World War III in May 1946

[Hairog]

Scandinavia in WWIII, 1946

1025
Field Headquarters for Kenraali Aksel Airo
Outside Helsinki, Republic of Finland


Even with the help of the very well-meaning Swedes and Norwegians, Aksel had known that this was the only possible outcome from the very beginning, and had prepared for it accordingly. New caches of weapons and war materiel had once again been pre-positioned so that his elite Sissi troopers and other patriots would be able to bleed the Soviet pigs dry, a little at a time. His only goal since his release has been to do just that: make the Soviets pay for his suffering at the hands of their lackeys in Valpo and make sure his nation stays free. It worked for a while, and with Swedish help, they were even able to take the fight to the Russian pigs, but the Soviets merely did what the Russians have always done through history, and poured men and machines into the fight until they overwhelmed their enemies. The Kenraali was determined to mitigate their numerical superiority by using aggressive guerrilla tactics to demoralize their troops. In addition, Kenraali Airo had absolutely NO intention of being incarcerated again, for he knew that he would not survive this time. He knew that in order for his plan to work, he needed to stay free and direct the battles that loomed ahead. This time, he would not heed the word of the cowards that deigned to call themselves the “duly constituted authority”... in his estimation, they gave up the fight far too soon...

From outside his command tent, General Airo could hear the loud droning of aircraft engines, a lot of them, and began to hear shouts of “Paratroopers!”, followed by his aide rushing in and telling the General what he already knew, that they must leave, and quickly. They hurriedly began smashing radio equipment and setting fire to the papers and the tent, leaving only with a small briefcase in one hand, and his Colt M1911 pistol in the other. He assumed that the Soviets would try something like this, so now he would activate his chain of safe houses all throughout the country.

It seemed like hours before they arrived at the first safe house, some distance to the north of his former headquarters, only to find it ransacked and the area lousy with Soviet NKVD troops. How could this be? He thought to himself that he had meticulously planned everything himself, only telling the few people that he trusted, and never confiding in anyone from the civilian government.

Someone close to him had betrayed him, and God Himself will not help this person once Aksel catches him. Into the only refuge he had left to him now he went, the deep forest hides, into which no sane person would enter willingly. This was going to be a long war.

[Hairog]

The tin came from the Cajalco mine in California. The piece of land that holds the mine is part of a 50,000 acre Spanish land grant. Because it forms a natural passageway through the mountains, the Temescal Valley it had served as an old Indian camping ground, later becoming an alternate route of the Southern Emigrant Trail in the 1850s and 1860s, as well as a Butterfield-Overland stage corridor.

The tin ore was discovered when a shirt tail relative of the local Native American tribal chief was shown what looked like a possible deposit of “metaliferous rock.” He promptly filed claim.

The area became collectively known as the Temescal Tin Mines as hundreds of claims were filed despite two prominent geologist’s reports that questioned the profitability of the area. Nevertheless miners kept coming to the area and digging. The Civil War interrupted most of the mining in the area. In 1868 almost 7000 pounds of tin were mined. Ore specimens were sent to England where they were pronounced the purest quality. The area was pronounced the only the workable body of tin in America.

An English syndicate became interested in the area and bought much of the land in 1891 and imported 200 experience Cornish miners, two were from the little town of St. Mawgan, Cornwall, Great Britain. After their arrival production of the mine increased dramatically. A pyramid of tin was built near the railroad and President Benjamin Harris had his pictures taken at the base of the Pyramid. Yet even so, within the short span of two years, unwise investments and bad management decisions led to the Cajalco Mine’s abrupt closure.

1927 the mine was reactivated and extensive improvements were made. Unfortunately the stock market crash of 1929 forced the closure of the mine once again. 1942 the Timko Corporation of Richmond Virginia bought the mine and reopened it to supply the demand of the military effort in World War II until its final closure in 1945.

The Cornishmen who stayed in the area worked the mine until its closing. Our small amount of tin came from this mine in 1944.

The copper came from the Calumet and Hecla, mining company in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In 1864 William J. Hobart discovered copper in the area. The town of Red Jacket, now known as Calumet, was built next to the mine. By 1886 the area was the leading copper producer in the United States, in fact from 1869 - 1876 it was the leading producer of copper in the world. Again, like the tin mines, the copper mines fell on hard times and consolidated during the 20s. However they still continue to produce high-grade copper until the 1970s.

