Stupid Luck and Happenstance.
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Part 61, Chapter 859
Chapter Eight Hundred Fifty-Nine
10th October 1950
Over the North Sea
It was a practice mission even if it did leave a bad taste in Albrecht’s mouth. The Henschel Hs 324 anti-shipping missile that was slung under the airplane weighed two metric tons and was designed to kill Battleships. He had read the schematic and had been briefed on how it worked. It wasn’t designed to hit the ship and explode like a conventional bomb, instead it exploded a few meters from the ship during its terminal dive, a metal plate driven through the fiberglass nose by 500 kilograms of explosive was what did the work. Self-guided by rudimentary internal radar, once locked on the target it was very difficult to stop. Its existence was a closely held secret of the Kaiserliche Marine while they worked on effective countermeasures. The crews didn’t like it because it weighed whatever airplane carrying it like few other things, Albrecht didn’t like them because every time he heard the tone that the missile made when it locked on target he thought of the Rhineland with his friends aboard. So far, they had just made practice runs but this time it was for real. A hulk anchored in the North Sea was about to become the newest home for fish.
“Heard about you being interviewed in Pomerania Uhlan” Risky asked over the intercom. Of all the times to talk about this.
“I don’t expect anything to come of it” Albrecht said, “They have candidates far better than me, more experience and whatnot. Actual Aces.”
“None of them have your last name though, Graf von Richthofen.”
That was an annoyance to Albrecht, constantly being compared to his father. “My father is the Graf” He said flatly, “They were more interested in my education. My Doctorate in Computer Science, among other things.”
That resulted in a long silence from the back. Albrecht hadn’t talked about his time as a University student or his time working directly for Admiral von Schmidt as a civilian, but he was aware of the rumors that flew among the Enlisted that it was his work that had been pivotal in the execution of Quartum. It was supposed to be secret, but it was the truth.
“You have go ahead Uhlan” A staticky voice said over the radio, “Live fire this time.”
“I’ll try to make it look good Base” Albrecht relied as he broke from pattern and decreased the throttle as he shed altitude. A feature that was on Ju-331D that he was flying was the reheat in the engines, it burned through fuel at a staggering rate, but the effect was rather spectacular. They had been told to save it for combat and this was supposed to be simulated combat. He was supposed to approach the hulk like if it were a Battleship bristling with antiaircraft guns. The observers were going to get quite a show.
Diving towards the deck, Albrecht was struck by how quiet it was. Just the rumble of the engines as it seemed like he skimmed along the top of the waves though he knew that he still had several hundred meters to spare. Outside the airplane it was probably a different story, especially after he pushed the throttle all the way forward and thumbed the switch on the throttle that activated the reheat. He heard Risky’s reaction to the sudden acceleration and smiled under his oxygen mask.
“You got this!” He yelled into intercom and got a lot of cussing back. That meant that Risky was on top of it.
The water rushed past below as they raced toward the hulk, still several kilometers distant. Albrecht heard the tone over his headphones as the aircraft’s radar locked on the target and the fire control computer fed data to the missile. A second tone sounded which meant that it had target lock. He vaguely heard Risky say they had separation and felt the aircraft shutter as two tons fell away. He was already starting to peal away as the rocket ignited. He was more focused on flying the airplane when he heard over the radio that they had hit target.
Petaluma, California
John Casey was not exactly inclined to deep thought at the best of times. His mother had said that while book learning simply wasn’t for him, but he was sensible which made up for it. That sounded about right to John. Instead he had dropped out of school and got a job working in the loading produce onto the barges on the Petaluma River that were towed across the bay to San Francisco. For John it was an easy enough life, he didn’t have the constant resentment that his coworkers seemed to have. It was not like if it was a difficult job, one just had to get barges loaded on time or the boss yelled at them. John was just happy to be one of the guys and do his part to help his parents. They certainly needed the money.
