[PART 71]

DAY FIFTEEN: 16 September 1938

One of the reporters from the Times of New London, ‘imbedded’ with Committee forces recorded his words for “future readers of the paper – if any”. “Committee Marines have landed on the tip of Antarctica and are attacking Martian forces now moving away from the destroyed Martian base. Hand-to-hand combat with Martians and Hybrid-Xs has been reported by reliable sources before the Martian strong hold was taken. Humans held captive in camps on Antarctica just south of the base were freed after the camps were overrun. One of the freed humans was found to be wearing a small piece of jewelry she said had been handed down for a very long time and recently to her. She was the latest ‘designate’ to hold on to this ‘reminder of home.’ She did not seem to understand what it all meant. We understand the piece had come from one of the individuals who had disappeared from the lost colony of Roanoke hundreds of years ago! It would seem they had kept the faith for hundreds of years. These full-humans bred on Mars had not been brought to Earth to fight for the Martians. They were brought to Earth to feed the Martians. This was the first group of humans taken from Mars to be freed by our combat forces.”

As the reporter noted our forces had landed in strength on the coast of Antarctica. Several camps holding humans had been spotted earlier by our submarine landing teams and plans were soon developed to attack these camps and rescue these people. We did not realize that all the humans we were rescuing from the camp had been brought from Mars until the operation was well underway. This came as a great surprise as well as an intelligence bonanza. The information these people had was invaluable and as such many were soon on their way to New Zealand for de-briefing.

When electronic documents taken from a Martian Command bunker under the ice at Palmer Peninsula were later examined they detailed the Martian geologic battle plan for Earth. We had been correct in our understanding of why the Martians had attacked the planet itself. They were not only trying to cool off the entire planet with volcanic attacks and massive forest and grassland fires they had also intended to knock it off its axis with their powerful massed first strike on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, so energetic it would change the planet’s rotation therefore causing the planet to orbit the Sun at a greater distance. Only later would we be able to discover whether or not they had been successful.

After securing the general area on the tip of Palmer Peninsula a combat observation team was set up with radars and burst radios to monitor and report any local Martian activity. The ground team would be supplied and supported by three submarines ordered on station by Neptune now commanding the Atlantic Submarine Fleet from the CS Star Fish. At the time Neptune was on station off the coast of the Falkland Islands. He would soon sail north to supervise a new assault on the Giza Command Center.

THE SECOND ATOMIC BOMB MISSION

After arriving at the Bermuda Islands under heavy air escort, which at the time were experiencing snow for the first time in recorded history, the three Phoenix IIAs were rolled into aircraft bunkers to be inspected and checked out before continuing across the Atlantic. Their special ‘cargo’ was also carefully inspected and loaded with its atomic fuse. The weapon was now operational. Along the intended flight path aircraft carriers were being positioned to form an almost continuous air escort for the bomb group.

As part of the operational plan a so-called “pre-attack series” was forming up on bases in Western Europe in order to keep the Martians off balance. If we did not attack their base they certainly would have been suspicious and on their guard so we decided to give them a show. It was hoped an attack in strength against their Giza Command Center with bombers and Phoenix IIs would satisfy the Martians that another expected attack on their base had been attempted. With luck they would not be expecting and thus not be prepared for a follow-up attack only hours later from an entirely different direction by only three aircraft.

In addition to these air attacks on Giza, attacks on Martian ground forces by bombers and Phoenix IIs ongoing at the time, was scheduled to increase at the same time the atomic bomb group was on their way across the Atlantic, along much of the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea on a front from Antioch to Port Said. Additionally rocket firing submarines were set to engage Martian positions on the islands of Crete and Cyprus followed up by a strong commando raid on a Martian Heat-Ray installation on Crete. Finally, a strong naval force of Russian and Moldavian warships were set to fire on Martian shore positions at Istanbul on the southern coast of the Black Sea. All of these attacks made to “keep the Martians busy” had real tactical value as well as each targeted area would support local guerrilla operations ongoing in these areas. Rear area attacks by our scattered forces in these areas had been very effective. It was thought likely the Martians would see these attacks as supporting those operations and not paving the way for the “main event” at Giza. Most of these support operations were to be completed before the atomic bomb was ‘delivered’ to its target.

After a three hour stay over at Bermuda the flight took off heading for the carrier CS Reliance stationed just south-west of the Cape Verde Islands in the Eastern Atlantic.

