Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Mar 19, 2019 2:15:38 GMT
When the German War machine has been defeated, another one, namely the soviet War Machine which still occupies East Poland remains.
I must admit I'm doubtful that would be a problem the allies are willing to face unless Stalin does something stupid. There does seem to be some war weariness in Canada already and the European allies are probably not too eager for a prolonged war deep into Soviet Russia, while their also aware they might have to face the Japanese yet. If Stalin refuses to withdraw from eastern Poland - possibly also the areas occupied if the winter war still occurred, can't remember if it did, they might be willing to go to war to drive him from that region but it wouldn't be easy and if he refuses to make peace are they going to be willing to march to Moscow or possibly further east? Its possible given the initial reaction to the German invasion OTL, that the Soviet empire might collapse with massive internal unrest but would the allies be willing to rely on that happening?
If there is a military confrontation between the West and Stalinist Russia, I wonder if it'd probably wind up analogous to the Gulf War--with the former standing in for the US-led coalition and the latter standing in for Saddam's Iraq, of course. Certainly, Canada would play a decisive role in such a clash. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 19, 2019 9:42:57 GMT
I must admit I'm doubtful that would be a problem the allies are willing to face unless Stalin does something stupid. There does seem to be some war weariness in Canada already and the European allies are probably not too eager for a prolonged war deep into Soviet Russia, while their also aware they might have to face the Japanese yet. If Stalin refuses to withdraw from eastern Poland - possibly also the areas occupied if the winter war still occurred, can't remember if it did, they might be willing to go to war to drive him from that region but it wouldn't be easy and if he refuses to make peace are they going to be willing to march to Moscow or possibly further east? Its possible given the initial reaction to the German invasion OTL, that the Soviet empire might collapse with massive internal unrest but would the allies be willing to rely on that happening?
If there is a military confrontation between the West and Stalinist Russia, I wonder if it'd probably wind up analogous to the Gulf War--with the former standing in for the US-led coalition and the latter standing in for Saddam's Iraq, of course. Certainly, Canada would play a decisive role in such a clash.
Possibly but you would really need a couple of years at least and a lot of expensive military spending for the allies to absorb some of Canada's technology to have the sort of military edge that the alliance had over Saddam in the either of the wars with him. You might get the military spending as neither Britain or France would be willing to be left too far behind, especially with the amount of industrial espionage that would be going on but whether there would be a willingness for a possibly very big war then I don't know.
The exception might be if Canada helps in the production of early nukes. It might take a sample explosion, possibly somewhere in the wastes of Siberia but that's the one thing that is likely to make Stalin back down over the border with Poland. You would still need to accept his continued rule of the Soviet Union else he would fight to the death regardless.
Steve
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Post by redrobin65 on Mar 28, 2019 1:43:11 GMT
Allied officers had been well aware that the Germans would attempt to push forward in the Netherlands for some time now. They couldn’t cross the Rhine, so retaking some Dutch territory was their only viable option. The Wehrmacht knew this. Though they had taken heavy losses, the German Army and the SS still had some fight left in them. Flagging civilian and military morale needed to be restored. The overall goal for Operation NORDHAMMER was to push the assorted British, Belgian, and Dutch forces back to the Rhine. Artillery and ammunition were shipped forward under the cover of darkness, which even then was not a guarantee of safety. The Kriegsmarine, which had been hiding in port since April, would attempt to distract the Allied navies.
NORDHAMMER was centered around the German Eleventh Army. Composed from a mix of brand-new and veteran divisions, the Eleventh Army was lavishly equipped…compared to many other German field armies. While the logistics troops had done their best, the Eleventh Army could have done with more artillery, air defence units, and ammunition in general. While tanks were in short supply, the Heer still wanted them for this operation. The 8th Panzer Division would take part, much to the ire of Generals on the other side of the Rhine who wanted to save them for the inevitable Allied offensive. The Allies had not been sitting around and twiddling their thumbs. The veteran forces who had fought in the earlier months received plenty of supplies and reinforcements. German supply convoys were heavily bombed, but the Allies were ready to meet NORDHAMMER.
The battle began on October 16th, 1940. The artillery opened up all over the line as German troops advanced. In hindsight, the Heer was probably asking the Luftwaffe for more than it could deliver. Goering’s pilots suffered grievous losses while doing their best to support the troops on the ground.
The German 28th Infantry Division clashed with the Belgian 4th Division near the little town of Kamperveen. Though “no man’s land” was a short distance to cross in this area, countless German troops were mown down by machine guns in a scene that would be very familiar to any veterans of the Great War. The first line of Belgian trenches was overrun by 0830, but the second held firm for the time being. Germans and Belgians fought each other in close quarters with anything they could get their hands on: rifles, pistols, knives, clubs, rocks, even swords. By noon, the Germans had managed to force the Belgians from their second line of trenches. However, an attempt to take the third line failed with heavy losses and was followed up with a Belgian counterattack. Infantry supported by a squadron of armoured cars engaged the Germans in a fierce fight to retake the second line of trenches. The Belgians managed to do this but failed to retake the first line.
