Dark Earth Timeline

Some of those military points expanded:

1.) British munitions production: It would be an understatement to say it is at a much higher level, but it is a function of the larger state + the Cold War level + Vietnam era mobilisation being gradually ratcheted down + the general 1960s rearmament. We come from a time where a U.S. increase to 100,000 shells a month is considerable, so 2,000,000 shells a month might seem fantastical.

It is based on the following capacities:

Yearly Artillery Shell Production
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich: 200,000/month
Imperial Arsenal, Notts: 200,000/month

HM Factory Gretna: 150,000/month
National Factory Barnbow (Leeds): 150,000/month
National Factory Stirling: 100,000/month
National Factory Elenydd, Wales: 100,000/month
National Factory Mullingar, Ireland: 100,000/month

ROF Nottingham: 150,000/month
ROF Accrington, Lancashire: 75,000/month
ROF Birtley, Northumberland: 75,000/month
ROF Carlisle, Cumberland: 75,000/month
ROF Darlington, Durham: 75,000/month

Vickers: 200,000/month
Armstrong-Whitworth: 200,000/month
Beardmores/Rolls Royce: 100,000/month
Hawker-Siddeley/Cammell Laird: 100,000/month ( Coventry Ordnance Works)

Filling Factories
ROF Ayliffe
ROF Brackla
ROF Bridgend
ROF Chigwell
ROF Chorley
ROF Ruddington
ROF Rotherwas
ROF Thorp Arch

- The Imperial Arsenal is a duplicate facility of Woolwich built in the 1900s in the aftermath of the War of the Worlds and the rising international tensions that lead to WW1. It lies to the north of the city
- HM Factory Gretna was repurposed from a Great War cordite plant into one for shell manufacture during the 1926 Soviet War Scare
- Barnbow is never repurposed from a shell plant; the tank plant in Leeds is a new build in the 1930s
- The WW1 shell plant in Nottingham is also never repurposed post WW1
- The three geographically distributed plants in Scotland, Ireland and Wales are 1930s era construction, coming in the time when there was a desire to move facilities away from the vulnerable South East
- Production levels come from 3 shifts a day + modern machinery and processes + robotics. It translates to ~139 shells/hour for the smallest facilities rising to 278/hour for the largest ones




