WesWorld

Avrora, Pallada Laid Down by Shipyards
Heroic workers of Baltic Shipyards No.189, the people of the Russian Federation congratulate you on the keel-laying of the new cruisers Avrora and Pallada! These new cruisers shall symbolize the continuing legend of the Military-Maritime Fleet of the Russian Federation. Once completed and crewed by our valorous comrades of the Russian Navy, they shall steam the world's oceans in the traditions of their namesakes, defending our beloved Motherland from villains and desecrators of peace!

Litvinov Condemns Confederation Plan
On March 2nd, retired Foreign Minister Litvinov, speaking to a Social Revolutionary Party gathering in Moscow, roundly condemned the Dutch government's blatant attempt to usurp the sovereignty of Belgium, Kongo and East Indies through the Confederation Plan proposed and championed by nefarious arch-monarchist Queen Wilhelmina of the House of Orange. Litvinov expressed his support for his Socialist comrades in the Netherlands and Belgium who are undertaking the struggle to defeat the monarchist menace.

Russian Workers Celebrate Construction Milestones
With the arrival of spring, construction work accelerated on three major construction projects within the Russian Federation. With the retreat of the winter, the valiant crews of Russian labourers engaged in building the Baikal-Magadan Mainline undertook to achieve new records in the expansion of their railway. Thousands of kilometers of mountains and wilderness, and the crossing of many mighty Siberian rivers, remain before the railway is completed on schedule in 1954. One of the greatest challenges is the conquest of the three-kilometer wide Lena River, which floods massively with the coming of spring. The engineers and academicians designing the Baikal-Magadan Mainline have planned to circumvent this formidable natural barrier by means of a tunnel passing under the bottom of the river.

On May 15th, construction crews celebrated reaching the three-quarters point of construction on the new hydroelectric plant at Bratsk, on the River Angara. The dam, at 120 meters height and 4.4 kilometers length, will be the largest hydroelectric plant constructed in the Russian Federation, and shall produce more electricity than any other dam in the world. An aluminium smelter is currently under construction to take coincide with the dam's completion in 1947, and shall add 25% to the production capacity of aluminium in the Russian Federation.

Dredges continue to work the lengths of the Mariinsk Canal (or Volga-Baltic Waterway) as part of the project to enhance the capacity of this vital maritime artery. In February, Senior Engineer Vladimir Kuzlov and several project foremen were awarded Heroes of Russian Labor medals for their rapid and skillful redesign of three major locks of the canal, allowing reconstruction of critical infrastructure with a minimum of disruption for shipping. The reconstructed Mariinsk shall complete in 1946, allowing shallow-draft oceanic ships to travel through Russia from the Baltic Sea to the Caspian Sea.

American General Electric Delivers New Locomotives to Trans-Siberian Railway
The American firm General Electric delivered the first of one hundred new EF-4 electric locomotives to the Trans-Siberian Railway. The first locomotive, delivered by the motorship Celtic Tiger to the Petrograd in March, was displayed to local civic leaders, industry administrators, and the press prior to beginning its operation. According to industry insiders, General Electric is contracted for the delivery of over fifty examples of the EF-4 locomotive for use by the fully-electrified Trans-Siberian Railway. Deliveries are scheduled to continue through late 1946. Russian officials selected the type after reviewing submittals from Swiss, British, French, German, and American manufacturers.



Aeroflot Purchases, Evaluates Foreign and Domestic Aircraft
Aeroflot's effort to replace its obsolescent fleet of airliners continues to bear fruit with the March order of sixty more Il-12 twin-engine airliners, a product of the Ilyushin design bureau. The Il-12s shall replace American and Russian-license built variants of the Douglas DC-3 airliner primarily on local routes. Six further examples of the Bloch MB.972 Transatlantique airliner were ordered from France in January, joining the eighteen extant aircraft already in service. Aeroflot also submitted a request to the German Blohm-und-Voss firm to evaluate six Bv246 airliners between July and December. Aeroflot is evaluating the Bv246 for use in regional and low-density flights within the Russian Federation.

