Chapter 148: The Sinews of War (1 to 16 October 1941)
This episode pays particular attention to the ‘Three Rs’: Reinforcement, Research … and Revenge! While there is some combat on the
Yeniçeri-Danube Line, things happening in factories and political back rooms prove equally important. And there is of course news of the wider conflict in the Second Great War – in the Far East and North Africa, where the Axis has been running rampant.
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1 Oct 41
Reports of an ill-timed revolt by Yugoslavian nationalist guerrillas are received in the early hours of the morning. They have risen up in
Bitola, right next door to one of Turkey’s militia garrisons on the
Blue Line. A fatal error. The Skopje Garrison is sent to search and destroy.
The partisans were engaged within the hour, caught unprepared and unable to offer any meaningful resistance.
At the same time, in far-away Iran, 1.13 Inf Bde arrived in
Khash and began attacking the Persian Nationalists in
Iranshahr.
And simultaneously, reports are received of Axis divisions on the move in
Ruma and
Zrenjanin to attack
Beograd across the Sava and Danube Rivers. Contact is expected at any moment. But the expected battle turns out to be nothing but a probe – it is broken off almost immediately, despite there being four Axis divisions involved, including the notorious SS-Verf.
And in
Iranshahr, despite having had days to prepare, the nationalists also prove completely unready for battle.
In
Bitola, the guerrillas simply dispersed into the countryside at 5am before any real battle was fought, with no casualties on either side. The same outcome was reported in
Iranshahr an hour later. The two units would now move to restore order in the respective provinces.
The Italians began launching air raids on
Beograd at 8am, with two wings of TAC bombers attacking. They continued that day even though the attack was broken off. After the second of these raids,
Beograd’s defending fighter wings (all now fully rested and repaired) were ordered to intercept any more enemy aircraft that challenged the city’s air space. As it happened, none did, but the orders remained in force in case any returned.
Air Report. Two Italian air raids caused 337 Turkish casualties in
Beograd.
News Report: Moscow, USSR. The Moscow Conference has ended. The United States agreed to supply the Soviets with $1 billion worth of arms and equipment. The delegates had flown into Moscow on 28 September. W. Averell Harriman represented the US and Lord Beaverbrook represented the UK, hosted by Maxim Litvinov (Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs). Vyacheslav Molotov was also present, attending as a delegate, and acted as translator. [In OTL the roles of Molotov and Litvinov were reversed].
An official communique was released following closed session meetings:
The formal opening of the Three-Power Moscow Conference took place this morning under the presidency of Minister Maxim Litvinov. In his opening address he paid high tribute to Lord Beaverbrook and to Mr. Averell Harriman. 'I hope,' he said, 'that the conference will be guided by the high ideals expressed by President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill on August 15. I would suggest that today we appoint six committees - army, navy, aviation, transport, raw materials, and medical supplies. Time is precious. Let us get to work.'
A joint statement was issued by Lord Beaverbrook and Avril Harriman, separate from the conference communique. The closing paragraph stated:
In concluding its session the conference adheres to the resolution of the three governments that, after the final annihilation of Nazi tyranny, a peace will be established which will enable the world to live in security in its own territory in conditions free from fear or need.
Averell Harriman, Lord Beaverbrook and Maxim Litvinov, Moscow Conference, 1 October 1941.
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2 Oct 41
Great news was received by the Milli Şef in his midnight reports: after much fighting over the last four and a half years, from Bulgaria in early 1937 through to the Patriotic Front in late 1941, the Turkish Army had achieved veteran status. This would boost leadership generation and organisation. Huzzah!
Also in his reports was the news that the first of the new La-5 multi-role fighter wings had finished production and training. They arrived in
Beograd to begin work-up training for battle-readiness. The second wing was also almost ready.
The production of the new fighter wings meant considerable production capacity in Turkey’s aircraft factories was released: it was decided to order another wing of the Yak-4 TAC bombers, to be built on license. They would take around a year to produce and would be expensive, so best to start now.
