'Odin' and Stalin's Secret Committee

[roverS3]

I used to try and capture everything by hand, but now to "save time" I don't record as I go, but just desperately capture screenshots of everything... so I wind up with almost 700 screenshots on one computer and then have to hope that I remember what was going through my head when I captured any particular one...

That seems like more of a hassle than actually typing the data directly into a spreadsheet. Especially if you're like me, and like to do some random statistical analysis once in a while, because you can't do that with screenshots. For example, I use a formula to split bombing casualties inflicted on the enemy by the type of aeroplane which inflicted them (and most of my bomber wings have 2 different aircraft types in different numbers...)

My next one will not be this complicated. Guaranteed.

I don't know about you, but I derive a certain level of enjoyment from statistically analysing data from the game. That said, now that the GPW is underway I'm starting to share that sentiment just a little bit.

I just noticed that the forum has promoted me from Colonel straight to Lt. General. I guess my big boy spreadsheet talk was impressive enough for me to skip Maj. General altogether...

 

[Wraith11B]

Clearly, it noticed the talk of conducting statistical analysis on the game and thought it was something belonging to the lane of a LTG rather than some mere bird-Colonel!

And the screenshots are the only way to speed up the process from stopping to take down all of the information, plus maintains a record of what might have been going on at the time in case something doesn't come through (for instance, those pesky "no-report" combat exits).

 

[roverS3]

stopping to take down all of the information

Yep, I do that. A lot. I have all my messages set so that they pause the game, and I take it all down when it happens. (well, I don't track absolutely everything). Now, with the GPW, it tends to be almost hour by hour... It takes an afternoon to play 5 in-game days, about 1 hour per day. As I said, lots of action.

those pesky "no-report" combat exits

Haven't had too many of those yet, not in this game anyway, but they sure are annoying.

 

[Bullfilter]

I don't take screenshots of the battles etc. I actually don't take many screenshots period. I play on my desktop, and input all the data I want to track directly into a spreadsheet that's open on my laptop. When the AAR is over (if it ever ends...), I'll post the spreadsheet, so you can see just how massive this whole endeavour is...

Yeah, I do a mix of those things (though take a lot of screenies, you won't be surprised to know, but that's the gameplay style I run. And deliberately made possible by playing a minor (though one grown quite large by now) I can micromanage. If I ever do an AAR on the US, Germany or USSR, will have to go more over on the spectrum to your approach. And probably like that old French AAR I did purely from game-save snapshots (so virtually no battle screenshots).

 

[Bullfilter]

Clearly, it noticed the talk of conducting statistical analysis on the game and thought it was something belonging to the lane of a LTG rather than some mere bird-Colonel!

And the screenshots are the only way to speed up the process from stopping to take down all of the information, plus maintains a record of what might have been going on at the time in case something doesn't come through (for instance, those pesky "no-report" combat exits).

Absolutely. And I find going back through them I pick up things I didn't at the time, can figure out what caused things, etc. Or dissect blunders

 

[Bullfilter]

That seems like more of a hassle than actually typing the data directly into a spreadsheet. Especially if you're like me, and like to do some random statistical analysis once in a while, because you can't do that with screenshots. For example, I use a formula to split bombing casualties inflicted on the enemy by the type of aeroplane which inflicted them (and most of my bomber wings have 2 different aircraft types in different numbers...)


I don't know about you, but I derive a certain level of enjoyment from statistically analysing data from the game. That said, now that the GPW is underway I'm starting to share that sentiment just a little bit.

I just noticed that the forum has promoted me from Colonel straight to Lt. General. I guess my big boy spreadsheet talk was impressive enough for me to skip Maj. General altogether...

Quite often I capture the info quickly in screenshots so I can enter it in at my leisure into the spreadsheet (air casualties, naval screen, industrial production, battle reports etc). Can be done quickly without losing the flow of the game too much. But your AAR is particularly statistic-heavy on the 'non-narrative' 10 day updates, so I'm sure your method must be well suited to that. And the best way is usually the one you're just most comfortable with. It would be boring if we were all the same.

 

[roverS3]

The 1st of July 1942, Lwow, 8,8°C, 10pm Moscow Time

Dear 'Odin',​

I realise I haven't kept in touch with you or the Secret Committee, and not even with you, 'Odin'. Of course I've seen 'Shest' and 'Dva's men all around, making sure I'm all right, making sure I'm loyal too. Having worked in intelligence, in one shape or another, for all of my adult life, up to a couple of months ago, I expected as much. I even saw you, and 'Dva' at that weapons test on the third of June. You were right, I need some time outside of the murky world of espionage, and I have to commend you and your colleagues for the new life you so lovingly created for me. It was nice to be able to teach some of my skills to other young women, to inspire, or at least attempt to do so, and not wonder whether any of them were going to arrest me, torture me, or kill me.

Despite my busy schedule, Sergei and I met up several times at Air Base #15, to work on my car. For starters, we fitted a hydraulic breaking system from a wrecked ZiS-101, and re-aligned the wheels and the suspension in the process. Then, we bored out the engine to a displacement of 4.23 litres. That was a lot of work, we spent two days on that. First we had to take the engine out of the car again, take it all apart to the bare block. Then once the cylinders were enlarged, we had to re-sleeve them, and we had to get larger pistons, and mill them to the correct size for it all to work, before putting it all back together, and into the car. It's a good thing Sergei knew what he was doing, because that was just a tad beyond my mechanical skills. It was all worth it, my aeroplane mechanic friend estimates that the power output should be around 115hp now, with no real difference in weight. In any case, there is a noticeable improvement in performance. As the Americans like to say: 'There's no replacement for displacement.'

We were planning on adding a supercharger, or even building one from scratch. Sergei also suggested replacing all the removable steel body panels with exact replicas made from aircraft grade Aluminium to save a lot of weight. At the sniper school, I was looking forward to teaching another platoon of promising young women, starting in early July. Then, the Germans finally attacked, VVS Mechanic Sergeant Sergei was deployed, the very next day (23rd of June), by train, to Kyiv Air Base. I thought I would miss him, but ever since I heard the news of the invasion, I could think of one thing, and one thing only. I wanted to go out there, and kill. Kill the invaders of the Soviet Union, kill my torturers, kill their friends, their compatriots, kill the national-socialist Germanic pigs, kill their fascist Allies, kill every single one of them.

Now, during these few months in the Red Army, I did learn to control my rage a little better, but it is still there. I remained composed, and gave my all in those final teaching days. I really did feel proud and accomplished when the Platoon I lead through training scored the best average marks upon graduation on the 29th of June. Colonel Kolchak even promoted me to Senior Lieutenant during the ceremony, in recognition for the 'excellence in marksmanship achieved by the recruits under my watch'. After the ceremony, the Colonel called me into his office, I'll try to reproduce the conversation that occurred:

“Senior Lieutenant Goleniewsky. You have exceeded any and all of the expectations I had when you first walked into my office. You have proven yourself to be an exceptional marksman, and you have shaped those 40 recruits into a platoon of efficient and ruthless long-range killers. They will leave for the front tomorrow. STAVKA has asked for my best trainees, and your 'ladies' won't disappoint. But enough about them, let's talk about you.

I would like to keep you around for another round of training. I'll make it worth your while. I can offer you more freedom in your methods, I can get you a staff car. If you stay another three months, I can all but guarantee I'll promote you to captain. If you stay on longer, maybe one day you'll be in my seat....
You don't really care about the perks, do you? So why don't you tell me what you want.”​

“I want to go out there and fight this war myself, sir. I know I may do more damage by staying here and training more killers, but this is personal, more than you'll ever be allowed to know. If at all possible, I'd prefer a posting with the Guard Riflemen, in the Lwow area.”

“I'll see what I can do, you're definitely good enough for the Guards Riflemen, and if I can't arrange it, I'm sure one of your old friends will be able to do so. Remember, there will always be a place for you here, as long as I run this place. I can always use a teacher like you. You'll get your orders by 0600 tomorrow morning. Dismissed Senior Lieutenant.”​

This morning, I received my orders. I had orders to report to the Headquarters of XXIX GvSK, run by Lt. General Markian Mikhaïlovich Popov, in Lwow. I'm to find my way there as soon as possible. Did the Colonel pull strings, or did someone affiliated with the Secret Committee arrange it? Maybe I got in on my own merits? I don't really care that much how it did, but I'd like to thank whomever made it happen.

I decided to drive down to Kyiv in my GAZ-M1, and then find a train or an aeroplane from there. Quite a few roads to the front were filled with lorries and other army vehicles, and on many stretches, a strict 'no overtaking' policy was in effect. So, even with Red Army plates and markings, helpfully provided by 'Shest', I wouldn't be able to go any faster than 55-60 km/h for long stretches. I took an alternate route, though Brjansk, that avoided roads clogged with supply columns, as much as possible.

With all my equipment loaded into the car, and my trusted Mosin-Nagant on the passenger seat, I started driving at 7:05am, map and instructions in hand. I was wide awake, and both the prospect of shooting Germans in the face, and that of surprising Sergei at Kyiv Air Base, pushed me to drive quickly. I had to stop for fuel twice, I had no trouble getting my hands on full tank of gasoline, Red Army vehicles having priority at all the petrol stations I encountered. Despite some unavoidable traffic, I made good time, arriving in Kyiv at 1:45pm. I travelled about 625 kilometres in 6 hours and 40 minutes, including a 15 minute lunch stop in Brjansk to allow an NKVD officer to check my papers, and another 5 minute fuel break. I struggled with traffic on the way out of Moskva, and on the final stretch into Kiyv, otherwise the roads were clear, and in good shape, allowing me to get the most out of my, now even more powerful, car. I arrived at the Air Base at 2pm.

I had a late lunch in the base's officer's mess, then, having missed the midday flight, I then spent a few hours looking on, and helping out, as Sergei and his team worked. They were repairing a Yak-7 which had miraculously survived a bullet to the radiator. They had taken apart the entire Engine, and we were now replacing much of the cooling system, while some private was patching bullet holes. He had quickly made a name for himself in his new unit, as he was disassembling two written off Klimov M-105P engines into a working one, in his limited spare time.

The pilot came by to check in on his bird around 6pm. After recovering from his initial shock, having found a Female Red Army Lieutenant working on his engine, he decided to boast about the action he had seen. He was optimistic, despite the damage to his aircraft. A few men and aeroplanes had been lost during a dogfight over Jaworow on the 27th, but they had crippled the enemy, forcing a mixed force of German fighters and bombers to abandon their attempts to bomb Red Army forces, downing “over 100 aeroplanes” in the process. That last number is probably a significant exaggeration, with the pilot personally affirming that he downed 3 FW-190's and 2 Ju-88s. Sergei was rolling his eyes, indicating his disbelief, and possibly his annoyance with the pilot's attempts at flirting.​

The VVS was running several daily liaison flights between Kyiv and Homel, as Kyiv functioned as a base for large repairs and reserves in the rear, closer to the central supply depots of the Moskva area, and relatively safe from aerial and ground attacks. Aeroplanes, personnel, aircraft, even whole units could be rotated between the Air Bases as needed. I had no trouble finding a seat on an Antonov ANT-9 bound for Lwow. I left the car in Sergei's capable hands, we shared a hug, and off I went, to the front.

2 hours and 20 minutes later, at 8:45pm, we landed at Lwow Air Base. The ANT-9 is quite slow, with a cruising speed of 180 km/h, and we had to circle for a while, waiting for returning assault planes to land. I identified myself upon arrival, and was escorted by a motorcyclist to Lwow city hall. As I go there, I was lead into the office of Major Balabanov, a member of the Lt. General's staff.

Lwow city hall is quite an old building. The central part dates back to the 14th century, the Western part was built at the end of the 15th century, and the current tower was completed in 1830, after the 1619 tower had collapsed in 1826. It's an impressive structure, right in the centre of the old town, and I understand why Lt. General Popov would base his HQ there. The accommodations are luxurious, and the tower offers a vantage point with a pretty good overview of the city. ​

I entered the office, introduced myself, and handed him my personal file. He took a minute to look through it, seemed satisfied with it's contents, lifted his head, coldly looked me up and down, and then got straight to the point:

“Senior Lieutenant Goleniewsky. Welcome to Lwow. You are to report tomorrow at 0430, at the St. Elizabeth Church, equipped and dressed for combat. The sergeant outside the door will show you to your accommodations for tonight. You will make your own way to the church. Here is a map of the city. These orders come straight from Lt. General Popov's desk. Don't get lost, don't be late, and be presentable. Dismissed Lieutenant. Good night.”
​

The emphasis on 'be presentable' probably had something to do with the oil smears on my uniform that I acquired helping out the mechanics in Kyiv. I didn't have the chance to get a word in, and I was already being shown to my room. The Sergeant told me that the Germans were right outside the city, and that the church in question was on that side of the city (North-Western side). A quick look on the map told me that the church was about 2,5 km from city hall, half an hour of walking. I don't know when I'll have a chance to write to you again. I'll have to get up at 3am tomorrow, so I'm going to turn in now, and try to get a good 5 hours of sleep. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep though, despite the long trip, I'm wide awake, both scared and excited for my first assignment on the front.

