Denmark of 9 April 1940 ISOT to 1 February 1864.

[stevep]

Jun 20, 2023 14:59:41 GMT miletus12 said:

Jun 20, 2023 14:22:07 GMT stevep said:

  The evidence is he seemed to believe in the case anyway at least until he had been in Mexico for quite a while.

The significant influence that Denmark can have in the situation is limited technical transfers. Most useful is artillery in the immediate decade. The steels were too poor for automatic or BOLT ACTION weapons. That has to wait for Cruesot and Bessemer. I figure 1870 at the earliest?   

  - Neither the link you added to my post or your reply are related to what I was saying.

[stevep]

Jun 21, 2023 7:37:51 GMT 575 said:

Agrarian Council

This body representing both the producers and the retailers had met regularly since the ISOT to discuss the situation.
Initially there was agreement that the Winterseed sown the previous year had been lost.
The Spring seed would be carried out during April 1864 if weather would permit – the absence of weather data would be a nuisance so the Council wouldn't be able to advice.
There were foreseen problems in the Animal Sector; the trade of Denmarks had to be reestablished though hopefully the British market would still be available for the Bacon, Butter and Beef export. However with a population almost half that of 1939 the possible export should be expected to be much lowered than the sector had been used to.
Another major problem in the Animal Sector was the now lagging import of fodder; there were major decisions to be made.
The overall problem was the lack of a Danish Market for Beef. True mincemeat was sold but in so low quantities that butchered Diary Cattle easily made for the supply. Quality Beef was way too expensive to be sold on the Danish market.
The real meat stable on Danish menu was Pork. Though a lot of Sheep were produced it was for wool not the meat – the Danes simply disliked it.

There would be other problems in the Animal Sector as the huge export of livestock to the German Market would be in problems too. Mainly due to an expected lowering of quantity however the lack of refrigeration within the European markets might actually help these sales continue as even the British market might require such. Thus this might in fact affect Butcheries more than producers – a cutback on that industrial sector had to be expected.
However Denmark would be able to give exported livestock a quality mark due to the Veterinarian status of the Agricultural sector so importers wouldn't have to worry about Foot-Mouth-Disease and other livestock diseases carried.

The Council decided to advise its production members of changes expected so that these would be able to decide how to reschedule their production; the Council also advised the retail members of restrain in cutting back on suppliers so as not for force a major crisis upon the sector as a whole.

  As well as the lower total population there is probably issues with the general population being poorer and also as with Germany with less capacity to transport imported meat to possible markets.  However Britain would still be a useful market for Danish food exports, just not as much as they were used to.

[575]

Nicobar Islands 16 July 1940/ 8 May 1864

As the Nicobar Is. were known to be infested with Pirates the Navy had asked the Army to return the Marine Regiment based at Bornholm prior to the Convoy leaving for Thailand.
The Army had suggested that the Regiment be transferred to the Navy with a small cadre of Officers and NCOs to build a new Regiment.
The Navy had accepted the proposal and enlistment for the Marines Regiment had been announced publicly.
Enlistment would be for at least two years and with pay and overseas payment the numbers soared at almost 2,000 of which 500 were accepted and of these most already having done Military Service were formed into a Company that would mainly be aboard one of the Maersk Ships during the journey.
Among those accepted were a number of former seamen home from abroad who had navigational experiences knew how to behave aboard and most importantly with a knowledge of the Far Eastern Waters and foreign languages – English speakers preferred as German speakers were abundant and French speakers in reasonable numbers but English lacking as the norm in Danish 1940 society.

Among these seamen was a young man Anders Lassen who had been aboard the Eleonora Maersk in the Persian Gulf at the time of ISOT but had come home though still had an urge to see the World.
His father had tought him to shoot firearms as well as bow and the family had a long tradition of serving the Country 1848-1864 and his father had fought the Soviets along the Finns during the Winter War.
Having completed Boot-camp the Company was boarding the Merchantman as part of the Convoy which left Holmen, Copenhagen Navy Base 1 June 1940 for the Nicobar Is. and Bangkok, Thailand.

