Michael finally seems to realise that he is Doomed, as does Ritchie, although Ritchie seems accepting of his fate.
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
In the case of Grand Admiral Schmidt, it’s not the state military funeral happening, it’s all the spooks from the different agencies that are only known by their initials, numbers, or combination of them attending and poking around. Wouldn’t surprise me they try and open the casket or coffin just to make sure that there is a body in it and it is actually the Grand Admiral.
The true purpose of a state funeral is to conduct diplomacy and to make sure the bastard in question is actually dead. Schmidt's funeral will have an unusually large contingent of military & naval attaches (military intelligence), in addition to the ambassadors. Their civilian counterparts, usually the cultural & commercial attaches, will not have such a convenient excuse to attend, so they'll probably wait for conformation and hoist a drink or two in thanks that the old bastard is finally dead.
From the last post that had Jacob in it was stated that he was a security risk because of his Alzheimer's that he could inadvertently and involuntary reveal secrets that Germany in no way want out there and his caretakers were vetted by the various security services.
So unlike the funeral of Johannes Schultz were it seemed that most of the mourners that were there was to make sure that he was really dead and that it was his body in the casket, the mourners at the funeral of Jacob will be there to honor the greatest Admiral since Nelson.
This is if von Schmidt is still alive at this point in time..
So unlike the funeral of Johannes Schultz were it seemed that most of the mourners that were there was to make sure that he was really dead and that it was his body in the casket, the mourners at the funeral of Jacob will be there to honor the greatest Admiral since Nelson.
This is if von Schmidt is still alive at this point in time..
Part 116, Chapter 1930
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty
29th August 1969
Charlottenburg, Berlin
Shortly after Manny had arrived back from Halle, he had asked Suse why she was so delighted to work over the Summer Holiday. Why wouldn’t she be though? Suse was doing exactly the sort of work that she had applied to Berlin Technical University to do. If she couldn’t be a Panzer Commander, then she would be content to have played a role in the design of every single Panzer that rolled off the assembly line in the future. The fact that the University was delighted with the students who had volunteered after Rheinmetall and Krupp had both given considerable grants to influence the design process sweetened the deal. The University was already building a new satellite campus in Tegel and this would speed that process along.
There was also the auto-loader proposal that Suse and her team had been working on since they had finished mapping every square centimeter of the Panzer VIII Leopard that had been lent to them. Over the prior weeks they had reached the consensus that every other attempt so far had gotten it wrong because they were trying to work within the current design of the Panzer VIII’s turret. The question had eventually been asked; Why were they doing that?
That had been when Suse had remembered the Military’s largely forgotten experience of the Luftpanzer I which had used a circular magazine around a fifty-millimeter autocannon. While such an arrangement would be impossible with a twelve-point-eight-centimeter gun, it did have important lessons going forward about how it could be done.
There was also something that she had read about the Luftpanzer I years earlier. During the Second World War there had been complaints from the crews about how the lockers containing the fifty-millimeter shells blew up when they were hit by enemy anti-tank fire. At the time Suse had been astonished that the minor detail that they had survived an ammunition explosion aboard an armored vehicle seemed to have escaped them. It had everything to do with the nature of the auto-loading gun used by the Luftpanzer I in that beyond the twenty-one shots in the magazine, the rest of the ammunition was kept in lockers at the back of the vehicle. That placed the six-cylinder diesel engine, transmission, and a steel bulkhead between the crew and the exploding shells. The doors of the hatches blowing off before the rest of the vehicle was affected.
That had resulted in a drawing of a redesigned turret that had literally been done on a napkin with ballpoint pen over lunch at an eatery in Charlottenburg frequented by Students from the Mechanical Engineering Department. Different types of shells and cased propellent charges in an automatic magazine that was computer controlled. The Commander and the Gunner would be seated on either side of the gun breech with an armor bulkhead between the crew and the magazine. The shells and charges passing through an automated hatch and the case was ejected out of the vehicle after every shot. “Having the doors blow off” was sort of the point of the new design. There was however the question of selling it to the Heer. At that point, Suse discovered the real reason why she had been selected for the project in the first place.
