Sunday 24 July 2016

War Plan Red part 3 - Heroes and Villains


The George's

(Named after St George)


Archibald Giggles was born in Hong Kong in 1889 and like his birth sign the Ox, is a born leader with something of a temper. His parents drowned when the ship they were sailing in was caught in a typhoon off Kowloon Bay and sank with all hands. Giggles thus moved to England to live with his great aunt, Lady Temperance Chatterley.

He joined No. 5 Royal Flying Corps as a pilot when it was formed in 1913 and is fond of reminiscing about his training: 'training went something like this, 'This is an aeroplane, this is the throttle, this is the bit that makes it go and turn left or right. If you're really lucky, this bit brings you safely back to earth.'

At first, Giggles flew the Avro 504 but he grew bored of doing nothing more than spotting for artillery and transferred to 3 Squadron, then 45 Squadron. In all, Giggles accounted for 36 confirmed enemy kills, most of them while he was flying his Sopwith Camel.

With the end of the war in 1918, Giggles became something of an adventurer, travelling extensively in China, where he was recruited by MI6 to provide information on the budding communist party. He was recalled to the UK in 1935 amid growing concerns about War Plan Red.

With the onset of the American attacks, Giggles was quoted in The Free World Press as stating: “Those damned Yankees won't know what hit 'em. They'll be running home to hide behind their mother's aprons in no time!”


Archibald Giggles – 100 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
3
3
4
4
3
3
9

Leader of The George's

May add 1 point to 2 stats. EG you could give him an extra attack and a R of 10

May have a single handed close combat weapon and a pistol.

May also have grenades

Has the following skills:

Born Leader – 5 points

Gains +1 R

Dodge – 20 points

Has a 4+ Invulnerable Save


Note – The derogatory use of the word Yankee is attributed to British General James Wolfe. “I can afford to lose all of those damned Yankees, because they have no worth for work nor vigilance!”


Charlie Challenge is the inventor of the rocket powered jet pack that can be worn on a figure's back. Charlie also test piloted his creation, which led to his making several visits to the local hospital. However, by model 13, Charlie had perfected his creation, more or less anyway and has handed over the blueprints to MI6.


Charlie Challenge – 10 points + weapons and equipment
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
1
1
7

May swap a single stat from 1 column to another. EG you could make the SS 5 and the R 8

Rocket Pack -

Move - May fly 12” in any direction.

Laser Pistol – 1 point

range – 9” strength – 3


Ms Caroline Sheppard is something of a sleuth who has assisted the police and MI6 on numerous occasions. She was born in the quaint village of Ashton-Under-Hill in 1901 and attributes her success to her gypsy mother. Caroline became something of a celebrity when tabloids linked her to solving the notorious Slipper Murders, that had the East End of London living in a state of terror from 1929 – 1931, when she personally apprehended Lord Travis Tee.
Ms Caroline Sheppard– 250 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
3
3
9

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

May have a pistol

May use psychic powers from the Fallen Angels rules and the psychic powers cards

Caroline has the following skill - Lucky – 10 points

May re-roll one set of dice once per game, or make the enemy re-roll a set.


Pitbull Mc Dubhgall is the son of a Scottish laird whose family hails from the Isle of Skye. Like his father before him, Pitbull served in the 1st Regiment of the Skye Highland Infantry, gaining the DSC and MC for his service fighting the Hun in the Great War. He put the skills he learnt on his family's grouse moors to good use during his time in the trenches, where he became renowned for his stealth and marksmanship.

After the war, Pitbull felt at something of a loss and travelled far and wide in search of adventure. He became an accomplished martial artist during a prolonged stay in Hunan, China and learnt the skills of the majhong tables during a visit to the Portuguese colony of Macau, where he also became acquainted with Giggles.

Although Pitbull has become a top agent in MI6 and his patriotism is considered beyond question, his handler is still concerned that he may suffer from the little understood condition of post traumatic stress, due to his experiences during the war. His file thus bears the note that he is something of a loose cannon.


Pitbull Mc Dubhgall – 30 points + any equipment and extra weapons.
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
3
3
3
1
1
8

Has a sniper rifle and a telescopic sight (included in points cost)

May have a close combat weapon and grenades

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

He may not have a shield.

Pitbull ignores SS penalties for being at over ½ range

If he can see any part of a target, he may fire at it without any cover saves applying.