As John made his way home from work he noticed that it was a warm autumn evening and the air seemed to be full of golden light. The rains of winter would be starting soon, he had heard that it sometimes snowed on the tops of the hills in the Sonoma Mountains, but he’d never seen it for himself, or snow for that matter. Opening the door of the kitchen he found it empty, so he helped himself a slice of bread and jam that was in the icebox. His mother didn’t mind if he had a snack to tide him over until supper. That was when he noticed that he could hear the murmur of his parents talking in the living room.
“They would have to understand that he’s our only son” His mother said.
“This isn’t the Civil War” His father replied, “Things are different now.”
“How did they learn that Jonny was no longer in school?”
“They have people everywhere.”
John looked into the living room and saw that his mother didn’t seem very happy with whatever was going on. Then she saw him.
“Jonny, this arrived for you” His mother said, she held out a letter and seemed concerned.
Taking the letter, he saw that it was from something called the Selective Service System. “What is this” He asked.
“A lot of trouble for someone like you” His father replied.
10th October 1950
Over the North Sea
It was a practice mission even if it did leave a bad taste in Albrecht’s mouth. The Henschel Hs 324 anti-shipping missile that was slung under the airplane weighed two metric tons and was designed to kill Battleships. He had read the schematic and had been briefed on how it worked. It wasn’t designed to hit the ship and explode like a conventional bomb, instead it exploded a few meters from the ship during its terminal dive, a metal plate driven through the fiberglass nose by 500 kilograms of explosive was what did the work. Self-guided by rudimentary internal radar, once locked on the target it was very difficult to stop. Its existence was a closely held secret of the Kaiserliche Marine while they worked on effective countermeasures. The crews didn’t like it because it weighed whatever airplane carrying it like few other things, Albrecht didn’t like them because every time he heard the tone that the missile made when it locked on target he thought of the Rhineland with his friends aboard. So far, they had just made practice runs but this time it was for real. A hulk anchored in the North Sea was about to become the newest home for fish.
“Heard about you being interviewed in Pomerania Uhlan” Risky asked over the intercom. Of all the times to talk about this.
“I don’t expect anything to come of it” Albrecht said, “They have candidates far better than me, more experience and whatnot. Actual Aces.”
“None of them have your last name though, Graf von Richthofen.”
That was an annoyance to Albrecht, constantly being compared to his father. “My father is the Graf” He said flatly, “They were more interested in my education. My Doctorate in Computer Science, among other things.”
That resulted in a long silence from the back. Albrecht hadn’t talked about his time as a University student or his time working directly for Admiral von Schmidt as a civilian, but he was aware of the rumors that flew among the Enlisted that it was his work that had been pivotal in the execution of Quartum. It was supposed to be secret, but it was the truth.
“You have go ahead Uhlan” A staticky voice said over the radio, “Live fire this time.”
“I’ll try to make it look good Base” Albrecht relied as he broke from pattern and decreased the throttle as he shed altitude. A feature that was on Ju-331D that he was flying was the reheat in the engines, it burned through fuel at a staggering rate, but the effect was rather spectacular. They had been told to save it for combat and this was supposed to be simulated combat. He was supposed to approach the hulk like if it were a Battleship bristling with antiaircraft guns. The observers were going to get quite a show.
Diving towards the deck, Albrecht was struck by how quiet it was. Just the rumble of the engines as it seemed like he skimmed along the top of the waves though he knew that he still had several hundred meters to spare. Outside the airplane it was probably a different story, especially after he pushed the throttle all the way forward and thumbed the switch on the throttle that activated the reheat. He heard Risky’s reaction to the sudden acceleration and smiled under his oxygen mask.
“You got this!” He yelled into intercom and got a lot of cussing back. That meant that Risky was on top of it.
The water rushed past below as they raced toward the hulk, still several kilometers distant. Albrecht heard the tone over his headphones as the aircraft’s radar locked on the target and the fire control computer fed data to the missile. A second tone sounded which meant that it had target lock. He vaguely heard Risky say they had separation and felt the aircraft shutter as two tons fell away. He was already starting to peal away as the rocket ignited. He was more focused on flying the airplane when he heard over the radio that they had hit target.
