Wilson's fall and the rise of the right a BW/Capt Stern TL

Its a damn desert (Chapter 4) Battle is an orgy of disorder-George S. Patton Jr (a special thanx to Rast for consulting on this update)

The Somme Feb 1918

The American XII corps certainly was in the decisive sector. Pershing had his command concentrated in and around the town of Albert, ready to drive down its crucial road towards Perrone and take the wind out of the German sails. Units of the British 5th Army came streaming back before his men shouting that the war was lost, casting away their weapons (although these incidents where much fewer than media reports made them out to be)

Pershing's plan of action was a basic frontal assault. The two tank battalions would take the lead in front of the big red one, whilst the 35th and 42nd filled in the left and right flanks respectively. Over 500 guns would support Pershing's initial assault. It opened up against units of the German Army under Von Marwitz. The Germans had already come far and overcome many obstacles.

Marwitz was delighted to hear that there where American's before him and saw this is a critical chance to wound their pride and once again display German dominance on the battlefield. His forward troops had no luck however. Despite intense complications with the French railway system, and the need to draw pistols in order to get fuel delivered, George Patton's two tank battalions where able to get at Marwitz's forward troops before they could retire to their old familiar ridgelines that dominated the old Somme battlefield's chalk plain. The St. Chamounds where able to make some progress, although suffered exceptional difficulty working around the myriad of shell holes. Patton delighted as he rode with one forward company which obliterated 200 Germans in the open with their cannons and machine guns, "watching those screaming Kraut bastards run to the rear was the most beautiful site in my life"

American infantry also made excellent progress as their artillery was well served in the first assault and a lethal creeping barrage allowed the three infantry divisions to march into the face of intense machine gun fire and over run the Germans; knocking out numerous nests and flat out kicking them off the higher ground (albeit as a cost in casualties that was unpleasant)

The Americans won the first segment of the battle for several reasons
1. The German troops where exhausted from their initial assault against the British
2. The Somme battlefield was difficult to move supplies through and the Germans had outrun their guns
3. American divisions where large and powerful, and their incredible morale as they sang and screamed running towards the machine gun posts was unnerving to even the most hardened German Landser
4. The hard work of Pershing's staff had seen the initial assault overcome numerous logistical roadblocks and get the men and equipment where they needed to be at the right time

At the same time as the American doughboys slapped themselves on the back for a job well done. They ran into a problem the British had the year before at Cambrai... namely they had a victory and had advanced, but they didn't know what to do with it. The hasty nature of their assault and the horrendous nature of the terrain they had chosen put them in a difficult position. It was damned near impossible to bring up their guns, and to resupply fuel and ammo. Worst of all was that the German high angle howitzer battalions farther to the rear where lobbing shells over the ridge lines which interdicted the Albert road and their supply lines.

Marwitz although disheartened by the initial failure regrouped his stormtrooper battalions and was able to clear his guns out of the tremendous traffic jams in the rear areas and immediately turn American lives around Peronne into a nightmare. 105 and 150mm fire rained down for hours at a time. Many disabled but still serviceable American tanks where lost when rounds landed on them. Troops occupying the ridgelines gained no advantage as expert German gunners where able to use high angle mortar and howitzer fire on them and drop shells right on their positions. American disinclination towards digging in cost them heavily as they where caught in the open with nowhere to hide and unable to bring their own guns to bear to counter battery.

After softening the Americans up for several hours, regrouped and resupplied storm trooper companies surged forward, employing base of fire, double envelopements, fire blocks on withdrawl routes and infiltrating soft spots and gaps in the American positions. The affect was devastating, especially since many of the storm troopers where intimately familiar with the ground and trench systems of the chosen battlefield; also of critical importance was the large numbers of MP-18 sub machine guns employed which German infantry used expertly to hose down Americans in the trench systems.

