Mausefalle — ‘Mouse Trap’
Mutterkreuz — Mother’s Cross
Oberfeldwebel — Heer rank, roughly equal to Master Sergeant
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW, ‘Supreme Command of the Armed Forces’) — The German General Staff.
Obergruppenführer — SS rank, roughly equal to Lieutenant General.
Obersturmführer — SS rank, roughly equal to First Lieutenant.
Ordnungspolizei — Order Police (regular police force)
Reichsführer-SS — Commander of the SS
Reichsgau — an administrative subdivision.
Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) — Reich Main Security Office
Sigrunen — SS insignia (lightning bolts)
Standartenführer — SS rank, roughly equal to Colonel.
Sturmbannführer — SS rank, roughly equal to Major.
Sturmann — SS rank, roughly equal to Private.
Strumscharführer — SS rank, roughly equal to Master Sergeant.
Swinehund — German insult, literally ‘pig dog.’
Untermensch — subhuman.
Untermenschen — Subhumans, plural of Untermensch.
Unterscharführer — SS rank, roughly equal to Second Lieutenant.
Vaterland — Fatherland.
Volk — The German People.
Volkssturm — German militia.
Wehrmacht — The German Military (often taken to represent just the army (Heer)).
Acts of War Sample
(Usurper’s War Volume I)
by
James Young
Available at Amazon at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NHAWCKQ
Also Available as an audiobook on Audible
http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B015QHS4V8&action_code=AUDORWS0424159DCE
Usurper War Collection I On Seas So Crimson… can be found at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B175FJG
Follow James Young at the Following
Blog: https://vergassy.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/ColfaxDen/
Twitter: @youngblai
From the back cover…
Somehow I doubt that this is quite how anyone expected Adolf Hitler’s death to turn out…
August 1942. London is in flames. Heinrich Himmler’s Germany stands triumphant in the West, its “Most Dangerous Enemy” forced to the peace table by a hailstorm of nerve gas and incendiaries. With Adolf Hitler avenged and portions of the Royal Navy seized as war prizes, Nazi Germany casts its baleful gaze across the Atlantic towards an increasingly isolationist United States. With no causus belli, President Roosevelt must convince his fellow Americans that it is better to deal with a triumphant Germany now than to curse their children with the problem of a united, fascist Europe later.
As Germany and Japan prepare to launch the next phase of the conflict, Fate forces normal men and women to make hard choices in hopes of securing a better future. For Adam Haynes, Londonfall means he must continue an odyssey that began in the skies over Spain. American naval officer Eric Cobb finds that neutrality is a far cry from safety. Finally, Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi must prepare himself and his men to fight a Pacific War that is far different than the surprise attack Imperial Japan had once planned but never executed.
Acts of War is the first novel of the Usurper’s War series, which charts a very different World War II. As young men and women are forced to answer their nation’s call, the choices they make and risks they take will write a different song for the Greatest Generation.
From Acts of War
H.M.S. Exeter
North Atlantic
1330 Local (1030 Eastern)
12 September
Whether or not Eric was all right was likely a matter of opinion. He wasn’t flying anymore, as the weather conditions had started to become much worse since he’d left Ranger’s deck that morning. The base of the clouds had once again descended, and he estimated that the ceiling was well under ten thousand feet. At sea level, visibility was under ten miles, and an approaching squall promised to make it less than that very soon.
I don’t blame the Brit pilots for nixing the thought of flying reconnaissance in this, Eric thought. Yet for some reason I’d still rather take my chances in that soup than be on this ship right now. She’s definitely going into harm’s way, and fast.
The heavy cruiser’s deck throbbed beneath his feet, and the smoke pouring from her stack and stiff wind blowing onto her bridge told him that Exeter had definitely picked up speed.
“Sir, I’ve brought Leftenant Cobb,” Adlich said, causing Captain Gordon to turn around. Exeter’s master had obviously been mollified by the worsening conditions, as he gave Eric a wry grin when the American officer stepped up beside him.
Whoa, it’s cold out here, Eric thought. As if reading his mind, a petty officer handed him a jacket.
“We remove the windows when we’re getting ready to go into action,” the man said. “Lesson learned after River Plate.”
“Thank you,” Eric said. “I guess the windows would be a bit problematic in a fight.”
The petty officer gave a wan smile, pointing to a scar down his cheek.
“Glass splinters are a bit sharp, yes.”
“Your squadron commander was either a very brave man or a much better pilot than anyone I know,” Gordon said solemnly from behind the ship’s wheel.
Or alternatively, Commander Cobleigh was an idiot who didn’t check with the meteorologist before we took off.
Eric was about to reply when the talker at the rear of the bridge interrupted him.
“Sir, Hood should be coming into visual range off of our port bow,” the rating reported. “Range fifteen thousand yards.”
“Thank you,” Gordon replied. The captain then strode to the front of the bridge, stopping at a device that reminded Eric of the sightseeing binoculars atop the Empire State Building. Bending slightly, Gordon wiped down the eyepieces, then swiveled the binoculars to look through them.
“Officer of the deck,” Gordon said after a moment.
“Yes, sir?” a Royal Navy lieutenant answered from Eric’s right. Roughly Eric’s height, the broad-shouldered man looked like he could probably snap a good-sized tree in half with his bare hands.
“Confirm with gunnery that the director’s tracking Hood’s bearing to be three one zero, estimated range fourteen thousand, seven hundred fifty yards.”