feard 37mm autocannons. This led to any British advance during broad daylight a fatal game. A British officer noted "now as I understand the predicament of Fritz, my hatred for them have been replaced with pity". The British maintained superiority in numbers and hardware, but failed to make any significant gains mostly due to Soviet air superiority, but also Soviet tactics. A Soviet AA gun commander spoke of a specific episode "We had set up our 100mm gun by church. Then all out of sudden a colonel emerged. He introduced himself as a battalion and a veteran armored commander. He was appaled that we, being from the air force, had set up our 100mm guns to fire upon British airplanes. He shouted at us, ordering us to fire upon the British armor that would soon come to the area. I firmly said no, he then told us to use our eyes, that there are no planes in the skies and that heavy fighting was all around us. I still held my ground refferng to my orders. He then pulled out his revolver pointing at me and saying "you either die here and now as a coward, or you do as I say and earn a medal or two". His argument was.. persuasive so I did as he instructed me. He told me that we were out of sights from the road due to the wheat field down below us, but that we had clear line of fire. He then said British armor was moving in. Right as he were they did, we fired upon them. Round after round, but they couldn't see us. They lost several of their tanks during that skirmish, and pulled back when airborne troops moved in with their AT weapons. Right as he were, I earned a medal for valor". **

Despite heavy losses the tide are turning against the Soviet paras.

Still the British managed to push back. As the day turned to evening the British attacked with renewed vigor. The battle was turning slowly, but turning nonetheless, toward the favor of the British who enjoyed a functioning command structure and superior forces. When darkness descended upon the battle the effects of Soviet air support diminished and the British pushed forward toward the local airfield. The Soviets planned to use the airfield for as a base of supplies and an airbase of their own in England itself. O'Connor continued with his attacks, but the Soviets used their knowledge in armored warfare to their advantage. A Soviet commander noted the British attacked exclusively with tanks in attacks not supported by infantry. This led to Soviet AT and AA guns ambushing the British tanks, causing unnecessary loss of British armor. The Soviets held out, inflicting heavy casualties upon the British, but recieving casualties themself. The British had the upperhand here; they could afford to suffer casualties - the Soviets could not.

After nearly a full day and night worth of fighting the paratroopers retreat to the east.

So as it neared midnight the commanders of the 9th and 10th Airborne Divisions decided to pull out. Despite having the upperhand they decided a prolonged battle was not in their favor. And afterall their mission was not to win battles of their own, but rather to spread confusion and weaken the British defenses for the naval invasion. The airfield was lost, and the Cornsh peninsula was opened up, however they managed to cause great hayem and destroyed the airplanes on ground. The Soviets fell back to the east and linked up with their comrades and prepared for the next British assaut.***

The British armored forces continue to push on!

The VII. Corps pushed on. This time around they had the upperhand. After hours of artillery barrages they assaulted the Soviet positions. The Soviets, meanwhile, preapred to push to the north to capture Bristol and the airfield east of it. The British was all but absent there, being pushed back by Soviet defenses or allocated to other areas as reinforcements. The 9th Airborne Division counterattacked the British VII. Corps, hoping to buy the defenders some time unti the divisions of Rokossovsky landed. The fighting was savage, and the Soviets was fighting a lost cause. All they could hope for was to hold on. To the east the British had been soundly beaten back by two Soviet airborne divisions on the offensive. They were now marching into Portsmouth to secure the vital linkup point and naval point for the Soviet invasion.****

Hold out just a little longer boys.

The casualties of the 9th Airborne Division was mounting up, they had to abort their delaying offensive. Despite fighting a losing battle, the British offensive was turning into a standstill. To the east the Soviet offensive on Portsmouth was called off mainly due to the arrival of 4 Americna Infantry Divisions. The pendulum could swing anyway. The British was winning and would soon beat back the Soviet airborne divisions, still Soviet Navy had cleared the English Channel and the mainforces was crossing the Channel after many delays (such as bad weather). The battle turned vicious as both sides knew this was a fight for survival. For the individual soldier who looked his opponent into the white of his eye, slashing him open with his shovel to the generals who knew that if the invaders wasn't pushed back to the seas then all of England might fall. The killing continued.

The British forces are advancing, but slowly and at a high cost.

Over the day Britain gained the upperhand. It was only a matter of time before the 4 Soviet Airborne Divisions fell. The Soviets positioned themselves in villaged and towns fighting a desperate battle for survival, having no hardware to speak of, supplies and communications. Sheer will drove them on and the British kept up the pressure. Was this the end of the Soviet invasion and Operation Uranus?

The Americans are getting trapped inside of Portsmouth.

Meanwhile to the east of Portsmouth and the heavy fighting to its west, the Soviets ha fended off an attack by General Jackie Smyth and his Armored Division. With massive air support the 2nd Airborne Division launched an attack into the woods north of Portsmouth. Were they to establish control of this area the 4 American Infantry Divisions would be encircled, left on their own for the impending assault of Rokossovsky. The 1st Airborne Division, meanwhile, broke the British defenses to its north and seized the airfield there. The RAF suffered a significant blow, the few remaining planes were evacuated to the north hindering their defensive capabilities.

Canadian troops assist their masters in rooting out Soviet paratroopers.

However despite the gains by the Soviets, their brave paratroopers was still in a very.. exposed situation. The combined forces of the British Empire with all its might attacked the entrenched paratroopers over and over again. Entire cities was leveled to the ground by the fire of howitzers, tanks and bombers. Soviet losses to the west of Portsmouth was mounting and it was believed they would surrender within the day. It was truly a living hell.

Gorbatov arrives with a major mechanized force.. The war have transformed itself from airborne invasion to armored offensives.

But then as the 25th turned to the 26th the 3rd Belarussian Front arrived. A major force arrived to the north-east of London and was now threatening to move to the west and envelope London to the north of the Thames. Hope had come for the Soviets, death had come for the English. Five days had passed since the first airborne troops arrived in England, with entire cities being turned to ashes and thousands of casualties on both sides and now a major mechanized force threatened all of England. The Battle of Britain had come to its second phase. It was now up to the Royal Navy to prevent an all out invasion of England..

