Inevitable Triumph: The United States at War, 1939-1947

[coz1]

Boy, a surprise, and quick, appearence by Hunt? That ought to make the 70's interesting (or perhaps less so.) You never cease to amaze, Prufrock.

And a great sequence between the diplomats. Tough, but on target. I still think Roosevelt is planning a two front war. He can't let the Soviets get off that easy.

Great stuff, as usual, sir!

 

[unmerged(11633)]

Excellent work Prufrock. By the way, I've finally read through all of "To Stand against the Night".

 

[Mettermrck]

Excellent work Prufrock. By the way, I've finally read through all of "To Stand against the Night".

That's a treat in and of itself.

 

[unmerged(42215)]

Oh maybe I'm going to read ittoo, this AAR is immensely good

 

[Prufrock451]

I'm pretty dang proud of TSATN. If you like this AAR, you'll love TSATN!

Another brief hiatus while I finish up client projects! Back to it shortly!

 

[Mike von Bek]

You should be proud, you sick twist. Do you have any idea the suspense you caused with bloody Eindhoven? Madre!

 

[HJ Tulp]

Dammit TSATN was so damn good. I mean really Puf, you should write a AltHist Book someday

 

[elbasto]

How was it posible that this thread fell to page two?

 

[Mettermrck]

How was it posible that this thread fell to page two?

It is a crime. Plus Prufock hasn't provided us with an update. Thanks for rescuiing it, elbasto.

 

[Prufrock451]

Thanks indeed!

I will be picking this up shortly. First, I have to go to the Iowa State Fair.

Huge hogs! Deep-fried Twinkies! Mullet contest!

It's a huge stinking pile of AMERICA.

Stay brave through the weekend, because I'll be back up to my hips in AAR soon enough.

 

[unmerged(28944)]

Yippie-Ki-A! It's the State Fair!

You know, we should make a movie about that, maybe make it a musical. Think it'd make any money?









If nobody gets that joke, either I'm just way to old or everybody else is way to young!

 

[Chengar Qordath]

I'm pretty dang proud of TSATN. If you like this AAR, you'll love TSATN!

Another brief hiatus while I finish up client projects! Back to it shortly!

TSATN was certainly a well written piece of work, as is this. However, it might be nice if for your next AAR after this (assuming you have any plans to make such) you got back into humour, Waar of the Worlds is still utterly hilarious.

 

[unmerged(46338)]

Theres no way...

It would never happen, FDR was dragged into war, unless german paratroopers landed near the white house, FDR would delay as long as possable.

 

[Prufrock451]

Tell it to the DP slider!

To further shatter the mystique I've built up, there's no way Hitler would obsessively finish encircling Warsaw while Eisenhower marched to the Saar, there's no way Japan would sit quietly while a hundred American warships rebased in Hong Kong, and there's no way France would blithely allow the Americans to assume full control of their army and guard half the offensive line in return for a slice of Baden after the war.

Luckily, this is a HOI2 AAR and not a "I traveled back in time and actually directed World War 2" AAR. If you have any other quibbles, I suggest you relate them to my large Austrian friend, whose office is located at the end of that dark alley over there.

EDIT: Immediately after sending this, I thought this was too confrontational. I'm leaving it up as an object lesson to the kids- it's very easy to try and score points. It's much harder to be nice, but it's definitely worth the effort. Here's my new response-

Oskar, I played this game with the express intent of pushing the US into the war as quickly as possible. I have reinterpreted FDR in that light, and tried very hard to find reasons for my moves away from isolationism. I'd argue that FDR actually was eager to intervene- but obviously not to the extent that he is in this AAR. Of course, events carry their own momentum. Maybe if he'd pushed harder in 1936, the effects of that action would have carried the US into war sooner.

Still doesn't explain why the Germans left everything west of Dresden unguarded, but it's a start.

 

[unmerged(41995)]

Dammit!

Checking my subscribed threads and there is Prufrock with a new post. I start to salivate like the trained pavlovian animal I am and then to my horror and dismay discover its a reply to.. post.

