Above: The 'Constantinople Gang' - agents in Naval Intelligence. Their Army counterparts had a less glamorous reputation.
Part 2.
"People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for." ~ Harper Lee
The Confederate States Army Directorate of Intelligence was much like the Army as a whole: small, underfunded and overlooked. It was not - even in the claustrophobic ranks of the Confederate States Army - considered a wise career move for a young officer. It's Naval counterpart in the Secret Service Bureau (SSB) was rather more prestigous reflecting both the greater prowress of the Navy and the tradition - albeit unofficial - for the more glamorous foreign espionage to be handled by Naval Intelligence.
Nevertheless there is a certain type of man who will find such work exciting and Lieutenant Robert Taylor was that man. Twenty three years old and handsome in a rather self concious way with the neatly trimmed mustache of a young gentlemen (or at least a silver screen imagining of a young gentlemen) which complimented his dark hair and green eyes. Son of a wealthy and moderately prominent Virginian political family, graduate of the Citadel with high marks, ferociously patriotic, soundly conservative in the best Democratic tradition. A fine man. True he was young and green, somewhat limited in imagination in certain areas but his superiors felt he had ability. Besides there was such a paucity of candidates that Taylor stood out by default.
"So Lieutenant," said Captain Knox at the briefing, "as you are no doubt aware our great nation has seen better days and, God willing, will see better to come. Still we are rich country, an advanced country and with the President's recent decision to start re-arming - even if is just the navy - we can't be too careful. So I want you to work for us. There are plenty of people in Dixie who have no business being here and it's our job to keep an eye on them. What do you think officer?"
Taylor was of course estatic but confined his outward response to a simple nod of his head and a calm "I'd be honoured to serve Dixie Sir." He paused thinking then. "so who will be working with me out in the field?"
Captain Knox's mustache twitched in amusement. He reached over to his decanter and poured a generous measure of bourbon into two glasses.
"Son... you are the field angency - all of it."
~~~~~~
For January 1936 I have set my production to serial build two
Louisiana - Class Battleships (level IV BB's - for some reason in the Doomsday mod their name has been changed from
North Carolina) and serial build two
Sumter - Class Carriers (level III CV's).
I have started researching the following techs: Early Infantry Division, Early Field Artillery, Tankette , Agrichemistry and Basic Destroyer.
I've moved the slider one towards Interventionism.
As may be obvious I've also recruited a spy for the domestic front - the CSA has 13 spies abroad but until Lieutenant Taylor no one in the Confederacy herself.
I'm going to try to include both the history book style (as found in the backstory) and a narrative style, which - I hope - won't clash to badly!
