This is great stuff as always. I do see something I wonder about, or perhaps I don't understand thermobaric weapons all that well. Thermobaric weapons and deployment from subs. Don't the weapons have to be moving relatively slowly, so the explosive has time to mix with the air before detonating? If so, how were the warheads decelerated sufficiently?
Stupid Luck and Happenstance.
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
All you'd really need to do is have the warhead jettison, and deploy a parachute. Obviously, this has an effect on accuracy. That said, it isn't like thermobaric weapons are exactly pinpoint anyhow. There's also the rocket body crashing down as well in this case.
But there is the possibility that the future Emperor would want bragging rights to say that he is just as tough as any other man in whatever service there is.
Mind you, it was a thirteen and twelve year old being being messed with by their younger sister.
The more I think about what just happened, the Grand Admiral and Germany just made a very big mistake.
First they used the "Mother of all Sledgehammers" and caused a large number civilian casualties.
Second they apparently did not clear the mission with the other nations and this is going to cause distrust between them and Germany.
Third this is going to kick off a naval spending battle that makes the "Dreadnought War" look like child's play, and Germany may be ahead right now but if the Americans go full throttle in catching up there is no way Germany can keep up without bankrupting itself.
Fourth this gives the Revolutionaries new life in getting support from the Mexican people and makes the mission which was looking like it was going well, more dangerous and deadly for the League of Nations forces.
First they used the "Mother of all Sledgehammers" and caused a large number civilian casualties.
Second they apparently did not clear the mission with the other nations and this is going to cause distrust between them and Germany.
Third this is going to kick off a naval spending battle that makes the "Dreadnought War" look like child's play, and Germany may be ahead right now but if the Americans go full throttle in catching up there is no way Germany can keep up without bankrupting itself.
Fourth this gives the Revolutionaries new life in getting support from the Mexican people and makes the mission which was looking like it was going well, more dangerous and deadly for the League of Nations forces.
Part 66, Chapter 956
Chapter Nine Hundred Fifty-Six
1st May 1952
Triberg im Schwarzwald, Germany
The girls were enjoying themselves even if they didn’t want to admit it. The last two weeks had been spent in shops and museums, historical sites, even a recreation of a medieval village that had been done by one of the Universities. Today it had been a day hike to the waterfall here in Triberg. For all the complaining about how this was not what they were expecting Kat suspected that they didn’t mind one bit returning to the hotel with the good food, hot showers and heated swimming pool. Doug had been along today and had taken plenty of photographs, that had been the underlaying political aspect of this trip. The Crown Prince and his next younger brother’s trip to Bohemian Switzerland had brought a great deal of publicity to the region. This year them going to Cuxhaven probably was going to do the same thing. Kat had heard that Kiki had filled her brother’s ears with what they would be on the receiving end of in Cuxhaven. Kiki had proven that she probably had a better imagination than her brothers. She was certainly better at convincing Freddy of things that would probably never happen. Having the Princess of Prussia here in the Black Forest doing touristy things was exactly what the respective Governments of Baden and Württemberg had in mind when they had sent the invitation.
Now that they were on the train back to Baden-Baden, Zella had fallen asleep leaning against her mother. Maria looked at Kat with a smile, as much as Zella tried to act like she was tough and worldly beyond her years the truth was that she was still a little girl for a little while yet. Maria had said that Zella had not been happy to learn that she was coming, but so far this trip had brought them closer together then they had been in a long time.
Kat was seated across from Kiki and Aurora. Kat had decided that of all the girls in the Troop it was Aurora who needed her help the most on this trip. The other morning at breakfast, Aurora had gotten the wrong thing and ate it without complaint in a situation where she should have asked for it to be taken back. It was in keeping with what Kat had observed. Aurora tended to just accept things she shouldn’t and because she was small and shy that made her a target. Kat knew all to well that it wasn’t just schoolyard bullies who that attracted.
“Not a bad day” Doug said, “Waterfalls, castles and coocoo clocks.”
“I just wish that Tat and Kol were older” Kat replied, “Leaving them at the hotel…”
“They’re fine” Doug said, “Eha watching them in a luxury hotel is not an exactly hardship for them.”
