Altered States -Volume III. Hinge of Fate

Chapter 27

Admiral Tovey received the warning through channels from the Admiralty, his eyes darkening with concern. The Germans were on the move, and the operations now seemed to be associated with an even more ominous prospect-an attack against Gibraltar! Tovey had been there with the Cruiser Squadron just before being promoted to Admiral of Home Fleet. He knew the place well, yet had no illusions about its prospects of resisting a determined attack from the land. There were no more than four battalions in the garrison, and it was unlikely Gibraltar could be reinforced by sea once the attack began.

The Admiralty was of the same mind, in spite of the vital nature on the base and its intrinsic value as a symbol of British power. Gibraltar was a hinge of fate in so many ways, and yet the screws were weak, and rust had crept in over the long decades of British rule. The War Cabinet had long known that if Spain cooperated with Germany, the airfield at Gibraltar would be useless within hours, and the harbor within a day. Now the Admiralty was already casting about for some alternative place to base the units of Force H while also mounting some effective counter to the juggernaut of the German military.

Churchill was flabbergasted to learn that the Admiralty had no firm plan to reinforce Gibraltar. When it was explained that it would be impossible to land fresh troops in a harbor under fire from enemy artillery, the grim reality of the situation became apparent. Gibraltar would have to stand or fall with the garrison it had, but Force H would do what it could to lend support if the Germans actually carried out an attack.

The instant Tovey received the warning that Hindenburg was missing he ordered his ships to four hour steam, and put to sea immediately thereafter. Yet now he had a new problem to deal with. Admiral Pound had never been easy with the posting of a Russian battlecruiser to the watch on the Denmark Strait. He made the obvious point that even though Russia had signed a pledge of alliance with Great Britain, the Soviet Union had not gone so far as to declare war on Germany. Still involved in obvious negotiations with France and Spain, Germany had also refrained from declaring war on Russia, and so an uneasy tension remained all along the Polish frontier.

“Suppose this Russian ship is capable of defending the Denmark Strait,” Pound had said at the Admiralty meeting. “That alone would be a stretch, but even if it were so, this creates some rather thorny political problems. The Russians are not keen to engage in open hostilities with the Germans-this Admiral Volsky you speak of aside. Unless they go so far as to declare war on Germany, I find it inappropriate to have that ship posted to such a vital position. The Denmark Strait is the route most often chosen by German raiders.”

“Believe one thing,” said Tovey. “This ship can fight. I have no doubt it can hold its own on that watch. That said, I agree with your political assessment of the situation. If, however, I ask the Russians to withdraw, then I shall have to take up that watch myself in HMS Invincible, and leave the Iceland Faeroes Gap to the debutantes.” Tovey was referring to the two new King George V class battleships, still untried and out for their first combat sortie.

“They should be able to manage,” said Pound.

“Perhaps, but it had been my intention to keep the battleships together with me and undertake a more active campaign by entering the Norwegian Sea. Playing on the back row to guard all the exits to the Atlantic allows the enemy to choose his breakout point, and it will force me to spread very thin resources even thinner. If I take all three ships north now, we might catch the Germans before they turn for their intended breakout point.”

Their Lordships discussed it further, but in the end Admiral Pound would have his way. So Tovey caught a plane to Holyhead where he jumped on a fast destroyer to rendezvous with HMS Invincible, already well out to sea. Home Fleet was a full day out of port from Scapa Flow, now steaming at 20 knots to a position southwest of the Faeroe Islands. With him Tovey had his two new battleships, five cruisers, and a handful of destroyers. The carrier Ark Royal was already further west approaching Iceland to use her air wing there on active search. Tovey would take Invincible and the cruisers Norfolk and Suffolk to comprise his western task force. HMS Illustrious would stay on the Iceland-Faeroes watch with the other two battleships and remaining escorts, York, Glasgow and Newcastle,

His dispositions complete, Tovey signaled the remainder of his squadron farewell and detached at high speed for Reykjavik, where he intended to meet with the Russians and convey the decision Pound had forced upon him. He had some misgivings about leaving the debutantes on their own, but had faith in his Captains, Louis Hamilton taking a new post from Otway-

Ruthven, who was taken ill aboard Prince of Wales, and Wilfred Rupert Patterson as the Squadron Flag aboard King George V.

Some hours later Tovey got a signal from Kirov indicating that at least two German warships seemed intent on trying a run through the Denmark Strait. They had been spotted by the Russian Airship Narva approaching Jan Mayen. He went to his chart room, laying out a ruler on the map. That was just over a thousand kilometers to the north. If the Germans made good speed they might be able to run the strait to a position west of Reykjavik on 24 hours. That gave him plenty of time to get Invincible into position. He put on thirty knots and aimed to be off Reykjavik in seven hours, one good night’s sleep away. There he would meet briefly with Admiral Volsky to explain the Admiralty decision and relieve Kirov in the Denmark Strait.

As to Hindenburg, the weather was very bad, and no word had come from the north, where F.A.A. planes had been out searching for any sign of the battleship. Last reported near Bergen, the Germans could now be anywhere in an ever widening farthest on circle. Initial reports had suggested there might be at least two battleships in the German task force, which is why he wanted to stay with his two new girls and maintain an advantage in firepower. As it was, his strength was diluted on a much wider front now, largely at Admiral Pound’s insistence.

