Breakthrough (The Red Gambit Series) (100 page)
Read Breakthrough (The Red Gambit Series) Online
Authors: Colin Gee
Tiger I | German heavy battle tank armed with the first 88mm gun, capable of ruling any battlefield when it was introduced in 1942. |
Tokarev | Soviet 7.62mm automatic handgun [also known as TT30] with an 8 round magazine. |
Trimbach | Quality Alsatian wine. |
TU-2, Tupolev | Soviet twin-engined medium bomber. Extrememly successful design that peformed well in a variety of roles, the TU-2 is considered one of the best combat aircraft of WW2. |
Type 97 Chi-Ha | Japanese main battle tank, armed with a 57mm gun. |
Type XXI submarine | The most technologically advanced submarine of the era, produced in small numbers by the Germans and unable to affect the outcome of the war. |
Typhoon, Hawker. | RAF's most successful single seater ground attack aircraft of World War Two, which could carry anything from bombs through to rockets. |
U-Boat Type XX | 30 such U-Boats were planned, but none produced during WW2. They were intended as pure supply boats, shorter than the Type XB but with a wider beam. |
U-Boat Type XXI | Advanced U-Boat design capable of extended underwater cruising at high speed. |
UHU | German 251 halftrack mounting an infra-red searchlight, designed for close use with infra-red equipped Panther units. |
Unicorn, HMS | British light aircraft carrier and aircraft repair ship, seeing service throughout WW2. Scrapped in 1959. |
USAAF | United States |
Ushanka | Fur hat with adjustable sides. |
Vampir | German term for the ST44 equipped with an infra-red sight, also used to refer to the operators of such weapons. |
Venona Project | Joint US-UK operation to analyse Soviet message traffic |
Vichy | Name of the collaborationist government of defeated |
Vickers Machine-Gun | British designed machine-gun of WW1 vintage. Extremely reliable .303 calibre weapon, standard issue as a heavy machine-gun. |
Vitruvian man | Da Vinci's sketch of a man with legs and arms splayed. |
Wacht am Rhein | Literally, 'Watch on the |
Waffen-SS | There will always be much debate over these troops. Ideologically driven, politically inspired, pathological killers with an unshakable faith in the superiority of the Aryan race or highly motivated troops with an incredible ‘esprit de corps’? Whatever your point of view, the military achievements of the SS Soldiers were without parallel in WW2. That others wore the same uniform as they tended the camps and satisfied the despicable agendas of the Nazi party has, in many ways, tarnished the Waffen-SS. None the less, they have their own crimes to pay for, as do all who wore a uniform in WW2, for no side came away with clean hands. |
Walther P38 | German 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an eight round magazine. |
Wanderer W23 Cabriolet | German vehicle designed for civilian use, sometimes pressed into military service, particularly as a staff car. |
Wehrmacht | The German Army |
Yakolev-9 | Soviet single-seater fighter aircraft that was highly respected by the Luftwaffe. |
Yakolev-9U | Soviet single-engined fighter aircraft, probably the best Soviet high-altitude fighter. |
Zilant | Legendary creature in Russian folklore somewhat like a dragon |
ZIS3 | 76.2mm anti-tank gun in Soviet use. |
ZSU-37 | Soviet light self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle, mounting a 37mm gun. |
Zuikaku | Japanese fleet aircraft carrier of the Shokaku class. Present at |
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Colin Gee was born on 18th May 1957 in
Haslar
Naval
Hospital
,
Gosport
,
UK
, spending the first two years of his life at the naval base in
Malta
.
His parents divorced when he was approaching three years of age
,
and he went
to live with his grandparents in
Berkshire
, who brought him up.
On 9th June 1975 he joined the Fire Service and
,
after a colourful career
,
retired on 19th May 2007, having achieved the rank of Sub-Officer, Watch Commander, or
to be politically correct for the ego-tripping harridans in HR, Watch Manager 'A'.
After thirty-two years in the Fire Service
,
reality suddenly hit
,
and Colin found himself in need of a proper job!
As of today, Colin is permanently employed doing night shifts for NHS Out of Hours service.
