Chapter Twenty-one

Final, approved Script for Project: “Thunderclap”

“Where's my Bentley?”

“It's had it's day I'm afraid. From now on you'll be using this Aston Martin DB5, with all the usual refinements.”

6^th Airborne Division deployed to British Sudan (Frankfurter Allgemeine Evening edition)

Sources within the British Ministry of Defence issued a statement afternoon stating that the 6^th Airborne Division is to join those British forces already there....

Palestine and Israeli Governments continue silence, continue 'Economic Talks' (Reuters)

The Governments of the State of Israel and the Palestine Republic continue their silence on developments elsewhere in the Near East and continue the traditional economic talks that have been held since the dissolution of the League of Nations Mandate in 1947. There are however indications that both countries have begun mobilization of their eastern Military sectors bordering Jordan and Syria..

RN Mediterranean/Red Sea Squadrons, RIN Western Fleet to prepare convoy system (Bombay Times)

A spokesman of Far Eastern Command announced late yesterday evening that commercial shipping to and from British ports in the region and going through the Suez Canal. In a related statement the German Embassy in London announced that this would include the German Destroyer currently en route to Cyprus.

WAR! SAUDI GOVERNMENT SEES VULCAN FLIGHT AS ACT OF WAR, DECLARES WAR AGAINST BRITAIN AND GERMANY! (Le Monde)

In a televised and Radio address the leader of the Saudi Military Government today declared war on the British Empire and the Federal Republic of Germany for 'encroachment on the Kingdom'. Both the German and British Governments have issued statements deploring this action and have vowed to do their utmost to liberate the hostages...

~**---**~

Excerpt from “The Official History of the Middle Eastern War” Defence Ministry Publishing, 1983

“With the modern concept of 'armed responsibility' so often used in German politics these days it is often hard to understand just how big of a political storm the Declaration of War on 10^th January 1964 unleashed in Germany. The country, less than twenty years after the end of the war, was as far removed from the state it had been in in 1950 but still far from the same nation that committed itself to sending half a million men as a constant standing Force pledged to the defence of Canadian territory.

The political implications of the war were the starkest in Germany. On the street the most visible and vocal group was the root of the same movement that would form the core of the protest movements five years later (if most of that were the student groups) but polls taken by papers on both sides of the political spectrum revealed that the population, while horrified of the war, was willing to endure it, for a time at least.[1]

Then unprecedented rioting took place in several places, most importantly near the British War Memorial in Berlin-Treptow[2], near the temporary Defence Ministry Facilities outside Frankfurt and to a lesser extent near every allied and German military base. Nearly every affected community found itself overwhelmed and at the time Police Forces were utterly untrained in anything approaching regular crowd control tactics, with the exception of the mounted Branches.

Heads were busted and the number of wounded went into the hundreds but miraculously no one was actually killed. Even though the Bundestag never actually declared an Emergency (as the Allies never activated Article Ten of the treaty, nor the territorial integrity of the Republic was threatened) and the Verteidigungsfall[3] was not legislated until a year after the war the Police Forces were rather more aggressive than was later judged to have been necessary.

Rioting was nearly as bad as during the state visit of the Russian President-General and his wife that triggered the massive riots that drew the German ultra-left scene and the Student movement into the '69 revolts[4], though without any damage more permanent than broken bones and the backdrop of the inconvenient fact that Germany had been declared war upon in spite of frantic, intense, loud and most of all very public efforts at diplomacy and that an Embassy had been violated kept the pot from boiling over.

The next election did indeed spell the downfall of the current coalition and none of the men involved in the decision not to back down and actively partake in the war ever held any sort of high Office again but eventually public opinion came to accept their actions and appreciated it because during these months Germany re-learned something the Nation had lost during the dark years of the Third Reich. Yes, Germany could stand up for herself, yes she could wield her power in a more or less responsible manner.

Before 1970 and in spite of howling French protests (and ironically without any open protests from Poland) the projected size of the German Armed Forces would quadruple and as early as 1966 the first German Division was permanently stationed in Canada.

~**---**~

Lethbridge-Stewart was sitting behind the desk in an office in the massive, sprawling complex of Middle East Command at Aden. Upon arrival he had found himself bumped up one grade with that rank made permanent upon the outbreak of open hostilities.

“Bloody hell! The Germans must tear themselves apart trying to figure this one out.” said upon opening the morning's Newspaper.

Opposite him sat Brigadier O'Reiley. Native to Belfast he looked at many things differently than his General.

“Of course, Sir. But at the least they are sending almost every combat-ready unit they have.”