At 3am, a report from Soviet military liaison revealed than their forces in
Herceg Novi (plains) on the Adriatic Coast had been driven out by a German attack. Two hours later, HQ 3rd Corps completed its return to the front, arriving to augment the defences of
Velico Gradiste [their militia brigade was back to around 26/33 organisation]. And at 3pm, Air Force MAJGEN Gataly
[Skill 1, another officer with an Army ‘twin brother’] took command of the La-5s of 4 Avci Filo in
Beograd.
OTL: Eastern Front. The Battle of Moscow began. Adolf Hitler issued a message to the German troops on the Eastern Front declaring, "Today begins the last great, decisive battle of this year."
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3 Oct 41
Gataly also took charge of 5 Avci Filo – more of the new La-5s – which were delivered early that day. The unified command would be known as 4. Fighter Group.
[They are the only aircraft type in Turkish service with two wings, therefore with the same speed and range, so I’m keeping them together for now. @diskoerekto, if you have a Turkish language equivalent for ‘fighter group’ I’ll rename them accordingly. 
]
Entertainment News: New York, US. The film noir The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor premiered in New York City.
(2:39min)
Official trailer for the Maltese Falcon.
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4 Oct 41
The clock struck twelve - and a Japanese spy was duly caught and loaded onto the
Midnight Express. The Japanese were (as always) being very persistent in their efforts to infiltrate the Glorious Union. No mercy would be shown.
Also at midnight, the Soviets reported on two attacks they were conducting in Romania at present. Whether one, both or neither of these succeeded, they were certainly demonstrating an aggressive mindset: Romania would not be surrendered without a tough fight, it would seem.
At 8am, the Germans marched back into
Herceg Novi. It was unclear whether the Soviets would attempt to recover it. After another relatively quiet day on the wider
Yeniçeri-Danube Line, at 8pm HQ 1st Corps reported its arrival in
Pozarevac. This meant both that province and the neighbouring
Velico Gradiste now had garrisons of two regular Turkish divisions and a reinforced HQ each.
5 Oct 41
With production now running at close to full capacity on the new Yak-4s for 3 TAK, it was estimated they should be delivered in around one year: mid-October 1942. And at 7pm that evening, the Soviets reported they
had decided to counter-attack
Herceg Novi after all, with two fresh rifle divisions attacking from the mountains of
Cevo to its north-east.
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6 Oct 41
OTL: Eastern Front. German forces reached Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov (Ukraine, twelve provinces distant from the ATL front line).
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7 Oct 41
Another Japanese spy boarded the
Midnight Express. Every Kempeitai operative captured was assured of a painful and merciless interrogation, before summary execution. Er,
'neutralisation'.
That afternoon 1.13 Inf Bde successfully subdued
Iranshahr and headed south to reoccupy
Chabahar, where the uprising had originated.
OTL: Eastern Front. Army Group Centre encountered snowfall for the first time in their drive on Moscow. 7th and 10th Panzer Divisions completed the encirclement of Soviet forces at Vyazma (Viaz’ma) (between Smolensk and Moscow, 11 provinces distant from the ATL front).
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8 Oct 41
“Miss Perse, Miss Perse!” It is an excited Mustapha the Staffer
[I know, I know! ] from the Propaganda Department. He is carrying a magazine.
“Look at the latest issue of the British Picture Post, Miss Perse! You are even
more famous now!”
And just as lovely as ever, he thinks to himself wistfully, sadly realising her countryman Tom Rosencrantz seems to have the inside running to Perse’s affections.
An actual cover from August 1941, barely changed to chime in with the ATL narrative.
Perse’s position as the expat Editor-in-Chief of the English-Language
Istanbul Times (now a major international paper of record during the Second Great War) and also as the ‘poster girl’ for the Turkish Air Force, has excited the interest not just of the lovelorn and unrequited Mustapha, but also of the press back in her native England. Not to mention thousands of virile Turkish airmen.
