'Odin' and Stalin's Secret Committee

[Bullfilter]

Aha! I felt it in my waters! So now we will see the stalin (and Stalin) tested. We trust the war machine's steel will be tempered and not melted. And Joe Steel will surely not suffer the panicked funk he did in OTL, when the hammer struck him unprepared. This time, he has the Secret Committee to keep things honest and as efficient as an AI-led command economy can be. Ourah!

PS: you're going to be very busy reporting all this: interested to see how you tackle it.

 

[roverS3]

The trap springs! The past years of preparation, planning, production, research and careful maneuvering have all led to this. Exhilarating. I believe we will start getting contact reports momentarily. Any heavy bomber assets should attempt to disrupt enemy communication and supply lines to further slow down their advance, while the rest focus on inflicting casualties as ordered. Even if our forces currently on the border are outnumbered and outgunned, I have no doubt they will be able to use their prepared positions and heavy support to exact a high price for every inch of Soviet ground, and that's just before the cavalry arrives to deal the hammer blow.

Aha! I felt it in my waters! So now we will see the stalin (and Stalin) tested. We trust the war machine's steel will be tempered and not melted. And Joe Steel will surely not suffer the panicked funk he did in OTL, when the hammer struck him unprepared. This time, he has the Secret Committee to keep things honest and as efficient as an AI-led command economy can be. Ourah!

Yes, this is the big one we've all been waiting for...

PS: you're going to be very busy reporting all this: interested to see how you tackle it.

Indeed, time will slow to a crawl, and I'll have to get creative.

A careful review of plans about to be put into motion might be prudent. That should also allow us to review the enemy concentration of forces and adapt plans accordingly.

Of course, you're already giving me suggestions on how to report... I'll do a review of the current plan and deployments, but after the first day or so of fighting, so that we have an idea of the strength of German Divisions.
But, I'm not telling you the details of 'Operation Thor' and 'Operation Poseidon' until they're over... (It's nothing massive, but I've been planning them for a while, and the circumstances are just right for both of them to go ahead, you'll have to wait and see.)

 

[Finshades]

Of course, you're already giving me suggestions on how to report... I'll do a review of the current plan and deployments, but after the first day or so of fighting, so that we have an idea of the strength of German Divisions.
But, I'm not telling you the details of 'Operation Thor' and 'Operation Poseidon' until they're over... (It's nothing massive, but I've been planning them for a while, and the circumstances are just right for both of them to go ahead, you'll have to wait and see.)

A big tease, you are, fine sir! Not to worry, I have full confidence I will see the fruits of them on the map for myself shortly... Since the committee likes getting its reports from the ground, do I foresee some committee assets touring the frontlines or embedded in fighting units? Excepting 11, as we all know we'd have to tie her down to keep her off the front. Firecracker, that one.

 

[nuclearslurpee]

Ah, finally! War were declared!

The secret compound, as I assume the entire Soviet Union is in a state of frenzied activity. Orders are going out. Stalin will make an impassioned speech this evening. Bullets will surely start flying before that. After years of preparation, mind-games, diplomacy, secret operations, and looking on form the sidelines, we are at WAR with the Third Reich.

I look forward to the Germans being stomped into so much pulverized bratwurst within the next six months or so, as the Red Army in this OTL is far too well-prepared to fall victim to the failures that plagued them in OTL!

 

[roverS3]

The 23rd of June 1942, Vologda, 8,3°C, 8 pm Moscow Time.

Yesterday, Comrade Stalin spoke on the radio. It was a short, rousing, speech, referring, for the first time, to the Soviet Union as the 'Motherland' (Rodina) to be defended. The speech is already having effects. A new nationalist fervour has taken hold of the population. Many civilians are going far above and beyond the call of duty in the name of the defence of the Motherland. This has lead to increased industrial output (+20%), shorter delivery times for weapons and tanks (-25%), and increased intellectual output from our scientists, spies, diplomats, and Officer trainers (+10%).

The first 26 hours of the war have been hectic. The question isn't 'where did the Germans strike?' but 'where didn't they strike?'. The good news is that none of Germany's Allies have joined the fight. This means that we can concentrate on the Germans for now, it is also great news for 'Operation Poseidon', but more on that in a few days.

9 provinces have been attacked:

Rietavas, Suwalki, Kybartai, Zambrow, Lomza, Maloryta in the Northern part of the front
Sanok, Przemysl, Zolkiew in the Southern part of the front.

