World War Three May 1946

Soviet Northern Command HQ


Le Havre, France
July 15th, 1946
13:01 Hours

“So we continue our search for the American’s today Comrade Marshal. I wonder where they are hiding? Our agents have confirmed that they are not in England and unless they have donned underwater gear they are still on land.”

We just got the orders to continue our advance south in haste. Order the OMSBON Units out to recon and to interrogate the locals to extract all the information they can. Counsel them to do it discreetly and only pickup undesirables who won’t be missed if things get a little rough. Give them the freedom they need to get the information I need. I suppose I have to leave this location by the sea. I love the sea.”

“I’m sure Paris will be a pleasant stop on our way to annihilate the Americans that are still running with their tail between their legs Comrade Commander. Have you seen some of the prisoners? They whine even more than the Germans. Red Cross says this, Geneva Convention says that. They are all a bunch of Jewish lawyers.”

“Huh! Don’t they know what happened to the Jewish lawyers here in Europe?”

“I would suggest Comrade Marshal that we don’t treat them too badly. If we keep them alive, they can keep asking for more Red Cross supplies. Supplies that we can use. A little for them a lot for us. A number of their families came from Russia before and after WWI. We could be torturing your cousin. Just keep them away from the more primitive units, and they should be fine. They were our allies at one time. It’s hard to fight alongside someone one day the then kill them the next, is it not?”

“Yes I agree with you old friend but sometimes it needs to be done. We do not have the resources to support them in luxury. Craft an order that no one can misinterpret. The American's are not to be mistreated. Stalin is going to try and cause a rift between the Americans and the British. Mistreating the prisoners of either faction would not help his efforts.”

“So for now this has the highest priority. Keep them safe and out of harm’s way and let the propaganda machine publicize this fact.”

“I see no advantage at this point in wasting time and energy on transporting them to Russia. Let's use the German camps in Poland. That one near Danzig would be good. Then if something more permanent needs to be done with them, the infrastructure is already in place.

 

Welcome back, you been away for too long.

 

Stalin and Beria Rivals

[h=1]Beria[/h]Kremlin
Stalin's Private Office
July 15th
22:13

“Ah Beria come in and let me wax on the grand plan we will continue to implement.”
"Certainly Comrade. I would be honored to hear what one of the greatest minds in the history of mankind is planning."
“Only "ONE" of the greatest Beria!”
"I mean the greatest of course comrade...."
“Never mind Beria and quit stammering. Now listen.”
“Our main goal is to create a buffer between us and the Capitalists and Fascists. Never again shall they be allowed to use mother Russia as a battleground. The former Western Europe will be the future battleground and in the near future America herself.
First we must sweep up France and then Spain. With our help, the French Communist Party will lead the nation into a new era of a workers’ paradise free from the exploitation of Capitalism. The Spanish will come to their senses, and the communists will come to power with our help.
We will convince the English to leave Gibraltar. As long as they do not allow the American’s the use of their island for a base to attack the greater socialist workers paradise, England itself will be left alone to rot, We will publicly offer them a future without conflict if they so choose. We will encourage and support the English communists as much as possible. Hopefully we will drive Churchill into permanent retirement.
The former English colonies in the Mideast will be liberated with or without Churchill's permission. We will control all the oil in the mid-east as well as in the Caucasus and Romania. The mines in Scandinavia will supply the metals we need for generations.
In the north, our brothers and sisters will bring true freedom to greater Scandinavia. From the bases there and in Germany, France and Iberia, we will keep the American pigs at bay until we are ready to embrace them in a dance of death.
Italy will come under our benevolent control as will Greece and Turkey. This will all happen again with help from our communist brothers and sisters already straining to lead their countries in glorious revolutions against their oppressors.
We shall control access to the Mediterranean Sea to further isolate America and to protect our underbelly as the old bulldog Churchill is fond of saying.
With all of Europe and the Mid-east under our leadership, we will be able to withstand any attacks on the greater soviet republics. Communism will reign supreme throughout the world, and the American public will soon see the truth about capitalism and the scum who steal their very souls and doom them to a life of servitude.
As much as possible we will assist our communist brothers and sisters to free their homelands of the oppressors. If it can be reached by our land forces, it will be set free. Our first choice will be the Fifth Column and the people's natural desire to be free from their slave masters. But if the need arises it will be by force.
With the minerals of Europe and the oil of the Mideast and Asia under our control, we will be able to dictate the future of the glorious revolution that will sweep the last visages of capitalism and fascism from the face of the earth.
In time, we too shall have the atomic bomb and the means to deliver it. Until then Sergo is on the verge of providing a defensive umbrella over our heads to keep the American bombers at bay.
We have a small window of opportunity in which to accomplish our glorious revolution, and this is it. We have to strike now or never. The US has extremely few atomic bombs and as you saw their armed forces have disbanded. We know when and where they will try and strike, and Sergo assures me that we have enough capability to prevent all but a suicide attack if given two weeks advanced notice.
We shall bring true freedom to all the peoples of the world.”
"It is indeed a glorious vision Comrade Stalin. One worthy of the greatest mind in the world. Let our enemies know that anyone who attempts to raise a hand against the will of our people, against the will of the party of Lenin and Stalin, will be mercilessly crushed and destroyed".
“Well said. Almost as well said as the first time you said it in 1937.”

