Chapter Summaries

Qin Tian convened Germany’s military and political leaders to discuss the end of Russia’s Winter Offensive and Germany’s next moves against Buru. He warned that Russia could still mobilize enormous forces and that the Island Nation and the Americans might soon widen the war.

• Major General Himmond urged Qin Tian to leave his office window because of assassination threats, then escorted him to a meeting with the ministers and Crown Prince Friedrich.
• Qin Tian said Germany had killed several hundred thousand Russians during the Winter Offensive, fewer than he had hoped, and Manstein reported that Zhukov had persuaded Joseph to abandon the offensive.
• Qin Tian ordered the military to watch Zhukov closely and, if possible, eliminate him on the battlefield.
• Qin Tian warned his leaders not to become overconfident despite Germany having eliminated three million Russian troops and badly damaged Russia’s navy and air force.
• Manstein said Germany planned to begin a major spring offensive and hoped to destroy six million Russian troops that year.
• Qin Tian cautioned that Russia could still mobilize twelve million men and reminded the ministers that the Island Nation and the Americans might soon threaten Germany as well.

Qin Tian assessed Germany’s four main enemies and focused on preparing for Island Nation’s expected entry into the war. Germany’s Pacific and Indian Ocean fleets were readied to confront Island Nation Navy while the Mediterranean Fleet remained in reserve to protect the Atlantic.

• Qin Tian considered the United States Germany’s foremost rival, Buru a difficult land enemy, and Island Nation a serious threat backed by the Americans, while Britain had greatly declined.
• Manstein reported that Island Nation had begun mobilizing troops and servicing its naval vessels, suggesting it was preparing to enter the war.
• Qin Tian asked about defenses in the South Seas, Australia, and the Pacific, and Manstein said four army groups, heavy forces, and colonial units were prepared to hold strategic positions.
• Raeder reported that the Pacific Fleet and Indian Ocean Fleet were preparing to unite against Island Nation Navy and seek opportunities to defeat it.
• Qin Tian kept the Mediterranean Fleet in reserve to guard against the American Navy in the Atlantic and hoped the German fleets in the Pacific and Indian Ocean could defeat Island Nation Navy.

Oscar reviewed German air preparations against Island Nation and the coming strategic bombing campaign against Buru. Kesselring said the bombing force would be ready within a week, while Oscar called for Germany to build its heavy bomber force to at least 3,000 aircraft.

• Oscar said German fighters could counter Island Nation’s Zero Carrier Fighters and that the 5th and 6th Air Groups were ready for battle.
• Oscar asked Kesselring about preparations for strategic bombing Buru, whose military-industrial production he wanted to destroy.
• Kesselring reported that airfields in Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine were ready and that BF-110 fighters could escort the bombers.
• Kesselring said the campaign could begin within a week with 900 H-11 and 300 H-21 heavy long-range bombers.
• Oscar said Germany needed at least 3,000 heavy strategic bombers, and Kesselring acknowledged that production had to increase.

Oscar ordered the German Air Force to begin strategic bombing of Buru within a week, targeting its cities, industry, and transport networks. Albert Kesselring and Edward Milch prepared the campaign while acknowledging that escort fighters were scarce, and Kesselring promised to increase BF-110 production.

• Oscar ordered Albert Kesselring to launch strategic bombing of Buru and destroy its industrial and transport infrastructure before the next winter.
• The German Air Force moved long-range fighters and heavy bombers to airfields in Belarus and Ukraine, while its Strategic Strike Office began planning attacks on known Buru factory locations.
• Albert Kesselring visited Edward Milch and said the strikes would begin in a week, urging the Air Force to prove its value.
• Edward Milch warned that Russian P-40 fighters and Germany's shortage of escorts could threaten the bombers, despite the BF-110's speed and range.
• Albert Kesselring pledged to increase BF-110 production and expected the spring offensive to weaken the Russian Air Force.

German air commanders selected Kazan for a massive bombing raid aimed at destroying Buru’s aircraft factories and disrupting production of the Yak-1 fighter. After securing Emperor Qin Tian’s approval and preparing for clear weather, the German Air Force launched its bomber and fighter formations on January 8, leaving them en route to Kazan.

