Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
A good way to put it. I would even go so far as to say that the issues with the enlisted could all be chalked up to the others.
The Italian military just kept trying to be way more than it was capable of being, and so budgets had to be cut and subpar elements left alone. The Great War series on Youtube has drilled into me at this point that the Italian soldiers on an individual level were very capable people, but the issues from on high are what handicapped their abilities again and again.
Don't mention it. A tot of rum on your lunchbreak will really help get you in the mood
Don't mention it. A tot of rum on your lunchbreak will really help get you in the mood
Oh gods don't tempt me.
Exactly so. Poor quality weapons and incompetent leadership. I don't know about their training, so I can't make a good comparison of the average Italian grunt as opposed to the average German/American/Brit, but in their element, troops like the Alpini certainly were effective.
The main issue is that in a level, the British pretty much shoot themselves in the foot... as they KEPT building Battleships in detriment of Carriers during WWII, not grasping the lessons that Schmidt grasped early in WWII.......
And now, the Royal Navy it's in a unenviable position that most of their active units are money sinks, and to boot they do NOT HAVE tactical, strategic or geopolitical justification for being kept active at all..... and given the peace in Europe and that Germany is now ally and a big Economic heart of Europe.....
It's pretty much the worst way for the Royal Navy for the end of the Battleship Age..... not with a bang but with a whimper.... and now confronting the expectance of downsizing and to fight with the Government in order to ensure the resources for the needed renovation of the Fleet ....
After all....even their greatest day in the XX Century, Jutland, was an inconclusive draw and but a pale reflection of the "Greatest Naval Battle of the XX Century" like all call the Battle of the South China Sea ......
You can imagine that it infuriate every damn Admiral of the Royal Navy that the biggest Naval Battle AND Victory of the XX Century belongs to the Kaiserliche Marine.
And to boot, the Damned Frogs now have a perfect way to shut up their British Naval counterparts.....
"At least we fought in the Battle of the South China Sea....... where you were?..... Right... having Performance issues.... (hon hon hon)...."
Part 74, Chapter 1097
Chapter One Thousand Ninety-Seven
10th September 1954
Berlin
Kat had been planning on spending the remainder of this week and the next at her house on the East Frisian Islands. But now she was staying in Berlin because of Tatiana and Malcolm, they had been going to their Great Aunt and Uncle’s house while Kat and Douglas were out of town. Uncle Klaus, who had been ignoring Doctor’s orders for years to take it easy had landed in the hospital after he had suffered some sort of cardiac event at work. Her plans having fallen through. Kat had just been sitting around the house being reminded as to why she had never been interested in watching television, especially in the daytime. Instead, she was spending time with her children, trying not to be annoyed with Malcolm’s constant questions and Tatiana’s need to get into everything that was within her reach. It was mostly because Eha wouldn’t be back until later. Having the twins play in the fenced in back garden was safe enough so long as Kat kept a close watch on them.
Kat was sitting on the back steps watching Tat and Kol when Petia stepped out the back door. “You’ve a guest Katya” She said, “I can watch the children while you take care of it.”
There were several possibilities about who it might be. None of them were people who Kat wanted to deal with at the moment. Reluctantly, she got up and went into the house. When she entered, she saw that while it was someone she wasn’t expecting, it wasn’t someone she wanted to deal with.
“What do you need Minke?” Kat asked.
Minke Glas was looking at the cracked plaster in the entry. “This isn’t the sort of place I imagined that you would live” She said as Kat led her into the parlor where she sat on the couch.
“It’s where I’m comfortable” Kat replied, “There are a lot of happy memories under this roof.”
Minke looked at Kat as if she were an interesting specimen in a lab. Kat remembered her from her time at University as someone in the background, but never as someone she had interacted with. She had gone to war and Minke Glas had stayed in school. Kat had met with her briefly when Ilse had started seeing her, but they had not talked since.
“Ilse isn’t here this afternoon” Kat said.
“I am not here for her” Minke replied, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“That is a bit irregular” Kat said.
“I am aware of that” Minke said, “But I felt I should talk to Ilse’s closest family member regarding her treatment. It seems that we have reached an impasse.”
“I thought that she was getting better?”
“She was, but there are things she doesn’t want to talk about, even with me” Minke said, “My hope is that as her sister, you could get her to open up about what happened to her.”
“She is fairly open already” Kat said, “I don’t see what the problem is.”
Kat tried not to get defensive, she felt the need to defend Ilse even though she knew that Minke was only trying to help. The first sixteen years of Ilse’s life were not her fault.