 

[h=1]Later that night at Beria’s hiding place for the night.[/h]
“Hello Niki. You look glad to see me. Can you keep a secret Niki? I would like to strangle Stalin with my bare hands. That pompous ass thinking he can lecture ME! He thinks he has all the power but maybe not for long Niki. Soon I WILL have the power and then I will castrate him and let him beg for mercy. MAN OF STEEL MY ASS! He will be man of whimpers when I am done with him. He is such a fool that he still believes Churchill is still in charge.
You look worried Niki. Don’t be I trust you completely. I have nothing to fear from you do I? You already know what it’s like to have your manhood taken from you. No I have nothing to fear from such as you.
Stalin has much to fear from me. I will grind his bones and feed them to the pigs. Are pigs cannibals Niki? Will they eat their own? THAT SCUM …how dare he presume to lecture me? How dare he speak to me in that manner? I will cut out his heart and feed it to you.
That little coward, you should have seen him Niki during the Battle of Moscow. Twitching, jumping at any noise. First I’ll nail his feet to the floor so he can’t run.
That’s a good boy who knows when to listen. Now let’s go for a walk. Maybe that bitch will be in the park again. Then we’ll come back and spend a nice night listening to the radio. Let me get your leash and we’ll go. Come on Niki, come on. That’s a good boy.”

 

[h=1]Torvilleirs, France[/h]July 22st, 1946
09:03 hours
Soviet OMSBON Operational Group Restless
M.G. Karamazov Commander

The following report is submitted.
17 July 1946
The advance continued, with other elements of the Division passing through CT 23, leaving the Regiment on orders to scout the route ahead. We are to gather intelligence on the location of American units.

18 July 1946
Interrogated villager near Bagneuax. The American forces passed through in great numbers 7 days or so ago after destroying a large fuel depot. Story confirmed by another eye witness and inspection of destroyed facility. We appear to be moving too fast for the American air forces to re-base and attack us. We are going faster than they anticipated and have had to destroy their fuel dumps rather than let them fall into our hands. We are far from the coast and have not seen any NATO planes in the air. We have heard radio reports of interdiction attacks near the coastline by the NATO naval forces.

19 July 1946
Paron
No contacts today. Strafed by Sturmoviks from 347 Squadron. One casualty. Unable to communicate with aircraft. Found 2 more destroyed fuel depots along the route. Food is plentiful but Americans are destroying all fuel depots including farmer’s supplies.

20 July 1946
Amily
Still no contact with American forces. Local population has not seen any NATO units for 8 days. They appear to be moving quite fast. A local farmer was hoarding 2 50 gal drums of diesel which we liberated for our own use. The farmer objected but then was persuaded to support the revolution to free his country from Capitalism. He was in such ecstasy that he appeared to have a heart attack.

21 July 1946
Neuville-Ax-Bois
Made contact with American engineering squad. We prevented them from destroying a large fuel depot. I believe they did not succeed in warning their superiors of their failure. We formed a defensive parameter and are awaiting further orders.

22 July 1946
Orleans
Relieved by advanced units of the 6th Tank Army and continued to Orleans. No sign of recent American presence. We were told that the depot we saved had over 100,000 gallons of aviation fuel. We have been suggested for a commendation.

 

