WesWorld

News Summary

New Warships for VMF Rossii
January - Russian naval shipyards laid down two new heavy cruisers and an aviation cruiser as part of the latest naval budget. Also included in the budget are twenty-five submarines, two minelaying cruisers, and twenty amphibious warfare vessels.

MiG-15 Enters Service
January - The first units equipped with the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighter were activated in the region of Vladivostok. The VVS currently has an order for thirty-five hundred of these aircraft, including a number of two-seat trainers.

Rocket Launch Reaches New High Altitude
January - A Russian R1 rocket launched from Kapustin Yar rocketry center reached a new altitude record [1] of a hundred and nineteen kilometers. A live dog was included in the payload to test the effects of space on living creatures, and was recovered without any apparent harm.

Cinema
February - The film Alexander Popov, a biographical film about Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov, opens in cinemas. It is the best-selling Russian film of the first half of 1949.

Crisis With China
March - China continues to flail out at its neighbors with hostility. Chairman of the Government Mikhail Sergetov, speaking to reporters, said "China has yet to discover that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."

International Army Games 1949
May - The 1949 International Army Games, once again hosted by Russia, wrapped up this month.

Former Tsar to Revisit Russia
May - In a surprising move, President Fyodorov announced that he had extended an invitation to former Tsar Nicolas II to return on a "short visit" to Russia. The former autocrat has been exiled and living in Tangier since 1918. No specific dates for the visit have been announced. The government has specified that no political rallies will be held, both on behalf, or in protest, of the former Russian ruler.

ALPINIST CHALLENGE
-- Overview: Tests mountain infantry skills in a series of events including skiing, free and rope climbing, and shooting.
-- Defending Champion: Romania (Vanatori de munte).
-- Location: Labinsk, Krasnodar Krai
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Alpinist's Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. Yugoslavia - 35th Infantry Regiment, Twenty-first Mountain Division
2. Atlantis - Team 2
3. Nordmark - Jegerkompaniet
4. Germany - Gebirgesdivision 4 (Swabians)
5. Romania - Vânători de munte
6. Czechoslovakia
7. Poland - 21st Mountain Infantry Division / Podhale Rifles Division
8. Russia - 28th Highland Mountain Division
9. France - 199e Bataillon de Chasseurs de Haute Montagne
10. Atlantis - Team 1
11. Russia - 1st Mountain Cavalry Division
12. Russia - 9th Mountain Rifle Division
13. France - 64e Division Alpine
14. France - 28e Division Alpine



GRENADIER CHALLENGE
-- Overview: Tests the skills of an infantry squad in a series of events including team obstacle course, relay obstacle course, 10km run, and shooting range. Teams had to consist of at least five individuals including one rifle grenadier, one sharpshooter, and one machine gunner.
-- Defending Champion: Britain (1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers).
-- Location: Volkhov
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Grenadier's Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. Atlantis - Team 1
2. France - 5e Division d'Infanterie Algérienne
3. Czechoslovakia
4. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
5. Lithuania
6. Atlantis - Team 2
7. Belgium - 9th Régiment
8. Yugoslavia - 45th Independent Infantry Regiment
9. France - 17e Division d'infanterie
10. Bulgaria
11. Nordmark
12. Great Britain - 2nd Battalion Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
13. Netherlands - Regiment Van Heutsz
14. Great Britain - 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers
15. Poland - 1st Legions Infantry Division
16. Netherlands - Regiment Limburgse Jagers
17. Romania
18. Netherlands - Regiment Infanterie Oranje Gelderland
19. Belgium - 1st Régiment des Chasseurs Ardennais
20. Russia - 5th Guards Motor Rifle Division
21. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
22. France - 339e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine
23. Latvia - Bataljona Mežzinis
24. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
25. Russia - 13th Guards Rifle Division
26. Russia - 10th Guards Rifle Division
27. Germany - Infanteriedivision 9 (Hessians)




SNIPER'S CHALLENGE
-- Overview: Tests the skills of an individual sniper and spotter duo in a series of events including cross-country movement, shooting range, and urban placement. Teams have to consist of two individuals, including one spotter.
-- Defending Champion: New event.
-- Location: Volkhov
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Strelok's Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
2. Russia
3. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
4. Russia
5. Atlantis - Army
6. Russia
7. Poland
8. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
9. Germany - Kommando Spezialkräfte
10. Atlantis - Corsairs
11. Great Britain - (Sergeant Charles Cadman, Corporal Ernest Brown)
12. Belgium - 1e sergent-chef Eduard Rhode, 1e sergent-chef Henri Flambout
13. Bulgaria
14. France
15. France
16. Netherlands - Sergeant der 1e klasse Louis Charles Cadman, Korporaal der 1e klasse Gerard Mertens
17. Atlantis - Army
18. France



PRESENTATION (SQUAD)
-- Overview: A series of judged events including military marching drill and rifle display team. Limited to a squad of fifteen men.
-- Defending Champion: Germany (Wachbataillon of the Heer).
-- Location: Moscow Suvorov Military School, Moscow
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Presentation Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. Lithuania - Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment
2. Germany - The Wachbataillon of the Heer
3. Atlantis - Team 2
4. Atlantis - Team 3
5. Atlantis - Team 1
6. France - The Republican Guards
7. Romania - Battalion of Hunters
8. Russia - Lifeguard Jaeger Regiment (Gattchino)
9. Latvia - Color Guard of the 3rd Latvian National Guard Battalion
10. Poland - Ceremonial Battalion of the Polish Army
11. Russia - Independent Special-Purpose Motorized Rifle Division of the Internal Troops
12. Russia - Peterhof Regiment / Peterhof Guards
13. Czechoslovakia - Prague Castle Guards
14. Yugoslavia - 1st Guards Infantry Regiment, Guards Infantry Division
15. Belgium - Regiment Carabiniers Prins Boudewijn – Grenadiers



PRESENTATION (PLATOON)
-- Overview: A series of judged events including military marching drill and rifle display team. Limited to a platoon (must be at least forty men and less than eighty).
-- Defending Champion: Germany (Wachbataillon of the Heer).
-- Location: Moscow Suvorov Military School, Moscow
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Presentation Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. Great Britain - The Coldstream Guards
2. Russia - Independent Special-Purpose Motorized Rifle Division of the Internal Troops
3. Yugoslavia - 1st Guards Infantry Regiment, Guards Infantry Division
4. Atlantis - Team 1
5. Great Britain - The Grenadier Guards
6. Russia - Lifeguard Jaeger Regiment (Gattchino)
7. Belgium - 2de Regiment Lansiers
8. Germany - The Wachbataillon of the Heer
9. Atlantis - Team 2
10. Russia - Peterhof Regiment / Peterhof Guards
11. Atlantis - Team 3
12. Romania - Battalion of Hunters
13. Netherlands - 1e Royal Guard Dragoon Regiment



FROGMAN CHALLENGE
-- Overview: Tests the skills of combat swimmers in a series of tests including a distance swim in combat gear, demolition of an underwater obstacle, and infiltration of a shore-line.
-- Defending Champion: France (Commando Hubert).
-- Location: Mariupol, Ukraine
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Frogman's Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. France - 2DINA
2. Russia - 1st Separate Special Battalion Vostok
3. Russia - 4th Company of Special Designation
4. Great Britain - The Special Boat Squadron, 1st Special Air Brigade
5. Atlantis - Navy
6. France - Commando Hubert
7. Atlantis - Army
8. Russia - 1st Company of Special Designation
9. Germany - Kommando Spezialkräfte
10. Atlantis - Corsairs
11. France - 1DINA



PARACHUTE RAID (20KM)
-- Overview: Tests the skills of military special parachutists. Teams parachuted from an aircraft into a designated drop zone 20km from a target area where shooting exercises were held. Teams had to consist of at least five individuals including one rifle grenadier, one sharpshooter, and one machine gunner.
-- Defending Champion: New event.
-- Location: Ryazan
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Parachutist's Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. Atlantis - Team 1
2. Great Britain - 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment
3. France - 1ère Regiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine
4. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
5. France - 13e Regiment Dragons Parachutistes
6. Atlantis - Team 2
7. Russia - 3rd Guards Separate Special-Purpose Regiment
8. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
9. Germany - Fallschirmjägerdivision 1 – Hannover
10. Yugoslavia - 1st Pandur Battalion
11. Netherlands - 1e Parachute Fusilier Regiment
12. France - 11e régiment parachutiste de choc
13. Russia - 4th Airborne Division
14. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
15. Russia - 1st Guards Airborne Division



PARACHUTE RAID (40KM)
-- Overview: Tests the skills of military special parachutists. Teams parachuted from an aircraft into a designated drop zone 40km from a target area where shooting exercises were held. Teams had to consist of at least five individuals including one rifle grenadier, one sharpshooter, and one machine gunner.
-- Defending Champion: France (1st Foreign Parachute Regiment).
-- Location: Ryazan
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Parachutist's Medallion and three thousand rubles prize money.