Naval Maneuvers by Russian Federation Navy a Success, Admirals Report; More to Follow
Russian destroyers of the Black Sea Fleet under Captain First Rank Sergei Gorshkov returned to Sevastopol after a highly successful series of exercises, conducted alone and in collaboration with the forces of allied and neighboring nations. Captain Gorshkov's twelve destroyers, led by his own Korolyov, departed Sevastopol in February to call in the Bulgarian port of Varna, where they exercised with their counterparts, acquitting themselves well against their Slavic cousins. After departing Bulgarian waters, Gorshkov's seamen steamed to visit Constantinople before sallying into the Aegean. Once in the Mediterranean Sea, the flotilla rendezvoused with French destroyers and light cruisers for a session of gunnery exercises, followed by a joint port call to the French Lebanese port of Beirut, as well as several Greek ports. Captain Gorshkov's destroyers returned triumphantly to their home base of Sevastopol at the end of April.

This is the first of several extended naval exercises and port visits to be undertaken by Russian Federation Navy forces this year. In May, the heavy cruisers of the Northern Fleet will travel to Brest prior to conducting long-range cruising and underway replenishment exercises in the Atlantic. A reciprocal visit and joint exercise by the French Atlantic Fleet will take place in Murmansk in July. In September, following the completion of the second trio of Smolensk-class torpedo cruisers, the 6th Cruiser Squadron will undertake a cruise of certain Western European ports, with the schedule yet to be determined.

Marches in Petrograd and Moscow
Eighteen thousand citizens of Petrograd marched the Nevsky Prospekt on Friday, June 1st to petition for their city to be renamed Sankt Peterburg (Saint Petersburg), as it was called prior to 1917. The march leaders addressed the crowd in Palace Square and called on the city officials to permit a referendum on the town's name during the 1946 municipal elections.

In Moscow, marchers gathered on May 23rd to advocate their city being made the capital of the Russian Federation. Muscovites argue that their city is more centrally-located within Russia, and has a better culture suitable for serving as the capital of the nation.

President, Police Crack Down on Automobile-Smuggling Ring
Russian Police arrested eighty-one individuals implicated in a massive smuggling ring, illegally smuggling automobiles into the Russian Federation. Due to the long waiting lists to purchase automobiles in the Russian Federation, an enterprising group of Georgian mafiosi began smuggling automobiles across the border. According to police officials, the gang successfully smuggled over three thousand new and secondhand automobiles from Western Europe into the Russian Federation before selling them to resalers for a high markup. The smuggling ring was aided by several corrupt customs officials in Batumi, who are now jailed awaiting trial.

Speaking before the Duma in June, President Fyodorov condemned the attempts by the criminal class to evade the laws of the nation, a deed which directly harms the dedicated workers of the Russian automobile and steel industries. Fyodorov proposed a two-pronged attack on such criminal enterprises, firstly toughening penalties for corruption and tax evasion, and secondly by lowering the automotive import tariffs for automakers in the Grand Alliance and the United States to import their products into the Russian Federation, thus eliminating the high prices which allow automobile smuggling to turn criminal profits. Fyodorov further vowed to continue his pursuit of corrupt officials within the Russian Federation, and work with Interpol and other European police agencies to destroy organized crime families in Russia and elsewhere.

Prokofiev, Eisenstein Advance Russian Kul'tura
The second installment of Sergei Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible arrived in cinemas across the Russian Federation. The film, scored by Sergei Prokofiev, chronicles the attempt on Tsar Ivan the Terrible's life by his aunt Efrosinia Staritska as part of her attempts to place her immature son Vladimir on the throne. Ivan the Terrible is Eisenstein's first production since Alexander Nevsky, which riled high officials in the Russian government due to its negative portrayal of the German people.



GAZ Initiates Volga Brand; MZMA Sells Big
Automaker GAZ, in Nizhny Novgorod, displayed the first production example of their new Volga brand in a trade show in Petrograd in June. The new car, the M20, is well-appointed four-door fastback saloon designed to complete with the higher-quality marques of Western Europe and the United States, such as Hispano-Suiza or Cadillac. The line of cars shall use a distinctive bonnet badge of a leaping stag. Initial production cars shall be shown internationally for the first time at the Berlin Auto Show later this year, although international export likely shall not start at this time except in very specific markets.



