Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation

[Wings]

June 16th, 1943

Off the coast of South Carolina - In the morning, a raid on land targets with live ammunition for the 5F and the 7F, but mostly with fighter opposition. Well, P-40s but a complete group anyway ! Their pilots are rookies, they too need to learn. We'll help them!
After their dive, the SBDs go up to join the fight, which unpleasantly surprises the P-40s, who were not expecting so much dogfighting spirit from the "Slow But Deadly". As for following the Dauntless in a vertical dive or in a brutal resource, better avoid it, it's the black veil, with all its dangers.
Worse still: a dozen P-40s, which had managed to get past the fighter screen, attempt a frontal pass on the Turkeys, but these, not impressed for two cents, remain in compact formation. The films of the gunships will be eloquent on the distance between the planes when the P-40s cleared. It must be said that the P-40s arrived just before the before the TBFs made their bombing run and the Turkey pilots simply ran into the crowd to drop their bombs on their target without worrying about these annoying gnats.
In the afternoon, it is the same thing again! The American pilots grumble against these bad Frenchies who refuse to be shot down in a fair fight, and fly at them with their bombers, and moreover the Warhawks are largely outclassed by the Corsairs. In short, a bad day for the Yankees... in appearance. Because their instructors are delighted with the realistic lesson given to their flock.

 

[Wings]

June 16th, 1943

Dien-Bien-Phu, 10:00 - The noria of airplanes refueling the Epervier base brings today the first reinforcements of ground troops since the Japanese invasion: the 1st (and only) Pacific Infantry Regiment (1st RIMP, Lieutenant Colonel Broche). Raised by the French government in the Pacific Islands, it was originally intended to be engaged with the Americans in their campaign against the Japanese. However, only part of the 1st Battalion saw action: a Marine commando formed from this unit was engaged at Tarakan, during the famous Operation Banana. The 2nd Battalion is a novice.
The arrival of Polynesian and Melanesian soldiers causes a sensation, not because of their physical type (there are already many of them at Dien-Bien-Phu), but because of their combat clothing.
Indeed, fully equipped by Uncle Sam, they wear the practical M1 helmet, the famous HBT suit so convenient, with its large chest pockets the size of K rations, and the M-1928 haversack. The outfit of these "Americans" is immediately much envied!
Tonkin - In order to hinder the sending of supplies and reinforcements to Tonkin from Cochinchina and Annam, twelve B-25s of the III/62 and eight H-87s of the II/40 attack the railroads and trains between Nim-Binh and Nam-Dinh. One B-25 is shot down by the flak. The rail traffic is interrupted for two days.
Annam - A little further south, thirty Liberators of the 308th BG escorted by twelve Mustangs of the 23th FG attack Tourane airfield. The runways are cratered, but only a few planes are destroyed on the ground. The Ki-44s defending the airbase return fire as best they can, shooting down two B-24s and two P-51s at the cost of three of their own.

 

[Wings]