1. Russia - 1st Separate Special Battalion Vostok
2. Yugoslavia - 1st Pandur Battalion
3. Netherlands - 1e Parachute Fusilier Regiment
4. Great Britain - 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment
5. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
6. Russia - 4th Airborne Division
7. France - 11e régiment parachutiste de choc
8. Lithuania - Jaeger Battalion
9. Russia - 1st Guards Airborne Division
10. France - 13e Regiment Dragons Parachutistes
11. Atlantis - Team 1
12. Atlantis - Team 2
13. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
14. France - 1ère Regiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine
15. Germany - Fallschirmjägerdivision 1 – Hannover
16. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade



600KM MILITARY RALLY
-- Overview: Tests the skills of motorized reconnaissance troops. A team of four men cover a 600km course starting in Kishineu (Chisinau, Moldova) and ending in Lvov with eleven checkpoints, using unimproved tracks and cross-country terrain. Competitors could either bring a 2WD or 4WD vehicle of their choice (radio is mandatory) or be provided with a Russian NAZ-67 4WD vehicle.
-- Defending Champion: New event
-- Location: Kishineu-Lvov
-- Prize: Winning team receives custody of the Rally-Raid Gold Cup for one year and four thousand rubles prize money.

1. Germany - Recon Battalion of Panzerdivision 11 – Breslau
2. Atlantis - Team 1 (Peirce-Arrow General Purpose Vehicle)
3. Russia - 4th Independent Mechanized Brigade
4. Great Britain - 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade (Daimler Scout Car Mk I 'Dingo')
5. Netherlands - 17 Infanteriebataljon Garde Fuseliers Prinses Irene (Minerva M-20)
6. Atlantis - Team 2 (Peirce-Arrow General Purpose Vehicle)
7. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
8. Great Britain - 1st Battalion Border Regiment (Land Rover Mk.I)
9. Russia - 7th Tank Division
10. France - 2e Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie
11. Atlantis - Team 3 (Peirce-Arrow Ranger Scout Car)
12. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
13. Russia - 14th Guards Mechanized Brigade
14. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade



1200KM MILITARY RALLY
-- Overview: Tests the skills of motorized reconnaissance troops. A team of four men cover a 1200km course starting in Arkhangelsk and ending in Petrograd with twenty checkpoints, using unimproved tracks and cross-country terrain. Competitors could either bring a 2WD or 4WD vehicle of their choice (radio is mandatory) or be provided with a Russian NAZ-67 4WD vehicle.
-- Defending Champion: Germany (Panzerdivision 11).
-- Location: Akhangelsk-Petrograd
-- Prize: Winning team receives custody of the Military Rally-Raid Trophy for one year and six thousand rubles prize money.

1. Atlantis - Team 2 (Peirce-Arrow General Purpose Vehicle)
2. Atlantis - Team 3 (Peirce-Arrow Ranger Scout Car)
3. France - 36e groupe de reconnaissance de division d'infanterie
4. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
5. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
6. Russia - 7th Tank Division
7. Poland - 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment (Reconnaissance)
8. Great Britain - 1st Battalion, 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers (2x Daimler Scout Car Mk I 'Dingo')
9. France - 2e Régiment de Hussards de Marine
10. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
11. Atlantis - Team 1 (Peirce-Arrow General Purpose Vehicle)
12. France - 3eme Régiment de hussards
13. Russia - 2nd Mechanized Division
14. Germany - Recon Battalion of Panzerdivision 11 – Breslau
15. Russia - 12th Motor Rifle Division
16. Czechoslovakia



150KM MOTORCYCLE RAID
-- Overview: Tests the skills of motorized reconnaissance troops. A team of four men with motorcycles cover a 150km course with eighteen checkpoints, using unimproved tracks and cross-country terrain. Teams need to consist of at least four men, with either two motorcycle-sidecars or four motorcycles.
-- Defending Champion: New event.
-- Location: Tver
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Reconnaissance Trooper's Medallion and two thousand rubles prize money.

1. Russia - 78th Rifle Division
2. Russia - 1st Zaporozhye Cossack Cavalry Division
3. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
4. Atlantis - Team 3
5. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
6. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
7. Atlantis - Team 2
8. Netherlands - Regiment Stoottroepen King William (FN Tricar)
9. France/Indochina - 202nd Tank Brigade
10. Belgium - 3rd Régiment des Chasseurs Ardennais (FN Tricar)
11. Russia - 18th Mountain Cavalry Division
12. Atlantis - Team 1



300KM MOTORCYCLE RAID
-- Overview: Tests the skills of motorized reconnaissance troops. A team of four men with motorcycles cover a 300km course with eighteen checkpoints, using unimproved tracks and cross-country terrain. Teams need to consist of at least four men, with either two motorcycle-sidecars or four motorcycles.
-- Defending Champion: Atlantis.
-- Location: Tver
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Reconnaissance Trooper's Medallion and four thousand rubles prize money.
-- Note: previous event was 250km.

1. Russia - 18th Mountain Cavalry Division
2. Atlantis - Team 2
3. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
4. Poland - 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment (Reconnaissance)
5. Atlantis - Team 3
6. Belgium - Regiment Carabiniers Prins Boudewijn – Grenadiers
7. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
8. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
9. Atlantis - Team 1
10. Netherlands - 13 Infanteriebataljon Regiment Stoottroepen (FN Tricar)
11. Russia - 78th Rifle Division
12. France/Indochina - 202nd Tank Brigade
13. Russia - 1st Zaporozhye Cossack Cavalry Division



ARMOURED SKIRMISHER
-- Overview: A platoon of light tanks (three minumum, five maximum) or armoured cars and their crews conduct a timed cross-country drive through obstacles including hills, water obstacles, tank traps, and rough terrain, ending on a shooting range with pop-up targets, to be engaged both with main gun and machine guns. Teams may bring light tanks or armoured cars of their choice or be provided with three French Char-6 Bruyeres. (Armoured cars must have at least a 37mm gun.)
-- Defending Champion: New event
-- Location: Alabino Proving Grounds, near Moscow
-- Prize: Winning team receives an inscribed presentation Cossack sabre, gold medallion, and eight thousand rubles prize money.

1. Great Britain - 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade (5x Daimler Armoured Car Mk.I)
2. Germany - 1st Armoured Cavalry Regiment
3. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
4. Netherlands - Regiment Huzaren Van Boreel (5x DAF M45 armoured cars)
5. Russia (Object 740)
6. Atlantis - Team 3 (T-3 Wolfhound)
7. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
8. France - 30e régiment interarmes, 6e DLB (Char-6D)
9. Russia (T-60 Smerch)
10. Atlantis - Team 1 (T-2 Staghound)
11. Russia (T-60 Smerch)
12. Nordmark - Södermanlands regemente (Infanterikanonvagn 46)
13. France/Indochina - 202nd Tank Brigade (Char-6D)
14. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
15. Atlantis - Team 2 (T-2 Staghound)
16. Belgium - 1e Régiment des Chars(3x T-17 (Panzer II Bel))
17. Lithuania - 1st Reconnaissance Company of 1st Mechanised Brigade (ArPzr Lowe)
18. Latvia - No.4 Company of 3rd Mech. Battalion, Mechanised Brigade (Char-6D)
19. France - 11e Division Blindée (Panhard EBR)



ARMOURED SPEARHEAD
-- Overview: A platoon of medium tanks (three minumum, five maximum) and their crews conduct a timed cross-country drive through obstacles including hills, water obstacles, tank traps, and rough terrain, ending on a shooting range with pop-up targets, to be engaged both with main gun and machine guns. Teams may bring tanks of their choice or be provided with Russian T-44-76s.
-- Defending Champion: France (AMX-40 Tigre, 2e Division Blindée).
-- Location: Alabino Proving Grounds, near Moscow
-- Prize: Winning team receives custody of the Trophée Argent de la cavalerie blindée (a silver trophy contributed by the French Army) for one year and ten thousand rubles prize money. The best Russian team is awarded the Tukhachevsky Medallion and ten thousand rubles prize money.