The Royal Navy need all the help it can get now..

The sea is calm tonight,
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits:- on the French coast, the light
Gleams, and is gone: the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*So just an attempt to rationalize why Britain just didn't go on the offensive right away.

**Okay so the divisions in the attack is called stuff like "infantry type 2" etc with a pawn symbol. However they also have armored NATO symbols, so I decided there was both infantry and armored units on the attack.

***The battle was "green". But I decided to pull them back to the east, as I didn't want to risk them being overrun.

*****As you can Denmark is suddenly neutral. In later screenshots Canada is suddenly neutral too. So I guess this is a bug from reverting the version to the last? Anyway what happened was that I saved, did stuff and played again. Suddenly many of the Allies was no longer in the war, by the time I saw this I paued tagged ENG and called all her allies into the war. Then I saved, loaded again and played as the USSR and as of now it is fine.

So that was the first update! Sorry for the short update.. but working all night and day the entire week take its toll. As you can guess these updates will be a little different than the 1-3-6 month intervals. Here we focused on the first ays with airborne assaults, the next one will either focus on Netherlands or the land full scale land invasion of England!

 

[OtakuStrategy]

Excellent work from the VDV!

 

[ThaHoward]

Excellent work from the VDV!

Yup! Earned their elite status there!

But they got xp very fast. Normal for paras or a bug?

 

[stnylan]

The moat has fallen ...

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Local homeguard units are prepared to defend their homes.

Well I guess that's one way of telling us the entire cast of Dad's Army is dead.
Which is perhaps the most depressing thing that's happened in the war so far, and that's saying something.

As the first Soviet paratroopers descended upon Britain - the first invaders to set foot on British soil since 1066 -

...well, that depends on whether you believe Whig history or not. And who you consider foreign invaders. If we're talkin' 'not english' which seems to be the general idea, then England got invaded all the time. It just rarely worked and England always ended up back on top. The Normans ended up becoming English, the later Plantagenet and Tudors invaded (arguably, especially in the latter's case) and won multiple times but England ended up being their most important dominion. Then we get to the war of the three kingdoms where Irish and Scottish armies were fighting and helping English ones, and the Glorious Revolution was basically the same thing, only with added Dutch. Then there's the Jacobite rebellions, the Napoleonic invasion (it was small, rubbish and over quickly but still an invading force successfully landing) and so on.

Still if the Soviets want to re-write history, the British did it first I guess.

 

[ThaHoward]

Well I guess that's one way of telling us the entire cast of Dad's Army is dead.
Which is perhaps the most depressing thing that's happened in the war so far, and that's saying something.



...well, that depends on whether you believe Whig history or not. And who you consider foreign invaders. If we're talkin' 'not english' which seems to be the general idea, then England got invaded all the time. It just rarely worked and England always ended up back on top. The Normans ended up becoming English, the later Plantagenet and Tudors invaded (arguably, especially in the latter's case) and won multiple times but England ended up being their most important dominion. Then we get to the war of the three kingdoms where Irish and Scottish armies were fighting and helping English ones, and the Glorious Revolution was basically the same thing, only with added Dutch. Then there's the Jacobite rebellions, the Napoleonic invasion (it was small, rubbish and over quickly but still an invading force successfully landing) and so on.

Still if the Soviets want to re-write history, the British did it first I guess.

It's the age of alternative-facts and dramatization It just sound more epic with it being the first invasion since the Norman invasion of 1066, the other invasions are glossed over

And a great tragedy indeed. I doubt it can be topped in the coming war

The moat has fallen ...

Now it renain to be seen if it can be held..

 

[ThaHoward]

Chapter 42: Seven Days to the River Thames.

Spoiler: Music.

Rokossovsky will make short work of the decadent English.

The 2nd Belorussian Front made its landfall along the southern English coast, Operation Titania commenced. The VDV held off the vicious British counterattacks, clinging themself to the English landmass with their fingernails. Then before O'Connor could deal out the killing blow the 2nd Belorussian Front arrived in full force to the British beaches. The British counterattack was quickly repelled. A Soviet paratrooper detailed the battle: "We were held up along the treelines overlooking the surrounding area and the road leading into our area. We were geared with anti-tank weapons, 100mm AA guns and most importantly panzerfausts converted into RPG-1s. But we were barely holding out. For days we had been digging foxholes under continous fire, and the British kept on coming. Like cattle going in for a slaughter they just poured their armor into our firezone. We gave out substained fire, but for every attack we were running low on ammunition and taking losses. We were at the breaking point, my platoon was reduced by 2/3rds of its size and all of reserves were spent. Our sister company pushed out of the treeline to dominate the ridgeline further ahead, under heavy fire they managed to break out, but as they came to the ridge they were under mortar fire and perished. Every single one of them. The road was filled with wrecked tanks and trucks and we made the last munitions count, the smoke obscured our view but we could hear and feel the advance of the next tank assaults. We remained calm, I readied the only RPG-1 I had left and aimed ready to fire. I couldn't fire just yet or I would miss, we all needed nerves of steel. Then explosions came in. But not from us. Rockets flew in right above us and hit the area ahead of us. Several Il-2s flew overhead of us and fired several other rockets further ahead before they broke off, then another wave came swooping in firing their cannons. Then Pe-2s and Tu-2s flew in way above us dropping their loads upon the British positions. The British were gripped with fear, and for the first time in days we could breathe out as we were not under fire or a direct threat. But there's no rest for the wicked. The sound of the Katyushas rang, for us it was sound of delight, for our enemies a true nightmare. Soon T-44s and Trotsky tanks of our own rushed to the scene with mechanized infantry. We were evacuated to the rear while the mechanized force pressed on. It was a complete rout by the British, and our eyes were now looking forward to the Thames".

Béarn the scourge of the English Channel.