A similar situation occurred outside Apeldoorn, with British and German troops engaging in close quarters, no-holds-barred fighting. Thousands of German soldiers were killed in suicidal charges against machine guns; charges which their fathers would recognize. The British suffered as well, enduring attack after attack, being pushed from trenches and retaking them hours or days later, and participating in a grinding war of attrition.
British troops fighting in a small Dutch Village.
The area to the north of Arnhem was the site of a huge tank battle. The German 8th Panzer Division smashed into the British 2nd Armoured Division with the aim of breaking that formation, which was not an easy task. Panzer IIIs and IVs clashed with Valentines and Crusaders. Tanks from both sides found themselves bogged down in the wet terrain, but they kept on fighting. The landscape was dotted with muzzle flashes and burning vehicles. The 2nd Armoured Division was well equipped and well supplied. The Germans, on the other hand, lacked adequate amounts of fuel and spare parts. Eventually, the 8th Panzer was forced back to their start lines by a British counter-attack.
The events of NORDHAMMER’s first day would be repeated over and over again. German troops would attack and endure several counterattacks which often dislodged them from their positions. It was like the Great War all over again! To top it all off, supply convoys in Germany and the occupied Netherlands were constantly being pummeled from the air. Supplies did get through, but not near the required amount.
Moreover, the weather was making operations difficult for both sides. Rain made the ground wet and muddy, making the movement of vehicles challenging. In scenes reminiscent of Passchendaele, men, wounded, or not, were dragged down screaming beneath the mud. It was a miserable time for all who were involved. Cold temperatures ensured that soldiers would need gloves and other winter equipment much earlier than expected. Many men would feel frostbite’s chilly hand.
Unlike the Wehrmacht, the Allies could afford to send reinforcements to the Netherlands. The Germans were forced to keep millions of men on the Rhine, in Poland, and in their interior. The French IX Corps arrived on October 19th, joined by the British VII Corps two days later.
Canadian aircraft had played a large role in defeating the Luftwaffe contribution to the German offensive and had left supply columns in ruins. The RCN participated in the destruction of the Kriegsmarine as a fighting force in late October. However, the government and high command felt that Canadian troops should be on the ground in the Netherlands, defeating the latest Nazi attack. It was undesirable to withdraw any Canadian troops from the Rhine when they were still facing artillery and commando attacks, so other troops needed to be sent.
The 20th Light Brigade-Group arrived in Belgium on October 23rd. After waiting for its equipment to arrive, the Brigade moved north into the Netherlands, taking over a section of the line near Emst from the British 157th Infantry Brigade. 20CLBG consisted of four light infantry battalions with a regiment of attached light artillery. While some officers and NCOs had seen action in Afghanistan or even Kosovo, the majority of the troops here were untested.
On October 29th, artillery opened up while jets bombed German positions. Led by the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, the Canadians advanced into a hail of fire. The SS Der Fuhrer Regiment had been instructed to make the Allies pay with blood, which they did. Fighting in the cold, wet streets of Emst against a fanatical enemy, the Canadians slowly advanced, taking serious casualties. B Company, 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment was nearly wiped out taking a series of little streets from German troops. Excessive amounts of Canadian blood would stain the streets of Emst. When the last remnants of the Der Fuhrer Regiment were cornered and annihilated near the town square, Emst was in ruins and 235 Canadians were dead.
The Germans were forced to call off Operation NORDHAMMER on November 11th. All of their minuscule gains had been reversed. Their supply routes were in ruins, hundreds of vehicles had been destroyed, thousands of artillery shells had been used up, and they had nothing to show for it but 65,000 casualties. The Allies had suffered 30,000 casualties, but they had the population and the troops to replace those losses. Germany did not.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 28, 2019 4:07:03 GMT
On October 29th, artillery opened up while jets bombed German positions. Led by the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, the Canadians advanced into a hail of fire. The SS Der Fuhrer Regiment had been instructed to make the Allies pay with blood, which they did. Fighting in the cold, wet streets of Emst against a fanatical enemy, the Canadians slowly advanced, taking serious casualties. B Company, 1st Battalion, The Perth Regiment was nearly wiped out taking a series of little streets from German troops. Excessive amounts of Canadian blood would stain the streets of Emst. When the last remnants of the Der Fuhrer Regiment were cornered and annihilated near the town square, Emst was in ruins and 235 Canadians were dead. The Germans were forced to call off Operation NORDHAMMER on November 11th. All of their minuscule gains had been reversed. Their supply routes were in ruins, hundreds of vehicles had been destroyed, thousands of artillery shells had been used up, and they had nothing to show for it but 65,000 casualties. The Allies had suffered 30,000 casualties, but they had the population and the troops to replace those losses. Germany did not. [/font] [/quote] First a great update redrobin65, second those 235 death Canadian soldiers must be a huge number compared to other battles the Canadians fought so far. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 28, 2019 9:45:35 GMT
RedRobin65
Would agree with Lordroel. Good update, a really draining encounter for the Germans and the 'large' by their standards Canadian losses is likely to sting in Ottawa, with possibly significant impacts.