4 Battles have already ended, Sanok was a victory, but Rietavas, Suwalki, and Kybartai were losses, and it's only a matter of time before those provinces are occupied. Casuallies were quite one-sided, with 2.002 Soviet casualties and 1.036 German casualties on the ground in the above-mentioned battles. Other provinces will surely follow soon, as several of the 6 defensive battles, and many more have surely already perished in ongoing battles.

To try and stem the tide, and even the odds, the VVS has been working overtime, 7 Aviation Corps flew 20 daytime missions in 26 hours, killing 3118 German soldiers in the process. No German aeroplanes were encountered anywhere along the front. This allowed the VVS to move all the reserve Assault Aviation Divisions up close to the front, as the repair capacity can be spared, and there is no need for fighters to provide air cover and get damaged. The biggest foe of our bombers is AA fire. Many of the German units encountered have dedicated AA Gun Regiments, and even though provinces with fixed AA installations have been avoided, over 30 aeroplanes have been shot down. It should also be noted, that, on average German Commander are more experienced than their Soviet counterparts at this stage.

The following have been engaged in battle:
20 binary Infantry Divisions (usually Infx2 and 2 support Regiments)
10 triangular Infantry Divisions (Infx3, no support Regiments)
2 binary motorised Divisions (Motx2, 2 support Regiments)
1 triangular Mountaineer Divisions (Mtnx3, no support Regiments)
SS Division 'Reich' (WSSx2, 2 support Regiments)
1 single Regiment SS-verfügungstruppe (WSS, no support)
6 Panzer Divisions (Arm, Mot, 2 support Regiments)
2 (light) Panzer Divisions (L Armx2, Mot, Eng)
3 Heavy Panzer Divisions (H Arm, Mot, 2 Support Regiments)

A series of more detailed reports will crunch some more numbers and provide additional information, as well as enumerating all the battles that have happened or started by the 1st of July.

But, before we get ahead of ourselves, let's look into our forces, and how they are deployed. First, the Red Army's OOB:

These are all the units available to fight Germany. Right now, only 2nd Army Group and 3rd Army Group are on the front. All of Armoured Army Group is embarked on trains, and being redeployed towards the front. The 9 corps in Reserve are all dug in, in the cities mentioned below them . We do also have troops on the Hungarian, Romanian, and Turkish borders. That's another 4 Rifle Corps, and 2 Mountain Rifle Corps that could be pulled away, but then things would have to be desperate, or we'd have to be sure that one of those countries won't declare war on the Soviet Union, or join the Axis. A corps of Mountaineers is also slowly making it's way into Norway, in the far north.​

The situation at 8pm on the 23rd of June 1942.
Objectives for 2nd Army Group (Yellow): Memel, Königsberg, Brzesc-Litewski, and Warszawa.
Objectives for 3rd Army Group (Peach): Warszawa, Krasnystaw, Krakow.​

There are still some questions about how the Armoured AG is best used:

A risky and ambitious plan would be to try some variation of this, using both 2ya Tankovaya Armiya, and 11ya Mot. Armiya. The first objective would be Lodz, and once that is reached, the aim would be to reach Gdansk, thereby cutting off much of the German forces from supplies. The risks are great, as German troops will attempt to cut off the spearhead from both the North and the South, and Supplies could become a problem.

A push along the Baltic coast should have no issues getting supplies, with convoys bringing them directly to the nearest port. The first objective would be Königsberg, then on to Gdansk. There is little potential for encirclements, but also a much lower risk of getting encircled and cut off from supplies. In this scenario, 2ya Tankovaya Armiya should be enough on it's own, and 11ya Mot. Armiya could take the role of a mobile defensive force, probably in the south.