“Oh, my word, that is very flattering,” Perse says as she batts her eyelashes modestly – but knowingly.
And thousands of kilometres away, on a peaceful and sun-drenched Waikiki beach, B.J. Guildenstern breaks into a broad smile as he is delivered a copy himself, air mailed in at his request when he heard of the piece.
She has done well for herself, he thought as he lounged back and sipped another daiquiri.
B.J. Guildenstern, enjoying his ‘retirement’ in Hawaii, is seen here carrying his copy of the October 1941 Picture Post magazine featuring his erstwhile off-sider Persephonee Fotheringay-Phipps.
Diplomatic Reporting: Moscow, USSR. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent Stalin a short message stating that he was "confident that ways will be found to provide the material and supplies necessary to fight Hitler on all fronts, including your own. I want particularly to take this occasion to express my great confidence that your armies will ultimately prevail over Hitler and to assure you of our great determination to be of every possible material assistance."
A US lend-lease convoy bound for the Soviet Union, October 1941.
[In-game, the actuality has begun to match the contemporaneous OTL rhetoric: I checked for verisimilitude, and there is indeed a lend-lease program already in operation. None from the British, though: but they are making a healthy contribution to Turkey’s war effort, which prevents us being too critical of their abject failures in North Africa!]
OTL: Eastern Front. The Germans captured Mariupol on the Sea of Azov (13 provinces distant) and Orel (southwest of Moscow, 17 provinces distant).
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9 Oct 41
Regular Security Cabinet Meeting, Ankara, 9am
PM Celal Bayar presides, with Foreign Minister Aras, Interior Minister Kaya, Intelligence Chief Ögel and Supreme Commander FM Calistar in attendance. After the principals take their seats and exchange a few obligatory pleasantries, some armed security guards under Bayar’s command enter the room. They roll their shoulders conspicuously as they take up position, indicating to all present that they are wearing shoulder holsters. Two of them stand directly behind Kaya – who looks distinctly uncomfortable: these are
not his goons and he was not aware beforehand they were going to be there.
After a difficult pause, Aras puts on his most innocent expression and says “Kaya, good day; what means this armed guard that waits upon you?”
In fact, this move is his doing: the Foreign Ministry official implicating (falsely for once, as it happens) Kaya in a plot against Ögel and of undermining the President was acting under the orders of his boss, Aras. This is a power play – revenge for Kaya’s uncalled for harassment of his Ministry in recent months.
It is Bayar who answers the question: “I have appointed these agents of the Presidential Security Guard for Kaya’s, ah, personal safety. They will soon escort him to a confidential location, for some friendly discussions over certain matters.”
“Upon what cause?” Aras asks, appearing to take Kaya’s side. He assumes Kaya will think it is probably Ögel who has engineered this, or some other player, domestic or foreign.
“Because my name is Kaya, I suspect,” says he, fumbling for one of his apoplexy tablets as his face starts to turn beetroot red.
“Alas, Kaya, that fault is none of yours,” says Aras, laying it on just a little thick. “Perhaps the Prime Minister has some intent to see you safe there or given a new appointment. What's the matter, Kaya? May I know?”
“Aras, I’ll tell you when
I know; for I protest as yet I do not: but, as I can learn, the President hearkens after prophecies and rumours and from thin air pulls the letter K. And says an informant told him that by 'K' deposed he would be; and, for my name of Kaya begins with K, it follows in his thought that I am he. These, as I learn, and such like toys as these have moved the Milli Şef to commit me now.”
“Why, this it is, when men are ruled by informants: 'tis not the President that sends you to the interrogation but someone else, perhaps the rumoured Thorn that tempers him to this extremity. We are not safe, Kaya; we are not safe!” Aras looks to introduce as many red herrings as he can.
“By Atatürk, I think there's no man is secure, but the Thorn's agents and night-walking heralds that trudge between the President and his British masters,” agrees Kaya hotly - his face matching his words.
“I'll tell you what Kaya; I think it is our way, if we will keep in favour with the President, to be his men and support him fully.”