A small image of the St. Elizabeth Church, close to Lwow's main railway station, in the North-Western part of the city.
​

I'll try to keep you informed of my experience in this great anti-German war.

Good night,

'Odinatsat'

​

 

[Bullfilter]

Am glad 11 has a chance for a bit of patriotic and personal revenge. She really needs to get it out of her system. Liked the shots of Lwow. My paternal grandfather’s place of birth - at the time it was still in the Russian Empire!

 

[Finshades]

So, (at least one of) the best sniper(s) of the Red Army takes to the field. Any German units in the area had better keep their heads down, lest their life expectancy be further lowered from where it already lies. Hopefully she can keep her head, both figuratively and literally. While the matter is personal, I hope she isn't consumed by her desire for revenge. Anger makes one sloppy, after all.

I do hope those rather grand old buildings don't suffer too badly in the ensuing fighting, though knowing the situation that might be a rather tall order. Glad to see first-hand evidence of our air force doing its part in making life miserable for the invaders.

 

[roverS3]

Am glad 11 has a chance for a bit of patriotic and personal revenge. She really needs to get it out of her system.

So, (at least one of) the best sniper(s) of the Red Army takes to the field. Any German units in the area had better keep their heads down, lest their life expectancy be further lowered from where it already lies. Hopefully she can keep her head, both figuratively and literally. While the matter is personal, I hope she isn't consumed by her desire for revenge. Anger makes one sloppy, after all.

She's there all right, and her rage, her lust for revenge, is both a great motivator, and her greatest enemy. I guess we'll have find out whether she keeps her head, literally and figuratively.

Liked the shots of Lwow. My paternal grandfather’s place of birth - at the time it was still in the Russian Empire!

That's interesting, that you have a personal connection to the city. You may rest assured that the Red Army Guards will be fighting to the best of their abilities to keep the city safely in Soviet hands, where it belongs. (sic.)

I do hope those rather grand old buildings don't suffer too badly in the ensuing fighting, though knowing the situation that might be a rather tall order. Glad to see first-hand evidence of our air force doing its part in making life miserable for the invaders.

The church actually suffered some superficial damage OTL during the invasion of Poland. That said, overall it seems the city suffered relatively little physical damage, when compared to other cities involved in the GPW.

I'm working on the big war report right now. Needless to say, it'll take a while...

 

[roverS3]

2nd of July 1942, Vologda, 8,3°C, 6pm Moscow Time

Report on the Great Patriotic War between 6pm on the 22nd of June and 6pm on the 2nd of July 1942.

Before we get to the overview, first a letter from 'Odinatsat':

The 2nd of July, Lwow, 5,8°C, 6:30am Moscow Time

I don't have much time to write, so I'll get straight to the point.

I arrived at the St.Elizabeth Church at 0430, less than an hour before sunrise. A company of Guards Riflemen were dug in around the massive church, the only side that didn't have a trench full of Riflemen was the South-Eastern side. A sergeant told me to go inside through a small side entrance on the South-Eastern Side and to report at the Altar. I entered the Church, and as I got in the main hall, I noted a group of officers around the Altar looking over a map. I reached the group of officers, and they turned towards me as I was still 5 meters from the altar. I stopped, stood at attention, saluted, and introduced myself. A Captain, the most Junior of the officers, looked at the Lt. Colonel in charge, the latter gave a short nod, and then the Captain did one step in my direction:

"Senior Lieutenant Goleniewskij, your orders are very simple. You will take up position at the top of the main tower of this church, and prepare firing positions towards the West, covering Horodotska Street, and towards the North-West, covering Zaliznychna Street. A firing position towards the West-North-West in between the two could also prove useful. It is imperative that you are not visible from below. If the Germans were to attack, you will be joined up there by Major Panov (pointing at the Major) and Lt. Colonel Molchalin (pointing at the Lt. Colonel). They will be commanding Artillery, Tanks and Anti-Tank Guns in this segment of the city, from up there. Your job is to make sure they are safe, that means shooting any enemy who may have spotted your position before he can warn anyone, and shooting anyone trying to shoot at you. You will not shoot until absolutely necessary for the objective, you're not there to shoot as many Germans as possible, you're there to keep the local artillery command in an ideal vantage point for as long as possible. Sergeant Orlov will show you the way up. Dismissed Senior Lieutenant."

St-Elizabeth Church (in Red), prefectly located to cover the Northern and North-Western approaches to the city, as well as the Main Railway station. It is also the tallest building in Lwow, with it's highest tower reaching 85m. (Highlighted in red is Horodotska Street.)
This is part of a detailed 1941 German map of 'Lemberg'.
​

I rushed into the tower, and started setting up possible firing positions, Sergeant Orlov brought up additional ammunition for my Mosin-Nagant, and some thick blankets that could serve as supports in the various firing positions. There was a small table with a radio set and a telephone in the South-Eastern corner of the room. Once I was done, I looked around with my binoculars, I could see many Guards units, several IS-2s, direct fire guns, SU-100 Tank Destroyers, Light Artillery, Machine-Gun nests, etc. All rather well concealed for anyone coming from the West or North-West. I was looking over the large number of units, seemingly ready for any oncoming assault. Suddenly, at ca. 5am, I heard the familiar sound of a SG-43 Machine-gun firing, it was quickly followed by the sound of Gewehr 43 rifle fire. It was all about 2 km away, but having heard both sounds before, I could tell what they were. As I looked through my binoculars in the direction the sound was coming from, several people entered the small room at the top of the tower. Major Panov, Lt. Colonel Molchanin, and Sgt. Orlov were there, and also an Artillery Lieutenant, and a Starshina Radio Operator. There wasn't much talk, as we all silently observed one German squad after another quietly sneaking into the city along Horodotska Street, unaware that we could see them.

Only once squads started fanning out into side-streets, with about an entire company of German troops already in the city, did the Lt. General start ordering his heavier units to open fire on the Germans. The early morning sun made it unlikely that we would be spotted, with the sun behind us, and we had a clear view of much of the action. In one spot, 4 Germans are mowed down by a hidden Machine-gun, then, 5 minutes later, a German Armoured Car drives into the city, and gets taken out by a concealed AT Gun, then, it's quiet again, then, a pair of IS-2 tank roar to life, and surrounded by Guards riflemen, they slowly move out of an industrial building near the station below. firing the main 122mm Gun at small pockets of German Infantry. From time to time, a German officer is taken out by a sniper.

A few more Germans fall into the Guards' traps before they started slowly retreating. Suddenly, I noticed a German soldier looking almost straight at me. he was part of the first squad that entered the into the city, and was about 800m away on Horodotska Street. I could see his sergeant, about 10 m further away, motioning him to get a move on and get out of there. I didn't hesitate, I dropped my binoculars, and shouldered my Mosin-Nagant. Once I could see the private through my scope, it was as if time slowed down. He turned his head towards his Sergeant, and started to move his arm to point at our position. I adjusted my aim, and before his arm was anywhere close to pointing in the right direction, I squeezed the trigger.

The men around me in the room, all occupied with other tasks, were startled by the sudden gunshot coming from inside the room. The bullet went straight through the private's head. Without even thinking about it, and barely changing position, I pulled back the bolt, inserted a new 7.62mm bullet into my rifle, and slammed the bolt back into place. Adrenaline was racing through my body, I was ready to shoot the next man who looked towards my position. Through the scope I could see the the Sergeant and the rest of his squad running away, they weren't even trying to see where it came from, and I don't blame them. I wanted to shoot them, but I didn't, I thought of the mission, dropped the rifle on the ledge, and grabbed my binoculars again to look for other potential threats .

All of the Germans were fleeing the city, and now Guards Riflemen were coming out of their hiding holes to try and kill as many of them as possible, before they got out of dodge. In the end, the whole thing lasted barely more than an hour, and many of the Germans still got away. 54 Germans corpses were counted, while 5 Guards Riflemen had died in the initial gunfight. The Germans are going to have to do a lot better than that if they want to take Lwow away from the Guards Riflemen.

The Lt. Colonel, who had been distant and had avoided interacting with me now turned towards me. He said, coolly:

"I wasn't sure about you Goloniewskij, but now that I've seen how you work, I think we can get along."
​

Sergeant Orlov was more impressed, though I suspect he was also looking for something else:

"That was one hell of a shot Senior Lieutenant. But more than that shot, I'm impressed by your restraint. Why don't I buy you a drink to celebrate, once we both get some leave? There's no harm in getting to know each-other, is there."
​

The Major was starting to open his mouth to reprimand the Sergeant for his forwardness, but I was faster than him, and my response was quite stern:

"Sergeant Orlov. You forget your place. I may have the appearance of an attractive woman, but as my uniform clearly indicates, I'm a Senior Lieutenant. I'm not some girl in a bar you're trying to seduce, I'm your superior officer. These kinds of advances are entirely inappropriate within this context Sergeant."
​

The other men in the room turned to follow the conversation. The Sergeant had no choice but to apologise:

"Mam Senior Lieutenant, I wish to sincerely apologise for my rudeness and my disregard of protocol. Mam."

"All right Sergeant. I'll let you off with a warning, don't speak to me like that ever again."

"Mam. It won't. Mam."

"Dismissed Sergeant."
​

I almost felt sorry for him, and if I had been alone with the Sergeant I might not have used my rank to put him down so harshly, but given I was surrounded by male officers who where my superiors, I had to show that I wouldn't accept any junior or non-commissioned officer questioning my rank or authority. If they don't respect me as an officer, they'll try to keep me on a leash, and I don't like being on a leash for any amount of time. I've successfully navigated the challenges of my first skirmish in the defence of Lwow. Who knows what the future will bring? For the moment, I will remain posted to the main tower of the Queen Elizabeth Church. I get to sleep there too, always ready for action at a moment's notice. Day or night.

I look forward to your comprehensive report of the first 10 days of this war. 'Dva' will surely find a way to get it to me, so I have a realistic overview of what is going on.

Have a nice and productive day,

'Odinatsat'
​

Arctic Front (XXXIV GSK / 1st AG / Leningrad HQ):

Red Army Mountaineers of 46. Gornostrelkovaya Diviziya cross the border into Norway. (the old sign was later taken down to replace it with one that said 'USSR / Norge')

XXXIV GSK has walked into Kirkenes unopposed. Tromso has been added as an objective. It is unclear whether Tromso can be reached overland. If not, a single transport flotilla is available in Archanglesk to ferry our troops there.
​

Baltic Sea (Leningrad HQ):

The Red Banner Baltic Fleet has started ferrying a corps of Riflemen to Bornholm, in anticipation of a future operation to take Copenhagen and the surrounding island. Opening up the Öresund, blocking German troops from transiting through Sweden to and from Norway, and allowing Soviet Fleets in and out of the Baltic Sea.
​

Aegean Sea (Odessa HQ):

3 Garnizon Diviziya is dug in on Mythiléné. I. Avianosets Flote has passed through the Gulf of Aden, on it's way to Mythiléné Naval Base.
​

Northern Main Front (2 AG / Moskva HQ):

A destroyed Pzkpfw.V Panther tank of 13 PzD outside of Brzesc Litewski.

The first German attacks came in on the 22nd of June, at 7pm, into Zambrow (4) and into Lomza (5). At 10pm, as darkness fell, German Infantry moved on Rietavas (1). In all three battles, the forests suited the defence, but the enemy had a large numerical advantage.

On the 23rd, the Germans continued their offensive throughout the night, initiating 3 new attacks at 1am. Suwalki (2), Kybartai (3), and fortified Maloryta (6) were all targeted. Shortly after daybreak, Rietavas (1) ended in a loss at 6am, the Germans needing but a single night to rout the defenders. This was quickly followed with an attack on Taurage (13) starting at 7am. In the evening, both Suwalki (2) and Kybartai (3) ended in defeat simultaneously, at 7pm. Casualties were over 2-1 in favour of the attackers.

