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As the morning broke on the 22nd of June strange sounds emerged from the Western Borders. Apparently the Germans were drinking a little too much again and were playing with their guns. A call was sent out to the border Regiments in the North and the news was disturbing. We were at war !. Light German forces were probing the defenses. Orders were given to fall back to the Dvina and await further developments. Armored reserves began forming at numerous points to smash enemy forces bold enough to cross the river and reinforcements were brought up from the interior to man the line. In the center things were looking very grim as major elements of the Western Front found themselves surrounded by strong German forces. The order to Rally along the Dnepr was given and strong reserves were rushed to their assembly areas. Remnants of the Frontier armies were pulled back to join their comrades and massive air and armored forces rallied in their reserve areas. Further south the defenders of Brest-Litovsk held long enough for their comrades to succesfully retreat into the unmapped wilds of the Pripyat marshes. Fighting was severe east of Lvov as Armored units attempted to crush enemy spearheads to no avail. The valley east of the Carpathians being evacuated in good order to reinforce the lines further north. Despite heavy casualties the Red Army performed brilliantly and established strong defensive lines while their trapped comrades held back the invaders. Air assets concentrated on interdicting enemy movements to cover the strategic redeployment.

By the second week of June the scope of the enemy attack was apparent. The Germans were slowly advancing in the North and South with strong forces forcing their way deeper into the central sector. After the succesful evacuation of major elements of the Northwest and Southern fronts to the Center work was begun on 3 succesive defensive lines protected by strong air elements and large armored reserves. The Dvina line was succesfully manned and large portions of the Dnepr as well. The armored screens in the south were pulled into reserve behind a strong infantry screen and the Dnestr line manned by reinforcing units. German units advanced at a curiously slow pace allowing ample time to restore defenses. The emergency appears over and the planning for a devastating counterattack is underway in moscow. The martyrs of our western Front will be avenged.

July rolls in with a tempest as German forces rumble up to the Divina, major offensive elements appear at Riga and Strong probes are launched at Dvinsk. Further south small Rusian forces are pocketed as the Grerman spearheads push towards the landbridge west of Smolensk. SW of Minsk a corps is isolated above the Pripyat which is devoid of German troops. Heavy fighting takes place around Rowno and Proskoruv as the Panzers smash forward in a drive for Kiev. Stalin orders a counterrattack and waves of Russian tabks throw themselves at the advancing panzers before the following infantry can close up. Casualties on both sides are horrendous as the full force of the russian airforce is brought to bear.