lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 26, 2018 13:37:11 GMT
The 5-II became an iconic tankette and is still in production. Interesting to read that this tank is still in production, what year is this timeline taking place.
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jasonsnow
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Post by jasonsnow on Apr 26, 2018 14:53:10 GMT
The 5-II became an iconic tankette and is still in production. Interesting to read that this tank is still in production, what year is this timeline taking place. The events of the first letter place this in October 1939, a few weeks following the invasion of Poland. In this TL, the German Wehrmacht discontinued the tankette line by 1937, following the development of more effective replacements. The 5-II and its variants were the only tankettes which were kept. Production of the 5-II, or at least some kind of variant, will continue till... ... well, I can't tell you without spoilers
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 26, 2018 14:55:15 GMT
Interesting to read that this tank is still in production, what year is this timeline taking place. The events of the first letter place this in October 1939, a few weeks following the invasion of Poland. In this TL, the German Wehrmacht discontinued the tankette line by 1937, following the development of more effective replacements. The 5-II and its variants were the only tankettes which were kept. Production of the 5-II, or at least some kind of variant, will continue till... ... well, I can't tell you without spoilers Well you already provided some bits and prices, so keep posting.
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jasonsnow
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Post by jasonsnow on Apr 26, 2018 18:22:45 GMT
The Iron Eagles: Thunder in the South Special Preview Edition -The Coyote and the Snake- Enrique Ferrera sat along the barren tracks of the desert.
A cold rush of air swept across the solitary wasteland. The bright gaze of moonlight, pinned amongst a sea of stars in the nightly sky. The desert was empty: an infinite ocean of sand, hills and rocks scattered wildly, as far as the eye could see. Young Ferrera felt a slight chill. The howling wind streaked the land.
The cry of ghosts, he thought, turning his head over his shoulder. Alone in the desert. Alone… or so I think.
Ferrera had grown surrounded by demons and spirits, monsters and phantoms. The old woman in the little hut near the dirt road’s end told never-ending stories of malign beings which haunted the desert. Legends or horrible creatures and supernatural beasts, which preyed on little children who dared to venture far unguarded. The small, rural town he had grown on peeked over the edge of an immense ravine, offering the spectacular view of the endless desert. He clutched firmly to his rifle. He had grown out of those ridiculous stories, his warm child’s heart coldly ripped apart by the army and replaced with a feelingless, iron soul.
Yet, he couldn’t repress the eerie feeling that he was being watched.
Ferrera’s father had been a distinguished official of Zapata’s army during the Revolution, a hero at war. He had been a small boy, yet he remembered as if it was yesterday when his town had been raided by the government’s men. They set the place aflame. They massacred the people of his childhood, raping the women and slaughtering the men.
He saw just as his father’s body was wrecked apart by artillery, his mother raped before his eyes and her body thrown into the fire. His perfect life was over.
He was taken. Molded. Forged. His soul transfixed. He embraced death in order to live. He understood chaos before knowing peace. He slowly forgot the meaning of mercy, as those who murdered everyone he knew.
In order to destroy the devil, you have to be the devil.
He clutched his rifle, the cold gnawing his skin. He trembled. The scorching sun was gone. Now, he was in danger of contracting hypothermia. He couldn’t abandon his test, not now. He couldn’t let them down.
He closed his eyes. He felt his mind going astray, stolen by the cruelty of nothingness. A tear rolled down his frozen cheek.
He was awaken by a sudden impact in his left calf.
He was thrown off into the sand, a sudden, piercing pain bitting his leg. He was immobilized by the pain, yet he soon knew he was under fire.
Training. He rolled to his left, away from the never-ending train tracks and taking shelter behind a small rock. He clenched his jaw, desperately attempting not to scream. The pain was incontrollable. Old memories of the war, of his parents’ death and all that suffering he endured. Seconds later a bullet hit the stone, harmlessly ricocheting off into the sand. He fished a bullet from his belt and desperately reloaded his small carbine rifle, remembering the most basic of his training as a soldier: firing a gun. He pressed back the bolt-action rifle. Ferrera assessed his surroundings.
