VENEZUELA '39

- V E N E Z U E L A '39 -

Disclaimer
This page is a part of a science fiction war-game and the following account is a fictional time line of a conflict that never happened. Any one stumbling across this page should not read this as anything other than personal entertainment.

Chronology of events

1st April 1939
The Spanish Civil War ends.


1st May 1939
Bolshevik forces, with assistance from clandestine Soviet Military assets, storm Venezuela's government buildings, the homes of several prominent land owners, and the offices of various international oil companies. The Military attempts to impose martial law, but popular demonstrations fill the streets of Caracas.

3rd May 1939
Against the back drop of the global economic depression, most of the international community reacts with dismay at the news of the Venezuelan Revolution especially the United States whose domestic oil companies call for an immediate intervention. The Soviet Union however openly applauds the revolutionaries and champions their cause at the League of Nations. Secretary General Avenol is called upon to mediate an immediate cease fire between the Revolutionaries and the Venezuelan Army.

4th May 1939
The various factions of the Venezuelan revolutionary forces unite into one single militia, known henceforth as Milicia Rojo. A former Colonel in the Venezuelan Army, Astolfo Estévez is elected as military commander of the force and given the rank of Field Marshal. Otilio Gomez is elected as First Secretary of the Socialist Party of Venezuela.

​5th May 1939
Unimpressed by the League of Nation's initial attempts at a peace deal, President Garner of the United States orders the activation and full mobilisation of the 1st Marine Division.

15th May 1939
Baron Von Schöenberg orders the purchase of three 160 ton screw steamers from Chile, to be delivered for refitting and arming at the Sociedad Colectiva Hansen y Pucchini ship yards in Argentina - all three vessels requested to be ready for combat as soon as possible. An offer to buy the Chilean gun boat Río Negro is declined.

​16th May 1939
The Venezuelan Army concedes central and eastern Venezuela to Milicia Rojo whose popular support in the eastern provinces far surpasses that in the western provinces. Commander of the Venezualan Armed Forces; General Salazar-Parin establishes Maracaibo as his base of operations

​18th May 1939
Baron Von Schöenberg calls a Special Meeting of the High Council of the Brotherhood of the Black Cross. The Venezuelan Revolutionary forces have closed the border and shut down all supplies of oil to Neu Preussen. With their oil reserves barely adequate to last four months at full expenditure, the High Council agrees that a military intervention into Eastern Venezuela is their only viable option to reestablish their oil supply. Ritter Bruder Ganz is called upon to send the Ordenstaat's panzer forces into Venezuela.

21 May 1939
The first American military advisors arrive in Maracaibo where they are made welcome by General Salazar-Parin.

22 May 1939
The oil tanker Adela is sunk at her moorings on Lake Maracaibo by Communist guerillas in retaliation against the Royal Dutch Shell company. 

24th May 1939
Under Ganz's command, the 1st Neu Preussen Panzer Brigade crosses the border at Santa Elena de Uairén.

Game 1: Operation Frottola - Crossing the Venezuelan Border
Palle vs Martin & Jan. 8 Oct. 2016.
After an initial bombardment of the border crossing, elements of the 1st Neu Preussen Panzer Brigade cross into Venezuela and meet resistance from the local Army garrison which has been over taken by the Milicia Rojo.

Essentially, this was a trial game to see how well our Bayonet rule system adapted to the 10mm scale. Starting two hours late, and with constant interuptions as we debated how to necessiate changes to the rules, we didn't actually reach a conclusion, but the general conclusion was the Neo Prussians were far stronger than the Milicia Rojo and the fall of Santa Elena and its garrison were largely inevitable.  

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26th May 1939
Disturbed by the news from Santa Elena, Josef Stalin orders more military equipment and advisors to Venezuela in order to safeguard the communist revolution. The Soviet media reports the move, but refers only to humanitarian assistance and limited military involvement.

29th May 1939
Astolfo Estévez arrives in El Dorado with several hundred men and two platoons of newly arrived Soviet tanks. He orders the bridge over Rio Cuyuni to be mined and sets about fortifiying the town against the anticipated Neo Prussian advance. Flying over the area, Neo Prussian aircraft photograph these preperations and the commander of the Neo Prussian force; Ritterbruder Ganz, slows his advance momentarily. Since the Chimantá massif blocks any attempt to out flank Estévez from the west, and the Guyanese border (and the impenetrable rainforest beyond) prevents any similar move to the east, Ganz is obliged to take the bridge at El Dorado or find another way to cross Rio Cuyuni. After a short deliberation, Ganz orders his panzer force to resume their way along the highway to El Dorado.

​1st June 1939
The first Neo Prussian tanks arrive at El Dorado. Astolfo Estévez gives the order and the bridge across Rio Cuyuni is destroyed, halting the Neo Prussian advance.

"Gentlemen. Do not be dismayed by this set back. In any time of conflict, such things are inevitable and it is the natural duty of the soldier, if not indeed his very nature, to over come such trifles with intelligence and cunning. As you may know, local support in this region is very good. Our intelligence officer estimates that less than ten percent of the population here support the communist cause and roughly thirty percent support the previous government. The remaing sixty percent belong to indigenous tribal groups who have shown great interest in our cause and the benefits we might bring to them. They have lived for generations under the corruption and indifference of their leaders and they have seen what has taken place in Roraima and Neo Prussia and the benefits and prosperity our leadership has brought to their cousins south of the border. So do not despair. We shall cross the river, regardless of this lost bridge.
 
Aerial surveillance has shown several large river boats to the west of our foremost position and I have sent pioneers to establish their state and whether or not we can use them to transport our tanks across. If this proves possible, then Kapitan Schütz will cross over and quickly take his elite first platoon north to provide ground support to the paratroopers in the operation against the communist headquarters and which has been given the designation, 'Operation Barcarolle'. Whilst the enemy is distracted by this unexpected attack to his rear, the rest of first company will be crossing the river and forming up. Schütz's mission will be risky. We do not know what strength the enemy has kept in reserve, but Captain Mayer has promised air support from two of the squadron's finest pilots and the paratroopers will be armed with rocket guns.
 
Gentlemen. It is vital we maintain our composure. As you all know, our primary strength lies in our training and our technological superiority to the enemy. With his inferior Russian materiel, his only real strength lies in numbers. You may argue, and with good reason, that his numbers are comprised mostly of an unformed and poorly trained rabble, but do not underestimate this strength. He can afford to throw away entire companies of men. We cannot!"

- Ritterbruder Hermann Ernst Ganz. Addressing his officers at Santa Elena de Uairén. 2 June 1939.

3rd June 1939
Elements of the 1st Panzer Battalion and 3rd Panzer Support Battalion of Ganz's 1 Neu Prussien Armoured Brigade cross the Rio Cuyuni and reach the regional headquarters of the Milicia Rojo. Here, with minimal losses they inflict a decisive defeat against the communist armoured force which had been sent to stop the Neu Prussien advance. Astolfo Estévez is not present at the battle however and escapes north to Guayana City.

Game 2: Operation Barcarolle - The Attack on Eldorado
Jan vs Peter & Magne. 12 Mar. 2017.

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4th June 1939
With the capture of El Dorado, Ritterbruder Ganz sends back a detailed dispatch to Baron Von Schöenberg. Foremost in the various details of his report are several accounts of the new Kv-1 heavy tanks which the Milicia Rojo employed during the defence of El Dorado and which proved utterly impervious to the 37mm main guns of the Neu Prussien tanks. Ganz requests the immediate dispatch of prototype anti tank rocket weapons currently under development at JAMO. Schöenberg passes the matter to Doktor Theo Wolfenbüttel of the Advanced Weapons Research Unit who immediately orders four half-tracked anti-tank vehicles to be prepared for front line duty.

​6th June 1939
Inspired by Venezuela, and secretly backed by the Soviet leadership, Communist Party leader Jose Fallacia calls for change and his revolutionaries initiate an uprising in Colombia. Thousands take to the street in Bogotá, many of whom are armed. Taken by surprise, the politicians are unable to provide a coherent response and many flee the city. The Columbian Army, left without orders, is unable to respond with any semblence of unity and over the next few days it fractures along regional lines with the bulk of the southern provinces aligning with the Communists and the (better equipped) northern regions siding with the president, Eduardo Santos.

​7th June 1939
Ritterbruder Ganz and the Neu Prussien field commanders meet at El Dorado and issue orders for the continued advance of all air and ground forces in the campaign. The new objective is to reach the Orinoco River and consolidate full control over the entire region south of the river.

