This discussion is getting silly. There is no indication in any of the postings that he was in any way physically abusive to his wife which would be the only justification for what she did. The only thing he did, that we know of, was cheat, which both men and women have been doing since time immemorial. Locking him out, throwing his belongs on the sidewalk, filing for divorce are all proportionate responses. Attacking him with a hammer is in no way proportionate and to demonstrate imagine that it was the wife who was cheating and when the husband found out, he went after her with a hammer. People would be calling for him to be hung, drawn and quartered.
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
ANd amazingly in this story thread they seem to actually add to the story drama itself.
Sorry to derail this timeline but is the ubiquitous C-130 Hercules in this timeline?
The C-130 was developed out of the experience of the OTL Korean War and ITTL the Mexican Intervention could have still have provided the necessary incentive to develop the aircraft.
Also the American government is not all that keen to intervene directly in the conflict may decide to use a company founded IOTL by Claire Chennault the Civil Air Transport which became later Air America.
The C-130 was developed out of the experience of the OTL Korean War and ITTL the Mexican Intervention could have still have provided the necessary incentive to develop the aircraft.
Also the American government is not all that keen to intervene directly in the conflict may decide to use a company founded IOTL by Claire Chennault the Civil Air Transport which became later Air America.
ITTL the Germans I think would have a couple of turbo prop transports, one about the size of the four engine Shorts Belfast of OTL and the other similar to the OTL twin engine Transall aircraft. ITTL the aircraft would use the same engine and as many interchangeable components as practical to ease field maintenance.
It depends, the JU-52 was a pretty solid workhorse so that would have been the mainstay for quite some time, possibly still in service, (albeit updated and with the nose motor removed once more powerful engines became available). But that's a low wing tail dragger.
ITTL, did the ME-323 get off the ground or was it rejected as a bloody crazy idea that only some sort of lunatic Chancellor would have supported? The question is more if the Luftwaffe have switched to high wing, tricycle layout, or stuck with low wing tail dragger, or some weird combination?
I agree though, light and heavy transports. Light being a twin engined design, the heavy being at least 4.
Part 95, Chapter 1488
Chapter One Thousand Four Hundred Eighty-Eight
30th April 1962
Yongpyong, Korea
As it had turned out, Ben had hit the stupid bridge and that had made him a hero of some kind. It had gotten him a medal and a few days off to be in the background as one of the Luftwaffe’s greatest heroes had come to Korea to help boost the morale of those posted overseas. At the moment that involved attending a lunch in the resort town of Yongpyong.
As it had turned out, it was like watching paint dry. Generalfeldmarschall Graf Manfred von Richthofen had wanted to surround himself with the those who had distinguished themselves in the present conflict, which was why Ben was here. Over the previous weekend the Graf had gone hunting and now he was talking about it at length with those who had been invited at the banquet had been prepared. They were talking the differences between German and Korean traditions of hunting and the Graf was trying to sell the Korean Emperor on his efforts towards International Conservation. Ben was having a hard time staying awake. In addition to the Korean Emperor, General Gang, the Commander of the Korean Army and General Choi, his counterpart in the Korean Airforce were present. As was General Hans von Mischner of the 2nd Panzer Corps, Generallieutenant Dietrich Schultz, the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Marine Infantry Division and Generallieutenant Franz Müller, Commander of Luftwaffe Operations in Korea, and Fregattenkapitän Albrecht von Richthofen, the Graf’s son who was also the Director of Flight Operations aboard the SMS Voss. It was a staggering amount of Brass to have in one place. Ben was just one in a small group of Junior Officers who were being ignored for now and now that the meal had concluded, there wasn’t a whole lot to do.
Worse, Kiki was here, somehow having run up an astonishing number of hours in the air as a Field Medic with FSR over just the last month and a half. It was rumored that her Commanding Officer had sent her to Yongpyong just to get her to take some real down time. Ben had seen instantly that she was not happy to see him in Korea. He had not realized that as a Reserve Officer his posting in Korea was entirely voluntary because there hadn’t been a formal declaration of war. No one had bothered to tell him that until Kiki had. Beyond that, just being in each other’s presence was rather awkward. Ben didn’t dare bring up the circumstances of when he had last seen her a couple months earlier. They had talked on the phone a few times between then and when she had left for Korea but entirely about inane things. They had avoided talking about what had happened and Ben was still trying to figure out what all it had meant.