“Which is little enough. One Armoured Regiment, two Grenadier Regiments[5] and that Squadron of Crannies.”

Lethbridge-Stewart shrugged. “And not to forget that Destroyer. But we cannot fault our Allies for that.” It felt strange saying that. “Their Army is young, as is their country and dear god we wanted them rid of their warrior instincts. Can't have it both ways, I supposed.”

“True enough, General.”

O'Reiley leaned over the table and reached for a piece of paper.

“On our side we have in place as of an hour ago: From the 6^th Airborne Division the 101^st Parachute, the Queen's Own[6] and the 1st Parachute Regiment (Royal Gurkha Rifles) are combat ready and the others will be during the day. The first units of the 51^st Highland are in place, with the rest of the Division during this week, the 5th Indian Division is in place and active, the King's African Armoured is also in place. In the Air we have No. 617, 618 and 620 Squadrons from Bomber Command, the Fourth and Second Tactical Air Forces from Fighter Command which are of course sixteen Squadrons apiece.”

“It still surprises me how fast the Crabs managed to move into this area, though I supposed it was mostly a matter of physically moving planes and men.”

He appreciated the wisdom that had led the MoD to establish major Ordnance Depots anywhere near where conflict might break out. The largest ones of those were of course located in Canada, West Japan and on Formosa but there was one in Aden exactly because of this sort of emergency.

When he had romped through Poland and the Ukraine with the Cavalry Corps he had learned to appreciate the support lent to him by Fighter Command but that was still a lot to deploy. Still, the RAF had paid in blood for underestimating the enemy last time a 'second rate Air Force' had been counted among the Queen's enemies.

“The Naval said is not as important.”

“But I gather the Andrew still is doing it's part?”

“Yes, Sir. In addition to the Mediterranean Squadron, HM Ships Enterprise[7], Devonshire, Exeter, Fearless, Forward and Troutbridge, accompanied for the time being by the Federal Navy Ship München, and right here at Aden we have the Royal Indian Navy's Aden Detachement, HM's Indian Ships Bombay, New Dheli and Mysore. The Home Fleet is sending Illustrious, Formidable and Indefatigable, along with escorts.”

Lethbridge-Stewart wondered why the Navy was bothering. The Royal Saudi Navy was a mere four years old and so far consisted of about a dozen ex-Russian and French Corvettes and Minehunters, hardly much of a threat to even the Med Squadron. But he was not a Naval Officer and the First Sea Lord was a decent enough chap who had assigned him an Officer who knew what he was doing and was diplomatic enough to be able to make suggestions that made it not too obvious that his Commander wasn't all-knowing.

He put the paper away and glanced at the message in his other hand.

“The Germans they request that all there units are to be employed as visibly as possible.”

“The 51^st have to leave the Gordon Higlanders here at Aden, so how about we attach the Germans to them as an organic, self-contained Brigade? That would turn 51^st into a reinforced Mechanized Infantry Division with an full Tank Regiment instead of the Battlegroups.”

“Yes, Sir.” O'Riley made notes to that effect.

“And confirm the Staff meeting tomorrow with everyone. The warplan we were 'suggested' to use is, to put it mildly, a load of dogs bollocks and we need something new, and fast.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Lethbridge Steward looked out the window towards the RAF base and then made a decision.

“Let the Crabs know that from tomorrow they can begin their part of the plan. Either way we have to take out their Air Defence Network either way.”

The RAF had been ready in the manner of a coiled spring and when dawn broke the Air-raid sirens wailed over every major Saudi Military base.

Hawker Hunter Mk.Vg of No.43 Squadron taking off from an unsurfaced dispersal field to attack a Saudi Airbase

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Comments, questions, rotten Tomatoes?

[1] It's of course far more complicated than that. At the time a great many who would have screamed blood and murder ten years later had still enough obedience to authority in them to speak up. That has of course changed over the year (OTL and TTL) as the Baby-boomers came of age but at the time it was just what the Government needed. Here though the peace movement is far more fractured and weaker as unlike OTL there is no Soviet Union to provoke with rearming, and the Americans don't have the best and brightest of their Army on the other side of the non-existent Inner German Border. Hence why a far larger part of the population of of the “meh, whatever” persuasion regarding the Armed Forces, but now that war has been declared a lot think that they are stuck with it and if the country is ever supposed to be taken seriously again, and if they themselves want to feel self-confidence they have to step up to the plate. It can be argued that IOTL the latter still hasn't happened while the first most likely happened as a result of how our foreign Policy was re France and the Soviet Block in the 60s and 70s. And also TTL as OTL the Federal Republic shoulders the responsibility over old remnants of the Reich and what it did, it is even in our constitution that we are the legal successor of the Third Reich, something the oh so forward looking and anti-fascist East Germans never did.