Mitte, Berlin
The photograph on Kat’s desk confirmed her worst fears. Taken by an Agent of the BII of a door less than a kilometer from where she was sitting, an eye and a dagger in red paint with the letters “NuN” spelled out below, meaning Night and Fog, the signature of her father’s organization. She might have taken it as a copycat except the door was to an apartment whose occupant had vanished in a manner that suggested that he was very dead that was consistent with the previous incarnations of the organization. She had already tried to kill it once and failed badly. The problem was that Jarl Gunnarsson’s hold on power was slipping and these things were starting to slip out of the shadows. One of his lieutenants was proving to be particularly ruthless and had gone back to the worst of the old tactics. It was only a matter of time before he made a play for the top spot.
It felt to Kat like the end of a horror movie where just when the people think the beast is dead, it rises from the grave to go off and terrorize the village just in time for the sequel. The good thing was that Josefine was safe and would remain that way, her connection to him was something that Jarl would die before he gave up. Exactly what Kat would do once Jarl was out of the picture was an open question though. The deal with him had been to keep exactly this from happening, as much as that annoyed Kat.
Ordinary people wanted to go about their lives oblivious to this sort of thing. They never connected the dots about little things like untaxed cigarettes, a snort of something illicit, or a game of cards in a backroom somewhere. They created the shadow economy and the vast fortunes it generated. The struggle for money and power that resulted was bound to eventually interrupt those lives. Then just who would they complain to? The Agencies of the State that might be just as compromised as they were, or someone like the Fürstin of Berlin who had a reputation of dealing harshly with those who crossed certain lines. It was enough to make Kat want to scream in frustration.
29th August 1969
Charlottenburg, Berlin
Shortly after Manny had arrived back from Halle, he had asked Suse why she was so delighted to work over the Summer Holiday. Why wouldn’t she be though? Suse was doing exactly the sort of work that she had applied to Berlin Technical University to do. If she couldn’t be a Panzer Commander, then she would be content to have played a role in the design of every single Panzer that rolled off the assembly line in the future. The fact that the University was delighted with the students who had volunteered after Rheinmetall and Krupp had both given considerable grants to influence the design process sweetened the deal. The University was already building a new satellite campus in Tegel and this would speed that process along.
There was also the auto-loader proposal that Suse and her team had been working on since they had finished mapping every square centimeter of the Panzer VIII Leopard that had been lent to them. Over the prior weeks they had reached the consensus that every other attempt so far had gotten it wrong because they were trying to work within the current design of the Panzer VIII’s turret. The question had eventually been asked; Why were they doing that?
That had been when Suse had remembered the Military’s largely forgotten experience of the Luftpanzer I which had used a circular magazine around a fifty-millimeter autocannon. While such an arrangement would be impossible with a twelve-point-eight-centimeter gun, it did have important lessons going forward about how it could be done.
There was also something that she had read about the Luftpanzer I years earlier. During the Second World War there had been complaints from the crews about how the lockers containing the fifty-millimeter shells blew up when they were hit by enemy anti-tank fire. At the time Suse had been astonished that the minor detail that they had survived an ammunition explosion aboard an armored vehicle seemed to have escaped them. It had everything to do with the nature of the auto-loading gun used by the Luftpanzer I in that beyond the twenty-one shots in the magazine, the rest of the ammunition was kept in lockers at the back of the vehicle. That placed the six-cylinder diesel engine, transmission, and a steel bulkhead between the crew and the exploding shells. The doors of the hatches blowing off before the rest of the vehicle was affected.
That had resulted in a drawing of a redesigned turret that had literally been done on a napkin with ballpoint pen over lunch at an eatery in Charlottenburg frequented by Students from the Mechanical Engineering Department. Different types of shells and cased propellent charges in an automatic magazine that was computer controlled. The Commander and the Gunner would be seated on either side of the gun breech with an armor bulkhead between the crew and the magazine. The shells and charges passing through an automated hatch and the case was ejected out of the vehicle after every shot. “Having the doors blow off” was sort of the point of the new design. There was however the question of selling it to the Heer. At that point, Suse discovered the real reason why she had been selected for the project in the first place.