British and US videos on shell production

August
August 1: Signing of an agreement in Washington D.C. by representatives of the United States, Canada and Britain for cooperative development of the next generation of anti-ballistic missiles. The general principles call for a three layered system of short, medium and long ranged interceptor missiles and a network of ground, sea, air and space based solid state phased array radars, with there being some internal speculation that it might offer some means to resolve the long running dispute over ABM control between the United States Army and United States Air Force.
August 2: All Nippon Airways announces the selection of the Nakajima YS-24 intermediate jet airliner for its internal Japanese and regional routes, marking the first time a Japanese civil jet has been chosen over American and British competitors since the advent of the jet age in Japan in 1959.
August 3: A televised debate between Prime Minister Stanley Barton and Leader of the Opposition Sir Enoch Powell takes place for the first time, broadcast by the BBC and ITV. Both men give spirited displays, with Powell’s erudite call for a freer economy and a better Britain perhaps just edging Barton’s advocacy of a fair society, but the Prime Minister‘s powerful conclusion on Britain’s place as a global superpower, the great achievements to come and the duty that comes with it struck an undoubtable chord with many in the audience. ‘Powell won the head, but Barton got the gut’ was the pithy verdict of Richard Dimbleby.
August 4: Beginning of the Grand Kuraltaiy at the Mongol capital of Karakorum, with the aging Great Khan Amar announcing that he will select a worthy successor from the ranks of his two dozen sons, with his third eldest, Temür, 26, regarded as the favourite due to his many sterling qualities and leadership in the Mongol Expeditionary Force in North Vietnam from 1968. Whoever the pronounced heir may turn out to be, it is taken almost for granted that the complex alliance with the Soviet Union will be continued, on practical grounds alone, as long advised by the Great Khan's chief advisor, Ungern Khan.
August 5: The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Harry Brubaker, issues a report citing the importance of maintaining USN traditions in an everchanging modern world, with one example being the continuation of the prohibition of women serving at sea or in combat roles.
August 6: A baseball game in Midland, Texas is disrupted and abandoned after a plague of locusts descends upon the ground, blotting out the light towers and attacking the players and crowd, forcing them to flee in fear of their very lives. The swarm is only stopped when destroyed by a fireball cast by the oddly dressed female companion of visiting NASA astronaut Colonel Tony Nelson, who was on a goodwill tour of Western Texas with Royal Space Force Major Thom Jones.
August 7: England defeat Brazil 2-1 in an international friendly exhibition game at Empire Stadium, marking the first time that the world champions have been defeated since their World Cup triumph.
August 8: Unveiling of the newest model fourth generation Chevrolet Corvair at a motor show in Detroit, with it being hailed as the safest and most innovative new compact car on the American domestic automotive market and a fitting counter to recent penetrations by smaller Japanese and European cars.
August 9: The Committee of Imperial Defence discusses a proposal for possible British intervention in Uganda, which is seeing growing civil unrest amid controversial proposed laws against the Indian populace and violence against white settlers and miners. The report of the Governor-General describes the situation as fluid and potentially volatile. An initial reinforcement of the Ugandan imperial garrison from Tanganyika and Kenya is ordered as an immediate measure.
August 10: A meteor approximately 100ft in diameter is intercepted in near Earth space by the inner layer of space based missile defences assigned to the American portion of Project Spaceguard, causing a visible fireball high above Skull Valley, Utah, in the middle of the Utah Test Range.
August 11: The U.S. Army’s 250th Infantry Brigade, a new light infantry formation, becomes the first regular American troops to be deployed to India since 1946, with their new base in Eastern Assam to be used for specialised jungle and hill training alongside Indian, British and Gurkha forces.
August 12: German quarterly exports of military equipment reach their highest postwar level (with the scope of said achievement somewhat limited in light of the long time restrictions on any such participation in the international arms trade by Berlin) on the back of increased sales to Arab states, Persia and the Balkans, on top of the massive Turkish arms deal that continues to enrich the Teutonic arms titans of Krass-Maffei, Krupp, Gruber-Mauser, Rheinmetall, Messerschmitt and Thyssen-Henschel.
August 13: The Journal of the American Medical Association publishes a landmark extended study on the negative health effects of American football, specifically its links with severe concussions and other head injuries and subsequent traumatic dementia. Data from as far back as the 1920s was examined in order to provide a baseline as to effectiveness of the introduction of helmets and other protection, with a conclusion drawn that although helmets had reduced the incidence of more visible injuries, there had not been a reduction in the risk or incidence of traumatic concussions. Evidence from brain autopsies of deceased footballers who had suffered repeated concussions showed clear evidence of 'punch-drunk' lesions. The combined weight of the data from several sources indicated that protective measures including helmets had not had a significant effect in reducing the risk and incidence of traumatic head injuries and that the lifelong and lifechanging effects of such injuries were sufficient to support a conclusion that changes be considered to youth participation and that, at present, the sport could be characterised as 'unsafe at any age'. The article sparks immediate controversy and is covered extensively in the lay media, with some links drawn between the tragic death of champion boxer Cassius Clay from head injuries and the new findings on football.
August 14: Australian and British Phosphate Commission representatives reach an agreement with the native populace of Nauru for the investment of super phosphate profits into a sovereign wealth fund and the arcane restoration of the Pacific island colony’s interior to a pristine state.
August 15: USAF, USN and USMC aircraft begin disaster relief operations in Northern Luzon as part of Operation Saklolo, the effort to provide thousands of tons of aid to beleaguered flood victims.
August 16: Rebel elements in the Royal Moroccan Air Force attempt to shoot down the personal jet of King Hassan as he returns from a conference in France. After the assassination’s failure, the backlash lead by troops loyal to the King sees dozens arrested and the ringleaders swiftly guillotined.
August 17: The US Fourth Army stages Exercise Walker around Fort Polk, Louisiana, a simulated response to an ostensible outbreak of a mass infection zombie plague, which captures the attention of local journalists and newspapers, providing an effective concealment for the real purposes of the exercise.
