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Soviet Union AAR a la Viktor Suvorov

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Originally posted by nalivayko
Hm, do I wish to comment on that :) Ok, not Barbarossa in reverse, but the reverse of Barbarossa. You will see what I mean later.
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Argh!
Come on, please post the next installment instead of making my head hurt thinking of what you mean... :D
 
Hmm. I like it. It's horribly evil and devious.

I would've taken Turkey first, personally. Go for the warmwater port.
 
Thanks for all the praise and sorry for evil delays. I am still as busy as I was (it all ends soon though) and, on top of that, I am moving my website from one server to another. This explains the lack of screenshots. However, I am going to try to put some of them (temporarily, of course) on one of the corporate sites belonging to my clients. Do not be suprised if I am lynched afterwards :)
 
Part III: Suicide

I remember when England remained one on one with Germany, in Leningrad University many were saying that Germany's position was brilliant and... hopeless.

Viktor Kogan, war veteran. "News', June 8, 1998.

Many still wonder why Stalin did not stab Hitler in the back in fall of 1939. Surely, they say, Finland could wait until Soviet armies take care of Wermacht. First things first. Right? No, not even close.

For comrade Stalin first things meant the triumph of the World Revolution. Had Soviets attacked Germany that September of 1939, they would be destroying their most treasured weapon, Stalin's Icebreaker. No one doubts that victory could be achieved in a matter of weeks. What then? France is not crushed, Britain unscathed, both mobilized and advancing into German heartlands.

Would they be able to stop Soviet troops on their own? Definitely no. But the element of surpise would be lost, and Stalin, a former criminal and bank robber, knew the importance of this element all too well.

Unintentionally, this also answers another question: why did not Stalin listen to many sources of intellegence (inculding Great Britain) and refused to believe that Hitler is preparing an attack on Soviet Union. Speculations on this topic led many to believe in an impossible myth that Stalin was afraid of Hitler.

Nonsense.

One has to simply look at the events preceding the beginning of Soviet-German phase of the World War to understand what was going on the head of Soviet leader.

First, by the end of January, 1940, Axis powers completely dominated Western Europe. With the exception of Communist Spain, Axis armies occupied France, Belgium and Netherlands and struggled for control of the English Channel with Great Britain. The latter, already in alliance with USA, presented a considerable threat to the long coastlines of the occupied France and Low Countries. Knowing this, how could Stalin be afraid of Hitler planning an attack to the east. Only an idiot would start a war on two fronts in a position like this. Thus, Soviet troops concentrated along Soviet-German border were put there not to defend but to attack.

Second, in March of 1940 Yugoslavia received an ultimatum from Berlin: join us or go down in flames. In the same time Great Britain approached the country with the offer of an alliance. Hitler was about to get sucked in the war in mountaneous terrain against the very determined enemy. There was his second front (Italy already had opened her second front in North Africa). As Hitler declared war on Yugoslavia on April 1, 1940, could Stalin possibly think there was a danger of Germany declaring war on Russia in the near future? Don't answer this, it's a rhetorical question.

Third, at the time Soviets amassed some 60-70 land divisions along their western border. They were about to finish the process of re-arming their tank armies with new T-34/76 (a tank far superior to any German "death boxes"). Their industries were operating at full capacity, their mechanized units supplied with oil for years ahead (which could hardly be said about German mechanized units as their main supplier of oil - Romania - was conquered by Soviets shortly before).

To believe that Germany was ready for war with Russia was to admitt to being a paranoic. Stalin did not believe that Hitler was going to break a non-aggression pact because he knew the facts. And the facts spoke against it.

Finally, even if Germans did start the war first, they only had about 20 land and air divisions on their eastern border. To start a war in a situation like this would have been an act of suicide.

Safe in this knowledge, Stalin ordered to re-arm two more tank corps from 1st and 2nd Tank Armies, mobilize another 5 tank corps, this time equipping them with even newer, untested T-34/85 and completely strip Soviet Air Force off fighter cover, as 6 fighter divisions were sent to be re-equipped with new multitask fighters. For a moment he considered doing the same to all bomber divisions, but decided against it. By the time he would have a need for newer bombers, Germany should be subdued and the flames of the Revolution should be spread to the shores of Atlantic. Only then he would need a superior bomber to wrack havoc on Great Britain.

