World War III in May 1946

Reader mode

Hairog

RAF Mildenhall
Headquarters No. 3 Group, Bomber Command
Observation Deck
July 7th, 1946

178 out of 214 ... not good but not disastrous. How many fighters are missing?

They said 8 out of 48.

That' not good at all Raphie. What happened?

Just a numbers game Willie. They out numbered us 2 to one. We did pretty well considering. We will get up to our 1945 levels as we ramp up and they suffer losses. You know how it goes. Just like the last war. We have to wear them down.

Well it should get a lot better when the Americans join in. They have better, faster bombers and they will be escorted by the new jets...what do they call their Lockheed P80 again?

Shooting Star I believe.

Yes that's it. Hopefully they will release some of our Meteors for escort duty.

Yes that would be capital.

How many victories did we claim?

Hum...lets see... 58 claims but of course they have to be checked out with the gun cameras etc.

58 ... just about even per ship but we lost many more men of course with the bomber crews and all, but still not too bad for the first show. Assuming that they had their best and brightest up there and we had fairly new recruits not too bad at all. We can sustain that as long as the mission was successful.

Yes it was right on target. No more ice cream for Ivan today anyway.

When the veterans realize that one way or the other they will have to get back in it we should do substantially better. It will be a while I'm afraid before we will be able to do much in the way of night bombing. Just too damn inaccurate for these kinds of missions. As we get more Lincolns and longer legged escorts we can join the Americans in their operations down south but right now we have to wait and protect the homeland as it were.

The Reds don't really have a bomber force so there shouldn't be another Battle of Britain but they will try and destroy our fighter force. Lots of fighter sweeps and the like I presume. They can do a lot of damage even with their medium bombers as the Germans found out. I wonder if their German "guest" scientists are assisting them or if they are just locked up in some gulag. I certainly hope for the later as our "guests" are proving invaluable.

Yes I've heard I'm glad the war ended when it did. Some the of things I've seen make my hair stand on end. The Germans were very close to completing many of their wonder weapons.

Well thank God none of those weapons showed up today.

Hear, hear.
 

Hairog

USAAF HQ

United States Army Air Force HQ

Pentagon
Washington, DC
July 8th, 1946

Well Hap when are we going to hit them back? I'm tired of getting licked and turning tail. I know that Operation Louisville Slugger should give us something to cheer about but we need something more substantial. When are you going to be ready?

There have been a few problems to overcome as you might well imagine Mr. President. First we had to recover from the losses we took in the initial Soviet attack. Not just in planes but in manpower and expertise. All our best mechanics where on the front lines and are now in Soviet prisons (I hope).

Your plan for the draft is working and we are starting to get many veterans back but it is just taking time. It's only been two months since the Reds attacked.

How's that damn pit in England coming? I want to show them the power of an atomic explosion if they don't back down.

Again sir it's a little more complicated than you would imagine. You have ordered and rightfully so, that we don't use the atomic weapon on Western European soil and I totally agree. We cannot leave a atomic wasteland as our legacy. We also don't want to just kill a bunch of Soviet civilians. Stalin will hold them hostage and even if we tell them that we are going to bomb Moscow for instance he would not let them evacuate. He would turn tail and run anyway and just keep fighting from somewhere else and use the civilian deaths as martyrs. So we have to choose our targets very carefully even if we had atom bombs to spare, which we don't.

Our conventional bombing campaign in Europe taught us some very good lessons.

1. Bombing civilians will not destroy their moral. It only makes them want to fight harder.

2. Concentrating on many industries just doesn't work. For example we blasted the German's plane factories yet they produced more than ever before in 1944.

3. Bombing transportation hubs and rail lines is only marginally effective.

4. The way we defeated the German air force was by shooting them down faster than they could train good pilots. There were plenty of planes but no one to fly them. Just like the Japs.