[2] Where IOTL the Soviets placed an gaudy Soviet Realism statue. It's still there and I had a look at it some years ago.

[3] Our version of DefCon 1. Command of the Armed Forces devolves to the Chancellor from the Minister of Defence, war-time legislation comes into effect and the Military is authorized to shoot on sight.

[4] IOTL this thing was triggered by the visit of the Shah of Persia and the death of a student during the demonstrations to a likely accidental shots by a police officer.

[5] Panzer-Grenadiers were and are nothing but bog-standard Mechanized Infantry. These days they use Marders instead of Halftracks though.

[6] A unit that IOTL would be just “The Parachute Regiment”.

[7] A sparkling, brand new Missile Cruiser. :D

Chapter Twenty

The Su-7 Fitter[1] fighters of the RSAF strained their engines to keep up with the fast British formation that had dared to violate their airspace and to catch them before they ran out of fuel. The fighter had two missiles and their cannons and the pilot was willing to fight and die for his country.

Up ahead his targets made their way towards the Saudi capital at their best speed, trying accomplish their mission before the Saudi fighters were in range. The three Vulcans also knew that if they wanted to have enough fuel to return to their base they could not run at full speed. It was one of the ironies of modern warfare that while the Blue Steel missiles that made up the Vulcan's main armament were incredibly destructive they were comparatively light in weight, but now each of the Vulcans carried a full load if 21 1000 pound bombs in their bellies.

At least the Shackleton ARCS aircraft made sure that they knew that they were in danger and the flight leader was requesting permission to drop his bombs in the middle of the desert so that his planes reached maximum performance.

Aboard Vulcan X-Ray Hotel Five-Five-Eight[2] the flight commander was about to request permission again when from his number three plane suddenly came up and the yell made his blood freeze even though he acted before his mind registered the call.

“Red Dog! Red Dog! Red Dog! This bloody bastard has fired on us, repea...”

The call was cut permanently cut off and the explosion that blew -559 apart. The Saudi Suchoi was slightly below and only barely within the engagement envelope of the missiles, so the fragments from the Russian K-13 missile ripped through the bomb-bay doors with predictable results and the explosion rattled -558 rather badly and fragments dinged of her fuselage.

However she escaped damage. The K-13 missiles were based on an early-model British missile and the result was that the guidance system, while infrared, only worked in a narrow angle from almost directly behind. Even before the missile from one of the Su-7s had detonated against the belly of -559, -558 had her engines firewalled and was dropping as fast as the pilot dared. This manoeuvre took her out of the direct line of sight of the missile and it failed to turn in time, racing overhead and flying off into the distant day.

Similarly -571 escaped damage. The first thing both bombers did was to open their bomb-day doors and pull the emergency release handle, so within ten seconds forty-two explosions thundered across the empty desert.

With throttles to the stops the engines on board the bombers surged forward and up, but they need not have bothered as the Su-7 was already turning back and running for it's own base, running out of fuel every minute it stayed aloft.

The ill-fated XH-559 taking off for her last flight

The first loss of a Vulcan to enemy fire since 1955 escalated the situation so much that it was beyond repair. Even though the Prime Minister led for a secret emergency meeting of the cabinet in which he advocated that one might have to withdraw from the region after all. Wilson was no appeaser (at least he did not see himself as one) but he was unwilling to be known as a Prime Minister who started the possibly biggest dust-up since The War. Unlike the late Anthony Eden who, for all his failings, had at least been consequent in his actions which had led the Empire through the difficult post-Churchillian era and during that time defence spending had remained high.

Wilson on the other hand had come to power when after almost thirty years of Conservative rule and had begun his first term with ruthlessly slashing the defence budget. Some things had been good, or at least sensible cuts, the Illustrious Class Nuclear Carriers were too bloody damn expensive but some things weren't, even though it had helped fund the NHS until the economy picked up further. Now however in the secret meeting the Prime Minister was openly suggesting that since their bluff had been called the Empire should back down in the face of adversity.

That the Cabinet wasn't too happy with this suggestion came as a surprise to him, but in the end too many of the men around the table had at least peripherally worked with Winston Churchill's second, national Government and to everyone who had been in the halls of power during the last years of the war backing down when challenged was abhorrent, especially so when British and friendly citizens were held hostage. The suggestion that if the British Empire was shown to be extorted by a fourth-rate country then the political loss of face would be catastrophic and there were three dozen different hotspots everywhere, so it could not be risked. Never mind that the hostages were in mortal danger either way. A country that attacked embassies to take their occupants hostage could not be trusted.