“That is enough, gentlemen,” interjects Bayar, having let the two have their say, while Ögel keeps his silence – though he looks very happy at his opponent’s discomfort. "The Milli Şef has directly given in charge that no man shall have
private conference, of what degree soever, with Minister Kaya. And this begins to border on it.”
“Even so; and may it please you, Prime Minister,” tries Aras once more. “You may partake of anything we say: we speak no treason. We say the President is wise and virtuous. How say you sir? Can you deny this?”
“These charges are none of my doing, Aras. We are the President’s Ministers and must obey.”
Aras turns to Kaya: “Kaya, farewell: I will unto the President and whatsoever you will employ me in, I will perform it to support you. Meantime, this deep disgrace in brotherhood touches me deeper than you can imagine.”
“I know it pleases neither of us well,” says Kaya sadly as he is led off.
“Well, your imprisonment shall not be long,” assures Aras. “Meantime, have patience.”
“I must perforce. Farewell.”
Aras is of course secretly delighted at Kaya’s predicament. But where will it go, and how far is he prepared to take this gambit? As yet, Kaya has not been relieved of his post, he is just ‘taking a leave of absence’. And Kaya believes Aras to be his friend and advocate – rather than the very architect of his troubles!
Celal Bayar (left) and Kaya (centre) at the Security Cabinet meeting of 3 October 1941. The security guards had not yet entered at this point.
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10 Oct 41
Observers report a heavy enemy build-up on the north bank of the Danube from
Velico Gradiste (three divisions in each of
Vrsac and
Mehadia) in the early morning. Fortunately, the recent reinforcement of the defence there with HQ 3rd Corps is currently being augmented by a Soviet rifle division – though how long they will stay is of course unknown. Is this the start of another attack? Or a false alarm?
The Skopje Garrison finishes pacifying
Bitola mid-afternoon and heads back to its
Blue Line defence of the city it is named for. Having these second-line units in depth has thus proven useful for rear area security as well as possible future delaying defence.
OTL: Eastern Front. Georgy Zhukov was called from Leningrad to Moscow to take command of the capital's defence.
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11 Oct 41
A new ‘standard’ division
[3 x INF, 1 x ART], designated as 18 Inf Div, is delivered to
Cuprija. It will supplement the
Danube Line reserve there (3 Cav Div is the mobile reserve) while it works itself up to combat readiness. With the coming influx of new divisions and three Soviet EFs not yet slotted into the chain of command, a new Corps HQ is raised. The 5th ‘Comintern’ Corps in
Cuprija will again have no commander (like the 4th), and HQ 1st Army has already filled its span of control. But this at least lets the units in the Turkish and Soviet formations in the new corps tap into 1st Army Group’s chain of command. The independent AT brigade already in
Cuprija is attached to the new HQ.
With more industrial capacity freed up, and a TD and T-34 brigades already in the production queue, two more motorised brigades are commissioned from the Soviets (Turkey is still some way off from being able to produce its own, though it is steadily approaching that threshold).
OTL: Eastern Front. The Soviet government announced the evacuation from Moscow of all women and children not engaged in war work. [Comment: no such problem in this timeline – yet, anyway.]
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12 Oct 41
At midnight another of the series of new infantry divisions is brought onto the orbat: it is renamed as 19 Inf Div and sent to train-up in
Sjenica, becoming a reserve for the
Yeniçeri Line and slotting in to the 5th Corps command, which is now already full. The new HQ and units have significantly reduced the officer ratio
[down from 114% just a few days ago, but still above 100%].
They are replaced on the production line with two more mountain brigades: with one in the queue already, this would allow all three of the mountain divisions to be topped up to five brigades when the time comes – or a new triangular mountain division to be raised in the interim, if needed. The excess production capacity is put into supplies for now: it will be used later for another project.