Pitbull has the following skills:

Close Combat Expert – 5 points

+1 FS

Sneak – 5 points

As long as he doesn't come within 3” of any enemy, Pitbull may move through any type of cover without being seen. If he hides, enemy cannot see him unless they come within 3”.


Kara Loft is more formally known as the Lady Bikley, although she has little interest in her title, or the responsibilities it carries. Kara's mother died during her birth in 1906 and her father went missing ten years later, during an expedition to China to find Shangri-la.

Kara claims she learnt more from her gamekeeper, than the expensive school she attended. Since coming into her inheritance, Kara has undertaken several expeditions to the Chinese Himalayas, where she was recruited by MI6.

Kara is described by virtually every man (and quite a few women) who meet her as being 'drop dead gorgeous.' Anyone attacking her suffers -1 FS and -1 SS. Kara always fights first if in base contact with a male enemy.


Kara Loft – 10 points + weapons and equipment
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
1
1
7

May swap a single stat from 1 column to another. EG you could make the SS 5 and the R 8

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket

May not have a shield.

May have a pistol and a shotgun

Kara has the sneak skill - As long as she doesn't come within 3” of any enemy, Kara may move through any type of cover without being seen. If she hides, enemy cannot see her unless they come within 3”.


Sergeant Blake of 42 Commando (that's said 4 2) came top of his intake at Lympstone when he joined prior to the outbreak of WW1. He took part in several amphibious assaults, most notably at Zeebrugge in 1918.


Sergeant Blake – 15 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
3
4
3
3
1
1
8

You may add 1 to a single stat EG you could give them an extra attack.

May have a Save of 6, eg a flak jacket

May have a single handed close combat weapon and a pistol

May have a automatic rifle.

May also have grenades

Blake has the following skills:

Born Leader – 5 points

Gains +1 R

Close Combat Expert – 5 points

+1 FS

Royal Marines Special Rule – Pain Is Only Weakness Leaving The Body – Because of their training, marines count as being stubborn. This means they have a R of 10 for morale tests


Marine Smith, 42 Commando. Smith joined as a gunner in the RMA but was transferred to RMLI when they were amalgamated in 1923. As he can no longer 'play' with artillery, Smith likes to use a machine gun, 'Because it still makes a loud noise.'


Marine Smith – 15 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
3
4
3
3
1
1
8

You may add 1 to a single stat EG you could give them an extra attack.

May have a Save of 6, eg a flak jacket

May have a single handed close combat weapon and a pistol

May have a LMG.

May also have grenades

Smith has the following skills:

Close Combat Expert – 5 points

+1 FS

Marksman – 5 points

+1 SS


Marine Jones, 42 Commando. Jones is something of a loner and one of the best snipers the Royal Marines has ever produced. He was on secondment to MI6 when the Americans invaded Canada.


Marine Jones  – 15 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
3
3
3
1
1
8


Has a sniper rifle and a telescopic sight (included in points cost)

May have a close combat weapon and grenades

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

He may not have a shield.

Smith ignores SS penalties for being at over ½ range

If he can see any part of a target, he may fire at it without any cover saves applying.

Smith has the following skills:

Close Combat Expert – 5 points

+1 FS

Sneak – 5 points

As long as he doesn't come within 3” of any enemy, Pitbull may move through any type of cover without being seen. If he hides, enemy cannot see him unless they come within 3”.





The Villains   (Hiss!  Boo!)



General Elmer. Nicknamed Elmer Fudd by the Brits, the General is exactly what you would expect an American hero to be. To quote Pitbull Mc Dubhgall 'He's all wind wrapped up in a fancy leotard.' The Americans consider him to be their secret weapon and he certainly does have a very definite “effect” on his opponents.

To his fellow Americans, Elmer is the epitome of everything that makes America great. To everyone else... he looks quite different. His red, white and blue costume has the stars and stripes picked out in sequins which the designers think makes him look very dashing.

Enemy trying to fire at Elmer or engage him in close combat suffer a -1 FS and -1 SS penalty because they are laughing so much.


General Elmer – 100 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
3
3
4
4
3
3
9

Leader of the Americans

May add 1 point to 2 stats. EG you could give him an extra attack and a R of 10

May have a single handed close combat weapon and a pistol.

May also have grenades

Has the following skills:

Born Leader – 5 points

Gains +1 R

Dodge – 20 points

Has a 4+ Invulnerable Save

Boomerang shield – this offers a +2 save and has a range of 6”.