Wilson however was adamant that he wanted to prevent open fighting but was almost booed down in his own cabinet room and in the end he was voted down.

The meeting was secret but eventually it would leak, inevitably, Wilson's many enemies within his own party would see to that.

No one would know for decades, but it was the beginning of the end for the Labour Party as a major force in British politics.

~**---**~

Reich mir deine Hand, deine weiße Hand,
Leb' wohl, mein Schatz, leb' wohl mein Schatz,
Leb' wohl, lebe wohl
Denn wir fahren, denn wir fahren,
Denn wir fahren gegen Engeland, Engeland!
Ahoi!

The singing had wafted over the largest base of the British Home Fleet and it was probably no coincidence that on the ship moored beside BMS[3] München, pennant number Z-01 (ex HMS Barrosa) the text had been heard clearly. HMS Kent, a County-Class Destroyer was only at Scapa Flow to re-provision and fill her bunkers but her CO had served on Barrosa on his first cruise and the sheer knowledge that she now flew a German Naval Jack was still something that made his skin crawl even though it wasn't the Nazi warflag, instead it was the normal German flag only with a triangle cut out at the end.

It was strange, the Captain reflected, twenty years ago it would have taken considerable strength of numbers or more balls than brains to get a German ship or, say, a Submarine into this base but three days ago Kent herself had escorted the German Destroyer in.

As was he was watching through his binoculars as the German Captain, Fregattenkapitän[4] Hans Grau was embarking in his own launch. The German would take time to arrive as he would be escorted aboard Kent only after making a short detour he had requested himself. The captain turned around and looked out the other bridge window where the object of the exercise was moored as she had been since returning from her last overseas station.

His briefing had revealed why this was something special, Grau's father had been an engineering officer aboard the ill-fated KMS Bismarck, so to him HMS Hood was a part of his personal history even more than for most germans.

The old Battlecruiser, the last of her type in the world had recently been overhauled and while she would never move again she looked better than she had in years, the White Ensign flying from her topmast and astern.

But then he was torn from his contemplations by his Signals Officer.

XXX

ADMTY SENDS

TO: HMS KENT VIA CINC SCAPA FLOW

MESSAGE STARTS

1. RAF VULCAN SHOT DOWN OVER SAUD-ARAB WITH LOSS OF ALL CREW

2. PREPATORY DEPLOYMENT FOR POSSIBLE OPERATIONS

3. HMS KENT TO PROCEED CYPRUS FOR FURTHER ORDERS

4. BMS MUENCHEN ALSO DEPLOYED AT REQUEST OF MOD

5. EXPEDITE MOVEMENT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE

6. HOSTILITIES DEEMD NOT RPT NOT LIKELY AS OF 01/09/64 20:00 GMT

7. WHEN IN PLACE AWAIT FURTHER ORDERS

MESSAGE ENDS

XXX

It seemed at least they would have something to talk about during Dinner and at the same time the exercises they had been supposed to hold in the Irish Sea were off the table.

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Comments, questions, rotten Tomatoes?

[1] For Russian materiel I am using OTL NATO codenames mainly because it's easier for you and me to keep things straight. One thing I dislike about much alternate history is that often I spend an hour looking something up online or in the book itself because again I'Ve forgotten what that particular thing was called IOTL. Also, no MiGs ITTL.

[2] To me she's not just any, she's THE Vulcan.

[3] Bundesmarine Schiff = Federal Navy Ship

[4] Commander

Chapter Nineteen

The first week of January 1964 had passed almost unnoticed in Berlin. Like most of Germany the capital of that country was mostly concentrating on what was happening in the Middle East and Kelso couldn't help but be amused by the sight of the Germans running around like headless chickens. He knew that like any Government at times like this their leaders were at least internally consistent in their actions but the population...

Kelso only had to look at the newspaper headlines to see that the whole country was unable or unwilling to decide what to do. In Australia the right-wing press would demand heads, the left-wing press would demand that diplomacy be tried before the bombers flew and the rest of the country would be incredibly angry.

To the Australians in particular and the Commonwealth as a whole the status of Embassies and Diplomats was sacred. He was sure that the Poms would react with anger eventually.

The Germans on the other hand...

Some were demanding that Germany follow and support the British in whatever they did, some demanded that the German Government denounce British Neo-Imperialism and everything in-between, though the latter extremist group was luckily a very small minority.

