Axis of Time Book One (Only!)

[Paul in Saudi]

Ah! The best of all possible worlds! I have read the first book of the Axis of Time series. There is no way for me to get Book 2 until August or so. Now I can spend a couple of months thinking about what happens next. How would I write it?

Stalin will not really ally with Hitler. He will sit it out and attack whoever is loosing. He will use the time to rebuild with as much uptime stuff has he can get his hands on.

Hitler will shirt forces West and try to invade the British Isles. This time no Mister Nice Guy. He might as well use his old technology before the Good Guys out class it.

Churchill will use gas to save the British. (If I were him, I would load up Bomber Command with gas right now to take out the rocket scientists. Might as well use the bombers for something before jet interceptors come on line.)

Japan is screwed. No amount of land power (coming from an cancelled war in China) can be converted into seapower. Or at least not before US submarines do a choke hold on the Home Islands.

The US faces a near-term problem of saving the British (and Suez and Hawaii and Australia) while gearing up for new stuff. The new stuff will face the long-term problem of Soviet manpower driving into Iran and Turkey.

The Free World in general needs to arm the Indians, Africans, Arabs and Chinese to take advantage of the huge population advantage they have over the Axis-plus-Soviets. This will not happen as every downtimer (except Einstein of course) is a knuckle-draggin racist.

Of course I could be wrong, and I have no way of finding out. Great fun!

 

[Adam]

Well, in some parts you're correct...

SPOLIERS





















The Germans launch a Sea Lion-esque operation against Britain, codenamed Sea Dragon while the Japanese lands in Australia. We soon know why they landed on that backwater dirtball p ); it was meant to be a diversion, to waste as much 2021 ammunition and supplies as possible. The real target was Hawaii, the assault made possible with the help of the captured 2021 French stealth destroyer, Dessaix.

 

[Paul in Saudi]

One of the uptime technologies most easily implemented would be improvements to the number and effectiveness of American submarines. With that as a given, I cannot see the Japanese getting to Australia, or posing a threat if they did.

(Doug McA could be counted on to scream bloody murder however.)

In Europe, the American build-up (Bolero) plus a basket of improved bazookas would do a gosh-darn on the invading Germans. (They will be limited by a shortage of landing craft, and huge number of Allied sea mines.)

Time for Indian independence and the movement of lots of now-obsolete factories to that neck of the woods.

 

[Adam]

Nope, that doesn't happen in Book 2 for a reason: It's set four months after the Transition. The 'temps don't want to listen to uptime advice fast enough, whereas the Germans and Japanese have learned from some of their mistakes and the Germans in particular are free, especially after the signing of the cease-fire with Russia, to have another go at Britain. Some of their units were even reported to be having body-armor, wielding assault rifles and modified Panzerfausts with deadly effect in places like Ipswich.

But overall, as the verdict of History had already said a long time ago, the Axis will lose.

 

[Paul in Saudi]

It is obvious there are a number of phases is all of this.

Phase One would have little or no Uptime technology, as even novels admit there must be lead time to build stuff. Advantage: Axis.

Phase Two would be when the Americans start taking advantage of Uptime stuff. Call it eighteen months after the transition. Advantage: Good Guys.

Phase Three is when the Germans and Japanese are defeated. The Soviets come a running with nukes and climatic fight with the Good Guys.

If the books sell well, there will be a Phase Four through Seven is the market holds.