Red Ice Box

[BansheeOne]

...and if US actually supplies Junograd with decent landing capacity (loaned or own), they may beat Soviets to some of these islands.

 

The US is in a bit of a bind there. Obviously they don't want an Axis member on their own friggin' continent and will do anything to keep Russian America from joining that camp. OTOH, the Soviets do all the heavy lifting in Europe prior to 1943, and I'm afraid their little estranged brothers are just a means to the end of supplying the really essential partner. If necessary, the North Americans could probably roll all over the Whites; it's just smart to have them fighting for you rather than open an unnecessary extra front against them. But allowing them to land in Japanese-occupied parts of the Soviet Union will piss the vastly bigger and more important ally off.

 

I rather think the Russian Americans are playing high stakes here; the Soviet might demand from the West that they be returned into the fold of the motherland among good allies. Fortunately the Soviets need the help of the West more than vice versa and are not really in a position to make the latter sell out a protegee of 20 years (the US probably didn't even establish diplomatic relations with the USSR in 1933 in this timeline), but the suspicions surrounding the death of General Sikorski and the wholesale abandonment of Eastern Europe at Tehran might serve as warning examples; and come 1945, the tables are turning and the US wants more support from the Soviets than vice versa, trying to get them in on the Pacific War.

 

No doubt the Whites will be happy to take that role, but they can contribute at best, what, an army corps plus a marine division, and don't have the advantage of a land border with the enemy forces to take them from the rear like the Soviets. What will likely save them is that the US wants a Soviet outpost on their continent no more than an Axis outpost, but I don't see them being allowed to carve pieces out of Russia proper.

[Simon Tan]

The Russian Expeditionary Army is to be used during OLYMPIC, the BIG FINALE. This neatly avoids them going head to head with the Soviets. Fortunately, or unfortuntely depedning on your viewpoint, the atomic sunshine means they are never used. Which means they get to keep all mix of US and Canadian equipment.

Due to objections from Stalin, Russia is NOT permitted to be a UN member, though Russian volunteers serve in the ROKA and ROKAF.

[GPMG]

Ive tried to work out the timeline leading up to Operation Barbarossa.

 

August 1940 British Intelligence gets first hints that Germany Plan to attack Russia

Spring 1941 USA and USSR Intrlligence give regular and repeated warnings.

11 March 1941 Lend Lease Act signed.

22 June 1941 Germany Invades USSR.

 

The British warned the Soviets about the impending attack, assuming they also precive the risk of Russian America siding with Germany they have time to pressure the Russian Americans to stay neutral. This pressure could include basing Canadian Army units in British Columbia, conducting large scale manovers in British Columbia and Yukon, constructing roads into the Yukon, and moving eliments of the British Pacific to British Columbia. Along with the treat of invasion if they do attack the USSR is the offer of assistance if they remain neutral this could include a defence agreement if Russian America is attacked, building roads on the Canadian side of the border and providing funding for road constuction on the Russian American side of the border to improve trade, and military aid.

[Kentucky-roughrider]

A couple of thoughts about the post civil war era; I think there would have been more Russians (including nobles) might head to Alaska since it was Russian compared than having to start again in a different country and culture, the nobles might have even own estates already there for all we know.. There could have also been something like the boat people who left South East Asia after the commies took over there, whjen the famine started due to the land policies of Lenin and Stalin,.

[Marek Tucan]

The Kurils were not "occupied Soviet territory", they were Japanese territory ripe for landgrab - so in theory if the Alaskan Russians were able to land there first, USSR won't be able to do much. Result either Kurils remaining Japanese or being switched to Alaskans.

 

No such option with Sakhalin ofc, as that would mean going toe to toe with Soviets.

[BansheeOne]

Good point. The Kuriles might than be thrown to the Soviets as a bone, either by letting them conquer them instead of the Russian Americans, or by handing them over after taking them from the Japanese. They are sparsely inhabited, so the Whites would have little heartburn of leaving freshly liberated compatriots to the Reds like it would be the case with Sakhalin.

 

Meanwhile, I have read up on the Imperial Russian Forces, and obviously there was in fact an organized reserve. Under the old system of selective service, conscripts would serve 20 years plus five in the reserves from 1834, and twelve plus three from 1855; after the introduction of general conscription in 1874, it was six plus nine. With a regimental system, I would guess that means one active battalion out of three. Okay, let's tackle the great Russian American Armed Forces Reform of 1940. *cracks knuckles*

 

The guys with the sleeve protectors tell us we will be able to draw on a population of about three million, with 30,000 men reaching military age annually, 90 percent of which can be assumed to be fit for service (people are less afflicted by civilizational ailments than 40 years later). There are no conscentious objectors except students of theology, or else. Women don't enter the equation at this point either, though some will serve as nurses and in separate auxiliary corps. The Godless Communists back in the Motherland are drafting people for two to four years into regular units, and for three months plus four times one into regional militia units.