Communist Party leader Jose Fallacia announces the creation of a people's army, which he names the Milicia Communista. 

​8th June 1939
In London, British Movietone News shows filmed footage from Merida where Anarchist militia fighters have executed one hundred and twenty nine local land owners and nationalist supporters. Over the next few days and weeks, the news reel is seen in all of Europe's major cities, as well as the United States, Canada and Australia. As the weeks go by, the scale and escalation of the conflict in Venezuela becomes apparent to most people. Calls for peace begin immediately, led by Ecuador, Panama and Mexico. In Germany, the news that a German religious organisation has engaged in outright war against a Communist Revolution causes much excitement, with factions for and against forming rapidly.

​11th June 1939
Nationalist Militia fighters, loyal to General Salazar-Parin enter Merida and over the course of the next few days, execute over a thousand civilians. Any one even suspected of communist sympathies is shot and their bodies are stacked and burned in open pits.

​The first Neo Prussian bombers arrive at Guayana City and attack primary targets, including the Santa Carlos airstrip and the city barracks.

COMMUNICATION TO CMC HOLCOMB
From MajGen Herstal USMC

First ground units USMCEF arrived Maracaibo. Local conditions as described by initial reports. Venezualen Army depleted to 40pct manpower. Limited logistical infrastructure. No armoured vehicles or air cover. Request immediate fleet air reinforcement.
 

REPLY TO MAJGEN HERSTAL
From CMC Holcomb

Request granted. USS Hunter under orders. ETA 1 July.

12th June 1939
The Secretary General of the League of Nations, Joseph Louis Anne Avenol meets with a delegation from Mexico and Panama. Together they give an interview to the BBC Empire Service calling for an immediate ceasefire. When asked if there is any international movement to intervene in the Venezuelan conflict, or any mandate from the members of the League, Avenol is obliged to admit there is not. In Mexico, the meeting is dismissed as fruitless, and President Cárdenas tells Mexican journalists that Mexico cannot and will not intervene.

In Panama, the meeting leads to a growing sense of socialist fervour and several demonstrations quickly follow, leaving Panama City in a state of revolutionary excitement.

14th June 1939
In the first dogfight of the war, Lt Kurt Hernanda of Jagdstaffel 1, flying a Heinkel He-51 shoots down and kills Lt Juan Carlos Hernandez in a Venezuelan Dewoitine D.500 over Guayana City. Otilio Gomez laments the loss of the slain pilot and posthumously awards him, as the first ever recipient, the Gold And Red Star Medal Of The People's Republic of Venezuela.

​16th June 1939
Ritterbruder Ganz orders Jagdstaffel 1 to gain full air superiority over Guayana City and Jagdstaffel 2 deploys four Heinkel He-51 fighters and four Bücker Bü-131 into the theatre of operations to assist.

​17th June 1939
On his first mission of the day, Lt Kurt Hernanda shoots down a Venezuelan Lockheed Model 10 Electra transport plane over Guayana City, killing three crew members and four Soviet advisors. Later in the same day, Hernanda shoots down a newly arrived Polikarpov R-5 flown by Sgt Yuri Zakorski of the Soviet Military Assistance Unit. Although his gunner is killed, Zakorski survives the fight and is heralded as a hero by the Venezuelan communists.

Game 3: Operation Aria - The Battle of Guayana City
Palle and Martin Vs Jan. 27May. 2017.

19th June 1939.
Led by the elite first platoon under Kapitan Schütz, the first units of the Neo Prussien advance arrive at the outskirts of Guayana City. Here they meet the last armoured units of the Milicia Rojo south of the Orinoco River. As Guayana City holds the largest arsenal in Bolivar State, the Venezuelan Bolsheviks put up a stiff fight to prevent its loss. Backed by their Soviet 'advisors', they throw every remaining armoured vehicle they have in the region to its defence. 

For the Neo Prussiens, Guayana City, and the Orinoco River represent the last significant obstacles to reaching the Venezuelan oil fields. If they can take the city, then they can begin to dominate the river, and eventually launch an assault on the oil fields themselves.

​The game began with the Neu Prussiens in advanced positions. This was due to time constraints, partly from having to play with quite a few new rules, and partly because we didn't have the whole day at our disposal.

The battle saw a victory for the Neu Prussien's but not with out losses, most significantly, that of a second He-51, brought down by flak. Else where, the long barrelled Jagdpanzer 35's did some considerable damage to the lightly armoured Bt-5s, T-26s and Ba-6 armoured cars, but suffered heavy losses from counter fire. Perhaps, most effective in this game were the Neu Prussien Mortars which managed to take down one of the Kv-1s, presumably by damaging the engine. The second Kv-1  survived the battle, but was abandoned by its crew, who were unable to scuttle it in their haste to retreat.

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20th June 1939
After a chaotic retreat across the Orinoco, the Milicia Rojo discover the loss of their senior most Soviet advisors, and immediately send telegrams to Moscow. Josef Stalin reacts promptly by ordering General Aram Konstantinovich Balakirev, formerly of the 1st Zaporozhye Red Cossack Cavalry Division, to fly to Venezuela and take control of the situation. With him, Balakirev brings several experienced field commanders and General Viktor Mosolov of the NKVD.
.

From the office of Premier of the Soviet Union
To Comrade General Balakirev. Order Nr 45909.
It is the utmost requirement of the People of the Soviet Union that you take full control of the situation in Venezuela and impose the Socialist will of the Venezuelan people. To this end you will remove any and all obstacles by which ever means are necessary. Comrade General Mosolov has been ordered to assist you in this matter and you will concentrate on your mission to acheive military control of the country and leave any internal political matters to him. If he requires any assistance, you will accomidate him in any way you can, provided this does not jeopardise your primary mission.
 
Comrade General. You should know that your enemy is of a particularly insiduous character. We have had dealings with these religious fanatics before, and know full well what they are capable of. Do not underestimate their military capabilities. In the recent battle, we have learned that two of our latest heavy tanks were lost and one was possibly captured intact. Our agents also inform us that the enemy has developed rocket weapons of a type unknown to us, but possibly powerful enough to defeat any tank on the battlefield. Given this information, as well as recent losses to enemy aircraft, I am sending you more heavy tanks, as well as new aircraft with which to defeat the enemy.

I.S. 20/7/1939

21st June 1939
After mopping up the last pockets of communist resistance, Ritterbruder Ganz's forces take full control of Guayana City and begin to set up defensive positions along the river, and anti-air defences around the city center and the arsenal.

22nd June 1939
The Columbian Army defeats the newly formed Milicia Communista at Medellin, but also suffers a significant loss of man power as several units mutiny and switch sides.

23rd June 1939
Jagdstaffel 1 relocates to Guayana City and begins to fly combat air patrols along the river and the city of Ciudad Bolivar.

24th June 1939
In Berlin, Ritterbruder Meyerbeer successfully negotiates an arms deal which will allow technical scientists from the German Wehrmacht, and several leading arms manufacturers, to travel to Rorainópolis and examine the Kv-1 heavy tanks captured at Guayana City. In return, Germany agrees to sell twenty two Heinkel He-51s, twenty six Henschel Hs-123s and four Junkers Ju-52s to the Neu Prussiens, all at a moderately low price, and with technical assistance and the opportunity to acquire spare parts at a reasonable price. As a token of diplomatic overture, Kansler Hübner gifts Hochmeister Baron von Schöenberg a Junkers 90 for use as his own personal airplane.

25th June 1939
Lt Kurt Hernanda claims his fourth kill of the campaign when he shoots down a Curtiss Falcon over Palmarita. It later becomes apparent that the Falcon belonged to the Columbian Revolutionaries who, despite still being engaged in their own internal conflict, have already begun to send volunteers to fight in Venezuela as part of a rapidly growing international socialist brigade.

26th June 1939
Hochmeister Baron Gottfried von Schöenberg arrives in Guyana City and meets with various civic leaders. Over the course of a five hour meeting, the Guyana City council accepts Oberst Franz Karl Lohner as temporary military governor and agrees to assist the Neu Prussian's in their crossing of the Orinoco River. As a part of this deal, the city council reveals the location of the San Miranda river patrol boat which had been hidden in an up-river lagoon.

28th June 1939
The transport ship USS Archibald Knox arrives in the Orinoco estuary and unloads four Higgins boats which proceed up river to Guyana City where they are taken into the possesion of  Ritterbruder Brigadegeneral Hermann Ernst Ganz.

