Very good reasoning and Churchill was far more worried about Stalin than Roosevelt was.
How Silent Fall the Cherry Blossoms
- Thread starter Geon
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Very good reasoning and Churchill was far more worried about Stalin than Roosevelt was.
Garrison
Donor
The Allies will adopt the tactics they did OTL; go after the jets during take off and landing when they're at their most vulnerable.
whatisinaname
Donor
If they can find the dispersed airfields then yes, assuming the airfield that they take off from is the one that they land on?
Not hard - according to Johnnie Johnson's book, they were very easy to find by photo-recon due to the scorch marks on the ground. IIRC they also needed significantly longer runways due to the low static thrust compared to a piston engine. Combine the two and dispersal will be ineffective - they'll go for what they did OTL and mass huge amounts of light flak to protect jets arriving and leaving.
The overwhelming numerical advantage of the Allies in conventional piston-engined fighters is a far more important factor than whether or not relatively small numbers of the Meteor, Vampire, or P-80 are put into the mix. The Me-262's performance advantage over Tempests, P-47s, and P-51 was great, but not that great. Plenty were shot down OTL. The air would be full of allied fighters looking intercept the few German jet fighter-bombers and interceptors over their bases, en route, and as they manuevered for landings. The few that got thru to deliver bombs or shoot down allied bombers would be quickly eliminated. The Luftwaffe completely shot its wad and (except for V-2s, V-1s, and Flak batteries) is finished in this TL as a significant threat to allied aerial supremacy.
lol, didn't the last string of updates confirm that anthrax wasn't an option?
Geon
Donor
Truman and Roosevelt
Two things, from now on the updates may not follow a day by day format. This present one skips ahead a few days. Secondly, this is a short update but one I have been building towards for a while.
Geon
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Date: January 20, 1945
Location: Washington, D.C. (The Capitol)
Time: 11:00 a.m.
At precisely 11 a.m. in a small room in the Capitol building surrounded by well wishers and leaders from Congress the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court swore Harry S. Truman in as the 34th Vice-President of the United States. At the same time across town at Walter Reed Medical Center another Justice of the Supreme Court was swearing in the President for his fourth term of office.
Only the congressional leaders, the Vice President, the Cabinet, and the President knew that this would be the shortest term for a President on record. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fourth term would only last for another 24 hours, long enough for him to compose his resignation letter and ensure it was received by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. At precisely 11 a.m. tomorrow morning Harry S. Truman would be sworn in again in the Oval Office as President of the United States.
Date: January 22, 1945
Location: Washington, D.C. [Walter Reed Medical Center]
Time: The evening hours
Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt lay quietly in his room drifting off to sleep after a very busy day. Franklin’s official announcement to the press of his resignation the previous day had come as no surprise to the Washington establishment. It had however surprised several members of the Press. Unofficially ever since FDR’s stroke there had been speculation that FDR would not be able to complete a fourth term given his illness. Now, sooner then many had expected, FDR had announced his resignation for health reasons. The press had gone wild! Reporters had stormed Walter Reed hospital in an invasion worthy of the Normandy landings! A full squad of Secret Service, and very burly MPs had been needed to keep them off of the President’s floor. Finally after one reporter had gotten an “inadvertent” black eye from one of the MPs the mob had calmed and was willing to take the prepared statement which Eleanor Roosevelt had read to them.
Given my continued debilitation because of this stroke I have found it necessary to ask to be relieved of my duties and responsibilities as President of the United States. I am grateful beyond words to the American people for their past support during the 12 years I have been privileged to serve this great nation. I ask for your prayers now for my successor, Harry Truman as he assumes the office of President and express my full confidence in his abilities to lead this nation through the remainder of this war and to lead it into a peaceful tomorrow.
After the statement was read Mrs. Roosevelt had gone upstairs to join the Congressional leadership and the new President at Franklin’s side. The Congressional leadership had bid its final farewells to the President with a touch of sadness. They had often been at odds over the years but what the President had done now was seen as best for the country and everyone, himself included.
Now it was late and Franklin had finally fallen asleep after a long day. Once again he dreamed. Once again the dream of the past few weeks began again. Once again Franklin was sailing off of Campobello Island. A warm breeze was blowing in off of the Carolina coast. Franklin was in his sailboat moving it toward the dock on shore. On shore he could make out two figures now very clearly. One was his mother. In previous dreams she had appeared obscured by haze. Now Franklin saw her clearly and she looked as she had those many years ago when she had joined them for their summer vacations here on Campobello Island. And there was one other beside him. It was Teddy, his cousin Teddy wearing summer clothing and smiling with that incredible bright smile of his!
Now his boat was at the shore and he was starting to tie it up at the dock with his cousin helping him. His mother spoke to him. Come along now Franklin its time for lunch and everyone’s waiting for you. Franklin nodded. Everyone meant family and friends that had gone on over the past several years, his mother included. Later you and I will take her out again youngster, his cousin declared referring to the sailboat. We have a lot of things to talk about and now we’ve got all the time to talk about them! Franklin felt a lump in his throat and started to ask a question of his cousin. “I tried to do right by everyone…” he began. He was cut off by his cousin Teddy Roosevelt once again, you did what you could and you stood by every decision you made right or wrong. Whatever else you stood by your principles. I may not have agreed with everything you did Franklin but damn it man you stood up for what you believe and that is something I have always admired in people.