Petaluma, California
John Casey was not exactly inclined to deep thought at the best of times. His mother had said that while book learning simply wasn’t for him, but he was sensible which made up for it. That sounded about right to John. Instead he had dropped out of school and got a job working in the loading produce onto the barges on the Petaluma River that were towed across the bay to San Francisco. For John it was an easy enough life, he didn’t have the constant resentment that his coworkers seemed to have. It was not like if it was a difficult job, one just had to get barges loaded on time or the boss yelled at them. John was just happy to be one of the guys and do his part to help his parents. They certainly needed the money.
As John made his way home from work he noticed that it was a warm autumn evening and the air seemed to be full of golden light. The rains of winter would be starting soon, he had heard that it sometimes snowed on the tops of the hills in the Sonoma Mountains, but he’d never seen it for himself, or snow for that matter. Opening the door of the kitchen he found it empty, so he helped himself a slice of bread and jam that was in the icebox. His mother didn’t mind if he had a snack to tide him over until supper. That was when he noticed that he could hear the murmur of his parents talking in the living room.
“They would have to understand that he’s our only son” His mother said.
“This isn’t the Civil War” His father replied, “Things are different now.”
“How did they learn that Jonny was no longer in school?”
“They have people everywhere.”
John looked into the living room and saw that his mother didn’t seem very happy with whatever was going on. Then she saw him.
“Jonny, this arrived for you” His mother said, she held out a letter and seemed concerned.
Taking the letter, he saw that it was from something called the Selective Service System. “What is this” He asked.
“A lot of trouble for someone like you” His father replied.
FBKampfer
Banned
When they burn the South down the second time, they need to remember to sew all the fields with salt and arsenic, demolition every mine, and destroy every place of business.
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
The SOuth is basically in open warfare at this point. If Truman does nothing, it's gonna be bad.
He needs to realize an enemy battleship will turn the Rhineland into a colander given the chance.
Greeting:
You are hereby ordered to report for induction into the ARMED FORCES of the UNITED STATES....
Much more here
A major "aw shit" moment. I think the "Greeting" is just rubbing it in.You are hereby ordered to report for induction into the ARMED FORCES of the UNITED STATES....
Much more here
So @ejpsan's nightmare scenario is coming true. If the Heer gets involved Generalfieldmarshal Horst and his merry men will salt the earth with the tears of the widows and orphans they'll create.
Yes, but 'widows and orphans' is more dramatic. Can you imagine Horst saying that?
It's not quite at open warfare, though it is heading that way. I suspect that there are conspiracies afoot to do more than just murder people, though. There's some very rich people in the south, and most of America's oil comes from the south as well. Could there be an oil embargo in the works? An attempt to corner the market in some important commodities?
Equally bad, might someone decide that a foreign crisis will bring the country together? I can't see Truman doing that, but after he's buried, his successor might. There is the formality of making sure that Truman needs burial, of course.
I wouldn't be surprised if certain key congresscritters end up dead, or get such subtle warnings as a grenade left on their pillow, or family members kidnapped.
In OTL, we had the Freedom Riders--what civil rights groups are active currently?
I can see a group calling themselves "The Sons of Sherman" forming, symbolizing that peaceful protest is not the only option.
FBKampfer
Banned
Yes, actually.
"Oberschütze Gerstle, take the buzzsaw on top of that ridge, and go collect us some more salt! There's a rebel column coming down the road shortly".
I could actually see "collecting salt" entering the soldiers' lexicon as a euphemism, similar to "turkey shoot" for fighter pilots, or "milk run" for bomber pilots.
Honestly though, I'd rather see the US army sort this out on its own. Play up the "states in rebellion", and start raising the question whether southerns are real honest to god Americans. I mean they do keep rebelling.