Did he have feelings for Kiki? Yes. When he hadn’t been having all his thoughts devoted to keeping himself alive, he tended to start thinking about her. But how did she feel about him? And if she didn’t feel the same way, then Ben couldn’t understand her actions. In the past her only answer was to say that they were just impossible every time he had said anything about them as a couple. Just who was she trying to convince?
Mitte, Berlin
Zella had used her Press credentials from the BT to get in though she had no intention of doing a story. There were a few other journalists in the gallery who were following this as a Human-Interest story, something that suggested a lot of ugly things about the interests of the humans in question.
As she watched the proceedings, Zella felt like there wasn’t a lot of justice being done. The woman who had been arrested for assault after Zella had informed her of what her husband had been up to had plead guilty after providing minimal defense. Her Solicitor had attempted to show that there were mitigating circumstances. The Judges didn’t let on if that had any influence on their decision and because she had admitted guilt to all charges the only thing that they would deliberate was how long a sentence she would get. It struck Zella as being grossly unfair, that scumbag had gotten what he deserved.
Disgusted, Zella walked out of the gallery and the Courthouse. As she walked back towards where her motorcycle was parked, she saw a familiar blue VW Föhn parked next to it.
“What do you want?” Zella asked through the open window.
“Is that any way to greet your Auntie?” Kat asked in reply, “We need to talk, so get in.”
The car had been Kat’s mobile office for a long time and Zella had never liked sitting in the passenger seat because of the mess in the footwell that Kat seldom cleaned out. Still, Zella couldn’t ignore Kat, so she opened the door and sat down. She was stewing in silence for a few minutes, waiting for Kat to start the conversation.
“I know that things in the Courthouse went exactly as expected” Kat said, “And I know you probably think that it wasn’t the way that it should have gone.”
“Nice understatement” Zella muttered.
“She attacked her husband with a hammer” Kat said, “Do you honestly think something like that can be excused?”
Zella certainly thought so.
“Would you be so sanguine if a man had done that to his wife?” Kat asked, “Or would you be calling for his head?”
“That is not…” Zella started to say.
“Not what?” Kat asked, cutting her off, “Not the same? You need to start thinking about how things affect more than just yourself and the people in your immediate circle.”
Zella was silent for a long minute before she asked, “What’s going to happen to her?”
“She’ll be fine” Kat said, “The irony is that she’s likely going to be sent to one of the few places in society that would applaud her actions. In prison there are a lot of women who have fantasized about doing that.”
That was an angle that Zella had not considered.
“And her husband isn’t getting off, not by a long shot. He’ll be in the Courtroom once he gets out of the hospital” Kat continued, “Still though Marcella, why the Hell did you tell her?”
“I was talking to John Elis and he said that it was a better plan than whatever I might have done to him personally” Zella replied.
“Do you have any idea who he is?” Kat asked in exasperation , “That man has always had a talent for causing spectacular scenes. I see he hasn’t lost his touch.”
Zella had known that John’s past was something a mystery. Kat’s reaction suggested that there was more to it than even she had realized.
30th April 1962
Yongpyong, Korea
As it had turned out, Ben had hit the stupid bridge and that had made him a hero of some kind. It had gotten him a medal and a few days off to be in the background as one of the Luftwaffe’s greatest heroes had come to Korea to help boost the morale of those posted overseas. At the moment that involved attending a lunch in the resort town of Yongpyong.
