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The infantry weapon upgrades will no doubt greatly improve the fighting capabilities of the Red Army, and especially the infantry, still the most numerous and crucial part. If there are no immediate research needs, I would recommend continuing with infantry small arms to increase the casualty rate in our favour; if we can't outmaneuver the Hun we can still bleed them dry.

Norway seems ready to fall at any time, but surely Hitler and his cronies will not be foolish enough to attempt an invasion over the winter, thus meaning we have until spring now to reinforce our troops and build up the infrastructure they depend on for supplies and air support. May I suggest the creation of a general plan for the build up of military and infrastructure over the winter of 1941-1942 to form a clear framework to direct the allocation of any spare industry and research teams, thus also leaving the committee as well as the esteemed General Secretary of the Party, comrade Stalin, with a solid understanding of our planned progress and where we expect to be as the mud dries?
 
The Infantry AT weapons are now ahead of time... the 57mm ZiS-2 is a 1942 weapon in the Paradox Universe, so no effort was spared on this one...

Funny enough, the ZiS-2 was produced in a limited run in 1941, but canceled because (hilariously) it was considered to be _too effective_ for the time, passing right through German panzers without doing very much actual damage. This changed once Panthers and Tigers started to become commonplace, so the gun was re-introduced to production lines in 1943-45. Certainly a gun worthy of being assigned a "futuristic" model year in this ATL!
 
surely Hitler and his cronies will not be foolish enough to [LITERALLY ANYTHING]

Ah, famous last words...or first words, perhaps, since Hitler and foolishness only end well for his enemies!
 
The infantry weapon upgrades will no doubt greatly improve the fighting capabilities of the Red Army, and especially the infantry, still the most numerous and crucial part. If there are no immediate research needs, I would recommend continuing with infantry small arms to increase the casualty rate in our favour; if we can't outmanoeuvre the Hun we can still bleed them dry.
There area a many research needs, which are constantly being balanced... so your proposal has been noted. Looking at current research, I'm thinking that will be researched once we know how to train Marines... I know... Marines...

Norway seems ready to fall at any time, but surely Hitler and his cronies will not be foolish enough to attempt an invasion over the winter, thus meaning we have until spring now to reinforce our troops and build up the infrastructure they depend on for supplies and air support.
Ah, famous last words...or first words, perhaps, since Hitler and foolishness only end well for his enemies!
First of all, I'm not so sure it would be beyond this game's Hitler to attack in the middle of winter... as @nuclearslurpee so coyly noted... But, we are hunkering down and preparing for a winter of war preparations, without letting preparedness slip too much...

May I suggest the creation of a general plan for the build up of military and infrastructure over the winter of 1941-1942 to form a clear framework to direct the allocation of any spare industry and research teams, thus also leaving the committee as well as the esteemed General Secretary of the Party, comrade Stalin, with a solid understanding of our planned progress and where we expect to be as the mud dries?
There is a rough framework for where we want things to stand for a 1942 offensive if war doesn't happen this winter... I was holding off on detailing that, as it may be pointless if Germany attacks in a few weeks... though it could still make for a good update, so you may just get your wish, and that way you can give some feedback. If war breaks out, things will probably be more ad hoc, of course...

Funny enough, the ZiS-2 was produced in a limited run in 1941, but canceled because (hilariously) it was considered to be _too effective_ for the time, passing right through German panzers without doing very much actual damage. This changed once Panthers and Tigers started to become commonplace, so the gun was re-introduced to production lines in 1943-45. Certainly a gun worthy of being assigned a "futuristic" model year in this ATL!
I read that the 1941 version was produced in very low numbers... being too effective seems like a very valid reason... At least in ATL, nothing is 'too effecive', if our designers come up with it, and it works, it will be deployed en masse (as long as cost isn't prohibitive, though we're flexible on that point...)

I should specify that for narrative reasons, I will remain deliberately very vague on various top-secret operations that have been planned and for which the units are ready, or can be ready within a day. Depending on circumstances when Germany declares war, one or more of them will be enacted soon after the starting shot... I won't mention where these units have been diverted to, nor what the plans are... that way you can keep guessing until GPW-day...
 
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This is all good. Every upgrade another nail in the Nazi coffin. “Factory for Stalin”. You gotta love such dedication to the General Secretary. Ahem. o_O
 
Ah, famous last words...or first words, perhaps, since Hitler and foolishness only end well for his enemies!

I started thinking about trying to contest this, but try as I might, I couldn't figure out one damn thing they didn't screw up, perhaps excepting the Anschluss and takeover of Czechoslovakia and the Molotov-Ribbentropp-pact. Literally everything else they accomplished was more in spite of the leadership at the time rather than thanks to it. So I do suppose I have to concede your point.
 
This is all good. Every upgrade another nail in the Nazi coffin. “Factory for Stalin”. You gotta love such dedication to the General Secretary. Ahem. o_O
The Red Army will be prepared and strong, lessons were learned from the Winter War, many talented officers have the ranks, and the equipment will be top notch. If we charge in 1942, the Red Army will be a very different beast from what it was in OTL 1941...

I see at least one design bureau has at last seen wisdom, even if it took some extra time. :p
Yes, it was inevitable really, that someone would notice that the SU-100 and SU-122 shared platform had the potential to be the basis for a great tank... as historically it was the other way around, with the SU-100 and SU-122 being developed from the T-34 chassis and transmission...

I started thinking about trying to contest this, but try as I might, I couldn't figure out one damn thing they didn't screw up, perhaps excepting the Anschluss and takeover of Czechoslovakia and the Molotov-Ribbentropp-pact. Literally everything else they accomplished was more in spite of the leadership at the time rather than thanks to it. So I do suppose I have to concede your point.
Well, some argue that the Generals' push to Moscow actually severely hurt Germany's chances to win the war, while Hitler had ordered Halder to focus on the Southern front and get to the fields of the Ukraine, and the Oil fields in the Caucasus. Halder, having won in France with his quick dash to Paris, disobeyed his superior and went for Moscow in the hope of reproducing the French campaigns quick victory... we all know how that turned out... in some lights, the historical Hitler was a much better strategical thinker than the Wehrmacht's Generals. Master tacticians win short wars, strategists and logisticians win long ones, the Wehrmacht was filled with good tacticians, but logistics and grand strategy were problematic to say the least.
Many post-war memoirs from Wehrmacht Generals and Field Marshalls, put all of the blame on Hitler, which was easy as he was dead, but somewhat unfair. Resources, vehicles and reinforcements were squandered time and again by the Wehrmacht to attain tactical victories at the cost of leaving too little to go for strategic objectives. Of course, Stalingrad was stupid, but that was a combination of Hitler's pride, and his and Goering's overconfidence in the ability of the Luftwaffe to supply Paulus' forces by air. Some argue that the war was lost before Stalingrad though...
This game's Hitler, however, is a dreadful strategist all round... prioritising Norway over striking the Soviet Union when it's most opportune... he just lost himself the war there...
Then again, the British aren't that much better either, prioritising East Africa over Egypt and the Suez Canal nearly resulted in their empire being cut in half...
And don't even get me started on this game's French strategy... rebasing their powerful navy from one remote out of supply port to the next and not evacuating a single soldier of the trapped and hungry Armée de l'Afrique, while transports are available right there... and they had such potential to actually do things in Africa and the med... now they won't even have the men to protect Indochina from the Japs... Only their submarines are doing something useful for the war effort, sinking Italian convoys...
 