The 69th infantry regiment on the right flank under Douglas MacAurther was severely handled as they received almost no tank or artillery support. They gave as good as they got in some cases, however the Germans where able to overrun several companies and then flow around them creating an encirclement and compelling the surrender or destruction of the entire regiment (MacAurther himself would go into captivity when a reinforced company from a guards foot regiment surrounded his headquarters)

On the left flank things where no better. Morale was questionable in the 35th which had many ethnic Germans from the midwest. Initially they suffered heavily from German artillery and heavy weapons; but where rescued when a young Missouri captain, Harry Truman was able to force march several batteries of 75mm artillery into position to support his boys and immediately began covering the infantry and shooting up German gun positions farther to the rear (an action for which he was awarded the congressional medal of honor). Then disaster struck

The British third army on their left flank hadn't had time to laison with the American's and their commander Sir Julian Byng had received the same sort of desperate counterattack orders that Pershing did. Observation was impossible both due to a general fog that continued to hang in the air, and to the large numbers of smoke shells the Americans and Germans where employing. Byng's gunners last report was that the Germans where still all over the ridge lines (word hadn't gotten back that the 35th had pushed the Germans back and now urgently needed support) and they opened up with a withering barrage that inflicted tremendous casualties to Americans caught in the open. The Germans took advantage of this, regrouped, counterattacked and pushed the Americans off the ridgelines and captured large numbers of prisoners.

American commander Brig General William Wright was furious with the British for shooting up his men. He got into a blazing row with his neighboring division commander... pistols where drawn and took several heart pounding minutes for frightened and furious staff officers to talk the generals down

All in all it was a repeat of the second stage of Cambrai from the year before; although the Americans could afford the losses, especially since their forces further south had distinguished themselves fighting along side the French; however there was much bitterness to go around, and the feelings of wounded pride and distrust where not so easily forgotten in the XII corps


to be continued...


thoughts?

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Chaos and confusion during the spring offensive

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A grim symbol of the American sacrifice on the Somme

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MacAurther just before being taken prisoner by the German 2nd army

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Pattons tanks advance to cover the big red 1... they where successful, but suffered tremendous casualties to rough terrain and enemy high angle weapons

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American POW's taken by the Germans. Members of the 35th where not as politically motivated for the war as their masters would have truly preferred
 
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BlairWitch749, where do I even begin? Not that you've given the slightest impression of interest in historical accuracy.

1) The US had no domestic tank production so the British will determine where any tanks given to the US will go, also the British don't have 500 tanks for their own army so they won't have many for an army still undergoing basic training and with no armored experience. Nor would two battalions receive more tanks than most national tank divisions throughout the 20th Century.

2) Stating that the French Army had nearly fallen apart following the Nivelle offensive is another massive error. Despite concerns the fact remains that the crisis was of so limited a scope that the Germans never realized it had taken place until after the fact.

3) The storm battalions were units which underwent special training and were required to be at full manpower and proper equipment. OTL by 1918 the average German division had barely 25% the manpower of the average American division and 50% the manpower of the average British division(!).

To form sixty divisions of manpower into such units by any legitimate meaning of that term means that the rest of the German army on the Western Front is either dissolved entirely or reduced to remnant units of no offensive capacity and practically no defensive capacity.

4) The claim that the British had not properly(and more) fortified their lines on the Somme is laughable.

5) Germany was unable to drive Italy out of the war OTL so perhaps you can offer a basis for this happening instead of announcing a major development with no reason it took place.

6) The British being unable to determine between US and German units is as credible as, after four years of liason with so many other national armies the British somehow neglecting same with the latest allied army to appear.

7) As to your post about German-American soldiers having questionable morale fighting German soldiers this was a propaganda tool popular in ignorant German circles during both world wars but had NO basis in historical fact.

I nearly reported that crap about German Americans being of questionable loyalty. Next time I will.



My thoughts on your TL? Let me know when you post one based in historical accuracy.
 
BlairWitch749, where do I even begin? Not that you've given the slightest impression of interest in historical accuracy.

1) The US had no domestic tank production so the British will determine where any tanks given to the US will go, also the British don't have 500 tanks for their own army so they won't have many for an army still undergoing basic training and with no armored experience. Nor would two battalions receive more tanks than most national tank divisions throughout the 20th Century.