Laborers for the copper mine were Finns, Poles, Italians, Irish, and once again Cornishmen with one coming from St. Mawgan, Cornwall, Great Britain.
A particular tragedy of note happened in 1914 at a laborers meeting. A meeting hall was packed with 500 people when someone shouted fire. There was no fire. 73 people died with 62 of them being children. They were crushed to death trying to escape and this became known as the Italian Hall Disaster. One of them was our Cornishman’s youngest son.

United States seems to have a knack for both finding and producing exactly the resources it needed at exactly the right time. From timber to oil, tin and copper, gold and uranium we’ve always found exactly what we need when we need it. The same was true in the Soviet Union and in addition both have needed help in bringing their resources to market. Much of that help for the Soviets is now coming from the former territories of Austria-Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Germany whereas the help for our tin and copper came from villages near St. Mawgan, Cornwall, Great Britain.

The Empire that the Soviets now held sway over holds every resource they will need to defend themselves from any aggressor. They just need time to exploit it properly.

The tin from the Cajalco Mine and the copper from the Calumet Mine combined to form the brass which was formed into the 20 mm cartridge casing that is the object of our story.

On the spent shell casing is stamped the letters AS which means it was produced at the Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc. WI. Manitowoc is 30 miles south of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI home of the World Champion Green Bay Packers and on the shores of Lake Michigan. Millions of exact replicas of our shell casing came from this company’s factory. Four former residence of St. Mawgan, Cornwall, Great Britain worked in this plant.

The projectile end of this assembly was shot in the general direction of a Tupolov 6 Reconnaissance aircraft that was actually doing quite well in evading the Spitfires sent up to intercept it until it's port engine became unreliable near St. Mawgan, Cornwall, Great Britain. This particular projectile missed it's intended target. Others did not.

Our shell casing was ejected from the 2nd of two Hispano Mk II cannons on either side of the British Spitfire fighter plane’s port wing. It and 37 of its cousins fell through the air and fell on a house in St. Mawgan, Cornwall, Great Britain as the projectile went on to miss its intersection with the pilot’s intended target. The second burst from this gun did not miss and sawed off the wing of the Soviet aircraft 6 minutes later in the twisting turn battle over Mawgan, Cornwall. The noise of the shell casings on the roof of the house caused the family living inside to venture out to explore what had made the noise. The three year old girl of the family saw our shell casing and picked it up and held it in her tiny hand as her father held her other hand.

They moved to the center of the street to get a better look and after a few minutes or so they started back to their home when the 8 year old boy saw the wing from the Tu 6 with one engine still attached cart wheeling towards their home and screamed for his father and pointed his little finger at the falling hunk of metal. His father never did see the flailing wing but immediately reacted to his son’s cry of terror and pulled his family into a doorway on the other side of the street.

The wing hit the house and sliced like a knife through the roof and second floor where a small portion of the fuel in the wing tanks vaporized and then exploded from a spark caused by an iron fitting hitting a small fragment of flint in the stones on the fire place. The explosion went straight up taking a large portion of the second floor and blowing off the roof of the house while leaving the walls intact. The debris from the roof rained down upon our little family.

Family lore credited our shell casing with getting the family out of their house and to safety. The little girl cherished the shell casing all her life and it is now prominently displayed over the new fireplace mantle and still in St. Mawgan, Cornwall.

Two metals came from California and Michigan, both mined by Cornishmen from St. Mawgan were combined together by others of St. Mawgan in Manitowoc, WI, USA. This shell casing and the noise it made hitting the roof over our little family probably saved their lives. None of this can be proven of course, but try and tell that to a 69 year old grandmother of six who still lives in the house she grew up in on that same street in St. Mawgan and you will get the story straight from the mouth of what was once a 3 year old girl cowering next to her father as her home exploded in front of her eyes and if her 75 year old brother is sober he will tell you the same story.

The chances that both the shell casing and later the cart wheeling wing of the Tu 6 would both hit the same roof after dropping from a height of 8934 meters is astronomical I'm sure, but such is the irony of war.