Kat frowned when Doug said that. The idea that her children were being raised by someone else was not one she liked but one that couldn't be avoided with how busy she was. Kat had been working on figuring out what to do with the money from her father with Jack Kennedy. He had said that the money didn’t need to be laundered, it was hers legitimately. The problem was that there were huge implications as far as the taxes and government were concerned. He had suggested that perhaps she should start considering philanthropy as a tax shelter. There had to be people who she knew needed help, Jack had said that perhaps she ought to consider the thousands of people who were most effected by her father’s actions. According to Jack it could all be done anonymously, and she would keep the bulk of the money. That was one less thing for her to worry about.
Washington D.C.
“As near as we can tell, we are looking at genius, insanity or some mix of the two” The Intelligence Officer, who the OSS had sent over, said. Not for the first time Truman wished that the reorganization and professionalization that he had put in motion to effectively replace the OSS hadn’t been delayed by the war. Still too many men in the OSS who were cowboys.
It was the first time they had gotten samples of the chemical engineering involved in the German rocket weapons. A bursting charge in the rocket itself that would be traveling several times the speed of sound turned the warhead with a mixture of fuel and oxidizer into a cloud, then once it reached a certain point a third chemical reacted with the oxygen in the air and provided the ignition. At the same time the rocket itself was descending on the target.
“What is the status on the Subs that launched them?” Truman asked. Only to watch the Secretary of the Navy glower. He knew that no one was going to like this answer.
“Sir, we’ve had reports of machinery sounds off Cuba but as near as we can tell they haven’t gone back through the Florida Straits” The Navy Secretary said, “We are shifting our ASW boats to Guantanamo Bay. That is where we think they are going next. A high level source in Berlin said that it was Silent Otto who planned this thing, so we figure that it will be difficult.”
“Was your source informing or bragging?” Truman asked.
The Navy Secretary didn’t answer that question.
The US Navy had taken great strides in anti-submarine warfare, but the Krauts clearly hadn’t been standing still. This was only one example of that.
1st May 1952
Triberg im Schwarzwald, Germany
The girls were enjoying themselves even if they didn’t want to admit it. The last two weeks had been spent in shops and museums, historical sites, even a recreation of a medieval village that had been done by one of the Universities. Today it had been a day hike to the waterfall here in Triberg. For all the complaining about how this was not what they were expecting Kat suspected that they didn’t mind one bit returning to the hotel with the good food, hot showers and heated swimming pool. Doug had been along today and had taken plenty of photographs, that had been the underlaying political aspect of this trip. The Crown Prince and his next younger brother’s trip to Bohemian Switzerland had brought a great deal of publicity to the region. This year them going to Cuxhaven probably was going to do the same thing. Kat had heard that Kiki had filled her brother’s ears with what they would be on the receiving end of in Cuxhaven. Kiki had proven that she probably had a better imagination than her brothers. She was certainly better at convincing Freddy of things that would probably never happen. Having the Princess of Prussia here in the Black Forest doing touristy things was exactly what the respective Governments of Baden and Württemberg had in mind when they had sent the invitation.
Now that they were on the train back to Baden-Baden, Zella had fallen asleep leaning against her mother. Maria looked at Kat with a smile, as much as Zella tried to act like she was tough and worldly beyond her years the truth was that she was still a little girl for a little while yet. Maria had said that Zella had not been happy to learn that she was coming, but so far this trip had brought them closer together then they had been in a long time.
Kat was seated across from Kiki and Aurora. Kat had decided that of all the girls in the Troop it was Aurora who needed her help the most on this trip. The other morning at breakfast, Aurora had gotten the wrong thing and ate it without complaint in a situation where she should have asked for it to be taken back. It was in keeping with what Kat had observed. Aurora tended to just accept things she shouldn’t and because she was small and shy that made her a target. Kat knew all to well that it wasn’t just schoolyard bullies who that attracted.
“Not a bad day” Doug said, “Waterfalls, castles and coocoo clocks.”
“I just wish that Tat and Kol were older” Kat replied, “Leaving them at the hotel…”
“They’re fine” Doug said, “Eha watching them in a luxury hotel is not an exactly hardship for them.”
