[Vicente de Lisboa]

Red Star over Blue Seas
A HoI2 Soviet Navy AAR

Latest update - #44 - 23th of August



The Soviet Union was still only a dream in the minds of the People, and already it had a Navy: the Potemkin uprising of 1905 rallied the Masses and heralded the successes of 1917, it's brave Bolshevik sailors proving the Armed Forced could and would be champions of Socialism. Lenin himself called the battleship "undefeated territory of the Revolution".


Glory to the People's Heroes of the Potemkin!

But it wasn't only the seed of our USSR that the Navy provided. The Baltic fleet and it's sailors were one of the strongest Red Forces during the October Revolution, and even the Assault on the Winter Palace itself was signalled by the guns of the aptly name Aurora, and assisted by it's crew.


The crew of the Aurora in 1917

It is thus no surprise that in 1918, during the Civil War itself, while foreign powers used the seas to intervene in defence of Imperialists and other Counter-revolutionaries, the Soviet Union officially created the Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet to protect the Revolution.


Naval Jack of the Red Fleet


The Civil War provided a chance for heroism to the Russian sailors, fighting British incursions to support the Whites, but it didn't leave many resources for the Red Fleet. When it was over, the first investments were in the new submarine technologies, and hundreds of these were built during the 1926-1936 period.


Series V submarine, commissioned in 1934

During the same period, a reform on the old Czarist set-up implemented a Northen Fleet Command for defence of Soviet Arctic waters, and an ambitious project to rebuild the Pacific Fleet, almost completely lost to the English and Japanese during the Civil War.

Still, despite it's Glorious - if short - History, the Red Fleet that sees the 1st of January of 1936 is one with a lot of work to do, many dangers on the horizon and almost as many internal obstacles to face.

Hers is the story I'll try to tell.

Playing Doomsday with a late SEMP;DD install and some graphics mods.
Don't expect any regularity, don't expect any specific AAR style, and don't expect too much historical accuracy


Progress thus far



The 10 Year Plan (36-39)
Update #1; Update #2; Update #3; Update #4; Update #5; Update #6; Update #7; Update #8; Update #9; Update #10; Update #11

Molotov–Ribbentrop Aweigh (39-41)
Update #12; Update #13; Update #14;  Update #15; Update #16

The Great Patriotic Warships (41-??)
Update #17; Update #18; Update #19; Update #20; Update #21; Update #22; Update #23; Update #24; Update #25; Update #26; Update #27; Update #28;  Update #29; Update #30; Update #31; Update #32; Update #33; Update #34; Update #35; Update #36; Update #37; Update #38; Update #39; Update #40; Update #41; Update #42; Update #43; Update #44

[Vicente de Lisboa]

Ok então, vou começar a copiar a AAR para aqui. O post acima foi o trailer, a seguir vem a chicha. Hoje ficam com os primeiros 5 updates, posto mais amanha se se portarem bem

[Vicente de Lisboa]

"I'll miss Sevastopol, but most of all I'll miss the family", thought Viktor Andreev, drink in his hand getting ready to celebrate the New Year of 1936. "Well, perhaps not my do-nothing brother-in-law, but certainly my sister, my nephew... Oh, mother's borscht! My cooking is terrible, I'll starve!"

But there was no turning back now, he made up his mind long ago.

"Uncle! Uncle! Mom said I could stay up later tonight now that I'm big!" shouts a voice behind Viktor. "Valeriy, my grown-up nephew! Long time no see!" is the reply - and it's true. Securing the new job meant a lot of time had to go into Party activities and similar, he always arrived home way after midnight and left before the kid went to school.

- "So uncle, is it true what mother said? You're going to work for the Fleet in Leningrad? That's great! I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
- "Yeah, sorry, been so busy with it... it's all very uninteresting for a kid your age anyway, you're not losing much"
- "Hey! I'm not a kid anymore, didn't you hear? I'm a grown up now, I can stay up tonight and I want to know more about the big stuff! Tell me about your new job, come on!"
- "Well ok then. Tell me first though - what do you know about our Red Fleet?"
- "Ah! I know it... hm... I know about the Aurora! And... hm... the Potemkin... donno if that counts. And... I don't know much about how it is now..."
- "Ha ha! Guessed as much. No problem, I'll explain it to you and refresh my own memory, let me just get my maps and a free table"

- "Ok then, so here goes. The Red Fleet of the Soviet Union is currently divided into 4 commands:

First, the Baltic Fleet stationed in Leningrad.
It has two battleships, a destroyer division and a lot of modern submarines, and is the strongest force at the moment. I think I've got a picture of the Marat here somewhere...



Ah, here it is



Second, the Black Sea Fleet, which as you know is based here in Sevastopol.
Yes, yes, I know you know they're old ships, but we are bound by an International Treaty not to leave the Black Sea with it anyway, and it's still by far the strongest force in the area anyway.