[h=1]Plans Intercepted[/h]
Gorky Park

Bench 348
Moscow
July 23th, 1946
15:25 hours
“We now know the date and location of the American’s first raid. There will be one and possibly two Atomic bombs in the bomber force.”
“How are the preparations coming along?”
“Very well. The Mig 9 is proving to be a good interceptor and can reach over 14,000 meters. Along with its 37 mm cannon it will be a formidable opponent. Our sources have confirmed that the escorts for the raid will be the Mustangs and not the new American jet. They are so supremely confident in their Superfortress that they are not willing to risk their jet engine falling into our hands. Little do they know that we have all we need already to produce one.”
“Ha! If the Mig 9 performs as it has during our war games it should be an easy match for the Mustangs and even eventually the Shooting Star. I’ve heard it’s not as fast as the American jet but should be able to out-turn it. So in the end it is faster than the Mustangs and can out-turn the Shooting Star.”
“Yes that is the theory and our pilots have all been trained to attack the enemy in the proper manner. They will dive and climb to attack the Mustangs and try to get the Shooting Stars into a fight of circles and try to turn inside them. The Mig's real task is to present a threat that the escorts cannot ignore while the real killing is done by remote control. They are all flown by our best pilots and should be able to do quite well against the veteran Americans. From what we have learned many of America’s best pilots did not stay in the military and still have not come back. We also killed many of their best during the first hours of the War to Liberate Europe. The capitalist pigs are too busy making money. They would rather become rich than fight for their former foes and allies.”
“So it is a case of our best pilots against their training program. We should have parity for a long time. Sergo has studied the weaknesses of both the German and Japanese air warfare programs. We are not oil poor as the Germans were and we can keep our planes in the air and train the new pilots. And unlike the Japanese we are putting an emphasis on training new pilots. On another subject ...my engineers have been able to significantly enhance the reliability of the RD-21 engine. But of course this is not our main weapon in the fight to keep the American Superfortress from destroying our cities.
That Sergo Peskov fellow has placed much of his faith in missile technology, and the Pe9s to fire the X4. The Pe9s are acutely vulnerable to the American jets. We have devised a way to hide their crucial role. Hopefully they will go on killing B29s at an alarming rate and all of the so called Silver Plates carrying the Atomic bombs. Again we have to make it look like chance that we were able to shoot them down otherwise our plan would be compromised. We are counting on their arrogance to defeat them until then we can produce the weapons we need to defeat them with our strength and not just our wits.”
“Let’s hope it all works. I prefer brute force rather than a chess match myself. So far Peshkov and his chess board are all that Stalin listens to.”
“So how many Migs are available?”
“Just 20 as of today but again we don’t need many to accomplish our mission. Their goal is to divert attention away from the Pe9s and to create confusion as to what is doing the greatest damage. The hope is that it will take the Americans months to figure it out and by then we will have new tricks up our sleeve, and we can then use the brute force of numbers I prefer.”
“And how many of these Pe9s are available?
“Let me look at the latest report…ah we have 34, and they carry 8 missiles each. We shall see how much confusion they can cause. They will be really concentrating on the planes carrying the atomic bombs. Our cities can withstand a conventional bombing campaign given the new weapons we have developed but not the atomic bomb. We have to stop that most evil of weapons 100% of the time. Not one must be allowed to be detonated.”
The bigger of the two men gets up and starts to pace about the room.
“I was talking to Andre and the ground missiles are performing quite well. We are running out of Tupolev SBs. They are shooting them down quite regularly at heights up to 10,000 kilometers. You’ll get a laugh out of this … I was talking to Novikov, and the best missile operators are women… specifically women from the Chechnya area. That clown Sergo was doing his testing in Siberia where many Chechens were placed after their rebellion and the men placed quite high in the skills needed. Then it was discovered that the highest scoring individuals were actually women pretending to be men. Possibly trying to avoid being raped we never were able to discover exactly why, but I digress. It seems that here is something in these women’s racial heritage that makes them excellent missile operators, and they have an uncanny ability to steer the missiles right to the target. It’s quite remarkable I have heard.”
The shorter man reaches for a cigarette and strikes a match which lights up his side of the room. He takes a deep drag which briefly casts a small glow over the paper he is holding.
“Well we shall see won’t we? That brings back a memory. I remember reading about an American Indian tribe whose members were fearless at great heights and the capitalist pigs forced them to build their sky scrapers. It must be a kind of similar gift or curse. I would not want to be many stories high working to make another man rich. Hopefully our Missile Women will love shooting down the American bombers and saving their children in the process.”
“Yes we shall see. I hope for Leningrad’s sake it will all work in our favor.”

 

Death of a Division

[h=1]Mobile HQ 10th Mechanized Division[/h]General Paul Green
Near Baby, France
July 23, 1946 06:34 hours