A variant of the first proposal could try a breakthrough more to the north, aiming for Modlin, then Torun, and finally Gdansk.​

The VVS has moved all of it's bombers close to the front (Our TB-3s are still rebasing from the Far East). Fighters are ready to jump in case of any Luftwaffe interference. In total 5 Assault Aviation Corps (CASx2, Ftr) and 2 Bombardment Aviation Corps (Tacx2, Ftr) are supporting the Red Army right now. The aeroplanes currently in service are the La-7 escort and long-range Fighter, the Yak-7 interceptor, the Il-10 Assault plane, the ageing Yak-4 Medium bomber, and the lumbering TB-3 Heavy Bomber.​

Chief Marshal of Aviation Alexander A. Novikov has just moved his unit, II. ShAK, to Nowogrodek Air Base. VVS West HQ is also situated there, allowing the Chief Marshall of Aviation to command both his own Aviation Corps tactically, and the VVS strategically. 'Chetyre' has moved there too, and he will thus be reporting on Aerial operations from the front.​

Thanks to 'Dva's network of informants in the Red Army, I will remain well informed of all significant developments along the front, and even a few insignificant ones, I expect.I haven't received any news from 'Odinatsat', though I expect a note saying that she's going to the front any minute. As in the Winter War, I will occasionally visit the front, as well as headquarters and Air Bases.

I hope this has clarified where we stand so that you can formulate your own proposals and/or questions. The Committe is interested in your thoughts on any of the above-mentioned elements.

I'm off, there is a war on, you know, (Also Operations 'Thor' and 'Poseidon' are right on schedule...)

'Odin'​

Let's talk business for a second. In the case we go for a big Tank offensive, I will give 2ya Tankovaya Armiya and 11ya Mot Armiya the same objective, with 2ya TA on 'Blitzing' stance, and 11ya MA on 'Attacking'. Right now 2 & 3 AG are both on 'Defensive' stance.

 

[Bullfilter]

Interesting, contemplating a counteroffensive off the bat. The more cautious approach would be to see what the Germans bring to bear on the ground and in the air (where is the Luftwaffe?) first. Get them to commit, wear themselves down a bit, look for a weak point or sector, then strike through once they are exposed and their strength is degraded fighting your main defensive formations. Or was that what you intended (the timing of the offensive wasn’t clear to me,or perhaps I missed something)?

Also, although the war is limited now, there is a chance it could expand, especially if your offensive takes you onto German soil. If Axis minors in Europe or worse, Japan in the east jump in, things could get crazy for a while.

Then again, if you see an opportunity to strike, you may just want to take it, I suppose. But do bear in mind, for all the excellent equipment and organisational preparation, these are AI generals in command. The offensive actions will not be the rapier-like thrusts with relentless momentum that human guidance down to Corps or division level would provide.

I’ll be the voice of caution and suggest some vigorous ‘feeling out’ of the enemy and his capacity, wider developments and the effectiveness of your own forces’ defence before committing to an offensive, let alone deciding where it should hit. Doesn’t need to be a long wait if things go well, but that’s my 10c worth, anyway.

 

[Finshades]

I think the first proposal might be a tad ambitious. We need to relieve pressure while minimizing risks. An easy way to do that would be to cut off the very northern tip of the front against the Baltic, by striking at Königsberg or Gdansk directly, leaving all German troops in the future Lithuanian SSR cut off and ripe for destruction. Looking at the pictures, I count at least a dozen divisions and multiple HQs, including armour and heavy armour formations in the proposed pocket, while the underside seems fairly lightly defended (in the area where a combat is ongoing and to the northwest of it). It's not as grand or decisive, but the enemy has far less time to react and are ill-prepared, and our risks are smaller.

 

[roverS3]

I look forward to the Germans being stomped into so much pulverized bratwurst within the next six months or so, as the Red Army in this OTL is far too well-prepared to fall victim to the failures that plagued them in OTL!

Let's just hope the Paradox AI doesn't mess up to badly...

Interesting, contemplating a counteroffensive off the bat. The more cautious approach would be to see what the Germans bring to bear on the ground and in the air (where is the Luftwaffe?) first. Get them to commit, wear themselves down a bit, look for a weak point or sector, then strike through once they are exposed and their strength is degraded fighting your main defensive formations. Or was that what you intended (the timing of the offensive wasn’t clear to me,or perhaps I missed something)?

I’ll be the voice of caution and suggest some vigorous ‘feeling out’ of the enemy and his capacity, wider developments and the effectiveness of your own forces’ defence before committing to an offensive, let alone deciding where it should hit. Doesn’t need to be a long wait if things go well, but that’s my 10c worth, anyway.

It will take weeks for Armoured Army Group to get close to the front, so there will be plenty of time between now and then to see what the Germans are doing. To be fair, right now, they're hammering Soviet lines, but every province will cost them time, and manpower, until our tanks get close enough to do something interesting.

