Fighting with General Winter

Front line Commander’s Guide to Adverse Winter Conditions During

Combat

Commissioned and approved by Stavka

Commanders of the Western Front!

As we are pushing the German swine back toward their pits

it is clear that the end of the road is still a long way

ahead! Because of this the Stavka has issued preparations

for the upcoming winter, and as part of these

preparations you have been issued with field manuals so

that you, and your men, can continue to fight the

Fascists!

Failure to adhere to these guidelines can result in loss

of equipment and men, leading to your swift arrest

commanders! Serve the Motherland with absolute devotion,

but do not needlessly sacrifice what it has given to you!

After our crushing victory at Moscow the German war

machine has faltered, their strength exhausted! While the

fight in Stalingrad continues we must prepare for the

upcoming counter attack and liberate our homes from these

invaders.

While Winter alone has greatly stalled the Germans it was

only thanks to our resolve that victory was won that day,

and more victories are rapidly approaching! Take heed,

our Winter is treacherous, and even the hardiest of men

can succumb to its grip.

For the Motherland!

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What to expect from the Winter

During the Winter on the Western Front temperatures have

usually gone down to around -20 degrees Celsius, but they

may go even lower. Some recorded temperatures noted a

drop to -60 degrees Celsius. That is enough to freeze a

man in summer clothing with ease. German machines are ill

prepared for such freezing temperatures and reports from

the Battle of Moscow showed that German tank crews would

have to light fires under their tanks in order for the

fuel to melt, and engines to start. Aside from freezing

temperatures the deep snow can limit a man's movement

greatly, unless skis are used. German weapons lacked

proper lubricants and it was noted that their basic

rifles and even artillery would be unable to fire. Tanks

would sometimes be unable to fire. The Germans have

suffered greatly during their first meeting with General

Winter, but it is certain that this time they will be

prepared.

While we are more accustomed to the winter it is folly

not to make appropriate preparations. Firstly, soup

kitchens with warm food must be available to your men.

Without a way to warm their food morale may drop.

Secondly, we have mass produced specialized winter

clothing for all of our soldiers. It is much warmer, and

better insulating from the cold, than what the Germans

are using. Our shoes are also better prepared for the

deep snow and ice. Unless you are provided with fresh

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conscripts, who were not yet given basic equipment, your

men will be as prepared as they can be for the winter.

That is not always enough however, and while you may stay

warm in your headquarters you must make sure your own

soldiers are just as dry and warm.

After snowfall the ground will be frozen, making it

possible for bogs and rivers to be driven and walked over

with little problem. However, especially closer to the

Spring, when all the snow and ice is melting, most

country roads may be impossible to traverse over.

During an ordinary winter day there will be freezing

temperatures but your men's equipment should keep them

warm and safe.

However, General Winter is often unpredictable. One

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should always anticipate a possible snow storm, which

would sweep over the battlefield, stalling any fighting.

Snow Storms are very dangerous to your men. If they are

not in cover, or close to a source of heat, they will

freeze outside. There are usually tell-tale signs of an

incoming storm so you should have plenty of time to

prepare your front for it. Your engineers, as well as

conscripts, can be instructed to gather any wood, be it

twigs, lumber or furniture, and light it. That should be

enough to keep the men warm, for a short while. In an

emergency fuel may be used to rapidly start a fire,

instead of more traditional methods.

Alcohol only gives an illusion of warmth. As such inform

your men that they cannot remain warm by drinking large

quantities of it. While rare there have been cases of

people freezing to death despite feeling “warm inside”

from high percentage alcohol.

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Front line Preparations

While building defences is important, reinforcing local

structures, placing mines and setting up barbed wire, it

is also important to remember about lighting numerous

fires close to the front line. If a storm begins the

large blazing fires will allow your soldiers to remain at

their posts, maintaining the front. Failure to provide

your men with adequate warmth may result in death and

desertion. If you are forced to take your men off the

front, due to lack of preparations, the enemy might take

advantage of that and roll over your defences.

It is not always possible to build up defences, or your

current front might be passing through a village or town.

In such cases finding refuge inside buildings is better

than struggling with the cold outside. Instruct your men

to keep watch for enemy movement close to their occupied

building, but also tell them to, especially during a

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storm, close off larger windows and doors, so that snow

will not pile up inside the building, thus making it

uninhabitable.

Your infantry will be the most effected by the snow, ice

and storms. Ensure that they are kept warm, especially if

you rely on your men to do the fighting, rather than any

vehicles you might have. If your tank and vehicle crews

manage to turn on the engines of their machines they

should have no problem maintaining stable temperature,

thus allowing them to operate normally.

Smaller or lighter vehicles might have some problems

travelling in deep snow but your tanks should not. Their

tracks should also be able to clear a path for your

infantry, if necessary. During a heated battle artillery

fire or flame-throwers may also clear out deep snow and

ice.

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On the Attack with General Winter!

Your men are safe inside transport vehicles. Use that

fact to transport your force straight into the enemy

front line, then disembark en mass. If your enemy had a

poorly planned out front then most of their troops might

be huddled near a fire some distance away. Furthermore

tank and vehicle crews, during combat, will maintain

their vehicle's heat and operability, meaning that the

chance of mechanical failure is minimal. You can harass

the enemy by sending your tanks or lighter vehicles to

destroy any fires or defences, thus pushing the enemy

back with minimal losses. It is not a bad idea to use

artillery, such as mortars, to harass the enemy if you

are aware of where they might be hiding during the storm.