Chuck Bodgers. Bodgers began his career with CIC in 1920 and was quickly recognised for his skills with technology. He really came into his own when a special agent managed to steal a working model of a rocket pack. Unfortunately for Bodgers, it was an early model 9 and he spent eight months in hospital before he managed to work around the design flaws.


Chuck Bodgers – 10 points + weapons and equipment
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
1
1
7

May swap a single stat from 1 column to another. EG you could make the SS 5 and the R 8

Rocket Pack -

Move - May fly 12” in any direction.

Laser Pistol – 1 point

range – 9” strength – 3


Puppy Bountiful. Puppy was christened Helen Patrice. She learnt at an early age that sex appeal can get her almost anything she wants, but that a Colt .45 is a handy backup. She began working for American Intelligence (☺) in 1931 and was posted to London early in 1933 after a scandal with her section chief.


Puppy Bountiful – 10 points + weapons and equipment
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
1
1
7

May swap a single stat from 1 column to another. EG you could make the SS 5 and the R 8

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket

May not have a shield.

May have an automatic handgun

Puppy has the Femme Fatale - Any man attacking her suffers a -1 FS

The Mask. Tony Q is an ex cop that was blinded during a raid on an illegal chemical works in New Orleans. The loss of his sight and the fumes he inhaled during the raid, have left him with unusual abilities.


The Mask – 250 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
3
3
9

May only wear a Flak jacket or equivalent, maximum Save of 6

May have a pistol

May use psychic powers from the Fallen Angels rules and the psychic powers cards

May have a pistol

Tony has the following skill - Dodge – 20 points

The figure has a 4+ Invulnerable Save

Payback. Richard Hedd is a master of disguise who seeks vengeance against anyone he perceives as being a threat to the great American way of life.


Payback – 10 points + weapons and equipment
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
1
1
7

May swap a single stat from 1 column to another. EG you could make the SS 5 and the R 8

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

May have a single handed close combat weapon and a pistol.

May have a SMG

May have grenades

May have the following skills:

Marksman – 5 points

+1 SS

Infiltrate – 10 points

Payback may deploy anywhere on the battlefield as long as it is in cover. But he doesn't have to be positioned on the battlefield. Write on a piece of paper where he is, then he can be positioned at the start of any of his turns, or when the enemy gets within 6” of him.


The Spectre. Nothing is known of the early life of the Spectre and few would dare to ask him about it. He is a skilled martial artist and rumours claim that he has been trained in the ways of Japanese ninjitsu.


The Spectre – 15 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
3
4
3
3
1
1
8

You may add 1 to a single stat EG you could give them an extra attack.

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

May have a single handed close combat weapon and a pistol.

May have shurikens (throwing stars) Treat them as thrown knives.

May have grenades

May have the following skills:

Close Combat Expert – 5 points

+1 FS

Sneak – 5 points

As long as he doesn't come within 3” of any enemy, he may move through any type of cover without being seen. If he hides, enemy cannot see him unless they come within 3”.


Special agent 'Quick Draw' McGraw. Dan McGraw gained his nickname because of his passion for westerns. He spends hours everyday in front of a mirror practising drawing his Colt .45. He is a crack shot with any handgun.


Dan McGraw – 15 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
3
4
3
3
1
1
8

You may add 1 to a single stat EG you could give them an extra attack.

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

May have a single handed close combat weapon and an automatic handgun.

May have a Laser Pistol – 1 point range – 9” strength – 3

May have a SMG

May have grenades

May have the following skills:

Marksman – 5 points

+1 SS


Agent William 'The Kid' Ford. The Kid joined CIC as soon as he was able to and has been on active service in Europe for the last eighteen months.


William Ford – 10 points + weapons and equipment
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
4
4
3
3
1
1
7

May swap a single stat from 1 column to another. EG you could make the SS 5 and the R 8

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

May have a single handed close combat weapon and a pistol.

May have a SMG

May have grenades

May have the following skills:

Fast – 5 points

May move an extra 3” each turn. The normal terrain penalties apply though.

Lock Smith – 5 points

Can soundlessly pick any lock.


Agent Jean Mortenson. Jean has only recently been assigned to London, but has already been able to gather useful information for Operation Killjoy. Her colleagues are all jealous of her as they are certain she is set to be a rising star in CIC.