P.S. Another question still exists today - why did Stalin cancel the production of strategic bombers. The answer: one does not destroy industry he is planning to use later.

... to be continued.
 
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:) Sorry, I thought it'd be better than nothing. :D

Seriously though, here's some screenshots to make your happy for now and I am writing an update at the very same moment.

Soviet conquest of Finland

Note organization of Soviet Tank and Rifle Armies.

The last days of Poland

Slovakia's rapid advancement won official praise from Hitler and unofficial curses from Wermacht. Stalin too noted small country's success. Later his note (written in leader's famous leather notebook) will play quite a role in the future of this nation.

Eastern Europe in January 1940.

Conquest of Romania created quite a bulge on Soviet-Slovakian border. This weak spot in the Axis underbelly will not go unnoticed by Stavka.

P.S. Since this is a new page and all, may I ask every visitor not to post images directly but limit yourself to posting a link? Nothing personal, I just want this thread to load faster for people on dial-up.
 
Part III: Suicide

... continued

On March 24, 1940, contrary to all expectations, Greece, not Yugoslavia, becomes the next target of Axis aggression. Great Britain's diplomatic skills receive quite approval from Kremlin. Kremlin's opinion about Greeks, however, is not best expressed on paper.

This attitude is about to change when Stalin and Stavka find another target for ridicule.

A week after declaring war on Greece, Hitler, concerned with concentration of Soviet troops on the Soviet-German border, gives his infamous order to the General Staff to put in motion the operation code-named Barbarossa. His allies (Italy, Japan, Hungary and Slovakia) reluctantly agree to join.

To say that Stalin is stunned is to say nothing. He is simply paralyzed. He refuses to believe the reports at first, hanging to his belief that Hitler may be somewhat dumb, but is far from being a complete idiot. Stalin checks the latest intelligence reports - they all say that Germany is years behind the Soviet Union in being prepared for war. Stalin reads them once, then again and again.

Discounting the information about virtually non-existent German navy (even in comparison to less than glorious, but nevertheless still floating Red Fleet), Stalin skips directly to the part about German land forces. At his disposal Hitler has 30 infantry divisions, 1 motorized division and 4 panzer divisions. It is a wonder Germans were able to crush Poland, not to speak of breaking through the Maginot line. Their "blitzkrieg" victories were more of a propaganda trick than reality. As of today, Soviet army consists of 51 rifle, 2 cavalry and 6 mountain rifle divisions plus 1 motorized, 13 mechanized and 3 tank corps. In addition almost every Soviet rifle division and mechanized corps have artillery, anti-tank or anti-aircraft brigade attached to them. Some even have engineer brigades. Needless to say, German infantry divisions are yet to hear about such luxuries. On top of that Soviets are currently mobilizing seven rifle divisions and five tank corps. Germans are content with what they have at the moment.

Stalin is furious. His carefully planned invasion of Europe is thrown off its time-schedule, jeopardized, put under a great risk if not completely out of the question by the actions of a suicidal maniac. This is a suicide, whispers Stalin to himself, how could Hitler be so blind to the numbers?

Another review of the report tells him about the only trump card that Hitler might have up his sleeve - the Luftwaffe. While Soviet 6 fighter divisions are being re-equipped with new multitask fighters, and the whole Red Air Force consists of only 4 bomber and 1 fighter divisions, Germany boasts 22 bomber and fighter divisions. Stalin briefly wonders if there is a method to Hitler's madness (he couldn't have picked a better time for attack, if he absolutely had to attack), but then dismisses this thought as absurd. Being outnumbered by 2:1 on land Hitler is a fool to count on air superiority to win the war. Tanks, airplanes and artillery (which he does not possess in great numbers) - they all are splendid and formidable weapons, but ground can only be won and held by infantry. Germany has skilled and disciplined infantry. So does Soviet Union and in much greater numbers than Germany. No, Stalin re-assures himself, Hitler is not a mad genius, he is simply an idiot.

