by Colin Gee
Those that were new and recently arrived steeled themselves for the horrors to come.
Allied Air Forces.
Having taken a very real beating in August 1945, the Allied Air Forces bounced back surprisingly quickly, re-establishing their numbers quickly and seeking domination of the skies in short order.
However, the effectiveness of the force had taken a severe knock, and it was not until October 1945 that domination went hand in hand with fully effective air operations across the spectrum of air combat.
The ground attack force, which had taken a deliberately higher hit from the initial Soviet attacks, recovered least quickly, part of the reason that the Red Army advances continued into November 1945.
As 1946 was ushered in, aircraft and pilots available began to approach January 1945 numbers, without taking into account the experienced pool of ex-Luftwaffe air crew that was steadily being retrained on available Allied aircraft types, or being returned to the fray in captured German machines.
Morale in the Allied Air Forces was extremely high. They knew that they had achieved mastery of the air, and had inflicted grievous losses on the opposition.
Morale was further boosted by the arrival of decent quantities of superior new aircraft, such as the F80 Shooting Star, Gloster Metoer and de Havilland Vampire, enabling the Allies to stay ahead of their enemy across the spectrum of disciplines.
Whilst the report of the attack on Maaldrift highlighted some unfortunate circumstances, poor judgement, and incredible luck on the part of the small attacking force, no chances were taken. Security at all air force establishments was greatly increased and the few further attempts made were nipped in the bud, without the loss of a single Allied aircraft.
A weapon used in limited quantities in the German War, namely napalm, found itself further developed and refined. It began to be used in increasing quantities, as its effectiveness against the mass formations favoured by the Red Army was realized, as well as its capacity against fixed positions or, indeed, to demoralize anything in the vicinity of an attack.
It was estimated that, by 26th March 1946, 40% of all munitions delivered by ground attack aircraft were napalm-based.
The Allied Navies
Having been troubled by the surprisingly effective Soviet submarine efforts in the early stages of the war, the Allied Navies accepted criticism that they had not responded effectively for far too long, particularly in regard to the threat of the type XXI.
The anti-submarine groups were quickly re-established and worked up to peak performance, establishing domination of all waters in which they worked.
There had also been some glaring errors in intelligence, that had permitted interned Soviet shipping to function as supply vessels in neutral ports, and serious errors of judgement regarding the possibilities of established Soviet bases beyond the mouth of the Baltic.
Some excused the issues, given the lack of serious threat from the Kriegsmarine in the closing months of the German War, but it was generally accepted that the Navies, across the range of nations, had been caught well and truly on the hop.
However, the problems were addressed, with more than one senior commander finding himself sailing a smaller desk, in a new job with less responsibility.
By the time of the Baltic phase of Operation Spectrum, the Allied Navies were back functioning at top level, and the results of the ‘ambush’ of Red Air Force and Navy assets in the Baltic illustrated that in spades.
In the Pacific, the USN adopted responsibility for blockading Japan, Manchuria, and the Soviet Eastern seaboard. Two excursions by Soviet Pacific fleet submarines enjoyed little success and the losses had sent a clear message to Soviet naval command, ensuring their assets stayed in port.
Battleships and cruisers launched the numerous forays into Chinese waters, cruising off-shore, taking out an airfield here, a bridge there. Smaller warships moved in closer, patrolling up and down the Chinese coast, seeking targets of opportunity, all of which ensured that the seas in the east remained very firmly under Allied control.
The lack of any Soviet or Japanese naval presence of note meant that there was no pressure to encourage further Allied naval development, although the Midway, Coral Sea and Franklin D. Roosevelt heavy carriers had been completed and sent to persecute the Siberian mainland.
Allied technology
The failure of the programme’s plutonium test in July 1945 caused a rethink of the plans to invade Japan, although that rethink had not prevented the exodus of units from Europe until the Soviets attacked.
Scientists assured their political masters that a device would be ready by summer 1946; indeed, the uranium bomb was considered ready to go, and had been for some time. It was the plutonium bomb that awaited a successful trial in the desert at White Sands.
Given the limited amount of suitable fissionable material available, the decision had been made not to deploy any devices until the military situation in Europe became more or less favourable. If the Soviets produced a surprise, then the weapons could be deployed as strategic weapons capable of destroying huge numbers of soldiers. If, when the Allies advanced, stubborn pockets of resistance grew, they could be used to eliminate such positions. Should Soviet defences prove insurmountable, or should the political will of the people falter, then they would be delivered on top of political targets in the Soviet Union, to break the enemy’s will first.
That was the basic plan, in the limited circles that knew of the existence of the weapons.
However, it was the political objections of others, mainly from the Allied nations, which made the use of such devices in continental Europe a political hot-potato.