Franklin climbed out of his sailboat and noted for the first time his legs were working again as they had those many years ago. And his left side was not paralyzed anymore by the stroke of a few weeks ago. He felt like a young man again. His mother looked so much as he remembered her as a young woman and Teddy was the robust young man he had admired. Come on now youngster, let’s get this party started, Teddy said as he put his arms around Franklin.
The night nurse come in to check on Franklin later would discover that he had passed on a smile on his face. Franklin D. Roosevelt had finally returned home.
Two things, from now on the updates may not follow a day by day format. This present one skips ahead a few days. Secondly, this is a short update but one I have been building towards for a while.
Geon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: January 20, 1945
Location: Washington, D.C. (The Capitol)
Time: 11:00 a.m.
At precisely 11 a.m. in a small room in the Capitol building surrounded by well wishers and leaders from Congress the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court swore Harry S. Truman in as the 34th Vice-President of the United States. At the same time across town at Walter Reed Medical Center another Justice of the Supreme Court was swearing in the President for his fourth term of office.
Only the congressional leaders, the Vice President, the Cabinet, and the President knew that this would be the shortest term for a President on record. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fourth term would only last for another 24 hours, long enough for him to compose his resignation letter and ensure it was received by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. At precisely 11 a.m. tomorrow morning Harry S. Truman would be sworn in again in the Oval Office as President of the United States.
Date: January 22, 1945
Location: Washington, D.C. [Walter Reed Medical Center]
Time: The evening hours
Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt lay quietly in his room drifting off to sleep after a very busy day. Franklin’s official announcement to the press of his resignation the previous day had come as no surprise to the Washington establishment. It had however surprised several members of the Press. Unofficially ever since FDR’s stroke there had been speculation that FDR would not be able to complete a fourth term given his illness. Now, sooner then many had expected, FDR had announced his resignation for health reasons. The press had gone wild! Reporters had stormed Walter Reed hospital in an invasion worthy of the Normandy landings! A full squad of Secret Service, and very burly MPs had been needed to keep them off of the President’s floor. Finally after one reporter had gotten an “inadvertent” black eye from one of the MPs the mob had calmed and was willing to take the prepared statement which Eleanor Roosevelt had read to them.
Given my continued debilitation because of this stroke I have found it necessary to ask to be relieved of my duties and responsibilities as President of the United States. I am grateful beyond words to the American people for their past support during the 12 years I have been privileged to serve this great nation. I ask for your prayers now for my successor, Harry Truman as he assumes the office of President and express my full confidence in his abilities to lead this nation through the remainder of this war and to lead it into a peaceful tomorrow.
After the statement was read Mrs. Roosevelt had gone upstairs to join the Congressional leadership and the new President at Franklin’s side. The Congressional leadership had bid its final farewells to the President with a touch of sadness. They had often been at odds over the years but what the President had done now was seen as best for the country and everyone, himself included.
Now it was late and Franklin had finally fallen asleep after a long day. Once again he dreamed. Once again the dream of the past few weeks began again. Once again Franklin was sailing off of Campobello Island. A warm breeze was blowing in off of the Carolina coast. Franklin was in his sailboat moving it toward the dock on shore. On shore he could make out two figures now very clearly. One was his mother. In previous dreams she had appeared obscured by haze. Now Franklin saw her clearly and she looked as she had those many years ago when she had joined them for their summer vacations here on Campobello Island. And there was one other beside him. It was Teddy, his cousin Teddy wearing summer clothing and smiling with that incredible bright smile of his!
Now his boat was at the shore and he was starting to tie it up at the dock with his cousin helping him. His mother spoke to him. Come along now Franklin its time for lunch and everyone’s waiting for you. Franklin nodded. Everyone meant family and friends that had gone on over the past several years, his mother included. Later you and I will take her out again youngster, his cousin declared referring to the sailboat. We have a lot of things to talk about and now we’ve got all the time to talk about them! Franklin felt a lump in his throat and started to ask a question of his cousin. “I tried to do right by everyone…” he began. He was cut off by his cousin Teddy Roosevelt once again, you did what you could and you stood by every decision you made right or wrong. Whatever else you stood by your principles. I may not have agreed with everything you did Franklin but damn it man you stood up for what you believe and that is something I have always admired in people.
Franklin climbed out of his sailboat and noted for the first time his legs were working again as they had those many years ago. And his left side was not paralyzed anymore by the stroke of a few weeks ago. He felt like a young man again. His mother looked so much as he remembered her as a young woman and Teddy was the robust young man he had admired. Come on now youngster, let’s get this party started, Teddy said as he put his arms around Franklin.
The night nurse come in to check on Franklin later would discover that he had passed on a smile on his face. Franklin D. Roosevelt had finally returned home.
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Otis R. Needleman
Banned
Indeed, one heck of an update.
And a great man passes from the scene. Luckily, Truman can fill FDR's shoes.
And a great man passes from the scene. Luckily, Truman can fill FDR's shoes.
The Washington Post, responses to the Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, January 21, 1945
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I wonder if the reaction from Dublin will be the same as it was in OTL. As I recall, the Irish released a statement consoling the Germans on their loss when Adolf blew his brains out but said not word one when FDR passed away. I wonder how THAT will affect relations with Ireland after this war is over with.
Bang the drum slowly/speak of things holy/above and below me/world without end.
Godspeed. Made me tear up there. Jeez.
Indeed. This is truly a case of "it's an ill wind that blows none any good". By one of these strange chances of history, if it hadn't been for the malice of the Japanese militarists, FDR would never have had the chance to reconcile with Eleanor, nor to be able to properly prepare Harry S. Truman for the burdens of his office. He died well, at peace. Godspeed.
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