The Germans have lost more, especially in terms of equipment and experienced men they will have difficulty replacing. Don't think the German population of the Reich is that much if any smaller than that of Britain and France, at least ignoring imperial populations, but their probably facing growing problems getting recruits and as you say need to garrison occupied Poland and guard against the Soviets.
It should help in the longer term as it sounds like the Germans have used up some of their best units in fruitless attacks which will weaken them, especially possibly in morale which is no doubt being made worse by the Supreme Leader screaming his anger at the 'failure' of the army and its personnel to achieve his aims.
It sounds like the Canadian politicians made a mistake in sending relatively inexperienced and lightly equipped forces into such a savage encounter rather than giving them some experience in a relatively quiet section of the front. Hopefully there won't be too much anti-war feeling but it does make a successor war against the Soviets even less likely unless Stalin does something really stupid.
Steve
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Zyobot
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Post by Zyobot on Mar 28, 2019 16:11:27 GMT
Good update on the progress of the war thus far. Though both sides have incurred considerable losses, one is by and large suffering way more than the other--and its luck is about to get leaps and bounds worse. I am, of course, referring to the increasingly pressured Third Reich. It may have been discussed or even expounded upon before, but what are the Great White North's post-War plans? Obviously, they'll win sooner or later, but the aftermath of the conflict that won't last too much longer is another problem entirely.
Switching gears away from military matters, how goes life on the home front? And what of Canada's relations with non-Axis nations, i.e. the United States and/or Great Britain?
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Post by redrobin65 on Mar 28, 2019 16:26:11 GMT
It may have been discussed or even expounded upon before, but what are the Great White North's post-War plans? I won't reveal too much, but let's just say that a good amount will backfire. Switching gears away from military matters, how goes life on the home front? And what of Canada's relations with non-Axis nations, i.e. the United States and/or Great Britain? The home front is improving, with jobs slowly being created. Trade with America is a necessity, and a reasonable amount of it has occured. Ties with the British are important because of their participation in the war and their economic/military power, although there are disagreements over colonial policy. |
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Post by redrobin65 on Mar 28, 2019 21:40:49 GMT
The evening of October 18th started like any other. Fishermen were doing their best to avoid the hundreds of mines laid by the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, fighting was raging in the Netherlands, and aircraft flew about doing their patrols.
If anyone was observing the Kattegat from Jutland, they would be able to see grey shapes moving through the thin fog. The Kriegsmarine had been devastated in Operation WESERUBUNG, but they were back out now, hoping to interdict Allied shipping and hopefully destroy a few warships too. Led by the battleship Bismarck, the German task force included the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, light cruisers Konigsberg, Nurnberg, and Leipzig, destroyers Wolfgang Zenker, Hermann Schoemann, Erich Koellner, and Z25. They were joined by a dozen minesweepers and submarine chasers.
As the task force steamed forwards, Allied ships moved into the area. The British, French, Canadians, and Norwegians would all contribute ships to the large flotilla dedicated to stopping the Germans from breaking out of the Baltic. The aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Illustrious, battleships Warspite, Queen Elizabeth, Nelson, Repulse and Richelieu, heavy cruisers York, Algerie, and Norfolk, light cruisers Leander, Neptune, Fiji, Kenya, and Emile Bertin along with the destroyers Eger, Cossack, Eskimo, Tartar, Ashanti, Lookout, Loyal, and Legion as well as the frigates Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver, and Charlottetown. Backed up by land-based airpower, the Allied task force was a serious threat to the Germans and would have to be either avoided or eliminated.
Vice-Admiral Gunther Lutjens aboard the Bismarck chose the former. He would attempt to guide his ships through the minefields and as far away from the Norwegian coast as possible. He aimed to sneak past the Allied patrols under the cover of darkness and bring them through the North and Norwegian Seas and around Iceland to strike into the Atlantic. He wasn’t completely sure how, or if, they could return to Germany even if most of the mission went according to plan. Hitler had demanded that the Navy “stop lying around in port and help to defend the Fatherland.” This was a poorly-planned suicide mission and everyone knew it. Nonetheless, they would do what they could.
The task force was spotted in the Skagerrak near the tip of Jutland. Skua bombers and Swordfish torpedo-bombers from HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal flew into a hail of anti-aircraft fire. Though taking losses, the British aircraft pressed home their attacks. No torpedoes hit anything, but the destroyer Z25 was hit and damaged by a bomb while the minesweeper R11 was sunk.