Mitte, Berlin
The photograph on Kat’s desk confirmed her worst fears. Taken by an Agent of the BII of a door less than a kilometer from where she was sitting, an eye and a dagger in red paint with the letters “NuN” spelled out below, meaning Night and Fog, the signature of her father’s organization. She might have taken it as a copycat except the door was to an apartment whose occupant had vanished in a manner that suggested that he was very dead that was consistent with the previous incarnations of the organization. She had already tried to kill it once and failed badly. The problem was that Jarl Gunnarsson’s hold on power was slipping and these things were starting to slip out of the shadows. One of his lieutenants was proving to be particularly ruthless and had gone back to the worst of the old tactics. It was only a matter of time before he made a play for the top spot.
It felt to Kat like the end of a horror movie where just when the people think the beast is dead, it rises from the grave to go off and terrorize the village just in time for the sequel. The good thing was that Josefine was safe and would remain that way, her connection to him was something that Jarl would die before he gave up. Exactly what Kat would do once Jarl was out of the picture was an open question though. The deal with him had been to keep exactly this from happening, as much as that annoyed Kat.
Ordinary people wanted to go about their lives oblivious to this sort of thing. They never connected the dots about little things like untaxed cigarettes, a snort of something illicit, or a game of cards in a backroom somewhere. They created the shadow economy and the vast fortunes it generated. The struggle for money and power that resulted was bound to eventually interrupt those lives. Then just who would they complain to? The Agencies of the State that might be just as compromised as they were, or someone like the Fürstin of Berlin who had a reputation of dealing harshly with those who crossed certain lines. It was enough to make Kat want to scream in frustration.
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ferdi254
Banned
Two young adults being together after some time ... I hope they used their minds and tounges on something other before they started discussing autoloader designs.
btw has anyone ever tried that design? And having a strutural weak point designed into the armour of a tank... hmm
btw has anyone ever tried that design? And having a strutural weak point designed into the armour of a tank... hmm
Blow out panels are totally a thing. You design the bolts holding the panel to be weaker than the armored compartment so it fails safely and the explosion is directed away from the crew and vital components.
Yes it is very reasonable for Suse Rosa to sell the auto-loader to the Heer because of who her father is but it will take less than a minute for the Project Managers at the Heer to realize that she more than knows what she is talking about .
What this will do for Suse Rosa is that other engineering departments at Berlin Technical University are going to want her to be part of their projects and there will be offers from the various services for her to join.
Kat should know by this time that organized crime will never go away but it can be limited so that ordinary law abiding citizens are not affected.
Kat's goal should be to stop the spread of any potential violence and go after public corruption (Anyone thinking that Franz Josef Strauss is part of the corruption?).
What this will do for Suse Rosa is that other engineering departments at Berlin Technical University are going to want her to be part of their projects and there will be offers from the various services for her to join.
Kat should know by this time that organized crime will never go away but it can be limited so that ordinary law abiding citizens are not affected.
Kat's goal should be to stop the spread of any potential violence and go after public corruption (Anyone thinking that Franz Josef Strauss is part of the corruption?).
Rheinmetall & Krupp suits: "So, you've mapped the entire panzer. Any ideas on how, or even if, we can get an auto-loader to work in one?"
Suse & her team: "The Panzer VIII Leopard? Yes. The Leopard's current turret? No. There is no possible way for an auto-loader in work in the current turret design, its the wrong shape & layout."
Rheinmetall & Krupp suits: "What do you mean?"
Suse & her team: "Here is a rough draught of our initial design. We're still refining it but it should fit within the existing turret ring on the panzer."
Rheinmetall & Krupp suits: "An entirely new turret. The Heer is going to have kittens. They really want minimal changes to the panzer and, unless they sign off on it, there is going to be hell of a fight to get the funding to upgrade the Leopards."
