[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Pennsylvania Rifles had now moved in, and he joined them. When the office
walls and the endless paperwork closed in on Sherman he would have his mount
saddled, then ride out intoGreenPark , or St. James's Park, which was just
across Birdcage Walk, and let the wind blow the cobwebs out of his brain. The
former commanding officer's quarters were spacious and very much to his
Page 134
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
liking. This officer had left the regimental trophies in their cabinets, the
bullet-riddled flags still hung upon the wall. When the occupation was over,
their rightful owners would return and find everything just as they had left
it. Meanwhile, a silken Stars and Stripes stood proudly on a bronze mount
before them all.
The officers' mess was luxurious and comfortable.Sherman was enjoying a late
meal there when the guard admittedGustavus Fox.
"Well, you have been a stranger, Gus. Pull up a chair and sit down. Have you
eaten?"
"Much earlier, thank you,Cumph ." Since their journey on theAurora, despite
their age disparity, they had grown quite close. "But it's my throat that's
parched; I could do with a drink."
"Easily done."Shermansignaled to a waiter. "Our departed hosts left behind
many barrels of fine ale. I shall join you in a glass. Perhaps we can even
toast theGatling gun. Have you heard the little poem that the gunners recite?"
"I don't believe that I have."
"It goes like this: 'Whatever happens, we have got / theGatling gun, and they
have not.' "
"It only speaks the truth."
"It does indeed. Now what brings you here?"
"A matter of some importance, I truthfully believe." Fox drank deeply from
his glass and nodded happily. "Capital." When the waiter had gone he took a
sheaf of papers from his pocket and slid them across the table. "I'll leave
these with you. But I can sum them up quite clearly. I have had my clerks
going through all the British military files, both army and navy. A good many
were destroyed, but the capitulation of the armed forces was so swift that
most of them were left behind. However, there were still masses of files
burned in the War Department fireplaces. Luckily the navy was not as astute
and duplicates of the ones that had been destroyed were found in their files.
What you have there are details of a convoy of ships. It is called Force A.
They sailed fromIndia some weeks ago."
"India?"Sherman frowned as he pulled the papers toward him. "What kind of a
convoy?"
"Troops.Fourteen troop-carrying vessels, most of them liners like the
SSDongola and SSKarmala. Among the units theRajput Fifty-first Pioneers are
listed. Along with the Second Battalion of North Lancashire Rifles, the
Twenty-fifth Battalion of Royal Fusiliers and more like that. They are
accompanied by a number of warships, including the HMSHomayun, as well as
thearmorclad HMSGoliath."
"I don't like this at all. A force this size can raise a lot of dander. When
are they due here?"
"If they keep to their schedule in about one week's time."
"Do you think they have been informed about the war and the occupation?"
"I am sure of that. As you know, most of the British navy that was at sea did
not return to port. More than one ship fledPortsmouth to escape capture. Some
Page 135
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
of them surely knew about this convoy and would go to join it. Also, the
convoy will have stopped at coaling stations en route, which would have been
informed by telegraph of world events. We can be sure that they know exactly
what has happened here."
"You're in the navy, Gus. Any idea of what we should do?"
Fox raised his hands in surrender."No, sir! This is well out of my league.
But I did send AdmiralFarragut a copy of these shipping movements and asked
him to join us here."
"A wise move.He is a sound tactician."
While the waiter was refilling their glasses,Sherman read through the papers
that Fox had given him. Then he had the waiter bring him a pencil and made
some notes on the back of one of those sheets. When he spoke again his voice
was grim.
"That is a sizable infantry force that is coming our way. I doubt if they
will have the strength to retake this country from us, but there will still be
some terrible battles if they manage to get ashore. If they do, there will
surely be risings as well from demobilized British soldiers. This is not what
we want."
AdmiralFarragut was of a like mind when he joined them."Bad news indeed. I've
sent orders to all our ships to refuel and stand ready."
"What do you plan to do?"Sherman asked.
"Nothing until we have worked out where the convoy is headed. They will not
go to the assigned ports that are in these orders, you can be sure of that.
They will know by now about the occupation and the commanding officer of the
troops will plan accordingly. I think the decision must be yours, General,
because this is a military matter. Their army commanders will be planning a
landing or landings. Their navy will act as an escort and provide fire to
cover any landings."
"That was my thought as well."Sherman finished his ale and rose. "Let us take
this discussion to my office and consult the maps there."
The map of theBritish Isles was unfolded on the desk below the oil lamp.
General Sherman studied it thoughtfully.
"Any ideas, Gus?" he asked.
"None!I have no intelligence of their destination and am no tactician. I will
not attempt to even guess."
"Very wise.Which leaves the responsibility to me.First let us limit the
possibilities." He tapped on the map. "I think that we can eliminate landings
in the north and west.Scotland andWales are too distant from the seat of
power.Cornwall is the same as well. We must look toLondon ."
"They will not attempt to come up theThames as we did,"Farragut said. "It is
common knowledge that our floating batteries are still stationed there. But
here to the east, in theWash , there are protected waters where landings are
possible.Or farther south, perhaps, at theportofHarwich ."
