Both sides refrained from using high explosives in the fight for the Kremlin. As if by tacit agreement only small arms were used thus preserving the few items of value still on the grounds. The casualty rate on both sides was enormous as the Kremlin was claimed by both sides as a symbol of what they believed was the truth.
Pistols and knives replaced grenades and C4 explosives. Men were killed one at a time in hand to hand fighting. The battle was reminiscent of the knights of old with an entrenching tool being more useful as a weapon than a 150 mm howitzer or P-47 Jug.
The fact was that the Freedom Force had more men. That made the difference in the end. They could send in more men than the Stalinists could kill and those surplus men killed every loyal Soviet one by one. Daily, for over a week, more men died by blunt force trauma than at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
By October 23rd the Kremlin was firmly in Zhukov’s territory. His men searched in vain for records documenting the fate of millions, millions of family members, lovers and friends.
The Stalinists had used their time wisely while delaying the capture of the Kremlin. Untold tons of paper and even microfilm were all destroyed trying to hide the truth from those seeking righteous vengeance.
The Battle for Berlin lasted 18 days. The Battle of Moscow, 1947 lasted 33 days. The final bastion of the Loyalists fell after taking direct fire from 24 Bofers and 88 mm guns firing at 100 meters. The 88s would make a hole in the wall and the Bofers would pour 40 mm HE into it. Not much can survive that kind of assault and few did.
Of the 210,000 Stalinists who streamed into Moscow only 1890 survived. Enough killing had occurred and the survivors were treated quite well considering some of their alleged crimes. Most didn’t stand trial although some deserved it.
Scores of the 1890 Survivors were wounded. Most horribly so with missing pieces of their anatomy or terrible burns caused by in close use of flame throwers or napalm delivered by various means.
Misplaced pity kept them alive. A number did not want to remain alive and took their lives after they could not stand the pain any longer. The hospital setup and staffed by NATO troops had over 10,000 Patients at one point. Luckily this was anticipated and enough supplies where brought in ahead of time.
Now what? Many were saying and thinking. Most had only known Stalin as their leader. Good or bad sometimes familiarity is better than change. The emotions caused by stress can be destructive or invigorating. Invariably “The good old days” are talked about with nostalgia and the millions of dead are temporarily forgotten.
Andrei Who?
General George Marshall is walking about his office reading from a file to him by the Colonel who managing the Soviet Desk. George’s audience of one appears totally uninterested. Perhaps his subordinate has other things on his mind other than listening to a boring biography of a fairly boring man being read very badly by another very boring man. Eisenhower is approaching the end of his very long stint as Allied and NATO Supreme Commander.
Marshall drones on…
“Andrei Gromyko leaves rural life behind and enters the world of academia in the 1930s. The great Stalin instigated purge of 1938, opened up many positions in the diplomatic corps. In late 1939 Stalin meets Gromyko and states’. The Soviet Union should maintain reasonable relations with such a powerful country like the United States, especially in light of the growing fascist threat."
Andrei was to go to America and become the second-in-command at the Soviet embassy in New York City.
By a circuitous route that involved traveling through Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Italy, he boarded a ship for America. The working-class neighborhoods of New York strengthen his strong negative feelings of the inhumanity of capitalism.
In 1943 Andrei became the ambassador to the United States. In April of 1946 he left for returned to the USSR for a “vacation.”
Shortly after World War Three started Gromyko and his entire family left Leningrad. They emigrated to Canada via Finland just ahead of the Soviet airborne assault on Finland, Sweden and Norway.
Andrei found himself in high demand and chose a prestigious position at McGill University in Montreal. He regularly gave lectures and speeches on the evils of Stalinism and the failures of both communism and capitalism, preferring what he called “democratic socialism.”
He was watched with great interest by the CIA as he in turn watched with great interest the destruction of the Soviet Union.
In November of 1947 he volunteered to work with the International Red Cross on refugee resettlement. His particular focus being the Ukraine.”
Finally, Ike can stand it no more and blurts out
“Why do we care about this man?”
“Well Ike he may just be the next leader of Russia.”
“Why in the world would we let a former commie insider lead our sworn enemy?”
“He got out early and renounced communism and particularly Stalin when the Red Tide was sweeping Western Europe. The Reds were poised to win the whole kit and caboodle when he made his move putting his and his family’s lives in danger. He was within hours of being trapped in Norway by Soviet Paratroops.
He’s not some Johnny come lately Freedom Fighter who switched sides when the USSR started to lose.”
“You really don’t like Zhukov do you?”
“Ike, my personal feelings are irrelevant. We can’t have a military man take over Russia. This Gromyko guy has never fired a gun and has been a diplomat all his life. He spent years here in the states and understands us…”
“Well that’s more than I can say.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Who else knows this guy and is backing him?”
“Truman, Stenson, Souers, Patterson, Harriman…”
“Okay, I get the idea. Why does everyone know this guy?”
“He flitted around New York for three years. He was always saying ‘neyt’ but still most respected him. You don’t exactly hobnob it in diplomatic circles, Ike.”
“Neither do you George.”
