'Odin' and Stalin's Secret Committee

roverS3 · May 13, 2018

The 11th of September 1941, Moskva, 1,4°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 2nd and the 11th of September 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

ML-20 152mm Guns have been delivered to form two more Artillery Regiments, they've been deployed to 75. SD and 67. SD on the German border.
2. KP, the second Cavalry Regiment of Maj. General Chibisov's 6. KD, I KK, 4th Army Group, Odessa HQ. has finished retraining with, and received, it's new half-tracks. 6. KD is our first fully armoured Cavalry Division.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 653 / 1.959.000
Support troops: 290 / 290.000

Total fighting troops: 943 / 2.249.000

Headquarters: 61 / 61.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.004 / 2.310.000

Officers: 91.514 + / 99.990 needed / 91,523 %
Active Leaders: 264 / 159 more available
No follow-up orders as production switches to equipping existing Rifle Regiments with the new Light Anti-Tank Guns.

Air Force:

No changes to VVS, nor Navy Air Fleet numbers for the last 10 days.

Navy:

No changes to Navy numbers for the last 10 days.

Politics / International:

The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 84,9 =
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 82,5 =

German troops continue their unopposed push North, with their capture of Grong, and Nordli, they are 170km north of Trondheim, and a whopping 340km from Narvik.

The Germans, and a few Italians have started arriving in force from the north. They have struck south, between the Glomma and Lagen rivers, taking Koppang, Trette, and Lillehammer, 100km to the North-East from Oslo. The Norwegians didn't sit still, they took Tyin, in what looks like an attempt to cut the German forces in 2. The spearhead is already badly exposed before it even reached the coast, this will probably amount to nothing. It seems we're finally witnessing the last weeks of Norway, with a clear superiority in numbers on the Axis side, only a strong British intervention could save Norway now.

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

Once supply caught up with the British tanks, they moved into Abu Haggag with ease, while their HQs arrived in El Iskandarîya. After clearing the small pocket east of the city, Infantry is slowly catching up with the tanks and is attempting to widen the front.
Meanwhile, the two Royal Marines Divisions are on trains to Tel Aviv Yafo, where small fleets with landing craft are waiting for them... is an amphibious operation with actual Marines being planned? Only time will tell...

French North Africa Front

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

No further advances in the last 10 days.

Industry:

20 Infrastructure projects were completed, 20 new ones were started.
4 Air Bases were upgraded, 4 new projects were started. (See Air Bases and Infrastructure update)
Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 240 / 324
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 37,70 / 85,58
Reinforcement: 2,00 / 2,22
Supplies: 27,00 / 43,71
Production: 228,14 / 229,97 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 41.087 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels +
Supplies: 42.374 tonnes -
Fuel: Maximum barrels +
Money: 2.120 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (Laying low) : 9 / 1 / 1 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 0

Total: 14 / 1 / 1 / 0

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
The GRU added another spy to our dormant UK operation, but another was caught by Buthanese spy-hunters, we didn't hear form him again.

Research:

With the advent of Heavy Tanks, and increases in armour thickness and improvements in it's orientation, the Red Army saw the need for a cutting edge Infantry Anti-Tank Weapon (Level 5). Soon, calculations pointed to the fact that a 57mm Gun would be sufficient in calibre and still relatively easy to manoeuvre, after months of designing and testing, the chosen gun is finally ready for mass production and deployment. The weapon will replace the current 45mm PtP M1938.

The winning design comes from the Research team of Artillery Engineer V.G. Grabin, from No.92 Artillery Factory in Nizhni Novgorod. Vasily Grabin's team already made itself known in 1938 with the now obsolescent ZiS-3 76.2mm Anti-Tank Gun. Keeping within the naming convention, the new gun has been called the 57mm PtP M1941 (aka. ZiS-2), as it is based on an experimental 1936 gun design also called the ZiS-2 and preceding the ZiS-3. (ZiS, short for 'Zavod Imeni Stalina' or 'Factory for Stalin')
The final design is 7,03 meters long, it features an integrated recoil mechanism, mounting hardware as well as a small Gun Shied. The two-wheeled split-trail carriage serves both as a transport and a firing base, the weapon is strictly Line of Sight. In testing Muzzle Velocities slightly over 1.000 m/s were reached. Maximum firing range is over 8,3km. Thanks to the semi-automatic design, experienced crews are expected to be able to reach a fire rate about 25 rounds per minute. This means that during firing, the block of the vertical block breech opens and closes automatically, and all the loader has to do is place a round in the receiver. Maximum penetration is approximately 90mm of HRA (Hot Rolled steel Armour plating)
The gun covers elevations between 25° and -5° and can traverse from -56° to 56° left to right without moving the platform.
With a weight of 1,25 tons, the whole platform can be rotated by it's crew, but transport over any kind of distance necessitates it to be pulled by a vehicle, or , using a limber, by a group 6 horses. (or other towing animals like donkeys or oxes)
Less glamorous, but still important, specifications have gone out for a cheap to produce Support Weapon (Level 3) for our second-line Militia and Garrison Units.

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.084.000
Men To reinforce(need): 9.130
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

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

- Communist Party: 82,03 (+0,13)
- Trotskyite: 8,70 =
- Bukharinite: 3,80 =

- Octobrist: 4,40 =
- Trudoviks: 1,10 =
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 11th of September 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 15, 2018

The 19th of September 1941, Vologda, 2,1°C, 1pm Moscow Time,

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

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

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

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

If anyone is worried about Romania, don't be, they have stayed out of things so far, and keep going to great lengths to stay neutral, though far removed from the Comintern diplomatically speaking"

'Dva' our Red Army man then took the stage with some short remarks:

"As you remember, we have at our service some great military minds, and thus, the details were delegated to them. To accomplish the tasks outlined by 'Tri' in his 'what to expect' and 'who will we be at war with' opening remarks. So without further ado."

ex-Field Marshall A.I. Egorov, always a specialist of Defensive Warfare rose from his seat as 'Dva' motioned in the General direction of the ex-Generals:

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

ex-Chief Of The Army and Field Marshall Tuchatjevskij stood up, seemingly somewhat offended at Egorov's suggestion of peeling off units from the Armoured Army Group to defend the south.

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

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

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

ex-General Primakov then intervened as soon as Tuchatjevskij sat down.

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

There are sufficient units for proposed special operations, but follow-ups could be complicated by the lack of more special forces, though these may be trained after the war has started. A third 'Mounted Comrade Brigade could also help make sure that Partisans are dealt with in a timely matter in Finland. so, to summarise, one more Mountain Rifle Corps for the Caucasus, three more Amur Tiger Cavalry Divisions for the Far East, and 10 Regiments of Engineers are the minimum requirements for our secondary fronts. Additional special forces and Mounted Comrades are desired, but optional."

With all of this discussion, no one had talked about the needs on the front line... so 'Dva' then added a small conclusion:

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

'Vosem' thumbed through a stack of folders until he found the two labelled 'Red Army: Equipment' and 'Red Army: Theory and Doctrines', then he stood and started talking:

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

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

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

By May 1942, we expect to keep up the current research pattern, with the following order of priority:
Infantry - Anti-Tank - Artillery - Engineers - Medium Tanks - Light Tanks - Heavy Tanks - Militia - Cavalry
I foresee no particular issues here, Infantry weapons should be upgraded in early 1942, and the rest will follow
For doctrines, the current rule is to first research Morale improving theories before improving organisation, as with such a large army, the most important thing is getting disorganised units reorganised quickly to get them back into the fight so that there is always another unit ready to fight when one breaks under pressure."

Meanwhile, the wishlist had been written out on a blackboard by 'Sem':
Everyone nodded in agreement with the written out list, it looked good and everyone got what they wanted... until they noticed that Sem had added numbers

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

Total: 81.520 ICdays or 326 IC over the 250 days to late May

'Sem' wasted no time in explaining what he had done:

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

'Chteyre' stood up to talk about the future of the VVS:

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

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

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

'Vosem' then returned with his folder labelled 'Aeroplane Development':

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

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

'Sem' was writing all that down:

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

Total: 13.270 ICdays or 53 IC over 250 days.

"Now this seems more reasonable, and it means that VVS spending has some room to go down soon as an average of 53 IC should provide sufficient firepower."

There was a silence as those present were hesitating whether the meeting was over not, when 'Piat' stood up to talk about the navy.

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

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

'Vosem' jumped in again with research information:

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

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

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

'Sem' had long finished his list:

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

Total: An average of 10 IC continuously to maintain the current programme...

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

Moreover, we need to consider further improving Industrial Output and Efficiency through research, from what 'Vosem' said, it seems the VVS has more research teams than it absolutely needs, so once those fancy torpedoes are ready for production, that team could start work on improving Industry and Supply management, which are currently adequate, but could be improved towards next year."

'Vosem' then insisted on speaking one last time, everyone was hungry and several people had already gathered their things, but, reluctantly they let him speak:

"I would just like to remind you all that we have an ongoing long-term project looking into secret Nuclear Research, as well as a team of Engineers responsible for Radar technology, computing machines, as well as en- and decryption, from time to time, they help out with industrial research as well. The rest of our intellectuals are mostly training officers, while a couple are diplomats, mostly trying to keep Nationalist China out of the Axis, for a lack of being able to pull them closer to us. A small fraction is training spies for insertion into the United Kingdom, mostly in hopes of stealing naval, and other, technology."

I then rose from my seat and told them that lunch was served, and to mull over our strategy. We shall all consider what needs to be adjusted to ensure success in a 1942 offensive, and continued readiness until then. We will reconvene tomorrow to put in place an achievable strategy.

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 19, 2018

The 20th of September 1941, Vologda, 2,1°C, 1pm Moscow Time,

After a day of discussions, calculations and input from our external advisers, a comprehensive production strategy has been drawn up by the various members of the Committee, under the guidance of 'Sem' and yours truly. First, I would like to thank our external Committee members for their contributions, especially our external Military strategists: Veteran Red Army strategist Bullfilter , Air Power proponent and computing specialist Eurasia , Schwerpunkt aficionado and tank commander Sergeant SSRFinshades , and Second Lieutenant, commander of a Heavy Artillery Battery, nuclearslurpee . (These are not their real names, and the ranks are honorary...).

Now, down to business. There is still some disagreement both between internal and between external Committee members, but there are also several clear points on which our external members, and most of our ex-Generals seem to agree:

The focus needs to remain on the European Theatre.
We need to be able to bleed the Germans if they attack during winter.
Air Power remains vital, i.e. no or minimal cuts to the VVS production quota.
Additional Heavy Armour is not a priority right now, as two Divisions are already in the field and other things should be prioritised.