The 24th started off with another 1am German attack, into Palanga (10), on the Baltic coast. The Red Banner Baltic Fleet was scrambled to the area provide fire support. While most of us were having breakfast, at 8am, the battle of Zambrow (4) came to a disappointing end, with over 1.000 casualties on our side, more than twice those suffered by the enemy. Both Lomza (5) and Maloryta (6) ended at 9am, with similar casualty numbers, in Lomza, at least a similar number of the enemy were killed. German reinforcements funneled into Maloryta gave them an overwhelming superiority in numbers. The rest of the day was devoid of new developments.

1am attacks seem to be particularly in vogue with German commanders, as another attack was started at this hour on the 25th, into Augustow (8). Again, the terrain favoured the defenders, the numbers, the attackers.

The 26th was another quiet day, with a single German probe into Jubarkas (7), causing minimal casualties. The 10am battle lasted less than an hour, before the Germans halted their offensive in the face of a risky river crossing and determined resistance.

At midnight, the Red Army was defeated in Augustow (8), with heavy, but relatively equal casualty numbers. An hour later, on the 27th, as is quickly becoming tradition, Germans moved to attack Plunge (9) from Rietavas, and Kalvarija (12) from Suwalki and Kybartai. In both cases, numbers were close, with no clear numerical advantage. Sokolka (16) was up next, with the first German shots coming in from Suwalki at 4am, the odds were against the Red Army on this one. Lapy (11) came under attack from Lomza at 7am, with pretty even odds. At noon, the battle for Plunge (9), ended in defeat, casualties were light and in our favour, but the men were exhausted from previous fighting. A German attack into Bielsk Podalski (19) started at the same time, numbers were equal, and half of the enemy force was attacking over a river from Siedlce.

After 4 days of bitter fighting, the defenders of Palanga (10) couldn't take it anymore, retreating at midnight. Both sides suffered over 2.000 casualties. The battles for Lapy (11) and Kalvarija (12) were lost at the same time, with less horrific casualty numbers. Following the midnight retreats came the 1am attacks, on Bialystok (22) and Merech (23). German numerical superiority in both battles was countered by the forest and extensive fortifications in the former, and impassable marshland in the latter. The 28th of June was a busy day. At 3am, after nearly 6 days of fighting, the battle for Taurage (13) ended in defeat, casualty numbers were in favour of the Red Army, though both sides suffered over 2.400 KIA. The next attack came at 7am, on Kobryn (24), from Maloryta. I SK HQ, an HQ Division from 3rd Army Group, got caught up in the fighting, giving the Red Army a numerical edge in this fight. At 10am, two German probing attacks were made into Jubarkas 2 (14) (again), and Brzesc Litewski (15), both were quickly abandoned by the Wehrmacht as the former was strongly held, and the latter was urban, fortified, and across a river. Noon saw the loss of the battle of Sokolka (16), with over 1.000 KIA on our side, for less than 500 Germans.

For once, the night was quiet, with the Germans waiting until 6am on the 29th to probe Jubarkas 3 (17) again, with the same result as before. A retreating Rifle Division sparked another battle at 6pm by retreating into Sokolka (18) before the Germans had a chance to occupy the province.

The 30th saw another 1am attack, into Brzesc Litewski (20), this time, one of the German units was attacking from Maloryta, circumventing the need to cross a river to get there. Wanting to take back lost ground, or just looking to strike back, the Red Army launched it's own two-pronged attack at 4am to take back Kavalrija (21), for once we had numerical superiority. At 6am, the second battle of Sokolka (18) ended, as the exhausted defenders retreated with relatively light casualties. At noon, the battle for Bielsk Podalski (19) came to an end, after nearly 5 days of fighting, nearly 5.000 Red Army riflemen had been killed, for less than 3.000 Germans, this is the most devastating loss to date. Brzesc Litewski (20) proved a tough nut to crack, and at 1pm, the Germans halted their offensive, casualties were surprisingly light. Our attack on Kavalrija (21) was halted at 9pm, the death toll was slightly in favour of the Red Army.

July started with a quiet night, followed by a quiet day. The evening was marked by victory in Bialystok (22), the Germans were held off successfully, with German casualties over 1,5x Soviet casualties.

On the 2nd of July, a slew of battles started. At 1pm the Germans had their fourth go at Jubarkas (25), this time it wasn't a probe, and they're keeping up the pressure. Both Ariogala (26), and Vainode (27) came under attack at 5am, from Taurage, and Palanga respectively, the former across a river, the second has forests for cover. The front in the Baltics is starting to look a bit shaky. At 7, the forests in Siauliai (28) came under fire from Taurage. V SK HQ was caught in the open in the plains of Rasienai (29), the Germans are attacking across a river, so the situation could possibly be saved, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The good news returned with a two victories, one in Merech (23) at 1pm, and another in Kobryn (24), at 6pm. Casualties here weren't in our favour, but the ground was held successfully.

Map of Moskva HQ's front line (pink). The smaller circles indicate small scale battles (in number of Red Army troops involved).
The Northern part of the front is in some trouble, but help is on it's way. Both 2ya Tankovaya Armiya and 11ya Motorizovannaya Armiya are closing in from the East and South-East respectively. I will welcome any suggestions as to how to utilise these forces, in light of the developments of the last 10 days.

1. Rietavas (Defence - Forest - Defeat)

22 Jun 42 22:00 - 23 Jun 42 06:00

SU: 37 SD (Art, TD - Kachalov, L2, DD)
10.996 men / 413 KIA
Ger (Pogegen): 36 ID (Infx3 - von Kempski, L4), 35 ID (Infx3 - Ruoff, L3)
Ger (Memel): 25 ID (Infx3, Art - Stumme, L4), 4 ID (Infx3 - Haase C., L3)
23.994 men / 234 KIA
​

2. Suwalki (Defence - Forest - Defeat)

23 Jun 42 01:00 - 19:00

SU: 24 SD (Art, AT - Kazakov V.I., L3), 64 SD (Art, AT - Kostenko, L2)
21.994 men / 678 KIA
Ger (Gumbinnen): 1 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, AC, Eng - von Thoma, L3, BM), 2 ID (Infx3 - Heissmeyer, L4), 168 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Wünnenberg, L4)
Ger (Lötzen): 20 ID (Infx3 - Erfurth, L3), 57 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Rommel, L5), 76 ID (Infx2, ?? - Straube, L4), 56 ID (Infx2, TD, Eng - Kempf, L4)
57.972 men / 276 KIA
​

3. Kybartai (Defence - Hills - Defeat)

23 Jun 42 01:00 - 19:00

SU: 61 SD (Art, TD - Horujenko, L2), 38 SD (Art, AT - Kurasov, L3)
21.989 men / 887 KIA
Ger (Tilsit): 5 PzD (Arm, Mot, SP-Art, TD - Balck, L3, BM), 1 ID (Infx3 - Höpner, L4), 58 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Steiner, L4),

7 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, Mot-AA - von Hubicki, L4)​

Ger (Lötzen): 197 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Kleemann, L2)
40.981 men / 373 KIA
​

4. Zambrow (Defence - Forest - Defeat)

22 Jun 42 19:00 - 24 Jun 42 08:00

SU: 89 SD (Art, AT - Gerasimov M.N., L2)
10.997 men / 1.177 KIA
Ger (Ostrow): 9 ID (Infx3 - von dem Bach-Zelewski, L3, LW, OD), 162 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Sachs, L3), 225 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Lichel, L3),

214 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - von und zu Grote, L3)​

32.987 men / 413 KIA
​

5. Lomza (Defence - Forest - Defeat)

22 Jun 42 19:00 - 24 Jun 42 09:00

SU: 217 SD (Art, AT - Petrov I.I., L3), 4 SD (Art, AT - Firin, L2)
21.988 men / 1.234 KIA
Ger (Johannisburg): 69 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Crüwell, L2, BM)
Ger (Ostroleka): 9 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, AC - Schaal, L3), 12 ID (Infx3 - Böhme, L3), 5 ID (Infx3 - Lindemann, L3)
33.980 men / 901 KIA
​

6. Maloryta (Defence - Plains - Level 2 Fort - Defeat)

23 Jun 42 01:00 - 24 Jun 42 09:00

SU: 71 SD (Art, AT - Krivoshein, L2, LW)
10.990 men / 1.280 KIA
Ger (Biala Podalska - River Crossing): 1 PzD (L Armx2, Mot, Eng - Schmidt R., L4, BM), 10 ID(m) (Motx2, ?? - Müller An., L3)
Ger (Wlodawa - River Crossing): 5 GbjD (Mtnx3 - Kuntze, L2), SSD 'Reich' (WSSx2, ?? - von Randow, L2), 231 ID (Infx2, ?? - Conrath, L3)
Ger (Chelm - River Crossing): 3 PzD (L Armx2, Mot, Eng - von Manstein, L7), 4 LeichteD (Motx2, AC - Geib, L4)
60.971 men / 378 KIA
​

7. Jubarkas (Defence - Plains - Victory)

26 Jun 42 10:00

SU: 118 SD (Art, AT - Kuznec, L2, LW), 17 SD (Art, AT - Zaev, L2), 235 SD (Art, AT - Malyshev, L2)
32.756 men / 5 KIA
Ger (Tilsit - River Crossing): 58 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - von Hubicki, L4)
7.998 men / 58 KIA
​

8. Augustow (Defence - Forest - Defeat)

25 Jun 42 01:00 - 27 Jun 42 00:00

SU: 19 SD (Art, AT - Hadeev, L2, FB), 17 SD (Art, AT - Vasilev, L2)
21.993 men / 1.407 KIA
Ger (Johannisburg): 13 ID(m) (Motx2, TD, AC - Köstring, L3, OD, OG), 227 ID (Infx2, AT, Art - Miese, L2), 73 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - von Schröder, L3)
40.975 men / 1.254 KIA
​

9. Plunge (Defence - Forest - Defeat)

27 Jun 42 01:00 - 27 Jun 42 12:00

SU: 37 SD (Art, TD - Kachalov, L2, DD)
10.581 men / 145 KIA
Ger (Rietavas): 25 ID (Infx3, Art - Stumme, L4, BM)
9.988 men / 125 KIA
​

10. Palanga (Defence - Soviet Shore Bombardment - Forest - Defeat)

24 Jun 42 01:00 - 28 Jun 42 00:00

SU: 52 SD (Art, AT - Potapov, L2, WS), 16 SD (Art, AT - Klyuchko, L2)
21.993 men / 2.081 KIA
Ger (Memel): 27 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - von Arnim, L4, LW, BM), 79 ID (Infx2, AC, TD - de Angelis, L5), 60 ID(m) (Motx2, TD, Eng - von Salmuth, L6)
23.989 men / 2.178 KIA
​

11. Lapy (Defence - Woods - Defeat)

27 Jun 42 07:00 - 28 Jun 42 00:00

SU: 89 SD (Art, TD - Gerasimov M.N., L2, FB), 217 SD (Art, AT - Petrov I.I., L3)
20.341 men / 283 KIA
Ger (Lomza): 9 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, AC - Schaal, L3, BM)
7.882 men / 384 KIA
​

12. Kalvarija (Defence - Plains - Defeat)

27 Jun 42 01:00 - 28 Jun 42 00:00

SU: 6 SD (Art, AT - Tamruchi, L2, DD), 120 SD (Art, AT - Dratvin, L2)
21.992 men / 996 KIA
Ger (Suwalki): 168 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Wünnenberg, L4, OD, BM)
Ger (Kybartai): 9 PzD (Arm, Mot, SP-Art, TD - Balck, L3)
15.982 men / 646 KIA
​

13. Taurage (Defence - Woods - Defeat)

23 Jun 42 07:00 - 28 Jun 42 03:00

SU: 53 SD (Art, TD - Kariofilli, L2, FB), 3 SD (Art, AT - Bakunin, L2)
21.993 men / 2.467 KIA
Ger (Pogegen): 86 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - von Langermann und Erlenkamp, L2, OD, BM), 221 ID (Infx2, AT, R-Art - Felber, L3), 86 ID (Infx3 - Ruoff, L3)
Ger (Tilsit - River Crossing): 1 ID (Infx3 - de l'Homme de la Courbière, L2, Eng), 58 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Steiner, L4)
50.775 men / 2.625 KIA
​