Five CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft had taken off from an airbase near Sola in Norway. Each was loaded up with four Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which they fired when they got close enough. Twenty missiles raced through the air towards the German ships. One suffered a major targeting error when it plunged into the sea, but the remaining nineteen continued onwards.
Prinz Eugen was hit by four missiles and sank with 1,228 men still onboard. The light cruiser Nurnberg was sunk when three Harpoons slammed into the ship, causing one of her magazines to detonate. Her sister Leipzig was hit once and suffered major engine damage, reducing her speed to just five knots. Four missiles found destroyers to smack into, with Z25 being finished off and Wolfgang Zenker, Hermann Schoemann and Erich Koellner being lost with all hands. Finally, no less than seven Harpoons slammed into the armour-belt and superstructure of the Bismarck, setting her on fire and killing the overwhelming majority of the crew who were above deck (including Vice-Admiral Lutjens and the rest of the bridge crew).
Allied warships closed into the shattered German task force. Nine of the eleven remaining minesweepers and submarine chasers went down while the remaining three fled home with survivors from some of the sunken ships aboard. The crippled Leipzig was sunk by gunfire from HMS Fiji and HMS Leander while four Harpoons from HMCS Vancouver slammed into the Konigsberg. Bismarck was alone now, and as the sun set, her burning form was an easy target. 15 and 16-inch shells slammed into her, inflicting heavy damage. Two more Harpoons hit her superstructure while destroyers closed in. Five torpedoes from HMS Ashanti, HMS Cossack, and HMS Lookout tore massive holes in her hull. Finally, the Bismarck rolled over and sank, signaling the destruction of the Kriegsmarine as an effective fighting force.
XD2I6UN25NCB3FDNSHDUNFDIH4.jfif (38.95 KB)
HMCS Vancouver launches a Harpoon missile.
This was hailed by the Allied press as a second Trafalgar, and rightfully so. All remaining major German surface combatants were destroyed along with thousands of trained sailors. The following morning, Allied aircraft attacked Cuxhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, and Konigsberg. More than 20 destroyers, minesweepers, submarine chasers, and other small ships were sunk.
It was safe to say that the Kriegsmarine would not be playing a significant role for the rest of the war.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Mar 28, 2019 21:56:46 GMT
The evening of October 18th started like any other. Fishermen were doing their best to avoid the hundreds of mines laid by the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, fighting was raging in the Netherlands, and aircraft flew about doing their patrols.
If anyone was observing the Kattegat from Jutland, they would be able to see grey shapes moving through the thin fog. The Kriegsmarine had been devastated in Operation WESERUBUNG, but they were back out now, hoping to interdict Allied shipping and hopefully destroy a few warships too. Led by the battleship Bismarck, the German task force included the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, light cruisers Konigsberg, Nurnberg, and Leipzig, destroyers Wolfgang Zenker, Hermann Schoemann, Erich Koellner, and Z25. They were joined by a dozen minesweepers and submarine chasers.
As the task force steamed forwards, Allied ships moved into the area. The British, French, Canadians, and Norwegians would all contribute ships to the large flotilla dedicated to stopping the Germans from breaking out of the Baltic. The aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Illustrious, battleships Warspite, Queen Elizabeth, Nelson, Repulse and Richelieu, heavy cruisers York, Algerie, and Norfolk, light cruisers Leander, Neptune, Fiji, Kenya, and Emile Bertin along with the destroyers Eger, Cossack, Eskimo, Tartar, Ashanti, Lookout, Loyal, and Legion as well as the frigates Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver, and Charlottetown. Backed up by land-based airpower, the Allied task force was a serious threat to the Germans and would have to be either avoided or eliminated.
Vice-Admiral Gunther Lutjens aboard the Bismarck chose the former. He would attempt to guide his ships through the minefields and as far away from the Norwegian coast as possible. He aimed to sneak past the Allied patrols under the cover of darkness and bring them through the North and Norwegian Seas and around Iceland to strike into the Atlantic. He wasn’t completely sure how, or if, they could return to Germany even if most of the mission went according to plan. Hitler had demanded that the Navy “stop lying around in port and help to defend the Fatherland.” This was a poorly-planned suicide mission and everyone knew it. Nonetheless, they would do what they could.
The task force was spotted in the Skagerrak near the tip of Jutland. Skua bombers and Swordfish torpedo-bombers from HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal flew into a hail of anti-aircraft fire. Though taking losses, the British aircraft pressed home their attacks. No torpedoes hit anything, but the destroyer Z25 was hit and damaged by a bomb while the minesweeper R11 was sunk.
Five CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft had taken off from an airbase near Sola in Norway. Each was loaded up with four Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which they fired when they got close enough. Twenty missiles raced through the air towards the German ships. One suffered a major targeting error when it plunged into the sea, but the remaining nineteen continued onwards.
