Keynes' Cruisers

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    • fester


    June 17, 1941 Palmyra Atoll

    The small atoll was being heavily fortified. A Marine fighter squadron was due to operate from the freshly commissioned airfield by the end of August. The construction crews were still busy at work digging out protected oil tanks, air-raid bunkers, power plants and the numerous other requirements for a modern airbase. However today’s task was an all hands evolution. Coastal defense guns were being landed from a freighter in the lagoon. Battery Concord and Battery Danvers would provide the Marines with an incredibly heavy punch. The eight inch turrets were the after turrets from USS Lexington. One turret would cover the eastern edge of Cooper Island while Battery Danvers would cover the western edge of the airfield from its position on Bird Island.
     
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    June 19, 1941 north of Durham, North Carolina

    The pine forests gave way to tobacco fields. Eleven bombers increased their engine speeds and accelerated over the farmlands north of the major rail and tobacco hub of Durham. So far no fighters had been seen. The route had been chosen to dodge the known observer line and take advantage of a thin line of storms that were coming off the mountains.

    The B-26 squadron was operating as a unit for the first time this week. Until now, individual crews and sections had been able to acclimate themselves to the Maruader but they were rough flying as a squadron. Navigation was a challenge and they had only been able to fly the multiple dog-leg course because the Skipper’s navigator was top notch and everyone else could follow him. Eyes scanned the sky looking for P-39s and P-40s that should be defending North Carolina from northern aggression. None was seen. As the bombers entered Durham County, they made a 120 degree turn to fly almost due east. Duke University’s chapel was the initial point for the simulated attack on the rail yards. By now, in a real mission, anti-aircraft fire should have been shaking the bombers but the sky was tranquil.

    Four minutes later, the attack run was over. The bombers descended and decreased power to the throttles. They were heading home. As they headed home, they were jumped by half a dozen Aerocobras near the Virginia line.
     
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    June 20, 1941 North Atlantic, south of Iceland

    The old American dreadnought Texas lumbered through the waves. Her escorting destroyers prowled the perimeter of the force, scurrying to and fro, their sonars barking loudly underwater, lashing out for U-boats. The force had been at sea for a week, providing distant cover to the North Atlantic convoy routes.

    Unknown to the guard dogs of the Atlantic trade, they were being stalked as well. U-203 had achieved a tenable firing solution a few minutes ago after a three hour stalk. Four torpedoes pierced the sea from 2,900 yards away. The American destroyers did not see the tracks, the American battleship was unaware as she began a gentle turn to port in order to return to Iceland. Three torpedoes clearly missed the battle wagon’s stern. The last torpedo had a true course but its warhead failed to explode when it struck near the aft magazines.

    The clang of a dud torpedo hit was heard throughout the ship. Men raced to general quarters and engineering parties confirmed that there was no visible damage as she lumbered to flank speed. Two destroyers stayed behind and prosecuted what they thought was a contact. Post war records would show that U-203 was never closer than three miles from the depth charge attacks. A pod of whales took significant damage from the enthusiastic prosecution of possible contacts.
     
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    June 20, 1941 Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina

    Both light cruisers of the French Indochinese squadron lazily drifted at anchor. They were moving slowly with the tides. The squadron was small and powerful for its size but it could not hold against any foreign power in Southeast Asia. Even the Dutch could probably take the squadron. It did not matter. They were presence and being present was what their mission called for.

    Intelligence officers had been hearing rumors that the Japanese were making prepartions to move south. Some of this was from the diplomats, some of it was from careful observations, some of the information was from informers, stevedores and whores in Haiphong. The colonial government would not have the means to resist the Japanese. If France had not fallen, a few divisions of troops would have been long on the way to reinforce the Tonkin garrison but those divisions were now mining coal and pulling up turnips in German camps. They were on their own.

    The officers of the squadron had been having talks with each other to decide as to what to do next. They were loyal to France but what France? Was it the France of Vichy that could not give them the means to defend themselves? Was it the France of de Gaulle and his band of rebels which were still allied with the British Empire? The conversations happened over wine, the conversations happened on long overnight watches, the conversations were slowly boiling throughout the small fleet.

    By now, the consensus was clear. They would stay for as long as possible but if the Japanese occupied more of the colony, the ships that could put to sea would put to sea with as many evacuees as possible and head to Singapore and then Reunion. The squadron would not emulate the battleships that were rusting in Toulon’s harbor.
     
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    • Story 0650 --- Start of Barbarossa --- end of Volume 2
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    • fester


    June 21, 1941 0500 Along the Polish General Government and Ukrainian Border

    The scout company on motorcycles and armored cars started to move forward. They were going around the border crossing guard station and sought to seize a crossroads 15 miles behind the border before lunch time. Overhead most of an air fleet was forming up as raids were planned all along the front. Thirty seconds later than the young officer expected, the entire western horizon went white as the earth shook and artillery fired.