The journey was easy going to conserve fuel but also to make for time to continue training of the Marines and for the Aircraft Pilots to get used to operations under these conditions.

1½ months following leaving Copenhagen Roads the Aircraft spotted the Nicobar Is. and the Marines made ready for their first possible hot engagement.
The Merchantmen kept well off-shore while the HDMS Ingolf and HDMS Beskytteren launched a Heinkel He8 to determine the whereabouts of possible Pirates. Some intelligence had been obtained from the British in India regarding ships used in this way and their crews.

[575]

Ministry of Justice 23 July 1940/ 15 May 1864

Min. of Justice Vilhelm Buhl, Chief Commissioner National Police E. Thune Jacobsen

Vilhelm Buhl: Do we have any contact with the Geheimer Polizeiverein(Secret Police Union of the 7 major states of German Confederation)?

E. Thune Jacobsen: Not at the moment and we never were invited to the cooperation.

VB: Do contact the Foreign Office we need to establish a link to it – could go by the Austrian Embassy.

E. TJ: (confused)What do we want from such cooperation?

VB: We need to establish a link to some authority regarding German Confederation memberstates Nationals that is to be expelled or wanted by us. I'd guess the GC would like some kind of like.

E. TJ: Ehem, well of course the 1940 agreements on handling other nationals of course don't apply now and certainly not regarding the German states though Austria might be an exeption.

VB: If You remember Your Aliens Division have some unfinished business with a couple of German Nationals convicted of terrorism serving their sentences – I for one would like to be able to get rid of them when thats finished.

E. TJ: Well I wouldn't like to interrupt on legislation work in progress but of course as a practical means and as long as legislation is amiss.

VB: My dear TJ – how sensible a thought. Yes I would very much like such discreet arrangements being made so that I may get some annoying cases off us. Please leave I expect You will have to set some gears in motion.

[575]

Austrian Embassay Copenhagen 28 July 1940/ 22 May 1864

Chief Commissioner National Police E. Thune Jacobsen had been asked to meet with the Charge d'Affairs of the Imperial Austrian Embassay this day. Annoying as it was a Sunday in Danish calender though a Friday in the 1864 calender which was used by the Austrians.

The Austrian Charge d'Affairs informed Thune Jacobsen that he didn't know of the Geheimer Polizeiverein but he would make inquiries in Vienna. With the Danish being on the Telegraph line it should be a matter of days. Thune Jacobsen would be notified when an answer would be in hand.

So much for wasting your Sunday – only weekday off. Hrmmpf.

[575]

Government meeting 14 August 1940/ 6 June 1864

PM Stauning, Min of Procurement Johannes Kjærbøl, Min of Trade Ole Bjørn Kraft, Min of Agriculture Kristen Bording, Min of Justice Vilhelm Buhl, Treasurer Vilhelm Fibiger

PM Stauning: Kristen how did the Agrarian Council meeting go?

Min of Agriculture Kristen Bording: There was a very healthy discussion between the producers and the retailers however I'm unsure all the fine words will be honored when the crisis hits sometime during fall at least if we lift rationing though meat can be lifted.

PM Stauning: Meat?

Min of Agriculture KB: Meat, yes. You know we talked about it following the event. We have a surplus of non-exported Beef that the Danes just don't eat because its too expensive. Also we have a surplus of Bacon as the British export is much lower than what we are geared towards as is the case of Butter. I expect us to sell some if not most of the Butter to Germany or Russia but generally we have problems with the large animal sector. See problem is beasts have to be fed and our regular supplier of fodder mainly the Netherlands don't produce in quantity we need but then we are not able to sell what we produce.

PM Stauning: I see – what will be longer term consequenses?

Min of Agriculture KB: The small producers will end up in an economic squeeze; the major producers have had the means to switch to livestock export or find niche products. We do face some bankruptcy among the small producers due to the situation.

Treasurer Vilhelm Fibiger: Exactly. A lot of the small producers it seems have been reluctant to shift to cereals production to feed the livestock as well as the populace. We will be lacking cereals during winter if we lift ration but come through on meat cooked in butter on Rye bread!