14. Jubarkas 2 (Defence - Plains - Victory)

28 Jun 42 10:00

SU: 118 SD (Art, AT - Kuznec, L2, LW), 17 SD (Art, AT - Zaev, L2), 235 SD (Art, AT - Malyshev, L2)
32.781 men / 3 KIA
Ger (Tilsit - River Crossing): 10 ID (Infx3 - von Schobert, L4)
8.960 men / 66 KIA
​

15. Brzesc Liteweski (Defence - Urban - Fort Level 3 - Victory)

28 Jun 42 10:00

SU: 31 SD (Art, TD - Parkhomenko, L2)
10.996 men / 1 KIA
Ger (Biala Podalska - River Crossing): 13 PzD (Arm, Mot, ?? - Gräser F.H., L2)
7.992 men / 13 KIA
​

16. Sokolka (Defence - Forest- Defeat)

27 Jun 42 04:00 - 28 Jun 42 12:00

SU: 64 SD (Art, TD - Kostenko, L2)
11.000 men / 1.110 KIA
Ger (Suwalki): 13 ID(m) (Motx2, TD, AC - Kempf, L4, BM), 20 ID (Infx3 - Erfurth, L3), 57 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Rommel, L5)
24.994 men / 340 KIA
​

17. Jubarkas 3 (Defence - Plains - Victory)

29 Jun 42 06:00

SU: 118 SD (Art, AT - Kuznec, L2, LW), 17 SD (Art, AT - Zaev, L2), 235 SD (Art, AT - Malyshev, L2)
32.794 men / 6 KIA
Ger (Tilsit - River Crossing): 10 ID (Infx3 - von Schobert, L4)
8.985 men / 109 KIA
​

18. Sokolka 2 (Defence - Forest- Defeat)

29 Jun 42 18:00 - 30 Jun 42 06:00

SU: 19 SD (Art, AT - Hadeev, L2, FB)
9.852 men / 258 KIA
Ger (Suwalki): 57 ID (Infx2, TD, Eng - Kempf, L4, BM), 20 ID (Infx3 - Erfurth, L3)
16.915 men / 103 KIA
​

19. Bielsk Podalski (Defence - Plains - Defeat)

27 Jun 42 12:00 - 30 Jun 42 12:00

SU: 85 SD (Art, AT - Pokrovski, L3), 50 SD (Art, AT - Bochenkov, L2), 173 SD (Art, AT - Khrulev, L3), 41 SD (Art, AT - Morozov V.I., L2),
43.984 men / 4.833 KIA
Ger (Siedlce - River Crossing): 3 ID(m) (Motx2, TD, Mot-AA - von Roques, L4, OD), 4 PzD (Arm, Mot, AC, Eng - Hammer, L2),

2 ID(m) (Motx2, TD, Eng - Förster, L4)​

Ger (Zambrow): 162 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Sachs, L3), 225 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Lichel, L3), 214 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - von und zu Grote, L3),

9 ID (Infx3 - von dem Bach-Zelewski, L3)​

47.855 men / 2.756 KIA
​

20. Brzesc Liteweski 2 (Defence - Urban - Fort Level 3 - Victory)

30 Jun 42 01:00 - 13:00

SU: 31 SD (Art, TD - Parkhomenko, L2)
10.996 men / 243 KIA
Ger (Biala Podalska - River Crossing): 1 PzD (L Armx2, Mot, Eng - Schmidt R., L4, BM), 13 PzD (Arm, Mot, ?? - Gräser F.H., L2)
Ger (Siedlce - River Crossing): 32 ID (Infx3 - Fromm, L3)
Ger (Maloryta): 231 ID (Infx2, ?? - Conrath, L3)
34.919 men / 167 KIA
​

21. Kalvarija 2 (Attack - Plains - Defeat)

30 Jun 42 04:00 - 21:00

SU (Mariampolè): 38 SD (Art, AT - Kurasov, L3, Trk)
SU (Merech): 24 SD (Art, TD - Kazakov V.I., L3)
32.941 men / 327 KIA
Ger: 168 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Wünnenberg, L4, OD, BM)
Ger: 170 ID (Infx2, AT, Art - Krüger W., L3)
23.982 men / 370 KIA
​

22. Bialystok (Defence - Forest - Fort Level 2 - Victory)

28 Jun 42 01:00 - 01 Jul 42 22:00

SU: 4 SD (Art, AT - Firin, L2-3), 34 SD (Art, AT - Vasilev, L2)
21.507 men / 994 KIA
Ger (Lomza): 69 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Crüwell, L2, BM), 5 ID (Infx3 - Lindemann, L3), 12 ID (Infx3 - Böhme, L3)
34.973 men / 1.538 KIA
​

23. Merech (Defence - Marsh - Victory)

28 Jun 42 01:00 - 02 Jul 42 13:00

SU (Multiple Combat Penalty): 24 SD (Art, AT - Kazakov V.I., L2-3), 6 SD (Art, AT - Tamruchi, L2)
21.174 men / 622 KIA
Ger (Suwalki): 57 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Rommel, L5, LW, OD, Trk, BM)
Ger (Kalvarija): 197 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Kleemann, L2), 170 ID (Infx2, AT, Art - Krüger W., L3)
31.777 men / 412 KIA
​

24. Kobryn (Defence - Plains - Victory)

28 Jun 42 07:00 - 02 Jul 42 18:00

SU: I SK HQ (HQ, Infx2, AT - Vlassov, L3-4, WS), 71 SD (Art, TD - Krivoshein, L2)
18.257 men / 1.048 KIA
Ger (Maloryta): SSD 'Reich' (WSSx2, ?? - von Randow, L2, LW, BM)
7.995 men / 774 KIA
​

Army Group 2 totals:
SU: 464.721 / 20.596 KIA
Ger: 577.713 / 15.622 KIA​

​

Southern Main Front (3 AG / Brjansk HQ):

Motorised Waffen-SS troops, part of SS-Division (mot) 'Reich', on their way to attack Brzesc Litewski.

In the south the war started with two battles, an hour-long failed German probe, across the river, into Sanok (1), and an attack on Przemysl (4) that would last 2 days, both started at 7pm.

Here too, 1am was a particularly popular time to start battles, on the 23rd the battle in question was a German attack on Zolkiew (2).

The battle for Zolkiew (2) ended in defeat at noon on the 24th, with heavy casualties, especially on our side, where almost 3.000 men were lost, almost 3 times German losses. At 4pm, the Germans started attacking Jaworow (3), across the river, with little success, they halted the attack a mere 2 hours later, at 6pm. Przemysl (4) was lost at the same time, with Soviet casualties over 2.500, three times German losses.

On the 25th, Lt. General Vlassov tried it's hand at a 1am attack, attempting to retake Maloryta (5) using only his I SK HQ Division. Up against the SS, who were taking full advantage of Soviet-built fortifications, Vlassov cut short his attack 2 hours after it started, with light casualties on both sides. The rest of the day was quiet, with no active battles in the Southern Theatre (Brjansk HQ)

The calm remained until the evening of the 26th, when, at 10pm, a German Division moved to attack Luboml (6), held by 2 of our, larger, rifle Divisions. The Germans abandoned the attack by midnight, having inflicted only a single Soviet casualty.

The 27th would see an escalation of German aggression, starting at 1am, with another attack on Jaworow (8). This one was more serious, as the Germans were also attacking from Przemysl, circumventing the need to cross the river. Lubolm (16) was attacked again at 7am, from three sides this time, all across rivers. In an attempt to relieve the pressure on Luboml, the Red Army attacked Zolkiew (7) at 10am, hitting the flank of one of the Divisions that was attacking Luboml.

The Soviet attack on Zolkiew (7) was abandoned at 3am on the 28th, with relatively light casualties in favour of the Red Army. At 7am, a large German force charged across the river into Switaz (11), the province was strongly held, and fierce fighting broke out.

At 4am on the 29th, the second battle of Jaworow (8) ended in a costly Soviet victory, with over 2.500 dead on our side, nearly twice the German losses. A 6am single Division Soviet probe across the river into Jaroslaw (9) was quickly cut short as the riflemen were outnumbered 4-1, and the Germans had tanks, a couple hundred Soviet soldiers died before it was called off. Having failed to take Jaworow (10) with 4 Divisions from 2 sides, the Wehrmacht tried again at 9am, with a single Division, across the river. Twelve hours later, at 9pm, the Germans called off their offensive, leaving behind over 500 dead, casualties being 10-1 in favour of the Red Army.

The German obsession with Jaworow (15), was combined with the typical 1am start time in another attack on the province on the 30th. The battle for Switaz (11) was won conclusively by the Red Army at 8am, with over 1.000 Soviet losses, but close to 2.000 German ones. At 10am, another Soviet attack was launched into Maloryta (10), from the South this time. This 2 DIvision attack was stronger than the previous one, but the Germans had also reinforced the province. One of the German Divisions was distracted by it's own attack into Kobryn (see above). An hour-long probe into Switaz (13) was successfully brushed off by 1pm with 10-1 casualties in our favour. Then, at 9pm, our attack into Maloryta (10) was called off, with surprisingly light casualties.

The 1st of July saw little action. At 10pm, a third attack on Switaz (17) started. It doesn't seem more likely than the previous ones to succeed, but our troops there are getting a bit disorganised, so maybe they'll break first.

On the 2nd of July, German troops probed the defences of Lwow (14), met with a corps of Guards Riflemen, including IS-2 Heavy Tanks, and our favourite female sharpshooter, they abandoned the attack by 6am, barely an hour after the first shot. Casualties were limited, but 10-1 in favour of the Soviet Union. After 4 battles totalling over 3 days of fighting Jaworow (15) was lost at 6pm, with close to 1.000 Soviet casualties in the final battle, almost double the German deathtoll. At the same time, the second battle of Luboml (16) ended in a costly victory, after nearly 6 days of fighting. Soviet casualties were close to 2.000, German ones closer to 1.500.

Map of Brjansk HQ's front line (blue). The smaller circles indicate small scale battles (in number of Red Army troops involved).
The Southern part of the front has held a lot better, this is thanks to a slightly higher concentration of units, and the fact that most of this part of the front is behind the river.

1. Sanok (Defence - Forest - Victory)

22 Jun 42 19:00 - 20:00

SU: 62 SD (Art, AT - Rogachev, L2, Trk), 159 SD (Art, AT - Novoselski, L2), 139 SD (Art, AT - Panfilov, L2), 2 SD (Art, AT - Sergatskov, L2),

189 SD (AT - Korhilov, L2)​

53.994 men / 24 KIA
Ger (Gorlice - River Crossing): 75 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Hilpert, L3, OD)
Ger (Debica - River Crossing): 8 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Heunert, L2), 11 PzD (Arm, Mot, Mot-AA, Eng - von Bismarck, L2):
23.994 men / 234 KIA
​

2. Zolkiew (Defence - Plains - Defeat)

23 Jun 42 01:00 - 24 Jun 42 12:00

SU: 122 SD (Art, AT - Nikishin, L2), 87 SD (Art, TD - Missan, L2), 42 SD (Art, AT - Krutikov, L2), 49 SD (Art, AT - Rivkin, L2),

113 SD (AT - Baranov V.I., L2)​

54.107 men / 2.867 KIA
Ger (Zamosc): 60 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Raus, L3, BM), 45 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Felber, L3), 62 ID (Infx2, TD, Eng - von Knobelsdorf, L3),

5 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, TD, Mot-AA - Phleps, L3)​

Ger (Rawa Ruska): 4 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, AC, Eng - von Cochenhausen, L2), 223 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Felber, L3)
47.951 men / 1.139 KIA
​

3. Jaworow (Defence - Plains - Victory)

24 Jun 42 16:00 - 18:00

SU: 75 SD (Art, TD - Ptuhin, L3), 45 SD (Art, AT - Lazarev, L2), 169 SD (Art, AT - Bondarev, L2)
32.974 men / 43 KIA
Ger (Jaroslaw - River Crossing): 2 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, AC, Mot-AA - Jodl A., L3, OD), SSD 'Wiking' (WSSx2, AC, Mot-AA, Eng - von Manteuffel, L4),

