"Whoever has really seen Russia will find himself content to live anywhere else."

The OB on the opposite page presents the current working draft of the Axis air forces for the Fire in the East reprint. This OB is vastly different from that given by Victor Hauser in his article in TEM 47 because he just converted the old SE OB to the new format. This perpetuated most of the problems that the new OBs were designed to fix; most importantly, the continued ability to convert bomber units to fighters. This OB incorporates information that simply wasn't available ten years ago when SE w Order of Battle Notes:

Here a few background comments on the order of battle.

Luftwaffe

The outpouring of new German unit histories and operational accounts in the last decade surpasses the total from the rest of the postwar period! And at levels of detail that were unimaginable then and hard to comprehend even now.

A counter's worth of German seaplanes are based in the Arctic during this period, but I didn't think that they were worth representing directly as they never flew GS missions unlike all the other anti-shipping specialists up there.

Kiistenfliegergruppe 506 deploys to Riga with Ju 88s for about three weeks in September and October, but this is far too short a period to be worth representing directly.

I was surprised to learn that the Ju 88A4 wasn't in general service during BARBAROSSA and can't pin down exactly when it began deliveries to units. Therefore I've presumed that all Ju 88s were A] models as they were for KG 54, for which I have a detailed loss listing that reveals when its Gruppen were converted. This was during redeployments back to Germany and so I've presumed the same for all Ju 88 units doing the same. Unfortunately I don't have information detailed enough to judge either the movements in and out of theater or the type of Ju 88s owned for KG I and 3. So, for now, I just ignored any conversions. I'm hopeful that I'll receive better info on these units shortly. A similar problem exists for tracking the conversion from Me 109F] to F3, but I slightly more confidence in these than I do for the Ju 88s, but changes are still possible and even probable as I receive information on JG 51 and 54.

The foreign contingent counter represents two staffeln of Spanish and Croatian fighters and a Croatian bomber staffel. The departure of the first Spanish contingent reduces it below representation, but their replacement and the addition of a Slovak unit guarantees its return in SE.

There's about half a counter's worth of Hs 123 biplanes present for most all of the FitE period, but I lumped it in with the attack version of the Me 109E to help justify that unit's TBF of 2. The same unit, 11 (Schlacht)/LG 2, participates in the attack on Greece and should replace one of the normal Me 109Es in Balkan Front. They had previously operated the Hs 123 and never received fighter training, just like the former Stuka pilots who ended up flying Fw 190s later in the war.

The Luftwaffe Schools rule reflects the transport units that supported the Demyansk and Kholm pockets that weren't retained in regular service afterwards. The majority of those that participated in the airlift were retained on operations and I didn't penalize the Luftwaffe further for them since the consequent loss of flying instructors is built into the Luftwaffe's ability to replace multi-engined pilots.

Finland

I deleted all the ex-Soviet aircraft from the OB because I feel the current OB, from AWW, grossly overstates their impact on the equipment levels of the Finnish Air Force. They never were the sole equipment of any large Finnish unit and were often used in roles that Europa ignores like photo reconnaissance. They have been subsumed into the ARP rate.

I was hesitant to replace the G.50 with the Hawk 75 as the former stays in service for quite a long time, but in ever dwindling numbers. But the Hawk starts off with only a small number available and German deliveries of captured French and Norwegian machine increase its importance to the Finns.

I broke out the equipment supplied by the Germans during the war separately in case any one wished to play with Finnish neutrality. If this is the case then the Germans ought to be able to use it themselves. However, this is not true during this period as most everything is either not in German service or going out of it. Conceivably it could have been diverted to other allies like Romania or Croatia, but probably not in quantities enough to make a difference, except for, maybe, MS.406s to Croatia. In the longer run this should happen as front-line aircraft are sent to the Finns and could have easily proven useful to the Germans or their allies.

Hungary

The Hungarians committed small numbers of aircraft, deploying no more than 20 fighters and 24 bombers in Russia for the campaign season. These were a mix of CR.42 and Re 2000 fighters and Ca. I 35bis and Ju 86K bombers in roughly equal proportions, with bombers outnumbering the fighters. A mixed Type A counter would reflect the variety actually committed, but I prefer the player to have the option of picking what he'd prefer. A counter for each of the types is a bit generous, but I doubt anybody will quibble too much.

CR.32s flew escort missions over Russia during July, but never based there. Hence the ability to fly another unit over Russia. And the restriction from using two bombers is to prevent players from abusing the situation by basing the Ca. 135 in Hungary and the Ju 86 in Russia to fly GS missions.

East Tac Air OB
Luftwaffe		Initial 1941	Reinforcements
Aircraft	Rating	Jun II	Jul	Sep	Nov	Jan '42	Mar '42
DFS 230	OGT-1 O/T	-	1	2	-	-	-
Do 17Z	3B4 3-4/13	3	-	-1	-1	-1	-
Go 242	OGT-11 O/T	-	-	-	-	1	1
He 111H	3T3 0/24	-	-	-	-	-	1
He 111 H3	3NB3 2-5/20	-	1	-1	-	-	-
He 111 H4	4B4 2-7/22	7a3	3	-	-3	-1	-1
He 111 H4	4NB4 2-7/22	-	1	1	-1	1	-
Ju 52	1T2 0/20	5	-	1	-	1	8
Ju 87B	2D3 4-1/8	6	-	-	-1	-2	-3
Ju 87R	2D3 4-1/13	1	-	-	-	-1	-
Ju 87D1	3D4 5-1/10	-	-	-	-	2	2
Ju 88A1	3B5 3-5/26	12a3	-1	-4	-	-4	-
Ju 88A1	3B5 3-5 S 26	1	-	-	-	-1	-
Ju 88A4	4B5 3-7/26	-	-	2	-1	2	1
Ju 88A4	4B5 3-7 S 26	-	-	-	-	1	-1
Me 109E	7F5 1/7	7	-1	-1	-2	-2	-
Me 109E	6A5 2/7	1	-	-	-	-	-1
Me 109F1	6F6 1/8	15	-1	-2	-3	-1	-
Me 109F3	6F7 1/8	1	1	1	-2	1	1
Me 110D	5HF5 4-2/12	2	-	-	-1	-1	-
Me 110E	5HF5 4-2/13	2	-	-	-1	-	-1
Me 210A	4HF4 2-2116	-	-	-	-	1	-1
Me 321	0GHT-1 O/T	-	-	1	-1	-	-
Foreign Contingents
Me 109E	7F5 1/7	-	-	-	1	-	-1
Air Replacements		-	31	34	29	25	27

