He had never met a Frog, and heard they could be somewhat dismissive. It will be interesting to find out if their women could handle a real man. Not that he knew what that was. He was too young and believed too much in the talk of the older men. These mistaken beliefs would get him killed by a furious father of the 14 year-old girl he tries to rape in another twenty-two days, but for now, all he is thinking about is surviving the jump and securing Yankee treasure.
The orders come to stand up, line up and hook up; he rushes forward to follow the others, and jumps out into the void that is outside the door that is on the wrong side of the plane.
It is 09:02 hours, on May 2nd, 1946 and his young life will end in 22 days, 1 hour and 16 minutes. If he had known that, the time it takes for his ‘chute to open would not have seemed like an eternity. [x]
Little White Mushrooms
It had almost been too easy. They marched in wearing their old uniforms and convinced the young American officers that they were there to help defend the depot, and then, took it over. They eventually disarmed the few Yankees in charge, and put the Germans prisoners back into their barracks under guard. Then, they waited.
The aircraft engines could be heard, a long way off. The familiar sounds of the American Thunderbolt fighter planes escorting their Gooney Bird transport planes. Only this time, it was to be filled with Soviet paratroopers. At some of the other depots they would simply land at a nearby airfield and disgorge their passengers. Some of the French Communist fighters were wary of the Soviets. They had been assured that after the initial attack, the French Communist Party would be given control over the entire country. The Soviets would withdraw to defensive positions and let the French tend to their own internal affairs.
There they are, and Hervé could see them now as small dots on the horizon. Hervé was trained as a paratrooper, and had thrown himself out of a perfectly good plane many a time. To his practiced eye, they were coming in very low. Not too low for survival, but low compared to his experience.
The dots started to sprout wings as they came closer and closer. Some of his comrades lit smoke pots, marking the drop zone; it was a big drop zone. The depot they had taken over was immense, and was filled with 27,000 trucks alone. He could only imagine what the other ones held. He had heard the one near Paris held over 100,000 trucks. It was truly a treasure trove for the Red Army, and the new French Communist government that was waiting to take over the proper governance of France.
They had already held elections, of a sort, and the French Communist Central Committee had decided who would be in positions of authority. He was chosen to be the mayor of his hometown. They had yet to agree on appropriate Communist titles, so, for now it was still mayor. It was a city of over 10,000 people in a rich region of Southern France. It was virtually untouched by the war, near the Pyrenees Mountains, and the border with Spain. Good times were ahead.
Here they come, nearly a full Soviet Regiment jumping out into space. White mushrooms sprouting over their heads almost immediately. No need for supplies, as the depot had all they could ever want. Here and there, some of the chutes did not mushroom in time; and a young man had lost his life, or worse, the use of his legs and arms. But such are the fates of war. All that training and a young promising life was still cut short and wasted, ending in a blood-covered pile of bones and flesh, heaped on the ground.
In typical Gallic fashion, he shrugged. He had seen worse, but not much worse.
One of the young Ivans had almost landed right on top of him. As he helped him out of his ‘chute, they hugged and exchanged names. The young man’s name was Evgeny…handsome and engaging. He even knew a little French.
Maybe I’ll have to have him over for dinner, after things calm down. He could meet my family…I’m sure my daughter will find him very handsome. Maybe it will take her mind off that idiot neighbor’s son. I’ve had to pull them apart many a time, in the barn. Imagine at 14, being so willing to explore the feelings of the flesh. Come to think of it, so had he been. He was after all, married at sixteen. Yes, maybe it would help his political career if he introduced a real Hero of the Soviet Union to his family, and let him get to know his daughter.
Good times were ahead for old Hervé and his family. He would be leading his fellow citizens into the new Communist age, settling a few old scores along the way, tending to his extensive farm near the Pyrenees, and making friends with a real Red Army soldier; and all in a place of safety and comfort, far away from any fighting, near Toulouse, France.
Soviet IS - 3 Heavy Tank
***
More official discussions and presentations offered to various leaders on the state of the war at this juncture. Interesting reading that gives you an overview of the current situation.
***
The 0600 Briefing
May 2nd, 1946
6:00 am, Eastern Standard Time
War Room
The White House
Washington, DC
“Everyone please be seated. General, please brief us on the current situation.”
“Thank you sir. It appears as though the Soviets have decided to fulfill their goal of establishing a worldwide workers’ paradise starting with Europe. They have launched a full-scale surprise attack all along the Inter-German line. They have stated in a press release to the world; that their aim is to rid Germany of the B-29 base we have constructed, claiming that 'It is an obvious provocation that must be eliminated.' We have no reason to believe that they have any plan to halt their advance, once the base has been overrun. At the rate they are moving, that will be next week.”
“The forces we have left in Europe are at half-strength, due to replacement issues. Additionally, they are poorly trained, led by officers with little to no combat experience. Our demobilization efforts were remarkably efficient and comprehensive, resulting in very few combat-experienced veterans remaining in Europe, let alone in military service.”