2nd July 1939
USS Hunter and her attandent escort ships arrive at Maraciabo and begin the disembarkation of the 1st Marine Division. Under the command of Major General Bertram Herstal USS Hunter initiates reconnaisance flights, sending two Grumman F3F fighters over Barquisimeto. In a brief exchange, one of the American fighters shoots down a Venezuelan Fiat CR.30 fighter sent up to intercept them.

4th July 1939
Major General Herstal orders a naval blokade of the Venezuelan coast. Three US destroyers and the Venezuelan mine layer Dardanelli steam out of Maracaibo to take up station off Caraca, whilst USS Dewey, along with the Venezuelan mine layer Milazzo guard Puerto la Cruz.

8th July 1939
Three Soviet transport ships, escorted by the light cruiser Admiral Istomin arrive at Guiria and begin to disembark engineer troops. These begin to build a temporary, floating wharf large enough for tanks to land. British aircraft from Trinidad and Tobago watch this operation but the British remain otherwise inactive.

11th July 1939
Soviet tanks and other military vehicles begin to disembark at Guiria. Later in the day, a US Catalina reconnaisance plane flies over the Gulf of Paria and photographs the Soviet operation.

12th July 1939
The United States declares an exclusion zone in all Venezuelan territorial waters and warns that any non sanctioned vessels caught in the zone will be considered valid military targets.

14th July 1939
Having finished unloading their cargoes, The Admiral Istomin and her charges withdraw from Venezuelan territorial waters and rendezous with the destroyers Osmotritelny and Zabiyaka. 

17th July 1939
The Communist mine layer Solidaridad enters and lays mines in Orinoco estuary. Moving up river, she lays more mines at various choke points in the river as she makes her way to Guyana City. Her progress is noted by a Bücker Bü-131 reconnaisance plane from Jagdstaffel 2.

19th July 1939
Four Heinkel He-51 fighters from Jagdstaffel 2 launch a bombing attack against the Solidaridad but fail to hit her. During the attack, one He-51 is shot down by the ships AA guns and another is heavily damaged.

The disposition of forces, 20th July, 1939

23th July 1939
The first paratroopers from the 1st Airborne Battalion - Black Arrows, jump in behind enemy lines to lay mines and sabotage communications north of the Guyana crossing. Jagdstaffel 1 and Transportgeschwader 3 launch several surprise attacks against identified enemy positions.

25th July 1939
Ritterbruder Brigadegeneral Hermann Ernst Ganz orders the crossing of the Orinoco River to begin. The first wave of Higgins boats and barges lands without major incident, but as the landing craft return for the second wave, the Communist forces retaliate with multiple attacks against the landing ground. Polikarpov R-5's begin to attack from Maturin, and the mine layer Solidaridad arrives and takes up position, blocking the way for the landing craft to return. Ganz orders all units to attack, and calls up Jagdstaffel 1to provide air cover.

"If you'll all look at the map gentlemen, you can see the problem perfectly. Here is the border and here is our main military supply depot at Boa Vista. Luckily we have only one road - Highway 10 - to navigate, but our supply route is now seven hundred and sixty kilometers long and dangerously extended. Should the Communists attack from the south of the Chimantá Masif, for example here at Kumarakapay, or here at Tarén, then they will cut off Brigadegeneral Ganz and we will be hard pressed to relieve him with the limited reserve force we have here at Rorainópolis. Furthermore, even if the Communists don't attack us on Highway 10, our fleet of transport vehicles is already stretched to the limit and we simply cannot maintain a steady supply of fuel, ammunition and spare parts beyond the Orinoco. Our fuel reserves have been depleted to thirty percent and we are now dependent on fuel supplies from outside.

Gantz wants to cross the river as soon as possible. His reasoning is that the longer we wait, the more time the communists will have to bring up reinforcements and the less chance we have of crossing. This is an accurate assumption. Also, we need to cross sooner rather than later because we can't control the oil fields, and resupply our tanks, until we do. Realistically however, our only hope of supplying Ganz once he has crossed the Orinoco, is by the river itself. To that end, we must control the entire river from Guyana City to the estuary and hope to bring in supplies from the sea. As things stand at the moment, we cannot do this with our limited naval resources, ninety percent of which are already in use, bringing fuel and other vital supplies to Rorainópolis.

The communists have moved the mine layer Solidaridad up stream and it has almost certainly mined the river. Jagdstaffel 2 have already attacked her, but without success. According to the information provided to us by our friend in the United States, the Soviets have built a bridgehead on the Parqué peninsula, and this is guarded by a small fleet lurking some where off Trinidad. The Americans are blokading the entire northern coast of Venezuela, but this Soviet naval presence is preventing them from extending their stranglehold. I feel the Americans will soon force the issue as they are already landing their ground forces at Maracaibo. They cannot allow the Soviets to continue to resupply the Communists and we are informed that the battleship USS Tennessee has been despatched to deal with the situation. Once that has taken place, the blokade will take full effect, the Orinoco can be opened up and the oil fields can be exploited by whom so ever holds them. Preferably us."

Oberst Joachim Weber. Head of 1st Neu Prussien Logistische Abteilung.
Addressing the Oberkommando der Ordenstaat. 20th July. 1939 

Game 4: Operation Madrigal - Crossing the Orinoco
Palle Vs Jan and Magne. 26 August. 2018.  

Using the San Miranda to lay down a smoke stream, the Neo Prussians approached the northern shore under cover. Aboard the Solidaridad, the communist gunners, largely untrained and unable to see any targets, were unsure about how to engage an enemy they couldn't see. Using their smoke screen cover however, the Neo Prussians did not seek to simply reach their destination but having divided their forces the San Miranda and a requisited barge full of infantry set about boarding and cutting the mine layer out. The Solidaridad's main gun engaged the barge, but failed to hit it - even once. High above the action, Soviet pilots saw this taking place and diverting from their initial attack against the landing craft, they shifted their attack to assist the Solidaridad. The San Miranda managed to shoot down one Polikarpov R-5 before it was wholly incapacitated. Once again however, the barge survived and arriving up against the Solidaridad's side, the Neo Prussian infantry stormed the ship.

On the shore, the Neo Prussian reconnaisance force was engaged by the only remaining tanks and infantry of the 2nd Guyana City Brigade in an attempt to prevent the landing. The Neo Prussians used defensive positions to hold out until their tanks could arrive to reinforce them. Heinkel He-51s from Jagdstaffel 2 tried to support the recon force, but this cost two aircraft to the 40mm anti-aircraft guns of the Solidaridad.

Despite numerous  attempts by the Soviet pilots, the Neo Prussians stormed and took the Solidaridad, and shortly afterwards the landing craft arrived to disembark the first tanks and defeat the communists.Once they realise the battle is lost, Milicia Rojo blow up the Via Maturin bridge, severing Highway 10 to the north of the Orinoco.

--

27th July 1939
Ritterbruder Ganz declares the northern bank free of communist forces. Hochmeister Von Schöenberg arrives on site and personally decorates all the Black Arrow infantry who took the Solidaridad. He then renames the ship as the Schönhausen.

28th July 1939
The battle for air superiority over Guyana City continues, with three Communist Polikarpov I-16s and a Polikaprov R-5 being shot down to the loss of two more Neo Prussian Heinkel He-51s. Jagdstaffel 2's last two fighters are transferred to Jagdstaffel 1 to keep the front line squadron viable. Ritterbruder Ganz sends scouts to the Via Maturin Bridge and orders reconnaisance flights to be made over the area north of his position. After dark, two teams of Black Arrows make dangerous parachute drops behind enemy lines to set up observation posts.

2nd August 1939
Marking the first casualty to the American embargo, USS Dewey, along with the Venezuelan destroyer Milazzo sink the Venezuelan tramp steamer San Rosa off Isla de Cubagua. The crew are spared and put down on the island.

The USMC Expeditionary Force, with its attendent air cover units completes its initial deployment.

3rd August 1939
The Milicia Rojo sends three motor gun boats out from Puerto La Cruz on a surprise attack against  USS Dewey. The attack fails, with two gun boats being captured and one sunk. 

The Argentine government approves a request to begin the construction of four motor gun boats on behalf of the Rorainópolis River authority. All four vessels to have a displacement of 72 tons, to be built at the Sociedad Colectiva Hansen y Pucchini ship yards at Tigre on the River Plate and to be fully operational by February 1940.