He shrugged even though he was alone in the room. Whatever happened, the Germans would be faced with the reality that the world extended beyond their borders and that they would have to deal with the fact that they were still more than a fifth-rate South-American Banana Republic that had no international standing whatever and could thus ignore what was going on around them.

The door to the room in the precinct flew open and slammed against the wall, nearly tearing itself off the hinges. In came Wachmann with a huge grin on his face.

“Well, at least one good thing is coming out of this bollocking in the desert!” he exclaimed and as he stepped aside he could see two constables dragging a man with a bruised face, bleeding lips and dressed in a once smart suit.

“This particular gentleman did what?”

“This particular character was standing in front of the American consulate and was suggesting it be burned to the ground as the Yanks are of course definitely in cahoots with the Arabs.”

Kelso winced. That was something the Germans or any other nation could do without, but hot-headed idiots were a fact of life as much as, say, India dominating the Imperial Cricket League.

One did not burn down Embassies. Period.

“So why is he here and not with the chaps working that case?”

“Because when they searched him,” Wachmann said and stepped aside so that the constables could manhandle the suspect into the room and through a door into the adjoining interrogation room,

“Because when they searched him not only did they find materials with certain illegal insignia on them in his pockets but also a scrap of paper with the name of our most recent arrest from a few days ago written on it.”

“Let's be about it then, Wachmann.” Kelso said and waited for the German to lead the way into the interrogation room.

“You know what, Kelso?” Wachmann said as he was on the verge of opening the door. “Can you do me a favour?”

“Of course.” Kelso replied.

“Let's let him steam for an hour. While we do that could you hop back to your quarters and change into something more..ehm..representative as a member of her Majesty's Royal Australian Military Police?”

“Whatever for?”

“Well,” Wachmann said with a impish grin on his face, “that sort of scum only talks when they are either pissed up to their gills or so angry they damn near explode, and if he really has something to do with those murders then an Aussie like you and a German like me coming for him at the same time will make him go up faster than a moon rocket.”

Kelso smiled and only nodded before he left.

~**---**~

Four hours and sixteen minutes later the door to the interrogation room opened and the man's inner bile threatened to flow over as he saw not only a policeman adhering to the Bonn traitor Government but also a man in the full No.2 Pattern Uniform, complete with the black-blue-silver shoulder patch of the Allied Berlin Brigade on one side and the Australian flag on the other.

“Where is my lawyer?” he asked first, but instantly realized that he had made a mistake, something that was clearly shown in the looks of contempt shown on the faces of the men on the other side of the table.

“So,” the policeman said, “now you, following a group of dimwits openly encouraging the overthrow of the Democratic Basic Order[1] now suddenly wants to use it's organs. Tut tut tut. So anyway, we had to consult with Brigadier Stanton and we are here now.”

Wachmann glanced at Kelso and the Australian saw that Wachmann was convinced that he had the chap in the chair, almost at least.

Kelso spoke good but heavily accented German, which he rarely used mainly because quite a few Germans could barely stand his accent. Today however it was an asset and not a liability.

“So, this may surprise you but we aren't here about you setting fire to the Yank Consulate. We are here because of this.”

Kelso shoved over the piece of paper with the name written on it.

“Now,” Wachmann took over, “you and the other scumbags of your political persuasion won't rat out one of their own, but you see, the Berlin Brigades are being somewhat unnerved at what your adherents have been doing.”

Brigadier Stanton, the Englishman who was the senior Allied Officer in Berlin as of yesterday was not unnerved, merely annoyed that it had taken so long to get anywhere, yet he still trusted the local police, after all it had been at least a decade since the Brigade had been a true occupation force.

Wachmann however knew that the Neo-Nazis would be making their own facts, and the suspect didn't disappoint.

“YOU!” he yelled and sprang to his feet.

“You betrayed Germany! And dear god I hope that he kills a lot more of you than he has since he left...”

The suspect

“So you do know who it is.”

“I won't tell his name to a traitor!” the suspect spat, but Wachmann smiled thinly. Now to have a bit of a prod....

“I can only say that if you don't talk to me I will have no choice but to hand you over to him.” he said, pointing at Kelso while he did so. He saw how the suspect began to go red in the face.

“After all, the Allies have the last say and....

The suspect stood and had leapt over the table almost before Wachmann and Kelso registered that he was no longer seated. He punched at Kelso, but the MP was able to deflect the punch and Wachmann who had half-expected it stepped forward, grabbed the suspect by the shoulders, half-turned and kneed him in a very sensitive spot.

When the man doubled over on the floor in pain in fear of never having children Wachmann stepped closer and said: “You talking now?”