“And that’s why I’m reading this report.”
“Point taken. Continue on please, I will stay awake.”
“Hopefully I can as well.”
Another Time Another Place
“Andrei Gromyko was to go to America and becomes the second-in-command at the Soviet embassy in New York City.”
Zhukov interrupts reader. “Excuse me for interrupting my friend Konstantin…but why have you evacuated my office of all personnel and are now reading me this biography of Gromyko?”
The blind monk-like figure of Konstantin seemed to peer right through Zhukov’s flesh and bones and into his soul. The man didn’t speak for close to a minute. Zhukov was used to such behavior from his friend and confidant.
Finally his mentor spoke using Zhukov’s code name. “Goga, you have expressed many times your belief that a mind trained in the military arts should never lead a nation state in time of peace. Is that belief still in your heart?”
“Why yes…yes of course but why would you ask such a thing?”
“Many have put forth your name as the next leader of the Rus’. I have repeatedly told them of your conviction against such a scheme. Even Eisenhower himself has suggested you.
As much as I know you would do your duty, you would have to forsake one of your most earnestly held principles to do so. You would not be a happy man. I fear the compromises needed would frustrate you beyond your endurance.
You have sacrificed many things to free the Rus’. First you defeated the Hitlerites, Then you led the Freedom Force against the Monster Stalin once you knew his true crimes against life itself. Stalin took all he could from you once. You defied him and then he asked you to save him. Stalin did this after ordering Beria to cause you as much pain as possible.
You maintained the belief that your actions were saving the most lives. In the end, you saw Stalin and his henchmen for what they truly were. The blinders of lies were lifted. Once you saw the truth you m
ade the decision to end his tyranny.
Stalin held your family members hostage and eventually murdering each and every one. Any person he could seize, who called you friend, was summarily executed. There was an attempt on my life as well.
You have been tortured, starved, physically attacked and mentally abused. You deserve to build in peace. You do not deserve to suffer the indignities of politics.
You have become a master of war and chaos but only as a means to end oppression. But now is another time and another place. Your destiny is to enjoy what life has to offer. Negotiating and rebuilding Russia are tasks reserved for men like Gromyko.
Trained to Kill
Marie taught her niece to shoot. Not only to shoot, but to find the perfect place to shoot from. She taught her niece Oksana to kill men. Before Marie had left for the last time she had given Oksana the tools as well. It was not so much the rifle at it was the scope. The Zeiss Zielsechs 6x or ZF42 was one of the finest scopes ever produced. The optical path was filled with inert gas to prevent fogging p due to temp and humidity changes also, the best German optical glass was used for optimum clarity.
Aunt Marie was none other than the famous sniper Marie Ljalková-Lastovecká
With the ZF42 scope and almost any common sniper rifle Oksana was an even better shot than her aunt. She could hit a small coin at 1,000 meters.
The real question was, could she hit a man at any range. Did she have the killer instinct?
Before she disappeared, Aunt Marie had spoken extensively to Oksana regarding the need to defeat Stalinism and all it incurred. Marie was very active in a Freedom Cell that met regularly. She took Oksana to a meeting and Oksana was enthralled by what she heard. Then her aunt was gone.
Her skill with a rifle remained a secret between Oksana, her aunt Marie and the leader of the cell who’s code name was Ivan. It was as if Marie and the cause of freedom had a use for her niece in the future. A use that required anonymity as an expert marksman.
Three weeks ago, Ivan contacted her and gave Oksana an assignment. The task involved her singular talent that had been nurtured by Aunt Marie.
Developing and employing this special skill must be my purpose in life, Oksana thought as she quickly peeked through her unmounted scope at the assigned target. Only about a fifty-mm square area of his head was visible and remained rock steady for long periods of time.
The occasion was the victory parade for the victorious Freedom Forces in what was formerly Red Square now renamed Freedom Square. All manner of prominent world leaders were going to be present, including her intended quarry.
The peace accords were going to be signed and the UN along with most nations would once again recognize Russia. No Republic, no Union, no Communism as well, just the Nation of Russia. It was a day of joy for most but terror for others.
If her target remained alive, he was going to spread terror worldwide. The kind of men who would fill the void left by those assassinated today was frightening. First, they would use the public killings as an excuse to eliminate their rivals. Then they would manipulate and persecute specific ethnic groups much like Hitler did using the "false flag" of the Reichstag Fire. [clxxxviii]
Oksana believed that counterfeit acts of terrorism were often used to aid those seeking despotic power. Not only were the acts themselves heinous the following calls for revenge and "justice" led to changes in power.
Her mother, father, cousin and aunt had been killed and tortured by men like her planned victims, men who hid their true identities and proclivities from others.
Far below the huge crowd started to stir as guards and security men filled the stage. Then Andrei Gromyko came within full view. She quickly mounted the scope to her Nagant rifle, all the time cursing herself for not doing so earlier.
She acquired her target and fired for she could see that her mark was about to pull the trigger himself. Blood spattered the wall opposite the small opening she had fired through.