He passed a fitful night’s sleep, with images of the dark silhouettes of distant ships sailing through his mind. When morning came he shook off the weariness and tried to clear his thoughts with a cup of stiff coffee. The weight of command was now heavy on his shoulders, but the closer he came to his newfound Russian allies, the lighter the burden became. If the Admiralty only knew the full truth he had discovered about this Russian ship… He shook his head, realizing that he could not breathe a word of what he knew and still be regarded as sane by any man he had sat with at the recent meeting. Perhaps Admiral Fraser might eventually be brought into the foyer. Fraser had always given him a sympathetic ear and fair hearing, but how would he react to the truth if it was finally revealed?

He would think it preposterous, thought Tovey, even as I did when Turing first began to open that Pandora’s box of photographs and reports. The shock of seeing his own hand writing on those documents was still profound. He clearly heard his own voice in the line and letter of those reports, just as he might have written them, yet it was all… preposterous. That was the only reaction a sane man could offer.

Word came from Ark Royal that the forward scout planes had sighted a large warship on an intercept course. Kirov was approaching, and he turned the bridge over to the able hands of Captain Bennett to get down to the aft boat deck.

“Your airship has done me a great service,” said Tovey as he shook hands with Admiral Volsky and Fedorov again aboard Kirov. “It appears that we have wind of the fox loose up north, but there is still a wolf at large.” He shared his report concerning the German battleship Hindenburg.

“That would be Jotnargruppe, from a word referring to ancient Norse giants,” said Fedorov, and Nikolin translated.

“Well named, because this is a monster of a ship-a match for my flagship Invincible, which says a great deal. We are not yet certain as to its intentions, but coast watchers reported it leaving Bergen ten hours ago and heading north. It may be planning to join with these other contacts to form one powerful battlegroup. In this event, I should be grateful for your assistance here, though I do have some news to share with you.” He told them, as diplomatically as possible, what the Admiralty had decided.

“This does not come as a surprise,” said Volsky. “We have already quarreled with the Germans on two occasions, and the situation is somewhat delicate. Thus far I have exercised considerable restraint, but if we were to engage again, and sink a major German capital ship…”

“I understand the implications,” said Tovey. “If at all possible, I should like to bear the burden of combat here, though your assistance in finding the enemy would be much appreciated.”

“But what if the Germans do form a battlegroup too large for your single ship to engage?” said Fedorov.

“They must choose one passage or another,” said Tovey. “Indications are that they are looking at the Denmark Strait again. That is the opinion of the Admiralty. But I have two good ships posted in the passage east of Iceland should they take that route. Given the circumstances, it would be my decision to fall back and recombine Home Fleet if either of my present task groups is overmatched. A position a couple hundred miles southwest of Reykjavik would put me in a good location to intercept a German task force in either passage as it exits into the Atlantic.”

“A sound tactic,” Volsky agreed. “Well we have certain assets that may assist your search. We have set up one of our radars on the northwest cape of Iceland. It will see any ships as they enter the Denmark Strait, with coverage nearly all the way out to the Greenland Ice floes, about 200 kilometers for surface ship contacts. How might we cover the passage east of Iceland, Mister Fedorov?”

“The airship Narva is meeting us here in six hours, sir. They have an Oko Panel radar system aboard, and if we send them out to a position on the northeast coast of Iceland, that will see any ship attempting to take that passage. The airship can loiter over land indefinitely.”

“Good, that will be much better than using our KA-40. Well, Admiral Tovey, I think we can assure you that if the Germans come anywhere within 200 kilometers of Iceland, we will find them.”

“Thank you, Admiral. I am truly grateful for your assistance. We’ve a number of convoys to and from Liverpool, and we wouldn’t want to let the fox into the chicken coop.”

“Or the wolves,” said Volsky.

Tovey smiled, wondering how to bring up his next question, then he decided to just come out with it. “As to the other matter revealed in that Enigma intercept,” he began, “you say it bore the code name Felix?”

“Yes sir,” said Fedorov. “It was a German operational plan for an attack on Gibraltar.”

“I see… Well, you will forgive me for wanting to take a peek at the cake while its baking, but I cannot help myself. This operation Felix… Does it succeed?”

“We do not know,” said Fedorov flatly. “It was never attempted in the history we know. If it does take place, then it would be a major divergence in the course of the war as we know it. I must tell you, however, that if the Germans do launch such an operation, at least as planned, I believe it has a very good chance of succeeding.”

“You know of this plan?”

“It was well documented. The Germans would commit at least three full regiments, all veteran troops, and they will also have two divisions in reserve on the Iberian Peninsula to forestall any move you might make by landing troops in Portugal. I can give you the exact German order of battle, though it may have changed from the history we know.”

“I will gratefully pass it on to the War Cabinet, though I don’t know what good it will do us to know just how steep the odds are. A landing in Portugal? I’m afraid that is out of the question. It would take months to plan an operation on any scale that would make a difference, and we’re still on invasion watch.”