On another note. The spent projectiles from the same shell fired by the Spitfire that missed the Tu 6, went on to kill a cow eating quite contently in the middle of a field some distance away. The farmer's wife was about to herd the cow into the barn and was about 2 meters away when the poor creature was struck.

To this day the family living on the farm tells the story of expired cow and speculation abounds as to where the bullet came from. At every holiday family feast and reunion the story grows more and more complex and convoluted. As the old saying goes "truth is stranger than fiction" and none of the stories concocted on the farm is anywhere near as interesting as the truth.

The spent projectile is in almost pristine condition and sits on this families fire place mantle as a memento of their close brush with death. Neither family knows that they possess pieces of the same 20MM cannon round and the stories that go with them.

[Hairog]

Hit and Run by Tallthinkev

'You can't even chose you're friends sometimes' he thought.
'Here he comes again' said Bob.
Bill looked over to wear Bob was pointing. 'Sod it. I thought he wasn't here today.'

Walking over towards himself and Bob was Hans-Ulrich Rudel. The only winner of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. He had had a remarkable war record, fighting the Russians. Over eight hundred tanks and even a battleship and then became a fighter ace flying FW-190's. And now he was here at Hawkinge to lead Bill and Bob on their first mission to bomb the airfields of France.

Both Bob and Bill didn't think this was going to happen until the next day, but here he was and that only meant one thing. A quick flight over the Channel drop the bombs and away as quick as they could. Rudel had managed to find a FW-190 from somewhere while the two English men both had Spitfire MK21's
'Time for the real thing gentlemen. We will take of just before dusk and be back for supper.' he grinned at the RAF men.

'There's something I don't like about that smile' whispered Bill.
'I know what you mean. Looks like he enjoys this too much' Was the answer.
Rudel looked at them both. 'I have been doing some checking up. You both seem to have good records in the last war' he stopped 'you need to be more ruthless. Kill them all, leave none alive. However that is not our job today.'
'You said we need more training for this kind of thing, I mean the low level stuff. That was Bill again.
'No. I made you think that, I know when men are ready not you. Go and check your machines, we take off in one hour.'

An hour had passed and the rain had started again.
'What do you think Bob?'
'Not a chance, not in this weather. Cloud cover at what? Five hundred feet if that.'
'More like four' said Bob
'Yeah, could be right'
'Are you ready gentlemen?' Rudel was right behind them. 'It is good that the rain has come the Reds would think no one was flying today. You don't needs good sky's when you bomb Reds.'

Twenty minutes later they almost hit the waves they were that low. The cliffs of France less than two miles away. Rudel had started to climb, he cleared the cliffs at what looked like ten feet. Bill and Bob made sure it was at least forty. Less than five miles to go before St Pol-Nunqu, all three took off the safety off their bomb release. Three miles out they climbed to seventy feet and formed up a breast of each other. It was not a good idea to get hit by your friends bomb blast.
The bombs dropped right into the centre of the runway, the three of them pulled up and flew north again. Height didn't matter as much going, as coming.

Back over the Channel, 'Where's he gone? I can't see him anywhere.'
Bill looked around he couldn't see Rudel either. 'Has he done what he told us not to do?'
'As I said. He likes killing too much.'
They both landed safely. As their Spits were being pushed in to their sand bagged hangers, the ground crews and themselves looked up. Rudel was back.
Bill ran over to Rudel. 'What the fuck do you thing you were doing!'
'My job. Killing Stalinist's.' Rudel said calmly
'You trained us, everyone trained us not to go round again' Bob had to restrain Bill.
'Target's of opportunity. As you like to say.' with that Rudel walked towards the C.O.'s office. His office.

The next day, all the flyers were called together.
'Gentlemen. Gentlemen.' There was some calm in a small hall near the base. 'We had done quite well in the last few days, but it is not enough. We will hit them again this afternoon, or just after dawn tomorrow.' said Rudel 'In waves five minutes apart.'

Everyone started to speak at once. Rudel called for silence. He got almost at once. Some hands went up, one of them Bill's.