Prinz Eugen was hit by four missiles and sank with 1,228 men still onboard. The light cruiser Nurnberg was sunk when three Harpoons slammed into the ship, causing one of her magazines to detonate. Her sister Leipzig was hit once and suffered major engine damage, reducing her speed to just five knots. Four missiles found destroyers to smack into, with Z25 being finished off and Wolfgang Zenker, Hermann Schoemann and Erich Koellner being lost with all hands. Finally, no less than seven Harpoons slammed into the armour-belt and superstructure of the Bismarck, setting her on fire and killing the overwhelming majority of the crew who were above deck (including Vice-Admiral Lutjens and the rest of the bridge crew).
Allied warships closed into the shattered German task force. Nine of the eleven remaining minesweepers and submarine chasers went down while the remaining three fled home with survivors from some of the sunken ships aboard. The crippled Leipzig was sunk by gunfire from HMS Fiji and HMS Leander while four Harpoons from HMCS Vancouver slammed into the Konigsberg. Bismarck was alone now, and as the sun set, her burning form was an easy target. 15 and 16-inch shells slammed into her, inflicting heavy damage. Two more Harpoons hit her superstructure while destroyers closed in. Five torpedoes from HMS Ashanti, HMS Cossack, and HMS Lookout tore massive holes in her hull. Finally, the Bismarck rolled over and sank, signaling the destruction of the Kriegsmarine as an effective fighting force.
View Attachment
HMCS Vancouver launches a Harpoon missile.
This was hailed by the Allied press as a second Trafalgar, and rightfully so. All remaining major German surface combatants were destroyed along with thousands of trained sailors. The following morning, Allied aircraft attacked Cuxhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, and Konigsberg. More than 20 destroyers, minesweepers, submarine chasers, and other small ships were sunk.
It was safe to say that the Kriegsmarine would not be playing a significant role for the rest of the war. Nice, two updates in less then a couple of days,you are spoiling us redrobin65. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 29, 2019 0:03:24 GMT
The evening of October 18th started like any other. Fishermen were doing their best to avoid the hundreds of mines laid by the Kriegsmarine and the Royal Navy, fighting was raging in the Netherlands, and aircraft flew about doing their patrols.
If anyone was observing the Kattegat from Jutland, they would be able to see grey shapes moving through the thin fog. The Kriegsmarine had been devastated in Operation WESERUBUNG, but they were back out now, hoping to interdict Allied shipping and hopefully destroy a few warships too. Led by the battleship Bismarck, the German task force included the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, light cruisers Konigsberg, Nurnberg, and Leipzig, destroyers Wolfgang Zenker, Hermann Schoemann, Erich Koellner, and Z25. They were joined by a dozen minesweepers and submarine chasers.
As the task force steamed forwards, Allied ships moved into the area. The British, French, Canadians, and Norwegians would all contribute ships to the large flotilla dedicated to stopping the Germans from breaking out of the Baltic. The aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Illustrious, battleships Warspite, Queen Elizabeth, Nelson, Repulse and Richelieu, heavy cruisers York, Algerie, and Norfolk, light cruisers Leander, Neptune, Fiji, Kenya, and Emile Bertin along with the destroyers Eger, Cossack, Eskimo, Tartar, Ashanti, Lookout, Loyal, and Legion as well as the frigates Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver, and Charlottetown. Backed up by land-based airpower, the Allied task force was a serious threat to the Germans and would have to be either avoided or eliminated.
Vice-Admiral Gunther Lutjens aboard the Bismarck chose the former. He would attempt to guide his ships through the minefields and as far away from the Norwegian coast as possible. He aimed to sneak past the Allied patrols under the cover of darkness and bring them through the North and Norwegian Seas and around Iceland to strike into the Atlantic. He wasn’t completely sure how, or if, they could return to Germany even if most of the mission went according to plan. Hitler had demanded that the Navy “stop lying around in port and help to defend the Fatherland.” This was a poorly-planned suicide mission and everyone knew it. Nonetheless, they would do what they could.
The task force was spotted in the Skagerrak near the tip of Jutland. Skua bombers and Swordfish torpedo-bombers from HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal flew into a hail of anti-aircraft fire. Though taking losses, the British aircraft pressed home their attacks. No torpedoes hit anything, but the destroyer Z25 was hit and damaged by a bomb while the minesweeper R11 was sunk.
Five CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft had taken off from an airbase near Sola in Norway. Each was loaded up with four Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which they fired when they got close enough. Twenty missiles raced through the air towards the German ships. One suffered a major targeting error when it plunged into the sea, but the remaining nineteen continued onwards.