1. France - 10e Division Blindée (AMX-40B2)
2. Great Britain - 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (4x A28 Comet Mk I Comet)
3. Atlantis - Team 1 (AT-46)
4. Great Britain - 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4x A30 Centurion Mk IV)
5. Atlantis - Team 2 (AT-46)
6. Lithuania - 1st Tank Battalion of the 1st Mechanised Brigade (Cromwell)
7. Poland - 2nd Armoured Regiment (32TP wzor.44)
8. France - 2e Division Blindée (AMX-40B1)
9. Russia - 7th Tank Division (T-47 Tsiklon)
10. Latvia - No.4 Company of the Latvian Mechanised Brigade (SPzr Panther)
11. Bulgaria - 1st Armoured Brigade (T44/85A3 Luvitsa)
12. Germany - Panzerdivision 2 – Vienna (Pzkw. Panther)
13. Russia - 1st Independent Mechanized Brigade (T-47 Tsiklon)
14. Russia - 6th Heavy Tank Brigade (T-47 Tsiklon)
15. Nordmark - Skaraborgs pansarregemente (Stridsvagn 48)
16. Netherlands - 4th Panser Regiment (4x Dutch T-44)
17. France - 1er Régiment de Dragons de Marine (AMX-32E1)



FLYING COLUMN
-- Overview: A team of two armoured infantry carriers and mounted infantry squad conduct a timed cross-country drive through obstacles, ending on a shooting range for the vehicle and embarked infantry. Mounted infantry teams have to consist of at least five individuals per vehicle, including one rifle grenadier, one sharpshooter, and one machine gunner. The vehicles have to be armed with a machine gun and be armoured against small arms fire. (Tracked, half-tracked, and wheeled vehicles are permitted equally.) Teams may bring vehicles of their choice or be provided with Russian BTR-152s.
-- Defending Champion: Russia (BTR-152, 14th Guards Mechanized Brigade).
-- Location: Volkhov
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Dragun's Medallion and five thousand rubles prize money.

1. Belgium - 12th Regiment of the Line (VUC-2 tracked carriers)
2. Germany - 1st Armoured Cavalry Regiment
3. Great Britain - 1st East Riding Yeomanry (Carrier Tracked No.2 Mk I Oxford)
4. France - 339e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine
5. Russia - 1st Zaporozhye Cossack Cavalry Division
6. Nordmark - Pansarbandvagn 201
7. Atlantis - Army Team 1 (2x Transall APCs)
8. France - 7e Division d'Infanterie mécanisée
9. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
10. Russia - 2nd Mechanized Division
11. Bulgaria - 2nd Armoured Brigade
12. Atlantis - Corsairs Team 1 (2x Pierce-Arrow Ranger Scout Cars)
13. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
14. Netherlands - 12 Infanteriebataljon Regiment Stoottroepen (DAF GD-46 6x6 APCs)
15. Great Britain - 1st Battalion, 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers (Carrier Tracked No.2 Mk I Oxford)
16. Russia - 14th Guards Mechanized Brigade
17. Atlantis - Army Team 2 (2x Pierce-Arrow 350s)
18. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade



PIONEER'S CHALLENGE
-- Overview: Tests the skills of combat engineers in building a four-span pontoon bridge (capable of bearing tanks), clearing a roadway through a forested area, and constructing defensive trenches, laying a (dud) minefield, barbed wire obstacles, and a timber-roofed bunker to a set of specifications. Maximum team size is set at fifteen men.
-- Defending Champion: Germany (Infanteriedivision 1 - Prussians).
-- Location: Rzhev
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Pioneer's Medallion and four thousand rubles prize money.

1. Belgium - 2nd d’Anvers Fortress Regiment
2. Atlantis - Team 2
3. Czechoslovakia
4. Russia - 75th Light Engineering Battalion of 15th Rifle Division
5. Netherlands - Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers
6. Germany - Pionier Battalion of Infanteriedivision 1 (Prussians)
7. Atlantis - Team 1
8. Yugoslavia - 110th Engineer Battalion, Second Infantry Division
9. France
10. Russia - 252nd Motor Engineer Battalion of 36th Rifle Division
11. Poland - 11th Sapper Battalion (11th Infantry Division)
12. Russia - 16th Engineer-Sapper Battalion of 54th Rifle Division



SAPPER'S CHALLENGE
-- Overview: Tests the skills of combat engineers in demolishing a series of barbed wire obstacles, a tank trap, and a concrete bunker, followed by sweeping a (dud) minefield. Maximum team size is set at fifteen men.
-- Defending Champion: Poland (11th Sapper Battalion - 11th Infantry Division).
-- Location: Rzhev
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Sapper's Medallion and four thousand rubles prize money.

1. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
2. Poland - 11th Sapper Battalion (11th Infantry Division)
3. Netherlands - Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers
4. Belgium - 1st Régiment des Chasseurs Ardennais
5. Yugoslavia - 110th Engineer Battalion, Second Infantry Division
6. Russia - 9th Sapper Battalion of 26th Rifle Division
7. Russia - 16th Engineer-Sapper Battalion of 54th Rifle Division
8. Germany - Pionier Battalion of Infanteriedivision 1 (Prussians)
9. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
10. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
11. Atlantis - Team 2
12. France
13. Russia - 320th Sapper Battalion of 2nd Rifle Division
14. Atlantis - Team 1
15. France



CLOSE SUPPORT
-- Overview: Tests the skills of mortar crews in transporting a mortar across unimproved terrain and then firing at a variety of target. Teams can bring their own mortars or be provided with a French Brandt Mle 27/31 (81mm) mortar.
-- Defending Champion: New event.
-- Location: Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy, Petrograd
-- Prize: Winning team receives the gold Mortarist's Medallion and four thousand rubles prize money.

1. France - 8e Division d'infanterie
2. France - 17e Division d'infanterie
3. Belgium - Regiment Carabiniers Prins Boudewijn – Grenadiers (81mm M1927 Brandt)
4. Germany - Infanteriedivision 9 (Hessians)
5. Russia - 4th Motorized Rifle Division
6. Atlantis - Team 2 (Pierce-Arrow 350s + 81mm mortar)
7. Netherlands - Regiment Infanterie Oranje Gelderland (81mm M1927 Brandt)
8. Atlantis - Team 1 (Pierce-Arrow 350s + 81mm mortar)
9. France - 29e Division Alpine
10. Great Britain - 3rd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers (3in Mortar No.1 Mk II)
11. Atlantis - Team 3 (Pierce-Arrow 350s + 81mm mortar)
12. Russia - 25th Rifle Division
13. Japan - Devil Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
14. Japan - Vulture Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
15. Russia - 17th Motorized Rifle Division
16. Japan - Angel Regiment, Special Operations Brigade
17. Great Britain - 1st East Riding Yeomanry (3in Mortar No.1 Mk II)



THUNDERBOLT
-- Overview: Tests the skills of artillerists in transporting a field howitzer across unimproved terrain and then firing at a target 7km away. Teams could bring their own equipment or be provided with a Russian truck and 76mm regimental howitzer.
-- Defending Champion: Yugoslavia (17th Independent Artillery Regiment).
-- Location: Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy, Petrograd
-- Prize: Winning team receives custody of a silver 105mm shell (provided by the Bulgarian Army) for one year and four thousand rubles prize money.

1. Bulgaria - 3rd Artillery Regiment
2. Yugoslavia - 17th Independent Artillery Regiment (M40 Field Gun-Howitzer + Novi Sad M46 Tractor)
3. Netherlands - 1st Regiment Korps Veldartillerie (1x Brossels TAL + 1x Royal Armoury 105mm L42 M1943)
4. Russia - 2nd Guards Airborne Artillery Regiment
5. France - 35e Regiment d'artillerie leger parachutistes
6. Atlantis - Team 2 (Pierce-Arrow 350 truck + 75/36/1933 field gun)
7. France - 35e Regiment d'artillerie leger parachutistes
8. Atlantis - Team 1 (Pierce-Arrow 350 truck + 75/36/1933 field gun)
9. Bulgaria - 7th Artillery Regiment
10. Germany - Infanteriedivision 9 (Hessians) - 10.5cm leichte Feldhaubitze 44
11. Russia - 384th Light Artillery Regiment of 193rd Rifle Division
12. Great Britain - 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (1x Field Artillery Tractor 4x4 Morris C8 ‘Quad’ + 1 Ordnance QF 25pdr Mk I)
13. France - 35e Regiment d'artillerie leger parachutistes
14. Russia - Artillery Reserve of the Supreme High Command
15. Netherlands - 3rd Regiment Korps Veldartillerie (1x Brossels TAL + 1x Royal Armoury 105mm L42 M1943)



EQUESTRIAN PATROL
-- Overview: Tests the skills of military horsemen in a patrol, obstacle course, and team relay. Team had to consist of at least ten horses and riders.
-- Defending Champion: Belgium (2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment).
-- Location: Volkhov
-- Prize: Winning team receives custody of a small silver Horseman's Trophy for one year and four thousand rubles prize money.