SSD 'LSAH' (WSSx2, AC, Mot-AA - Gudowius, L2),​

24.876 men / 133 KIA
​

4. Przemysl (Defence - Plains - Defeat)

22 Jun 42 19:00 - 24 Jun 42 18:00

SU: 11 SD (Art, TD - Leselidze, L2, FB), 130 SD (Art, AT - Petin, L2, LW)
21.975 men / 2.539 KIA
Ger (Rawa Ruska): 10 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, AC - Model, L6, DD, BM), 8 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - von Sponeck, L2), 10 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, AC - Heinrici, L5)
Ger (Jaroslaw - River Crossing): SS-Verfügungstruppe (WSS)
26.992 men / 786 KIA
​

5. Maloryta 2 (Attack- Plains - Defeat)

25 Jun 42 01:00 - 03:00

SU (Brzesc Litewski): I SK HQD (HQ, Infx2, AT - Vlassov, L3, WS)
7.994 men / 25 KIA
Ger: SSD 'Reich' (WSSx2, ?? - von Randow, L2, LW, BM)
7.957 men / 10 KIA
​

6. Luboml (Defence - Plains - Victory)

26 Jun 42 22:00 - 27 Jun 42 00:00

SU: 14 SD (Art, AT - Trofimenko, L3), 17 SD (Art, AT - Odintsov, L2)
21.990 men / 1 KIA
Ger (Zamosc): 60 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Raus, L3, BM)
7.998 men / 100 KIA
​

7. Zolkiew 2 (Attack - Plains - Defeat)

27 Jun 42 10:00 - 28 Jun 42 03:00

SU (Wlodzimierz Wolynski - River Crossing): 87 SD (Art, TD - Missan, L2, LW)
10.677 men / 535 KIA
Ger (Multiple Combat Penalty): 4 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, AC, Eng - von Cochenhausen, L2, Eng), 223 ID (Infx2, AT, AA - Hollidt, L3)
26.992 men / 786 KIA
​

8. Jaworow 2 (Defence - Plains - Victory)

27 Jun 42 01:00 - 29 Jun 42 04:00

SU: 75 SD (Art, TD - Ptuhin, L3), 45 SD (Art, AT - Lazarev, L2), 169 SD (Art, AT - Bondarev, L2)
32.997 men / 2.649 KIA
Ger (Jaroslaw - River Crossing): 2 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, AC, Mot-AA - Jodl A., L3-4, OD), SSD 'Wiking' (WSSx2, AC, Mot-AA, Eng - von Manteuffel, L4),

SSD 'LSAH' (WSSx2, AC, Mot-AA - Gudowius, L2), 93 ID (Infx2, AT, Art - von Bismarck L2)​

Ger (Przemysl): 10 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, AC - Model, L6), 8 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - von Sponeck, L2), SS-Verfügungstruppe (WSS)
47.454 men / 1.585 KIA
​

9. Jaroslaw (Attack - Plains - Defeat)

29 Jun 42 06:00

SU (Sanok - River Crossing): 62 SD (Art, AT - Rogachev, L2, Trk)
10.812 men / 227 KIA
Ger: 2 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, AC, Mot-AA - Jodl A., L4, OD), 93 ID (Infx2, AT, Art - von Bismarck L2), SSD 'Wiking' (WSSx2, AC, Mot-AA, Eng - von Manteuffel, L4),

SSD 'LSAH' (WSSx2, AC, Mot-AA - Gudowius, L2), 211 ID (Infx2, ?? - Eberle, L1)​

39.574 men / 7 KIA
​

10. Jaworow 3 (Defence - Plains - Victory)

29 Jun 42 09:00 - 21:00

SU: 45 SD (Art, AT - Lazarev, L2, BM), 169 SD (Art, AT - Bondarev, L2)
20.450 men / 56 KIA
Ger (Jaroslaw - River Crossing): 211 ID (Infx2, ?? - Eberle, L1, BM)
7.973 men / 540 KIA
​

11. Switaz (Defence - Plains - Victory)

28 Jun 42 07:00 - 30 Jun 08:00

SU: 54 SD (Art, AT - Chernyak, L2), 104 SD (Art, AT - Tiulenev, L2), 23 SD (Art, AT - Dement'ev, L2)
32.991 men / 1.239 KIA
Ger (Chelm - River Crossing): 3 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, AC - von Manstein, L7, OD, Trk, BM, FB), 16 ID(m) (Motx2, TD, Mot-AA - von Massow, L2),

46 ID (Infx2, AT, Eng - von Mackensen, L4), Kav-Kdo (Cavx2 - Eicke, L4)​

31.983 men / 1.932 KIA
​

12. Maloryta 3 (Attack - Plains - Fort Level 1,47 - Defeat)

30 Jun 42 10:00 - 21:00

SU (Switaz): 54 SD (Art, AT - Chernyak, L2), 23 SD (Art, AT - Dement'ev, L2)
21.451 men / 65 KIA
Ger (Multiple Combat Penalty): 5 GbjD (Mtnx3 - Kuntze, L2), SSD 'Reich' (WSSx2, ?? - von Randow, L2), 231 ID (Infx2, ?? - Conrath, L3)
25.497 men / 98 KIA
​

13. Switaz 2 (Defence - Plains - Victory)

30 Jun 42 12:00 - 13:00

SU: 54 SD (Art, AT - Chernyak, L2), 104 SD (Art, AT - Tiulenev, L2), 23 SD (Art, AT - Dement'ev, L2)
31.685 men / 7 KIA
Ger (Chelm - River Crossing): 4 LeichteD (Motx2, AC - Geib, L4, DD)
6.997 men / 72 KIA
​

14. Lwow (Defence - Urban - Fort Level 2 - Victory)

02 Jul 42 05:00 - 06:00

SU: XXIX GvSK (HQ, Gdsx2, AT - Popov M.M., L4, DD), 72 GvSD (TD, Eng - Rotsmistrov, L3), 10 TTGvD (H Arm, Gdsx2, Art, Eng - Novikov N.A., L3),

76 GvSD (AT, Eng - Barinov, L3), 77 GvSD (AT, Eng - Badanov, L3)​

62.809 men / 5 KIA
Ger (Przemysl): 95 ID (Infx2, ?? - Böttcher F., L3, BM)
7.959 men / 54 KIA
​

15. Jaworow 4 (Defence - Plains - Defeat)

30 Jun 42 01:00 - 02 Jul 42 18:00

SU: 45 SD (Art, AT - Lazarev, L2, BM), 169 SD (Art, AT - Bondarev, L2)
20.393 men / 928 KIA
Ger (Jaroslaw - River Crossing): SSD 'Wiking' (WSSx2, AC, Mot-AA, Eng - von Manteuffel, L4, DD, BM), SS-Verfügungstruppe (WSS)
Ger (Przemysl): 10 PzD (Arm, Mot, TD, AC - Model, L6)
7.973 men / 540 KIA
​

16. Luboml 2 (Defence - Plains - Victory)

27 Jun 42 07:00 - 02 Jul 42 18:00

SU: 14 SD (Art, AT - Trofimenko, L3), 17 SD (Art, AT - Odintsov, L2, FB)
21.998 men / 1.827 KIA
Ger (Zamosc - River Crossing): 5 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, TD, Mot-AA - Phleps, L3, OD), 4 LeichteD (Motx2, AC - Geib, L4)
Ger (Zolkiew - River Crossing): 4 sPzD (H Arm, Mot, AC, Eng - von Cochenhausen, L2)
Ger (Chelm - River Crossing): 60 ID (Infx2, AC, AT - Raus, L3, BM)
38.848 men / 1.410 KIA
​

Army Group 3 totals:
SU: 480.468 / 13.659 KIA
Ger: 577.713 / 10.289 KIA​

​

VVS Bombardment:

7 Bomber and Assault Aviation Divisions were deployed and have been flying Ground Attack missions in support of ground troops. Nearly all of the raids were flown during daytime to allow the units some time to repair and recuperate, as dedicated German AAA regiments are quite prevalent amongst German Divisions. In consequence, more aeroplanes were lost than in comparable bombing operations in Finland, where AAA regiments were unheard of.

- Province (Number of Missions, Aircraft lost, Bombing casualties)

II ShAK - Ftr, CASx2 - 124 La-7, 248 Il-10 - 620 airmen - Nowogrodek - Marshall Av. Novikov, L3, TB

- Debica (1 / 4 / 186)
- Chelm (3 / 5 / 385)
- Johannisburg (9 / 12 / 1.195)
- Siedlce (5 / 11 / 754)
- Suwalki (4 / 3 / 340)
​

II BAK - Ftr, Tacx2 - 124 La-7, 200 Yak-4 - 524 airmen - Vinnytsya - Lt. Gen. Av. Yakovlev, L3, TB

- Gorlice (1 / 2 / 215)
- Zamosc (4 / 3 / 626)
- Jaroslaw (6 / 21 / 861)
- Zamosc (2 / 8 / 228)
​

V ShAK - Ftr, CASx2 - 124 La-7, 248 Il-10 - 620 airmen - Kaunas - Lt. Gen. Av. Goryunov, L2

- Gumbinnen (2 / 3 / 192)
- Tilsit (1 / 7 / 141)
- Rietavas (1 / 0 / 78)
- Memel (11 / 3 / 1.383)
- Suwalki (2 / 7 / 203)
- Lomza (5 / 8 / 413)
- Kalvarija (2 / 5 / 243)
​

I ShAK - Ftr, CASx2 - 124 La-7, 248 Il-10 - 620 airmen - Lwow - Lt. Gen. Av. Zhigarev, L3, TB

- Ostroleka (4 / 5 / 505)
- Przemysl (6 / 10 / 1.001)
- Jaroslaw (3 / 6 / 528)
​

I BAK - Ftr, Tacx2 - 124 La-7, 200 Yak-4 - 524 airmen - Minsk - Lt. Gen. Av. Golovanov, L3, CB

- Ostrow (5 / 20 / 818)
- Tilsit (5 / 6 / 668)
- Kalvarija (6 / 4 / 789)
​

IV ShAK - Ftr, CASx2 - 124 La-7, 248 Il-10 - 620 airmen - Lwow - Lt. Gen. Av. Rudenko, L2, TB

- Rawa Ruska (7 / 20 / 927)
- Zolkiew (15 / 30 / 2.063)
​

III ShAK - Ftr, CASx2 - 124 La-7, 248 Il-10 - 620 airmen - Kaunas - Lt. Gen. Av. Kutakhov, L3, TB

- Pogegen (16 / 6 / 2.026)
- Zambrow ( 4 / 24 / 634)
​

After it's return from the Far East, 1 DBAD was put to work on a series of Logistical strikes to slow down the small German breakthrough in Maloryta:

- Province (Number of Missions, Aircraft lost, Heavy AAA guns destroyed (10 AA guns / Level), Infra damage, Supplies destroyed (Tonnes), Fuel destroyed (x10 Barrels))

III ShAK - Str - 82 TB-3 - 656 airmen - Homel - Maj. Gen. Av. Kalinin, L2

- Maloryta (6 / 0 / 5 / 3,4 / 124 / 50,6)
​

VVS Bombing Totals:
VVS losses to AAA: 131 Missions / 233 planes (45 Yak-4's, 111 Il-10s, 77 La-7's) / 389 KIA
Ger Bombing losses: 16.933 KIA / 5 AAA guns / 3,4 Infra / 124 Supplies / 50,6 Fuel

Map of Bombings and Air Battles over the main front. Each bomb stands for one day of bombing missions, with the size of the bombs indicating the size of the Aeroplanes dropping them. 50 kg for CAS, 100 kg for Tac, and 500 kg for Str. (the latter is not to scale). The counters indicate where various wings are based, and the Yak-7 silhouettes with numbers on the wings indicate the Aerial Battles.

Map of Bombings and Air Battles over the main front. Each bomb stands for one day of bombing missions, with the size of the bombs indicating the size of the Aeroplanes dropping them. 50 kg for CAS, 100 kg for Tac, and 500 kg for Str. (the latter is not to scale). The counters indicate where various wings are based, and the Yak-7 silhouettes with numbers on the wings indicate the Aerial Battles.
​

Air Battles:

The first aerial encounters with the Luftwaffe were linked to operation 'Thor', they were successful despite significant losses.

On the main front, it took until 6pm on the 25th of June (3 days into the war), for the Luftwaffe to make it's first apparition over the front. A single damaged Jagdgeschwäder intercepted our bombers over Pogegen (5), Soviet interceptors were scrambled, and many Bf-109G's were shot out of the sky. The JG in question wasn't seen again, VVS bombing operations could continue as before, thanks to a reserve Assault Aviation Division that was rotated into Kaunas.

