The capitalists shall not know what hits them - Stalin
Oh no, I shall make sure they know what hits them - Bullfilter
Oh no, I shall make sure they know what hits them - Bullfilter
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The SS-6 Sapwood, also known as the R-7. A true triumph of late 1950s Soviet power, a variant would of this rocket would carry Sputnik into space and in it's military form it was the first true ICBM able to hit targets 8000km away (OK it might miss by up to 5km, but when carry nukes you can be a bit slapdash on accuracy). In terms of actual numbers, as in being out on range by over an entire order of magnitude, this might be the greatest numerical error Paradox have yet made. Though of course I am sure they will find new depths to plunge later.On 22 October, the latest range improvement for the Soviet rocket arm (the SS-6 model – see monthly research summary below) was completed. As current models were upgraded, four new batteries were put in production. They would now be able to reach 580km.
Or as we used to put it in those days, "Close doesn't count except in horseshoes and nuclear weapons".OK it might miss by up to 5km, but when carry nukes you can be a bit slapdash on accuracy.
The main frustration is in making them attack when and where it's really crucial: the sickle-strike through northern Poland to Danzig is crucial and time is limited, but getting them to do it ... hmmm. You will see soon how the first day goes, anyway.Wow, the day has finally come! I feel so bad for you trying to guide your AI generals into position, but I suspect all that work is about to pay off! If I remember right, HOI3's nukes are unity crushing weapons rather than destroying units. I know you had discussed the need to take out Germany quickly, so I suspect they will be getting a fair share of nukes?
Plus the Army AI. Oh dear!The capitalists shall not know what hits them - Stalin
Oh no, I shall make sure they know what hits them - Bullfilter
A 5,000km range ICBM nuke delivery system would be pretty handy ATM - but I still have to take VPs to force surrenders.The SS-6 Sapwood, also known as the R-7. A true triumph of late 1950s Soviet power, a variant would of this rocket would carry Sputnik into space and in it's military form it was the first true ICBM able to hit targets 8000km away (OK it might miss by up to 5km, but when carry nukes you can be a bit slapdash on accuracy). In terms of actual numbers, as in being out on range by over an entire order of magnitude, this might be the greatest numerical error Paradox have yet made. Though of course I am sure they will find new depths to plunge later.
In any event war has at last come, so now the true work for our brave author begins - marshalling the vast reams of data and trying to turn it into something that makes sense! Good luck, I think you will need it.
Seems so! This makes by delivery options more flexible - though for longer range work, the STRAT are still the thing. But the idea of an SS-6 delivered nuke is tempting!It's been fairly common knowledge around here that nuclear weapons were unable to be carried by anything other than strategic bombers... I guess we've developed a very small nuclear weapon that can be carried by the IRBMs and smaller aircraft!
As they say, no plan survives first contact with the enemy! But URA it is.the day is the day! great preparation. Now there's only one thing to say, and that is URA!
They can try to shoot down whatever is delivering them, yes.Does the AI counter nuke?
Quite!Or as we used to put it in those days, "Close doesn't count except in horseshoes and nuclear weapons".
The commander of 14. Krivorozhkaya needs to ease up on vodka!The first land engagements in the West came at the same time. Many more would follow during the day [only some of those will be detailed].
Well, shame on me thenAnd Soviet attack on Johannisburg won out despite being against overwhelming numerical odds and a far higher casualty rate suffered (98/8,992 Soviet, 6/101,213 Allied casualties). It seems the Allies were intent on withdrawing anyway.
I think we started quite good, I'm in good spirits about the future of this war! Exciting start!So ended the first day of WW3, with some success but not enough attacking in Poland for Stalin’s liking, though it was early days yet.
Stalin was somewhat conflicted on nuclear weapons. He believed the Soviets had to get "the bomb" and poured vast resources into it, but he also forbid any real development of doctrine about them. They were more political tools than military ones, so following OTL Stalinist thought it would be option 2, the reserve weapons for emergencies.A decent start to another great war. I am wondering what the Soviet Union's policy is on nuclear weapons. Do you use them early on to scare the enemy and knock out a few nations, but risk egging on the development of Allied nuclear weapons to be used against the USSR, or do you keep them in reserve to use in case of emergency, or as a knock out punch when the war is almost won?
Doesn’t harm to probe a bit after all.The commander of 14. Krivorozhkaya needs to ease up on vodka!
Well, shame on me then
Some interesting things to look at. The big thing is try to get the AI to execute a large scale hook movement:still trying to find the right combo of orders and objectives. We’ll see as the month goes on.I think we started quite good, I'm in good spirits about the future of this war! Exciting start!
And here it is similar, as the game mechanics encourage: political effect (sapping NU) and industrial/infra devastation, though perhaps as a secondary effect.Stalin was somewhat conflicted on nuclear weapons. He believed the Soviets had to get "the bomb" and poured vast resources into it, but he also forbid any real development of doctrine about them. They were more political tools than military ones, so following OTL Stalinist thought it would be option 2, the reserve weapons for emergencies.
With HOI3 not simulating the battlefield nuke effect (fairly, I think) it remains closer to option 1 for the ATL Stalin: used not so much as a last resort, but to force an enemy from the Allies a lot quicker than would have been the case. Germany and Japan being the big targets at first.Post-Stalin it became option 1 - use them early and often, trying to "win" in Western Europe before reinforcements could arrive. There was also a very Soviet belief that battlefield/tactical weapons didn't really count as 'proper' nukes, so they believed the US (and later France and the UK) wouldn't respond by escalating to nuking Soviet cities. They might even have been right, but it was certainly a gamble.