As it had turned out, it was like watching paint dry. Generalfeldmarschall Graf Manfred von Richthofen had wanted to surround himself with the those who had distinguished themselves in the present conflict, which was why Ben was here. Over the previous weekend the Graf had gone hunting and now he was talking about it at length with those who had been invited at the banquet had been prepared. They were talking the differences between German and Korean traditions of hunting and the Graf was trying to sell the Korean Emperor on his efforts towards International Conservation. Ben was having a hard time staying awake. In addition to the Korean Emperor, General Gang, the Commander of the Korean Army and General Choi, his counterpart in the Korean Airforce were present. As was General Hans von Mischner of the 2nd Panzer Corps, Generallieutenant Dietrich Schultz, the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Marine Infantry Division and Generallieutenant Franz Müller, Commander of Luftwaffe Operations in Korea, and Fregattenkapitän Albrecht von Richthofen, the Graf’s son who was also the Director of Flight Operations aboard the SMS Voss. It was a staggering amount of Brass to have in one place. Ben was just one in a small group of Junior Officers who were being ignored for now and now that the meal had concluded, there wasn’t a whole lot to do.
Worse, Kiki was here, somehow having run up an astonishing number of hours in the air as a Field Medic with FSR over just the last month and a half. It was rumored that her Commanding Officer had sent her to Yongpyong just to get her to take some real down time. Ben had seen instantly that she was not happy to see him in Korea. He had not realized that as a Reserve Officer his posting in Korea was entirely voluntary because there hadn’t been a formal declaration of war. No one had bothered to tell him that until Kiki had. Beyond that, just being in each other’s presence was rather awkward. Ben didn’t dare bring up the circumstances of when he had last seen her a couple months earlier. They had talked on the phone a few times between then and when she had left for Korea but entirely about inane things. They had avoided talking about what had happened and Ben was still trying to figure out what all it had meant.
Did he have feelings for Kiki? Yes. When he hadn’t been having all his thoughts devoted to keeping himself alive, he tended to start thinking about her. But how did she feel about him? And if she didn’t feel the same way, then Ben couldn’t understand her actions. In the past her only answer was to say that they were just impossible every time he had said anything about them as a couple. Just who was she trying to convince?
Mitte, Berlin
Zella had used her Press credentials from the BT to get in though she had no intention of doing a story. There were a few other journalists in the gallery who were following this as a Human-Interest story, something that suggested a lot of ugly things about the interests of the humans in question.
As she watched the proceedings, Zella felt like there wasn’t a lot of justice being done. The woman who had been arrested for assault after Zella had informed her of what her husband had been up to had plead guilty after providing minimal defense. Her Solicitor had attempted to show that there were mitigating circumstances. The Judges didn’t let on if that had any influence on their decision and because she had admitted guilt to all charges the only thing that they would deliberate was how long a sentence she would get. It struck Zella as being grossly unfair, that scumbag had gotten what he deserved.
Disgusted, Zella walked out of the gallery and the Courthouse. As she walked back towards where her motorcycle was parked, she saw a familiar blue VW Föhn parked next to it.
“What do you want?” Zella asked through the open window.
“Is that any way to greet your Auntie?” Kat asked in reply, “We need to talk, so get in.”
The car had been Kat’s mobile office for a long time and Zella had never liked sitting in the passenger seat because of the mess in the footwell that Kat seldom cleaned out. Still, Zella couldn’t ignore Kat, so she opened the door and sat down. She was stewing in silence for a few minutes, waiting for Kat to start the conversation.
“I know that things in the Courthouse went exactly as expected” Kat said, “And I know you probably think that it wasn’t the way that it should have gone.”
“Nice understatement” Zella muttered.
“She attacked her husband with a hammer” Kat said, “Do you honestly think something like that can be excused?”
Zella certainly thought so.
“Would you be so sanguine if a man had done that to his wife?” Kat asked, “Or would you be calling for his head?”
“That is not…” Zella started to say.
“Not what?” Kat asked, cutting her off, “Not the same? You need to start thinking about how things affect more than just yourself and the people in your immediate circle.”
Zella was silent for a long minute before she asked, “What’s going to happen to her?”
“She’ll be fine” Kat said, “The irony is that she’s likely going to be sent to one of the few places in society that would applaud her actions. In prison there are a lot of women who have fantasized about doing that.”
That was an angle that Zella had not considered.
“And her husband isn’t getting off, not by a long shot. He’ll be in the Courtroom once he gets out of the hospital” Kat continued, “Still though Marcella, why the Hell did you tell her?”
