It actually stems from the "Allegory of the long spoons"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_long_spoons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_long_spoons
Stupid Luck and Happenstance.
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Not directly, the allegory is about compassion and love of one's fellow man while the proverb is about distancing oneself from dangerous or dubious associations.
Thank you for that correction. That actually makes more sense IMO.
Part 66, Chapter 952
Chapter Nine Hundred Fifty-Two
1st April 1952
Kyoto, Japan
I hope that you are well when this letter finds you. My brother has told me a great deal about you and I felt that you might be one of the few people who truly understands me…
It was a letter from Kristina, Freddy’s younger sister, though she signed it Kiki. Suga knew how names worked and she found it wonderful that this German Princess did something very similar to what Suga did herself. The letter was a bit scattered and seemed to be stream of consciousness. Suga was a bit shocked when Kiki said that she knew that Suga had named her dog after Tsuda Umeko, the woman who founded the University Suga hoped to attend one day. No one else had picked up on that before now.
When Suga had looked through the photographs that Freddy had sent her, she saw a bespectacled girl with a shy smile and mop of curly hair that resisted every attempt to tame it. Suga could see that Kiki looked a lot like Freddy and his brother Michael, not at all like a whippet that Freddy described. Suga knew that Freddy looked at his younger sister with a great deal of affection, even if he teased her a lot. Suga hardly knew her brothers and her older sisters… Suga couldn’t recall ever meeting her older sisters and not having it be a stiff, formal meeting.
“Princess” Yamada Haru said in greeting interrupting her thoughts. He was possibly the oldest man who Suga had ever met and he had been serving Suga’s family since he was her age, sometime early in the reign of Emperor Meiji, Suga’s great grandfather. These days he raked gravel in the rock garden into an elaborate pattern that was slightly different every day about noon. This was semi-retirement for him as the palace in Kyoto was less demanding than the one in Tokyo that he had managed for decades. Haru had steadfastly refused to retire completely, saying that caring for the gardens gave him purpose. Suga had been told that she needed to treat the gardener with great respect but that hadn’t stopped her from spying on him. Every day, Haru would go about doing his many tasks and supervising the apprentices who studied under his tutelage. The tasks varied with the seasons, but he was never rushed. Everything he did was a deliberate action, even stopping for a few minutes each day to talk to a Princess who he had caught spying on him.
“Master Gardener Yamada” Suga said in reply as she sat down on a bench that was at the edge of the rock garden.
“Here to help me spread the manure” Haru asked.
Suga had to stop herself from giggling over that, which would be undignified.
“No” Suga replied, “I just was thinking about a letter I received.”
“Your German boyfriend again?” Haru asked. He looked with a bit of amusement at Suga’s reaction.
“Friedrich is just a friend” Suga replied.
“Speaking of spreading manure” Haru said as he guided his bamboo rake around a large rock. Suga looked at him crossly.
“His sister wrote me” Suga said, “She says that I am one of the few people who might understand her.”
“Are you?” Haru asked.
“Yes and no” Suga replied, “She’s a younger daughter of a royal family but some of the things about that family are very different.”
“Are you surprised by that” Haru asked.
“No” Suga replied, “I just have a hard time imagining a different sort of life.”
“When I was born Japan was a very different place” Haru said, “And when you are my age it will be even more different. Television or jet airplanes are the latest thing, I remember when it was the first street car in Japan. Right here in Kyoto.”
“Really?” Suga asked.
“Yes, really” Haru replied.
Berlin
It had to be April Fools’ Day of all days. Sarah’s father was well known to be agnostic but there were times when that might have been hard to believe. The other thing was that it was nearly impossible to keep secrets from him. Any unconscious ticks or actions would constantly be going into his head and when he reached his conclusions he wasn’t shy about voicing his opinion on the matter. Sarah’s mother had said that he had known about her attractions long before Sarah had been comfortable with them herself. She also knew how hard it had been for Nessa to break with their father’s expectations, but Nessa had made a choice and followed through on it. Sarah herself had understood how in some respects decisions like that were easy for her sister. For Sarah, things would always be different.