I think the first proposal might be a tad ambitious. We need to relieve pressure while minimizing risks. An easy way to do that would be to cut off the very northern tip of the front against the Baltic, by striking at Königsberg or Gdansk directly, leaving all German troops in the future Lithuanian SSR cut off and ripe for destruction. Looking at the pictures, I count at least a dozen divisions and multiple HQs, including armour and heavy armour formations in the proposed pocket, while the underside seems fairly lightly defended (in the area where a combat is ongoing and to the northwest of it). It's not as grand or decisive, but the enemy has far less time to react and are ill-prepared, and our risks are smaller.

The first one is definitely a bit out there... Cutting off the top of the front by cutting to Königsberg seems like a safer move. They're pushing rather hard in that sector, so they might even funnel more units into that vulnerable area.

Then again, if you see an opportunity to strike, you may just want to take it, I suppose. But do bear in mind, for all the excellent equipment and organisational preparation, these are AI generals in command. The offensive actions will not be the rapier-like thrusts with relentless momentum that human guidance down to Corps or division level would provide.

I've never tried to do this kind of thing with AI controlled armies, though I am fully aware that it's likely going to be significantly slower than when an experience human player does it.

Also, although the war is limited now, there is a chance it could expand, especially if your offensive takes you onto German soil. If Axis minors in Europe or worse, Japan in the east jump in, things could get crazy for a while.

That's why I can't just pull all my units from the Hungarian border. And I also don't really trust the Romanians, or the Turks for that matter. We're actively influencing the Swedes, so there is no way they'll be joining the Axis anytime soon, though with the amount of pullback there is, I don't see them joining the Comintern anytime soon either...

Edit: Our forces in the Far East remain firmly in place.

 

[Eurasia]

Well, first I feel the last plan is the best. Creating a small pocket to trap the Northern German Group sounds like a good idea and may work with the proper objectives set and if the AIs are given the units they want. It seems small enough to be doable and also the small distances mean it MIGHT be done fast enough to trap them before the Germans withdraw. AIs are bad at setting traps but good at sensing them.

The first plan seems TOO big and the second one might allow them to cut YOU off and trap your units against the coast.

But, second, I do wonder where the German Air Force is? That's kind of scary.

 

[serutan]

Well, first I feel the last plan is the best. Creating a small pocket to trap the Northern German Group sounds like a good idea and may work with the proper objectives set and if the AIs are given the units they want. It seems small enough to be doable and also the small distances mean it MIGHT be done fast enough to trap them before the Germans withdraw. AIs are bad at setting traps but good at sensing them.

The first plan seems TOO big and the second one might allow them to cut YOU off and trap your units against the coast.

But, second, I do wonder where the German Air Force is? That's kind of scary.

Maybe the RAF /USAAF have been helpful lately?

As to the front, I think a more defensive mode is the way to go as Bullfilter suggested. It worked pretty well at Kursk - the best OTL comp to the current situation given the Red Army is prepared and not surprised. Not to mention this will give your commanders an opportunity to close the experience gap.

Hopefully the Artificial Imbicility doesn't try too hard to live up to its name; I would much rather you take over than let it flush a good position down the toilet.

 

[roverS3]

Well, first I feel the last plan is the best. Creating a small pocket to trap the Northern German Group sounds like a good idea and may work with the proper objectives set and if the AIs are given the units they want. It seems small enough to be doable and also the small distances mean it MIGHT be done fast enough to trap them before the Germans withdraw. AIs are bad at setting traps but good at sensing them.

Interesting, there was the suggestion of a straight dash for Königsberg, but the last plan definitely has more potential. 2ya Tankovaya Armiya is closing in on the front. I've re-estimated the time of arrival to 6-10 days from now. 11 Mot Armiya is lagging behind a bit, but they can always be thrown into the fight a bit later to plug back up the tanks.

Hopefully the Artificial Imbicility doesn't try too hard to live up to its name; I would much rather you take over than let it flush a good position down the toilet.

Well... I guess we'll see. There have been some questionable choices by the AI, but nothing particularly outrageous yet. (5 days in)

The first plan seems TOO big and the second one might allow them to cut YOU off and trap your units against the coast.

We do have transport ships, but only one Flotilla in the Baltic, withdrawing pocketed troops by sea will be near-impossible. If it's anything more than a couple Divisions.

As to the front, I think a more defensive mode is the way to go as Bullfilter suggested. It worked pretty well at Kursk - the best comp to the current situation given the Red Army is prepared and not surprised.