That said, there is still some friction on the balance between expanding our mobile forces and supplying our Rifle Divisions with Artillery. The more recent arguments have somewhat swayed the Committee in favour increased Artillery production, but a compromise is needed as more mobile forces would be hugely beneficial as well. Therefor the following changes in the training and production schedule have been decided upon, and will be implemented starting today:

Production and training for all but one of the Mountain Rifle Divisions, as well as the Heavy Tank Guards Division, has been put on hold. This means that they will be deployed eventually, but they will be trained one Division at a time.
Overall production of equipment for new units was reduced further in order to cover 90% of the large need for Upgrades for existing units.
VVS production will be maintained around the 60 IC mark, producing Aeroplanes for 6 Aviation Divisions simultaneously.
Infrastructure, Air Base, and Fortification Construction remain untouched, as well as Radar Station, and Navy production.
Production of T-34s for a new Tank Division (Arm, Motx2, Eng, TD) has started.
Training of Sapper Regiments for 10ya Armiya's Rifle Divisions remains unchanged. The production of light tanks for, and training of, Amur Tiger Cavalry Divisions will resume only once all of 10ya Armiya's Divisions have a Sapper Regiment attached.
Production of Half-Tracks will remain at the same level, re-equipping 5 Regiments at the same time until all 20 Motorised Cavalry and Guards Regiments have been upgraded to Armoured Cavalry and Armoured Guards.
The two Rifle units which will fill out the ranks of XXXIII SK in mid October will be replaced in the training and production schedule by serial Motorised Rifle Division, doubling the amount of Motorised Divisions in training. (This should allow for a partial new corps by May 1942)
After a last minute plea from Sergeant SSRFinshades, the decision was made to try and shoehorn another Tank Division into the production schedule as soon as possible, with the caveat of maintaining Artillery production at a level high enough to supply at least 15 Divisions with Heavy Artillery once that level is reached.
All additional IC will be used to increase the production of Artillery, this should mean a significant increase in Artillery spending as soon as the need for upgrades goes down.

Besides these production changes, a few small organisational changes have also been implemented:

III. Amur Tiger Cavalry Corps has been formed, and currently counts two Amur Tiger Cavalry Divisions, both located to the North East of Lake Khanka.
46. GSD (Mtnx3) has been peeled off from XXII. GSK, the rest of which has started boarding trains to the Turkish border, where it will fill out the current holes in the border, as the threat from Sweden, and even northern Norway is minimal compared to what could happen if we came to be at war with Turkey. 46. GSD will be tasked to take Kirkenes in cas it is German when they declare war on us. This would all but cut off supply to the whole northernmost part of Norway, making any German offensive into Finland unlikely to say the least.
A new Motorised Army has been formed, 11ya Motorizovannaya Armiya will be comprised of the existing I. KK, XIV MSK, and XXX MSK. It has been placed within the Armoured Army Group as proposed by ex-Chief Of the Army, Field Marshall Tuchatjevskij.

With all this settled, there is once again a clear plan for the future, while we wait, our Red Army will grow stronger. Thanks to the valued external members, and our internal Analysts, 1942 will see us more prepared than ever to face the Fascists of this world.

I will now retire to write the next report, due tomorrow,

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 20, 2018

The 21st of September 1941, Vologda, 1,5°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 12th and the 21st of September 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

3 additional Artillery Regiments have been deployed to 6. SD, 61. SD and 17. SD on the German border, the commanders happily received the modern 152mm guns into their Rifle Divisions.
101. MGvSP, the Motorised Guards Regiment of Maj. General Shtern's 1. GvTD, I GvTK, 2ya Tankovaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA. has finished retraining with, and received, it's new half-tracks. It's our first Guards tank division with Amoured Guards Riflemen.
Our second Amurskaya Tigrovaya Kavaleriyskaya Diviziya (L Arm, Mot, Engx2) has been deployed to the Far East, a new independent corps, III ATKK was set up to command both existing and future Divisions of this type.
Another Brigade of 'Mounted Security Comrades', 2. NKGBF Konnaya Brigada, has been deployed to Commissionner of State Security 2nd Class Provalov's NKGBFinland, 1st Army Group, Leningrad HQ.
Training of 3 Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD has been put on hold.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 656 / 1.968.000
Support troops: 295 / 295.000

Total fighting troops: 951 / 2.263.000

Headquarters: 63 / 63.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.014 / 2.326.000

Officers: 92.014 + / 100.990 needed / 91,112 %
Active Leaders: 268 / 155 more available
Half-track production continues, both Cavalry Regiments of Maj. General Kurochkin P.A.'s 3. KD, I KK, 11ya Mot. Armiya, Armoured Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA have already started training and preparing for the arrival of their new vehicles.
Orders have gone out for more T-34s and SU-100s, as a new Tank Division (Arm, Motx2, TD), 11. TD starts training.
No follow-up orders for Artillery, other ATKD's, or 'Mounted Security Comrades' as production switches to equipping existing Rifle Regiments with the new Light Anti-Tank Guns.

Army Leadership:

General Chuikov SK4, LW, DD, WS (6ya Armiya) has been given command of the newly created 11ya Motorizovannaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA.
After a promotion, General Bagramian SK3, LW, OD (I. KK) was placed in command of the now leaderless 6ya Armiya, 2nd Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA.
Now promoted to Lt. General Korovnikov SK3, Trk (185. MSD) has been moved up to lead I. KK, 11ya Motorizovannaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA.
New Maj. General Grechko SK3 was appointed commander of 185. MSD, I. KK, 11ya Motorizovannaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, Moskva HQ/STAVKA.

Newly commissioned Lt. General Poplavski SK3, LW was sent to the Far East to command the newly created III. ATKK, Far Eastern Theatre.
New Maj. General Ruckoy SK2, Cdo was given command of the new 2. ATKD, III. ATKK, Far Eastern Theatre.

After being called back from Red Army retirement, now Senior Major for State Security Belous SK1, WS will be leading the new 2. NKGBF Konnaya Brigada, NKGBF, 1st Army Group, Leningrad HQ.

Air Force:

No changes to VVS, nor Navy Air Fleet numbers for the last 10 days.

Navy:

No changes to Navy numbers for the last 10 days.

Politics / International:

The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 84,9 =
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 82,5 =

German troops continue their march to the North along the coast, with their capture of Kolvereid, and Bronnoysund, they are 195km north of Trondheim, and still 300km from Narvik.

While the Wehrmacht is busy in the north, the Norwegians, despite losing Honefoss, have continued pushing West in the south, reaching Skien, 90km from Kristiansand.
Meanwhile, Axis forces are rapidly moving south along the Swedish border, they have now reached Rena, increasing both the speed and ease with which they can move troops in and out through Sweden, and the likelihood of them approaching Oslo from the East and catching the capital between two pincers. Despite the Norwegian advance, the situation is steadily deteriorating for Norway.

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

Facing no more supply issues, the British tanks continued rapidly pushing back the demoralised, and out of supply, Axis forces along the Mediterranean coast, followed closely by Infantry further inland. The old border was reached at Khalij as Sallum, and British tanks are now a mere 75km from Tobruch, they have outrun their supply train once again, though, but this only means that there will be a short break in the offensive as supply is re-established and HQs move up towards the front to remain in radio range.
More units continue to be shipped into the area, both from the Home Islands and from East Africa. If the Italians ever re-establish supply here, they will face quite a few more British troops than they did only months ago. North Africa seems to have the government's attention right now...
The RAF has started it's own anti-Italian operation. After basing a wing of old Strategic Bombers in Malta, it has bombed Roma no less than 6 times, destroying the Italian capital's Industry, and reducing it's resource stockpiles to dust. The fact that only a few bombers were lost, and that organisation remains high, tells us that they were never intercepted by the Regia Aeronautica...

French North Africa Front

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

The last remaining port in what used to be French Morocco has been captured, with the fall of Tamanar into Italian hands, the 'Armée de l'Afrique' is doomed to captivity and starvation. Cut off from supplies or the prospect of evacuation, all the bulk of the French Army can do now is wait for Italian troops to reach them and surrender. There are no more bullets, no more food, no more hope, just the Desert. 8 Divisions, one of the Belgian, another elite Chasseurs Alpins, and another, a Motorised light Cavalry unit, have made it to the end of this hopeless struggle. They have reached the end of their rout and managed not to be overrun by the enemy, until they now face certain death crossing the Sahara, or Italian captivity.
The French Navy has fled to the port of Dakar, again taking with it no ground forces despite the presence of two Transport Flotilla's. They will face more supply shortages there, and may be out of action for the rest of the war.

Industry:

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

Upgrades: 70,61 / 78,07
Reinforcement: 3,50 / 3,93
Supplies: 27,00 / 45,03
Production: 193,14 / 227,11 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded, as well as three Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 41.442 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels +
Supplies: 42.374 tonnes -
Fuel: 99.413 barrels -
Money: 2.105 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (Laying low) : 10 / 1 / 0 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
Total: 15 / 1 / 0 / 1
Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
The GRU added another spy to our dormant UK operation. In the Soviet Union, a spy from Hunagry was caught

Research:

No completed Research Projects, no new projects started.

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.108.000
Men To reinforce(need): 6.000
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

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

- Communist Party: 82,32 (+0,29)
- Trotskyite: 8,60 (-0,1)
- Bukharinite: 3,70 (-0,1)

- Octobrist: 4,30 (-0,1)
- Trudoviks: 1,00 (-0,1)
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 21st of September 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 25, 2018

The 1st of October 1941, Vologda, 1,1°C, 10am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 22nd of September and the 1st of October 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

91. AP, a brand new Artillery Regiment has been deployed to Maj. General Kriuchenkin's 73. SD, XXIII SK, 6ya Armiya, 2nd Army Group, STAVKA/Moskva HQ.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 656 / 1.968.000
Support troops: 296 / 296.000

Total fighting troops: 952 / 2.264.000

Headquarters: 63 / 63.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.015 / 2.327.000

Officers: 92.514 + / 101.090 needed / 91,516 %
Active Leaders: 268 / 155 more available
Production of 152mm ML-20 guns continues towards the formation of another Artillery Regiment.
No changes to Army Leadership

Air Force:

No changes to VVS, nor Navy Air Fleet numbers for the last 10 days.

Navy:

Our second Fleet Carrier, Minsk, identical to Kyiv, was launched in Sevastopol, it has joined I. Avianosets Flote for some exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Navy Numbers (Flotillas / Ships)

Transports: 2 / 10
AG-boat Class (I): 11 / 55
Series II Class(II): 9 / 45
Series V-bis Class(III): 3 / 15

Submarines: 23 / 115

Norvik-Class (I) : 3 / 15
Gnevnyi-Class (II): 2 / 10
Kiev-Class (IV): 1 / 5
Sevastopol-Class (IV+): 4 / 20

Destroyers: 10 / 50

Light Cruisers / Profitern-Class (I): 3

Escorts: 13 / 53

Heavy Cruiser / Krasnyi Kavkaz (I): 1
Battleships / Gangut-Class (I): 3
Escort Carriers / Moskva-Class (I): 2
Fleet Carriers / Kyiv-Class (I): 2

Capitals: 8

Total combat ships: 21 / 61
Total Navy: 47 / 186
Leaders: 13/ 21 Reserve
The construction of a third Carrier of the same class, named Novorossiysk has been laid down in the Krasnaya Kuznitsa Shipyard in Archanglesk, while the move is not ideal, it does make sure that our next Carrier is neither trapped in the Black, or Baltic, sea, nor threading the needle of the IJN or risking capture by the IJA in Vladivostok.

