Part 163
Western Europe, January 1st, 1945
RAF and US Army Air Force crews in air bases across the front had a quiet new year's eve. Later in the day they would start flying missions in support of the Allied ground forces fighting against the German offensive in the Ardennes. Come night the RAF Bomber Command would attack once more German cities dropping over two thousand tons of bombs on Nuenberg and Ludwigshafen.
Burma, January 3rd, 1945
The British had initially hoped to take Akyab island back in late 1942. Bernard Montgomery's 14th Army had finally managed to land on the island in the face of limited Japanese resistance only now. but it was yet more proof of the tide increasingly turning against Japan nearly everywhere. Only in China the Japanese were still winning battles. A week later the British would capture Ganngaw.
Venice, January 6th, 1945
General Dan Pienaar, stopped at the commotion in San Marco square. Venice had been liberated by Allied forces including his South Africans and the Greek 13th Marine Infantry Regiment and the Italian Garibaldi combat group earlier in the day, with jubilant Italian crowds welcoming the liberators. But things here was turning bad with the civilians and some of the Allied soldiers almost at the point of coming to blows.
"What is this? What is going on here?"
"This damn bandits here are trying to steal our horses, signore general! You must stop them!" one of the Italians offered in American accented English.
"What horses? I see no horses."
"These" the Italian helpfully pointed to a quartet of bronze horses in the loggia of St Mark's cathedral. By the side of him a Greek marine captain in his 20s that seemed to have had a drink or two was about to erupt, but remembered his discipline."
"Captain? What is the civilian saying here? Acts of looting are strictly forbidden."
"Sir! My men are not looting anything sir! The damn spaggheti eaters have stolen the horses from Greece! It is my duty to secure the stolen property."
"Stolen? Did the fascists loot them from Macedonia during the occupation and put them here on display? I was not briefed on this." Pienaar noted his adjutant suppressing a snort. What was going on here?
"Lies! I remember the horses signore general since I was a kid!"
"Looted by Enrico Dandolo and his thugs!" the captain burst out.
"Some fascist official? Major I should have been briefed?" Pienaar asked his adjutant. "How they could be stolen if this local says they are here for decades?"
"Er perhaps the captain could explain when they were stolen, sir?" his adjutant answered visibly trying not to burst into laughing.
"Well captain?"
"Sir! 1204, sir!"
"When? Did you really say 1204?"
"1204 sir! The Italians stole them from Constantinople at the time of the 4th crusade, sir. The must be returned to the City now that it's liberated! The Lion too!"
"What lion?" The thing was turning crazy.
"The Lion of Piraeus sir! It was stolen back in 1684 by Morosini."
"So you are trying to recover some horses stolen 750 years ago and a lion statue stolen 250 years ago?
"Why yes sir. They are still Greek sir!"
Pienaar turned gentle. "Are you under orders to do so, captain?" If the kid was following orders from his superiors this could turn ugly.
"Err no sir. When I came by the looted property I used my own initiative, sir!"
"Using initiative is commendable captain, but I'm certain your government would not appreciate a diplomatic incident. If the horses are here since the 13th century I'm certain the matter can wait a bit to be solved in a amicable manner between your government and the new democratic government in Rome."
"Sir! Yes, sir!" The young man clearly did not like the order but just as visibly was too well trained to go against a general. The horses were left in their place.
Poland and East Prussia, January 12th, 1945
The relative quiet in the Eastern front came to an abrupt end as 2.2 million Soviet soldiers under Georgy Zhukov attacked across the Vistula river. Just the next day another 1.7 million Soviet soldiers under Konstantin Rokossovsky. The Werhmacht had fewer than a million men to try to hold against the two offensives...
RAF and US Army Air Force crews in air bases across the front had a quiet new year's eve. Later in the day they would start flying missions in support of the Allied ground forces fighting against the German offensive in the Ardennes. Come night the RAF Bomber Command would attack once more German cities dropping over two thousand tons of bombs on Nuenberg and Ludwigshafen.
Burma, January 3rd, 1945
The British had initially hoped to take Akyab island back in late 1942. Bernard Montgomery's 14th Army had finally managed to land on the island in the face of limited Japanese resistance only now. but it was yet more proof of the tide increasingly turning against Japan nearly everywhere. Only in China the Japanese were still winning battles. A week later the British would capture Ganngaw.
Venice, January 6th, 1945
General Dan Pienaar, stopped at the commotion in San Marco square. Venice had been liberated by Allied forces including his South Africans and the Greek 13th Marine Infantry Regiment and the Italian Garibaldi combat group earlier in the day, with jubilant Italian crowds welcoming the liberators. But things here was turning bad with the civilians and some of the Allied soldiers almost at the point of coming to blows.
"What is this? What is going on here?"
"This damn bandits here are trying to steal our horses, signore general! You must stop them!" one of the Italians offered in American accented English.
"What horses? I see no horses."
"These" the Italian helpfully pointed to a quartet of bronze horses in the loggia of St Mark's cathedral. By the side of him a Greek marine captain in his 20s that seemed to have had a drink or two was about to erupt, but remembered his discipline."
"Captain? What is the civilian saying here? Acts of looting are strictly forbidden."
"Sir! My men are not looting anything sir! The damn spaggheti eaters have stolen the horses from Greece! It is my duty to secure the stolen property."
"Stolen? Did the fascists loot them from Macedonia during the occupation and put them here on display? I was not briefed on this." Pienaar noted his adjutant suppressing a snort. What was going on here?
"Lies! I remember the horses signore general since I was a kid!"
"Looted by Enrico Dandolo and his thugs!" the captain burst out.
"Some fascist official? Major I should have been briefed?" Pienaar asked his adjutant. "How they could be stolen if this local says they are here for decades?"
"Er perhaps the captain could explain when they were stolen, sir?" his adjutant answered visibly trying not to burst into laughing.
"Well captain?"
"Sir! 1204, sir!"
"When? Did you really say 1204?"
"1204 sir! The Italians stole them from Constantinople at the time of the 4th crusade, sir. The must be returned to the City now that it's liberated! The Lion too!"
"What lion?" The thing was turning crazy.
"The Lion of Piraeus sir! It was stolen back in 1684 by Morosini."
"So you are trying to recover some horses stolen 750 years ago and a lion statue stolen 250 years ago?
"Why yes sir. They are still Greek sir!"
Pienaar turned gentle. "Are you under orders to do so, captain?" If the kid was following orders from his superiors this could turn ugly.
"Err no sir. When I came by the looted property I used my own initiative, sir!"
"Using initiative is commendable captain, but I'm certain your government would not appreciate a diplomatic incident. If the horses are here since the 13th century I'm certain the matter can wait a bit to be solved in a amicable manner between your government and the new democratic government in Rome."
"Sir! Yes, sir!" The young man clearly did not like the order but just as visibly was too well trained to go against a general. The horses were left in their place.
Poland and East Prussia, January 12th, 1945
The relative quiet in the Eastern front came to an abrupt end as 2.2 million Soviet soldiers under Georgy Zhukov attacked across the Vistula river. Just the next day another 1.7 million Soviet soldiers under Konstantin Rokossovsky. The Werhmacht had fewer than a million men to try to hold against the two offensives...
