World War 2 (X)

[gord96]

Wihelmshaven, Germany Febuary 2nd 1940, 0930

The brisk Febuary morning chilled Wilmer to the bone. The cold ocean breeze seemed to find every corner of the naval base as anywhere he went it was equally as bone chilling as the last. He had joined the Army to fight and be a hero, not guard naval bases in the cold winter. Wilmer was confident though that he woud get his chance to prove himself soon enough as word was that Germany would move against Norway, Denmark and maybe even France now.

Wilmer walked up and down the perimeter just west of the main gate. Secuirty was tight today. Grand Admiral Raeder was supposed to be arriving any time now. He was coming to meet with the other Admirals to decide the future of the Kriegsmarine. Wilmer didn’t care. He was an Army man.

“Look alive men! The Grand Admiral is here!” shouted a voice from the guard house near the gate.

Wilmer looked towards the road and saw a convoy of cars approaching. Each one pulled up to the gate and after a moment passed through. The Admirals of the Kriegsmarine were here.

“Glorified sailor boys…” Wilmer muttered under his breath before he was distracted by the noise of airplanes approaching.

“Flyboys. Worse then sailors….” again Wilmer’s thoughts were cut off as the airplane noise became louder. He strained to see the source of the sound and saw 4 small planes approaching, fighters perhaps. Wilmer kept watching as they seemed to diving towards the base at high speeds.

“What the he….” Wilmer again cut himself off as he realized the gravity of the moment. Those were fighter/bombers, loaded up with ordnance on their wings. And they weren’t German.

“INCOMING!!!” Wilmer yelled as the first explosion rocked the guard house and two cars from the convoy flipped over and were engulfed by flame. More explosions and machine gun fire sent Wilmer sprawling. He covered his head and prayed. As soon as he felt brave enough he peaked up for a second and all he saw was burning cars and men. He cowered as more blasts went off.

A few seconds later it was over. Wilmer layed there. He heard yelling and screaming. He lifted his head and stood up. The front gate, the guard house, and the entire motorcade was destroyed. There was dead and wounded everywhere. Smoke filled Wilmer lungs and he choked. As he regained his breath he heard in the distance….

“The Grand Admiral. He is dead!”

Those Tommies just hurt us good Wilmer thought. The leadership of the Kriegsmarine were dead. He felt numb at the carnage around him as he staggered forward.


London, Great Britain, 2 hours later
Marshal Portal sat behind his desk reading the latest communications from his air commanders. He scanned them over quickly. He was really just killing time, waiting for word on the strike he had ordered on Wilhelmshaven the night before. The raid would have happened a few hours ago and Intelligence should have some word soon on how effective it was.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

“Come in.” Portal answered.

In walked Lt. Peters, his assistant. Peters saluted and handed Portal a piece of paper.

“This just came in from British Intel sir.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.” Peters saluted and left the office.

Portal unfolded the document and stared at it. A smile came to his face. It read;

To: Chief of the Airstaff
Marshal Portal
Raid on Wilhelmshaven a success. Raeder and 90% of German Naval leadership killed.
End report.

“This could help us greatly in the war….” Portal said to himself with a large grin of satisfaction. In reality things could not be further from the truth.

[gord96]

Berlin, Germany March 1940

Karl Dönitz left the Fuerher's office and immediatly headed for the building's exit. He was a man on the mission. Yesterday he was officially named Grand Admiral of the German Navy. The Kriegsmarin was his, and he knew what had to be done. Donitz had spent the day in talks with Hitler, trying to convice him that the only way the Navy is going to help Germany is with the U-Boat. Not big surface ships like the Bismarck. The Royal Navy controlled the surface, but the U-Boat, given more research and development could decide the fate of the war.


Donitz arrived at the Naval Offices in Berlin and immediatly went upstairs to his new office. There was alot to do in regards to upcoming operations that were now his responsibility, but first he had to make a call. He sat behind the desk that had once been Admiral Raeder's and picked up the phone.

"Dr. Von Strider please....." Donitz waited.

"Max. Admiral Dontiz...Yes. Thank you. Look there is no time for formalities. I want you to begin the next phases of Project 71 through 78......Yes, yes. Use the Type IX, variant D2. Yes. No more questions I have it taken care of.....MAX! Listen. I have to get to Kiel so please just do as I ask. I will call you in a week."

Donitz hung up the phone.

[Brag]

Interesting, Gord!
And well written, too :D

[gord96]

Thanks Brag. I am glad you like it. Now go work on your Vortex story!! :) I enjoy it thorughly!

[gord96]

Kiel, Germany 3 days later

Commodore Helmut Kaiser was confused as he nursed his beer in the officers club at the Kiel Navel base. He was sure the command of the 7th Flotilla would be his. Raeder himself had Kaiser on his list of Commodores due for promotion and flotilla command. Helmut was even more sure of the posting when the unfortunate events occured in Wilhelmshaven. The tragic loss of the Navy chief and most of the top staff officers meant positions were open and last but not least, Donitz himself, another submariner was going to take charge. Kaiser was shocked when one of Donitz's first orders was to promote and appoint someone else to command the 7th. There was a war going on, and Hemut wanted to do something to help the Kriegsmarine, not be some flunky to a Rear Admiral.