The Red Army will be prepared and strong, lessons were learned from the Winter War, many talented officers have the ranks, and the equipment will be top notch. If we charge in 1942, the Red Army will be a very different beast from what it was in OTL 1941...


Yes, it was inevitable really, that someone would notice that the SU-100 and SU-122 shared platform had the potential to be the basis for a great tank... as historically it was the other way around, with the SU-100 and SU-122 being developed from the T-34 chassis and transmission...


Well, some argue that the Generals' push to Moscow actually severely hurt Germany's chances to win the war, while Hitler had ordered Halder to focus on the Southern front and get to the fields of the Ukraine, and the Oil fields in the Caucasus. Halder, having won in France with his quick dash to Paris, disobeyed his superior and went for Moscow in the hope of reproducing the French campaigns quick victory... we all know how that turned out... in some lights, the historical Hitler was a much better strategical thinker than the Wehrmacht's Generals. Master tacticians win short wars, strategists and logisticians win long ones, the Wehrmacht was filled with good tacticians, but logistics and grand strategy were problematic to say the least.
Many post-war memoirs from Wehrmacht Generals and Field Marshalls, put all of the blame on Hitler, which was easy as he was dead, but somewhat unfair. Resources, vehicles and reinforcements were squandered time and again by the Wehrmacht to attain tactical victories at the cost of leaving too little to go for strategic objectives. Of course, Stalingrad was stupid, but that was a combination of Hitler's pride, and his and Goering's overconfidence in the ability of the Luftwaffe to supply Paulus' forces by air. Some argue that the war was lost before Stalingrad though...
This game's Hitler, however, is a dreadful strategist all round... prioritising Norway over striking the Soviet Union when it's most opportune... he just lost himself the war there...
Then again, the British aren't that much better either, prioritising East Africa over Egypt and the Suez Canal nearly resulted in their empire being cut in half...
And don't even get me started on this game's French strategy... rebasing their powerful navy from one remote out of supply port to the next and not evacuating a single soldier of the trapped and hungry Armée de l'Afrique, while transports are available right there... and they had such potential to actually do things in Africa and the med... now they won't even have the men to protect Indochina from the Japs... Only their submarines are doing something useful for the war effort, sinking Italian convoys...
Great analysis. With France, the best they could have done was to evacuate to British territory (eg Egypt), signed over as EFs, then hope to one day get back to France and march under the tricolour once again.
 
Great analysis. With France, the best they could have done was to evacuate to British territory (eg Egypt), signed over as EFs, then hope to one day get back to France and march under the tricolour once again.
I rather think the best course of action would have been to quickly evacuate most of the troops to, say, South Africa or Gibraltar, and then once the evacuation from the French West Africa is complete, start transporting them over to French Indochina or handing them over as EF as needed. Some of them could have helped to stem the tide in Egypt, of course, but the Med is still swarming with Italian combat vessels so perhaps going there would have spelled doom for the fleet.

Either way, to lose the entire army (or what's left of it) due to sailing away with empty transports is more than borderline criminal and those responsible should be tried for high treason and punished accordingly.
 
Less glamorous, but still important, specifications have gone out for a cheap to produce Support Weapon (Level 3) for our second-line Militia and Garrison Units.
Agreed 100%. If we need them to "buy time" they have to be able to afford...er, do it.:D
 
Great analysis. With France, the best they could have done was to evacuate to British territory (eg Egypt), signed over as EFs, then hope to one day get back to France and march under the tricolour once again.
I rather think the best course of action would have been to quickly evacuate most of the troops to, say, South Africa or Gibraltar, and then once the evacuation from the French West Africa is complete, start transporting them over to French Indochina or handing them over as EF as needed. Some of them could have helped to stem the tide in Egypt, of course, but the Med is still swarming with Italian combat vessels so perhaps going there would have spelled doom for the fleet.
If I had been playing as France, for starters I would have built convoys instead of expanding Edd Air Base, which now seems pretty useless, surrounded by friendly territory... But regardless, evacuation had to be done, as soon as Casablanca came under threat, and the units should have been split between Indo-China and EFs in Egypt, this because the Armée de l'Afrique is quite large, and if well supplied, part of it could have done the job. The French Navy could have re-based to a British base for supply, or to Beyrouth, or even to Indochina, as there seem to be no significant British Fleets in the Far East right now... Also, Saigon is well supplied, which should make repairs easier... but AI France has/had no intention of doing any of that, and there is a good chance that once the Navy has to relocate again, they will find themselves in some remote naval base with intermittent supply, trying to repair the damaged ships for the rest of the war... Who knows, maybe they can still surprise us...

Agreed 100%. If we need them to "buy time" they have to be able to afford...er, do it.:D
When in a bind, with ample manpower... Militia/Garrisons is the way to go, cheap and fast to produce, and they don't need many officers... And with officer needs soon over 100.000... any more rapid expansion of the armed forces than at the current rate will need to have a low officer requirement, as officer training is currently only just keeping up at a rate of 50/day... reaching 100% will be tough... but it seems to be creeping up ever so slowly... and advanced training is really starting to kick in lengthening training times for units, and lowering pressure on officer training.
 
