World War Three 1946 Series Boxed Set: Stalin Strikes First

by Harry Kellogg

  The irony that the Turks had once ruled most of the people they were now to be allied with was not lost on Group Captain Panagakis. His RHAF Special Air Service Regiment was training to go to war against the Turks, before the Soviets invaded Western Europe, and lit the fuse of communist revolution in Southern Europe. Panagakis was of the realization that most of his fellow Air Force officers were inclined to support the revolutionaries, but he was a Royalist, through and through, and he knew that he would be facing an uphill battle against his own countrymen, and he was fully prepared to accept the role of traitor in the short term. What he was not willing to do was to make his men unwillingly suffer along with him. So, one evening, he secretly summoned the entire regiment into the largest hangar at Larisa air base, and put it to a vote. His unit nearly unanimously voted to join him with a resounding shout of “God save our King!”

  As order on the mainland began to crumble, they made the long overland trip down through to Athens, along with as many other Royalist military units as they could muster to them, gathered up the Royal Family and made their way to a Royalist battle flotilla docked in Piræus, and sailed for temporary exile on Crete and Cyprus. When they arrived in Nicosia, they were welcomed joyously by the Greek Cypriot community, as Turkish Cypriots stood by sullenly. As the Commander in Chief of all Greek Armed Forces, King George II, King of all the Hellenes, ordered the SAS Regiment to the RAF base in Nicosia, to help their short-handed British counterparts to train other Balkan nationals to form their own Commando units and SAS regiments. The Turks, seeing a possible advantage in helping Greek Royalist forces, have allowed overflights by armed RHAF aircraft, in order to carry out air strikes from airfields on Cyprus. They did not need them badly at the moment, because their hold was tight on the island-fortress of Crete, and they had many bases of operation there, but it was nice to know that they had a different direction to attack from.

  But today was different, he sensed. Today, decisions would be made that would affect his future, and that of his countrymen, and of all the freedom-loving peoples assembled on this island. He glared at the Germans, who most assuredly had no love for him and his people, and they looked back at him in disdain, especially their commander, a hard-assed Nazi-SS asshole named Joachim Pieper. This was the same man that the Yanks and Brits called “The Butcher of Malmèdy”, who earned that nickname for murdering American POW's during the Battle of the Ardennes Forest, simply because he could not take them with him. A vicious, nasty, man to be sure. He had already issued orders for his men to watch their contact with the Germans, on penalty of severe punishment...

  At the exact moment of that thought, he heard the roaring drone of heavy bomber engines; many, many heavy bomber engines. It was a sound that he hadn't heard in well over two years, since his days protecting Wheelus Airfield in Libya: the United States Army Air Force's heavy bombardment force was landing at Nicosia.

  *****

  0515

  31 July 1946

  In an abandoned Japanese military base,

  Somewhere in Soviet-Occupied Manchuria

  Shao Wong-wei felt exposed here, but not overly so. Dressed as a common laborer, he could potentially go anywhere, and potentially listen in on anything, because, let us face facts, NOBODY pays attention to the hired labor, no matter what your ideology is. And some years ago, he joined the Communist Party to solidify his cover. He had been spying for the Nationalist, no, it was now just the Chinese, government for many years now, and now more than ever, he felt that his efforts may finally do some good where it mattered the most.

  He had been recruited as a trustworthy Communist laborer for this particular project, and had been present when the three special Soviet trains pulled into this special hidden rail siding, to offload their very special cargoes of weapons and technicians. He had heard by word of mouth that these were very special weapons of high quality, of European, especially German, manufacture, captured by the Soviets in their invasion of Western Europe. After these first three trains, the trains didn't stop coming for the next 4 days, on average of five trainloads per day. But the last day was the busiest, with seven trainloads to offload, well into the night. He duly passed this information along to his contact for analysis.