'Sir, we have always been taught that is the one thing you do not do.'
'And why do you think that.' was Rudels answer.
'The Russians will be ready for us.'
'Not at all. With only five minutes between hitting them they will not be ready. There do not yet have the strength that we had. In airfield defense I mean. Both you, when you took the airbases from us in the last war, and ourselves had, at the same time. That is why 'we' did not bomb the same base twice. It was always the doctrine last time around. So we will change it this time around.'

That seemed to settle them down a little bit. There was still some discontent. Not as much as before. Some could see this working, it had not been tried before. If it had they had not heard about it had others It could work. They were not all happy about it. Orders were orders.

The next day the rain came down harder than the couple day's before. No flying. Or for the day after that. However in the three days after meeting thing were explained more fully. They started to see some logic in the plan.

The first attack went very well. The weather was still not the best. However four fights, each of three planes went in. No losses. The next was not as good. A mix of Spitfires, P-51's and P-47's had taken off from R.A.F. Tangmere. A Thunderbolt had hit another at take off, and two did not make it back. Whether it was due to the weather, or they got shot them down. They did not know.

All together forty five planes had gone across the Channel thirty six had come back. Four pilot's lost to unknown reasons. Of the other five airmen had two had bailed out over England and safely helped one to the base and other to hospital. Two had crashed. One due to an engine fail the other to enemy action, part of the port wing shot to bits. Lucky the P-47 was a tough plane. Bob had been found dead in his cockpit.

Later that day they heard that Bill had died in hospital.

[Das_Colonel]

Originally Posted by Hairog

The tin came from the Cajalco mine in California... *snip*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHn1zogeyO4

[tallthinkev]

One question, young Hairog, you mentioned the second floor of the house. Do you mean the first floor or the second? In Britain a two storey house has three floors. As in ground floor, first floor and above that the second floor. I only ask so I can get the 'picture' right in my own mind.

[Hairog]

Originally Posted by tallthinkev

One question, young Hairog, you mentioned the second floor of the house. Do you mean the first floor or the second? In Britain a two storey house has three floors. As in ground floor, first floor and above that the second floor. I only ask so I can get the 'picture' right in my own mind.

I guess that in your frame of reference it would be the first floor.

[Hairog]

Two aides are sitting outside the oval office and both looking at the latest addition of the Washington Post. They are in an animated discussion which is out of sync with the stated calm of the White House. Heated discussions and animated anything is highly frowned upon in the setting these young gentlemen find themselves in. They are surrounded by pictures of some of the most heated debaters and speaker in US history. Speakers who are to this day revered for their animated discussions. But today is not the time for such a display. Nerves are on edge because of the very article they are discussing.

"Of course it's not treason. I mean Walter Winchell mentioned it on the radio and Charley McCarthy made jokes about it. It was all over the London Times. It certainly isn't top secret information anymore so how can it be treason?"
"I dunno it just seems un-patriotic to me to start spreading rumors about such a thing. I mean this can change the whole war if it's true."
"Of course it's not true. Do you really thing that those pilots wouldn't do everything in their power to see that it never ended up in enemy hands. No, they did crashed that thing as hard as they could and the Soviets are just bluffing!"
"Well they published the crews names and pictures like they were captured."
"Ah you can't really see their faces. Their wives and mothers couldn't recognize them from those photos."
"Well then how did they get their names?"
"Who says their even real names?"
"Murrow got to Mrs. Knutson and she admitted that her husband was missing before the FBI could whisk her and the others away. How do you explain that?"
"I can't but I just know that no United States Army Air corps bomber crew carrying an atomic bomb would rather save their lives than let one get into the hands of the Reds. It just wouldn't happen and you can take that to the bank."

"Hey you two...knock it off. The President can hear you all the way from his desk!"
"Yes Sir...sorry Sir. We were just leaving."
"You bet your ass you were. Now get over to the Chief of Staffs office and wait there till I deal with you."
"YES SIR!"

