At the request of Herr Oberst

[cpdeyoung]

August 24, 1940 : The Soviets are very aggresive, and the Oberst and I agree that it will be very difficult to make much progress. They attack whenever possible and cut out stretched out units off. We may not be able to build force before Moscow without having to rush it back to put ot fires.

[cpdeyoung]

September 1, 1940 : Germany has fostered the creation of a new nation, the Ukraine, which has joined us in the effort against the Soviets. This is welcome and we now have a lot of help in the South from our allies. In the North the Finns continue to press the Soviets.

We push ever closer to Moscow.

[cpdeyoung]

September 9, 1940 : Our troops can see into Moscow, but it makes me wonder if anyone is home there? The Red Army is active everywhere but before Moscow, and there they seem to be mesmerized by the sight of the mighty Panzer Korps bearing down upon them. The Oberst says that as soon as our High Command decided to bring our power to bear there the Soviets were domed, but I must wonder. The war is into its second year, and we are doing well. The KM has been very successful and has been soundly defeating the RN in the Atlantic. This is very significant as we need to defeat the British, and a naval presence is crucial.

[cpdeyoung]

September 16, 1940 : Our troops are in Moscow, but as Napoleon showed the trick is staying there. The Soviets are aggressive, hitting us wherever we are weak. We must prepare for the winter months now. How may units should we winter with, and what sort should they be?

[cpdeyoung]

September 24, 1940 : Battles across the front as the Red Army seems to want to show us that they are still in this fight. The Finns find them to be very aggressive in the central part of the country.

[cpdeyoung]

October 1, 1940 : Three panzer divisions have entered Latvia, and are in contact with Latvian troops near Riga. This move will facilitate any campaign towards Leningrad. Italy seems to be moving troops back in the direction of Greece also. We have pushed the Red Army away from Moscow and are trying to find a line to prevent their harassing attacks.

Here is the situation in the South.

[cpdeyoung]

October 9, 1940 : Mud months start! Movement is severely curtailed in the East, and we are stalled everywhere. The enemy losses are roughly six times ours, and we are stronger across the front, but the coming winter will give the Soviets a chance to recoup their losses and train their troops. The Finns have frontage of two corps at Leningrad, and continue to give the Soviets trouble. We will try and help them, but the movement will be tougher.

[cpdeyoung]

October 16, 1940 : Slow, slow, everyone has a case of the slows. All the talk is of what the Red Army will look like in the Spring. We do not anticipate making any great gains till then, but we are keeping up a constant pressure. Things go slowly in Latvia too, where we are bring forces to bear.

[cpdeyoung]

October 24, 1940 : We took a city this turn, Ryazan, but Karkov, Kursk, and Stalino resist our efforts. The Oberst is delighted with our broad front strategy. He says there is much less chance of an unpleasant surprise if we engage the enemy continuously.

We discussed strategy for 1941 and the Oberst opined that we must aid Italy into the war. Taking Leningrad would make our line more defensible, whereas moving dep into the South might work the other way.

A section of front in the North.

[cpdeyoung]

November 1, 1940 : We grind slowly forward across the front, and this will be our pace for months to come. We have moved three air formations to the Yugoslav border to join Italy if she becomes our ally. We could handle a campaign in the sunny South this winter.

[cpdeyoung]

November 9, 1940 : This turn we spent production points to uplevel divisions to korps as we want to make more progress over the winter months. Since it is very difficult to bring units up we have decided to upgrade the units which are already in place. Next week we should stop getting the Moscow conquest bonus, and everything will even out a bit.

[cpdeyoung]

November 16, 1940 : The Soviets are getting beaten back, and we are pushing units deep into the wintry woods, but this cannot go on too much longer. The country is too big, and we too few to expose ourselves.

The Finns are doing great things.

[cpdeyoung]

November 24, 1940 : We continue to push forward. Italy declares war on Greece, which goes Allied.

[cpdeyoung]

December 1, 1940 : This week we may be able to bring aid to the Italians.

[cpdeyoung]

December 9, 1940 : The Italians, with Luftwaffe help, are very close on Malta, but they misjudged the short range of the paratroops. They are planning an amphibious operation next.

[cpdeyoung]

December 16, 1940 : In the East we push on Tallin and Leningrad, but begin to slow our drive into the snowy woods in the center.

Here is a map of Greece, with Luftwaffe elements joining the Italians.

[cpdeyoung]

December 24, 1940 : The year's end finds the British marching on Tobruk, where the Italians are awaiting them. In the East the Soviets have enough air to launch attacks each turn, but not enough to harm us. The year was very good to us.

[cpdeyoung]

January 1, 1941 : The Soviets are very aggressive, attacking in many spots. There are L2 tank corps about, and we wonder if they will mass them for a drive in one area. The British seem hesitant about approaching Tobruk, and the Royal Navy may have weakened the Med to combat our very successful campaign in the Atlantic.

Here is a view of beleaguered Leningrad.

[cpdeyoung]

January 9, 1941 : Are we going to let the Finns take Leningrad? The city is invested on four sides by the Finns, and they have been fighting the Soviets longer than we have, but this city is valuable, and the Finns are a neutral belligerent in the bigger war. The Oberst says that this may be to our advantage as it will allow the Finns to be stronger when they do join us. In any case they are their own masters and we will have to steal the city away if we want it.

The Italians have been sinking transports in large numbers. This must hurt the British, but were they heading for Greece, or the desert?

[cpdeyoung]

January 16, 1941 : The Red Army continues to attack, especially picking on the allied forces. If tey can attack a Romanian or Ukranian they will not pass up the chance. Both the KM and the RM continue to have great success against the Royal Navy, and the losses it suffers do not seem to be made up. Great Britain may be in production trouble because of the U-Boat war.