PM Stauning: Dear Vilhelm lets stay on track.

Treasurer VF: Sorry couldn't resist – well the thing is that if the producers don't cut back and I understand their economy may not be geared to do so and the event wasn't their fault BUT they had been warned for the past 4 months.

PM Stauning: As You say they had been warned. So how do finances look – can we afford an aid package?

Treasurer VF: We can afford such though I wouldn't be too generous. Thing is Industry is going haywire – the London Underground is build with Danish Concrete Tunnels to be run by Electric trains produced by Frich's, Thrige and Titan. Thrige is very involved in rebuilding the London grid which is a mess something about more than a hundred suppliers around. Every small backyard Shop is pumping out crude-oil or kerosene engines for export to power fishing boats. Burmeister & Wain have resumed building their ship steam-engines which have seen lots of attention mostly so by Russia. The Water-turbines for Sweden-Norway is in production. Thrige also have their hand into steam-engines for trains which is a must in any German State as well as Belgium and the Netherlands.

PM Stauning: Isn't there any good news of farming?

Min of Agriculture KB: The cooperatives have joined hands with their canning operation and is exporting all the canned Beef available as well as salted Pork to the US Army and Navy. Seems somebody did some calculations on the transported amounts of Arms and Ammunition and found room for that on the ships but mainly so because the Shippingmen had some large steamers sitting idle due to size. The Americans began dredging New York Harbour to take the ships and off they went.

PM Stauning: I see – is the Arms export to the USA going out of hand – Ole?

Min of Trade Ole Bjørn Kraft: Its been increasing since the start but it isn't worse than during the Great War. The plusside is that the Americans have been able to increase their production of crude oil which we ship back for refining here. Kalundborg is experiencing a building boom due to the expansion of the refinery. Actually I guess some of the problems of Agriculture as Vilhelm related is eased by the migration of farm hands to Industry. Kristen may have figures on this?

Min of Agriculture KB: The Statistics isn't compiled yet but hearsay have it that farm hands are leaving for the cities Industries which may accelerate the shift from Animal to Crops production mostly on small units.

Treasurer VF: My own experience says so. In the interest of the Nation if there is such demand for Industrial labour let Industry build Tractors to free up more farm hands?

PM Stauning: So You Estate-owner is ready to let your farmhands join my constituency? Now, I'll never..

Treasurer VF: Well their Party(Liberals) deserted us all. Would only be fair and square..

Min of Procurement Johannes Kjærbøl: Well in that case we will need more crude oil for Gasoline and Diesel. As well as rubber for tyres. Are we ready to mobilize the Russian masses? Understand that Thrige and consorts are already building drilling machinery and pipes but on some modest scale. They'll need shipping for the Volga and generally more infrastructure..

PM Stauning: I know, I know – I told His Imperial Majesty so but it was in our own interest as we lacked oil. We had our own transition almost 100 years ago but we are a kind of Germans and follow the rules of the game. Also the men that shaped the Sovietunion haven't if I recall correctly been born yet so a lot is still in the unknown.

Min of Justice Vilhelm Buhl: It is not our job to speculate on a distant future; we have a country still in a major supply crisis even though we won't face starvation though the masses will have to learn to eat Beef. We can make an aid package for the smaller agricultural producers but if as rumoured they may end up on their feet by own means so I suggest we bide for time. Regarding the surrounding World – we can't force our system upon them. We know what happened in our prehistory since 1864 and may tell our story to them but we are not to be held responsible for how they act to cope with the information we give them – which their embassies well know too and if not may look up at a public Library or ask a History Scolar.

[575]

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864

USA Minister to Copenhagen Ray Atherton had been contacted by A.P. Møller 20 April 1940 regarding sales of Madsen Machineguns in return of metals and crude oil. Atherton had spent about a month before being able to go to the USA to meet the Secretary of State William Seward and ultimately President A. Lincoln. Atherton had been overwhelmed by meeting Lincoln – You just don't go shake the hand of a Legend every other day.
Wanting the aid his country in any way possible and stressing the importance of the Danish defeat of the Armies of Prussia and Austria Atherton was listened to even by General Grant who had just been made Commander of the US Army.