19th of September 1941, A long meeting: Getting ready for a 1942 offensive?
The 19th of September 1941, Vologda, 2,1°C, 1pm Moscow Time,

A special meeting of Committee members in the war room has been held, and 'Tri' opened the remarks with a reminder of the tense international situation and an explanation as to why this meeting was needed:

"Germany still hasn't attacked, and as we know, this is because of their involvement in Norway. The question is, what next... what if Germany never attacks? I think that we all agree that we cannot let Germany's agression stand, let alone it's agressive deployment of troops on our border. One way or another, this whole affair has to come to a head. Germany has gone far beyond what was agreed in the Molotov-Von Neurath pact. The outright annexation of both Greece and Yugoslavia by the Axis goes quite a bit further than counting those areas in their 'sphere of inluence'. Our discontent was made clear diplomatically through a series of Embargoes on the belligerent nations, but this seems to have only encouraged the Axis buildup of forces.
Moreover, the Axis still doesn't recognise the new status of Finland, whose government in exile in Berlin is still technically at war with us.

This fact has several important implications beyond Finland: First off, it means that the Red Army remains mobilised, for as long as this 'war' rages, secondly, it gives both Germany, and us a great excuse to break the pact. You see, the new Finnish government has warrants out for the previous one on various charges, some real, some trumped up. Constantly proving themselves to be poor strategists, the Germans haven't resolved this issue, and the Finnish non-surrender continues to be a thorn in the side of the Molotov-Von Neurath pact.

Now, let me just clarify what would happen if we declare war on Germany, as opposed to the reverse. First off, we would be at war with all Axis members, including Japan, which has the vast majority of it's Imperial Army on ours and Mongolia's borders. We would be perceived as more threatening, in all probably pushing Turkey into the axis, and making sure that Nationalist China will lean more towards the Axis, instead of being on the fence. This means that, to confidently declare war on the Axis, we need to be able to contain Turkey and Japan, while we fight the Germans on the main front. Now, I'm not a military man, so I don't know how many troops would be needed for either, but I suspect it's probably more than we have there now... I understand that optimal conditions for an attack should be present around the middle of May next year, which means that preparations need to be prioritised in order to have all needed forces deployed by then. I will thus cede the floor to the Military types and the numbercrunchers... I just wanted to make sure everyone understands what is at stake here...

If anyone is worried about Romania, don't be, they have stayed out of things so far, and keep going to great lengths to stay neutral, though far removed from the Comintern diplomatically speaking"
'Dva' our Red Army man then took the stage with some short remarks:

"As you remember, we have at our service some great military minds, and thus, the details were delegated to them. To accomplish the tasks outlined by 'Tri' in his 'what to expect' and 'who will we be at war with' opening remarks. So without further ado."
ex-Field Marshall A.I. Egorov, always a specialist of Defensive Warfare rose from his seat as 'Dva' motioned in the General direction of the ex-Generals:

"I have been watching over the deployment of the, mostly, defensive reserves of the Reserves Army Group, and I have to say, things are shaping up quite nicely. North of the Marshes, we have all the reserves we need to counter some pretty strong opposition. Corps of Riflemen are dug in in Kaunas, Wilno, Riga, Minsk, and Tallinn. In the case of a German attack, these reserves should be sufficient to slow down a strong push in the north, and help man the defensive lines, if the front gets there. Buying enough time to deploy additional defensive forces in strategic locations.
In the south, we do have a bit of a problem, as urban centres are further removed. Beyond a Guards Corps with two Heavy Tank Guards Divisions in the
Lwow area, and a Rifle Corps in Kyiv, beyond that, there isn't much. For now, given the diplomatic situation, the redeployment of the two Rifle Corps on the Romanian border could provide a Garrison for Odessa and Kryvyy Rih. Given the lack of terrain obstacles, I would like to suggest even more Heavy Tank Guards Divisions be deployed in this area, at the very least, two more, but ideally, 4 more of these Divisions, allowing for the formation of two mixed Guards Corps with 3 H Arm Divisions, two Gds Divisions and additional Gds attached to the Corps HQ. These corps could provide some very serious staying power, even in the Ukrainian plains. Mobile units, currently in the Armoured Army Group could also be redeployed.
I would also like to see fortification of urban areas continue, especially in the south, as
Kryvyy Rih, and Dnipopetrovsk, don't have any fortifications yet.
So, for the Reserves, ideally, I'd like to see 4 more Heavy Armour Divisions and an Additional Rifle Corps. But, in a pinch 2 additional H Arm Divisions could probably slow down the offensive enough for more units to be trained if it comes to that."
ex-Chief Of The Army and Field Marshall Tuchatjevskij stood up, seemingly somewhat offended at Egorov's suggestion of peeling off units from the Armoured Army Group to defend the south.

"While it is good to have a defensive back-up plan, I don't believe that war with Germany will be won most effectively through large scale defensive fighting. This is why the Armoured Army Group was devised in the first place. I understand that the lack of a suitable tank made it somewhat pointless to train more regular Tank Divisions, but the T-34 has changed that. Therefor, I would like to suggest an ambitious expansion of our mobile and Armoured component. Egorov can keep his slow behemoths, however, there is still room in 2ya Tankovaya Armiya for three additional Tank Divisions, it would be most welcome if, by May next year, 2ya Tankovaya Division was at full strength. Additionally, I'd like to see all of our Cavalry in the West, in Half-Tracks, as well as our Mobile Guards in the Guards Tank Divisions.
That's not all though, once the tanks have broke through, Riflemen need to follow, at speed, to solidify gains and block counterattacks.

This brings me to
Egorov's suggestion to use Motorised troops and Armoured Cavalry to defend the south. This is counterproductive, in my opinion. To beef up the Armoured Army Group, it would be desirable to set up a fully Motorised Army, including I. KK and the two existing Motorised Rifle Corps, as well as two additional Motorised Rifle Corps. I'd like to strongly press our need for more regular mobile forces to back up the tanks.

As for the deployment plan for the Armoured Army Group, the plan is to order it to go for
Königsberg first, hoping to encircle German troops north of there, before changing their objective to Danzig and Torun, then Warszawa, and finally hooking back to the Brzesc-Litewski area. If successful, such an operation will leave the road to Berlin wide open. Another justification for the proposed sequence of objectives, is supply, taking Königsberg and Danzig should allow the Red Navy to ship in supplies from Leningrad to fuel further advances, a significant advantage over any operation that starts in the south."
ex-General Primakov then intervened as soon as Tuchatjevskij sat down.

"Considering the analysis of 'Tri', I'd like to point out the needs of secondary theatres. For example, to hold back an axis Turkey in the Caucasus, at least another corps of Mountaineers is needed. And the programmes to strengthen our presence in the Far East needs to be continued. Ideally, a full corps of Amur Tiger Cavalry should be part of 10ya Armiya by 1942, that means, three more Divisions need to be trained. Moreover, all of our Divisions out there will be fitted with Engineers, 10 Divisions still don't have them, though they will be reinforced by 1942 if the current training schedule of four parallel Regiments is kept. Additionally, I believe it would be beneficial to have some more special forces, either Marines, or Paratroopers, to effectuate surprise raids or open new, smaller fronts.

