'Odin' and Stalin's Secret Committee

[Bullfilter]

I wouldn’t mind some of those Yak 7s in my parallel time line! Best we currently have are ‘new’ Polykarpov I-16s, with LaGG 3s on order.

This waiting is getting hard to bear!

 

[Finshades]

A most excellent report! The new aircraft currently on order should be a nice little boost to the effectiveness of the VVS. All the technical details have my engineer heart positively bursting with joy.

If there are vacancies in the production queue, I would advocate for adding another air transport corps, or perhaps increasing the existing one to three flights instead of two, if not enough capacity for two flights can be spared. It would do wonders for our ability to conduct airborne assaults and to supply units even when they are cut off from our main lines. Especially important, if our troops end up getting pushed back, as cities are considerably easier to defend and may be able to hold while the lines get pushed back around them. It would be heartbreaking to have a city heroically hold its own but be forced to surrender because we don't have enough planes to keep them supplied.

 

[roverS3]

I wouldn’t mind some of those Yak 7s in my parallel time line! Best we currently have are ‘new’ Polykarpov I-16s, with LaGG 3s on order.

Well, I'd love to have some T-34s and IS-2s... I seem to have different research priorities from the Soviet AI in Talking Turkey

A most excellent report! The new aircraft currently on order should be a nice little boost to the effectiveness of the VVS. All the technical details have my engineer heart positively bursting with joy.

Glad you liked it. You'll be glad to know that those planes are exactly to scale... just goes to show just how huge the TB-3 is compared to, well, pretty much anything short of an Aircraft Carrier...

If there are vacancies in the production queue, I would advocate for adding another air transport corps, or perhaps increasing the existing one to three flights instead of two, if not enough capacity for two flights can be spared. It would do wonders for our ability to conduct airborne assaults and to supply units even when they are cut off from our main lines. Especially important, if our troops end up getting pushed back, as cities are considerably easier to defend and may be able to hold while the lines get pushed back around them. It would be heartbreaking to have a city heroically hold its own but be forced to surrender because we don't have enough planes to keep them supplied.

It will be kept in mind... if war is declared, we should get a serious production boost from total economic mobilisation, so we could always add more Transports...both on sea and on land...especially as those don't take up valuable officers... Also, my Heavy Aircraft Practicals aren't too bad and we're producing Strategic Bombers anyway.

 

[roverS3]

The 3rd of July 1941, Vologda, 8,4°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 24th of June and the 3rd of July 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

More 152mm ML-20 Guns have been delivered to the Red Army, more specifically, 73 AP, which has been deployed to Maj. General Zhmachenko's 5. SD, IV SK, 4ya Armiya, 4th Army Group, Odessa HQ.
A brand new Regiment of Self-Propelled Guns, most notably the SU-152, has been deployed to Maj. General Biriuzov's 84. MSD, XIV MSK, Armoured Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA. All of our Motorised Rifle Divisions now have 5 Regiments.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 631 / 1.893.000
Support troops: 269 / 269.000

Total fighting troops: 900 / 2.162.000​

Headquarters: 60 / 60.000

Total Army Personnel: 960 / 2.222.000​

Officers: 88.016 + / 95.810 needed / 91,674 %
Active Leaders: 255 / 168 more available
A new Artillery Regiment's worth of 152mm ML-20s has started production, the men are already training.
No changes to Army leadership
​

Air Force:

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

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.​

Politics / International:

The Red Army having reached 900 combat Regiments, rapid expansion is becoming ever less important compared to training and Officer Ratios, therefor, the training laws of the Soviet Union's Armed Forces have been changed form Basic Training, to Advanced Training. This change means that units spend 10% longer in training, but, they come out in a more combat ready state (15% XP instead of 10%)
The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 84,9 =
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 82,8 =
Things really started moving again, it was revealed why the Germans wanted Trondheim... they promptly based Tactical Bombers in the city and started bombing Norwegian troops. Meanwhile Norway's obsolete fighter force fled to Narvik, as Oslo, is once again on the front line. The Luftwaffe can now bomb with near impunity... After having taken Trondheim, the Wehrmacht turned east from there, cutting Norway in half at Roros, before turning back to the South-East, taking Tynset and Sel, all unopposed. With the South stabilised, Norwegian units moved back to the north, taking Lom, but that may only be the start of their Northern offensive.