Inside the Oval Office.
"Pretty rough on them weren't you? The President isn't even in here."
"They don't know that. Loud mouth little runts. I hate aides anyway. Who started this program?"
"What do you think about what they were discussing?"
"I have no idea what an atomic bomb looks like so they could be totally bluffing for all I know. All I know is that if they have an intact atomic bomb we are in trouble."
"How so...they have no way of delivering it. No bomber big enough...oh wait they did have what looked like a fully functional B29 sitting there in the background. Were in hell did they get that if the story wasn't true?'
"I heard that some of our bombers had to make landings in Russia when they couldn't make it back to Okinawa after bombing Japan. I heard they never gave them back. It could be one of them."
"But it's got the correct markings and all I heard. They even printed the serial number of the bomber in the article."
"I wonder what their game is?"

NATO HQ
Madrid Spain

"I wonder what their game is?"
"What do you mean Sir?"
"Why are they tipping their hand so obviously? They have to know that we know that that bomber was seen crashing full throttle into the coastal waters off Leningrad. We have dozens of witnesses. Hell I know Knutson and that crew. They would have done everything possible to destroy that bomb. From what I know of Jennings he would have been beating on it with a crow bar after he emptied his side arm into it. He would be attempting to destroy it until his dying breath. There is no way that bomb is intact and there is no way that the crew surrendered and they have to know we know this. Yet they are exposing the fact that they have a spy in place who could provide them with names and the serial numbers etc. Why would they place that person in such obvious danger and expose him or her as a spy? I mean it can only be a hand full of people."
"Maybe it was that guy they caught already. He was pretty high up. Maybe they figured what the hell let's foment a little confusion and dissension between us and the Brits. Make it look like we pulled a fast one and the Reds do have a bomb. I mean I bet the general public will think that they do. How can we fight that without reveling all sorts of top secrets to refute their claims. I mean all we can do is officially deny everything and call the Pravda article a hoax...which of course it is."
"I suppose your right. Have you ever seen an Abomb?"
"No Sir and you."
"Nope. That thing in the photo could be one for all I know

Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting room
Washington D.C.

"That thing in the photo could be one for all I know."
"What are you talking about."
"Hell it looks real to me down to that oddly placed arming access they added. Look there at the edge."
"Well I'll be jiggered. How could they know about that?"
"There was that scientist who disappeared after the polonium attack. He could have given them some last minute information before he skidaddled. Otherwise that is the real McCoy and I don't believe that for a minute."
"They sure are playing with us and the Limey's. They probably don't know who to trust now. We tell em one thing and the Soviets provide proof that it isn't true. I mean come on those look alike crew members and that perfect B29 in the background and then the picture of the bomb. How can the Brits not think that something is amiss in our version and with this cold shoulder we've been giving them until the clean up their house and get rid of that mole? Shit it's no wonder they have to be thinking non-productive thoughts."
"Then you have those Southern Senators screaming at Truman to not help our cousins and even I would question just how far we are going to go and pay to bail them out once more. Did you see the budget figures? Holy Christmas we closing in on 150% of GDP in debt and those war bond sales are not doing too well. We have to get this over with and soon or our economy will collapse like the Brits and there is no one to bail us out."
"All I know is that this was masterfully played by one hell of a chess player. I don't even know who to trust now.

Number 10 Downing St.
London

"I don't even know who to trust now. With the Yanks freezing us out and the rumors flying around Whitehall it's a mess. How can we find out what is real an what is fiction? So they have an atomic bomb or not? How about an intact B29 to deliver it to London? This is unacceptable and the Yanks have to give us more information so we can make an informed decision and explain to the populous why we cannot give into Stalin's demands. What do we do evacuate London? Do we risk reaping the horrors of Hiroshima on our own people just to placate the Yanks. We have to know more ... this is intolerable.
What is Stalin demanding currently?
"That we stand down the RAF, allow overflights at his discretion, military observers throughout Britain, the Royal Navy be mothballed and used only for defense of the British Isles, close off the Mediterranean to all US entry through the Suez and Gibraltar, expel all US military from all of the British Empire, freedom for India, Palestine etc. , basically we would become a neutral power for the foreseeable future and lose much of our empire. And I''m sure there is more where that came from in the future if we acquiesce."
"There have already been riots in the streets near Parliament."

