How Silent Fall the Cherry Blossoms
- Thread starter Geon
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By which point the IJN fleet (surface and submarine) has all but ceased to exist and can't reliably leave Japanese home water, let alone reach the West Coast.
Marc A
It just occurred to me, at this point we don't know exactly what the fleas _are_ carrying. And Unit 731 came up with some nasty things...
Geon
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New Posting - Meet Bill Pulask--and friends
Date: November 6, 1944
Place: Los Angeles (Union Station)
Time: 5:00 p.m. [PST]
William Pulaski*, looked up from his seat in Union Station to see a large poster glaring back at him asking him “IS THIS TRIP REALLY NECESSARY? AVOID UNNECESSARY TRAVEL IN WAR TIME!” For Bill it most definitely was necessary. His grandmother in St. Louis was in quickly declining health and he had been asked by his dad along with his two sisters and brother to return home for what looked to be her final days. Getting some time off from his work with MGM as a stage hand had not been easy especially in war time. The studio was very busy these days churning out both entertainment for the home front as well as films to “motivate” and “inform” the public. In addition to his big work load at MGM Bill also served as an air raid warden for his neighborhood.
Of course, last night had been particularly hectic and Bill had been afraid he would have to postpone his trip because of the air raid. However after it became clear that the Japanese had dropped duds on the city he had decided to go ahead with his travel plans. One thing he suspected his nieces and nephews might enjoy seeing was a small piece of one of those duds that had fallen in the street. Police and fire department had arrived barely five minutes after the thing hit cordoned off the area and begun collecting the pieces but Bill didn’t think the police would have minded him taking a small souvenir with him. It was only a tiny piece less then a ½ inch around. He was sure his nieces and nephews would be excited to see what a piece of a real Japanese bomb looked like.
Bill didn’t know it however, but he would not be travelling to St. Louis alone. In his baggage among his clothing there were 18 tiny hitchhikers. Not all of them would survive to reach St. Louis but there would be 5 of them still very much alive when the suitcase opened.
Bill Pulaski was not alone in having unexpected travelers with him. Around Los Angeles in bus depots, train stations, and at airports twenty eight other people were unknowingly carrying these tiny passengers. They were fleas, specially bred in a laboratory in China several thousand miles away. They would soon be on their way to other parts of the country.
* Names with an asterisk should be considered to be fictitious.
Date: November 6, 1944
Place: Los Angeles (Union Station)
Time: 5:00 p.m. [PST]
William Pulaski*, looked up from his seat in Union Station to see a large poster glaring back at him asking him “IS THIS TRIP REALLY NECESSARY? AVOID UNNECESSARY TRAVEL IN WAR TIME!” For Bill it most definitely was necessary. His grandmother in St. Louis was in quickly declining health and he had been asked by his dad along with his two sisters and brother to return home for what looked to be her final days. Getting some time off from his work with MGM as a stage hand had not been easy especially in war time. The studio was very busy these days churning out both entertainment for the home front as well as films to “motivate” and “inform” the public. In addition to his big work load at MGM Bill also served as an air raid warden for his neighborhood.
Of course, last night had been particularly hectic and Bill had been afraid he would have to postpone his trip because of the air raid. However after it became clear that the Japanese had dropped duds on the city he had decided to go ahead with his travel plans. One thing he suspected his nieces and nephews might enjoy seeing was a small piece of one of those duds that had fallen in the street. Police and fire department had arrived barely five minutes after the thing hit cordoned off the area and begun collecting the pieces but Bill didn’t think the police would have minded him taking a small souvenir with him. It was only a tiny piece less then a ½ inch around. He was sure his nieces and nephews would be excited to see what a piece of a real Japanese bomb looked like.
Bill didn’t know it however, but he would not be travelling to St. Louis alone. In his baggage among his clothing there were 18 tiny hitchhikers. Not all of them would survive to reach St. Louis but there would be 5 of them still very much alive when the suitcase opened.
Bill Pulaski was not alone in having unexpected travelers with him. Around Los Angeles in bus depots, train stations, and at airports twenty eight other people were unknowingly carrying these tiny passengers. They were fleas, specially bred in a laboratory in China several thousand miles away. They would soon be on their way to other parts of the country.
* Names with an asterisk should be considered to be fictitious.
this could be interesting.
Everyone seems to be assuming it's bubonic plague, which is a definite possibility, but looking at the wikipedia entry for Unit 731, I notice that they also experimented with Tularemia, and may have done so with Typhus too (one of the other units conducting biological warfare research for the Japanese certainly was). These could also be pretty nasty weapons (and if the Japanese really wanted to confuse the American medics, they could mix all three in the same bomb).