Thus assured, he declines an offer from Politbyuro to move Soviet industrial bases to the east. Two hours after the declaration of war he meets with his Marshalls and informs them of the changes in plans. Bluntly put, the changes are minimal. The Army will act as if it does not need additional divisions and tanks, as if the Day M arrived as planned and as if it does not need air cover at all. If Hitler attacked us, instead of being attacked by us, Stalin argues, he must have stripped his border of defenses as we did not so long ago. If he attacked us, it means there are no mine fields, barbed wire and fortified centers on our way through Poland. True, we planned to strike first and eliminate German planes before they take to the air. Luckily, considering we are being attacked, our planes are out of the enemy's reach. The enemy must have built airfield close to the border to be able to strike farther into our territory. Let us teach him a lesson. Let us break through his weak and pathetic land forces and destroy his air force as it comes back from the first raids.

Stalin leaves, heading to the Ministry that in Germany would be ignorantly called a Ministry of Propaganda. In Soviet Union, where leaders have brains to hide the obvious, it is called something (Ministry of Information or Ministry of Truth - this is rather unimportant) different. From there he speaks through lips of many others to the world and condemns German aggression against "peace-loving" Soviet people. Taking full advantage of this dire situation, he blames the start of the Second World War on Germany and her lackeys and promises swift retaliation and liberation Nazi nightmare. He continues to point out that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics struggled to stay away from the confrontation and calls Soviet non-interference a tragic mistake. He particularly addresses Churchill, who has been begging him for month to open a second front against Germany. He promises milk and honey and again, through the headlines of newspapers and voices of quickly found war commentators, points out that it was Hitler who started it.

Then Stalin rests.

The free world cheers their Soviet comrades' will to fight "against fascist aggressors", conveniently forgetting that so-called "peace-loving" Soviet Union managed in six so-called "pre-war months" to annex five countries with populations around 30-40 million people altogether. Not bad for "pre-war" activities. Not bad for a "peace-loving" nation. A point for Stalin.

Meanwhile, Stavka struggles to make a quick analysis of the situation. Digging out war plans, Soviet generals try to adjust them accordingly. As it seems, German army is divided roughly in three parts. Army Group North (7 infantry divisions plus a host of German and Italian air divisions), under Field-Marshall Paulus, is positioned in Memel. Manstein heads Army Group Center, but his headquarters are far behind the frontline. The main bulk of his force is dug in around Warsaw and awaits the armor to attack. Altogether it might account for a half of the entire German army. Army Group South hardly deserves the name. It consists of 4-6 infantry divisions stationed in and out Slovakia. Apparently, Hitler was so impressed with Slovak performance in the Polish campaign that he decided to them worry about defending German southern flank.

On the other sight of the border Soviets amassed 8 Rifle (total 9, with 2nd Rifle Army protecting Vladivostok from Japanese) and 2 Tank Armies. Unlike Germans, Soviet divide them in Fronts, rather than army groups.

The northern or Belarusian Front consists of (from north to south) 7th Rifle Army (Popov), 2nd Tank Army (Zhukov), 1st Rifle Army (Tolbukhin), 3rd Rifle Army (Rokossovskiy), 1st Air Army (Yakovlev).

The central or Ukrainian Front consist of (from north to south) 4th Rifle Army (Bogdanov) and 9th Rifle Army (Budeniy). In addition, Fedorenko is put in charge of 1 mechanized corps, representing 3rd Tank Army (with tanks arriving no later than in May).

The southern or Romanian Front consists of (from north to south). 8th Rifle Army (Chuikov), 6th Mountain Rifle Army (Voroshilov), 5th Rifle Army (Konev), 1st Tank Army (Timoshenko) and 2nd Air Army (Moskalenko).

Initially Stavka made plans for suprise Soviet operation code-named "Thunder". However, Hitler decided to play against the rules, which gave Stavka the opportunity to give a patriotic coloring to the operation's new name. They decide to re-name the operation "Alexander Nevsky", in honor of 13th century Novgorodian Prince who defeated German aggression at Lake Chudskoye. Stalin objects, pointing out that the battle at Lake Chudskoye was rather defensive in nature. Red Army of Workers and Peasants, he continues, will not wait for the enemy and will carry war to the latter's territory. Thus, the operation retains its original name - "Thunderstorm" ("Groza" in Russian).

