Against all Odds: The British Empire in World War Two

If you check my game Icons, you will find that likely I am going to be late with the next update for a good reason...

Back then I figured this thing would be over in a year or two, tops....:ninja:

That's not a particularly British issue. I point to the new airport outside Berlin...

Chapter 370​

30th June 1943


The three questions I was asked most often were: “Will ageless Bond ever age or retire?”, “Will he ever destroy SPECTRE for good?”, “How much of this is based on your own life?” Well, the answers to questions number one and two you will find in this volume. As to number three... Now, that would be telling, wouldn't it?

Part of the foreword to 'Royale Again' the final James Bond novel, published exactly twelve months after Ian Fleming's death, as specified in his will, which was stored together with the manuscript.


Northern Austria

The distant rumble of Artillery fire was constant, but the small group of German Field Police wasn't all that bothered by it. The front had been static for several days now, and according to a Lance Corporal who had been running an errand at Division HQ, the Generals didn't believe that would change just yet.

And the Sergeant, experienced enough to have served the late Kaiser, had seen a lot of the front in recent weeks, and it was in his opinion because everyone was exhausted, Axis and Allied alike. Not that he minded, less fighting meant less running around for him and his men.

“Heinrich, get the...”

The Sergeant would never know what the young private had wanted, as at this moment a Kübelwagen came racing up the road from the small clump of threes.

He was a police constable in civilian life, and so the first thing he noticed was that it was going way too fast. Of course, the pennant it wore gave it a whole lot of special rights...


It skidded to a halt, it's damaged engine giving out completely before the driver could turn it off.

Out came four men, all of them wearing the Waffen-SS camouflage battledress and sporting MP-35s, but with one of them having replaced his helmet with an officer's cap, kind of like that Paratrooper Colonel he'd once met.


That made him at the very least equivalent to a Lieutenant, and all the soldiers at the checkpoint snapped to attention. As was customary for SS officers, the stranger ignored everyone he considered beneath him, except of course those he wanted something from.

This one fit the pattern to perfection, right down to the seemingly permanent scowl. The only thing that marred the prefect picture was his dark hair. He wasn't a blonde, but then, even the Waffen-SS had to take what it could get nowadays. He did seem a bit old...


“Sergeant, who is in charge here?” the SS Officer said with an accent that placed his home at somewhere half-way between the Ruhr area and Hamburg.

“I am, Sir” the Sergeant replied.

“Well, there are reports of English commandos in the area, and I am here to inspect your post.”

He started to walk through the small post, not much more than a semi-permanent tent, a few bits and pieces of equipment and a barrier across the road. As the Wehrmacht soldiers all watched the Lieutenant, none of them noticed how the rest of his men flipped the safeties on their weapons.

The Sergeant gave the SS officer a complete report on what had taken place over the last two days ('A whole lot of nothing, Sir.') as they walked, and when he looked around, he could see that the SS men were mingling with the rest of his group.

Something caught his eye and he turned around on his heels. One of the SS men had left his MP hanging from his shoulder on a leather strap, and had drawn a knife. He was about to shout a warning, but didn't when he felt the cold steel of a knife against his throat. A short shock of pain and then he never felt anything any more.


Felix on the other hand felt a lot of things as he lowered the Sergeant's body to the ground, and he was surprised that one of them was regret. He didn't mind fighting the Queen's enemies, but killing a man up close like this wasn't something he liked doing, even to a German.

As he waited for Ian, who had watched everything from the treeline, to bring up the rest of the Troop, he couldn't help but reflect on the two experiences that had changed him, and he knew it was foolish to do so, but he couldn't help it. He knew what Ian would say if he knew, and Felix was glad that he didn't. In his mind he called it his guilty weakness.

By the time the six Landrovers had reached him the bodies had already been hidden in some brushes. The checkpoint was positioned well, it lay with another clump of trees at it's back, over-looking roads that fed into the crossroads it was guarding, which was why Ian had chosen this dangerous approach, as the terrain pre-cluded anyone approaching unseen until it was dark, and their mission was time-critical.

Besides, it was the first access 'road' that looked to lead anywhere near in the direction of where they were going, and while they could have gone off-road, it would also have advertised their presence in spite of all the ways they had tried to prevent it. Instead, if they took that road, the gravel would obscure their tire profiles until they did go off-road and a suitable spot.

If so, then hopefully all the Germans knew was that a checkpoint had disappeared. They wouldn't take long to find the bodies, but Ian knew that THEY had several patrols in this part of northern Austria, and that the Germans would soon be aware of it when things started to get blown into tiny bits. By happy but genuine coincidence, the action area THEY were acting in the most, the supply lines that fed Rommel's forces, was a good distance away from where the Paperclip Troop was going.