Politics / International:

The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 84,9 =
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 82,5 =
The German Northward advance has met some resistance, and no further advances have been made there...

Things are see-sawing more to the south. The Wehrmacht has taken Kongsberg, putting the Norwegian bridgehead in Skien in a difficult position, with the risk of being dut off. Norway struck back further north, taking Gol. The advance along the Swedish border has been stalled after a Norwegian unit was finally sent to the area. Numerical superiority or not, this is going to take a while longer...

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 79,4

British troops crossed the former border into Lybia in force, with tanks leading the way, quickly reaching Tobruch. The Garrison of the fortified city itself being well supplied and dug in, the advanced stalled. The RAF unleashed a vicious bombing campaign on the city, at a rate of 4 Missions per day for more than 5 days. Finally, ground forces took over the city with minimal losses. Supply on the British side is shaky, but it will surely be vastly improved once the Royal Navy organises convoys into Tobruch. This does give the Infantry time to catch up with the tanks, while the RAF rebased it's Dive Bombers to Tobruch Air Base.
Belatedly, the Regia Aeronautica has started intercepting British Strategic Bombers over Rome. At least 20 Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley Bombers were shot down over the Italian capital during three missions.
In the Mediterranean, the Royal Navy continues to pester the remnants of the Regia Marina. HMS Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, sunk an Italian Destroyer Flotilla, while Aeroplanes from HMS Glorious went straight for the Flotilla of Transports the Italians were trying to shield. The Italians have now lost 10 Troop Transport Flotilla's, they must not have many ships left to ferry troops across the Mediterranean.
Even more significantly, British patrols increased, French submarines returned in force, and more than 50 Italian convoys were sunk in the last week, an atrocious loss rate... In the same time period the British lost no convoys to Italian raiders, and a mere 15 to German u-boots. It's no wonder the Italians have trouble supplying their troops...

French North Africa Front

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

Agadir is just the next nail in the coffin of the Armée de l'Afrique... it won't be long before this front will go quiet entirely...

Industry:

Moskva fortifications are now even more impressive, with more tunnels, more layers, and more command bunkers throughout the city (Level 8)
In Vladivostok, construction has started on more bunkers facing inland. (Level 3), strengthening defences against a possible overland attack.
Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 240 / 324
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 73,50 / 76,75
Reinforcement: 3,50 / 3,93
Supplies: 27,00 / 45,03
Production: 192,83 / 226,20 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded, as well as three Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 41.802 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels +
Supplies: 41.786 tonnes -
Fuel: 99.086 barrels -
Money: 2.081 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (Counterespionage) : 8 / 1 / 3 / 1
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 4

Total: 13 / 1 / 3 / 6

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
As a weakness was sensed in Scotland Yard's Counterespionage operation, our UK spy team started hunting the hunters again. 3 of our spies were lost, but 4 spy hunters were killed or captured (from Nepal, Bhutan, South Africa, and the United Kingdom). In the Soviet Union, spies from Germany and Italy were caught.

Research:

No completed Research Projects, no new projects started.

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.108.000
Men To reinforce(need): 6.000
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

Party Popularity:

- Communist Party: 62 (+5)
- Trotskyite: 1 (-3)
- Bukharinite: 11 (+1)

- Octobrist: 5 =
- Social-Revolutionary: 8 (+1)
- Trudoviks: 2 (-5)
- Kadets: 1 (-3)

- Tsarists: 5 (+4)
- NTS: 4 (-1)
- POA: 1 (-1)
The Communist Party has grown in popularity significantly and it's popular support is the strongest it has been in years. For the first time since we started measuring in 1937, the Bukharinites are demanding a seat at the table of government. Their 'moderate' socialist ideas are less repulsive than Capitalist and Fascist ones, but that doesn't mean they'll just get a seat in the Central Committee...

Party Organisation:

- Communist Party: 82,70 (+0,38)
- Trotskyite: 8,50 (-0,1)
- Bukharinite: 3,60 (-0,1)

- Octobrist: 4,20 (-0,1)
- Trudoviks: 0,90 (-0,1)
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 1st of October 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 26, 2018

The 5th of October 1941, Archanglesk, 4,8°C, 2pm Moscow Time,

Having gone on a trip to Archanglesk, to see the start of construction of our new Carrier Novorossiysk, I spent the morning walking around the one large dock in the area, this Carrier will be the largest ship ever built in the Krasnaya Kuznitsa shipyards. Since the late 1880s, no new ships have been built there, and it was used as a repair yard only. Now though, with an influx of experienced shipbuilders from Leningrad and Sevastopol, new construction has been restarted. Local elders are happy to see shipbuilding return, especially in the shape of Carrier construction.

When I was about to leave the yard to go for lunch, I was called into their offices, there was an urgent telephone call for me... it was 'Tri':

"Out and about again? Let me hand you 'Sem', as he's the one who actually needs to talk to you"

After a short silence, 'Sem' started talking, excited and somewhat worried:

"I had to ask 'Tri' to reach you, I still don't know how he does it... anyway, I'm calling because there is a bit of a situation developing in Finland. A coordinated uprising has happened across the interior of Southern Finland. Partisans have risen up and taken control of Parkano, Eura, Keuruu, Jämsä, Lammi, Riihimäki, and Kuusjärvi. In total, aprroximately 24.000 partisans, spread out in organised Regiment-sized groups of around 3.000. This is not spontaneous or local, the level of coordination is just to high, and several of my sources in the Area think the Finnish government in exile is behind this, with German support, though we'll only know for sure once we capture some of the rebels and/or their weapons."

Finnish partisans, all rising up at the same time, this level of coordination is worrying.

"The NKGBF has already started moving it's two Mounted Brigades towards the affected areas. All reserve Aeroplanes have been moved to the area. IV. ShAK and 7. KPA have been re-based to Helsinki, II. BAK was re-based to Leningrad, and the Red Banner Baltic fleet is sailing out of Leningrad along the Finnish Coast.

'Dva' suggests that we ferry XXXIII SK from Tallinn to Helsinki to help contain the rebels. This would take a day or two as we can only move one Division at a time, but it would vastly speed up the campaign. In any case, a vast bombing campaign is already underway and the first bombs will be dropped within hours."

This is rather worrying... I do think sending in XXXIII SK is a good idea, with the caveat that they have to be returned to Tallinn, if the Germans attack, that is. Thankfully, the rebels haven't coordinated with an all out German attack, so this will be another big exercise, keeping our Armed forces on their toes. We should consider training more NKGBF mounted Brigades, to maintain the peace in the future.

I will take an aeroplane to Leningrad now to keep close tabs on this developing situation,

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 27, 2018

The 11th of October 1941, Leningrad, 3,6°C, 10am Moscow Time,

XXXIII SK was successfully ferried to Helsinki, with the headquarters unit arriving at 10am on the 7th of October. Meanwhile, both NKGBF Mounted Brigades moved towards rebel-held territory. 1. NKGBF Konnaya Brigada stopped in it's tracks when it spotted the enemy... it's not clear why, 2. NKGBFKB hasn't arrived to the 'front' yet. XXXIII SK has been placed under the command of Commissioner for State Security Second Class Provalov's NKGBF HQ. His orders were changed to a very agressive posture, but for now, there have been no engagements.

The Partisans have take quite a bit of territory in the meantime, linking together all of their territory, except for the area around Kuusjärvi. This, despite a large scale bombing campaign from both the Navy and the VVS.

A total of 90 missions were flown in 6 days, killing a total of 3.704 Finnish Partisans. A total of 882 Aeroplanes participated, and losses were limited to a couple of lucky shots, which put 1 Yak-4 out of service.
The navy flew 59 of the missions with three independent CAGs, two from the decks of Moskva and Leningrad, one from Helsinki Air Base. In total 62 Il-10Ms, 31 Il-2M3Ms, 62 La-7Ms, and 31 LaGG-3Ms were deployed over Huittinen, Riihimäki, Jämsä, Jyväskylä, Pori, Lahti, Suolahti, Kankaanpää, and Padasjoki, accounting for 1.182 kills.
Two VVS Aviation Corps also participated:
II BAK, counting 200 Yak-4s and 124 La-7s, based in Leningrad, was responsible for 17 missions (over Parkano and Hämeenkyrö) and a total of 1.659 fewer insurgents.
IV ShAK, counting 124 Il-10s, 124 Il-2M3s and 124 La-7s, based in Helsinki, flew 14 missions (over Lammi and Orivesi) eliminating 863 enemies of the state.

The single casualty of our anti-partisan bombing operations. One badly damaged Yak-4, after a crash-landing at Kouvola Air Base.

Everyone is waiting for NKGBF to prove it's worth and crush the Partisans, reinforced with a full Rifle Corps, and supported by heavy Air Support, they should be able to easily deal with the insurrection.

The usual report will be out soon,

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 27, 2018

The 11th of October 1941, Leningrad, 4,4°C, 2pm Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 2nd and the 11th of October 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

A Infx2, TD unit has been deployed to XXXIII. SK, NKGBF HQ, 1st Army Group, Leningrad HQ.
A newly trained Artillery Regiment, 152mm ML-20s and all, was deployed to Maj. General Klyuchko's 16. SD, V SK, 6ya Armiya, 2nd Army Group, STAVKA/Moskva HQ.
The final half-tracks have been delivered to 16. KP, now 16 BKP, part of 29. KD, II KK, 2ya Tankovaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, STAVKA/Moskva HQ.
Two more Garrison Divisions have been deployed, 14. GarD was deployed in Vaasa, and 15. GarD in Tallinn.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 663 / 1.989.000
Support troops: 298 / 298.000

Total fighting troops: 961 / 2.298.000

Headquarters: 63 / 63.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.024 / 2.350.000

Officers: 93.014 + / 101.710 needed / 91,450 %
Active Leaders: 270 / 153 more available
5 Regiments of heavy Artillery have started training for deployment on the western front.
A third NKGBF Mounted Brigade has started training.
16. Garnizon Diviziya (Garx2) has also started training.

Army Leadership:

Maj. General Rudny SK1, WS was recalled from full retirement and placed in command of the new 14. GarD in Vaasa.
Maj. General Dedaev SK1, LW has also been recalled to active service, commanding 15. GarD in Tallin.

Air Force:

No changes to VVS, nor Navy Air Fleet numbers for the last 10 days.

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.

Politics / International:

The Norwegian Front

Norway (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 84,9 =
Germany (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 82,5 =

The Front is closing in on Narvik. Wehrmacht units have reached Mo i Rana, 190km from Narvik, and 300km from Trondheim.