Operation Uranus was a huge gamble. The Royal Navy and the US Navy was the most formidable navies of the time, despite heavy losses during the Battle of Japan. The British alone had 10 aircraft carriers, 10 battleships and 11 battlecruisers as hostilities opened with the US adding a further 15 (!) CVs, 12 BBs and 12 BCs. But their fleets was spread out around the globe and the Baltic Fleet rushed out to the English Channel to create a blocking movement inside the channel. Moreover the Pact achieved air supremacy over the seas with heavy bombing of British ports. This made it difficult for the British fleet to move into position to sink the invading Soviet army. But it was a huge gamble on the Soviet side nevertheless. It all relied upon a successfull challenge of the NATO fleet. To do so the Soviet superheavy battleships were set up in blocking positions (their cannons having superior caliber and range than any other ship) while the cruisers and other battleships pursued opposing squadrons. But it was the French who had the ace up in their sleeves. The Béarn was the only surviving French carrier, but it was decisive factor. Along with the heavy Soviet battleship concentration in the channel, Pact air supremacy and raiding submarines the British was unable to muster their Home Fleet from Scapa Flow (who was under bombing raids) and make a dash for the British channel. The channel itself only contained few British cruisers and destroyers, and before they could even reach the heavy Soviet battleships they were cut off by Soviet and French aircrafts. It is said Brittania rules the waves, but during Uranus they couldn't even enter the English Channel.

Deep into battle we go.

With both the 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts entering their destinations, only the 1st Front was missing. Gorbatov having been given almost an entire day to organize his men and troops gave the orders for his offensive. His orders was to break out of the beach-head in several directions. His armored and mechanized forces would spearhead to the southwest to capture the airfield and to the northwest to the airfield and radar station there. Meanwhile the bulk of the infantry forces would advance to the northeast to capture the vital port held by seven Canadian formations, and westward into the forests outside of Norwich. It was believed the armored forces wouldn't fare well in these dense forests. Instead they would go for the airfields, and then make a dive toward London.* But their orders was not to enter the city itself. It was believed a fight in the British capital would be a bloodbath on a scale never witnessed before. Instead they were to surround the city from the north and to prevent NATO reinforcements. In a similar move the 1st Belorussian Front was to surround London from the west. This was supposed to create a salient, or as the Soviet planners named it a "sickle" around London from the west, to the north and the east. From the south Rokossovsky would strike as the "hammer" to crush London. The "Hammer and the Sickle" doctrine was a vital part of the "Plan: Seven Days to the River Thames" doctrine. Anyway, Gorbatov gave the go ahead order for its assault and he saw rapid successes reaching deep into British lines. The British was caught off guard with one officer remarking "we were told the Soviets were vodka reeking barbarians. In reality they were ultra modern and employed sophisticated tactics. We stood no chance to the Soviet onslaught".

The Americans are getting wrecked.

On the 27th Rokossovsky got a chance to add further medals to his collection. Portsmouth was a vital point both as it threatened the Soviet flanks, but also as it housed several destroyer squadrons and were a potential base of operations for NATO forces. A whole four American divisions and one Greek brigade dug in and prepared to face the attack. But they soon came under fire from six rifle divisions, one heavy tank brigade and one mechanized corps. This force overwhelmed the Americans who were under heavy artillery and rocket fire. The Americans and Greeks soon realized that the open terrain outside of Portsmouth stood no chance against the Soviet bombers and heavy tanks, they were simply too exposed. Instead they retreated into Portsmouth instead transforming the port-city into a fortress where every block functioned as a bunker and every junction as a killzone. This was what the Soviets dreaded, a potential street to street fight. Rokossovsky looking to minimize his casualties offered the Americans a capitulation to spare the lives of their soldiers and the civilians alike. The Americans refused, being given orders to hold out as long as possible to delay the Soviet invasion until the full might of the New World could come to the rescue of the Old. Rokossovsky answered in the most brutal fashion possible. Thousands of Trotsky Orgels, mortars, howtizers and even the Red Fleet posed their guns on Portsmouth and bombarded it until there was nothing left but ruins. It was pure hell for the entrapped American forces, but they held out nevertheless. After the savage bombing Trotsky tanks dug in along a ridge overlooking Portsmouth and fired upon anything that moved in the streets of Portsmouth. Meanwhile the Mechanized Corps rushed its men forward to the city center.. Under heavy fire the BTR-M1943s pushed ahead dodging small arms and AT fire alike, led on by T34s and T44s. The tanks and APCs that broke down were left behind, the goal of the armored an mechanized forces was to rush in and establish control over vital areas in the city. Meanwhile the Rifle Divisions closed in ready to clear out the city, street by street, block by block, house by house, room by room..

We're heading out for a beach-vacation.

To the north, hours before, the offensive of Gorbatov was a huge success. In violation of direct orders he spied a chance to take and hold London itself. London was not to be contained, instead he ordered one light tank brigade, one mechanized corps and one rifle division to launch an attack directly into London. Mongomery was given the ungrateful task of holding London with five divisions by the frontline and one in reserves. Gorbatov gambled, he risked being repelled in the streets of London and by not surrounding London he risked the city being reinforced and an attack in the flank. But the entire Operation Uranus and following Seven Days to the River Thames was operations reeking of gambles. But the Soviets had the upperhand with their superior tanks and air support. The British held a line in eastern London, but it came under attack from waves Soviet close air support bombers. But as if the death from above was not enough, Soviet artillery forked themself slowly but steadily toward the British positions. As a means to correct their shots into their positions, but also to prevent an escape, obscure their view, but mostly as psychological warfare. A Welsh soldier who was a miner until the war described the hell that unfolded itself: "In the distance we could see the bastards amassing. But moving in fast towards us came fighter bombers and fired upon us. It all went dark and I panicked. When I was pulled up again I saw body parts everywhere, as I was forced back to my position by the seargeant. I readied by rifle, but the entire ground just opened up as artillery blew up the entire area. The very ground shook and I was afraid the building I was in would collapse. I crouched together screaming, and above me I saw bombers dropping their loads indiscriminate over the lines and behind us alike, meanwhile divebombers came from the skies dropping bombs all over our positions. The artillery attack stopped, and I saw the damn Russians coming in closer. They fired their cannons again, but this time around it was behind us - at the same distance. They continued like this. Airattacks and artillery attack alternating between hitting in front and in the back of us. It was like that all over the line, where could we possibly go? If we pushed ahead we would get right into the Soviet machine guns, tanks and howitzers. If we retreated we would be taken out by the howitzers and air attacks all the same, we were for all intents and purposes powerless. Left on our own. And between every attack they closed in. Then the artillery stilled, with the majority of my brothers in arms being dead or left to fates worse than death. I saw Russians taking to the corners of the streets, so I fired upon them with my rifle. But after my first shot I was under heavy machinegun fire. Dust was everywhere and the MG went straight through the bricks reducing them to rubble. Several of my mates was ripped apart by the machine guns, but I just laid there crawled up full of fear wishing for it all to end. I then heard lots of shouting downstairs and explosions from grenades. I prepared for the worst and soon the door was kicked in with dozens of Russians swarming in with their guns at ready shouting at us. James tried to fight back, but he was filled with submachine gun rounds. I took my arms up, ready to surrender. As they took me up, I realized I had lost my left leg. The war was over for my part".