The defending isn't going too badly, if you take into account the disparity in firepower and experience. It's definitely not a series of big German breakthroughs... not yet anyway...

But, second, I do wonder where the German Air Force is? That's kind of scary.

Maybe the RAF /USAAF have been helpful lately?

I suspect that the Luftwaffe's fighter arm has it's hands full with the RAF, which is buoyed by a steady stream of lend-lease planes from the US. The RAF keeps flying deep into German Air space (more on that in the next 10-day report), Not only the industrial heartland is targeted, but there are also incursions into German-held Yugoslavia. I guess the choice is between protecting resources and Industry, or protecting their troops on the Eastern Front... The Luftwaffe did appear a few times in the first 5 days of the war (see next update and the 1st VVS report of the war), but not in force over the front, not yet anyway. That's the thing, even if the Japanese attack, in the air, we can concentrate the vast majority of our forces on the German front, the Germans don't have the same luxury, and that's a good thing...

The next updates will be on operations 'Thor' and 'Poseidon'. I don't know if I'll be able to finish either of them before I go on another, 4-day, holiday to the Ardennes.

 

[Wraith11B]

I don't know if I'll be able to finish either of them before I go on another, 4-day, holiday to the Ardennes.

Ahem.

 

[roverS3]

Ahem.

Do you mean that I shouldn't go on vacation when the Third Reich is knocking on my door, or that I'm too much of a tease, and that you can't wait 5 more days?
Don't worry, I'll be able to post Operation 'Thor' today, I've got most of the pictures, and then I still have to write some exciting text to go along with them...

 

[Bullfilter]

Do you mean that I shouldn't go on vacation when the Third Reich is knocking on my door, or that I'm too much of a tease, and that you can't wait 5 more days?
Don't worry, I'll be able to post Operation 'Thor' today, I've got most of the pictures, and then I still have to write some exciting text to go along with them...

Could even be that it’s a bit hard core WW2 to be going on a vacation to the Ardennes! Bastogne and all.

 

[roverS3]

Could even be that it’s a bit hard core WW2 to be going on a vacation to the Ardennes! Bastogne and all.

I live in Brussels, so it's less than 2 hours of driving. We mostly go there for the peace and quiet, and for forest itself. That said, while my family's cabin isn't anywhere near Bastogne, there are some remnants of great war history somewhat nearby. I did find something that looked like either ww1 or early ww2 fortifications high up on the Southern flank of the Meuse river valley. Much more than war memories, there is a rich industrial past linked to the mining, cutting, and transporting of slate, especially on the French side of the border. A lot of small mining tunnels can be found overgrown in the woods. Off course, today, the area lives mostly off tourism, with very little remaining in the way of industry.

 

[Finshades]

Vacation in the Ardennes sounds rather.... German. Are we sure we don't have infiltrators in our midst?

In all seriousness, hope you have a nice and panzer-less vacation. Cabins in the forest are great for getaways like that.

 

[roverS3]

The 24th of June 1942, Soviet Escort Carrier Leningrad, somewhere in the Baltic, 12,5°C, 10am Moscow Time.

I managed to catch up with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet to get a good view of operation 'Thor'. I hitched a ride on an Li-2 to Leningrad, then I hopped on a Red Navy Il-10VM in Leningrad, before experiencing a carrier landing first-hand. I hardly slept tonight. I landed at 1 am Moscow Time. It was a rough landing. The deck is short, and the sea was a bit rough, it felt like we almost broke the landing gear, with the way we slammed on the deck. I noted the ship's deck was entirely devoid of aeroplanes and the same was true of Moskva, Leningrad's sister-ship. I was told that all the La-7VM carrier-borne fighters were out on a mission, something about German fighters. Now I was worried. I knew operation 'Thor' would already be underway by this time. Part of the reason for operation 'Thor' to be launched so quickly after the start of the war, was to hopefully catch the Germans by surprise. German Fighters could be a disaster for the operation.