June 16th, 1943

Latvia - The night is short for von Kuchler's staff. Although plans have already been made, they have yet to be finalized. But by dawn, the plan to withdraw to the Panther Line is more or less complete. It is called named "Narwa", in an effort to divert Soviet attention to the possibility of a German counter-offensive aimed at Estonia and the border town of Narva. The initial idea is to withdraw all the troops still north of the future fortified line in one go. But the plan is quickly amended to not to lose the benefit of the positions of the XXVI. ArmeeKorps (which is still holding out against the 1st Army) and to maintain the illusion of a German armored attack until the last moment. In the meantime, it is necessary to hold and accelerate the construction of the collection positions in the rear.
In fact, the Wehrmacht has to give up ground from the start.
The garrison of Schwanenburg is the first to drop out. It is sent to Modahn, where it has to prevent the 27th Soviet Army from taking it before settling there.
On the other hand, Berzpils has to be part of the Panther line, so the 253. ID and the Latvian SS reinforce their defenses. The first real cracks are heard in Smilten, where the 254. ID finally gives in to the 42nd Army. It is necessary to engage the Wiking, just as the 15th Armored Corps rushes to exploit in depth the breach thus created. Their T-34s and KV-1s are caught cold by better-trained crews who are able to exploit the qualities of their machines, which limits the damage on this side for the Germans.
But the departure of Steiner's men in the east is paid for in the north. Wolmar's defenses are overwhelmed by a determined 4th Army. The last Panzer IIIs of the 22. Panzer can only cover the more or less orderly retreat of the 96. ID and the 1. Luftwaffe-Division. The loss of the city makes the situation of the German troops defending Stacklen critical and there are rapidly reports of abandonment of post and departure without orders to the rear. Lindemann has to order the withdrawal to Neu-Sackenhof [Jaunvale] and Trkaten [Trikāta].
In Rositten, the defenders still hold. They receive good news with the confirmation of the arrival of the 505. schwere Panzer Abt, just recalled from Courland, as reinforcements. Morale soars at the idea of seeing Tiger tanks on the battlefield. The return of the Soviet tanks in the salient make other happy, like the Hornisse (who were far from being all eliminated by the air force) who find targets to their liking. They make new victims at long range, sometimes causing real panic among the T-34 crews, who see their neighbors being pulverized without spotting the starting shots.
.........
Somewhere between Courland and Rositten - The Baltic States are not precisely located near the equator... However, if the winter is harsh there - although reasonably tempered by the Baltic - the sun can hit, when summer comes, especially when you are locked in a big metal box invaded by gasoline fumes and gunpowder residue.
In an infernal mechanical noise, a column of tanks progresses on a dirt road in the middle of a column of exhausted infantrymen, tarpaulin-covered trucks pulling anti-tank guns, semi-tracked vehicles where panzergrenadiers were sleeping in spite of the bumps. Preceding the Panzer VI Tiger of the 505. schwere Panzer-Abt, a Kübelwagen is occupied by three men wearing tank uniforms and officer's stripes. Sitting in the back, the sullen Eichhorn, his lower face wrapped in a scarf, bows his head. Tired of swallowing dust, he is silent, unlike the two men in front of him. Nienstedt, sitting in the front right seat, laughs at the annoyance of his superior, who has taken the wheel.
- Calm down, Otto... Take a breath... Take it easy!
Without listening, Otto Carius mashes the horn. Small, frail, with a thin face and bushy eyebrows, he is strangely beautiful, the intensity of its glance, undoubtedly. Difficult to imagine his vocal volume when he starts to shout under the effect of exasperation.
- But get out of the way!
The leader of the 2nd platoon of the 505. sPzr Abt is stamping his feet and... what was to happen happens: he gasps, a choking sensation seizes him, then a wheezing cough.
- There, why don't you listen!
Nienstedt pats his friend's back, bent in two: "Getting upset won't make us move any faster, and you don't need another asthma attack.
- But (cough) it (cough) pisses me off (cough)... to be stuck (cough) in the middle of nowhere...
In the back, Eichhorn rolls his eyes: "We hadn't noticed... You're afraid of what? That the buddies will have destroyed the last red armored car before we get there? They'll leave us some, don't worry."
- I'm afraid we're too late to be of any real use. At this rate, we will never be on the front before nightfall... Besides, it will take us at least half an hour just to change the tracks*.
As he takes a cigarette from his pack, Nienstedt snatches it out of his hand.
- You're not going to start smoking now, while you're still coughing?
- Yes, but if I don't smoke, I get mad, and if I get mad, I have an asthma attack!
Eichhorn intervenes again: "I suggest we knock Otto out and you take the wheel!"
How could anyone guess that this small, skinny, impulsive, angry man with little regard for his own health could turn on the battlefield into one of the greatest aces of armored warfare? On Otto Carius's chest hangs the Iron Cross of the Second Class, which he earned in the face of the enemy by his courage, his meticulous plans, his tactical excellence. Devoted to his men, whom he refused to sacrifice, they admire him and trust him unconditionally.

* The Tiger travels on roads with special 520 mm tracks designed not to fatigue its notoriously fragile undercarriages. However, before combat, they must be replaced with the 725 mm off-road tracks.

 

[Wings]

June 16th, 1943

Italian Front - The first elements of the 65. ID disembark at Bologna station. They will in the next few days deploy against the British of the X Corps, between the 263. ID and the 6. Gebirgs Division, allowing the withdrawal of the Grossdeutschland.
The latter will be able to withdraw to be reorganized into a real division. Its infantry regiments are to be split and a Sturmgeschutz group is to be added to the existing Abteilung.