“The problem is that Ilse fantasizes that many things either happened to someone else or didn’t happen at all, which I know you aware of” Minke said, “It is not that she is lying it’s just that she desperately wants it to be true.”
“I can’t make her do anything” Kat replied, “And even if I could I wouldn’t want to.”
“No” Minke said, “Just if you could get her to talk to you, and let her know that she can trust me, it would be helpful. Convince her that she should not feel guilty about what happened.”
“What would she have to feel guilty about?” Kat asked.
“In many cases those who get abused can become abusers themselves, because they don’t know any other way or, like I suspect in your sister’s case, they are doing what they have to do to survive” Minke said, “Ilse feels guilty about how she behaved towards some of the other children around her.”
Survival didn’t favor the meek?” Kat asked, “That Ilse had be vicious, she has basically said that enough times.”
“It’s a bit more involved than that” Minke replied, “She was subjected to physical and mental abuse, for years Ilse was confined, beaten and constantly told that she was worthless. There is nothing that seems to indicate that she was sexually abused, thank God for small favors…”
Minke saw that Kat’s face had gone completely blank and realized too late just who she was talking to.
“Is that all?” Kat asked.
“Yes” Minke said, “Please talk to Ilse, I want to help her.”
“I’ll think about it” Kat replied.
“If you could” Minke said, “And I hope I didn’t ruin your day.”
“You didn’t” Kat said as she got up to walk Minke out. “What bothers me is that I’ve had a lot of assumptions about Ilse and apparently not all of them are true.”
“What do you mean?” Minke asked.
“You let slip a couple of potentially embarrassing secrets that Ilse has” Kat replied, “Try to be careful about that in the future.”
“Er, have a good day then” Minke said awkwardly.
“I’ll try” Kat replied, and she closed the front door.
10th September 1954
Berlin
Kat had been planning on spending the remainder of this week and the next at her house on the East Frisian Islands. But now she was staying in Berlin because of Tatiana and Malcolm, they had been going to their Great Aunt and Uncle’s house while Kat and Douglas were out of town. Uncle Klaus, who had been ignoring Doctor’s orders for years to take it easy had landed in the hospital after he had suffered some sort of cardiac event at work. Her plans having fallen through. Kat had just been sitting around the house being reminded as to why she had never been interested in watching television, especially in the daytime. Instead, she was spending time with her children, trying not to be annoyed with Malcolm’s constant questions and Tatiana’s need to get into everything that was within her reach. It was mostly because Eha wouldn’t be back until later. Having the twins play in the fenced in back garden was safe enough so long as Kat kept a close watch on them.
Kat was sitting on the back steps watching Tat and Kol when Petia stepped out the back door. “You’ve a guest Katya” She said, “I can watch the children while you take care of it.”
There were several possibilities about who it might be. None of them were people who Kat wanted to deal with at the moment. Reluctantly, she got up and went into the house. When she entered, she saw that while it was someone she wasn’t expecting, it wasn’t someone she wanted to deal with.
“What do you need Minke?” Kat asked.
Minke Glas was looking at the cracked plaster in the entry. “This isn’t the sort of place I imagined that you would live” She said as Kat led her into the parlor where she sat on the couch.
“It’s where I’m comfortable” Kat replied, “There are a lot of happy memories under this roof.”
Minke looked at Kat as if she were an interesting specimen in a lab. Kat remembered her from her time at University as someone in the background, but never as someone she had interacted with. She had gone to war and Minke Glas had stayed in school. Kat had met with her briefly when Ilse had started seeing her, but they had not talked since.
“Ilse isn’t here this afternoon” Kat said.
“I am not here for her” Minke replied, “I wanted to talk to you.”
“That is a bit irregular” Kat said.
“I am aware of that” Minke said, “But I felt I should talk to Ilse’s closest family member regarding her treatment. It seems that we have reached an impasse.”
“I thought that she was getting better?”
“She was, but there are things she doesn’t want to talk about, even with me” Minke said, “My hope is that as her sister, you could get her to open up about what happened to her.”
“She is fairly open already” Kat said, “I don’t see what the problem is.”
Kat tried not to get defensive, she felt the need to defend Ilse even though she knew that Minke was only trying to help. The first sixteen years of Ilse’s life were not her fault.
“The problem is that Ilse fantasizes that many things either happened to someone else or didn’t happen at all, which I know you aware of” Minke said, “It is not that she is lying it’s just that she desperately wants it to be true.”
“I can’t make her do anything” Kat replied, “And even if I could I wouldn’t want to.”
