World War Three May 1946

I've held my tongue again until now...

Look, if you're going to do this - at least get it right!

Where??? Not in 1946 there wasn't!

It would be the "American Occupied Zone"....

 

Bonn was in the British Zone, IIRC, USFET HQ was at Frankfurt.

 

May 2nd, 1946
03:00 Eastern Standard time
White House
Washington, D.C.

Sorry to wake you mister President but our worst fears have come true the Soviets have attacked all along the front in Western Germany.

Do you remember our briefing in April sir? Yes it is all starting to happen just as we feared. Our frontline troops are being overrun (god help them) and our air assets were caught on the ground. Yes sir just like Pearl. Pretty amazing how we keep getting our clock cleaned by surprise attacks. Luckily they have no long range bombers and fighters for any kind of strategic attack but they have a hell of a tactical and operational reach.

Our troops are getting slaughtered sir. I urgently suggest that we implement the plan that the Joint Chiefs were discussing for just this eventuality. It's pretty hard to brief you in your pajamas sir. Well the short version is we fallback and do a fighting retreat. We need the order now to fallback sir and to try and save as many as possible.

Yes sir I know it will mean abandoning millions of our allies to the communists. I agree with you sir but staying and fighting will just get us killed at this point. We must fall back to in order to survive to fight another day. As you recall sir we only have 22 divisions and they are at half strength. The estimate is we are facing upwards of 100 divisions between the Soviets and their red allies.

You know sir Albania, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria. Yes sir all those Balkan countries. They are well equipped and trained enough to take out Italy and Greece who are just about our only allies besides France on the Northern Mediterranean coast.

Sir may I suggest that we don't have time for this now. I highly recommend that you order a general withdrawal towards France. A fighting withdrawal would sound better to the press. We need to do it now.

Thank you sir.

Major Grabowski get your ass in here. Issue general order 4598 authorizing a fighting retreat towards France for all allied forces now in Germany. We will make our first stand on the Rhine.

You made the right decision sir. It will save countless lives in the end. Yes sir I will have a briefing set up for 06:00.

 

May 2nd, 1946
6:00 am
War Room
The White House
Washington, DC

Please sit down. General please brief us on the situation.
Thank you sir. It appears as though the Soviets have decided to fulfill their goal of a worldwide workers paradise staring with Europe. They have launched a full scale surprise attack all along the West German border. Their stated aim to the world is to rid Germany of the B29 base we have constructed stating that "It is an obvious provocation that must be eliminated". We have no reason to believe that they have any plan to stop their attack once the base has been overrun which at the rate they are advancing will be next week.

What forces we have left in Europe were at half strength. On paper we have 22 divisions and 500 frontline tactical combat aircraft. of those 22 divisions only 2 are anywhere near combat ready. In the initial attack we lost 75% of our aircraft and 10 divisions on the frontline are out of communication at this time.

The Soviets are attacking in army and corps strength. We believe that have over 60 full front line divisions facing us in Germany with up to 7,000 frontline fighters and ground attack aircraft.

We have reports of large gaps in our front lines with Soviet heavy armor pouring through. They appear to be after our supply depots. The situation is very similar to the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge. This time however we have to contend with an enemy who can match our tactical and operational level air power plane for plane. We do not and will not have air superiority for the immediate future and neither will they.

Our artillery ordinance and fire control are superior to theirs. They have the numbers however and have used it very effectively. As of last reports their massed artillery parks are able to overcome our fewer, more sophisticated artillery arm. As you all know it is a matter of combined arms. Kind of a Rock Paper Scissors situation and right now they have two trump cards which I will get to in a moment.

The reports are that casualties are very high. So far the Soviets are using conventional weapons and systems. No biological or chemical weapons have been reported or even suspected. No secret or unexpected weapons are in use. Our strategic weapons systems are still relatively good order in the US and England.

Our nuclear capabilities are on a need to know basis and those of you who have clearance will be briefed later.