 

National feelings and enthusiasm for service to the Motherland are also higher than later on, and we have no problems recruiting three percent or ca. 800 of young male fit adults as professionals per year. They serve for an average of 20 years, giving us a cadre of 16,000. Specialisation and requirements for technical expertise are lower too, so a proportion of 25 percent professionals can be expected to be sufficient across all services. This means we can have 48,000 draftees serving at any time, for a total active force of 64,000. With a remaining pool of about 26,000 annually, this means a basic term of 24 months out of an overall service obligation of six years including active reserve. No fit male gets left behind. Fully mobilized, the armed forces will have a strength of 192,000.

 

By our vast tradition of 18 years, the Navy has about a one third share or 22,000 active personnel, including marines and coastal artillery. The Army will turn most of its aviation assets over to the new independent Air Force which our observers in Europe have been telling us is all the rage to have now. Still, it has about 30 regiments throughout the country:

 

- 1st Guards Regiment (Junograd)

 

- 1st Ketchikan Regiment (infantry)

 

- 1st - 13th Stoyanka Regiment (four infantry, four cavalry, four artillery, one engineers)

 

- 1st - 4th Krasiviyebyeryega Regiment (three infantry, one artillery)

 

- 1st - 4th Northern Regiment (infantry)

 

- 1st - 3rd Matanuska-Susitna Regiment (two infantry, one artillery)

 

- 1st - 2nd Kenai Regiment (infantry)

 

The mobilized ground forces are planned to look like this:

 

 

Russian American Army

 

- 1st Guards Regiment

- 12th Stoyanka Artillery Regiment

- 13th Stoyanka Engineer Regiment

 

- 1st Infantry Division

 

-- 1st Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 3rd Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 4th Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 10th Stoyanka Artillery Regiment

 

- 2nd Infantry Division

-- 1st Kenai Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Kenai Infantry Regiment

-- 1st Matanuska-Susitna Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Matanuska-Susitna Infantry Regiment

-- 3rd Matanuska-Susitna Artillery Regiment

 

- 3rd Infantry Division

-- 1st Northern Infantry Regiment

-- 1st Krasiviyebyeryega Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Krasiviyebyeryega Infantry Regiment

-- 3rd Krasiviyebyeryega Infantry Regiment

-- 4th Krasiviyebyeryega Artillery Regiment

 

- 4th Infantry Division

-- 1st Ketchikan Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Northern Infantry Regiment

-- 3rd Northern Infantry Regiment

-- 4th Northern Infantry Regiment

-- 11th Stoyanka Artillery Regiment

 

- 1st Cavalry Division

-- 5th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 6th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 7th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 8th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 9th Stoyanka Artillery Regiment

 

 

Russian American Marine Brigade

 

- 1st Marine Regiment (Novoarkhangelsk)

- 2nd Marine Regiment (Kodiak)

[Marek Tucan]

Actually for late 30s/early 40s... I see Russian America as an expiort market for many Marmon-Herrington weirdoes (yes, i am looking forward to seeing MTLS 1G14 in World of Tanks )

[BansheeOne]

First refinement of the army OOB: killing off a division to win support units for the other four.

 

 

Russian American Army

 

- 1st Guards Regiment

- 1st Northern Ranger Regiment

- 2nd Kenai Cavalry Regiment

- 2nd Matanuska-Susitna Armor Regiment

- 3rd Krasiviyebyeryega Engineer Regiment

- 11th Stoyanka Artillery Regiment

- 12th Stoyanka Anti-Air Regiment

- 13th Stoyanka Engineer Regiment

 

- 1st Infantry Division

-- 1st Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 3rd Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 4th Stoyanka Infantry Regiment

-- 10th Stoyanka Artillery Regiment

 

- 2nd Infantry Division

-- 1st Kenai Infantry Regiment

-- 1st Ketchikan Infantry Regiment

-- 1st Matanuska-Susitna Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Northern Infantry Regiment

-- 3rd Matanuska-Susitna Artillery Regiment

 

- 3rd Infantry Division

-- 1st Krasiviyebyeryega Infantry Regiment

-- 2nd Krasiviyebyeryega Infantry Regiment

-- 3rd Northern Infantry Regiment

-- 4th Northern Infantry Regiment

-- 4th Krasiviyebyeryega Artillery Regiment

 

- 1st Cavalry Division

-- 5th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 6th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 7th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 8th Stoyanka Cavalry Regiment

-- 9th Stoyanka Artillery Regiment

 

 

Infantry Division

 

- HQ Company

- Signals Company

- Quartermaster Battalion

 

- 2 x Infantry Brigade, each

-- HQ Company

-- 2 x Infantry Regiment, each

--- HQ Company

--- 3 x Infantry Battalion

--- Heavy Battalion

 

- Artillery Regiment

-- HQ Battery

-- 3 x Light Artillery Battalion

-- Medium Artillery Battalion

 

Attached:

 

- Cavalry Squadron

- Armor Battalion

- Anti-Air Battalion

- Engineer Battalion

- MP Battalion

- Medical Battalion

 

 

Infantry Regiment

 

- HQ Company

 

- 3 x Infantry Battalion, each

-- HQ Company

-- 3 x Rifle Company (9 x 7.62 mm Lahti-Saloranta M/26-31 LMG, 3 x 7.62 mm Maxim M1910 MMG, 3 x 60 mm M2 mortar)

-- Weapons Company (6 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 HMG, 6 x 81 mm M1 mortar)

 