Now, her father, Grand Admiral von Schmidt himself had invited her to lunch. Sarah’s mother had warned Sarah that her father knew that something was going on and to be careful, but she couldn’t keep ducking him forever. When he called, she had just completed today’s rehearsal. In recent years, Sarah had moved from the First Chair Violin to the Conductor’s Lectern. As an accomplished Violinist, Pianist and Composer Sarah’s future was secure but she had woken up one morning and realized that she was entering her mid-thirties. Were professional accomplishments all she wanted from her life? This had led directly to an emotional breakdown that Carla had seen her through, but that had led directly to a conversation about what Sarah really wanted in her life and things had taken a weird turn from there…
Now, a few months later Sarah was seated across the table from her father as she had made sure that every more was carefully considered, and every word was thought about before she said it. The whole meal was excruciating. Finally, the check was brought to the table and in a few minutes, Sarah would be given some respite, time to work this out for herself. She just needed a chance to make a break for the door.
“It must be difficult for you at times” Her father said, “To be so accomplished and still be overshadowed but me and your sister.”
“Completely different circles Poppa” Sarah replied, “Almost every day I meet musicians, artists and playwrights who have never heard of Nessa and only know you as a war hero.”
Sarah’s father just shrugged. “Your mother told me that it’s your life and that it doesn’t reflect on me” He said, “If only that were completely true. People know you are my daughter and while I don’t judge your personal life others might.”
That started alarm bells ringing in Sarah’s head.
“What are you talking about Poppa?” Sarah asked, knowing she had made a mistake the instant she said that.
“I’m just curious about how my lesbian daughter got pregnant?” Her father asked mildly, “Baring a miracle that is, and I doubt that it is the Messiah.”
Sarah at that moment grew angry the flip way her father had said that. He had to have known the whole meal what was going on and had played it out. “What business is that of yours?” Sarah hissed.
“As I said, you reflect on me to a degree” Sarah’s father said, “But as you said, different circles and I don’t see too many ways you could have done it.”
“Oh” Sarah said, that took the wind out of her sails. At least he was understanding of her.
“I take it that the father is completely out of the picture?” Her father asked.
“Yes” Sarah replied, if her father didn’t know who that was then she had no reason to ever tell him.
1st April 1952
Kyoto, Japan
I hope that you are well when this letter finds you. My brother has told me a great deal about you and I felt that you might be one of the few people who truly understands me…
It was a letter from Kristina, Freddy’s younger sister, though she signed it Kiki. Suga knew how names worked and she found it wonderful that this German Princess did something very similar to what Suga did herself. The letter was a bit scattered and seemed to be stream of consciousness. Suga was a bit shocked when Kiki said that she knew that Suga had named her dog after Tsuda Umeko, the woman who founded the University Suga hoped to attend one day. No one else had picked up on that before now.
When Suga had looked through the photographs that Freddy had sent her, she saw a bespectacled girl with a shy smile and mop of curly hair that resisted every attempt to tame it. Suga could see that Kiki looked a lot like Freddy and his brother Michael, not at all like a whippet that Freddy described. Suga knew that Freddy looked at his younger sister with a great deal of affection, even if he teased her a lot. Suga hardly knew her brothers and her older sisters… Suga couldn’t recall ever meeting her older sisters and not having it be a stiff, formal meeting.
“Princess” Yamada Haru said in greeting interrupting her thoughts. He was possibly the oldest man who Suga had ever met and he had been serving Suga’s family since he was her age, sometime early in the reign of Emperor Meiji, Suga’s great grandfather. These days he raked gravel in the rock garden into an elaborate pattern that was slightly different every day about noon. This was semi-retirement for him as the palace in Kyoto was less demanding than the one in Tokyo that he had managed for decades. Haru had steadfastly refused to retire completely, saying that caring for the gardens gave him purpose. Suga had been told that she needed to treat the gardener with great respect but that hadn’t stopped her from spying on him. Every day, Haru would go about doing his many tasks and supervising the apprentices who studied under his tutelage. The tasks varied with the seasons, but he was never rushed. Everything he did was a deliberate action, even stopping for a few minutes each day to talk to a Princess who he had caught spying on him.
“Master Gardener Yamada” Suga said in reply as she sat down on a bench that was at the edge of the rock garden.
“Here to help me spread the manure” Haru asked.
Suga had to stop herself from giggling over that, which would be undignified.
“No” Suga replied, “I just was thinking about a letter I received.”
“Your German boyfriend again?” Haru asked. He looked with a bit of amusement at Suga’s reaction.
“Friedrich is just a friend” Suga replied.
“Speaking of spreading manure” Haru said as he guided his bamboo rake around a large rock. Suga looked at him crossly.
“His sister wrote me” Suga said, “She says that I am one of the few people who might understand her.”