Huge new American tanks maneuver through tight turns just outside of a hastily erected command tent. The tanks are the newest in the US arsenal. They are the M26 Pershing. A few seem to be having trouble making the steep grade just out of sight. Gears can be heard grinding and crunching as the engines come close to stalling out. One finally does, and the driver, with this commander cursing at him, tries to restart the machine. As all the commotion begins to attract the attention of a harried officer. He rushes to enter the command tent.
“Get your ass in here Cole. I’m tired of running. We need to get some combat experience for the division. Put CCA southwest along the river the CCB covering the bridge and the CCC northeast along the river. Put CCR in reserve behind CCB. It’s time to see how those new Pershings stack up against the Soviets best. Will see how that S2 takes a 90mm. Mine the road and rig the bridge for demolition.”
The Colonel looks startled and hazards a comment.
“Sir, may I remind you that before we lost communications we were told to stay out of harm’s way and just stay in contact with the Reds and not to become heavily engaged.”
The general stands up from the chair and glares at the officer.
“What the hell are we doing here then? I didn’t come over here to keep running from Bolsheviks. This is a perfect setup for an ambush. We’ll give em a bloody nose and the set up for the next one. Don’t worry Cole. God damn it I’m not an idiot, and I’m not going to get into a stand up fight. We’re just going to kick them in the teeth and then keep on “relocating to the rear”.”
“May I speak freely sir?”
“Go ahead Cole.”
“We have a brand new unit sir made up of green troops straight from boot camp. They cut our training by 2 weeks and stuffed us on that transport and here we are in France. Some of these guys can’t even figure out the new shift pattern of the M26, much less drive in a straight line. I think this is a bad idea sir. These boys have never seen the elephant, much less a Soviet S2 heavy tank.”
“Listen Cole we have to stand and fight sometime and now’s the time! Don’t get your undies in a bundle we’re not going to stay long … just long enough to see the elephant as you put it and then we continue as ordered. I’m sure the old man won’t whine if we take a few S2s out. We’ll just keep in contact by punching them in the mouth. Now get your ass out there and get this bunch inline. Briefing at 07:10… move it soldier.”
“Yes sir.”

 

[h=1]NATO HQ[/h]London
July 23th, 1946
14:40 hours

“Excuse me sir but you need to have a look at this.”
“What is it Compton?”
“We have lost communications with the 20 Armored Division. They were ordered to stay in contact with the Soviet 14th Tank Army but not to engage.”
“Fill me in on this unit Sid. Is this one of those fresh off the freighter and who’s in command?”
“Yes sir it is an untested unit and General Green is the commanding officer.”
“Untested huh. Is a polite term for fresh meat Sid? Isn’t Green that gun ho desk jockey they push on us?”
“Yes sir.”
“How exactly are they out of communication and for how long?”
“About 6 hours now sir ever since the Reds started jamming our signals. The other units have adapted, but the 20th Armored doesn’t have a Signal Battalion assigned to it yet. We sent out a Signal Company to regain contact, and they have not reported yet. We have indications that there are Red Units of Battalion size and greater that are in position to cut off the 10th’s egress.”
The officer jumps to his feet and crosses the room much faster than a man his size should be able to.
“How in god’s name did that happen?!?!!?”
“General Green apparently decided to stand and fight at Baby. Here are some maps that show you the general situation.”
Both officers look briefly at the map. Each is an expert at assimilating the symbols on the paper.
“It looks like Green has a pretty good setup behind the river. We believe he was going to ambush the leading elements of the Reds to give his troops some combat experience and then move on south following his orders to Brive-la-Galliarde.”
“The next map shows how he got his ass in a sling by trying to improvise.
By delaying his retrograde movement too long, he gave the Soviets time to set him up. There are two recon battalions to his southeast who can slow him up just enough for the Soviet 27th Armored Division to cut him off.”
“For crying out loud … what was that idiot thinking? Get me Ike on the phone … NOW! Then order the 101st to stand-by for further orders. Get me in contact with Green! I don’t care if you have to crash land a plane in there with a working radio. GET ME GREEN! Then get Norgard in here and have him bring me the status of every air unit within range of the 20th Armored. What kind of distances are we talking here and didn’t they have most of the 49th Quarter Master Group assigned to them for safe keeping?”
“It’s about 20 miles from Baby to Brive-La-Galliarde and yes, they did.”

 