- Heavy Battalion

-- HQ Company

-- Cannon Company (6 x 75 mm M1A1 Pack Howitzer)

-- Anti-Tank Company (12 x 47 mm Böhler AT Gun)

-- Anti-Air Company (12 x 20 mm Oerlikon AA Gun)

-- Engineer Company (12 x 7.62 mm Lahti-Saloranta M/26-31 LMG)

 

 

Artillery Regiment

 

- HQ Battery

 

- 3 x Light Artillery Battalion, each

-- HQ Battery

-- 3 x Howitzer Battery (6 x QF 4.5" Mk II howitzer each)

 

- Medium Artillery Battalion

-- HQ Battery

-- 3 x Gun Battery (6 x BL 6" Mk XIX gun each)

 

 

Cavalry Division

 

- HQ Squadron

- Signals Squadron

- Quartermaster Squadron

 

- 2 x Cavalry Brigade, each

-- HQ Squadron

-- 2 x Cavalry Regiment, each

--- HQ Squadron

--- 4 x Cavalry Squadron (9 x 7.62 mm Lahti-Saloranta M/26-31 LMG, 3 x 7.62 mm Maxim M1910 MMG, 3 x 60 mm M2 mortar each; changing from horses to motorcycle combinations)

--- Mechanized Cavalry Squadron (18 x Vickers Model 1936 light tank w/ 12.7 mm Browning M2 HMG)

--- Heavy Squadron (4 x 75 mm M1A1 Pack Howitzer, 4 x 47 mm Böhler AT gun, 4 x 20 mm Oerlikon AA gun)

 

- Horse Artillery Regiment

-- HQ Battery

-- 4 x Light Artillery Battalion (18 x QF 4.5" Mk II howitzer each)

 

Attached:

 

- Cavalry Scout Squadron

- Armor Battalion

- Anti-Air Battalion

- Engineer Battalion

- MP Battalion

- Medical Battalion

 

 

You will note that I changed from American to European cavalry terminology and organization.

[Simon Tan]

Mother of God.....these are big divisions!

 

ETA:- Can I propose the Lewis gun vis Lahti?

Edited September 17, 2012 by Simon Tan

[BansheeOne]

My first thought was the Lewis actually, if it can be chambered in 7.62 x 54 mm; there seems to be some confusion whether the Russians ever got theirs they ordered from the US in WW I. But it was being replaced by most nations by the 30s, so would probably be considered an old design at the point we try to standardize our collection of Madsens and other LMGs, none firing our standard infantry round (this was predating the 1940 reform; as we're now looking at US aircraft and replacements for the old Mosin-Nagants and Maxims, we may field new ammunition soon). The Lahti was the only one I could find chambered for that right away, and it will hold up well under arctic conitions. But I'm open to alternatives.

 

The only really big thing about the divisions is everything throwing HE. But we are Russians and firmly believe in artillery (and so do I ever since playing "Panzer General")! Obviously I would like to get rid of the superfluous brigade level of command and go triangular, but in 1940 this is still pretty much in style.

Edited September 17, 2012 by BansheeOne

[Colin]

There is a significant lack of roads in the State, even now. Pretty much the majority of your troops will be garrison based till post 1945. Rivercraft would play a signifcant role in moving men and material. The amount of wood a steamboat burns going up river is huge and requires a logistical chain all of it's own.

 

http://en.wikipedia....the_Yukon_River

 

 

The early steamboats burned wood. They used an average of two cords of wood per hour tying up every 10 hours to refuel. At first steamboat captains sent their crews ashore to cut wood. It took at least six hours for a crew to gather and cut enough wood to last for 10 hours' run. Along the treeless banks of the lower river, they had to depend on driftwood. Waiting for crews to cut or gather wood was inefficient. Before long, the steamboaters arranged for wood yards where cut wood could be stacked along the river to await their arrival. Natives began supplying the wood the boats needed.

 

http://www.akhistory...le.php?artID=58

 

 

major roads

http://fairbanks-alaska.com/state-maps-fairbanks-alaska.htm

Edited September 17, 2012 by Colin

[Simon Tan]

Which is why the Russians will embrace oil firing and never look back! Ultimately it just makes more sense to buy food than to try and fight nature by trying to get much out of the hard scrabble. In modern times however, the very harshness often creates slow growing and uber tasty things.

 

I further postulate that 7.62x54 will quickly be abandoned.for supply reasons, i.e. the Alaskan rmories simply were not that big and not enough could be evacuated. In the formative years, the decision will probably be to go to .303 or .30-06. Either is OK.

 

Semyon

 

ETA:- .303 with Lewis guns and P17s.