Levy lots of black troops, whites from the North serve along side them (finding themselves a minority for the first time) battling dirty rebels that probably hate apple pie and the statue of liberty. Racism in the north is curtailed, after a term of honorable service, blacks get TTL's version of the GI bill, and the southerners get to suffer for being racist pricks.
That's probably what this hoped to do - siphon off the young men most likely to take up arms if the civil unrest grows. Maybe it'll peter out if all the fresh bodies are being yelled at boot camp, maybe it'll just force the actual agitator out in the open if they and closest followers don't have some young faces to make up the mob.
And if it doesn't, then they all have military training and contacts.
It'd never happen but it's an interesting fantasy: "Mr. President, I'm Countess von Mischner. The Kaiserin sent me and my friends from the First Foot, Second Hussars and the SKA to help with your security."
I wonder...The USA is drafting people. We saw someone from California get the letter. Are they drafting people from all over the nation? If so, are draftees from the sough being carefully spread out among predominantly northern units, insuring that they are in a minority?
If the armed forces are integrated, one way to get rid of the most likely to turn traitor: Put them in integrated units, then court-martial the worst of them for their behavior, especially if a white guy doesn't obey orders from a black superior.
Overall, Truman should be making certain that the military is not a broken sword.
If the armed forces are integrated, one way to get rid of the most likely to turn traitor: Put them in integrated units, then court-martial the worst of them for their behavior, especially if a white guy doesn't obey orders from a black superior.
Overall, Truman should be making certain that the military is not a broken sword.
Part 61, Chapter 860
Chapter Eight Hundred Sixty
13th October 1950
Rural Germany, in transit
Many believed that Friday falling 13th day of the month was unlucky. For Kat it certainly felt like this one was the worst imaginable, the telegraph that had arrived at the house this morning certainly proved it.
Major von Mischner-Blackwood
Your request to have your annual training and fitness evaluation postponed until next spring is denied. Due to it already being considerably overdue you are to report to Headquarters, 28th Independent Fallschirmjäger Regiment at Judenbach within 24 hours. Your tardiness in this matter will be included in your evaluation.
Signed, Oberst Gotthilf Zimmer
How was she supposed to do that? Kat knew that there was simply no way that she could do the physically demanding training regimen while being nearly six months pregnant. She had given up on running as hormonal changes and increasing pressure on her lungs made that increasingly difficult and strenuous exercise was out of the question. The evaluation was if anything, worse. Her uniform no longer fit, the double-breasted coat didn’t button up around her bust and was tight as a sausage casing around her midsection. When she put on her coveralls her belly, which was just starting to protrude, was even more obvious. How was that even possible? She would need to go to Judenbach in this state and explain it in person while out of uniform.
Douglas had been completely sanguine on the matter. “So, you won’t be in the SKA anymore, so what?” He’d said, “Not like you’ll be flying in helicopters or jumping out of airplanes any time soon. Just explain to Oberst Zimmer your situation, he’ll understand.” Douglas had also been the one who had told her that she would probably be able to postpone this until spring. What if he had gotten it wrong again and she was about to be humiliated?
They had put in the announcement in the papers that the beautiful Emerald of Berlin, Gräfin Katherine von Mischner, that sickening public persona that Kat loathed was expecting. Kat wished that she could let her carry this baby and let Kat herself get back to her life, like if they really were two different people. Then again, she would probably enjoy this, swollen feet and all. The right-wing papers had never liked Kat, so they very grudgingly printed the announcement in the back pages with just the very bare facts. That was something that Kat herself found extremely amusing. Yeah, the daughter of the Rail Workers Union Vice President Otto Mischner was having a baby and it was going to be legitimate, so they could suck wind.
Those announcements should have been seen by Oberst Zimmer, but he had sent the telegram anyway. During the long train ride to Judenbach she steeled herself for the next rejection. Kat would have plenty of time for Tatiana when she arrived seeing how Kat was being let go from positions at the rate she was. Kat already thought of her by that name, she was certain that it was a girl, regardless of what Douglas said.