Atherton had been given a note by the President to PM Stauning regarding establishment of trade relations on the proposed.

To make the most of the exported arms A.P. Møller had been allowed to recruit a few Infantry and Artillery Officers and NCO's to teach the US troops in handling and employing the new weapons.

Grant seemed to understand the Danish Officers requiring time to train his troops and these wasn't employed untill the middle of June 1864 where the Machineguns was used to shield the pull out of troops for crossing the James River and the fire and movement tactic taught paid off during the Battle of Petersburg.

Another new tool for the Union Army was fieldphones also employed during the Siege of Petersburg to support the assaulting troops shelling Confederate positions.

The US troops soon got the gist of the new weaponry and treated the fieldphones as a kind of talkie telegraph and so would use short messages to direct Artillery.

The employment resulted in a breach of the Confederate defences of Petersburg on 16 June 1864 which would then be anlarged in the days to follow making it possible for Grant to report Petersburg captured on 18 June when Confederat reinforcements were stopped from crossing the Appomattox River into Petersburg.

[stevep]

Jun 23, 2023 15:24:37 GMT 575 said:

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864

USA Minister to Copenhagen Ray Atherton had been contacted by A.P. Møller 20 April 1940 regarding sales of Madsen Machineguns in return of metals and crude oil. Atherton had spent about a month before being able to go to the USA to meet the Secretary of State William Seward and ultimately President A. Lincoln. Atherton had been overwhelmed by meeting Lincoln – You just don't go shake the hand of a Legend every other day.
Wanting the aid his country in any way possible and stressing the importance of the Danish defeat of the Armies of Prussia and Austria Atherton was listened to even by General Grant who had just been made Commander of the US Army.

Atherton had been given a note by the President to PM Stauning regarding establishment of trade relations on the proposed.

To make the most of the exported arms A.P. Møller had been allowed to recruit a few Infantry and Artillery Officers and NCO's to teach the US troops in handling and employing the new weapons.

Grant seemed to understand the Danish Officers requiring time to train his troops and these wasn't employed untill the middle of June 1864 where the Machineguns was used to shield the pull out of troops for crossing the James River and the fire and movement tactic taught paid off during the Battle of Petersburg.

Another new tool for the Union Army was fieldphones also employed during the Siege of Petersburg to support the assaulting troops shelling Confederate positions.

The US troops soon got the gist of the new weaponry and treated the fieldphones as a kind of talkie telegraph and so would use short messages to direct Artillery.

The employment resulted in a breach of the Confederate defences of Petersburg on 16 June 1864 which would then be anlarged in the days to follow making it possible for Grant to report Petersburg captured on 18 June when Confederat reinforcements were stopped from crossing the Appomattox River into Petersburg.

  This is going to be a markedly shorter war, at least in those final stages.  How the reconstruction goes especially since Lincoln is likely to survive here for a 2nd term will be interesting.

[575]

Jun 23, 2023 21:54:31 GMT stevep said:

Jun 23, 2023 15:24:37 GMT 575 said:

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864

USA Minister to Copenhagen Ray Atherton had been contacted by A.P. Møller 20 April 1940 regarding sales of Madsen Machineguns in return of metals and crude oil. Atherton had spent about a month before being able to go to the USA to meet the Secretary of State William Seward and ultimately President A. Lincoln. Atherton had been overwhelmed by meeting Lincoln – You just don't go shake the hand of a Legend every other day.
Wanting the aid his country in any way possible and stressing the importance of the Danish defeat of the Armies of Prussia and Austria Atherton was listened to even by General Grant who had just been made Commander of the US Army.

Atherton had been given a note by the President to PM Stauning regarding establishment of trade relations on the proposed.

To make the most of the exported arms A.P. Møller had been allowed to recruit a few Infantry and Artillery Officers and NCO's to teach the US troops in handling and employing the new weapons.

Grant seemed to understand the Danish Officers requiring time to train his troops and these wasn't employed untill the middle of June 1864 where the Machineguns was used to shield the pull out of troops for crossing the James River and the fire and movement tactic taught paid off during the Battle of Petersburg.