Edited September 17, 2012 by Simon Tan

[BansheeOne]

I'm ready to drop 7.62 x 54 at the slightest excuse. M1917s and Lewis MGs it is, but I will go .30-06 directly to get rid of rimmed cartridges while we're going to the trouble of introducing a new round, and replace the old Maxims by M1919s in the same go. Thus:

 

 

Type 1940 Rifle Company (6/19/139//164)

 

- HQ Squad (CO, XO, Coy Sgt, 2 x RTO, 2 x orderly)

- QM Squad (Coy SMAJ, QM Sgt, medical NCO, 2 x coy clerk, 2 x QM clerk)

 

- 3 x Rifle Platoon

-- Platoon HQ (Plt leader, Plt Sgt, RTO, medic, 4 x scout)

-- 3 x Rifle Squad (Squad Leader, Assistant Squad Leader, Machinegunner, Assistant Machinegunner, 6 x Rifleman)

 

- Weapons Platoon

-- Platoon HQ (Plt leader, Plt Sgt, RTO, medic, 4 x scout)

-- Machinegun Section (Section Leader, Assistant Section Leader, 3 x Machinegunner w/ M1919A4, 3 x Assistant Machinegunner, 9 x Ammunition Bearer)

-- Machinegun Section (Section Leader, Assistant Section Leader, 3 x Mortar Gunner w/ 60 mm M2, 3 x Assistant Mortar Gunner, 9 x Ammunition Bearer)

 

Officers and NCOs are authorized a Suomi KP/-31 SMG, medics, MG and mortar gunners a Browning P-35. Riflemen have the Enfield M1917, and two of the scouts at platoon HQ have scopes.

 

The cavalry squadron is very similiar, but with the change from horses to motor transport, the squad loses one rifle bearer to fit it into three motorcycle combinations. In exchange, platoon HQ gains two dedicated drivers, while the scouts have individual bikes. In the weapons platoon, each MG and mortar team of five has two combinations to transport the extra mass in weapons and ammunition, while the section leaders and their assistants share another one each. Total strength therefore becomes 6/19/136//161.

 

At first calculation, peacetime strength of the Army is ca. 40,000 under the premise that each regiment has only one active battalion to which one active platoon from each of the heavy companies is attached. That's roughly in the ballpark, though with an estimated 22,000 Navy personnel, it leaves only 2,000 slots for the fledgling Air Force. Let's look at the Navy first and see how it turns out.

[BansheeOne]

Navy High Command ***

 

- Navy High Command Support Battalion (800)

 

 

Naval Operations Command ** (10,000/16,000)

 

- Naval Operations Command Support Battalion (800)

 

- BB General Alekseyev (1,400)

- Training Vessel Almaz (400)

 

- 1st Cruiser Squadron (3 x Portlanta class, 1,100 total)

- 1st Gunboat Squadron (reserve; 4 x Khrabryy class, 2 x Grozny class, 1,100 total)

 

- 1st Destroyer Squadron (6 x Novik class, 900 total)

- 2nd Destroyer Squadron (3 x Clemson class plus Avtroil, Maklai and Tserigo, 900 total)

- 3rd Destroyer Squadron (6 x Derzky class, 800 total)

 

- 1st Submarine Squadron (8 x S+ class, 1 x submarine tender, 500 total)

- 1st Minesweeper Squadron (reserve; will get converted fish trawlers in wartime, 500 total)

 

- 1st Auxilliary Squadron (3 x fleet oiler, 3 x replenishment ship, 1,500 total)

- 2nd Auxiliary Squadron (4 x icebreaker, 1 x repair ship, 1 x salvage ship, 3 x fleet tug, 1,500 total)

 

- 1st Sealift Squadron (reserve; 6 x transport, 1,500 total)

- 2nd Sealift Squadron (reserve, 6 x transport, 1,500 total)

- 3rd Sealift Squadron (reserve; 6 x transport, 1,500 total)

 

- 1st Naval Aviation Squadron (12 x SOC-3, 200 total)

- 2nd Naval Aviation Squadron (9 x PBY-5, 200 total)

- 3rd Naval Aviation Squadron (9 x PBY-5, 200 total)

- 4th Naval Aviation Squadron (reserve; 12 x Canadian Vickers Vedette, 200 total)

 

 

Coastal Command ** (11,000/28,000)

 

- Coastal Command Support Battalion (reserve; 800)

 

- Coastal Artillery Brigade (3,600/7,000)

 

- Naval Infantry Brigade (2,200/7,000)

 

- Novoarkhangelsk Port Regiment (1,200/3,400)

- Baranov Port Regiment (1,200/3,400)

- Kodiak Port Regiment (1,200/3,400)

- Unalaska Port Regiment (1,200/3,400)

 

 

Well, shiver me timbers; that's perfect for the rough approach, strength of 22,000 in peacetime, 45,000 in wartime. As for the total pool, I have of course shortchanged a bit on my draftees, since 26,000 annually serving for two years comes out to 52,000, not 48,000; looking at the leadership/crew ratio on period ships, I rather think I've been to timid with my assumption of 1:3, so I have some breathing room left.

 

The "Portlanta" class cruisers are an intermediate step between the Porter destroyer leaders and the Atlanta AA cruisers built in US yards; I forewent real CLs due to manning needs, and because I wanted to streamline ammo logistics a little. As it is, we have 12", 5", and both Russian and American 4", but at least are getting rid of 8" and 6" with the refitting of General Alekseyev and putting the gunboats into reserve.

 

My cruisers thus carry only five of the Atlantas' eight twin 5"/38 turrets, plus six twin 40 mm Bofors mounts, six single 20 mm Oerlikons and eight 21" torpedo tubes. They have a displacement of 3,360 tons standard and 4,140 tons full load, a length of 131 and beam of 13 meters, make 33 knots and have a range of 6,800 miles at 15 knots. Their armor is similiar to the Atlantas', and their complement 360.