THE MARTIAN SOUTH

Evacuations out of Santo Antonio do Zaire were continuing but at a much reduced pace as fewer and fewer survivors made it to the only coastal area in Southern Africa still held by Committee forces. Nevertheless, our re-enforced units had been able to expand the area taking advantage of air superiority and additional ground forces. However, despite our large Naval presence the Martians were able to attack several of our warships and a dozen civilian vessels off the coast which cost two destroyers, one cruiser and ten other ships sunk by Martian water craft. They had sent twenty-six of these small attack boats of which only six were able to return to their base. Twenty were now lying at the bottom of the ocean. Once again it had been a deadly encounter for both sides.

Martian forces continued their attack on Lower-Sydney with medium sized Walkers pouring out Black Smoke but they were stopped by flame-thrower squads. Main tunnels were once again dynamited in order to hold back the Martians. It was also reported that two small Walkers had been captured with their Heat-Rays now turned on the Martians.

On the southern island of New Zealand our forces continued to push the Martians south with moderate casualties. Clearly the decisive factor was our bomber attacks and air-to-ground sorties by Thunder Jets and Phoenix IIs. At Burketown we were finally advancing out from the perimeter but the progress was slow as Martian resistance stiffened. The enemy had surrounded the pocket with thousands of Walkers many pulled from other areas and they were very determined to overrun this much disputed pocket of resistance. They were as determined to hold their ground as we were to take it back.

In South America despite our re-enforced landings on the coast of French Guiana and our success in pushing the Martians away from the coast at Amapa and Paramaribo our efforts had stalled and had been unable to push the enemy any farther. The Martians had clearly re-enforced their ground forces with additional Walkers, Heat-Rays as well as flying machines attacking in groups of three and four.

In Central Africa radio contact had been re-established with military forces fighting inside the CLZ. Units had been formed near Ft. Sibut to fight the Martians within the CLZ. With this information Apollo sent word the Committee would recognize the Central African Liberation Army as the government of the CLZ and would be supplied by Committee air drops if possible. The lawless zone designation would be suspended pending a review at the end of hostilities. For the time being the Committee had new allies in Africa.

Most southern cables were no longer operational and burst message traffic was becoming spotty. For the most part a great silence had fallen over much of the south as pockets of resistance continued the fight. Submarine transmissions were still usable but only far enough away from Martian held coastal areas where some type of underwater interference was still being conducted. Our submarines in the south were now operating out of secret island locations where pre-stationed supplies had been stored in anticipation of just such a situation. High speed Phoenix IIs, stripped of their bomb racks with added fuel tanks were being used as curriers in the south.

In the air over the ‘Martian South’ our fighters were continuing to encounter limited enemy aircraft and were engaging in dog-fights at very good odds. Most of this effort was being supported by aircraft carriers due to the very limited ground Committee and National forces still held in the south. Despite being spread thin we had air superiority and would continue to take advantage of the situation as long as we could keep our combat aircraft in the air. We were still losing aircraft on a daily basis due to atmospheric conditions much more than combat losses. Transporting replacement engines to our limited aircraft service areas in the south was becoming a major problem.

NORTH PLANET EARTH

In the north Martian ground operations had not let up even as we pressed hard to fully control the skies over the Northern Hemisphere. They were still moving forward on several fronts even though they were now clearly running out of steam at many locations. One operation they were not slowing down on was the elimination of as many humans as they could get their ‘hands’ on in rear areas. Spotty reports coming out of rear areas indicated no new concentration camps were being formed in most overrun sections and it was felt the Martians had “enough food supplies to sustain their present operations”. Now with increased rear area forces they appeared to be killing as many people as they could find having already destroyed much of the targeted human infrastructure. Removing most humans was their next logical step.

Despite our best efforts most of south-east Asia and China was now under Martian occupation. Most Chinese forces still fighting were formed up in a large pocket in the south central area on a line from Chungking, Changsha and Shanghai now called the “Shanghai Perimeter”. Literally millions of fleeing Chinese had moved to the mountainous area as had several defeated Chinese armies now re-forming units in these protected areas. They would soon be counter-attacking but could not possibly hold out for long due to limited supplies of all kinds. Having said that hundreds of ships had sailed to Shanghai unloading much needed supplies and taking off thousands of refugees from the fighting. Many of these ships sailed out not really knowing where to go. Some would eventually make their way to the Carolina and Marshall Islands in the Western Pacific but the damage done to these areas during the first attack of the war had been substantial and there was little remaining to greet them.

By this day all of Korea lay in Martian hands accept the capital of Seoul and the fortified city of Pusan both of which had proven far too tough to fall to Martian forces despite being hit by withering fire from all sides. Both cities were being supplied by air drops as well as naval forces from Pusan Harbor still operational and very heavily guarded. Our Committee Secret Service Communications Center COM 6 in Seoul was still operational, sending out a steady stream of information by secure cable through Pusan on to the Pacific Submarine Fleet and then on to Committee Headquarters. The Pacific cables were no longer operational.