[h=1]Communications Shack[/h]July 24[SUP]th[/SUP] 1946
06:35 hours

A small figure tries to make himself smaller while huddling under a piece of wreckage. He digs a radio out from under the crushed body of a passenger that was in the pile of twisted metal that was a small plane.
“Hello…this is Private Johnson of the 20[SUP]th [/SUP]Armored… Hello can anyone hear me? Over”
A startled radio operator 20 miles away jumps out of his seat and grabs the mike.
“We hear you…Private…Use the assigned protocol. Over”
“I don’t know what the protocol is. ****, I just dug this radio out from under a crashed plane and wondered if it worked. I just got lucky getting you. Who is this anyway? Over”
“This is NATO Western Command Private, Lt. Casey speaking. Over”
“How do I know that you are who you say you are? Over”
“Ask a question only an American would know? Over”
“Ah…OK who won the Kentucky Derby in 1945? Over”
“Jesus Johnson…how would I know? Ask about baseball or something normal. Over”
“Are you a commie? I’m from Kentucky, and everyone knows it was Hoop Jr. Ok how about an easier one…who was the jockey? …. Oh ah Over.”
“Come on Johnson ask something a real American would know like about football or the movies. Over”
“I bet you are a commie … Let’s see… All right Who’s on first. Over”
“….That’s right. Over”
“Alright now we’re talking. We’re in real bad shape here Casey. The General and his staff were captured, we think, when they went to check on the problem to our south. Something about Reds blocking the road and taking out the supply guys that were behind us. Anyway we haven’t heard from anyone higher up than a Major in a while then this plane dropped in our lap. Pilot and passenger are dead. We got a bunch of Captains and Lt. running around not knowing what’s going on……. Damn… Over.”
“All right Private, you’re doing a hell of a job. Find me one of those Captains or a Major. Over”
“Gladly, except I’m pinned down by those same damn Reds that we were supposed to ambush. Our tankers are firing the wrong shells or something because they are just bouncing off the biggest ass Red tanks I’ve ever seen….”
“Private you there?…Private. Over”
“The radio hisses for what seems like an eternity…”
“Yeah I’m here. They’re shelling the plane. That was a close one. The same tank that killed the Major is hunting for me. I gotta move. Listen the word is that we’re supposed to head up this little road to the east towards…Viola or violin…no Vigeolis. Is that the way out of here? The word is that it’s a really bad road and not in the greatest of shape. Over”
“Listen Private we need you to get to someone who is in charge. We need to know the situation before we can give you orders. Get the ranking officer on the radio. Over.”
“You guys don’t get it. We’re being over-run. I got no way of getting this radio to anyone. I’m just hunkered under this plane, and the Reds are breathing down my neck. I can’t move, I can’t even talk loud. It’s amazing this radio still works much less trying to move it and finding an officer a GOD DAMN OFFICER!”
“Alright Johnson take it easy. I just took a look at our maps and the officer on duty told me to give you these orders... If you are indeed cut off from the south, then you will need to go to Vigiolis. You are right that the tanks won’t be able to make the bridges or through some of the gorges. You’ll have to leave them behind is what I’m being told. Use them as a rear guard. From the looks of the map, you should have everyone head East and then take the first road south towards…Objat. Do you copy? Over”
“Got it NATO…East then South to Objat. Over”
“Good job Private. We’ll be sending the 101[SUP]st[/SUP] to relieve you, and you will never hear the end of it. Over”
“Ah **** not those cowboys from the 101[SUP]st[/SUP]… oh well beggars can’t be choosers. Thanks Casey. Over”
“Good luck Johnson…say what’s your first name? Over
“Lars... and my wife’s name is Emma. That’s Emma Johnson in Louisville Kentucky. Over”
“Good luck Lars. Over…..Johnson do you read me? Over. Johnson?”
“Sorry sir we seem to have lost the signal.”
The radio operator looks right past the Major and tries to hide his emotions as he writes down “Lars Johnson of Louisville, KY…Emma.”

 

[h=1]Sir we just had contact from the 20[SUP]th[/SUP] Armored.[/h]“Stanley and Feingold crashed landed with the radio.”
“Well spit it out Watkins …what did Green have to say for himself and about his situation? Get him on the horn now!”
“Sir we didn’t speak to General Green.”
“Well who did you speak to then? Don’t make me keep asking questions you moron tell me the whole story.”
“Sir … yes sir. It seems that it was a Private Johnson, and he was under fire the whole time the conversation took place. He said that General Green and his staff where cut off and possibly captured while checking on the Soviet units to their South. He also mentioned that the “supply guys” were in trouble as well. We assume he means the 49th Quartermaster Group. As I said before he was under fire in the crashed plane and didn't have much time., He asked about an escape route towards the East and a town named Vigiolis. The officer on duty made an on the spot decision due to the precarious nature of Private Johnson’s situation. He told the private to have the M26 Pershings be a rear guard and the remainder of the command was to head east towards Vigiolis and then south to Objat. Then the radio went dead sir.”
“Jesus Christ!”

 

[h=1]Pentagon[/h]Washington DC
Lunch Room E
July 25th
11:53 hours

“I just heard about the 20th Armored being cut off. What's the latest news?”
“We got nothing on the 20th itself, but a good portion of the 49th logistic Group and over 75% of its supplies were captured. Over a million gallons of fuel and tons of supplies are now in the Reds hands. Plus they got over 2500 new duces, and we're without our logistics experts and a **** load of grease monkeys. They really hit the jackpot with this one. Losing the bulk of the 49th is worse than losing the 20th.”
“Jesus what was Green thinking? I suppose he just wanted to get his boys some real combat time on his terms and didn't see the whole picture. Man all those brand new M26 Pershing's and Greyhound armored cars.”
“I heard those Pershing's are not doing so well. The complaints are coming in hot and heavy about how unreliable they are and how under powered. They can't get where they want to go fast enough and don't do so hot once they get there. They got to be better than the Stuarts though. At least they can take a hit or two before blowing up. Gives the crew a chance to fight back and escape if need be.”
“Well for sure the Reds are going to be celebrating tonight. They're going to have a lot of equipment to study and test out. I wish we could get our hands on some of those new Soviet jobs. I heard the S2 is a monster and the T44 takes a beating. The T34 is still creating most of our headaches though. Man those things are fast and tough. Wish we had a few hundred.”