You may even choose to destroy any buildings the enemy

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could be using for cover, thus not only reducing the

number of potential strongholds, but also taking away

cover from snow storms. Since enemy vehicles will not be

affected by the cold you always have to take into account

that even though the enemy infantry was forced to flee

their tanks might still be close by and ready to counter-

attack.

If you lack transport vehicles, or if the distance from

your front to the enemy's is relatively small you may

decide to attack without vehicles, with a large infantry

wave. Take into account a few things however. Firstly,

deep snow may form. Deep snow will greatly restrict the

movement of your men, as well as vehicles though to a

lesser degree. Secondly, snow storms greatly reduce

visibility. You may find, once reaching the enemy front

that what you assumed was an empty front is filled with

machine guns and tanks, waiting to mow down your men.

However, this limited visibility may be used to your

advantage, sending a fast moving force from the flank,

straight into the enemy's rare, destroying their

artillery and supply chains, then retreating before they

can react. You must be aware of the exact enemy positions

however, or otherwise you will spend a lot of time

searching for ghosts.

Deep snow may still be a problem after a storm finishes.

Not only will it slow down your troops but they may also

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freeze in it, if they remain in it for too long. Deep

snow may be melted with fire, blown away by artillery or

flattened with tanks and vehicles. In general, if there

is deep snow you may use it to your advantage, as a form

of buffer against enemy attack from a specific direction.

If you are tracking fleeing enemies then their foot and

track marks will be clearly left in the snow.

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On the Defensive

As stated previously, lighting numerous fires, and using

buildings for cover from the storm and cold, are the

basics of maintaining your front, and similar rules apply

to your own front. There are a few more points to cover

however.

Firstly, when moving troops to or from the front, to

resupply, or to reinforce certain segments of the front,

you MUST remember about one of two things. Firstly,

resting points for your infantry. The further away the

front moves from your headquarters the more difficult it

will be for your troops to help in the fighting without

freezing to death. Especially during a storm your

infantry could find itself walking blindly forward, and

losing their way without fires to act as local beacons.

Start up fires along your main traffic routes, so that

more of your men may reach the front safely.

Alternatively you may opt to organise some form of

transportation for them. Since your men can travel safely

inside a half-track, and they are relatively cheap, you

can use them to quickly move men and equipment to the

front.

When it comes to defending rivers you should remember

about two things. Firstly, open ice offers very little

cover. While your men may try to hide among larger chunks

of it, in general the enemy and you will stand out, and

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be easy targets for machine guns and anti-tank guns, Most

importantly, if you have explosives or artillery, you may

use them to crack the ice upon rivers. If the Germans

begin a massive tank attack, bomb the river as soon as

the majority of their tanks are upon it. Thus you can

ensure that at a cost of just a few shells they will lose

many of their precious tanks. The river will freeze

quickly though, so be prepared that the enemy might

potentially force your hand early, and once your guns

finish their salvoes will the actual attack commence.

Because of limited visibility during storms you should

post sentries at the front to alarm your main force of

impending attack. If the enemy manages to cut the

distance and ends up fighting up close your artillery

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fire might cause friendly casualties.

In general during winter conditions be wary of deep snow

and ice on any body of water. You can use both to limit

enemy movement, or use them to prepare ambushes. During a

storm remember that the enemy will have lesser visibility

but so will you. Do not forget about using transport

vehicles, houses or fires to keep your men safe from the

freezing cold.

Additional Notes

Due to limited visibility it may be hard to identify

German soldiers from Red Army comrades at a glance,

especially during a storm. This is made worse by the fact

that German soldiers often steal equipment from our own

men, since their own winter clothing is much inferior.

During the first winter German soldiers also stole our

weapons, since their own would fail to fire. Establish a

code phrase or word for your men to identify each other,

and ensure that any guards are aware of outgoing or

incoming patrols. During a large battle, especially

during a storm, it is possible that German patrols will

get lost and approach too close to our lines. Keep out an

eye for them!

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Our tanks are far superior in winter conditions to what

the Germans have. However, you should not underestimate

the power of the German guns. Even though their tanks are

not moving their guns can still cause serious damage to

your own vehicles. The Germans may also create improvised

defences by using ice and snow. While not nearly as dense

as proper sandbags such cover may allow some degree of

protection.

Digging in these freezing temperatures is near

impossible. In order to make any progress the earth needs

to be defrosted. Use controlled fires to soften the

earth, but this will only resolve a small part of the

issue. It will be very difficult for your soldiers to dig

proper fox holes and defences in frozen earth. Explosives

may also be used, but this is not always the most

accurate way of building proper defences.

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Final Word

While the Germans will most likely be greatly hampered by

the winter again do not take it lightly yourself. Make

all the necessary preparations to ensure your men may

continue to fight during the harshest of colds and

storms. We cannot afford to wait for the Germans to flee!

We must put pressure upon them, pursue them as they flee,

and run them down with our tanks or mow them down with

our machine guns!

The fate of the war lies in your hands commanders! Do not

fail your Motherland!

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