August 18: British automotive exports continue to rise, with a tenth successive quarter of increased foreign sales, driven by increased demand in the Middle East, Africa and South America. The Land Rover remains the strongest performing non commercial vehicle, followed by the Austin Mini, the Morris Marathon, the Triumph 2500, the Vauxhall Viking and the Rover P25.
August 19: The Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, begins initial operation in San Francisco. The broad gauge high speed urban railway augments the existing streetcar network and it is projected that it will link together San Francisco with Oakland, San Jose, Fremont, Berkeley, Richmond, Vallejo and Petaluma.
August 20: An article in The Manchester Guardian describes the recent increase in popularity of Italian and Anglo-Italian food and restaurants across Britain, with the events of 1940 effectively snuffing out a thriving prewar niche and the bad feelings from the war preventing real cultural inroads over the subsequent decades, prior to the Anglo-Italian Trade and Cooperation Agreement of 1961 reopening scope for migration and culinary-cultural intercourse. The renewed significant presence of American military forces in Britain from 1961 is also described as playing a role in driving demand for dishes familiar from home, such as 'spaghetti bolonese', 'parmesiano' and 'pitza' (the last being described by the article's author as an ingenious open sandwich of cheese, tomato sauce, pineapple and sliced meat), in addition to the familiar ice cream stalls of prewar memory.
August 21: Distribution of war prizes from the Vietnam conflict begins in the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada, with museums, veteran's associations, municipalities and benevolent societies all submitting requests for a prized share in the captured enemy arms and equipment, including 175 tanks of a range of Soviet and Chinese types and several hundred artillery pieces and mortars of various calibres. The national collections of the Smithsonian, the Imperial War Museum, the Royal Canadian War Museum and the Australian War Memorial have already been allocated the principal prizes, including captured jet fighters.
August 22: Establishment of TSR Hobbies by Gary Gygax, Don Kaye and Dave Arneson in order to publish the new tabletop fantasy roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons. Using the capital and magic ring gifted to Gygax by a mysterious sorcerer, and despite the attempted trickery of a wicked wizard from the coast, the sumptuously produced and beautifully illustrated game will become an immediate best seller, riding the wave of the fantasy and sword and sorcery boom to sell 25,000 copies in its first year alone.
August 23: First deliveries to the USN of the McDonnell-Douglas A-4R 'Skyhawk II', a lightweight supersonic multirole light attack jet based on the now legendary Douglas A-4 Skyhawk (although looking similar, it bears relatively few common parts and the relationship is more reminiscent of that between the Vought Crusaders and Crusader IIs) suitable for operation on new light and escort carriers, as well as airborne platforms; the USMC has expressed strong interest in acquisition of the type for a continued light attack capacity, in addition to the planned VAX strike aircraft. The replacement of the North American A-5 Vigilante and Boeing F-111B carrier-based bombers with the VBX a new plane based on the Boeing FB-111 and North American B-73 Retaliator continues at expected pace, with the Marine version to replace their bombers being seen as the less complicated aircraft. The United States Marine Corps Future Air Systems Plan makes specific provision for a light attack role alongside the VAX, VBX and VFAX, in addition to the Harrier VSTOL ground attack fighter, the Tomcat, Phantom fighter-bomber and Starburst interceptor.
August 24: New Avalon border guards arrest six Mexican citizens for attempting to cross over the border fence from Sonora, finding explosives and automatic weapons in their possession, along with poorly written pamphlets calling for the liberation of California from 'the Americans and the English'.
August 25: Publication of the Appleby White Paper on the Royal Artillery, a study of its current equipment, projected procurement for the 1970s and future programmes. It endorses the formerly contentious attachment of 125mm armed field regiments and LARS batteries at brigade level in concert with divisional artillery brigades of 6” and 8” medium and heavy artillery; for its support of the retention somewhat maligned U.S. 175mm long range gun at corps and field army level; expanded procurement of wheeled self propelled guns for both coastal defence and expeditionary warfare; formation of specialist heliborne artillery regiments for operation of projected soft recoil aerial guns; and the procurement of very long range variants of the Hawker-Siddeley Javelin for high precision tactical missile strikes. It is notable for its length of clauses and sentences, extensive footnotes and a seeming relish of complex verbosity and sesquipedalian expression.
August 26: Opening of the Summer Olympic Games at the Great Stadium in Constantinople by Emperor Alexander in front of a crowd of over 400,000 spectators. The Olympics showcase the decade long programme of grand public works authorised by the young Emperor and the modernisation experienced by the Byzantine Greek capital since the 1950s war with the Turks.
August 27: A freak dust storm in Kern County, California, leads to multiple automobile collisions and pileups on several major interstate highways, killing 18 and injuring over 200.
August 28: England defeat Australia in the 6th Test at The Oval by 26 runs to retain the Ashes 3-2 in a thrilling conclusion to one of the best series in years. Celebrated Australian opening pair Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry made a century partnership in their final Test before Greg Chappell and Rod Marsh took Australia tantalisingly close to their target of 410 runs.
August 29: Commissioning of the Royal Canadian Navy’s first atomic guided missile super battleship, HMCS Canada, replacing the older battlewagon of the same name which saw service in the Second World War, Malaya, Korea, the Middle East War and Vietnam before decommissioning in 1969.
August 30: The British general election is held, with the Labour Party under Stanley Barton winning the most seats with 333, but failing to form the necessary majority of 421 in the enlarged House of Commons, where 60 new seats had been added since the last general election in April 1968 due to population growth reflected in the 1971 Census and the integration of Singapore. The Conservative opposition lead by Sir Enoch Powell rallied from their 20th century nadir of 1968 with 256 seats (a net gain of 83 including newly established seats), whilst the Liberals under the popular Sir Arthur Chamberlain saw a recovery to 148 seats (a gain of 24) and the Nationals under Erskine Childers also gained a dozen seats for a total of 44; 13 Imperialists, 13 Socialists, 17 Radicals and 19 Independents round out the house. With no party able to form a government in their own right, Mr. Barton continues as Prime Minister whilst expedited discussions take place with the Liberals for support on confidence and supply similar to the 1964-1968 agreement.
August 31: Rhodesian gold output reaches its highest yet monthly level of 2.4 million ounces, indicating that the prosperity and fortune of the gold rush has some time yet to run.