Everyone seems to be assuming it's bubonic plague, which is a definite possibility, but looking at the wikipedia entry for Unit 731, I notice that they also experimented with Tularemia, and may have done so with Typhus too (one of the other units conducting biological warfare research for the Japanese certainly was). These could also be pretty nasty weapons (and if the Japanese really wanted to confuse the American medics, they could mix all three in the same bomb).
They would just occupy southern Sakhalin, after which it's only a few kilometers to Hokkaido. After occupying Hokkaido, then they'd go for northern Honshu.
Geon
Donor
I will simply say as some of you have already guessed this will be a game changer for the War in the Pacific. Whether for better or worse I will let you decide once you read it.
Geon
Geon
Donor
Meanwhile at the White House
Here is a last update for today. I will try to post again tomorrow.
Geon
Date: November 7, 1944
Place: Washington, D.C. (The White House)
Time: 9:00 a.m.
President Roosevelt’s private meeting with the representative of the National Research Council was over. As the representative left the office the President told his secretary to hold his calls and next appointment for a few minutes. He then lit a cigarette and sat back in his chair to consider what he had been told.
The NRC representative had presented a most disturbing if yet unproven case. The facts were certainly troubling; first, none of the bombs had contained any explosives, in fact the bombs appeared to be nothing more then porcelain containers with wooden fins added. The NRC and the Army were convinced that the bombs were meant to deliver a payload other then explosives. What the NRC thought that payload might be caused the President to feel a chill unrelated to the temperature outside.
Even the Japanese wouldn’t be this crazy would they? Then again, Roosevelt recalled that before December 7th 1941 many military leaders had asserted that the Japanese would have to be crazy to try an attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. had underestimated Japan once before, with disastrous consequences. It would be unwise to do so again.
President Roosevelt pushed a button on his intercom and asked his secretary to have Bill Donovan (OSS) come to the White House for a luncheon meeting with him at 1 p.m.
Here is a last update for today. I will try to post again tomorrow.
Geon
Date: November 7, 1944
Place: Washington, D.C. (The White House)
Time: 9:00 a.m.
President Roosevelt’s private meeting with the representative of the National Research Council was over. As the representative left the office the President told his secretary to hold his calls and next appointment for a few minutes. He then lit a cigarette and sat back in his chair to consider what he had been told.
The NRC representative had presented a most disturbing if yet unproven case. The facts were certainly troubling; first, none of the bombs had contained any explosives, in fact the bombs appeared to be nothing more then porcelain containers with wooden fins added. The NRC and the Army were convinced that the bombs were meant to deliver a payload other then explosives. What the NRC thought that payload might be caused the President to feel a chill unrelated to the temperature outside.
Even the Japanese wouldn’t be this crazy would they? Then again, Roosevelt recalled that before December 7th 1941 many military leaders had asserted that the Japanese would have to be crazy to try an attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. had underestimated Japan once before, with disastrous consequences. It would be unwise to do so again.
President Roosevelt pushed a button on his intercom and asked his secretary to have Bill Donovan (OSS) come to the White House for a luncheon meeting with him at 1 p.m.
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So he gets a briefing at 09.00 and decides to wait to have a quiet lunchtime chat???
So there are likely to be outbreaks in places other than LA. That's only going to increase the paranoia and outrage. That update with the air raid warden reminded me of the first episode of the classic BBC series "Survivors", although I don't expect things to get that bad ;-) All the same - multiple disease outbreaks in the US, with children and old people probably being the worst affected. Bad, bad news. Depressing to think that World War 2 could have been even worse than it actually was. I don't know why I'm drawn to these dark timelines, but keep it coming!
The 1944 Presidential election took place on November 7 1944. I expect that an attack on the American mainland, even one that is seen as a dud, would not be to FDR's benefit. If it gets out what really happened, I say Dewey wins the election.
No matter who wins, I say Japan is about to cease to exist in 45 and 46
No matter who wins, I say Japan is about to cease to exist in 45 and 46
Whoa, this is a very chilling and well-written timeline. Even if the infections could have been contained to LA, there will be far-reaching effects on the Pacific front, to say the least.
Hirohito probably won't let himself be captured by anyone, let alone put on trial. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't kill himself when the war's done in this timeline.
Hirohito probably won't let himself be captured by anyone, let alone put on trial. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't kill himself when the war's done in this timeline.
Geon
Donor
I had forgotten about the '44 election. At this late juncture I don't see it affecting Roosevelt's reelection chances.
PMN1 regarding your comment, FDR at the moment is not sure what is going on and wants further information. As of right now the White House is not in "crisis mode," regarding the LA situation. Roosevelt still can't believe Japan would resort to this.
Geon
Derek Pullem
Donor
Although if you have a highly infectious disease requiring an opportunity of spreading then having a national election two days after the initial infection is a remarkably bad (or good depending on your viewpoint) co-incidence.
One infected polling clerk is going to be a disaster.
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