2) Stating that the French Army had nearly fallen apart following the Nivelle offensive is another massive error. Despite concerns the fact remains that the crisis was of so limited a scope that the Germans never realized it had taken place until after the fact.

3) The storm battalions were units which underwent special training and were required to be at full manpower and proper equipment. OTL by 1918 the average German division had barely 25% the manpower of the average American division and 50% the manpower of the average British division(!).

To form sixty divisions of manpower into such units by any legitimate meaning of that term means that the rest of the German army on the Western Front is either dissolved entirely or reduced to remnant units of no offensive capacity and practically no defensive capacity.

4) The claim that the British had not properly(and more) fortified their lines on the Somme is laughable.

5) Germany was unable to drive Italy out of the war OTL so perhaps you can offer a basis for this happening instead of announcing a major development with no reason it took place.

6) The British being unable to determine between US and German units is as credible as, after four years of liason with so many other national armies the British somehow neglecting same with the latest allied army to appear.

7) As to your post about German-American soldiers having questionable morale fighting German soldiers this was a propaganda tool popular in ignorant German circles during both world wars but had NO basis in historical fact.

I nearly reported that crap about German Americans being of questionable loyalty. Next time I will.



My thoughts on your TL? Let me know when you post one based in historical accuracy.


1. the us had an arrangement with france where they got finished products in return for raw materials this applied to tanks (the us where using french tanks, I could understand the confusion though, the st chamound looks like a british tank

2. The french where spent as an offensive force after the nivelle offensive and suffered over 30000 casualties. They had over 50 divisions in revolt and gave the Germans the strategic freedom to concentrate on other fronts (save for petains very clever limited attacks at verdun later in the year after he reorganized the army and actually started giving them warm meals

3.I don't disagree with German manpower problems... they gave the americans a bloody nose here, but they still lost the battle and suffered heavy losses

4. The Germans overran this area in otl, and the 5th army's positions where not well fortified, even John Keegan notes it. Gough's troops where spread thin

5. I don't understand what you mean, i haven't mentioned italy... could you rephrase your question?

6. There where friendly fire incidents during the spring offensive due to communication breakdowns and miserable visibility (although these where extremely limited)... however when you put a different army between different formations things can go wrong (one of the reasons Pershing objected to requests for such a deployment in otl) Command boundries where vary chaotic during the first few days of the spring offensive, such incidents are indeed possible

7. Grimm, I wasn't trying to disparage ethnic German Americans and their otl service. (even though Patton said some unpleasant things about the 35th in otl) The premise of this tl was that support for the war was more questionable and mixed than otl, making these fellows corresponingly more luke warm about fighting their kinsman... I didn't say these things actually happened this is a fiction set within a historical time period; i can't exactly fathom what you would be reporting me for?
 
I give up. Your response to every historical mistake it to deny it, excuse it, ignore it or try to change the subject. Much like your posts in Chat. I was, for some strange reason, under the impression you were actually interested in honest criticism and posting with historical accuracy.

This was a mistake on my part and I admit it and shall make the necessary correction now.

Ignore list, permanently.
 
What happens to William Hearst and Wilson?


I give up. Your response to every historical mistake it to deny it, excuse it, ignore it or try to change the subject. Much like your posts in Chat. I was, for some strange reason, under the impression you were actually interested in honest criticism and posting with historical accuracy.

Inaccurate, it is you that is trolling.
 
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The ace in sleeve (Chapter 5) Putting out a newspaper without promotion is like winking at a girl in the dark -- well-intentioned, but ineffective - William Randolph Hearst
The office of the New York Herald November 1918

William Randolph Hearst made the most of the war even if he was burdened with loads of mixed feelings on the subject. Wilson was as good as his word and Hearst's reporters where granted near exclusive access to the front lines, their pictures and articles sold millions of papers back home as the New York Herald and Hearst's other publications surged past his competitors.