Witches of the 20th century have replaced their broomsticks with fighters.

46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment (formerly 588th Night Bomber Regiment) was one of the three Soviet aircraft regiments where women were allowed service and saw tremendous success during WW2 given it fame at home and stroke fear in the hearts of the Germans, giving them the nickname of "the Night Witches". Throughout the course of the second world war the regiment accumulated approximately 23,672 sorties in combat, accumulated 28,676 flight hours, dropped over 3,000 tons of bombs and over 26,000 incendiary shells. The Third World War and especially the Battle of Britain saw extensive usage of the Night Witches. With great daring they scored multiple victories against NATO, but it was especially popuar among Pact propaganda to picture the NATO forces as weak compared to Soviet and socialist women. Along with the many other bomber regiments the Night Witches bombarded England and the troops stationed there. A Canadian soldier wrote about one time he came under a bomb raid: "At once we heard the sound of airplanes behind us. Just after that we got visual on them - Russian planes with a steady course right toward us. Like playful raptors they first went up toward the sun and circled around us, until they dived down again and aimed toward us, one plane after the other. There wasn't a single ditch, not even one hole, nothing to hide in but the soft grass. The bullets came densley upon us, but didn't hit us. Then they started all over again, circling above us like predators. Stupid bastards, I hated them. The engines roared, the bullets whined and hit the dirt around us. When they finally broke away I heard all out of sudden immense screams of pure agony. The attack didn't last for more than a few seconds.

One was dead, his head was just one gaping wound, with another seriously injured. One part of his torso was ripped open, and the grass beside him was colored red. We looked on eachother in silent agreement, there was no choice. I went toward him and held around his head with one hand while I spoke soothingly to him, trying to calm him down just a little. In my other hand I had my personal pistol. One muffled shot and everything around us became silent - and peaceful. No more pain. We covered both of the corpses with earth. Then we walked away".

Is this all the Royal Navy got to offer?

But let us back up a little, away from the war on the land to the seas. During the crossing of the Channel the only notable action was 1:00 on the 25th of August. The Soviet submarines had harried and sunk several of the NATO merchant fleets, scoring major victories. As with the German submarine campaign this put the British at the risk of being economically strangled - and prevented seaborne reinforcements. A British detachment of four heavy cruisers and a destroyer was sent out to deal with the Soviet submarines. Being clear of the Soviet airplanes patrolling the skies they hurried forward hoping to sink some of the submarines. But as the aging Saladin destroyer approached the now submerged subs, four Il-4s dropped down from the skies severly damaging HMS Saladin. The cruisers turned around to prevent the Sturmoviks from damaging the capital ships. HMS Saladin followed suit, but was crippled as a torpedo from a Soviet sub hit the destroyer, making it immobilized. A final submarine then aimed with its cannon right toward Saladin's exposed ammunition's belt. The destroyer blew up in the middle. None of the crew survived. The Soviet air and submarine arms was too much for the Royal Navy.

Ditto for the US Navy.

Meanwhile on the other side of the globe some US submarines was sent out to conduct reconnaissance on the Soviet far east. Instead they were caught by the Far East Fleet that was slowly rebuilding after its near total destruction on the hands of the Japanese. After hours of intensive duels two Soviet destroyers caught up with the obsolete submarines. With great effeciency the Soviets took them out. First they fired a mortar that launched 24 rounds that would explode under the seas. With the subs in shock and disabled they moved in with magnetic depth charges. Both of the subs now sunk down to the bottom of the earth, with a horrible faith awaiting the crew.

The Cliffs of Dover won't stand afterall..

Back to England. On the 27th Rokossovsky moved in to take out Dover. As with Portsmouth it was a vital link up point, and was needed to be taken out both to prevent a flank attack and American reinforcements. The British and Canadian defenders came under extreme pressure, and while they were bravely fighting they had to conduct elastic defenses, slowly being pushed back to the port itself. The defenders of Dover needed a miracle to survive..

A disabled Cromwell.

The Battle of Britain highlighted the shortcomings of the NATO tanks and doctrines compared to their Soviet adversaries. The British focus on infantry support tanks and exclusive cruiser tank attacks was simply outdated. Several British officers had implored for change, but the high command didn't listen. Now they learned it the hard way. A British armored-reconnaissance commander wrote in his memoirs and detailed the shortcomings of their tanks "When we silently moved out of the woods we were all of sudden met with massive fire from both anti-tank weapons and machine guns. Even if we operated deep behind the lines of Marshal Gorbatov, he had managed to secure his open flank. It turned out into a fierce tank-duel. We were then aware of that the Russians had the dreaded Trotsky tanks, who were superior to ours. Furthermore they were dug down halfway down the ground and difficult to hit. I retreated and requested that we could pass ahead as every hour we were stuck here the bloody Russians got more reinforcements and supplies. But I got a "no", we were to wait for reinforcements to break out. At the same time a Cromwell tank rolled towards me in the dark. From the tower an officer jumped down. It was an old friend of mine! We catched up, but I had to explain to him the reality of the situation. We agreed on a plan to break out, but first he wanted to move forward with his tanks to scout the area ahead. I told him "for the love of God! Don't do it! Stay put, or sneak ahead on foot. They have dug down their Trotsky tanks, their guns are just above the surface, they are lethal". But he turned the deaf ear to me. He climbed back into his turred and drove ahead. Moments later I heard furious shots and explosions. Several of the Cromwells didn't make it back, but the tank of my friend made it back. It rolled backwards seeking cover. But my old friends was hanging over its gun, dead. My good old friend Jonathan was no more".

