“That’s certainly true, Your Majesty,” Thorne nodded, managing an almost-relaxed grin, “and we’re grateful for the warm welcome! Has everyone been properly introduced?”
“Although we’ve all spoken briefly, we’ve been awaiting your arrival to begin official proceedings… please, dear fellow, feel free to take the conversation in any direction you choose: after setting our eyes upon the technology you have out there, we’re all eager to learn more.”
“Of course, Sire,” Thorne nodded once in recognition of the gently worded directive, and extended an encompassing arm as a gesture to all. “Your Majesty, Mister Prime Minister, General Dill, Air Chief Marshal Dowding, Admiral Tovey, Lord Trumbull, Brigadier Menzies: my name is Max Thorne, and as designated commander of this unit, I thank you all for the support you’ve provided in what we have here at Scapa Flow.” He moved around the group, all turning with him, and moved across to join his own team, singling out each one in turn. “Brigadier Alpert you already know, of course. May I also introduce Commander Eileen Donelson, Royal Navy; Colonel Robert Green, Australian Special Air Service; Doctor Hal Markowicz PhD, nuclear physicist; Captain Jack Davies, United States Air Force; and Colonel Michael Kowalski, United States Marine Corps. Between us, we constitute the ‘officer cadre’ of the Hindsight Interception Unit.” He took a deep breath. “Now, if everyone has a drink, shall we all sit down and have a little chat?”
With a single, silent nod of approval from The King, they all took chairs and formed a large circle at the centre of the room around several low tables, some of the Hindsight group sitting in a second row behind.
“Our unit…” Thorne continued, Alpert and Donelson seated at his left and right, “…was brought into being by the United Nations’ Security Council in August of the year Two Thousand and Nine AD. The United Nations of our era is an organisation not unlike your League of Nations, and came into being following the successful conclusion of the Second World War.” That information was received well by their guests, and he went on after a pause and a breath. “This unit was specifically created and sent back to your time to combat the intentions of a group of Neo-Nazis from the beginning of our new century who wished to change the course of history. As you can gather from the appearance of the aircraft we have out there…” he gestured again with a sweep of his hand, this time toward the mess windows facing the flight line “…the technology of the Twenty-First Century is far in advance of that of this era. Since our arrival we’ve already discovered in just a few days that this organisation of Nazis — called ‘New Eagles’ — has indeed begun to upgrade German military technology and alter the course of history.”
There was little surprise at that, as all the men present had been briefed on what to expect, and Churchill’s eyes fairly gleamed as Thorne spoke these words. It’d been he who’d secretly proposed the backing of Alpert’s operation when the man had first been brought before him by Richard Trumbull a year earlier. Fantastic as the man’s story had been, it’d been convincing enough for a soon-to-be Prime Minister faced with a seemingly unstoppable enemy to take a chance. He was now incredibly relieved that the story had been borne out by the unit’s arrival.
“Mister Thorne…” The Prime Minister cut in, dragging the cigar from the side of his mouth and silencing Thorne instantly. “The primary question on all our minds here today is quite straight forward…may I ask you, sir: will the Germans invade Great Britain?”
Thorne paused. “…In my world? No, sir — they did not. Operation ‘Sealion’ — as it was called — was delayed numerous times and eventually postponed indefinitely on the 17th of September of this year. Air Chief Marshal Dowding’s fine air defence strategy, sir, along with the good fortunes of war itself ensured that RAF Fighter Command was never beaten.” Dowding allowed himself a thin smile as he heard those words. “With the RAF triumphant, defeat of the Royal Navy or the subsequent safe transit of German landing craft couldn’t be guaranteed, and Sealion was never realised.” He continued quickly as Churchill made as if to speak once more. “Unfortunately, sir, the problem is that this is no longer the course of history as my men and I were taught. It seems that the RAF is indeed on the brink of defeat as a fighting force due to the new tactics and technology brought to the Wehrmacht by this New Eagles group. Reuters and his boys’ll be making sure Germany wins, this time.”
“‘Reuters’, you say?” Dowding inquired slowly, thinking carefully over the statement. “Would you mean Reichsmarschall Kurt Reuters — Commander of the German Armed Forces?”
“Yes sir, I’ve been informed that’s indeed his rank within the Wehrmacht , and understandably so considering the impact he’s had and will have on the course of an entire world war.” He grinned as Dowding nodded imperceptibly. “In our correct version of history — what we call ‘Realtime’ — it was Göring who was promoted to that rank following the end of the campaign in France.”
“Are you saying, Mister Thorne, that you expect the Germans to invade England?” That was from General Dill, and again Thorne was forced to pause, unhappy with the answer he truthfully had to give in this case.
“Yes sir, I believe that’s a certainty. As you’ll all see in the film documentaries we’ve prepared, the failure of the Wehrmacht to conquer the RAF and subsequently invade Great Britain was probably the one mistake — in my opinion at least — that cost them the war more than any other…save perhaps an premature and ill-advised invasion of the Soviet Union in the middle of 1941.” Alpert had been sparing in his provision of information on the future, and that statement raised an eyebrow or two. “There’s no way Reuters will allow them to make that mistake, this time.”
“Do you, as a group, intend to stop these New Eagles and save the British Empire?” Tovey spoke this time, leaning forward in his chair and asking the most difficult question so far.
“In an immediate sense, Admiral, I’m not certain there’s anything our unit can do to stop Operation Sealion going ahead should our enemy be sufficiently determined. In truth, it was quite likely the Germans could have taken England anyway in Realtime, should they have established a beachhead here. With hindsight and improved technology handed to them from Reuters and his men, there’ll be no way we could hold them off.”
“Are you telling me the aircraft out there with their obviously incredible capabilities could do nothing?” The admiral was more than a little annoyed at the answer he’d received — indeed none of the seven had liked hearing their greatest immediate fears affirmed by someone purporting to have knowledge of the future.
“Sir, I’m sure you’ll be able appreciate the problems we have before us. Certainly the two fighters — the Lightning and the Raptor — could inflict heavy damage upon any invasion force…but at what cost? As advanced as they are, any aircraft is vulnerable to sufficient volumes of anti-aircraft fire.” Thinking of the example of the RAF’s Tornado pilots who’d flown in Desert Storm, Davies nodded at the truth of that from his seat behind Alpert. British aircraft losses had been dramatically higher than those of the USAF purely because no matter how fast the aircraft or how good the pilot, flying at 200 feet rather than 40,000 meant there was nothing one could do when flak flew up in front of the aircraft.