  The job wasn't over yet, though. There was labor that was needed to be done in lieu of the machines and mechanical devices needed to complete such tasks. But then, that had always been the Chinese way. As Shao made his appointed rounds, doing the work required of him, and no more, he would listen to the conversations between the People's Liberation Army troopers and their Soviet “advisors” and technicians. They were planning an offensive and it was to happen soon. He had not been able to arrange a meeting with his contact to pass the new information along, so he had to break cover and disappear, taking the information to straight to the government himself. But escaping the base would be difficult at best, considering the amount of security now being employed in keeping prying eyes out...

  As Shao was mulling the problem over in his head, he heard his name being called in the distance “Comrade Shao! Come over here, NOW!” A chill of fear shot up his spine, and he did his best to suppress it, and headed to the man who called him. It turned out to be his supervisor, Comrade Commissar Hwang Li, who asked him, “Tell this Mongolian barbarian that he needs to be mindful of fulfilling his quota for the People's War, else he'll find his family's food ration cut!” Shao dutifully translated his overlord's diatribe from Mandarin Chinese into Mongol, thinking to himself that such fools should never be placed in positions of authority.

  As he was dismissed and walked away, he quickly thought to himself that this was the perfect opportunity, as they had been near a guarded gate from which he could exit. He quickly walked to the gate and was challenged “On who's authority are you leaving the base, Comrade?” “Why of course, on Commissar Hwang's orders, Comrade. Didn't you just see us talking over there a moment ago?” The guard sheepishly nodded “Or would you care to explain to him why you did not allow me to leave to complete the task he assigned to me?” The guard immediately blanched, thought for a moment and let him through. And he was never seen at that base again.

  *****

  1321

  31 July 1946

  On an abandoned Japanese base,

  Somewhere in Soviet-Occupied Manchuria

  Chan Yin had been working day and night on the tanks that the Russians had brought in four days ago under great secrecy, repairing engines and retrofitting new guns on the former German tanks, spoils of the people's war against fascism. Now they will be used, along with surrendered Japanese tanks, in a frontal assault against the Nationalist warmonger pigs. They would be taking the fight to the capitalists for the first time since the war with the Japanese had ended. And these deadly technological wonders, built by the oppressed German workers and forced slave labor, will be used as the spearhead of a decisive battle, one that will decide the future of China, and of world communism.

  The tank he was currently working on was a King Tiger, with heavier armor and a larger gun than the original Tiger tank, and was being re-engined and re-gunned with Soviet copies of Allison diesel engines and Soviet weapons. In the case of this particular tank, it was being re-engined and Chan was assisting in re-gunning it with a 122mm antitank gun. Chan Yin would do his part to advance the People's War, and he would make sure that this gun would destroy the capitalist enemy.

  There were already three regiments formed from these tanks, along with Soviet and former Japanese tanks, and they would form the spearhead of the Shock Army that they were forming, as an all-or-nothing gamble, feeling that through all the setbacks in recent months, this could be the action that they needed in order to further their cause. They had been far too lax since the Japanese surrendered late last year, and the Soviets had been increasingly stingy with the new weapons and training since they began their war of Liberation in Western Europe. But now, there was a chance.

  Communist workshops have been busy rechambering the captured,
mismatched, weapons that they'd been receiving from the Soviets' European campaign. Fortunately, the majority of the weapons were of German manufacture, and the Chinese had been making the 8mm Mauser ammunition for many years now. The problem lay in the mountains of captured British and American weapons, along with smaller quantities of French, Belgian, Dutch and Scandinavian weapons now being supplied. Comrade Chan was honored to be contributing in such a great endeavor, to free the people of the world from the oppressive yoke of capitalism.