Ferocious fighting in what was once London.

The Battle of London continued. The plan to lay siege to the British capital was twarthed. Instead Stavka agreed with Rokossovsky's request to attack London south of the Thames, while Gorbatov moved in from the east and north. A pattern emerged in the Soviet style of attacks: A 69 minute brutal artillery barrage, with hundreds of guns, was launched softening the defenders up. While the defenders was still recollecting from the shock Soviet tank thrusts hammered into the defending lines and launched operation deep inside the suburbs of London and soon reached the Thames. As armor and mechanized infantry plunged into London, spreading chaos, the infantry soon followed. But it was the infantry who recieved the brunt of the fighting. In the close quarters of London there was little use for tanks and even machine guns. The infantrists got the deadly task of clearing out the streets in a three dimentional fight. It was the grenades, flamethrowers and even shovels who were the king in these savage fights. The city of London was reduced to rubble in the heavy barrages and the British retreated to the north of Thames. They tried to bring down their iconic bridges in a desperate attempt to stall the Soviet advance, but the Soviet armor was simply too quick and the Thames was soon crossed. Legends has it Rokossovsky himself spearheaded the attack in his command T-44. What was true however was that half of London had fallen and coming under attack from the east, north and south.

London has fallen!

Then on the 28th of August. Mere six days after the opening of hostilities, five days after the airborne troops landed in England, three days after the Front under Gorbatov landed and just two days after the first attack on London, the capital had fallen. Only a few pockets of resistance was left but the Soviets was quick to parade in Trafalgar square and announced "Piccadilly is taken". Moreover the Soviets set up a provisional British government in London, who was quick to "extert justice". However the quick conquest of London came with a minor annoyance for Stavka. Their Hammer and Sickle plan was not employed, instead an aggressive, yet hasty, attack on London left most its northern and north-western front open. It was through this opening seven British divisions, the British government and royal family escaped to the north. Trotsky celebrated by having 144 cannons fire 12 salutes with fireworks over the Red Square.

A Belorussian private described the lasts moments of the Battle of London "London, a destroyed city. Words cannot describe the sight that greets us. Not a single house remain intact, no roofs, no floors. Only naked walls with empty windows. Right through the open holes we can see enormous piles of bricks. We hear rumors of the British remain in two smaller pockets, but where are they? Armed to the teeth with grenades and knives we prepare for close quarter combat. Our backpacks are full of rounds. We advance toward the city center. For the first time during this war our rifles are of no use. The last pockets of resistance are now so small that it would be dangerous to throw grenades. We have orders to not shoot further than the next house or the next street, so that we don't fire upon our comrades. There is no longer any coherent frontline, it is like we're mixed like the pieces of a chess game. The next day I am awoken by a cheer of joy. Our guys just stare over the street. What is going on? I climb up on the back of someone else to get a looksie. I just stare at the empty windows on the shell of a building, and I still can't fathom what's going on. White towels just hang from the windows. It is silent. Not a sound. "Capitulation!" I don't remember who said these words, but it is formuated silently and in awe, as if the guy who said those words are afraid to jinx it. Then they come out, everyone of them very slowly and careful. They reach their arms to the skies. Our people gather on the streets, our rifles raised up just in case. The British then throw down their arms and calmly line up. We've won".

Five days to the River Thames..

Nevertheless this was a major Soviet victory. "Seven Days to the River Thames" was projected as the most optimistic plans for the invasion of England. Instead they reached the river in five days. The defenders of England was resoundly beaten back, with the last troops in Portsmouth and Dover surrendering soon after the news of London's capitulation. The 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts was now preparing to break out north of the Thames and to reach northern England on the ninth day. Meanwhile the 1st Belorussian Front was swooping in ready to pacify the sizeable NATO force in Cornwall. The Soviet prospects of a quick victory before the Americans arrived seemed very likely.. But the Soviets was somewhat anxious. Seven Days to the River Thames envisioned a major American nuclear attack on France to prevent a Pact invasion of England, and destroy any possibility of supplying the British and Dutch fronts from France. Stavka was arguing whether or not the Americans had atomic bombs at all, or if they would attack somewhere else. The Soviet people would soon learn the answer the hard way...

Both sides suffered high casualties in the intense first days of the campaign.

The Seven Days to the River Thames and Operation Uranus were huge successes. Despite seven British divisions retreating from London to fight another day the Soviets managed to secure southern England. Still the fighting was hard and vicious with the Soviets losing around 82.000 troops - but NATO many more, with over 100.000 in Dover alone. NATO had suffered a major defeat, but they would soon retaliate...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*For a refference for the axis of advance: https://i.imgur.com/YJF1f57.jpg

 

[stnylan]

I would say at this point Britain has effectively fallen far the shouting.

Of course the shouting might get to be very loud.

 

[ThaHoward]

I would say at this point Britain has effectively fallen far the shouting.

Of course the shouting might get to be very loud.

They might shout loudly, or the Americans intervene. That's my greatest fear an American intervention or even invasion of the USSR - one of the reasons why we need to take out Denmark ASAP.

 

[OtakuStrategy]

Kick down the south and the north follows...Britain is as good as screwed.

 

[Nikolai]

Agreed. And if Britain falls, America has few places to stage her troops.

 

[ThaHoward]

Kick down the south and the north follows...Britain is as good as screwed.

Agreed. And if Britain falls, America has few places to stage her troops.

Good points. However, it's worth noting that the Liverpool-Manchester line is very narrow and urban. That can slow down the advance or even bog it down. Then of course they can always stage their troops in Ireland and outflank the Soviets!