MZMA (Moscow Small Car Factory), a subsidiary of French automaker Renault, continues to manufacture the 4CV under the Moskvitch brand name; it is now the best-selling automobile in the Russian Federation. Due to the Moskvitch's low cost, it has become a highly desirable accessory for the Russian working class. Such is the demand for the Moskvitch that a two-year waiting list has formed, and MZMA has moved to a six-shift factory schedule to undertake 24/7 manufacture.

A very comprehensive and interesting round up.

Very interesting developments... and very Russian in flavor. Looking forward to more in the future. :thumbsup:

Yes, Russian flavour, especially the "defending our beloved Motherland from villains and desecrators of peace" and "undertaking the struggle to defeat the monarchist menace" bits. Good to see that there are more cars coming out which Top Gear can make fun of.

Quoted from "Rooijen10"

Yes, Russian flavour, especially the "defending our beloved Motherland from villains and desecrators of peace" and "undertaking the struggle to defeat the monarchist menace" bits.

Heh, and that's pretty tame language compared to some of the stuff that was historically used! :P

Interesting article on the EF-4 electric locomotives. I did notice after some digging that the order is 5 times as large as the historical order and will undoubtedly benefit from a lack of cold war brewing.

Quoted from "thesmilingassassin"

Interesting article on the EF-4 electric locomotives. I did notice after some digging that the order is 5 times as large as the historical order and will undoubtedly benefit from a lack of cold war brewing.

Actually 2.5 times as large - Russia originally ordered twenty locomotives. I decided to order more, simply because I'm saying the entire Trans-Siberian Railway is electrified, which was not actually the case until much more recently... One of the little things I did to demonstrate that the Russian Federation has recovered faster from the Great War, and has benefited from not being engaged in a life-and-death struggle with Fascism and a lack of totalitarian Bolshevism.

I wanted to ask how feasible/ practical is it to electrify the whole length?
Surely all those transmission lines are a maintenance nightmare in the wilderness with wind, icing and other extremes? Also would that not require more electricity generation stations across the entire route to keep the whole network live?
I'm not saying its impossible, I'm just interested why the Soviets never went for a diesel powered fleet.

Quoted from "Hood"

I wanted to ask how feasible/ practical is it to electrify the whole length? Surely all those transmission lines are a maintenance nightmare in the wilderness with wind, icing and other extremes? Also would that not require more electricity generation stations across the entire route to keep the whole network live?
I'm not saying its impossible, I'm just interested why the Soviets never went for a diesel powered fleet.

Large portions of it were electrified beginning in 1929, actually; the related Five-Year Plans just got behind, and during the 1940s there was obviously some minor disruptions. According to my research, a large portion of the work was done in the 1960s under newer Soviet programs, and the last stage of electrification on the line was done in 2002. Soviet policy on electrification was to electrify the high-density lines (and the Trans-Siberian was at full capacity almost from its completion), while employing diesels on lines with lower density of traffic. The Soviets (and American railways that electrified such as the Milwaukee Road) found that there was quite a bit of cost savings that came from electrification, so long as it was done with high-density lines and not branch lines. Wikipedia cites the cost savings as 10%, for instance.

AdmK put a lot of emphasis into building hydro power in Siberia and elsewhere - I have some of his notes from the 1930s as it relates to the growing Russian aluminium industry and the related electric generation capability - and so a side effect of that is the presence of sufficient electric generation capacity for the railroads.

From what I can tell, the work done more previously to the line was simply adding new branch lines or extending the existing line.

Thanks for the additional info.

The Soviets were leaders in high power electricity transmission over large distances, especially by the 1980s getting the hydro-generated power from the southern areas to the western regions. I've a book of TASS photos called Propaganda and it heavily features shots of hydro-dams, electricity control stations, pylons and some of the high voltage research labs. I just wondered if it made sense/ technical possibility in the late 1940s. I think it probably was given other nations efforts.

