Fox at the Front (Fox on the Rhine) (72 page)
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Authors: Douglas Niles,Michael Dobson
BOOK: Fox at the Front (Fox on the Rhine)
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NEWSREEL FADE-IN
Headline
Headline
28 DECEMBER 1944
ROMMEL SURRENDERS!
NARRATOR
With the destruction of the remaining bridges in Dinant, Rommel stuns the world by offering to surrender unconditionally to the Allies! The motive behind this amazing event is still unclear, because even with the bridges of Dinant destroyed, Rommel is still in command of two panzer armies with substantial reserve forces ready to move forward. Early news suggests that Rommel’s growing distrust of the Nazi regime is a key to the event, and there are rumors of an attempted assassination aimed at the Desert Fox.
…
Combat Command A of the Nineteenth Armored Division, the leading force into Dinant, is reported to have taken heavy casualties, including the loss of commanding officer Colonel James Pulaski, Silver Star winner in North Africa. Pulaski, who was in command at the time of Rommel’s Somme counteroffensive and who was accused of brutality in the Metz Massacre, is …
Fox at the Front
is a sequel to
Fox on the Rhine
. They are novels of alternate history, in which an historical event—and the consequences of that event—are changed. The point of historical divergence in this story was the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler—the “Bomb Plot”—on July 20, 1944. In
Fox on the Rhine,
the attempt succeeded, and the Führer was killed in the explosion. As a result, the course of the Second World War during the last half of 1944 was altered. In
Fox at the Front,
this alternate history continues.
is a sequel to
Fox on the Rhine
. They are novels of alternate history, in which an historical event—and the consequences of that event—are changed. The point of historical divergence in this story was the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler—the “Bomb Plot”—on July 20, 1944. In
Fox on the Rhine,
the attempt succeeded, and the Führer was killed in the explosion. As a result, the course of the Second World War during the last half of 1944 was altered. In
Fox at the Front,
this alternate history continues.
Historical characters are portrayed in a fictional way; their actions, thoughts, words, and behavior after the point of divergence are solely the authors’ invention. Other characters in this book (with one exception) are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Additional information may be found at our Web site at
http://www.dobsonbooks.com
.
http://www.dobsonbooks.com
.
This book began on September 11, 2001. We had arranged a working session at Douglas Niles’ Wisconsin country home to map out the detailed plot and prepare a schedule for ourselves. Early that morning, Doug turned on the television set. We watched along with the rest of the nation and talked about war and hatred. Some of that found its way into this story.
September 11 was already significant to this tale, for on 11 September 1944, the real-life
Ford’s Folly,
the B-24H Liberator on which SSgt. Odell F. Dobson, Michael Dobson’s father (and the real-life model for Digger O’Dell), was shot down over Koblenz, Germany. All but two members of the crew perished; they are buried at the American Military Cemetery Margraten, The Netherlands.
Ford’s Folly,
the B-24H Liberator on which SSgt. Odell F. Dobson, Michael Dobson’s father (and the real-life model for Digger O’Dell), was shot down over Koblenz, Germany. All but two members of the crew perished; they are buried at the American Military Cemetery Margraten, The Netherlands.
We have been extremely fortunate in the wealth of people who have generously provided their time, counsel, support, and expertise in the writing, editing, and production of this book.
First, we would like to thank the team at Forge: Brian M. Thomsen, our tireless editor and champion, who first brought the proposal forward, and without whose gentle (and occasionally not so gentle) prodding the story would be far less than it is. Natasha Panza and her predecessor, Jim Minz, provided in-house coordination and listened with great patience and forgiveness to our various excuses for deadline extensions. The eagle-eyed Terry McGarry, our copy editor, caught every
typo. Heather Drucker, our publicist, made sure the book received every opportunity for visibility in a crowded marketplace.
typo. Heather Drucker, our publicist, made sure the book received every opportunity for visibility in a crowded marketplace.Our agents, Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen, not only provide able representation but advice, friendship, and support. We’re lucky to have them on our side.