In the South, little changed, except for a bombing raid every day for the last week, see above... And Dokka was also taken by the Hun.​

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 7,7 (+2,2) / 77,7 Loss of Al Qahira
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

In 10 days, the Italians took all of the Nile delta, including Al Qahira. The British stemmed the tide by shipping another fresh Infantry Division straight into Bûr Sa'îd. The Fresh Infantry Division from last time joined the fight near Al Qahira, and the Royal Marines are digging in in Români, but all of this may not be enough, as the Italians have spread out on the West Bank of the Nile, they are about to cross it en masse, seriously threatening the Suez Canal further South. Meanwhile, in a show of utter absurdity, it seems that one of the Infantry Divisions came over from Malta, replacing it as a Garrison is one of Britain's few Armoured Divisions, which really should have arrived at the front by yesterday... Let's hope they rotate in some Gar or Inf soon so they can deploy those tanks where they are sorely needed. A new count puts the mobile forces of the Italians in the area at 1 German H Arm Division, 2 Italian L Arm, and 1 Italian Motorised Division. The British have none in the area, except if you count Malta. The upshot of all this is that Malta won't fall anytime soon...
Heavy RAF Bombardment continues at a rate of more than 2 missions per day, with Tac's based in Tel Aviv.​

French North Africa Front

France is a Government in exile.
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

No movement here for the last 10 days, to be clear, the Italians who are having trouble with the Mountainous terrain and the atrocious infrastructure, not the French.​

East Africa & Ethiopia Front

France is a Government in exile.
United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 7,7 / 77,7
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

The area has been cleared of all Italians, a job well done, now go and defend the Suez Canal...​

Industry:

Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 240 / 324
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 35,30 / 39,32
Reinforcement: 3,00 / 3,21
Supplies: 31,00 / 41,60
Production: 225,55 / 227,56 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16​

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 38.587 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels +
Supplies: 39.459 tonnes -
Fuel: Maximum barrels +
Money: 2.223 -​

Intelligence:

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

France (Supporting our Party / Counterespionage): 5 / 0 / 0 / 0

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

UK (Laying low) : 8 / 1 / 2 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Total: 13 / 1 / 2 / 1​

Reserves: 0​

Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
Despite having retreated from their mission, our spies in the UK continue to get caught by those wretched Omani and Nepalese spy hunters...
​

Research:

The Design bureau lead by Berezin has delivered a new Single Engine Aircraft Armament (Level 3) set-up, using four wing-mounted and newly designed Berezin 12,7mm BS Machine Guns. Concurrently Yakovlev's office delivered an excellent Interceptor design incorporating the new armament, the Yak-7.

The new Yak-7, vastly superior to the LaGG-3 it replaces, also not so much of a death trap.​

The VVS has re-shuffled it's research teams and organised a team of Radio Engineers and Air Combat tacticians to work out better ways for our Fighters to take advantage of Radar-based Ground Control (Level 3). This should give our Pilots better insight in the surrounding Airspace when they are close to a friendly Radar station.
​

Statistics:

National Unity: 83,241 (+0,008)
Neutrality: 0,00 =
Dissent: 0,00 =
Manpower:

Available: 2.107.000
Men To reinforce(need): 2.330
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)​

Party Popularity:

- Communist Party: 50 (+5)
- Trotskyite: 7 =
- Bukharinite: 4 =

- Octobrist: 9 (+3)
- Social-Revolutionary: 10 (+4)
- Trudoviks: 8 (+2)
- Kadets: 3 (+2)

- Tsarists: 3 (-6)
- NTS: 1 (-3)
- POA: 6 (-6)
People secretly in favour of Monarchist and Fascist government types seem to have become disillusioned en masse, they have turned to capitalism, but also to the Communist Party, giving it the tacit support of a majority of the population once again. For the first time in a long time, the government is not fractured...​

Party Organisation:

- Communist Party: 80,34 (+0,32)
- Trotskyite: 9,10 =
- Bukharinite: 4,20 =

- Octobrist: 4,80 =
- Trudoviks: 1,50 =
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =
- Tsarists: 0,00 =
- NTS: 0,00 =
- POA: 0,00 =
​

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 3rd of July 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'​

 

[nuclearslurpee]

What is the reasoning behind using the heavy fighter/multirole planes as escorts for the assault corps? I would think that since CAS has such short range, the cheaper INTs would be able to the job just as well while saving some IC for other things.

