Planning the invasion of Sweden is no small feat. Our goal is to capture Stockholm and surrounds within 10 days [5 turns], kill a bunch of Nordic blond manly heroes and sink their ships. Much of the force mix for the Soviets is starting off map, a lot of it in or near Kaliningrad which is 3 Megahexes South off map. Rules are provided to facilitate using those Airfields and Ports for this one map scenario.

Easy right? We are the Bear of the East after all.

Fastest with Mostest, or something else?

So we need first of all an intact or repaired port, to bring in re supply for the forces in country and for the establishment of a General Supply condition.

In order to acquire an intact port we need supply for those repairs if we land at a Port that requires combat to take [see hex 2244 Naval Port that is garrisoned] and a Heliport [no combat required so it can be secured intact]!

The Port and heliport sits ideally South of Stockholm. However, the Swedes have moved their Milo-o HQ into the area and moved the SF Battalion A1 to an easy to defend location in the heart of Stockholm. Also off the coast the Frigate Stockholm with its C rated Flak, and C rated Missile defense is well situated to provide cover against any air based drops or insertions, and Ground support via bombard. The Airfield in 2144 would allow us to fly in supply to repair the Naval Base Port [needing 10 supply points].

The direct approach sure looks hard.

But it is even harder when we consider the following-

The supply can come in via a port or an airfield or a heli-port to conduct repairs, but only two helo squadrons can use that HeliPort.

Any attack to capture them will also require repairs except the Heliport which requires no repairs required to use it…see where this is going!

Lol. Ok.

One option is as follows –

So in the pre move during the Tension Phase of Turn 1, we stage loaded helos with SF, load paras onto Anatols and get a TF #1 ready loaded with more Marines and supplies including enough to repair the Airfield [5 SP]. They stage off the coast of Mother Russia.

Now. What about the enemy and their actions?

We need to send subs out to hunt for their subs, and identify where their Naval forces are and hit that nasty Frigate with either SEAD attack or sink it or something.
Then we have the cute little Coastal Batteries. They need to be neutralized.
Similarly, a fight for Air supremacy is going to need to take place over the Stockholm area and the Russians will need to SEAD, suppress or kill any forces that could interfere with a Helo insert.

Inserts

The intent would be to land SF at 2145 via Helo and attack the Airfield. Airborne drop at 2241 [ urban terrain is ok to land at. Then insert LST based forces and supply directly on the Naval Base [yellow anchor].

The Mi8, can actually make it to Finland once its staged North near the SAM installs. They can drop in insecure a Port and it can be used for staging if needed and as a few extra VPs. But ALL of the Finns will likely descend upon it! Might not be worthwhile.

As a side note, you can technically win a marginal Victory by defeating the Finns and never set foot in Sweden. I am playing a house rule that at least one Soviet Brigade must be in supply in Sweden for any points to count for end game tallies.

Air sorites would be structured around gaining airspace control, muting Flak, then providing ground strike support. Any ‘left over’ assets would be allocated to movement interdiction efforts along the main axes of reinforcement.

Once an Airfield can deliver enough supply, we can repair the Port and then the create a convoy for supply, and rotate to Airlift/Sealifting in the two reinforcement divisions ASAP, and seeing how much mayhem they can cause.

Losses have to be manageable, as each step will cost VP’s for all classes of units.

A very knife edge scenario.

Would INDIRECT be better?

I’m no fan of this massively direct approach. If we had more time, I’d capture and repair an airbase off shore, build up forces, and perhaps land much further North. Then fight my way South with three Divisions. This would however provide the Swedes and friends with a lot of extra air power, and West German naval support that might just make taking Stockholm and enough other urban/city/airfield locations or killing enough units hard enough to mean we miss the minimum victory condition for the Russians.

FYI, the TRL site has a nice write up of the options in more detail that I do here. This is how I will be approaching things. YMMV 😉

NATO

On the flip side. The Swedes receive limited reinforcement. No US or UK ground units. But they do receive Naval, and air assets that will likely make a difference. So, key areas need to be secured and or reinforced quickly, and literally dug in. Then where possible, provide Air and Naval bombard support along the coast and for the fight for Stockholm. Then Naval and Air assets need to seek out targets of opportunity to keep racking up VPs for sinks and splashes!