With the forces that took part in the Battle of Kolding in need of urgent attention, if any quick re-deployment was to happen, it seemed like a bad April's first joke that the submarines on the coast of Norway were, in that day, almost wiped out by a small German force.
Forced to a long Murmansk-bound retreat, these submarines were the only eyes the Red Fleet had on the progress of the British conquest of Norway.
Those submarines would have to go back eventually, or others in their place, if potentially vital intelligence was to continue flowing. No less importantly, Kriegsmarine victories at this point could spell trouble in the second Battle of Kolding ahead.
With that in mind, the Baltic Fleet set out for it's first pure combat mission outside of the Baltic Sea.
Once arrived there, Admiral Smirnov had no difficulty finding and sinking the KMS Karlsruhe and it's escort, making life for Soviet submariners a little less risky.
Immediately after the news of victory near the Vest Fjord arrived at Leningrad, the radios of the several submarines blockading transport traffic from Kiel started reporting a strange sighting - US Navy transports! Unescorted.
If at first there was great wondering about their timing, appearing just when the Soviet Fleet had left, greater doubts would emerge from their goal.
It seemed that the Americans, like the Red Army Air Forces, had an odd, inexplicable fixation with Bornholm. Judging from the quality and tenacity of German defence stationed at the isle, they too held it in great value.
Not that the Red Fleet even had time to consider such mysteries. Almost a week had passed since the Army and Naval Infantry forces had retreated from Kolding, and it was time to establish a defence, or risk losing control over the area again.
Disembarking from their ships, the Marines were the first to meet the slow German attempts at retaking the area. Success was mixed at first, for the German forces coming from the north were well organized, but at the same time limited by being short on resources.
The force coming in from the south was hardly worth mentioning, and indeed seemed to completely stop operating as a division a couple of hours into the battle.
Not long after, the Army forces arrived, and Kolding was secured.
With the division previously guarding Kiel essentially destroyed, the second part of the whole plan to invade continental Denmark - block the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and deny the Kriegsmarine use of the Harbour - was free for the taking by the Red forces.
Meanwhile, an American build-up around Bornholm continued, including an unidentified capital ship.
Also unidentified was how Admiral Kuznetsov wanted the new Battleship plans to remain, and that's why all the documents regarding it were named after the
Sovyetskiy Soyuz class.
The design bureaus would have no time to rest, as the Commissar requested the experience and new doctrines on carrier operations be translated into better ship plans.
No good news came alone anymore though, and with the completion of the work on Battleships, also came word of a fast German move to defend Kiel. Despite the numerical superiority and shore bombardment, the Soviet forces - never fully re-organized since March - failed to defeat the same Wehrmacht General they had faced in Kolding.
But that was only a minor set-back. Given time to reorganize, the Naval Infantry would no doubt force the Germans back once more.
The real problem, which brought a sinister hint of incoming backstab to the Bornholm mystery, came to light only on the 12th, when the final count of American ships passing by Copenhagen reached Leningrad.
Around the Baltic island now stood one of the greatest fleets ever to have entered that Sea, composed of no less than 14 unmistakable capital ships and countless escorts.
The soviet destroyers patrolling the area dared not go too near, but they could confirm at least the presences of the USS Colorado, USS Maryland and USS West Virginia.
What the Americans had planned to do with such a massive force in waters firmly controlled by their supposed allies was cause for much concern in Admiral Kuznetsov's office...