As the train pulled into the station. Kat saw that it was only a nervous Gefreiter there to greet her.
“Major von Mischner Ma’am?” He asked tentatively.
“Yes” Kat said, “I need you get my bag.” Remembering that at her last medical check Kat had been told not to lift anything heavy for the duration of her pregnancy unless she wanted an early arrival, something she was hoping to put off for as long as possible.
“Ma’am?” The Gefreiter asked.
“I can’t carry it due to a medical issue.”
“You look fine to me.”
“Do I have to explain to you what a uterus is and its function?” Kat snapped at him out of frustration and watched his face turn crimson as he went to get her bag.
Had they sent the most junior of Judenbach’s Soldaten to retrieve her? Kat thought to herself as he loaded her bag into the car. He looked like he was nineteen at most.
As Kat sat down in the passenger seat she saw him glance her way as he got into the car. They sat in silence for several minutes as he drove out of the village.
Finally, Kat broke the silence when she grew tired of the tension. “I’m sorry I snapped at you” She said.
“You’re an Officer” The Gefreiter said, “That sort of comes with the territory.”
That was one way to look at it. Kat was hardly dressed like an officer. Concealing her body with old bulky clothes was something she had gotten a great deal of practice in while still a teenager. She had rediscovered that skill when she had noticed that she was getting stares and unwelcome attention as her pregnancy became more visible. It was growing less effective though.
“Still though, I’m not in uniform” Kat said.
“Doesn’t matter Ma’am.”
“Do you have a name Gefreiter?” Kat asked, unsure what else to say.
“Johannes Bauer Ma’am” The Gefreiter answered.
“My oldest brother is named Johannes, everyone calls him Hans” Kat said.
“Whatever you say Ma’am” Johannes said.
“And don’t call me Ma’am” Kat said, “When I’m at Judenbach everyone calls me Katze.”
This was probably the last time she would be in Judenbach as a Major in the SKA. She might as well enjoy that little bit of nostalgia while it lasted. She noticed that Johannes smiled when she said that.
“You know that you are a legend in the camp?” Johannes said, “No mission was too insane or dangerous for you. You threw yourself into the machine and it broke. You were SKA before it was the SKA.”
“That gives me way too much credit” Kat said, “I was just trying to do my part.”
Then Johannes started laughing. “Why do all the ones that went through the camp in the first years say that” He said, “You went on suicide missions and came back. Do have any idea how insane that is?”
“I’ve an idea” Kat replied, and they were silent the rest of the way into Judenbach. She wondered if when she went in to talk to Zimmer she ought to tell Johannes to keep the engine running. Kat figured that she wouldn’t be long and would need a ride back to the train station.
13th October 1950
Rural Germany, in transit
Many believed that Friday falling 13th day of the month was unlucky. For Kat it certainly felt like this one was the worst imaginable, the telegraph that had arrived at the house this morning certainly proved it.
Major von Mischner-Blackwood
Your request to have your annual training and fitness evaluation postponed until next spring is denied. Due to it already being considerably overdue you are to report to Headquarters, 28th Independent Fallschirmjäger Regiment at Judenbach within 24 hours. Your tardiness in this matter will be included in your evaluation.
Signed, Oberst Gotthilf Zimmer
How was she supposed to do that? Kat knew that there was simply no way that she could do the physically demanding training regimen while being nearly six months pregnant. She had given up on running as hormonal changes and increasing pressure on her lungs made that increasingly difficult and strenuous exercise was out of the question. The evaluation was if anything, worse. Her uniform no longer fit, the double-breasted coat didn’t button up around her bust and was tight as a sausage casing around her midsection. When she put on her coveralls her belly, which was just starting to protrude, was even more obvious. How was that even possible? She would need to go to Judenbach in this state and explain it in person while out of uniform.