Now can we do that to the Reds? Can we out produce them in good, trained pilots? They have had a years head start on us. Their air force was bigger than ours at the end of the war. They just concentrated on tactical and operational level and not on strategic level like we did. There is no intelligence to say they have not changed their focus and retrained their Sturmovik pilots to fly fighters. They've had a lot of time to do that.

5. They only have to concentrate on fighters while we have to have both bombers and escorts. There's many a co-pilot in those bombers who could be a good fighter pilot. They have the luxury of training that co-pilot to fly a fighter.

6. Bombing oil production and refineries works. You have to keep at it but it eventually works.

7. We can reach their oil but they can't reach ours but they can reach Europe's oil in the Mid-East and of course add it to their own.

Well what about the atomic bomb? Once we have enough we'll just use them to destroy their country and industry.

That's true sir but there are a few more things that you have to know before making an educated decision on this matter. The atomic bomb pretty much destroys and makes uninhabitable the area it explodes over. We can't even use the effected area to even travel through. The radiation contaminates everything and kills over time. The area in the short run is useless for any normal human purpose including an invasion route.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the combat radius of a Silver Plated B29 is less than the 1600 mi at 25,000 ft. carrying an atomic bomb. Those bombs are over 10,000 lbs and take an enormous amount of fuel to deliver. We can get much better range at lower altitude but then the bulk of the Soviet air force can reach us. So we really have to concentrate on their oil production and killing their pilots like we did with the Krauts and the Japs. Killing their civilians will not be productive in the long run and we have only a vague idea where their critical factories are.

All well and good Hap but as you are quite aware of no one ever won the next war by fighting it like the last war. So there could be all sorts of twists and turns we are going to have to adapt to.

You're right sir but the bottom line is that we have the atomic bomb and they don't.

I know Hap but I just can't go throwing around atomic bombs like they are candy. Most of the civilians in those Soviet cities are completely innocent. A number of questions come to mind such as can we deliver it effectively before they develop one of their own? Can we make them say uncle before then without having to invade that God awful place? Now that we are only starting to ramp up again how long will it take till we hit somewhere near full production? Then there is the question of the assembly teams.

As you know Hap we have a number of traitors and spies in the atomic program. We have to find them and find them quick.

Yes sir we have some problems to overcome. I have to say sir you're a very quick learner.

I've had to be Hap...I've had to be.
 

Hairog

The Kremlin

July 11th, 1946
11:23 hours

So Novikov you are confident that you can accomplish your task?

Yes your Excellency. With the limited tools that Sergo has given us, the foreknowledge of where the raids will occur and a week to prepare we can make the Americans pay for any bombing raid they attempt. On hand we have 102 of the advanced Teppop 152s we will be able to use the Vozduh-vozduh X4 weapons system. We have over 600 X4s with 50 a month being made. It is very time consuming work but Sergo has done a good job of using those thieving Poles and Jews. It must be all that practise as pick pockets that allows them to be so good with their hands.

We have had time to practise with the X4 and can realize a 58% success rate under simulated combat situations. Our hope is that the Yankee dogs will be so surprised that despite our pilots having limited combat time with the weapon we can achieve a high success rate. The X4s will be plentiful in another 12 months but right now we can only count on 613 and they have to be used for the correct purpose. With your endorsement the plan that was proposed will be adopted I'm sure. We should concentrate on the nuclear planes and let the others fall to our other weapons. Yet we have to mask our true intentions from the Americans so that they do not figure out our "magic".

The Teppops are another problem comrade Stalin. They are very complicated machines that require special metals which we cannot replicated at this time. Our German guest scientists are working on the problem but this is the most critical part of the plan. We were fortunate enough to liberate as much as we could. This is the weakness in our armor. Our true secret is that we have the X4, the Teppops to fire them, the knowledge of which planes carry the atomic weapon and the advanced knowledge of the target.

Without these things we are indeed in a hard place.

The work on the Yak 15 and MiG 9 is progressing nicely but again we will not have many. Possibly 25 of each by August. We cannot adapt them to use the X4 at this time so we project that they will be used to distract and engage the escorts while the Teppops take out the nuclear bombers and enough other bombers to make it look convincing.