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Scapa Flow base (Scotland) - At the beginning, it was an idea of General Blanc - who no longer believes in the participation of his army in a landing, as parents pretend to believe in Santa Claus to please their children. He had come up with it during a conference whose subject was - once again - the date of the arrival in England of the 2nd armored division, still in reserve on the Italian front.
- It will arrive, it will arrive! Of course, but when? I need a date to plan the rest ! It's my most beautiful division!" proclaims Giraud.
It is also - but he is still unaware of it - the only truly large French unit that he has under his command. Alas for him, it is still needed in Italy to make believe in a landing in the Adriatic.
"The general has too many things on his mind, he must be made to change his mind!" had said the head of the 3rd French Army, as one would suggest to a nurse to take a rambunctious child for a walk so that he can get some exercise. Yes, but what for? Something far away, something that would take time and that would flatter the Lion of Limnos. Something French...
And there, Henri Navarre had the idea of an excursion on the Richelieu - the pride of the fleet and of fighting France was in England, passing through after having been in the United States. The English didn't mind, Giraud had jumped for joy, the Admiralty saw this as a visit that would help maintain the morale of the crew of this glorious ship, which had not fought much for three years and which would soon go down to the Mediterranean to prepare for the landing - the real one!
So it was done. At 11:00, a speedboat docks at the accommodation ladder and three whistle sound as the ship's band plays the Marseillaise. Giraud, wearing a large uniform and white gloves, climbs the ladder, greets Rear Admiral Ronarc'h - also in his best clothes, for a moving ceremony, obviously filmed by all the allied cameras. Giraud on the Richelieu in Scotland - what better proof that the Allied landings would take place in the north?
Sailors have always appreciated visitors - they allow them to show how well their ships are maintained. So, after a thorough inspection of the ship, the Lion of Limnos once again speaks to reporters with a journalists with a prepared statement... but with a slightly different conclusion.
"Sailors of France, Officers of France! I, General Giraud, veteran of the other war, escaped prisoner, victorious over the Germans in Greece, today commander of the 3rd French Army and tireless defender of our great country, I cannot express to you strongly enough the joy that I have in seeing your magnificent ship today the symbol of a regenerated France. The one that has risen despite defeat and will know how to regain its place in the firmament tomorrow, united around the true values that have made its identity and its history. The defense of the Fatherland. The taste of the effort. The love of the family. So many qualities shared between the Army and the Navy, between myself and your leader, the glorious Admiral Darlan! Long live the Republic, long live France, and a single goal: Victory!
This is unexpected, and yet it does not surprise Navarre - always a traditionalist and convinced that his feats of arms would open a political destiny for him, his protégé is once again making polemical statements. This one will certainly annoy Algiers, at least as much as they will amuse the English.
Obviously, the Lt-Colonel is right. When contacted directly by the Presidency of the Council, François Darlan swore that he had no particular link with Giraud and was unaware of any plans. The matter was therefore left to him, as his services were required for Dragon.
Can we believe in a cabal in the French armed forces intended to "impose a reactionary turn to the Nation by taking advantage of the Victory of the Arms" (according to some) or to "suspend democracy by taking advantage of the constitutional arrangements of 1941 to set up an authoritarian regime in place of De Gaulle, who is considered too conciliatory with the Communists" (according to others)? The matter remains a controversial subject for the historian studying Giraud's biography.
That said, there is one point on which there is consensus: the statement made by the leader of the ghostly 3rd Army at Scapa Flow probably did not serve the cause it seemed to defend. But in any case, the Republic's secret services - a little overwhelmed, it is true, by the magnitude of the task that is incumbent upon them in the context of the world conflict - will maintain from now on until the German capitulation a discrete but vigilant watch on certain personalities among the most in sight within the armed forces.
For their part, the Germans did not go so far in their thinking: if the French were to boast, it did not matter, if they were to tear each other apart, so much the better! As for the final word, it belongs to Churchill, who declared during a secret session of his cabinet about Fortitude: "We all thought Giraud was the perfect man for the job, and that his arrival would create sparks. I must say that in every respect, he proved us magnificently right!"

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Patras (Peloponnese) - General Wladislaw Sikorski, head of the Polish government and the Polish army in exile, completes his tour of the Polish forces in the Mediterranean. He finalizes the organization of the Polish II Corps, for the moment in reserve under the command of General Wladislaw Anders, but which will have to take over..."other allied forces" in the next phase of operations. A mass is celebrated in the open air in honor of King Boleslas the Valiant, founder of the kingdom of Poland, who died on June 17th, nine centuries earlier.
Sikorski can be proud of these soldiers who suffered the unjust defeat of 1939, hunger and cold in the Siberian camps, who vegetated for too long in the deserts of the Middle East, and who are now ready to go back into battle with modern weaponry. The Berlin radio station ironically refers to "General Sikorski's tourists": the Germans will see that these tourists are not idlers!
However, Sikorski has concerns that he shares with his chief of staff, Tadeusz Klimecki. Several officers, including General Anders, do not hide their criticism of Sikorski's policy, which they consider too conciliatory with Moscow. In fact, since tens of thousands of former Polish prisoners have returned from the USSR, we have started to count the number of those who mysteriously disappeared... And this count is disturbing.
Another concern: the Soviets have just regained a foothold in Courland, a Latvian province and part of the former kingdom of Poland-Lithuania. Moscow had the decency to declare null and void all treaties signed with the Reich between 1939 and 1941 but did not make any commitment on the future fate of the Baltic republics, nor on the eastern provinces of Poland annexed by the USSR. Everyone suspects that Stalin would like to return Poland to the borders of the time of King Boleslas, between the Bug and the Oder. Sikorski is now going to visit the British in Cairo, then the French in Algiers, and try to find out more about the intentions of his allies.