Kat frowned when Doug said that. The idea that her children were being raised by someone else was not one she liked but one that couldn't be avoided with how busy she was. Kat had been working on figuring out what to do with the money from her father with Jack Kennedy. He had said that the money didn’t need to be laundered, it was hers legitimately. The problem was that there were huge implications as far as the taxes and government were concerned. He had suggested that perhaps she should start considering philanthropy as a tax shelter. There had to be people who she knew needed help, Jack had said that perhaps she ought to consider the thousands of people who were most effected by her father’s actions. According to Jack it could all be done anonymously, and she would keep the bulk of the money. That was one less thing for her to worry about.
Washington D.C.
“As near as we can tell, we are looking at genius, insanity or some mix of the two” The Intelligence Officer, who the OSS had sent over, said. Not for the first time Truman wished that the reorganization and professionalization that he had put in motion to effectively replace the OSS hadn’t been delayed by the war. Still too many men in the OSS who were cowboys.
It was the first time they had gotten samples of the chemical engineering involved in the German rocket weapons. A bursting charge in the rocket itself that would be traveling several times the speed of sound turned the warhead with a mixture of fuel and oxidizer into a cloud, then once it reached a certain point a third chemical reacted with the oxygen in the air and provided the ignition. At the same time the rocket itself was descending on the target.
“What is the status on the Subs that launched them?” Truman asked. Only to watch the Secretary of the Navy glower. He knew that no one was going to like this answer.
“Sir, we’ve had reports of machinery sounds off Cuba but as near as we can tell they haven’t gone back through the Florida Straits” The Navy Secretary said, “We are shifting our ASW boats to Guantanamo Bay. That is where we think they are going next. A high level source in Berlin said that it was Silent Otto who planned this thing, so we figure that it will be difficult.”
“Was your source informing or bragging?” Truman asked.
The Navy Secretary didn’t answer that question.
The US Navy had taken great strides in anti-submarine warfare, but the Krauts clearly hadn’t been standing still. This was only one example of that.
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In OTL the US Navy didn't find an effective means of tracking the Elektroboot series for almost a decade and considered that only a handful reaching service before the end of WW2 a blessing. In TTL the US Navy didn't find out about the Elektroboot series until they appeared in the Pacific. If anything, I've tried to depict the process as happening far too fast and slightly less painful than it would otherwise be.
There is that, and OTL an electric boat running silent is still the quietest thing in the sea, and that is with modern, fantastic sonar. That is of course after a lot of development.
While I also consider the US to be making a lot of mistakes, I cannot fault them on this one. A submarine's job is to go somewhere unnoticed, and I cannot imagine that the US navy was looking hard for subs. They may still find the sub on the out.
It's a D-E submarine. All you have to do is maintain contact until it surfaces, get your photos, and ask the commander to clear the area.
While apparently the German submarines are basically undetectable by passive sonar, how are they standing up against active sonar?
There is not a lot of exit routes out of that area and I would station screening lines of ships there and have other ships just start pinging away on sonar in order to force them in a certain route or to make them surface.
Along with the Americans the British and French most likely have naval forces in the area and they are also looking for the subs and with the Germans operating in the area it is getting crowded and that increases the likelihood of accidents or "accidents" happening that will cause misunderstandings or "misunderstandings".
If the submarines need to surface to recharge, then that is happening at night and depending on the weather and the amount of illumination in the night sky, I would have long range flying boats searching at night flying at low altitudes dropping flares on any unusual shapes in the water.
There is not a lot of exit routes out of that area and I would station screening lines of ships there and have other ships just start pinging away on sonar in order to force them in a certain route or to make them surface.
Along with the Americans the British and French most likely have naval forces in the area and they are also looking for the subs and with the Germans operating in the area it is getting crowded and that increases the likelihood of accidents or "accidents" happening that will cause misunderstandings or "misunderstandings".
If the submarines need to surface to recharge, then that is happening at night and depending on the weather and the amount of illumination in the night sky, I would have long range flying boats searching at night flying at low altitudes dropping flares on any unusual shapes in the water.
Pretty sure the Germans have snorkels. Snorkels can still be detected on radar, but it makes visually spotting hard. They should also have ESM masts by now