However, with just days before the midterm elections and wild rumors of a pending armistace with Germany a long running problem between the Herald and the Wilson administration boiled over:

One of Hearst's reporters (Gabriel Miller) who was assigned to covering the war had been causing a stir. Miller was attached to the British commanded XII corps which had been participating in the successful, but extremely bloody 100 days offensive as part of Sir Douglas Haig's army. Miller had written truthfully about the extremely high casualties in the XII corps and had also written several scathing pieces on the British high command's treatment of the XII corps... the headline "bloody pawn" had lead to the New York Herald's greatest one day sales ever.

At the same time Miller was making his master boatloads of cash, the Wilson administration and Lloyd George's men in London where extremely embarassed by the Miller reports and were desperate to put on a lid on the crises. Wilson appealed with some level of gravitas asked Hearst to have his man tone done the rhetoric as did Howze. Not wanting to slay or silence the golden goose, and enjoying tweaking Wilson; Hearst had allowed this pleas to fall on deaf ears.

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Hearst's paper's enjoyed a boom during the war

Miller touched a final straw in October when the bloody pawn headline came out. Wilson tired of the game, and had Miller removed from the battlefield and sent on the next boat home.

Hearst objected with great victor even telling Wilson in person that there would be hell to pay if Miller wasn't sent back to Belgium. When Wilson demured, negative articles came out from other sectors of the front, focusing on casualties and futility of attacking when the war was surely nearly over

With knowledge in hand that an armistace was a matter of mere days, Wilson decided to let Hearst know the true power of the white house; Gabriel Miller was arrested under the espionage act.

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Hearst's papers focus on the wounded to hurt his long time enemy Wilson

It was with this that William Randolph Hearst blew his temper. The upcoming midterm elections already looked good for the opposition Republican; the war was almost over; it was time to wipe that smug look off that pretentious bastard's face (as Hearst put it to an aide)

On November 3rd 1918 all 20 of Hearst's publications ran with the destructive headline "America hoodwinked; how big business and President Wilson tricked us into war" The special editions sold so much that the issue had to be produced for 5 days to satisfy demand. They where loaded with the documents of the harbormaster of New York, secret records and contracts from Winchester, Carnegie and JP Morgan amongst others (Hearst had augmented his files with lots of snooping and bribes since the war started)

The effect was electric, in the midst of preparing for the armistace, Wilson and his administration where caught flat footed and taken by surprise. He had Hearst arrested from his New York City penthouse but by then the damage was done. His articles where read and retold far and wide in a matter of hours and no amount of denials and villifactions of Hearst out of the Whitehouse could stem the genuine disgust and outrage that people took with them to the polls 36 hours later.

The midterm election of 1918 was one of the most epic landslides in the history of democratic government. The republicans in the house (under the leadership of Fred Gillett MA-2) gained 92 seats giving them a margin of 308-127, in the senate Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA) and the Republicans gained 10 seats making the margin 52-45. They had been elected with a clear mandate...


to be continued...

thoughts?

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the new leader in the senate
 
I think I peed a little, this is an awesome story BW, always an excellent story teller. I cry every time you start a new TL for two reasons, you're distracting yourself from your other ones and because you make a masterpiece each time!
 
I think I peed a little, this is an awesome story BW, always an excellent story teller. I cry every time you start a new TL for two reasons, you're distracting yourself from your other ones and because you make a masterpiece each time!

Agreed. Personally, I'd say BW should wrap up some of his current projects before starting new ones...

But that's just me. Besides, I like WWI ATLs (even though I have near zero knowledge of the era)

Marc A
 
His name is Marshal (Chapter 6) Once there were two brothers: one ran away to sea, the other was elected Vice-President - and nothing was ever heard from either of them again - Thomas R Marshall

Washington DC November 1918

Despite the sincere joy and happiness in the country as the guns finally stopped firing in Europe on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a massive wave of anger continued to swirl around the white house.

Wilson was stuck in a difficult position, the war was won, which should have improved his position politically and allowed him to start regaining some steam, but that bastard Hearst had pulled the rug out from under him and turned the country harshly against him.