Prinz Eugen was hit by four missiles and sank with 1,228 men still onboard. The light cruiser Nurnberg was sunk when three Harpoons slammed into the ship, causing one of her magazines to detonate. Her sister Leipzig was hit once and suffered major engine damage, reducing her speed to just five knots. Four missiles found destroyers to smack into, with Z25 being finished off and Wolfgang Zenker, Hermann Schoemann and Erich Koellner being lost with all hands. Finally, no less than seven Harpoons slammed into the armour-belt and superstructure of the Bismarck, setting her on fire and killing the overwhelming majority of the crew who were above deck (including Vice-Admiral Lutjens and the rest of the bridge crew).
Allied warships closed into the shattered German task force. Nine of the eleven remaining minesweepers and submarine chasers went down while the remaining three fled home with survivors from some of the sunken ships aboard. The crippled Leipzig was sunk by gunfire from HMS Fiji and HMS Leander while four Harpoons from HMCS Vancouver slammed into the Konigsberg. Bismarck was alone now, and as the sun set, her burning form was an easy target. 15 and 16-inch shells slammed into her, inflicting heavy damage. Two more Harpoons hit her superstructure while destroyers closed in. Five torpedoes from HMS Ashanti, HMS Cossack, and HMS Lookout tore massive holes in her hull. Finally, the Bismarck rolled over and sank, signaling the destruction of the Kriegsmarine as an effective fighting force.
HMCS Vancouver launches a Harpoon missile.
This was hailed by the Allied press as a second Trafalgar, and rightfully so. All remaining major German surface combatants were destroyed along with thousands of trained sailors. The following morning, Allied aircraft attacked Cuxhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, and Konigsberg. More than 20 destroyers, minesweepers, submarine chasers, and other small ships were sunk.
It was safe to say that the Kriegsmarine would not be playing a significant role for the rest of the war. Nice, two updates in less then a couple of days,you are spoiling us redrobin65 .
Agreed. Excellent story development but almost feel sorry for Lutjens and the German sailors as that was far more of a suicide mission than he realised with the allied advantage in terms of code-breaking and radar, let alone the lethally of some of the Canadian weapons. Even a single modern hunter-killer sub would be very dangerous if it could get into an advantageous position despite the shallowness of the water, against WWII opponents. A vicious waste of trained manpower by Hitler but then the Herr and the Luftwaffe have already found that out.
Can't remember what has happened so far in the north. IIRC Norway was defended but presumably Denmark is in German hands. Did the winter war occur or was Stalin deterred by the sudden arrival of the 2018 Canadians? Wondering if, especially given the shattering of the German surface fleet there is the opportunity to base subs or a/c in the Baltic, possibly persuading Finland to supply a base in return for allied protection - yes I'm looking at you Stalin - or even bringing Sweden out of neutrality. Although other than denying Germany Sweden's raw materials there might not be much to interdict so might not be worthwhile.
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Post by redrobin65 on Apr 10, 2019 2:01:58 GMT
November 24th, Edmonton, Alberta
Jesse Rezarian was not in a good mood.
For one, there was construction on the street that was a crucial part of her route to the University. This meant that the bus would take a detour that added 40 minutes to her commute, forcing her to leave early in an attempt to catch an earlier bus. Secondly, she had a bit of a cold, which was never something that anyone wanted. Still, it was better to go out and face the world than to hide inside.
At least it probably won’t get worse, thought the student as she turned on the television. Flipping through the stations, she settled on a weather channel. The presenter was showing a province-wide forecast.
“And here, we can see that the Shift winters will be very brutal! Calgary is at -36C right now; that’ll go down to -40C tonight. Red Deer is at -39C, Lethbridge -35C, Medicine Hat -33C, Banff -42C. Oh, and people in Edmonton will want to put on a few extra layers today. Right now, the temperature here is -41C, but it’ll be -48C by noon. The city has issued an Extreme Cold Warning…”
The student groaned.
November 24th, Toronto, Ontario
The radio broadcast room was always cramped, but Jason Tollman didn’t care. He loved his job; a lack of space wouldn’t kill him.
“Alright folks, we’re back on the topic of downtimers in Canada, and their reactions to our way of life. Before the break, we brought up some interesting statistics and read out a few texts. We asked for some calls and oh boy, the board is full. Our first caller is Dave from Mississauga. Dave?
“Hi Jason, thanks for letting me on. We had a few downtimers from the UK come here last week, and they seemed pretty lost if I’m honest with you.”
“Really? What do you mean?”
“Well, they were in the mall near my house, and they were walking around and staring at everyone. I don’t think that anyone gave them modern clothing like the government did with those journalists a few months ago, ‘cause they stuck out like a sore thumb. They went in and out of a few stores, but they were pretty harmless. They were glued to the Apple Store, though.”
“Sounds interesting, Dave. Thanks. Next is Calvin from Vaughan. Calvin?”
“….aso…bu…time…ga. ”
“Um, hello? Calvin?”
“I…hea…th..zzzzzzzzzzz”
“It looks like Calvin’s having some issues on his end. We have another caller, Jim from Toronto. Jim?”
