Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
OTL, Britain suffered from a lack of capital post WW2, a lack of competition to spur on retooling 1945-1953 and Bomber Command's unintentional cull of technically qualified Britons. And a Labour government arrived a bit later and probably closer to the German model rather than trying to micromanage industry and eliminate internal competition as "inefficient". So Britain will be in a better place industrially than OTL 1960.
As has been said before, the British are still in the artisanal manufacturing mode - one worker or team builds the entire article. This leads to variation in workmanship between teams, and variation in the day of the week (a 'Monday car' shows thee effects of coming back to work after a weekend (and probably a hangover) and a 'Friday car' shows the effects of wanting to knock off for the weekend.) ISTR reading about engine builders (aero or auto, don't remember which) having a box of pistons and choosing the ones which fit the best. ISTR that Packard-built Merlin engines were preferred because of this.
This has a significant impact on maintainability in the field where production-line spare parts always fit.
In fact they probably won't realise until they see Kiki at Freddy's wedding in her full uniform. Being the heir he'll probably get pulled back from the front, if not out of Vietnam entirely, while Kiki will serve wherever her unit goes. So while Freddy will end up with ceremonial medals, Kiki will end up with actual service medals, so you can guess whose uniform will get the most attention at that function.
In fact they probably won't realise until they see Kiki at Freddy's wedding in her full uniform. Being the heir he'll probably get pulled back from the front, if not out of Vietnam entirely, while Kiki will serve wherever her unit goes. So while Freddy will end up with ceremonial medals, Kiki will end up with actual service medals, so you can guess whose uniform will get the most attention at that function.
If he will go remember there is a spare.
Part 89, Chapter 1379
Chapter One Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Nine
16th July 1960
Potsdam
Forty-one years, that was the final tally. Except for when he had gone back to University, Emil had spent his entire adult life in either the Heer or the Luftwaffe. Now the State was making a big production of him getting shown the door as possible by performing the Großer Zapfenstreich in his honor. The Emperor and Crown Prince were present tonight, so the Staff Band and Drum Corps had gone out of their way to make this memorable. Not to mention hundreds of torchbearers from various units from the Heer and Luftwaffe-Fallschirmjäger who Emil had been a part of over his long career.
Emil would have preferred that they had spared the expense and just let him leave quietly. If his replacement, Generaloberst Johann von Kielmansegg, wasn’t required to be here and he would probably be in Emil’s office measuring the drapes at that very moment. Claus von Stauffenberg, the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Military High Command was elsewhere. He had been passed over for the top spot this time and as rumor had it, he had not taken it particularly well but was to much of the proper gentleman to reveal that in a public setting. Oddly, it was that aristocratic demeanor that had cost him, he just wasn’t as good at the political game that anyone who aspired to be the Chief of the High Command needed to be. Not that it mattered to Emil, after tonight the monstrous egos of his subordinates would be someone else’s problem.
Maria was here and she had even agreed not to come as a Reporter for the Berliner. Not that she didn’t know that the paper would have one or two of their other people covering the event. If anything, she was probably the one who assigned them the story. Somehow, Maria had convinced Zella to wear a dress tonight as opposed to dressing like a Street Rat from the Berlin Rocker scene that she had become a very visible part of. Emil found that amusing. These children were trying to differentiate themselves from what they saw as their conformist parents with loud music, unkempt, tattered clothes and an in your face attitude. They would have fit in seamlessly with the crowd that had been in Berlin during the Spring Revolution back in 1921. The clothes, music and attitude were nowhere near as outlandish as they imagined or different from anything that had existed in Berlin since the introduction of railroads more than a century earlier.
Emil’s son Walter had yet to develop Zella’s love of music and had shown that his personality was closer to Maria than to Emil. If Emil was being honest, he was a bit disappointed that Walter seemed to have none of his older sister’s rebellious spirit. He was speaking with his namesake, Emil’s old friend Walter Horst. Horst had been in declining health over the last few years and was being eased out of his semi-retired role in the Heer. It was a big part of why Emil had not fought the Chancellor when it was suggested that he consider retiring once he had reached forty years of service. It was better to pull the pin while he was still heathy enough to enjoy retirement. The trip across Asia and America that he was planning with Zella was a once in a lifetime opportunity for both of them. Still, Emil did have his doubts.