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Chongqing - At the (provisional) headquarters of the French embassy (free and fighting) in the (provisional) capital of China (free and fighting) takes place a ceremony to which the press is invited. In front of journalists and a group of diplomats, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Song Ziwen, and the French ambassador, Jean Escarra, sign one after the other a treaty of retrocession of the French Concession of Shanghai and the lesser known ones of Tianjin and Hankou to the Republic of China. This treaty cannot be applied for the moment, since the three concessions have been occupied by the Japanese since December 1941, but it nevertheless constitutes a strong symbol: following the British and the Americans who renounced their extraterritoriality privileges in two similar treaties in January, France is restoring to China its full sovereignty over enclaves acquired in the days of the gunboats.
An appendix to the treaty specifies that the leased territory of Kouang-Tchéou-Wan, while remaining an inalienable part of the Republic of China, will remain managed by France on a free basis for a period of ten years from the date of its (future) liberation at the end of which its status will be decided by a plebiscite of the local population, unless an agreement between the two governments decides otherwise. France could not align the sound and stumbling arguments put forward by the United Kingdom to keep Hong Kong until 1999, Chiang Kai-shek had initially insisted that Kouang-Cheu-Wan should become fully Chinese at the end of the war. However, the stubborn French defense of the small territory against overwhelming forces in 1941 and the combative attitude of France in general, in Asia as well as on other continents, impressed the Chinese, who appreciated the refusal of the French to lose face. They therefore consented to this arrangement, which has the additional virtue of not making Hong Kong too visible an exception*.

* It is known that in 1955, the two countries agreed that France would keep Kouang-Tchéou-Wan "under the same conditions and for the same duration" as the United Kingdom would keep Hong Kong.

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Oranienburg - The HWO (Heinkel-Werke Oranienburg) delivers the first operational He 111H-20 bombers to the Luftwaffe. Re-engined and equipped with the reinforced armament of the H-16, the H-20 is presented as the best He 111 ever built and the ideal replacement for those already in service.
In reality, Heinkel had to urgently develop this variant to make up for the delay in the He 177 program and to get back on track with the success of the Junkers Ju 188 and the Dornier Do 217. To win the contract from an RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium - the German equivalent of the German Air Ministry), the manufacturer had to promise rapid production and lower its prices. As it was out of the question to cut into the company's margins, savings had to be found elsewhere. With the blessing of Albert Speer, who wanted to increase his influence and political power in the upper echelons of the Third Reich, Heinkel was going to increase the use of the concentration camp labor force made available by the SS since the summer of 1942 - in exchange for money. The policy of total war and the need to increase production led many companies to intensify their links with Oswald Pohl's SS economic service during the summer.

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Off the coast of South Carolina - New training of the 7F in torpedo attack (inert heads) on towed targets. Nine hits recorded, or 50 percent. "Above average" note the US Navy controllers.
Then the 5F comes to lay some eggs on the same targets.
During this time, the fighters hunt the windsock in the morning and the P-40 in the afternoon over some USAAF bases in South Florida. The P-40 is not very playful, to the taste of the Corsair pilots!

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Base Epervier, Dien-Bien-Phu - The latest aerial reconnaissance cross-checks the information provided by the bo-dois: the construction of the Japanese airfield of Tuan Giao is progressing! Unwilling to see the enemy have such a base for its supply and ground support, Colonel Devèze, in agreement with General Martin, decides that all the means of Epervier would be used against this field.
All day long, H-87s and B-25s, covered by NA-73s, take turns over the runway that is under construction. The 23rd Engineer Regiment commander calls for help, but the Ki-44s sent from the Hanoi area are kept at bay by the Mustang cover aircraft (two Mustang and two Shoki are shot down).
At the end of the day, General Nishihara is warned of the disaster. A good part of his resources and his sappers had suffered heavy losses. The delays of the airfield must be revised in a pessimistic way...

Hanoi - The Liberators of the 308th BG attack the Hàng Co train station, which is severely hit. However, several bombs hit houses, causing forty civilian casualties. This tragedy has a good side: in the middle of the affected buildings is the former Chamber of Commerce of Tonkin, which became (after requisition) the local branch of the Kempetai, and incidentally a barracks of the Hei Ho. Many reports and archives compromising for the Resistance went up in smoke (as well as a certain number of Japanese or pro-Japanese agents).
Japanese flak and fighter aircraft shoot down two B-24s and a P-51 escort in exchange for two Ki-43s and a Ki-44.

