Red Ice Box

[swerve]

I really would wonder why Russians would necessarily flock to Alaska when it was even further and crappier than Siberia. It would really require a visionary and a patron. If we look at Alaska, the gold rush did not really translate into real development from the get go.

Better than begging or prostitution in Harbin or Shanghai?

 

White Russians weren't welcome anywhere after 1920. Many struggled to survive, & many failed. Alaska wasn't welcoming, but at least they'd have been citizens, not stateless & at the bottom of every heap, as they were elsewhere.

 

Fishing, gold, timber - there were industries in existence. If enough of those who went there initially succeeded, others may have followed. Banshee's population estimates do seem very optimistic to me, though.

[Marek Tucan]

The same issue is with CKD, the main difference being that the Skoda design would already have a lot of the issues fleshed out (plus, I keep on returning to the Vickers cooperation ) Do not forget that the TNH-Sv was finalised only in early 39, just before the occupation - and with earlier TNH variants you really do not get that much advantage and a lot of bugs.

 

While Scania-Vabis engine is tempting, you would be able to transfer S-II production to Canada and Russian Alaska easier and sooner.

 

So no beef, just practicality

[BansheeOne]

Meanwhile, the only major army unit types to verify for strength remain military police battalions, cavalry division regiments and divisional command and logistics troops. We will then muster the army in the great spring exercise of 1942, trying to meet the new overall peacetime strength target of 30,000.

 

 

Type 1942 Military Police Battalion (32/100/663//795)

 

- Battalion HQ (4/1/8//13; 4 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- HQ Company (8/28/172//208)

 

- HQ Squad (2/1/7//10; 2 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- QM Squad (0/4/11//15; 1 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck, 1 x 3 t tanker truck)

 

- Medical Squad (2/2/13//17; 4 x 0.75 t ambulance, 1 x 3 t truck)

 

- Signals Platoon (1/5/29//35;

8 x 0.75 t truck,

1 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- Motorcycle Platoon (1/5/41//47; 1 x jeep, 18 x motorcycle, 9 x motorcycle combination)

 

- Dog Handler Platoon (1

/

5/41/47;

8 x 0.75 t truck,

1 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- Quartermaster Platoon (1/6/32//39; 1 x jeep,

2 x 0.75 t,

12 x 3 t truck, 4 x 3 t tanker truck)

 

 

- 4 x Military Police Company (5/16/114//135)

 

- HQ Squad (2/1/7//10; 2 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- QM Squad (0/3/8//11; 1 x 0.75 t, 4 x 3 t truck)

 

- 3 x Military Police Platoon (1/4/33//38; 4 x 0.75 t truck, 9 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

[Simon Tan]

Unless we actually intend to form a expeditionary force, do we REALLY need a divisional HQ? I am looking at all these HQs and Regional commands and while the number of billets is impressive, they all seem to be doing....bugger all.

We are missing training and force generation organizations....... I believe if we do wind up sending an expeditionary force, we wont be able to withdraw it to refit. It will probably have to refit and rebuild on or near the front. We should have some sort of mechnism to funnel in replacements, especially for rifle companies. I suggest one or two actual training companies that can be filled out and work up replacements which can in turn relieve companies or platoons as necessary.

This will save on having to wait for replacements from out here....

[swerve]

Lieutenant, this document is a request for information from the Ministry. They demand that we supply a full accounting of the armaments of the fleet which reached our shores after the catastrophe at home, & sadly were unable to maintain in full. They insist that we state for each ship whether it was stripped of guns and/or torpedo tubes for shore batteries, whether it was moored as a floating battery, what was done with the small calibre guns, etc. They actually want a list of all the guns still in our possession, with their locations!

 

There's some mention of re-using some of our small naval guns for AA & field artillery, where we have or can procure ammunition. I'd like to hear what the admirals say to that!

 

Oh yes, that list the Ministry wants. See to it.

[TonyE]

Ram is "during war", Š-II / LT 35 is pre-war. You can hardly equip your troops in 1930s with something from 1941

 

Also it is available earlier than TNH in the more refined version, plus more direct link for gun development and cooperation with Vickers.

 

From what i recall the LT 35 was no friend of cold weather, atleast in Russia.....