The Norwegian Southern advance was pushed back to Drammen. More to the north, Norway's push towards the Atlantic continues, taking Geilo, but Tyin was lost, rendering the spearhead's situation more perilous. Along the Swedish border, Elverum finally fell into German hands, further clearing the road for an Eastern approach to Oslo.

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,4 Loss of Tobruch.

The push into Lybia continues, with British tanks reaching Al Jabal al Akhda, 180km from Bengasi.
Only a few Italian convoys were sunk, which probably means, they've almost run out of them... no significant naval engagements in the Mediterranean.
The RAF continues bombing the retreating Italian columns, making sure they remain quite disorganised...

French North Africa Front

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

No movement here for the last 10 days, a lack of supplies may be slowing down the Italians here too.

Industry:

Machine Gun bunkers (Level 1) are now ready for use in Dnipropetrovsk.
In Kryvyy Rih, construction has now started on Machine Gun Bunkers. (Level 1)
Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 240 / 324
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 69,80 / 71,37
Reinforcement: 2,50 / 2,93
Supplies: 27,00 / 46,37
Production: 195,54 / 228,95 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded, as well as three Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 42.160 tonnes +
Crude: 99.741 barrels -
Supplies: 41.754 tonnes -
Fuel: 98.706 barrels -
Money: 2.046 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (/) : 7 / 1 / 2 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 2

Total: 12 / 1 / 2 / 2

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
Spies from Sweden and Finland were caught in the Soviet Union.

Research:

A brand new Encryption Machine (Level 2) Design is ready for use, this should make our communications harder to intercept.
Our Electronic Engineers have now started work on a new Small Warship Radar (Level 2) Design.

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.114.000
Men To reinforce(need): 5.790
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

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

- Communist Party: 82,82 (+0,12)
- Trotskyite: 8,40 (-0,1)
- Bukharinite: 3,50 (-0,1)

- Octobrist: 4,10 (-0,1)
- Trudoviks: 0,80 (-0,1)
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 11th of October 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 27, 2018

The 18th of October 1941, Leningrad, 3,2°C, 4am Moscow Time,

I have been staying in one of the VVS's buildings at the edge of the Leningrad Air Base. This meant that I could follow the action, or lack thereof, in Finland, closely, but I did have some trouble falling asleep. Despite the intermittent noise coming from the Tarmac of Leningrad Air Base. I finally managed to fall asleep at a decent time, and thus, I was particularly annoyed when I was awakened by the telephone in the next room, at 4am. Of course, it was 'Tri', and before I could put a word in, he was talking loudly:

"The Germans! they've taken Oslo!

German troops in Stavanger celebrating their victorious campaign in Norway.

The Norwegian Army, demoralised and disorganised, has surrendered to the Wehrmacht. Sadly, everyone was too focused on the operations in Finland to follow the Norwegian war step by step, but from what we know, the front collapsed and Oslo was caught in a pincer, with German troops coming from the East and from the West. The final defence of the city finally didn't amount to much, with only the British 1st Airborne Division putting up a toke fight.

Three of the RAF"s Douglas Dakota's, about an hour after landing in Norwich, delivering their payloads of Norwegian government members, Royals, and British officers.

King Haakon VII, Maj. General Montgommery's staff, and Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold's government fled in a series of the RAF's Douglas Dakota's (British DC-3 variant).

Anyhow, I'm sure you know this means that the Wehrmacht will soon be ready for another offensive, and the only place they could reasonably go is East, either Romania, or, the Soviet Union. You don't need to hear anymore we've been over this."

And he hung up. After that call, I was wide awake...
Amongst those VVS higher ups who have already heard the news, the tension is palpable...
While some had been pushing for more Aeroplanes to be deployed to bomb the Partisans into submission even more, those voices have vanished into thin air now.

The waiting is now more tense than ever. Will the Germans be patient and wait for better weather, or reckless and charge within a couple of Months, weeks, days, or even hours...

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 29, 2018

The 21st of October 1941, Leningrad, 3,2°C, 4am Moscow Time,

The Finnish insurgents managed to link up all of their territory by the 13th. They then tried to widen the connection around Pieksämäki, attempting to move into Koupio on the 14th, and then into Suonenjoki on the 16th. After these foiled attacks, it became clear that NKGBF HQ wasn't reacting to the situation adequately, and to clarify the need to clear all Finnish territory of partisans, 2 objectives within the rebel-held area, Pieksämäki and Tampere, were added to the list.

Then, finally, yesterday, on the 20th, 'Mounted Security Comrades' threw the Partisans out of Pieksämäki
. Finally, some action...

The numbers show the order in which actions were initiated, see below:

1. Koupio (Defence - Forest - 1,6°C - Victory)

14/10/41 23:00 - 15/10/41 00:00
MAJGEN Panov SK2, BM << None
Delay << Assault
123 SD << 1st Finnish Partisans II (Varkaus)
10.993 / 0 << 2.998 / 19

2. Suonenjoki (Defence - Forest - 1,6°C - Victory)

16/10/41 00:00 - 00:10
MAJGEN Simoniak SK2, Trk << None
124 SD << 1st Finnish Partisans II (Varkaus)
10.993 / 0 << 2.921 / 16

3. Pieksämäki (Attack - Woods - 1,0°C - Victory)

20/10/41 01:00 - 10:00
SMAJSEC (MAJGEN) Belous SK1, WS >> None
Attack >> Defend
2 NKGBF KB (Suonenjoki) >> 1st Finnish Partisans II
6.000 / 4 >> 2.801 / 43

In the meantime, the VVS and the Red Navy continued their massive bombing campaign, destroying enemy morale and organisation, killing many enemies of the state and foreign agents in the process.

The numbers show the amount of missions flown over that particular province.

In 10 days, the navy flew a total of 95 bombing missions, with three Groups, resulting in 1.848 enemy casualties:

1 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 La-7VM / Il-10VM - Moskva (CVL) - Navy Air Commander Zhavronkov SK4, FD

- Kankaanpää (40 / 0 / 849)

2 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 La-7VM / Il-10VM - Leningrad (CVL) - Navy Air Commander Falaleev SK4

- Padasjoki (9 / 0 / 219)
- Varkaus (14 / 0 / 281)
- Pieksämäki (6 / 0 / 135)

7 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 LaGG-3VM / Il-2M3VM - Helsinki - Navy Air Commander Kapitochin SK2

- Suolahti (3 / 0 / 44)
- Jyväskylä (11 / 0 / 190)
- Jämsä (8 / 0 / 89)
- Hämeenlinna (4 / 0 / 41)

The VVS, not to be outdone, flew a total of 66 bombing missions, with 2 full Aviation Corps, resulting in a whopping 5.925 enemy casualties.

II. BAK - Tacx2, Ftrx1 - 200 Yak-4, 124 La-7 - Leningrad - Air Lt. General Yakovlev SK3, TB

- Hämeenkyrö (9 / 0 / 1.145)
- Lammi (24 / 0 / 2.452)

IV. ShAK - CASx2, Ftrx1 - 124 Il-10, 124 Il-2M3, 124 La-7 - Helsinki - Air Lt. General Rudenko SK2, TB

- Orivesi (5 / 0 / 282)
- Virrat (28 / 0 / 2.046)

Adding the numbers up, this is the current state of our latest Finnish counter-insurgency operation:

Insurgents killed from the Air / Aeroplanes lost: 11.477 / 1 (Yak-4)
Insurgents killed by NKGBF / NKGBF Officers lost: 78 / 4

The whole operation hinges upon the NKGBF being pro-active and clearing the Finnish hinterland of demoralised rebels, this process has finally started. Little resistance is expected on the ground.

The usual report is coming soon,

Greetings,

'Odin'

A small aid to navigate the new templates:

Number on the map. Province (Attack or Defence (Defence in this case) - Terrain - Temperature at the start of the battle - Victory or Defeat) Other significant factors will also be indicated here.

Time frame
Soviet Commander << Enemy Commander
Soviet Tactics << Enemy tactics
Soviet Divisions << Enemy Divisions (Staging Province of Attacking Divisions)
Soviet Troops involved / Soviet Casualties << Enemy Troops involved / Enemy Casualties

Air Unit - Type - Numbers per type/model - Base (can also be a Carrier) - Commander

- Bombed Province (number of missions / number of Aeroplanes lost to AAA / Enemy Casualties on the ground)

These maps and templates are a test in preparation for the Great Patriotic War. The point is to be able to deal with a large amount of battles and Bombing missions, in a relatively detailed, yet efficient way. Your feedback is most welcome as to potential changes to the information, how it is displayed and overall readability.

roverS3 · May 30, 2018

The 21st of October 1941, Leningrad, 4,2°C, 1pm Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 12th and the 21st of October 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

117. SD, is the fifth and last Rifle Division (Infx3, AT, Art) to join Lt. General Fediuninski's XXXIII SK, NKGBF HQ, 1st Army Group, Leningrad HQ.
28. KP now has it's full complement of Half-tracks, this means that Maj. General Rodin A.G.'s 29. KD, II KK, 2ya Tankovaya Armiya, Armoured Army Group, STAVKA/Moskva HQ is entirely mechanised now.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 665 / 1.995.000
Support troops: 300 / 300.000

Total fighting troops: 965 / 2.295.000

Headquarters: 63 / 63.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.028 / 2.358.000

Officers: 93.513 + / 102.110 needed / 91,581 %
Active Leaders: 271 / 152 more available
Half-Track production continues, and both Cavalry Regiments of 5. KD will be getting half-tracks in parallel now.
A new Motorised Rifle Division, 129. Motostrelkovaya Diviziya (Motx3, SPArt, Eng), has started training while Su-152s and Lorries are produced.
Production of 152mm ML-20 guns has been increased once more, with another Regiment's complement on the way.

Army Leadership:

New Maj. General Martirosyan SK2, Eng has been placed in command of the brand new 117. SD, XXXIII SK, NKGBF HQ, 1st Army Group, Leningrad HQ.

Air Force:

124 La-7s and have been delivered to the VVS, they have been formed into 129. IAD-PVO.
124 new Il-10s were delivered as well, forming 1. ShAD, both of these wings will form the core of V. ShAK
Aeroplane Numbers (Wings/Planes):
Interceptors: 26 / 3.224

Multi-Role Fighters: 7 / 868
Close Air Support: 9 / 1.116
Carrier Air Groups: 7 / 434

Single Engined: 49 / 5.642

Tactical Bomber: 4 / 400

Total Bombers: 13 / 1.516

Transport Planes: 2 / 248

Total VVS: 47 / 5.856
Total Navy: 7 / 434
Total Aeroplanes: 55 / 6.290

Active Leaders: 19 / 23 Reserve
Production of La-7s continues, the next 124 will form 133. IAD.
Production has been switched away from the VVS version of the Il-10 to the Navy's Il-10MVs and La-7MVs. These planes will form 8. KPA and will probably join 7. KPA on the Carrier Novorossiysk, once it is deployed in about a year.