 

Similarly, the "S+" submarines are an intermediate step between the Group I boats of the S class (and the similar Spanish C class also designed by Holland) and USS Mackerel (and its modified half-siblings sold to Peru post-WW II), all built by Electric Boat. They have a displacement of 850 tons surfaced and 1,100 tons submerged, length of 73 and beam of 6.5 meters, make 16 knots surfaced and eleven submerged, have a range of 6,500 miles at ten knots surfaced and a complement of 40. They have four 21" torpedo tubes forward and two aft with twelve torpedos carried, plus a 4" deck gun.

[Simon Tan]

I pondered your organization in the "small office" and have some counter proposals.....

Your infantry company organization is too progressive, especially with the Weapons Platoon. It would probably be a straight MG Platoon of 2 sections, ea. w. 2 watercooled guns, M1917s or more likely surplus US Model 1915 Vickers guns.

 

The mortars would be in the Weapons Co. as you have them. I am going to suggest that the M2 would probably be in the process of being replaced with something that would have solid performance against a T26, per Spain. Your choice of Bofors 37 or French 25......I am unsure if the Us was allowed to export the M1.

 

ETA:- The Bohler is really an Infantry gun....

Edited September 18, 2012 by Simon Tan

[Simon Tan]

Eeeeekk....CLs with less gogo that the Dildos.

[Colin]

Which is why the Russians will embrace oil firing and never look back! Ultimately it just makes more sense to buy food than to try and fight nature by trying to get much out of the hard scrabble. In modern times however, the very harshness often creates slow growing and uber tasty things.

 

I further postulate that 7.62x54 will quickly be abandoned.for supply reasons, i.e. the Alaskan rmories simply were not that big and not enough could be evacuated. In the formative years, the decision will probably be to go to .303 or .30-06. Either is OK.

 

Semyon

 

ETA:- .303 with Lewis guns and P17s.

 

Not sure if the "Alaskan" Russians would have had the desire, drive, expertise or capital to pull off sufficent oil production.

 

The first oil claims in Alaska were filed in the 1890s, on the Iniskin Peninsula on the west shore of Cook Inlet, due west of Homer. In 1898 the first Alaska wells were drilled there, striking small amounts of oil, but also striking seawater. The oil flows were not enough to support the production of oil.

At the same time a group funded some drilling at Dry Bay. These also were unproductive, as were the wells drilled at Puale Bay, near Cold Bay at the end of the Alaska Peninsula.

Alaska's first productive oil drilling operation was at Katalla, on the Gulf of Alaska, south of the Copper River delta. Seepages had been reported around the shore of Controller Bay for many years. Around 1900 a group of investors asked an English petroleum expert to evaluate the area's potential. He was positive, and soon afterward, drilling began. While some wells found oil, conditions were rough and the investors decided not to continue. .

In 1911 several new wells in the district began to produce significant oil. But the quantities were still not large enough to justify the cost of transportation, so most of the recovered oil was processed at a refinery constructed at Katalla. the oil was then shipped by tanker-barge to Cordova. This arrangement continued for nearly 20 years. The original investors sold their claims and improvements in 1916, and those buyers then sold to still other investors in 1920. The operation was still in operation hen a fire destroyed the refinery in 1933. The wells were abandoned. The properties at Katalla have changed hands since the 1930s. In the 1980s the Chugach Natives Inc, got leasing rights in the area as part of ANCSA.

http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=140

[BansheeOne]

Admittedly, the company is a little overorganized. In 1940 most armies were running those little ca. 50 mm mortars on the platoon level; I like the British 2" one a lot and debated on using it - particularly as the necessary personnel can later carry the Bazooka after its introduction - but saw it was introduced in somewhat of a crash program just prior to outbreak of the war, and had doubts the UK would divert some of its production overseas. I guess there would be the Spanish ECIA model it was based on, but I also had the M2 as the US company-level mortar in my head and thought there was little sense in fielding both.

 

Of course now I find that like most weapons developed off-war, the M2 took an awful lot of time to gestate and was only introduced in 1940 itself. However, the French Brandt Mle 1935 it was based on was used as a single tube by a squad in the company command platoon. The Soviets for their part had a company MG platoon that included a squad with two AT rifles, a definite step towards a weapons platoon. I have to ponder that a little more, but it would be easy to insert a three-man team with a 50 mm mortar into the platoon HQ and delete two of the scouts and the company mortars in compensation.

 

The M1919 is not too forward-thinking for me, because I have seen the Legion Condor with their awesome MG 34 in Spain and wish I could get a light multi-purpose weapon like that. But speaking of AT rifles, while I was looking at the Lahti LMG I also considered their 20 mm cannon; however, weapons of that type are a bit of a handful. In the end, I contented myself with the .50 cals. in the battalion's weapons company, since they can also be used in the air defense role, and pushed serious AT capabilities up to regimental level.

 

While the Böhler is really an infantery gun, it has a better armor penetration than most dedicated tank-knockers available in the late 30s (quoted as 43 mm at 500 meters) with the nice extra of a useful HE shell. The only better one I find outside the USSR is the 47 mm Skoda Model 1936 (51 mm at 640 meters), but again I was insecure if I could get substantial numbers while the Czechs are busy arming themselves, then get taken over by the Germans (though a few of the guns were actually exported to Yugoslavia).