Jean Mortensen – 15 points + weapons, equipment and skills
M
FS
SS
S
T
W
A
R
6
3
4
3
3
1
1
8

You may add 1 to a single stat EG you could give them an extra attack.

May have armour with a total save of no more than 6. EG a flak jacket.

May have a single handed close combat weapon and an automatic handgun.

May have a SMG

May have grenades

May have the following skills:

Lucky – 10 points

May re-roll one set of dice once per game, or make the enemy re-roll a set.

Born Leader – 5 points

Gains +1 R
 
 
All of my rules and scenarios are available from  www.1poundrules.website    Each set of rules only costs £1






War Plan Red part 2 - Operation Killjoy



Operation Killjoy


Background


King Edward VIII is probably the most misunderstood person in this whole sordid affair. MI6 had cracked American military codes in the early 1920's, so were fully aware of their intentions toward England and her allies. MI6 also knew all about Mrs Simpson being one of CIC's top operatives and had asked his majesty to encourage a relationship with her in order to feed her bosses false information.

Everything, including his abdication in 1936, was staged for the sole purpose of misleading England's enemies, a policy that worked far more successfully than MI6 could have dared to wish.

Although Wallis was assigned by CIC to engineer a relationship with King Edward, they did not foresee that she would actually fall in love with him. She willingly agreed to work for MI6 when they approached her and has been helping the English cause by feeding false information to her bosses.

With the abdication of King Edward VIII in December 1936, his younger brother Albert took over the throne as King George VI. As American military plans to overthrow the British empire fell apart in Canada, the Counter Intelligence Corps put Operation Killjoy into effect. This involved a team of special operatives kidnapping, or if this failed, assassinating King George, in a final effort to throw England into a state of confusion that CIC could then exploit.

Even before the invasion of Canada began, CIC's team were in place in the US embassy, using standard cover stories that they were embassy staff. Virtually as soon as their tenure began in the 19th century, the Americans started constructing a labyrinth of secret tunnels that allowed them to access the London drainage system in order to carry out acts of espionage. 
The success of Killjoy hinges upon US agents being able to access Buckingham Palace through the underground tunnels, whereby they will attempt to kidnap King George. Should their efforts fail, they are to assassinate the king at all costs. The destruction of Buckingham Palace is considered an extra bonus, as long as it does not jeopardise taking the king.


The George's are tasked with foiling this contemptible plan.


All of the underground areas in these scenarios are illuminated with electric lights.



The Tunnels
The first action takes place in the underground tunnels beneath the streets of London. Use the tunnel rules from Fallen Angels to determine what the tunnels are like. The George's can deploy anywhere they like on their side of the table, the Americans start at their table edge.

The George's may have the first turn if they wish and can wait in ambush for the Americans.


Ambush – For the purposes of this scenario, those figures in ambush can hide behind any available cover. They may attack the enemy whenever they wish, even during the enemy player's turn.


The Americans must reach The George's table edge to win. The George's must drive the Americans back to their start positions.



The Pumping Station
The fighting has moved to a large underground pumping station. This is still in use and should have a large pump in the middle of a room with lots of consoles, an office and a small kitchen. There is a raised walkway that runs above the pump, with a ladder leading up to it. There is also a ladder that leads to a higher level, possibly the outside, although this is unclear to the combatants unless they climb it. There is a tunnel entering the room from either side

Each force can start anywhere on their side of the table, including the raised walkway. Whoever won the last scenario can choose to go first, or second.


The Americans must reach The George's start position with at least half their force and destroy the pump in the process. The George's have to stop them performing both actions.




The Air Raid Shelter

This shelter was built to keep the royal family safe during World War 1. There is a staircase leading up to the ground floor of the palace, on The George's side of the table. There is lots of furniture dotted around the room for cover.

The George's can deploy anywhere on their half of the table, the Americans start at their table edge where a tunnel enters the room.


At least 2 Americans must reach the stairs to win, The George's must stop them at all costs.
 
 
All of my rules and scenarios are available from  www.1poundrules.website  and each set of rules only costs £1.


Saturday 23 July 2016

War Plan Red - A Fallen Angels Campaign




We regret to inform our readers that at 06.00 today, 14th February, 1937, the United States of America invaded Canada.





Without issuing a declaration of war, American troops crossed onto Canadian soil in four major locations. Supported by naval and air forces, the troops are advancing on Montreal, Winnipeg and Ontario. Despite the valiant efforts of its defenders, the city of Halifax has already fallen.