    End Volume 2
     
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    • fester

    I think Volume 3 will be June 21 1941 until the end of the initial Japanese offensive phase. I have a good idea of what I am doing with the US, UK, Free French, and Dutch campaigns.

    I am going to take a bit of time to plot out the opening phases of the invasion of the Soviet Union. German logistics are a bit better due to less activity in North Africa and the preservation of their heavy transport force from not engaging Operation Mercury to seize Crete.
     

    Palantir

    fester said:
    I think Volume 3 will be June 21 1941 until the end of the initial Japanese offensive phase. I have a good idea of what I am doing with the US, UK, Free French, and Dutch campaigns.

    I am going to take a bit of time to plot out the opening phases of the invasion of the Soviet Union. German logistics are a bit better due to less activity in North Africa and the preservation of their heavy transport force from not engaging Operation Mercury to seize Crete.
    Click to expand...

    Really nice story so far!
    Don't forget that the main problem for the german logitics were the huge number of truck types in their inventory (and differents spare parts). That and the distance and bad roads.
     

    merlin

    It'll be interesting to see what targets you use German Parachutists for - coup-de-main on Riga, in advance of the Panzer spearheads, or to hold a prized area newly sized by the panzers to enable them to continue rather than wait for the infantry. Or used to seize a Russian hard runway airfield?
     

    Unknown

    So it begins...wonder how it'll go ITTL...

    BTW, Germany got lucky that the torpedo that hit Texas was a dud; if not, then relations with the US would have gotten worse (if it didn't lead to war itself, IMO)...
     

    Draconis

    Unknown said:
    So it begins...wonder how it'll go ITTL...

    BTW, Germany got lucky that the torpedo that hit Texas was a dud; if not, then relations with the US would have gotten worse (if it didn't lead to war itself, IMO)...
    Click to expand...

    A dud torpedo hit right by the aft magazine. Wasn't only the Germans who were lucky.
     

    ATP45

    Banned
    fester said:
    Two or three battleships, half a dozen cruisers, maybe 20 destroyers and a dozen submarines or so.
    Click to expand...
    According to "Bloody Schambles" vol2,CW21 was better than Bufallo,and both was better than Hurricane.At least that was opinion of dutch pilots,who gets Hurricane in 1942 after flying Buffallo or CW21.
     

    Butchpfd

    fester said:
    June 20, 1941 North Atlantic, south of Iceland

    The old American dreadnought Texas lumbered through the waves. Her escorting destroyers prowled the perimeter of the force, scurrying to and fro, their sonars barking loudly underwater, lashing out for U-boats. The force had been at sea for a week, providing distant cover to the North Atlantic convoy routes.

    Unknown to the guard dogs of the Atlantic trade, they were being stalked as well. U-203 had achieved a tenable firing solution a few minutes ago after a three hour stalk. Four torpedoes pierced the sea from 2,900 yards away. The American destroyers did not see the tracks, the American battleship was unaware as she began a gentle turn to port in order to return to Iceland. Three torpedoes clearly missed the battle wagon’s stern. The last torpedo had a true course but its warhead failed to explode when it struck near the aft magazines.

    The clang of a dud torpedo hit was heard throughout the ship. Men raced to general quarters and engineering parties confirmed that there was no visible damage as she lumbered to flank speed. Two destroyers stayed behind and prosecuted what they thought was a contact. Post war records would show that U-203 was never closer than three miles from the depth charge attacks. A pod of whales took significant damage from the enthusiastic prosecution of possible contacts.
    Click to expand...

    There would have been no doubt that this was a deliberate attack. There was no way the German Captain could not have been able to tell that this was an American Battleship. If even one torpedo had hit and exploded the isolationists would have lost any semblance of infulence.
     

    torten

    fester said:
    June 20, 1941 Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina

    Both light cruisers of the French Indochinese squadron lazily drifted at anchor. They were moving slowly with the tides. The squadron was small and powerful for its size but it could not hold against any foreign power in Southeast Asia. Even the Dutch could probably take the squadron. It did not matter. They were presence and being present was what their mission called for.

    By now, the consensus was clear. They would stay for as long as possible but if the Japanese occupied more of the colony, the ships that could put to sea would put to sea with as many evacuees as possible and head to Singapore and then Reunion. The squadron would not emulate the battleships that were rusting in Toulon’s harbor.
    Click to expand...

    But will they get any further than Singapore? Two light cruisers might be very useful for the British Eastern fleet, and I somewhat doubt they have the fuel to get to Reunion, and I can't see anyone selling, nor can I see the French having the money to buy.

    What is HMS Montcalm up to?
     
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