At this moment in time Colin has a wife, two daughters, one st
ep-daughter, two step-sons and two
grandson
s,
called Lucas
and Mason, who are
avid Manchester United fan
s
, although
neither
know it yet.
Four cats
complete the home ensemble.
He has been a wargamer for most of his life, hence the future plans for a Red Gambit wargaming series.
In 1992 Colin joined the magistracy, having wandered in from the street to ask how someone becomes a beak. He served until 2005. The experience taught him the true difference between justice and the law, the former being what he would have preferred to administer.
Red Gambit was
first
researched over ten years ago
,
but work and life changes prevented it from blossoming.
Now it has become
six
books
,
instead of one, as more research is done and more lines
of writing open themselves up.
Though the books are fiction, fact is a constant companion, particularly within the biographies, where real-life events are often built into the lives of fictitious characters.
Colin writes for the pleasure it brings him and
,
hopefully
,
the reader.
The books are not intended to be modern day '
Wuthering
Heights
' or 'War and Peace'. They contain a story
that
Colin thinks is worth the telling
,
and to which task he set his inexperienced hand. The biographies are part of the whole experience that he hopes to bring the reader.
Enjoy them all
,
and thank you for reading.
Extras available on the website
www.redgambitseries.com
and also on
www.facebook.com
- group name ‘Red Gambit’.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/167182160020751/
Please register and join the group or the forums.
If on the website, remember only to visit the areas relevant to your book or you may pick up spoilers.
Read the first chapter of ‘Stalemate’ now.
For all those that take up the sword shall perish by the sword.
Matthew 26:52
Nordhausen
,
Germany
.
Colonel-General Malinin consumed the GRU report dealing with the dishonoured British peace negotiations.
“Your thoughts, Comrade?”
Zhukov sat peeling an apple, having already read the document.
“I see no reason to doubt her report, Comrade Marshall. Even though it is hard to imagine such an act without a mandate, our Nazarbayeva sets out the reasons quite clearly, and the reinstatement of Churchill seems to bear out all she states.”
“So, we lost many men for no good reason, Malinin. Bagramyan is hopping mad and threatens our lives, so I’m told.”
Whilst Zhukov delivered that with humour, both men understood that the old Armenian Marshall was extremely upset at having lost so many good men for something that, in the end, produced no tangible advantage.
In actual fact, it had produced some advantages, in that the Britsh and Dominion formations had been given a very hard time and, by all accounts, were exhausted beyond measure.
That at least three times as many casualties had been suffered by the attacking forces was of no comfort to the British, but they had not folded under the pressure and now, with the return of Churchill, they seemed almost inspired to higher things.
“We must send the Armenian Fox some more troops. Draw up a list of units we can release for his use.”
Malinin raised an eyebrow at his superior, knowing he was husbanding his reserve forces for the right moment.
By way of reply, Zhukov adopted a conspiratorial tone to lighten the moment, but he didn’t carry it off.
“Just enough to shut him up, Comrade. Just enough to shut him up, and not a soldier more.”
Malinin looked at his commander, realising for the first time that the strain of command was laying heavier than normal on his shoulders.
Unterankenreute
,
Germany
.
The 4th Indian Division had given up Bergatreute and Wolfegg under pressure
, dropping back into the woods to the west, protecting the major highways that led to the remaining parts of South-Western Germany still under Allied control.
They had yet to take serious casualties, their retreat caused by logistical problems that saw some frontline units without more than a few minutes worth of ammunition.
Food was also just beginning to become an issue, the restrictions of their faiths meant that it was less easy to scavenge or accept gifts from the friendly population.
A serious enemy thrust on Vogt had been bloodied and repulsed, the combination of British tanks, Indian artillery, and USAAF ground attack proving too much for a large mechanized force that withdrew in disarray.
Those units melting into the cool shadows of the trees found ample munitions and hard supplies waiting, product of a magnificent effort by the Division’s logistical chain, meaning that this was a line that they could hold.
Bullets and explosive had taken priority over bread and meat, so only modest amounts of food reached some units, whilst others waited in vain. Many men went hungry that evening, partially because there was nothing to eat, and partially because of the presence of the enemy.