by Colin Gee
More importantly to the hierarchy, the large numbers of aircraft were there to protect them from any Allied attempt to disrupt the Soviet showpiece.
None the less, the new jets were impressive, although those with experience would have noticed the gaps in formation left by the three that had failed to take off, one drastically so, smashing back into the runway and spreading its experienced Regimental commander across the airfield.
The captured V2s, now in their new Soviet livery, were also impressive, although virtually useless for anything but fooling civilians.
Almost unnoticed, four large football-like shapes, huge bombs carried on Red Air Force vehicles, passed by, their arrival and departure overshadowed by more jets and the very latest in Soviet technological advances; the IS-IV heavy battle tank and ISU-152-Z, once known as Obiekt 704, brought to fruition for the heavy tank and tank destroyer brigades in Europe.
Almost unnoticed, the four mock-up representations of the pumpkin bomb found on the crashed B-29, left the square, immediately being surrounded by a heavily armed contingent of NKVD troops.
Almost unnoticed, but not quite...
As the Marshal climbed the steps to the top of Lenin’s Mausoleum, his heart protested, reaching its point of toleration before he reached the top.
Zhukov, panting and eyes screwed up with pain, collapsed heavily.
“So that’s that then. We’ve batted this around for months in anticipation of this moment, and we’re still doing it now.”
Truman wasn’t scolding, just trying to draw a line under matters so they could progress.
The conversations still went on around him.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen... please.”
The four other men settled down in silence, looking at the chief executive in anticipation.
“One final word... a sentence or two, no more. George?”
The outsider, George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the US Army, spoke in considered fashion.
“The scientists assure us of no consequences globally. It will save thousands of American boy’s lives. No brainer for me, Sir.”
“Thank you. Joseph?”
Acting Secretary of State Joseph Grew was slightly more animated.
“Sir, I support delay. Offer them the Mikado, lessen the terms, and they will fold. Blockade and conventional bombing will stop them. Soviet support is of little consequence to them now.”
“Thank you, Joseph. James?”
“I agree with Joseph. We can still come back to this solution, but offer up the Mikado, and I see them collapsing. As stated, Soviet support counts for nothing now... in fact, it might work in our favour.”
“How so?”
It was Marshall that posed the question and, surprisingly, it was Truman that answered it.
“They’ve been raised up, and now they’re back down lower than a rattler’s belly.”
Marshall nodded his understanding.
“Thank you, James.”
Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, settled back into the comfortable couch.
“Henry? This is your baby.”
“I’d have it in the air right now, Sir. Yes, the Nips might fold, but then, they might not. They’ll fold once the weapon is deployed. Also, as I’ve said before, the use may be enough to guarantee this world’s future.”
“Thank you, Henry.”
Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of War, even though he had trotted out his position before, wanted to say so much more.
To say that this weapon could make war obsolete, solely by its use, so awful as its use would be, therefore demonstrating that future wars could hold no advantages for aggressors.
He wanted to say that its use would end the Japanese war now; not in a year’s time, but now.
He wanted to say that the forces freed up by this act would help defeat the Soviets all the quicker.
He wanted, God, how he wanted to resign and walk away from the pressures of government, his body announcing its displeasure at his continued exposure on almost a daily basis.
Most of all he wanted the whole goddamn war to be over, and that meant using more bombs; lots more.
Thus far, the notion of deploying them on the Soviet Homeland had been avoided, sidestepped, even ignored.
Military minds saw advantages in spades, and almost no problems, but the political considerations were many, from whose air space the bombers would fly over, where the bombers would be based, guarantees from scientists that there would be no repercussions to basic objections on moral grounds.
But Stimson understood that to defeat the Soviets, they would have to demonstrate to them the idiocy of further aggression, and that was best done, at least initially, by exterminating an area of the Japanese home islands.
“Thank you, gentlemen. Give me a moment.”
Truman rose and moved to the window, taking in the view across the well-kept grass, noting the gardeners hard at work.
‘Not a care in the world.’
He laughed perceptibly, but unintentionally.
‘Care to swap?’
Work continued, his offer unheard.
“Gentlemen...I’ve made my decision. The mission is a go.”
List of Figures within Sacrifice.
Fig# 1 – Table of comparative ranks.
Fig# 117 - Map of Europe
Fig# 118 – Explanation of Military Map Symbols
Fig# 119 - The Military Map of Europe, March 1946.