A Lisunov Li-2, on it's way back to Kaunas.​

At around 1:30 AM, the silence was broken, and the rumble of hundreds of low-flying aeroplanes came, louder and louder, from the West, coming at us head-on. Was is 1. TrAK on it's way back to Kaunas, or was the Luftwaffe coming after the Carriers while all their fighters were away. I could see AA-gunners getting nervous. As they got closer, everyone on deck relaxed. We could now distinguish two different, but distinctly Soviet sounds: The deep rumble of Shvetsov Ash-62 radial engines dominated, but from time to time, you could hear the roar of Klimov M-105P high-performance V12s. Then 1. TrAK started passing overhead, I started counting the slow and steady Lisunov Li-2 transports, escorted by a swarm of La-7 fighters. Some aeroplanes were trailing smoke, and there were holes in the formation. Of the original 248 Li-2 transport planes and 124 La-7 fighter, I counted only 221 Li-2s and 88 La-7s. They'd taken a beating. I went up to the bridge just in time to hear the radio message:

“This is Maj. General of Aviation Chuvakov. Things got a bit hairy back there, but we managed to deliver the package on time, and in one piece. Now it's up to the VDV to secure the objective, their success will make all our sacrifices worthwhile.”​

Before I could say anything, there was another radio message:

“Captain 1st Class Falaleev of 2 KPA to Leningrad bridge: Clear the deck, we're coming in to land. Damage report: We got lucky, just a few bruised ego's, but 1 KPA lost 7 Lavochkins to those Messerschmitt 109s. I'd like to take this opportunity to take off my cap for the VVS heroes of 133. IAD, they were sticking to the Lusinovs like glue, to the very end. They got the worst of it, but their stubborn dedication to the mission saved many lives today, not to mention the operation.”​

An hour later, all the aeroplanes had been inspected, refuelled, and prepared to intercept any Messershmitts who would like to try their luck over the Baltic Fleet. There was some rejoicing, the Navy and VVS fighters had, together, managed to shield the transports from hundreds of Me-109s, and almost by miracle, all the paratroopers had jumped over the target, and landed in one piece. The celebration was somewhat subdued though, as the men knew some of the pilots that had been lost a mere 29 hours after the declaration of war.

Nexö and it's small harbour. The second town on the island, perfectly located to take in Soviet supplies, delivered by ship, straight from Leningrad.
​

By 3am, we could make out the target through the light mist. The island of Bornholm, 'the Malta of the Baltic'. I went down to the flight deck to get a better view, but the fog was getting denser by the minute, so it wasn't much of an improvement. As we got closer, the night began to ebb away, but the fog stayed, and then, at 4am Moscow Time, shortly after sunrise, alarms started blaring all over the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. We were now very close to the island, the fleet had halted 5 minutes prior, and the Battleships Oktyabrskaya Revoluciya and Parizhkaya Kommuna were positioning themselves so that they could deliver a broadside of well-aimed 12" rounds upon demand by the paratroopers on the island. I was looking at the Battleships, and as the alarms blared, their crews were rushing to the AA guns and training them on the empty sky. I heard engines rev up, the La-7VMs were scrambling to intercept, not only on Leningrad, but also on Moskva. At 4:05, half the aeroplanes were airborne, and a message was transmitted through the loudspeakers:

“This is Vice Admiral Kuznetsov: I have two short announcements for you gentlemen. First, Maj. General Galanin of the 1st Paratrooper Division has just reported over the radio that Bornholm is firmly in our control. Second, about 100 Messerschmitts will be overhead within 10 minutes, we will give them a warm welcome.”

Bornholm was conquered swiftly, but at a price. The pilot of this La-7 managed a crash-landing on the island and survived to tell the tale, he's somewhat lucky.
This is a picture of an La-7 that was used post-war by a Soviet Pilot to defect. He crash-landed in Sweden.​

A few large supply vessels that had accompanied the fleet were now slowly making their way to the port of Nexö, on the East coast of Bornholm. At 4:15, the dogfight started, but we couldn't see much from below, nor could they up there, I expect. In dense cloud cover, 160 aeroplanes were trying to fight each-other, the roar of aero engines was constant, bursts of machine-gun or cannon fire were sporadic. A single Me-109 dived to low to evade an La-7, and right in between the two battleships, into the short line of sight of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet's anxious AA gunners. Needless to say, the aeroplane was shredded in mid-air, at an altitude of about 50 m by a hail of lead before the pilot could even think about pulling out of that precarious situation.

In the end, both sides were pretty evenly matched, and equally lost in the dense clouds, and by 7am 7 109's had been shot down, while 1 KPA had lost another 6. Once more, 2 KPA had escaped unscathed.

Looking through my binoculars, I could see engineers unloading construction equipment and steel plates in the harbour. Men of the VDV were watching, some were helping out. They're going to build an Air Base.

