The Last War: 366.

[Bernard Woolley]

With many thanks to Matt W and Jotun.

*

D+27

*

1301 hours GMT, H.Q AFNORTH, Kolsås, Norway.
“We believe that we have identified what has been shooting at Helsinki, General Sumner.” The image of the Finnish Chief of Defence said. “We believe that it is a TM-1-14 railway mount with a 356mm gun. It has fired six shells into the city before going silent. Two of the shells failed to detonate, allowing us to identify the likely weapon, via a commercial website of all things.” [1]

Being British and of a certain age, General Sumner mentally translated 356mm into fourteen inches. Which allowed him to visualise the likely size of the shells involved.

“That’s disturbing, Admiral.” Sumner replied. “Because our intelligence suggested that the Soviets only retained the smaller TM-3-12 in reserve and that the bigger guns had been withdrawn and possibly scrapped.
“What can we do to help?”
“We need more aerial reconnaissance assets, and it would be nice to have something we can hit back with. My government wants to send a message to Moscow that it cannot strike our capital with impunity.”
“I’ll see what I can do with regards to the aerial recce, but what did you have in mind regarding hitting back?” Sumner asked, although he suspected he knew what the answer would be.
“ATACMS, General. We’d like ATACMS. With those we could hit targets within Russia itself.”

CINCNORTH thought for a moment.

“That would mean sending you MLRS or HIMARS.” He said. “I might be able to spare you a couple of units from those in Norway, but I’d have to send the request for ATACMS to SACEUR. And I suspect that he will have to clear supplying them with Washington. However, were it up to me, I’d send you them yesterday.”
“Thank you, General, I appreciate your support and will hope that SACEUR and the Americans feel the same way.”

Once the Finnish Admiral had severed the connection, Sumner thought for a few minutes before he asked his staff to arrange an urgent call to General Baker. If it was solely for counter-battery work against things like the Soviet railway-gun, he was sure that approval for deployment of ATACMS equipped MLRS or HIMARS would be approved in a heartbeat. However, he was not sure that the Americans, or many other of the other NATO governments would be as enthusiastic about firing Short-Ranged Ballistic Missiles at Soviet territory. There would be some politicians and senior military officers who would see it as an escalation. Sumner did not have time for such views, after all, the Soviets had been firing missiles of all sorts at NATO territory for quite some time. Not to mention that Operation ‘MOSCOW MULE’ had been an attack deep into the USSR. No, CINCNORTH did not think that firing ATACMS missiles at targets in the USSR would be a serious escalation.

1445 Hours GMT. Over South-Central Iraq.
The Navy strike package came in low, skirting the edge of the Baghdad MEZ. They had launched from their carrier, Kitty Hawk, an hour, and a half earlier, refuelled over Saudi, then once past Najaf, had dropped down low. The crews were hoping to evade the MEZ radars as long as possible, but two turn points prior to their target area might dash such hopes. But the strike lead and the other crews were still confident they would get in and out in one piece.

In his A-6, Commander Matt Wiser checked one of his MFD displays. So far, so good. They were about to cross Lake Habbiniyah and had skimmed Lake Milh just prior to that. He called up his EW display and saw that there were numerous radars to their east, Given that somebody was hitting a target somewhere in the Fallujah-Habbiniyah area, that wasn't a surprise. Good. Maybe they'll do us a favor and let us slip in. But it was time to get serious.

“Lake Habbiniyah dead ahead.”
“Got it.” His B/N, Madge Porter, replied.

The lake was one of their checkpoints.

“Two and a half minutes to turn.”
“Roger that.” Guru called. He dropped down to 400 Feet AGL, and the rest of the package followed.

There were four A-6Fs from his squadron, VA-115, four F/A-18Es from VFA-195, two VF-154 Tomcats, and a VAQ-136 EA-6B. They crossed the lake about halfway between Ramadi to the west and Habbiniyah to the east, headed north. Two minutes' flying time took them to the next checkpoint, a cluster of buildings south of Lake Tharthar, its dam and hydropower plant, and the Palace complex to the northeast.