“On paper, we have twenty-two divisions, and five hundred frontline tactical combat aircraft. Of those divisions, only two are anywhere near combat-ready. In the initial attack we have confirmed losses of seventy-five percent of our aircraft, and as of this moment, we are out of communication with ten of our divisions on the frontline.”
“The Soviets are attacking in army-and corps-strength. We believe that we are facing approximately 60 full-strength frontline divisions in Germany with up to seven thousand frontline fighters and ground attack aircraft supporting their operations.”
“During the last two major offensives conducted by the Soviets in the last World War, they've perfected their long-planned 'Deep Battle' doctrine. The Germans and Japanese were the first victims of this strategy. Now, we are the next to feel its strength. This 'Deep Battle' doctrine makes the vaunted German 'Blitzkrieg' look rather elementary by comparison.”
“We have reports of large gaps in our front lines with Soviet heavy armor exploiting them. They appear to be after our supply depots. The situation is very similar to the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge, magnified by a factor of ten. This time we have to contend with an enemy who can match our tactical-and operational-level air power, more than plane for plane and appears to have plenty of fuel. We do not, and will not, have air superiority for the foreseeable future.”
“In addition, they are using a full corps of airborne troops. These troops seem to concentrating on the massive arms depots mentioned earlier. There are reports that they have gained control over seven of them, with the help of French Communist fifth column forces.”
“As many of you may know, a large portion of the French Resistance leaned towards communism, as did the resistance in Italy and Greece.”
“Our artillery ordinance and fire-control are superior to theirs. They have the numbers and have used it extremely effectively. As of the last reports their massed artillery parks have been able to overwhelm our smaller, but more sophisticated, artillery arm. You are all aware; it is a matter of combined-arms coordination. A kind o
f a 'rock-paper-scissors' situation and right now they have two trump cards, which I will get to in a moment. Adding insult to injury our untrained troops in Europe are unable to use the equipment, in the most effective manner.”
“The reports also state that casualties are very high and units are losing cohesion, and surrendering when surrounded. The reports are that the prisoners are being treated relatively well within the bounds of the Geneva Conventions on the Conduct of Warfare.”
“Currently, the Soviets are using conventional weapons and systems. No biological or chemical weapons have been reported, or even suspected. That we are aware of, no secret or unexpected weapons are in use. Our strategic weapons systems are still relatively good order, both in the U.S., and in England.”
“Our nuclear capabilities are on a 'need-to-know' basis. Those of you, who have the clearance, will be briefed later.”
“In any event, we will not be using any atomic bombs in Europe at this time. I'm sure our allies would rather be 'Red than Dead', as I've heard some chant. We suspect that the Soviets have penetrated the inner-workings of our nuclear weapons programs, and know our best-kept secrets; secrets, by the way, that we cannot even tell you at this time. Suffice it to say that they know how many bombs we have at this time and exactly what the circumstances are for their use.”
“Earlier in the briefing I mentioned that they have two trump cards, and they have laid them on the table. The first is their heavy tanks. Their model T-44 and JS-3 are far superior to anything we have in Europe at this time. Our M4A2 76mm 'Super Shermans are hopelessly outclassed, and we are in the middle of phasing out the tank destroyer doctrine, which some have called a "dismal failure". We have some M-26 Pershing heavy tanks that have engaged their heavies, with disastrous results. We were able to counter the German heavy tanks with a combination of tactical air power and spotter-directed artillery.”
“Against the Reds, both of those options have been negated and we are having an almost impossible time stopping their heavy armor. The Soviet T-44 and JS-3 are virtually unstoppable at this point, from any range outside of point blank. Luckily they appear to be in limited numbers, and appear to be not particularly mechanically reliable.
The most commonly used Soviet armor is the T-34/85, a veteran of many a battle in the previous war. It still outclasses our armor in every category and it is being deployed in overwhelmingly huge numbers.”
“Because of the lack of experienced troops, we do not have any standoff ability. Our only defense to Soviet armor is close-in assault tactics, using bazookas at point-blank range, and high-explosive charges placed directly on the undercarriages and engine decks of these tanks. In one documented encounter, it was reported that a German farmer helped our soldiers by uncovering a hidden cache of Panzerfausts and Panzerschrecks, to use against Soviet armor, with marginal results. This is, obviously, not acceptable, and we must find a solution to counter their very real advantage.”
“Our previous solutions including the use of massive tactical airpower and artillery barrages, are not available at this time due to lack of air superiority, and counterbattery fire on a massive scale, by the Soviet guns.”
“Their other advantage, at the moment, is in their sheer overwhelming numbers. We are well-matched in the air, and outmanned by a ratio of five-to-one on the ground. Their standard conventional frontline fighter planes are equal to ours in both performance and numbers on a tactical basis...”
A voice from the audience asks a question.
“What was that, Congressman...?”