"Commodore Kaiser?"

Helmut looked up to see a young sailor standing before him. The man saluted.

"Yes. What is it?"

"Sir, I have been sent by Grand Admiral Donitz to find you. He would like to meet with you immediatly. Please come with me."

Helmut was on his feet quickly. Perhaps some answers he thought. Maybe the Admiral had a plan for him. Maybe command of another flotilla?

"Lead the way boy, we don't want to keep the Admiral waiting."


In the port HQ, Helmut found himself standing at attention in front of the new Grand Admiral of the Kriegsmarine.

"Please sit Commodore." Donitz motioned for Kaiser to take a seat.

"Thank you Admiral."

Donitz leaned forward in his chair, leaning his elbows on the desk. He looked at Kaiser then leaned back in his chair.

"I am sorry I could not give you command of the 7th. I know you are an excellent officer and a capable submariner. Even more you understand the importance of the U-boat to the German Navy. And that is why I couldn't give you that position."

Donitz rose to his feet. Kaiser remained quiet. The Grand Admiral walked around the office looking at the pictures of battleships on the walls.

"These pictures you see here reflect what most of the Admirals think the Kriegsmarine is all about. While they are fine ships, they will not win us this war." Donitz continued to walk around the offce, "The Royal Navy is the master of the surface in the Atlantic. We could build twenty ships like the Bismarck and the Tirpitz and still we would fall. As we throw millions of dollars of resources and manpower into building that massive iron beast, we are missing out on an opportunity. The U-boat is where we are having success. We are trying to starve the British out of this war, but we can't do it with what we have now. The only way to succeed at this is to further the U-boat program!"

Kaiser sat enthralled as Donitz spoke. The Admiral went on for another five minutes about the U-boat and the Kriegsmarine's future before he sat back down at his desk.

"Commodore Kaiser. The raid on Wilhelmshaven, while unfortunate, will probably be the saving grace of our Navy. With me in charge I will enusre the U-boat has a bright future. And that's why I need your help. I am in charge of all Fleet operations. I am busy. I need you to take command of the 10th Training Flotilla stationed at our U-boat research facility."

Helmut felt the disapointment hit him. Donitz saw this and continued.

"Now don't feel like this is an assignment without merrit. You will report directly and only to me. You will be my hand, eyes and ears of the operation. This I say is the most important post in the Battle of the Atlantic right now. Without success here our U-boats cannot win. And if you succeed for me and the Fatherland, there will be great rewards for you as well."

Commodore Kaiser smiled.

[Schöneboom]

Like BdU always says, "Machen Sie weiter so!" :up:

[johan_d]

naah, press the attack, is what they say, in plain English for crying out loud!

[gord96]

Some island in the Atlantic, April 1940

Dr. Max Von Strider stood on the dock watching the sun slowly set. In the distance he could see the small boat getting close. On board would be his new boss that Grand Admiral Donitz had sent to oversee the operations here. Although he didn't like having someone watching over his shoulder, he was very pleased that his research and Donitz's idea's were finally coming to fruition. So long had these tools that would make the U-boats fierce killing machines been within reach, all that was needed was some funding, materials and the go ahead. In truth though, Max wasn't so sure that everything had actually been approved as Donitz had told him.

The small craft docked and off the boat stepped a tall German naval officer. He looked to be in good shape and appeared around 40 years. He quickly walked towards Max and nodded.

"Commodore Kaiser I presume."

The officer nodded and held out his hand. Max took it and shook it firmly.

"Dr. Von Strider. It's good to meet you. Admiral Donitz has told me alot about you and your U-boat advancement program."

Max smiled and knew that what he was about to show the Commodore would truely blow him away.


The two men stepped inside the large complex that dominated the landscape of the western coast of the island. It was a large concrete structure that extended inland and out to sea where there was four uboat pens. Helmut Kaiser was in awe. He had heard of the 10th Training Flotilla, which was the code name for the program, but had no idea it was so well established. He has always assumed it was in some dusty workshop in Kiel or Wilhelmshaven. They walked down some hallways, past workers in grey coveralls and sailors in their blues. Finally they entered a large open area that was empty except for a torpedo, a deck gun with some crates of ammo stacked beside it, some sort or pulley system, a large antennae looking thing which Helmut assumed was a type of radar, a diesel engine and an electric engine.

"I had this stuff displayed for you. These are U-boat Projects 71-77 of our program. All these are products of much hard work and research, as well as Admiral Donitz's ideas. These all should have been standard on most of our boats before the war started, but we were pretty much shutdown when Raeder got word of the amount of money, resources and manpower we were using up. He wanted to build more useless battleships."

Max smiled at the wonder he saw in Commodore Kaiser's eyes.

"Come Commodore. Let me show you what we have....."

[Reece]

Yes Gord, this is exciting, you have me chewing my nails, please continue!:yep::D

[CapZap1970]

Very interesting!!!! :rock:
Please, let the story continue.... :up:
CapZap