“I was talking to John Elis and he said that it was a better plan than whatever I might have done to him personally” Zella replied.
“Do you have any idea who he is?” Kat asked in exasperation , “That man has always had a talent for causing spectacular scenes. I see he hasn’t lost his touch.”
Zella had known that John’s past was something a mystery. Kat’s reaction suggested that there was more to it than even she had realized.
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Kiki may find herself being made an officer whether she wants to or not because she has shown herself to be competent and a hard worker.
As operations are expanded, experienced team leaders are going to be moved up in the ranks and Kiki is apparently one of the best out there.
Ben is an idiot because there was no way the Luftwaffe was going to spend all that money training him on the latest most advanced aircraft in the world and then tell him he can opt out on the most realistic field test there is, Korea.
Zella with her reporter credentials may want to go to Korea and with her motorcycle go to where she wants to without impediment, of course her Mother Maria is going to have massive objections to that but all Zella has to say is one world: Spain.
It is interesting that Kat is still in Berlin that could mean that operations in Korea are still in the planning stage because I can not see Kat staying behind in Berlin when something big is about to happen.
As operations are expanded, experienced team leaders are going to be moved up in the ranks and Kiki is apparently one of the best out there.
Ben is an idiot because there was no way the Luftwaffe was going to spend all that money training him on the latest most advanced aircraft in the world and then tell him he can opt out on the most realistic field test there is, Korea.
Zella with her reporter credentials may want to go to Korea and with her motorcycle go to where she wants to without impediment, of course her Mother Maria is going to have massive objections to that but all Zella has to say is one world: Spain.
It is interesting that Kat is still in Berlin that could mean that operations in Korea are still in the planning stage because I can not see Kat staying behind in Berlin when something big is about to happen.
FBKampfer
Banned
More like an Avro Arrow.
Weighted down with bombs and stores. The Thud wasn't bad at all clean and light. You weigh an Arrow down with 20k in stores, fuel, and ammo, and it'll be a dog too.
Arrow had considerable internal fuel - IIRC, there's a tank in the fin - and the weapons are carried in an internal bay.
Part 95, Chapter 1489
Chapter One Thousand Four Hundred Eighty-Nine
6th May 1962
Moscow, Russia
It wasn’t a wedding that Kat had ever thought that she would attend. Yet here she was, a part of the wedding party. Some accommodation was having to be made for Anya as a part of the procession. She was faced with having to make entirely different plans with her life at the age of seventeen. A couple months earlier, Anya had blown out one of her knees and torn ligaments and cartilage. This had required surgery to restore function to the joint. Doctors had told her that after it healed, she would be able to walk normally and dance at her wedding, but her career in the ballet was over. According to Gia she had not taken it well. When Kat arrived at Gia’s flat, she had seen that Anya was still walking with crutches and had a plaster cast on her leg from her hip to her ankle. She had been happy to see Kat and her family but had gone back to feeling sorry for herself minutes later. As Gia’s adopted daughter, she could hardly sit out the wedding. On the way to the church, Tatiana and Malcolm had a great time pushing the wheelchair.
As Kat watched the ceremony, traditional Russian Orthodox with family of Gia’s cousin Georgy in attendance as the official stamp of royal approval. The groom, Fyodor Volkov, was one of people in Russia who had grown wealthy as the riches and opportunities of the opening of Siberia and the Far East had become available for those with the means and ambition. Having Gia marry one of their own would cement their loyalty to the Czar. That was the political angle. The truth was that Gia would not have tolerated Fyodor under her roof if she didn’t care for him, Kat wasn’t sure if this was a marriage of convenience though, knowing what she did about Gia’s past. What was clear was that Gia was getting married with the blessing of the six of her generation of the sisterhood. They had come from Germany for this and even after all these years, the physical resemblance which had been the sole reason for them being thrust together in the first place still applied in that they all looked as if they were from the same family. It had not been Kat’s intention, but she had given Gia five wonderful sisters. Anne had come later of her own accord and the sisters had welcomed her. Aunt Marcella had come to Moscow to serve as one of Gia’s Witnesses alongside Fyodor’s older brother Arkadiy. She said that seeing the last of her girls married off was worth the trip.