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.

Politics / International:

Norway has surrendered it's armed forces and territory to Germany, their government is in exile in London.
British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,4

British tanks have turned towards the coast, and are advancing towards Bengasi with the Mediterranean to their right, they have now reached Derna, 140km from Bengasi. Italian resistance remains minimal. Occasionally the Regio Esercito manages to scrounge together the supplies to make a short stand, resulting in RAF bombardments, and running out of supply again after a couple of hours of fighting.
13 Axis Convoys were sunk in the Med, only 2 British convoys were sunk in the Atlantic. Two U-boot flotillas were also sunk by the Royal Navy, indicating that the RN is shifting focus towards the Atlantic somewhat.
Another attempt was made to bomb Roma, but the bombers were intercepted once again, and had to be repaired and replaced once more.

French North Africa Front

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

French territory in Northern Africa has been entirely taken over by Italy. All of the Armée de l'Afrique was taken into captivity.
The French surface navy remains in Dakar, with limited supply and repair facilities, unable and/or unwilling to contribute to the war.
Interestingly, a last little effort was made by French CAGs based out of Gibraltar, flying a single bombing mission over Marrakech, before the Armée de l'Afrique was entirely wiped out.

Industry:

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

Upgrades: 55,10 / 56,73
Reinforcement: 3,00 / 3,13
Supplies: 28,00 / 47,02
Production: 208,74 / 242,03 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded, as well as three Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 42.533 tonnes +
Crude: 99.226 barrels -
Supplies: 40.841 tonnes -
Fuel: 98.661 barrels -
Money: 2.008 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (/) : 6 / 1 / 2 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Total: 11 / 1 / 2 / 1

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
Despite their best efforts to not attract attention, 2 more of our spies in the UK were caught by British, and Yemeni spy hunters.
In the SU, a spy from Hungary was captured.

Research:

After a lot of joint Red Army - VVS research, Airborne Assault Tactics (Level 1) are now ready for implementation. The manuals have gone out, and our Airborne Divisions have been retrained to incorporate the advances.
There is still room for improvements, so work continues towards more effective Airborne Assault Tactics (Level 2)
Red Army theorists have come up with improvements to Infantry Warfare (Level 4). Their conclusions and recommendations should make our many standard Rifle Regiments more organised.
Now, the Army is looking into improvements to our Motorised Rifle Regiment's Tactical Command Structure (Level 4). This should improve their Morale significantly, allowing them to reorganise more rapidly after each engagement.

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.112.000
Men To reinforce(need): 7.270
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

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

- Communist Party: 83,50 (+0,68)
- Trotskyite: 8,30 (-0,1)
- Bukharinite: 3,40 (-0,1)

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

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 21st of October 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · May 31, 2018

The 31st of October 1941, Leningrad, 3,2°C, 10am Moscow Time,

"If it wasn't for those pesky wannabe officers putting up a futile last ditch defence, we would have beaten 5th Finnish Partisans to Lammi, and they would have run right into our arms, now they want to fight again. They're disorganised, bombs and Artillery shells raining down on them, and they ask for more?... Well, comrades, we will give them more!

Lieutenant-Colonel, I want the men to use Marching Fire tactics, with the Artillery blowing holes into the forest ahead of the Assault, and LMG and Mortar teams moving up with the forward elements of the Assault."
Maj. General Popov A.F., when faced with the same insurgents he just chased out of Hämeenlinna, the gambit worked, and he lost not a single riflemen in the three hour raid.
Plentiful ammunition and a demoralised enemy surely helped, but it was a great tactical exercise nonetheless.

The initiative now rests squarely on the side of the NKGBF, the rebels made no further gains, but lost 8 provinces, most of them without a fight. The use of understaffed Headquarters to slow down our operations was a mere nuisance, not to mention the added target practice for our pilots. After Pieksämäki was returned to our control, the Eastern objective was switched to Kuusjärvi. Now that 123. SD is walking into the province, the focus of NKGBF was placed further west, towards Kankaanpää. Meanwhile, the Southern objective was moved from Tampere to Lammi, and then to Jämsä, as the first two were secured.

Currently, NKGBF is moving units around to go for the Western part of the rebellious territory, state security raids will surely resume in a couple of days as Commissioner Second Class for State Security Provalov will surely give the green light once his units arrive where he wants them. Thanks to NKGBF raids taking control of the rebel supply depots in Lammi and the dissident factories of Tampere, as well as incessant Ground Attacks on every single of their Brigade-sized units, the capacity of the insurgents to take any additional territory has been effectively annihilated. Resistance is now expected to be nothing more than the occasional token effort. The insurgency will soon be a thing of the past.

The numbers show the order in which actions were initiated, see below:

1. Hämeenlinna (Attack - Plains - 3,0°C - Victory)

21 Oct 41 14:00 - 21 Oct 41 18:00

SU: Forssa: 218 SD (Popov A.F., L2, BM): 10.993 men / 1 KIA
Fin: 5th Finnish Partisans (None): 2.981 men / 90 KIA

2. Tampere (Attack - Plains - River Crossing - 3,0°C - Victory)

22 Oct 41 02:00 - 22 Oct 41 12:00

SU: Huittinen: 111 SD (Komarovskij A.F., L2): 10.995 men / 3 KIA
Fin: 1st Finnish Partisans III (None): 2.961 men / 77 KIA

3. Lammi (Attack - Forest - 3,0°C - Victory)

24 Oct 41 22:00 - 25 Oct 41 01:00

SU: Hämeenlinna: 218 SD (Popov A.F., L2, BM): 10.990 men / 0 KIA
Fin: 5th Finnish Partisans (None): 2.860 men / 3 KIA

In the meantime, the VVS and the Red Navy continued their massive bombing campaign, destroying enemy morale and organisation, killing many enemies of the state and foreign agents in the process.

The numbers show the amount of missions flown over that particular province.

Fewer missions were flown as the number of targets has decreased as Insurgents band together or are overrun.
In 10 days, the navy flew a total of 48 bombing missions, with three Groups, resulting in 1.069 enemy casualties:

1 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 La-7VM / Il-10VM - Moskva (CVL) - Navy Air Commander Zhavronkov L4, FD

- 39 x Kankaanpää (0 Downed / 882 KIA)

2 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 La-7VM / Il-10VM - Leningrad (CVL) - Navy Air Commander Falaleev L4

- 7 x Orivesi (0 Downed / 135 KIA)

7 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 LaGG-3VM / Il-2M3VM - Helsinki - Navy Air Commander Kapitochin L2

- 2 x Hämeenlinna (0 Downed / 52 KIA)

Additionally, the VVS flew a total of 39 bombing missions, with 2 full Aviation Corps, resulting in 3.920 enemy casualties.

II. BAK - Tacx2, Ftrx1 - 200 Yak-4, 124 La-7 - Leningrad - Air Lt. General Yakovlev SK3, TB

- 13 x Lammi (0 Downed / 1.685 KIA)
- 2 x Hienavesi (0 Downed / 224 KIA)
- 14 x Padasjoki (1 Yak-4 Downed / 1.296 KIA)

IV. ShAK - CASx2, Ftrx1 - 124 Il-10, 124 Il-2M3, 124 La-7 - Helsinki - Air Lt. General Rudenko SK2, TB

- 2 x Virrat (1 Il-2M3 Downed / 619 KIA)
- 8 x Padasjoki (0 Downed / 96 KIA)

Adding the numbers up, this is the current state of our latest Finnish counter-insurgency operation:

Insurgents killed from the Air / Aeroplanes lost: 16.416 / 3 (2 Yak-4, 1 Il-2M3)
Insurgents killed by NKGBF / NKGBF Officers KIA: 248 / 8
Insurgents arrested: 3.158 (1st Finnish Partisans and a couple of understaffed HQs were overrun)

The usual report is coming soon,

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · Jun 1, 2018

The 31st of October 1941, Leningrad, 4,2°C, 1pm Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 22nd and the 31st of October 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 664 / 1.992.000
Support troops: 300 / 300.000

Total fighting troops: 964 / 2.292.000

Headquarters: 63 / 63.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.027 / 2.355.000

Officers: 94.013 + / 102.010 needed / 92,161 %
Active Leaders: 271 / 152 more available
Production of half-tracks was increased, 124 MGvSP will be receiving the next batch.
With all of our Tank Divisions now equipped with the new T-34s, a new Tank Division, 13. Tankovaya Diviziya (Arm, Motx2, Eng, TD) has started training.
4 more Regiments of Artillery are being raised as the production rate of 152mm ML-20 guns is increased to new levels.
No changes to Army Leadership.

Air Force:

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

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.

Politics / International:

British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 5,90 / 79,4

Beda Littoria, 70km from Bengasi, has been taken by British tanks. The advance has been halted for a few days as the vanguard has outrun the British supply lines and damaged infrastructure has made things worse in the bottleneck that it Ra's at Tin. Bengasi-based Italian bombers hit British infantry in Zawiyat Masus, but the RAF flew 3 bombing Missions over various Italian formations, more than making up for any losses the British may have sustained. There is still no sign of stabilising Italian lines, and it is expected that, as soon as they fix their supply issues, the British will be moving West again.
No naval units were sunk. No convoys were hit in the Atlantic, and a further 4 Italian convoys were sunk in the Western Mediterranean.

Industry:

Tbilisi Air Base now sports two hardened runways and more hangars (Level 4).
The secondary Air Strip and Control tower (Level 3) in Riga Air Base are now operational. III ShAK has been rebased there as it is significantly closer to the front than Rezneke Air Base.
Tallinn Air base will get the same improvements (Level 3) now, providing a CAS base in between Rezneke and Leningrad.
At Demjansk Air Base an additional airstrip, a new aviation fuel pipeline system and underground ammunition storage facilities (Level 9) are now operational.
The same improvements will now be added to Smolensk Air Base.
Lwow Air Base, now with 3 hardened runways and Pilot's sleeping quarters and more (Level 6), still isn't large enough.
Another Airstrip will be added, along with concrete taxiways and the addition of larger maintenance hangars. (Level 7)
For the first time, a series of elements will be constructed, designed specifically to be deployed into new Airstrip anywhere at short notice. The steel elements can be carried by train or by ship to wherever we need them.
Working Industrial Capacity / available capacity: 240 / 324
IC Usage: ( Allocated IC / Need )

Upgrades: 22,80 / 32,47
Reinforcement: 1,50 / 3,13
Supplies: 30,00 / 47,18
Production: 240,54 / 273,80 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded, as well as three Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 42.921 tonnes +
Crude: 98.711 barrels -
Supplies: 39.974 tonnes -
Fuel: 98.879 barrels +
Money: 1.974 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (/) : 7 / 1 / 0 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 0

Total: 12 / 1 / 0 / 0

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
Another GRU operative has been successfully infiltrated into the UK.