Another new tool for the Union Army was fieldphones also employed during the Siege of Petersburg to support the assaulting troops shelling Confederate positions.

The US troops soon got the gist of the new weaponry and treated the fieldphones as a kind of talkie telegraph and so would use short messages to direct Artillery.

The employment resulted in a breach of the Confederate defences of Petersburg on 16 June 1864 which would then be anlarged in the days to follow making it possible for Grant to report Petersburg captured on 18 June when Confederat reinforcements were stopped from crossing the Appomattox River into Petersburg.

  This is going to be a markedly shorter war, at least in those final stages.  How the reconstruction goes especially since Lincoln is likely to survive here for a 2nd term will be interesting.

Well not that much shorter but of course with Petersburg fallen during the first assault things is going fast now.

Reconstruction - I'm looking up stuff. Of course Atherton have breifed Mr. Lincoln on the assassination by Wilkes-Booth.

[575]

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864 II

General Grant was building up forces at Confederate Capital Richmond and complained about the lack of sufficient numbers of Danish Machineguns.
Madsen Works responded that the initial deliveries had been taken from stock but production needed metals crude oil from the USA to really get going. Ammunition production was somewhat better running.

A.P. Møller asked the Danish Government of exporting a number of the old 9cm Krupp-guns former Field Artillery of the Danish Army of which some was still in the depots. It would give the US Artillery much longer range and rate of fire.
What A.P. Møller didn't tell Government was his negotiating the US Government of building an Ammunition and Rifles Factory in the USA to ease supply; though that would also necessiate building an Electric Powerplant and a Bessemer Converter later a Siemens-Martin oven.
Thrige Factories was invited to partner in the establishment of the Works in the USA which the management was only too pleased to go along.

PM Stauning was hesitant about an official Arms export. He leaned to the British position though he also wanted to give the USA a hand in freeing the Slaves – so he decided that a one piece 9cm Gun be lended to Madsen Works for inspection and copying for being produced by the Madsen Works for export.
That way Stauning hoped the British wouldn't be adverse to the ongoing Danish (Private) arms export.

A.P. Møller had dug up Engineer L.A. Duus Hansen, B&O Radio employee who in the present situation of Denmarks had been a kind of Wizard in being able to get his hands on source material for radio's building. (OTL a member of the Resistance who did exactly this)
Duus Hansen wasn't able to quit his job at B&O but B&O management was certainly interested in getting into the boat and A.P. Møller would be able to deliver more Fieldphones to the US Army.
A.P. Møller also asked the Danish Army and Navy of any surplus sales – no matter how old as long as it worked – and obtained some more Fieldphones and Binoculars!

[stevep]

Jun 24, 2023 7:32:11 GMT 575 said:

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864 II

General Grant was building up forces at Confederate Capital Richmond and complained about the lack of sufficient numbers of Danish Machineguns.
Madsen Works responded that the initial deliveries had been taken from stock but production needed metals crude oil from the USA to really get going. Ammunition production was somewhat better running.

A.P. Møller asked the Danish Government of exporting a number of the old 9cm Krupp-guns former Field Artillery of the Danish Army of which some was still in the depots. It would give the US Artillery much longer range and rate of fire.
What A.P. Møller didn't tell Government was his negotiating the US Government of building an Ammunition and Rifles Factory in the USA to ease supply; though that would also necessiate building an Electric Powerplant and a Bessemer Converter later a Siemens-Martin oven.
Thrige Factories was invited to partner in the establishment of the Works in the USA which the management was only too pleased to go along.

PM Stauning was hesitant about an official Arms export. He leaned to the British position though he also wanted to give the USA a hand in freeing the Slaves – so he decided that a one piece 9cm Gun be lended to Madsen Works for inspection and copying for being produced by the Madsen Works for export.
That way Stauning hoped the British wouldn't be adverse to the ongoing Danish (Private) arms export.