“And turn.” Madge advised.
“Got it.” Guru said. He turned his A-6, 505, due east, and the package did the same.

Two more minutes brought them to a quarry, where they turned southeast. Another minute, and a pair of radio masts appeared. That was the IP, where they were to climb to attack altitude and make the run on Baghdad.

“IP in sight.”

Madge saw it.

“On it,” she replied, turning the nav-attack system into “Attack” mode. “System into Attack. Your pickle's hot.”
“Copy. Dambusters, go to work!” That was the call for the IRON HAND flight to go in to do their SEAD mission,
“Roger that!” Lieutenant Commander Kathy Evison replied.

Her four Super Hornets had two HARM missiles and either two AGM-65 Mavericks or four Rockeye CBUs apiece. The Hornets shot ahead, going in to clear the way. “MANGUM!” calls began right after that, as the Hornets took HARM missile shots.

The two VF-154 Tomcats climbed as well, assuming a TARCAP just north of Baghdad, as did the Prowler. When they did, the Iraqi air-defence radars went up, they were quickly jammed off the air, while several SAM radars that also came up were on the receiving end of HARMs.

“Eagles, let's go. Intruders in hot!” Guru called as he took 505 in.

Their target was the Al Haytham Missile R&D Center, just north of the city limits on the west side of Highway One. And each A-6 had six Mark-83 1,000-lb bombs with Snakeye retarding fins to service the target.

*

In the Iraqi Capital, the sirens sounded again-for the fourth time that day. The first raid that morning had been a USAF/RAF strike on the Radwaniya Presidential Complex-which had already been hit at least twice. The second one had been the U.S. Navy, with a strike on the Al Rasheed Gas Power Plant on the southern outskirts of the city, just to the west of Highway 8, The USAF returned, along with the RAAF, to hit the Military side of the International Airport, and now, another strike was coming again.

Central Baghdad had two parties headed to the roofs of their respective buildings. At the Soviet Embassy, General Kurchatov and his staff grabbed binoculars and video cameras, while over at the Palestine Hotel, the International Press Corps also ran for the roof, hoping to get some video, and if the network correspondents could, get on the air. As the reporters raced to the rooftop, the staff at the hotel followed, with snacks and drinks, and those who did go up often stayed, for the Coalition Air Forces put on a very good air show when they appeared over the Capital (which was a view shared by the Russians, unknown to anyone else). Today had been disappointing in that regard, but now?

Another party showed interest, as the Iraqi Dictator had just wrapped up a military briefing with the Defense Minister, General Hosseni, and the DMI Director, General Mahdi, at the Al Azimiyah Palace. While most of the Revolutionary Command Council went to the shelter in the basement, Saddam and the two generals, with several aides and Saddam's security detail, went outside to watch.

While most of the Coalition POWs had been moved from Al-Rashid Prison, the handful who were there now that the facility was being used as an interrogation center were in for a show, or so they hoped. The same went for those in the prison ward at the Military Hospital, all of whom had been injured prior to capture, and those who were able to, went to their room windows, hoping for a glimpse of the strike.

*

All of that was unknown to the strike crews as they bored in.

In 505, Guru watched as the flak-and a few SAMs, came up, but the EW display still showed nothing locked on. The IRON HAND people were doing their thing. As he flew down Highway One, he said.

“Call it, Madge.”

The northern outskirts of Baghdad flew by just 750 feet below them.

“Picking up the target,” Madge replied.

The walls surrounding the target complex came up on her radar display, and the FLIR in the TRAM system had it as well.

“Come right one degree and you'll be on centreline,” she advised. “Fifteen seconds.”
“Got it,” said Guru as he adjusted his course.

He was trying his best to ignore the flak, but the puffs from the 37-mm and 57-mm guns in the area were hard to do otherwise. One hit from those and they would be skydiving, then on their way to the Baghdad Hilton. A quick glance behind him saw 509, Rivers and Fisher, right with them.