Army Evaluates New Tank Prototype - July 1945
The Russian Ground Forces' (Suhoputnye voyska Rossiyskoy Federatsii) Main Directorate of Armoured Forces (GABTU) continues strenuously testing the prototype of a new armoured vehicle, designated Ob'yekt 136, at in field maneuvers at testing grounds around the nation. If accepted for production, the new armoured vehicle shall replace the current T-40 and T-40M tanks. This shall allow these frontline medium tanks to be distributed to the Class C Divisions, allowing the elimination of the last four thousand T-29 tanks and twenty-three hundred T-35 tanks currently supporting these reserve formations. GABTU intends to provide their final recommendation on starting production by the end of September. According to Russian armour experts, Ob'yekt 136 is superior in every conceivable way to all other tanks everywhere else in the world.

Fyodorov Studies Deregulation of Electricity
Comrades of the party of worker's socialist struggle, to arms! In his address to the Duma this August, President Fyodorov has instructed his nefarious capitalist-monarchist toadies to compose legislation to deregulate the Federation's electric energy organism, cutting away the subsidization that allows the heroic workers to keep their lights on! And what is the excuse for this villainy but the feeble rationale of "achieving economical use of existing sources" and "eliminating inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy"? Comrades in the workers, take to the streets in protest! Comrades in the Duma, obstruct this plan! To arms!

Maritime-Military Fleet Confirms Purchase of German Destroyers
The Russian Navy confirmed that it had secured a contract with the German government to acquire six of the Erich Koellner class "zerstorers", built in 1938, for Russian service. The VMF Rossii will take delivery of the vessels later this year, and will rebuild them prior to their entry into Russian service as the Ognevoy class. According to experts, the purchase of the ships was driven by economic requirements, as it proved less expensive to purchase and refit the six vessels as opposed to building new craft of the same type. Rumors indicate Ognevoy and his brothers will be rebuilt in Tallinn, and shall be deployed either to the Northern Fleet or the Pacific Fleet.

Gulf of Finland Storms Disrupt Dredging Work
Stormy weather in the Gulf of Finland during late July and early August caused disruptions to Russian dredges working to deepen shipping channels in the region. Due to the delays, dredging work will have to continue until halted by the formation of the sea ice later this season.

Petrograd Addresses Tehran on Caspian Flotilla
In an open letter to the Persian government, the Russian Admiralty indicated that the Caspian Flotilla would not see any expansion of forces under the 1946 naval budget, provided regional stability continued to be maintained at present levels. However, the letter stated that the ten Project 03 "Lilya" type patrol ships of the 14th Corvette Flotilla, currently based in Baku, will likely be scrapped and replaced by more modern vessels sometime within the next few years, as these vessels are obsolescent and in increasingly poor repair. Consultations with Tehran would occur at that time, demonstrating Russia's continued desire to prevent an arms race on the inland sea.

New Aircraft Engine Demonstrated to Foreign Press
On August 14th, the Kuznetsov NK-03 turboprop engine was demonstrated in front of a small group of invited foreign journalists. This engine, developed in collaboration with the French Turbomeca firm, is under consideration for use in several proposed Russian aircraft. According to members of the Kuznetsov design bureau, a variant refined for production, the NK-04, is currently in development.

Ulyanovsk Truck Factory Achieves Production Milestones
Industrious workers and laborers of Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, the Russian people celebrate with you the delivery of your three hundred thousandth truck since the 1941 opening of your factory! Your accomplishment resounds thunderously throughout the nation and serves as an example to all the workers of the Russian Federation! You have well-earned the wage increase promised for your heroic achievements!

Afonskoye Delivered to VMF Rossii
Severnaya Verf No.190 delivered the aircraft carrier Battle of Afonskoye to the Russian Navy for builders trials on September 15th. The Afonskoye, named for Admiral Senyavin's glorious 1807 victory over the heathen Ottoman fleet in the Aegean Sea, will temporarily join the Northern Fleet pending its permanent assignment. The carrier's airgroup, composed of Lavochkin La-7K fighters and Beriev Be-5K bombers, has already gathered for training at Naval Aviation bases.