 

[ThaHoward]

Chapter 43: Orange Revolution.

Spoiler: Music.

Forward comrades!

On the skies over the observation-post of Lieutenant Fillip Ponomarev the moonlight was about to replace the daylight 20:14 on the 22nd of August 1945. The smell of grass and flowers filled the air by the Dutch-Belgian border in the very heart of what was once the bastion of liberty in Europe. The peace only existed on the surface, Ponomarev spent his last evening hours to inspect his people, and now every single one of them was ready to load their cannons - and fire. But they were far from the only ones who were at the ready.. Along the entire line surrounding Belgium from the English Channel in the south to the North Sea in the north, hundreds of thousands of battle ready Soviet soldiers, and hundreds of thousand more worth of Pact troops, sat battle-ready and tense on their posts. They went over their weapons one last time, looked at the clock and sent their thoughts back to their families as the last bird chirps faded away into the evening. One minute later, with all their senses in high alert, all the tension was set off. While the Red Airforce set their course toward targets behind the Anglo-Dutch lines, the artillery was ordered to open fire. Along the entire front thousands of Soviet and Pact cannons, mortars and rocket launchers initiated an ear-deafening bombardment. Black and yellow smoke filled the air, and the unrecognizable scent of gunpowder reached the nostrils of the Soviet officer. In 15 merciless minutes the cannons thundered. Then Ponomarev heard the popping sound of a flare, and within a second the light from the flare illuminated the evening countryside in red. Ponomarev's men stopped their hectic work by their cannons. Now the infantry would lead the storming toward the Dutch foreward posts. The feared Soviet tanks and mechanized infantry would soon follow in behind - as the tip of the spear during Operation Mars, Trotsky's assault on the Netherlands.

The might of the Soviet Union!

By 0200, 23rd of Agust the frontlines in the Netherlands had formed. The bulk of the British armored forces was stationed in the Low Countries, perhaps as they believed Soviets weren't able to cross the Channel, and that the flat terrain of the Netherlands were ideal for armored assaults to liberate Belgium and occupy large parts of Germany. As it were now the attack was a major success during most of the front - other than fierce Dutch resistance east of Eindhoven. But once these flat terrains was bypassed and dealt with, Stavka* was concerned of crossing the Waal river, the Rhine and the many other rivers, dikes and urban areas of the Netherlands. As a planner explained it "we're concerned to hit a wall".

At least the last line are no longer used to shoot retreating soldiers.

While the powerful men toasted with champagne and vodka in Moscow, the sweet life was over for private Dimitri Romanov. The 28 year old soldier had to leave the comfortable garrison life near Aachen with beautiful architecture (at least what survived the war and had been rebuilt). His unit was ordered to the Rhine to scout ahead the Dutch border defense. On the other side of the river he saw the Dutch tricolor wave over the treeline. The bunkers and machinegun nests was less than a hundred meters (!) ahead. If an eager guardpost uncovered the patrol, he could raze down Dimitri and his comrades with one single salvo. "Are we perhaps only the scapegoats", he noted in his diary "who are to be slaughtered by the Dutch as a pretex for the coming attack?". Dimitris patrol crawled around in the bushes and thickets along the riverbank to map out the Anglo-Dutch positions. From the otherside of the water he heard the sound of armored vehicles clearly. "The English must be getting into position", Dimitri concluded. Dimitri was anxious about what kind of welcome that waited them on the other side, but he never doubted the Red Army would prevail when the weapons of war first roared, because the forests behind him was silently being filled with Soviet and Pact armor, artillery and a large contigent of soldiers. Rumors on the date of attack circulated among the soldiers. 21st og August Dimitri noted in his diary: "Hurrah! The greatest battle in history will start in two days!" He felt as confident as Trotsky in Kremlin. The attack came the next day. During the late evening the cannons tore the sky apart, while Dimitri and his comrades crouched together in the concealed foxholes. The infantry was to cross the river and facilitate for the mechanized forces thrust into Dutch territory.

A bridge.. within our grasp.

03:15, August the 28th, the fifth night of the Battle of the Netherlands. Several rivers to the south had been taken, only the major Waal remained. Further to the west the Rotterdam port, one of the busiests ports in all of the world, was taken after heavy fighting. Soviet troops was now advancing toward the Hague, with being the seat of the cabinet of the Netherlands, the States General, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State can be argued to be the de-facto capital of the country would deal a crippling blow to the Dutch war effort. Meanwhile a conquest of the Hague and a drive along the northern coast would help box in Amsterdam who was now under the threat following the northern and eastern swoop into the Netherlands, threatening to cut all of Holland (the provinces) and the capital away from the rest of the nation. The area east of Amsterdam is at the risk of being taken when muzzles, cannons and Trotsky Orgels light up the sky. One second later the silence is torn apart by an ear defeaning noise. Dutch, British and Columbian troops hurdle together in the trenches while Soviet artillery inexorably hammer down the next 57 minutes. Every grenade sends piles of dirt and deadly metal splints through the air. The barrage are so intense that a Soviet artillery officer remarks that the enemy can only escape the carnage "with death or eternal mental illness". Then as the cannon fire dies away, it is relieved by a bad omen; the roars of the diesel engines. The very earth quakes as hundreds of several tons worth of T-34s, KV-1s, T-60s, T-44s and Trotsky-Tanks move ahead to the battered Dutch lines. Following close behind are thousands upon thousands of Soviet soldiers - with fixed bayonets on their automatic weapons. With load "oorrah" shouts and the sound of the International the living wall motion toward the Dutch. Operation Ring is about to begin - the total encirclement and defeat of NATO troops in and around Amsterdam.

Dutch troops making hasty retreats.

For days now Sergeant Daan Koopman have led his platoon in an organized retreat. During their trek toward Amsterdam they have several times dug in provisional defenses, but each time the Soviet forces have broken through the defenses in close proximity. To avoid encirclement Koopman have time and time again ordered his men backwards. To Amsterdam. But here, 12 kilometers outside of Amsterdam he have been ordered to halt his retreat by a railway station. His order is clear: Defend your position to the last man. The young sergeant have for a long time ago reconciled with death as Soviet stormtroopers attack the railwaystation. In the first wave he is shot in his stomach who tear it up. Acid pour out and Koopman's vital organs are slowly etched away. Severly wounded the young man is driven back to Amsterdam, hours later he arrive by a still functioning field hospital. But by that time he'd suffered a long and painful death.