“Hack in five, four, three, two, one, HACK!”

Guru hit his pickle button.

“THEY'RE OFF!” He called, releasing his Mark-83s onto the target. Once the bombs were gone, they weren't flying for God and Country, or Uncle Sam.

Madge was watching the FLIR, and though the image became inverted as the A-6 flew on, half a dozen bomb blasts erupted in the target compound.

“GOOD HITS!”
“Roger that!”

Now, Guru and Madge were flying for themselves as the A-6 flew right through Central Baghdad, skirting Al-Muthena AB and the ruins of the Victory Arch Complex, then the New Presidential Palace and the Al Salam Palace before Guru picked up Highway 8 and headed south.

*

Saddam, General Hosseni, and General Mahdi, along with a number of aides and the President's security detail, were watching, either with the naked eye, or with binoculars. To the generals, Saddam was clearly displeased at what he saw, and it likely reminded him of the humiliation he had had on April 28. For the American A-6s were flying brazenly over the Iraqi Capital, seemingly untouchable by the antiaircraft fire. As Guru's A-6, followed by Rivers and Fisher in 509, flew past, the dictator turned to Hosseni.

“What's with our air defence?”
“Mr. President, those aircraft are likely too low and too fast for our gunners to get a good track,” the Defense Minister replied.

Saddam turned to his Air Force aide, a young-looking Brigadier General, who nodded in the affirmative.

“It's what I'd do, Mr. President. Come in low and fast if I don't have any smart bombs available.”

Hosseni watched as Saddam followed two more A-6s as they flew by, then the F/A-18s. Then Saddam turned back to him.

“General, I want the Commander for Baghdad's Air Defences at tomorrow morning's military briefing. He needs to give an explanation, and his ideas for going forward with improving the Capital's air defences.”

The Defense Minister and Mahdi looked at each other. It was likely that there would be a new commander for the Baghdad Air Defense Sector the next day, and improving Baghdad's air defense? That would be a tall order-among several others they had to deal with. But Saddam had spoken....

“Yes, Mr. President.”

*

At both the Soviet Embassy and the Palestine Hotel, the respective watchers were not disappointed. Though they could see that the target was just to the north of the city, the attacking aircraft were coming out right over Downtown Baghdad, dropping flares as they did.

General Kurchatov was watching with interest as the A-6s zoomed by, just missing the Embassy.

“VA-115 again, Comrades.” He noted. Kitty Hawk and CVW-5 again, he knew.

Colonel Nastin, his Chief of Staff, nodded.

“Given how many times they've been here, I'd say those air crews are now very familiar with Baghdad's airspace.”

He scanned the area with his binoculars, then he picked out columns of smoke just north of the city limits.

“The target was to the north, Comrade General.”

Kurchatov scanned the area himself.

“I'll agree with that.” He turned to Nastin. “Get one of your staff, a couple of Spetsnatz ensigns, and a car. I want them to go north on Highway One and see what the target was.”
“Comrade General.” Nastin nodded as two of the F/A-18s came over, and two more flew by to the west, between them and the International Airport.

He scanned the whole area and saw aircraft taking off from Al-Rashid AB.

“MiG-23s scrambling from Al-Rashid.”
“Too little and too late.” A PVO officer said with some contempt.

*

At the Palestine, the reporters were watching, as the A-6s flew by to the west. They could see that the target was somewhere to the north, with the smoke clouds, but the reporters were surprised to see the A-6s going out right over Baghdad. As usual, CNN, Fox/Sky News, and Al Jazeera were on the air, live, and also as usual, intelligence officers in a number of locations, including the carrier Kitty Hawk, were tuned in.

