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
RAF VULCAN SHOT DOWN OVER SAUD-ARAB WITH LOSS OF ALL CREW
PREPATORY DEPLOYMENT FOR POSSIBLE OPERATIONS
HMS KENT TO PROCEED CYPRUS FOR FURTHER ORDERS
BMS MUENCHEN ALSO DEPLOYED AT REQUEST OF MOD
EXPEDITE MOVEMENT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE
HOSTILITIES DEEMD NOT RPT NOT LIKELY AS OF 01/09/64 20:00 GMT
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
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