 

(Enter slick Scandoswede salesman)

 

If i may offer the Landsverk LAGO medium tank (1936); 15tons, 5 man crew, fully welded armour, 47mm main gun and three MGs (Co-ax and hull), speed 45km/h. (later developed into the Strv 42 with 75mm main gun)

 

 

The LAGO also has a little brother, the Landsverk L-60; 8,5tons (9,6 with add-on armour), 3 man crew, 37mm main gun and 1 MG, speed 46km/h:

If you feel that AA-guns should move and be under armour we also have the Landsverk L-62 (1936) armed with the 40mm Bofors using many components from the L-60:

 

[Marek Tucan]

From what i recall the LT 35 was no friend of cold weather, atleast in Russia.....

 

 

Neither was TNH, until Sweden showed interest

[BansheeOne]

Interesting thing. I see it was built for Hungary ... why did Sweden order the TNH with what looks like a more powerful domestic design available?

 

Unless we actually intend to form a expeditionary force, do we REALLY need a divisional HQ? I am looking at all these HQs and Regional commands and while the number of billets is impressive, they all seem to be doing....bugger all.

 

Ah, but at this point we still dream of retaking the motherland. Yes, our numbers may be small compared to the vast army of the Godless Communists™, but their power is rooted in oppression and lies, while our cause is just and therefore blessed. Once we have taken Vladivostok, their forces will melt away as the truely patriotic Soviet soldiers will desert and the people turn on their false masters, and we will march into Moscow to cheers, flowers etc. with our ranks swelled by good Russians flocking to our colors.

 

Mind though that the divisions are formed only upon mobilization. While the division HQs administer the top-level military regions, most of the peacetime drafting, recruiting and training is done by the regiments. They usually have only one active battalion then, with mobilized supporting arms units parceled out to the divisions to provide them with engineers, armor, anti-air and reconnaissance.

 

We are missing training and force generation organizations....... I believe if we do wind up sending an expeditionary force, we wont be able to withdraw it to refit. It will probably have to refit and rebuild on or near the front. We should have some sort of mechnism to funnel in replacements, especially for rifle companies. I suggest one or two actual training companies that can be filled out and work up replacements which can in turn relieve companies or platoons as necessary.

This will save on having to wait for replacements from out here....

 

In peacetime, the companies of the regiments' active battalions will rotate to assume duty as a training company in turns of six months. Upon mobilization, current recruits will be replaced by recently discharged reservists and form an additional replacement battalion along with recalled reserve cadre personnel. It's conceivable that a company of the latter will deploy with the regiment as a field reserve unit, probably formed into divisional replacement regiments.

[Simon Tan]

Guards, arrest that Bolshevik spy! Only they would be simple enough to believe that a mere lieutenant would be able to provide them with a complete account of our mighty naval fortifications. Indeed that information is Top Secret magenta!(Read obsolete vessels sold on the quiet to Latin America and dummy guns in coastal battery casements.)

 

Gospodin Engelsen, who do you think sold us the TNH tanks? Perhaps he does not work well with the Landswerk lot. Col. Stormare also brokered the Bofors AA guns which we are going to mount onto Patrol Cruisers in lieu of the 3"/50.

 

I have the strangest feeling that the Kutuzov Arsenal and Nova Plzen brewery are going to be dominant industrial features of the Stoyanka economy. The latter will probably kill more Russians and natives in the long run.

 

ETA:- Guns and butter? Nyet....Guns and booze!

Edited September 27, 2012 by Simon Tan

[Simon Tan]

You can always tell the Czech neighbourhoods....they are all single storey for safety purposes.

[TonyE]

Interesting thing. I see it was built for Hungary ... why did Sweden order the TNH with what looks like a more powerful domestic design available?

 

Landsverk could not deliver enough on short notice in 1939 since it was not a very big factory at that time, but the czechs could so they got an order for the light tankettes. Later Scania-Vabis made the bigger TNH design under license while Landsverk and Karlstad Mek made the L-60.

[Simon Tan]

Toldi.....

[swerve]

Gospodin Kontr-Admiral, I was making these enquiries on the orders of 1st Captain Kyril Semyonovich Platonov. I was unaware that he did not have the authority to issue such an order. I mistakenly believed that the Ministry document before you conferred that authority. I humbly beg forgiveness for my error.

 

Thank you for my posting to Adak.

[Simon Tan]

Nobody expects the Signal Corps.... How the hell did they record stuff before the emergence of the magnetic tape? I guess they had awesome shorthand.