• Milch told Field Marshal Kesselring that Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod had Buru aircraft factories, and that Kazan was preparing to produce Yak-1 fighters.
• Field Marshal Kesselring proposed bombing Kazan, destroying its aircraft factories, and reinforcing the bomber escorts; Milch agreed to send 900 H-11 and 300 H-21 bombers.
• German commanders scheduled the raid for January 8 after meteorologists predicted two clear days, and Oscar approved the plan on behalf of Emperor Qin Tian.
• Ground crews cleared and salted the runways after the snow stopped, then prepared the aircraft for takeoff.
• The H-21 and H-11 bombers took off from airfields in Belarus and Ukraine, followed by long-range fighters and 240 FW-190s assigned to strengthen the escort.
• More than 1,900 German aircraft formed into several echelons and flew toward Kazan.

Field Marshal Albert Kesselring awaited the results of Germany’s first strategic bombing campaign as more than a thousand German bombers and their escorts entered Russian-controlled territory. Moscow sounded its air-raid sirens, sending civilians and Joseph to shelters as Soviet commanders feared the city was under attack.

• Field Marshal Albert Kesselring learned that the bombing formation had taken off with fighter escorts and ordered his staff to report the results.
• German aircraft flew over Russian positions near Tula, where soldiers spotted the formation and reported it as a possible attack on Moscow.
• Shaposhnikov received reports of large German air formations and demanded assurances from General Astakhov and General Zavoronkov that Moscow would be protected.
• Moscow’s air-raid sirens sounded, and residents rushed toward shelters in panic.
• Joseph was escorted from his Kremlin office to a bomb shelter as the city braced for the German air raid.

Joseph learned that German aircraft had bypassed Moscow and were heading east toward Buru’s relocated factories, so he ordered the air force to intercept them. The Bolshevik Air Force launched fighters, but their limited numbers and low service ceilings left them unable to reach the German formation flying above ten thousand meters.

• Joseph waited in an air-raid shelter, then learned the German aircraft had continued east instead of bombing Moscow.
• Joseph guessed the Germans were targeting factories moved eastward and ordered the air force to intercept them.
• At Air Force Headquarters, General Astakhov received Joseph’s order and directed airfields along the route to launch fighters.
• Bolshevik pilots took off in P-40 and I-16 fighters, but their aircraft could not climb to the German formation’s altitude.

The Bolshevik Air Force failed to reach German bombers flying above ten thousand meters, and learned the formation was heading for Kazan. As the German escort fighters prepared to engage the Russian fighters trailing below, the interception battle was about to begin.

• A Bolshevik pilot climbed his P-40 to nine thousand meters, where its engine stalled, forcing him to bail out as the aircraft crashed.
• General Astakhov ordered the airborne fighters to wait until the German bombers descended, then ordered them to intercept at all costs after learning Kazan was the likely target.
• Lieutenant General Otto Dessloch learned that the Russian fighters were following the bomber formation and ordered the BF-110 escorts to prepare for battle once their auxiliary fuel tanks ran dry.
• More than three hundred Bolshevik fighters, mostly P-40s, continued following beneath the German bomber formation.

The German escort fighters attacked the Bolshevik Air Force’s P-40s and overwhelmed them with superior speed and firepower. By the time the bombers reached Kazan, almost the entire Russian fighter force had been destroyed, leaving the bombers to proceed toward their target.

• Lieutenant General Otto Dessloch ordered the 1st and 2nd Wings to attack the Russian fighters while the other escorts protected the bombers.
• German BF-110s surprised the P-40s and shot down dozens as the Russian pilots tried to scatter and escape.
• German pilots pursued the P-40s, including Ivan’s, and continued destroying them despite their attempts to evade.
• A Bolshevik Air Force officer ordered a retreat, but German fighters surrounded the remaining Russians and kept up their attacks.
• By the time the bombers reached Kazan, almost all of the more than three hundred P-40s had been shot down, while only a few German BF-110s had been lost.

Lieutenant General Otto Dessloch led a German air raid that destroyed the factories in southwestern Kazan where Yak-1 fighters were being assembled. The bombers returned to Germany after devastating the city, leaving the Bolshevik Air Force facing a major production setback.