Suse & her team: "We understand, but this is really the only way to get an auto-loader into a Leopard."
Rheinmetall & Krupp suits: "Well, we have a secret weapon for that particular fight. Which brings us to your presence on the team, Fraulein Knipsel. We need to to talk your father into getting the Bohemian Army to OK a trial of this design."
Suse: "Wait... What?"
Franz Josef Strauss and his obsession with eradicating "lesser crimes" has allowed the far more serious and actual crimes to thrive because the police are too focused on dealing with his crusade.
It makes sense that the team go to Bohemia first as it has been established in previous posts that the Bohemian Army has a reputation of being innovative in adapting German tank designs as an example in the 1950's they up gunned the Lynx to counter the Russian tanks that were introduced by Greece in the Grecco-Turkish War.
Part 116, Chapter 1931
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty-One
30th August 1969
Montreal, Canada
Riding in the back of the car with Opa and Oma Blackwood was a bit tense as they made their way to the airport. That was why Marie Alexandra kept her silence for the trip. She had decidedly mixed feelings about spending her holiday in Canada. The entire purpose was to get to know her Paternal Grandparents and she had been successful in that regard and she had learned a great deal about her father’s childhood. However, Oma had never warmed to her and that was a real disappointment. Opa said that it was because Marie reminded Oma too much of her mother. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of all was the things that Marie’s mother had done that Oma Blackwood objected to the most had apparently occurred years before they had met, when she had been Marie’s age. It was unclear as to exactly what that had been, but everyone changed the subject whenever it came up, saying that it was something that Marie would have difficulty understanding.
Once at the airport, they insisted on waiting with Marie until the time came for her to board the airplane that would fly directly back to Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport without changing airplanes in New York. Something about the Airline’s regulations regarding unaccompanied Minors had been the reason for that. As soon as they reached the waiting area Sir Malcolm took a seat next to Marie and Oma Blackwood said that she wanted to find some refreshments while they waited.
“I wish things were different” Marie said to Malcolm as she watched Oma walk up to the newsstand. “She still doesn’t like me.”
“You have to take your victories when and where you can find them” Malcolm said, “Nothing untoward happened during your visit, that was far better than what was expected.”
“Expected?” Marie asked.
Malcolm shook his head before he answered. “For years there has been an expectation that Margot and your mother would come to blows, fortunately that didn’t happen” He said, “I was worried that the two of you would have the same personality conflict. It didn’t work out that way despite some of your actions being rather provocative. However, your grandmother is loath to admit that she may have been wrong, so you will just need to give her time.”
It was then that Oma came back, and she handed Marie a bottle of raspberry tea. Looking at bottle in her hand, Marie thought she understood, but still wished that things were different.
Prague, Bohemia
The whole thing was a giant mess.
Michael had been counting down the hours for when he could send Billy packing. The boy had proven every bit as troublesome as his reputation especially after he got bored. A castle full of priceless antiques, a thousand years’ worth of accumulated weaponry, and a bloody minded six-year-old spoiled brat. What was the worst that could happen? It wasn’t until Billy kicked a ball through a stained-glass window and tried to deny it that Michael had finally reached his limit.
Billy found himself yanked off his feet and thrust into the corner of Michael’s office where he could stare at the walls until Hell froze over. It was at that point the Michael found himself channeling his Drill Instructor from years earlier when he had been attending the Berlin War Academy as a Fahnenjunker. It was obvious that Billy had never had anyone yell at him like that before, especially when it included the promise of a lot of pain that Michael would be perfectly happy to inflict on him if he continued to misbehave. It hadn’t been until he had finished that he noticed that Birdie had watched a great deal of that display. She was staring at him with an astonished look on her face and Michael realized that he had probably gone too far.
“I am terribly sorry that happened” Michael said as he shooed Birdie out into the corridor outside of his office, Billy was too petrified to move from his spot in the corner. Michael was already starting to regret his rash course of action. “You must think that I am some kind of ogre.”