  As Comrade Chan went back to focusing on his work, he noticed his work commissar, Chang Pon , had appeared from nowhere with an eternally sour scowl on his face “Comrade Chan! You are installing that gun breech wrong! I would be ashamed to show your work to even the worst of our comrade Soviet armorers! Rotate that breech a quarter turn to the right and tighten it up NOW!” Chan Yin felt himself get hot with embarrassment and quickly began to make the corrections that his commissar so forcefully instructed him to make. Comrade Commissar Chang was always so hard on him, insulting him in front of everyone and berating his work. Were it not for the cause they both served, and the fact that Chang was more equal than he, Chan would have slowly painfully murdered him by now. But he did his part to advance the cause, and that meant ignoring the abuse from the commissar and doing his job to the best of his ability, and he would continue to do so until the day of final victory, or his glorious death.

  King Tiger, as supplied by the Soviets, to the Chinese PLA

  *****

  0700

  2 August 1946

  Headquarters, 2nd Combined Army

  Vietnamese National Army

  Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam

  As the Australian supply ship was pulling into the military port, the news just came in that the new communist puppet government of France has announced emancipation for all of its colonies, and in Vietnam in particular, has given its support and diplomatic recognition to the Viet Minh, something that was not unexpected. What was unexpected was the fact that the Popular Democratic Republic of France has offered military assistance to the Viet Minh regime and has offered amnesty to those French soldiers who surrendered at Da Nang to the Vietnamese National Army, in return for their allegiance to the new government. Surprisingly few Frenchmen took up the offer, choosing instead to stay and help their new allies in the Vietnamese National Army.

  Here to greet today's shipment from the US, via Australia, was none other than the leader of the VNA, General Trinh Minh Thé. Today's shipment included jeeps and a few M-5 “Stuart” light tanks, but more importantly, M-1 Garand rifles and M-1 carbines, M-3 “grease-gun” submachine guns and M-1911 Colt .45 pistols...and Browning .50-and .30-caliber machine guns, along with cases and cases of ammunition, whatever the Americans could spare at this time. General Trinh was grateful, and this shipment would go a long way toward supplementing the Chinese arms aid they were now receiving, and the captured French and Japanese weapons that they were armed with. This aid, along with the shipment from Australia earlier in the month of used trucks and jeeps, Owen submachine guns, and tons of new uniforms (one of which General Thé was wearing, complete with “digger” hat) was concrete proof of the Allies' commitment to his cause. But he needed more for his army. They were in sore need of artillery, and aircraft for the air wing that was being established at the airfield in Da Nang. Here, in Cam Ranh, he was able to put together an ad hoc squadron of old French and Japanese naval vessels left over from the war, but keeping them supplied with fuel and ammunition was a constant struggle. Training qualified crews was even more of a battle, so that the original French crews, and some Japanese maritime freebooters (some had begun to call these Japanese “rōnin”) were manning these vessels, until they could train enough Vietnamese men to proficiently crew the ships.

  For everything that his troops needed, Thé's forces were doing surprisingly well, having taken most of the southern half of the country, stopping to consolidate after taking Hué, and immediately began setting up charitable outposts in every village in the territory, to help the people educate their children, help them with the rice and other crops, helping the people find or purify drinking water. This was all in accordance with his religious beliefs in Cao Dai, which calls for charity, and helping others improve their condition. Thé's religious beliefs went a long way toward garnering support for his cause, everywhere his influence held sway, denying the communists new recruits and a powerful propaganda tool, and solidifying the gains his forces have made and changing minds. There were even defectors from the Viet Minh, who took great risk (the penalty for defection was death) to do so.

  General Trinh now looked forward to strengthening his forces, to finally push Ho Chi Minh and Vo Nguyen Giap's regime out of power, once and for all time, and advance the cause of liberty and equality for all of the Vietnamese people.

  *****

  0930

  4 August 1946

  Emergency Meeting

  Of the Security Council of the United Nations,

  U.N. Temporary Headquarters,

  San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

  According to the by-laws governing the operations of the United Nations organization, the only Soviet diplomats with portfolio allowed to operate inside the United States were those who were assigned to this body. However, because the ongoing hostilities between their nation, and the Western Powers, their movements were scrutinized in a way they had never before experienced here. In a perverse way, it made them feel at home.