Marie was fidgeting as Kat kept her hands on her daughter’s shoulders to keep her from causing trouble during the Crowning and the long-winded portion that followed. Kat’s mind kept wandering. She wasn’t going back to Berlin with Doug and the children. Instead, she was going on to Seoul where she would join her staff. The counter-offensive that had been hashed out in Wunsdorf was being executed in the coming days and the KSK was going to play a key role. No one had said anything to Kat, but thousands of scare cats had been stamped out in preparation. Having the Chinese Army too frightened to use their own roads was a rather laudable goal, just Kat wasn’t sure that it would be nearly as effective this time. The Chinese would learn that it was just one trick that they had up their sleeve.
Silesia
Manfred had returned home the previous night and had simply wanted to sleep in his own bed from the instant he had gotten home. The next morning, he was enjoying breakfast with his wife and discussing what he had seen while he was in Korea. The topic had gotten around to one of the banquets and what had happened down at the far end of the table.
“Are you certain about what you saw?” Käte asked delightedly, “Kristina and this boy?”
“They sat across the table from each other and didn’t speak once” Manfred replied, “But when they thought no one was looking he looked at her with love and she looked worried, which is understandable with the situation they are in.”
“They always try to hide what they are up to in the same way and they might as well wave a flag” Käte said, “Do you think that Louis knows?”
“I think that the Emperor knows more than he is letting on” Manfred said, “By now he knows that having daughters means knowing that there are some battles you just aren’t going to win.”
Käte gave Manfred a look. She knew that there had been plenty of times when their own daughters were growing up that he had failed to do that.
“Still” Käte said, “I think it’s wonderful that the Princess may have found someone.”
“The son of a Chemistry Professor at the University of Berlin is a bit of a step down” Manfred said.
“As opposed to a Nurse Practitioner?” Käte asked, “How did that work out?”
“This is a bit different” Manfred replied.
Käte just gave him a knowing smile. Later, she was planning on having a midday meal with those of her social circle and one of the Imperial Princesses perhaps finding a love match was the sort of thing that they would find particularly juicy. Manfred seemed to find the detail that the boy was from a middle-class family as opposed to being from one that was old and powerful a bit objectionable, but that was just who he was.
6th May 1962
Moscow, Russia
It wasn’t a wedding that Kat had ever thought that she would attend. Yet here she was, a part of the wedding party. Some accommodation was having to be made for Anya as a part of the procession. She was faced with having to make entirely different plans with her life at the age of seventeen. A couple months earlier, Anya had blown out one of her knees and torn ligaments and cartilage. This had required surgery to restore function to the joint. Doctors had told her that after it healed, she would be able to walk normally and dance at her wedding, but her career in the ballet was over. According to Gia she had not taken it well. When Kat arrived at Gia’s flat, she had seen that Anya was still walking with crutches and had a plaster cast on her leg from her hip to her ankle. She had been happy to see Kat and her family but had gone back to feeling sorry for herself minutes later. As Gia’s adopted daughter, she could hardly sit out the wedding. On the way to the church, Tatiana and Malcolm had a great time pushing the wheelchair.
As Kat watched the ceremony, traditional Russian Orthodox with family of Gia’s cousin Georgy in attendance as the official stamp of royal approval. The groom, Fyodor Volkov, was one of people in Russia who had grown wealthy as the riches and opportunities of the opening of Siberia and the Far East had become available for those with the means and ambition. Having Gia marry one of their own would cement their loyalty to the Czar. That was the political angle. The truth was that Gia would not have tolerated Fyodor under her roof if she didn’t care for him, Kat wasn’t sure if this was a marriage of convenience though, knowing what she did about Gia’s past. What was clear was that Gia was getting married with the blessing of the six of her generation of the sisterhood. They had come from Germany for this and even after all these years, the physical resemblance which had been the sole reason for them being thrust together in the first place still applied in that they all looked as if they were from the same family. It had not been Kat’s intention, but she had given Gia five wonderful sisters. Anne had come later of her own accord and the sisters had welcomed her. Aunt Marcella had come to Moscow to serve as one of Gia’s Witnesses alongside Fyodor’s older brother Arkadiy. She said that seeing the last of her girls married off was worth the trip.