5th August 1939
Having studied the tactical situation north of the Orinoco, Ritterbruder Ganz finds it unrealistic that his forces can move north with any hope of success. Reconaissance indicates a large build up of Soviet armour at Tembaldor - roughly sixty five kilomoters to the north of the destroyed Via Maturin Bridge. He sends his report back to Oberkommando der Ordenstaat who accept his analysis, order an immediate halt to the Neo Prussian advance, and the fortification of Guyana City with the aim of holding it as an occupied territory and controlling the Orinoco River. Ganz is ordered to fortify and defend the northern bank of the river, and to begin the construction of a Riverine Naval Force.

7th August 1939
Major General Bertram Herstal and General Salazar-Parin establish a new Venezuelan National Army. The United States agrees to send surplus Boeing P-12 fighter planes to also establish a new Venezuelan army-air force. The 3rd Bombardment Group flying Douglas B-18 Bolo and Martin B-10 medium bombers begins operations out of Maracaibo.

8th August 1939
The decision is made by Oberkommando der Ordenstaat to build a bridge across the Orinoco at Guyana. Chief engineer Carlos António Machado is sent to New York to recruit designers and construction engineers.

Game 6: Operation Cabaletta
Moif Vs Magne. 2 May. 2019. 

Having ordered the fortification of the northern bank of the Orinoco, Ritterbruder Ganz directs the Panzer Support Battalion to hold positions north of the river whilst the main panzer force is kept in reserve so the tanks can be maintained and the men can have some rest and recuperation. Kapitan Justus Höch of 2nd Company is directed to establish an outpost in the hamlet of San Julio. A day after his arrival, a communist reconnaisance patrol probes the forward positions and attacks outpost.

The Neo Prussians had the advantage of cover, but the communist commander, Senior Lieutenant Chesnokov, was a bloody minded Russian who refused to back down. Pushing his men to their limit, he pressed the attack across the open terrain, using his tanks to provide cover for the infantry until they could get close enough to engage with grenades. Despite their superior equipment and training, the Neo Prussian soldiers had very little combat experience and were unable to resist the attack. They fought well but were eventually defeated, and Höch was captured.

After the battle, the communists had lost too many men to hold the hamlet and so they pulled back fromSan Julio and it was left deserted. Only three members of 2nd Company make it back to the Neo Prussian base at Guyana North.

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10th August 1939
The US Navy begins air combat operations to establish air superiority over Barquisimeto. The first aerial bombing missions against Milicia Rojo positions begin. The 1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron - the Escuadrilla de Moscas - fights back. Both sides lose several aircraft in the first twenty four hours with neither side gaining an advantage.

11th August 1939
The first USAAF unit, Eagle Squadron 1, armed with Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, arrives at Maracaibo, with two more squadrons planned to arrive to form the 1st American Air Group (1AAG). Upon his arrival, Lieutenant colonel Alan P. Hartman ignores protocol and tells American reportors that complete mastery of the skies over Venezuela is his goal, and that defeating the communists will be easy once this has been acheieved. This unscripted public decleration by a field officer is regarded with some disaproval in Washington. 

16th August 1939
Soviet armoured forces arrive in Columbia to support the Communist Revolution. Party leader Jose Fallacia inspects the newly arrived tanks and armoured cars and declares war on the American forces in Venezuela.

17th August 1939
Rear Admiral Samuel Howard gathers the American fleet off Isla La Tortuga. PBY Catalina long range reconaissance aircraft have observed the Soviet fleet in the Atlantic, moving north towards Grenada and Admiral Abraham Pershaw has ordered a confrontation. USS Hunter remains at Maracaibo to support the air superiority offensive over Barquisimeto.

In Washington, the build up of Soviet armoured forces in Columbia is seen as an intolerable provocation by Moscow. Calls for an official decleration of war against the Soviet Union are made in the national media. Several international news organisations relay the American reaction and in London the Prime Minister tells the House of Commons that British interests are being directly threatened by the Communist insurgency in Venezuela. The Admiralty orders several Royal Navy ships to Port of Spain.

18th August 1939
USS West Virgina arrives at Buenaventura and declares the port under blockade. Later in the day she is joined by the destroyer USS Dale. 

19th August 1939
British agents in Northern Iran, become aware that the Soviet Union is massing troops in Azerbaijan SSR. See Persian time line here. 

20th August 1939
The 6th and 7th Armies of the Soviet Union invade Iran.

21st August 1939
USS Cassin arrives to support USS West Virginia. 

23rd August 1939
The Royal Navy dispatches a small task force of ships with blockade experience from the Spanish Civil war. Leading the group is HMS Sussex, supported by the destroyers, HMS Ivanhoe, HMS Hostile and HMS Boreas.

25th August 1939
USS Hunter is sunk by Venezuelan Motor Torpedo Boats during Operation 41.

Operation 41

In the fortnight leading up to 25th August, Astolfo Estévez and General Balakirev move fourteen Polikarpov R-5 bombers from the 3rd Soviet Bomber Squadron to Guanare, and seven motor torpedo boats from the Venezuelan Coastal Defence Force, to Punto Fijo. Coordinated supply operations move torpedoes to the various staging points, and the 1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron is withdrawn from the battle over Barquisimeto and readied to support the attack. 

In the early morning hours of the 25th August, the seven motor torpedo boats from the Venezuelan Coastal Defence Force, under the command of Capitan Sandro Sanchez set out to attack USS Hunter from the north. Timed to attack at the same time, the R-5 bomber group from the 3rd Soviet Bomber Squadron attack from the south whilst the 1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron attacks the USAAF base at Maracaibo.

The R-5 bombers are almost all destroyed by US fighters before they reach their target. Of fourteen aircraft only three return. None of their torpedoes manage to penetrate the carrier's defenisive nets. The 1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron also suffers heavy casualties, losing half its aircraft, but it also inflicts heavy losses on the US airbase, destroying sixteen fighters on the ground and several important installations, including the main fuel reserve station. 

The motor torpedo boat group is the most successful. All seven boats reach their target and launch their torpedoes. Eight torpedoes miss entirely or are caught by torpedo nets, one is a dud and fails to explode and six hit their target. Mortally damaged, the carrier begins to sink almost immediately. Most of the crew abandon ship and are rescued, but only twenty minutes after the first torpedo strike, the USS Hunter capsizes and sinks within eight minutes, killing 256 men. Having been ashore at the US Marine barracks in Maracaibo at time of the attack Admiral Abraham Pershaw survives.

The motor torpedo boats quickly return to Punto Fijo but US fighters give chase and sink two of them before they can reach safety. With the American carrier destroyed, the Venezuelans claim victory. The world's media describes the attack as a stunning victory for the Communists and a humiliating defeat for the United States. In Washington, the repercussions are immediate with several high standing politicians and Navy personnel being held to account. The American media is livid, whipping up anti-communist sentiments and further calls for open war against the Soviet Union. Admiral Pershaw is recalled to Washington.

Moscow disavows any responsibility for the attack, and Pravda praises Astolfo Estévez, describing him as a Hero of Global Socialism. In Venezula, the Milicia Roja celebrates the attack with street parties and carnivals.

26th August 1939
With the Soviet invasion of Iran leading to an imminent upset in global oil supply, the British Government declares its intention to join the American blokade. Several prominent members of the United States Senate raise objections to this, arguing that the Roosevelt Corollary negates the need for European intervention, but the Garner Administration remains curiously silent on the issue. 

27th August 1939
HMS Liverpool arrives in Port of Spain.

The German aircraft purchased in June, arrive at Rorainópolis. They are immediately made ready for combat and allocated to Oberst Reger who bolsters Jagdstaffel 1 and Jagdstaffel 2.

28th August 1939
Over the course of the next two weeks, aircraft from both the Neo Prussians and the Venezuelan Communists clash in a sustained series of attacks over and around the town of Temblador. These enagagements, become known as the the Battle of Temblador and are an attempt by the Communists to break the regional air superiority established by Jagdstaffel 1.

Supported by Jagdstaffel 1, Sturzkampfgeschwader 6 launches a full scale attack against the Milicia Rojo base at Temblador. Taken by surprise, the 1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron is caught on the ground and suffers heavy losses. Sturzkampfgeschwader 6 also loses three Hs-123 dive bombers to anti-aircraft fire during the attack. In the skies above the airfield, the 3rd Milicia Rojo Air Flotilla intercepts Jagdstaffel 1. Neither side gains a clear advantage. The Neo Prussians only lose two fighters, but one of these is Lt Kurt Hernanda who is forced to bail out when a fuel line is ruptured.