Getting absolutely hammered by incessant VVS Ground Attacks, the Luftwaffe attempted to return the favour. On the 27th, first Jaworow (3) at 6pm, then Luboml (4) at 7pm, were targeted by Tactical Bombers. Before they could unleash their deadly load on our troops, the Ju-88s, and their FW-190D escorts came under fire from swarms of Yak-7s, they were decimated, returned to their Air Bases, and didn't return. This would be a recurring theme, with Soviet Interceptor units suffering only marginal losses, and German Tacticai Bomber units being decimated.

Another Luftflotte with Tactical Bombers tried the same thing at 1pm on the 28th, attempting to bomb Jaworow (6), it met the same fate and wasn't seen again.

On the 30th, two more German bomber formations made attempts, first on Mariampole (7), and then on Jaworow (8). With the same result. Soviet Fighter squadrons were rotated, as to be able to send the freshest units into combat, while the orthers repaired closer to Moskva and it's supply hub.

On the 1st of July, the Red Banner Baltic Fleet was hit by a Gruppe of Heavy Naval bombers in the North-western Baltic (9). The CAGs from Moskva and Leningrad attempted to intercept the bombers in the fog, but some got through and dropped their bombs on the fleet. Both the Escort Carrier Leningrad, and the Light Cruiser Profitern suffered some light damage. The Seeaufklärungsgruppe did pay a heavy toll for this action, and the Red Navy doesn't expect to see the Ju-290As again for quite some time.

A Junkers Ju-290 of the Seeaufklärungsgruppe ready to take off to bomb the Red Banner Baltic Fleet (9).

1. Bornholm (Soviet Airborne Assault / German & Soviet Intercept - Victory)

23 Jun 42 21:00 - 24:00

VVS: I TrAK - Ftr, Trax2 - 124 La-7, 248 Li-2 - 620 airmen - Kaunas - Lt. Gen. Av. Chuvakov, L2
VMF: 1 KPA - CAG - 32 La-7VM, 32 Il-10VM - 94 airmen - Moskva (Southern Baltic) - Air Capt 1C Zhavronkov, L4

2 KPA - CAG - 32 La-7VM, 32 Il-10VM - 94 airmen - Leningrad (Southern Baltic) - Air Capt 1C Falaleev, L4​

496 planes / 808 airmen / 70 downed / 128 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 2, JG 3, JG 109 - Intx3 - 336 Me-109G - 336 airmen - ? - Genlt. Klepke, L2, SAT

JG 4 - 112 Me-109G - 112 airmen - ? - Genmaj. Fisser, L1​

448 planes / 448 airmen / 35 downed / 34 KIA
​

2. Southern Baltic (Soviet Intercept - Weather -10% (fog) - Victory)

24 Jun 42 04:00 - 07:00

VMF: 1 KPA - CAG - 28 La-7VM, 29 Il-10VM - 84 airmen - Moskva (Southern Baltic) - Air Capt 1C Zhavronkov, L4, FD

2 KPA - CAG - 32 La-7VM, 32 Il-10VM - 94 airmen - Leningrad (Southern Baltic) - Air Capt 1C Falaleev, L4​

117 planes / 178 airmen / 6 downed / 9 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 4 - 111 Me-109G - 111 airmen - ? - Genmaj. Fisser, L1, SAT
111 planes / 111 airmen / 8 downed / 8 KIA
​

3. Jaworow (German Ground Attack attempt / Soviet Intercept - Victory)

27 Jun 42 18:00 - 21:00

VVS: II IAK - Infx4 - 496 Yak-7 - 496 airmen - Lwow - Lt. Gen. Av. Astakhov, L4
496 planes / 496 airmen / 26 downed / 26 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 28, KG 3, Stkpfg. - Ftr, Tacx2 - 112 FW-190D, 186 Ju-88A-4 - 856 airmen - ? - Genlt. Keller, L3, SAT, TB
298 planes / 856 airmen / 56 downed / 116 KIA
​

4. Luboml (German Ground Attack attempt / Soviet Intercept - Victory)

27 Jun 42 19:00 - 22:00

VVS: III IAK - Infx4 - 496 Yak-7 - 496 airmen - Brzesc Litewski - Lt. Gen. Av. Vorozheikin, L4
496 planes / 496 airmen / 21 downed / 21 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 104, KG 25, KG 30 - Ftr, Tacx2 - 112 FW-190D, 186 Ju-88A-4 - 856 airmen - ? - Genlt. Sperrle, L5, TB, CB
298 planes / 856 airmen / 55 downed / 196 KIA
​

5. Pogegen (Soviet Ground Attack / German & Soviet Intercept - Victory)

25 Jun 42 08:00 - 11:00

VVS: III ShAK - Ftr, CASx2 - 124 La-7, 248 Il-10 - 620 airmen - Kaunas - Lt. Gen. Av. Kutakhov, L3, TB

I IAK - Infx4 - 496 Yak-7 - 496 airmen - Kaunas - Lt. Gen. Av. Khudyakov, L4​

868 planes / 1.116 airmen / 19 downed / 37 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 4 - 89 Me-109G - 89 airmen - ? - Genmaj. Fisser, L1, SAT
89 planes / 89 airmen / 18 downed / 18 KIA​

6. Jaworow (German Ground Attack attempt / Soviet Intercept - Victory)

28 Jun 42 13:00 - 16:00

VVS: II IAK - Infx4 - 491 Yak-7 - 491 airmen - Lwow - Lt. Gen. Av. Astakhov, L4, NF
491 planes / 491 airmen / 39 downed / 39 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 50, KG 50, KG 76 - Ftr, Tacx2 - 112 FW-190D, 186 Ju-88A-4 - 856 airmen - ? - Genlt. Dörstling, L3, TB
298 planes / 856 airmen / 62 downed / 140 KIA
​

7. Mariampolè (German Ground Attack attempt / Soviet Intercept - Victory)

30 Jun 42 21:00 - 00:00

VVS: III IAK - Infx4 - 487 Yak-7 - 487 airmen - Brzesc Litewski - Lt. Gen. Av. Vorozheikin, L4
487 planes / 487 airmen / 15 downed / 15 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 51, KG 4, KG 1 - Ftr, Tacx2 - 112 FW-190D, 186 Ju-88A-4 - 856 airmen - ? - Genlt. Stumpff, L3, FD
298 planes / 856 airmen / 64 downed / 70 KIA
​

8. Jaworow (German Ground Attack attempt / Soviet Intercept - Victory)

30 Jun 42 22:00 - 31 Jun 42 01:00

VVS: II IAK - Infx4 - 491 Yak-7 - 491 airmen - Lwow - Lt. Gen. Av. Astakhov, L4, NF
491 planes / 491 airmen / 39 downed / 39 KIA
Luftwaffe: JG 7, KG 53, KG 2 - Ftr, Tacx2 - 112 FW-190D, 186 Ju-88A-4 - 856 airmen - ? - Genlt. Kesselring, L5, TB
298 planes / 856 airmen / 64 downed / 106 KIA
​

9. North-Western Baltic (German Naval Strike / Soviet CAG Duty - Weather -12,5% (fog) - Victory)

01 Jul 42 12:00 - 15:00

VMF: 2 KPA - CAG - 32 La-7VM, 32 Il-10VM - 94 airmen - Leningrad (North-Western Baltic) - Air Capt 1C Falaleev, L4

7 KPA - CAG - 32 La-7VM, 32 Il-10VM - 94 airmen - Moskva (North-Western Baltic) - Air Capt 1C Kapitochin, L2​

124 planes / 186 airmen / 2 downed / 3 KIA
Luftwaffe: Seeaufklärungsgruppe - 36 Ju-290A-5 - 324 airmen - ? - Oberst Ritter, L3, FD
36 planes / 324 airmen / 8 downed / 72 KIA
VMF: Red Banner Baltic Fleet - 2 BB, 2 CVL, CA, CL, 6 DD, TP - 10.606 sailors - V.Adm. Kuznetsov 4, ST
13 naval units / 41 ships / 10.606 sailors / 500 merchantmen / Leningrad (CVL) -3% / Profitern (CL) -10% / 78 sailors KIA​

​

Air Battle Totals:
VVS: 7 battles / 3.701 (2.957 Yak-7, 248 La-7, 248 Il-10, 248 Li-2) / 120 (120 Yak-7, 18 Il-10, 37 La-7, 27 Li-2) / 274 KIA
VMF (Air Fleet): 3 battles / 365 (182 La-7VM, 183 Il-10VM) / 15 (8 La-7VM, 7 Il-10VM) / 22 KIA
VMF (Surface Fleet): 13 units / 41 ships (2 BB, 2 CVL, CA, CL, 6 DD, TP) / CVL -3% / CL -10% / 78 KIA
Luftwaffe: 9 battles / 1 Naval strike / 2.174 (648 Me-109G, 560 FW-190D, 930 Ju-88A-4, 36 Ju-290A-5) / 369 (60 Me-109G, 192 FW-190D, 109 Ju-88A-4, 8 Ju-290A) / 752 KIA

​

A Junkers Ju-88, crashed in the fields of Jaworow. The 4-man crew died on impact, or so it seems.
​

Convoy Raiding:

Baltic Sea: 2 German convoys sunk
After initial success, the Germans started to add escorts to their convoys. This lead to our small submarine units reporting that the convoys they encountered were too well defended for them to attempt an attack. In response to this development, two submarine Fleets (I FP & VI FP) were combined at sea into a single Fleet of 5 Flotillas, or 25 Submarines. (I Flotiliya Podlodok) As soon as he returns to port Captain 1st Class Gorshkov, L3, now acting Counter-Admiral, will be officially promoted to Counter-Admiral to reflect the increased number of submarines under his command, and reward his early convoy-raiding successes.

A Series-II Submarine of I. Flotiliya Podlodok in the Baltic Sea
​

Total numbers (GPW):

Total Ground losses:
SU: 945.189 / 34.255 KIA (ground)
Ger: 999.012 / 42.844 KIA (25.911 (ground), 16.933 (air))

Total Navy losses:
VMF (Surface Fleet): 13 units / 41 ships / CVL -3% (air) / CL -10% (air) / 78 KIA
Kriegsmarine: 2 convoys lost

Total Air Losses:
VVS: 3.701 (Air Battles Only) / 353 (120 Yak-7, 129 Il-10, 114 La-7, 45 Yak-4, 27 Li-2) / 663 KIA
VMF (Air Fleet): 365 (Air Battles only) / 15 (8 La-7VM, 7 Il-10VM) / 22 KIA
Total SU: 4.066 (Air Battles Only) / 368 / 685 KIA
Luftwaffe: 2.174 (Air Battles only) / 369 (60 Me-109G, 192 FW-190D, 109 Ju-88A-4, 8 Ju-290A) / 752 KIA

Total Losses:
35.018 (SU) / 43.596 (Ger)
​

Those first ten days were packed with action, with expected, and unexpected developments. What do you think about where the war is going? What do you think about the reporting style? As always, your input is valued,

Greetings,

'Odin'
​

Edit 01/09: Small corrections to the statistics, and to 3 AG map.

 

[serutan]

For the nonce, I'd say things are not going badly - certainly better than historically. Provided the line near the Batic stabilizes.

I like the map presentation as I prefer a high level view of the front instead of a swarm of zoom in screenies of individual battles.

I think it might be useful if on the map in new updates you put in a dotted line or some such to show where the line
had been the previous update.

 

[Eurasia]

I like this style of reporting and think the maps are perfect. As for the war so far the numbers are looking good. The German Air Force seems to be failing so far to support its end of the war. Which is great for the Soviet ground troops. As for the Naval side of the war...if the submarines sink enemy convoys or not isn't an issue. This will be decided in the Land Combat.

 

[roverS3]

For the nonce, I'd say things are not going badly - certainly better than historically.

As for the war so far the numbers are looking good.

The numbers are definitely good, though you should know that a significant number of units in the north has lost nearly all organisation. This will become a slight issue (see next war report, in a RL month or so... Two smaller updates are to come, and then the regular 10-day report before, and maybe something else happens too, before the 12th of July in-game...)

Provided the line near the Batic stabilizes.

Yes... well... I guess you'll have to see later. In any case, if it doesn't stabilise itself, the addition of 2 fresh corps, currently in Kaunas and Riga, will surely help, if/once the Germans get there.

The German Air Force seems to be failing so far to support its end of the war. Which is great for the Soviet ground troops.