*

The handful of POWs at the Military Prison were unable to see the air show, though they heard it. The rumble of the A-6s and Hornets, along with the SAMs and AAA going off, though, was a boost to their morale. One of them certainly needed it, for she was in one of the torture rooms. USAF Major Lauren Holloman had been shot down the night before, flying an A-6 with a Marine squadron, VMA(AW)-121, and the Iraqis couldn't understand why an Air Force pilot was flying with the Marine Corps. She was in between torture sessions, with her hands in torture cuffs behind her back, ankles tied to an iron bar, and on her knees as well as blindfolded. As sweat dripped from her bare body, back covered with welts, she heard the sirens, followed by the AAA and the sounds of SAMs being launched. Then came the distinct rumble of jets. Not knowing who it was, she smiled, and now felt she could go another round.

“Thank you, whoever you are.”

*

Over at the Military Hospital, those POWs who were able to get to windows were somewhat disappointed. They could see the aircraft, but this time, the planes were too far away for those who could see to make out the type. But the fact that the Iraqis were shooting at them was good enough to give their morale a much-needed boost.

*

Once clear of Baghdad, Guru made the call.

“505 off target.”

Their wingmates in 509, Lts. Bryan Rivers and Sarah Fisher, did the same, followed by the second pair, led by Lieutenant Commander Tony Carpenter, the squadron's Ops Officer. After the A-6s cleared, the Hornets, Tomcats, and Prowler did the same, but for two of the Hornets, it was a bonus. The VFA-195 Exec and her wingmate ran into two of the four MiG-23s that had scrambled from Al-Rashid, and promptly downed both of them. The two Tomcats, who had not engaged, along with the Prowler, followed the strike aircraft out, as everybody headed south for the Najaf area and their climb back up to altitude.

“Everybody's clear,” Madge said after the Prowler, the last to check in as clear, made its call.
“How far to Najaf?” Guru asked. He had his MFD set to the moving map display now that they were clear of Baghdad.
“Ten minutes.” Madge replied.

They had to skirt Al Iskindariyah, Musayyb,and Hilah, but flying between Highway 8 and Freeway 1 would do that.

Guru nodded. He was focused on flying low and fast, until they really cleared the MEZ.

“Then we climb up, cross the border, and hit the tankers. And back to the boat.”
“We going to be there in time?” Asked Madge.
“For what?”
“A night trap.”

Guru smiled beneath his oxygen mask.

“We'll see,” He said as 509 joined up on their right wing, bringing two F/A-18s with them. Only then did he put up his left hand, and Madge her right, for an Intruder crew's high-five.

1535 hours GMT. Over southern Finland.
Löjtnant Arto Söderstedt kept his JA 37D Viggen at near tree-top height as he escorted an AJSF 37 reconnaissance variant of the Viggen. His wingman was one of the small number of aircraft that survived from the Finnish Air Force’s Reconnaissance Squadron, although similar Swedish aircraft had also now arrived.
*

Söderstedt was one of a small group of Swedish ‘volunteer’ pilots who had been secretly deployed to Finland with eight Viggens shortly before Sweden had officially entered the war. He had just enough time to fly one sotie before discovering that instead of being volunteers, they were now officially fighting as Swedish air force. Even though additional Swedish units had deployed to Finland, the original ‘volunteer’ contingent had remained with the Finnish Fighter Squadron 21.

*

While Finnish and Swedish aircraft could protect their troops on the ground and maintained the upper hand over rear areas, it was a different story once they crossed the FEBA. Soviet fighter aircraft and Ground Based Air Defence had created a lethal threat, which the Swedish-Finnish air forces did not have the resources to seriously degrade. Therefore, when they had to cross into hostile air space, Viggens and Gripens employed ultra-low-level tactics, as the only way to survive.

*

The two Viggens turned sharply as they approached the target area, climbing slightly as they levelled out. Söderstedt caught a glimpse of troops on the ground and railway lines where his map said there should not be. Suddenly angry orange balls started to shoot past his aircraft, Söderstedt jinking to make his Viggen a harder target.

‘WEEEWEEEEWEEE!’

“Oh, hell!” He exclaimed as the Missile Approach Warning System yelled a warning.

He stamped on the left rudder pedal and punched the button that released decoy flares. As the alarm continued to yell, he reversed his turn, still pumping out flares. Finally, the alarm went silent.