The Soviet soldiers want to pay the Red Lights a visit..

19:00, 28th of August 1945. The battles east of Amsterdam have raged on for a full day, and after hours of valiant defenses the Dutch forces retreated on all fronts - meanwhile the British armored forces in the region had been utterly decimated. Russo-Franco troops was pouring in from the east ready to encircle Amsterdam and prepare for Operation Ring. To the north Dutch and Canadian forces have been pushed out of Friesland and into northern Holland. The Soviet forces are allowed to rest for the night before they cross the treacherous Wadden Sea. Back to the south. The attack on Amsterdam had started in earnest after hours of minor clashes in the southern suburbs. Early in the morning of the 28th thousands of Soviet cannons opened up to soften up the Dutch defensive lines to pave the way for the assault. Coherently with the barrage sounded the revving engines of hundreds of tanks readying for battle. The barrage led to losses on the Dutch side, but from the artillery on their side one salvo after the other were fired and so the Soviets suffered casualties aswell. Along the defenses lines outside of Amsterdam the Dutch laid out thousands of landmines who would delay the Soviet and French advances all around Amsterdam. By doing this the Dutch could fire with anti-tank weapons, mortars and field-cannons while the Soviet armor and APCs slugged their way forward, or stopped entirely in front of the minefields. The Battle of Amsterdam had started.

Flat terrain of the Netherlands is perfect for our tanks!

Days earlier had seen one of the biggest tank battles in history. The British armored forces who were deployed was to defend against the massive Soviet mechanized offensives or even counterattack. However after the landfall in England there was much confusion among the British armored expedition. Commanders were at loss over conflicting orders some telling them to evacuate to the home islands while other told them to stand their ground and fight. The Soviets were quick to capitalize upon this confusion. The tank duels were ferocious and the three Field Marshals leading their Fronts poured their tanks into battle to deal with the British armor. One of the greatest tank concentrations were in Brabant just west of Eindhoven. The British sought to reinforce Eindhoven and the bridges leading into Germany and the Dutch heartland. The Soviets meanwhile attacked in their flank to prevent such reinforcements of the vital bridgeheads. The battle was vicious. Eyewitnesses told of burning, smoking and charred bodies hanging out of the hatches, and soldiers told of the horrific moment when a grenade got the insides of the armor to glow like a hot boilerplate. Sometimes the the grenades blew up the armor and sent splinters inside the wagon, other times the grenade exploded without breaching the hull and the red-glowing spot on the inside of the tank lasted until the plating got a chance to cool down. The battle raged on for days, but in the end the Soviet numerical and air superiority were too much for the British armored forces already in disarray over the invasion in their homeland. British soldiers spoke of hundreds of T-34 tanks who kept on rolling toward their AT and tank positions from all sides until the British were exhausted, out of ammuniation or encircled. With the British Armoured Expedition blown to pieces or in retreat over the English Channel the only force able to properly challenge the Soviet invasion was gone.

The noose is closing in.

During the evening of the 29th NATO troops were demoralized after hearing of the fall of London the day before and the Soviets kep on pushing. Only a minor strip north and west of Amsterdam remained open, howeer Soviet forces were quickly moving in to push the Dutch and Canadians from the coast and complete the first phase of Operation Ring; to isolate Amsteram. Meanwhile the Soviet commanders realized a head-on attack on Amsterdam was simply too costly, and the success of London couldn't be repeated due to stalwart Dutch defenses. Instead the Soviet attacks were haltet, the French and Belgians, however, pressed on the attack despite the unfavorable odds. The Dutch defenses of Amsterdam included 8 infantry brigades in direct combat, with five more in reserves. A further 18 more, and a Colombian division, was retreating from the battles to the east and south, however these troops were battered and were in dire need of replacements and supplies. Replacements and supplies that would be difficult, at best, to get through if Amsterdam was surrounded.

Just fall already!

Early morning of the 31st. Amsterdam was fully surrounded. With the Pact assault into the city failing, being beaten back the Dutch saw an oppurtunity to launch a counterattack to the west and take out a weakened French armored division. However the Dutch and Canadian troops misjudged the situation and the assault were thwarted. The situation was at a deadlock with neither side managing to push forward. But the Pact forces had one advantage. They could simply sit it all out, lay siege and make the Dutch succumb to starvation. The fighting continued, however, with smaller Soviet forces probing the suburbs and outskirts of Amsterdam hoping to bypass the formidable Dutch fortifications and open up the way for armored and mechanized waves into the city center. Meanwhile Timoshenko sent the impressive force inside of Amsterdam an ultimatum. With the help of speakers mounted on trucks and thousands of flyers dropped all over the city Timoshenko demanded immediate capitulation and promised fair treatment of all prisoners of war. The alternative, he said, is "the total annihilation of every NATO troops down to the very last man".

Soviet soldiers taking the brief time without combat to eat.