“No” Minke said, “Just if you could get her to talk to you, and let her know that she can trust me, it would be helpful. Convince her that she should not feel guilty about what happened.”
“What would she have to feel guilty about?” Kat asked.
“In many cases those who get abused can become abusers themselves, because they don’t know any other way or, like I suspect in your sister’s case, they are doing what they have to do to survive” Minke said, “Ilse feels guilty about how she behaved towards some of the other children around her.”
Survival didn’t favor the meek?” Kat asked, “That Ilse had be vicious, she has basically said that enough times.”
“It’s a bit more involved than that” Minke replied, “She was subjected to physical and mental abuse, for years Ilse was confined, beaten and constantly told that she was worthless. There is nothing that seems to indicate that she was sexually abused, thank God for small favors…”
Minke saw that Kat’s face had gone completely blank and realized too late just who she was talking to.
“Is that all?” Kat asked.
“Yes” Minke said, “Please talk to Ilse, I want to help her.”
“I’ll think about it” Kat replied.
“If you could” Minke said, “And I hope I didn’t ruin your day.”
“You didn’t” Kat said as she got up to walk Minke out. “What bothers me is that I’ve had a lot of assumptions about Ilse and apparently not all of them are true.”
“What do you mean?” Minke asked.
“You let slip a couple of potentially embarrassing secrets that Ilse has” Kat replied, “Try to be careful about that in the future.”
“Er, have a good day then” Minke said awkwardly.
“I’ll try” Kat replied, and she closed the front door.
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Part 74, Chapter 1098
Chapter One Thousand Ninety-Eight
14th September 1954
Java Sea
The joke had been that the SMS Berlin still had still smelled new when Christoph had boarded a couple months earlier. The Guided Missile Cruiser was of a new Class and had only finished her shakedown cruise a few days before he had come aboard in Wilhelmshaven. Because he had come from the Rhineland, Christoph had been accepted into what was to become the flagship of the South Pacific Squadron without question. However, he was starting to wonder if that had been the best choice he could have made.
The Berlin was carrying a load of anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles however she wasn’t playing that role today. Instead they were acting as a support and logistics ship for a number of Destroyers and S-Boats who were doing the real work of suppressing piracy and smuggling in these seas. Sill though, the Berlin had run down a few suspect ships.
As the Chief Gunner’s Mate Christoph was in charge of the crew of the triple 15cm guns in the remaining bow turret. So far, all he had discovered was that the Operators of the delicate fire control system were furious when he fired the guns and vibrations threw off their equipment off to the extent that it needed to be recalibrated afterwards. The Captain and the Gunnery Officer seemed to had Christoph’s back, though if Christoph had to guess he would figure it was because the Captain barely understood how the missiles worked and the Gunnery Officer just liked shooting the 15cm guns.
On this cruise, as yet anyway, the missile system had seen no use but 15cm guns and the AA guns aft had seen a bit of use. Presently, Christoph had just watched as one of the 15cm guns had been loaded and he pressed the button to signal up to the gunnery tower that they were ready. The gun recoiled as the crew started the task of reloading it. Outside the turret a shot went across the bow of a ship that attempted to run when the Berlin had come over the horizon. Looking through the scope that the turret had in case it needed to be on local control. Christoph saw the ship draw closer, an aging cargo ship covered in rust and reeking of neglect. That was the thing about pirates and smugglers as Christoph had learned, they frequently cared more about getting back to their home port with their contraband than about maintaining the ships they were on. He had heard stories from the old salts about rescuing ship’s crews who didn’t want to be rescued because of what they had inside the hull but had never actually seen it. Christoph figured that if he was going to, it would probably be in a place like this.
Berlin, Germany
Going home, first class, Jonny thought to himself as he looked at the airline ticket. Parker was looking out the plate glass windows at the operations of Berlin Tegel International Airport. The terminal was elevated and the jetways were a new set-up that made it so that they could walk directly onto the airplane without ever stepping outside. They result was that the waiting area had a commanding view.
Parker and Jonny had gotten word that the U.S. Army wanted them home and Jonny figured that it was time to go anyway. Parker’s friend Frank, who had been one of the drivers of the chase van had left a couple days after the race. One of Jonny’s friends had gone on a pub crawl through Berlin and had yet to turn up. Jonny had made sure that an airline ticket home would be waiting at the Embassy when he did.
Over the last two weeks Jonny had found himself touring automotive plants with Parker and talking with the titans of industry. The two most impressive operations had been in Wolfsburg and Stuttgart, for entirely different reasons. The VW plant was an operation of staggering proportions that had featured the very latest automation. Mercedes-Benz was the opposite, every one of their cars was masterpiece of engineering. The test track that Mercedes used had been a blast and while the sports cars had been fun, but Jonny was looking forward to getting back into his own car. He would also give the suit from Ford that Parker had talked to an earful about what they could be doing better in Detroit.