Fig# 120 – Forces involved at Glenlara, Monday, 1st January, 1946.
Fig# 121 – Joint IRA-Soviet Naval Camp, Glenlara, Eire.
Fig# 122 – Glenlara Camp, IRA codenames.
Fig# 123 – Glenlara Camp, Ukrainian location codes.
Fig# 124 – Glenlara, Assault.
Fig# 125 - Town of Drulingen, 22nd January 1946.
Fig# 126 – Allied forces at Drulingen.
Fig# 127 - Drulingen - positions and assaults.
Fig# 128 – Soviet forces at Drulingen
Fig# 129 - Junction between 16th US Armored Division and Group Lorraine, 22nd January 1946.
Fig# 130 - Hangviller - Allied defensive positions.
Fig# 131 – Allied Forces at Hangviller.
Fig# 132 – Soviet Forces at Hangviller.
Fig#133 – Soviet assault on Hangviller.
Fig# 134 – Legion reinforcements at Hangviller.
Fig# 135 - Overview of Majano, Susans and Rivoli, Italy.
Fig# 136 – Allied Forces at Majano.
Fig# 137 – Soviet Forces at Majano.
Fig# 138 - Soviet assault on Majano and Castello di Susans.
Fig# 139 - Cierpice 26th March 1946 - Storch Assault.
Fig# 140 - Alternate Command Post, Cierpice, Poland.
Fig# 141 - Cierpice 26th March 1946 - NKVD ambush.
Fig# 142 – Kampfgruppe Bremer.
Fig# 143 - Town of Ahlen
Fig# 144 - Soviet forces in Ahlen
Fig# 145 - Von Scharf’s assault on Ahlen bridge.
Fig# 146 - Von Scharf’s assault on St Bartholomäus.
Fig# 147 - Soviet reinforced forces at Ahlen.
Fig# 148 - Oerlinghausen and the Teutobergerwald, 1st April 1946.
Fig# 149 – Allied Forces at the Teutobergerwald.
Fig# 150 – Soviet Forces at the Teutobergerwald.
Fig# 151 - Oerlinghausen - Soviet Positions.
Fig# 152 - German Republican Army assault force - Teutobergerwald, 1st April 1946.
Fig# 153 - Oerlinghausen - Allied assault.
Fig# 154 - Bimohlen - Prentiss Force
Fig# 155 - The Battle of the Streams.
Fig# 156 - Bimohlen - Prentiss Force initial dispositions.
Fig# 157 - Bimöhlen - Soviet Northern assaults.
Fig# 158 - Bimöhlen - Soviet Southern assaults.
Fig# 159 - Bimöhlen - Soviet Forces.
Fig# 160 - Prentiss Force - Late arrivals
Fig# 161 - Lützow - Allied Forces.
Fig# 162 - Lutzow - Allied dis
positions.
Fig# 163 - Lützow - Soviet Forces.
Fig# 164 - Lutzow - Soviet attack.
Fig# 165 - Pomeranian names – then and now.
Fig# 166 - Wollin - Initial Allied Forces.
Fig# 167 - Wollin - Initial Allied dispositions.
Fig# 168 - Wollin - First and Second Soviet attacks.
Fig# 169 - Wollin - Rienforced Allied Forces.
Fig# 170 - Soviet Forces surrounding Wollin.
Fig# 171 - Wollin - Soviet Third Attack.
Fig# 172 - Naugard - Soviet defensive force.
Fig# 173 - Naugard - Soviet defensive positions.
Fig# 174 - Naugard - First phase of the Allied Attack.
Fig# 175 - Naugard - Allied Assault forces.
Fig# 176 - Naugard - Second phase of Allied assault.
Fig# 177 - Rear cover from paperback of ‘Sacrifice’.
Bibliography
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The Allied Forces in Italy 1943-45
ISBN 0-7153-92123
Kleinfeld & Tambs, Gerald R & Lewis A
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Delaforce, Patrick
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The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II
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Pettibone, Charles D
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Volume V - Book A, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
ISBN 978-1-4269-2551-0
Pettibone, Charles D
The Organisation and Order of Battle of Militaries in World War II
Volume VI - Italy and France, Including the Neutral Countries of San Marino, Vatican City [Holy See], Andorra and Monaco
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Chamberlain & Ellis, Peter & Chris
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The Decline and fall of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan
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Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two
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The Encyclopedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II
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