Kremlin
Moscow

"There have already been riots in the streets near Parliament."
"Good...events are proceeding better than we planned. The Capitalists have never been very good at chess. Some day we will have to have a world wide chess tournament and see who is the best. So far we have them reacting to our every move and they don't seem to have the capability to gain the initiative. We have to keep the pressure on in all fronts both psychologically and with a clenched fist. Keep them reeling from crises to crises while we plan our next move. Never give them time to think or breath...just react. That's how we will win."
"I must say that Beria's idea to make public the capitalist bombing attempt on Leningrad was a brilliant move. Not only has it sown dissension amount the capitalist dogs but it has hardened the wavering resolve of our own people. They now see how important it is to sacrifice everything in order to stop the threat of nuclear destruction by any means. Presenting proof that the capitalists slave masters were attempting to incinerate the helpless people of Leningrad was a master stroke. Now there can be no question that that this is a fight to the death. That the capitalist pigs will not hesitate to use the most heinous weapon ever devised by man with impunity and with no thought of civilian deaths is now foremost in everyone's thoughts. This will harden even the most soft amongst us. This will be prevent any thoughts of rebellion or of allowing dissension from any quarter.

[red1]

You know, I thought this timeline was at least somewhat realistic. I am sorry, but after reading the last post, I just cannot read it anymore.

[Hairog]

Originally Posted by red1

You know, I thought this timeline was at least somewhat realistic. I am sorry, but after reading the last post, I just cannot read it anymore.

Goodness what caused that reaction?

[tallthinkev]

I thought the last part of the story was quite good, better than my stuff anyway.

[CT23]

Originally Posted by red1

You know, I thought this timeline was at least somewhat realistic. I am sorry, but after reading the last post, I just cannot read it anymore.

What in particular was the problem?

[Hairog]

I'm thinking he misread something. Read it again Red1.

[Hairog]

Mediterranean Theater in WWIII 1946

0745
Private Apartments of Pope Pius XII
The Papal Residence
Vatican City, inside Rome, Social Republic of Italy

“This is simply an outrage! How could this have happened?” asked The Pope. He was just handed a message from the speaker of the Italian Parliament demanding the return of the Vatican to its rightful owners, the Italian people, and the renunciation of the Vatican's claim of independence from the Italian state, by midnight. He had read the reports over the past few days of Italian troops massing at the demarcation line, according to his intelligence officers of the Swiss Guard, these were troops that were deemed “politically reliable” by their Soviet puppet masters. Pope Pius XII calls into his office the commander of his Swiss Guard.

A few moments later, the commander of the Swiss Guard enters the room, kneels and kisses the Pope's Sigil ring, and arises to give his report. As he concludes his report, he adds a personal note, “Your Excellency, I will stand and fight for you, and our faith, to the very last. It will be my honor to serve you to the very end. I have polled every last man under my command and informed them that there is no shame in them leaving to tend their families back in Switzerland. They have all decided to stay and fight, to the last man, to the last bullet, to the last pike, if need be.

We are at your disposal.” The leader of God's church on earth was left momentarily speechless, but quickly regained his composure “Comandante, I will not allow it to come to that. We are going to utilize the “Odessa” network that the German Nazi SS put together to escape Europe. No, comandante, we are headed for Jerusalem, the true seat of the Roman Church. We have been in secret talks with our Greek Orthodox brethren for quite some time now and are close to merging our sects again, for the first time in nearly a thousand years, and we will have unfettered access to all of the Katolikos of Jerusalem's facilities. That, I believe, comandante, is worth the loss of our seat in Rome” the leader of the Pope's personal body guard looks stunned, appalled at the naked lust for power as depicted by a man he thought he knew, then composed himself and excused himself from the Pope.

[Hairog]

Just saw an advertisement for a new movie coming out before Christmas called "It's a Great Life or Wonderful Life", directed by Frank Capra. I sure liked his movies about the war effort. Those "Why We Fight" movies sure got me stirred up.

Usually I don't like this kind of thing but it could be good. Stars Jimmy Stewart. I guess he made it before he went back in to the Army Air Force. It has angels and a redemption theme. His love interest is a new girl named Donna Reed. She is cute. A guy at the barber shop showed me a nude picture of her. I guess those starlets have to get on screen somehow. The casting couch must not be a myth. I sure wish I was a Hollywood Director. On second thought I wouldn't give up my family for a chance at bedding the most beautiful girls in the world...