“Are you?” Haru asked.
“Yes and no” Suga replied, “She’s a younger daughter of a royal family but some of the things about that family are very different.”
“Are you surprised by that” Haru asked.
“No” Suga replied, “I just have a hard time imagining a different sort of life.”
“When I was born Japan was a very different place” Haru said, “And when you are my age it will be even more different. Television or jet airplanes are the latest thing, I remember when it was the first street car in Japan. Right here in Kyoto.”
“Really?” Suga asked.
“Yes, really” Haru replied.
Berlin
It had to be April Fools’ Day of all days. Sarah’s father was well known to be agnostic but there were times when that might have been hard to believe. The other thing was that it was nearly impossible to keep secrets from him. Any unconscious ticks or actions would constantly be going into his head and when he reached his conclusions he wasn’t shy about voicing his opinion on the matter. Sarah’s mother had said that he had known about her attractions long before Sarah had been comfortable with them herself. She also knew how hard it had been for Nessa to break with their father’s expectations, but Nessa had made a choice and followed through on it. Sarah herself had understood how in some respects decisions like that were easy for her sister. For Sarah, things would always be different.
Now, her father, Grand Admiral von Schmidt himself had invited her to lunch. Sarah’s mother had warned Sarah that her father knew that something was going on and to be careful, but she couldn’t keep ducking him forever. When he called, she had just completed today’s rehearsal. In recent years, Sarah had moved from the First Chair Violin to the Conductor’s Lectern. As an accomplished Violinist, Pianist and Composer Sarah’s future was secure but she had woken up one morning and realized that she was entering her mid-thirties. Were professional accomplishments all she wanted from her life? This had led directly to an emotional breakdown that Carla had seen her through, but that had led directly to a conversation about what Sarah really wanted in her life and things had taken a weird turn from there…
Now, a few months later Sarah was seated across the table from her father as she had made sure that every more was carefully considered, and every word was thought about before she said it. The whole meal was excruciating. Finally, the check was brought to the table and in a few minutes, Sarah would be given some respite, time to work this out for herself. She just needed a chance to make a break for the door.
“It must be difficult for you at times” Her father said, “To be so accomplished and still be overshadowed but me and your sister.”
“Completely different circles Poppa” Sarah replied, “Almost every day I meet musicians, artists and playwrights who have never heard of Nessa and only know you as a war hero.”
Sarah’s father just shrugged. “Your mother told me that it’s your life and that it doesn’t reflect on me” He said, “If only that were completely true. People know you are my daughter and while I don’t judge your personal life others might.”
That started alarm bells ringing in Sarah’s head.
“What are you talking about Poppa?” Sarah asked, knowing she had made a mistake the instant she said that.
“I’m just curious about how my lesbian daughter got pregnant?” Her father asked mildly, “Baring a miracle that is, and I doubt that it is the Messiah.”
Sarah at that moment grew angry the flip way her father had said that. He had to have known the whole meal what was going on and had played it out. “What business is that of yours?” Sarah hissed.
“As I said, you reflect on me to a degree” Sarah’s father said, “But as you said, different circles and I don’t see too many ways you could have done it.”
“Oh” Sarah said, that took the wind out of her sails. At least he was understanding of her.
“I take it that the father is completely out of the picture?” Her father asked.
“Yes” Sarah replied, if her father didn’t know who that was then she had no reason to ever tell him.
Last edited:
Part 66, Chapter 953
Chapter Nine Hundred Fifty-Three
7th April 1952
Baltic Sea
Rain mixed with snow slashed against the windows of the command bridge of the SMS Kiel. Giving the Heavy Cruiser the capacity to be a flagship was an idea of Jacob’s. Cutbacks required that the battleship and battlecruiser squadrons that had been serving in the Pacific be recalled to the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. As he had predicted more than a year earlier, the Schlesien Class Battleships were to be stricken. That left only the Preussen Class to make up the once proud battle line. Predictably, the British were giddy with excitement. Watching the German Fleet fade away was the sort of thing that they had desired for generations. If they were aware of the strategic situation like Jacob was they wouldn’t be so happy. With the Preussen steaming for Kiel, the Rhineland in the Gulf of Mexico and the Brandenburg in for refit, the SMS Kiel was the best ship available for Jacob’s use. The Ship’s crew was still getting used to having a Grand Admiral aboard. It had resulted in a few incidents that Jacob had found amusing, but the Ship’s XO was left fuming.