  As all the diplomats from the permanent members of the Security Council began to file into the chamber, the tension was so thick that it became difficult to concentrate on the issues at hand. After all, the meeting had been called at the behest of the host nation, the United States, which could not bode well for the Soviet delegates. As the ambassadors all took their seats, the delegate designated as today's meeting chair gaveled the session into order.

  All of the old Security Council business was disposed of and the meeting quickly moved onto the emergency matter at hand: the attempt by the Soviet Union to take control of the United Nations General Assembly by installing ambassadors from the European countries that they had overrun, especially trying to suborn France's seat on the Security Council with Stalin's own handpicked French representative. The other three permanent members and the ambassador of the exiled government of France all objected strenuously, precipitating today's emergency session.

  The meeting began with the ambassador from the government-in-exile of France railing against the Soviet Union's motion to replace him as lawful representative of the Fourth French Republic to the United Nations Security Council. Each of the other permanent members of the Security Council had their turn, with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Republic of China using their vetoes against the Soviet proposal, with the ambassadors to the Soviet Union and the United States of America yet to speak. The ambassador for the United States makes his impassioned veto and as the representative of the Soviet Union stands up to speak, the other four members of the Security Council stand up and walk out. It was understood that this would be the final snub to the Soviet Union in it's quest for legitimacy, and adjournment of the emergency session and the final dissolution of the United Nations as a working body for the adjudication of international disputes. The United Nations, as it existed that day, would never meet again.

  Awaiting the Soviet diplomats when they arrived back in their temporary accommodations was a note from the United States Department of State. It gave the last Soviet citizens left legally on U.S. soil twenty-four hours to vacate their accommodations and leave the United States, or risk arrest as enemy agents. They were gone in less than twelve.

  *****

  1400

  6 August 1946

  Office of the Commandant of the

  United States Marine Corps,

  Marine Barracks at Eighth & I Streets,

  Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

  Colonel James Roosevelt entered the room and removed his cover,
standing straight at attention “Reporting as ordered, Commandant!” “Please, have a seat, Colonel” he was directed by Lieutenant General Alexander Vandergrift to the uncomfortable-looking chair before his desk. “Do you have any idea why you've been called directly to the Commandant's office, Colonel Roosevelt?” asked Vandergrift “No, sir. I was not told why my presence was requested, only that it was, Commandant.”

  An uncomfortable look passed between them, and finally, it came out: “You've been summoned here because you will be served a subpoena very shortly, to appear before the United States Senate's Un-American Activities Committee. Son, you've been denounced by some of your subordinates and brother officers as a subversive, sympathetic to the communist cause. I want to hear it directly from you. I owe you that much, before I am forced to feed you to that particular pack of jackals.” A stunned look appeared across Roosevelt's face, and as quickly as the look appeared, it was replaced by the infamous poker-face, no doubt a trait he picked up from his father.

  “Commandant, in my own defense, I cannot effectively defend myself against such spurious charges unless I know the nature of the grievance. At this time, for the record, I would like to tell you, sir, that even though, like my father, I support social reform, at no time have I ever espoused or supported the position of Soviet-style communism, nor the means that it uses to advance its cause.” Roosevelt takes a deep breath and continues “In fact, sir, I categorically repudiate international communism, and those who use it as a guise for their own cults of personality. Notwithstanding, the fact that I have been associated with, and in the presence of, people who have admired this system, this should not be indicative of my own opinion, or frame of mind, in regard to the subject.” “That's quite a powerful statement on the subject, James. I want you to report directly to the Judge Advocate General's office at Quantico, to prepare your statements for the hearing. I want your testimony to be beyond reproach. We have two weeks until the hearing; can you be ready, son?” Asked Vandergrift. “Gung-ho, Commandant!” Roosevelt replied with a smile.