[Simon Tan]

Col. Stormare is a smart chappy...payment NOW is better than payment....soon...maybe. What we do like is the Swedish welding.....and some gravalax.

 

Does anyone have any idea how the Polish E. Wedel ptasie mleczko candy tastes like?

Edited September 28, 2012 by Simon Tan

[Colin]

My friend who ended up in a Manila prison camp was the son of a White Russian woman and British Father, raised in Shanghi. The one advantage that Rus-alaska has is that the WR opened several banks to store their monies in that came from Russia, the access to capital does help the local economy grow. West Coast Canadians have had a stranglehold on trade at first, but merchants in Seattle are seeing the emerging market and have significant shipyards to support any vessel builds.

[Simon Tan]

What was/is the relationship between Seattle and Vancouver? And BC/AK?

Edited September 28, 2012 by Simon Tan

[Colin]

it was not bad back then, lot's of businesses working both sides, Boeing even had a shipyard in Vancouver. Shipyard

[R011]

Not to mention by 1941 Canada is designing the Ram, while the Americans are still wanting "MG casement" tanks, The US army only starting to support the Lee. (kicking and screaming) Canada would be interested in a joint buy with Alaska

 

I thought that was because the M3 was something the US could build right away in 1940/41 while, liken the Ram, the Sherman was something that wasn't going to be available until1942. Ram and Sherman were parallel projects. As for Angus Works, they took about a year to tool up to assemble Valentines. They would likely not take much less time to tool up to build six-tonners. If you want Canadian made tanks, you would need to fund building a plant before mid 1939 and then watch when Ottawa halts deliveries after September to divert production to the Allied war effort. You can probably still get American-made tanks until 1941.

[BansheeOne]

Type 1942 Cavalry Regiment (68/270/1,463//1,801)

 

- Regimental HQ (11/5/24//40)

 

- Command Squad (6/2/12//20; 6 x jeep, 1 x 0.4 t truck)

 

- Adjutant Squad (2/2/6//10; 1 x jeep, 2 x 0.4 t truck)

 

- Quartermaster Squad (3/1/6//10; 3 x jeep, 1 x 0.4 t truck)

 

 

- HQ Squadron (9/43/219//271)

 

- HQ Squad

(

2/1/8//11; 1 x M3 light tank, 1 x M2 halftrack, 1 x jeep)

 

- QM Squad (0/4/11//15; 1 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck, 1 x 3 t tanker truck)

 

- Maintenance Squad (0/2/6//8; 2 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck)

 

- Medical Squad (1/1/7//9; 2 x 0.75 t ambulance, 1 x 3 t truck)

 

- Regimental Band (0/4/8//12; 1 x 1.5 t truck)

 

- Motorcycle Troop (1/5/41//47; 1 x jeep, 18 x motorcycle, 9 x motorcycle combination)

 

- Anti-Air Troop (1/5/21//28;

4 x 20 mm Oerlikon AA gun, 4 x 0.75 t truck

, 1 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

-

Armored Car Troop (1/5/18//24; 6

x Fox armored car)

 

- Signals Troop (1/5/29//35;

8 x 0.75 t truck

, 1 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- Engineer Troop

(1/5/38//44; 4 x M2 halftrack, 2 x jeep,

2 x motorcycle combination,

1 x 3 t truck)

 

- Quartermaster Troop (1/6/32//39; 1 x jeep,

2 x 0.75 t truck,

12 x 3 t truck, 4 x 3 t tanker truck)

 

 

- 3 x Light Cavalry Squadron (8/36/195//239)

 

- HQ Squad (2/1/7//10; 2 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- QM Squad (0/3/8//11; 1 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck,

1 x 3 t tanker truck

)

 

- Maintenance Squad (0/2/6//8; 2 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck)

 

- 3 x Motorcycle Troop (1/5/38//44; 2 x motorcycle, 14 x motorcycle combination)

 

- Weapons Troop (1/5/24//30

;

3 x 7.62 mm M1919A4 machinegun,

3 x 60 mm M2 mortar

,

10 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle

)

 

- 2 x Armored Car Troop (1/5/18//24

; 6 x Fox armored car)

 

 

- 2 x Heavy Cavalry Squadron (8/39/199//246)

 

- HQ Squad (

2/1/8//11; 1 x M3 light tank, 1 x M2 halftrack, 1 x jeep)

 

- QM Squad (0/3/8//11; 1 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck,