 

NATO HQ
London England
“Well what's the butcher's bill Tom?”
“The 20th has about 4967 survivors so far. Most of their equipment is lost, and the men are dragging their tails behind them. It seems the Reds really did a number on them. Similar to Kasserine Pass.”
“Damn it! I told Green not to get flanked. That just shows what would have happened to all of us if we had tried to take a stand at the Rhine or even the Loire. We just don't have enough troops to cover the line. **** the Reds are like a bunch of army ants. Crawling all over the place and leaving nothing behind. You stand in their way, and you get surrounded and eaten alive.”
“Did you see that poor bastard Green on the front page of Pravda? Whoa did he look like a licked puppy.”
“Hell prison camp is too good for the bastard. **** we had to use the 101st to fill in the line. We had some plans for those jump happy jokers and now that's out the window thanks to "General Fighting Mark Green". That's what the idiot referred to himself in front of his staff..."Fighting Mark Green" Jesus what an *******.”
“Yeah and the ******* who just lost us half a division and all it's equipment. I saw the numbers and the reds now have their hands on 130 slightly used M26 Pershings. From what I heard they can have them. At least in a Stuart you can run. You can't even get those Pershings out of 2nd gear. I mean what is it with America and us building tanks that can't do the job.”
“I think it all stems from the mistakes made by General McNair and his Anti-tank doctrine. What he failed to realize is that it's rather easy to use mortars and artillery to suppress open top tank destroyers like the M10. I mean you can take it out with a hand grenade for crying out loud.”

 

Chapter 14​

The Patton is Born​

 

Pentagon
Washington, DC
Office of Robert P. Patterson
Secretary of War


“A Mr. Brandt to see you sir along with the honorable Sir Winston Churchill.”
“Did you say Churchill Jim? I didn't even know he was in the States much less Washington. For god’s sake send them in.”
“Good afternoon Mr. Secretary.”
“Good afternoon Sir Churchill and... Mr. Brandt is it? What may I do for you.”
“If I may I'll get right to the point Mr. Secretary.”
“Please do. I will say it's rather unusual for a Brit to rush into a conversation.”
“Sorry to be so abrupt old boy but Mr. Brandt has some vital information that may be of service to your fighting forces.”
“It's quite alright I prefer it if you Brits did move it along when it comes to .... how should I say it...coming to the point.
“Very well then. Mr. Brandt will take over from here.”
“Mr. Secretary it has become quite obvious that your new tank the Pershing M26 is not up to the task. We have received numerous reports of breakdowns, mechanical failures, being underpowered and the transmission has a faulty design. Its gun and armor are adequate for the task, but you can't get the bloody thing to the firing line. Because of its mechanical failures it is virtually immobile. It was a failed attempt, and I would argue that you must realize this now before it becomes critical later in the war.”
“I am well aware of the growing pains of the Pershing Mr. Brandt, but I fail to see what we can do about it in the short run.”
“May I interrupt for a second Mr. Secretary? I should have introduced Mr. Brandt earlier. He and his colleagues are responsible for the APCBC round for the 17lbr. I'm sure you have seen the reports that the combination of the Centurion Mark II and the APCBC round have been highly successful in stopping even the heaviest Soviet tanks. He knows what he is speaking of and I apologize for his rudeness, but engineers are not known for their diplomacy.”
“I do apologize for my outburst Mr. Secretary but I see a real crisis looming if you continue to field the M26. It is just not up to the task. It is highly susceptible to breaking down at the most inopportune moments. I understand that you just lost over a hundred due to their inability to extradite themselves from a Soviet trap. Is this not so?”
“Well yes it is Mr. Brandt and we are working on a solution, but I fail to see how this meeting will assist us with our problem unless you have a suggestion?”
“If I may Mr. Secretary I would like to suggest that you cease the manufacture of the Pershing immediately and concentrate on a proven design, one that has shown its effectiveness against the Soviet armor. I would suggest that you use the already present M26 on the defensive line that is forming and not use them for the upcoming mobile warfare operations that the future will require. If the Pershing is fairly stationary it can hold its own, but you must realize by now that it is not up to the task of a mobile operation. The Centurion is a well-rounded design that will with stand the rigors of a mobile warfare and unlike the Stuart can destroy a Soviet S2. The Pershing cannot and will not be able to fulfill the role needed in future operations.”
“So what you suggesting, Mr. Brandt, is that the US Army should abandon its own shitty tank design in favor of the British Centurion and your APCBC ordinance? Is that the gist of your visit here today Mr. Brandt?!?!?!?!?”
“Why yes Mr. Secretary I would concur with your most eloquent summary.”