This map of Bornholm was in my file, showing the general topography of the island, and the location for the new Air Base.​

Eventually, a large Air Base will be built on Bornholm. The Island will serve as a staging ground for a variety of potential operations. We could base heavy bombers there to hit the German industrial heartland, Tactical Bombers and Assault planes to support an offensive along the Baltic coast. It will also allow us to launch follow-up Airborne operations into Denmark or Southern Norway, something that is impossible from existing Soviet Air Bases. With Bornholm in our grasp, we can provide land-based Air support all over the Baltic, without needing access to Swedish Air Bases. It can be supplied by sea, directly from Leningrad, without interfering with any other supplylines. It really is, 'the Malta of the Baltic'.

A more detailed view shows the layout, with the 1st phase in black, and the 2nd phase in grey. Note that the positioning of the Air Base means that Aeroplanes approach and climb over the water, unhindered by the hills in the middle of the Island. Proximity to the eastern port of Nexö allows for ship-borne supply from Leningrad, without forcing the ships to go around the island.

The train-station in Nexö, it could potentially transport fuel and supplies from the two main harbours on the island to the new Air Base.

​

The plan, from it's inception called for 2 Paratrooper Divisions (1 & 2 VDD) to make final preparations in Kaunas before taking off towards the island to execute a surprise airborne assault, as soon as possible. The Red Banner Baltic Fleet would steam immediately, at an hour's notice, towards Bornholm at full speed, and prepare it's CAGs to intercept any potential enemy fighters and/or provide aerial support once the troops were fighting on the ground, as soon as the CAGs were in range. Once the Fleet got close enough, the big guns could also lend a hand. It was estimated that this should be enough to quickly overwhelm a division-size Garrison.

1 VVD and 2 VVD firmly in control of Bornholm. The Red Banner Baltic Fleet is to the east of the frame.​

In the end, it seems that there was no Garrison on Bornholm. A Garrison had been present there some months ago when a Soviet submarine made a routine reconnaissance pass, but it must have been moved elsewhere. So, maybe we could have just landed some troops with ships and avoided these losses. Sure, hindsight is a beautiful thing. We weren't going to wait for the Luftwaffe to shift eastwards as that would have put our transports even more at risk. Sending other planes ahead of the transports could have alerted the luftwaffe, and thus ruined the surprise. In the end, the operation went to plan, despite the intervention of the Luftwaffe. Despite the lack of an enemy on the ground, it was a well executed combined Red Navy - VVS operation, a true baptism of fire for 1. TrAD.

Before I could venture ashore to take in the sights, the Red Banner Baltic Fleet started steaming back East again. An urgent request for Shore Bombardment on Memel from 6th Army HQ. Palanga is under attack.

I'll leave you with a few more pictures taken by paratroopers in Bornholm:

Some squads of Paratroopers were quite spread out, due to their premature deplaning, when said plane was on fire. One man from 2 VVD landed right in this old chapel.

Young Soviet soldiers in Bornholm. Glad to be there, and there to stay.
This picture is from the short Soviet occupation of Bornholm in 1945, some diplomatic arm-wringing was necessary to convince Stalin to give it back to Denmark. (We're not giving it back in this timeline...)​

I'll leave you now. I need to get back to the motherland. I'll try to get to operation 'Poseidon' in a few days, that's still ongoing as of right now, and there are no handy carriers there to fly to,

Greetings,

'Odin'

 

[Finshades]

Very impressive! Bornholm should indeed provide a good base for further operations, and air operations in particular. It could even act as a forward operation base for marine troops.

 

[Wraith11B]

Do you mean that I shouldn't go on vacation when the Third Reich is knocking on my door, or that I'm too much of a tease, and that you can't wait 5 more days?
Don't worry, I'll be able to post Operation 'Thor' today, I've got most of the pictures, and then I still have to write some exciting text to go along with them...

Could even be that it’s a bit hard core WW2 to be going on a vacation to the Ardennes! Bastogne and all.

Vacation in the Ardennes sounds rather.... German. Are we sure we don't have infiltrators in our midst?

All of this above...

In all seriousness, hope you have a nice and panzer-FREE vacation. Cabins in the forest are great for getaways like that.

Fixed it for you!

 

[Bullfilter]

This was an interesting little op - hope the base turns into a real thorn in the Hitlerites’ side!