Workers of the World Unite!

[John B.]

Oh happy day! I'm not paranoid. I knew shooting Buddeny was a good idea!

Still picking up PP for Kiev, Talinin and Odessa.

[John B.]

In the North the Germans pushed on but there was a heroic defense of Ostrov which has lived to fight another day. They'll have a massive concentric attack on it next turn but they did take large casualties. Still, I'm not getting the sense of a major German push up here so there is no sense in sending more this way.

[John B.]

In the center I'm paying the price for ignoring the swamps for one turn too many as the Germans seem to have done a rapid fire rail repair and now at least have a minor line over the river. There is a pocket forming so it's time to run away!

[John B.]

In the south the Nazis really took it on the chin at Kiev losing about three times my losses but they are set up for a very nice concentric attack. Odessa is besieged and they are pushing on. I"ll be able to blow the only other Dniepr bridge this turn and really play with their logistics as they try to go for Karkov and Rostov.

[John B.]

Well, there was success in the center! I killed a motorized division (x marks the spot) and roughly handled a panzer and two motorized divisions who retreated and discombobulated an infantry division that did not retreat but took high losses in the center (where the circle was).

The north does not seem to have much action. But, the worrying part is in the south. The Germans have massed to take Odessa and Kiev. Even worse, they forced their way across the Dnieper in the hex west of Kiev (which had been fortified) and I was unable to retake it in my counter attack. The southern front is not getting a lot of reinforcement armies so I may have to divert one from the center or north if I get the opportunity.

If I lose Kiev and Odessa this turn you know who is going to blow is stack!

Where is the mud!!!

[John B.]

Comrades! You will be happy to note that I"m not paranoid this turn!! Does this make you happy? YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY COMRADE STALIN!

And, I'm happy to report that Odessa withstood another direct assault! ALL HAIL COMRADE STALIN AND HIS GLORIOUS LEADERSHIP.[&o]

But, that traitor in the 45th army is claiming that he did not receive all of his orders and his army is very vulnerable to destruction. I need to send Zhukov there but he has been stuck in transit for more that a week. Hmmm, he's probably off plotting somewhere![:-]

[John B.]

I am also happy to report that Kiev survived another direct assault with heavy losses to the Germans! ALL HAIL COMRADE STALIN AND OUR EVER VICTORIOUS RED ARMY!

But, Nazi lickspittles are bearing down from the north. So, do I cut and run or do I launch an attack on the highlighted hex? could not dislodge them last turn but I have a kick hieney concentric attack and it would restore the Dniepr line. I think I can hold off his norther advance for a little while but the ant like hitlerites don't seen to be bound by the same "ahem" boundaries as our forces.

[John B.]

In the center the capitalist hordes did not lose any significant battles and they seem to have learned their lesson to not stick lone divisions in a hex. But, their not as fresh as the used to be and more soviets armies are deploying here. I may leapfrog back a couple of hexes to let the next line take a beating while the first line recovers a bit.

[John B.]

Finally, in the north the hirelings of the bourgeoisie are closing in on Tallinn. I get a PP per turn that I hold this town and the Germans are not sending huge forces this way. I believe that this is where I'll mobilize the northern army this turn but I'll have to spend a lot of PP to put a garrison there. Members of the Politburo, do you approve? YES COMRADE STALIN!

It does not appear as if the Germans have enough to force there way up past Pskov anytime soon so we won't have to worry about the Finns for a few turns yet.

By the way, does anyone know what those white circles with U-boats in them in the sea hexes represent?

And, while we're at it, do soviet units get replacements? The rule book says no but on map toggles indicate that they do.

[John B.]

Ok, so I'm paranoid this time but it's not a real surprise since both Odessa and Kiev fell in the same German turn. So, my paranoia level was 115 (and I only roll a 100 sided die ). Still, I rolled a seven so let's just hope that in this little corner of the multiverse there is a law of averages and one of the low rolls has been used up.

Now to ponder!

[John B.]

Members of the Politburo, is Communism Love? NO COMRADE STALIN!

What is Communism then? COMMUNISM IS THE HAMMER WE USE TO CRUSH OUR ENEMIES!

And this time, I am happy to report that although the lot of you is out to get me, our glorious armies have launched attacks in both the north and central fronts. We liberated some hexes of Mother Russia and caused heavy causalities elsewhere. Stavka is providing you with a situation map to show you the localities of our attacks.

[John B.]

Reports from our partisans show that the German rail conversion is still far from Minsk and has not yet started in the Prypiat Marshes. They must be burning trucks as a prodigious rate as their supply levels continue to be adequate here in the central front.

[John B.]

[Similarly, in the south the ant like Germans have yet to reach Proskurow. I hope that the computer operates under the same supply rules as a human German player would.

[John B.]

[Things are very dicey on the lower Dnipr He has a LOT of divisions down there and my armies are not doing so well, nor are the as numerous as they are on the Central and Northern front. I've got a new one coming in at the neck of the Crimea but that is not much else to do. I'll see if I can get Zhukov down there in time to blow that last bridge. At least it's on a single track rail line!]

[John B.]

Comrade Rokossovsky, your failure to hold the Dniepr line is inexcusable. The Workers and Peasants bay for the blood of traitors like you! I SERVE THE SOVIET UNION!

BANG!

[Really trying to avoid two paranoid episodes in a row!]

[John B.]

Comrades, you will be happy to know that while I think you're all out to get me, I don't feel like shooting any of you today! THANK YOU COMRADE STALIN

As you can see, the fascist criminals have made some progress in the south and pushed across the Dnepr. But, Marshal Zukov is down there and I expect results! It also seems safe to pull back from Kiev. There is no target nearby and we can draw the Germans further across the river which [hopefully] will hinder their supply as the bridge there is blown up.

[Ok, one thing that does not make sense to me is how the Germans have enough AP to move up to the Dnepr, attack across it, and then move across it when many times even with 50+ AP I've been unable to cross that river.]

[John B.]

In the north I sense an opportunity to hit two German infantry divisions with concenctric attacks and to continue our assaults near Tallinn.

[John B.]

In the center, I see three opportunities for attacks. Perhaps we can give the Motherland the gift of another German motorized division?

Members of the Politburo, what say you? ALL HAIL COMRADE STALIN AND HIS GLORIOUS LEADERSHIP!!!

[John B.]

Comrades, I bring you news of a glorious victory against the Capitalist swine! The 10th Motorized division is no more!

[John B.]

Comrades, it's clear that the only way to salvage things is to give me more power! What say you members of the Politiburo?

YES COMRADE STALIN!

[Now I need to ponder the next turn!]