Risky as it was to go in at this point in time, and dis-regarding what had happened the last time they had done this, M and the SOE had been intrigued by however the defector they'd been sent to get had gotten in contact. So, it would be looked into by those who had taken to serve Queen and Country.

Never mind that they would be running a greater risk than usual. Paperclip's modus operandi depended on the rear areas of the enemy's front being fluid enough to allow a small group of Allied vehicles slip through the patrols, checkpoints and other assorted goons running around there undetected or at least to prevent any co-ordinated action being taken. If they were spotted now though, it wouldn't take long until a few mechanized troops came against them, and that would be that. When they'd started up Paperclip four months ago things had been different...

It was the reason why they chose back-roads even here where doing so would extend travel times. Even someone as fastidious as the Germans wouldn't have the manpower to guard and patrol everything. So far it had worked. They were now so far behind the lines that Ian, Felix and Gordon had decided head as far beyond the immediate battle area as they could today before camping down for the night and approaching the meeting place later tonight.


Felix was about to climb back into the car to lead the Troop through the countryside to the hills in the distance where they would spend the rest of the day before setting off again, the lead Landy stopped. Ian didn't get out, but wound down the window.

“They didn't buy it?”

“Not completely, no.”

Felix shook his head and sighed.

“Ian, you know what I think about this whole affair.”

“I know.” Ian replied, “As does Gordon. As it happens we both agree with you, but orders...”

“Are orders, I know.”

Ian grinned. “Look at it this way, tonight we'll be far less visible. As the Germans say, 'In der Nacht sind alle Katzen grau.' Or, in our case, green.”

“Fair enough. I'll still sleep with my gun under the pillow though.”

Of course neither of them would do much sleeping that night.

“Well, I shan't keep you from your duties any longer. Heil Schikelgruber!”

Felix didn't even see the mock Nazi salute as he turned with a smile. Ian's sense of humour had always been something... uncommon.

“Up yours, Ian.”





tbc


'In der Nacht sind alle Katzen grau.' = lit.: All cats are grey at night. Not quite the meaning Ian used it for, but I think it works.

I think it's obvious, the next chapter will have a two-month time skip. Generally, not a lot happened in this part of the game. The second half of 1943 was overall, well, boring in Europe. For reasons already explained the European front has stalled, though in reality I had to pause to reinforce severely depleted forces, and in Asia I was still gathering forces for a few bits and pieces alluded to earlier. It should be said that at this point I had pretty much stopped building new units (until ~ late 1944) so I was shuffling around what I had, with some exceptions.

As for the weapons... the MP-35 is a 9x19mm Parabellum weapon. As it happens, so is the Sten, including the silenced versions. Through the SOE, all British and Commonwealth, along with most Allied special forces units, such as they are, use the Sten, so THEM and of course Operation Paperclip use the -35 when doing 'undercover' work. The -35 has the added advantage to be very similar to the Sten in the general arrangements of it's bits and pieces.

Kurt_Steiner&El Pip This tale is new.

El Pip In all fairness, the General Staff would probably rather angry if they knew what Paperclip is up to, and they will be when they do. This mission isn't exactly what it looks like, and the end of it is something you'll probably like, since I can't remember having seen it done on here.

To summarize, this mission has been set up by the fine chaps "working for the Foreign Office". :ninja:

stevep I despise the CSA and all they stood for, but Lee was right when he said that war is hell.

Chapter 371​

“You know this is probably a trap, right?”

Ian grinned without taking his head off the road. “Of course it is, old friend. But it's still something that needs to be looked into.”

Felix didn't grin, but sigh. “True. But, why us? What is it about us that keeps leaving us up the creek without a paddle in such a fashion?”

“No idea, but we're here now, and we should get on with it.”


Two hours ago, they had put on a set of German Army battledress, one of the set made for them long ago, and had taken the Kübelwagen from the main camp in a small wood on a hill that overlooked the surrounding countryside.

“Oh, the things I do for England.” Felix said with a grin, and Ian knew that old friend and relative by marriage still had his sense of humour, which they would need soon enough.

“More like 'Ze thinks I do for ze Fjuhrer!'”

They both spoke impeccable German and were starting to improve on their less than perfect Russian, but Ian's stereotype accent did the trick of cheering up the both of them.

Neither talked after that.

Felix thought back to the chat they'd had with the man from 'the Foreign Office' five days ago.






“So you see why we think this is genuine. There is little chance the Soviets would be willing to expose one of their top men in Turkey in this fashion if it didn't serve a specific purpose.”

