The War of Soviet Aggression
Stalin's Revenge 1945
Europe on the eve of War
Ever since World War II ended in 1941, Germany knew it would face a constant threat from the USSR. The Wehrmacht, re-designated by the German Federal Republic as the Bundeswehr, retained the size, technology, and command structure of the Nazi Government, although formations such as Das Reich and Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler were disbanded, and all vestiges of the SS were removed. German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, elected by a large majority by the Bundestag in 1942, announced to the world the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps of the 1930's. Dachau is preserved as a memorial to the dead, and all political prisoners are set free. Stalin never forgets Hitler's betrayal of 1939, and plans for war against Germany continued even after the Soviet defeat. In April of 1945, most of WWII's combatants were not willing to fight another major war. England, which had just finished rebuilding Dover Harbor in 1944, was still rebuilding cities such as Henley-on-Thames, Canterbury, and Aberdeen. And in France, the Government barely kept power, battling insurrections in Indochina, Algeria and against riots and revolutionary groups. The Germans had also kept up the research of the super weapons of the Nazi period. By 1945, Germany boasted the Me 262 Jet Fighter, armed with eight air-to-air missiles, V-3 rockets that could target a city as far away as eastern Poland, the STG-43, the world's first assault rifle, infra-red sights, the Panzer IV and Panzer V ("Panther"), U-45, a new diesel powered U-Boat, and one more project neared completion: The Atomic Bomb. But Germany was not alone in the race. The USSR had had a project since 1940, and were almost a year away from completion. France, England, Japan, and the United States were in varying stages of completion. So in April 1945, the Stavka presented Stalin with the final plans for Operation Suvorov, the invasion of Germany and Eastern Europe. The Plan called for the invasion of Germany from Communist Poland, and the Invasion of the Balkans; once Germany was defeated, the Italian Empire would be next. Once these goals were accomplished, the USSR would seek peace on their terms. The attack was scheduled for April 25th, and would start with a planned four hour artillery barrage, in concert with Red Air Force raids on German air fields and supplies. The 1st Ukrainian Front, led by Marshal Timoshenko, consisted of 80 Divisions, 15 armored. The Armored divisions boasted new technology that overcame the Soviet deficiencies of WWII. The new Soviet tanks were the new IS-2 tanks, along with upgraded T-34's. All the tanks of the Red Army had been fitted with radios, and new Soviet officers had made it through the ranks and began to replace the leadership lost during the purges. The infantry however, were still armed with Mosin-Nagant Bolt-action rifles, which while still being phased by the SVT-40, was no match for the STG-43. The 2nd Belorussian front, led by Marshal Ivanovich consisted of 67 Divisions, ten armoured, and the Southern Wing of the Army consisted of the 3rd Front, with 50 divisions, four armoured.
The two sides Ante Bellum
| Me262 Jet Fighter |
|---|
| Waserfall Air-to-Air missiles |
|
Panzer IV |
| Panther |
| V-3 guided Missile |
| STG-43 Assault Rifle |
| 108 Mm Gun |
| Atom Bomb (75% complete as of 1945) |
| Yak 44 Fighter (prop) |
|---|
| IS-2 Tank |
| IS-3 Tank |
| Prototype rockets (BMP-2) |
| PPsh-45 (100 round drum) |
| Katyusha-50 |
| Radar tracking |
| Tank/plane radios |
"It's the Russians ... They're comin' ... We ne.d m..re men! We nee. more..." Radio broadcast from the German border with Communist Poland.
