Keynes' Cruisers

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Story 1060
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    • fester


    January 10, 1942 Near Lake Illmen

    The two Stugs fired again. As soon as the shells left their barrels, the drivers had the vehicles moving in reverse to find some new cover. Around the assault guns, the remnants of an infantry company took another thirty steps back to another line of cover. Machine guns reached out for the retreating German soldiers with little success. A few of the braver and newer replacements paused and attempted to shoot at the Soviet wraiths with their rifles. The veterans ignored the replacements attempt to be brave and focused on being practical. Long range machine gun fire through smoke screens and snow flurries were not a threat, it was an annoyance unlike boys who still thought there was glory in war.

    As the pressure continued to build against the German position, orders to hold firm and wait for rescue were debated. Instead, the corps that was about to be trapped received the same orders that the 9th Army had received east of Rhez --- retreat as short a distance as possible until a firm line could be established.

    Over the next four days, that line was established on the Lovat River and the Soviet offensive wore itself out hitting brittle cold air.

    26231321_1436731936456594_7830936815274071148_n.jpg
     
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    • fester

    r1ncewind said:
    Hmm.. things going much better for the germans in russia... wonder what will happen in the summer
    Click to expand...

    I think this is plausible on a few levels.

    1) better logistics due to no aggressive Afrika Korps

    2) earlier defeats and/or gambles that did not quite work (Norway, Eban Emal) where Hitler could not point out that extreme audacity worked over the advice of his generals. The professionals can redirect his rages and his no retreat orders better.
     

    sloreck

    I'm afraid the Manila administration is soon to be disappointed by what a welcome to the Greater Southeast Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, delivered by the IJA is going to be. The IJA definition of "orderly, safe, and straightforward is likely not to be quite the same as that of the current Mayor of Manila.
     
    Story 1061
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    • fester


    January 11, 1942 near Layac, Luzon

    Lt. General Wainwright looked across the river. Two reserve divisions and an American brigade group were arrayed on the river line. Two more reserve divisions, the two Filippino regular divisions and the remainder of the Philippine Division consisting of Americans and Philippine Scout units were behind him and already within the siege works. The last supply trucks had crossed the bridges over the river an hour ago. Engineers had detonated their charges minutes before the Japanese spearhead could arrive.

    The same script would play out again today:

    The Filipino reservists were holding the river line in a series of entrenched outposts and strong point. A regiment of Americans, the 31st Infantry, along with a battalion of light tanks that the 31st Regiment had worked with for the past week were held several thousand yards off the river line. Forty 75mm guns, and a battery of 155mm guns were deeply dug in to support the infantry on the river line. The Japanese would take their time and bring up their artillery and armor. They would then conduct a deliberate assault on a weak part of the line, while also attempting to cross the river ten to fifteen miles upstream to roll up the flank of the force delaying them.

    This time the American brigade was held back to counterattack any Japanese success. The goal was not to destroy the three divisions that they faced, but bloody and slow them down some more to allow the rest of the army another day to dig in and reorganize.

    General Wainwright walked back into the composite force’s headquarters and asked Brigadier General Selleck if his impromptu corps needed anything besides air support. The old artillery man shook his head ruefully and promised that they would hold for at least a day.
     
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    • Story 1062
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    • fester


    January 11, 1942 Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania

    Services had been let out. The middle aged woman had been on her knees in the second to last pew from the back since well after the priest and his entourage left the building. She was still prayering, fingering her rosary as her lips moved silently. All four of her boys were now with the colors. Joshua was with the Marines in Hawaii. He had sent a telegram over Christmas saying he was all right. William had joined the navy a year ago to the day and he was aboard a battleship. John had been one of the first draftees. He had left the Belle Vernon house a few days ago as he had to go back to the 28th Infantry Division’s training area after his leave. And her baby, little Peter, still seventeen and still in school had dropped out. He enlisted in the Marines three days after Pearl Harbor and he had left for boot camp two days after the New Year.


    Her husband was outside in the cold air, talking with the other fathers and veterans of the first war. This town was emptying itself of its young men again as they were either going to the colors or to the cities where there were opportunities. A few of the older men who were looking forward to retirement or at least slowing down their work schedule had already made the decision to go back underground, the money was too good and this was what they could do for their country and their boys; their coal could make the weapons that their sons needed.


    She finally rose and crossed herself as she smiled at the statue of the Virgin Mary guarding the sanctuary. She would protect her sons as well as she could even as their mother would pray every day.
     
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    • RyderWest

    fester said:
    January 11, 1942 near Layac, Luzon
    Click to expand...
    Layac is near Bataan.... this is gonna be interesting.

    fester said:
    All four of her boys were now with the colors. Joshua was with the Marines in Hawaii. He had sent a telegram over Christmas saying he was all right. William had joined the navy a year ago to the day and he was aboard a battleship. John had been one of the first draftees. He had left the Belle Vernon house a few days ago as he had to go back to the 28th Infantry Division’s training area after his leave. And her baby, little Peter, still seventeen and still in school had dropped out. He enlisted in the Marines three days after Pearl Harbor and he had left for boot camp two days after the New Year.
    Click to expand...
    Why do I have a feeling that they are gonna get Sullivan'ed?
     