There are sufficient units for proposed special operations, but follow-ups could be complicated by the lack of more special forces, though these may be trained after the war has started. A third 'Mounted Comrade Brigade could also help make sure that Partisans are dealt with in a timely matter in Finland. so, to summarise, one more Mountain Rifle Corps for the Caucasus, three more Amur Tiger Cavalry Divisions for the Far East, and 10 Regiments of Engineers are the minimum requirements for our secondary fronts. Additional special forces and Mounted Comrades are desired, but optional."
With all of this discussion, no one had talked about the needs on the front line... so 'Dva' then added a small conclusion:

"I'd like to clarify that many Rifle Divisions on the front line are still short on Artillery, counting the units deployed facing Germany, Hungary, and Romania, the total requirement is for 65 Regiments. The Artillery programme thus needs to continue at it's high rate of production, just to cover the German Border by 1942. Considering the needs of other elements and fronts, there is a good chance that no increase in funding will be possible. Moreover, I will emphasise the fact that Upgrades should take priority over new units, as we want the Red Army to have the latest and greatest equipment and training. Talking of which, I'll let 'Vosem' take the lead on potential research for the Red Army"
'Vosem' thumbed through a stack of folders until he found the two labelled 'Red Army: Equipment' and 'Red Army: Theory and Doctrines', then he stood and started talking:

"There's a lot to talk about, but I'll try to be short...

Infantry weapons are up to date or better, though our designers have explained that they will probably be able to produce revolutionary new designs next year after gaining some more experience with manufacturing processes, weapons testing, and reading up on the latest technological developments. The same goes for specialist Engineer equipment, as well as for Artillery, Heavy Anti-Tank Artillery, Fast Tanks (L Arm optimised for speed by skipping one Armour upgrade), Armoured Cars, Main Battle Tanks, as well as vehicles based on those platforms like Tank-Destroyers and Self-Propelled Artillery. However, our Heavy tanks are still behind their foreign competitors as we had a bit of a late start on those. Militia weapons still date from the early 1930s and Cavalry Weapons from the late 1930s.
Our 4 teams for the equipment side of things are currently working on H Arm (2 teams), Militia Support Weapons, and the development of equipment and organisational structures for 'Marines'.

As for doctrines and theory, our Army is still somewhat behind, though the most important doctrines, Mass Assault, Delay Doctrine, Integrated Support, and Schwerpunkt are all up to date, as well as Operational Level Organisation. 4 teams are at work here as well, working on Blitzkrieg, Mechanised Offensive, Special Forces, and Infantry Warfare.

By May 1942, we expect to keep up the current research pattern, with the following order of priority:
Infantry - Anti-Tank - Artillery - Engineers - Medium Tanks - Light Tanks - Heavy Tanks - Militia - Cavalry
I foresee no particular issues here, Infantry weapons should be upgraded in early 1942, and the rest will follow
For doctrines, the current rule is to first research Morale improving theories before improving organisation, as with such a large army, the most important thing is getting disorganised units reorganised quickly to get them back into the fight so that there is always another unit ready to fight when one breaks under pressure."
Meanwhile, the wishlist had been written out on a blackboard by 'Sem':
Everyone nodded in agreement with the written out list, it looked good and everyone got what they wanted... until they noticed that Sem had added numbers

4 H Arm Divisions - 14.000 ICdays
3 Arm Divisions - 8.150 ICdays
3 Amur Tiger Cavalry Divisions - 4.140 ICdays
2 Mot Corps - 24.150 ICdays (12.075 / Corps)
1 Mtn Corps - 4.210 ICdays
65 Artillery Regiments - 24.480 ICdays
10 Engineer Regiments - 2.390 ICdays

Total: 81.520 ICdays or 326 IC over the 250 days to late May
'Sem' wasted no time in explaining what he had done:

"Counting units already in training and efficiency gains, that's about 300 IC over 250 days, or almost all of current production, upgrades and supplies included...Its probably possible, but everything else would have to go, I'm sure the Army will still need things like modern equipment for existing units, increased Air Support, improved infrastructure, and supplies, so gentlemen, think this over, things will have to be cut, or delayed past the declaration of war, to bring this list down to more achievable numbers. What is really necessary, and what is merely optional? To be reflected upon. For reference, an average of about 230 IC for all production, excluding upgrades and supplies, is to be expected over the following 250 days. Now, about 24 IC is dedicated to Infrastructure, fortifications, Air Bases, and Radar Stations. About 11 to the navy, and currently about 65 IC to the Air Component, that leaves Army expenditure at an average about 130-140 IC, if we wanted to cover half of what has been proposed, we would need 150 IC. We might be able to cut VVS expenditure a little, but this has to be looked into. Maybe 'Chteyre' would like to explain the VVS' goals with the possibility of an all out 1942 attack in mind."
'Chteyre' stood up to talk about the future of the VVS:

"The long stated goal to build up a significant fighter force to intercept the Luftwaffe is almost complete... to be precise, we are now close to having 7 operational Fighter Aviation Corps of 496 Yak-7s, and once this goal is reached we are confident we have enough to intercept everything that flies directly over our European front. After that goal is reached, it would be desirable to assemble one or two smaller, longer-range Fighter Aviation Corps of 248 La-7s for deployment to the Far East.
On the Ground Attack side, we have our 2 Bombardment Aviation Corps, with 200 Yak-4s each. Assault Aviation Corps continue to be assembled. We have 4 operational corps with 248 Il-10s and 124 La-7s each, and a 5th is in production. The goal here is to have at least 6 Assault Aviation Corps.
To add more versatility to the VVS, a Heavy Bomber Aviation Division is in production, delivery is expected by January.
Li-2 Transports are also in production, the next Transport Aviation Division, our third, will be deployed in mid-November.

The Navy has 7 Carrier Aviation Groups, this means that there are currently 3 groups in reserve, but when the Minsk is delivered, at least another Group will need to be provided for the next Carrier to get it's full complement.