Whilst the senior Allied leaders had not been told the full technical details and facts, the general outline of what was possible had been revealed, and most had recoiled from idea of using such ‘big’ bombs.
German designations for Republican Forces.
German Army – DRH – Deutsches Republikanisch Heer.
German Air Force – DRL – Deutsches Republikanisch Luftwaffe.
German Navy – DRK –Deutsches Republikanisch Kreigsmarine
German Republican and Austrian Forces
By the time of the meeting of the Allied Powers at Versailles on 22nd February, German and Austrian forces in Italy totalled fourteen and four divisions respectively, most of which were considered combat ready.
German forces in Germany and France totalled thirty-seven divisions, of which twenty-nine were considered combat ready.
German forces in Norway had been reduced during the early months of the war, partially by transfers to the mainland and partially by combining units to increase effectiveness. Eight divisions remained, all of which were in full fighting order.
In addition, Luftwaffe strength had risen to thirty-eight Staffel, although the lack of German aircraft meant that many were equipped with Allied aircraft or were still retraining on various Allied types.
German production had been partially restored, mainly by the superhuman efforts of Speer and his staff, and some items were being produced in France and the Low Countries, under an agreement that was beneficial to all countries.
The ST-44 and MG-42 both rolled off French and German production lines, mainly the former in truth, and other facilities commenced manufacturing the ammunition, although immense quantities still remained from the previous war.
Initial attempts by France to manufacture Panthers were mainly failures, but the relocated German production lines, although few and slow at first, started production of the Panther II, the tooling for which had been mostly saved from Allied bombing.
Eventually, France also produced the hastily upgraded 1946 design for the Ausf F Panther, which became universally known as the Jaguar
Priority was given to the production of 88mm and 128mm tubes, the former to equip the Jaguar that was expected to be Germany’s battle tank for the coming years, and the latter for a redesign of the Jagdpanther and for heavy anti-tank guns, both of which we
re already under construction in Belgium by FN and Imperia respectively.
There was no aircraft production of note in early 1946.
The Kriegsmarine found itself contributing submarines and coastal vessels to the war effort, surplus manpower being sent for training in the Army.
The French Army
Mistakes had been made, and De Gaulle’s attempt to field a large force of poorly organized divisions, which had some limited success against an already defeated German Army, fell foul of the fighting skills of an organised Red Army on the offensive.
Divisions which were, to all intents and purposes useless, were withdrawn and the dross weeded out, leaving enough manpower to initially field seven reasonable divisions, not including the expanding Foreign Legion. An intense period of training started integrating POWs and new blood together, the plan being to field a total of thirty divisions for the Allied order of battle.
The target was viewed with a jaundiced eye by Allied commanders, who had seen France’s desperate efforts to get numbers in the field, and had observed as the project failed miserably.
A reasonable amount of French industrial capacity was restored as quickly as possible, sometimes to introduce new all-French designs, such as the ARL-44, or to churn out tried and tested weapons of war, such as the ST-44 and MG-42.
Initial attempts by both Renault and Berliet produced Panthers, but the marriage of French engines and the cut-down 17-pdr to a proven German design failed, so none were made operational in the first instance. The restoration of equipment hastily salvaged from the Maybach plant at Friedrichshafen ensured proper engines eventually became available, but most were assigned to German produced vehicles.
A number of the Maybach-engined French versions, called the Panther Felix, made their way into forward units and performed surprisingly well. However, once Speer had rejuvenated the German industrial base, albeit spread throughout the low countries and France, as well as Germany, the proper combination of Maybach, 88mm L/71 and Panther chassis started to appear from German industry and facilities spread throughout free Europe.
Development, refinement and production of the X7 wire-guided missile system was undertaken in a specially constructed facility near Sassy, France, chosen because of its nearness to the Legion depot for ex-SS personnel, who were the only troops with the experience of using the weapons in the previous conflict.
Given the large numbers of aircraft available from US and UK factories, France undertook no serious aircraft development.
Author’s note on the forces-
I have redrawn a basic order of battle for the European front. That can be found either in the Sacrifice biographies, or can be downloaded as an xls file from the website, free of charge.
www.redgambitseries.com
www.redgambitseries.co.uk
www.redgambitseries.eu
Also included in either location is the European map I have posted under this entry, which gives the approximate frontline positions of the two armies that are preparing to make 1946 one of the bloodiest years in history.
Fig# 118 – Explanation of Military Map Symbols
Fig# 119 - The Military Map of Europe, March 1946.
Additionally, I have created a sheet that will show those who wish to know which weapons are either arriving or will become operational in 1946. This list may not be for everyone, so it is not included in the books and will solely be available on the website or facebook.