In any event we will not be using Atomic bombs in Europe at this time. I'm sure our allies would rather be "Red than Dead" as I've heard some peaceniks chant. We know that the Soviets have penetrated the inner workings of our nuclear weapons program and know our best kept secrets. Secrets that we cannot even tell you at this time. They know how many bombs we have and exactly what the circumstances are for their use.

Earlier I mentioned that they have two trump cards at this time that they have laid on the table. The first is their heavy tanks. Their model T44 and S3 are far superior to anything we have in Europe at this time. Our M4A2 76 are hopelessly out classed and we are in the middle of phasing out the tank destroyer doctrine which some call a "dismal failure". We so have some Pershing M26 Heavy/Medium tanks that have engaged their heavies with disastrous results. We were able to counter the German heavy tanks with a combination of tactical air power and artillery.

Currently against the Reds both of those options have been negated and we are having a tough time stopping their heavy armor. The Soviet T44 and S3 are virtually unstoppable at this point from any range outside of point blank. Luckily they are in limited numbers and appear to be not very reliable.

The main armor the Soviets are using is the T34 85. A veteran of many a battle in the previous war. It still outclasses our best armor in every category and it is being deployed in huge numbers.

Our only defense to Soviet armor is close in assault tactics using bazookas and high explosive charges place directly on the vehicle. Obviously this is not acceptable and we must find a solution to counter this very real advantage.

Our previous solutions including the use of massive tactical air power and artillery barrage are not available at this time due to lack of air superiority and counter battery fire on a massive scale by the Soviet guns.

Their other advantage at the moment is in their sheer overwhelming numbers. We are well matched in the air and out manned 3 to one on the ground. Their standard frontline fighters are equal to ours in both performance and numbers on a tactical basis...

What was that Congressman?

What I mean by tactical are the actions that are close to the battle field. Tactical weapons are things like, rifles, machine guns, bazookas, ground attack aircraft, tanks. Things that are used on a small scale are close in to the battlefield and short timelines. In the case of the fighters to make it simple I'll say within sight of the ground. Their fighters are as good as ours in the lower to medium altitudes. We do have an advantage higher up but I will talk about that later.

Does that answer your question for now Congressman? Yes sir, my pleasure.

We too have advantages but we cannot bring them to bear at the moment. We have bid our time and use them as soon as we can. Our naval power is unrivaled and they will never be able to match us in sheer numbers and quality. Unfortunately the Soviets have all the resources they need contained on their own landmass. They have no need for shipping. No need for a navy.

Our navy gives us the same advantages that the British Empire had over its rivals. Mobility and the ability to hit anywhere at anytime on any coast. We can hit and run or hit and stay at our leisure as long as we have control or even parity in the air space over the battlefield.

Our second advantage is mobility. Our ground forces are faster and more mobile in every category. If the situation calls for maneuver we have the advantage. As I said before our navy gives us the capability to hit them anywhere at anytime within 400 miles of a coast along with the logistics to support a full scale invasion such as the D-Day operation.

Our third advantage is our strategic bomber force. We pounded the Nazis into surrender and we intend to do the same to the Soviets. We just have to get ourselves into position to accomplish this objective. I'm sure the Soviets have learned their lessons from WWII and are preparing counter measures as we speak. Our B29s along with their escorts can fly higher than their current frontline fighters can reach and have a 1600 mile range with escorts. If we fly without escorts the range increases by 400 miles. Until they produce a counter to our bomber force they are at a great disadvantage. As I said earlier I am sure they are aware of the problem.

They are currently in possession of 3 B29s and have had them since 1944.....

Yes Admiral ... they acquired them in the Far East Theater when our bombers were forced to land in Soviet territory during bombing raids on Japanese forces. So far they have come up with many excuses to delay their return. I’m sure the point is mute now.
If I may continue sir...thank you.