If everything goes according to plans, armies of the Byelorussian Front will break through German line north and south of Warsaw and seal a pocket of German defenders in the city. Their operational goal will be Berlin. In the south, the armies of Romanian Front will attack through Hungary and South Slovakia, with operational goal of capturing Vienna. The Ukrainian Front will take on the bulk of Slovakian forces, and then lend its aid to Byelorussian and Romanian fronts. Later its armies may be used to take Warsaw and stop any German breakthroughs. Stavka does plan on those as Soviet line has many holes allowing for local numerical superiority at other places.
 
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Part IV: Operation "Groza*"

* Groza - Russian for thunderstorm

Russian High Command knows its business better than High Command of any other army. (General fon Mellentin)

It takes only six hours for Soviet military to re-think their strategies, make changes to plans (or dig out alternative scenarios) and launch a counter-offensive. In reality, it looks more like an ordinary offensive with only German pre-emptive air strikes making some noise to prove the opposite. Army Groups North and Center do attempt to move east, but they spend too much time waiting for Luftwaffe to softwen up the Soviet position. By the time Manstein and Paulus decide to act the enemy is upon them.

On April 6th, 1940 Popov's 7th Rifle Army attacks Paulus in Memel and after two days of fighting routes the enemy. A day earlier Zhukov's 2nd Tank Army annihilates 2 enemy panzer divisions at Konigsberg, thus cutting Army Group North's route of escape.
On April 9th, 4th and 9th Rifle Armies, led by Bogdanov and Budeniy defeat the main forces of Slovakia at Lwow and Rovno.
Meanwhile, the Romanian Front led by Konev and Timoshenko advances into Hungary. While Timoshenko's 1st Tank Army races through the southern plains of the country, Konev's 5th Rifle Army advances on Budapest. Hungarians try to slow him down with, but are forced to surrender the city on April 10th.

Same day, Voroshilov and his 6th Mountain Rifle Army defeat joint German-Slovakian divisions at Munkacs.

As Ukrainian Front advances through southern Poland, the Byellorussian Front makes every effort possible to surround 10 enemy divisions at Warsaw. Rokossovskiy's 3rd Rifle Army captures Krakow, while Tolbukhin's 1st Rifle Army is able to pass Warsaw to the south, capture Radom and Lodz and arrive at Torun on 13th, thus sealing the Warsaw pocket.

All this time Luftwaffe is ruling the skies. German bombers prove to be a real menace to Soviet troops, but cannot slow them down. However, the fighter squadrons completely deny the Soviets a chance to raise their bombers off the ground. At times, Yakovlev and his 1st Air Army are able to make a sneak attack on German positions (at Memel they did a superb job before the Luftwaffe arrived to the rescue). Moskalenko and his 2nd Air Army have more luck in the south, but, in general, Germans take full advantage of their air superiority. Still, for a moment the Soviet armies seem unstoppable...

In the center Manstein soon realizes the danger his Army Group is in. While the Soviets attacked vigorously in the north and the south, they let Army Group Center advance forth, drawing it even deeper in the trap. Soon German divisions to the east of Warsaw are forced to retreat to the city without a single shot. The armies of the Ukrainian Front seal the pocket from the east, while Zhukov and Rokossovskiy race west and capture German airfields, destroying hundreds and hundreds of aircraft on the ground. To save the day Manstein decides to relieve his forces in Warsaw and then attack Russian flanking armies in the rear.
At 5:00 am, April 14th Manstein moves his reserve troops (11 infantry and panzer divisions) to attack Tolbukhin in Torun. 4 air divisions cover his attack from Soviet bombers and soften enemy positions with relentless bombing. The Soviets defend their positions with grim determination - Stalin's issues his famous order: 'Not a step back' - and the soldiers know well the fate of those who disobey the man of steel.

In the evening of April 15th Manstein's troops finally break through Russian defenses, destroying 6 rifle divisions at the process. Tolbukhin finally gives up and retreats with remains of the 7th Mechanized Corps to Lodz. Including wounded and prisoners, he lost 69,500 men, more than 99% of his army. However, his stubborn resistance allowed Popov's 8th and Batov's 4th rifle armies (Batov replaced Bogdanov, who was wounded at Rovno) to arrive at time to attack exhausted Manstein's army before it is able to reach Warsaw. Manstein's losses are also enormous, although not as high as Tolbukhin's.
April 16th, 1940. Timoshenko's daring raid cuts off Hungarian line of retreat to Germany. The Hungarian army prefers surrender to death and Hungarian politicians enthusiastically agree. Thus is born Hungarian Soviet Socialist Republic. At the same time two tank corps, equipped with T-34/76s arrive at the front. Stalin immediately orders the newer T-34/85 in production.