Today, he was watching the light units of the fleet go through the rapid maneuvers was an enjoyable exercise. It was simple. The destroyers raced around in formation, Group A opposing Group B as they tried to out-guess one another. Each group was commanded by a promising Flotilla Captains. They had been his understudies during the War with Japan and they had studied his tactics. It was interesting watching how each of them tried to use the weather and poor visibility to the maximum advantage. The technology used by both groups was equal so there was a considerable amount of misdirection going on.
As Jacob listened to the radio and watched the plotting board, a pair of Destroyers from Group B tried to start an attack run on the flag ship of Group A. The Group A Captain side stepped the attack but found that Group B S-Boats had slipped in behind him. That was a brilliant move if there ever was one. He would need to make sure that the whole Fleet learned from it.
As the ships resumed their dance the thoughts that had been nagging Jacob’s mind kept coming to the fore. Sarah. Esther had been hinting for months that his daughter wanted to start a family. In what Jacob realized now was a bit of a personal blind spot of the sort that Esther had complained about for years, he had assumed that Sarah would probably find that difficult because of her lifestyle. He had clearly underestimated his oldest daughter.
While Sarah was a musical prodigy, she didn’t quite have the raw intelligence that Nessa did. Sarah was also a lot more emotionally connected then either Jacob or Nessa, she was truly Esther’s daughter in that regard. He had been able to convince Esther to tell him about what was happening only to digest what was going on for several weeks until he had finally was ready to talk to Sarah. While he was aware of several medical techniques that Sarah might have used, when he had surreptitiously asked around at the Berlin Philharmonic he had learned that she had employed a method far simpler and more cost effective.
A young man, a Piano player and Flautist had been unusually close to Sarah in recent months. He had been sent to a fellowship in England, a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. Arranged by Sarah no doubt once she had gotten what she wanted from him. It was ruthless and a bit unethical but in Sarah’s position it was what was required. No one could argue that she had been unfair to him, men had been taking advantage of women in far worse ways for millennia and frequently offering nothing in return. It was Jacob’s understanding that no one was forced to do anything.
For Sarah herself, she seemed to understand that in the eyes of society she would be seen as a single mother. It was helped by the fact one of the consequences of the Second World War was that there were hundreds of thousands of women who were either widows or found themselves in that circumstance some other way during the war. The stigma that had existed before was not gone by any means, but people could no longer just make assumptions or pass judgement. Sarah was also in a stable relationship of sorts, but one that might cause people to judge her harshly outside of Berlin or any of the other major cities. Then again, those same people would have a problem with her for being a Jew. Jacob was under no illusion about that. Esther was happy though, she had a new grandchild on the way. Jacob figured that this was one of those times that he should follow his wife’s lead because she always seemed to have a greater understanding in matters like this.
A series of calls came over the radio network, it seemed that Group A had just managed to spring a surprise on Group B and was still very much in the game. The men at the plotting board rushed to update the information and they were only managing to smear the marks from the grease pencils around. They were going to be in for a long night at this rate. It occurred to Jacob that what he needed, what all of them needed was a palate cleanser of sorts. He was going to be in Kiel for the Regatta this year and the Preussen was going to be in port along with the Fleet units not on station in the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific. Inviting the girls up from Berlin would be perfect, a way to let Sarah know that they had a great deal to celebrate.
7th April 1952
Baltic Sea
Rain mixed with snow slashed against the windows of the command bridge of the SMS Kiel. Giving the Heavy Cruiser the capacity to be a flagship was an idea of Jacob’s. Cutbacks required that the battleship and battlecruiser squadrons that had been serving in the Pacific be recalled to the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. As he had predicted more than a year earlier, the Schlesien Class Battleships were to be stricken. That left only the Preussen Class to make up the once proud battle line. Predictably, the British were giddy with excitement. Watching the German Fleet fade away was the sort of thing that they had desired for generations. If they were aware of the strategic situation like Jacob was they wouldn’t be so happy. With the Preussen steaming for Kiel, the Rhineland in the Gulf of Mexico and the Brandenburg in for refit, the SMS Kiel was the best ship available for Jacob’s use. The Ship’s crew was still getting used to having a Grand Admiral aboard. It had resulted in a few incidents that Jacob had found amusing, but the Ship’s XO was left fuming.