He did. And outside the room Wachmann's superior decided he had heard nothing at all. Sometimes doing so was good for the service and the community. And anyway, the football league was about to start up again, with his beloved Herta BSC about to give those bloody Bavarians the thumping they so richly deserved.[2]

What he did see and hear was that after a few minutes Wachmann and Kelso came walking out of the room with a look of purpose on their faces.

He knew that soon someone would part with his liberty and a few of his teeth or maybe more...

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Comments, questions, rotten Tomatoes?

[1]Demokratische Grundordnung, also known as one of the guiding principles for the Federal Republic. When the Communist Party was banned one of the reasons stated (and that have to be stated to ban any form of political association) is that one of their goals was it's overthrow. This is also cited as a reason why our domestic security organs are watching groups like Scientology.

[2] It's as if the Glasgow Rangers were to thump Manchester United.

Chapter Eighteen

Photo-Reconnaissance English Electric Canberra XH175 crossed from Yemenite into Saudi Air Space less than half an hour after taking off.

To preserve fuel for the return trip to Aden the climb to her normal operating altitude at only two-thirds of her normal speed, but now she was up there and turned towards the Saudi-Arabian capital.

The mission was using an approach vector that was meant to give the Air Defence Forces around Riyadh the least warning time even though no one expected any fire from the ground, and the Saudi Air Force mostly consisted of late model Vampires, early model Hunters and an increasing number of Russian-built Suchoi interceptors, none of which was thought to be able to reach the altitude twin-engined repurposed infiltrator was operating at.

The pilot glanced over at the co-pilot and then at the altitude indicator. “Right on track. Prepare for second course change in three-zero minutes.”

“Roger.”

As expected down on the ground the Canberra had not yet been officially noticed. Some of the few people in the wide expanse of the desert that heard the faint roar of the engines high in the air they ignored it or were unaware of the nature and nationality of the aircraft.

The loop they were flying over Ryiadh was close to the half-way point. They would take pictures of the situation, return and repeat the same affair tomorrow as part of an effort by RAF Middle East Command to get an accurate picture of what was going on. With the destruction of the Embassy and the likely death of the local Station Chief MI6 and the Intelligence Corps had lost all their sources.[1]

What they did not know was that the entire Saudi Air Defence network, such as it was had been put on alert. While their defences were numerous, they were hardly of the most modern type. In the times of missiles the bulk of their defences was still provided by RDF-controlled guns of various calibres from twin Bofors up to old British-made 90mm guns.

The missile forces present had a small mixture of British and Russian systems that were dotted around the capital. The most potent of these were three brand new batteries of the S-75, known as RAA-2 Guideline to the Allied planners, kept together in a single Air Defence Regiment of the Army.[2]

RDF stations that fed the missiles with their targeting data detected the lone Canberra at 150 miles out and at 22000 metres altitude, just within the missile's engagement envelope.

The Commander telephoned the Defence Ministry to ask for permission to fire for he was fanatically loyal to the Priest for reasons that no one knew but that had something to do with him having been a street kid which the Priest had found and enabled to go to school and join the Army.

Most of his men had their own reasons for hating the British and it never occurred to them that it was no coincidence that they served in the same unit.

The Commander watched as the blip on his screen kept drawing closer and closer and for the third time in ten minutes he picked up the telephone. Again no one on the other end was willing to give the order, and he was running out of time.

The British on the other hand knew what their orders were and passed over the city centre. The smoke from the two burning embassies had subsided for the most part, but the crowds in front had not and as he triggered the cameras the co-pilot remarked that save for that the entire city seemed to be on the empty even though the working hours had long started.

The Pilot concentrated on flying the plane and ignoring the Threat Warning System that told him he was in the search beam of Saudi Air Defence RDFs.

“We got what we came for.” the Co-Pilot said at last and the Pilot gratefully firewalled the engines and they felt as the plane suddenly bucked forward with the increase in engine power. With a glance at the fuel gauge the Pilot decided that if Aden were any farther they would have to meet with a Victor.

They cleared the city limits.

“Jettisoning external tanks.”

He flipped the switch and felt the plane move upwards as the empty weight dropped away. What he neither felt nor saw was that on the ground three missile launchers were turning at his retreating aircraft. What he also did not see was when the first missile launched off the rails in a cloud of smoke.

What he did see in his rear-view let his face go white and even before the Co-Pilot saw the smoke trail the Canberra banked hard to the left, with the flare and chaff dispensers being engaged almost autmatically.

Not that those did the plane any good, but the radical manoeuvre bought them enough time to scream for help.