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Operation Narwa
Latvia - The acceleration of work north of the Dvina River finally convinces the last skeptics of the imminent arrival - or rather return - of the Red Army. The German foremen and engineers mobilized on the construction sites can only note that the productivity of civilians assigned to the Panther Line had increased significantly since the previous day. With Hitler's agreement, von Kuchler marks his authority by ordering the seizure of all steel and concrete shipments in Latvian railway stations and concrete that are there. The protests of the Kriegsmarine do nothing, the supplies intended for the coastal fortifications of Ventspils [Windau] will go to the Dvina.
.........
In the north, the 18. Armee exchanges space for time. Having recovered almost all his people, Lindemann practices an elastic defense, using his armor to push back the Soviet vanguards while the infantry rushes southwards while multiplying the obstacles on the main roads.
The Soviet engineers lose precious time clearing the randomly planted mines, which do almost as much damage as the ambushes set up by the retreating troops. The proximity between three armies and armored corps also causes a great mess, each formation trying to force its way through without concern for the others. Lacking regulation personnel in a region already sparse in roads, subjected to pressure from his superiors and politicians, Popov adds to the mess by urging his forces to go ahead without thinking. But neither Tymoshenko nor Voronov put the brakes on this offensive frenzy.
.........
In Modahn, Berzarin suffers his first real setback of the campaign. Although he has the advantage of mobility, his tactic of mobile detachments suffer a setback when the first ones fall on elements of the 3. Panzergrenadier-Division. Anticipating his orders, Gräser chose to move closer to the city and if his Panzer III are not the best tanks of the Russian front, they are enough to force the vanguard of the 27th Army to retreat in disorder.
But the most violent fighting takes place in Rositten. Tired of having to turn around the salient to eat at the margins, Meretskov decides to strike in force in the center, on the road linking the city to Ludza. The 14th Air Army engages all its attack aircraft in a hellish noria in order to locate and destroy the German anti-tank batteries, while the 101st Heavy Armored Brigade rushes forward in a heavy charge. Armored with track shoes, hastily welded steel plates and sandbags, the KV-85s break through the front lines, opening the way for Bakharov's 13th Armored Corps. Apparently unaffected by the heavy fire of the German tanks, the Soviet armored steamroller advances, unperturbed, to the Taudejani railway station. It takes the arrival of the first Courland Tiger and the destruction of General Bakharov's tank to break the Soviet momentum - but the counter-attacks do not allow to recover the lost ground.
.........
Rositten - KV-85s are monsters weighing more than 46 tons and powered - with difficulty - by a Mikulin V-12 diesel engine. Their main weapon, an 85 mm DT-5 cannon, eliminates a Panzer III at every impact. In front of them, the fascist front collapses. Bakharov's 13th Armored Corps is about to break through, threatening to annihilate the 3. Panzergrenadier-Division.
- Slowly, slowly...
Carius murmured, his eye glued to the tank commander's episcope. In spite of all the manuals, the Tiger stands still in the middle of the ruins, similar to the wrecks of the tanks that surround it and therefore completely ignored by the Soviets. The tactic may seem unconventional... but it is unintentional. The transmission of the No. 217 - Carius's tank - ended, and the enemy arrived while the crew was trying to repair it.
Now Clajus, the gunner, is ready. He is waiting for the order of his chief. The first Soviet tank arrives at sixty meters...
- Now!
A perfect shot hits a KV-85 which immediately flares up. Ejection of the casing, reloading... the second shot is just as precise and deadly. It is panic among the Soviets.
Some open fire at random, others stop, turn or go backwards. No one identifies the shooter. Third shot, fourth shot... one after the other the tanks burn... on twelve KV-85, six are destroyed and the others run away.

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Italian Front - The Liberators taking off today from their bases in southern Italy will not be returning, at least not right away. Indeed, they are going to participate in a first, a round trip raid on Germany. They will land in England this evening and return the following day, bombing the master race again on the way back.
For this raid, a fighter escort is planned: P-38s and Mustangs. These carry additional tanks, an equipment which is not yet very common.

 

[Wings]

June 17th, 1943

Figari air base (Corsica) - The users of the ground (only aviators, that is to say the people of the AdA! Pouah!) are advised by Algiers to make room on their parking lots for forty large single-engine aircraft, for a period of 96 hours, starting June 19th, 18:00, if necessary by temporarily redeploying one or two groups elsewhere in Corsica or in Sardinia.
Formal and military order, execute, dismissed!

