“Which reminds me, Curt, you said that if we had to, we could put 150 bombers at Germany?”
“Mixture of Bs, Cs and Ds. Be a hell of a mess but we can do it. I’ve put all the best groups, the ones that have the most experience and a reasonable strength on hand in the First Air Division. We’re just starting to form the Third Air Division now. Four groups per Division, 300 birds total.”
“Right, well, if Germany does a special test, we go straight away. With whatever we’ve got. At the moment we have three Model 1561s and 24 Mark 3 s either in the dumps or final assembly. Production is leveling off at around 10 Mark 3 s per month. What I suggest is my people do a short target plan, updated on a monthly basis, using whatever we have. Give that to you. You can work out how to do it with what bombers you have. If it does drop in the pot and Germany does do a test, then we can go with the latest plan.”
“We can do that. We’ll keep that between ourselves though. If people know there is a small-scale emergency plan they’ll want to use it right away. We do not want that issue re-opened.”
Stuyvesant laughed. “That we can be sure of. It was damned hard work convincing General Groves that we shouldn’t be trickling the packages onto their targets as they came off the production lines. I can imagine circumstances where that might work, if the enemy was on the verge of defeat for example, but we don’t face that situation.”
“Trouble with the Army, they never understood the strategy of air power. Always thought of doing things in small packets. Same when I took the ‘17s south on friendly visits. Army never understood what was involved. Stuyvesant, we’ve got a chance here to crush an enemy from the air, totally. We can’t waste it.”
“No, we can’t. And we won’t.”
“How are the tracks, Tovarish Major?”
Major Boldin pushed his lower lip out and thought the matter over carefully. “The diesel has taken its two carriages over the ridge safely, that is for certain. But the Mikados and the guns? They are a very different matter. It is as we feared. There have been more than five years, five winters, since this mine was closed and the track beds have been damaged. The sleepers are breaking up. There is much risk that the rails will spread apart when the full weight of the guns bears on them. If that happens then it will be all over.”
“What can we do?” Perdue was frustrated. He didn’t like being dependent on other people for the safety of his guns but he had no choice. Anyway, the ASTAC Major and his crew were proving their skills were real enough. The way they had cleared these old tracks and started their inspection proved that.
“Perhaps your men can get the first gun coupled to the two engines. Mine are walking the tracks now. We have some spare ties and other pieces to repair the worst damage. And we can fill in the bedding where the freezing has moved it. Then we can move your first gun to the top of the ridge.”
Perdue nodded and turned to the crew of the lead Mikado. “Jones, Allen, couple both Mikados to Curly and get ready to tow it up to the top of the ridge. There’s a siding up there, so leave Curly up top, come down and get Moe, take it up as well.”
“Sir?” Jones’s voice was curious, wary.
“We’ll have to turn the trains around at the top. Major Boldin says we can do that using the siding at the top of the ridge. We’ll put the gun in front and the engines behind it for the descent the other side. That way the locomotives will act as a brake and stop the guns running out of control.”
“With respect, Sir. No, Sir.” Jones was deferential but firm. Perdue stared at him; he hadn’t expected that. The other side of the rail, Boldin’s eyebrows met his hairline. This was something new to him. He’d never seen an American officer shoot one of his own men before. Well, there was always a first time for everything and this looked like it would be one of them.
“The other side of the ridge is as steep as this one, steeper perhaps. With the weight of the gun, it’s going to pick up momentum very quickly. If we put the locomotives behind the gun, they can act as a brake, they can prevent the gun from picking up speed and running out of control.”
“With respect, Sir, that won’t work.” Jones bit his lip. Before being drafted for the Navy he had handled heavy freight trains all over the United States and twenty years of that experience told him the right way to do this was not the way this officer thought it was. But how to explain it? “Look, Sir, meaning no disrespect Sir, but think on this. If we have the gun in front and the engines behind as you suggest, the weight of the gun will be pulling one way and the pull of the engines in the other. If we have the engines in front pushing back against the gun, the gun will be trying to push down, the trains pushing the other way. The first load is tension, the second is compression. We don’t want a doubled tension load on the drawbar. It’ll distort it at best; at worst it will rip the bar clean off. We could end up with the couplings so damaged we won’t be able to pull the guns at all.”
It made sense. Perdue had to admit it. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the diesel shunter arriving. It was about to make the next trip over, towing the battalion command car and a battery fire control car over the ridge. Up on the long cut that lead up the side of the ridge, he could see the Russian railway engineers walking the tracks, carefully inspecting the rails to make sure they would be secure for the guns.
“Very well Jones. Do it the way you recommend.” And may the Good Lord help you if you ‘re wrong was the unspoken addition.
“Very good Sir. We’ll take Curly straight over, up one side and down the other. Then we’ll leave the gun there and come back for Moe. Save a bit of time as well that will. Major Boldin, Sir, your men, have they got grit they can throw on the rails if we start to slip?”
Boldin started, slightly shocked that the aging railwayman was still alive to speak with him. He wouldn ‘t have been if this was a Russian Army unit. Speaking to an officer like that, it could get a man shot. Or worse. “Yes, we have that. The men will walk beside you with it ready.”
“Right then. Mr. Perdue, Sir, we’ll get rolling with Curly as soon as the shunter reaches the top.”
“Make it so. And, Jones, I’ll be riding in the cab with you. I want to see how this goes. Lieutenant Tavernor. Are the guns and other cars fully rigged?”
“Yes, Sir. Cars and guns can be blown any time we have to.”
“Good. If the Krauts turn up, don’t hesitate to blow what’s left this side of the ridge.” Perdue paused for a second, a thought occurred to him. “Jones, why don’t we put the diesel behind the guns with the two steam engines in front? The diesel won’t push or pull, it’ll just act as a sort of safety stop, prevent the guns putting too much stress on the couplings.”
“That’ll work, Sir. We’re to wait until it rejoins us this side?”
“Correct. We can use the delay to make sure everything’s secure this end.”