    Story 1063
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    • fester


    January 12, 1942 1300 near Layac, Luzon

    The last P-36 in the Far East Air Force was shot down by a pair of fighters. Before the Hawk was destroyed and the pilot killed, he had shot down a Japanese spotter plane which gave the American and Philippine Scout artillery battalions a chance to relocate without drawing counter-battery fire.
     
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    • Story 1064
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    • fester


    January 12, 1942 Eastern Burma

    A long line of trucks and mules followed the marching soldiers of the 17th Indian Division. They had crossed the railroad bridge that spanned the Sitang River the previous day and were almost to their initial defensive positions along the Bilin River. At this time of the year the Bilin was a large ditch with a trickle of water and not a true stop line but the officers in charge of the theatre wanted a forward defense and the new divisional commander thought that the Bilin was as good of an organizational lodestar as any.
    Japanese battalions had nicked a few small airfields in the far southeast of the colony but there had been limited activity that could yet threaten Rangoon. The few American P-40s and RAF Mohawks had conducted recon runs over Thailand. Those pictures and radio intercepts indicated that there was still at least one Japanese division near Bangkok with perhaps a second division in the south. The intelligence folks were arguing whether or not that division was part of a Burma invasion force or a reserve for the fighting in Malaya.
     
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    • Story 1065
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    • fester


    January 12, 1942 Edinburgh

    The last dash of the message was ended. The tall, nervous man lit a cigarette and relaxed for a moment. If he had been only a single agent, he would be breaking down his transmitter and moving to hide it as British Counterintelligence would be looking to find the unauthorized transmission. Instead his handler handed him a cup of tea and they both relaxed. The fleet had gone to sea twenty four hours ago and by the time that Berlin decoded the message and sent it along, the fleet would be returning to port. This chicken feed was essential for any future uses of Mutt while his buddy Jeff was also sending a report on the construction status of Vanguard.
     
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    • mudhead

    fester said:
    January 12, 1942 Edinboro

    The last dash of the message was ended. The tall, nervous man lit a cigarette and relaxed for a moment. If he had been only a single agent, he would be breaking down his transmitter and moving to hide it as British Counterintelligence would be looking to find the unauthorized transmission. Instead his handler handed him a cup of tea and they both relaxed. The fleet had gone to sea twenty four hours ago and by the time that Berlin decoded the message and sent it along, the fleet would be returning to port. This chicken feed was essential for any future uses of Mutt while his buddy Jeff was also sending a report on the construction status of Vanguard.
    Click to expand...

    So the XX system is up and running.

    Edinboro - the only place by this name I've been able to find is in Pennsylvania. Think you mean Edinburgh. (Athens is the Edinburgh of the south, you know, so Athens may be the Edinboro of the south).
     

    fester

    mudhead said:
    So the XX system is up and running.

    Edinboro - the only place by this name I've been able to find is in Pennsylvania. Think you mean Edinburgh. (Athens is the Edinburgh of the south, you know, so Athens may be the Edinboro of the south).
    Click to expand...
    I used to referee way too many soccer games at Edinboro University --- it stuck with me
     

    Major Major

    fester said:
    January 12, 1942 Edinburgh

    The last dash of the message was ended. The tall, nervous man lit a cigarette and relaxed for a moment. If he had been only a single agent, he would be breaking down his transmitter and moving to hide it as British Counterintelligence would be looking to find the unauthorized transmission. Instead his handler handed him a cup of tea and they both relaxed. The fleet had gone to sea twenty four hours ago and by the time that Berlin decoded the message and sent it along, the fleet would be returning to port. This chicken feed was essential for any future uses of Mutt while his buddy Jeff was also sending a report on the construction status of Vanguard.
    Click to expand...

    John Herbert Neal Moe [MUTT] and Tor Glad [JEFF]. Been there since April 1941.

    Here's MUTT's obituary.
     

    Unknown

    RyderWest said:
    Layac is near Bataan.... this is gonna be interesting.


    Why do I have a feeling that they are gonna get Sullivan'ed?
    Click to expand...

    That's not likely to happen; for one thing, Josh is a flyer with the Marines in Hawaii, John is in the Army, William is in the Navy, and Peter is in a different portion of the Marines (though he is still likely to participate in the Pacific campaigns (1)), so they're not serving on the same ship or area. One of them (at least) is likely to die during the war (which is common among families with multiple sons; Saving Private Ryan was about trying to save one son after the others were killed), IMO; anyone can die is in full effect...

    (1) Wonder if Peter or Josh will run into Eugene Sledge, John Glenn, or any of the other famous Marines who served in the Pacific during World War II...
     
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