Open desert, little cover. The most obvious hiding place for any sniper shooter would be the small dune of sand eighty feet to the south. He pressed his chin to the sand and peeked his head slightly. He saw a small, unidentified figure laying on his belly, with a thin protuberance. It was a snipper shooter. Not a very smart one, either. Not even with a snipper rifle he was able to kill an unsuspecting target, and rather than running off once his shot missed, he decided to risk his chances and try again.
Ferrera took aim. He was breathing heavily, soon drenched in cold sweat. He had shot down people several times before. He had been shot several times before. He was an experienced soldier, he knew how to kill. However, never before had he felt the crippling weight of pressure. His finger danced around the glinting iron trigger, his rifle firmly positioned, taking careful aim to that damned son-of-a-bitch who had just shot his leg. Already he could picture the excruciating weeks to follow, continuing his arduous journey with an injured leg. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, as he felt the muscles of his good leg erecting his body forward, like a lion, his posture unchanging.
Boom… Bam.
The recoil of his rifle after a successful kill was the sweetest feeling ever.
He was frozen in place, a wisp of smoke slowly coming off the gun’s end. His breathing intensified. Never before had he felt this sensation… this powerful adrenaline. He saw the sniper shooter’s rifle sliding down the sandy dune.
He was—
BAAM.
The deafening roar of a powerful cannon was the last Enrique Ferrero Martínez, son of Martín Ferrero Estrada and Lucía Martínez de Ferrero, ever heard. Engulfed in the fiery breath of an iron beast foreign to this land.
A beast of hell.
As father, the son. Young Ferrero was killed by the cannon of an alien cause.
“¡Viva Hitler! Death to imperialists!”
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jasonsnow
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Post by jasonsnow on Apr 26, 2018 18:25:21 GMT
The thing above is a preview sneak-peek into the story. I will attempt to combine timeline with storytelling, but this if for you to get a basic idea. Special thanks and honorable mention to good old Miguel, for his priceless cooperation. Hope you like it
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jasonsnow
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Post by jasonsnow on Apr 26, 2018 22:54:21 GMT
Soldier's Remains Found in Sonora Desert; Mysterious Case of DeathAn unidentified corpse believed to be assassin
The quartered remains of a federal soldier have been found by local cattle ranchers alongside the train tracks 6 kilometers south of the village of La Yuta, state of Sonora.
The remains were found around 6:00 AM, following reports of a large explosion by La Yuta villagers. The site was dominated by a crater of large size, about three meters in diameter and seventy-five centimeters deep, with the soil within it charred and blackened. Initial theories suggesting the soldier's death are that he was killed in an explosion, either provoked or unprovoked by hostile means. Singed craps of the soldier's flesh were the only indicator of the soldier's existence, apart from his issued army rifle, which was laying a few feet besides him. The train tracks presented no significant damage, even though the explosion occurred very near them. Cattle rancher Manuel Alcántara, from La Yuta, also reports having heard two or more gunshots just prior to the explosion.
"I was returning home after visiting my cousin in a nearby location," Mr. Alcántara claims. "It was dark. Very late at night. Suddenly I hear... Boom! Boom! Like firecrackers in the distance. You see, I was with mi general, Emiliano Zapata, back in the day, so I was familiarized with the sound of gunfire. I can recall hearing more than two gunshots, that I can firmly state. Seconds later, I heard the large explosion." Bullet fragments were found near the scene, although no physical evidence of gunshots being fired was found in the scene, except for a wound which resembled a bullet wound in a nearby corpse.
Another body was found a few dozen meters from the site of the explosion. The body of an identified man was found atop a small dune, presenting a severe wound on his forehead, suggesting he was killed by the soldier, thus giving the gunfire claim virtual validity. The man wore rancher clothes, a red handkerchief around his face and leather boots. Near him, a German-made sniper rifle was found, implying the man had attempted to kill the soldier, and may have possibly started the explosion that ended his life.
