0500, 2 September, 1939
The orders are queued up. The end of the attacks in Poland are a little short of where I'd like to be: taking Lonza, Warsaw, and Przemyul would be a massive coup, but I'd settle for even one of them. Even what I have ordered now is more than the Soviets get by default via the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact event in the game.
Zhukov's corps is circled in the north.
1000, 4 September, 1939
Our attacks in the north stall very quickly. The forces in Pribaltika are dug in and fortified, and we don't have the numerical advantage we'll need to get through. Zhukov's corps remains in its starting location.
In the south, however, we win a battle (in the one province that had Polish troops in the preceding screenshot).
1900, 5 September, 1939
A Latvian counterattack as indicated by my arrows (not the game's) is proving remarkably stubborn. Poland, however, is almost undefended. Notice Berzarin's motorized corps (with the black squares on the standard infantry X) already halfway to Lublin. The smaller armored corps in the north of Poland has just vacated Grodno, thanks to that stack of Polish troops.
Air support is up. The VVS is performing admirably. Tactical bombers are proving to be fantastically useful. Air Minister, Comrade Stalin demands more of them.
Zhukov's corps is moving to support the defense against the Latvian counterattack.
Off-screen to the west, Germany is beginning to nibble away at Poland too.
0700, 7 September, 1939
The units defending the Latvian counterattack were forced to retreat with heavy losses. Berzarin's corps reaches Lublin. Polish forces retake Grodno, but are outmatched by what I have moving forward. Eight divisions are pulled from the Leningrad garrison to join in the assault on Pribaltika, which will recommence as soon as I've halted the Latvians.
Notice the Czechoslovakian bombers over the Polish units near Warsaw. Rather than be annexed, Czechoslovakia allied with the Germans in this game.
2000, 8 September, 1939
Poland is falling apart. Most of their army is in the western part of the country, being beat up on by the Germans. No changes in the north.
0200, 12 September, 1939
Lots of changes everywhere. A small infantry corps succeeds in penetrating into southern Latvia, but is driven back by Lithuanians attacking across the border. Latvian troops cross into Soviet territory, but stall, surrounded on all sides by defenders. Units are sent to flank and encircle them.
A new attack on Narva launches, carried out by eight divisions from Leningrad.
In Poland, my encirclement of empty territory is nearly complete. More units are moved toward the Lithuanian border.
Zhukov's corps is in Pskov, north of the Latvian salient.
1600, 13 September, 1939
All of these battles are going well. Stryj is off the south end of this picture. Latvian forces are leaving their salient north of Polotsk and south of Pskov to defend Dagaupulis. Zhukov's corps charges west from Pskov into Latvia. If we can seal off the pocket there, we'll have crushed a large part of their army.
1300, 14 September, 1939
Lots going on today. Germans arrive in Warsaw, which makes my immediate goal consolidation of the territory remaining in Poland. The encirclement is helpful here; the Germans can't go through my territory to get what's left, so it stays with me. The reason they got here so fast is because they have more mechanized units, and my infantry is still trying to catch up. This is partially my fault (I'll explain after the end of the report).
The attack on Narva has driven the defenders back. Dagaupulis' defenders have also fallen, but Zhukov's corps is under attack from two directions and about to retreat to Pskov.
0800, 15 September, 1939
Poland surrenders to Germany. I'm slightly better off than the Soviets were historically--Lublin was part of the Nazi-installed General Government that ran central Poland. On the other hand, it's not a very defensible piece of terrain. It'll probably end up abandoned when Barbarossa comes. I'm already thinking about defensive arrangements for when the Germans attack. Along the Daugava from Riga to Smolensk, and then from Smolensk down to the Black Sea behind the Dnieper seems like a good primary defensive line to me.
Zhukov's corps is still holding on. The twelve divisions north of Vitebsk are attacking the Latvian salient. Most of the attacks I have in progress will arrive on the 20th-21st.
1600, 17 September, 1939
Not too much going on today, but: we've retaken the only bit of Soviet territory to be taken during this war, and Zhukov retreats safely to Pskov. Attacks into Alytus in southern Lithuania begin. The VVS sorties day and night in tireless support of our beleaguered ground forces.
1800, 18 September, 1939
Zhukov's corps attemps to return to Gulbene, from which it was so recently evicted. Forces in Polotsk attack Dagaupulis.
1900, 19 September, 1939
Zhukov's corps arrives in Gulbene. We are victorious in Dagaupulis, driving the Latvian forces back again. Support from the Soviet divisions north of Polotsk has proven to be key; that stack contains a headquarters, and headquarters units always help.
2200, 20 September, 1939
Eight divisions arrived in Narva earlier today. We'll try and attack north with Zhukov's corps to make a pocket.
1000, 22 September, 1939
Four divisions arrive in Alytus in Lithuania and support an attack into Kaunas. Zhukov's corps starts its attack toward Narva.
0800, 25 September, 1939
Zhukov's corps reaches Narva, sealing (roughly) one corps in the Voru pocket. Some Latvian troops are retreating in that direction, and we'll capture them there later.
In Kaunas, we have forced enemy troops out of the province and are marching our own. in.
2200, 27 September, 1939
Attacks on Tallinn and Kaunas continue. Soon we'll be able to annex Lithuania and Estonia, which will eliminate their militaries and leave us only Latvia to conquer.
0700, 30 September, 1939
Kaunas falls. Zhukov's corps is reorganizing in Tartu.
0300, 1 October, 1939
Estonia and Lithuania are annexed.
1800, 2 October, 1939
Armored and motorized forces have completed the encirclement of Latvian forces. Zhukov's corps is participating in driving the Latvians back into Riga.
1000, 7 October, 1939
Zhukov's corps reaches Riga. The Soviet Union annexes Latvia.
Handily, the losses chart sorts itself with defeated countries at the top. The heavy reliance of the Soviet army on motorized infantry means we lost a lot of trucks, but manpower-wise I'd say we came out ahead.
Two more things to say: first, I need to reorganize the army a bit. A lot of motorized units I got to begin the game are stuck with standard infantry units, which completely robs them of their speed advantage. Ideally I'd be able to form a bunch of armored+motorized corps and a bunch of pure infantry corps. We'll see how that goes.
Second, production orders for the air force and the navy are currently on hold while our forces upgrade. Land production is currently full up with tanks and infantry rolling off the lines like there's no tomorrow.