See above re nukes. If we don’t start knocking out major Allied powers soon, we’re toast. So early, once we can start grabbing VPs to make a key power surrender from 2-3 nuke strikes on major cities. Not going to win the war without them - too heavily outnumbered.A decent start to another great war. I am wondering what the Soviet Union's policy is on nuclear weapons. Do you use them early on to scare the enemy and knock out a few nations, but risk egging on the development of Allied nuclear weapons to be used against the USSR, or do you keep them in reserve to use in case of emergency, or as a knock out punch when the war is almost won?
They must be made to embrace true Communist zeal!I think some 9mm encouragement might be needed in the general staff. With "friends" like these the People do not lack for enemies!
Yes, Poland is the key to the whole thing, but I can’t quite get it to click. The VVS has done well considering how heavily it is outnumbered and that the Luftwaffe is also substantially jet converted too. I think the air-to-air missile upgrade has helped the INT as well. The air war will feature heavily in early reporting.Well, the Polish front is disappointing, but the jet engines are certainly paying off! You appeared to be doing major damage to the CAS and TACs while the French INTs struggled to stop you. With their airbases cratered, I think you will control the skies for some time. The eastern front is somewhat concerning, but I think Talking Turkey proves the Soviets can lose Siberia without being totally crippled. Hopefully it won't come to that, but you never know...
You will get your wish - still plenty of detail, just not all of it: the huge Western Front and decent and complicated Eastern Front have too much happening to report everything. But the first month will have a bit of scene setting detail in it, then things should speed up a bit.Part of me loves the detailed chapters. The other part of me, having two AARs die because of save files, wants this to go faster before something bad happens! Take over the world already!
Probably not: yes, we still need a VP and their NU is quite high, so may require more than one nuke - though the thought has occurred if we do make headway against them.Would it be worth nuking Poland to speed up the conquest? I know you need a VP still, but you're a lot closer than Germany's.
It was a real body blow when I was cheated out of bringi them into the Comintern at the end of WW2: principally for the territorial loss, more than the troops they would have brought as a puppet.Manchuria appears to be going well and should make a big difference in Asia.
The Iraqis are beginning to fight and my main concern, a bit like in Europe, is all the Allied puppet states stacked up behind them that will start sending reinforcements (Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt etc, plus any British forces that might turn up. Like in Europe, time is of the essence.It looks like you are almost unopposed in Iraq, so maybe Suez is in sight?
Oh yes, it gets even more so later in the month!A very Stalinisttic invasion of Toyohara with those British fleet close by.
V1/2s coordinated with INTs worked out to be great! The skies are all hammer and sickle!This heavy engagement in the skies in the West was followed by a period where no Allied air strikes were conducted, while Soviet bombers did their work largely unhindered.
In fact, I think best would be to make sure the production lines for the V1/2s never stop they seem to be very useful. I never used them before and now I regret it.An intercept mission of German bombers north of Stettin late on 14 November revealed it was now being used as a depth base for five French and German wings. They were within range of V2s based in Suwalki (on the border with Prussia), which struck and managed to basically destroy the runways (4/4 cratered) at 0200hr on the 15th.
Is it possible to turn the TAC bombing a notch or two? Since we have air supremacy we should use it well to pound them to smithereens which would translate to success on the groundIn general, the second (eight-day) period of the month had seen Soviet progress made in East Prussia, northern and southern Poland, but the latter two were marginal, with those redeployed Allied divisions starting to slow down the most promising Soviet breakthrough. Romania still remained something of a mess, where the Soviets just wanted to stay ‘in the game’ and defend as best it could. The Soviet battle win ratio was better than the first week, but this was often repeated attacks to take provinces where Allies reinforcements slipped in before it could be secured.
exciting operations!The second week saw a large escalation in maritime and airborne operations in the East. This was triggered by orders being given to the Soviet paratroopers in Tumnin at 1800hr on 10 November to prepare for a ‘blind’ drop onto unknown enemy opposition in the port of Toyohara, on the southern tip of Sakhalin. This was in response to an Allied advance towards Okha on the north of the island. It was hoped the port could be taken before the enemy could send too many forces back south, thus trapping them and cutting them off.
I don't know how expensive that would be, but maybe paradrops should concentrate more divisions at one province in order to make it less taxing for each divisionAt 2000hr on 11 November, MAJGEN Karpon of 2. Vozdushno Division reported his troops had landed in Toyohara. This was the first combat jump by a Soviet para division. Apart from a collection of enemy HQs, a Japanese mountain division was defending the city: it would be a tough fight. And a British armoured division was to the north and currently advancing in that direction – a concern for any paratroop commander.
A bit of a bloody nose for the air force, is this out of our INT range? Maybe need some MRs hereThen the 22nd Group found a Japanese carrier task force in the Kol’tso Seamount at 1900hr: they attacked but did not seem to cause much damage. They tried again early the next morning, but were instead found by the same Japanese INT that had savaged the 17th – and suffered a similar fate. Both groups were taken off line for repairs.
Biggest cliffhanger of the war so farAs the day ended, the fight in Toyohara still hung in the balance.