Murmansk Front HQ

[Henrik]

I must say I agree with former marshal Tower on this one...

[conmcb25]

Originally posted by Henrik
I must say I agree with former marshal Tower on this one...

How do you stand politically comrade? Is this a precursor to you making a choice?

[The ANZAC]

I don't think we should waste time on Norway. Make Finland impotent, yes, and eventually conquer it, but not now. Let's just hold our ground now.

[conmcb25]

This was originally posted in the "The Ball has dropped" thread:

Originally posted by The ANZAC
2. The current plan to launch an offensive into Norway is folly and detrimental to the Rodina! This must be stopped!

I would be carefull Comrade before you call this plan folly. Have you actually looked at this front and the current situation? I dont think so.

With Petsamo destroyed the major threat to Murmansk is greatly diminished and there are no ground troops for 100's of miles around Murmansk.

My spys tell me the nearest town is called Hammerfest and it is usually lightly garrisoned. Spending the resources for a few Red Guards and sending them to assault is not much of a risk and could pay big benefits in greatly diminishing the threat to our convoys of capitalist goods and weapons to fight the Facists.

Even if we assault the town and then evacuate before the Batleship attacks it will be months before the Germans can get land troops that far north. In the mean time we can sell all the improvement for much needed cash.

In the mean time his planes from Narvik and the battleship are trying to get at a couple of Red Guards INSTEAD of our precious convoys. (thats known as a diversion comrade!) Considering that Red Guards cost 120 rubles from scratch and one Trade unit homed in a major city and sent to the Caucass can get us over 1000 rubles in a turn (not to mention the huge amount of trade arrows every turn probably 30 plus), I would say the benefits greatly outweigh the risk.

So Comrade before you make such bold public statements I suggest you actually study the situation first. If we dont want to risk this as a group then so be it. But calling it folly without studying it is a bit rash.

Im putting this back in the Murmansk thread where it belongs.

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Comrades:

As a former GOC Murmansk, I offer this advice. If we wish to safeguard our convoys, capturing cities held by the Boche in northern Norway can only help us. But this approach will take time, and units. It is now January. We have 4 months until spring, at which time any Red Guard units caught in the open will be helpless against Stuka attacks. So we need to effect the conquest within 4 months. I'm not sure we can gather enough units in time to do this.

There are a few other ways to safeguard our convoys.

1. Build the Convoy System wonder (as opposed to the Civilian Donations )

2. Use Shturmoviks, come spring, based in the UK, to kill German submarines. Also, Shturmoviks can do a good job on any Gneisenau-class battlecruisers within range... but it'll take a few of them

3. A bit of a dirty trick: Build a Pe-2 bomber in the UK. Once spring comes, fly it out 8 squares, to a point between the UK and Norway. Stack it on a Cruiser, or ideally, 2 Cruisers or Cruiser/Destroyer. The Germans will send Destroyers and U-boats out to sink the Cruiser, but the presence of the Pe-2 will keep them from attacking it. Instead, the German ships will stop adjacent to the Cruiser. When our turn comes, our Cruiser should be able to kill any adjacent German ships.

(I killed something like 11 U-boats in 1 turn this way; after that, it was a lot easier to shipchain Freighters all the way to Murmansk)


Let me add my congratulations to the current GOC Murmansk, who has done an admirable job driving away the craven Finns The nerve of them, trying to retake the lands we righfully seized in 1940!

[PinkyGen]

Knowing the benefits of those convoys, I have little doubt that at least temporarily seizing them from our occupied Norwegian comrades would be of great benefit to us. But what would be the cost to the Murmansk front?
If we send these Red Guard north during winter, will we have enough forces to safeguard the area from the now very mobile Finns? If not, then the Red Guard would be better employed counter-attacking the Finns, particulary since those units will lose their home if the Murmansk front collapses.

It seems to me that for this attack to suceed, unless Yop's forces are larger than I realize, outside funding to build or replace the Red Guard will most definetly be required.

PS: Message to Yop. The Rodina of Iron Curtain #1 needs their commander as well.

[H Tower]

the finns have been beaten back greatly in the previous months, such an attack will not reduce the defenses of the rest of the front too much, especially if we rush buy the units instead of using existing ones

[conmcb25]

There are two key points here to remember:

1. The threat right now in the middle of winter when the Finns are of course very mobile is minimal to Murmansk.

2. I believe this operation can be carried out with three Red Guards. (One is already built.)

[conmcb25]

Current Status of Murmansk, notice the minimal threat in the area.....

[H Tower]

minimal threat that we can see anyways, do we have some aerial recon assets in the area by any chance?

[conmcb25]

Originally posted by H Tower
minimal threat that we can see anyways, do we have some aerial recon assets in the area by any chance?

No that LA-5 will only go so far. But think about it comrade, no cities are that close and land units have to cover some pretty tough terrain. The Germans already sent over there land units from Northern Norway (they were destroyed with Petsamo.) Any significant land force will take at least several turns just to get into position.

I think its minimal but yopov could take a peak with an aircraft.

[greeny]

I think this is a good proposal, it's a risk but we are not risking much (we can spare the cash for a few red guards) and the pay off could be big (make it easier for the convoys to get through). However I think the final decision should be made by the man on the ground (Yop) he knows what defences can be spared from Murmansk and how badly the Convoys need assistance.

[Shaka Naldur]

well, it is a little bit risky can we do it before summer comes??
let's wait to see what Yopovs says about it

[conmcb25]

Originally posted by Shaka Naldur
well, it is a little bit risky can we do it before summer comes??
let's wait to see what Yopovs says about it

I agree Yopov is the man on the ground fighting the war.

This has to happen in the winter that is the only way it will work because:

1. Red Guards have 4 movement no matter what the terrain in winter
2. Facist planes can not attack in winter and are vulnerable to ground attack in winter.

Once summer comes comrades we lose this advantage!

[yop73]

I agree with Steve. If the economics minister can manage to RB those Red Guards, I'll send them to Norway and attack Hammerfest with them.
It will indeed lower the risk of a plane attack. (it were planes from Hammerfest who sunk our last 2 convoys)
Btw. There is a convoy on only 5 squares of the Murmansk coast. If we have a little luck, we'll have our first convoy next month.