Third, we have the Bering Fleet, based in Vladivostok.
It's still under reconstruction after the Japanese destroyed what was left of it, so apart from some of our modern submarines it's not a reality yet.



Finaly, the new North Fleet, up there in Murmansk. It's only very recently been created, so it's also a work in progress.



Doing that work, and making the Pacific Fleet a reality again will be my job with People's Commissar for Naval Affairs Vladimir Orluv.



...And those are the basics I guess. Anything more would be classified... No, I'm joking, but it would be boring, believe me. Hey, it's almost midnight anyway..."

[Vicente de Lisboa]

Vladimir Orlov wasn't a happy man.

Of course, being a People's Commissar was better then not being one, but his wasn't the best of positions either, balancing Stalin's dreams of a Great Navy and the same man's denial of resources to build that Navy. Not that he even thought that was the right path for the Red Fleet... Nope, not a happy man at all.

Still, he had some success to his name. Besides one of the largest submarine fleets in the World, he recently had secured full funding for one of his design Bureaus, even if it had come with the "Great Navy Plan" strings atached.
Moreover, the current series of shipbuilding was coming to an end, giving him a good excuse to ask for more funding in the next series.





But then he looked at the espionage reports regarding the USSR's adversaries that just bordered depression... Either one of these foes would be dangerous for the whole Red Fleet, even if it wasn't split in 4 unconnected forces.









The only one weaker then the Union was Germany, but they were certainly up to something in Kiel.



Trying to put his mind on something else, he devised reforms of the Fleet. This little sketch for the Baltic Fleet actually looked like a good idea. Submarine flotillas in groups of no more than 3, separated from the surface fleet. Yes, it made sense. He should extend it to all the Fleets.



Now, that new advisor from Crimea should be arriving any time, a People's Commissar should impress, so off to get the uniform...

[Vicente de Lisboa]

The first half of 1936 was rather uneventful at the Naval Affairs Commissariat, mostly spent enacting the minor submarine flotillas reform in the four commands, and addressing the new destroyers and submarines finished in Leningrad's Shipyards and the submarines finished in Vladivostok's.



These destroyers were new, but not by any means modern. They weren't even the best project the USSR had. But they were the cheapest that wasn't actually laughable.

Using house-resources, as Stalin still hadn't released anything major, the Commissariat also managed to start building a few slightly more modern destroyers, more to keep the shipyard workers warm then anything else.



The highlight of the semester had really been the submarine espionage runs in the Baltic, Black and China/Japan seas. Nothing too detailed, but a more accurate account of enemy Navy sizes could be obtained.

In the Baltic, Sweden was something of a shock.



The Black Sea didn't provide any surprises.



Japan was not a surprise, but the confirmation of a menace that had only grown stronger since the shame of 1905.



But June came to put and end to the slow days, as the designs for a new class of Battleship were ready, and it was time to present them to Stalin!



An 11% increase in overall fire-power over our previous designs, increased range and armour, double the anti-air defences, and all that consuming the same resources as the same previous design. The Nevskoye DB was proud of itself, and hoped Stalin could finally issue to order to build these fantastic beasts, not to mention renew their funding.

...things didn't quite go their way.



Research funding was secured for the Fleet, but not assigned to Nevskoye, as Stalin insisted before any new Battleships were ordered, they needed reliable escorts to be designed. Commissar Orlov's insistence had little other effect then increase the Great Leader's distrust of him.

And so July came.

[Vicente de Lisboa]

The 7th of August was being a good day for Vladimir Orlov. In the morning he had presided over the commissioning ceremony for the first batch of Leningrad-class destroyers, to serve in the the Baltic Fleet.


One of the new destroyers

Then he had a superb lunch, and now he was told Stalin had agreed to his plan to offer the Republican Spanish Government one of the old Black Sea light cruisers as part of the Soviet support for the Civil War.
It was a long shot, but he rather hoped the state of the ship would cause it to sink miserably, and that would shame Stalin so much he wouldn't risk ever having to send such old material anywhere under the USSR's flag again.





He didn't know it yet, of course, but his idea would fail completely, with the ship arriving safely into Spanish hands, not seeing any action until the eventual Republican victory.

Before that happened though, the rest of the year flew by, with nothing worthy of writing about except for the presenting of the new Light Cruiser design to Stalin, who would take the opportunity to reprimand Orlov for sending to Spain a ship in such bad shape, before reminding him again of the importance of a strong surface Navy, but also of the urgent needs of industrial resources elsewhere.





When in December the second batch of Leningrads are commissioned, the Commissar won't even bother showing up...



...busy as he'll be asking the Barrikada engineers about the possible applications of their new technology to Naval purposes.