God rest ye merry Gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our saviour
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Anon.
Chapter 127 - THE ANNIHILATION
1317 hrs, Wednesday, 25th December 1945, airborne above North-West Eire.
Smoke poured from the two outboard engines, leaving parallel lines in the sky as the crippled B-24 Liberator tried to make the nearest friendly territory.
Despite the obviously fraught situation, everyone aboard the Coastal Command aircraft was calm, and there was even laughter amidst the serious activity of their real mission.
It fell to the navigator to bring failure or success, for his skill would bring the Liberator directly to the precise point where they would achieve the task set them… or they would fail.
There would be no repeats, so it was imperative that the B-24 hit its mark right on the button.
He thumbed his mike.
“Navigator, Pilot. Come left two degrees, Skipper, course 89°.”
“Roger, Nav.”
After a short delay, the navigator, sweating despite the extremely cold temperatures, spoke again.
“On course, Skipper. Estimate seven minutes to game point.”
“Roger, Nav. Bombs?”
“I’m on it, Skipper.”
The bombardier shifted to one side of the modified nose and checked for the umpteenth time that the internal heating circuit was functioning.
“Bombs, Pilot. Ready.”
The pilot looked across to his co-pilot.
“Time for you to play.”
It was Christmas Day, and most of those still asleep bore all the hallmarks of heavy encounters with the local brews, Russian and Irishmen alike.
A few, an unlucky few, had literally drawn short straws and found themselves sober and alert, providing the security whilst others spent the day acquainting themselves with their blankets or, in the case of a few, the latrines.
Seamus Brown was one of the selected few, and it was he who first heard the sounds of an aircraft in trouble.
The staccato sound of misfiring engines and the drone of their fully working compatriots mingled and grew loud enough to be a warning in their own right.
The camp was occasionally overflown, so there were provisions for this moment, and Brown instigated them immediately.
A large bell was rung, only a few double blows from a hammer were needed to warn the base what was about to happen. It was a question of keeping out of sight for most, but balancing that with having a few bodies in sight so as not to make the place seem deserted which, quite reasonably, they had all agreed might make the camp suspicious, even though most of it could not be seen from the air.
Brown dropped his rifle into a wheelbarrow, and started to move across the central open area, his eyes searching the sky for the noisemaker.
“Nav, Pilot. Thirty seconds.”
“Roger. Bombs, over to you.”
The Bomb Aimer looked through the unfamiliar sight and decided that he could proceed.
The finger hovered above the button pressed hard and the shooting commenced.
Brown kept walking, his eyes taking in the smokey trails from two of its engines, his ears adding to the evidence of his eyes.
‘The fucking bastards are in trouble’.
“Crash, you fucking English shites! Go on! Merry fucking Christmas, you bastards!”
A couple of his men chuckled and shared the sentiment, although not quite as loud as Brown.
His raised voice brought a response from some of those aching from the night’s exertions and windows were opened, the oaths and curses directed his way not always in Irish brogue.
The Liberator, for he was sure that was what it was, kept dropping lower in the sky and eventually flew below his line of vision.
In his mind, he enjoyed the image of the mighty aircraft nose-diving into some Irish hillside and promised himself that he would find out what happened at some time.
Turning to the nearest open window, the small hut hidden under a camouflage of turf roof and adjacent shrubs, Brown tackled the aggressor.
“I don’t know what the fuck you are saying my little Russian friend, but if you don’t fuck off, I’ll shoot you.”
The words were said as if he was apologizing for waking the Soviet marine;
his smile was one of sincere regret.
The Matrose nodded and closed the window, happy that the stupid Irishman would not repeat his error.
The Liberator continued on for some miles before the navigator gave another change of course, this time turning northwards and put to sea.
Once clear of land, the smoke generators were turned off, the co-pilot stopped palying with the throttles, and the B-24 resumed its journey to RAF Belfast. There it was met by two members of the SOE Photo interpretation section, specially flown in from the Tempsford base to look at the stills and movie footage shot by the special duty crew as they passed precisely over the IRA base at Glenlara.
2002 hrs, Thursday, 26th December 1945, Camp 5A, near Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Wijers helped the female officer carry her stuff from the car into the lecture room.
Section Officer Megan Jenkins, and one other, had been rushed from RAF Tempsford to RAF Belfast, where they joined up with the film produced by the B-24 Liberator pass over Glenlara.
The stills were easier to produce quickly, so Megan Jenkins had already examined them and found a great deal of information that would be of use to those present.
She had not waited to view the film footage before she left for Camp 5A so, once everything was set-up and introductions were made, the movie footage from the fly by was shown for the first time.