1. Poland - 26th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment
2. Russia - 1st Zaporozhe Cossack Cavalry Division
3. Belgium - 2/4th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment
4. Atlantis - Team 3
5. Atlantis - Team 1
6. Poland - 4th Cavalry Brigade
7. Atlantis - Team 2
8. Poland - 19th Volhynian Uhlan Regiment
9. Russia - Kuban Cavalry Division
10. Great Britain - The Life Guards
11. Great Britain - The Blues
12. Russia - 1st Mountain Cavalry Division

Notes to the above:

Remember the results are generated by random number generator. I do fiddle with the results (very slightly) to ensure that no country is sweeping the entire event, but this is again done randomly.

I was just wondering the other day about the military games.
Some interesting outcomes, especially the Belgian fortress troops being the best at digging big holes in the ground!

Quoted from "Hood"

I was just wondering the other day about the military games.

Yeah - it was sitting 90% complete in my work folder for probably most of a year. But for one reason or another, I never started writing 1949 Russian news, and thus never posted the results.

At one point I think I had different randomized results, but when I went to look at my file yesterday, the results were blank. So I started again with a clean sheet.

Quoted from "Hood"

Some interesting outcomes, especially the Belgian fortress troops being the best at digging big holes in the ground!

Yup, there are a few like that which just make a lot of sense!

The Yugoslavians and the Atlanteans also had a pretty good year, too.

The Romanovs

As has been mentioned previously, the Romanov family was exiled from Russia in 1917, avoiding the Russian Civil War. As a result of this, the historical murder of the family by the Bolsheviks did not happen. This post covers the immediate descendants of the former Tsar.

Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov - (b.1868)
Former Tsar Nikolai lives in a splendid house by the sea in Tangier, which he rarely leaves, preferring a high degree of solitude and isolation, often being unseen for months or years at a time. There have been rumors - unsubstantiated, of course - that Nikolai made some sort of 'secret deal' with one of the past Russian governments that he would discourage any Russian royalist movements in exchange for (depending on the rumormonger) money, safety, or some combination of the two.

Alexandra Feodorovna / Alix of Hesse and the Rhine - (b.1872, d.1943)
Former Empress of Russia Alexandra (previously known as Princess Alix of Hesse and the Rhine) remained with her husband in exile. While Nikolai preferred isolation, Alexandra occasionally took foreign trips to visit relatives. She passed away of natural causes in September of 1943.

Second Generation

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (b.1895)
The oldest daughter of Tsar Nikolai. She served as a nurse during the Great War until she suffered a mental breakdown, whereupon she worked in administrative duties. She married Petar Baranov, a Russian army officer, in 1920, following the family's exile. The couple has one child:
-- Xenia Petrova Baranova (b.1928)

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna (b.1897)
The second-oldest daughter of Tsar Nikolai. In 1919, she married Dmitri Malama, an officer in the Imperial Russian Cavalry, following the family's exile. The couple has four children:
-- Anna Dmitrova Malama (b.1921)
-- Maria Dmitrova Malama (b.1928)
-- Evgeniy Dmitrov Malama (b.1929)
-- Zoya Dmitrova Malama (b.1933)

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (b.1899)
The third daughter of Tsar Nikolai. In 1918, shortly after her family fled into exile, she married Vasily Smirnov, a Russian expatriate living in France since 1911. Maria's courtship was very swift, and caused significant tensions with her mother Alexandra. At the time of their marriage, Smirnov had a reputation as a gambler and ladies' man, although this reputation faded quickly after the couple's marriage. They live in Paris, although Smirnov spends time traveling for buisiness, making them some of the most visible of the Romanovs. The couple has five children:
-- Ekaterina Vasiliyeva Smirnova (b.1919)
-- Tsetsiliya Vasiliyeva Smirnova (b.1922)
-- Grigoriy Vasiliyev Smirnov (b.1923)
-- Petar Vasiliyev Smirnov (b.1925)
-- Mikhail Vasiliyev Smirnov (b.1927)

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna (b.1901)
The fourth and youngst daughter of Tsar Nikolai. In 1920, she married a Russian architect, Dimitri Orlov, who fled Russia at the same time as the Romanov family. They currently live in Paris. The couple has five children.
-- Aleksey Dimitrov Orlov (b.1923)
-- Eduard Dimitrov Orlov (b.1928)
-- Ivan Dimitrov Orlov (b.1929)
-- Kolya Dimitrov Orlov (b.1930)
-- Yelizaveta Dimitrova Orlov (b.1932)

Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich (b.1904)
The only son of Tsar Nikolai, who would have eventually inherited the crown of the Russian Empire. Alexei works as a pilot for Air France. In 1929, he married Chloé Legendre, a young French-Algerian classical pianist. They currently live in Paris, although they regularly visit family in Tangiers and Algiers. The couple has two children:
-- Pavel Alexeiv Romanov (b.1930)
-- Natasha Alexeva Romanova (b.1932)

Third Generation

Xenia Petrova Baranova (b.1928)
The only daughter (and only child) of Grand Duchess Olga and her husband, Petar Baranov. Married King Petar of Yugoslavia in 1949, and became queen consort of Yugoslavia.

Anna Dmitrova Malama (b.1921)
The oldest daughter of Grand Duchess Tatiana and her husband, Dmitri Malama. Married a Danish naval officer and submariner, Orlogskaptajn Per Gram, in 1945. They live in Korsør, Denmark. The couple have three children:
-- Karl and Klara Gram (twins) (b.1948)
-- Oskar Gram (b.1949)

Maria Dmitrova Malama (b.1927)
The second daughter of Grand Duchess Tatiana and her husband, Dmitri Malama. She works as a model and actress (although she has yet to hold any major roles in any motion picture).

Evgeniy Dmitrov Malama (b.1929)
The third child and only son of Grand Duchess Tatiana and her husband, Dmitri Malama. He is currently attending the Institut d'études politiques de Paris, and will graduate in 1950.

Zoya Dmitrova Malama (b.1933)
The third daughter of Grand Duchess Tatiana and her husband, Dmitri Malama. She is currently a student in the French education system.

Ekaterina Vasiliyeva Smirnova (b.1919)
The oldest daughter of Grand Duchess Maria and her husband, Vasily Smirnov. Between 1937 and 1941, she attended the Institut d'études politiques de Paris. After her graduation, she worked for Madeline Barthelemy (the first woman elected mayor of Dijon). When M. Barthelemy was appointed French Minister of Finance, Ekaterina followed her to the Ministry of Finance as part of Mde. Barthelemy's personal staff. She married Robert Thierry , a French physicist, in 1946; since that time she has gone under the French variant of her name, Catherine Smirnov-Thierry. In 1948, she resigned in order to run for Parliament as part of the Union pour la Démocratie Française (Union for French Democracy) representing the Côte-d'Or department. She lives in Dijon.

Tsetsiliya Vasiliyeva Smirnova (b.1922)
The second daughter of Grand Duchess Maria and her husband, Vasily Smirnov. Tsetsiliya initially tried a career as a fashion designer, but found relatively little success. In 1943, she married French footballer Pascal Jaouen (FC Monaco). They live in Monaco. The couple has one child:
-- Rémy Jaouen (b.1948)

Grigoriy Vasiliyev Smirnov (b.1923)
The third child and first son of Grand Duchess Maria and her husband, Vasily Smirnov. He attended the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr prior to joining the French Foreign Legion, currently holding the rank of Capitaine, assigned to the 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie in Djibouti, using the name "Christophe Diamond". He married Tali Benayoun, a French-Algerian, in 1949.

Petar Vasiliyev Smirnov (b.1925)
The fourth child and second son of Grand Duchess Maria and her husband, Vasily Smirnov. He attended the Solvay Brussels School of Economics in Belgium, graduating in 1946. He currently works in the French banking industry. He is engaged to the Belgian-born Zoé Grange.

Mikhail Vasiliyev Smirnov (b.1927)
The fifth child and third sone of Grand Duchess Maria and her husband, Vasily Smirnov. He has something of a reputation amongst his family as irresponsible. He attended one year of university before deciding to sail up the Amazon River. He chronicled his adventures in his first book. In 1948, he re-entered Russia with a false passport in order to propose (without success) to Moscow ballerina Yeléna Borodina, which resulted in his arrest and deportation. In 1949, he bicycled across Persia, which will be the subject of his second book, scheduled for publication in January 1950. He has expressed the wish to climb the highest mountains on all seven continents.

Aleksey Dimitrov Orlov (b.1923)
The first son of Grand Duchess Anastasia and her husband, Dimitri Orlov. He gained some prominence as a men's figure skater, participating in some solo performances, but was best known for pairs skating with the Atlantean-born skater Alekto Iacchus. They married in 1948, spending summers in Palinerus (Atlantis) and winters in France.

Eduard Dimitrov Orlov (b.1928)
The second son of Grand Duchess Anastasia and her husband, Dimitri Orlov. He attended the École de l'air at Salon-de-Provence, graduating in 1949 with the rank of Sous-Lieutenant. He is currently deployed in Groupe de Chasse II/10, flying the Dassault Ouragan I, from Kép Air Base in Indochina.