The soldier was identified as Private Enrique Ferrera Martínez of the army, under General Mateo de Correa. He had been assigned a "resilience task" by his superiors. It is theorized that Private Ferrera had stopped the spend the night along the train tracks and came under attack by the unidentified, presumed bandit. During this engagement, an explosion was triggered, killing Ferrera, although not before the soldier had been able to neutralize his attacker. No signs of a grenade, dynamite or any explosive device of any kind were found. Also, no actual bullet was found in the unidentified corpse, creating the possibility that the wound was not caused by a bullet, but by something else.
It is the first time a government soldier had been murdered in this manner by a lone assassin without clear motivations. The case continues to be analyzed by specialists, yet remains unresolved. Police forces are yet to give a proper explanation, stating that "there exists no concrete evidence to suggest anything of meaningful magnitude."
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Apr 27, 2018 10:00:14 GMT
Well that last bit "there exists no concrete evidence to suggest anything of meaningful magnitude." suggests either incompetence, corruption or a serious ostrich impersonation. Since at the very least there was a large explosion and I suspect someone with suitable combat knowledge would probably recognise an artillery impact.
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jasonsnow
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Post by jasonsnow on Apr 27, 2018 11:42:56 GMT
Well that last bit "there exists no concrete evidence to suggest anything of meaningful magnitude." suggests either incompetence, corruption or a serious ostrich impersonation. Since at the very least there was a large explosion and I suspect someone with suitable combat knowledge would probably recognise an artillery impact. We're talking about farmers with police hats. They wouldn't be able to tell a dinosaur and a rabbit apart.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 27, 2018 15:05:38 GMT
Well that last bit "there exists no concrete evidence to suggest anything of meaningful magnitude." suggests either incompetence, corruption or a serious ostrich impersonation. Since at the very least there was a large explosion and I suspect someone with suitable combat knowledge would probably recognise an artillery impact. We're talking about farmers with police hats. They wouldn't be able to tell a dinosaur and a rabbit apart. Well i doubt farmers have ever seen a dinosaur, but i do think they can at lease see the difference between animals.
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jasonsnow
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Post by jasonsnow on Apr 27, 2018 15:28:16 GMT
We're talking about farmers with police hats. They wouldn't be able to tell a dinosaur and a rabbit apart. Well i doubt farmers have ever seen a dinosaur, but i do think they can at lease see the difference between animals. It's just a way of saying the Mexican police force at the time was very unprepared for their tasks. It would be easier for them to say some kind of homemade explosive triggered the explosion rather than tank fire.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Apr 27, 2018 15:32:32 GMT
Well i doubt farmers have ever seen a dinosaur, but i do think they can at lease see the difference between animals. It's just a way of saying the Mexican police force at the time was very unprepared for their tasks. It would be easier for them to say some kind of homemade explosive triggered the explosion rather than tank fire. Well that makes sense now you explain it like that.
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jasonsnow
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Post by jasonsnow on Jun 1, 2018 2:44:56 GMT
So here's this! Sorry for not posting earlier, but I was traveling. I hope more comes on the way:
Fight for Freedom! Fight for Purity! Fight for the Glory and Supremacy of the Mexican Race Rid our Nation of the Inferior Impurities of Evil!
Join the National Socialist Association of Mexico—together against the inferior impurities, in the glory of the supreme race! ———————————————————————- Recruitment at 0993 Mirador Street, Torreón Coahuila. Able-bodied males 18-49 years old
Beware of the Evil Race! Do not fall victim of the Jewish trickery! They seek to trick the world into being fooled by their seemingly good-minded nature before revealing their true intentions. Beware! They’ll murder your children, destroy your home and chain you in darkness! The Jews are demonic monsters of evil who seek nothing but fire and death. They need to be stopped! Don’t led these beings of hell destroy our way of life and join the NSAM today! LEAD THE FIGHT THE NAZI WAY IS THE GOOD WAY! —————————————————————
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Jun 1, 2018 9:18:29 GMT
So here's this! Sorry for not posting earlier, but I was traveling. I hope more comes on the way:
Fight for Freedom! Fight for Purity! Fight for the Glory and Supremacy of the Mexican Race Rid our Nation of the Inferior Impurities of Evil!