Shermanshook his head."Again too far from the center. Harwich is a
betterpossibility, it is surely close enough toLondon . But we would be warned
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
if they landed there and could easily mass the troops to stop them. Therefore
I believe that it is the south coast that we must worry about. They will know
that we have seizedPortsmouth , so they will not come ashore there. But here,
farther east along the south coast, it is very different.Flat beaches, shallow [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
Pennsylvania Rifles had now moved in, and he joined them. When the office
walls and the endless paperwork closed in on Sherman he would have his mount
saddled, then ride out intoGreenPark , or St. James's Park, which was just
across Birdcage Walk, and let the wind blow the cobwebs out of his brain. The
former commanding officer's quarters were spacious and very much to his
Page 134
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
liking. This officer had left the regimental trophies in their cabinets, the
bullet-riddled flags still hung upon the wall. When the occupation was over,
their rightful owners would return and find everything just as they had left
it. Meanwhile, a silken Stars and Stripes stood proudly on a bronze mount
before them all.
The officers' mess was luxurious and comfortable.Sherman was enjoying a late
meal there when the guard admittedGustavus Fox.
"Well, you have been a stranger, Gus. Pull up a chair and sit down. Have you
eaten?"
"Much earlier, thank you,Cumph ." Since their journey on theAurora, despite
their age disparity, they had grown quite close. "But it's my throat that's
parched; I could do with a drink."
"Easily done."Shermansignaled to a waiter. "Our departed hosts left behind
many barrels of fine ale. I shall join you in a glass. Perhaps we can even
toast theGatling gun. Have you heard the little poem that the gunners recite?"
"I don't believe that I have."
"It goes like this: 'Whatever happens, we have got / theGatling gun, and they
have not.' "
"It only speaks the truth."
"It does indeed. Now what brings you here?"
"A matter of some importance, I truthfully believe." Fox drank deeply from
his glass and nodded happily. "Capital." When the waiter had gone he took a
sheaf of papers from his pocket and slid them across the table. "I'll leave
these with you. But I can sum them up quite clearly. I have had my clerks
going through all the British military files, both army and navy. A good many
were destroyed, but the capitulation of the armed forces was so swift that
most of them were left behind. However, there were still masses of files
burned in the War Department fireplaces. Luckily the navy was not as astute
and duplicates of the ones that had been destroyed were found in their files.
What you have there are details of a convoy of ships. It is called Force A.
They sailed fromIndia some weeks ago."
"India?"Sherman frowned as he pulled the papers toward him. "What kind of a
convoy?"
"Troops.Fourteen troop-carrying vessels, most of them liners like the
SSDongola and SSKarmala. Among the units theRajput Fifty-first Pioneers are
listed. Along with the Second Battalion of North Lancashire Rifles, the
Twenty-fifth Battalion of Royal Fusiliers and more like that. They are
accompanied by a number of warships, including the HMSHomayun, as well as
thearmorclad HMSGoliath."
"I don't like this at all. A force this size can raise a lot of dander. When
are they due here?"
"If they keep to their schedule in about one week's time."
"Do you think they have been informed about the war and the occupation?"
"I am sure of that. As you know, most of the British navy that was at sea did
not return to port. More than one ship fledPortsmouth to escape capture. Some
Page 135
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
of them surely knew about this convoy and would go to join it. Also, the
convoy will have stopped at coaling stations en route, which would have been
informed by telegraph of world events. We can be sure that they know exactly
what has happened here."
"You're in the navy, Gus. Any idea of what we should do?"
Fox raised his hands in surrender."No, sir! This is well out of my league.
But I did send AdmiralFarragut a copy of these shipping movements and asked
him to join us here."
"A wise move.He is a sound tactician."
While the waiter was refilling their glasses,Sherman read through the papers
that Fox had given him. Then he had the waiter bring him a pencil and made
some notes on the back of one of those sheets. When he spoke again his voice
was grim.
"That is a sizable infantry force that is coming our way. I doubt if they
will have the strength to retake this country from us, but there will still be
some terrible battles if they manage to get ashore. If they do, there will
surely be risings as well from demobilized British soldiers. This is not what
we want."
AdmiralFarragut was of a like mind when he joined them."Bad news indeed. I've
sent orders to all our ships to refuel and stand ready."
"What do you plan to do?"Sherman asked.
"Nothing until we have worked out where the convoy is headed. They will not
go to the assigned ports that are in these orders, you can be sure of that.
They will know by now about the occupation and the commanding officer of the
troops will plan accordingly. I think the decision must be yours, General,
because this is a military matter. Their army commanders will be planning a
landing or landings. Their navy will act as an escort and provide fire to
cover any landings."
"That was my thought as well."Sherman finished his ale and rose. "Let us take
this discussion to my office and consult the maps there."
The map of theBritish Isles was unfolded on the desk below the oil lamp.
General Sherman studied it thoughtfully.
"Any ideas, Gus?" he asked.
"None!I have no intelligence of their destination and am no tactician. I will
not attempt to even guess."
"Very wise.Which leaves the responsibility to me.First let us limit the
possibilities." He tapped on the map. "I think that we can eliminate landings
in the north and west.Scotland andWales are too distant from the seat of
power.Cornwall is the same as well. We must look toLondon ."
"They will not attempt to come up theThames as we did,"Farragut said. "It is
common knowledge that our floating batteries are still stationed there. But
here to the east, in theWash , there are protected waters where landings are
possible.Or farther south, perhaps, at theportofHarwich ."
Shermanshook his head."Again too far from the center. Harwich is a
betterpossibility, it is surely close enough toLondon . But we would be warned
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
if they landed there and could easily mass the troops to stop them. Therefore
I believe that it is the south coast that we must worry about. They will know
that we have seizedPortsmouth , so they will not come ashore there. But here,
farther east along the south coast, it is very different.Flat beaches, shallow [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]