2442
June 10th, 1941
Alger, 10:00 - As a midshipman, Michalon has no means of motorized transportation. He could borrow one of the American trucks used to move his bulky installation, but despite his young age, he knows that such a vehicle would attract too much attention...
It is thus with bicycle that he goes to the services of the mission of purchase in the United States, comfortably installed in El Biar, in a villa of style then called without shame "colonial" style.
After having crossed Bab-el-Oued and more than slightly sweated in the rise leading him to his destination, he entrusts his steed to the good care of the territorial guard in a guardhouse, humbly explains the reason of his visit to a planton and is asked to wait on a bench probably requisitioned from a railroad waiting room, so uncomfortable. A few minutes later, Captain Lefèvre arrives, who, in spite of his superior rank, is not entitled to more consideration for his buttocks! Shortly after, both of them are received by a civilian of a certain age who, having apparently crossed out the word friendliness from his dictionary, does not hide to them that they importune him strongly and tend them a telex of an irritated hand. The document says in substance that the material delivered is in conformity with the order!
Using his rank - and although he suspects his interlocutor to have had at least three stripes twenty-five years earlier, Lefèvre then demands the copy of the order placed with the Americans. "This document is confidential!" the other replies with a straight face - but Lefèvre does not back down: "You see, dear sir, the equipment in question does not work, and to know what's wrong, we need this paper! I'll even tell you something confidential: this material should precisely prevent the Krauts from dropping one of their big explosive toys in the beautiful house where we are, and preferably in your lap!" The threat seems to carry. Two sheets of paper peel emerge from the blotter, and the two officers can read the following two lines:
"Six (6) SCR-268 radars operating strictly on the same frequency to facilitate spare parts management".
The second line was obviously added after the fact. "By whom?" asks Lefèvre, who feels the mustard rising to his nose! The other, blushing, can only admit that it was him, "so that it costs less, I am there for that, France does not have too much money, you know!" Lefèvre, after having overwhelmed him with a great variety of unkind words, threatens to send him to take care of the supply of boxes of monkeys and other bags of rice, with the obligation of tasting all the samples himself, if he does not send immediately to the United States a correction blown by Michalon: "The four (4) SCR-268 radars still to be delivered must be adjusted so that they operate without interference, neither with each other nor with the two (2) devices already delivered. They must be accompanied by the equipment to easily change frequencies if necessary."
To make amends, the civilian offers them a coffee. Alas! The last drop swallowed, Lefèvre swears! "Isn't it good?" inquires the savings officer. "Yes, it is! From now on, you'll send this one to the flak troops and you'll drink the sock juice that is usually inflicted on us!"
On his way out, Lefèvre, in a joyful mood, pats Michalon on the back: "That's a good thing done, my friend! And then I have to tell you: we're going to send to Pescade point the two batteries of 90 mm that we received the day before yesterday! You'll have them at hand and everything will be able to function as planned by the Americans without complicated calculations!"
......
The flak guns will be installed in the afternoon at Pescade Point - we will have to use the D system, because there is not enough time, men and earthmoving equipment to make the locations according to the manual. It is Second Lieutenant Perrier who will command the double battery, leaving the 75 AA of Hussein Dey to a novice. But it will take the whole day of the next day, June 11th, to finalize the communications, and especially to familiarize the gunners with their new equipment
Alger, 10:00 - As a midshipman, Michalon has no means of motorized transportation. He could borrow one of the American trucks used to move his bulky installation, but despite his young age, he knows that such a vehicle would attract too much attention...
It is thus with bicycle that he goes to the services of the mission of purchase in the United States, comfortably installed in El Biar, in a villa of style then called without shame "colonial" style.
After having crossed Bab-el-Oued and more than slightly sweated in the rise leading him to his destination, he entrusts his steed to the good care of the territorial guard in a guardhouse, humbly explains the reason of his visit to a planton and is asked to wait on a bench probably requisitioned from a railroad waiting room, so uncomfortable. A few minutes later, Captain Lefèvre arrives, who, in spite of his superior rank, is not entitled to more consideration for his buttocks! Shortly after, both of them are received by a civilian of a certain age who, having apparently crossed out the word friendliness from his dictionary, does not hide to them that they importune him strongly and tend them a telex of an irritated hand. The document says in substance that the material delivered is in conformity with the order!
Using his rank - and although he suspects his interlocutor to have had at least three stripes twenty-five years earlier, Lefèvre then demands the copy of the order placed with the Americans. "This document is confidential!" the other replies with a straight face - but Lefèvre does not back down: "You see, dear sir, the equipment in question does not work, and to know what's wrong, we need this paper! I'll even tell you something confidential: this material should precisely prevent the Krauts from dropping one of their big explosive toys in the beautiful house where we are, and preferably in your lap!" The threat seems to carry. Two sheets of paper peel emerge from the blotter, and the two officers can read the following two lines:
"Six (6) SCR-268 radars operating strictly on the same frequency to facilitate spare parts management".
The second line was obviously added after the fact. "By whom?" asks Lefèvre, who feels the mustard rising to his nose! The other, blushing, can only admit that it was him, "so that it costs less, I am there for that, France does not have too much money, you know!" Lefèvre, after having overwhelmed him with a great variety of unkind words, threatens to send him to take care of the supply of boxes of monkeys and other bags of rice, with the obligation of tasting all the samples himself, if he does not send immediately to the United States a correction blown by Michalon: "The four (4) SCR-268 radars still to be delivered must be adjusted so that they operate without interference, neither with each other nor with the two (2) devices already delivered. They must be accompanied by the equipment to easily change frequencies if necessary."
To make amends, the civilian offers them a coffee. Alas! The last drop swallowed, Lefèvre swears! "Isn't it good?" inquires the savings officer. "Yes, it is! From now on, you'll send this one to the flak troops and you'll drink the sock juice that is usually inflicted on us!"
On his way out, Lefèvre, in a joyful mood, pats Michalon on the back: "That's a good thing done, my friend! And then I have to tell you: we're going to send to Pescade point the two batteries of 90 mm that we received the day before yesterday! You'll have them at hand and everything will be able to function as planned by the Americans without complicated calculations!"
......
The flak guns will be installed in the afternoon at Pescade Point - we will have to use the D system, because there is not enough time, men and earthmoving equipment to make the locations according to the manual. It is Second Lieutenant Perrier who will command the double battery, leaving the 75 AA of Hussein Dey to a novice. But it will take the whole day of the next day, June 11th, to finalize the communications, and especially to familiarize the gunners with their new equipment