That's a great advantage we have. Currently both Army Groups seem to be outnumbered (the Northern one more than the Southern one...). The VVS is doing a lot of damage on it's own, and that's evening the odds somewhat. Even if this doesn't last, the summer weather is perfect for effective ground attacks, and the only thing that really limits ground attacks is the high prevalence of 88mm FlaK 37's amongst German units, and the attrition related to that. That said, I haven't had to ground any bomber unit for more than a couple of days. The sortie rate is so high that the supply network has some trouble coping, though it's nothing major yet, it's something to look out for come mud season.

As for the Naval side of the war...if the submarines sink enemy convoys or not isn't an issue. This will be decided in the Land Combat.

Convoy Raiding is definitely the side-show of the side-show that is Leningrad HQ. That said, we have a Navy, and we're going to use it... More on that in one of the upcoming updates.

I like the map presentation as I prefer a high level view of the front instead of a swarm of zoom in screenies of individual battles.

That is also my personal preference, which is why I did it that way...

I think it might be useful if on the map in new updates you put in a dotted line or some such to show where the line had been the previous update.

That would be one way to do it. I was definitely thinking along the same lines.

I like this style of reporting and think the maps are perfect.

I spotted a mistake on the 3 AG map... the '9' on Sanok shouldn't be there, it shouldn't exist at all. It was a case of temporary confusion, as 9. Jaworow was attacked from Sanok...

Some more comments on the format and the stats.
I might simplify the stats a little by only including the name and stats of the Generals who actually command the battle, leaving out the other ones. It's a small change that will save me a significant amount of time. I could also write the name of the commander the first time a unit pops up.

The amount of aeroplanes in the Air units is loosely based on a number of historically sized sub-units+the plane of the Squadron Commander & his wingman/wingmen according to custom. I did the same with Soviet units in the context of a VVS update some time ago.
Jagdgeschwader (JG): 3 x gruppe of 36 fighters + 4 planes at Geschwader command level (2 pairs) = 112
Kampfgeschwader (KG): 3 x gruppe of 32 Tactical bombers + 4 planes at Geschwader command level = 100
Seeaufklärungsgruppe (SAGr): 1 Gruppe of 32 Naval bombers + 4 planes at Geschwader command level = 36
These Ju-290s are the size of strategic bombers with crews of 9, so for the manpower to be similar that of a Kampfgeschwader (which is the case in game), this has to be a single Gruppe, hence the name... only 65 Ju-290s were built historically, it's not clear whether the Germans have any more than 36 of them. If they have two SAGr's that wouldn't be too far off...

As said above, a few relatively short updates are coming up, one could possibly be posted tomorrow, but maybe I'll get carried away or do something else, so that's not a guarantee.

Thanks for the feedback and thanks for reading.

 

[Bullfilter]

Sergeant Orlov was more impressed, though I suspect he was also looking for something else:

"That was one hell of a shot Senior Lieutenant. But more than that shot, I'm impressed by your restraint. Why don't I buy you a drink to celebrate, once we both get some leave? There's no harm in getting to know each-other, is there."
​

The Major was starting to open his mouth to reprimand the Sergeant for his forwardness, but I was faster than him, and my response was quite stern:

"Sergeant Orlov. You forget your place. I may have the appearance of an attractive woman, but as my uniform clearly indicates, I'm a Senior Lieutenant. I'm not some girl in a bar you're trying to seduce, I'm your superior officer. These kinds of advances are entirely inappropriate within this context Sergeant."
​

The other men in the room turned to follow the conversation. The Sergeant had no choice but to apologise:

"Mam Senior Lieutenant, I wish to sincerely apologise for my rudeness and my disregard of protocol. Mam."

"All right Sergeant. I'll let you off with a warning, don't speak to me like that ever again."

"Mam. It won't. Mam."

"Dismissed Sergeant."
​

I almost felt sorry for him, and if I had been alone with the Sergeant I might not have used my rank to put him down so harshly, but given I was surrounded by male officers who where my superiors, I had to show that I wouldn't accept any junior or non-commissioned officer questioning my rank or authority. If they don't respect me as an officer, they'll try to keep me on a leash, and I don't like being on a leash for any amount of time. ​

Quite right too! The first occasion is the crucial one. Hard to recover if you blow that opportunity to establish some credibility.​

Red Army Mountaineers of 46. Gornostrelkovaya Diviziya cross the border into Norway. (the old sign was later taken down to replace it with one that said 'USSR / Norge')

XXXIV GSK has walked into Kirkenes unopposed. Tromso has been added as an objective. It is unclear whether Tromso can be reached overland. If not, a single transport flotilla is available in Archanglesk to ferry our troops there.​

There seems to be no opposition there - good idea having the transports on hand. I've run into the no infra problem there before as the SU.
​

The Red Banner Baltic Fleet has started ferrying a corps of Riflemen to Bornholm, in anticipation of a future operation to take Copenhagen and the surrounding island. Opening up the Öresund, blocking German troops from transiting through Sweden to and from Norway, and allowing Soviet Fleets in and out of the Baltic Sea.​

That will really make Norway untenable for them if it can be pulled off.​

After 4 days of bitter fighting, the defenders of Palanga (10) couldn't take it anymore, retreating at midnight. Both sides suffered over 2.000 casualties.

The 28th of June was a busy day. At 3am, after nearly 6 days of fighting, the battle for Taurage (13) ended in defeat, casualty numbers were in favour of the Red Army, though both sides suffered over 2.400 KIA.

At noon, the battle for Bielsk Podalski (19) came to an end, after nearly 5 days of fighting, nearly 5.000 Red Army riflemen had been killed, for less than 3.000 Germans, this is the most devastating loss to date.​

But big battles like these (and the many smaller ones) still contribute to the key aim of bleeding the Hitlerites dry as they pay for the almost limitless Soviet territory with very limited German blood.​

The Northern part of the front is in some trouble, but help is on it's way. Both 2ya Tankovaya Armiya and 11ya Motorizovannaya Armiya are closing in from the East and South-East respectively. I will welcome any suggestions as to how to utilise these forces, in light of the developments of the last 10 days.​

As a general suggestion (you will have the detailed tactical read in better detail) and given you are giving orders to AI generals, I'd aim at an area where there has been heavy fighting, the Germans are a bit disorganised, have not had a chance to secure their recent gains and are exposed. Then smash into that point with the 2yaTank, using the 11ya Mot to then hopefully exploit and secure the breakthrough, aiming for some point on the coast to cut off as large a chunk of Army Group North as you think you can bite off, with Memel or whatever as the depth objective. See if it works and how the AI leaders perform. Refine for next time.
​

Southern Main Front (3 AG / Brjansk HQ):

Przemysl (4) was lost at the same time, with Soviet casualties over 2.500, three times German losses.​

Not so good. ​

At 4am on the 29th, the second battle of Jaworow (8) ended in a costly Soviet victory, with over 2.500 dead on our side, nearly twice the German losses.

The German obsession with Jaworow (15), was combined with the typical 1am start time in another attack on the province on the 30th. The battle for Switaz (11) was won conclusively by the Red Army at 8am, with over 1.000 Soviet losses, but close to 2.000 German ones.​

With losses like those two (even the first one, still a victory) their obsession should be encouraged! A small Stalingrad.​

After 4 battles totalling over 3 days of fighting Jaworow (15) was lost at 6pm, with close to 1.000 Soviet casualties in the final battle, almost double the German deathtoll. At the same time, the second battle of Luboml (16) ended in a costly victory, after nearly 6 days of fighting. Soviet casualties were close to 2.000, German ones closer to 1.500.

The Southern part of the front has held a lot better, this is thanks to a slightly higher concentration of units, and the fact that most of this part of the front is behind the river.
​

Some tough battle outcomes, yes, but as above, I think these are strategic positives. The Germans are having to fight hard to gain ground and have not created panic or big breakthroughs. Keeping things under control here could be the balance to a head-on and more fluid clash in the north, if that's where you do end up using the mechanised reinforcements to strike a blow.​

VVS Bombing Totals:
VVS losses to AAA: 131 Missions / 233 planes (45 Yak-4's, 111 Il-10s, 77 La-7's) / 389 KIA
Ger Bombing losses: 16.933 KIA / 5 AAA guns / 3,4 Infra / 124 Supplies / 50,6 Fuel
​

Again, those are very heavy casualties the Germans are taking from the air. Their manpower numbers are going to be plunging if you can keep this up. Despite the late start to the war, they may end up losing a comparable amount of men by mid-1943 as in OTL.​

Total Ground losses:
SU: 945.189 / 34.255 KIA (ground)
Ger: 999.012 / 42.844 KIA (25.911 (ground), 16.933 (air))

Those first ten days were packed with action, with expected, and unexpected developments. What do you think about where the war is going? What do you think about the reporting style? As always, your input is valued​

They certainly were! I think the Germans will be ruing their attack fairly soon. If you do luanch a big counter-attack, it will add to the heavy casualties they are already taking, irrespective of whether you get a breakthrough or pocket some divisions. And if it at least stabilises the north, then they will be stuck in a war of attrition they cannot win. Then, that operation in Denmark could really cause them some consternation, especially if you have the spare forces available to reinforce landings and create (and supply) a sizable beachhead.

Colonel Bogafiltresi
Turkish Military Observer ​

 

[roverS3]

Quite right too! The first occasion is the crucial one. Hard to recover if you blow that opportunity to establish some credibility.

I'm glad a Turkish Colonel agrees. Let's hope it continues to work out well for her.

There seems to be no opposition there - good idea having the transports on hand. I've run into the no infra problem there before as the SU.

Upon closer inspection it seems like we will need those transports to get to Tromso and Narvik. That said, I have no idea how many German troops there are in Norway, so I might wait until reinforcements can be spared, and/or a southern attack on Norway becomes feasible. Right now, the plan in Norway is to make sure that the Germans can't open a northern front into Finland. If there's an infra-wall that should stop them, if not, a single corps should be able to hold a mountainous defensive position in the narrowest part of Norway, north of Narvik.

That will really make Norway untenable for them if it can be pulled off.

Preparations are definitely underway, though there was a little snag, delaying preparations by a few days, nothing major. (you'll see in the next GPW update.)

But big battles like these (and the many smaller ones) still contribute to the key aim of bleeding the Hitlerites dry as they pay for the almost limitless Soviet territory with very limited German blood.

There's definitely a lot of bleeding going on. That said, I'm glad

As a general suggestion (you will have the detailed tactical read in better detail) and given you are giving orders to AI generals, I'd aim at an area where there has been heavy fighting, the Germans are a bit disorganised, have not had a chance to secure their recent gains and are exposed. Then smash into that point with the 2yaTank, using the 11ya Mot to then hopefully exploit and secure the breakthrough, aiming for some point on the coast to cut off as large a chunk of Army Group North as you think you can bite off, with Memel or whatever as the depth objective. See if it works and how the AI leaders perform. Refine for next time.

Makes sense, aim for the weakest area of the front, and try to catch a few fish. Thanks, this is good advice. As the 2ya Tank closes in, they are having some supply issues, which are slowing them down. I now estimate they should get to the front in 10-15 days.

Some tough battle outcomes, yes, but as above, I think these are strategic positives. The Germans are having to fight hard to gain ground and have not created panic or big breakthroughs. Keeping things under control here could be the balance to a head-on and more fluid clash in the north, if that's where you do end up using the mechanised reinforcements to strike a blow.

Mostly holding the line in the south is definitely a good thing. It might get just a bit harder as time goes on. (see next update)

Again, those are very heavy casualties the Germans are taking from the air. Their manpower numbers are going to be plunging if you can keep this up. Despite the late start to the war, they may end up losing a comparable amount of men by mid-1943 as in OTL.

German casualties will be very bad by the time this is over, and probably a lot more even with Soviet Casualties than historically.

If you do launch a big counter-attack, it will add to the heavy casualties they are already taking, irrespective of whether you get a breakthrough or pocket some divisions. And if it at least stabilises the north, then they will be stuck in a war of attrition they cannot win.

Adding tanks to the mix will definitely help out in the North. I am worried about supplies though, as that's a lot of tanks. To keep things moving, I'll probably have to deploy the VVS transports for Aerial supply missions.

Then, that operation in Denmark could really cause them some consternation, especially if you have the spare forces available to reinforce landings and create (and supply) a sizable beachhead.