Research:

A newly designed Air Launched Torpedo (Level 2) is ready for use by the Navy Air Fleet, the TT-4 will surely increase the lethality of our KPA's against enemy vessels.
This Torpedo did exist, but I couldn't find anything conclusive about it on the Internet except that it is a homing torpedo that tracks the heat signature of enemy vessels... no date, but the design seems to advanced for 1941 Soviet Union. It's not clear whether it could be Air Launched, but it wouldn't be that far fetched as many more well-known Soviet torpedo's of the 1940 could be launched from both submarines and aeroplanes.
VVS theorists have now started looking into improving Ground Attack Tactics (Level 3) once more.
The Yak-4 has gone through another re-design, in which the wings were thickened to allow for larger Medium Fuel Tanks (Level 1). The new and modified Yak-4s will have an operating range of approximately 550 km, which is, incidentally, also the operating range of the latest La-7 Fighters.
The designers now turn their attention to even larger Aeroplanes, looking to increase the fuel load of our TB-3 Bombers and Li-2 Transport Planes, by redesigning their Large Fuel Tanks (Level 1).

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.109.000
Men To reinforce(need): 2.660
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

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

- Communist Party: 83,90 (+0,40)
- Trotskyite: 8,20 (-0,1)
- Bukharinite: 3,30 (-0,1)

- Octobrist: 3,90 (-0,1)
- Trudoviks: 0,60 (-0,1)
- Social-Revolutionary: 0,00 =
- Kadets: 0,00 =

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 31st of October 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · Jun 1, 2018

The 3rd of November 1941, Leningrad (CVL), somewhere in the Gulf of Bothnia, -5,3°C, 11pm Moscow Time,

In a couple of days, the weather cooled down significantly. The Aeroplanes of II. BAK started taking off with fewer bombs to compensate for the weight of the ice that quickly coated the Yak-4's skin. The lubricants had to be changed, anti-freeze had to be added to the aviation fuel. Everything has been prepared for another cold winter. It still doesn't take away from the intense cold, and I was happy to have my fur hat with me on my trip to the Leningrad.

I walked to the Navy Air Base, right next door to the VVS's base, it was still a good three kilometers from the VVS office buildings I'd been staying in. I was glad I had taken my fur hat. When I got there, a single Il-10VM was waiting outside the hangar. The Klimov M-105P Engine was idling I stepped into the Gunner's seat. I wore a VVS Colonel's uniform, and after saluting 'my' rank, the Pilot got into the plane in front of me without asking any questions.

Overflying Leningrad Naval Base, it looked empty without the Black sea fleet, nothing but a couple of submarines, and a couple of supply ships to bring ammunition, fuel, and food to the fleet, 450km away. The flight took no more than one and a half hour, and upon my arrival, I was greeted by 'Piat', who flew in yesterday as an observer from the Navy Air Fleet Academy. We soon got talking to Navy Air Commander Falaleev, who insisted on giving his opinion of the current exercise to any observer.

He was very pleased with the large role the navy was playing in the counter-insurgency operations in Finland, and even more so about the valuable experience gained by his pilots and gunners. He did admit that neither their machines, nor the pilot's training, had been devised with the bombing of soft targets in forested areas in mind, this was why, when compared to the VVS, the results were underwhelming. However, short of getting permission to sink a couple of obsolete battle wagons with their new Air Launched Torpedoes, this was the best combat training available to the Naval Airmen, short of actual war. Most importantly, the operation allowed for many Carrier Launches and Landings to take place, in varied weather conditions, and under pressure.

Just as the conversation was veering of towards both 'Piat' and the Air Commander's preference of Carriers over Battleships, a Junior Lieutenant stuck his head through the door, and looked over both me and 'Piat', before deciding that I was the one he needed to speak to. He motioned for me to come to the door, looked at me quizically and said:

"Sir, we've received a strange transmission. The sender didn't identify himself, but knew all of the clearance codes and the right frequency on which to contact the ship. Even more strangely, he told me he wanted to speak to the officer who was wearing a fur hat inside..."

At this point I noticed that I had forgotten to take of my fur hat as I had entered the ship, following Air Commander Falaleev to his office. The Junior Lieutenant went on:

"you seem to fit the profile sir, will you please follow me."

I took off my hat, and followed the Junior Lieutenant to a cramped room filled with old electronic equipment, there he handed me a receiver.

"Are you the one with the fur hat?"

The voice on the other end sounded familiar

"Uhm... yes"

Soon, I realised it was 'Tri', of course...

"All right.... The hat thing was fun, but let's get down to business... My sources in Washington have told me that Japan has declared war on the United States of America. President Roosevelt will soon make a public speech on the radio talking about 'A day of Infamy', though it's not quite clear what he's referencing here as no attacks seem to have taken place as of yet. Some of my sources suggest that he may have yelled 'Tora Tora Tora' as he walked into the President's office to deliver the declaration, at least that's what the Japanese press is saying, but that might just be a morale boosting exercise.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt prepares to address the nation on, what he's about to call a 'Day of Infamy'.

Interestingly, this whole affair is a limited war, the USA hasn't applied to join the Allies, and Japan hasn't involved any of it's European Allies either. We now have, in effect, two large scale wars, the European Axis nations are at war with the Allies, while the Japanese are at war with the USA, but not the Allies. In any case, this is good news, as it will inevitably distract Japan's attention away from our border. My office is holding bets on how long the two wars will remain separate, my money's on 20 days... 'Odin', enjoy the military exercise while we remain at peace, there are now two big wars we could become embroiled in before long, whether we want it or not. The worst part about this is that the Japanese have awakened an industrial giant, the United States of America, probably the only country on earth with more factories than the Soviet Union, will now start producing ships, guns, tanks, aeroplanes, mortars, ammunition, rations, armoured cars, etc. I'm sure they'll be outproducing us, let alone the Japanese, in no time..."

The line went dead, and as I left the tower to take some air and think over the ominous news that two more super-powers were now at war with each other, I noticed that I was just in time to see the last Aeroplanes of 2 KPA land on the Moskva, which, it's deck flooded by electrical lights, was sailing about 100m starboard of Leningrad. An impressive spectacle.

That's all for now, a Japanese declaration of war on the United States of America, I'm going to bed, and in the morning, I will hop onto another Il-10VM that will drop me off in Helsinki, where I will be staying for a while, ostensibly to check on IV. ShAK.

Greetings,

'Odin'

OOC: There was a Japanese DOW on the US and all of the events fired, but it seems no ships were damaged and no Islands were attacked yet. A very tame start to the war in the Pacific, compared to OTL...

roverS3 · Jun 2, 2018

The 5th of November 1941, Helsinki, -7,4°C, 3pm Moscow Time,

After the fall of French North Africa, our Carrier Fleet was sent out on another exercise to take a look around Italian North Africa, using the powerful radars on our Sevastopol-Class Destroyers, and our Carrier-based aeroplanes to gather as much information as possible along the way. The following map was produced:

The main goal of the exercise was to spot Italian troops moving East along the Mediterranean Coast, and quite a few units were spotted doing just that, while others were spotted running away from the British.

As you can see, our ships encountered several Allied Fleets in the Mediterranean, but no Italian ships were encountered at sea. On the 2nd of November, South of the Baleares, as I. Avianosets Flote was turning around, it encountered a Carrier Fleet not unlike our own. The lead ship was HMS Courageous, and the Carrier was escorted by 4 Flotilla's of 6 Destroyers, most of them of the very modern Daring Class. This Fleet, lead by Rear-Admiral Backhouse, was moving to the east, following a couple of Miles behind our Fleet.

Later on, another Britsh Carrier Fleet was encountered, this one was more powerful than ours, with HMS Furious, HMS Hermes, and the brand new HMS Ark Royal, it was escorted by 2 Light Cruisers, HMS Neptune, and HMS Despatch, as well as some more Daring-Class Destroyers. This Fleet, lead by Vice-Admiral Hope-Carlill was moving west, towards the Atlantic. One of our Aeroplanes also spotted a couple of Triton-Class submarines that were hiding and resupplying amongst the larger ships.

Left, top to bottom: HMS Ark Royal, HMS Furious, HMS Hermes, a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Torpedo Bomber in the Mediterranean, literally.
Right, top to bottom: HMS Neptune, HMS Despatch, HMS Daring, HMS Triton.

Then in the evening, as our sailors could see Sardinia on the horizon, our fleet found itself in the thick of the action, as Rear-Admiral Backhouse's Fleet was spotted behind them, Italian Naval Bombers were spotted coming from Sardinia ahead of them. In no time, all of our Aeroplanes were grounded as British Sea Hurricanes and Sea Gladiators engaged SM-79 three-engined Torpedo-Bombers overhead. Large Soviet Flags were rolled out on the decks of our Carriers to make sure the Italians didn't fire a torpedo at the wrong target. In the end, it seems only a single British Destroyer was sunk, and many Italian aeroplanes were shot down. One of them crashed dangerously close to one of our Destroyers.

On the 3rd of November, another interesting encounter happened, our ships made contact with what was essentially a ghost fleet. At least 50 Yugoslav troop transport ships, in various states of disrepair lay at anchor in the East Ionian Sea, off the Western Coast of Greece. Only a skeleton crew was present, and a short conversation with a certain Rear Admiral Simovic, gave us more details. It seems that the fleet had been underway when Yugoslavia lost it's last port, Dubrovnik. Without enough Fuel to reach a friendly port, the crews abandoned ship and were picked up by the Royal Navy a bit later. Only the Rear Admiral and his second in command remained on board with food and water rations that could last them several years. The last bit of sovereign Yugoslavia is a bunch of empty and rusting transport ships... still proudly flying the Yugoslav flag.

The Yugoslav Navy, in all of it's abandoned glory....

After this interesting find, it was discovered that 2 Italian Battleships lay at anchor in Kalamai, in Southern Greece.

That concludes the information that was gained from the most recent naval exercise in the Mediterranean,

Greetings,

'Odin'

So the abandoned ships aren't actually Yugoslav Freighters, but they are American Transports from the early 1940s that were purposefully beached and partially sunk to form a breakwater after the war.

roverS3 · Jun 2, 2018

The 10th of November 1941, Helsinki, -7,6°C, 10am Moscow Time,

All armed resistance has melted away as the Rebels are now out of supply, tired, demoralised and disorganised due to constant Aerial bombardment. A few more prisoners have been taken, surrendering without firing a shot or throwing a punch as 123. SD walked into Kuusjärvi. The 118 rebels, including some veteran Officers of the Winter War had no where else to go. The advance into Orivesi stalled, first when the order was cancelled, and then three more delays happened as 'officers' of successive understaffed 'headquarters' units tried to negotiate favourable terms for a surrender. All terms were refused, as the enemy has no leverage and no fighting strength left at all. Negotiations took around three hours each time.

The only reason only a few provinces to the north of the affected area (Keuruu, Virrat, and Parkano) were recovered is that NKGBF HQ has been moving it's units around again as objectives were changed after control was established over Kuusjärvi. First, attention was drawn to Parkano and then to Hämeenkyrö as the former was retaken.