A polite request to the British Mediterranean Command for an update on the perilous situation at the Suez Canal is met with a report at 5am. The Italians have taken
Bur Sa’id, but the British 2nd Marine Division had by now arrived in
Romani and is conducting a counter-attack across the Canal, with heavy air support from RAF Spitfires and Wellington bombers. It looks like it should succeed against relatively weak opposition, with the marines' specialist training, equipment and engineer support minimising the penalty for attacking across a major body of water
[classed as an amphib attack]. Other Iraqi divisions are also moving into place. At last, some action is being taken! A few more regular British divisions would surely enable the whole tide of the campaign to be reversed.
A British Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX multi-role fighter in desert colours, Bur Sai’d, Egypt, 12 October 1941.
A Vickers-Armstrong Wellington Mk.III tactical bomber on its way to attack Italian ground troops in Bur Sa’id, also on 12 October 1941.
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13 Oct 41
The third of the month’s new Turkish infantry divisions, ordered at the height of alarm over Axis advances in the Balkans earlier in the year, arrived in
Arandelovac on the
Danube Line that morning. The redesignated 20 Inf Div would work-up in place, bringing the defence there to two divisions and a reinforced HQ, like those to its east
[while the officer ratio was now down to 104%]. With no spare formation HQs left to assign it to for now, it was allocated to the Supreme Command HQ.
While this added to the spare industrial capacity on hand, the next diplomatic mission to
Moscow could not be sent until 18 October, so the intended license purchase would have to wait. The spare capacity was temporarily directed to more supply production
[now up to 16.39 IC, with over 88,000 units of supply in the stockpile].
At 1pm, the Soviets reported they had successfully driven the Axis back out of
Herceg Novi – they are nothing if not persistent and they continue to distract and damage the mangy Axis curs in the south. Vur ha!
OTL: Eastern Front. German forces captured Kalinin northwest of Moscow (14 provinces distant). Kaluga southwest of Moscow fell to the Germans (15 provinces distant).
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14 Oct 41
MI6 Headquarters, London, 11am
A Top Secret file is passed to the Director of the Turkey Section at MI6 HQ. The identity of their agent in Turkey is not revealed anywhere in the report: very few know their true identity. It contains a summary of some recent high-level jockeying in the leadership of the Glorious Union. The Thorn's actions are deemed (by MI6 at least) to be excused from the ‘no aggressive espionage’ agreement between the two co-belligerents, as it is based on ‘passively' acquired information, gossip and rumour. Though the information has a good degree of reliability and much comes from 'highly placed sources’.
'Trouble in the Glorious Paradise'
We have it on good authority that Interior Minister Şükrü Kaya, architect of the infamous Midnight Express counter-espionage operation that has ‘neutralised’ so many of our Arabic allied operatives in recent times, has been held incommunicado and under interrogation somewhere in Ankara for the last few days. We understand he has not been purged – yet, anyway – but his future remains under a cloud.
Rumour has it he has been implicated in various plots, ranging from a conspiracy to have his main rival in the security apparatus – Şükrü Ögel – eliminated, to a supposed attempt to undermine and perhaps even displace President Ismet Inönü. Had any of this evidence been conclusive, he would already have been eliminated, either through a show trial or due to ‘pre-existing health concerns’ (he suffers from a well-known condition of apoplexy, for which he takes medication). The method of his putative removal would depend on the kind of message and image the regime would wish to project.
On the other hand, had the allegations been obviously unconvincing, he would not have been brought in for questioning. I stress that none of this has been done by my hand: Kaya has made many enemies in the Turkish Government and it could come from any one of them – or even a coalition of them who wish to either damage him or have him removed. And while it could be superficially convenient for our interests to see him sidelined or ‘neutralised’, as he has done to so many foreign agents, it would be naïve to expect any replacement would be any better for us.
It does mean that the British Government in general, or my rumoured activities in particular, may also be drawn into the maelstrom of allegation and innuendo as paranoid Turkish intelligence operators indulge in wild conspiracy theories. It may be in our interests to imply Italian Mafia involvement – they are a lightning rod for Turkish hatred and suspicion. And if they wish to blame foreign interests, better them than us.