If, and that's a big if, we manage to encircle a good chunk of German troops, and retake the initiative, we could consider pulling some of our reserves for new side operations.
Depending on the context I am also partial to training a significant number of defensive Garrison units and placing them in key locations, once upgrade costs get down to a more reasonable level. We could then also replace the regulars currently dug in to defend cities, and put them to use.
Going even further in our speculation, it could be interesting to open up a second front in Denmark, either before, or after, we take Norway.
Of course we also have to consider other options and other developments between now and such a time when we are in a position to execute such an operation.

Colonel Bogafiltresi
Turkish Military Observer

Colonel, the Soviet Union (and the Secret Committee) certainly values your wise advice. Welcome aboard.

'Odin'

P.S.: If only you could now convince the Turkish government to join the Comintern...

 

[roverS3]

The 2nd of July 1942, Vologda, 6,3°C, 7pm Moscow Time

In the war-room in the Secret Committee's main bunker in Vologda, we were having some top shelf Stolichnaya. The first toast was to Joseph Stalin, the second in honour of the sacrifices made by our Soviet servicemen, the third to congratulate everyone present for the work done in support of the war. Before we could make a fourth toast and start to get really wasted, the direct telephone line to the Kremlin rang. I picked up, it was 'Tri', he could barely contain his laughter, it was as if he was about to tell a joke, and in a way he was. He told me to put him on the speakers so everyone could enjoy his story. I indulged him:

“I'm sorry, I can't get the image out of my head, sure, the implications are very serious, but the scene was just so funny. I'll start at the beginning, the whole thing took barely ten minutes.​

I was finishing up some diplomatic cables to Stockholm in my office in the Kremlin, when I heard some commotion outside. The situation was later described to me by one of the guards. I quote:

'NKVD and Police were yelling for everyone to clear the street outside the Kremlin's entrance. About ten seconds later, three diplomatic cars roared into view, three abreast. They drove right through the gates without stopping, barely squeezing through the large passageway. Followed by NKVD officers on motorcycles.'

Another guard, on posted just outside the main palace's entrance, told me what happened next:

'The three large cars came to a screeching halt, one next to the other, right in front of the entrance to the main building, the drivers got out, sprinted to the rear doors of their respective cars, and opened them almost simultaneously. Out came three top level diplomats.'

That was the commotion I had picked up on. I got out of my office to go downstairs and see the source of the noise. I didn't need to, as it was coming to me, or rather to comrade Stalin's office, a couple of doors down the hall. I recognised the three diplomats, they were, from left to right:

Jozsef Kristoffy, Hungarian Minister plenipotentiary in Moscow

Augusto Rosso, Italian Ambassador in Moscow

Ivan Stamenov, Bulgarian Minister plenipotentiary in Moscow

I still can't get the image of these three dignified diplomats bustling down the hall, as quickly as possible without having to resort to running. It was a race all right. They arrived at Stalin's office, and before the secretary could say anything, all three started talking at the same time. From what I could make out, they all had an urgent message of the utmost importance for the leader of the Soviet Union and it's government. A heated argument broke out between the three, on who would go first, and even more important who would go last, then, the secretary interceded, telling them that they could just as well go in all three at the same time or our Comrade Secretary General might never hear the urgent news they had. The three diplomats spoke amongst themselves for about 30 seconds, before they went in, three abreast. During their discussion I had quietly moved towards them, and now, as they went in, I ducked into our little maintenance cupboard/secret observation room. In near unison, they exclaimed:

“In the name of Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, the Kingdom of Italy...

“In the name of Boris III, king of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

“In the name of Miklos Horty, Regent of Hungary, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

They all paused, before ending their sentences, in perfect unison, with “...hereby declares war on the Soviet Union.” And then, pulling the official declarations of war out of their pockets in an almost choreographed movement, they continued:

“This is the written declaration of war, you will find all of my government's grievances and claims in there. I will leave Moscow within 24 hours.”

I had to do my utmost not to burst out laughing and reveal my presence. As soon as they left the room, Stalin started bellowing from laughter. I joined him in his office, he said:

'I get it, they've come to declare war on the Soviet Union, but why did they do it all at once, those 5 minutes aren't going to matter in the grand scheme of the war.'

And then I told him why:

At least 2 of those three countries didn't really want to join the war, and as long as none of them did, the Germans had to treat them all the same, all the while applying diplomatic pressure on all of them to get them to declare war on us. Now, if one of those three European Axis members were to declare war on the Soviet Union before the others, it would probably be viewed in a favourable light in Berlin, and thus enjoy all kinds of special Germanic attention. If one of the three were to drag it's feet for a lot longer than the others, it would be left out to dry. I don't know exactly how it started, but it seems one of the three ambassadors started writing a declaration of war, the news leaked, and the two others hurried to do the same, even declaring war minutes after one of the other countries would be seen by Berlin as a reaction, and thus the first to officially declare war could still benefit significantly. So, they all raced each other right to the door of Stalin's office.

The funniest part is, of course, that none of them managed to get ahead. I ran downstairs just in time to see their vehicles, to try and understand how it was possible that none of them had managed to outpace the others. Did they all have the exact same car? No. they did not. Their cars, while very different, are quite close in real world performance, that lead to them being three abreast for most of the way, with none of them able to durably outpace the others. In short, the Italian ambassador's car is very powerful but weighs more than some of the Red Army's armoured cars. The Bulgarian Minister's normal-sized Lancia sedan has a third of the power, for a third of the weight. And the Hungarian Minister's Austro-Daimler is closer to the Italian ambassador's Isotta Fraschini in size, but somewhat less heavy, but also slightly less powerful.

The Italian ambassadors 1934 Isotta Fraschini Typo 8B limousine has the highest power output at 160hp, thanks to a 7.4l straight 8 engine. This is impressive, until you realise that the car weighs over 2,700 kg's, something that puts a serious damper on acceleration, braking, and cornering performance.

The Hungarian Minister's 1932 Austro-Daimler ADR 8 'Alpine' limousine has a slightly less outrageous 4.6 liter straight 8 engine, putting out a still impressive 110hp. It also weighs in at a mere 2 tonnes, giving it pretty similar performance compared to it's Italian counterpart.

The Bulgarian Minister, without anything resembling a national auto-mobile industry, had the smallest car of the three, an Italian-built front wheel drive 1939 Lancia Aprilia 438 4-door sedan. This one is powered by a 1.5 liter 4-cylinder unit putting out a mere 49hp. Despite the significant power disadvantage, the Minister's driver had no trouble keeping up, as the Aprilia weighs in at 900 kg, and it's body was the most streamlined of the three cars.
​

Now, for the serious implications. The Italians and the Bulgarians will need time to relocate their units towards the front, and in the case of the Italians, they are quite occupied already. The Hungarians, on the other hand, already have most of their army on our border, and are thus expected to join the fight any day now. Bye, hope you liked my story"
​

Despite the fact that some of the people in the room were still laughing, this was indeed a serious development. General Volskiy of 4ya Armiya, believes he will not be able to durably hold the Hungarians back, if they attack. That said, he doesn't expect for his forces to be routed either, so I guess we'll be all right on that front, at least for now. Otherwise, we may have to pull units from the Romanian border to shore up his defences, and pray the Romanians stay out of it. Considering they're still distant towards German diplomats, though not as distant as they are towards Soviet ones, i don't think they'll join the Axis anytime soon, but you never know, of course.

On the Naval front, the entry of Bulgaria, and especially Italy, into the war, opens up new threats, but also the potential for a possible blow into Balkans, or Italy, and/or the conquest of more forward bases in the shape of currently Italian-controlled islands. Submarines are currently relocating to Mythiléné to do some convoy raiding, and as soon as the Carrier Fleet gets there, I'm sure it'll have plenty of targets. The advantage of the Mediterranean theatre, is that the weather isn't too bad in the winter, and thus operations there are still possible while operations on the main front, let alone in Scandinavia are slowed down by the freezing weather, snowstorms, etc.

I'm far too drunk to be thinking clearly about this right now, but I thought you should know we are now at war with all of the European Axis members,

Greetings,

'Odin'

Your writAAR is not actually drunk right now, though he possibly was when he didn't take a screenshot of Hungary when it declared war on the Soviet Union. All three countries declared war at exactly the same time in-game, so I thought of this little scenario to explain why.

Maybe I was drunk when I wrote this after all. As @37th Armoured div pointed out, I wrote this:

“In the name of Miklos Horty, Regent of Hungary, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

Let's just say that the Hungarian Minister Plenipotentiary misspoke in a diplomatic gaffe of monumental proportions, the whole event was too confusing for him. I did nothing wrong, it's all this fictional Jozsef Kristoffy's fault. Obviously.

Of course, I wondered what kind of car they would be driving, something that led me to some serious research into pre-ww2 Italian and Hungarian Automobile production. Sadly the mid-twenties, Luxurious, but overpriced, MAG Magosix had no successor. (it was more expensive to buy than a Caddilac V-16, and it had 'only' a straight 6) That would have been a shoo-in for the Hungarian Minister's car. Instead I went for an internationally developed car, of which parts were made in Hungary, as part of the previously Austro-Hungarian Austro-Daimler. Austro-Daimler started as the Austro-Hungarian retailer for Daimler, and when Daimler couldn't meed Austro-Hungarian demand, they branched out into making their own cars, eventually splitting off from the 'mother' company. Ferdinand Porshe started out at Austro-Daimler, and they made some excellent cars for the time, before being bought up by Steyr of Austria in 1934. The ADR 8 was the penultimate car to come out of Austro-Daimler, the last model being the excellent ADR 6 open-top sportscar, with a 120hp straight six Porshe-designed engine. The Bulgarians only built a few Armoured Cars based of FIAT chassis, so I suspect they would have bought something Italian. The Aprilia isn't as luxurious as the others, but it's nice and zippy, and of a normal size (for the time), so there's that. It's also slightly more expensive, a bit faster, slightly more modern, and a bit less mainstream than the Fiat 1500, which was it's primary competition in Italy.
For reference, today's mid-size sedans are closer in size to the ADR 8 and the Typo 8B than to the Aprilia or the 1500, which are the size of today's hatchbacks.

 

[nuclearslurpee]

“In the name of Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, the Kingdom of Italy...

“In the name of Boris III, king of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

“In the name of Miklos Horty, Regent of Hungary, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

They all paused, before ending their sentences, in perfect unison, with “...hereby declares war on the Soviet Union.” And then, pulling the official declarations of war out of their pockets in an almost choreographed movement, they continued:

“This is the written declaration of war, you will find all of my government's grievances and claims in there. I will leave Moscow within 24 hours.”

Now this is frankly surprising. Not the triple declaration of war, nor the ambassadorial fumbling. No, what's surprising is slapstick humor and levity in such a serious AAR. Who do you think you AAR, Bullfilter?

The Italian ambassadors 1934 Isotta Fraschini Typo 8B limousine has the highest power output at 160hp, thanks to a 7.4l straight 8 engine. This is impressive, until you realise that the car weighs over 2,700 kg's, something that puts a serious damper on acceleration, braking, and cornering performance.

The Hungarian Minister's 1932 Austro-Daimler ADR 8 'Alpine' limousine has a slightly less outrageous 4.6 liter straight 8 engine, putting out a still impressive 110hp. It also weighs in at a mere 2 tonnes, giving it pretty similar performance compared to it's Italian counterpart.

The Bulgarian Minister, without anything resembling a national auto-mobile industry, had the smallest car of the three, an Italian-built front wheel drive 1939 Lancia Aprilia 438 4-door sedan. This one is powered by a 1.5 liter 4-cylinder unit putting out a mere 49hp. Despite the significant power disadvantage, the Minister's driver had no trouble keeping up, as the Aprilia weighs in at 900 kg, and it's bodyk was the most streamlined of the three cars ​

At the same time, I utterly respect the fact that even in the midst of slapstick and war declarations, the focal piece of this update is of course historical photographs and specifications of period-piece automobiles. Truly, our authAAR knows what is most important in life.

 

[37th Armoured div]

“In the name of Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, the Kingdom of Italy...

“In the name of Boris III, king of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

“In the name of Miklos Horty, Regent of Hungary, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

isn't that a diplomatic violation?
Though that would be awesome

 

[roverS3]

Welcome to the growing corps of external advisers to the Secret Committee, @37th Armoured div , your contribution is highly valued.

“In the name of Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, the Kingdom of Italy...

“In the name of Boris III, king of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”

“In the name of Miklos Horty, Regent of Hungary, the Kingdom of Bulgaria...”
isn't that a diplomatic violation?

As to your comment, I should really proofread more often... I will correct this gross error at once.