[Vicente de Lisboa]

"This time will be different! It has to be and it will!", Viktor repeated over and over again in his mind, thinking of February's presentation of the Heavy Cruiser design to Stalin, where the General Secretary vented his frustration over the "small thinking" of his Naval Commissar, almost cutting research funding for the Fleet altogether.



Ever since, and under Viktor's advice, Vladimir Orlov had risked everything on this presentation - his career, the future of the Navy, quite possibly his life! The centre-piece of the plan: a ship no-one could call unworthy of the Soviet Union!



- "Have you got all the photos Andreev? Check it again."
- "I'll double check sir, here are the Baltic pictures...

And over here are the ones of the Japanese Fleet operating in the months after their invasion of China...





...including the most detailed ones. I've brought it all sir"


IJN Mutsu


IJN Akagi

- "Alright then. Good job. We might just make this work."

They are called in. Viktor doesn't talk at all, and all the better, he'd be far too terrified by the presence of the Secretary General to make any form of coherent sentence.

He watches as Orlov displays the photos and makes a case for naval defences, but Stalin doesn't seem to impressed with anything except the Japanese carriers, and even that might have just been Viktor misunderstanding something.

Ah, now's the final move, Orlov is explaining the design specs of the battleship. What a crazy machine that is. Those cannons don't even exist in the Soviet Union, and the armour... Neptune's own harpoon couldn't pierce that! Not to even mention the engines of the thing. They could power every factory in Crimea and there would probably still be some energy left.



The Naval Commissar's point was that building one of these ships could serve as a fantastic example of Soviet economical and technological might, a glorious flagship for a fleet of modern Battleships.

Viktor looks at Stalin and freezes. The man's face is impossible to decipher. But he doesn't look glad.

Stalin gets up.

- "FINALY! I was beginning to think my Naval Commissar would never come up with a project worthy of our USSR! Bravo! With this - with this we can have a true Navy, worthy of Socialism! Let's make them!"

- "Ahm... Comrade Secretary... Them?"

- "Of course! Didn't you just show me how dangerous our enemies are becoming? If we are to triumph we need the best. You'll get funding to equip our main Fleets with these, and I'll double your research funding to provide the best possible support for them.

...just one thing...

These carrier things. They look rather impressive. I suspect the Japanese are on to something here, and our reports say the British and the American are investing in them too - yes, I keep myself updated on my own... - If the three largest navies of the world think they are worth it, perhaps we should look into them too. Put a team working on it."

Orlov and Andreev left the meeting too stunned to say anything...

And so it was that, in September 1937, the Great Soviet Naval Build-up Plan was launched.
The shipyards of Sevastopol, Vladivostok and Leningrad were granted resources for 3 of the new Battleship class each, preparations were made for the building of their support ships, and initial research on carriers started.

[komet]

Fantástico... provavelmente só mesmo com mods, porque eu com o HOI2 nunca consegui que os submarinos servissem para nada excepto fazer óptimos recifes artificiais no fundo do mar!

[TOMSK]

Tem graça que eu já tinho lido umas passagens deste AAR em qualquer lado e nunca imaginei que o seu autor era o Sr. Vicente...
Está muito bem feito, parabéns!

[komet]

Já agora permita-me também dar os parabéns pelas imagens  

[Vicente de Lisboa]

February was already half-way, and so far, 1938 had been an uncharacteristically positive year for Commissar Orlov. After Stalin's approval - nay, demand - of no less then 9 new enormous Battleships, funds had been aplenty in the Headquarters of Leningrad, and his personal influence only kept growing within the Party. Not bad for someone who until recently had thought the Secretary General didn't trust him.

And he had work to show for it! Only today another of his teams had presented him the finished project of how to transform large merchant ships into simple carriers, fit for reckon aircraft. Not that Orlov thought the USSR needed carriers at all, but Stalin thought it did, so he'd get his carriers.



It was very late, and he had spent the whole day learning about the project, and was completely exhausted, wanting nothing but to go home. But it seemed Stalin and learned about the project's completion, because a car was there to get him. Seemed like the Great Man couldn't wait to hear about his new pet project, so Vladimir picked up his notes on the design and got into the car.

...he wondered though, why hadn't Stalin just called and let him go in his own official car. These guys looked like Security people.

[Vicente de Lisboa]

Viktor Andreev hadn't liked the new Commissar much. Where Orlov sounded a bit insecure, this Viktorov seemed full of himself. Not that he lacked reasons for it, being Stalin's trusted man. Or perhaps "trust" was too strong of a word these days, but at least he seemed to be in tune with the Secretary General's plans for the Red Fleet, and that was something.





Another thing - well, perhaps the main thing - was that Vikor felt punished for a good job. He had gained somewhat of a fame in the Naval Office, and with the Commissar now able to claim he had more important things to do, it fell to "Comrade Andreev" to present minor new projects to Stalin. Something which himself realised shouldn't make him so nervous, being a Party member, but still did.