Bombing operations were reduced to two provinces, as the remaining rebel forces elsewhere were to disorganised and spread out to target them from the air. Now, the rebels have been sent running from both provinces (Kankaanpää and Padasjoki), all Air-Ground attacks have been halted.

Only one KPA and one VVS Aviation Corps flew missions these last 10 days, all of them to the same two provinces, for lack of other targets.

1 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 La-7VM / Il-10VM - Moskva (CVL) - Navy Air Commander Zhavronkov L4, FD

- 37 x Kankaanpää (1 Il-10VM Downed / 620 KIA)

II. BAK - Tacx2, Ftrx1 - 200 Yak-4, 124 La-7 - Leningrad - Air Lt. General Yakovlev SK3, TB

- 40 x Padasjoki (0 Downed / 3.782 KIA)

Adding the numbers up, this is the current state of our latest Finnish counter-insurgency operation:

Insurgents killed from the Air / Aeroplanes lost: 20.818 / 4 (2 Yak-4, 1 Il-2M3, 1 Il-10VM)
Insurgents killed by NKGBF / NKGBF Officers KIA: 248 / 8
Insurgents arrested: 3.276 (A couple of understaffed HQs had nowhere left to go)

Not much remains of the insurgency, all they can do now is stall with pointless parlays concerning their surrender. The Insurgency will, in all likelihood, be cleared up before the end of the month.

The usual report is coming soon,

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · Jun 3, 2018

The 10th of November 1941, Leningrad, -7,6°C, 10pm Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 1st and the 10th of November 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

102 MGvSP, has received it's full complement of Half-Tracks, and has been renamed 102 BGvSP, part of Maj. General Golikov's 2 GvTD, I GvTK, 2ya Tankovaya Armiya, Armoured AG, STAVKA/Moskva HQ.
A new Artillery Regiment, 87. AP, has been deployed to Maj. General Dement'ev's 23 SD, I SK, 7ya Armiya, 3rd Army Group, Brjansk HQ.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 663 / 1.989.000
Support troops: 301 / 301.000

Total fighting troops: 964 / 2.290.000

Headquarters: 63 / 63.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.027 / 2.353.000

Officers: 94.513 + / 102.010 needed / 92,651 %
Active Leaders: 271 / 152 more available
Production of half-tracks has been increased again, both 364 MGvSP and 391 MGvSP, part of 4 GvTD, and 5 GvTD respectively, have already started training while their vehicles are produced.
Production of Heavy Artillery continues as another Regiment started training.

Air Force:

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

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.

Politics / International:

The USA has accepted transit rights offered by Mexico.
British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 7,90 / 79,4 Loss of Bengasi.

British forces have taken Bengasi, with the fall of the city, Italian Air Strikes abated, while the RAF continued it's own. Resistance on the ground remains minimal, and supply isn't an issue right now, thanks to a British supply convoy into Bengasi. British tanks have turned south along the coast, taking Agedabia.
The way to Misurata, still 360km away, is now open.
The RAF also started bombing Roma again, both missions were intercepted by the Regia Aeronautica, and a lot of RAF Aeroplanes were lost.
25 Axis convoys were sunk in the Mediterranean, and now British Convoys were lost in the Atlantic. No naval units were sunk.

Philippines

United States of America (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 85,9
Philippines (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 74,8
Japan (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 70,2

Japan has taken the Philippino island of Palawan, after an Amphibious Assault on Puerto Princesa. A not so bold opening move in their war with the USA.
No significant naval clashes have happened, yet.

Industry:

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

Upgrades: 17,00 / 17,53
Reinforcement: 2,00 / 2,15
Supplies: 30,00 / 47,37
Production: 245,85 / 279,11 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded, as well as three Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 43.957 tonnes +
Crude: 99.331 barrels +
Supplies: 38.588 tonnes -
Fuel: 99.146 barrels +
Money: 1.946 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (/) : 8 / 1 / 0 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 0

Total: 13 / 1 / 0 / 1

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
Another GRU operative has been successfully infiltrated into the UK. A spy from Japan was caught in the Soviet Union.

Research:

The VVS has now worked out better communication protocols and trained better radar operators for Fighter Ground Control (Level 3), this means that our fighters will get a better picture of what's beyond the range of their on board radar, from Radar Stations on the ground.
Research continues as there are more gains to be made in Fighter Ground Control (Level 4).

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.122.000
Men To reinforce(need): 1.470
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

Party Popularity:

- Communist Party: 69 (+7)
- Trotskyite: 1 =
- Bukharinite: 12 (+1)

- Octobrist: 0 (-5)
- Social-Revolutionary: 6 (-2)
- Trudoviks: 1 (-1)
- Kadets: 1 =

- Tsarists: 1 (-4)
- NTS: 9 (+5)
- POA: 0 (-1)
The Communist Party has grown in popularity again, reaching new highs, with more than 2/3 of the population firmly in support of the government. The Bukharinites are demanding a seat at the table of government, however, their supporters seem somewhat content with the current government, which means that it isn't 'fractured'.
Capitalist factions lost a lot of disillusioned followers to the Communist Party, no one supports the Octobrists anymore.
On the far right, support has been consolidated for the Italian-style fascism of the NTS, with both National-Socialism and Tsarism losing out.

No changes in Party Organisation for the last 10 days.

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 10th of November 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · Jun 3, 2018

The 10th of November 1941, Helsinki, -8,0°C, 10am Moscow Time,

"They're shooting at us? How? With what? What do they think they can achieve? They're insane!
...
Don't look at me. Return fire"
Senoir Major of State Security Skvortsov when the Partisans started shooting at his 1. NKGBF Konnaya Brigada in Jämsä.

After 1. NKGBF KB arrived in Jämsä, it was attacked from two sides, well, more walked into than attacked, by partisans fleeing Orivesi and Padasjoki. Surprisingly, these Partisans didn't give up without a fight. The delay in their retreat from their respective provinces meant that an after making contact with our Mounted Security Comrades, the pursuing Rifle Divisions caught up to the insurgents, hitting the rear of their lines. Moreover, a single bombing mission was flown over both provinces. For three hours the Finnish rebels held their desperate position, before they were caught in between the Finnish State Security Mounted Brigade's defences and the advancing riflemen of 111. SD and 218. SD. Casualties were light, and the 3.973 remaining Partisans, including 150 'Officers' were arrested by the NKGBF.

The Partisans fleeing from Kankaapää were overrun and rounded up by 2. NKGBF KB, another 2.335 Rebels were arrested in Pori, just south of Kankaanpää.

The only remaining rebel force counts fewer than 1.000 rebels, and is at risk of being overrun by 218. SD before it gets to Lahti. The insurrection is over, all three remaining provinces will be recovered within 10 days or less. 123. SD has already been ordered to Helsinki to start moving XXXIII. SK back to Tallinn.

1. Jämsä (Defence- Forest- -8,0°C - Victory)

14 Nov 41 21:00 - 15 Nov 41 00:00

SU: 1. NKBGF KB (Skvortsov, L1): 6.000 men / 1 KIA
Fin: Orivesi: 1st Finnish Partisans IV (None), Padasjoki: 5th Finnish Partisans (None) : 3.941 men / 3 KIA

2. Orivesi (Attack- Forest- -8,5°C - Victory)

14 Nov 41 22:00 - 15 Nov 41 00:00

SU: Tampere: 218 SD (Popov A.F., L2, BM): 11.000 men / 3 KIA
Fin: MCP (Multiple Combat Penalty) 1st Finnish Partisans IV (None): 2.834 men / 10 KIA / 2.803 POW

3. Padasjoki (Attack- Forest- -8,2°C - Victory)

14 Nov 41 22:00 - 15 Nov 41 00:00

SU: Lammi: 111 SD (Komarovskij A.F., L2): 11.000 men / 6 KIA
Fin: MCP 5th Finnish Partisans (None): 1.095 men / 23 KIA / 1.070 POW

Both the Navy and the VVS flew, probably, their last mission of this counter-insurrection operation, gaining that little bit more experience.

7 KPA - CAGx1 - 62 LaGG-3VM / Il-2M3VM - Helsinki - Navy Air Commander Kapitochin L2

- 1 x Padasjoki (0 Downed / 2 KIA)

IV. ShAK - CASx2, Ftrx1 - 248 Il-10, 124 La-7 - Helsinki - Air Lt. General Rudenko SK2, TB

- 1 x Orivesi (0 Downed / 20 KIA)

Adding the numbers up, this is the current state of our latest Finnish counter-insurgency operation:

Insurgents killed from the Air / Aeroplanes lost: 20.840 / 4 (2 Yak-4, 1 Il-2M3, 1 Il-10VM)
Insurgents killed by NKGBF / NKGBF Officers KIA: 284 / 18
Insurgents arrested: 9.584

Despite what I said in the previous report, the rebels did lash out one last, desperate, time, but now they're really done for.

The usual report is coming soon,

Greetings,

'Odin'

roverS3 · Jun 5, 2018

The 20th of November 1941, Helsinki, -8,2°C, 11am Moscow Time,

Report on the state of the Soviet Union for the ten day period between the 11th and the 20th of November 1941,

by 'Odin'

Army:

Another new Artillery Regiment, 98. AP, has been deployed to Maj. General Sergatskov's 2 SD, XII SK, 7ya Armiya, 3rd Army Group, Brjansk HQ.
Army numbers (Brigades/Personnel) Reserves included (these numbers don't include regiments being upgraded):

Front line troops: 663 / 1.989.000
Support troops: 302 / 302.000

Total fighting troops: 965 / 2.291.000

Headquarters: 63 / 63.000

Total Army Personnel: 1.028 / 2.354.000

Officers: 95.013 + / 102.110 needed / 93,050 %
Active Leaders: 271 / 152 more available
152mm ML-20 Production continues as another Artillery Regiment started training.
Our third Division of Paratroopers, 2. Vozdushno-Desnatnaya Diviziya, has started training.

Air Force:

124 new Yak-7 interceptors and have been delivered to the VVS, they have been formed into 130. IAD-PVO, it has been deployed to Air Maj. General Eremin's VII. IAK, which now has 3 IADs.
124 new Li-2 trasports were delivered as well, forming 2. TrAD, for now, it was deployed to I. TrAK, bringing it to a total of 372 Li-2s, in three TrADs.
Aeroplane Numbers (Wings/Planes):

Interceptors: 27 / 3.348
Multi-Role Fighters: 7 / 868
Close Air Support: 9 / 1.116
Carrier Air Groups: 7 / 434

Single Engined: 50 / 5.766

Tactical Bomber: 4 / 400

Total Bombers: 13 / 1.516

Transport Planes: 3 / 372

Total VVS: 50 / 6.104
Total Navy: 7 / 434
Total Aeroplanes: 57 / 6.538

Active Leaders: 19 / 23 Reserve
Production of Yak-7s continues, the next 124 will form 141. IAD-PVO, the 4th wing of VII. IAK.
Another Aviation Division's complement of 100 TB-3 Heavy Bombers will be produced, forming 2. DBAD.