• Otto Dessloch ordered the German escort fighters to suppress Kazan’s air defenses before the bombers attacked.
• Bolshevik anti-aircraft troops opened fire on the diving BF-110 fighters, exposing their positions and suffering heavy casualties.
• German H-11 bombers descended over southwestern Kazan and dropped bombs on the Yak-1 factories.
• German bombers destroyed nearly all the factories around Kazan and more than half the city, killing many workers.
• The German bomber formations climbed to high altitude and returned to Germany after sustaining only limited losses.

After German bombers devastated Kazan and destroyed its aircraft factory, Joseph demanded defenses and a rapid revival of Yak-1 production. He accepted that factories would have to be moved farther east to escape continued bombing.

• German bombers destroyed more than half of Kazan and wiped out the aircraft factory and its newly assembling Yak-1 fighters.
• Shaposhnikov, Astakhov, and Zavoronkov reported the damage to Joseph, who demanded a way to defend against further raids.
• Zavoronkov proposed obtaining American radar, while Astakhov explained that Soviet fighters could not reach the bombers and were outmatched by their escorts.
• Joseph ordered Yak-1 production restored within three months, though Zavoronkov said preparations would normally take over half a year.
• Shaposhnikov warned that German bombing would continue, and Joseph agreed to move factories east to Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk.

Field Marshal Kesselring and Field Marshal Milch reported that Germany’s first strategic bombing raid had destroyed Kazan’s aircraft factory and inflicted heavy losses on Buru’s fighters. Qin Tian ordered the bombing campaign to continue and efforts to rescue downed German pilots; the next day, German bombers destroyed Nizhny Novgorod.

• A general reported that the German air group had destroyed Kazan’s aircraft factory and ruined much of the city, while losing nine heavy bombers and twelve BF-110 fighters.
• Field Marshal Kesselring ordered the pilots to rest and directed the air force to continue strategic bombing against Buru.
• Field Marshal Kesselring and Field Marshal Milch told Qin Tian about the raid’s results, and Qin Tian ordered intelligence to try to rescue the downed pilots.
• Qin Tian instructed the air force to keep bombing Buru, and German bombers destroyed Nizhny Novgorod the next day.

President Roosevelt and his military advisers discussed Germany’s devastating strategic bombing of Buru and the United States’ ability to respond. Roosevelt ordered increased heavy-bomber production and considered using Buru’s airfields to strike Germany and its Middle Eastern oil fields if the United States entered the war.

• The Buru representative asked the United States for radar, anti-aircraft guns, and fighters to counter German attacks, and Hull told him he would report the request to Roosevelt.
• Hull, Arnold, and Marshall briefed Roosevelt on how German bomber raids were destroying Buru’s cities and weakening its war industry.
• Roosevelt asked whether Germany could bomb the United States, and Arnold explained that the Atlantic Ocean and lack of nearby airfields made such raids impractical.
• Marshall proposed using Buru’s airfields to launch American bombers against Germany if the United States declared war, while Arnold warned that German fighters could intercept them.
• Roosevelt argued that raids on Germany and its Middle Eastern oil fields could boost opposition morale and ordered increased production of heavy bombers.

President Roosevelt and his advisers discussed helping Buru withstand German bombing and keep German forces tied down. Roosevelt approved supplying the Bolshevik Russian government with air-defense radar and aircraft engines, leaving the United States preparing for its eventual war with Germany.

• Hull warned Roosevelt that German strategic bombing was weakening Buru and that its defeat would free millions of German troops.
• Arnold said the United States could provide Buru with air-defense early-warning radar, though German radar technology remained far ahead.
• Roosevelt urged his advisers not to lose confidence and declared that the United States would defeat Germany.
• Arnold warned that Buru might reverse-engineer American aircraft engines, but Roosevelt approved supplying them anyway.

President Roosevelt and his officials discussed ways to strengthen Buru against Germany, including rushing advanced US fighters into service and sending American pilots under civilian cover. Roosevelt also ordered renewed pressure on the Island Nation to declare war on Germany before the end of January.