She experienced no hesitation. The opening simply became another object to hit. She forgot the man behind the hole and just pulled the trigger. She didn’t’ have to see the results of her shot. No nightmares for her.
She calmly put on her disguise as a cleaning woman. Oksana wiped the gun down to remove any evidence and picked up the mop and bucket. Making her way down the stair well she suddenly heard footsteps violently coming up with a vengeance in every tread.
Next, Oksana entered the nearest floor walking to the middle room. Once in the closest office she began moppin the floor.
She was almost annoyed when it took a full ten minutes for one of the police to find her. After a few questions and a rough examination of her body, he was joined by another who was higher up on the seniority list. As was often the case, he turned out to be of lesser intellect than his junior. The supervisor let her go after only a few questions!
He looked at her papers, took a few notes then sent her packing escorted by the first man. The fake name and address would do him no good, so who cared? If need be she would escape her escort with a swift kick to his groin, discard her disguise, pick up her stash of genuine papers and be on her way.
Luckily for the man’s balls, he let her go as soon as they were down stairs muttering something about not wasting his time.
Oksana did it! She killed the most dangerous man still alive from the Stalinist era. A man who her aunt knew would be against freedom and would do all he could to bring terror and another demon like Stalin into being.
Now he and his evil plot were done.
Viktor Nikolayevich Leonov
Leonov was the leader and veteran of close to a hundred commando raids during the last war against German and Finish targets. He was the Soviet equivalent to the German Otto Skorzeny[clxxxix] who liberated Mussolini from his mountain prison.
Leonov led raids that destroyed military installations, killed hundreds of Germans and Finns, captured dozens of prisoners and released hundreds more from POW camps.
Some of his more well-known raids include…
July 28, 1941
Cape Pikshuyev Raid
Viktor Leonov and his men raided this German strongpoint. When a German company came to the fort’s rescue. The Germans were ambushed by Leonov’s 181st Special Reconnaissance Detachment and fled from the battlefield leaving over 40 dead Nazis.
October 1944
Cape Krestovy Raid
Leonov initiated the operation by directing his company in a secret landing further along the coast. The force then undertook a two-day cross-country march to Cape Krestovy.
Leonov and his troops attacked the heavily defended German coastal artillery emplacement. Their 15 cm German guns covered the entrance to strategically vital Petsamo Bay on the Kola Peninsula.
There the Soviets captured a battery of 8.8 cm dual purpose guns using them to repel a counterattack and shell the main gun position. These actions forced the Germans into destroying the coastal guns to prevent them from falling into Soviet hands. Leonov was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union after this raid.
Leonov was a living legend and twice hero of the Soviet Union receiving one of the medals from Stalin himself.
His current mission was the one he considered his most important assignment. The undertaking was designed to save the Soviet Union and communism from obliteration. By sheer will, guile and bravado he had escaped the siege of Moscow. He had made his way out of the city as the army of traitors closed in on the last bastion of the true believers and followers of Lenin and Marx.
Leonov vowed that the deaths of his compatriots would not have been in vain. All he had worked for and killed for could not be relegated to a footnote in history. He had to make the capitalists understand that they could never kill the dream of a worker’s paradise.
Regrets and Retaliation
Former Soviet Navy Commando, Viktor Leonov, searched in vain for weeks for anyone who could assist him in his quest for revenge and salvation. He had the germ of an idea of how to fulfill his destiny but
needed information and some help. All of his comrades in arms were dead. Many a night he wished that he could join them in one more glorious fight.
Leonov was a true Stalinist. He never questioned his orders or his leader’s motives.
He started to go to his dead comrade’s relatives. But none would listen to his story for long before turning him away. To family’s credit no one reported him to the authorities. He was desperate and running out of places to hide. His face was well known and a number of times he had heard his name whispered.
Then by chance he met a young woman named Oksana who happened to be the niece of a gunnery instructor. Her aunt had tried to teach him the art of sniping. Leonov was not interested in target practice disguised as killing. If he was going to kill he wanted to see the light fade from the eyes of his prey. He felt that was the only way to honor those who he killed and doing so helped him to sleep at night.
The gunnery instructor also happened to be a woman who he heard had fallen to the cruel hands of Beria. He also heard that her daughter Sonia was killed right before her eyes. He hoped that Beria died a very painful and cruel death for all his crimes.
He had relations with the gunner instructor Marie. He called it relations but if he was really honest it was rape. She had led him on and he had only followed. At least that was his logic.
When the young woman mentioned her aunt and how she was a very good sniper he immediately became suspicious. Could her aunt have told her about him before she died? Is she out for revenge? But for what he thought? All we had was sex, sure it was kind of rough and she didn’t seem to enjoy it but that was the way of women. They teased you then led you on and cried rape when the act is done.
He was running out of options on how to carry out his plan. When the girl mentioned that she was a cleaning woman in a building overlooking Red Square he was very intrigued. On this very day the new government of traitors had announced that there was going to be a Victory Parade in Red Square. All manner of world leaders and the new Russian government would be present. The event was scheduled for one week from today.
World War Three 1946 Series Boxed Set: Stalin Strikes First Page 133