Ivan Dimitrov Orlov (b.1929)
The third son of Grand Duchess Anastasia and her husband, Dimitri Orlov. He is currently attending the medical program at the Université de Montpellier.

Kolya Dimitrov Orlov (b.1930)
The fourth son of Grand Duchess Anastasia and her husband, Dimitri Orlov. He is currently attending an unknown university in France.

Yelizaveta Dimitrova Orlov (b.1932)
The fifth child and only daughter of Grand Duchess Anastasia and her husband, Dimitri Orlov. She is currently finishing her education, but is known to be a practicioner of savate. In May 1949, she climbed Mont Blanc with her older brothers Eduard and Kolya.

Pavel Alexeiv Romanov (b.1930)
The first child of Grand Duke Alexei and his wife, Chloé Legendre-Romanov. He has just entered the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr as a cadet.

Natasha Alexeva Romanova (b.1932)
The second child of Grand Duke Alexei and his wife, Chloé Legendre-Romanov. She is currently finishing her primary education.

Excerpts from the Reports of the British Naval Attache
Excerpts from the official reports of Commander Michael Denny, RN, British Naval Attache to the Russian Federation, Q1 / 1949

New Construction in the Russian Federation - January
Highlights:
-- Attended keel-laying ceremonies for two Varyag-class heavy cruisers and aircraft carrier Kaliakra.
-- Russian shipbuilding strategy continues to emphasize building carriers in trios: one smaller carrier equipped with a fighter and scout loadout, and two larger strike carriers equipped with heavier strike groups. Kaliakra is clearly intended to be the battle-carrier, and two follow-on strike carriers of a different design are clearly planned. The Kaliakra's design shows significant evidence of having an armoured deck, imitating the Azov and Reval classes.
-- Received permission to view shipyards in Archangel constructing the two Orfei-class ships. Was not able to attend keel-laying ceremonies, but visited several weeks afterward. By request of MI5, I investigated rumors that the ships are repeats of the Admiral Lazarev-class missile ships. This does not appear to be the case, and the two vessels are apparently intended as fast minelayer cruisers, armed with mere 3.9" guns. Construction is moving quite quickly. The second ship is allegedly named Evstafi.
-- Russians declined permission for me to view the construction of the three Tashkent-class destroyers, also in Archangel. However, while travelling to the shipyard to tour the Orfei and Evstafi, I spotted a twin 3.9" gun turret being moved by railcar near the covered shipyard where Tashkent is building. This may be a turret for Orfei, but may indicate that the Russians have chosen to arm their latest destroyer with a significantly lighter armament than their previous Serdityi and Udaloi class vessels. Since the Russians have not released any stated specifications for these ships, it is difficult to draw conclusions based on the information available at this time.

Report from a tour of Nikolayev Naval Academy - March
In February and March, I was provided an opportunity to visit the Nikolayev Naval Academy in Petrograd, where the Russian Navy undertakes advanced officer training. I was able to sit in a lecture by Russian historian Doktor (nauk) Evgeniy Tsvetayev on the actions of Admiral Duncan prior to and during Camperdown. Tsvetayev lectured for approximately four hours, during which two assistants maneuvered ship markers on a map table to demonstrate the maneuvers of the respective fleets. After the conclusion of the lecture, the thirty students engaged in a spirited discussion, which continued even as several of their number, led by Captain Second Class Filitov and Captain Second Class Talonov, replayed the scenario using wargaming rules. Talonov, acting in the role of the British commander for this game, performed with magnificent aggression but was let down by the junior commander of his leeward division, which allowed significant elements of Filitov's Dutch fleet to escape capture. My guide, Counter-Admiral Panteleyev, noted to me afterward that Talonov was executive officer of the Admiral Kolchak, and will soon be assigned to the destroyer Sokrushitelnyi, which is regarded as a plum assignment amongst the officers of the Baltic Fleet.

Observations on the Russian Submarine Arm - March
Sirs - you have asked me to pay especial attention to the recent developments in the Russian submarine forces, particularly in regards to the coastal submarines ordered in France. From discussion with Rear-Admiral Lunin, one of the leading submarine commanders within the VMF Rossii, I anticipate that the Russians have probably ordered at least twenty of the Kibela-class submarines, and these are all likely bound for the Baltic Fleet.

You of course will be quite aware of the growth of the Russian submarine fleet over the last two years, beginning with the twenty large Project 78 "Barracuda" class oceanic submarines, designed with the latest technologies available to Russian submarine manufacturers. Similar technological input was placed in the smaller Project 86 "Kosatki" submarines, although I have only confirmed construction of ten of these vessels, which seem to be bound for the Russian Pacific Fleet. Thus, the Russians will almost certainly have ordered fifty submarines of various classes within the last two and a half years.

However, all indications from observation of operational units, as well as discussions with Russian submariners such as Rear Admiral Lunin, leads me to conclude that almost all of these new submarines are intended as replacements for aging units. Lunin stated in private conversation that the Kibela-class submarines will be sent to the 1st and 2nd Submarine Flotillas, in Kronshtadt and Tallinn respectively. It this is true, they will almost certainly displace the Project 41 "Bezmolvniy II" coastal submarines currently used by those formations, with crews transferred from the older submarines.

I believe the same process might be under consideration for the 8th Submarine Flotilla in Murmansk, which could potentially replace its twenty-year-old Project 23 "Molchkom" class submarines for the final "Barracuda" type fleet submarines. If this is indeed the case, however, it represents a substantial upgrade to the submarine striking arm of the Northern Fleet, as it exchanges coastal submarines of marginal anti-shipping capability for an oceanic submarine with much greater staying power in a commerce-raiding role.

Looking forward, I predict that the Russian Navy may order even more "Kibela"-type coastal submarines, potentially another twenty units, to upgrade the Black Sea Fleet, which has been similarly equipped to the Baltic Fleet with twenty "Bezmolvniy II" type submarines. Alternatively, the Russians may prefer the larger, air-conditioned French Aréthuse-class (as the French themselves prefer for the Mediterranean).

In terms of tactics, the majority of Russian submariners in the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets view their tasks primarily as area-denial and protection of friendly coastlines. This fits very well with their use of small, short-ranged submarines, carrying only a few reload torpedoes, which are suited for only a few days at sea. My direct observation of the 1st Submarine Flotilla (Kronshtadt) shows that the Russians usually send one submarine to sea every day, with the boats returning after three to five days at sea; the crews then take leave and conduct maintenance before their next cruise. Some boats, due to maintenance needs, may spend several weeks in port. In this way, the 1st Flotilla maintains approximately three submarines at sea at any given moment. Operational behavior for the 2nd Flotilla in Tallinn appears to be roughly similar, although the submarines there may range further, possibly to the southeast of Gotland. It should be noted, however, that the submariners in the Baltic get much less time at sea than raw figures might suggest, as the submarines largely remain at dockside during the winters, due to sea-ice on the Baltic. Neverthless, this does occasionally happen, although the submarines are accompanied by icebreakers, and remain surfaced for the duration of their cruise.

Although I have been unable to observe operations of the Black Sea Fleet's submarines, some evidence leads me to conclude their cruises may last up to seven days, with both the 4th and 5th Submarine Flotillas attempting to keep at least five of their twenty submarines on patrol at any given time. Naval observers from Turkey and Bulgaria, in personal discussions over the past few months, commented that Russian submarines "occasionally" operate as far as Cape Sinop and Cape Kaliakra, but this does not sound particularly common.

Operational patterns for the submarines of the Northern Fleet are substantially different, however. With the exception of the coastal submarines of the 8th Submarine Flotilla, all of the Northern Fleet submarines based at Polyarny are oceanic types, being forty boats in number. These submarines are grouped under the overall command of Rear Admiral Lunin, an officer of some skill whose opinion is highly regarded by the Naval Staff. From my observations late last summer, these submarines tend to go to sea as a unit, with seven to ten boats sailing over the course of a day or two, and staying at sea for three to four weeks at a time. They often return as a unit as well, and then spend up to four weeks conducting necessary maintenance. Like much of the Northern Fleet, they spend large parts of the winter inactive, conducting longer maintenance, although exceptions are of course relatively common.