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“What did you say to Kat?” Ilse demanded.
“That she needed talk to you about opening up about the things that have happened to you” Doctor Glas replied, “I didn’t go behind your back intentionally, you just weren’t there.”
“You realize that she gathers information professionally” Ilse said, “She gets ahold of the smallest thread, pulls on it and watches as it all comes unraveled.”
“I tried not to tell her too much, just that you survived horrendous abuse and feel guilty about your reaction to some of it” Doctor Glas said.
“You managed to tell her that…” Ilse started to say and then trailed off red faced.
“Tell her what?” Doctor Glas asked.
“You told her how I wasn’t abused” Ilse stammered, “And she wanted to know the truth, which is embarrassing.”
That was when Doctor Glas recalled Kat’s comments about having made certain assumptions and realized the mistake that had been hinted at. This was one more thing that Ilse had been hiding. Doctor Glas was used to her patents hiding things because they were ashamed of what had happened. As strange as it sounded Ilse was embarrassed over what hadn’t and that was largely outside of Doctor Glas’ experience.
14th September 1954
Java Sea
The joke had been that the SMS Berlin still had still smelled new when Christoph had boarded a couple months earlier. The Guided Missile Cruiser was of a new Class and had only finished her shakedown cruise a few days before he had come aboard in Wilhelmshaven. Because he had come from the Rhineland, Christoph had been accepted into what was to become the flagship of the South Pacific Squadron without question. However, he was starting to wonder if that had been the best choice he could have made.
The Berlin was carrying a load of anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles however she wasn’t playing that role today. Instead they were acting as a support and logistics ship for a number of Destroyers and S-Boats who were doing the real work of suppressing piracy and smuggling in these seas. Sill though, the Berlin had run down a few suspect ships.
As the Chief Gunner’s Mate Christoph was in charge of the crew of the triple 15cm guns in the remaining bow turret. So far, all he had discovered was that the Operators of the delicate fire control system were furious when he fired the guns and vibrations threw off their equipment off to the extent that it needed to be recalibrated afterwards. The Captain and the Gunnery Officer seemed to had Christoph’s back, though if Christoph had to guess he would figure it was because the Captain barely understood how the missiles worked and the Gunnery Officer just liked shooting the 15cm guns.
On this cruise, as yet anyway, the missile system had seen no use but 15cm guns and the AA guns aft had seen a bit of use. Presently, Christoph had just watched as one of the 15cm guns had been loaded and he pressed the button to signal up to the gunnery tower that they were ready. The gun recoiled as the crew started the task of reloading it. Outside the turret a shot went across the bow of a ship that attempted to run when the Berlin had come over the horizon. Looking through the scope that the turret had in case it needed to be on local control. Christoph saw the ship draw closer, an aging cargo ship covered in rust and reeking of neglect. That was the thing about pirates and smugglers as Christoph had learned, they frequently cared more about getting back to their home port with their contraband than about maintaining the ships they were on. He had heard stories from the old salts about rescuing ship’s crews who didn’t want to be rescued because of what they had inside the hull but had never actually seen it. Christoph figured that if he was going to, it would probably be in a place like this.
Berlin, Germany
Going home, first class, Jonny thought to himself as he looked at the airline ticket. Parker was looking out the plate glass windows at the operations of Berlin Tegel International Airport. The terminal was elevated and the jetways were a new set-up that made it so that they could walk directly onto the airplane without ever stepping outside. They result was that the waiting area had a commanding view.
Parker and Jonny had gotten word that the U.S. Army wanted them home and Jonny figured that it was time to go anyway. Parker’s friend Frank, who had been one of the drivers of the chase van had left a couple days after the race. One of Jonny’s friends had gone on a pub crawl through Berlin and had yet to turn up. Jonny had made sure that an airline ticket home would be waiting at the Embassy when he did.
Over the last two weeks Jonny had found himself touring automotive plants with Parker and talking with the titans of industry. The two most impressive operations had been in Wolfsburg and Stuttgart, for entirely different reasons. The VW plant was an operation of staggering proportions that had featured the very latest automation. Mercedes-Benz was the opposite, every one of their cars was masterpiece of engineering. The test track that Mercedes used had been a blast and while the sports cars had been fun, but Jonny was looking forward to getting back into his own car. He would also give the suit from Ford that Parker had talked to an earful about what they could be doing better in Detroit.