A.P. Møller had dug up Engineer L.A. Duus Hansen, B&O Radio employee who in the present situation of Denmarks had been a kind of Wizard in being able to get his hands on source material for radio's building. (OTL a member of the Resistance who did exactly this)
Duus Hansen wasn't able to quit his job at B&O but B&O management was certainly interested in getting into the boat and A.P. Møller would be able to deliver more Fieldphones to the US Army.
A.P. Møller also asked the Danish Army and Navy of any surplus sales – no matter how old as long as it worked – and obtained some more Fieldphones and Binoculars!

  That could be an error in the medium/long term as the US is going to quickly become a rival producer.  It would also create an incentive for other nations to call for equal treatment.

[575]

Jun 24, 2023 11:20:21 GMT stevep said:

Jun 24, 2023 7:32:11 GMT 575 said:

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864 II

General Grant was building up forces at Confederate Capital Richmond and complained about the lack of sufficient numbers of Danish Machineguns.
Madsen Works responded that the initial deliveries had been taken from stock but production needed metals crude oil from the USA to really get going. Ammunition production was somewhat better running.

A.P. Møller asked the Danish Government of exporting a number of the old 9cm Krupp-guns former Field Artillery of the Danish Army of which some was still in the depots. It would give the US Artillery much longer range and rate of fire.
What A.P. Møller didn't tell Government was his negotiating the US Government of building an Ammunition and Rifles Factory in the USA to ease supply; though that would also necessiate building an Electric Powerplant and a Bessemer Converter later a Siemens-Martin oven.
Thrige Factories was invited to partner in the establishment of the Works in the USA which the management was only too pleased to go along.

PM Stauning was hesitant about an official Arms export. He leaned to the British position though he also wanted to give the USA a hand in freeing the Slaves – so he decided that a one piece 9cm Gun be lended to Madsen Works for inspection and copying for being produced by the Madsen Works for export.
That way Stauning hoped the British wouldn't be adverse to the ongoing Danish (Private) arms export.

A.P. Møller had dug up Engineer L.A. Duus Hansen, B&O Radio employee who in the present situation of Denmarks had been a kind of Wizard in being able to get his hands on source material for radio's building. (OTL a member of the Resistance who did exactly this)
Duus Hansen wasn't able to quit his job at B&O but B&O management was certainly interested in getting into the boat and A.P. Møller would be able to deliver more Fieldphones to the US Army.
A.P. Møller also asked the Danish Army and Navy of any surplus sales – no matter how old as long as it worked – and obtained some more Fieldphones and Binoculars!

  That could be an error in the medium/long term as the US is going to quickly become a rival producer.  It would also create an incentive for other nations to call for equal treatment.

Indeed but Denmark is not able to stop this - problem is that economy as everywhere else is a major player.

The change from OTL is that Denmark now is sole player and haven't really realized this themselves.

[575]

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864 III

Having to make do with whats available Grant however was able to during the last days of June cross the Appomattox River and move his Fredricksburg Army on Richmond to be able to encircle General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Not wanting to be invested within Richmond Lee decided to withdraw west with the full force of Grants on his heels.
The Danish Officers of Grants Army ad advised making the Machinegun units as mobile as possible to be at the front of advance to blunt any aboutface of Lee's.
Knowing the Danes to be doing the job Grant did follow the advice and was relieved when the Confederate Rear-guard turned around for an attempt at defeating the US Army Advance-guard but running into the Machineguns.
Cutting down the Confederate Cavalry outside Cumberland, Virginia and then the Yelling Infantry Charge across an open field Grants Army resumed the persuit which hadn't really been impeded.

Grant then had the Machingun Units and an Infantry Division cross the Appomattox to take up a blocking position at Appomattox Station to bar the road west towards Lynchburg. Some trains with supplies for ANV were at the station that was stopped and the crews locked up though the trains left in sight though with a couple of Machineguns guarding them.

This blocking unit entrenched east of Appomattox Station Fieldphone cables laid out from Machinegun units back to Artillery to be on call when the ANV would arrive.