 

[Wings]

June 18th, 1943

Quirinal Palace, 10:00 - Robert Murphy considers Victor Emmanuel to have been one of Italy's most anti-fascist politicians, bringing about the removal of the Duce last All Saints Day. General Mason MacFarlane, on the other hand, considers the Italian ruler old, worn out, outdated and hypocritical in his rejection of the fascism which he had helped to bring into being. MacMillan and Couve de Murville, the other members of the delegation heading for the royal palace, are more cautious - MacMillan rather indulgent, Couve rather critical. It does not matter in fact, because the four men, hardly introduced in an antechamber, are dismissed by the King as soon as he sees them! Indeed, MacFarlane is wearing the Mediterranean uniform of the British Army: khaki shirt and shorts, and Victor-Emmanuel considers that a total disregard for [his] person! He tells the four men to come back the next day in more appropriate clothing.
The somewhat casual attitude of the head of the House of Savoy is explained. This thought, almost innocently, that the audience MacMillan the day before was to introduce him to Sir Noel Charles, still ambassador to Brazil a few weeks earlier and recently arrived in Italy - it is whispered that he is to become the next British ambassador to the royal government, as soon as London had finally decided to normalize its relations with Italy. Thus, the thought that he could treat the small allied delegation as an unseemly courtier, because the planned meeting is not of capital importance. But it is not! From the point of view of the four delegates, it was a matter of coming - politely, as MacMillan wanted, but firmly, as MacFarlane and Couve de Murville wanted - to recall that the Allies want Victor-Emmanuel to withdraw, either by abdicating or by making his son Umberto the Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom, all of course with respect to his royal person... Not sure that the Allies will be in such good spirits when they return the next day!

 

[Wings]

June 18th, 1943

Embassy of France in Rome, 21:00 - The President of the French Council, Charles de Gaulle, comes from Algiers to visit the tricolored troops still deployed on the Italian front, but also to make one of his first diplomatic visits to the Vatican as head of government, after the great international conferences that had taken him to Iran and Egypt in the spring. On the way back, he made a short detour to liberated Corsica. But if De Gaulle had not planned anything about Italy itself (no official meeting was planned with a member of the Italian government or the royal house), the latter was invited to the program!
Arriving in the early evening, the General, who was once one of Paul Reynaud's foals, received Maurice Couve de Murville, another student of the new President of the Republic. Accompanied by Harold MacMillan (the Briton and the Frenchman know each other from before their joint Italian adventure and appreciate each other), the French representative tells the incident which occurred in the morning with the king Victor-Emmanuel.
Still breaking in diplomatically at this level, De Gaulle accumulated questions, technical as of substance during a good twenty minutes near the two men before saying, sententiously: "In short, this monarch worthy of the time of the sailboat and the oil lamps wishes to remain head of state... But for that, it seems to me that he lacks two things: that he has the makings of a leader and that there is still a state.
Appreciating the good word, MacMillan takes the liberty of adding: "The King of Italy is trying, above all, to save face. He is like those women who have just been divorced and who only care about one thing, their reputation. It is probably on this point that he will have to be reassured.
De Gaulle does not react - it is true that the unwavering love for Yvonne and his strong catholic roots do not make him inclined to laugh at the divorce. Unless he has the unpleasant impression that something similar could have been said about him and about France, in other circumstances...
Seeing that the President of the Council seems suddenly preoccupied by deep thoughts, Couve de Murville wipes off his smile and resumes in as serious a voice as possible: "I share in every way the analysis of Mr. MacMillan concerning King Victor-Emmanuel, Mr. President of the Council. He will put the interests of his family first, then those of his dynasty and finally those of his country. If we could act on the first or second point, we could perhaps obtain what we all want, his departure.
- You are right, Couve. The Italian people are a great people, secular if ever there was one, and peoples have the right to self-determination. This is why, for the good of his people, it is preferable that this sovereign leave the scene. We have some reason to complain about what Italy has done to France. But the reconciliation between our two peoples is a historical necessity.
Now, as long as King Victor-Emmanuel and Marshal Badoglio are in place, it is this reconciliation that is being prevented. These obstacles must be removed", asserts De Gaulle, before concluding: "Do what is necessary in this sense.
The General then falls back into a sort of meditation - does he think about the terrible events that had taken place three years earlier?
MacMillan and Couve de Murville, seeing this, decide to take their leave. If one of the three great (Western) Allies so clearly formulates the need to get rid of Victor-Emmanuel, why hesitate?