“Admiral, if the Germans do launch Operation Felix, then I think it is safe to say their plan to invade England has been cancelled. We have followed the radio reports on the air battle over Britain. You have done remarkably well in checking the Germans there, just as it occurred in our history.”

“Yet not without great cost. It was very thin with the R.A.F. at times, and I was tempted to ask you for one of those radar sets. As it happened, we managed on our own. The pressure seems to be easing now. In fact, we’ve learned that the Germans have pulled out several bomber squadrons for other deployment-possibly this operation Felix we are discussing.”

“That would be very likely,” said Fedorov. “I must also tell you the German Plan Felix also contained provisions for the possible occupation of Spanish Morocco, and the Canary Islands.”

“That would be a matter of some concern to us. We do have plans to kick a little sand in Jerry’s face should he get pushy at Gibraltar. We have several operations, some underway even as we speak. It will be our intention to immediately seize the Azores, and then Madeira. Our recently failed operation against Dakar will be revisited, this time with adequate naval force to deal with the French. And Wavell has been ordered to begin an offensive against the Italian advance into Egypt.”

“Operation Compass.” Fedorov knew of the operation.

“You know of it?”

“Yes sir, though it did not occur quite this early in our timeline.”

“Yes, Wavell tells us he’s not quite ready,” said Tovey. “But the War Cabinet has urged him to do anything possible to defend Egypt. My God, the thought the Germans may be coming for the Rock is enough to deal with, but we simply cannot lose Egypt…” His eyes carried the obvious question, and Fedorov could see the terrible dilemma. Here they were holding the keys of time and fate, with knowledge of the entire course of the war, at least as it once played out, and Tovey was knocking at the gate and asking to be let in.

“Wavell may surprise you,” said Fedorov. “But I’m afraid that if the Germans do launch this operation, the war will hold many more surprises, even for us if we remain here. Everything will change and I can only take an educated guess as to what may or may not happen. Will Wavell and O’Connor hold off the Italians? They did in our history, but if the Germans attack Gibraltar it may mean they have chosen the Mediterranean as the main focus of their war effort in the next year. That could mean you will be facing more than the Italians in the Western Desert, and possibly very soon.”

Tovey took a deep breath, and his anguish and worry were quite evident. “I must tell you, gentlemen, that this whole affair is on the razor’s edge at the moment. When you arrived on the scene in June we had only seven planes on Malta, another vital outpost. We’ve 36 there now, and plans to deliver 12 more Hurricanes in a few days time. We have exactly three radar sets in the entire Mediterranean theater-one at Gibraltar, one at Alexandria and the last at Aden. The operations we have planned against the Azores and Madeira will involve no more than a single Royal Marine Brigade of three battalions. We’ve got one more teed up with the Free French to have another go at Dakar, or perhaps the Cape Verde Islands. Our effort now is purely defensive. We must seize these outposts to secure the convoy route to Freetown, South Africa and by extension to Suez and Egypt. But I must tell you that it will be some time, perhaps as long as another year, before we can build up enough strength to contemplate further offensives. We’ll be fighting to hold Egypt for the foreseeable future. The question now is when will Russia and America join in?”

Fedorov looked to Admiral Volsky, who nodded, giving him quiet permission to speak further. “As to Soviet entry into the war,” he said, “Hitler decided that in June of 1941 when he launched an operation called Barbarossa and attacked the Soviet Union. That may or may not occur now. It all remains to be seen. As to the American entry into the war, they are of a mind that they can remain neutral until such time that they have adequate forces built up to make a meaningful entry. But you can count on their support, Admiral. I think you already know that much. The timing of their entry, as we knew it, was late in 1941.”

“A long wait,” said Tovey with another sigh.

“And there is one more thing you must know,” said Volsky. “We are here now, Admiral Tovey, but we do not know how much longer we can stay put. Our candle is burning as well, and if Mister Fedorov is correct, it may soon blow out. We may be forced to leave this time before late July in 1941, or we could be facing another problem-annihilation.”

“I don’t understand,” said Tovey.

Volsky explained. “We first shifted in time to arrive on the 28th of July, 1941. That date therefore looms as quite a threat to our continued presence here.”

“I see…” Tovey thought for a moment, suddenly remembering Alan Turing’s long discourse concerning his watch. He shared the story with the Russians to see what they might make of it.

“Amazing,” said Volsky. “You say the watch vanished the day we arrived here, and then turned up in that box?”

“Quite so, Admiral, and our Mister Turing seems to think that when faced with the inconvenient problem of having to account for two identical timepieces trying to occupy the same moment, time seems to have simply moved his watch. Might the same thing happen to your ship come next July?”

Volsky raised his heavy eyebrows, wondering. “Fedorov? What do you think of this?”

“Very strange, sir. Time seems to have exercised a little sleight of hand, just as Kamenski might describe it. I would like to think we might get off just as easily, but we are human beings, sir, not pocket watches, and moving us about like that may be… uncomfortable.”

Schettler, John

Kirov Saga: Hinge Of Fate: Altered States Volume III (Kirov Series)