Felix frowned. “What if it is a trap to take us out?”

“In all fairness, Commander,” the FO man replied, “in the grand scheme of things they are probably more interested in taking out Operation Paperclip than you specifically.”

Ian decided to overlook the small slight. “Though I do wonder why the Soviets would be making the effort. Our operations have almost exclusively been aimed against the Germans, and Heydrich hates the Communists. In something like this he wouldn't ask for their help without direct orders from someone right at the top.”

“Which is why we decided that we would go for it. That and our man at Station T has assured us that the chap the Soviets used for this is who he says.”

“Who is we?”

“The Commander in Chief and his Head of Intelligence.

“How about asking us first?”

Felix was angry, but before the FO man could say anything, he raised his right hand. “That's not to say that we will not, but no one seems to have told you that we we are not under the CinC's direct authority. If you want our men and us, then you have to go through the SOE.”

“Which he did, Felix.” Ian said, and motioned for Felix to stay quiet. Felix of course knew this, but he would be damned to the seven circles of hell if he ever let the SIS have it's way without fighting, not after all the trouble they'd landed them in over the years.

But in the end they were all working for HM Government, so he raised his hands in mock surrender and leaned back. “Do go on, Old man.”

The FO man ignored him and returned to his briefing.

“In any case, if we assume that this... offer is genuine, then the possibilities, good and bad, mandate that we look into it. If that person really has a desire to defect, then the advantage that would give us in certain fields would be significant.”

“I see.” Ian said with a nod, “Since the Soviets have requested the Commander and myself by name, this suggests something else. They have to have a highly-placed source, either within the SOE or somewhere on the German side.”

That the FO man wasn't bothered by the German part proved that he knew the other things Ian and Felix had done more or less recently.

“Whatever it is, we have to look into it.”








“I said: There is something else about this that just occurred to me.”

“Huh?”

Felix cleared his head.

“What occurred to you then?”

The car slowed down as they approached a bend in the road.

“What if this is a setup to get the both of us after all? Heydrich swore us revenge after all, and dear Reinhard could have conned the Soviets into doing it for him.”

Felix rammed a last shell into his shotgun. “Naa. He isn't that melodramatic, nor would he let someone else take the pleasure of killing us if he were. If anything, the mad bloody bastard is a professional.”

“True.”

For the next ten minutes the only sound heard inside the car was the clattering sound of the flat-four engine in the back, but after reaching a small creek, Ian stopped the car and shut off the engine.

“Well, shall we go get into danger of having our heads shot off? Again?”

Felix looked at the darkened horizon to the north-west, and turned to Ian.

“Promise me one thing, Ian.”

He was sincere and serious, Ian could see.

“Don't get killed. My sister wouldn't be able to take that again.”

“I don't intend to.”

Felix leaned over. “I'm serious. You can't get killed!”

“Blimey, you're starting to scare me.” Ian said, but after looking at Felix, and remembering how it had been for everyone when he had been 'dead', he sighed. “I'll do what I can.”

Felix just nodded in approval and opened the low side door. “Let's get cracking then. I'd like to be home in time for tea.”

After concealing the car behind some bushes. The small foot-path they followed ran between the trees with the undergrowth reaching up to the edge of the path. Ian felt as if they were watched, and judging by the way Felix' darkened shape scanned their surroundings, he was feeling the same.

As it turned out, they were right. All of a sudden they heard the characteristic clicking sounds of weapons being readied and found themselves surrounded by men with guns.

“Captain Fleming, Commander Leiter, would you please lower your weapons? My commanding officer wishes to speak to you.”

The voice spoke with a pronounced Russian accent, but was understandable, and even if it hadn't been, the submachine guns they all carried were clearly visible in the early morning light.

It was obvious that there was nothing they could do to get out of this, so Ian recommended his family to the hands of god and only nodded at Felix. Their guns cluttered on the ground and were picked up by some of the troops.

The Soviets didn't even bind their hands, knowing the odds, and as they were lead deeper into the woods, Ian glanced at Felix, and even in the bad light Felix knew the 'I'm sorry'.

Soon they reached a clearing, and by now it was light enough to see the other's faces. The badges their captors wore didn't belong to the NKVD, but instead the GRU. Which was strange, though wouldn't change their eventual fate. On the clearing he saw another group of men. One was a high GRU officer judging by his shoulder-boards, and the other seemed to be some sort of civilian, judging by the way he was looking around and the suitcases around his feet.

“Captain, Commander. I hope my men have not been to rough on you.”

The officer spoke acceptable but heavily russian-coloured English, but that suited Ian just fine, as while his Russian would be up to the task, he wasn't yet familiar enough with it for the subtle nuances of this sort of conversation.