So will each three compromise what they want and what they can get.

Steve,

1.) The England soccer team are quite powerful, including some players who historically qualified for other Home Nations under some advantageous rules interpretations. As of 1972, going into the 1974 World Cup, they have the gracefully aging Duncan Edwards at 36, Geoff Hurst and George Best, Bobby Moore, Gordon Banks, Kevin Keegan and Martin Peters, among others.
The teams who will qualify for the 1974 World Cup are England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria-Hungary, France and the Soviet Union; Israel; the United States of America; South Africa; Australia; Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. This sets the stage for an interesting USA vs USSR game

2.) Some parallel to the Amin happenings, but not quite on the same level. Uganda is officially a self-governing Dominion, but for the former African colonies, the better term is "self-governing (African) Dominion*", as Britain is very willing to intervene as far as necessary if any red lines are crossed.

3.) It will definitely lead to advances in player care across multiple sports, but here as in other forums, a particular potential consequence is being missed - the effective end/banning of American gridiron.

4.) Absolutely. Nauru is a basket case in @ due to the combination of a wrecked island, too much money at the wrong time and a lack of gainful things to do; all of this won't happen here.

5.) Not quite. It is a means of practicing emergency home defence  in the event of a nuclear attack and afterwards, opening the door to a paradigm that didn't exist in @ - a protracted world war involving all kinds of weapons, but also the means to counter/eliminate some of those weapons. The results are very difficult to predict, hence training employs some very radical scenarios in order to train up the 'out of the box' thinkers. On a deeper level, there is a concern informed by the interstellar signal of 1966 and the possible implications of it in the worst, worst case scenario.