 

Oval Office
White House
Washington D.C.

“Damn it Patterson why did I have to hear about this “conversation” through back channels! When Winston Churchill visits I want to know what he said before he leaves the room!”
“If I may Mr. President the idea was so preposterous that I didn’t think it warranted comment. I was trying to save Sir Winston from embarrassment. I mean the idea of us dumping an American weapon for a foreign designed one is …”
“Patterson listen and listen good. I will decide what is preposterous and what isn’t. Not you. Edgar fill Mr. Patterson in on the history of British American cooperation in the area of technology. I’ll give you a few hints Mr. Patterson. Every heard of the P51 Mustang?”
“Of course sir.”
“It was a bust until the Brits put a British Merlin engine in it. And it helped win the war.”
“How about the Liberty ship?”
“Ah yes sir.””
“Would you say it was important to winning the war?”
“Well of course Mr. President, but they were all made here in America by American workers from top to bottom. The British had nothing to do with their production or …”
“It was a British design! One that we saw was better than anything we had so we built it to win the war.
Edgar name some more for the Secretary.”
“Oh course Mr. President. Let’s see we used the 6lbr quite extensively. It was renamed the 57mm M1. The gyro gun sight, short wave radar, proximity fuze, Bangalore torpedo and of course they jump started our jet engine and Atomic bomb program. Then there’s plastic…”
“We get the idea Edgar. Here’s what we’re going to do. I want this war over with before winter of 1947. We need a tank now that can put down the Red jobs and be reliable. We have a lot of fast, mobile operations coming up, and the M26 Pershing is not up to the job. There is no time to figure out a replacement. I don’t have time to fool with our boys lives. We are going to take up the Brits on their offer, and we will shift production to the Centurion! I want it done now!”
“Sir the political fallout will be tremendous…”
“Bullshit! You didn’t even know about the Liberty ship being a Brit design and neither will the American public. Name the damn thing the … Patton. Make some minor cosmetic changes and get the right weapon in our fighting men’s hands for a change. I’m not suggesting … I’m ordering.”
“Yes sir Mr. President. Come to think of it I did hear that the current version with the 20mm was not working too well perhaps if we used a 50cal instead make a few cosmetic changes …”
“That’s the spirit Mr. Patterson. Remember the “Buck Stops Here” and I will not put our troops in needless danger. Am I understood Mr. Secretary?”
“Yes Mr. President.”

 

Pentagon
Washington DC
Lunch Room

“Heard the news?”
“What now?”
“The top brass is dropping the M26 and going with a Brit job.”
“No shit? Which one?
I think it's called the Sentry or Centurion or something like that. There making the switch like almost overnight. The Brits sent over engineers and designers, and they're gearing up in Detroit like no one's business. They've also decided to increase the numbers of the M36 Jackson. It's a fast son of a bitch. It can hit 50 in the straight away and packs a 90mm wallop. I guess the thinking is that the Centurion can go toe to toe with the Soviet heavies while the Jackson can out maneuver the bastards and act as a more mobile defense. Kind of like using the best of the best for grabbing em by the nose and hitting em in the rear.”
Patton would have liked that.”
Now that you mention it, I think I heard they're going to name the American version of the Centurion the Patton.”
“Huh. I wonder what made them change their mind so fast and act so decisively. It's very strange behavior for a bunch of top brass.”
“I heard Churchill had something to do with it plus the fact that the M26 is getting quite a nickname for itself anyway.”
“Yeah what're they calling it?”
“They're calling it the Pushing because you have to push em out of the way.”

 

Chapter 15​

Where Are the Americans?​

 

Central Group of Armies
Marshal Rokossovsky Quarters
July 12th, 1946
09:49 Hours

“We are having more and more contact with the Americans. Logic would dictate that they will try and make a stand soon if only to show their oppressed masses that they are trying to stop the all-conquering Red Army.”
“You can stop the communist rhetoric Nikolai, the commissar is not here. I think your assessment is correct. We must see if we can disrupt their plans. Send the OMSBON Operational Groups ahead and order them to press forward until they have passed through the mountains ahead. What is the name of that mountain range again?”
“The Pyrenees comrade.”
“Why can’t I ever remember that name? How much of an obstacle will they pose for our armored units?”
“They are a formidable barrier into Spain. They have not been tested since the days of Charlemagne. Their reputation has been enough to deter any invaders that contemplated an attack through them. Any modern armies would most certainly have used the relatively easier terrain on both coasts. I do recall an anti-Franco faction that tried a route through the middle of the mountains in late 1944. The name Vielha comes to mind.”
“Despite the small victory by the air force on the NATO battleships they will still be available near the coasts. Our flanks will always be in the flux if we make a major attack on either end of the Pyrenees. I have no doubt that we can accomplish our objectives but at a great cost.