 
American Troops In Halifax
 
 

Not only is this cowardly, unprovoked action, an attack on the good people of Canada; it is an assault on every member of our great empire and our government promises that our retribution shall be swift and merciless!
 
 
 

US objectives in its war against the Great British Empire


War Plan Red, An Act Of Heinous Betrayal


In 1927, the United States of America, supposedly an ally of England, drew up plans for a joint military offensive against the Great British Empire. The aim was to smash the empire, with the end result being to conquer England, or leave her isolated and too weak to pose a threat to American expansion.

The origins of WPR can be traced back to the fact that the Americans still (even to this present time) resent the fact that they were once a colony of England. Of course, much of this bitterness is due to the fact that the War Of Independence was the biggest mistake America ever made. This deep seated rancour was behind America's reluctance to ally itself with England in her struggle for world freedom during the Great War.
 
 

American Propaganda
 
 
We have been provided with a captured copy of War Plan Red, which details the depth of American treachery. The plan was approved in May 1930 by the US Secretary of War and the Secretary of Navy and has been regularly updated, with the full knowledge of the American government, since that time.
The first part of War Plan Red lists Canada's geography, military resources and infrastructure, then goes on to evaluate a series of possible American offensives to simultaneously invade Canada in several key areas, so as to occupy ports and railways, before England would be able send reinforcements to her Canadian friends.
In preparation for this act of treachery, Congress gave the US War Department $57 million to build three air bases, for the sole purposes of pre-emptive, surprise attacks on Canada. These military airfields were disguised as civilian airports in an effort to hide the Yankee's cowardly intentions.


16th February, 1937

Thanks to the quick thinking of Canadian lieutenant colonel James 'Buster' Brown, American land forces have been stalled and are, at this very moment, beginning to retreat. With the exception of the attack on Halifax, all of the American columns have fallen short of their objectives.
We are also jubilant to report that British S-class submarines engaged the Yankee Atlantic fleet in the early hours of this morning, as they attempted to navigate their way into the Great Lakes. The Americans suffered heavy losses, including their flagship, USS Utah, that was sunk by HMS Salmon. We strongly urge the Navy Chiefs to have Salmon's captain, Lieutenant Commander Bickford and his crew, mentioned in dispatches for their heroism.
The American fleet is still being harassed by British forces as it retreats back to US territorial waters.

These excerpts from The Free World Press are reproduced with the kind permission of its owner, Sir G. Ossip.
 
 
     The whole campaign is available from  www.1poundrules.website as part of the science fiction Fallen Angels rules.  And it only costs £1:)  




 


Ragnarok. A Wiking Story




What a great New Year's present, the opportunity to drive the Reds back and re-take Budapest to relieve our trapped comrades there. It should have been easy, we were only ninety kilometres away, with a full Russian army corps in our path after all.

It was January 1st, 1945, I had no idea if it was light or not, because it was snowing too hard to see anything except a blur of white through my vision slit. It was as if Fimbulvetr had finally come, heralding the start of Ragnarok and for Wiking, it had.

Our division was drawn up on the start line, with Totenkopf somewhere over to our left. We'd been in position for hours and I felt as if I was going to freeze to death if we didn't get moving soon.

I had only been with the division a week and Operation Konrad was to be my first experience of combat. At that moment of time, I was questioning why I had volunteered to join such madness, instead of staying in the safety of my parent's home in far away Denmark.

Finally, the signal came through and we moved off to the roar and Maybach engines, as our tanks and half-tracks went in search of the enemy. We didn't have long to wait, we ran right into the Red's 4th Guards Army just outside of Tata and with help from our brother division, we virtually annihilated them in a few short hours of bitter fighting.

Our advance continued, despite the best efforts of the Gods and Stalin and by January 4th we were only twenty eight kilometres from our goal. But we never managed to get any further than Bicske, as the Reds must have moved half of their army between us and Budapest.

We were eventually pulled back and ordered south to Esztergom, where we spearheaded Konrad 2 on the 7th January.  Once again, the weather was horrendous and we could barely see our hands in front of our faces as we tried to fight our way to the besieged city.

One of our grenadier regiments reached Pilisszenthereszt on the 12th and reported that they could see the spires of Budapest through the early morning mist. But once again, we were fated to be pulled back, this time because we didn't have enough supplies to maintain the momentum of our advance.