Game 7: The Battle of Temblador Moif. 20 May. 2019. Belligerents
Neu Prussien. Ordenstaat Expeditionary Force.	Milicia Rojo: Venezuelan Communist Force Soviet Union Support Force International Socialist Brigade.
Commanders and leaders
Hochmeister Gottfried Von Schöenberg. Ritterbruder Brigadegeneral Hermann Ernst Ganz. Oberst Villy Reger. Oberleutnant Kurt Hernanda.   Oberleutnant Franz Bodenschatz. Oberleutnant Max Mendelssohn.	First Secretary Otilio Gomez. Field Marshal Astolfo Estévez. General Aram Konstantinovich Balakirev. Podpolkovnik Andre Chernavski † Podpolkovnik Mikhail Geller. Podpolkovnik Georgy Rubinstein. Coronel Carlos Balada.
Units and aircraft involved
Jagdstaffel 1  8 Heinkel He-51 fighters  2 Henschel Hs-126 reconnaisance aircraft. Jagdstaffel 4 - Das Adlergeschwader  8 Heinkel He-51 fighters. Sturzkampfgeschwader 6  12 Henschel Hs-123 dive bombers. Transportgeschwader 3 - Trans-Amazonia.  7 Junkers W-34 light transport aircraft.  3 Junkers G-31 heavy transport aircraft. 1st Airborne Battalion - Black Arrows.  Circa 200 Parachute infantry.	3rd Milicia Rojo Air Flotilla  7 Dewoitine D.500 fighters.    2  Curtiss Falcon fighters. 1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron - Escuadrilla de Moscas  12 Polikarpov I-16 fighters.  2nd Soviet Support Squadron - Escuadrilla de Caracas  5  Polikarpov I-16 fighters 3rd Soviet Bomber Squadron - Escuadrilla de Caza 24 Polikarpov R-5 bombers. 5th Soviet Bomber Squadron - Escuadrilla de Semental  12 Tupolev SB bombers. Milicia Rojo -  The 1st Maturin Brigade ~2,000 Infantry.    12 Bofors AA guns.

 
29th August 1939
The remaining aircraft of the 1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron take to the sky seeking revenge for their losses of the previous day. They meet four He-51 fighters over Guyana City but are solidly defeated. Given the increased nature of air combat in the region, planes from Jagdstaffel 4 are brought up to Guyana City to reinforce Jagdstaffel 1. Kurt Hernanda makes it back to Guyana City in a stolen car and is greeted as a hero by the front line troops.

The Ordenstaat sends a diplomatic mission to Germany. The goal of the mission is to persuade Germany to send military (preferably the Condor Legion) to Venezuela.

2nd September. 1939.
The 3rd Soviet Bomber Squadron - Escuadrilla de Caza, attacks Guyana City with fourteen Polikarpov R-5 bombers and seven fighter escorts from the 3rd Milicia Rojo Air Flotilla. Both sides suffer losses but again, the Neo Prussians win the aerial battle. The bombing raid is moderately successful with the R-5s inflicing moderate damage on the northern Guayana district. Kurt Hernanda, back again in an He-51, downs two R-5s in the battle.  

4th September 1939
Sturzkampfgeschwader 6 launches a series of small attacks against Milicia Rojo positions in and around Chaguaramas. The 3rd Milicia Rojo Air Flotilla scrambles to intercept and numerous skirmishes take place over the course of the day with Kurt Hernanda shooting down and killing Podpolkovnik Andre Chernavski's I-16. One attack by Sturzkampfgeschwader 6 is entirely destroyed with the loss of two Hs-123s and two He-51s. After the last few day's losses, General Balakirev sends five Polikarpov I-16 fighters from the 2nd Soviet Support Squadron to reinforce Temblador. Amongst the Russian pilots, a strong sense of discontent sets in and four officers are arrested for seditionby order of General Mosolov.

The German government refuses to send military forces to Venezuela but agrees to sell more aircraft to the Ordenstaat, and agrees to allow military volunteers to go and fight.

5th September 1939
The 5th Soviet Bomber Squadron carries out a surprise night attack on the Guyana City airfield. The attack is moderately successful, leaving two Neo Prussian aircraft utterly destroyed, and several more heavily damaged. Nearby fuel and ammunition storage facilities are destroyed and a barracks building housing engineers and ground crew is burned down killing nine. Two Tupolev SBs are brought down by flak during and two more are brought down by the flak guns of the Schönhausen.


6th September 1939
Kurt Hernanda leads Jagdstaffel 1 in a full attack against the communist fighter force. Both sides commit everything they have to the battle which ends with four for four. Hernanda himself is shot down a second time, and this time he is slightly wounded when he parachutes from his Heinkel and breaks his ankle upon landing. Local Venezuelans opposed to the communists help him get back to the Neo Prussian front. 

Germany's Reichsluftfahrtministerium sells twenty four Messerschmidt BF 109 and twenty four Junkers JU-87A aircraft to the Ordenstaat, along with spare parts and munitions. These aircraft will form the Falke Freiwilligengruppe under the legal autonomy of the Ordenstaat, as such they will carry Neo Prussian identification marks and their pilots will be under the authority of the Oberkommando der Odenstaat.

8th September 1939
The last significant skirmish of the Battle of Temblador takes place when Jagdstaffel 1 and Sturzkampfgeschwader 6 attack the forward armoured units of the Milicia Rojo but are intercepted by the communist fighter force. Neither side gains an advantage, although most of the attacking Henschels fail to reach their targets. After this encounter, the Neo Prussians have lost thirteen Heinkel He-51s in a matter of days and Oberst Reger decides to conserve his remaining fighter forces. 

Having also lost most of his Polikarpov I-16s, as well as Podpolkovnik Chernavski, General Balakirev is equally loath to commit his remaining fighters and the Battle of Temblador ends with the Neo Prussians having lost twenty one aircraft of various types, and the Communists having lost thirty one aircraft of various types. Balakirev sends a report back to Moscow requesting more aircraft, and better pilots.

9th September 1939

Game 8: To Capture Castellanos
Peter Vs Magne. Ref: moif. 16 Sept. 2019. 

Colonel Castellanos is the south-east regional commander for the Venezuelan National Army. Forced to retreat by the influx of Soviet assisted and equipped Columbian communists  he finds himself being pursued by an armoured car company and he takes refuge in the small army outpost at San Martino. Also at the out post is a small artillery detachment and a company of regular VNA infantry under the commander of Captain Sebastiano.

With only hours to prepare, Castellano orders his troops to take up defensive positions around the outpost. Luckily, the artillery men have already prepared their four 75mm Schneider guns and the infantry quickly dig around them to offer close protection. Captain Sebastiano has the road to the pueblo mined and shortly after this the commmunist armoured cars arrive, accompanied by a mechanised infantry company.

A short but bloody battle ensues, with roving Polikarpov R-5's also attacking the outpost. The fight ends when Colonel Castellano and his staff flee into the broken hills to the north of the outpost and the remaining VNA troops surrender.

See also.

12th October 1939
Under the agreement brokered with the Ordenstaat, the first aircraft from Germany's new Falke Freiwilligengruppe arrive in Guyana City.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Rudolph Hess resigns as leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party and Herman Göring eagerly steps in as his replacement. Negotiations continue, but Göring finds no support and is equally incapable of persuading the Social Democrats to form a coalition government with the NSDAP. Many members of the party openly object to Göring's leadership.
 
Kurt Schuschnigg declares Austria to be an independent state. In Germany, struggling to establish his own government, Herman Göring accepts the Austrian Chancellor's decleration and relinquishes Adolf Hitler's previous policy as untenable.

German diplomats turn down any notion of joining France and Britain's new alliance with Turkey, pointing out the impossibility of German military participation in Iran whilst Germany itself is practically leaderless. Any question that a second Freiwilligengruppe might be established for Iran is also dismissed. 

Belligerents; Units and Commanders 

Neu Prussien

1st Airborne Battalion - Black Arrows. Commanded by Hochmeister Von Schöenberg personally, the Black Arrows are the Ordenstaat's foremost elite infantry unit. They are based at Ordensburg Neuschloss and operate independently of Ritterbruder Ganz's command, but sometimes in conjuction. The battalion operates both as paratroopers and as mechanized infantry depending on the mission.