The first scouting Cavalry was allowed to roam around the Union force not wanting to have Lee change direction.
The scouts was very cautious but sighting the supply trains they made way ahead towards the trains and were duly cut down by the Machineguns which made the rest of the scouts turn around to flee making for these to be cut down too. A few made their way off but the Union commander expected the Rebels to show up anyway because of the sighted supply trains – anyway Lee had changed his march in Pennsylvania for Gettysburg and 6,000 pairs of shoes.

Almost two hours went by before the rebels returned this time launching a strong Infantry charge on the blocking force from march with little Artillery support.
The result was as expected by the Union troops; the Artillery Observers called down a barrage on the charge and the Machineguns opened up too.
The charge DID move several hundred yards ahead and then stopped due to the defensive fire.

There was a lull for an hour during which Artillery was brought up which however was fired upon by the Union Artillery directed by forward observers. Without most of the supporting Artillery a Cavalry charge was initiated on one flank to draw off Union fire from another Infantry charge. Both cut down and then the remaining ANV Artillery destroyed or pulled back.

Then another lull where fighting could be heard to the east before stopping a couple of hours prior to nightfall.
The night was quiet and come morning the blocking force was informed to move out of the position and rejoin the Army as the Rebels had surrendered.

[stevep]

Jun 25, 2023 6:29:20 GMT 575 said:

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864 III

Having to make do with whats available Grant however was able to during the last days of June cross the Appomattox River and move his Fredricksburg Army on Richmond to be able to encircle General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Not wanting to be invested within Richmond Lee decided to withdraw west with the full force of Grants on his heels.
The Danish Officers of Grants Army ad advised making the Machinegun units as mobile as possible to be at the front of advance to blunt any aboutface of Lee's.
Knowing the Danes to be doing the job Grant did follow the advice and was relieved when the Confederate Rear-guard turned around for an attempt at defeating the US Army Advance-guard but running into the Machineguns.
Cutting down the Confederate Cavalry outside Cumberland, Virginia and then the Yelling Infantry Charge across an open field Grants Army resumed the persuit which hadn't really been impeded.

Grant then had the Machingun Units and an Infantry Division cross the Appomattox to take up a blocking position at Appomattox Station to bar the road west towards Lynchburg. Some trains with supplies for ANV were at the station that was stopped and the crews locked up though the trains left in sight though with a couple of Machineguns guarding them.

This blocking unit entrenched east of Appomattox Station Fieldphone cables laid out from Machinegun units back to Artillery to be on call when the ANV would arrive.

The first scouting Cavalry was allowed to roam around the Union force not wanting to have Lee change direction.
The scouts was very cautious but sighting the supply trains they made way ahead towards the trains and were duly cut down by the Machineguns which made the rest of the scouts turn around to flee making for these to be cut down too. A few made their way off but the Union commander expected the Rebels to show up anyway because of the sighted supply trains – anyway Lee had changed his march in Pennsylvania for Gettysburg and 6,000 pairs of shoes.

Almost two hours went by before the rebels returned this time launching a strong Infantry charge on the blocking force from march with little Artillery support.
The result was as expected by the Union troops; the Artillery Observers called down a barrage on the charge and the Machineguns opened up too.
The charge DID move several hundred yards ahead and then stopped due to the defensive fire.

There was a lull for an hour during which Artillery was brought up which however was fired upon by the Union Artillery directed by forward observers. Without most of the supporting Artillery a Cavalry charge was initiated on one flank to draw off Union fire from another Infantry charge. Both cut down and then the remaining ANV Artillery destroyed or pulled back.

Then another lull where fighting could be heard to the east before stopping a couple of hours prior to nightfall.
The night was quiet and come morning the blocking force was informed to move out of the position and rejoin the Army as the Rebels had surrendered.

  Its really going to be a massacre with improved artillery direction and machine guns against USCW units, especially the south who by this time were increasingly scraping the barrel.