“Hey there Jason.” The caller had a noticeable Southern US accent.
“Hey Jim. What do you have to say about downtimers in Canada?”
“Well, seeing as I am a downtimer, I’ve found many things that I don’t like about this country.”
Tollman fidgeted. “Such as?”
“Well, I can’t say it out in public, so I’ll say it here. Y’all have too many Negroes, Asiatics, and others up here.”
“What?”
“I mean, I was in Canada back in ’36. This country is a shameful imitation of what I saw back then. You have amazing technology, but you’ve allowed for rampant degeneracy up here.”
“Listen buddy...”
“No, you listen. Why, the amount of miscegenation I’ve seen is disgusting, and I’ve only been here for a week! Where I’m from, if a ni…”
“Alright, that’s enough Jim. Seems like our question answered itself. We still have more callers. We’ll take Cole from Ajax…”
November 27th, Fredericton, New Brunswick
The group of doctors and nurses were gathered in the hospital boardroom, along with a few MPs.
“So, as you can see here, the amount of national deaths has increased slightly every year. We had 262,000 in 2016 and 273,000 in 2017. But look at 2018, or 1940, call it what you will. I know the numbers are a bit skewed because of the extra months, but it looks like we’ve had 347,000 deaths since January of 2018, so technically a full year since the Shift happened in February and the Shift brought us back to December 1939. A lot of these extra deaths are from the extreme change of temperature, although plenty are from stress, accidents, illness and other factors.”
November 29th, Mirabel, Quebec
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan walked around the factory with the CEO of Bombardier.
“We’ve delivered beyond what we thought we could. 80 airframes, and we have more than 40 being built right now.”
Sajjan nodded in approval. “Good. With what you guys and Magellan are doing, we can greatly increase the number of combat aircraft in our inventory. What about the helicopters?”
The CEO winced. “Well, we’ve had some delays.”
Sajjan sighed. Between Bombardier and Irving, delays, corruption, and incompetence ran freely.
bombardier fac (145.36 KB)
The Bombardier facility in Mirabel.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 10, 2019 14:10:02 GMT
November 24th, Edmonton, Alberta
Jesse Rezarian was not in a good mood.
For one, there was construction on the street that was a crucial part of her route to the University. This meant that the bus would take a detour that added 40 minutes to her commute, forcing her to leave early in an attempt to catch an earlier bus. Secondly, she had a bit of a cold, which was never something that anyone wanted. Still, it was better to go out and face the world than to hide inside.
At least it probably won’t get worse, thought the student as she turned on the television. Flipping through the stations, she settled on a weather channel. The presenter was showing a province-wide forecast.
“And here, we can see that the Shift winters will be very brutal! Calgary is at -36C right now; that’ll go down to -40C tonight. Red Deer is at -39C, Lethbridge -35C, Medicine Hat -33C, Banff -42C. Oh, and people in Edmonton will want to put on a few extra layers today. Right now, the temperature here is -41C, but it’ll be -48C by noon. The city has issued an Extreme Cold Warning…”
The student groaned.
November 24th, Toronto, Ontario
The radio broadcast room was always cramped, but Jason Tollman didn’t care. He loved his job; a lack of space wouldn’t kill him.
“Alright folks, we’re back on the topic of downtimers in Canada, and their reactions to our way of life. Before the break, we brought up some interesting statistics and read out a few texts. We asked for some calls and oh boy, the board is full. Our first caller is Dave from Mississauga. Dave?
“Hi Jason, thanks for letting me on. We had a few downtimers from the UK come here last week, and they seemed pretty lost if I’m honest with you.”
“Really? What do you mean?”
“Well, they were in the mall near my house, and they were walking around and staring at everyone. I don’t think that anyone gave them modern clothing like the government did with those journalists a few months ago, ‘cause they stuck out like a sore thumb. They went in and out of a few stores, but they were pretty harmless. They were glued to the Apple Store, though.”
“Sounds interesting, Dave. Thanks. Next is Calvin from Vaughan. Calvin?”
“….aso…bu…time…ga. ”
“Um, hello? Calvin?”
“I…hea…th..zzzzzzzzzzz”
“It looks like Calvin’s having some issues on his end. We have another caller, Jim from Toronto. Jim?”
“Hey there Jason.” The caller had a noticeable Southern US accent.
“Hey Jim. What do you have to say about downtimers in Canada?”
“Well, seeing as I am a downtimer, I’ve found many things that I don’t like about this country.”
Tollman fidgeted. “Such as?”
“Well, I can’t say it out in public, so I’ll say it here. Y’all have too many Negroes, Asiatics, and others up here.”
“What?”
“I mean, I was in Canada back in ’36. This country is a shameful imitation of what I saw back then. You have amazing technology, but you’ve allowed for rampant degeneracy up here.”
“Listen buddy...”