So, I see 'Sem' likes numbers, so, by late May we would like to have 4 more Assault Divisions, 4 more La-7 Fighter Divisions, 2 more Yak-7 Fighter Divisions, and at least one Heavy Bomber Division and one more Transport Division. Aeroplanes in production are half-way done, on average."
'Vosem' then returned with his folder labelled 'Aeroplane Development':

"Our light Aeroplane designs are top notch world beaters, only electronics and Air Launched torpedoes lag behind a bit, though they are currently being brought up to scratch with the development of new designs.Larger Aircraft design does lag behind substantially, the planes share the same up to date engines, but otherwise, they are some way behind the competition. Medium Fuel Tanks are being researched to add some range to our twin-Engined bombers, but otherwise no research is planned right now.

Training and theory is much the same story, the ground crews and pilots of our Fighters and Assault bombers are well trained. Interception tactics and Fighter Targeting Focus tactics are also entirely up to date. Ground Attack tactics, Logistical strike tactics (thanks to the British) and Tactical Air Command could be better, but are decent, the rest is bad, as in 1918 bad, priority was always given to the small aeroplanes which were always meant to be the bulk of the Air Force, at least in the first stages. Some minor inroads are being made, with the development of TAC ground Crew Training, and Airborne Assault tactics. Four research teams are working on tactics and training for the Air Component of both the Army and the Navy."

'Sem' was writing all that down:

4 x La-7 IAD 4.820 ICdays (3,5 x 1.377)
2 x Yak-7 IAD 1.990 ICdays (1,5 x 1.327)
4 x Il-10 ShAD 3.640 ICdays (3 x 1.213)
1 x TB-3 DBAD 1.810 ICdays (0,5 x 3.620)
1 x Tra TAD 1.010 (0.5 x 2.020)

Total: 13.270 ICdays or 53 IC over 250 days.

"Now this seems more reasonable, and it means that VVS spending has some room to go down soon as an average of 53 IC should provide sufficient firepower."
There was a silence as those present were hesitating whether the meeting was over not, when 'Piat' stood up to talk about the navy.

"We will soon launch Minsk, our second Kyiv-Class Aircraft Carrier, and in light of that, I would like to argue to continue on with the construction of a third Fleet Carrier, and at least two more Sevastopol-Class Destroyer Flotilla's. As I understand it, there is also a need for some additional Naval Transports, though that can be somewhat delayed, after the next Transport Flotilla is delivered. Our navy's main role in a 1942 offensive is to provide shore bombardment, and to that purpose, both our Red Banner Baltic Fleet and our Black Sea Fleet have sufficient firepower. Additionally our Aircraft Carriers can provide additional Air Support, though that would probably be the exception rather than the rule.

Our many submarines are spread across our bases, ready to harass Axis convoys. And then, we have our Carrier Fleet, I don't know exactly where it is, but it's on a long term exercise in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, it passed through Archanglesk before returning to the Mediterranean. I should point out that we would like to avoid our Carrier Fleet getting stuck in either the Baltic or the Black sea upon war with the Axis. This is why the fleet, officially based in Sevastopol, is out and about, outside the Black Sea. I have been told there are several plans to deal with this problem permanently, but all depends on the situation at the moment the war starts."
'Vosem' jumped in again with research information:

"In stark contrast to Army and Air Force, our navy has a only a single Research team, having previously relied on stolen technology, something which seems to be becoming more difficult. Naval technology is woefully behind foreign rivals. Our Carriers are equivalent to first generation Carriers like the Béarn or the Courageous Class and are surpassed by more recent designs like the Ark Royal, and that's not to mention the foreign designs that haven't been built or that we haven't seen yet. Of course the shortcomings of our Carriers are somewhat compensated by our very modern Aeroplanes, even in the Carrier Aviation Groups.

Even our newest Sevastopol-Class Destroyers aren't very good, their speed was good a couple of years ago, but now, compared to the Royal Navy, it's more middle of the pack really, and the rest is worse. We do have some ASW weapons, and small Radars installed, but neither is up to date, but it's something I guess.

On the doctrines, it's even worse, our Navy Research team is very slowly developing our own homegrown Fleet Auxiliary Carrier Doctrine, due to be finished in late November. For the rest, we know the other main doctrines, but neither training, nor tactics have been developed further."
'Sem' had long finished his list:

CV 6,21 IC
DD 4,07 IC / TP 6,09 IC

Total: An average of 10 IC continuously to maintain the current programme...
"To conclude, Gentlemen, we need to cut or delay somewhere... with a total demand for production equivalent to an output of 387 of the reference 1936 Industrial Complexes, and most likely 'only' 230-240 available for production on average, this is not insignificant. The bulk of this 'delusion of grandeur' is coming from the Army, so it's there that I expect the most cuts will be made.The Soviet Union has one of the largest industrial bases in the world, and still we don't seem to be able to satisfy the needs and wishes of our Army...

Moreover, we need to consider further improving Industrial Output and Efficiency through research, from what 'Vosem' said, it seems the VVS has more research teams than it absolutely needs, so once those fancy torpedoes are ready for production, that team could start work on improving Industry and Supply management, which are currently adequate, but could be improved towards next year."
'Vosem' then insisted on speaking one last time, everyone was hungry and several people had already gathered their things, but, reluctantly they let him speak:

"I would just like to remind you all that we have an ongoing long-term project looking into secret Nuclear Research, as well as a team of Engineers responsible for Radar technology, computing machines, as well as en- and decryption, from time to time, they help out with industrial research as well. The rest of our intellectuals are mostly training officers, while a couple are diplomats, mostly trying to keep Nationalist China out of the Axis, for a lack of being able to pull them closer to us. A small fraction is training spies for insertion into the United Kingdom, mostly in hopes of stealing naval, and other, technology."
I then rose from my seat and told them that lunch was served, and to mull over our strategy. We shall all consider what needs to be adjusted to ensure success in a 1942 offensive, and continued readiness until then. We will reconvene tomorrow to put in place an achievable strategy.

Greetings,

'Odin'​
 
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Now, this is quite the conundrum. I love it!

Since the expectation is that Turkey will flip over to the Axis if war is declared, would a pre-emptive strike be an option? Not only would that remove one front almost entirely, leaving us with only a small border to defend in the Balkans, it would ensure our carriers can pass through Bosporus unchallenged. On the other hand, it may come with serious diplomatic repercussions...