[miletus12]

Jun 25, 2023 6:29:20 GMT 575 said:

Eastern Theatre of War USA June 1864 III

Having to make do with whats available Grant however was able to during the last days of June cross the Appomattox River and move his Fredricksburg Army on Richmond to be able to encircle General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Not wanting to be invested within Richmond Lee decided to withdraw west with the full force of Grants on his heels.
The Danish Officers of Grants Army ad advised making the Machinegun units as mobile as possible to be at the front of advance to blunt any aboutface of Lee's.
Knowing the Danes to be doing the job Grant did follow the advice and was relieved when the Confederate Rear-guard turned around for an attempt at defeating the US Army Advance-guard but running into the Machineguns.
Cutting down the Confederate Cavalry outside Cumberland, Virginia and then the Yelling Infantry Charge across an open field Grants Army resumed the persuit which hadn't really been impeded.

Grant then had the Machingun Units and an Infantry Division cross the Appomattox to take up a blocking position at Appomattox Station to bar the road west towards Lynchburg. Some trains with supplies for ANV were at the station that was stopped and the crews locked up though the trains left in sight though with a couple of Machineguns guarding them.

This blocking unit entrenched east of Appomattox Station Fieldphone cables laid out from Machinegun units back to Artillery to be on call when the ANV would arrive.

The first scouting Cavalry was allowed to roam around the Union force not wanting to have Lee change direction.
The scouts was very cautious but sighting the supply trains they made way ahead towards the trains and were duly cut down by the Machineguns which made the rest of the scouts turn around to flee making for these to be cut down too. A few made their way off but the Union commander expected the Rebels to show up anyway because of the sighted supply trains – anyway Lee had changed his march in Pennsylvania for Gettysburg and 6,000 pairs of shoes.

Almost two hours went by before the rebels returned this time launching a strong Infantry charge on the blocking force from march with little Artillery support.
The result was as expected by the Union troops; the Artillery Observers called down a barrage on the charge and the Machineguns opened up too.
The charge DID move several hundred yards ahead and then stopped due to the defensive fire.

There was a lull for an hour during which Artillery was brought up which however was fired upon by the Union Artillery directed by forward observers. Without most of the supporting Artillery a Cavalry charge was initiated on one flank to draw off Union fire from another Infantry charge. Both cut down and then the remaining ANV Artillery destroyed or pulled back.

Then another lull where fighting could be heard to the east before stopping a couple of hours prior to nightfall.
The night was quiet and come morning the blocking force was informed to move out of the position and rejoin the Army as the Rebels had surrendered.

The only comments I make are:

1. The Danes have to supply extruders for modern gilded machine gun bullets, (Gilding was an 1869 Swiss invention.M.). The first bullet case extruder was actually invented in the United States around 1850.
2. Firing tables. Grid surveyed maps and surveyed in guns. Telephones. Indirect fire has not been mathematically worked out for any artillery present.  (1916-1917 and even then most WWI* artillery was preplanned barrage or area fire, not instant precision call fires. You do not get call fires until it is worked out at Fort Bliss in 1936.). You "might" get grid surveyed fires by 1880 as a carryover from coast defense artillery. (1885-1890 Germans, British, French, and Americans all about the same time. We call it the Endicott System.) 
3. Machine gun tactics of 1940 were not machine gun tactics of 1945+. Assuming the Danish advisors were as skilled as their German counterparts in this ISOT, offensive fires would have to be ranged on by walking bullet streams by eye (Tracers?) into beaten ground or preplanned ambush fires. Otherwise,; it is WWI ground denial graze fire based on prepared range cards. 
 4. While machine guns do not need good mapping, artillery does. One of the things Europeans do not understand about the American Civil War, OR THE AMERICAN ARMY, is that it mapped throughout that war as it fought, because the United States was not surveyed in. We did not have hundreds of years of surveyors and wars to grid out the countryside as the Europeans did. You cannot understand the Peninsula Campaign or the Overland Campaign or the Lincoln Administration panic about The March to the Sea, unless you realize that not even the road and rail networks were known as to layout, much less gradients, river crossings, fords or forest coverage. Without that knowledge, the ACW artillery practice was known as "bowling for Confederates" where the gunner lined a Napoleon up on a mass of infantry using iron sights like you would find on a rifle and then use his gunner's quadrant and his experience for barrel elevation for distance, and then let fly. The shell would either zing into the enemy or it would go bouncing along in random ricochets until it hit something solid and exploded.