But as the French beat back, a minor opening openened up during the Dutch retreat and minor fights from Soviet recon elements in the suburbs, a Soviet mechanized corps take advantage of the situation and push into the city center in a lightning strike during the day of 31st. They strike hard and manage to get into the city center, however they are soon stopped by fierce Dutch and Canadian resistance. With the bulge into the city center the Canadians manage to cut off the Soviet mechanized corps (but only barely) and the two opposing sides alternate between being on the offense. The central station are the price of the attack, but durin the first day of the attack the station change colors a whole five times. During the night to the 1st the Soviets try to engage the administrative center of Amsterdam, however it is well fortified in thick concrete and the Soviets are recieving heavy casualties as they intend to take the block. The fighting continue on to the morning, but the Soviets are forced to retreat as a joint Canadian-Dutch force take upon the Soviet stronghold overlooking the city. For hours the battle take on and the city center is turned into a major meatgrinder. It was said that progress was no longer counted by meters, but by corpses. After savage close quarter attacks throughout the day, the Soviets are pushed away from the canals as the casualties mount up. The next day on the 2nd they renew their attack after hours of artillery bombardment. The Katyusha rockets are parked in cover behind the only remaining Soviet-controlled canal, but back out and expose themself only to unload their rockets of horror, drive forward to cover, reload and repeat the cycle. The Dutch and Canadian forces are kept awake during the night with these assaults and other propaganda measures, while the Soviets manage to get a few hours of sleep. The Battle of Amsterdam was different from the rest of the Battle of the Netherlands. Here fast paced deep operations weren't anylonger an advantage - as the deep strike into Amsterdam proved. Instead they had to fight for every house, and the ruins of the city concealed the NATO forces and snipers, adding further casualties. The ordinary footsoldier despised the close quarter battles as death loomed constantly and there was no room for rest and peace. A typical example is a multistored complex where the Soviets could control the top and bottom floor, while NATO forces were inbetween and perhaps even occupying rooms on Soviet controlled floors. This blurred the frontlines and it was difficult to see the differences between friend and foe - as everyone was covered in the same dust. Anyway, on the 2nd they renewed their attack and crossed several canals. But closing in the Dutch and Canadians clinged on to their bridge-heads refusing to give ground. During the late hours of the 2nd Soviet forces was pulled out, after managing to break the Canadian encirclement. But as they came back, they heard the news of the American operation on their homeland. The Soviets now had a whole new cause to fight for; revenge and survival.

The ruins of Amsterdam.

As if the siege was not a strain enough on the soldiers and locals of Amsterdam the events of the 2nd of September added to their misery. As the Soviet political leadership believed in a worker's revolution across Europe they had, to their best effort, spared the cities and populated centers from targeted bombing. However after the events of the 2nd of September had sunk in, Trotsky struck back. All cards were on the table and during the night that led to the 3rd, Pe-3 night bombers flew in over Amsterdam and dropped flares all over the city. Minutes after hundreds of light, medium and heavy bombers flew over the city and area bombed their respective flares. The bombs that were used were high explosive bombs, shrapnel bombs, firebombs and unconventional bombs. It was done both to succumb the defenders, but also as a revenge by the Soviet people. The entire city was reduced to ruins after hours of bombing. The following days the Soviets would continue on their bombing attack, however this time targeted against industrial centers and military lines.**

Amsterdam is as usual filled with smoke..

11:32, 3rd of September the Pact incursions into Amsterdam was beaten back. Dutch, Canadian and Colombian forces, believing in a NATO/American invasion of the Low Countries, made a final attempt to break out. However the Pact forces was to well dug in and in a much better situation supply wise. It became clear to the NATO soldiers that remained that the city was a death trap. Every attempt of a breakout was met with a hail of bullets and grenades. A Dutch soldier wrote later on about his experiences during the break out: "the slope was covered with corpses. Some places I had to move two or three bodies, under fire, just so I could get to lay down, get to cover and return fire. They were all rotten and the stench was unbearable, but I simply had to get down and not let it affect me".

At last things are going our way!

On the 5th the attack on Amsterdam was renewed. This time around the assault was started with an air attack 08:30 and not the usual artillery attack. This led the defending forces to believe it was nothing but another bombing run. After the air attack Soviet forces, however, started a massive artillery attack to the north where the Soviets had attacked the days before. This led the defenders to divert their forces to that direction under false pretensions. To the south-east where the actual attack was to come from the Soviet bombers and fighter-bombers cleared the way for the armored assaut. Several heavy Trotsky tanks was put in to pound the defending lines, meanwhile the Soviets were amassing in the north where the Dutch believed the attack was to come from. After the tanks in the south-east breached through, a whopping 9 Rifle Divisions was rushed into battle by trucks and jeeps and started their assault, in reserves they had 9 further divisions, among them several armored brigades who established the breachead. This time around the Soviets made progress and killed or took prisoners of thousands of NATO troops.

Yet another country fall to the communist surge..

The battle for Amsterdam continued for two grueling days. It turned out to be one of the bloodiest battles in the early days of the war, with over 8.000 Soviet casualties in the last push into Amsterdam and 5.000 more on the failed attack before. The NATO forces inside of Amsterdam finally capitulated on the 8th realizing they couldn't beat back the Soviet forces. Operation Mars, the invasion of the Netherlands, ended after 17 days of intense fights. Despite high Soviet casualties only 6.470 was irreplaceable. The Dutch on the other hand lost 387.000 men. The worst battle was the Battle of Amsterdam that claimed almost 400.000 casualties both sides combined and lasted from the 28th of August, and from the 31st being encircled. One NATO stronghold in continental Europe fell, only two remained; Denmark and Greece.

High casualties on one side.. minor ones on another side.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Stavka=Soviet High Command.

**What exactly this event is, on the 2nd, will be explained in another update

 

[stnylan]

Ok I have an exceptionally stupid question - how does one view the Combat Log in game?

 

[ThaHoward]

Ok I have an exceptionally stupid question - how does one view the Combat Log in game?

That's no stupid question. Go to theaters, that document picture between the name and ongoing battles. It's pretty cool to look at sometimes.

 

[stnylan]

That's no stupid question. Go to theaters, that document picture between the name and ongoing battles. It's pretty cool to look at sometimes.

Thank you! You have no idea how much time I have wasted trying to find it.

 

[Tapscott]

This is easily my favourite HOI4 AAR! Keep up the great writing!

 

[ThaHoward]

Thank you! You have no idea how much time I have wasted trying to find it.

I saw it first time in an AAR myself, and I was glad when I found it. AARs are great for reading stories, but also to learn new stuffs

This is easily my favourite HOI4 AAR! Keep up the great writing!

Thank you! Hopefully I will, and next update will, again, hopefully come out tomorrow. As of now I am on easter holiday in the mountains. After the weekend I'll be on a 10 day medic course, so the AAR will then be paused. Nice avatar!

 

[Anuerin]

Wow, the Soviet Band of Brothers series s going to be brutal, isn't it.