“Mister President, if we may get started? Thank you Sir.”
“We have a pretty good handle on the size of the Soviet forces and their anticipated plan of attack. We’ve acquired some vital information from a source in Poland. We have no specifics, but we can speak in overall numbers of divisions. This will make it simpler as the Soviets have a different table of organization and equipment. Their armies and corps are not equivalent to our armies and corps. We do share a common military unit, and that is the division. Consequently all our estimates will be given in divisions.”
“The overall forces that we face in Western Europe are sixty well-equipped, full-strength, divisions. Another twenty-five ‘second-line’ divisions are expected to be ‘contributed’ by the satellite countries such as Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania. More about that later.”
“We have reason to believe that thirty-five divisions are designated for the initial push into the heart of Western Europe, initially heading for Paris, via the Central German Plain, as their focal point. At strategic times, division-sized units will peel off, and invest certain key points, such as Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, but the bulk of the thirty-five divisions will continue through the heartland of Germany, the Low Countries and France, onto the main objective. Once Paris is taken they will again split off and go for port cities like Le Havre, Brest, and the like finally ending up at the Franco-Spanish border.”
“Another fifteen divisions will head towards the Maginot Line, southeast of Luxembourg, then head towards Lorraine, Dijon and split off for Lyon, Toulon and Marseilles, while others head towards Toulouse, and onto the Spanish border.”
“Another five divisions are slated to push into Bavaria, from Czechoslovakia, and continue onto Strasbourg, and at least make a demonstration at the Franco-Swiss border. It appears that intelligence indicates that Stalin will decide then whether to attack Switzerland, or to try to intimidate them in submission.”
“Five more divisions will splinter away from the main force driving toward Copenhagen, and then from there towards Norway and Sweden. Considering their recent combat experience with the Soviets, the Finns are expected to fold without a fight.”
“Their newly-acquired ‘client’ states are expected to take out Italy and Greece. Romanian and Bulgarian units will take on Greece. The Czechoslovakians, Yugoslavians, Hungarians and ‘rehabilitated’ Austrians will go for Italy. Their initial attack is expected to commence with about twenty-five divisions, but current intelligence estimates project that they can provide up to eighty-five.”
There is a gasp heard in the briefing room, then, again, rapt silence.
“Being considered among the least-reliable forces from the Soviet client states, the Poles and ‘rehabilitated’ Germans will be used for garrison duties and anti-resistance work, from all reports.”
“As of this time we have lost contact with seven of the nine major supply depots spread throughout Germany and France. The Reds seem to have dropped airborne troops into some, and others have been taken over by communist fifth column personnel and their sympathizers. These depots contain enormous amounts of fuel and oil, ammunition, electronic equipment, tanks, trucks, heavy artillery, anti-aircraft artillery and the VT fuse… hundreds of thousands of VT fuses.”
“Attempts have been made to retake these depots, but the troops in them are better armed, trained and supplied than the units attacking. It appears that the 75,000, or so, German POW’s who were being used to manage the facilities, have been neutralized. The 1,478 U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps personnel based in them have either been killed or captured. One commander was able to detonate his supply of fuel, but the other supplies were saved by the German POW’s and the Soviets. The depots contained over a billion dollars in war surplus that was to be sold to various countries, or provided to allies as military aid.”[14]
“We do not know, at this point, any of the commanders involved, but if history is any indicator, it will be a pretty stand up fight with no fancy footwork no matter who is involved. Maneuver is not one of the Soviets usual strong points. Normally, they pin you down, swarm around you, and hammer you to death. Since the Germans had orders to not retreat an inch this worked pretty well against them. We have been hit hard and have had to give up lots of territory but, so far, we have a coherent defensive line. It’s terribly weak, but we are throwing jabs, as we back up.”
8th FIGHTER SQUADRON
49TH FIGHTER GROUP
U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES
MAY 14, 1946
INDIVIDUAL COMBAT REPORT OF Richard Gardner, 1/Lt, U.S. Army Air Force.
A. Mission No. 433, May 13th, 1946, 8th Fighter Squadron, composed of nine P-38’s.
B. Tactical Escort of A-20’s over Munster, Germany.
C. Time of attack: 0830/K
Altitude: 8,000 to 10,000 feet
D. I was element leader of Blue flight, and we took off at 0625/K to escort A-20’s to Munster. We circled at 6,000 ft. over the A-20’s, while they strafed targets. At 0830/K we were intercepted by approximately 15 of what appeared to be Yakovlev fighter aircraft, of the 9 type. They were above us, at 11 o’clock. Two of them dove on me, and I dove and split-s to lose them. Then I pulled up and climbed to 8,000 feet, making a 45-degree head-on pass at two Yaks, with no observed results. Fired once at another, on a 90-degree deflection, and missed. Peeled off to join five other P-38’s in an over-watch formation, and an observed Lavotchkin La-7 jumped me from behind and fired on my fighter. It was only after I landed that I was informed by unit maintenance chief that the Lavotchkin’s pilot put three 20-mm holes into my airplane. I dove to lose him, and spotted two Yaks about to make a pass at the A-20’s. I flew into position and made a 45-degree deflection shot from the rear and above until he turned almost into me. It was a long burst and he slid off on one wing and crashed, somewhere north-west of Munster.
Two more Yaks started to chase me as I started for home, and they finally gave up, because they couldn’t catch me. I left the operational area at 0925/K, and rejoined the A-20’s. We returned to base and landed at 0955/K
E. I claim one Yakovlev Yak-9 destroyed, confirmed by wingman, 1/Lt Roger Root.
Richard Gardner
1/Lt, U.S.A.A.F.
May 13th, 1946
17:03 hours
Somewhere over western Germany:
The Soviet forces are racing blindly towards the Low Countries and France. Germany is a blasted hulk not worthy of looting.
The so-called NATO Allies have melted like a snowman in July. Reconnaissance says they are making a last stand across the little river in front of our forces.
Lavrenti Ilyin was trying as hard as he could to keep his attention from wandering. The Yak-9UT he flew was an easy plane to fly, and did not require his full attention, at this time in his flight career. A veteran of three years of combat, he was tired. Despite the six-month lull after defeating the Japanese and Germans, his mind was not fully focused. The Amerikosy flyers had all but disappeared from the skies. As his time in the air drones on, he starts to drift off…
We will slice through them like a paté knife through caviar.
We have destroyed most of their frontline fighters where they were parked, so we don’t expect much resistance.