1 Neu Prussien Armoured Brigade.
Commanded by Ritterbruder Brigadegeneral Hermann Ernst Ganz. Comprised of two panzer battalions, a panzer support battalion, three mechanized infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.  The brigade forms the bulk of the Neu Prussien armoured forces in Venezuela, with only a few armoured cars held in reserve positions.

2nd Brigade.
Commanded by Oberst Franz Karl Lohner. Comprised of six infantry battalions, an armoured car battalion, an artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. The brigade is a part of Ritterbruder Ganz's field army.

3rd Brigade - Schattentroppen.
Commanded by Ritterbruder Oberst Doktor Holst, the brigade forms bulk of the Auxilliary Home Defence Force. It is comprised of three infantry battalions, an armoured car battalion, an artillery battery and an anti-aircraft battery.

4th Brigade.
Commanded by Oberst Rupprecht Abel. Comprised of four infantry battalions and one field artillery battery. The brigade is a reserve unit comprised mostly of native volunteers with limited training.

Jagdstaffel 1
Commanded by Oberst Villy Reger. ​Comprised of eight Heinkel He-51 fighters and two Henschel Hs-126 photographic observation aircraft. Attached to Ritterbruder Ganz's Armoured Brigade to provide air cover, ground attack and reconnaissance.

Jagdstaffel 2
Commanded by Oberleutnant Eugen Fischer. Comprised of four Heinkel He-51 fighters and fourteen Bücker Bü-131 trainer/interceptors. Jagdstaffel 2 is based in Rorainópolis and as part of the Auxilliary Home Defence Force, forms the Ordenstaat's air defences.

Jagdstaffel 4 - Das Adlergeschwader
Commanded by  Oberstleutnant Kurt Hernanda. ​Activated 1939. Comprised of eight Heinkel He-51 fighters. An air-superiority unit. 

Jagdstaffel 5
Commanded by Oberleutnant Crisótomo Arriaga. ​Activated 1940. Comprised of eight Heinkel He-51 fighters.

Sturzkampfgeschwader 6
Commanded by Oberleutnant Franz Bodenschatz. Activated 1939. Comprised of twelve Henschel Hs-123 dive bombers.

Sturzkampfgeschwader 7
Commanded by Oberleutnant Günter Klengel. Activated 1940. Comprised of twelve Henschel Hs-123 dive bombers.

Schlachtgeschwader 8
Commanded by Oberleutnant Rudi Schiller. ​Activated 1940. Comprised of six Heinkel He-51 fighters and two Henschel Hs-123 dive bombers. A ground attack unit specially equipped with rocket weaponry.

Transportgeschwader 3 - Trans-Amazonia.
Commanded by Oberleutnant Max Mendelssohn. Comprised of seven Junkers W-34 light transport aircraft, three Junkers G-31 heavy transport aircraft and four Boeing 247 passenger airliners.

Transportgeschwader 9 - Air Brazilia.
Commanded by Oberleutnant Hans Reutter. Comprised of four Junkers Ju-52 transport aircraft.

San Miranda
Commanded by Oberleutnant Martin Theile. A river patrol boat with a 92 tons displacement and a complement of 36 men and officers. Armaments are a 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun and a .50 heavy machine gun. Based at Guyana City


Joint Venezuelan revolutionary and Soviet assistance forces

Milicia Rojo -  The 1st Caracas Brigade 
Commanded by Mariscal de campo Astolfo Estévez. Commanded by General Felix Balada. Comprised of six infantry battalions, a heavy artillery battery, three field artillery batteries, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Supported by the 1st Soviet support battalion.

Milicia Rojo -  The 2nd Caracas Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Salvador Cabezón. Comprised of six infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Rojo -  The 3rd Caracas Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Antoni Ricardo. Comprised of four infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company and a field kitchen.

Milicia Rojo -  The 4th Caracas Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Joaquín Rodrigo. Comprised of four infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Rojo - The 1st Guyana City Brigade
Commanded by General Felix Balada. Comprised of six infantry battalions, a heavy artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Defeated and largely destroyed at Guyana City on 19th June 1939. Supported by the 2nd Soviet support battalion.

Milicia Rojo - The 2nd Guyana City Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Ramon Marco. Comprised of four infantry battalions, two field artillery battalions, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Defeated at Guyana City on 19th June 1939 and forced to withdraw to the north of the Orinoco.

Milicia Rojo -  The 1st Maracaibo Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Carlos Chapi. Comprised of four infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Withdrawn to Barquisimeto on 6th May, 1939.

Milicia Rojo -  The 2nd Maracaibo Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Juan Henestrosa. Comprised of four infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Withdrawn to Barquisimeto on 6th May, 1939.

Milicia Rojo -  The 3rd Maracaibo Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Issac Zumsteeg. Comprised of two infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Withdrawn to Guanare on 8th May, 1939. Supported by the International Socialist Brigade.

Milicia Rojo -  The 1st Maturin Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Carlos Balada. Comprised of four infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

The International Socialist Brigade
Commanded by Michael Kearns. An international volunteer unit. Comprised of two infantry battalions, a field artillery battalion, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and two sanitation companies. Based at Guanare.

The Granados Socialist Brigade
Commanded by Antón Granados. An international volunteer unit. Comprised of two infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Based at Ciudad Bolivar.

Columbian Socialist Division - 7th Bogatá Brigade
Commanded by Teniente-general Franco Alonso. Comprised of four infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Based at Puerto Carreño.

1st Soviet support battalion.
Commanded by General Boris Balakirev. Comprised of two tank battalions, three motorized rifle battalions, an engineer company, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. 

2nd Soviet support battalion.
Commanded by Lieutenant colonel Ivan Glushkov until his death in June 1939, then Lieutenant colonel Nikolai Bunin. Comprised of a tank battalion, a motorized rifle battalion, an engineer company, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Defeated and largely destroyed at Guyana City on 19th June 1939. The remnants of this battalion were later incorporated into the 3rd Soviet support battalion. 

3rd Soviet support battalion.
Commanded by Lieutenant colonel Pavel Nagovitsin. Comprised of a tank battalion, a motorized rifle battalion, two infantry battalions (comprised of the remnants of 2nd Soviet support battalion), an engineer company, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. 

4th Soviet support battalion.
Commanded by Lieutenant colonel Sergei Dolovksi. Comprised of a tank battalion, a motorized rifle battalion, an engineer company, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

5th Soviet support battalion.
Commanded by Lieutenant colonel Juri Gorodvin. Comprised of a tank battalion, a motorized rifle battalion, an engineer company, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. 

1st Soviet Red Banner Squadron - Escuadrilla de Moscas
Commanded by Podpolkovnik Andre Chernavski. ​Comprised of twelve Polikarpov I-16 fighters. Attached to the 1st Caracas Brigade to provide air cover and reconnaissance.

2nd Soviet Support Squadron - Escuadrilla de Caracas
Commanded by Podpolkovnik Alexander Artomov. ​Comprised of twelve Polikarpov I-16 fighters. Attached to the 1st Maracaibo Brigade to provide air cover and reconnaissance.

3rd Soviet Bomber Squadron - Escuadrilla de Caza
Commanded by Podpolkovnik Mikhail Geller. ​Comprised of twenty four Polikarpov R-5 bombers. Attached to the 1st Caracas Brigade to provide air cover and reconnaissance.

4th Soviet Bomber Squadron - Escuadrilla de Chatos
Commanded by Podpolkovnik Yuri Taneyev. Activated 1939. ​Comprised of twelveTupolev SB bombers. Attached to the 1st Maracaibo Brigade to provide air cover and reconnaissance.

5th Soviet Bomber Squadron - Escuadrilla de Semental
Commanded by Podpolkovnik Georgy Rubinstein. Activated 1939. ​Comprised of twelve Tupolev SB bombers. Attached to the 1st Caracas Brigade to provide heavy bombing.

6th Soviet Bomber Squadron - Escuadrilla de Martillo y hoz
Commanded by Podpolkovnik Alexander Timoshin. Activated 1940. ​Comprised of twelve Ilyushin Il-4 bombers. Attached to the 1st Caracas Brigade to provide heavy bombing.

7th Soviet Reserve Squadron - Escuadrilla de Águila
Commanded by Podpolkovnik Sergei Arsen. Activated 1940. ​Comprised of twelve Polikarpov I-15 fighter bombers. Attached to the 1st Caracas Brigade to provide heavy bombing.

Solidaridad
Formerly commanded by Capitán Emmanuel Torres. A Pavia class minelayer with a 1,235 tons displacement and a complement of 85 men and officers. Armaments are a 129 mines, a 4 inch gun, two 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns and two .50 heavy machine guns. Was based at Puerta La Cruz until July 1939 when it was captured by the Black Arrows at Guyana City, and renamed Schönhausen.