Luftwaffe Schools, Available on Jun II 1941:
Ju 52 1 T2 0/20 3
Ju 86 1 T2 0/13 1

East Tac Air OB
Finland		Initial 1941	Reinforcements
Aircraft	Rating	Jun II	Jul	Sep	Nov	Jan '42	Mar '42
Blen 1	2B3 1-2/16	1	-	-	-	-	-
DXXI	4F4 1/9	1	-	-	-	-	-
F2A-1	4F4 1/17	1	-	-	-	-	-
G.50	3F3 0/6	1	-	-	-	-	-
MS.406	4F4 1/8	1	-	-	-	-	-
Air Replacements		-	1	1	1	1	1
From Germany: H75A-3	4F5 1/11	-	-	1	-	-	-
Air Replacements		-	1	1	1	1	1

East Tac Air OB
Hungary		Initial 1941	Reinforcements
Aircraft	Rating	Jun II	Jul	Sep	Nov	Jan '42	Mar '42
Ca. 135bis	2832-5/33	1	-	-	-	-	-
CR.32bis	3F2 0/9	1	-	-	-	-	-
CR.42	3F3 0/9	1	-	-	-	-	-
Ju 86K	2B2 1-3/13	1	-	-	-	-	-
Air Replacements		-	-	-	-	-	-

East Tac Air OB
Italy		Initial 1941	Reinforcements
Aircraft	Rating	Jun II	Jul	Sep	Nov	Jan '42	Mar '42
MC.200	3F4 1/8	-	-	1	-	-	-
Air Replacements		-	1	-	1	-	1

East Tac Air OB
Romania		Initial 1941	Reinforcements
Aircraft	Rating	Jun II	Jul	Sep	Nov	Jan '42	Mar '42
He 111 H4	4B4 2-7/22	1	-	-	-	-	-
He 112B	5F4 1/8	1	-	-	-	-	-
IAR 80	4F5 0/7	1	-	-1	-	-	-
IAR 80A	5F5 1/7	-	-	1	-	-	1
Ju 52	1 T2 0/20	-	-	-	-	-	1
Me 109E	7F5 1/7	1	-	-	-	-	-
P.11c	3F3 0/8	1	-	-	-	-	-1
P.11f	3F3 0/7	1	-	-	-	-	-1
SM.79B	3133 2-6/19	1	-	-	-	-	-
Air Replacements		-	1	1	1	1	1

East, Deployable: 2x B, 2x F

East Tac Air OB
Slovakia		Initial 1941	Reinforcements
Aircraft	Rating	Jun II	Jul	Sep	Nov	Jan '42	Mar '42
B.534	3F2 0/6	-	1	-	-	-	-
S.328	1A1 1/7	-	1	-	-	-	-
Air Replacements		-	-	-	-	-	-

ArcticTac Air OB
Luftwaffe		Initial 1941	Reinforcements
Aircraft	Rating	Jun II	Jul	Sep	Nov	Jan '42	Mar '42
He 111 H4	4B4 2-7 S 22	-	-	1	-	-1	1
Ju 87R	2D3 4-1/13	1	-	-	-	-	-
Ju 88A1	3B5 3-5 S 26	1	1	-1	-	-1	-
Ju 88A4	4B5 3-7 S 26	-	-	-	-	1	-
Me 109E	7F5 1/7	1	-	-	-	-	-
Me 109F1	6F6 1/8	-	-	-	-	-	1
Air Replacements		-	1	2	1	1	2

Rules

The Arctic OB is a subset of the North Theater and is not fully under the player's control due to Hitler's obsession with the defense of Norway. Units in this theater may only base and fly missions north of the Arctic weather line. No RP cost is required to fly any mission in this theater. Units may not transfer out of this theater.

A number of units are required to return to their national territory at various times. These units do not pay any ARPs if they are eliminated or aborted. These units, except for Romanian units, are then out of play for the duration of the game.

Germany: Each unit called up from the Luftwaffe Schools requires 1 ARP per turn, including the turn called up. Units may be called up for a total of 16 unit/turns, i.e. one unit for 16 turns or four units each for 4 turns.

Hungary: Only 1 air unit may_ base in the Soviet Union. One other unit may fly missions over hexes in the Soviet Union. One of these two units must be Type F. The unit must return to Hungary on the Nov I air cycle.

Romania: The East, Deployable line on the OB shows what Romanian units may base in hexes inside the 1939 border of the Soviet Union. Other units may fly missions in the Soviet Union, but may not base or stage there. At the beginning of the second Axis player turn following the Axis occupation of Odessa the Axis player must withdraw all units back to Romania and no units may base in hexes inside the 1939 border of the Soviet Union,

Slovakia: Any aborted or eliminated units must return to Slovakia immediately upon being aborted or eliminated. All units must return to Slovakia on the Nov I player turn if they haven't done so already.