Navy:

No changes in the Navy for the last 10 days.

Politics / International:

Japan has refused an offer for Military Acces to Portugal and it's overseas territories.
The UK has started an Embargo on Japan.
British North Africa Front

United Kingdom (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,0 / 77,6
Italy (Surrender Progress / NU): 7,90 / 79,4

After sufficient fuel and Supplies reached them, British tanks moved on towards Misurata. However, resistance from Italian troops, freshly arrived from the West, while not significant enough in itself to halt the offensive, did mean the RAF flew more bombing missions, inevitably damaging infrastructure along the way. This is believed to be a major factor in the slowing advance as the tanks have once again run out of supply after taking Al Agheila, a mere 90km from where they were ten days ago. There is still 350km to go, before they reach the next port.
The RAF continued bombing Roma from Malta, this time with Vickers-Armstrong Wellington Mk.III Tactical bombers. This was a success as at least 4 missions were flown, uncontested by Regia Aeronautica. This may have something to do with the fact that the strategic group, now equipped with Handley Page Halifax bombers, struck Firenze at around the same time. This mission was contested and at least 10 Halifax's didn't make it back. This suggests that the Regia Aeronautica can't defend two cities at the same time... not yet anyway.
1 Axis convoys was sunk in the Mediterranean, they may have run out again. No British Convoys were lost in the Atlantic. Aeroplanes from HMS Furious have sunk another Italian transport flotilla.

Philippines Front

United States of America (Surrender Progress / NU): 4,3 / 85,9 Loss of Guam
Philippines (Surrender Progress / NU): 14,9 / 74,8 Loss of Calapan.
Japan (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 70,2

Japanese forces have crossed the strait into the islands of Mindoro and Calapan, an, closer to the Luzon Island.
No significant naval clashes have happened, yet.

Pacific Front

United States of America (Surrender Progress / NU): 4,3 / 85,9 Loss of Guam
Japan (Surrender Progress / NU): 0,00 / 70,2

The Imperial Japanese Navy has captured the island of Guam, the US territory closest to Japan.
No significant naval clashes have happened, yet.

Industry:

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

Upgrades: 12,40 / 14,98
Reinforcement: 1,00 / 1,19
Supplies: 30,00 / 48,19
Production: 251,44 / 284,85 (the Licensed MP remains mostly unfunded, as well as three Mountain Rifle Divisions and 10. TTGvD)
Consumer Goods: 29,16 / 29,16

Stockpiles:

Energy: Maximum tonnes +
Metal: Maximum tonnes +
Rares: 43.558 tonnes +
Crude: Maximum barrels +
Supplies: 39.207 tonnes +
Fuel: Maximum barrels +
Money: 1.924 -

Intelligence:

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

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

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

UK (/) : 7 / 1 / 2 / 0
Other: 0 / 0 / 0 / 1

Total: 12 / 1 / 2 / 2

Reserves: 0
Spy training leadership expenditure: 0,65 (a new spy every 10 days)
A GRU operative in the UK was caught by a Bhutanese spy hunter. Another GRU operative was caught by a South-African spy hunter as he tried to infiltrate into the UK. A spy from Germany, and another from Turkey was caught in the Soviet Union.

Research:

Tank Designers have delivered a new type of Heavy Tank, the IS-2 is both faster, thanks to a better Engine (Level 1), and has significantly better Reliability (Level 2), compared to the KV-122. Our Heavy Tank Regiments will soon see all of their KV-122s replaced as the new vehicles roll of the line.

The KV-1 has always been considered inferior to the German Heavy Tank Designs (Königstigers) which have been spotted on our border. Part of the solution was to keep putting larger turrets, with larger guns, on the KV platform, and the KV-122 does stretch that concept to the limit, outgunning it's German rivals. But there were more fundamental design issues with the platform. Specifications were written out for a more modern Heavy Tank Platform that could also serve as the base for Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery.
After having come up with, and presented, the innovative Iosif Stalin 85 heavy tank design, with an 85mm gun, Nikolay Dukhov's team was told to go back to the drawing board and adapt the turret design to fit a 122mm Gun not unlike the one in the KV-122.

The result was the IS-2. At 9,9m by 3,09m by 2,73m, it is 1,4m longer, 22cm wider, and 15cm lower than the KV-1. These dimensions allow for wider tracks, a larger turret, and more stability while manoeuvring or firing. The hull has marginally less armour than the latest KV-122s, ranging between 90mm and 130mm, but the sloped hull design means that it is more effective at deflecting enemy rounds, and better armour placement helps keep the weight down even more. Thanks to it's 600hp Mikulin V-2 V12 Diesel Engine, and it's lower weight (than the KV-1 even), this behemoth can attain speeds of up to 40 km/h.
Using the same gun in a marginally improved turret, the rate of fire of the IS-2 is similar to that of the KV-122, at most 3-4 rounds per minute with the latest versions of the D-25 122mm gun. Equally small amounts of ammunition, only 28 rounds, can be carried on board.
The platform has been very well received by the Red Army due to it's well thought-out Armour design and it's great manoeuvrability. (compared to the KV-1 platform)

The Red Army has now written out a competition to improve the new Heavy Tank's Armour (Level 2), and fit it with an even larger Gun (Level 3).

Statistics:

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

Available: 2.119.000
Men To reinforce(need): 640
Men To mobilise(need): See above
Monthly gain: 48.200 Men (1 fully mobilised Infx3, AT Division every 7 days)

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

This Information is accurate on the morning of the 20th of November 1941, I hope it serves you well in fine-tuning your possible suggestions.

'Odin'

roverS3 · Jun 5, 2018

The 26th of November 1941, Helsinki Train Station, -7,0°C, 7pm Moscow Time,

The last Partisans have been rounded up, scared, hungry, out of ammunition, there was no more fight in them. In the past few days another 1.224 insurgents were arrested by the NKGBF, without firing a shot. It seems all of the rebels have been rounded up, or have gone into hiding. It will take a week to clear the final province of Riihimäki, but that's because icy roads are slowing down the Heavy Artillery Units. I will return to Vologda tomorrow, but before then, for once, I had some time to go out and have a drink, mingle with the people of Helsinki, see the sights. I decided to go watch a play in the 'Swedish Theatre' (Svenska Teatern), there was still some time before the play, and I thus went to have a drink in one of the bars nearby.

Mannerheimintie, in the Kaartinkaupunki neighbourhood in the Southern part of Helsinki. Note the Swedish Theatre building on the right, opened in 1860 and designed by Georg Theodor von Chiewitz in the Neo-Classical style, the theatre was overhauled in 1935 by a young Finnish Architect named Eero Saarinen, one of his first projects, giving it a more modern look inside and out, while maintaining the original structure of the building.

I had just sat down in the Brasserie Kämp, with a Finnish pale lager when the waiter politely told me that there was a telephone call for me. As I had told no one, nor known myself, I would be going to this particular bar, it could only be 'Tri', but he was panting:

"The world stage ... has been crazy today, ... I keep getting ... messages, ... maps, reports. ... Things are ... happening all ... over the place.... Let me catch ... my breath ... first, ... and I'll ... start ... from the ... beginning...

"Here we go... First, this morning, the British 3rd Royal Marines Division performed a perfect amphibious assault into Athina, when I say perfect, I mean that there were no Italian troops present in the city, nor around it, so it was really a nice walk on the beach, followed by a nice walk up the Acropolis to plant the Union Jack and take down the Italian 'tricolore'. For now, the British haven't brought in any additional units and the Royal Marines seem content to dig in and enjoy the fortified capital of Greece. The Italians don't seem to have any units in the area at all, and without un-perforated troop transport ships, it might take some time for any Axis units to get there."

Royal Marines in Athens, the only Italians in the area are stuck on the Dodecanese. Our Carrier Fleet is just taking a look...

"As crazy as a British invasion of Greece sounds, things got a lot more interesting later in the day. Around noon, after several days of high level meetings with members of the British government and armed forces on board HMS Hood, anchored of the coast of Newfoundland for the occasion, President Roosevelt announced that the United States of America would join the Allies, the details were to be fleshed out in the afternoon before an official signing ceremony. Though, the US did officially declare war on all nations of the Axis, currently at war with the Allies."

President Roosevelt and his guests attending a church service on board HMS Hood. Prime Minister Chamberlain is out of frame.
(OOC: Despite how this looks this isn't HMS Prince of Wales, which hasn't even been launched yet TTL, nor is Winston Churchill in this picture, if you're seeing him, you obviously suffer from hallucinations...)

"But that's not all, oh no, before the terms had been fleshed out, the Empire of Japan declared war on the United Kingdom. You may say that this was pointless as the US, as a member of the Allies, would drag them into that war anyway, but that's not how it works. The US was already at war with Japan before joining the alliance, and thus other members of the Allies weren't obliged by it's terms to declare war on Japan. Now that Japan issued it's declaration of war, that just spared US diplomats the trouble of going around to ask the other members of the Allies for Military assistance in the Pacific. I can't read the Japanese Emperor's mind, but in my opinion, the Japanese had three plausible reasons to declare war. 1. They need the resources of the Allies' South-East Asia's colonies. 2. They want to beat the Allies to the punch and be the agressor, looking like they have the initiative. 3. They feel the Americans are too much of a push-over right now, and they want a bit of a challenge. It could be all of those, none of those, one of those, or any combination of them. This has definitively merged two large conflicts into a global struggle, a full on Second World War.

Oh, and an hour ago, the Allies have announced that they were launching a new Alliance with the sole goal to destroy the Axis. The point of 'The United Nations' is, for now, to coordinate diplomacy, and even grand strategy, for the war against the Axis, and the only criterium of entry right now, is that you have to be at war with any Axis member.

If we get into the war, joining could be beneficial, especially if we wanted to take advantage of foreign support, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Right now, the Allies don't trust us, accusing us of not taking the Nazi's head on with our Great Red Army. In the span of hours, things really have changed, this is just one of those days where history is written. Enjoy your play."

And as usual, he hung up before I could thank him, or ask more questions. What a day, and I thought it would be a quiet one, boy was I wrong. I'm sure you can all see the implications of these developments. For starters, Greece could, once more become a distraction for the Germans. Secondly, the Royal Navy presence in the Med will probably be reduced, as the Pacific and the South China Sea beckon, though the Regia Marina is probably too far gone to do any serious damage, this could mean convoys getting through to North Africa again. Then there is the, now very probable, Japanese campaign into Indonesia and Malaysia, which could give the US some breathing room to get it together and actually fight in the Pacific. And there is the possibility of American reinforcements in Europe and/or Africa, in the near future.

A lot to ponder over and discuss. I'll leave you to it, and go see my play,

Greetings,

'Odin'