“Mayday, mayday, this is Red Crown Four-Five, we are under missile attack, repeat we are under....”

They never even saw the second missile which it the plane dead centre and left nothing behind but a cloud of metal fragments.

~**---**~

“Are we sure they were being fired at?” Prime Minister Wilson asked for the third time.

'Bloody hell....' the man from the Imperial General Staff thought.

“Yes, Sir. Formidable is almost in place and we have shoved every squadron that would fit into Aden and Veritas and most of our other bases in the area are being filled up as we speak, so should we...” he said aloud.

Wilson held up his hand. “Not quite yet. I fear in the end it may come to that, but for the moment let us try to talk to them first.”

Like any other PM in history Wilson had filled the cabinet with like minded men, but Defence was far from the only one who believed that the PM was a coward at heart. To prevent this from becoming painfully obvious he said:

“Sir, we need to give them a show of strength either way. We can't let them shoot down our aircraft without some form of reprisal.”

Wilson did some soul-searching for two or three minutes before answering.

“Do it. I need to go and brief Her Majesty on what has happened, but do it anyway. They can't shoot back unless fired upon though, is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

With that Wilson rose from his chair and left the room, with the rest wondering just where the man so intent on slashing the Armed Forces down to size had suddenly found the courage to risk armed conflict in this manner.

“Now, what do we do?”

Defence pulled some papers from his bag.

“My lads have been working on some plans together with the IGS for the last couple of days. If we go right now we would do several low and high-altitude overflights by four Vulcans with as full a warload as the local iss..stores can manage, and then super-sonic overflights by Interceptors and what other planes capable of more than Mach One over their principal port cities on their western coast.”

They all stared at him and he raised his hand.

“Now this of course is the maximum response, if we go for the minimal option on the other hand we'd merely send some of our ships to steam back and forth off their coast.”

The likelihood of either option was not discussed.

“What for the Army?” the Deputy PM asked.

“The 6^th Airborne is being flown into the Sudan as we speak, though until the Germans can load the Queen's Own into their transports and fly them to Munich they'll be somewhat understrength. If we carry this through then the 2^nd Indian is next to go south.”

The 2^nd Indian Infantry Division of the British Indian Army was currently preparing to relieve the 51^st Highland Division in Canada.

“And from Rhodesia? Can we remove anything from there?”

With the Republic of South Africa sliding ever further away from the British camp the bulk of the British Army's Sub-Sahara Command was making faces at their forces either in Rhodesia or British South-West Africa.

“Not at the moment, Sir. The 1^st King's African is still too valuable down there until we can raise a third and fourth Division.”

“That's it for the moment then.” the Deputy PM said as a way of bringing the meeting to a close.

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Comments, questions, rotten tomatoes?

[1] Reconnaissance Satellites are still in their infancy, and while the RAF has some up, they are one-use only (film capsules like the early Keyholes in OTL) and tasked with keeping an eye on American Bomber bases in the Mid-West and more than one other task.

[2] RAA stands for Russian, Anti-Air. I intend to use NATO codenames if possible. It's a compromise between plausibility and convenience as using OTL NATO names makes it much easier for the casual reader to visualize the various weapons systems.

Chapter Seventeen

The political opinions and actions in this chapter do not automatically represent those of the author.

Chapter Seventeen

The Priest took his eyes off the burning German Embassy and the General could see that he was about to explode with anger. The King was contained in his Palace and they were about to announce the Military Government to the nation, but this was not planned.

“What happened?”

“We aren't sure, Brother. We besieged their Embassy along with that of the British Dogs but that was siege only. My people are speaking with those in command here, but it seems that one of the Germans shot one of ours through the fence and then there was no way to control the crowd.”

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STORM THE BRITISH EMBASSY AND NOT THIS ONE!” the Priest yelled at the General.

“I know that, Brother.” the General said, “but the entire city is in chaos and it was hard to pass on orders without some sort of mix up.”

The Priest stared at the burning building some more and then turned away from it.

“There is little we can do about it now. What about their officials?”

“Some fled over the wall into the Swiss Embassy, but we have most of them in our hands.”

“Dead?”

“No, they are still very much alive, but what are we to do with them?”

“How many are there then?” the Priest wasn't sure what he was to do with all those Germans. The plan called for the British Embassy to be razed to remove their influence from the country, but what relations with the Germans there had been were good.

“Twenty-seven, Brother. Do you fear for their reaction?”