Today, he was watching the light units of the fleet go through the rapid maneuvers was an enjoyable exercise. It was simple. The destroyers raced around in formation, Group A opposing Group B as they tried to out-guess one another. Each group was commanded by a promising Flotilla Captains. They had been his understudies during the War with Japan and they had studied his tactics. It was interesting watching how each of them tried to use the weather and poor visibility to the maximum advantage. The technology used by both groups was equal so there was a considerable amount of misdirection going on.
As Jacob listened to the radio and watched the plotting board, a pair of Destroyers from Group B tried to start an attack run on the flag ship of Group A. The Group A Captain side stepped the attack but found that Group B S-Boats had slipped in behind him. That was a brilliant move if there ever was one. He would need to make sure that the whole Fleet learned from it.
As the ships resumed their dance the thoughts that had been nagging Jacob’s mind kept coming to the fore. Sarah. Esther had been hinting for months that his daughter wanted to start a family. In what Jacob realized now was a bit of a personal blind spot of the sort that Esther had complained about for years, he had assumed that Sarah would probably find that difficult because of her lifestyle. He had clearly underestimated his oldest daughter.
While Sarah was a musical prodigy, she didn’t quite have the raw intelligence that Nessa did. Sarah was also a lot more emotionally connected then either Jacob or Nessa, she was truly Esther’s daughter in that regard. He had been able to convince Esther to tell him about what was happening only to digest what was going on for several weeks until he had finally was ready to talk to Sarah. While he was aware of several medical techniques that Sarah might have used, when he had surreptitiously asked around at the Berlin Philharmonic he had learned that she had employed a method far simpler and more cost effective.
A young man, a Piano player and Flautist had been unusually close to Sarah in recent months. He had been sent to a fellowship in England, a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. Arranged by Sarah no doubt once she had gotten what she wanted from him. It was ruthless and a bit unethical but in Sarah’s position it was what was required. No one could argue that she had been unfair to him, men had been taking advantage of women in far worse ways for millennia and frequently offering nothing in return. It was Jacob’s understanding that no one was forced to do anything.
For Sarah herself, she seemed to understand that in the eyes of society she would be seen as a single mother. It was helped by the fact one of the consequences of the Second World War was that there were hundreds of thousands of women who were either widows or found themselves in that circumstance some other way during the war. The stigma that had existed before was not gone by any means, but people could no longer just make assumptions or pass judgement. Sarah was also in a stable relationship of sorts, but one that might cause people to judge her harshly outside of Berlin or any of the other major cities. Then again, those same people would have a problem with her for being a Jew. Jacob was under no illusion about that. Esther was happy though, she had a new grandchild on the way. Jacob figured that this was one of those times that he should follow his wife’s lead because she always seemed to have a greater understanding in matters like this.
A series of calls came over the radio network, it seemed that Group A had just managed to spring a surprise on Group B and was still very much in the game. The men at the plotting board rushed to update the information and they were only managing to smear the marks from the grease pencils around. They were going to be in for a long night at this rate. It occurred to Jacob that what he needed, what all of them needed was a palate cleanser of sorts. He was going to be in Kiel for the Regatta this year and the Preussen was going to be in port along with the Fleet units not on station in the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific. Inviting the girls up from Berlin would be perfect, a way to let Sarah know that they had a great deal to celebrate.
The Age of the Battleship is over due to technology, tactics, and most importantly budgetary constraints.
Germany is just the first to realize it, it is leading the way in the use of anti-ship missile weapons that will make current surface warfare tactics obsolete.
Grand Admiral von Schmidt is already preparing for Germany to transition to be a nuclear navy with a ballistic missile submarine prototype.
The other nations are going to find out the hard way that the constriction of the German Navy is just temporary and it is going to take a lot of time and money to catch up.
Germany is just the first to realize it, it is leading the way in the use of anti-ship missile weapons that will make current surface warfare tactics obsolete.
Grand Admiral von Schmidt is already preparing for Germany to transition to be a nuclear navy with a ballistic missile submarine prototype.
The other nations are going to find out the hard way that the constriction of the German Navy is just temporary and it is going to take a lot of time and money to catch up.
I may have misread it but I only remember one missile boat being built so far and it has not ventured out of the Baltic Sea, or North Sea.
FBKampfer
Banned
Yes, but they had that one boat 7 years ago. And IIRC, they've been stated to have already developed solid fueled rockets, which are the primary obstacle to sticking them on a sub.