Another deception will be the TU2s. They will be loaded with conventional missiles. Every 3rd missile will act erratic like it has a mind of it's own...a defect if you will that will mask the X4 and which platform is launching it. The TU2s will be the mask behind which the Teppops will hide and do their deadly business. The Teppops will be vulnerable to the American P80 jet so they must be protected and disguised.

In addition we will have our ground launched missiles as well. Again with the foreknowledge of where the attack will be we should have enough time to set...

Enough for now my lunch is here. You can brief me later in the week.

Of course comrade. Enjoy your meal.
 
Last edited:

Hairog

Number 10 Downing Street

London England
6:36 hours
July 19th

So the trap has been set and the bait is in position I presume.

Most certainly Prime Minister. It will be something to behold. It all depends on how aggressive the Reds are but from what we've seen they will blunder their way into it no matter what. The common soldier is more afraid of the commissars than he is of death it self. We expect them to come in fast and furious with everything they have. The only tip off might be the massive air umbrella we are going to put up but they should expect that being so close to England.

We have tricked the Slav before and I suspect this will do it again. Old Joe will be beside himself if this works and maybe the damage will be so great he will sack his commanders. They have done an excellent job so far by the way. They are worthy opponents as the Germans found out. I do love going up against a good adversary but war is war. We shall have to plant the seeds of doubt after the plan is carried out and make it look obvious what we had in mind all along so that Zhukov and gang look like fools for falling into so obvious a trap. Maybe even make it look like they were assisting us some how. Probably a far stretch but Joe is exceedingly paranoid and mentally unstable.

This should push him over the edge and possibly cause another purge thus depriving him of his best commanders once again. My major concern is making sure the bait can get out in time.

Don't worry sir we have everything well in hand and expect that the air cover over the area will prevent any interference with the evacuation of the rear guard. There are enough Frenchmen who no longer wish to retreat and do not want to leave France to make it convincing for quite a while. If all goes as planned it should be all over in a matter of hours and the Soviets will be so stunned that it will take days to react. And even then they will be very reluctant to get near the coast again. We estimate it will take 2 weeks for them to recover and discover exactly what happened.

Well Admiral even if they don't ride into the trap it will still hold their attention and keep their eye off the ball as the Yanks say and the rear guard will still get away to fight again. Old Joe thinks this will be his answer to Dunkirk but we shall make it his Charge of the Light Brigade.
 

Hairog

45km from the English Channel

Between Paris and Le Harve
July 20th, 1946
Northern Group of Forces

I am worried Marshal Sokolovsky the Americans have disappeared from the front lines. We cannot penetrate past the air units of the capitalists and we are blind as to what lies south of us and along the French coast. It is a stalemate in the air war. We are blind to their intentions and can prevent their ground attack units from attacking but we are also blind and cannot use our Sturmoviks. We gave their bombers a bloody nose but they will be back. That was only the British. Where are the Americans?

Don't worry Filipp the Yankees are just the first in line to get on the boats. You've seen the newsreels and reports from England complaining about how the Americans are getting to go on the transports first. Our Southern flank is well guarded by the Western Group of Forces.

The 1st 2nd and 4th Guard Tank Armies are in position to overrun the last organized capitalist forces in Europe. We will not make the same mistakes the Nazis did.

We don't need the air forces to crush what forces remain trapped along the coast. We just need them to keep the enemies planes from disrupting our plans. We have stopped the air forces of the capitalists at every turn and as demonstrated our tanks are vastly superior. We shall cut them to pieces and use them for fish bait.

They are finished on European soil. It's time to look towards the oil in the Mideast. We don't need it but they do.
 
Dan

Dan

Depends on your POV though.
Until the late 80's, nobody wondered really if the Soviets would attack NATO, they only wondered when.
Then the question would be, would the attack trigger a nuclear armageddon?