Petropavlovsk 
Commanded by Admiral Yuri Soloviev. A Gangut-class dreadnought with a displacement of 24,800 tons and a complement of 1,149 officers and men. Armaments are twelve 12 inch guns, sixteen 4.7 inch guns, one 3 inch AA gun, six 12.7 mm machine guns and four 17.7 inch torpedo tubes.

Admiral Istomin
Commanded by Kontr-Admiral Georgi Obukhov. An Admiral Nakhimov-class cruiser with a 7,600 tons displacement and a complement of 630 officers and men. Armaments are fifteen 5.1 inch guns, four 2.5 inch AA guns, two 18 inch submerged torpedo tubes and one reconnaisance seaplane.

Osmotritelny
Commanded by Kapitan Vladimir Ledkovsky. An Ognevoy-class destroyer with a 2,950 tons displacement and a complement of 250 officers and men. Armaments are four 5.1 inch guns, two 3.3 inch guns, six 1.5 inch AA guns, two triple 21 in torpedo tubes and eighty mines.

Zabiyaka
Commanded by Kapitan Sergei Zhurbin. An Orfey-class destroyer with a 1,260 tons displacement and a complement of 150 officers and men. Armaments are four 4 inch guns, a 40 mm AA gun, two machine guns, nine 18 inch torpedo tubes and fifty mines.

Nezamozhnik
Commanded by Kapitan Anton Denisov. A Fidonisy-class destroyer with a 1,760 tons displacement and a complement of 168 officers and men. Armaments are four 4 inch guns, two 2 inch guns, eight 1 inch AA guns, two 12.7 mm machine guns, four 18 inch torpedo tubes  and eighty mines.

Shch-214
Commanded by Kapitan Pyotr Ilyushin. A Shchuka-class submarine with a displacement of 704 tons (submerged) and a complement of 38 officers and men. Armaments are four bow torpedo tubes, two stern torpedo tubes (ten torpedoes carried) and two 1.8 inch semi-automatic guns.

L11 Sverdlovets
Commanded by Dmitri Bryantsev. A Leninets-class submarine with a displacement of 1,327 tons (submerged) and a complement of 53 officers and men. Armaments are one 100mm gun, one 45mm gun, six 21 inch bow torpedo tubes ( twelve torpedoes carried) and twenty mines.

SS Bolshoy Shantar
Commanded by Kapitan Léonide Ovcharenko. Anadyr-class cargo-passenger ship. Tonnage: 3,559 tons. Complement: 87 officers and men. No armaments.


Venezuelan nationalist forces

The 1st Division
Commanded by General Salazar-Parin. Comprised of a headquarters battalion, an armoured brigade, four infantry brigades, a field artillery brigade, an air defense battalion and a reconnisance battalion, a military police brigade, a field kitchen and two sanitation companies. Based at Maracaibo, the 1st Division is the core of the remaining nationalist ground forces.

12th Caribbean Ranger Brigade
Commanded by General Manuel Granados. Consists of a headquarters brigade, an infantry battalion, two ranger battalions, a field artillery battalion, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Based at Maracaibo.

22nd Mountain Infantry Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Paul Morales. Consists of a headquarters company, two infantry battalions,
and a mortar battery (mountain). Based at Santa Bárbara de Zulia. 

25th Mechanized Cavalry Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Marciel Pedrell. Consists of a headquarters company, two cavalry squadrons (a squadron consisted of a company headquarters and three cavalry platoons, each with three Renault-17 light tanks), and a mechanized mortar battery. Based at El Vigia.

3rd Infantry Division
Commanded by General Manolo Arriaga. Consists of a headquarters company, two mechanised infantry battalions, two infantry battalions, two armoured car companies, an air defence artillery company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Based at San Cristobal.

Milazzo 
Commanded by Capitán Felipe Larrazábal. An Azio class minelayer with a 954 tons displacement and a complement of 71 men and officers. Armaments are two 4 inch guns, one 3 inch gun and forty mines. Based at Maracaibo.

Dardanelli
Commanded by Capitán Antoni Torres. An Azio class minelayer with a 954 tons displacement and a complement of 71 men and officers. Armaments are two 4 inch guns, one 3 inch gun and forty mines. Based at Maracaibo.


1st Marine Division - Expeditionary Force. USMC

Headquarters Battalion
Commanded by Major General Bertram Herstal. Based at Maraciabo.

The 1st Marine Regiment
Commanded by Brigadier General Maurice Borden. Based at Maraciabo.

5th Marine Regiment
Commanded by Brigadier General Thomas Kelley. Based at Maraciabo.

7th Marine Regiment 
Commanded by Brigadier General Carl Schwartz. Activated 1940.

11th Marine Regiment
Commanded by Brigadier General Hubert Lockwood. Activated 1940.

1st Tank Battalion
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Johnson. Activated 1940.

1st Reconnaissance Battalion
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Knox. Based at Maraciabo.

1st Light Armored Battalion
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Maxfield Perry. Based at Maraciabo.

2nd Light Armored Battalion
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Howard Hanson. Activated 1940.

3rd Light Armored Battalion
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mason. Activated 1940.

1st Combat Engineer Battalion
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Sanford Skilton. Activated 1940.

3rd Combat Engineer Battalion
Commanded by George Gilmore. Based at Maraciabo.

3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion
Commanded by Carter Gordon. Based at Maraciabo.

3rd Bombardment Group
Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mark Andrews. Consists of twelve Douglas B-18s and fourteen Martin B-10s. Based at Maraciabo.

Eagle Squadron 1-1AAG - USAAF
Commanded by Lieutenant colonel Alan P. Hartman. Consists of twenty four P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft. Based at Maraciabo.

Liberty Squadron 2-1AAG - USAAF
Commanded by Lieutenant colonel John. J. Liddle. Consists of twenty four P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft. Based at Maraciabo.

Apache Squadron 3-1AAG - USAAF
Commanded by Lieutenant colonel Alexander Grant. Consists of twenty four P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft. Based at Maraciabo.


Task Force Hunter: 

USS Hunter
Commanded by Admiral Abraham Pershaw. A Ranger-class aircraft carrier with a displacement of 9,100 tons and a complement of 2,461 officers and men. She carries seventy eight aircraft of various types with forty eight Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters and twenty four Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers. Armaments on the ship are eight 5 inch AA guns and forty .50 inch machine guns.

USS Tennessee
Commanded by Rear Admiral Samuel Howard. A Tennessee-class battleship with a displacement of 49,950 tons and a complement of 1,464 officers and men. Armaments are twelve 14 inch guns, twenty five 5 inch guns and two 21 inch torpedo tubes.

USS Pensacola
Commanded by Captain Reginald Smith. A Pensacola-class cruiser with a displacement of 17,577 tons and a complement of 530 officers and men. Armaments are ten 8 inch guns, four 5 inch AA guns, two and six 21 inch torpedo tubes.

USS New Orleans
Commanded by Captain Jonathon Watson. A New Orleans-class cruiser with a displacement of 9,950 tons and a complement of 1,015 officers and men. Armaments are nine 8 inch guns, eight 5 inch AA guns and eight .50 inch machine guns.

USS Raleigh
Commanded by Captain Burke. An Omaha-class light cruiser with a displacement of 9,508 tons and a complement of 458 officers and men. Armaments are four 6 inch guns, eight 6 inch guns, four 3 inch AA guns, ten 21 inch torpedo tubes, two hundred and twenty four mines.

USS Dewey 
Commanded by Captain Louis Fairfax. A Farragut-class destroyer with a displacement of 1,726 tons and a complement of 160 officers and men. Armaments are five 5 inch guns, eight 21 inch torpedo tubes and four .50 AA machine guns.

USS McDougal
Commanded by Commodore Jack Johnson. A Porter-class destroyer with a displacement of 2,597 tons and a complement of 195 officers and men. Armaments are eight 5 inch guns, eight 1.1 inch AA guns and eight 21 inch torpedo tubes. 

USS Reid
Commanded by Captain Carmichael Holmes. A Mahan-class destroyer with a displacement of 1,500 tons and a complement of 158 officers and men. Armaments are five 5 inch guns, twelve 21 inch torpedo tubes, four .50 cal MG AA and 2 × depth charge stern racks.