Join the National Socialist Association of Mexico—together against the inferior impurities, in the glory of the supreme race! ———————————————————————- Recruitment at 0993 Mirador Street, Torreón Coahuila. Able-bodied males 18-49 years old
Beware of the Evil Race! Do not fall victim of the Jewish trickery! They seek to trick the world into being fooled by their seemingly good-minded nature before revealing their true intentions. Beware! They’ll murder your children, destroy your home and chain you in darkness! The Jews are demonic monsters of evil who seek nothing but fire and death. They need to be stopped! Don’t led these beings of hell destroy our way of life and join the NSAM today! LEAD THE FIGHT THE NAZI WAY IS THE GOOD WAY! —————————————————————
Well that's nice and subtle - not. Were there actually many Jews in Mexico at the time, or any significant history of antisemitism? As I understand it they didn't have the same racial blinkers that the US had over blacks but other bigotry could be more difficult to muster so possibly this might be a harder sell.
Mind you if the purpose of the organisation is to strengthen Mexico against its 'real' enemy, i.e. the US then I can understand them not being too open about that. Expressing antisemitism is a way of earning brownie points with the Nazis in the hope of getting more support, although since WWII has started this would seem less useful as their both in no position to send more aid and the US might be starting to get a bit twitchy about aggressive European powers gaining influence in N America. Mind you that won't become a significant factor until France falls.
Anyway, have to see how things develop. If you do get an aggressive militaristic dictatorship in Mexico the most likely effect is probably to attract more American attention, which could mean they do less elsewhere. Potentially bad for both Mexico and the rest of the world.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jun 1, 2018 10:14:08 GMT
So here's this! Sorry for not posting earlier, but I was traveling. I hope more comes on the way:
Fight for Freedom! Fight for Purity! Fight for the Glory and Supremacy of the Mexican Race Rid our Nation of the Inferior Impurities of Evil!
Join the National Socialist Association of Mexico—together against the inferior impurities, in the glory of the supreme race! ———————————————————————- Recruitment at 0993 Mirador Street, Torreón Coahuila. Able-bodied males 18-49 years old
Beware of the Evil Race! Do not fall victim of the Jewish trickery! They seek to trick the world into being fooled by their seemingly good-minded nature before revealing their true intentions. Beware! They’ll murder your children, destroy your home and chain you in darkness! The Jews are demonic monsters of evil who seek nothing but fire and death. They need to be stopped! Don’t led these beings of hell destroy our way of life and join the NSAM today! LEAD THE FIGHT THE NAZI WAY IS THE GOOD WAY! ————————————————————— Does the National Socialist Association of Mexico have any relation with the Gold shirts
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Jun 1, 2018 10:53:39 GMT
So here's this! Sorry for not posting earlier, but I was traveling. I hope more comes on the way:
Fight for Freedom! Fight for Purity! Fight for the Glory and Supremacy of the Mexican Race Rid our Nation of the Inferior Impurities of Evil!
Join the National Socialist Association of Mexico—together against the inferior impurities, in the glory of the supreme race! ———————————————————————- Recruitment at 0993 Mirador Street, Torreón Coahuila. Able-bodied males 18-49 years old
Beware of the Evil Race! Do not fall victim of the Jewish trickery! They seek to trick the world into being fooled by their seemingly good-minded nature before revealing their true intentions. Beware! They’ll murder your children, destroy your home and chain you in darkness! The Jews are demonic monsters of evil who seek nothing but fire and death. They need to be stopped! Don’t led these beings of hell destroy our way of life and join the NSAM today! LEAD THE FIGHT THE NAZI WAY IS THE GOOD WAY! ————————————————————— Does the National Socialist Association of Mexico have any relation with the Gold shirts
Good question. They might have some common origins and are likely to have common members. The Gold shirts were strongly anti-Jewish and anti-Chinese, calling for deportations, although I'm not sure how many there were of each community in Mexico?
Which does raise the question of how the NSAM views the Catholic church? According to that Wiki article the Gold shirts were actively largely in a period when the Catholic church was facing restrictions on their power and they had a mixed view of it, which meant they didn't get its fully support.
Wasn't aware of the 'Cristero War' of unrest against an anti-clerical government in the previous decade. Sounds distinctly messy and if the NSAM are supportive of the church they could get a lot of support.
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