 

I guess I could push the Oerlikons down to battalion level in lieu of the .50 cals., though they are not as flexible in use with different mountings for AA and AT. Maybe one AA and one AT platoon? I could switch to the Solothurn S-18/1100 which uses the more powerful 20 x 138 mm and has both low and high elevation mounts, though it is fed from ten round magazines and I would give up ammo commonality with the Navy. The Madsen Model 1935 would be another option.

 

My "cruisers" are destroyer leaders in practice and should be thought of more like the French super destroyers; in essence, I gave American shipbuilders a chance to disregard the 1,850 tons limit of the London Treaty they had been going mad over trying to build destroyers for Pacific ranges, and go wild at the drawing board for a foreign customer. For that they are actually a bit extreme with five turrets, some armor and over 3,000 tons, but that way I can call them cruisers to placate the admirals. Maybe I'll actually delete one of the 5" mounts and put a spotter plane on instead.

[Simon Tan]

Are the Russians Motorized? Or do they still have horsies and limbers? This is a pretty important factor when considering TOE.

 

I am not certain that lots of observers came away from Spain thinking....I need a GPMG. Most did come away with, I need a LMG. Now, I can see the fascist Black Eagle Party being used to build connections to the European fascists, especially the Italians and Falange. I can even see a 'volunteer' Black Eagle Legion in Spain. I definitely see Russian observers and advisors rubbing shoulders with their German counterparts in China for Chang Kai Shek. China of course has a large White Russian presence and is a natural exit point for Russians. The observer mission keeps tabs both on the Red Army and the Japanese, who are not the enemy honest......

 

The Russian Navy would be BuShips cats paws for their treaty buster DD designs (leading to the Fletchers and Gearings) but I severely doubt that they would get the advanced twin 5" DP gunhouse. What is the primary purpose of the Russian CLs? The Russians do not have distant stations to maintain. They a more likely to worry about the unsexy but real issue of protecting SLOCs and Russian American Line vessels.

[RETAC21]

Are the Russians Motorized? Or do they still have horsies and limbers? This is a pretty important factor when considering TOE.

 

I am not certain that lots of observers came away from Spain thinking....I need a GPMG. Most did come away with, I need a LMG. Now, I can see the fascist Black Eagle Party being used to build connections to the European fascists, especially the Italians and Falange. I can even see a 'volunteer' Black Eagle Legion in Spain. I definitely see Russian observers and advisors rubbing shoulders with their German counterparts in China for Chang Kai Shek. China of course has a large White Russian presence and is a natural exit point for Russians. The observer mission keeps tabs both on the Red Army and the Japanese, who are not the enemy honest......

 

The Russian Navy would be BuShips cats paws for their treaty buster DD designs (leading to the Fletchers and Gearings) but I severely doubt that they would get the advanced twin 5" DP gunhouse. What is the primary purpose of the Russian CLs? The Russians do not have distant stations to maintain. They a more likely to worry about the unsexy but real issue of protecting SLOCs and Russian American Line vessels.

 

In fact there were a fair number of White Russians enroled in the Legión, but MG tactics were more WW1 related than anything associated with German tactics - remember the Spanish Army fashioned itself after the French.

[BansheeOne]

Motorization efforts are focussed on the cavalry first, because they are smaller and, as the Germans found, it's easier to make people mobile by procuring motorbikes rather than trucks. The latter will go to the artillery first as prime movers, and then eventually to the infantry; but you'll notice I didn't include any motor vehicle drivers in the company TO&E, assuming they are still largely on foot. There might be one or two lorries and light cars or motorcycle combinations in the company HQs, replacing the officers' horses and quartermaster horsecarts, but it is taking a bit to introduce them everywhere.

 

The same is true for the new guns, incidentially; Guards, Rangers and Marines have priority as they're small and considered somewhat of an elite, followed by the cavalry. I'll wager some backwater units will still have Mosin-Nagants and Maxims when the Japanese hit in 1942. Though I guess the infantry could get Browing M1917s as an intermediate step; the cavalry will definitely have M1919s.

 

My Navy is not big enough to really secure sea routes or escort a substantial part of my supposedly rather large merchant fleet; we will mostly have to rely on our allies from the US and Commonwealth for that. The main mission is to defend against attacks by the Japanese (which have not yet occurred) and Soviet seaborne raids (of which there have been some against islands close to their territory). There's also the day we'll accompany the Army to crowds, cheers and flowers in the rodina, but somehow that priority gets pushed back further the deeper we're settling in.

 

The backbone of the fleet are the destroyers, but they are small and have limited range, and need larger ships for reconnaissance on the high seas, classically termed "scout cruisers". I wanted one for each destroyer squadron, though I guess I could make them smaller still and get more to make a complete new DESRON.

 

Regarding the 5"/38 DP mounts - yes, I have wondered if they would be that easy to get, as they seem to have been in rather strong domestic demand in the late 30s. This also touches the refit of General Alexiev. A way to work around that would be a mix of /38 or /51 low elevation and /25 AA mounts. They only came in singles though, and the Americans are trying out for a super destroyer design of their own here, and it's just a handful of ships.