I have not been able to make any personal observation of the Russian Pacific Fleet's submarines; this is unfortunate, as the Pacific Fleet possesses more submarines than the other divisions, with fifty-five currently deployed (per official RF Naval Staff statements). Ten of these submarines of the 20th Flotilla are oceanic types (of the Project 64 "Dolphin" type), and based in Petropavlovsk. This likely implies a posture versus Japan, although they are theoretically capable of operations against the Canadian and American Pacific coastlines. The new "Kosatki" type submarines are based in Vladivostok as part of the 14th Flotilla, and although they are officially called coastal submarines, they displace only slightly less than the oceanic Project 64 types. It may be too early to draw conclusions about the operational patterns of the 14th Flotilla, since only five of the ten submarines are operational. However, I am told by Rear Admiral Lunin that several officers from the Northern Fleet have been sent to oversee the commissioning of the 14th Flotilla, including Captain I. Fisanovich, who drew significant attention in the Russian naval press by taking K-39 to the American east coast in late 1947. All of this information leads me to belive that the 14th Flotilla will most likely follow the same operational protocols as the Northern Fleet ocean submarines. Their base in Vladivostok is indicative of a posture against China, Korea, and Japan. I believe we will need to wait several more months before we can observe what operational effects this might have. The remaining submarines in Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk are indisputably coastal types, and probably follow the same protocols as the boats in the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets.

The Russian Pacific Fleet does not deploy any submarines from their naval base at Cam Rahn Bay. I feel this is an interesting choice, since the coastal submarines of the Project 53 "Besshumniy" class, organized in the 18th and 19th Submarine Flotillas, are poorly positioned at Petropavlovsk; they are too far from Japan to materially affect operations against Japanese coastal trade. When I questioned Rear Admiral Lunin about this, he responded with the notation that the Project 53s lack air conditioning and other tropicalization equipment, and would likely have significant issues if redeployed to Cam Rahn Bay. It thus may be interesting that the "Kosatki" type submarines are fairly well-equipped for warmer climates.

I am unable to determine with any degree of precision the level of technical cooperation amongst the various submarine arms of the Grand Alliance. Significant technical collaboration is absolutely certain, as is clear from the joint French and German design of the Emeraude / Type XXI class; the export of French Cybèle class submarines to Russia represents another data-point. German submarine specialist Captain Wolfgang Heyda visited the Russian Northern Fleet in January, visiting with Rear Admiral Lunin and others (possibly including Capt. Fisanovich before his departure to the Pacific Fleet). I have not been able to acquire any details of his visit.

Three senior and well-regarded Russian submarine designers, namely Professor Boris Mikhaylovich Malinin, Abram Samuilovich Kassatsier, and Vladimir Nikolayevich Peregudov, are known to have traveled, either together or separately, to France on seven different occasions within the last twelve months. Malinin is the designer responsible for the Delfin and Barracuda type submarines, while Peregudov was the senior designer for the Kosatki type. Two French engineers from DCNS (including Yves Picard) and a senior officer of the STCN have made reciprocal visits to Malinin's design bureau in Petrograd. This strongly indicates that a major Franco-Russian project might be underway at the present time, incorporating the aggregate expertise of the seniormost submarine experts of both countries. These ties may perhaps be attributed to the Russian purchase of Cybèle-class coastal submarines from DCNS, but the tempo of the visits does not indicate this is the case.

On the topic of cooperation, it is interesting to note that Russian submarines have never been observed to operate with the Franco-Russo-German Exercise Pioneer, although German submarines have operated with the joint forces. Given that the Russians have only recently started upgrading the submarines of the Baltic Fleet, this might indicate that they do not feel their current units were competitive against German surface ASW units

That's a really nice write up and very informative.

An excellent, information-packed item. Well written, by a perceptive observer. :thumbsup:

Thanks. I have a few more in process, but I decided to group these Q1 comments and get them out the door.

Excerpts from the Reports of the British Naval Attache
Excerpts from the official reports of Commander Michael Denny, RN, British Naval Attache to the Russian Federation, Q2 / 1949

Remarks About Russo-Nordish Relations - May
Spoke at length with the Nordish naval attache Skule Storheill last night during a reception at the French embassy. Storheill asked about my opinion of Mr. Churchill's comments in Parliament from the 10th, which have been circulated here in the local English-language paper. Storheill offered some comments about Russo-Nordish relations which I feel bear passing along.

Storheill noted the current political regime in Petrograd seems very dedicated to maintaining excellent relations with Stockholm, building off the 1933 Stockholm Treaty of Nonaggression. A number of economic deals have been forged between the two powers within the tenure of President Fyodorov, and the Nordish government feels these agreements have been particularly satisfactory - indeed, the observation is that the Russians have often allowed Nordish business a level of economic access which is not always available even to their German allies. In the trade agreement signed last October, the Nordish government felt they had to make only one serious compromise (building a railway line in the Russian broad gauge between Petrograd and Helsinki) while the Russians compromised on several significantly larger issues. Storheill believes this trade imbalance, which is very much in favor of Nordmark, is part of a high-level strategy by Petrograd to ease any Nordish strategic concerns .

Indeed, in any conflict against Nordmark, the Russians would have much to lose on the economic front. From one example offered by Storheill, the Nordish-based company SKF supplies almost a quarter of the industrial ball-bearings used in the construction of Russian naval, aviation, and ground equipment. Nordish-controlled firms in Germany, Britain, the United States and elsewhere provide another quarter. The Russians have invested significant efforts in developing their own native manufacturing capacity, but they have not matched the price or quality of SKF-supplied product. Indeed, one of the major compromises the Russians made with their agreement last October was selling one of the government-owned ball bearing factories, GPZ of Krivoy Rog in Ukraine, to SKF.

Overall, Storheill noted his own professional opinion, gleaned from his nearly two years of experience in Petrograd, that the Russians seem keen to put as little material in the Baltic and Black Seas as possible while still accomplishing their basic missions. The overall Russian mindset is that of a European culture with intense Asian interests; other European states such as Nordmark and Great Britain are viewed as potential allies rather than adversaries. It is indisputable that the Russians have war plans written for fighting other European powers. In our conversation, Storheill rattled off several war plan names assigned by the Russian General Staff for precisely this purpose. He specifically noted that the Russian plan for war with Britain was code-named "Titanomakhiya" (Titanomachy), while the plan for Nordmark was code-named Carolina. Storheill was unable to provide me with further details, but hinted that MI5 likely possessed all of the same information as Nordish intelligence.

I shared with Captain Storheill my own personal observation of Russian attitudes and planning. He felt fairly confident with my assessment that the Russian Navy and the senior politicians in the Russian Ministry of Defense do not view themselves as preparing for war with another European power, Great Britain principal among them. Storheill related one conversation with a senior Russian naval officer, whose name he declined to share, who commented in a recent conversation that "[the Russian Navy] could fight the British, but we don't want to, and have no reason..."

Storheill did confirm a rumour I have heard about the "skirmishes" of Nordish and Russian submarines and ASW ships in the Baltic Sea. These highly-informal events are seen as a game between the two navies, and date back at least five years, and possibly much longer. If the Royal Nordish Navy spots a Russian submarine, they will detach an antisubmarine sloop to intercept the boat. The Russian submariners then practice all of their tricks to shake the Nord, who will aggressively hunt them if they can. When the sloop captain feels he has maneuvered into position for a "kill", they will call "Fick dig!" ("Gotcha") over the underwater telephone. Sometimes it is instead the submarine captain who has had enough, and he will surface and stop his engines. Once this 'duel' is completed, the submarine and sloop will both heave-to and exchange cases of alcohol, of which spare quantities are carried for precisely this purpose. The Russian surface vessels do the same for any Nordish submarines they encounter.

Apparently, these encounters happen regularly enough that the submarine and destroyer captains in both navies have gained more than a passing familiarity with each other, and have developed backdoor systems for . Storheill revealed that he receives the occasional telephone call from the Russian naval base at Tallinn. A Russian officer will say "I will be south of Hanko on Friday - can you ask Captain So-and-so to show up, if he can?" Storheill also fields messages from Nordish officers who ask the Russians to send an adversary to a particular area. The Nekmangrund (off the Russian Estonian island of Hiiumaa) and the Kopparstenarna (north of Gotland) have both developed reputations as meeting-grounds for these impromptu games.

The Russian destroyer Nizhny Novgorod has developed quite a formidable reputation in these impromptu games, and her captain, Yevgeniy Pervachev, is known as the "Black Cat of Tallinn" by the Nordish submariners. The Nordish submarine HNoMS G-8 received the sobriquet "the Gotland Ghost" among the Russians. The Nordish destroyers of the brand-new Öland-class (particularly HNoMS Ångermanland and HNoMS Österbotten) have also reputedly made a favorable impression upon the Russians. When I visit Tallinn in July, I hope to hear more of the Russian opinion of these destroyers, since Storheill viewed them quite favorably. The Nords are quite keen to see how the Ölands fare against the Kibela-class submarines (soon to be delivered from France) and Storheill noted that the first Nordish captain to 'bag' one has been promised a Medal of Merit.

This information from Captain Storheill would seem to confirm, at a glance, the experience of HMS Wolverine last year, when she encountered the Russian destroyers in the Baltic. Should our submarine captains venture into these waters again, it may be important to provide them with more thorough information about this Russo-Nordish behavior, either to observe their different units at work or to avoid their unwelcome attentions.