Douglas had been completely sanguine on the matter. “So, you won’t be in the SKA anymore, so what?” He’d said, “Not like you’ll be flying in helicopters or jumping out of airplanes any time soon. Just explain to Oberst Zimmer your situation, he’ll understand.” Douglas had also been the one who had told her that she would probably be able to postpone this until spring. What if he had gotten it wrong again and she was about to be humiliated?
They had put in the announcement in the papers that the beautiful Emerald of Berlin, Gräfin Katherine von Mischner, that sickening public persona that Kat loathed was expecting. Kat wished that she could let her carry this baby and let Kat herself get back to her life, like if they really were two different people. Then again, she would probably enjoy this, swollen feet and all. The right-wing papers had never liked Kat, so they very grudgingly printed the announcement in the back pages with just the very bare facts. That was something that Kat herself found extremely amusing. Yeah, the daughter of the Rail Workers Union Vice President Otto Mischner was having a baby and it was going to be legitimate, so they could suck wind.
Those announcements should have been seen by Oberst Zimmer, but he had sent the telegram anyway. During the long train ride to Judenbach she steeled herself for the next rejection. Kat would have plenty of time for Tatiana when she arrived seeing how Kat was being let go from positions at the rate she was. Kat already thought of her by that name, she was certain that it was a girl, regardless of what Douglas said.
As the train pulled into the station. Kat saw that it was only a nervous Gefreiter there to greet her.
“Major von Mischner Ma’am?” He asked tentatively.
“Yes” Kat said, “I need you get my bag.” Remembering that at her last medical check Kat had been told not to lift anything heavy for the duration of her pregnancy unless she wanted an early arrival, something she was hoping to put off for as long as possible.
“Ma’am?” The Gefreiter asked.
“I can’t carry it due to a medical issue.”
“You look fine to me.”
“Do I have to explain to you what a uterus is and its function?” Kat snapped at him out of frustration and watched his face turn crimson as he went to get her bag.
Had they sent the most junior of Judenbach’s Soldaten to retrieve her? Kat thought to herself as he loaded her bag into the car. He looked like he was nineteen at most.
As Kat sat down in the passenger seat she saw him glance her way as he got into the car. They sat in silence for several minutes as he drove out of the village.
Finally, Kat broke the silence when she grew tired of the tension. “I’m sorry I snapped at you” She said.
“You’re an Officer” The Gefreiter said, “That sort of comes with the territory.”
That was one way to look at it. Kat was hardly dressed like an officer. Concealing her body with old bulky clothes was something she had gotten a great deal of practice in while still a teenager. She had rediscovered that skill when she had noticed that she was getting stares and unwelcome attention as her pregnancy became more visible. It was growing less effective though.
“Still though, I’m not in uniform” Kat said.
“Doesn’t matter Ma’am.”
“Do you have a name Gefreiter?” Kat asked, unsure what else to say.
“Johannes Bauer Ma’am” The Gefreiter answered.
“My oldest brother is named Johannes, everyone calls him Hans” Kat said.
“Whatever you say Ma’am” Johannes said.
“And don’t call me Ma’am” Kat said, “When I’m at Judenbach everyone calls me Katze.”
This was probably the last time she would be in Judenbach as a Major in the SKA. She might as well enjoy that little bit of nostalgia while it lasted. She noticed that Johannes smiled when she said that.
“You know that you are a legend in the camp?” Johannes said, “No mission was too insane or dangerous for you. You threw yourself into the machine and it broke. You were SKA before it was the SKA.”
“That gives me way too much credit” Kat said, “I was just trying to do my part.”
Then Johannes started laughing. “Why do all the ones that went through the camp in the first years say that” He said, “You went on suicide missions and came back. Do have any idea how insane that is?”
“I’ve an idea” Kat replied, and they were silent the rest of the way into Judenbach. She wondered if when she went in to talk to Zimmer she ought to tell Johannes to keep the engine running. Kat figured that she wouldn’t be long and would need a ride back to the train station.