Looking at the main front against Germany, I believe Tuchatjevskij has a point. We shouldn't fight a static war of defense if we can avoid it, rather utilizing the doctrine we ourselves developed in the 20's and early 30's: the Deep Operations doctrine. While I have advocated for bleeding the enemy dry on numerous occasions, that strategy should still be reserved for a time where no serious offensive action can be taken. I believe the length of the war as well as our casualties will drastically decrease if instead of creating conditions so that we can mount an impenetrable defense, we create conditions where we can mount a successful offensive, cutting off and overrunning the enemy rather than fighting a battle of attrition. Thus, the Southern front doesn't necessarily need all that HARM, in my view, and the production capability would be better used in manufacturing half-tracks and medium armour to allow the Northern front to mount a successful deep battle against enemy troops stationed in East Prussia and Northern Poland. It would also decrease the pressure in the South as they would have to draw in more troops in an attempt to stem our push. The South, and overall the entire front, still does need staying power and firepower, so I wouldn't cut or otherwise interfere with the artillery programme. (Speaking of deep battle and kessels, I wonder if our Amur Tiger divisions couldn't cut off all IJA troops in Manchuria in one fell swoop from Vladivostok across the Korean peninsula and from there to the Mongolian border, especially if we could find some VDV to lend a hand?)

I would hate to see our infrastructure and aircraft projects stopped, but then again, I am both an airpower proponent and an avid believer in the guns and butter doctrine, so I may be biased. We do need at least the fighters and interceptors, though. Our units have virtually no AA capability of their own, so enemy air attacks would be devastating.
 
In general terms, I think it would be useful to give Germany as much time as possible to make the attack themselves - this would remove or at least reduce the other threats mentioned, especially Japan. Indeed, if there was some way of tempting or luring them into an attack, that would be good, but I’m not sure that is possible (without gaming the system).

In terms of expenditure, I think maybe the artillery has to be the main target for cutting. I’m a big fan of artillery to round out rifle divisions, but 65 is a very high number. Is that standard artillery, or is the quicker/less expensive rocket version available? Maybe that could be used to offset costs a little. Could other divisions be ‘squared up’ (4 x INF) until they can be equipped with artillery - reducing their number but increasing their strength per unit? The other big ticket Army production is the two full mot corps. I suspect that only one can be afforded, at most, before May.

The rest, the salami slicer will have to be applied - including to the HArm. And if you opt for a “wait for them to attack us” strategy, maybe the stuff designed for dealing with Japan and Turkey could also be delayed, either because it may not be needed after all, or not until after May 1942.

My money though is still on Germany attacking once Norway falls, presumably well before May 1942. In which case I’d be prioritising that front, with defensive units first. The Germans need to be bled first to give our offensive units the opportunities to then counterattack, so the best outcome is for the Germans to attack hard but against expensive odds. We will always win the manpower attrition battle - but if they conserve theirs, then will be tougher to crack.

PS: Finshades’ arguments are acknowledged and I think are also valid, but in part I wanted to offer an alternative view to the Committee. :)
 
At first I lean towards Finshades' arguments due to my fear that if we wait and the Germans attack us EVEN if they have a short advance into our territory they could lengthen our lines and thin them out. I understand we have reserves and it would give us an advantage of shorter supply lines but I still fear Panzers pouring into holes. I also always prefer action to reaction.

On the other hand if we attack first the Germans WOULD have the advantage of short supply lines and, if they get pushed back, they have shorter lines to deal with. They can make nice defenses in depth. Also, the Japanese will be FORCED to jump in.

I feel that Bullfilter's arguments, while dangerous, can gives us better odds in the long run. And once again I hate to wait or just react to what others do but in this case if we are READY for the Germans we can really maul them before we hit them in a counter-attack. I feel it would be our best chance to break their lines and trap them into pockets.
 
At first I lean towards Finshades' arguments due to my fear that if we wait and the Germans attack us EVEN if they have a short advance into our territory they could lengthen our lines and thin them out. I understand we have reserves and it would give us an advantage of shorter supply lines but I still fear Panzers pouring into holes. I also always prefer action to reaction.

On the other hand if we attack first the Germans WOULD have the advantage of short supply lines and, if they get pushed back, they have shorter lines to deal with. They can make nice defenses in depth. Also, the Japanese will be FORCED to jump in.

I feel that Bullfilter's arguments, while dangerous, can gives us better odds in the long run. And once again I hate to wait or just react to what others do but in this case if we are READY for the Germans we can really maul them before we hit them in a counter-attack. I feel it would be our best chance to break their lines and trap them into pockets.
Yes, it’s a finely balanced argument - especially given I was one of those suggesting the possibility of a preemptive attack in the first place! For me, it is the Japan aspect that keeps me cautious. Though I suspect the very strong Red Army in this ATL is well placed, let us remember the Committee’s pledge to allow armies to command themselves (the AI commitment).

One-one, in this context, I think the SU remains well ahead of Germany, even with that handicap. But throw in Japan, Turkey and a likely slow and weak-kneed Allied response? Makes it a bit more problematic. What disadvantage would the SU suffer by waiting beyond May 1942 for a German attack? Though I think the point will likely prove moot and they will attack before then. Interesting times for Odin & co - I wonder what they will put to Stalin? ;)
 
Now, this is quite the conundrum. I love it!
Well, you suggested this type of update, and I decided to add some drama and extra conflicting interests, amplifying my own conflicting priorities, to make things interesting and entice more interesting feedback, I've definitely not been disappointed...

Since the expectation is that Turkey will flip over to the Axis if war is declared, would a pre-emptive strike be an option? Not only would that remove one front almost entirely, leaving us with only a small border to defend in the Balkans, it would ensure our carriers can pass through Bosporus unchallenged. On the other hand, it may come with serious diplomatic repercussions...
In case we attack, that seems likely, but it's not 100%. In case Germany attacks us, it's less likely that Turkey would join the axis, as the added German threat would make the Japanese influence mission less effective, though they are pretty close to the axis, so if war is declared, they may be close enough already, and join the Axis a few days after. A pre-emptive strike was discussed years ago, and then, as now, the diplomatic fallout would be enormous. We have no claims on Turkish territory, Turkey wasn't involved in any agression within our 'sphere of influence', and our common border is manned, but far from enough to suggest that they might be preparing for an offensive into the Soviet Union... We want to look like the good guys to ensure maximum Allied cooperation while we need it and not to push other nations, which are on the fence diplomatically, away into the Allies, or worse, the Axis.