It seems incontravertable that both the Russian and Nordish navies have used these informal skirmishes as a method both of training and intelligence-gathering. I find it somewhat incredible to believe that either navy would tolerate its junior officers breaking operational security to arrange, by telephone, an informal rendezvous with one of their potential adversaries. I hope to learn more in July when I visit Tallinn.



Amur River Flotilla - June
Following some private remarks I made to the French naval attache Captain Philippot earlier in May, I received an invitation to visit the Russian Far East and the Amur River Flotilla. I traveled with Captain Philippot, whose assistance and knowledge of the Russian language proved extremely helpful. The German attache was reportedly to join us as well, but was forced to reschedule due to illness.

The main purpose of our visit was an visit to the Amur River Flotilla, which is a brand-new formation organized to patrol the Amur River and its tributaries, which together form a very sizeable portion of the border with China. We took the Trans-Siberian Railway and disembarked in the Russian city of Khabarovsk, which is located at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, both of which serve as border boundaries with China; China's eastern-most geographic point is close by, just upstream of Khabarovsk. The Amur in this region is a very formidable watercourse, and it is crossed solely by a single railway bridge as well as a tunnel under the river, both located at Khabarovsk; there are no other permanent river crossings until 1,300 miles upstream (where the Trans-Manchurian Railway crosses the border). It is for this reason that Khabarovsk represents a crucial point of defense for the Russian Federation. During my visit to the area, I saw many signs that the region is very well-defended, with prepared troop bunkers and aggresive patrols by Russian fighter jets of the Lavochkin type.

Prior to April, the Amur and Ussuri rivers were patrolled primarily by a variety of shallow-draft vessels from the Russian Pacific Fleet. The principal vessels employed in this duty were the Gostinitsa patrol boats from Okha, as well as AS-27 subchasers, the latter being preferred for their light displacement and shallow draft. The subchaser and patrol boat crews reportedly found duty on the river patrols somewhat odious, distracting them from what they felt were more important duties. However, the Naval Staff apparently deemed this suitable for many years, although I am told that purpose-built riverine craft were requested on multiple occasions. In the aftermath of the Bering Strait Incident with China, this request finally found traction with RF Naval Staff. Neither Captain Philippot nor the Russian officers I have spoken with were able to explain why this change was not considered previously, but Philippot suspects the reasons were probably political in order to avoid Chinese protests. I myself remain unconvinced, as the Russians have rarely been shy about deploying units wherever they please. Regardless of the reasons, they have now changed quite decisively, and the Russian Navy is clearly intent on building a sizeable riverine force here on the Amur. Plans for dedicated riverine vessels were drawn up last year, and construction started in earnest on the first of April - perhaps encouraged along by the most recent tensions between Europeans and China.

Upon our arrival in Khabarovsk we were acquainted with the commander of the Flotilla, Captain First Class Bulygin, who had only been informed of our visit the previous day. Although he extended us every courtesy, Bulygin was called to meet with his commanding officers in Vladivostok and was not present for most of our visit. My overall opinion of the man is that he seems to be a decent mid-level officer for the construction of a riverine naval base, competent in basic maintenance and logistics, but otherwise very average and not possessed of any particularly inspirational talents.

Due to Bulygin's enforced absence, Captain Philippot and I ended up in the care of Senior Lieutenant Svetlana Kaledina, the commander of the armoured patrol boat Bureya. Kaledina is a formidable young lady-officer in her mid twenties, hailing from the Don Cossack Host. Previously, she served for three years as a gun turret commander with the coastal artillery on Little Diomede Island. Kaledina possesses a strong sense of personal authority and responsibility which would be a credit to any junior naval officer, even in the Royal Navy, although I found her technical acumen somewhat lacking outside of her specific specialties.

The crew of Bureya dress in the manner of Russian tank crews or naval infantry rather than naval ratings. Small arms are extremely common among all crewmembers, not only of the Bureya but also the other gunboats as well. Lieutenant Kaledina, apparently as a matter of course, wore her Cossack sword, a pair of Tokarev pistols, and a commando dagger; she also often carried a PPS submachine gun during a patrol. Kaledina's second-in-command Junior Lieutenant Evelina Aladina (of the Crimean Tatars) carried a pistol, knife, and several grenades. The rest of Bureya's crew was armed with various other small arms, and all crewmembers had easy access to PPS submachine guns. The crew exercises daily with their small arms, both in marksmanship as well as boarding and counter-boarding tactics. All of the crews, both male and female, also train regularly in hand-to-hand combat.

I cannot stress highly enough the level of emphasis which the Russian junior officers have placed upon the proficiency of their crews in boarding, counter-boarding, and small arms skills. I inquired to Lieutenant Kaledina about why she and the other junior officers place such single-minded emphasis on small arms and martial training. Kaledina pointed out that Chinese attackers probably would not respect the female officers and sailors of the Amur Flotilla, should a conflict break out, and might perceive them being weaker than their male counterparts on other boats. Thus, Kaledina and the other female officers determined to fight any attackers "without surrender, to the death" in order to ensure they were never taken prisoner by the Chinese. Having observed their training sessions, I would hesitate to risk any British sailors in a boarding action contested by these wildcats.

At present, the Russians have already placed three different types of craft in service in the Amur Flotilla. The largest and earliest of these three designs is the "Project 84 Alexandrite" river icebreakers, although these are not viewed as combatants. The next largest type is the Type 501 "Leopard" armoured cutter, while the smallest, a fast patrol boat, is also apparently called the Type 501. All of these types are worth evaluating in further detail.

The Project 84 "Alexandrite" icebreakers (known as the Eisblume class in Germany) are shallow-draft icebreakers designed for use in rivers and harbours. They have a displacement of approximately five hundred tons, and a crew of sixty. Four craft were built in 1948, while eight have been ordered for this year, with two vessels already delivered. While the German Navy uses them primarily for clearing harbours of ice, the Russians have focused on their riverine applications, as the Russians already have large number of much more capable harbour icebreakers. The shallow draft and maneuverability of the Alexandrite type icebreakers reportedly makes them an excellent fit for the conditions on the Amur River. Due to the prevailing summer conditions during my visit, none of the vessels were required for operation, and only one was available at Khabarovsk for observation. These vessels are viewed as critically important to the Russian development efforts along the Amur, as they enable merchant vessels to make their way upriver when they would otherwise be limited by seasonal ice.

The Project 501 "Leopard" armoured cutters appear to displace between eighty and ninety tons loaded, and measure 95 feet overall length; they draw just under three feet of water. The craft's primary armament is a 3-inch gun of the type used in an upcoming amphibious tank, although two of the six craft I viewed had received turrets from retired T-40 tanks, allegedly due to shortfalls in supply. In addition to this, they had a sixteen-tube artillery rocket launcher, a twin 37mm cannon, and two heavy machine guns. The craft are armoured, with 1.2" on the conning tower and turret, as well as a box around the machinery and magazines. Crew size appears to be fifteen. Two diesel engines, apparently of the same type used in Russian tanks, provide a respectable speed of twenty-two knots. The engines of Bureya, which I inspected in detail, have a silencing mechanism fitted to reduce their sound output.

The patrol boats are smaller and of the "Levkov" type, which I have heard about but not previously seen in operation. These six-man craft, of thirty tons weight, have two extremely long, narrow hulls held in parallel by a steel deck, in which two large downward-facing aero engines with their propellers are placed. These engines force a great amount of air into the void between the two hulls, lifting the entire craft so that it nearly floats on air. Forward momentum is provided by third engine driving another propeller over the aft deck. Steering is conducted with twin tails, like an aeroplane. During our time observing operations, I saw four men lift each corner of the craft, carrying it out of the maintenance shed and across the concrete apron, whereupon it was launched into the water like a seaplane. They are apparently capable of some forty knots or more when on smooth water. Armament consists of two twin 0.55-cal machine guns in aircraft mountings; indeed, these craft appear to draw many lessons from aircraft design. Their chief difficulty - which the Russians seem to fully acknowledge - is that they are extremely noisy vessels, and often accompanied by a cloud of spray kicked up by their aero-propellers.

Additionally, the Russians are currently building a number of larger riverine monitors, of the Grom class, at their Pacific Fleet shipyards. I was able to observe these two vessels fitting out along the pier in the Amur Shipbuilding Plant in Komsolosk-on-Amur. They appear to be formidable vessels of some five hundred tons, and will probably carry two six-inch artillery pieces along with antiaircraft fit.

Construction started for the facilities at Khabarovsk toward the end of last season, but apparently halted during the winter, and resumed with energetic pace earlier this spring. The base, informally called 'Laguna' in Russian, is located on the right bank of the Amur a short distance north of Khabarovsk, where a peninsula has been built up to form a sheltered lagoon both for military and civilian vessels. The Amur is deep enough for shallow-draft seagoing vessels, and a Sadko-class cargo ship was docked at Laguna, delivering supplies and supporting efforts there.

