Merrill Hardy is a successful, published Scientist/Engineer/World Record* holding, still serving, Citizen Soldier/Sailor. Well researched his books are meant to entertain while challenging mind, heart and soul.
FIC014050 FIC014050 *Three categories of Military Service(#ranks/tech ranks and #Occupation Specialties)
In this alternative history of World War II, General Erwin Rommel is dead before D-Day, before he believes Hitler should step down from power, and before he is forced to commit suicide.
As 1941 comes to a close, German General Heinz Guderian leaves his post at the gates of snowy Moscow to take Rommel's place in the desert of Africa. Heinz is immediately immersed into the military and political quagmire of the African front lines and German dictator Hitler's divide-and-control strategy. He is ordered to win the African cause, yet Heinz has his own ideas and motivations regarding war in general and this war in particular.
Join Heinz and a cast of historic figures - and a few fictitious characters - on a story that explores the "what if" of Rommel's early death.
The stage is set in Rommel is Dead, the first book in the Conditional Surrender Trilogy for an altered WW2 history and a changed world. Beginning at the end of 1941 on land, sea and in the air familiar WW2 battles are fought with different leadership, units and equipment. As we move into 1942 circumstances for the major nations are now altered, different outcomes began to emerge for our historical and fictional characters.
Never much of a religious person, it is reported that in 1947 Winston Churchill sent for a noted Christian scholar and minister to explain to him what insight might be gained from the Bible about managing current world events. As the story goes, Churchill showed such an interest in the relevance of what this man of God had to say that he cancelled the rest of his day's meetings in order to continue their discussion. A real change of Churchill's heart earlier (during the war years) might have had a noticeable positive effect on how the war turned out.
Now facing a dire situation including a series of setbacks cumulating in the fall of the island fortress of Malta, Churchill changes some of his priorities and shifts some forces. Other historical characters' fates are changed by these and other altered circumstances (i.e. some not dying or having their death postponed, some never captured, some dying earlier).
The reader is kept invested by the fast moving changing circumstances and counter reactions to Churchill's and other leaders' decisions. Old and new conflicts and prejudices emerge providing additional twists of fate. The whole world is waiting in anticipation of the next startling revelation or monumental horrific events. Loyalties will be tested to the limit as death and destruction reign supreme. Forms of government will be deal their severest challenges as the world spins out of control.
The world we know today begins to be reformed. The reader will benefit with knowledge of the real history and can judge for themselves if this could have happened or might happen again.
Moreover, are our circumstances all that much different than what the WW2 generation endured? Are we failing to properly read the signs of our times? The reader is left to ponder these issues and the hard to grasp thought of a world at war with even more deadly results.
As 1942 draws to a close the world is still in a state of Chaos with fighting occurring nearly worldwide. The intensity of the fighting seems to grow with each passing day.
In the far east there is a growing hope by the Allies that serious cracks are developing in the Japanese plan to dominate the region. Following the triumph battle of Midway, Churchill has released to the Pacific submarines and aircraft carriers previously engaged in supply and defense of the lost island of Malta. The added effect was victory after victory in the region. Never thought possible, teams of American generals and Admirals were working hand in hand with their British counterparts to save China and drive the Japanese back.
However, this stood in sharp contrast with the setbacks Hitler was inflicting on Stalin. The port city of Sevastopol had fallen and yet another vicious struggle led by German General Erich von Manstein was being waged in the environs of Leningrad and the far north.
On the Eurasian Steppe, rebuilt Panzer Divisions from the winter debacle had sweep Stalin's troops before them all the way to the gates of Stalingrad. It now appears the 1942 German Russian offensive has been stopped; however, Italian sea, air and land forces had just successfully captured much of the Russian Black Sea coast.
It would appear that things were looking up for Hitler and that Stalin was in a bad way. Although Stalin was furious with his field commanders for letting so much of the motherland slip out of his hands, he knew winter was coming and with it revenge. Literally millions of Soviet troops and thousands of tanks and planes were standing in the wings preparing for a whole host of offenses. All were backed up with thousands of tons of weapons and supplies courtesy Roosevelt and Churchill.
But Hitler's iron grip was beginning to slip. In hundreds of secret conversations criticism was building as growing evidences of secret brutality, excesses and regime incompetence were building. Fuel tanks were near empty, serious raw material shortage were at hand, and everyday and night more British and American bombs fell on German factories and cities. The U-boat blockade appeared to be having no effect(not true).
Those in the know recognized the imprint of competent leadership by Generals like Heinz Guderian, who had even managed to turn the Italian military around. Here again things were not what they seemed, for while acquiring German and captured technology and equipment, Italian spies and salvage crews also acquired information. Information these spies recently came into revealed how threatened Italy's survival truly was.
Mussolini was keenly aware this information was both dangerous and potentially an avenue to securing the empire he so greatly desired; perhaps even preeminence in the Axis camp. Before he could win the battle in the shadows, his forces must successfully defend the central Mediterranean. If German Admiral Raeder was correct; the Allies would most surely wager everything they had to regain control and destroy Italy.
This great challenge began more quickly than Mussolini would have liked. He knew even if they won, it would probably not be enough, but if they lost nothing could save them...