The economy is really slowing down again for civilian products. The military stuff is taking over again. I guess Truman and his brain trust are starting to get their head out of their ass. I heard it was the big wig corporate types that didn't want to go into debt further. Hell we just fought a war to save those poor folks over there and they are worried about business when another tin pot dictator comes along. If you ask me if you put business before your country you are a traitor and should be treated as one. Imagine trying to fight a war without asking the average man to sacrifice anything while your fighting men are dying and getting maimed and you sitting at home worried about the next good movie.

I do what I can. I tried to join but they keep saying my job is critical to the war effort. Who would have thought that paper and paper products were a critical part of the war effort.

Bill Swain is still not able to come back to work. According to Mary he has horrible nightmares about his time in Guadal Canal. He wakes up screaming and is pouring in sweat. I guess he even attacked Mary before he came out of it. Combat must be terrible. I wonder if there is any help for these guys? I guess they call it battle fatigue or something. Old Blood and Guts Patton almost lost his job because he didn't believe in it and slapped that soldier. After being with Bill I believe it. Something's just aren't meant for the average man to endure. I wonder how many hand to hand combat situations Patton got himself in to? Maybe he's just one of those rare individuals that can live with killing a man up close. No one knows how they would react until it happen to them.

[CT23]

Originally Posted by Hairog

I'm thinking he misread something. Read it again Red1.

My guess was that it was another "Soviets are doing way too well, it's almost deus ex machina; the West should be doing better" complaint. Whether I agree with that or not, I won't say again (though I've said it before) as to not potentially derail this story.

[red1]

Originally Posted by CT23

What in particular was the problem?

No, It's not the most common bad comment.

I find it incredulous that the US would make the attempt to nuke Leningrad. They already know about the large air defenses in Germany, so it makes no sense they would not assume the same for Russia's largest and most vulnerable city. What I would assume the US would do is build a landing strip that could handle nuclear weapons in Iraq/Persia and penetrate the USSR through the South, which would probably be far less heavily defended. This is my complaint

[deathscompanion1]

Originally Posted by red1

No, It's not the most common bad comment.

I find it incredulous that the US would make the attempt to nuke Leningrad. They already know about the large air defenses in Germany, so it makes no sense they would not assume the same for Russia's largest and most vulnerable city. What I would assume the US would do is build a landing strip that could handle nuclear weapons in Iraq/Persia and penetrate the USSR through the South, which would probably be far less heavily defended. This is my complaint

To be fair that was their plan in the late 40's early 50's when they had enough nukes to hit major industrial targets in 1946 they would probably pick the targets that they thought would give the most Propaganda value until they have enough Nukes to seriously hurt the Soviets.

Is the Nuke useable or just recognisable that it was a Nuke?

[Andre27]

Personally i would think the allies would bomb the soft underbelly of the USSR which is the oil fields in the Kaukasus.

The oil fields in eastern Europe were still in ruins.

[deathscompanion1]

Originally Posted by Andre27

Personally i would think the allies would bomb the soft underbelly of the USSR which is the oil fields in the Kaukasus.

The oil fields in eastern Europe were still in ruins.

If I read the update a while ago right their planning too and the russians have found out but dont know the exact targets or flight path so they cant use their wunder waffe.

[Hairog]

Originally Posted by red1

No, It's not the most common bad comment.

I find it incredulous that the US would make the attempt to nuke Leningrad. They already know about the large air defenses in Germany, so it makes no sense they would not assume the same for Russia's largest and most vulnerable city. What I would assume the US would do is build a landing strip that could handle nuclear weapons in Iraq/Persia and penetrate the USSR through the South, which would probably be far less heavily defended. This is my complaint

Red1: The attempted attack on Leningrad was months ago. Why now is it so controversial? Many military planners at the time and many contributors to my blog and other sites suggested Leningrad as no brainer. After all the B29 was untouchable. The Soviets were helpless against it. That by far was the prevailing thought both at the time and by most contributors to this and other sites. Basically the Soviet air defense system was not up to the task of intercepting the B29 and Leningrad was the logical target.