Despite his being locked up at the New York City Riker's Island Jail, Hearst continued to inflame the situation. His immense financial resources saw his papers continue to publish one destructive article after the next, releasing more and more documents from the likes of colt and American ordinance. There where editorials calling for his immediate release (of course) and all of those jailed under the sedition acts, there where also demands that articles of impeachment be drawn up against president Wilson. Gillet and Lodge demured on that particular idea (at least temporarily) as their majorities wouldn't be sworn into congress until march... its likely Wilson could have rode out the storm (at least for another 6 months if not longer as the anger would have perhaps died down some with time) had not his greatest enemy (other than Hearst himself) decided to run a stake through his back

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Wilson's arch nemesis just prior to the release of the bloody pawn articles

Vice President of the United States Thomas R Marshall was someone who hated Wilson in a way even Hearst found shocking. The former governor of Indiana had seriously split with the commander in chief over major ideological differences and a bitter personal rivalry. Wilson had relocated Marshall's office away from the white house and done everything humanly possible to offend and marginalize his running mate.

Marshall was an outspoken critic of Wilson's pro entente attitude prior to the sinking of the SS California (not necessarily because he didn't have some similar feelings, but because he detested the man AND he felt America wasn't prepared for war, and didn't want to bring suffering to the people via conscription). Forced out of the loop long ago, he was as surprised as the citizenry when he read the NY Herald's hoodwinked series of articles, and was even more stunned when Hearst, who was a long time personal friend was thrown into prison under the sedition acts.

The Vice President, despite being marginalized in the administration was a relevant man in his own right. Wilson had chosen him because he was heavily influential in the midwest and west, and he was able to deliver several critical swing states. His disgust for his boss increased beyond the point of no return when the hoodwink articles found their way to his desk. He worked the phones and telegraphs for several critical days before taking the train up to New York.

Quietly he made his way to Riker's island. Hearst's money and fame assured he had a steady stream of visitors, Marshall wasn't the first politician to visit him, but he was certainly the most important.


Thomas Marshall visits Hearst at a New York jail

Hearst was relaxing on his cot, despite being away from his luxerious mansion, the sheer chaos he was causing in Washington and the millions of papers allowed him to overlook his discomfort with ease. Marshall was allowed into the paper tycoon's cell and an American conspiracy was born.

William, I have sounded out some friends on the hill, along with some of the leadership on the Republican side, it seems the votes are there to repeal the sedition and to pass a separate bill to demand your release

The fire of the people is making them sweat, I cannot wait until the new congress is sworn in and teaches that Princeton bastard a thing or two

I don't think its necessary to wait that long William

What are you talking about Thomas, Wilson has too many friends for us to really start talking about impeachment just yet

Don't be so sure about that, a lot of the Democrats who survived that little debacle you just put on are quite unhappy with how the President mislead them, and left them out to dry for the voters. Of course the voter's own anger is something to contend with as well

It sounds like you have a plant to use both of those things to our advantage Thomas?

Indeed, but I need your help, and your resources. I have conducted backroom negotiations with the Republicans and a number of Democrats who are now lame duck. I intend to lead a breakaway faction of those Democrats, join with the Republicans and immediately bring articles of impeachment against Wilson

(smiling broadly and clapping his hands several times in delight) Now thats copy Thomas, what can I do to help

Well I need you and your papers to support our actions, tear the pompous professor up in your editorials, keep him on the defensive, make his allies dessert him, force more members into my camp so I can banish him by Christmas

It would be my sincere pleasure to use every resource at my disposal to aid your cause Thomas

Would you like to hear what you'll be getting in return William?

I have no demands, smashing Wilson is reward enough for me, but go ahead, I've always appreciated your generosity

How does the vice presidency in 1920 sound?

(Another round of clapping and beaming smiles) Mr Vice President, whoops I mean Mr. President (slapping Marshall on the back) that's fine by me

The two men shook hands, and Marshall departed, ready to put the American political system on its craziest roller coaster since the civil war

to be continued...

thoughts?

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The ultimate objective of Hearst and Vice President Marshall
 
Well, there are some parts that are "Mm..okay I can see that.." but other parts that are just "hahahaha.....No" But I will stay tuned see how it turns out.
 
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