 

[Finshades]

The Fascists advance! Truly, it is an insult to workers and common folk everywhere that the fascists are running them down with ease while their supposed "protectors", the wretched capitalists, show their complete ignorance by using armour to stand guard on an island!

 

[roverS3]

What is the reasoning behind using the heavy fighter/multirole planes as escorts for the assault corps? I would think that since CAS has such short range, the cheaper INTs would be able to the job just as well while saving some IC for other things.

Well, first of all, with my practical levels the difference in expenditure is less than 70 IC-days, so with my enormous IC, that's pretty close to nothing...
But, to the point, why Ftrs with CAS? It all boils down to it's stats, except for it's range... In an escort capacity, I reckon Ftr is better unless the research and added cost of researching and producing them is prohibitive. It boils down to two things: 1. Slightly Higher Air Defence (11 instead of 10), and significantly Higher Surface Defence (3 instead of 1) mean that it's more durable in the face of AA and Air Attack. 2. When no fighters intercept, it can still help and do some damage on the ground, especially it's soft attack (3) is equivalent to that of CAS, and unlike Int it has minimal Sea and Hard Attack, but that's negligible.
IMO these benefits outweigh the lower Air Attack.
Why is surface defence important? If faced with a lot of FlaK, Int will lose health more quickly than Ftr, and a lot more quickly than CAS, this means more uneven health loss during protracted operations and having to switch out Int groups to keep flying or forgoing them from time to time.
I might be wrong though... it's mostly theoretical...

The Fascists advance! Truly, it is an insult to workers and common folk everywhere that the fascists are running them down with ease while their supposed "protectors", the wretched capitalists, show their complete ignorance by using armour to stand guard on an island!

Those bourgeois in the British high command couldn't care less about loss of life, as long as their tanks are safe...

 

[Bullfilter]

The Middle East: it seems the British just don’t know how to defend there properly and are running out of time to learn.

The GPW: the Germans are beginning to run out of time for a 1941 campaign - into July already! Norway must be the delay. It will prove fatal - the Fascists will be roasted in their own lard.

 

[roverS3]

The Middle East: it seems the British just don’t know how to defend there properly and are running out of time to learn.

Right now, they still have more units in East Africa than in the Middle East... says it all (just as the tanks in Malta do...)

The GPW: the Germans are beginning to run out of time for a 1941 campaign - into July already! Norway must be the delay. It will prove fatal - the Fascists will be roasted in their own lard.

Norway is the delay... explanation to follow in the coming report...

 

[roverS3]

The 11th of July 1941, Vologda, 8,4°C, 8am Moscow Time,

A meeting of several Secret Committee members was called to figure out what is going on with the Germans on the border. 'Dva' was the first to speak:​

"About two weeks ago, there was another reshuffle of German forces on our border. Everyone believed this to be just routine, but as it turns out I don't think it was. I believe it was an indication that they won't attack us within, at least, the next month or so. You see, when the German units on the border were counted again 5 days ago, it turns out at least one Heavy Tank Division and a Motorised Division have left, as well as several weaker units (probably), which are harder to count. The Red Army has no idea why the Germans would weaken their border forces just as the circumstances for their seemingly long prepared attack on the Soviet Union are at the best they will probably ever be. Both Army Group commanders have slightly revised their odds of winning a large scale engagement with the Germans in an upwards direction, and more German units seem to be moving away from the front..."
​

Then came 'Shest':

"Something strange has happened, I have just received intelligence reports that German Heavy Tanks have crossed the öresund into Sweden without firing a shot about a week ago, now a Motorised Division has followed suit. I'm still at a loss how this is possible and why, if the Germans could move units through Sweden, they didn't do it before."​

This is when 'Tri', in person for once, chimed in:

"Now, you may not remember this, but Sweden seems to follow a diplomatic doctrine known as 'pass-on-through neutrality', they have long given both the Germans and the Norwegians transit rights through their country. Now, why? Why didn't the Germans reinforce over land months, if not a year ago? Well, as with all diplomatic treaties, there are rules to a Sweden-style transit rights agreement:

1. Your troops have to keep moving, preferably by train. No setting up camp for a couple of weeks, and no behaviour detrimental to the local population.
2. This is the important one: You will move from territory firmly in your control to territory firmly in your control, no casually walking into enemy territory from Swedish territory.
​

You may think the Germans would have cheated these rules a long time ago, but no, they're sticklers for the rules (Unless they are humiliating, and were unfairly foisted upon them by a foreign power)
Now, what happened? Well...Remember, when about 15-20 days ago, the Wehrmacht in Norway captured the province of Roros, near Trondheim, on the border with Sweden? That's when a window opened for German high command to move units into Norway through Sweden and break the stalemate. They believed this opportunity to be temporary, and possibly one time only, as it might go away once Norway realises just what has happened and rushes units to recapture the province. What ensued is probably an indefinite postponement of their Eastern Summer offensive and the rushing of units into Sweden and towards the gap... For now, they will deal with Norway first."

Roros, an area of dense forests on the Swedish border, and the reason for both the impending destruction of Norway, and the no longer impending assault on the Soviet Union. In short, the key to this whole war.​

'Dva' came back with a retort:

"But surely they must realise that this summer is their only real shot at the Soviet Union... we can try all we want, but this rate of Red Army expansion is hard to hide, and if they could convince the Turks, and the Japanese to join in we would really be in trouble. If they wait another year, we'll be ready to strike both ways with confidence, the better for us, but one really wonders how they order their priorities.

Of course, they could still attack us in winter, but we all know this won't amount to much and will only give our troops valuable experience for a minimal loss of ground, they can't expect to make it anywhere that really matters in Winter... this is utter madness. I would like to emphasise that as much as we have been anticipating a fight, this is not the time to attack. Ideally, we want the Japanese distracted and two more Mountain Rifle Corps on the border with Turkey to make sure. So, next spring, if the Germans haven't attacked yet, and the Japanese are distracted, that will be the best time to strike."
​

All nodded in agreement, and with that, I pronounced a few closing words, and everyone returned to their busy secret jobs, everything must keep moving.

Now you know why there has been no German offensive. The man in the street will say that it was all because of the non-agression pact, but we know better, the troops on the border definitely suggested no real intention to respect that piece of paper. It is also debated in diplomatic circles whether our embargo's on several Axis nations in response to their actions in the Balkans may have been construed by the Germans as us unilaterally voiding the pact. With every day that goes by, the Germans are loosing a war they haven't even started... yet...

Greetings,

'Odin'​

 

[Finshades]

Heavy tanks and motorized infantry pulled away from the Soviet border to fight in Norway? That's absurd! They will be fuck-all useful in the mountains (considering cost vs benefit of foot infantry and them) and the preparations for Barbarossa now suffer from an even more severe lack of teeth than before. OKW must have gone collectively insane.

 

[roverS3]

Heavy tanks and motorized infantry pulled away from the Soviet border to fight in Norway? That's absurd! They will be fuck-all useful in the mountains (considering cost vs benefit of foot infantry and them) and the preparations for Barbarossa now suffer from an even more severe lack of teeth than before. OKW must have gone collectively insane.

To be fair, they're also pulling Infantry and Mountaineers away from the Soviet border as well...though the H Arm and Mot are already in Sweden because of their higher speed. But it's not only that, imo they should have ignored the 'opportunity' Norway presented, at most sending in one or two Gebirgsjäger Divisions, and charge at the Soviet union in late May or Early June. They may not know it yet, but H Arm or not, this miscalculation will be their early demise... considering the troops and tanks we'll have in the spring of 1942, and the fact that the Japs will most likely be distracted, they may just get pushed back to Berlin by 1944... especially if they leave H Arm Divisions rolling around in Norway and Egypt of all places.