Army Evaluates New Tank Prototype - July 1945
Russian tanks, very stronk!

Fyodorov Studies Deregulation of Electricity
In Federation of Russia, electricity regulates YOU!

Maritime-Military Fleet Confirms Purchase of German Destroyers
German destroyers shall become strong, manly Russian destroyers!

Petrograd Addresses Tehran on Caspian Flotilla
Russia to world: shall not send Russian giant navy to humiliate puny Persian baby navy!

New Aircraft Engine Demonstrated to Foreign Press
Russian aero engines are stronk! Ignore the 'Designed in France' label, Comrade. Is capitalist lie!

Ulyanovsk Truck Factory Achieves Production Milestones
Russian trucks, very stronk in number!

Afonskoye Delivered to VMF Rossii
Russian ships, strong like bear!

Petrograd, Headquarters of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
September 19th, 1945

Vyacheslav Pershin sat at a round table in the secure conference room, joined by six of his senior colonels from the GRU. "We've lost an asset," complained one of the six.

"The Spider of Poland, Pajak?" Pershin looked at his bureau chief. "Yes, I saw that report come across my desk. I was not under the impression that he was one of our agents, Boris Vasilievich."

Boris Khodorkovsky scowled, which was the normal facial expression for a GRU colonel. "He wasn't one of ours, but he was extremely useful. He belonged to Kuczynski's faction in Polish Intelligence. Now Kuczynski's in trouble, and Witczak is taking full advantage of it."

One of the other colonels spoke up. "I'm not informed about this case, Boris Vasilievich. Could you fill us in?"

Khodorkovsky looked at the man to his left. "My apologies, Colonel Grigorev. Pajak was a Polish section chief. I'm not yet certain of the details, but it seems Wilhelm's fair-haired boys tumbled on his network, turned several agents, and then kidnapped him out of Polish territory."

"There's some evidence to the contrary," Pershin offered. "If I know how Canaris and his boys think, he was probably set up to look like a double agent, and then given an opportunity to defect."

"Clever - and certainly less risky than kidnapping a foreigner," Grigorev agreed. "What do the Poles think happened?"

"I think Witczak knows - or at least has guessed - the truth," Khodorkovsky replied. "But that hardly matters to him, since the uncertainty of Pajak's disappearance lets him take a bead on Kuczynski and his faction. As for Kuczynski, he's smart enough to have divined the possibilities."

"It's regrettable that the Germans became involved," Pershin said. "They have no qualms with tearing up Kuczynski's faction, since it is rather strongly Germanophobe, and focused on gleaning intelligence from Deutschland itself."

Grigorev nodded. "Ah. Then Pajak and his friends are fair game for them, just as we want to take Witczak down a peg. Can Kuczynski survive this mishap?" Grigorev asked.

"Probably," Khodorkovsky answered. "Kuczynski's not survived Warsaw politics for this long without having a good survival instinct. His friends and supporters, on the other hand, will take some hits; possibly affecting one of our agents there, MARLA. That shall directly curtain some of our own operations."

"One must expect the occasional setback in this sort of work," Pershin said philosophically. "In normal circumstances, I'd have Section Sixty-Six track down Pajak and give him back to Warsaw as a gift. But political matters being what they are, we'd end up crossing swords with Wilhelm's boys without any support from the Winter Palace."

"Surely there's something we can do," Khodorkovsky said, thumping his fist down on the table. "The Germans shouldn't be allowed to take away our cats-paws without consequence!"

Pershin smiled indulgently. "Come now, Boris Vasilievich; it's not as if we'd told the Germans that Kuczynski's boys were our territory, and hands off!"

"Da," the colonel reluctantly agreed with a shrug. "They were fair game, and Pajak isn't much more than a useful pawn. Still, there's a principle to be maintained. Perhaps we could leak some incomplete information to Der Spiegel and Le Canard enchaîné, implicating the Germans in a foreign kidnapping plot. That," he showed his teeth, "Would teach them not to meddle in our affairs."

"An amusing idea..." Pershin said, looking intrigued.