The point is that they have been studying the Super Fortress for almost a year and know it's capabilities and vulnerabilities.
They have very limited strategic air power assets. We have reason to believe that they have gathered a fair number of former German scientists, blue prints, designs and prototypes. They seem to be particularly interested in guided rockets.

Yes Senator...Yes I said guided rockets. The Germans were very advanced and tested numerous models. We can brief you offline later Senator.
We have been studying just this situation for the last 4 months and were about to publish our first draft. I would suggest that it is now our final draft.

Major Wilkes will now take over the briefing.

Good morning,
As General Knock said I am Major Wilkes.

The series of plans we will present today were developed to counter a Soviet invasion of Western Europe and The Middle East...Yes General?

... Yes sir we expect the Soviets to attack in the Middle East as well and soon for various reasons which will become apparent.

Yes sir. Thank you sir. May I continue? Thank you sir.

The best and most complete plan we have is a draft of Plan Griddle.

The Soviets hold all the cards right now and we project that they will overrun Western Europe with the exception of Brittan within 60 days given our force levels and logistics capabilities.....

If we can please have order in the room. Please can we all calm down and I will expand on our reasoning. Please sit down.

Thank you. I know you have lots of questions. More than we have answers I'm sure. Gentlemen please calm down. This is the best and only plan we have currently and I strongly suggest that we hold off all the questions until after the briefing.

As I was saying, we foresee that the Red Army will be able to overrun all of Germany, France and the Low Countries in 60 days given our military capabilities. Our British friends are in agreement and are preparing their air defenses for another Battle of Britain. The situation is very similar to 1940 in the short run. We will be able to slow them down as will their own logistics challenges. Our plan is to add to those challenges but realistically we will not be able to stop them until we gain our strength back and form a coherent defensive line.

For now that is all we can tell you. Everything else would be conjecture. We have to take inventory of our losses and how fast we can reconstitute the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen... that is currently getting it's ass kicked.

Thank you Gentlemen that is all.

 

Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting
May 3rd, 1946
Washington, DC
07:30
Be seated gentlemen.

You few have been selected to hear the unvarnished truth about our current situation concerning our current nuclear capabilities. You will be found guilty of treason if any of this information leaves this room. Am I clear?!

Let's begin then.

We currently have 4 Atomic bombs ready for assembly. Under normal circumstances they take 2 days to assemble and they have to be used within 48 hours or they have to be taken apart some components replaced and then put back together again.

The bombs are massive and weight over 10,000 lbs each. Only specially designed B29s can deliver them. The B29s have a range of 3200 miles. They can be escorted up to 2000 miles. We currently have 12 of them.

The Atomic bomb is so big that it can only be loaded on the B29 by placing the bomb in a specially designed pit. Then the bomber has to be towed over this pit and the bomb lifted into the bomber. Currently we have two of these pits. One on Okinawa an one in England.

Hopefully this goes a long way in answering why we just don't bomb Moscow and a dozen or so cities and get this war over with.

1. We only have 4 bombs.
2. Not all of them will work as designed.
3. Not all of them will reach the target.
4. The Soviets have a very good air defense system at levels below 25,000 with a fighter force equal to ours.
5. They have had 2 years to study the B29.
6. It will take time to assemble a large enough raid to test their air defence system.
7. There are very few airfields in Europe designed to use the B29.
8. They have assassinated 80% of our Atomic bomb assembly team members.
9. There was and still probably is a spy in the Atomic bomb program and they have all the information I just told you.

Theoretically we could just fly higher than 32,000, feet the current operational height of their frontline fighters. As previously mentioned they have had access to 3 B29s for 2 years and have certainly tried and in their mind, found a solution to the treat of a nuclear attack. Otherwise they would be foolish to attack now.

We have to determine what that defense is and how to neutralize it.

Conservative estimate is that we will be ready to use our greatest weapons in no less than 6 months. In the meantime we are at an extreme disadvantage in conventional forces.

Basically we have to hang on and hope for the best until then.