On 18th Manstein's army is finally forced to retreat from Torun by flank attacks from the north and the south. German losses in Torun exceed 90,000 men, although in coming days most of the retreating divisions will be annihilated completely. A day later Konev takes Bratislava and is awarded with promotion to 3rd Tank Army, fully reinforced and equipped with newly arrived two tank corps. Konev's 5th Rifle Army is disbanded and redeployed to Lodz, where it is used to re-create Tolbukhin's 1st Rifle Army.
On the same day, Rokossovskiy's 8th Mechanized Corps, which was detached days before with orders to penetrate enemy territory as far to the west as possible, drives around Berlin, setting its population on panic. Few hours later Zhukov's 2nd Tank Army arrives to the suburbs of the German capital and orders the city to surrender. Hitler urges his troops to fight and they blindly obey. 2 infantry divisions try to drive Zhukov away, but are forced to retreat north themselves. In the evening the Soviets enter the city. Hitler drinks poison and shots himself in the head (Stalin jokes that his unworthy opponent finally had some brains to do something right. By doing so, of course, Hitler lost most of them [brains]).

On April 20th Timoshenko takes Vienne and Slovakia finally accepts the inevitable, becoming a next SSR.

On April 22nd, Rokossovskiy's 3rd Rifle Army (the only rifle army to have tank corps - light BT-7s) takes 5 air divisions by surprise at Danzig. No aircraft is able to leave the ground.

On 25th Timoshenko takes Munich, his tank army is also surprising several air divisions on the ground.

During the next week little fighting takes place in Poland and Germany. Most of the German air divisions are destroyed and resistance on land is broken. Several rifle armies, led by Rokossovskiy, drive Germans off Warsaw. On May 1st, International Workers Day, Tolbukhin and his re-born 1st Rifle Army destroys the last remaining pocket of German troops north of Warsaw. In the same time, Voroshilov's mountain rifle divisions take Prague. Stalin decides to celebrate the news by putting together a team of leading Soviet scientists. Aided by captured German scientists, they will research a possibility of making a "super bomb", a notion of which was found in Nazi archives in Berlin.

By May 3rd Zhukov reaches the English Channel. In two weeks Belgium is completely liberated. Stalin, needing some time, decides not to quarrel with the Allies now and let the tiny nation go free. For a moment.

By June all of Germany is occupied by the Soviets. In one month the Red Army defeated the Wermacht and in another spread Soviet rule throughout all of the Central Europe.

Operation "Groza" was an jewel in military history of the Soviet Union. It was also a first step on the way to the Last Republic - Stalin's dream to see the day when the Last Soviet Socialist Republic will join the USSR and the Communist rule will spread across all the continents of the planet Earth.
 
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WOW, half Europe in Sovjet hands . Which year is it?
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HJ, it's June, 1940. Give me couple more months though. Plus, this was just an account of Operation "Groza". There is still fighting in the Far East and, of course, Italy is live and kicking (it has all of France after all).

So Germany finally attacks... with 35 land divisions?!
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Yes, and he does not even have them all ready by the border :D

Attack!!!
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Dan, I hope you've got what you wanted :)

Yes, i know. Day M was about a month later iirc? So you still did beat him with a year.
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Hjarg, ou see what I meant now? Well, hm, sorry, blame Hitler for it :)
Anyway, there was Barbarossa in making, but my counter-attack really screwed it all up.
 
"Thunder" ("Groza" in Russian).
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quick interjection...
Thunderstorm=Groza
Thunder=Grom
 
Yes, I am sorry, had a long day. I did translate it right in the first part. Corrected now.
 
How am I suppose to know? :) This is another Communist dream - that one day they will drive the enemy off to "the last fascist city", and incorporate "the last republic" into Soviet Union. Accidentally, everybody who is not Communist may be viewed as a fascist for convenience purposes.
 
Note to myself: never start an aar with just the first patch out there. Thanks to all of you for kind words and attention, this aar is closed, I am going to go and shoot myself now.
 
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