 

[Wings]

June 18th, 1943

Off the coast of South Carolina - Air attack on the Jean-Bart! As the landing operations are starting after the first mission of the day, the radar detects at 200 km a large air formation approaching on starboard. The whole TF-100 calls to the battle stations!
The TBFs which were going to land are sent away, opposite the detected raid.
The 34 F4U-1s that were not in the air take off, all climb to 20,000 feet and 28 fighters fly to the "enemy", 6 remaining close to the TF to plug the possible holes.
The out of oil SBDs call in by section to add a few gallons of gasoline and take off again immediately. All of them are going to be in the last curtain, at 5 000 feet, outside the flak bubble to intercept a possible torpedo attack.
On the water, the Primauguet is positioned on the starboard side of the Jean-Bart, facing the attackers.
The raid is composed of about 60 aircraft, all painted green and flying at 15,000 feet. About thirty twin-engine aircraft (A-20 Havoc and B-25 Mitchell) are escorted by single-engine aircraft (about twenty P-40s and a dozen other single-engine aircraft, larger and more powerful). Much lower down, invisible to the radar, 18 large grey single-engine aircraft were flying low over the waves - TBFs.
The interception of the bombers goes as planned: the two flotillas of F4U-1 attack through the screen of the P-40s, the 3F takes care of the fighters and the 1F of the bombers (15 will be considered "Out"), the P-40s confirm that they are far inferior to the Corsairs that just need to accelerate to release them, the big unknown single-engine planes pose more problems: they are P-47s fresh out of the factory, and they go fast! The surviving bombers will be taken care of by the last curtain of Corsairs and the flak. The last ones execute their bombing pass in front of the bow of the Jean-Bart, which bank majestically on the port side at their arrival, while the flak is active with energy - but fictitiously!
It is at this moment that the 18 TBFs arriving in low level are spotted by an SBD gunner at the limit of the flak range. The Dauntless dive on the intruders who make the mistake to separate, some of them swerve, others run on the destroyers to find themselves in front of the TBFs of the 7F that run into them, paddled by radio, the turn of the carrier on port side ruined their chances of scoring anyway.
It's over! Everybody goes back to where they came from...
Except for an American TBF which is pissing oil and which the Jean-Bart picks up just before its engine clamps. "First POW!" : this is what the message sent to warn the Jacksonville base will say. He is "released" after repairs (and after a warm welcome by his French colleagues).

 

[Wings]

June 18th, 1943

Tonkin - At daybreak, twelve H-87s return to Tuan Giao airfield, aggravating the previous day's damage. Two of them are shot down by a very biting light flak (20 mm cannons and machine guns).
Further south, twelve B-25s covered by P-51s descend on Vinh, attacking the train station and the railroad tracks that cross the city.
In the afternoon, the alarm sounds once again at Tuan Giao - but this time the attackers are coming in at over 15,000 feet! The bombs of thirty B-24s literally turn the the airfield (and a good part of the neighboring town, alas) to dust, aggravating the chaos a little more. The four-engined planes return to China, the Japanese not having foreseen this kind of attack.
In the evening, the command of the Typhoon operation is warned that the bludgeoning of the last two days had seriously compromised the construction of the airfield. This will be delayed as long as the Dien-Bien-Phu squadrons continue this type of operation.
.........
The same day, Dien-Bien-Phu - Epervier base is still noisy, the return home of a Legion patrol did not normally add much. Settled in a hut not far from the entrance to his underground headquarters, General Martin looks up absentmindedly and is surprised to see a sudden gathering of people. Sent to check on it, his orderly returns a few minutes later, accompanied by four men. The first one reminds the general the drawing illustrating the scores of Edith Piaf's song: beautiful square face, blue eyes, blond hair cut short. 1936, it's so far away...
- Staff Sergeant Müller reporting for duty, General.
The German accent is almost inaudible, but one can somehow perceive a Herr General behind the "General"... It is true that the Legion welcomes many ex-citizens of the Reich who do not like hysterical little mustachioed men.
The general returns the salute to the sergeant. Behind him, two Laotian auxiliaries, proud like Artaban, flank a man in a Japanese uniform, whose yellow complexion has turned green (of fear). The collar bears only one star... a soldier of second class.
- You have captured him! Good job, the Japanese are hard to catch alive.
- I beg your pardon, General, he is not Japanese, he is Manchu.
- Anyway, tell me about it, Chief.
- We went on patrol a little before dawn. Around 08:00, in the hills, we saw a suspicious movement. We approached discreetly. And then we saw them. About ten men, with horses. They must have been taking a break for breakfast. So we jumped on them, with grenades and machine guns. This one was lucky, as he was the one serving the rata, I thought he must be less dangerous and I told my guys to spare him. The others died.
- That's pretty neat!
- Since Lang Son, I've known that with the Japs it's better to work that way, sir.
- Now, where did you say you found them?
- About six kilometers from here as the crow flies, sir. A hill that the locals call Turtle's Back.
- Show it to me on the map.
The sergeant leans over and points to one of the heights opposite the Eliane position. The general remains silent for a moment, then turns to his chief of staff: "Have the sentries and patrols doubled. And ask the air force to take a look at the sector."
Opening to a bookmark the large black-covered book set beside the map, General Martin notes the date and these few words: "The vanguard of the Japanese army has arrived in the area. The battle for Dien Bien Phu has just begun. It is up to us to erase with a victory the sad anniversary of today".
June 18th, 1943 (anniversary of Waterloo) will go down in history.
.........
Dien-Bien-Phu, 18:00 - Two H-87s return from reconnaissance after being damaged.
The pilots are debriefed as soon as they get off their aircraft: they have spotted "a sort of gigantic snake that stretches for miles". There are mostly infantry on foot, but also vehicles, including a number of armored vehicles. And the Japanese have taken precautions: "Half a dozen Oscars fell on us and prevented us to go and have a closer look. We came home fast and got our asses shot off!"
Immediately, Devèze orders that all available Potez 25s and Lysanders be ready by nightfall. It is not much (fifteen operational aircraft), but it is better than nothing. And then, the short distance between the field and the first Japanese elements will allow two or three rotations of the aircraft during the night.
23:00 - The Lorraine-Dietrich and Bristol Perseus engines fill the basin with their humming. Tonight, the "GB Louvre" opens the aerial part of the battle of Dien-Bien-Phu.