----------------------------------------------------------------
“What did you say to Kat?” Ilse demanded.
“That she needed talk to you about opening up about the things that have happened to you” Doctor Glas replied, “I didn’t go behind your back intentionally, you just weren’t there.”
“You realize that she gathers information professionally” Ilse said, “She gets ahold of the smallest thread, pulls on it and watches as it all comes unraveled.”
“I tried not to tell her too much, just that you survived horrendous abuse and feel guilty about your reaction to some of it” Doctor Glas said.
“You managed to tell her that…” Ilse started to say and then trailed off red faced.
“Tell her what?” Doctor Glas asked.
“You told her how I wasn’t abused” Ilse stammered, “And she wanted to know the truth, which is embarrassing.”
That was when Doctor Glas recalled Kat’s comments about having made certain assumptions and realized the mistake that had been hinted at. This was one more thing that Ilse had been hiding. Doctor Glas was used to her patents hiding things because they were ashamed of what had happened. As strange as it sounded Ilse was embarrassed over what hadn’t and that was largely outside of Doctor Glas’ experience.
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So Dr. Peter Holz deals with PTSD, we now have Dr. Glas dealing with Ilse's case of survivor's guilt, which can be horrifically traumatic in and of itself. Compound this with Ilse being not as nice to others as she could have been while the others were badly abused and I can see how Ilse is just wracked with guilt. Top this off with a sprinkling of how Ilse was fortunate enough to later find a loving situation and then her own family, while having to be reminded of how others in her situation at the orphanage were not as blessed and you end up with Ilse carrying around a big poopoo platter of guilt with her when ever her conscience decides to kick into gear.
That would be more than enough to make a wreck out of me, for sure.
I hope she gets over it, and realizes that none of this is really her fault. She was born into an awful situation and did what she did to survive. No one can expect a pre-adolescent child to do otherwise, or recognize at that time that what she was doing was wrong.
That would be more than enough to make a wreck out of me, for sure.
I hope she gets over it, and realizes that none of this is really her fault. She was born into an awful situation and did what she did to survive. No one can expect a pre-adolescent child to do otherwise, or recognize at that time that what she was doing was wrong.
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As budgets dictate strategy, The Royal Navy best bet to stay relevant is to be "Blockade Busters" keeping the seas open for this island nation.
The main difference between the RN and the KLM is that the KLM had a plan for the future and it is turning out so far to be on the right path and the RN is still flailing around without any strong direction.
The main difference between the RN and the KLM is that the KLM had a plan for the future and it is turning out so far to be on the right path and the RN is still flailing around without any strong direction.
A 15cm shell is cheaper than a missile plus the SMS Berlin can carry more of them.
I think that that is what they mean by a credible level of threat
New York Times headline shortly after:
"KRAUTS FIRE ON INNOCENT MERCHANT VESSEL!
UNRESTRICTED NAVAL WARFARE AGAIN?!
SPECTRE OF THE LUSITANIA!"
More like the KLM had the man who everyone calls without question "The German Answer to Britain's Admiral Nelson"......
The KLM not only has a plan but ALSO has the technology to forge that path in the following Decades.....
As the Germans already tested their Submarines with Nuclear Power plants by example, it's highly likely that right now the next modern Carrier being built to replace the oldest early WWII Carrier its being built with a Nuclear Power plant, something that also screws up the Royal Navy as the Germans while needing fuel in a virtual war scenario now can move far more freely as their heavier units are independent from needing conventional fuels.....
Heck... i think that by this point, Admiral Schmidt must have left SEVERAL books worth of multiple plans, strategies and more importantly, PREDICTIONS for the Technological evolution of the next fifty years, and the likely developments, and through that, what he ADVISED his successors to choose depending on the potential scenarios.....
.... Those Documents would be likely known as "The Admiralty Codex"..... and would be pretty much considered as the highest level of security in the KLM... only to be known to the head of the KLM, the Chancellor of the Empire and the Emperor of Germany......
You ever have a moment when you realise something that should have been blindingly obvious about a story? I just had that with this.
I did not know that Kurt was a real person. So as well as claiming my "Slower than mallases uphill" award, just want to echo, again, that I really do enjoy the crap out of this story, and the fact that I couldn't tell that a real person wasn't an OC says something about the stellar character work in this story.
I did not know that Kurt was a real person. So as well as claiming my "Slower than mallases uphill" award, just want to echo, again, that I really do enjoy the crap out of this story, and the fact that I couldn't tell that a real person wasn't an OC says something about the stellar character work in this story.