To Michael’s astonishment, Birdie started laughing.
“It’s about time someone did that” Birdie said, “Billy has gotten away with being a little shit for too long.”
“Is that a joke?” Michael asked in disbelief.
“Hardly” Birdie replied, “There are a lot of people back in England who would give anything to have done what you just did.”
“Really?” Michael asked. Though when he thought about it, he realized that should not have been a surprise. For Billy to have the reputation he did, there had to be a long trail of bad behavior behind him. Just then he caught Billy in the corner of his eye starting to drift away from the corner he was standing in. “Did I say you could move?” He asked sharply.
“No” Billy said, his voice starting to take on a bit of his usual insolence.
“THAT IS NO SIR, TO YOU!” Michael roared at Billy and the boy got as far into the corner as he could get.
“N…No Sir” Billy stammered.
Birdie looked at him bemusedly. “I also think that our mother will thank you” Birdie said, “This is the only time that I’ve seen someone really put the fear of God into him.”
“None of this was my intention for this weekend” Michael said, “There was an important matter I wanted to discuss with you before you went back to Breslau and the presence of Billy sort of threw a wrench into the works.”
“What was so important?” Birdie asked.
Michael probably would not have told her except his blood was still up and he didn’t feel like being anything other than direct.
“I wanted to talk about whether or not we should get married” Michael said and saw a dumbfounded look on Birdie’s face. In that instant he knew that he had probably just made another mistake.
30th August 1969
Montreal, Canada
Riding in the back of the car with Opa and Oma Blackwood was a bit tense as they made their way to the airport. That was why Marie Alexandra kept her silence for the trip. She had decidedly mixed feelings about spending her holiday in Canada. The entire purpose was to get to know her Paternal Grandparents and she had been successful in that regard and she had learned a great deal about her father’s childhood. However, Oma had never warmed to her and that was a real disappointment. Opa said that it was because Marie reminded Oma too much of her mother. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of all was the things that Marie’s mother had done that Oma Blackwood objected to the most had apparently occurred years before they had met, when she had been Marie’s age. It was unclear as to exactly what that had been, but everyone changed the subject whenever it came up, saying that it was something that Marie would have difficulty understanding.
Once at the airport, they insisted on waiting with Marie until the time came for her to board the airplane that would fly directly back to Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport without changing airplanes in New York. Something about the Airline’s regulations regarding unaccompanied Minors had been the reason for that. As soon as they reached the waiting area Sir Malcolm took a seat next to Marie and Oma Blackwood said that she wanted to find some refreshments while they waited.
“I wish things were different” Marie said to Malcolm as she watched Oma walk up to the newsstand. “She still doesn’t like me.”
“You have to take your victories when and where you can find them” Malcolm said, “Nothing untoward happened during your visit, that was far better than what was expected.”
“Expected?” Marie asked.
Malcolm shook his head before he answered. “For years there has been an expectation that Margot and your mother would come to blows, fortunately that didn’t happen” He said, “I was worried that the two of you would have the same personality conflict. It didn’t work out that way despite some of your actions being rather provocative. However, your grandmother is loath to admit that she may have been wrong, so you will just need to give her time.”
It was then that Oma came back, and she handed Marie a bottle of raspberry tea. Looking at bottle in her hand, Marie thought she understood, but still wished that things were different.
Prague, Bohemia
The whole thing was a giant mess.
Michael had been counting down the hours for when he could send Billy packing. The boy had proven every bit as troublesome as his reputation especially after he got bored. A castle full of priceless antiques, a thousand years’ worth of accumulated weaponry, and a bloody minded six-year-old spoiled brat. What was the worst that could happen? It wasn’t until Billy kicked a ball through a stained-glass window and tried to deny it that Michael had finally reached his limit.