4:30 AM April 25th, 1945
At 4:30 AM, The 1st Front moved into its attack. Masses of T-34's and IS tanks charged, completely destroying the border formations. Red Air Force planes bombed and strafed airfields in Western Germany and East Prussia. Hundreds of Bf 109s and new Me 262's were destroyed on the ground. Here and there, Bundeswher troops made small stands, assisted by brave crews of outnumbered Panzers. But any resistance was crushed. At 10:30, Konrad Adenauer announced to the nation that Germany was at War. England and France, committed to the Anglo-Defense treaty, demanded that Stalin cease action and withdraw his Army. No response came. As the Red Army poured into East Prussia and Silesia, the 2nd and 3rd Fronts went into action against Romania on the morning of the 26th. Brushing aside the meager Romanian Army, Bucharest screamed for assistance. By the morning of the 28th, Russian forces were speeding into Germany, Britain and France declared War. Russian soldiers sent reports back from the front reporting their lack of firepower. Stalin's soldiers, while overwhelming against the Heer, were outgunned by the STG-43. The Mosin-Nagant and SVT-40s were not cutting it and Stalin ordered the development of rifle similar to the STG. The 2nd Army reached Seelow first, after overrunning the defensive line there. In a battle that had cost 8000 dead and 150 tanks lost. The charred remains of Panzer IVs and T-34's littered the battlefield and made movement difficult. The Government, knowing that Reds would be in Berlin soon, evacuated to Nuremberg. In the south, The Russians were fast approaching Bucharest. In a completely unexpected move, Werewolf operatives, underground SS men still loyal to National Socialism, kill General Jodl and a few other senior officials in the Government. Adenauer announces martial law and mobilizes the Volkstrum to crack down on the SS bandits. In German Slovakia, units of the 3rd and 8th armies break off from the 3rd Front to assault Bundeswher positions. By May 15th, the 2nd Army holds open a tenuous link to Berlin which is surrounded on all sides by the 11th army. Inside the city, General Weidlung leads the Russians to conquer the city building by building, floor by floor. German troops ambush Soviet soldiers with their STG's, mauling the Russians, Soviet tanks rumbling down narrow rubble clogged streets are destroyed with shots from Panzerfausts, lurking in the ruins. The Panzer IVs of the 2nd are singled out and destroyed by the superior IS-2's eventually forcing the 2nd to retreat west. In East Prussia, Königsberg is a fortress under siege, supplied by the allies by sea. Romania surrenders after IS-3 tanks destroy the Capitol building in Bucharest after defeating the last ditch resistance by the Iron Guard. In Berlin, despite heavy resistance from the Berlin Defensive Army and even SS bandits, the Red Army pushed its way towards the Reichstag, burning the sewers and subways. But the defenders pulled out a few last tricks. General Weidlung ordered for his counter attack, sending hundreds of Panzer IVs and new Panthers to attack surprised Russian positions and 88mm cannons on building rooftops opened fire on infantry and enemy vehicles. During the confusion, the 2nd regrouped and counter attacked, breaking into a few of the city's westernmost sectors. The first troops of the allies arrived at the front on May 20th, with troops of the British 12th Infantry disembarking under occasional fire from Russian Yaks. The Luftwaffe, under command of Aldof Galland, husbanded its supply of Me 262s, and was out numbered by the sheer weight of Russian planes. Nuremburg was now constantly being bombed by Tupolev SB-4's but at least Luftwaffe air group 7 cost them large amounts of planes.
That terrible winter []
A Russian soldier looks out towards a German strong point in Berlin May 1945
The War quickly moved into a deadlier phase in the summer of 1945. Although having suffered horrible losses from the Red Army, the Bundeswher had stopped the Communists from breaking into Western Germany. Dramatic acts of sabotage, such as the destruction of the bridges in Potsdam, showed the amount of resistance the Germans could put up.
By November of 1945, the Red Army was poised on the defensive, facing a front stretching from Wilhemshaven to just outside Nuremburg. The Allies (mostly the Crits) stood along side the Bundeswher. The War now grew into a grinding battle similar to that of WWI, with the both sides confronting defenses of trenches, mine fields, wire, and anti-tank guns. But on December 1st, just as Adenauer was considering peace, a bombshell rocked the Bundestag (now housed in Frankfurt): The Empire of Japan had launched an invasion of the Eastern Soviet Union. The attack took place on November 30th, but Radio Moscow had denied it.
Northern Option: Japan's entry into the Allies[]
When the Soviets attacked the Germans in April, the Imperial General staff began to review their old plans for a invasion of the Eastern U.S.S.R., with the goal of capturing Vladivostok and severing the Trans-Siberian Railway. Although Tojo, the Japanese leader, did not want to become politically involved in the Allies, it was recognized as a possibility. Large formations of the Japanese Army were sent to the Manchukuo border, and hundreds of brand-new Ke-Nu medium tanks and large numbers of the German Panzer inspired (and copied in some aspects) Type 4 Chi-Ri were sent to Manchuria steadily over the course of the summer. By November, the Japanese decided that they would act against the Russians, because as they saw it, once the Europeans were crushed Japan would be next to fall to communism. The newly formed "Manchuria Army" numbered almost 800,000 men.