“I’m hit! I’m hit!” His wingman announced. “Think I took a hit from a shell back there!”
Söderstedt’s heart sank. If the other aircraft went down, then the mission had been for nothing.

“Think you can make it back?”
“Don’t think so. I’m losing fuel and I think I have structural damage. Wait…I see some open ground. I’m going to put her down. Need to save the phots.”

Söderstedt opened his mouth to object but decided that his fellow pilot did have a point.

“Okay, good luck!”

1625 hours GMT. Warsaw Pact-controlled airspace, over the DDR-Poland border.
The Soviet Air Force – on orders from Stavka, who in turn had been ordered by the Defence Ministry which in turn had been ordered by the Chairman of the CPSU himself – reluctantly had staged and put into the air another multi-regiment terror strike on western Europe, among which was a formation amalgamated from the 200th, 260th and the 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment to attack civilian targets all over northern Central Europe. 40th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment had sent two Tu-160 bombers to supplement the force of ten Tu-22Ms. The twelve planes flew in a loose formation, about five kilometres across, with the Blackjacks making up the centre, as the command plane was one of the two.

Each “Backfire” was loaded with three Kh-22MA missiles, while the two “Blackjacks” were carrying a full load of Kh-555 “Kent-C” cruise missiles. The lieutenant colonel commanding the formation re-checked vector and speed to the launch point. Three minutes to go. He gave the order to start launch procedures.

What a waste of ammunition only to try and terrorize the western populations into a more pliable mood for surrender. Didn’t those brainiacs in the Central Committee read history books in school? It didn’t work and only brings needless suffering on innocent people.

As per SOP, he keyed the microphone and spoke the order to launch over the command channel.

“All Smerch elements, standby for launch.” He looked at the clock display in the cockpit “On my mark. Ten seconds…five seconds, three, two, one, LAUNCH! LAUNCH! LAUNCH!”

The launch of the twenty-four “Kents-C” cruise missiles went off without a hitch.

What was that? In the span of about twenty seconds, there were several flashes that could only be midair explosions on both sides of his plane. The lieutenant colonel could hear at least two different, garbled cries over the Guard channel that broke off suddenly. He and his co-pilot looked out to the sides and could make out at least three oily fireballs that once had been Tu-22M bombers of the DA.
He reacted on long-ingrained instinct. Triggering the command channel, he shouted.

“Initiate evasive manoeuvres! We are under attack!” This could only be American stealth fighters, attacking literally out of the blue.

The DA had learned to fear them. He then shouted towards the back of the crew compartment.

“DSO, look alive. What is happening?”

He threw the “White Swan” into a series of hard downward corkscrews, while the DSO pumped out chaff and flares as if they were going out of fashion and triggered a broad-spectrum ECM cascade. The fuselage of the supersonic bomber groaned as if in pain.

He finally levelled his ride barely a thousand feet above the ground and shoved the engine throttles all the way to the front to bring as much distance as possible between himself and the possible attackers.

“Comrade colonel,” the defensive systems operator spoke into the internal voice circuit. “I have absolutely no indicators of enemy air assets anywhere near us, the display only shows friendly air search radars and several airborne ones.”

The officer took a deep breath as soon as he had the time. He triggered the command channel.

“All elements, all elements. Radio check, over.” In the following thirty seconds, only one two-ship element of the Tu-22Ms and his wingman in the other Tu-160 reported in.
“All elements, situation report. What happened? We are not under attack, that much is clear.”
“Lead, Smerch-3. All I can say is that we had several large explosions directly after the launch command. My copilot saw at least one, maybe two or three of the missiles of the two-ship to our port side explode directly under the planes, and the explosions eradicated them. Our launch went through without a hitch. Over.”
“Smerch-3, Lead. Acknowledged. You are ordered to accompany us to our base. Something isn’t right. Over.”
“This is Smerch-3, roger, out.”