[BansheeOne]

Now, this Air Force business ... we're all new to that. The Navy used to have less than 20 flying boats - mostly Canadian Vickers Vedettes, but also some Sikorsky models because we like Igor and he likes us¹ - which are now getting replaced by Curtiss Seagulls and Catalinas. They stay in the Navy, because they can swim.

 

The Army had a motley collection of about 30 aircraft used prevalently for observation, liaison and light transport. Among them are Canadian-built Tiger Moths, Avro 504s, Bellanca Pacemakers, Fairchild FC-2s, Fokker Super Universal, Northrop Deltas (some also on floats, owing to most available landing spots being bodies of water, but considered land aircraft), and even some Pitcairn-Cierva Autogyros; none exceeding half a a dozen in number and a couple just single specimen. Some are about to be phased out while a few observation planes may stay in the Army, but the bulk of personnel will form the core of the new Air Force.

 

Our first problem is that we don't even have bases. Civilian flight is actually of a growing popularity due to the pathless terrain and spread-out settlements, but the only airfields somehow deserving that name are at Baranov, Stoyanka and Krasiviyebyeryega, because pilots regularly fly up and down the Russian American Railroad. Even those have just grass strips though, and elsewhere aircraft usually go on floats or, in winter, skis. However, we have people over from Canada and the US who have built airfields before and will show us how it's done right.

 

When it comes to air defense, fortunately we're a long way off from everywhere but Canada and are not likely to be swarmed by attacking planes, which is why we have not had any fighters before. But aircraft ranges are ever increasing, and our first worry is the Bering Strait. Even though arctic conditions on either side are not conductive to aircraft operations, we will make sure and establish an airbase at the nearest thing to a city in that area, Nome. However, this requires a staging airfield halfway from Stoyanka at Makkrazky, because flying over 600 kilometers there with no place to divert is considered rather hazardous.

 

Our other worry is the Japanese sailing their growing fleet of aircraft carriers into the Gulf of Alaska and launching stand-off air raids against our ports and cities on the coast. Besides improving on the Baranov airfield, we will therefore establish additional bases along the coast: At Ketchikan in the extreme Southeast; at Yakutat at the "joint" of the panhandle area; at Kodiak Naval Base; at Holodnayabuhta near the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula; and on Umnak Island in the Aleutians.

 

Besides Baranov, there also will be a civilian/government airport in Junograd to accomodate the new longer-ranged passenger aircraft serving the North American continent and act as a staging point in the panhandle. This makes a total of seven airfields on the South coast, each within 250 to 500 kilometers of each other; plus the existing ones at Stoyanka and Krasiviyebyeryega that will also be upgraded with hard surface runways, and the new ones at Makkrazky and Nome. Due to difficult local conditions, it is expected the last two might take up to five years to finish.

 

Each of the six military airfields on the coast are planned to house a fighter and an attack or bomber/reconnaissance squadron. It has been decided our first fighter aircraft will be the Curtiss Hawk Model 75A-6, the same ordered by Norway. Attack squadrons will be initially equipped with the Northrop Model 8A-5, also ordered by Norway. Additionally, we are very interested in the Lockheed Super Electra/Hudson transport/patrol bomber combo and have already ordered the Douglas DC-3 for our more substantial airlift needs.

 

Per the Commonwealth and German model, fixed as opposed to mobile ground-based air defense will also be the responsibility of the Air Force. My favorite heavy AA gun is currently the Czech 83.5 mm vz. 22, though it seems to have been not much exported if at all. Runner-up is the 80 mm Bofors Model 29.

 

¹ Obviously if Igor Sikorsky emigrates to Russian America rather than the US in 1919, we're in for a major rewrite of aviation history and may have a domestic production of flying boats and later helicopters, if rather limited in scope compared to Sikorsky USA.

[Colin]

You forgot the Blackburn Sharks

 

http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/hst/shark-eng.asp

[Simon Tan]

What a mitteleuropa view of motorization, my dear Count. (I am assuming thee to be one of the many ethnic German Russians that has trouble with Russian and thus speaks in French or English these days). The first problem when the Russian Army moved into its current American base of operations was a shortage not only of horses but also of fodder. Alaska, as the Americans are fond of calling it is not Silesia. Nor is it in fact the Volga basin or anything resembling where the motherland drew its equine resources from. Motorization is a necessity given the ongoing efforts to bring rail links in the mainland.

 

The precious horses that we have are jealously guarded by the cavalry who require it to perform their traditional screening role. The lack of paved or tarmac roads is a problem too, limiting the ability to make use of armored cars outside major cities. We are enthusiastic about the offerings from the recently formed Marmon-Herrington company which shows much potential.

 

Arming with P17s, Lewis and M1915 Vickers is complete. The Americans had everything we could want on hand and for pittance. There are warehouses chock full of Imperial period weapons even after selling everyone a rifle who cared to have one. Indeed we seem to have a cottage industry of turning them into bear pistols!

