Fuhrer's Speech (January 1942)

Move of Soviet Factories (January 1942)

Alexander Yakovlev, Soviet aircraft designer

1st January 1942

2 months ago, in November, the Defense committee has ordered the total production of 22000 planes from all the factories geared towards the production of aircraft. Production has been ongoing for the past few months. Since our perilous relocation to Siberia, combined with the difficulties of the move, especially the losing of equipment and manpower, we have focused intensively on the task of setting up whatever machinery required to produce now, the planes necessary for the Great War. Given that I designed the series of Yak fighter aircraft, any of which a match for whatever the Germans throw at us, our factory is now ordered to produce at much of my latest aircraft, the Yak-9, for our pilots to fly against the Nazi dogs. To my knowledge, we only have a few other designs besides my Yak-9, such as the Lavochkin La-5 fighter, so we must work hard to make up for the lack of variety with an overwhelming advantage in quality.

First Out of Ten (January 1942)

Zhukov, Moscow

January 1 1942

By the 16th of December, the First Shock counter-offensive worked like a charm, with Germans withdrawing and abandoning guns and vehicles from Kin and Solnechnogorsk. Engaging the air force instead of ground troops was a masterstroke in strategy. We pushed the Germans out of Kalinin, Klin and Yelets. By Christmas of 1941, we dealt devastating losses to the Germans after encircling elements of the Tenth Motorized Infantry Division. The threat that hung over Moscow had been lifted by the end of December. A decisive and punitive couple of weeks that saw the threat of Nazi Germany dissolved from our capital. We have for the first time dealt a great strategic defeat to a major German combat group. We must capitalise on this success and concentrate more forces to capitalise. What Hitler wanted to achieve in Russia, had been utterly obliterated by the Red Army. This decision to invade us will surely tip in our favour with regards to the World War.

Zhukov, Moscow