"It's too overt," Grigorev interjected dryly. "If Canaris tumbled to our involvement in it, then the politicians might become involved. Or he might think it an unprovoked action on our part, if they've missed our... patronage... of Kuczynski's faction."

"You're right, of course," Pershin sighed. "It is too unprofessional of us to talk about getting revenge in this business. Of course, balance must maintained," Pershin replied. "Boris Vasilievich, perhaps you can put your minds on it, and propose an action item to us next week. Now, we must move on to more important matters - Vasiley Mikhailovitch, I believe its time to hear your report on..."

Fascinating...

:thumbup:

Quoted

Fyodorov Studies Deregulation of Electricity
Comrades of the party of worker's socialist struggle, to arms! In his address to the Duma this August, President Fyodorov has instructed his nefarious capitalist-monarchist toadies to compose legislation to deregulate the Federation's electric energy organism, cutting away the subsidization that allows the heroic workers to keep their lights on! And what is the excuse for this villainy but the feeble rationale of "achieving economical use of existing sources" and "eliminating inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy"? Comrades in the workers, take to the streets in protest! Comrades in the Duma, obstruct this plan! To arms!

I guess this and no New Deal, will make Mexico the most socialist nation in WW?

Quoted from "Desertfox"

Quoted

Fyodorov Studies Deregulation of Electricity
Comrades of the party of worker's socialist struggle, to arms! In his address to the Duma this August, President Fyodorov has instructed his nefarious capitalist-monarchist toadies to compose legislation to deregulate the Federation's electric energy organism, cutting away the subsidization that allows the heroic workers to keep their lights on! And what is the excuse for this villainy but the feeble rationale of "achieving economical use of existing sources" and "eliminating inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy"? Comrades in the workers, take to the streets in protest! Comrades in the Duma, obstruct this plan! To arms!

I guess this and no New Deal, will make Mexico the most socialist nation in WW?

If so, it is a rather dubious badge of honor.

Quoted from "Desertfox"

Quoted

Fyodorov Studies Deregulation of Electricity
Comrades of the party of worker's socialist struggle, to arms! In his address to the Duma this August, President Fyodorov has instructed his nefarious capitalist-monarchist toadies to compose legislation to deregulate the Federation's electric energy organism, cutting away the subsidization that allows the heroic workers to keep their lights on! And what is the excuse for this villainy but the feeble rationale of "achieving economical use of existing sources" and "eliminating inefficient and corrupt bureaucracy"? Comrades in the workers, take to the streets in protest! Comrades in the Duma, obstruct this plan! To arms!

I guess this and no New Deal, will make Mexico the most socialist nation in WW?

Aside from nationalizing oil companies, I've never actually seen Mexico do anything that strikes me as particularly socialist, except in the most bland 'banana republic' sort of way.

According to my understanding, Russia's mainline socialist parties descend from the Menshevik line of thought, rather than the historical Bolshevik line. The difference between the two is that the Bolsheviks wished to jump straight from tyrannical monarchy to sweet blissful communism, whereas the Mensheviks believed they had to take an intermediate step in creating a liberal economy, educating the people to evolve toward perfect communism. President Fyodorov, while he holds the allegiance of more conservative parties, is more a nationalist and "anti-corruption" politician, rather than one who wields a socio-political dogma.

Electricity deregulation is being attempted not because Fyodorov has some nefarious capitalist agenda, but because the Russian electricity sector is hideously inefficient, requiring three times as much electricity to produce an equivalent unit of GDP as, say, Britain, France, Germany, or the United States. After all, since the government pays for your electricity, why should the average Russian bother to conserve it? And with all those lovely government rubles flowing like water, many government bureaucrats can't resist an urge to skim just a little bit of it...

No, the Socialists are upset not because they disagree with the plan... but because its their people in the bureaucracies who are going to get arrested for stealing lots of money through defrauding the government.

It is, perhaps, worth mentioning the crime of wrecking. It is conceivable that some of the worthies mentioned in passing could be guilty of it.

Oh...! Heh heh heh, I had forgotten about that...