Against all Odds: The British Empire in World War Two

[trekaddict]

i think mr chamberlain is wrong he's being bloody complacent again

good luck on those exams.

The stupid germans messed up my plans. But alas, this is an opportunity to get competent leadership for Britain ahead of time.

 

[Enewald]

Oral exams sounds interresting...

Weet, poland accepted!

The SU shall still attack them I'd guess... o

But this makes it all a lot interesting.

 

[trekaddict]

Oral exams sounds interresting...

Weet, poland accepted!

The SU shall still attack them I'd guess... o

But this makes it all a lot interesting.

It's advanced English ( which I am pretty good at ) and basic phyics ( at which I stink.)

I too was rather surprised. I had everything plotted out, with a different road to war and the likes. Now I might have to write a complete set of new events, if none of the two members of the Axis of Evil (tm) decides to dow them.

 

[El Pip]

Ahh Nev and Halifax, amazing testaments to the power of only seeing what you want to see. With Germany eating bits of other country under threat of war they worry about having too large an army being as too 'aggressive'.

If only they had read more Vegetius, "Let him who desires peace prepare for war" was a good motto for the Romans and it would have been an excellent motto for inter-war Britain.

In any case, I do look forward to seeing what this new road to war is. Although if Hitler goes straight for Russia (after arranging 'transit' through Poland) will Britain intervene or will she let the two nations slug it out? After all if Germany is just passing through Poland to get to the evil commies her borders are still intact...

 

[trekaddict]

I was planning on stating this later on, but what the hell. The Germans intend to use the Soviets as Cannonfodder and to strengthen their own armies in the west. As soon as Britain and France are defeated both secretly plan to backstab the other. Whether it goes that far..... you'll have to read and find out.


As for that quote: There is a certain someone in the British political establishment who thinks exactly like that.

 

[unmerged(85800)]

Oral exams sounds interresting...

i had a spanish oral last year. sadly it was not quite as good as it sounds (though if you saw my spanish teacher you might think i was lucky)

trekkie, if you speak english as well as you type it, you should get top marks. remember i thought you were english when i first got on here. do you say w or v sounds?

back to the aar, is there a chance stalin might work out he's being done like a kipper?

 

[trekaddict]

i had a spanish oral last year. sadly it was not quite as good as it sounds (though if you saw my spanish teacher you might think i was lucky)

trekkie, if you speak english as well as you type it, you should get top marks. remember i thought you were english when i first got on here. do you say w or v sounds?

back to the aar, is there a chance stalin might work out he's being done like a kipper?

W sounds. Definitely.


So it is "We have ways of making you talk!" instead of "Ve have waiz of makink you talk!"

 

[trekaddict]

I announce taht I have finished the game and now know exactly where this AAR will go and how I will get there. Asking me for spoilers won't do you any good though.


However I couldn't resist making this:

​

Consider it a little teaser to keep you interested.

 

[Enewald]

So Germany conqured the world and the british navu got sunk at Scapa Flow´?

Great!

 

[El Pip]

That is a most spiffing map, a pair of nuclear carriers is my guess for the NR- designation. No.1 Battlesquadron also raises the most excellent proposition that there are other Battlesquadrons. Perhaps in other ports across the empire?

 

[trekaddict]

Enewald Nope. These are the actual anchorages of these ships.


El Pip These are Nuclear Carriers indeed. As for the Battelsquadrons: There is only one, the naming is a remnant from the War. But they still practice tactics, so even in 2008 a Royal Navy officer might hear "Form Line of Battle!" from his CO.

 

[trekaddict]

Oh and I will say no more. You will have to read to find out.

 

[trekaddict]

Chapter 13

​

September 20
HMNB Scapa Flow

aboard HMS Rodney

Captain Murray absolutely loved his job, despite playing second organ to Grand Admiral Blackhouse. Ever since enrolling at the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth his great dream had been to command one of the Navy's big Battleships, and now HMS Rodney was his, and only getting HMS Nelson would have been a greater honour. He had this command for two months now, and now at last he was getting the new Subbie he had requested almost immediately after taking over after the first one had been transferred to Fleet Air Arm Control at Jeresey. Murray had the slight suspicion that the Lieutenant's squabble with a Chief Petty Officer named Pertwee in the Naval Stores here at Scapa Flow had something to do with that but he could not prove that, not that he had the desire to do so. He had been talking to the Admiral about getting a new Sub Lieutenant and now at last one was on his way, fresh out of Dartmouth and recently promoted.