In Japan the only operational area not in Martian hands was a small pocket of resistance centered around the port city of Yokohama which was heavily defended by the remnants of three Japanese Army Groups and a strong naval presence. Additional forces were landing at the port to reinforce the defense. The Martians had simply ended any attempts to capture Yokohama at least for the present time.

In North America having crossed over from Russia to Alaskan Territory the Martians continued moving east and south against heavy resistance attempting to link-up with their forces moving north-west out of Canada. United States, Canadian and Committee forces had slowed their advance but they continued to gain ground. The area populated by no more than 30,000 people would now be hotly contested. Committee forces once again counter-attacked with mustard gas.

In the United States enemy attacks had been held at most northern points along the enemy’s line of advance, however, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburg and Boston were now firmly behind enemy lines. In the south Martians now controlled a line north from the coast of California just south of San Francisco, to north of Amarillo, south of Oklahoma City, south of Tulsa, to Little Rock, Birmingham and just south of our Underground Military Base MB3 at Atlanta. Their advanced Florida forces had linked up with their armies to the west and had effectively sealed off the Gulf of Mexico which had by the end of the day’s fighting become a Martian controlled gulf. They were continuing to press a north-south vice grip on the Americans as our forces continued to exact as high a cost on the Martians as we could.

Troops just outside of London

In England only the south-east corner of the island nation with London as its northern most point was being held. Heavy losses have been inflicted on both sides as the British deployed the last of their reserve forces. Small tunneling machines had been brought up to the Martian front which was expected to be used to enter Lower-London. All of north Ireland had been overrun with only one pocket held by Irish and Committee forces in the south centered on Cork. The area was being held and re-enforced with units evacuated from Martian controlled Ireland, landing at Cork Harbor. Warships were now firing on Martian forces to the east and west of the “Cork Redoubt” with good effect. Air cover was still strong around Cort.

On the continent of Europe national and Committee armies were holding an area 400 to 800 miles wide roughly centered on Geneva, Bern, Vienna, Budapest, Odessa and Rostov east to the western edge of the Caspian Sea. Despite tremendous efforts by Siberian Armies the Martians had pushed to the northern shore of the Caspian Sea where they have been stopped. A 1500 mile roughly circular territory centered on Ashkhabad including all of the Caspian Sea including Yerevan, Teheran, Mashhad, Samarkand, Kabul and Srinagar was still being held but under pressure from all sides, as was a 300 mile wide stretch of land from the Aral Sea north all the way past the Arctic Circle, under control by armies from the USSR and China supported by several reformed units by the Committee.

The enemy continued their attacks on central Europe as Stalin launched his next massive tank and artillery assault on the Martians at several points along the Stalingrad and Moscow fronts. During these attacks the Russians reported capturing hundreds of Martians who were immediately executed, capturing dozens of Martian Walkers. In a rare moment of honesty the Russians also reported casualties ran upwards of 2 million dead for the four day battle – both military and civilian. The Committee deployed several Phoenix II flyers to attack Martian Walkers fighting the Russians just outside of Stalingrad as Russian tanks and massed artillery slugged it out with Martian re-enforcements. Both sides had deployed deadly gasses, mustard by the Russians and Black Smoke by the Martians. Bombers and Phoenix IIs were attacking large Martian formations as Europe became a numbers game of death.

From somewhere near Stalingrad an unidentified amateur radio operator reported some of what he saw before the radio which was weak and scratchy at best went dead. This eyewitness account among others would end up in one of many after action papers edited by H. G. Wells. “…of a better mettle. Hidden by a pine wood as they were, they seem to have been quite unsuspected by the Martians nearest to them. They laid their guns as deliberately as if they had been on parade, and fired at about a thousand yards’ range. The shells flashed all around it, and it was seen to advance a few paces, stagger, and go down. Everybody yelled together, and the guns were reloaded in frantic haste. The overthrown Martian set up a prolonged ululation, and immediately a second glittering giant, answering him, appeared over the trees to the south. It would seem that a leg of the tripod had been smashed by one of the shells. The whole of the second volley flew wide of the Martian on the ground, and, simultaneously, both his companions brought their Heat-Rays to bear on the battery. The ammunition blew-up, the pine trees all about the guns flashed into fire, and only one or two of the men who were already running over the crest of the hill escaped. After this it seemed…”

Siberian forces reported they were in hand-to-hand combat with combined Martian A, grays and hybrid troops and were slowly being pushed back. Artillery still controlled much of the battle field in front of Stalingrad.