In the end, though, Viktor could hardly complain.

When, in the USSR Supreme Council of January, he heard Molotov proclaim "Our mighty Soviet power must have such sea and ocean fleet that would comply with her interests and would be worthy of our great mission." it seemed to be a simple reference to the Battleships under construction, but then the 10 year plan for the Navy was announced, timed to match the 20th anniversary of the Red Fleet...

It was now clear that having a new Naval Commissar, one whom he felt he could rely on, made all the difference to Stalin.



Ever since, work had tripled, but so had Viktor's motivation. The Soviet Union was building a Navy second to none, and new ideas on how to maximize and use that power were actually being rewarded. The future looks bright indeed!





The shipyards of Leningrad, Sevastopol and Vladivostok fast became some of the main employers in the USSR...

[Vicente de Lisboa]

Things would sail along 1938, with the ship building proceeding at good pace, and research being conducted on several tech teams assigned to the Fleet.

In October, an improvement over the previous Heavy Cruiser design was put forward.



The Commissar would, to some surprise, next call for the lessons of the past years to be again put to use in a new submarine design, reminding everyone the USSR still had a huge fleet of these, and that while they shouldn't be he focus of the Fleet, they shouldn't be forgotten either.



Still in the Month of the Revolution, the first groups of the new destroyers were delivered by the shipyards.



But it would be in December that the first larger results of the Plan would start becoming visible, with the official proposal for the creation of a Naval Infantry force...



...and, naturally, the first ships other then destroyers built in a long time. Three Chapayev-class destroyers were delivered, each by it's respective Shipyard. The class was named after the Sevastopol one because it's workers managed to finish it one day faster then everyone else.



Onwards to 1939!

[Vicente de Lisboa]

The January review of the espionage reports present good justification for the current Plan.

The main possible oponents in the Black Sea - or perhaps further - were the UK, Italia and France. (unfortunatly the French report seems to have been lost)





Italy is possibly the greatest menace, because it has no other theatre of operations, while the UK has to spread it's forces in various points of the Globe.

One of those points being, of course, the North Sea, and potentially the Baltic, where a threat seem to be building up - you don't build Destroyers for the sake of it.



In the East, what is probably the main menace to the Red Fleet in terms of technical and numerical superiority, Japan is still as scary as ever.



Finally, a country that doesn't present a direct threat to the USSR, but should be kept under a close study, the USA are building a considerable naval force for itself.



Given the time it will still take for the Red Fleet to have it's main new weapons in service, a decision is made regarding the proposed Naval Infantry - it's not good enough yet! Improvements are demanded before any investment is made.



Slowly but surely, the Navy builds up it's strength, as further destroyers are continuously put in service and new designs for modern ships delivered.





But let no-one be fooled into thinking the People's Naval Forces are all about big guns and little thinking. New and better ways to use our mighty ships start being developed.



And in May, all existing ships start being fitted with new, safer, ciphers. Stalin and the Commissar are only too aware of the dangers of foreign espionage! o point in developing new strategies if we broadcast them on the clear to our enemies.



In April, ships specially designed for troop transport and prepared for fast disembark are delivered by the Leningrad civilian shipyards, and assigned to the Baltic Fleet.

[Vicente de Lisboa]

1939 was truly set to be the best year the Naval Fleet of the USSR had ever seen.

Starting May, and extending all the way into September of the same year, a tremendous battle would be fought by the Red Armies of the Soviet Union and Mongolia against the Japanese and their Manchurian puppet, over a border dispute around the river Khalkhin Gol.

In time, the Soviet victory would be such that Japan stopped even considering war against the USSR. Needless to say, this took a lot of pressure from the Navy's collective shoulders. The Pacific fleet had gained at least a good couple of years to get itself ready for any foe!



The increasingly mundane entry of service of new light cruisers and destroyers continues.



But 1939 was a not a year for mundane things. In June, the dream of the People - and Stalin - starts becoming reality, as the first glorious new battleships are commissioned, to great joy of all! The Sovietsky Soyuz-class now sends fear into the hearts of all the Enemies of Socialism! Soon perhaps, it will send steel into them as well.



Almost as soon as they are Commissioned, service tests are ordered, passing right where potential adversaries can see them. Such glory is not to be hidden! A tour of the shores of Britain was considered, but eventually decided against, for they could take the chance of a surprise attack.





Japan can't even disguise their obvious interest, as they send a huge fleet to "escort" our battleship.



Not that they're the only ones. Germany and Britain also reacted rather swiftly to our new Champions of Communism.





And a lot to worry about all of them did, as the Navy's build-up was only speeding up. In August the first basic Carriers in the History of the USSR are commissioned.



With the three main Fleet's capacity so suddenly increased, a leadership reform was also implemented.



Stalin is a happy, confident man, in August 1939.