The officer commanding the now much reduced formation had to suppress a shiver running down his spine. One catastrophic misfire at launch is an accident. But several? Not even our safety procedures are that shoddy, are they? There must be foul play at work. Raduga is going to be swarming with chekists.

What he didn’t know was that several other missions of DA and Naval Aviation had experienced the same incident within one hour. Long range aviation had been hit severely from a direction nobody had anticipated. The terror bombings would – nolens, volens - be suspended while every Kh-22 missile in stock was checked and double-checked for errors or sabotage.

1635 hours GMT. Outer Helsinki Defence Line, Finland.
The normal reaction for troops manning the line when they heard aircraft was to get as low as they could, but something made Soldat Marin look up. She saw a double-delta aircraft painted in splinter camouflage descending towards her.

“Its one of ours! A Viggen!” She yelled.

The Viggen, which Marin noticed was trailing smoke, passed dangerously low over her head before belly landing in the field behind the troops. The impact broke the aircraft’s back and it partially ground-looped before coming to a rest. Marin and several other soldiers were already running towards the aircraft before it came to rest.

On climbing up onto the Viggen, Marin could see that that while he had released the canopy, the pilot was trapped, his harness being jammed. She drew her bayonet and began to saw at the straps.

“The camera!” The pilot said, urgently. “Get the film! It’s…it’s in the nose!”
“Once we get you out.” Marin replied calmly.

‘THUD! THUD!’

Two 82mm mortar rounds exploded nearby. Evidently the Soviets had decided to try and destroy the crashed aircraft.

“The film! Get it! I can wait! It’s important!”

Marin sensed that the pilot was right and slid back down to the ground. She and a couple of other soldiers hacked away at the Viggen’s nose until they were able to release the correct panel and removed the film cassettes.

‘THUD! THUD!’

“Go, Marin! Go!” Her section commander yelled.

Marin had barely covered three meters when an immense explosion threw her to the ground.

***

[1] This one.

[Bernard Woolley]

Accompanying Pictures

[jemhouston]

If they're bringing out the railroad guns, they are scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

The Russian Air Force may want to check the ejector seats. It would be a shame if they fired at the wrong time.

[James1978]

Good chapter!

Railway guns . . . in 2005
Though it sounds like the Soviet railway troops have been busy.

ATACMS might be an easier sell politically than practically. Like a lot of PGMs, I suspect they were used rather liberally in the first week or so since I doubt many folks were expecting to still be fighting on D+27. What ATACMS are left in Europe are probably jealously guarded and saved for priority targets. Not saying it won't happen, just that the Finns will probably be severely disappointed with how many they get.
On a related note, would Sweden have bought Taurus in TLWverse?

Keep up the good work!
PS, check your email.

[James1978]

If they're bringing out the railroad guns, they are scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

Maybe.
From what I can piece together, western intelligence seems to think those guns were withdrawn in the 1950s, For them to be in action in 2005, and demonstrating some damn fine gunnery per the previous chapter, suggests to me the following:
- that they were never withdrawn to begin with, or were brought back years ago
- the crews are not inexperienced
- excellent maskirovka

It strikes me that bureaucratic inertia or TVD empire building seem more likely than desperation.

Also, either Soviet railway troops have been very busy, or the Finns did a poor job of demolishing tracks and at least one rail bridge. Which also makes me wonder if this unit has dedicated railway troops. And then I've got to wonder how Finnish stay behind/partisan units missed that traveling circus moving down the tracks.

The whole thing is a lovely puzzle!

[Bernard Woolley]

The Russian Air Force may want to check the ejector seats. It would be a shame if they fired at the wrong time.

That would be...unfortunate.

Good chapter!

On a related note, would Sweden have bought Taurus in TLWverse?

Thanks and yes. they have.

PS, check your email.

Got it.

The whole thing is a lovely puzzle!

And I'm not going to help in solving it!

[Jotun]

Yay! A new chapter, on top of the first really good day I had in weeks.

