[I/KG26_Oranje]

I don't watch a lot of television these days (too much IL2 I guess) but today I came across a program detailing political events at the close of Second World War. It focused primarily on Poland, and whilst the allies had agreed at the Yalta Conference about the fate of that nation, Stalin had little intention of honouring his part of the bargain.

Despite the grass roots comradeship Great Britain and Russia made uncomfortable allies. The Second World War had started over the question of Polish security and the Cold War began to rear its ugly head over Poland as well, as Stalin denied the Polish people self determination despite American pressure.and dramatically increased tension in post-war Europe.

Churchill had always warned against the possibility of Russian expansion across Europe and on the 22nd May 1945, asked his military planners to prepare Operation Unthinkable - The British attack on Soviet Russia. I'm not joking, and neither was Churchill.

In the opinion of one individual involved in planning this venture - it might take a very long time to win. Given the recent experience of the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe units struggling with the climatic conditions and the vast demoralising open spaces of eastern Europe, one wonders what the British could actually do about it. The Americans may have spoken up for Poland but you can be sure they were less willing to extend the war against their former ally.

It is ironic of course that the Russian people were convinced (largely by offical propaganda) that the West were about to launch a full scale invasion of the Soviet Union for something like forty or fifty years. Were the Russian government aware of Operation Unthinkable via the communist sympathisers lurking in Whitehall? Or was it merely the legacy of Stalins paranoia?

Anyway, there is a historical scenario for 1946 fans. Can Britain do it? Operating over the long distances of eastern Europe? The harsh unforgiving climate? Maintaining a war footing into economic exhaustion? Fighting a war on a broad front with less resources than the German began theirs with? Can Britain save the world against the communist tide?

Germany would have defeated the Soviet Union if the US wasn't supplying them. Or mixing in towards the end.

1; In 1945/46 Russia was on full scale war condition and have learnd from 4 years of a very hard war vs germanie and Finland , on the start of barbarossa rusia was still in peace form.

2; Against Russia was the Technolegie of the Western allieds and the new sorce of man power in the west by the liberation of west europ , africa and azia, and on sea the royal navy and US navy where masters there , plus the east side of europ was not so happy wiht the russian libaration so its possible that the partizans of 1941/45 turnd against russia as the diht against Germanie.
Than germanie it self was a good sorce of many experianst exports for the war effort.

3; In favor of Rusia was the massive war factory`s and the new technolegie that came avalable after the ocupation of Eastgermanie and the knolige of western allied matrials and tactics.
Dont forget the massive natrual sorce`s the have in Russia , new bases in Finland , East-europ and Azia.

4; the RAF and USAAF are not able to start a tactical bomber campain vs Russia , becose the Ural was a bit to far out for the Heavy bombers and its escorts to slowdown or distroying the massive factory`s production of war materials.
The atomic bomb was not avalable anymore after Japan in a fast time table.
Britian was broke after the war.
And dont forget...... Europ and the US are tired after so many years of war , the Support was not there anymore.

Personel i think Stalin had more chance to win in a real atack.

So after those cople points its hard to tell , if England where able to start a atack on Russia , remamber the have done it in 1917 against the comunist to help the Tsaar and force lenin to give up.
We all know where that ends.

Now for the Il2 1946 fans its very hard to dublicate a atack on russia wiht this sim we are only able to do DF or small Bombing missions , not the compleet story of waht if.

S! I/KG26_Oranje