Billy found himself yanked off his feet and thrust into the corner of Michael’s office where he could stare at the walls until Hell froze over. It was at that point the Michael found himself channeling his Drill Instructor from years earlier when he had been attending the Berlin War Academy as a Fahnenjunker. It was obvious that Billy had never had anyone yell at him like that before, especially when it included the promise of a lot of pain that Michael would be perfectly happy to inflict on him if he continued to misbehave. It hadn’t been until he had finished that he noticed that Birdie had watched a great deal of that display. She was staring at him with an astonished look on her face and Michael realized that he had probably gone too far.
“I am terribly sorry that happened” Michael said as he shooed Birdie out into the corridor outside of his office, Billy was too petrified to move from his spot in the corner. Michael was already starting to regret his rash course of action. “You must think that I am some kind of ogre.”
To Michael’s astonishment, Birdie started laughing.
“It’s about time someone did that” Birdie said, “Billy has gotten away with being a little shit for too long.”
“Is that a joke?” Michael asked in disbelief.
“Hardly” Birdie replied, “There are a lot of people back in England who would give anything to have done what you just did.”
“Really?” Michael asked. Though when he thought about it, he realized that should not have been a surprise. For Billy to have the reputation he did, there had to be a long trail of bad behavior behind him. Just then he caught Billy in the corner of his eye starting to drift away from the corner he was standing in. “Did I say you could move?” He asked sharply.
“No” Billy said, his voice starting to take on a bit of his usual insolence.
“THAT IS NO SIR, TO YOU!” Michael roared at Billy and the boy got as far into the corner as he could get.
“N…No Sir” Billy stammered.
Birdie looked at him bemusedly. “I also think that our mother will thank you” Birdie said, “This is the only time that I’ve seen someone really put the fear of God into him.”
“None of this was my intention for this weekend” Michael said, “There was an important matter I wanted to discuss with you before you went back to Breslau and the presence of Billy sort of threw a wrench into the works.”
“What was so important?” Birdie asked.
Michael probably would not have told her except his blood was still up and he didn’t feel like being anything other than direct.
“I wanted to talk about whether or not we should get married” Michael said and saw a dumbfounded look on Birdie’s face. In that instant he knew that he had probably just made another mistake.
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Or has he?
Is it more that Birdie hadn't expected it from him and thought she had time to manoeuvre Michael into this position at a later date?
Poor Marie if only there was a book that could shed some light on the reason for her Oma's hostility towards her mother...
Michael has probably sealed the deal with Princess Alberta with his disciplining of the Prince of Wales by not resorting to violence but with firmness.
I was about to call B.S. on how Billy acted because IOTL there was in no way that Prince Philip would have remotely tolerated such behavior from the OTL sons but then I realized that ITTL Billy is the long hoped for son after a string of daughters that yes it is very possible that Billy is getting away with things that the OTL Charles, Andrew, and Edward couldn't have.
Michael has probably sealed the deal with Princess Alberta with his disciplining of the Prince of Wales by not resorting to violence but with firmness.
I was about to call B.S. on how Billy acted because IOTL there was in no way that Prince Philip would have remotely tolerated such behavior from the OTL sons but then I realized that ITTL Billy is the long hoped for son after a string of daughters that yes it is very possible that Billy is getting away with things that the OTL Charles, Andrew, and Edward couldn't have.
I thought of that as well, but you are dealing with the youngest child, the one who manages to get away with the most. Also, do you really want to bring Andrew into this conversation? I sort of had him butterflied just to avoid the resulting flame war if I had.
He really is part of the "Easier to just have him never exist" list for everyone writing in the 20th century now huh?
Yeah, Margot having issues with Kat being raped as a pubescent minor, having to be grilled by a group of men why she shouldn't be forced to keep the asshole's spawn it to the point she bit her lip bloody, and Margot having an issue with that to the point it comes off that she was on the side of that group of men?
Yeah, Marie wouldn't understand.
Andrew was already butterfied away so I didn't even think about his problems that he is going through right now and you are right for not having him exist in your timeline.
As the oldest son I more than know how much the youngest kid gets away with everything while if I did it I got massively punished for it, and I am still dealing with it today.