“Speaking as your guest, in your company hours will seem like days, I'm sure.”

“Now that that's out of the way, shall we get to work?

After a nod from the officer, the GRU men handed the two British their weapons. In spite of commenting on this, Ian ejected the magazine from his pistol and sure enough, all the rounds were still in and it seemed to be the correct weight. Looking at the weapon itself, the firing pin was still in place.

He glanced over at Felix, and got a nod. So, a Soviet Officer who was either confident that his men could kill them before they had raised their guns and fired, or who didn't really care that Ian and Felix could both shoot him before they were killed.

“I am Major General Gogol, GRU. I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask, but by now the Germans should have discovered that this man's NKVD minders have been killed by what will appear to have been British weapons, and by circumstance, we couldn't help leaving something of a trail. By my guess you have about four hours at best before the Germans swarm all over this clearing.”

Ian sighed. “So what is it that you want us to do? By all accounts you have just doomed us to running like a fox from the hounds when we just could have taken that one,” he pointed at the civilian with his thumb, “back over the front lines without anyone knowing that we were there. So, Comrade General, I'd like to know a few things before I do anything.”

Gogol laughed. “Captain, for a man in your position to make these demands certainly takes courage, especially to a loyal Soviet Officer.”

He grinned one last time before speaking again.

“I have no intention of leaving my country or working for you in any form, before you ask. But what I want you to do is to take this man across your frontlines. It suits me to see him out of Stalin's reach.”

Ian studied the civilian who had not said a word, but who watched the two British officers with thinly disguised interest.

“Just who is he? Why should we do your work for you and carry a false deflector to Britain for you?”

“As you are probably aware, Comrade Stalin is currently looking for another conspiracy to oust him, and as far as the GRU, the NKVD, the Moscow Militia and even the street cleaner in front of the Vladivostok Soviet know, there isn't one. That however doesn't stop Stalin. So this man here is under suspicion because he is a Scientist, Ukranian, has been in prison before and because he once had contact to another few men who were recently... dealt with. His wife and daughter have already died in a very convenient lorry crash.”

“So why is he still alive?”

“Because of your bombers, Captain. Recently you destroyed a... facility on the northern German coast, and several of their best people were killed. Our friend here,” he motioned at the civilian who was still trying to figure out just what was going on, being as he spoke no English, “was brought in under heavy guard to help rebuild.”

The 'or else' was left unsaid.

“What makes you think that we can use him?” Ian asked, and Gogol shook his head.

“You are honourable men, something that's far too rare in this war. You wouldn't lie about doing this out of the goodness of your hearts. Yet don't think me a fool. I may not yet know where it is, but I am sure that your Government has a programme that could benefit from this man's efforts. His name is...”




tbc

Comments? Questions? Rotten tomatoes?

Just as a note, I hate this cliffhanger, but the update was growing way beyond where it was supposed to, so I decided to end it where it stands. The next one should be out soon-ish.

ViperhawkZ Stalin supposedly wanted to start a second purge against Jewish doctors as late as 1953, and there is a conspiracy theory that he was killed because of it. The idea that another 'plot' catches his attention when the USSR isn't fighting for it's life TTL isn't too much out there.

stevep&El Pip Yes, it's him. For all the flaws with the N1, he did manage to put Sputnik and Gagarin into space OTL, in spite of Soviet manufacturing and the sparse resources he had. Here he can stop playing silly buggers to appease Uncle Joe and instead concentrate on getting things to work properly. A lot of the people behind von B's OTL programme will end up working for the British here too, so that's another plus.

Gogol had him removed from the USSR for reasons of his own that will become apparent eventually, though for the moment it's enough for you to know that one of them is to remove him from Stalin's grasp and to re-direct Stalin's paranoya in a direction that suits him (Gogol) more. The General's name is no coincidence.

Gogol is actually supposed to be... let's say Ian's post-war occupation OTL and TTL might find the name useful.



TTL's Bond Gogol is supposed to be based on the one Ian meets in the war, but the name won't actually be used until after the original has died. At first he'll only be an unnamed but regularly appearing Soviet General.

I considered Glushko, but didn't use him because 1) He was apparently among those that denounced Korolev and I wanted someone who is less controversial than von Braun, 2) A space programme where nothing goes wrong is boring. If anything the hiccups of OTL's space race made it interesting, as you said. 3) The R-7 is a golden bullseye of rocket design. If some of what made it such a success leads the British Space programme instead of OTL's Moon or Bust it would not only please HM Treasury but also help keep it from turning into a farce like OTL's NASA.