Dark Earth: Return to Charlotteville
Nov 22, 2021 15:24:07 GMT
lordroel, stevep, and 1 more like this
Post by simon darkshade on Nov 22, 2021 15:24:07 GMT
Return to Charlotteville: Prologue
War Office
May 20th 1968
“I can’t say that I like it, Richard. It smacks of overreach. We’ve got the base at Kamina and the force on the Rhodesian border that already cost a pretty penny. But holding Central Africa is a bigger issue than mere expense.”
“You’re right, Stanley. The Portuguese are giving us enough trouble on the flanks, but if the Congo goes…then it will be difficult to stop the dominoes.”
Sir Richard Pendragon, the Minister of Defence and close confidant of Prime Minister Barton, nodded in agreement. It was a bright June morning outside the triple glassteel windows of his office in the huge and ornately palatial War Office building and, despite over ten thousand civilian and military personnel working within the building, nary a sound penetrated the secure room. Yet as bright and hopeful as was the morning without, the vexations of Africa cast a cloud over what should have been heady days for the newly re-elected Labour government.
“Prime Minister Cunningham in Kenya is right to be worried. Well, we’ve got to do something. Back to Katanga again. This time, though, we do it properly, Richard. We’re too heavily committed to Vietnam, Burma and Malaya to sustain another large open ended deployment.”
“Yes, Prime Minister. Our initial plan calls for two British brigades supported by African and colonial units and a Commonwealth field force from South Africa and Rhodesia. We will go in heavy to begin with and then ratchet it down to a residual reinforced brigade.”
Barton ground his teeth. Even that was a sizeable commitment, but such was the price of power and influence. The French had definitely gained the upper hand in Western Congo and three years of civil war had not broken the Soviet backed rebels in the north east, despite American and British aid to the increasingly fragile Congolese government. If Katanga continued to descend into disorder, SIS gave the current regime in Leopoldville perhaps two months before they were removed by the ANC and replaced with a regime more acceptable to Washington, which would have significantly deleterious effects upon British commercial interests in Katanga. Whilst bad, that was far from the worst case scenario.
“That would seem acceptable, but I’ll speak to Ottawa about getting them onboard; the broader the better.”
“Very good.”
“Full support, Richard, as much as needed. We need to be seen to be effective as well as actually being effective, both in Africa and beyond.”
“I think we can put together something that will accomplish that, Prime Minister.”
………………………………
"Ours is not to reason why, Richard, ours is but to do."
"And hopefully not die." General Sir Richard Ward, GOC Africa Command, allowed himself a slight grin over the telephone.
"Not bloody likely." scoffed Field Marshal Sir Richard Sharpe, Chief of the Imperial General Staff. "Leaving the politics to the politicians, the general orders are to go in there, pull the full bully boy boots on, pull the place into order and then pull out, without any bugger-ups. That is straightforward enough, but the War Office is keen to see how the new kit and tactics go in the field."
"Field testing?"
"Right. No free fire, but keep the casualties under control. Ours mainly, but theirs as well." Losing fifty men killed a week in South Vietnam alone was enough to make the Army circumspect on the prospect of losses. "I want a plan for pacification, not another push on Cairo."
"Any limitations, sir?"
"Keep it clean and keep it tidy. Put the kitchen sink in, but none of the tricky stuff from last time. Clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Once the planning is sorted, then we can start flying the material down to Rhodesia and get things ready to kick off properly."
"Very good, sir."
"This time, we get it right."
War Office
May 20th 1968
“I can’t say that I like it, Richard. It smacks of overreach. We’ve got the base at Kamina and the force on the Rhodesian border that already cost a pretty penny. But holding Central Africa is a bigger issue than mere expense.”
“You’re right, Stanley. The Portuguese are giving us enough trouble on the flanks, but if the Congo goes…then it will be difficult to stop the dominoes.”
Sir Richard Pendragon, the Minister of Defence and close confidant of Prime Minister Barton, nodded in agreement. It was a bright June morning outside the triple glassteel windows of his office in the huge and ornately palatial War Office building and, despite over ten thousand civilian and military personnel working within the building, nary a sound penetrated the secure room. Yet as bright and hopeful as was the morning without, the vexations of Africa cast a cloud over what should have been heady days for the newly re-elected Labour government.
“Prime Minister Cunningham in Kenya is right to be worried. Well, we’ve got to do something. Back to Katanga again. This time, though, we do it properly, Richard. We’re too heavily committed to Vietnam, Burma and Malaya to sustain another large open ended deployment.”
“Yes, Prime Minister. Our initial plan calls for two British brigades supported by African and colonial units and a Commonwealth field force from South Africa and Rhodesia. We will go in heavy to begin with and then ratchet it down to a residual reinforced brigade.”
Barton ground his teeth. Even that was a sizeable commitment, but such was the price of power and influence. The French had definitely gained the upper hand in Western Congo and three years of civil war had not broken the Soviet backed rebels in the north east, despite American and British aid to the increasingly fragile Congolese government. If Katanga continued to descend into disorder, SIS gave the current regime in Leopoldville perhaps two months before they were removed by the ANC and replaced with a regime more acceptable to Washington, which would have significantly deleterious effects upon British commercial interests in Katanga. Whilst bad, that was far from the worst case scenario.
“That would seem acceptable, but I’ll speak to Ottawa about getting them onboard; the broader the better.”
“Very good.”
“Full support, Richard, as much as needed. We need to be seen to be effective as well as actually being effective, both in Africa and beyond.”
“I think we can put together something that will accomplish that, Prime Minister.”
………………………………
"Ours is not to reason why, Richard, ours is but to do."
"And hopefully not die." General Sir Richard Ward, GOC Africa Command, allowed himself a slight grin over the telephone.
"Not bloody likely." scoffed Field Marshal Sir Richard Sharpe, Chief of the Imperial General Staff. "Leaving the politics to the politicians, the general orders are to go in there, pull the full bully boy boots on, pull the place into order and then pull out, without any bugger-ups. That is straightforward enough, but the War Office is keen to see how the new kit and tactics go in the field."
"Field testing?"
"Right. No free fire, but keep the casualties under control. Ours mainly, but theirs as well." Losing fifty men killed a week in South Vietnam alone was enough to make the Army circumspect on the prospect of losses. "I want a plan for pacification, not another push on Cairo."
"Any limitations, sir?"
"Keep it clean and keep it tidy. Put the kitchen sink in, but none of the tricky stuff from last time. Clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Once the planning is sorted, then we can start flying the material down to Rhodesia and get things ready to kick off properly."
"Very good, sir."
"This time, we get it right."
If the heir to the Russian/Imperial throne is accompanying the British army in an operation in Africa its going to be a sensitive operation on a number of levels. Makes me wonder did the 