“What I meant by 'tactical', are the actions that are specific to the local battlefield. Tactical weapons are things like pistols, rifles, machine guns, bazookas, ground attack aircraft, tanks. Things that are used on a small-scale are close-in to the battlefield, and short timelines. In the case of the fighters, to make it clear, I'll say within sight of the ground. Their fighters are as good as ours, at lower to medium altitudes. We do, nonetheless, have an advantage higher up, but I'll talk about that later.”
“Does that answer your question for now Congressman? Yes sir, my pleasure.”
“We too, have advantages, but we cannot bring them to bear at the moment. We'll have to bide our time, and use them as soon as we can be ready to. Our naval power is unrivaled, and they will never be able to match us in sheer numbers and quality of ships. Unfortunately, the Soviets have all the resources they need, contained on their own landmass. They have no need for shipping, and thus, no need for a true blue-water navy.”
“Our navy gives us the same advantages that the British Empire had over its rivals: mobility and the flexibility to hit anywhere, at any time, on any coast. We can hit and run, or hit and stay, at our leisure, so long as we have control, or even parity, in the airspace over the battlefield.”
“Our second advantage is ground-force mobility. Our ground forces are faster and more mobile in every category. If the situation calls for maneuver, we have the advantage. As I said before our navy gives us the capability to hit them anywhere, at any time, with a literal-strike capability within 400 miles of a coastline, along with the logistics to support a full-scale invasion, such as the Overlord/D-Day operation.”
“Our third advantage is our strategic bomber force. We pounded the Nazis into surrender, and we intend to do the same to the Soviets. We just have to get ourselves into a position to accomplish this objective. I'm sure the Soviets have learned their lessons from the last World War, and are likely preparing countermeasures as we speak. Our B-29's, along with their escort fighters, can fly higher than their current frontline fighters can reach and have a 1,600-mile round-trip range with escorts. If we fly without fighter escorts the range increases by 400 miles. Until they produce an effective counter to our bomber force, they are at a great disadvantage. As I said earlier, I am sure they are aware of the problem.”
“They are currently in possession of three B-29's, and have had them since 1944.....”
A shout of surprise erupts from the left side of the audience.
“Yes, Admiral...they acquired them in the Far East Theater, when our bombers were forced to land in Soviet territory during bombing raids on the Japanese homeland. Up till now they have come up with many excuses to delay their return. I’m sure the point is now moot.”
“If I may continue sir...thank you.”
“The point is that they have been studying the Superfortress for almost a year and a half, and likely now know its capabilities and vulnerabilities.”
“They have very limited strategic airpower assets. We have reason to believe that they have gathered a fair number of former German scientists, blueprints for advanced designs and prototypes. They seem to be particularly interested in guided rockets.”
Another question is asked.
“Yes Senator...I said guided rockets. The Germans were very advanced, and tested numerous models. We can brief you in private later, Senator.”
“We have been studying just this situation for the last four months, and were about to publish our first draft. I would suggest that it is now our final draft.”
“Major Wilkes will now take over the briefing.”
“Good morning gentlemen. As General Knock said I am Major Wilkes.”
The series of plans we will present today were developed to counter a Soviet invasion of Western Europe and the Middle East...Yes, General?”
“... Yes sir, we expect the Soviets to attack in the Middle East as well, and soon for various reasons which will become apparent.”
“Yes sir; thank you sir… May I continue...? Thank you sir.”
“The best, and most complete, plan we have is a draft of Plan Griddle.”
“The Soviets hold all the cards right now and we project that they will overrun western Europe, with the notable exception of Great Britain, within sixty days, given our force levels and logistics capabilities.....”
The room explodes with heated comments and questions...
“IF WE CAN PLEASE HAVE ORDER IN
THE ROOM! Please, can we all calm down, so I can expand on our reasoning? Please sit down.”
“Thank you. I know you have lots of questions. More than we have answers for, I'm sure. Gentlemen, please calm down. This is the best and only plan we have currently and I strongly suggest that we hold off all the questions until after the briefing.”
“As I was saying, we foresee that the Red Army will be able to overrun all of Germany, France and the Low Countries within sixty days given our diminished military capabilities. Our British friends are in agreement, and are preparing their air defenses for another 'Battle of Britain'. The situation is very similar to 1940 in the short run. We will be able to slow them down, as will their own logistical challenges. Our plan is to add to those challenges, but realistically, we will not be able to stop them until we gain our strength back and form a coherent defensive line.”
“For now that is all we can tell you. Everything else would be conjecture considering the sparse nature of the intelligence that we currently possess. We have to take inventory of our losses, and assess how fast we can reconstitute the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen...that is currently getting its hat handed to it.”
“Thank you, gentlemen,; that is all for now.”
The A-Bomb
Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting
The Pentagon
Outside Washington, DC
May 3rd, 1946
07:30
“Be seated gentlemen.”
“You few have been selected to hear the unvarnished truth about our situation, concerning our current atomic capabilities. You will be found guilty of treason, if any of this information leaves this room. Am I clear?”
All in the room nod their heads or voice their answer.
World War Three 1946 Series Boxed Set: Stalin Strikes First Page 4