“No, Brother. The Germans are weak, weaker even than the British. Remember this, brother. We are dealing with nations weak in spirit and religion, so we have to play by their rules until we are ready. To this end we will release any woman hostages immediately and the rest as soon as we have completed our next step.”

That step was to consolidate the rule of the new Regime over the country. Once that was accomplished the good faith of the hated British was no longer needed and the fervour and righteousness of the people would sweep everything before them.

~**---**~

The news of what had transpired reached the wider public in the British Empire and the Federal Republic of Germany at the beginning of the next news cycle the next morning. In both countries the morning papers carried the story and as the news crawled through the Empire along with the sunrise in the different time zones public opinion shifted with it, it became clear that the British public demanded action, and the Government realized this.

In Germany on the other hand the prevailing public opinion was more one of “we never had any business being there in the first place” though the sanctity of an Embassy was enough to generate some anger.

Due to this the public reaction to the also very public denunciation of the incident was greeted with support though what was to happen to repair the situation divided opinion.

What did happen though was that the Defence Ministry very quietly decided to use this opportunity to try out what mobilization plans there were and the few already active Regiments were put on a higher alert status. Upon being queried by a reporter whose brother had been called to duty in the middle of the day it waved away as a standard training exercise.

Anti-war protesters still gathered in front of the Ministry to protest the 'aggressive move' though curiously enough the numbers were far smaller than expected.

However the biggest surprise was experienced by the British Ambassador when he was called to meet the Chancellor.

Sitting in the Office after a very conspirational entry into the Bunderskanzleramt via the back door in the middle of the night, though considering the crowds out front that were sure to come back in the morning in spite of the cold.

“Mr. Ambassador, I gather that your Government is preparing a response to what has happened in Saudi-Arabia in the last few days?”

“Indeed we are, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was difficult. Our diplomatic channels to what passes for Government there are closed.”

“No matter what you are doing, Mr. Ambassador, I want you to convey a message to your Government. We want to be part of your response, because it is my and my Cabinet's opinion that we can't afford to bloody mess about down there.”

The reference to the bungled handling of the war between the People's Republic of China and Russian-backed Manchuria was clear. The British response to it had been less than ideal resulting in a short but extremely brutal war where thousands had died.

“Hrm.” the Ambassador shifted uncomfortably at his chair. “I will forward this sentiment to my superiors of course.”

He neglected to mention that he had been ordered to inquire into the German intentions anyway.

“But I believe Her Majesty's Government would like to know how far you would be willing to go.”

The Chancellor leaned back in his chair.

“We want a diplomatic solution if at all possible. If there is any hint of a military response on our part I could as well resign within the next five minutes, because anything but a diplomatic response would be, to put it blunt, a bloody political nightmare.”

The Ambassador smiled, the Chancellor was known to speak frank of the circumstances called for it.

“In any case Mr. Ambassador, we will throw whatever diplomatic weight we have behind a peaceful solution.”

“I will forward these news with great pleasure, Mr. Chancellor. However I must ask something else.”

The Ambassador looked into the Chancellor's face and steeled himself.

“What makes you think we are interested in military action?”

The Chancellor smiled. “My people tell me that at least on one of your airbases has seen a lot of new arrival in the last few days. Mind you, that is a prudent course of action, but it might send the wrong message.”

Just who the message was being sent to remained unsaid but the intent was clear. The Ambassador wouldn't be caught dead badmouthing his Prime Minister to a foreign, if allied, Head of State, however much the idiot deserved it. Wilson's desire to compensate for British failures in China and his own failing domestic agenda was painfully obvious to anyone willing to take a look beyond the headlines.

Admittedly there were many things that made the situation as it was but trying to strongarm a country while trying to make it look as if one wasn't was a recipe for failure akin to the Halifax Conference. Lord knew Wilson probably had the best of intentions in the long run but short term blacking out the Saudi skies with the RAF probably wasn't the best idea.

“I will pass that on also.

He really would, not that anyone in No.10 was likely to see the real meaning behind it.

“So let me sum up, Mr. Chancellor. Due to the seizure of your Embassy and the death or capture of most of your Embassy staff the Federal Republic of Germany intends to join the British Empire and Her Majesty's Government in a joint reaction to what has happened in Saudi-Arabia.”

The Chancellor nodded.

“Should we exhaust diplomatic options we need to talk again.”

Eyebrows rose on the Ambassador's face while the Chancellor only shrugged his big shoulders.

“We may need you to teach us the meaning of Realpolitik and the real world.”

Neither knew that by now the situation was totally out of control and was moving with it's own inertia, beginning with the lone Canberra Mk.IIIr[1] taking off from Aden.

[1] PR.3.