1 x 3 t tanker truck

)

 

- Maintenance Squad (0/2/6//8; 2 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck)

 

- 3 x Rifle Troop (1/6/41//48; 6 x M2 halftrack

, 2 x 60 mm M2 mortar

)

 

- 3 x Light Tank Troop (

1/5/18//24; 6 x M3 light tank)

 

 

- Weapons Squadron (8/36/237//281)

 

- HQ Squad (2/1/7//10; 2 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- QM Squad (0/3/8//11; 1 x 0.75 t, 4 x 3 t truck)

 

- Maintenance Squad (0/2/6//8; 2 x 0.75 t, 3 x 3 t truck)

 

- 2 x Gun Troop (1/5/22//28;

2 x 75 mm M1A1 Pack Howitzer, 4 x 0.75 t truck

, 1 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- 2 x Anti-Tank Troop (1/5/25//32; 4

x 47 mm Böhler AT gun, 4 x 0.75 t truck,1

x jeep, 2 x motorcycle, 1 x motorcycle combination)

 

- 2 x Mortar Troop (1/5/42//48);

4 x 81 mm M1 mortar

,

4 x 0.75 t truck

, 1 x jeep, 2 x motorcycle)

[Simon Tan]

We must buy some of these mganificent balsawood planes the Angliskii have designed.

 

RusAm has many similarities to Norway.

[swerve]

Da. One of our people worked on a failed project for a wooden fighter under the GLCs (he claims they set impossible deadlines) before escaping, so I got him to look into it. He is certain that we can make the airframes ourselves, using mostly our own wood (he said something about the balsa being just one layer & to save weight) as long as they are willing to disclose the composition of the glue the Angliskii use. He seems to think that is important. We would, of course, need to import the engines and other equipment, but there may be scope to substitute some US-made equipment, thus making supplies more reliable. There is even talk of the Amerikanskii making the engine under licence, & the aircraft being built in Canada.

 

Our staff are convinced it could meet our needs for night fighters, long-range bomber interceptors, reconnaissance, and light bombers. They are uncertain of its utility for torpedo bombing and anxious about its ability to withstand damage from ack-ack, and do not recommend that we use it for strafing, but the specialist study is more optimistic. I will reserve judgement on that, but I think that if it performs anywhere near as well as claimed, its advantages are too great to ignore.

 

Regrettably, we cannot afford a plethora of specialised types for every role, & any aircraft which we can make, or even make major repairs to, ourself simplifies our supply problems, which I am sure you understand are complicated by our geographical location. This particular aircraft offers us a single solution for several needs, is happily congruent with our economic and technical resources, and if accurately reported, offers excellent performance. Subject to the result of a hands-on evaluation, our department believes that it is suitable for procurement.

 

Grushchev,

 

pp Air Force trials section.

Edited October 1, 2012 by swerve

[Marek Tucan]

Dunno if "buy", but if Sikorski runs his business form RusAm, I guess he might be able to run production of these kites? Though engines might be a problem, UK prolly won't be that willing to sell critical stuff to a non-combatant...

 

Edit: Gospodin Swerveski already touched this issue while I was busy drinking..-. Err, attending to a meeting.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Tuccy

[Simon Tan]

Ahhh...the good old days, when a few drinks and ciggies were PART of a good meeting. My grandfather used to have lunch meetings with his peers/buddies that ran from 12-5 and involved a bottle each of Black Label (in the 50s!) and a ciggies laid out on the table. And waitresses to fill the glasses and light the smokes.

 

Only the Angliskii could build such a messy engine that runs so well.

 

ETA:- Were all Canadian Mossies built with Packard Merlins? NVM:- Looks like the numerically signficant ones were.....

Edited October 1, 2012 by Simon Tan

[Simon Tan]

Pardon me but where do we use Cav and Tank Regts? Are they Divisional Troops? Are the Regiments like the British ones, essentially recruting and force generation centers or do they deploy? I assume they must be the latter with the amount of tail and Regimental assets.......

 

I was concerned that there might be congestion in Stoyanka if there was a concentration of industries, bases and government. I am an idiot. THere is nothing but vastness. Anchorage today is still titchy.

 

There is just vast tracts of Matsu and Kenai to train and build kasernes. Mind you, it might be highly unpopular with the officers who will have a hell of a time to get back home for dinner and other important activities.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Simon Tan