 

[roverS3]

The 13th of July 1941, Vologda, 8,4°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 4th of July and the 13th of July 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

111. Strelkovaya Diviziya has been deployed to a newly set up XXXIII SK, 3ya Armiya, Reserves AG, Moskva HQ/STAVKA. (Tallinn)
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 634 / 1.902.000
Support troops: 271 / 271.000

Total fighting troops: 905 / 2.173.000​

Headquarters: 61 / 61.000

Total Army Personnel: 966 / 2.234.000​

Officers: 88.516 + / 96.610 needed / 91,622 %
Active Leaders: 257 / 166 more available
A new Division of Mountaineers has started training, the plan is to raise another Mountaineer Corps, to be deployed to the Turkish border, or the Mongolia area in the Far East.​

Army leadership:

New Lt. General Fediuninski SK3, LW has been assigned to command the new XXXIII SK, 3ya Armiya, Reserves AG, Moskva HQ/STAVKA. (Tallinn)
New Maj. General Komarovskij SK2, Eng, has been placed in command of the new 111. SD, XXXIII SK, 3ya Armiya, Reserves AG, Moskva HQ/STAVKA. (Tallinn)
​

Air Force:

No changes in the VVS, nor the Navy Air Fleet for the last 10 days.
A new production line has been started to produce additional Li-2 transport aeroplanes, the first new TrAD should be delivered by mid-November.
​

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.​

Politics / International:

The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 84,9 =
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 82,8 =
The Wehrmacht reinforcements have not yet arrived in force, but the Germans are pushing in the North, they've taken Koppang, before crossing the river Glomma into Alvdal, driving the front way from Roros, one province at a time.

In the South, the Norwegians pushed back, retaking Drammen, it's not clear whether this is a full on offensive, or whether it's just the creation of a little buffer to protect Oslo.
Don't mind our Carrier Fleet just passing by... which is the reason you're seeing so many German Units... powerful Naval Radar.​

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 7,7 / 77,7
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

The Nile has been crossed unopposed in two places south of Al Qahira, by German heavy tanks, just south of the city, and by Italian light armour further to the south. The British scramble to form a front, Marines are moving to try and block the German Armour from the Suez Canal, Iraqi Infantry is guarding Bûr Sa'îd, and other Infantry units are being rotated in and out of Battle in an effort to stem the tide... it seems to be working... somewhat, as the Italians seem to have been slowed down. At least the British are concentrating the few forces they have around the Canal itself.
Meanwhile, the RAF is taking a break after the Italians moved interceptors into the El Iskandarîya Air Base and somewhat hammered the Spitfire escort of it's Tacs. The Tacs are fine, but the Ftrs need some R&R in Tel Aviv, and for some reason, the RAF doesn't want to send out the Wellingtons on their own.
The Tanks in Malta have been joined by an Infantry Division, let's hope this means that the Tanks will be deployed to the Middle East.​

French North Africa Front

France is a Government in exile.
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

Instead of pushing for Casablanca directly, the Regio Esercito decided to prolong the French suffering by clearing Taounate along the Spanish border first, they did bring in a second Infantry Division, which should speed things up...
Meanwhile, the French fleet is cleaning itself up nicely, taking up all the supplies coming into the area, and repairing it's ships. Also, the Armée de l'Afrique continues to move past Casablanca, and to the South, where there is no realistic way out...​

Industry:

In Riga concrete trenches and tank traps (Level 2) have been added to the fortifications.
Work has started on Machine Gun Bunkers (Level 1) in Dnipopetrovsk, though it is questionable whether these will ever see combat...
Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 240 / 324
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 27,30 / 31,38
Reinforcement: 1,50 / 1,54
Supplies: 29,00 / 41,65
Production: 237,04 / 239,04 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16​

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 38.944 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels +
Supplies: 41.018 tonnes +
Fuel: Maximum barrels +
Money: 2.208 -​

Intelligence:

Spy numbers, spies in (active / added / lost / caught by us)
France (Supporting our Party / Counterespionage): 5 / 0 / 0 / 0

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

UK (Laying low) : 9 / 1 / 0 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Total: 14 / 1 / 0 / 0
Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
No more of our spies were caught, nor were any hostile spies caught...
​

Research:

Tank Designers have completed the slightly boring, but very necessary job of modifying our KV-122 Heavy Tank, and our SU-100 Tank Destroyer Designs to improve their Reliablilty (Level 1).
They continue the good work, already looking into what they can improve next (Level 2)
​

Statistics:

National Unity: 83,241 (+0,008)
Neutrality: 0,00 =
Dissent: 0,00 =
Manpower:

Available: 2.108.000
Men To reinforce(need): 1.170
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)​

No changes in Party Popularity for the last 10 days
Party Organisation:

- Communist Party: 80,36 (+0,02)
- Trotskyite: 9,00 (-0,1)
- Bukharinite: 4,10 (-0,1)

- Octobrist: 4,70 (-0,1)
- Trudoviks: 1,40 (-0,1)
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 13th of July 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'​

 

[Eurasia]

I feel that Norway is a sure German victory - but it will be a slow one at the rate they are advancing. And the UK really have to do something about Africa and do something to protect the Middle East. Having Malta means nothing if they lose Suez Canal. Do they still have Gibraltar?

Comrades, I can almost feel the German Panzers roaring to life and preparing to move East.

 

[Bullfilter]

So, it was Norway. And their goose will certainly be cooked. My money is on them attacking as soon as they have reinforced again after taking out Norway. I don’t think they will wait until 1942 - but they have already missed the boat.

Let’s blame the irrationality and folly of Hitler. Like Stalingrad in OTL, he can’t forgive the Norwegians for frustrating his plans so. You may be in Berlin by the end of 1943. Keeping Japan off your back would be a great boon, though they usually do seem to attack.

 

[roverS3]

I feel that Norway is a sure German victory - but it will be a slow one at the rate they are advancing.

With all those reinforcements moving up through Sweden , things might speed up in a week or two though... not because tanks will be much faster, but because the Germans will simply have more units to move up with, swamping the brave Norwegians with superior numbers, and Air Power...

And the UK really have to do something about Africa and do something to protect the Middle East. Having Malta means nothing if they lose Suez Canal. Do they still have Gibraltar?

Well, moving that Tank Division from Malta to the Suez Canal Area would be a good start... also, the British defence is getting better organised every day, and the Italian supply lines must be stretched to their limits, or beyond... Having to supply troops from the Suez Canal to the Atlantic coast is not that easy, especially if the Med, particularly the Eastern part of it, is swarming with Royal Navy Fleets... so I do expect a certain amount of supply problems for the Italians. Maybe in this case a small but well supplied, experienced, and nimble force trumps the behemoth of an army the Italians are fielding, with all those heavy units, supply needs must be hard to meet.

So, it was Norway. And their goose will certainly be cooked. My money is on them attacking as soon as they have reinforced again after taking out Norway. I don’t think they will wait until 1942 - but they have already missed the boat.

Comrades, I can almost feel the German Panzers roaring to life and preparing to move East.

Right now Panzers are roaring to life and moving north-west... I do think @Bullfilter might be right, though that still gives us another couple of months, and great defensive weather to look forward to... as you say, they've missed the boat.

Let’s blame the irrationality and folly of Hitler. Like Stalingrad in OTL, he can’t forgive the Norwegians for frustrating his plans so. You may be in Berlin by the end of 1943. Keeping Japan off your back would be a great boon, though they usually do seem to attack.

Well, our least confident commanders are those in the Far East, though they do believe us to have near parity with Japanese forces in the area... maybe a few more Amur Tiger Cavalry Divisions, and a few more Engineer Regiments will give them the punch they need to hold off the Japs, and maybe even do some damage... Not to mention the reserve Mountain Rifle Corps north of Mongolia, which could be just enough to tip the balance... Of course it's all theory until the fighting starts, and the local commanders aren't necessarily taking the Jap's experience from superior training and the Sino-Japanese war into account.

Turkey remains a wild card... Romania sill remains neutral though, their improved relations with the Allies and increased threat from Germany now mean that the Germans can't influence them to their corner if they pull back... so, if they aren't entirely stupid, they'll remain neutral and let both Giants slog it out around them... we have the reserves nearby to take either Romania, or Turkey on, but would rather use them to strengthen the southern front against Germany and Hungary...

And if by some miracle, the German attack comes after the Japanese do something really stupid... that's definitely for the better...