Our third push for Budapest began on the 20th January and we smashed a twenty four kilometre wide hole in the Russian lines, utterly destroying the 135th Rifle Corps in the process. But once again, Fate was against us and Konrad 3 ended on January 28th. Between Wiking and Totenkopf we had pointlessly lost over eight thousand good men and Budapest surrendered on 13th February, many of the men taken prisoner there destined to die a pain filled death in a Russian gulag.

From the failure of Konrad 3, we were ordered west to join the 6th SS Panzer Army at Lake Balaton. But we had lost so many men and so much of our equipment, that we could only play a supporting role in the offensive. Even so, we became involved in heavy fighting on the left flank of the push, as the Bolsheviks tried to out manoeuver Sepp's panzers.

Once again, the advance stalled due to lack of supplies and the Reds counter attacked on 15th March. They broke through our lines between us and the Totenkopf to our north and everything soon turned into total chaos. We had no idea where any of the other German forces were and were in serious danger of being cut off.

Fortunately for us, Hohenstaufen came to our rescue, managing to hold the Berhida Corridor open long enough for Gille to lead us to the relative safety of our own lines.

But our respite was short. On the 24th March, the Russians smashed through our positions and the division was forced to make a fighting withdrawal deeper into Czechoslovakia.

Nearly all of our vehicles were gone, either destroyed or simply out of fuel. We were running low on ammunition and our supplies of food were critically low as well. There was a lot of debate among us enlisted men about what we should do. Nobody wanted to be taken by the Reds, we all knew what would happen if we fell into their hands, but our options were limited to say the least.

On 7th May, commander Gille announced that he was going to seek terms of surrender from the Americans to our west. He told us that the American general Patton, wanted to carry the war to the Russians as soon as Germany surrendered and that maybe we would be able to join him in the final victory over Bolshevism.

But then survivors from the Totenkopf reached us with news that the remnants of their division had surrendered to the Americans, who had promptly executed 80 wounded men that were unable to walk and then begun marching the survivors towards the Russians to hand them over.

This caused a new wave of debate about the choices we faced, but in the end, we had no option, as our supplies were all gone and Gille led us into captivity at Fűrstenfeld in Austria on the 9th May 1945.

It was nearly two years later, before the Americans released me. Two years of interrogations and beatings about the conduct of Wiking during its role in Russia. Political brainwashing to tell me how my dream of a world free from the threat of Bolshevism was wrong and to convince me that I had unwittingly been a member of an illegal organisation.

I eventually returned to a Denmark that I didn't know and that didn't want to know me. My parents and their home were gone, victims of an allied bombing raid. I was a demon that nobody wanted to talk to, let alone employ.

My whole street had turned out to see me off when I left to fight the Russians. I had been a hero, guaranteed a seat amongst the Old Gods if I fell. Yet on my return, I wasn't even given a pension for having fought as a soldier in the service of the free world.

I eventually emigrated to an America gripped by fear of communism. I found a job in a German owned security company in a small town in New Mexico. Within a year I was married and am now the proud father of two strong sons who have been raised to never trust a Red.

Sometimes I meet other veterans from the division and we talk about old times over a beer. Then I wake up in cold sweats, screaming, as I relive the deaths of my comrades in my nightmares.



As with my other short stories about the Wiking division, the events that take place are loosely based on fact. However, the main character in Ragnarok is fictitious, as are the events pertaining to him at the end of the story.


The reference to American troops murdering prisoners from the Totenkopf Division is taken from www.historyworldwar2-bodong.blogspot.gr/2011/01/nazi-germany-toughest-fighters-ss.html


The Totenkopf division didn't want to be captured by the Soviets, so they attacked the American 11th Armoured Division. The Americans, who suffered heavy losses, were angered by this. When the Totenkopf surrendered (to the Americans) they were turned over to the Soviets at Linz in 1945. Those who were wounded or simply too exhausted to make it to Pregarten were executed by the Americans along the way. Some 80 men in all suffered this fate.


The murders are also referred to in the history book Totenkopf by Charles Trang.
 
Much is made about the part Soviet Russia played in the downfall of Germany and there is no doubt that there were many Russian heroes.  But it must be remembered that Russia would have fallen if it had not been for an English team breaking the enigma code and England supplying Russia with valuable information about the intentions of the Germans.