Dammit!

Must find towel to wipe drool off with!

Post soon please Prufee

 

[Nikolai]

Yet another fantastic Prufrock AAR! Sadly I didn't find this one before last night, but now I'm up to date and with this post I'm subscribing!

 

[Prufrock451]

September 27, 1940

Sir Ian Miffling-Hodgkins drummed his fingers on his desk, the mahogany soaking up the sound. He stared out the window. A tiny scrap of paper floated out of his ashtray. Sir Ian snatched it up, tucking it back into the flame.

He thought over the note again.

"Ford has spies in Hong Kong. At least one now missing. No evidence. CdG."

Sir Ian drummed his fingers again. What was de Gaulle saying? No evidence that there was foul play? No evidence as to who was responsible? Should he destroy the papers he had?

He cursed. To keep up the fiction of skullduggery, he'd bought Japanese government bonds through a series of intermediaries and shell companies. If he burned the papers in his wall safe, he'd destroy the last flimsy thread that still connected him to nine million pounds in investments- half of his family's fortune, built up with painful effort since the Stuart Restoration.

He stared out at the quiet walled garden behind his home, puffing meditatively on his briar.

 

[Prufrock451]

September 27, 1940

Charles Lindbergh stared at the paper burning up in his suite's fireplace. He shook his head and chuckled. Burning a note like a spy.

But then, now he was a spy.

He scratched his chin and thought over the note again.

"Your shadow is missing, Charlie. Keep to routine, don't get out of line. Replacement's coming with instructions. H."

Lindbergh thought over the implications of the note. He didn't like any of them. Ford had acknowledged that he had another agent in Hong Kong, a real spy. Someone who had evidently run into the kind of trouble that spies get into from time to time. For the first time, the danger really sunk in.

My God, he thought. What have I gotten mixed up in?

Lindbergh paced the room. He should just give up, go home. He was supposed to be a lightning rod, but that role was growing less and less appealing now that there was thunder on the horizon.

How long until someone came knocking at his door?

He stared out dismally at the street below his hotel window, waiting to find the one pair of eyes out of thousands that would stare back.

 

[Prufrock451]

September 29, 1940

Heydrich smacked the paper. "Here it is." He held up a sheaf of paper triumphantly. "This company here, Imperial Rubber of Malaya. Ford chewed it over because they've recently invested in Japanese government bonds. Not very much- just part of a diversified portfolio." He pointed. "But all the investments took place between March and June of this year. Before that, they just did rubber futures."

Skorzeny rubbed his eyes. "Not exactly the solution to all our woes."

Heydrich grinned. "No, it isn't. But, look at these amounts." He pointed. "Exactly fourteen thousand pounds in Japanese government bonds." He pointed at another sheaf of paper. "This company, Ajax Holdings. Fourteen thousand pounds in Japanese government bonds, purchased April 12th. This company, Burton and Smythe LLC. Fourteen thousand pounds in Japanese government bonds, May 22nd."

Skorzeny raised an eyebrow. "So we've found a mystery investor. Why didn't Ford just follow that lead?"

Heydrich pointed. "All of the companies in this list have different owners, and they're chartered through about fifteen countries. Whoever did this has very carefully erased his tracks. The final piece of the puzzle is here in Hong Kong. That's why Ford sent agents here." He scratched his head.

Skorzeny leaned in. "So we go to the Stock Exchange and start rifling their papers?"

Heydrich shook his head. "No. If it was on paper, Ford wouldn't have sent a spy. Let alone Charles Lindbergh." He shot up, pacing the floor. "It's something off the map, not on paper." He pointed at Skorzeny. "It's social. The sort of thing that a gentleman could sift through conversation with a gentleman." He leaned in, grinning. "We've been duped. The agent was the decoy all along. We need to follow Lindbergh."

 

[Nikolai]

Uh, uh... I sense Mr. Lindbergh won't have it easy the following time!