 

Where do you get this mis-information? And why do you continue to try and inject it into this forum?

 

Someone does seem to miss the good old days of Communism

 

to make trouble and have the illusion of being important

 

This is a story not a debate. Read it or don't

 

It's a stupid story that you don't even know the outcome. Gees get a life. Don't read it.

 

Again don't read it or comment and then I won't feel important will I?

 

Hey Smitty what ya got there?

Knock it off Bill. I'm on my way to deliver this pile of stuff to the General himself. And I don't need any grief from you.

Come on Smitty just give me a peek. I won't touch nothing. It's not like it's top secret or anything. Come on just a little look see.

Well I suppose a little look see won't hurt nothin. I'm putting my cushy job on the line here so what you got for me in return for this little lookey here?

Don't be a jerk Smitty just hand it over for a sec. Don't get so uppity and all just because you’re the Generals gofer doesn't mean nothin.

Well it means I can show this to you or not unless you offer something up in return. One hand washes the other ya know.

Ah man ... how about a few smokes for all your trouble?

Make it a even dozen and you got a one minute peek. Deal?

Oh alright it's a deal.

What is that anyway?

I dunno just some map that the General wanted printed up and all colored in. Pretty nice huh? I think it has something to do with the Reds attack. It's probably for some briefing he's got coming up. See there it's got how many divisions the commies are attacking with I bet.

Man that's a hell of a lot. What's going on now must make the Battle of the Bulge look like a picnic. Damn look at all that red and not much of our stuff. What do you make of this anyway.

Well the boxes with ovals in them are armor units, the ones with Xs are infantry, the ones with little wheels under em are motorized.

Gees...What do the little x's mean over the tops?

I pretty sure that the xx are divisions and the xxx are Corps.

Man that makes it even worse looking for our side. How about those figure 8 ones?

Those are some kind of airplane units.

View attachment 14829

 

I can respect you are trying to tell a story which is all fair and fine, but may I humblely point out that all of your posts seem to cover this subject alone. This forum however is primarily intended to discuss World War II and I would like to see your comments on other subjects more in line with our mandate. I would like too think we would all like to read your thoughts on these issues. We have no wish to muzzle you, but we are also leary of rouges who seem to be pushing a agenda rather that engaging in a spirited debate. I do not wish to offend in any way, and apologize if you feel so, just trying to be strait forward with you.


Best reguards,


Belasar

 

Well almost all of the weapons systems are from WWII. All of the leadership would come from it. 99% of the people and troops involved would have fought in WWII. There is a forum within this site entitled Post War 1945-1950 and another one called Alternative History. So I guess I would suggest that there is room for this story.

 

+ 10

May 12th, 1946
Outside Munster, West Germany
07:46 hours

Jees Mac how are we supposed to stop em here? All the pill boxes and anti tank ditches are facing the wrong way. What are we supposed to do just close the door in their faces? Did you see those tanks they got. Ours are like toys compared to those monsters. You can't count on the flyboys to wack em like when we fought the krauts. Hell all you had to do was shout Tiger and the ground pounders would be all over em. Now we have to wait for hours and even then they don't show up most of the time. They're busy fighting with the commie pilots and not paying attention to what is going on down here in the mud.

Shut up Jess! I got y'all this far now just shut the hell up and pay attention. We've been ordered to make a stand here just to slow em up and to give us time to destroy our depots behind us. We can't move them and we don't want the Reds getting a hold of all them nice US Army c-rations. I know you hate to have a commie chewing on your chipped beef.

Anyway the top brass has scrounged a bunch of planes and plans on surprising old Ivan later today when they try and cross the river. They've been gitten kind of frisky lately and throwing haymakers left and right. We're goin to throw them a few jabs to slow em up and make em at least look through the window before they bust open the door if you catch my drift.

The flyboys will actually be there when we need em for the next couple of days anyway. Get Sparks to call in the mud movers and punch a few holes in those commie tin cans.