6.) Weighed up against the currents of religion (not fundamentalist, which hasn't emerged) is the fact that many categories of what is portrayed either exists or existed. The anti D&D backlash only came in the 1980s in a few particularly strong ebbs for specific reasons coming from @ America at the time. Here, the game emerges earlier, riding the crest of the fantasy boom and entrenching itself before computers and video games.

7.) It will be a rather different games than Munich, with a very obvious event not occurring.

8.) Australia started to get a very good side in the middle of the 1970s, albeit one that epitomised the ocker boorishness of the decade to a tee, but England never really lagged back that much. They have some useful players from @ and some different ones who will add to the side's capabilities, but the big charger of the decade will be the West Indies.

9.) It is challenging to a certain extent, with it possible that Barton will go to the country again before 1976 if and when the opportunity to boost his position comes up. The additional seats have largely gone to Labour in the major cities, as could be expected, whilst there has been a recovery of some smaller parties in their traditional heartlands. The Liberals have a very strong foundation of seats that they hope can propel them back to government in the next decade, whilst the Conservatives retook a lot of seats that narrowly went to Labour in 1968.

It doesn't raise any major questions as to the future of Britain; it is still eminently possible for a party to win a majority with a strong enough performance across the country and both the Conservatives and Labour share substantial common ground in policy terms.

Erskine Childers is the @ Erskine Childers Hamilton who served as President of Ireland. Here, with his father being but a well known author of a book warning of the German threat and Imperial volunteer in South Africa, his path goes a different way.

July Notes:

-British marriage rates are rather higher than @, reflecting the differing social climate, whilst divorces are markedly lower for much the same reason. TFRs are still very healthy indeed
- Humphrey wraps up the Democratic race; anyone who wins really doesn’t have a real chance for victory after 12 years of JFK. Not that they have been bad years, but due to that, there is willingness for change, explaining RFK pulling out
- Floppy disks emerge earlier, along with the hint that laserdiscs are going to have a bigger role
- Orion 6 is going nicely, with the telecast from deep space being very widely watched. The space fighters on board aren’t really for the Space Nazis, not that far out, but ‘just in case’ there is anything else out there
- The US gets universal health care, which is generally welcomed by some quarters, but seen as an overreach by others. The general tone of debate is a bit higher brow than @ down the line, with the lack of Watergate and the Pentagon Papers et al playing a role. The way it is described is a deliberate hint as to how it is portrayed
- VFL expansion will be ignored on every site this is posted on, but one day, someone from Australia might read Dark Earth and get the local references
- MKULTRA looking into last test subjects results in some not going ‘off reservation’
- An Imperial Wheat Board demonstrates the level of Commonwealth economic integration
- Anglo-American cooperation on SLCMs, GLCMs and ALCMs is designed to spread the costs
- 12 Enterprises seems a lot, but takes the historical intent for 6 CVAN-65s in @ and then extends it out further over the 1960s where there was a historical gap in US carrier construction. Here, Franklin was laid down in 1968. The Ticonderogas following them are the equivalent to the Nimitz class CVNs of @; no carriers apart from FDR have been named after politicians or admirals, messing up the nomenclature. The Nimitz class DDGs will be a Kidd/Tico class equivalent built in Spruance numbers
- Death Valley being accidentally flooded gives some ideas to the scientists who might be familiar…
- The French are fielding a lot of interesting gear
- Tolkien uncovering Beowulf’s tomb results in some interesting finds
- The Bradley is earlier, larger and comes in more variants, including what amounts to a medium tank version
- The Battle of Mirbat turns out differently on account of having supersonic fighter-bombers on stand-by a comparatively short flying distance away
- US Army Middle East Command is eying off former British bases in Egypt out of necessity
- The King of Sweden has a coronation, attended by a lot of interesting figures
- Not only are there more federal public holidays in the USA, but some other trends are emerging
- Red Flag is slightly different
- Israel begins gearing up
- The Low Countries being known as a “UK” is a nice twist
- The Ministry of Munitions is very busy

How is it determinded how many seat places like Malta, Singapore etc get.