Part 66, Chapter 954
Chapter Nine Hundred Fifty-Four
10th April 1952
Gulf of Mexico, north-west of Mérida
For Fregattenkaptän Otto Kretschmer it felt good to be back in a sub even if he wasn’t in command of this particular boat. He was here as an observer, he had also planned the mission, so he felt that he needed to see it through in person. SMS U-926 was one of six Type XXIX Submarines that had quietly left Wilhelmshaven weeks earlier and had made their way across the Atlantic in the greatest of secrecy. It was believed that the US Navy learning of the subs transiting the Florida Straits would create a diplomatic row. Once they had completed the mission they were to head east around the Yucatan Peninsula then south into the Caribbean Sea where they would meet a tender and refuel south of Jamaica. Then would come the long journey home.
The standing dictate of the OKW and the Kaiserliche Marine by extension was that they should never let an opportunity to test out a weapons system in wartime conditions go to waste. This mission was just that. Kretschmer had been told that the Type XXIX was a transitional design that a replacement was coming as soon as the technology involved had been perfected. Not even he had been privy to what that would entail but rumors had been flying around for months about what was coming into shape in the shipyards of Kiel. As it was, the Type XXIX was one of the largest Submarine Classes ever put to sea. Tonight, as they reached their destinations, the whole world would understand the function that was behind their great size. Watching from a seat on the bridge, Kretschmer watched as the crew went about their duties with the upmost professionalism. He had hand picked these men and they were the best the Fleet could produce.
As U-926 rose to periscope depth, the Ship’s Captain made sure that the sea around them was empty before double checking with the radar array that had been deployed atop one of the other masts. Just after local midnight, the thermobaric warheads on the rockets were set to arm at the apex of their flight and the navigator loaded in the last bit of data into the guidance computers. When everything was ready the vertical launch tubes were flooded and the dozen rockets aboard U-926 were launched. Minutes later every port city on the Mexican Gulf Coast was hit.
It was unclear if that had a greater impact in Mexico City or Washington D.C.
Berlin
There were two things that were happening at once that had Kiki practically quivering with excitement. The first was that Gräfin Katherine had told them where they were going for their Spring Holiday, the Black Forest. The second and for Kiki the most delicious part was that Freddy and Mikey were going to Cuxhaven to be guests of the Marine Infantry. It seemed that their expedition to Bohemian Switzerland last year had not gone unnoticed and apparently the Navy got them this year for political reasons.
Kiki had laughed when she had told Zella and Aurora. The two of them had not understood what was so funny. Kiki had watched her brothers going and doing these amazing things, while all she was allowed to do was be envious. This time she would be the one to go on the adventure while her brothers got to walk around in lines, peel potatoes and whatever else the Marine Infantry would make them do. Kiki had a feeling that whatever was coming for Freddy and Mikey it would be so bad that it would make going back to school for the summer term seem like going to heaven. She couldn’t have been happier, served them right for saying she looked like a whippet.
Unfortunately, then Gräfin Katherine happened…
----------------------------------------------------------------
“As you know, the results of your end of term examinations are coming tomorrow” Kat said, “Everything we do in this Troop is a privilege and that includes our upcoming expedition. Your parents have asked me to make sure that all of you get passing scores and they are perfectly fine with you spending the holiday at home.”
Kat saw several of the girl’s excitement fade rapidly when they heard her say that. Zella even looked slightly stricken, Kat had heard from Maria how Zella had spent most of her holidays of the last couple years. Even she had to admit that it was an effective means of punishment for anyone other than Zella who had inherited the sort of stubbornness that the Holz family was known for. Maria had however been thankful that Kat had been able to pound into Zella’s head there were other ways of doing things other than disruptive and frequently painful things she had been doing. The other issue would be Klara, she had shown no inclination towards leaving Aurora alone whenever Zella was not there to protect her. For Aurora, Kat figured that she needed Gia to come back from New York. Oddly, Kat was better at fighting than teaching people to fight. Gia on the other hand, excelled at teaching. That stupid lawsuit was dragging on and Gia had said that she was still going to school there. At the rate things were going it was a question of what was going to happen first. The case getting decided or Gia finishing her education.