I guess the only people seeing a problem in using ATACMS firing on Soviet soil are politicians and REMFs. The US could mqybe deliver the submunitions variant, it is the exact thing the Finns need to take out that Czarist relic. Like the others I am hoping to see an explanation for that gun still being in service. Be almost a shame to destroy it. [Fedora on]That thing belongs in a museum![Fedora off]

The Kitty Hawk air group make me think of the RAF attack on the Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen. One of the bombers was lost thanks to clipping a streetlight pole, they were flying so low.
"Okay, to the target, it‘s ten seconds down Saddam‘s-Uncle‘s-Nephew-Boulevard, take a hard right at Ferhas' Falafel Fountain, and pop up over Phantom Muchentuchen…." Sorry, I am in a silly mood…^^
Anyway, as long as the targets are serviced and a POW has a morale boost, all is good.

Now what happened to Soldat Marin and the others? Stay tuned for the next episode, I guess.

I was happy to be able to contribute once more. I was a bit afraid of having gone overboard with the idea, but the muse insisted.

[Eaglenine2]

Question either Finland not demolished track or not notice track being re-laid or built and that rail gun rolling around.

[James1978]

I guess the only people seeing a problem in using ATACMS firing on Soviet soil are politicians and REMFs. The US could mqybe deliver the submunitions variant, it is the exact thing the Finns need to take out that Czarist relic. Like the others I am hoping to see an explanation for that gun still being in service. Be almost a shame to destroy it. [Fedora on]That thing belongs in a museum![Fedora off]

Could be. Though I wonder if it's more who decides what gets hit? For the most part*, strikes on the USSR proper have been the domain of the US and UK. They may like keeping it that way.
*In the Far East, the RAAF and maybe the JASDF have also attacked the USSR proper.

Depending on just how far out the thing is, regular M26 rockets could probably counter battery just fine.

For ATACMS that close to the USSR, find something juicy and use a Block III on it. Though those are probably literal silver bullets.

[Rocket J Squrriel]

Yay! A new chapter, on top of the first really good day I had in weeks.

I guess the only people seeing a problem in using ATACMS firing on Soviet soil are politicians and REMFs. The US could mqybe deliver the submunitions variant, it is the exact thing the Finns need to take out that Czarist relic. Like the others I am hoping to see an explanation for that gun still being in service. Be almost a shame to destroy it. [Fedora on]That thing belongs in a museum![Fedora off]

The Kitty Hawk air group make me think of the RAF attack on the Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen. One of the bombers was lost thanks to clipping a streetlight pole, they were flying so low.
"Okay, to the target, it‘s ten seconds down Saddam‘s-Uncle‘s-Nephew-Boulevard, take a hard right at Ferhas' Falafel Fountain, and pop up over Phantom Muchentuchen…." Sorry, I am in a silly mood…^^
Anyway, as long as the targets are serviced and a POW has a morale boost, all is good.

Now what happened to Soldat Marin and the others? Stay tuned for the next episode, I guess.

I was happy to be able to contribute once more. I was a bit afraid of having gone overboard with the idea, but the muse insisted.

Speaking of Copenhagen... There is a movie out there about it: "The Shadow in My Eye" with the alternate title "The Bombardment". The Mosquito clipped a searchlight tower, went down near a school, and some of the other planes mistook the school as the target.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/h4jVysnRisI?feature=shared
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Carthage

[Matt Wiser]

Whoo-hoo! Good chapter as usual, and glad to be of service. BZ, my friend, and so on to business.

Taking out that gun with ATACAMs won't be serious in terms of escalation. SAC has already struck targets in the USSR, there have been TLAM strikes into Kola, and targets in the Soviet Far East have been hit as well. This also shows that Ivan isn't throwing anything away.

Bombing altitude with Snakeyes depends on the type of bomb used-in this case, it's 750 Feet AGL. Penetration isn't as low as the Copenhagen Raid, but call it 350 Feet AGL on average. As for the target? Those scientists and engineers-if any were working late-got a nasty surprise, while the Baghdad Air Defense Sector Commander is likely to be "relieved." As in "relieved of all Earthly concerns." And it's always good to give POWs a morale boost-even if the strike crews don't find out until after the war.