In general terms, I think it would be useful to give Germany as much time as possible to make the attack themselves - this would remove or at least reduce the other threats mentioned, especially Japan. Indeed, if there was some way of tempting or luring them into an attack, that would be good, but I’m not sure that is possible (without gaming the system).
The big advantage is that if Germany attacks us, it will probably be just Germany and it's puppets, at first anyway, a new axis member, like Turkey, if they were to join, will probably take some time before they join the war, several plans are in place to remedy the Bosporus situation without a pre-emptive strike on Turkey. The most straightforward ones would require Turkey to remain at peace for at least a week or so after Germany declares war. Of course, if we attack, this advantage may go out of the window... unless Turkey doesn't join the Axis or the war for the first week or so... Other plans are more far-fetched... you'll see.
As for luring into an attack, considering we've already embargoed half the Axis, I don't see what more we could do... unless you're suggesting thinning the border defences to dangerously low levels, which would be politically indefensible and put into question the leadership of the Communist Party. We've known of the German threat on the border for some time, and simulating unpreparedness is risky as some powerful factions inside the Soviet Union may see this as severe incompetence, or worse, a betrayal of the people of the Soviet Union. Political instability is the last thing we want... and the NKGB running overtime to deal with the fallout of such a decision isn't good for anyone...

One-one, in this context, I think the SU remains well ahead of Germany, even with that handicap. But throw in Japan, Turkey and a likely slow and weak-kneed Allied response? Makes it a bit more problematic. What disadvantage would the SU suffer by waiting beyond May 1942 for a German attack? Though I think the point will likely prove moot and they will attack before then. Interesting times for Odin & co - I wonder what they will put to Stalin? ;)
I see your point, but there are also other considerations, some of which aren't modelled in game, the whole country has been openly preparing since the Winter War, and we can't realistically remain mobilised indefinitely, putting diplomatic pressure on the Axis without ever acting. At some point, the threats on our borders need to be dealt with. Of course, if Japan remains entirely focused on the Soviet Union, we wil have serious problems, so a 1942 offensive is definitely contingent of Japan being distracted by some other war... considering that the US has an embargo on them, they must be pretty pissed about their resource situation and the unfavourable trade deals they have to make to remedy the situation, so either they'll go for Indochina, and/or, they'll have a delusion of grandeur moment and strike the US in retaliation for that embargo.

My money though is still on Germany attacking once Norway falls, presumably well before May 1942. In which case I’d be prioritising that front, with defensive units first. The Germans need to be bled first to give our offensive units the opportunities to then counterattack, so the best outcome is for the Germans to attack hard but against expensive odds. We will always win the manpower attrition battle - but if they conserve theirs, then will be tougher to crack.
On the other hand if we attack first the Germans WOULD have the advantage of short supply lines and, if they get pushed back, they have shorter lines to deal with. They can make nice defenses in depth. Also, the Japanese will be FORCED to jump in.
The question remains, do we push forward hard and try to achieve an early tactical victory, or do we let the Germans come at us for a year before pushing back hard with a more veteran and strengthened force? For example, if the Germans declare war before may, or even in 1941, as @Bullfilter suggests, we could contemplate a massive offensive in May after bleeding the Wehrmacht during the winter, as wartime production and officer training will be significantly increased when we are at war with Germany.

Looking at the main front against Germany, I believe Tuchatjevskij has a point. We shouldn't fight a static war of defense if we can avoid it, rather utilizing the doctrine we ourselves developed in the 20's and early 30's: the Deep Operations doctrine. While I have advocated for bleeding the enemy dry on numerous occasions, that strategy should still be reserved for a time where no serious offensive action can be taken. I believe the length of the war as well as our casualties will drastically decrease if instead of creating conditions so that we can mount an impenetrable defense, we create conditions where we can mount a successful offensive, cutting off and overrunning the enemy rather than fighting a battle of attrition. Thus, the Southern front doesn't necessarily need all that HARM, in my view, and the production capability would be better used in manufacturing half-tracks and medium armour to allow the Northern front to mount a successful deep battle against enemy troops stationed in East Prussia and Northern Poland. It would also decrease the pressure in the South as they would have to draw in more troops in an attempt to stem our push. The South, and overall the entire front, still does need staying power and firepower, so I wouldn't cut or otherwise interfere with the artillery programme.
At first I lean towards Finshades' arguments due to my fear that if we wait and the Germans attack us EVEN if they have a short advance into our territory they could lengthen our lines and thin them out. I understand we have reserves and it would give us an advantage of shorter supply lines but I still fear Panzers pouring into holes. I also always prefer action to reaction.
Interesting things here, though Tuchatjevski's proposal is very expensive, a somewhat slimmed down version would still give us plenty of concentrated offensive power in the Armoured Army Group.

In terms of expenditure, I think maybe the artillery has to be the main target for cutting. I’m a big fan of artillery to round out rifle divisions, but 65 is a very high number. Is that standard artillery, or is the quicker/less expensive rocket version available? Maybe that could be used to offset costs a little. Could other divisions be ‘squared up’ (4 x INF) until they can be equipped with artillery - reducing their number but increasing their strength per unit?
I'm somewhat leaning towards keeping Artillery spending a bit lower, it has been reduced to 5 parallel runs from a peak of 12, and while 65 is a huge number, it's a lot smaller than when we started adding Artillery... I will also take this opportunity to remind everyone that all of our Rifle Divisions in Europe have an Anti-Tank Regiment attached. With this in mind, it seems a bit pointless to set up square Divisions. Alternatively, we could equip some Divisions with Engineers instead of Artillery...
The Artillery is an additional Regiment to increase the firepower and staying power of the Rifle Divisions against soft targets.

The other big ticket Army production is the two full mot corps. I suspect that only one can be afforded, at most, before May.
I suspect the same, with all the competing priorities a single corps of Motorised Riflemen is allround more realistic.

Speaking of deep battle and kessels, I wonder if our Amur Tiger divisions couldn't cut off all IJA troops in Manchuria in one fell swoop from Vladivostok across the Korean peninsula and from there to the Mongolian border, especially if we could find some VDV to lend a hand?
I've been going back and forth on how to organise them, and you make a good point. As we have more than one, it's probably worth it to place them in their own corps, independent from 10ya Armiya... that may allow them to adopt a more agressive stance than the Infantry and for them to remain concentrated in one area.

I would hate to see our infrastructure and aircraft projects stopped, but then again, I am both an airpower proponent and an avid believer in the guns and butter doctrine, so I may be biased. We do need at least the fighters and interceptors, though. Our units have virtually no AA capability of their own, so enemy air attacks would be devastating.
I don't think either will be stopped, One Aeroplane production line may be shut down, but nothing beyond that, both Guns and Butter and Air Power are quite vital in a war with a major alliance like the Axis, and as we saw in Finland, it can really save the day in otherwise pretty equal battles.