10th April 1952
Gulf of Mexico, north-west of Mérida
For Fregattenkaptän Otto Kretschmer it felt good to be back in a sub even if he wasn’t in command of this particular boat. He was here as an observer, he had also planned the mission, so he felt that he needed to see it through in person. SMS U-926 was one of six Type XXIX Submarines that had quietly left Wilhelmshaven weeks earlier and had made their way across the Atlantic in the greatest of secrecy. It was believed that the US Navy learning of the subs transiting the Florida Straits would create a diplomatic row. Once they had completed the mission they were to head east around the Yucatan Peninsula then south into the Caribbean Sea where they would meet a tender and refuel south of Jamaica. Then would come the long journey home.
The standing dictate of the OKW and the Kaiserliche Marine by extension was that they should never let an opportunity to test out a weapons system in wartime conditions go to waste. This mission was just that. Kretschmer had been told that the Type XXIX was a transitional design that a replacement was coming as soon as the technology involved had been perfected. Not even he had been privy to what that would entail but rumors had been flying around for months about what was coming into shape in the shipyards of Kiel. As it was, the Type XXIX was one of the largest Submarine Classes ever put to sea. Tonight, as they reached their destinations, the whole world would understand the function that was behind their great size. Watching from a seat on the bridge, Kretschmer watched as the crew went about their duties with the upmost professionalism. He had hand picked these men and they were the best the Fleet could produce.
As U-926 rose to periscope depth, the Ship’s Captain made sure that the sea around them was empty before double checking with the radar array that had been deployed atop one of the other masts. Just after local midnight, the thermobaric warheads on the rockets were set to arm at the apex of their flight and the navigator loaded in the last bit of data into the guidance computers. When everything was ready the vertical launch tubes were flooded and the dozen rockets aboard U-926 were launched. Minutes later every port city on the Mexican Gulf Coast was hit.
It was unclear if that had a greater impact in Mexico City or Washington D.C.
Berlin
There were two things that were happening at once that had Kiki practically quivering with excitement. The first was that Gräfin Katherine had told them where they were going for their Spring Holiday, the Black Forest. The second and for Kiki the most delicious part was that Freddy and Mikey were going to Cuxhaven to be guests of the Marine Infantry. It seemed that their expedition to Bohemian Switzerland last year had not gone unnoticed and apparently the Navy got them this year for political reasons.
Kiki had laughed when she had told Zella and Aurora. The two of them had not understood what was so funny. Kiki had watched her brothers going and doing these amazing things, while all she was allowed to do was be envious. This time she would be the one to go on the adventure while her brothers got to walk around in lines, peel potatoes and whatever else the Marine Infantry would make them do. Kiki had a feeling that whatever was coming for Freddy and Mikey it would be so bad that it would make going back to school for the summer term seem like going to heaven. She couldn’t have been happier, served them right for saying she looked like a whippet.
Unfortunately, then Gräfin Katherine happened…
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“As you know, the results of your end of term examinations are coming tomorrow” Kat said, “Everything we do in this Troop is a privilege and that includes our upcoming expedition. Your parents have asked me to make sure that all of you get passing scores and they are perfectly fine with you spending the holiday at home.”
Kat saw several of the girl’s excitement fade rapidly when they heard her say that. Zella even looked slightly stricken, Kat had heard from Maria how Zella had spent most of her holidays of the last couple years. Even she had to admit that it was an effective means of punishment for anyone other than Zella who had inherited the sort of stubbornness that the Holz family was known for. Maria had however been thankful that Kat had been able to pound into Zella’s head there were other ways of doing things other than disruptive and frequently painful things she had been doing. The other issue would be Klara, she had shown no inclination towards leaving Aurora alone whenever Zella was not there to protect her. For Aurora, Kat figured that she needed Gia to come back from New York. Oddly, Kat was better at fighting than teaching people to fight. Gia on the other hand, excelled at teaching. That stupid lawsuit was dragging on and Gia had said that she was still going to school there. At the rate things were going it was a question of what was going to happen first. The case getting decided or Gia finishing her education.
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72 ballistic missiles against those cities...cue the ASW arms race in 1, 2, 3.
Don't be ridiculous, these are Germans. They are using hydraulic presses to break eggs. Or Panzers.
Don't be ridiculous, we would create a specialised Eierschalenbruchstellenerzeugungsrundeiweißwunddotterabtrennungsgerät. (Egg shell breaker and Egg white and yellow seperator).
Yes, it is a device, that first hits the egg with a thick needle to crack the shell, then a vacuum pump empties the egg and finally the white and yolk are seperated through centrifugal force.
And as for thermobarics in cities, the Germans are just following classical military wisdom for longterm peace keeping operations of making a desert and calling it peace.