Now y'all y'all..That's yous to you Dutch... need to be a part of the jab. For the next few days until they flank us, this town is ours and we do what we have to do to keep it.

If those Jews in Warsaw could hold out for weeks with only rifles we can do it with some 105s and bazookas. Now get your ass out there and find a hole to hide in. We got plenty of ammunition so don't hold back. Use it or lose it. Interlocking fields of fire. You know the drill. Stick em and move then move back and stick em again. The papers are calling it a "fighting retreat". I call it an ass woopin.

 

Hairog, if you want some background stuff on the ideas plans of UK/USA the intent etc around 1946 and soon after, get a copy of The Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier. = The American Military in Britian. Goes up to 80's. Some good background stuff on what yanks and Brits thought could be done and the threat starting in 46.

 

Caution Urgh my friend, he doesn't want advice or discussion. Just read and enjoy.

 

Thanks Urgh. Sounds like a good reference. I don't mind a good solid reference suggestion and this sounds like an excellent one.

 

AP/UPI/CBS/NBC/ABC
May 13th, 1946
3:34pm London England

In an unprecedented announcement not heard since the start of World War Two the Western nations have formed an alliance called N.A.T.O. which stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The purpose of this organization is as follows...

"The Parties of NATO agreed that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all. Consequently they agree that the armed attack by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and it's allies will cause each, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence, to assist the Party or Parties being attacked, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area."

United States, United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Iceland are the initial signatories with Greece and Turkey expressing interest at the highest levels.

It is felt that the unmatched barbarity of the Soviet attacks forced these diverse nations to unite in haste without the usual diplomatic discourse.

NATOs spiritual leader Winston Churchill remarked, "If the Western nations lay down their weapons, the Soviets would occupy all of East, West and Southeast Europe along with the greater part of the world. An iron curtain would fall over this enormous territory controlled by the Soviet Union, behind which nations would be slaughtered (my apologies to Goebbels)."

 

What we know so far

May, 16, 1946
White House Map Room
Present the Joint Chiefs of Staff and President Truman

Mr. President if we may get started? Thank you Sir.

We have a pretty good handle of the size of the Soviet forces and their expected plan of attack. We acquired some information from a source in Poland. We have no specifics but can speak in overall numbers of divisions. This will make it simpler anyway as the Soviets have a different organizational system. Their armies are not equivalent to our armies etc. We do share a common military unit and that is the division so all our estimates will be giving in divisions.

The overall forces we face in Western Europe are 60 well equipped, full strength divisions. Another 25 second line divisions are expected from the satellite countries such as Hungry, Romania, Bulgaria etc. More about them later.

We have reason to believe that 35 divisions are designated for the initial push into the heart of Western Europe initially heading for Paris as their focal point. At strategic times division size units will peel off and invest certain key points such as Brussels, Amsterdam, Antwerp but most of the 35 divisions will continue through the heartland of Germany, the low countries and France. Once Paris is taken they will again spit off and go for Le Havre, Brest etc. and end up at the French/Spanish border.

Another 15 divisions will head towards the Maginot Line Southeast of Luxembourg and head towards Lorraine, Dijon and split for the Lyon and Marcelle while the others go towards Toulouse and the Spanish border.

Another 5 divisions are slated to head towards Bavaria from Czechoslovakia and continue to Strasbourg and at least make a demonstration at the Swiz France border. It appears that Stalin will decide then whether to attack Switzerland or to try to intimidate them.

5 more divisions are going to Copenhagen and from there towards Sweden and Norway. The Finns are expected to fold without a fight.

Their newly acquired satellite nations are expected to take out Italy and Greece. Romania, Bulgarian units will take on Greece. The Czechoslovakians, Yugoslavians, Hungarians and Austrians will go for Italy. Their initial attack will be with about 25 divisions but they can provide up to 85.

The Poles and East Germans will be used for garrison duties and anti resistance work from all reports.

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 very weak but we are throwing jabs as we back up.