 

[Wings]

June 18th, 1943

Operation Narwa
Latvia - Fighting is concentrated on a line Lindehof-Ronneburg [Liepa-Rauja], north of Wenden. Lindemann intends to hold this sector while fortifying Wenden and emptying its logistic depots. By blocking the two towns mentioned above, he also closes the two main roads linking Wolmar and Smilten to the southwest of Latvia.
.........
In Moscow, Vassilievsky is annoyed by the obstinacy of Popov, whom he considers inefficient and time-consuming, and by his inability to attack on a single point with a concentration of troops. But the chief of the general staff can only spare his criticism of Zhdanov, who managed to convince Stalin that victory is close. In fact, the capture of Lemsal [Limbaži], further west, could well open the floodgates of the XXVI. ArmeeKorps and allow the 1st Army to rush towards Segewold.
.........
At Rositten, Meretskov knows that he cannot break through frontally. It is therefore necessary to return to the strategy of reducing the salient. However, an interesting solution is possible: by rotating one of the armored corps and elements of the 34th Army to the north, it would be possible to cut the salient south of Berzpils and reach Stirniene. In this case, two German divisions would be trapped and the main communication axis between Jakobstadt and Rositten cut.
The affair is immediately approved by Tymoshenko and Voronov, who see it as an opportunity to put an end to this annoying resistance. Lopatin, who is in charge of the mission, carries it out with zeal. In a few hours, the 14th Armored Corps and the 34th Army bypass Rositten from the north and then fall back to the west. The garrison of Berzpils is soon isolated between the 27th Army at Rugāji and the right wing of Lopatin's army.

 

[Wings]

June 18th, 1943

Moscow - Already draconian, the security measures around the Kremlin are reinforced on the occasion of a meeting so extraordinary that it must remain completely unknown to the general public. In a discreet convoy, the metropolitans Alexis, Serge and Nicolas are invited by Stalin himself to a meeting in his corner office. The three clerics face an affable Stalin who is open to discussion. This one lasts almost two hours, it will lead to radical changes in the religious policy of the Soviet Union.
Although fought against since the 1920s, religious sentiment remains strong in the country and the horrors of the war have only strengthened it. At the front, the efforts of political commissars were never able to eliminate the wearing of religious symbols by some soldiers. Since the German invasion, the Communist Party itself seems to be hesitating about what to do. A certain tolerance has developed around the exercise of Orthodox worship and it was even possible to reopen dozens of churches that had previously been disused.
But the meeting of June 18th will mark, at the instigation of Stalin, an even stronger turning point. The former seminarian has always remained silent about his personal beliefs, but the leader knows very well that religion can play a major role in the engagement of the Soviet society in the war...and in strengthening his own power.
At the end of the meeting, the three metropolitans can consider themselves satisfied. In addition to the reopening of a thousand places of worship and eight seminaries, the popes are now exempt from taxes and military service.
Religious publications are again authorized. Above all, Stalin agrees to the election of a new patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. This one will not be ungrateful. From his investiture, the following June 24th, the new patriarch, Sergius I, will begin a policy of collaboration with the communist power.

 

[Wings]

June 18th, 1943

Italian Front - Nothing to report today, apart from the usual patrol activities and artillery exchanges. Both sides are replenishing their ammunition and fuel supplies, in anticipation of future activities.