Marie was fidgeting as Kat kept her hands on her daughter’s shoulders to keep her from causing trouble during the Crowning and the long-winded portion that followed. Kat’s mind kept wandering. She wasn’t going back to Berlin with Doug and the children. Instead, she was going on to Seoul where she would join her staff. The counter-offensive that had been hashed out in Wunsdorf was being executed in the coming days and the KSK was going to play a key role. No one had said anything to Kat, but thousands of scare cats had been stamped out in preparation. Having the Chinese Army too frightened to use their own roads was a rather laudable goal, just Kat wasn’t sure that it would be nearly as effective this time. The Chinese would learn that it was just one trick that they had up their sleeve.
Silesia
Manfred had returned home the previous night and had simply wanted to sleep in his own bed from the instant he had gotten home. The next morning, he was enjoying breakfast with his wife and discussing what he had seen while he was in Korea. The topic had gotten around to one of the banquets and what had happened down at the far end of the table.
“Are you certain about what you saw?” Käte asked delightedly, “Kristina and this boy?”
“They sat across the table from each other and didn’t speak once” Manfred replied, “But when they thought no one was looking he looked at her with love and she looked worried, which is understandable with the situation they are in.”
“They always try to hide what they are up to in the same way and they might as well wave a flag” Käte said, “Do you think that Louis knows?”
“I think that the Emperor knows more than he is letting on” Manfred said, “By now he knows that having daughters means knowing that there are some battles you just aren’t going to win.”
Käte gave Manfred a look. She knew that there had been plenty of times when their own daughters were growing up that he had failed to do that.
“Still” Käte said, “I think it’s wonderful that the Princess may have found someone.”
“The son of a Chemistry Professor at the University of Berlin is a bit of a step down” Manfred said.
“As opposed to a Nurse Practitioner?” Käte asked, “How did that work out?”
“This is a bit different” Manfred replied.
Käte just gave him a knowing smile. Later, she was planning on having a midday meal with those of her social circle and one of the Imperial Princesses perhaps finding a love match was the sort of thing that they would find particularly juicy. Manfred seemed to find the detail that the boy was from a middle-class family as opposed to being from one that was old and powerful a bit objectionable, but that was just who he was.
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That and the fact that Ben is a mud mover and not a fighter jock might also be a strike against him.
The story of the Scare Cats is very well known and at least the officers of the Chinese Army should be aware of the significance of them being around, the question is that information getting to the ordinary soldiers?
Superstition could be a tool that can be used to caution the Chinese soldiers about approaching the scare cats and that will make them less effective this time around, but if it used as a way to misdirect the focus of the Chinese Army then it will be a good use for them.
I think that China still has its first line divisions stationed around Beijing and other major cities while it has used up its second line divisions and are now using third line divisions to reinforce their units in Korea and this is frustrating their American advisers because Germany is sending it's first team in.
Superstition could be a tool that can be used to caution the Chinese soldiers about approaching the scare cats and that will make them less effective this time around, but if it used as a way to misdirect the focus of the Chinese Army then it will be a good use for them.
I think that China still has its first line divisions stationed around Beijing and other major cities while it has used up its second line divisions and are now using third line divisions to reinforce their units in Korea and this is frustrating their American advisers because Germany is sending it's first team in.
I doubt that flying ground attack instead of air superiority makes such a great difference in this Germany's airforce. They are not US forces, and thus while there is certainly some amount of rivalry between the different branches, I doubt it is as pronounced.
One thing that will count much for Ben is that he volunteered even though he is a reserve officer. Now he only needs to enlarge his fruit salad a bit and he will be much more acceptable to the more conservative circles.
After all a dashing war hero on his fiery steed comes quite close to a prince charming, doesn't he?
One thing that will count much for Ben is that he volunteered even though he is a reserve officer. Now he only needs to enlarge his fruit salad a bit and he will be much more acceptable to the more conservative circles.
After all a dashing war hero on his fiery steed comes quite close to a prince charming, doesn't he?