“No, you listen. Why, the amount of miscegenation I’ve seen is disgusting, and I’ve only been here for a week! Where I’m from, if a ni…”
“Alright, that’s enough Jim. Seems like our question answered itself. We still have more callers. We’ll take Cole from Ajax…”
November 27th, Fredericton, New Brunswick
The group of doctors and nurses were gathered in the hospital boardroom, along with a few MPs.
“So, as you can see here, the amount of national deaths has increased slightly every year. We had 262,000 in 2016 and 273,000 in 2017. But look at 2018, or 1940, call it what you will. I know the numbers are a bit skewed because of the extra months, but it looks like we’ve had 347,000 deaths since January of 2018, so technically a full year since the Shift happened in February and the Shift brought us back to December 1939. A lot of these extra deaths are from the extreme change of temperature, although plenty are from stress, accidents, illness and other factors.”
November 29th, Mirabel, Quebec
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan walked around the factory with the CEO of Bombardier.
“We’ve delivered beyond what we thought we could. 80 airframes, and we have more than 40 being built right now.”
Sajjan nodded in approval. “Good. With what you guys and Magellan are doing, we can greatly increase the number of combat aircraft in our inventory. What about the helicopters?”
The CEO winced. “Well, we’ve had some delays.”
Sajjan sighed. Between Bombardier and Irving, delays, corruption, and incompetence ran freely.
View Attachment
The Bombardier facility in Mirabel.
Nice update redrobin65 |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Apr 10, 2019 15:13:08 GMT
Redrobin65 Good update and highlights some of the problems that will be occurring. I didn't think that the cooler temperatures would be that extreme, but presumably global warming had gone a lot farther than we commonly realise. I do recall that the arctic regions warmed up more than most of the rest of the world so the northern territories and parts of the provinces are probably suffering even worse.
Part of the health problem might also be because 2018 Canada probably can't produce all the specialised medical equipment and medicines that it needs, especially with virtually all imports being lost. Would it even be able to produce the antibiotics it needs, lets alone aid others without a period of adjustment and scaling up of production.
The comments from the American would probably be all too common with down-timers, at least white ones, from just about anywhere. [Any Soviet visitors might claim otherwise but it was also fairly bias on such issues.
Steve
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Zyobot
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Just a time-traveling robot stranded on Earth.
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Post by Zyobot on Apr 10, 2019 15:27:47 GMT
The comments from the American would probably be all too common with down-timers, at least white ones, from just about anywhere. [Any Soviet visitors might claim otherwise but it was also fairly bias on such issues.
Steve
I've a feeling that a number of Soviet visitors might come into Canada with an even more skewed and reality-tenuous perspective(s) than their American counterparts. Living under the iron-fisted regime of Joe Stalin--one filled to the brim with state propaganda and mass suppression on a nationwide scale--would tend to make sure of that, I'd wager. Those who do make it would probably grumble about how "the future is capitalist" and "laden with degenerate expression" or something to that effect, though others might be so amazed at what they see that this one visit might change their views and maybe cause them to ask the question, "What if all I know is wrong?". Still, I doubt that the USSR would allow too many people to travel into the Great White North, due to the risk of the latter happening and the possibility of those ideas being spread to others once they return home. Then again, doing the latter under Joe Stalin would in all likelihood be a prison/death sentence  . |
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stevep
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Likes: 13,229
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Post by stevep on Apr 10, 2019 21:31:55 GMT
The comments from the American would probably be all too common with down-timers, at least white ones, from just about anywhere. [Any Soviet visitors might claim otherwise but it was also fairly bias on such issues.
Steve
I've a feeling that a number of Soviet visitors might come into Canada with an even more skewed and reality-tenuous perspective(s) than their American counterparts. Living under the iron-fisted regime of Joe Stalin--one filled to the brim with state propaganda and mass suppression on a nationwide scale--would tend to make sure of that, I'd wager. Those who do make it would probably grumble about how "the future is capitalist" and "laden with degenerate expression" or something to that effect, though others might be so amazed at what they see that this one visit might change their views and maybe cause them to ask the question, "What if all I know is wrong?". Still, I doubt that the USSR would allow too many people to travel into the Great White North, due to the risk of the latter happening and the possibility of those ideas being spread to others once they return home. Then again, doing the latter under Joe Stalin would in all likelihood be a prison/death sentence .
Definitely not going to be many Soviet 'citizens' visiting Canada but expecting some diplomats are likely to be sent.
Which makes me think. I would suspect Stalin has already tried to claim those people in Canada who were citizens of OTL Russia, Ukraine etc, basically anywhere inside the empire Stalin is claiming at the moment. Presume that very few would want to go to the USSR although probably a few fools will be willing to do so, either out of some misguided loyalty to Russia/USSR or because they think they can take advantage of their knowledge to win power/influence. Otherwise I would expect/hope that Canada will offer refuge to anyone who doesn't want to do so.
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