 

[roverS3]

The 23rd of July 1941, Vologda, 8,4°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 14th of July and the 23rd of July 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

124. Strelkovaya Diviziya, a new Rifle Division, has been deployed to XXXIII SK, 3ya Armiya, Reserves AG, Moskva HQ/STAVKA. (Tallinn)
Another Artillery Regiment has been deployed to 55. SD, VII SK, 4ya Armiya, 4th Army Group, Odessa HQ.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 636 / 1.908.000
Support troops: 274 / 274.000

Total fighting troops: 910 / 2.182.000​

Headquarters: 61 / 61.000

Total Army Personnel: 971 / 2.243.000​

Officers: 89.016 + / 97.110 needed / 91,665 %
Active Leaders: 258 / 165 more available
Another Infx3, AT, Art Division, 117. Strelkovaya Diviziya has started training, this will be the 5th Division in XXXIII SK. (Tallinn)
More 152mm ML-20s continue flying out of the factories, and another Artillery Regiment will be formed to use them...
Half-track production has been increased again, in order to upgrade 16 KP, part of Maj. General Rodin A.G.'s 29 KD, II KK, 2ya Tankovaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA.​

Army leadership:

New Maj. General Simoniak SK2, Trck, has been placed in command of the new 124. SD, XXXIII SK, 3ya Armiya, Reserves AG, Moskva HQ/STAVKA. (Tallinn)
​

Air Force:

The last 124 LaGG-3s have left the production lines. They have been formed into 127. IAD-PVO, and become part of Air Maj. General Eremin's VII. IAK. The VVS will replace these aeroplanes with Yak-7s as quickly as possible.
Aeroplane Numbers (Wings/Planes):

Interceptors: 26 / 3.224
Multi-Role Fighters: 6 / 744
Close Air Support: 7 / 868
Carrier Air Groups: 7 / 434

Single Engined: 46 / 5.270​

Tactical Bomber: 4 / 400

Total Bombers: 11 / 1.268​

Transport Planes: 2 / 248

Total VVS: 45 / 5.484
Total Navy: 7 / 434
Total Aeroplanes: 52 / 5.918​

Active Leaders: 18 / 24 Reserve
The production line, at the Yakovlev factory, has been allowed to, proudly, switch to producing Yak-7s for the next Interceptor Division.
​

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.​

Politics / International:

The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 84,9 =
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 82,8 =
With the first units arriving from Sweden, the Wehrmacht is reorganising it's units in Norway, sending some units back to Germany for some R&R and integrating new units in it's plans, the Norwegians are just trying to figure out what's happening, this is probably why there was so little offensive action. Only the mountainous province of Grotli has been lost to the Hun. Nothing moved further to the South.

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 7,7 / 77,7
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

Three tings happened here, almost simultaneously. The Italians stopped advancing after reaching the Suez Canal south of all crossings, it would later be shown that they had entirely run out of supply and/or fuel. The British landed their Armoured Division straight into Bûr Sa'îd. The RAF resumed operations, adding in a second Tac wing based out of Lefkosia. The consequence is that the Italians have started turning tails, sometimes after short battles, even the German Heavy Armoured Division was forced to retreat by an unsupported Infantry Division for lack of fuel and ammunition. The British have already crossed into the Nile delta again, rushing to retake El'Iskandarîya. The Italians seem to be actively pulling back their units... To save on supply? Or do they have a more important operation in mind?
Why this happened is not clear, were the three convoys sunk by French submarines in the Gulf of Tunis last week, the last ones the Italians had? Or were the supply lines just too thin to handle so many heavy units. The Royal Navy also did it's bid, with Battleship HMS Valiant sinking the Heavy Cruiser RM Gorizia and another Flotilla of Transports.​

French North Africa Front

France is a Government in exile.
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

No movement for the last 10 days.​

Industry:

The Air Base in Homel can now house an impressive 900+ Aeroplanes with it's added airstrip, four existing runways, concrete taxiways, and new underground ammunition storage and aviation fuel pipeline network. (Level 9)
Novomoskovosk Air Base will now be upgraded to a similar standard (Level 9)
The Air Base of Sevastopol has been upgraded with an additional landing strip, hardened taxiways and an Officer's Mess.
In both Odessa and Tyndinskiy, the secondary Airstrips have been hardened, giving them both a second runway, and additional maintenance hangars have also been constructed. (Level 4)
The single Air strip at Riga Air Base will be hardened and basic maintenance facilities will be constructed (Level 2) in an effort to provide a forward base for our Assault Air Divisions.
The Air Base in Tbilisi will be fitted with a secondary landing strip and a concrete control tower (Level 3), this to ensure we have at least one sizeable Air Base near the Turkish border...
Lwow Air Base will see significant expansion, for similar reasons to Riga, the next step is to lay another dirt strip nest to it's two existing runways, and to add ammunition storage and sleeping facilities for the pilots (Level 5)
Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 240 / 324
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 21,70 / 23,55
Reinforcement: 2,00 / 2,38
Supplies: 29,00 / 41,82
Production: 242,14 / 244,13 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16​

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 39.302 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels +
Supplies: 41.482 tonnes +
Fuel: Maximum barrels +
Money: 2.193 -​

Intelligence:

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

France (Supporting our Party / Counterespionage): 5 / 0 / 0 / 0

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

UK (Laying low) : 10 / 1 / 0 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Total: 15 / 1 / 0 / 1​

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
A spy from Hungary, and one from Germany were caught in the Soviet Union.
​

Research:

A new 122mm A-19 Gun variant, the D-25T, specifically designed for integration in existing and new Heavy Tank designs. The modifications should increase the fire rate of the guns wen mounted in a KV-122, as well as slightly increasing muzzle velocity.

A technical drawing of the new D-25T 122mm. Basically the same gun as the A-19 with some clever modifications This was the gun mounted in late war IS-2s and IS-3s, so maybe our Engineers will soon come up with the design of the IS-2...​

The Engineers are now looking into a new Engine (Level 1) for our Heavy Tanks, as further improvements to Armour and Guns would soon make the tanks to slow to keep up with Infantry.
​

Statistics:

National Unity: 83,241 =
Neutrality: 0,00 =
Dissent: 0,00 =
Manpower:

Available: 2.108.000
Men To reinforce(need): 6.660
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)​

No changes in Party Popularity for the last 10 days
Party Organisation:

- Communist Party: 80,70 (+0,34)
- Trotskyite: 9,00 =
- Bukharinite: 4,10 =

- Octobrist: 4,70 =
- Trudoviks: 1,40 =
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 23rd of July 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'​

 

[Bullfilter]

Good news at the Suez, with Britain finally getting its act into gear and the supply crunch we were all expecting finally hitting. And still the Hun hesitates.

 

[Finshades]

And so the jumbled house of cards that is the Italian Logistics finally collapses. Now if the British can really go to town on the Axis troops before supply is re-established in sufficient amounts, that theater will be a wrap, potentially leading to the destruction or surrender of significant portions of the Italian Army and at least one German Heavy Armour division, which would prove to be a major milestone in the war.

Couldn't airbases on the Crimean peninsula also serve well against Turkey, or are you expecting to use that against Germany simultaneously and thus prefer to base the air assets for that operation elsewhere?

 

[roverS3]

Good news at the Suez, with Britain finally getting its act into gear and the supply crunch we were all expecting finally hitting. And still the Hun hesitates.

And so the jumbled house of cards that is the Italian Logistics finally collapses. Now if the British can really go to town on the Axis troops before supply is re-established in sufficient amounts, that theater will be a wrap, potentially leading to the destruction or surrender of significant portions of the Italian Army and at least one German Heavy Armour division, which would prove to be a major milestone in the war.

Yes, the way it's looking now is that it's a full scale Italian rout, but they do have a lot of space to loose before they're threatened with annihilation... so now is the time for the British to speed ahead, and take as much as they can... with the troops they now have, they should be able to hold a narrow line, like at El Alamein or near Tobruch easily, even if the Italians re-establish supply...

Couldn't airbases on the Crimean peninsula also serve well against Turkey, or are you expecting to use that against Germany simultaneously and thus prefer to base the air assets for that operation elsewhere?

Well, I'm always thinking in the worst case scenario, and in the worst case scenario, Bulgarians try to land in the Crimea, and the Germans are heading for Sevastopol, whime we have to hold off the Turks... that's where a slightly improved Georgian Aiir Base will be a godsend, also it's closer, so if I want to use CAS against Turkey, I can't use Sevastopol as it's too far from the front...