Most popular opinion when I grew up in the 70's and 80's was that the British Army in particulr had enough equipment to fight for 3 days after that it was either nuclear war or defeat, so for me, a Soviet vistory would be the cliche rather than a NATO win.

I'd suspect though that it'll grind to a halt roughly around the start lines, with no real gains for either side and a few losses of both sides.
 

Hairog

Operation Louisville Slugger

June 20th, 1946
4:54 hours
English Channel 5km off of the French coast near Le Havre

The Soviets have pinned what they believe are the last surviving fighting units of the NATO forces in Western Europe in a 60 mile perimeter around Le Havre France. Assigned to the assault are 753 of the Soviets newest heavy tanks. Model Iosif Stalin 3s and T-44s are lined up tread to tread. 4623 guns, rocket launchers and mortars are ready to fire on command. 453,163 men are manning the guns and tanks or on foot. They are anxious to get it over with and start the assault.

Just over the horizon appears one of the grandest sights ever in naval history. The largest fleet of modern battleships ever assembled starts to come into view. Bow waves are visible as these creations of human ingenuity move through calm waters. They are on a mission. This mission means the destruction of tens of thousands of fellow human beings and their weapons.

Overhead the skies are filled with an umbrella of warplanes many of them coming from the over 20 fleet aircraft carriers combined into another great fleet who's task it is to guard the safety of the stately steel fortresses below. Over 600 naval fighters combine with 1203 land based fighters in a tightly choreographed display of military might. All of this power is concentrated in a 50 mile square patch of the English Channel.

This patch of concentrated power and combination of 16" and 14" naval artillery is highly mobile and ready to move where it is most needed firing it's salvos from over the horizon, seemingly coming from nowhere to wreak havoc and destruction on an unimaginable scale with accuracy no other weapons system could match.

According to an after action reports of Operation Neptune submitted by the German High Command after D-Day "a cruiser may be compared with a regiment of artillery. Battleships carrying 38 cm. or 40 cm. guns have a fire-power which to achieve in land warfare is difficult and only possible by an unusual concentration of very heavy batteries." Only a small number of railroad guns can match their size and range. There are over 450 of these guns moving at up to 15 knots.

Blinded by the air umbrella put up by the NATO forces the Soviet Tank Armies start their advance. Spotter planes cruise up and down the coast guarded by NATO fighters. The fist ranging salvos cause no concern among the Soviet Generals as they unleash their artillery blindly into the enemy’s enclave hoping to silence the artillery that remains in the opposition forces. The naval guns far out ranging the Soviet artillery guns and concern grows as the salvos from the massive 16" naval guns start to land far inland. Guns of unimaginable power and shells of massive proportions that have been waiting since the day they were assembled to do what they were designed to do.

Then the full salvos start. One hundred and six 16" guns from ships with the names of the USS Wisconsin, HMS Nelson, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, West Virginia, Alabama, South Dakota, Indiana, and Massachusetts landing almost in unison with unimaginable accuracy and carnage. One hundred and twenty 14" guns from ships named the Howe, Duke of York, Mississippi, New Mexico, Tennessee, California, Idaho and others add to the chorus with spotter planes directing their flight. 113 of the Soviet army's heaviest tanks are obliterated in the first two salvos. Dozens disappear with every salvo after.

Panic ensues and shell shocked Soviet troops and armor that are caught in the open run for cover. But there is no cover for miles. Miles of open ground offering no cover leaves thousands of the finest fighting men on earth with nowhere to escape. They stagger over terrain chosen by their tank commanders. Chosen for its lack of obstacles. Chosen for its lack of cover.

Their doom is sealed. All they can do is to await their appointment with death and dismemberment. They have no prepared bunkers, trenches, fox holes or even a place to hide. They are literally just waiting to become dead meat.
Out ranged and blind, the Soviet artillery parks are blow to piles of smoking debris. Many not even knowing what hit them. High explosive shells coming from out of nowhere ending their lives far from home.