I will report any further information that appears worth relating. In the meantime, this should have no direct impact on our relationship with either Ögel, the S.I.T.H. or the intelligence sharing arrangement we have operating with the Turks. But I suggest we provide regular and useful updates to them to help further deflect any collateral suspicion that may come our way. And our heavy lend-lease program should keep them from any serious allegations, whether they suspect us or not.
'The Thorn'
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15 Oct 41
An Afghan spy in
Ankara tried to sell one dodgy carpet too many: a check of his documents found some inconsistencies. A short, one-way and ultimately gruesome trip on the
Midnight Express led to his prompt ‘neutralisation’. Not before he was subjected to intense questioning about The Thorn – of whom he was, of course, utterly ignorant.
OTL: Eastern Front. The Germans reached Mozhaysk, west of Moscow (12 provinces distant from the ATL front, only four from Moscow). Most of the Soviet government evacuated Moscow, although Stalin remained in the capital.
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16 Oct 41
An important technical advance was completed: the well-used cavalry arm was further improved and Turkish ability to produce its own motorised infantry came a step closer. The last of the cavalry equipment improvements that would ultimately permit motorised infantry brigades to be researched was commenced. But mechanised infantry would remain indefinitely beyond Turkish reach, as a basic medium tank brigade could not even be researched. That line of research had never been pursued. Any future mechanised force would have to await development of that arm by the Soviets for export by license. In addition, the benefit from the 'Veteran Army' event plus some other internal leadership adjustments were applied to increase officer training, where the ratio had been depleted by the arrival of recent reinforcements.
Mid-Month Situation Summaries
The maps below reflect positions as at midday on 16 October 1941. The
Patriotic Front again shows mixed results. Romania and the southern Ukraine continue to improve a little, but the rest indicate a see-saw struggle.
Winter is coming, but is not yet here. This
Weather Report shows sample conditions in plains provinces on the five main sectors of the Front. Plus a graph of what the Germans can expect in November and December.
The
Northern Sector is particularly interesting at the mid-point of the month. The Germans have broken out and are threatening
Tallinn, but to the south of that the Soviets are attacking, threatening both the base of the German salient and even
Riga. The situation looks fluid.
(3:55min)
All arms in action on the Patriotic Front – some footage from our Comintern Partners of fierce fighting to throw back the Hitlerite invaders, October 1941.
The
Far East is far in the east - and thankfully so. Enough said.
And in
Egypt, in better news than we have been used to, the British counter-attack on
Bur Sa’id has succeeded. The (two-brigade) 8th Inf Div has been sent on trucks from
Bur Sa’id for a long left hook to the south of
Cairo (which remains in British hands) to perhaps threaten the Italian supply lines through
Alexandria. The 1st and 3rd Iraqi Divisions are now in place and defending the west bank of the Suez Canal. To be assured of success in now pushing the Italians back, the Turkish High Command assesses another 3-4 divisions, including some armour and motorised formations, would be desirable, but the situation does now seem to have been stabilised at least.
A postcard from March 1941 of Mohamed Aly Square in Alexandria: it must be rescued from the Fascist’s filthy grip. Let us hope our British co-belligerents are now up to the task!
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Coming Up: Can the southern part of the Patriotic Front continue to hold firm against the Axis of Evil? When will General Winter make his entrance in Russia? Can the Soviets stem the attempted German breakthrough in the old Baltic States – or even turn it to their advantage and pocket some over-extended German divisions? Will winter slow down the Japanese and their clients in the Far East and how close are the Americans to entering the war directly? Can the British not only hold the Suez Canal and regain
Alexandria, but also throw the Italians all the way back to their starting point in Libya? What in Atatürk’s name is going on in the back rooms of
Ankara? Will The Thorn break cover – or be compromised? Finally, what kind of business proposition will Vittorio Corleone put to Don Fanucci in
Naples – has Cennet backed the right man there?