THE BOMB RUN

The flight across the Atlantic had progressed without any real problems even as the weather seemed to increase in intensity as the group flew closer to the coast of Africa. The only difficulty was making a safe landing on the deck of the CS Reliance now sailing in heavy gale-force winds. Nevertheless, after two attempts the team was able to land safely if not a bit bumpy for refueling and some much needed rest.

The bomb mission was handed over to a fresh crew fully briefed and ready to go. One hour after landing and with the replacement of one of the Phoenix IIAs which had shown some mechanical problems the new team took off for the final run at Giza. The three Phoenix IIAs would be on their own planning to fly low all the way to the target. For much of the flight the group would be flying over human controlled territory crossing the west coast of Africa near central Gambia heading east across the desert. The flight plan had designated ground control points at Kayes, Tessalit, Djado and on to Bardai. From the Bardai geographic ground point it would be a straight run across Martian occupied Libyan and Egyptian deserts to Giza.

ATTACK ON THE SOUTH GEORGIA COMMAND CENTER

The attack plan on the new Martian Command Center on South Georgia Island had been completed. Unfortunately, it was not possible to launch the attack at the same time as the Giza bombing mission. However, it would begin not long after the Giza attack was planned to occur. Fourteen submarines and thirty-four other warships had made their way to a point just over the horizon north of the base and were moving with all speed towards their target. At 11 p.m. local the battleships and destroyers began to fire on the base followed by salvos from the missile firing submarines. Soon after the bombardment began sixteen carrier launched Whitehead B4 bombers hit the triangular shaped base. They were preceded by air-to-ground attacks by Phoenix IIs focusing on Heat-Rays and the few parked Martian Flying Machines.

Even with the combined firepower focused on the base three Martian machines managed to take off. They were engaged by no fewer than 22 of our fighters in a dog-fight lasting no longer than ten minutes. It was clear these Martian pilots were not new at this game as they soon downed five of our aircraft before any of our pilots got off a clear shot. All three machines were eventually shot down but at a cost of 18 Phoenix IIs. This cost was as high as our losses had been at the start of the war. However, as far as available air resources were concerned at the time it had cost the Martians a much greater percentage of their combat aircraft than our side.

With the skies now cleared of Martian machines the task force sent to destroy the center began landing Marines who, though they met no resistance on the beaches, saw heavy fighting as they moved inland closing on the base positioned around 2000 feet off the beach. It was at this point a very large ‘unidentified craft’ at great altitude flew slowly over the area. It did nothing but hover over the area for a few minutes before slowly flying north. It seemed the ‘others’ were still keeping watch.

As the unknown craft moved off our forces continued to fight their way into the base. Ground observers were putting in a good days’ work directing the fighters to selected point targets on the island. With the amount of combat forces in the air, on the sea and in the landing force we had good confidence we could completely destroy the Martian Command Center within a few days despite the below freezing weather, snow falling and ice packs surrounding most of the island.

A NEW MARTIAN BATTLE FLEET

The Russian Academy of Science in Stalingrad was the first to see them coming. A break in the clouds that evening had not lasted longer than a few minutes but it happened as the Martians were approaching Earth in line of sight from Eastern Europe. When the director of the academy was informed that a large group of Martian craft was heading towards Earth all he could say was, “My god they’ve sent in a second group!” A flash message was sent to London Committee headquarters at the same time Stalin was notified. The few operational radar’s still able to ‘see’ were soon counting new Martian craft in Earth orbit. Enemy re-enforcements had arrived, and if our radars were correct some of these new craft were massive; much larger than any we had yet seen operated by the Martians.

The battle for Earth had taken another decidedly dangerous turn for the worst. Hours’ after the first report intelligence teams counted over 200 new Martian machines in polar orbit ready to attack any point on Earth. When that message reached my desk I felt a deep pain in my stomach which was hard to explain. All I could say to Dr. Pickering who was in the combat center at the time was, “My friend I believe we have just lost this war.” The good doctor had nothing to say as he turned vary pale.

The Martians had launched this new wave of spacecraft as their primary launch site rotated to the night side which always faces away from Earth since Mars orbits farther away from our Sun (in a so-called superior orbit). We therefore could not observe any of these new launches. With most of our deep space radars destroyed during the war we had little in the way of observation capability to see them coming even if the atmosphere had allowed such work. Once again the Martians had planned well and we had been caught off guard. Yet, even if we had such information I wondered if there was anything we could have done differently at this point in the war.

Final launch of Committee rocket targeted at incoming Martian Flying Machine outside of New Washington.

[END PART 71]

Copyright © R. Michael Gordon, 2020

[NEXT WEEK: PART 72: THE OCEAN WAR BEGINS; INVASION MAP 6.]