The area outside the outskirts of Le Havre are instantly turned into an image of World War One's no-mans land. Giant craters filled with smoking and burning, flesh, fuel and steel strewn the landscape for miles and still the salvos continue.

Raining death an destruction on anything caught in the maelstrom of screaming steel and explosives. Each shell exploding with unimaginable force and destruction and leaving in their wake a massive crater full of death and dying.

The noise is indescribable. It is beyond comprehension. Never has such a concentrated and mobile force of human destruction rained down on other human beings with such accuracy. Never have 22 modern battleships joined together in a chorus of unimaginable destruction.

This display of firepower makes carpet bombing look like child's play. The shelling is done with pinpoint accuracy and it is constant at over 450 2000lb shells being fired per minute if needed. The salvos continue until there is nothing alive and nothing moving. Everything larger than a rat is dead or dying. It is horrific even to those who have perpetuated the slaughter. Even to those who hate the enemy with a white hot passion. Only an atom bomb can compare.

The salvos fall for only 36 minutes. That's all the time that is needed. In those 36 minutes 739 Soviet Heavy tanks were obliterated, 232,624 men are dead or casualties and 3542 guns, rocket launchers and mortars are destroyed.

31992_1400413103484_1627005005_1025843_1952993_n.jpg


31992_1400412943480_1627005005_1025840_1355443_n.jpg


31992_1400413023482_1627005005_1025842_5633712_n.jpg


31992_1400413143485_1627005005_1025844_3333204_n.jpg


31992_1400413183486_1627005005_1025845_1064619_n.jpg
 

The Vulture

Banned
Goddamn. What a display of power, that would truly be an awe-inspiring sight. This is going to turn things around.

Keep writing, Hairog. This is great stuff and you're likely to earn yourself a Turtledove.
 

Hairog

The Scandinavian Front By Dan

Please welcome Dan as a co-conspirator in this madness. If anyone else wants to join in please PM me and we can discuss it. Lots of things to do and lots of storylines to follow. I want this to be a collaborative effort.

We can have multiple stories going and there will be a website soon filled with these stories, videos, pictures, maps all within the Alternate History of World War Three in 1946.

The Scandinavian Front

By Dan
Personal Diary of General Anton Lopatin

04 June 1946

Have just returned from a meeting with STAVKA and have been appointed the commanding General of the 1st Finnish front. I have been assigned that thug Chuikov as my deputy. Just because the little dwarf made a good impression at STalingrad and was lucky enough to be there when the fascist told him about Hitler's death, all of a sudden, lah-di-fucking-dah he's good enough to be MY deputy.

And if that wasn't enough, I'm lucky to be getting 13th Guards again, but the rest are to be made up of fucking rejects and failures. Why couldn't they have just sent me to count fucking trees and be done with it? At least I have my choices of attack route. Through the Karrelian again looks the best option with a sweep from Murmansk will see after a night's sleep, my last for a while I guess - STAVKA wants this started by 1st August. At least it won't be another winter war.
 

Raymann

Banned
Just curious, how did you figure out that that amount of firepower would cause that amount of casualities? The US has done large scale bombardment before but I don't think with more then 3-4 battleships and the Japanese were usually in fortified positions on mountainous terrain.

In any event, would have been foolish to set something like this up and not immediately counter-attack. The Soviets would have little to defend their supply train and would not only have to fall back (at least to) Germany but also abandon most (and their best) supplies.

And Stalin isn't Hitler, he wouldn't try to expand the war until the major powers were defeated.
 
Dan

Dan

Raymann said:
And Stalin isn't Hitler, he wouldn't try to expand the war until the major powers were defeated.
Click to expand...

For Stalin, Finland is no different to the other Baltic states, show some teeth and growl at them and they'll do what you want. In the Soviet mind, the Finnish campaign is a sideshow, because to them, that's all it is, Finland.
It's for Stalin what Denmark was for Hitler.
 
Reader mode
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top