A number of temporary barracks have been built on the peninsula and are currently being replaced by larger, more permanent structures. Officers and visitors are currently housed in a number of parked railway carriages, mostly wooden-framed carriages left from earlier decades, when wooden-framed carriages were banned in favour of steel-built carriages. A railway spur has been constructed for the delivery of supplies, and a small diesel-powered shunter brought several wagons of cargo during our first day touring Khabarovsk. A civilian facility for oil loading and unloading has been built on the opposite shore from the naval base, with the various boats refueling there.

A number of concrete ramps have been laid into the water. The largest of these is used by the Levkov-type patrol boats, which are brought up out of the water at the end of every patrol, and stored in covered sheds. It is my belief that these structures were originally built as seaplane sheds, as they are several years old and pre-date the current spate of construction. One of the sheds had an overhead gantry crane, although this did not look sufficient to lift one of the patrol boats. A large number of hand-jacks can be used to lift the craft off the ground in order to access their undersides for maintenance. Russian work crews were extensively engaged in preparing Levkov-type patrol boats in operation; I was told that these craft were constructed in western Russia, and transported by train to Khabarovsk, only arriving within the last month.

Additionally, I also saw ground being cleared for the construction of a marine railway, suitable for basic maintenance on the "Leopard"-type patrol boats. We were informed during our visit that the Russians believe that Khabarovsk is too close to the Chinese border for large-scale repairs, and so the facilities constructed here are supposed to be focused solely on light maintenance; large-scale work is directed to the larger facilities downstream at Komsolosk-on-Amur.

Khabarovsk is also not the only base the Russians are constructing. A second base is currently under construction at Blagoveshchensk, where the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the confluence of the Amur and the Zeya rivers. The distance by water betweek Khabarovsk and Blagoveshchensk is reportedly close to six hundred miles, which begins to demonstrate just how much territory the Amur Flotilla will be required to patrol. Lieutenant Kaledina expressed her belief that further infrastructure development will almost certainly be required in order to provide even basic coverage by Russian patrol boats.

To the best of my knowledge, the Chinese have yet to place any military riverine vessels on the Amur or its tributaries. The Russians seem less sure of this. Lieutenant Kaledina noted that the Imperial Chinese Navy possesses numerous river patrol boats stationed on China's vast internal waterways, and the Chinese press has crowed about the recent growth of their internal navigation efforts; it may prove quite easy for the Chinese to relocate riverine vessels to the Songhua River, one of the Amur's major tributaries. Since the entire Songhua River is located within Chinese territory, it could be possible for the Chinese to build up a large force while still concealing their intentions from the Russians.

Due to timing, Captain Philippot and I were able to accompany Bureya on a short training patrol, heading first to the confluence of the Amur and the Ussuri, which we followed upstream. The armoured cutter Bikin, a sistership of Bureya, accompanied us. Their mission was to navigate up the Ussuri to one of its tributaries, the Khor River, in order to visit the town of Khor (located on the Trans-Siberian Railway), a journey of ninety miles by water. This trip was completed in six and a half hours.

Operationally, the Russians appear to take these patrols quite seriously. Once the Chinese shore of the Ussuri was in view, Lieutenant Kaledina ordered "Condition Two" and Bureya's crew-women donned their infantry helmets. The gunners moved to their assigned positions in the three-inch gun turret, and the heavy machine guns were loaded with live ammunition. The gunners remained close to their posts for most of the patrol, although Junior Lieutenant Aladina went around the boat every hour, giving the gunners a chance to step away from their posts for a few moments of relaxation. Lieutenant Kaledina remained constantly in the wheelhouse, which made it a tight fit for Captain Philippot and myself; by unspoken agreement, we took turns stepping out for observations to avoid overcrowding in this compartment.

A Russian military helicopter of the Sikorsky transport type made a number of overflights during the patrol. Kaledina used the radio to communicate with the pilot on several occasions, and it appeared to me that their cooperation was in fact part of the training regimen. During one of the helicopter's low passes, it appeared to me that it was being used as an observer craft to inform the armoured cutters about conditions ahead of them. The helicopter flew nearby for approximately an hour, after which it was replaced by a Yakovlev-12 light aircraft, which conducted observation in a very similar manner to the helicopter. Captain Philippot, noting the French experience with counterinsurgency in the Niger Delta, inquired whether it might be possible to use marines carried in helicopters to support the riverine forces, to which Kaledina admitted that the Amur Flotilla was experimenting with precisely this stratagem.

Lieutenant Kaledina spent significant efforts during the patrol taking notation of both the river and conditions of the Chinese and Russian banks. Captain Philippot got her to reveal that she was specifically keeping a tally of Chinese army trucks, and spotted two during the course of our patrol (both at the Chinese town of 'Haiqingxiang' just before we turned to follow the Khor River). Kaledina seemed keen to help her fellow gunboat captains establish an understanding of normal behavior by the Chinese.

A very well written and informative post, filled with excellent observations. It gives much food for thought.

Thanks; hope you enjoyed it.

Future installments will not be quite as long as this post; the two items just merited a lot more detail.

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

Thanks; hope you enjoyed it.

Future installments will not be quite as long as this post; the two items just merited a lot more detail.

:thumbsup:

Very nice installments which are very informative. Denny is certainly earning his pay!

Excerpts from the Reports of the British Naval Attache
Excerpts from the official reports of Commander Michael Denny, RN, British Naval Attache to the Russian Federation, Q3 / 1949

Visit to Tallinn - July
-- Toured Russian cruiser Rynda and destroyer Samarakand.
-- Observed sailing of two Russian submarines (S-9 and S-4).
-- Toured incomplete Project 88B landing ship MDK-21 in shipyards.
-- Viewed platoon-level exercises of Russian special unit marines (so-called "Spetsnaz") using folding and inflatable boats.
-- Spotted possible 'manned torpedo' in maintenance area.

Russian Naval Opinions on the Nordish Öland-class - July
During my recent visit to the Russian Naval Base at Tallin, I was able to speak at length with several Russian officers regarding their opinions of the Royal Nordish Navy's Öland-class destroyers. My primary sources are Captain Rostislav Ustrashkin of the cruiser Rynda, Commander Yakov Leontiev of the submarine S-9, Commander Yevgeniy Pervachev of the destroyer Nizhny Novgorod, and Captain Nikolai Tumansky of the destroyer Samarakand.

The new Öland-class destroyers have attracted the attention of the Russians, being some of the first new ships to be completed for Nordish service in the last five years. They displace 2,400 tonnes fully loaded, and are capable of thirty-four knots. Eight ships have been built, all named after Nordish provinces:
-- Öland
-- Uppland
-- Ångermanland
-- Hordaland
-- Austurland
-- Österbotten
-- Västmanland
-- Finnmark

The Russian officers I spoke with noted that they first encountered the Öland-class during Operation Bokkerini earlier this year, where two Russian cruisers and two destroyers spent several days making port calls and cruising in company with the Danish cruiser KDM Sigrún and the Uppland, the latter ship being the second completed vessel of the Öland class. During the port call in Gothenburg, Captain Ustrashkin toured the Uppland, and his remarks on the ship were extremely favorable.

They are armed with the Bofors 13cm Model 1942 gun in two twin mountings. The Russians believe this gun is capable of eighteen rounds per minute versus surface targets, and fifteen rounds per minute against aircraft. Captain Ustrashkin believed that the mountings are superior to the late 1930s Russian mountings aboard Rynda, specifically noting that they appear faster to load in antiaircraft service. Commander Pervachev disagreed with this assessment and felt the Russian 13cm guns were equivalent in rates of fire as well as having better ballistics.

According to Captain Ustrashkin, the ships were built with a double hull in order to withstand damage and Baltic ice conditions.

Commander Leontiev remarked that his submarine encountered a destroyer (believed to be the HNMS Österbotten) during a training exercise near Kopparstenarna, north of Gotland. Leontiev specifically noted that new destroyer possessed a completely new generation of asdic and radio-detection systems, being significantly better than the earlier devices used by the Nordish up to this point. The Österbotten easily acquired and tracked his submarine. Leontiev spoke quite enthusiastically about how he believes the tables will be turned again by the arrival of the French-built "Kibela" type submarines to the Baltic Fleet.

Captain Tumansky (CO Samarakand) was less impressed than his fellows by the Ölands, feeling that they were roughly analogous in capabilities to the Russia Soobrazitelny-class destroyers. Captain Tumansky nevertheless emphasized that the Nordish destroyers prove that Nordish shipyards and designers can "produce a beautiful design which is comparable to the modern vessels of the great naval powers."

Again, very enlightening.

:thumbsup:

Good stuff!