Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
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He is wounded but not out of action; no bone damage, no nerve damage, not too much muscle damage.
In my mind, he is out of action for the rest of the Sicily campaign but probably available for the next campaign the 28th Infantry Division takes part in.
Three things I love about this thread:
- The high quality of the author's posts, both factually and from a storytelling point of view.
- The high quality of input from it's avid readers.
- The agreeability of the author to improve (1) with the benefit of (2).
It seems that the Yanks are already on Northern Sicily. Very likely that the Germans are still holding Messina. I think the bald dictator is starting to sweat already.
Story 2080
Acqui Terme, Italy June 7, 1943
The German quartermaster sergeant was smiling. He had finalized arrangements with several local butchers and bakers for at least two weeks worth of good, fresh local food for the newly arrived corps headquarters. The grandmother of the town baker had even offered to teach the German conscripts how to cook like locals.
The German quartermaster sergeant was smiling. He had finalized arrangements with several local butchers and bakers for at least two weeks worth of good, fresh local food for the newly arrived corps headquarters. The grandmother of the town baker had even offered to teach the German conscripts how to cook like locals.
I do #3 as I am primarily interested in telling a story that is constrained by facts/reality/plausibility so when #2 helps me in my objective, I'll take advantage of it all the time.
Story 2081
Palawan, June 7, 1943
Three battalions of Long Toms started to fire. Two miles ahead of them, seven battalions of 105 millimeter guns began their barrages. Two miles ahead of those guns, pack howitzers and luggable mortars were tossing shells skywards on looping arcs. A quarter mile from the front lines, Bofors anti-aircraft guns were depressed and flinging shells forward even as six companies of tanks advanced between the tracer shells. Behind the tanks, an even two dozen companies of infantrymen and engineers were laying down suppressive fire between rushes.
Japanese fire began to reach out into the no man’s land. An isolated infantry regiment was dug into defenses that had been prepared for months and refreshed for weeks. Once this port was taken, the remaining Japanese defenders would be irrelevant to the American plans, and relevant only for the pain that they could inflict on the civilian population. The isolated and bypassed coastal garrisons had only light mortars and heavy machine guns, while the clusters that had faded into the mountains had no artillery nor sanctuary from the roving bands of guerillas that were seeking a blood feud.
Once this last piece of flatlands near the coast and the docks was taken, multiple bomber strips could be carved out on the northeast coast of the long skinny island. Bomb groups that had fought in Java and Timor were already flying out of the first airfields on the southeast coast, and now bomb groups that had trained in Texas and Kansas were ready to join the Fifth Air Force.
Story 2082
RAF West Raynham, June 8, 1943
The sun was struggling to come up over the horizon. Nine medium bombers were still in the pattern after an overnight, low level raid targeting a Belgian rail repair yard. Two bombers were already down and taxiing to the dispersal area when suddenly differently tuned engines could be heard. The bombers that were not in the final approach began to scatter.
A quartet of Focke-Wulfes screeched inland from the sea.
Two lofted their bombs onto the airfield. The other two were slick. They turned their noses slightly and the cannons began to hammer into the Lend Leased bomber. A dozen shells slammed into the cockpit and three dozen machine gun slugs ripped open the left engine. The bomber tipped over and lit up the entire station with a tremendous fire that would take hours to put out. Even before the Bofors battery could respond with anything more than the ready ammunition, the four German intruders were back on the deck and heading out to sea.
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George Kenney knew his stuff. Who better to manage the air war against the enemy to hasten the liberation of the Philippines in TTL?
Story 2083
Cape Breton, June 9, 1943
The outbound convoy was almost home. No ships had been lost to enemy action. A single tramp steamer was straggling after her engines failed for a day. A Canadian crewed Hudson was circling her attentively as she was two hundred miles behind the eighty three ship convoy. Even as the outbound convoy was redressing their lines and preparing for entry into the coastal convoy and dispersal system to pick up their new loads, an inbound convoy, heavily laden with the supplies to feed the British war machine for another week and the equipment to rebuild the Guards Armoured Division passed by. A blimp and a trio of flying boats were overhead, prowling for trouble and finding none.
The outbound convoy was almost home. No ships had been lost to enemy action. A single tramp steamer was straggling after her engines failed for a day. A Canadian crewed Hudson was circling her attentively as she was two hundred miles behind the eighty three ship convoy. Even as the outbound convoy was redressing their lines and preparing for entry into the coastal convoy and dispersal system to pick up their new loads, an inbound convoy, heavily laden with the supplies to feed the British war machine for another week and the equipment to rebuild the Guards Armoured Division passed by. A blimp and a trio of flying boats were overhead, prowling for trouble and finding none.
Story 2084
Central Atlantic Ocean, June 9, 1943
The big Privateer circled. Kennedy kept his eyes on the horizon even as his copilot watched the new mine enter the sea with a splash. This was the patrol wing’s first combat drop of the new weapon. The U-boat had been spotted on the radar sixty two miles in front of another troop convoy carrying replacements for the 7th Army and a newly ready infantry division that would be camping down in Algeria until the next campaign. This was the last of the new divisions being committed to the Mediterranean for the summer. There was no where else to train them.
Two minutes later, the surface was broken. A heavily damaged submarine had broached. There was a man size hole near the screws and the bow was increasingly pointed upwards. A dozen men were already in the water, and more were following them every second. Thirty four seconds later, the conning tower was back under water. Forty seconds after that, the last man’s head popped to the surface.
The big patrol bomber circled again. The squadron commander held the four engine aircraft steady and slow and descended to two hundred feet over the calm sea. Red dye markers and smoke floats were dropped along with a life raft. As the bomber climbed back to its patrol altitude, a radio message was sent. Six hours later, a wooden submarine chaser, detached from the convoy, picked up the prisoners.
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@fester I think that was a pretty accurate description of how effective and useful FIDO was. Being able to attack a fully submerged U-boat from an airplane with a very good chance of success. With wide spread deployment of FIDO I would think this would be the killing blow for the older design Axis submarines. But it may hasten the development of the German Mark XXI U-boat.
Driftless
Donor
One thing that comes to mind here is that the UBoats don't even have a chance to get off a message, so the cause of their loss is a comparative mystery to the Kriegsmarine - at least in the beginning. All the same, as @Draconis notes, the German's are going to see their current equpment and doctrine isn't getting the job done; so there would be pressure to bring on new technology.
But this is pretty much in line with OTL when the FIDO was deployed in May 43 just as the battle was being won - so there is relatively little to no change ITTL over OTL.
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