We have been very happy with the M1928 Thompson machineguns as well...everyone wants to be a Tommy gunner like the American screen gangsters. The only thing not so good is the cost. Also the Model 1917 revolvers are well liked as a whole. (Yes Sasha...virtually every gun is American).

 

*gestruing out the window to the Kodiak anchorage* Those my dear Count are not destroyers nor are they esploratori, or even the contre torpilleur a la Marine Nationale. Those are our own patrol cruisers(CLP), designed for the harsh north Pacific and able to survive the rigors thereof. Plans to incorporate a float plane on board were scuppered by sea trials on a surrogate vessel that resulted in all the test aircraft being lost at sea while underway or during recovery. Perhaps we should just get some big flying boats instead.....

 

Russian America is not Europe. The nearest enemy airfield...is accross the Bering Straits and far from anything of value. That said, it suggests we should be looking at long ranged fighters and bombers, both conventional and torpedo armed. Dr. Tank has been promoting his FW187 to Reichsmarschall Goring and is a most interesting idea. Bristol has been working on a cannon armed fighter version of their Beaufort bomber. Unfortunately, I am not confident in the British being able to deliver.....

[BansheeOne]

Hey, I feel about horses the same way I feel about old Russian ammo. You tell me there's a sustainment problem, I go on a spending spree and solve it. Ford/Marmon-Herrington 4WD trucks for everybody! I'll work it into the next Army TO&E which will see some other changes anyway, because the buildup of the Air Force unsurprisingly requires additional personnel. The plan for that looks like this:

 

End of warm season 1940: Finish upgrade of Baranov, Stoyanka and Krasiviyebyeryega airfields. Stand up

 

- Baranov Air Base Group

- 1st Anti-Air Artillery Group

- 4th Fighter Squadron (20 x Hawk)

- 6th Attack Squadron (20 x Douglas Model 8)

 

- Stoyanka Air Base Group

- 2nd Anti-Air Artillery Group

- 5th Fighter Squadron (20 x Hawk)

- 3rd Transport Squadron (12 x DC-3)

 

- Krasiviyebyeryega Air Base Group

- 4th Anti-Air Artillery Group (reserve)

- 1st Training Squadron (20 x Tiger Moth)

- 2nd Transport Squadron (1 x Bellanca Pacemaker, 2 x Fairchild FC-2, 3 x Fokker Super Universal, 6 x Northrop Delta)

 

- 3rd Anti-Air Artillery Group (Junograd)

 

using 6,000 former Army aviation and artillery personnel (not listed in earlier OOB). The Army will retain one anti-air regiment and one observation/liasion squadron of four Avro 504/552 and six Pitcairn PCA-2.

 

End of warm season 1941: Commission Junograd, Kodiak and Yakutat airfields. Stand up

 

- Junograd Air Base Group (reserve)

 

- 5th Anti-Air Artillery Group (Kenai)

 

- Kodiak Air Base Group

- 7th Anti-Air Artillery Group (reserve)

- 7th Fighter Squadron (20 x Hawk)

- 9th Attack Squadron (20 x Douglas Model 8)

 

- Yakutat Air Base Group

- 6th Anti-Air Artillery Group

- 8th Fighter Squadron (20 x Hawk)

- 10th Attack Squadron (20 x Douglas Model 8)

 

using personnel slots freed up by disbanding the 2nd Northern Infantry Regiment. They were always somewhat hard to mobilize anyway, recruting in the greater "panhandle joint" area. 2nd Infantry Division is thereby first to transform to a triangular organization and deleting brigade commands.

 

End of warm season 1942: Commission Ketchikan, Holodnayabuhta and Umnak airfields. Stand up

 

- Ketchikan Air Base Group

- 8th Anti-Air Artillery Group

- 11th Fighter Squadron

- 14th Attack Squadron

 

- Holodnayabuhta Air Base Group

- 9th Anti-Air Artillery Group

- 12th Fighter Squadron

- 15th Attack Squadron

 

- Umnak Air Base Group

- 10th Anti-Air Artillery Group

- 16th Attack Squadron

 

- 13th Transport Squadron (Stoyanka; 5th Fighter Squadron moves to Umnak)

 

using personnel slots freed up by disbanding the 1st Ketchikan and 4th Northern Infantry Regiment. 4th Stoyanka Infantry moves from 1st to 2nd Infantry Division upon mobilization, all becoming triangular now.

 

At this point we think follow-on models for both the Hawk and Douglas Model 8 will become a necessity. The Curtiss Warhawk and Douglas DB-7 currently undergoing tests look like logical successors, and we have asked for demonstrations.

 

End of warm season 1943: Commission Makkrazky and Nome airfields. Stand up

 

- Makkrazky Air Base Group (reserve)

- 12th Anti-Air Artillery Group (reserve)

 

- Nome Air Base Group

- 11th Anti-Air Artillery Group

- 17th Fighter Squadron

- 18th Attack Squadron

 

Patrol Cruisers. I like that. Too bad about the floatplane trials though. We will cancel the orders for the Seagulls, and I vill talk to Igor about his XPBS-1 patrol bomber seaplane ze Americans rejected in favor of ze Consolidated PB2Y. I hear it has twice ze range of ze land-based Lockheed Hudson and even 50 percent mohr zen ze Catalina, so ve can cancel zose too.

Igor!