PS: Finshades’ arguments are acknowledged and I think are also valid, but in part I wanted to offer an alternative view to the Committee. :)
I feel that Bullfilter's arguments, while dangerous, can gives us better odds in the long run. And once again I hate to wait or just react to what others do but in this case if we are READY for the Germans we can really maul them before we hit them in a counter-attack. I feel it would be our best chance to break their lines and trap them into pockets.
Yes, it’s a finely balanced argument - especially given I was one of those suggesting the possibility of a preemptive attack in the first place! For me, it is the Japan aspect that keeps me cautious. Though I suspect the very strong Red Army in this ATL is well placed, let us remember the Committee’s pledge to allow armies to command themselves (the AI commitment).
Thanks for offering contrasting points of view, and even being so considerate as to recognise the merits of adverse proposals.

A conclusion to this debate will be posted in a couple of days, probably this week-end. These replies should give you some more talking points and context in the meantime, and of course, the debate is still open to any other views beyond those expressed until now.
 
With regards to a potential German declaration of war over the winter, I believe we should be content to hold our ground and bleed the enemy until May. The snow and mud, while far more detrimental to the German equipment (as discussed previously, it is both over-engineered and far removed from the realities of a battlefield), would still slow our offensive to a crawl. Rather, we should wait until the ground dries and then strike with speed and violence against German units weakened by their futile winter offensive and force a breakthrough that we can exploit.

As for the Amur Tiger divisions, I do believe concentration is the key. Schwerpunkt, schwerpunkt, schwerpunkt. Our Sapper divisions (can't remember what they are actually called so bear with me) can hold ground well enough and frankly, maneuver units such as the Amur Tigers are wasted in a static defense. They should be used aggressively and in a concentrated fashion, keeping the enemy off balance and hopefully producing encirclements, small or large, that will allow us to remove some IJA units. Or, in other words, using local superiority to effect a "defeat in detail"-style strategy. It is my assumption that the IJA and their allies in the area are especially lacking in offensive hitting power against a dug in opponent, so I don't see the land front there being a large concern. I'd be rather more concerned about potential amphibious attacks to the north of Vladivostok in an attempt to cut off some of our forces in the area.

The good gentlemen Bullfilter and Eurasia have raised some very convincing points, for which I am grateful (and indeed, the entire Soviet Union ought to be). Especially meritorious in my opinion is Bullfilter's suggestion that focus be placed solidly on the European theater until its immediate needs are fulfilled; the other fronts and the areas directly behind them are for the most part sparsely populated and/or hard to navigate and easy to defend, so in a pinch the only front that needs to actually hold firm is the Western one, while it will be enough for the others to mount a successful delaying action until they can be reinforced.
 
With regards to a potential German declaration of war over the winter, I believe we should be content to hold our ground and bleed the enemy until May. The snow and mud, while far more detrimental to the German equipment (as discussed previously, it is both over-engineered and far removed from the realities of a battlefield), would still slow our offensive to a crawl. Rather, we should wait until the ground dries and then strike with speed and violence against German units weakened by their futile winter offensive and force a breakthrough that we can exploit.
That seems quite sound a strategy, but if the Germans don't attack this winter, the committee seems to remain somewhat split, with @Bullfilter suggesting we could wait beyond the spring of 1942 to attack if we aren't attacked, waiting out the Germans, though this was somewhat addressed in the previous reply. Also, the idea of declaring war and letting the Germans come to us seems to have been suggested... but unless it's winter, I don't think handing the initiative to the wehrmacht would be very wise...

As for the Amur Tiger divisions, I do believe concentration is the key. Schwerpunkt, schwerpunkt, schwerpunkt. Our Sapper divisions (can't remember what they are actually called so bear with me) can hold ground well enough and frankly, maneuver units such as the Amur Tigers are wasted in a static defense. They should be used aggressively and in a concentrated fashion, keeping the enemy off balance and hopefully producing encirclements, small or large, that will allow us to remove some IJA units. Or, in other words, using local superiority to effect a "defeat in detail"-style strategy. It is my assumption that the IJA and their allies in the area are especially lacking in offensive hitting power against a dug in opponent, so I don't see the land front there being a large concern. I'd be rather more concerned about potential amphibious attacks to the north of Vladivostok in an attempt to cut off some of our forces in the area.
Seems sound, for now the single Division was attached to 10ya Armiya which has orders to defend most of the border. But, with the arrival of the second Division a few days ago a new independent corps may be set up, reporting only to the Far East Theatre HQ. This corps could then get different objectives and take up a more agressive stance more favourable to bold encirclements. Remember that we cannot control everything, so a degree of delegation remains necessary, so exact movements will be up to the new Amur Tiger Cavalry Corps commander.

The good gentlemen Bullfilter and Eurasia have raised some very convincing points, for which I am grateful (and indeed, the entire Soviet Union ought to be). Especially meritorious in my opinion is Bullfilter's suggestion that focus be placed solidly on the European theater until its immediate needs are fulfilled; the other fronts and the areas directly behind them are for the most part sparsely populated and/or hard to navigate and easy to defend, so in a pinch the only front that needs to actually hold firm is the Western one, while it will be enough for the others to mount a successful delaying action until they can be reinforced.
The consensus seems to be that great focus must continue to be placed on the European Theatre, this would imply reducing the training of Mountain Rifle Divisions in order to start building more tanks and Motorised Rifle Divisions. Also, Artillery production could be increased back to levels where the training and equipment of 10 Regiments can happen simultaneously. The priority placed on the ATKDs may also be lowered. (i.e. they will only start training again once 2ya Tankovaya Armiya has the units to fill out it's ranks, or once all the Rifle Divisions of 10ya Armiya have a Sapper Regiment. Two have already been trained, and it doesn't seem the Japanese have anything remotely close to tanks on the front line... Training of Engineers will continue as planned... for our Rifle Divisions in the Far East.
So now the question remains, what should the order of priority be for Red Army spending on the European Theatre? Tanks - Motorised - Artillery - Heavy Guards Tanks, the other way around? To set up a proper new production schedule, the order of priority should be clarified, either through an absolute ranking, or by awarding a score of importance to each of these various elements (say you have 10 points, how do you spread them around? You can use decimals if you want to be pedantic, or precise?). From what I gathered from your comments, it seems @Finshades is leaning towards prioritising the tanks and Motorised, then Artillery, and the Heavy tanks as an afterthought, while @Bullfilter would prefer the highest priority to be given to Artillery, before anything else. @Eurasia seems more balanced, though that might just be an impression. Final words, before the decision is made?