USS Preston
Commanded by Captain Ian Baker. A Mahan-class destroyer with a displacement of 1,500 tons and a complement of 158 officers and men. Armaments are five 5 inch guns, twelve 21 inch torpedo tubes, four .50 cal AA MG and two depth charge stern racks.

USS Leary
Commanded by Captain Gerald Clarke-Peterson. A Wickes-class destroyer with a displacement of 1,090 tons and a complement of 176 officers and men. Armaments are five 5 inch guns, eight 21 inch torpedo tubes and four .50 AA MG. Leary is equipped with a CXAM radar and she is able to detect incoming aircraft at 80km.

USS Tarpon
Commanded by Commander Harry Lime. A Porpoise-class submarine with a displacement of 2,000 t (submerged) and a complement of  64 officers and men. Armaments are six 21 inch torpedo tubes ( sixteen torpedoes carried), one 4 inch deck gun and two .30 machineguns.

Diamond Convoy
Consists of seven troop carriers and supply vessels: Harper, Spirit of San Antonio, Tashkent, Santa Brigida, Orion, Seremoek, & St Louise. Escorted by USS Lang, and USS Preston. Commanded by Commodore Frederick Walsh. Arrived at Maracaibo 2 July 1939.

Chevron Convoy 
Consists of seven supply vessels: San Casandra, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Wilmington, Oscarta, Swan, Victoria & Bellingham. Escorted by USS Stack. Commanded by Commodore Jason Hersch.

Star Convoy
Consists of six merchant supply vessels: Marsella, Queenstown Angel. Saxon, Barlow, Enterprise,   San Maria and the Hospital Ship USS Comfort. Escorted by USS Stack. Commanded by Commodore Frederick Walsh.

Task Force West Virginia

USS West Virgina
Commanded by Rear Admiral George C. Johnson. A Colorado-class battleship with a displacement of  33,060 tons and a complement of 1,407 officers and men. Armaments are eight 16 inch guns, twelve 5 inch guns, four 3 inch guns and two 21 inch torpedo tubes.

USS Dale
Commanded by Captain Andrew Macadam. A Farragut-class destroyer with a displacement of 1,726 tons and a complement of 160 officers and men. Armaments are five 5 inch guns, eight 21 inch torpedo tubes and four .50 AA machine guns.

USS Cassin
Commanded by Captain Stephen Ball. A Mahan-class destroyer with a displacement of 1,500 tons and a complement of 158 officers and men. Armaments are five 5 inch guns, twelve 21 inch torpedo tubes, four .50 cal AA MG and two depth charge stern racks.


Other forces in theatre:


Colombian Nationalist

1st Colombian Nationalist Brigade 
Commanded by General Leonardo Baguer. Consists of a headquarters brigade, three infantry battalions, a cavalry battalion, a field artillery battalion, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Based at Medellin.

2nd Colombian Nationalist Brigade 
Commanded by Coronel Juan Baptisté. Consists of a headquarters brigade, an infantry battalion, a ranger battalion, a field artillery battalion, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Based at Riohacha.

1st Attack Squadron - Colombian Navy
Commanded by Capitan Dionisio Aguado y García. (11 aircraft). Comprised of six Martin T3M seaplane torpedo bombers, two Boeing 247 passenger transport aircraft, a Breda Ba.25 trainer, a Dornier Do-J passenger transport seaplane and a Fairchild 71 cargo float plane.

2nd Auxiliary Squadron - Colombian Navy
Commanded by Capitan Roberto Peron. (12 aircraft). Comprised of five Fairchild 22 Model C7 reconnaisance/trainers, four Junkers F.13 passenger transport aircraft, one Boeing 247 passenger transport aircraft, one Breda Ba.79S reconnaisance aircraft and one de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide.

ARC Caldas
Commanded by Captain Fransico Garcia. A Caldas-class destroyer with a displacement of 1,412 tons and a complement of 160 officers and men. Armaments are four 4.7 inch guns, three 40mm AA, two 20 mm AA machine guns, two 21 inch torpedo launchers, and two depth charge rails.



Colombian Communist


Milicia Communista - The 1st Bogota Brigade
Commanded by Communist Party leader Jose Fallacia. Comprised of six infantry battalions, two field artillery batteries, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Communista - The 2nd Bogota Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Antonio Motta. Comprised of three infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Communista - The 3rd Bogota Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Emmanuel Vargas. Comprised of three infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Communista - The 4th Bogota Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Felipé Baldi. Comprised of two infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company, a and a sanitation company.

Milicia Communista - The 5th Bogota Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Pedro Alonso. Comprised of one infantry battalion, a cavalry battalion, a mobile HQ company, and a field kitchen.

Milicia Communista - The 6th Bogota Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Mateo Bruna. Comprised of two infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Communista - The 7th Bogota Brigade 'Vichada Army'
Commanded by Coronel Manuel Machado. Comprised of two infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Communista - The Barranquilla Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Antonio Cassado. Comprised of three infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

Milicia Communista - The 1st Medellin Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Emmanuel Vargas. Comprised of three infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Defeated and largely destroyed at Medellin on 19th June 1939

Milicia Communista - The 2nd Medellin Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Ruberto Lima. Comprised of two infantry battalions, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company. Defeated and largely destroyed at Medellin on 19th June 1939

Milicia Communista - The 3rd Medellin Brigade
Commanded by Coronel Juan Carrió. Comprised of three infantry battalions, a field artillery battery, a mobile HQ company, a field kitchen and a sanitation company.

1st Fighter Squadron - Escuadrilla de Bogotá
Commanded by Capitan Juan Martinez. ​(11 aircraft). Comprised of four Curtiss Falcon fighters, three Avro 594 Avian IIIA light fighters, two Fairchild 22 Model C7 reconnaisance/trainers, one Douglas O-2 reconnaisance aircraft and a Caudron C.280 utility aircraft. Attached to the 1st Bogota Brigade to provide air cover and reconnaissance.

2nd Transport Squadron - Escuadrilla de Santander
Commanded by Teniente Manuel Diaz. (10 aircraft). ​Comprised of seven Boeing 247, two Douglas DC.2 transport aircraft and one Fokker F-10 passenger transport planes. Attached to the 1st Caracas Brigade to provide air cover and reconnaissance.


Royal Navy

HMS Revenge
Commanded by Captain Grantham Coleridge. A Revenge-class battleship with a displacement of 30,450 tons and a complement of 940 officers and men. Armaments are eight 15-inch guns, fourteen 6 inch guns, two 3 inch AA guns, four 3-pdr guns and four 21 inch torpedo tubes. Docked at Port of Spain.

HMS Sussex 
Commanded by Captain Arthur Johns-Lowe. A County-class heavy cruiser with a displacement of 13,315 tons and a complement of 820 officers and men. Armaments are eight 8 inch guns, four 4 inch guns, ten 40mm AA guns, four .50 AA machine guns and two 21 inch torpedo tubes.

HMS Liverpool
Commanded by Jackson Russell. A Town-class light cruiser with a displacement of  11,650 tons and a complement of 850. Armamaents are twelve 6 inch guns, eight 4 inch guns, eight 40mm AA guns, eight .50 AA machine guns and six 21 inch torpedo tubes.

HMS Ajax
Commanded by Captain Cecil Harrington. A Leander-class light cruiser with a displacement of 9,740 tons and a complement of 680 men and officers. Armaments are eight 6 inch guns, four 4 inch guns, twelve .50 AA machine guns and eight 21 inch torpedo tubes. Seconded to HMS Revenge from the 8th Cruiser Squadron at Bermuda.

HMS Ivanhoe
Commanded by Captain Thomas Charles. An I-Class destroyer with a dispalcement of 1,888 tons and a complement of 145 officers and men. Armaments are four 4.7 inch guns, two .50 AA machine guns, two 21 inch torpedo tubes, sixteen depth charges and sixty mines.

HMS Hostile
Commanded by Captain Percival Bantham. An H-Class destroyer with a dispalcement of 1,883 tons and a complement of 146 officers and men. Armaments are four 4.7 inch guns, four .50 machine guns, two 21 inch torpedo tubes and twenty depth charges.

HMS Boreas 
Commanded by Captain Archimedes Bell. A B-Class destroyer with a dispalcement of 1,790 tons and a complement of 142 officers and men. Armaments are four 4.7 inch guns, two 40mm AA guns, two 21 inch torpedo tubes and twenty depth charges. 

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References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_crisis_of_1902%E2%80%931903
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCADTA
https://www.helderline.com/class/lake-maracaibo-tankers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condor_Legion