Those factories-and bases-are going to be swarming with not just Chekists, but the GRU will likely have its own investigation. In all likelihood, there will be a few people (at least) shot. Even if it's just to "encourage the others."

Marin had better make it...

Nice job once again, and get with 367!

[Jotun]

Since Eoldat Marin later becomes PM of Finland and writes a book about her experiences in the war, we can all rest assured she‘ll make it

[Simon Darkshade]

Yay! A new chapter, on top of the first really good day I had in weeks.

I guess the only people seeing a problem in using ATACMS firing on Soviet soil are politicians and REMFs. The US could mqybe deliver the submunitions variant, it is the exact thing the Finns need to take out that Czarist relic. Like the others I am hoping to see an explanation for that gun still being in service. Be almost a shame to destroy it. [Fedora on]That thing belongs in a museum![Fedora off]

The Kitty Hawk air group make me think of the RAF attack on the Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen. One of the bombers was lost thanks to clipping a streetlight pole, they were flying so low.
"Okay, to the target, it‘s ten seconds down Saddam‘s-Uncle‘s-Nephew-Boulevard, take a hard right at Ferhas' Falafel Fountain, and pop up over Phantom Muchentuchen…." Sorry, I am in a silly mood…^^
Anyway, as long as the targets are serviced and a POW has a morale boost, all is good.

Now what happened to Soldat Marin and the others? Stay tuned for the next episode, I guess.

I was happy to be able to contribute once more. I was a bit afraid of having gone overboard with the idea, but the muse insisted.

Speaking of Copenhagen... There is a movie out there about it: "The Shadow in My Eye" with the alternate title "The Bombardment". The Mosquito clipped a searchlight tower, went down near a school, and some of the other planes mistook the school as the target.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/h4jVysnRisI?feature=shared
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Carthage

I've seen that picture and it is a very well put together story with a real punch to the guts in the climactic events. I highly recommend it.

This chapter is as multifaceted as ever, featuring the antediluvian fun of heavy railway guns to boot. Bravo. The obvious counter to them, rather than ATACMS or anything so distressingly modern, is more and bigger decades old long range artillery.

[Paul Nuttall]

Wonder if NATO evesdroppers will have picked up the 'accidents'.....

[jemhouston]

I've seen that picture and it is a very well put together story with a real punch to the guts in the climactic events. I highly recommend it.

This chapter is as multifaceted as ever, featuring the antediluvian fun of heavy railway guns to boot. Bravo. The obvious counter to them, rather than ATACMS or anything so distressingly modern, is more and bigger decades old long range artillery.

Paging BB-61, Paging USS Iowa we have a fire mission for you.

[Rocket J Squrriel]

Wonder if NATO evesdroppers will have picked up the 'accidents'.....

With all the AWACS and SIGNIT and perhaps the odd F-22 I suspect they will. I also suspect there will be lots a questions between the various intell agencies about 'Which one of you did that and why didn't you tell the rest of us??'

Oh and most lovely chapter! Now get cracking on 367.

[jemhouston]

Wonder if NATO evesdroppers will have picked up the 'accidents'.....

With all the AWACS and SIGNIT and perhaps the odd F-22 I suspect they will. I also suspect there will be lots a questions between the various intell agencies about 'Which one of you did that and why didn't you tell the rest of us??'

Oh and most lovely chapter! Now get cracking on 367.

And how did you do it?

[Johnnie Lyle]

Wonder if NATO evesdroppers will have picked up the 'accidents'.....

With all the AWACS and SIGNIT and perhaps the odd F-22 I suspect they will. I also suspect there will be lots a questions between the various intell agencies about 'Which one of you did that and why didn't you tell the rest of us??'

Oh and most lovely chapter! Now get cracking on 367.

And how did you do it?

Are they going to admit they didn’t do it?