Right on cue he could hear a tentative knock at his door. “Enter!” Murray said and a lanky young man entered. “Sub Lieutenant Phillips reporting for duty, Sir.” he said with a crisp salute. “At ease Phillips.” Murray motoined for the Lieutenant to sit down and when Phillips was situated Murray asked: Recently graduated from Dartmouth eh?” Phillips nodded. “Yes, Sir.” Murray remembered his own time there and could not resist the urge to ask: “Tell me, Mr. Phillips, is Old Thunderguts still around?” “Yes, Sir, Commander Povey is fine. He still teaches advanced navigation, did give up the trouts* though, but under protest.” “I can see him protesting violently. He loved giving them a hard time.” Murray quickly went back to business, but not before making a mental note to watch over this young officer. He always liked to trade stories when a new crew member joined his command, trying to get a feel for the man behind the uniform, although this ceremony had been cut short this time, thanks to the urgency with which Rodney was prepared for combat in the recent crisis. Murray did not agree with the PM's stance on this, but his was not to reason why, and like any good Royal Navy Officer he followed his orders. HMS Rodney would not see combat on this sortie, but would do something Murray liked even more: Gunnery Practice, with everything from her pitifully small AA Armament to her main Guns, and Murray loved the roar of a Battleships mains. He concentrated back on the Subbie currently sitting in his office. “So, Mr Phillips, shall we go to the Bridge? We are scheduled to sortie in a few hours, and this is a good a time as any to familiarize yourself with your new workplace.” “Yes Sir.” Phillips answered, a bit shocked by the familiarity with which Murray talked to him. Normally the Officers in the Andrew did not get so personal towards each other until after their first battle together, sometimes not even then.

And indeed three hours later HMS Rodney was pulled away from her anchorage by a harbour thugboat and slowly made her way out to the open sea. The mission orders were simple: 'Get to the open sea, practice gunnery drills including live fire exercises and return to base on or around 20:00 on the 21st.' Worded in the sort of language their Lordships at the Admiralty were so keen about this order was one that Murray would follow with all his heart. Normally Admiral Blackhouse would have accompanied his Flagship out, but Murray could clearly do without the Old Man, whom he viewed as moderately talented at best, and who somehow seemed to be stuck in the year 1915 in regards to tactics. He refused to see the danger Airplanes could cause to ships, whether they were anchored or underway, simply put unwilling to learn and to adapt to the new times. “Starboard lookout here Sir, Target Island in sight.” Murray nodded and said to Phillips who currently was Officer of the Watch: “Come right 40 degrees.” “Yes, Sir.” “Oh and Mr. Phillips?” Murray added. “Yes Sir?” “Bring her to Action Stations.” “Yes Sir. Helm, come right 40 degrees.” Phillips waited for acknoledgement and said: “All hands, Action Stations.” The siren sounded and men were scrambling all over the ship trying to reach their stations in a decent time that would not earn them the third degree from their immediate superior Officer. After the alooted time was over and all sections had reported in Phillips saluted the Captain. “The ship is at Action Stations.” Murray nodded, stepped out in the starboard Bridgewing and trained his binoculars on the small Island the Navy had bought to serve as a stationary target for Gunnery Practice in the early 1910s. Murray ordered through one of the speaking tubes: “Guns. Acquire target on starboard.” The Officer in charge of her main guns, currently in the fire director was quick to carry out this order. “Target acquired Captain.” Murray nodded although the officer could not see him and said: “Full salvo, High Explosive.” In the Director Lieutenant Commander John “Guns” Mc Intire gave his own orders. When all the towers reported ready to fire he yelled “SHOOT!” into his microphone that connected him to all the turrets. A split-second later Rodney's nine sixteen-inch guns spoke with one thundering voice. Murray could almost feel the ship bucking slightly under the recoil of her massive guns and when the sound and the massive cloud of smoke dissipated he could hear the shells travelling through the air, making a sound like ripping linen. He kept his binoculars on the Island and surely soon he could see the massive pillars of dirt rising into the air, and a few seconds later the dark sound of the explosions reached him much silenced but still impressive.






*the cadets that threaten to fail are called trouts


[This is a just-for-the-hell-of-it update, and was mostly written for my own amusement and not plot advancement after a disappointment at school. I missed my Advanced English A by one fifth of a grade. This update couldn't recognize a game effect if it was smacked in the face with it. It is completely senseless and probably crap, but I had loads of fun writing it, so meh. ]

 

[Enewald]

Writing can be fun.

But it is not crap.

Where were the german subs?

hehe.

 

[El Pip]

Updates don't have to be about game events to be enjoyable, as that one proved.

Dashed bad luck on the exam, I'm told alcohol can help with the disappointment. I know it has helped me in the past.

 

[unmerged(85800)]

yep keep drinking until you cant even speak german. do you get to retake?

the update was rather good i thought - if it does nothnig else you can use those characters again sometime if you have naval battles.

 

[trekaddict]

yep keep drinking until you cant even speak german. do you get to retake?

the update was rather good i thought - if it does nothnig else you can use those characters again sometime if you have naval battles.

I will.

 

[trekaddict]

ReadAAR participation day!


Once more I have several plot bunnies running around in my head, and I need your help to decide which one to catch first:

a) jump ahead to the next european crisis ( somewhere in eastern Europe )
b) more from Mr Fleming
c) an update that deals with the Internal Situation in the former United States

 

[El Pip]

Any update that involves the former United States has got to be interesting. Thus I vote for C.

 

[unmerged(85800)]

i'd like to go with mr fleming. he's cool.