• Secretary Hull reported that Buru wanted advanced fighters because its P-40s had performed poorly against German aircraft.
• General Arnold said the P-47 and P-51 could match German fighters but would not enter mass production until the following year, so Roosevelt demanded accelerated testing and deployment.
• Hopkins urged Roosevelt to press the Island Nation to enter the war, and Roosevelt ordered it to declare war on Germany before the end of the month.
• Hull said Buru needed replacement pilots, and Marshall proposed that US pilots retire and be hired by Buru to fight and gather intelligence.
• Roosevelt approved Marshall's plan to send pilots to Buru under that arrangement.

Ivan, Vasily, and their Russian guerillas ambushed a German supply convoy in the winter, hoping to seize food and clothing. The outnumbered guerillas charged under heavy German fire, suffering losses as the battle continued.

• Ivan asked Vasily whether they could share food with a starving village after the attack, and Vasily said he would report the request to the Political Instructor.
• A scout reported that seven German trucks were approaching, and Vasily ordered the guerillas to prepare for battle.
• A landmine blasted the lead truck, and Vasily’s guerillas opened fire on the convoy.
• German soldiers took cover, returned fire, and called for reinforcements while the guerillas charged toward the highway.
• German rifle and machine-gun fire struck down many guerillas, but the survivors continued their attack.

Vasily's guerrillas ambushed a German supply convoy and captured its provisions after Ivan led a successful attack from the rear. The guerrillas escaped into the forest before German reinforcements arrived, leaving the Captain unable to pursue them through the snow.

• Vasily ordered Ivan to circle around the highway and promised wheat for Ilena's family if he succeeded.
• Ivan's guerrillas killed the German machine gunner from behind, allowing Vasily's fighters to charge and overwhelm the convoy guards.
• Ivan killed a surrendering German soldier, while the guerrillas seized flour, canned food, clothing, and other supplies from the Trucks.
• The guerrillas loaded the captured provisions onto sleds and withdrew to their forest stronghold, with the snow covering their tracks.
• German reinforcements arrived more than an hour later, but the Captain learned the supplies were gone and the snowfall had hidden the guerrillas' trail.

After Russian guerrillas destroyed a German transport convoy, Captain Franz and Captain Adam joined Major Schulz’s Special Forces in a campaign to find them. Schulz decided to investigate the village nearest the forest, where the guerrillas were believed to have local connections.

• Captain Franz requested reinforcements after arriving too late to stop the guerrillas from destroying the convoy.
• Battalion headquarters sent additional reconnaissance troops and a squad from the Army Corps Special Forces.
• Major Schulz arrived by helicopter with his squad and took command of Captains Franz and Adam.
• Franz and Adam told Schulz the guerrillas were hiding in a vast forest and were difficult to locate.
• Schulz ordered the troops to go to the nearby village to look for clues, and Franz and Adam accepted his decision.

Major Schulz tried to make the starving villagers of Iboka betray the guerrillas by offering them flour, then arrested and interrogated them when they refused. After learning that Ilena’s boyfriend Ivan was with the guerrillas, Schulz used her as bait and prepared to wait for Ivan to come to the village.

• German troops surrounded Iboka and gathered its frightened villagers together.
• Major Schulz offered the villagers flour in exchange for information about the guerrillas, but the village chief and the others denied knowing anything.
• Schulz ordered the villagers arrested, and German soldiers beat those who resisted and interrogated them.
• A villager informed on Ilena, whose boyfriend Ivan was with the guerrillas, and German soldiers brought her before Schulz.
• Ilena spat at Schulz and was taken away; Schulz ordered Captain Franz to hide in the village and planned to use her to lure Ivan into a trap.
• Schulz allowed his soldiers to abuse the village women but ordered them not to kill Ilena before Ivan arrived.

Major Schulz’s German forces occupied the village and abused Ilena while waiting to ambush Ivan. After capturing him, Schulz threatened to hand Ilena over to his soldiers unless Ivan revealed where his guerrilla unit was hiding.

• Major Schulz approved his soldiers’ abuse of the village women and assaulted Ilena.
• Ivan returned to the village with a bag of flour, realized something was wrong, and was shot and captured by German soldiers.
• The Germans brought Ivan before Major Schulz, who demanded the location of his guerrilla unit.
• Ivan refused to betray his comrades, and Schulz brought in the battered Ilena to pressure him.
• Major Schulz threatened to give Ilena to his soldiers if Ivan continued to refuse.