“It’s the end of an era” Horst said as Emil approached.
“I just worry that I’m leaving a touch too soon” Emil said, “Everything that is going on in the world and all.”
“There’s always something” Horst replied, “Let someone else take the weight for once. You are leaving things in good hands. They’ll screw some things up and get other things right. That’s the nature of the beast.”
“That sounds like something Sjostedt might say” Emil said.
“He said that to me last week” Horst said as he looked at his son-in-law Stefan Mischner and protégé Tilo Schultz who were here as Emil’s guests. Before the ceremony started the two of them had talked around the concerns that they had over getting sent overseas. It had also become very apparent that Horst envied them for that exact same reason.
It was something that Emil had noticed years earlier and had attempted to break himself of. How war gave one meaning and purpose. The exhilarating rush of combat. All of it was one of the most addictive things that Emil was aware of. Horst still had it and was angry that his failing body had prevented him from pursuing that still.
Los Angeles, California
As Harriman waited in the VIP lounge for Air Force One to be readied for takeoff, he considered how the just concluded Democratic National Convention had gone. The 1960 Presidential ticket had jelled around nominating Harriman for reelection which no one had doubted wouldn’t happen for a second.
The real action had been over who would be the new candidate for Vice President. The Party had chosen Senator Stewart Symington of Missouri in a bid for Party unity. It remained to be seen how effective that would be. The noises that Harriman had heard from the Party rank and file had suggested that it was the West Coast here in California that might just be the future of the Party. The Speaker of California State Assembly Richard M. Nixon and Governor James Roosevelt were definitely rising stars.
The Republican Convention was next week. They were widely expected to nominate Nelson Rockefeller as their candidate for President and Barry Goldwater for Vice President. God help America if that ticket got elected, Harriman thought to himself. Because all Hell would break loose if they got into the White House.
16th July 1960
Potsdam
Forty-one years, that was the final tally. Except for when he had gone back to University, Emil had spent his entire adult life in either the Heer or the Luftwaffe. Now the State was making a big production of him getting shown the door as possible by performing the Großer Zapfenstreich in his honor. The Emperor and Crown Prince were present tonight, so the Staff Band and Drum Corps had gone out of their way to make this memorable. Not to mention hundreds of torchbearers from various units from the Heer and Luftwaffe-Fallschirmjäger who Emil had been a part of over his long career.
Emil would have preferred that they had spared the expense and just let him leave quietly. If his replacement, Generaloberst Johann von Kielmansegg, wasn’t required to be here and he would probably be in Emil’s office measuring the drapes at that very moment. Claus von Stauffenberg, the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Military High Command was elsewhere. He had been passed over for the top spot this time and as rumor had it, he had not taken it particularly well but was to much of the proper gentleman to reveal that in a public setting. Oddly, it was that aristocratic demeanor that had cost him, he just wasn’t as good at the political game that anyone who aspired to be the Chief of the High Command needed to be. Not that it mattered to Emil, after tonight the monstrous egos of his subordinates would be someone else’s problem.
Maria was here and she had even agreed not to come as a Reporter for the Berliner. Not that she didn’t know that the paper would have one or two of their other people covering the event. If anything, she was probably the one who assigned them the story. Somehow, Maria had convinced Zella to wear a dress tonight as opposed to dressing like a Street Rat from the Berlin Rocker scene that she had become a very visible part of. Emil found that amusing. These children were trying to differentiate themselves from what they saw as their conformist parents with loud music, unkempt, tattered clothes and an in your face attitude. They would have fit in seamlessly with the crowd that had been in Berlin during the Spring Revolution back in 1921. The clothes, music and attitude were nowhere near as outlandish as they imagined or different from anything that had existed in Berlin since the introduction of railroads more than a century earlier.