Send a heavy reconnaissance force to this city of Vielha and see if the Americans have defended it yet. Give them as much air support as we can and let’s see what we are facing. If they can force their way through then be in position to follow up swiftly. If not then we will have to prepare general assault on the various other passes through the mountains. If these fail we will again have to figure out a way to neutralize the NATO navies and go around the flanks.”
“May I suggest comrade Marshal that we start operations in Italy and in Greece. Our allies are anxious to get their share of the spoils of war. Their knives are sharp and the Bulgarians are eager to make up for past deeds done by the Greeks. The Romanians will do whatever we ask of them. They want to please their Uncle Joe.”
“I personally hope the Turks give us reason to attack. My family owes them for what they did in the old times.
“Yes we all have those old wounds eh? Family stories about this massacre or that expulsion. It’s not easy to keep them all straight but we all seem to have them.”
“I will recommend that we begin operations in Italy and Greece but we must wait for the order to attack from the Kremlin. Stalin prefers to stay focused on the task at hand.

 

Swains Barber Shop
Ponder, TX
9:04 am
‘Hey Joe what do ya know?’
‘That gets real irritating after the first 10 years Ralphie!’
‘Ha, that’s why I do it. Well look who’s here the war hero. Hey Mr. Murphy how is civilian life treating you? All the girls flocking to touch your metals? Say kidding aside I really do want to thank you for what you did over there. Medal of Honor and all that. Pretty amazing. It must have been rough?’
‘It was just luck of the draw Ralphie. Just luck of the draw.’
‘I suppose. The bullet with your name on it just wasn’t made. I’m old enough now to join up. You think this dust up with the Reds will last long. I mean can’t we just bomb em to hell with our atomic bombs?’
‘I suspect we would have done it already Ralphie. I’m afraid there is bad news that we were just discussing when you busted in here. Walter Winchell is talking about a bombing raid that didn’t turn out so good. He’s claiming that we lost an atomic bomb and most of the bombers were shot down. He says his sources tell him the Reds have some kind of German Wonder Weapon for shooting down our bombers.’
‘Man, you’re kidding right? That’s just terrible news Mr. Murphy. What’re we going to do about it?’
‘Well Ralphie I’m joining up again. It looks like I have to show them how it’s done again.’
‘If you’re joining Mr. Murphy so am I! We’ll show em a thing or two together won’t we Mr. Murphy?’
‘I suppose you are old enough Ralphie but you better talk it over with your parents.’
‘Can I go with you to the recruiting office Mr. Murphy? It would sure be an honor to be with you when we sign up.’
‘All right it’s a deal Ralphie but you have to talk to your parents first.’
‘Oh alright but don’t sign up without me OK Mr. Murphy. Promise me now. Don’t sign up without me.’
‘OK Ralphie I promise.’
‘You sure you want to do this Audie? You’ve done your part. Maybe it’s time someone else stepped up for a change.’
‘I thought about that long and hard Joe. I think we have to get this over right fast and us Vets are the fastest way to get this done. The government spent lots of time and money into training us to kill Nazis and Nips. I guess that same training can be used to kill Reds too. Don’t worry we’ll probably be used for desk jobs and young guys like Ralphie will do the actual fighting. I suspect our experience makes us Vets pretty valuable for training these gungho youngsters who missed the last one. We’ll see but I do know that we have to take these guys real serious and it’s going to be a hard fight ahead of us. I don’t give a rats ass about the Germans but I got real fond of the French and Brits and it just doesn’t seem right that we leave em in a lurch and run away with our tail between our legs. As I see it this Stalin is maybe even worse than Hitler and I just can’t see us lying down and letting him undo everything we fought for. One dictator is the same as another. Besides if we leave him alone he’ll figure out a way to attack us I’m sure. From what I read he hates our way of freedom and the way we do business. Well I happen to like it myself and I’m going to see that we keep on keeping on.’

 

Flash

‘Good evening Mr. and Mrs. America from border to border and coast to coast and all the ships at sea. Let's go to press.
America’s greatest hero is going to show us how to do it again. Audie Murphy has re-enlisted and wants all the vets out there to join him.

According to Murphy “One dictator is the same as another. Besides if we leave Stalin alone and let him sit there in Paris… he’ll figure out a way to attack us I’m sure. From what I read he hates our freedom and the way we do business. Well I happen to like it myself and I’m going to see that we keep on keeping on.”
Amen Audie Amen.