Bill Connors did the maps for this volume.
We’re grateful for Parker Hurlburt, who sat in a bar in Mission, Kansas, until 2 A.M. with Michael and unwittingly became the first person to hear the
very earliest version of what turned into Operation Wolkenbrand. We’re grateful for Edward R. Smith, who created the character of Reid Sanger (though with a different name) for a really cool juvenile novel he never actually got around to writing. We’re grateful for the members of the Alliterates Literary Society (
www.alliterates.com
), of which Doug is, by acclamation, the most handsome member, for managing to keep pace, beer for beer.
very earliest version of what turned into Operation Wolkenbrand. We’re grateful for Edward R. Smith, who created the character of Reid Sanger (though with a different name) for a really cool juvenile novel he never actually got around to writing. We’re grateful for the members of the Alliterates Literary Society (
www.alliterates.com
), of which Doug is, by acclamation, the most handsome member, for managing to keep pace, beer for beer.
The German proofreading was done by Thomas Karman and AnneLee Gilder. AnneLee took the time away from her work as coauthor of an upcoming book on Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe with her husband Joshua (
Ghost Image
) Gilder.
Ghost Image
) Gilder.
Technical comments and corrections were made by (in alphabetical order) Mark Acres, Rosemary Bergman Althoff, Fred Baxter, Mark Biniecki, Robert Dustrude (1st Lt. USAAF Ret), Tony Harrison, Peter Jedicke, E. W. Kelly
(LtCol USA Ret), Gerard Marzilli, Jr., Donald E. Niles, Sr., Andy Nunez, Rory Patterson, Dan Rinehart, Professor Jan Robin, Kevin Rose, and Mark Vetter. Any errors remaining, of course, are the sole responsibility and fault of the authors.
Friendship, support, and wise counsel came from many sources, notably (also in alphabetical order) Ralph Benko (who loaned his name for a Soviet tank general), Frank Chadwick (whose tireless friendship and scholarship makes him truly One To Foresee For One), Moshe Feder (who said many nice things without having to do so), Elle Furlong (who unraveled the mysteries of the Russian patronymic and taught us several Russian swear words), S. Keith Keel (designer of the Dobsonbooks Web site), Ted Leemann (for advice on marketing, character, and project management), Humayun Mirza (for insight into the Desert Fox and many other players of the period), and Charlotte Porter (for lending her name and a few inside jokes to our own favorite AP guy, Chuck “No Relation” Porter).
We thank our families, especially our wives, Christine Niles and Deborah Dobson, for their patience, love, and support throughout this project.
The Web site at
www.dobsonbooks.com
has information, bibliographic citations, comments, and game scenarios for Douglas Niles’ SPI/TSR boardgames ONSLAUGHT: D-DAY TO THE RHINE
TM
and WORLD WAR II: EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS
TM
.
www.dobsonbooks.com
has information, bibliographic citations, comments, and game scenarios for Douglas Niles’ SPI/TSR boardgames ONSLAUGHT: D-DAY TO THE RHINE
TM
and WORLD WAR II: EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS
TM
.
Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson
11 September 2001 to 31 January 2003
Delavan, Wisconsin, and Bethesda, Maryland
11 September 2001 to 31 January 2003
Delavan, Wisconsin, and Bethesda, Maryland
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.
FOX AT THE FRONT
Copyright © 2003 by Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
Cartography by William W. Connors
A Forge Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Forge
®
is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
®
is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
eISBN 9781466818347
First eBook Edition : March 2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Niles, Douglas.
Fox at the front / Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Sequel to: Fox on the Rhine.
“A Forge book”—T.p. verso.
1. World War, 1939–1945—Fiction. I. Dobson, Michael Singer. II. Title.
PS3564.I375F68 2003
813’ .54—dc21
2003049141
First Edition: November 2003
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