Emil’s son Walter had yet to develop Zella’s love of music and had shown that his personality was closer to Maria than to Emil. If Emil was being honest, he was a bit disappointed that Walter seemed to have none of his older sister’s rebellious spirit. He was speaking with his namesake, Emil’s old friend Walter Horst. Horst had been in declining health over the last few years and was being eased out of his semi-retired role in the Heer. It was a big part of why Emil had not fought the Chancellor when it was suggested that he consider retiring once he had reached forty years of service. It was better to pull the pin while he was still heathy enough to enjoy retirement. The trip across Asia and America that he was planning with Zella was a once in a lifetime opportunity for both of them. Still, Emil did have his doubts.
“It’s the end of an era” Horst said as Emil approached.
“I just worry that I’m leaving a touch too soon” Emil said, “Everything that is going on in the world and all.”
“There’s always something” Horst replied, “Let someone else take the weight for once. You are leaving things in good hands. They’ll screw some things up and get other things right. That’s the nature of the beast.”
“That sounds like something Sjostedt might say” Emil said.
“He said that to me last week” Horst said as he looked at his son-in-law Stefan Mischner and protégé Tilo Schultz who were here as Emil’s guests. Before the ceremony started the two of them had talked around the concerns that they had over getting sent overseas. It had also become very apparent that Horst envied them for that exact same reason.
It was something that Emil had noticed years earlier and had attempted to break himself of. How war gave one meaning and purpose. The exhilarating rush of combat. All of it was one of the most addictive things that Emil was aware of. Horst still had it and was angry that his failing body had prevented him from pursuing that still.
Los Angeles, California
As Harriman waited in the VIP lounge for Air Force One to be readied for takeoff, he considered how the just concluded Democratic National Convention had gone. The 1960 Presidential ticket had jelled around nominating Harriman for reelection which no one had doubted wouldn’t happen for a second.
The real action had been over who would be the new candidate for Vice President. The Party had chosen Senator Stewart Symington of Missouri in a bid for Party unity. It remained to be seen how effective that would be. The noises that Harriman had heard from the Party rank and file had suggested that it was the West Coast here in California that might just be the future of the Party. The Speaker of California State Assembly Richard M. Nixon and Governor James Roosevelt were definitely rising stars.
The Republican Convention was next week. They were widely expected to nominate Nelson Rockefeller as their candidate for President and Barry Goldwater for Vice President. God help America if that ticket got elected, Harriman thought to himself. Because all Hell would break loose if they got into the White House.
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Symington is an excellent choice that will please Truman very much plus Symington is a little bit too lazy to get overly ambitious, so he is going to need someone with him to kick his ass out on the campaign trail to keep him focused.
Rockefeller-Goldwater a ticket made in some place other then in Heaven.
Rockefeller-Goldwater a ticket made in some place other then in Heaven.
The spare is generally the one to be sent, and having lost one heir in combat ITTL they may be a touch gun shy about sending Freddie.
A modern example from OTL, Prince William, second in line to the throne was commissioned into the Blues and Royals then qualified as a Helicopter Pilot with the RAF going into search and rescue. He was kept away from both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Prime Harry on the other hand, served with the Army, on the ground in Afghanistan as a forward air controller, (combat role), and second tour later as an Apache Pilot with the Army Air Corps, (also a combat role).
I doubt greatly Freddie will be deliberately allowed anywhere near a combat zone except as a carefully controlled visit to the troops.
Of course, the photo op of Kronprinz Frederich visiting a medical unit in dress uniform as a morale booster and recieving a dressing down from a stressed Kiki either in combat fatigues or bloodied scrubs, (unintentionally on camera), about getting in the way while they're working could be... Interesting to say the least.
The one person that you don't mess with the USMC is the Navy Corpsman assigned to them and that is most likely the same for the Marine Infantry.
So look for Kiki to become everybody's "Little Sister" and if her nickname of Whippet is discovered then that the will become a term of affection and respect for her.
So look for Kiki to become everybody's "Little Sister" and if her nickname of Whippet is discovered then that the will become a term of affection and respect for her.
Ohio performs the very important function of keeping Kentucky from Canada. Please have some respect.
I, for one, still have a burning desire to invade Canada.
Combat engineers. So unless something needs to be built or blown up under fire, he should be fine.
In saying that, if he's near the front and there is a breakthrough, he will be expected to do his duty. Familial concerns or not.
Last time that happened, Kat WAS set loose...
(and nothing of value was lost amongst those that came onto her radar)