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------New York harbor 0010 hrs GMT Saturday May 22, 1915

A US flagged freighter of 5,400 tons steamed out of the harbor bound for Cork. Her cargo consisted of motor vehicles, mostly trucks but a few buses and cars as well. The majority of the trucks were made by GMC Trucks, a sales company subsidiary of General Motors that combined the formerly separate Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and the Reliance Motor Truck Company. The rest were made Mack Brothers Motor Car Company which was currently owned by the International Motor Truck Corporation.

------HQ Ireland Command Curragh (Kildare) 0015 hrs

Gen. Hamilton was on the telephone with BGen. Lowe, the commander of the Eastern Region. "General, we still have received no word from Col. Churchill about his pursuit of the remnants of Dublin Brigade," Lowe reported, "I then became deeply concerned. I sent motorcyclists to make try to make contact but they failed to return. I then sent 3 motor cars with constables. One of those cars returned a few minutes ago. The constables in that car claim that they were ambushed by rebels along the Military Road north of Laragh. The other vehicles we sent did not escape the ambush."

"Hmm this is most ominous," replied Hamilton, "Is it possible that Col. Churchill got himself into some trouble. Still I thought that Dublin Brigade had been whittled down to a few hundred and was nearly out of ammunition."

"It is admittedly something of a mystery, sir, and we don't know for a fact yet that he is serious trouble. It could merely be that Churchill succeeded in destroying most of Dublin Brigade but a small portion escaped and is temporarily disrupting his line of communication."

"That is the most likely scenario but we cannot afford to ignore other possibilities. For one thing the Hussars at Arklow may have come to aid of the rebels."

"Our intelligence estimates that force at Arklow as being one or two squadrons of Hussars, general. Perhaps if they worked in conjunction with the rebels they have bottled up the Royal Scots Fusiliers in the mountains. Should I dispatch one of the Royal Irish Rifles battalions down the Military Road to see if Col. Churchill has gotten himself into trouble?"

"I regard that as a prudent move just in case Sir Winston has managed once again to get himself into trouble."

"I will do so but I must respectfully remind the general that doing so would leave me with only one battalion in Dublin County."

"Yes, only one Army battalion, general. You still have over 800 constables at your disposal. With the Irish Volunteers crushed that should be sufficient to keep a lid on things. Oh, and that reminds me, the Imperial Staff has notified me that they have decided to send over the 4^th Grenadier Guards today. It should be arriving at Kingstown before noon. You will have trains standing by to take them to Nenagh immediately. It is your responsibility to ensure that they are entrained as quickly as possible."

"I will see to it, general. It is simply splendid to hear that a battalion of that elite regiment is coming to Ireland. Are there any other reinforcements due to arrive soon?"

Hamilton exchanged glances with Gen. Braithwaite, his chief of staff. They had learned during the night that the High Seas Fleet was returning to Ireland bringing additional reinforcements. They were hoping that this ominous development might persuade the War Committee to send them an additional division immediately but that had not materialized so far. They had both been ordered in the strongest terms not to share this intelligence with their subordinates. "Some replacement troops for both the West Riding and Lowland Divisions, roughly 400 men each, will be arriving around the same time as the Grenadier Guards. You are to send them on their way as quickly as possible along with the supplies that will arriving as well, but the 4^th Grenadier Guards are to be awarded top priority. Is that clear?"

"Yes, general. Perfectly clear, sir."

------SMS Stralsund Western Approaches 0055 hrs

The sky out here had few clouds and the moon was now first quarter. Under these conditions Stralsund was able to take a night time prize. This was a 4,900 ton freighter out of Charleston with a cargo of cigarettes. After considerable discussion amongst the senior German officers about this prize they decided to try to keep her.

------Mungret (Limerick) 0105 hrs

During their fairly brief stopover in Croom, Maj. Ritter von Thoma had been gratified that 71 men and 2 women had come forward to join the West Limerick Battalion. It was always a problem integrating new members into the unit but nevertheless it was a problem he was glad to have. His battalion had suffered heavy cumulative losses and was now organized into only two weak companies. He assigned all of the newcomers to his 2^nd company. Whenever possible he would try to give them some training. He would try to use that company sparingly and rely mostly on the 1^st company, where most of the survivors had become battle hardened.

At sunset his men along with replacement marines for the Naval Division and the supply wagons departed for Limerick. There had been some light rain when they started but it soon tapered off and the clouds began to break up revealing the moon. When they reached Patrickswell they did not take the most direct road to Limerick but instead continued north to Mungret. They had yet to see any signs of the enemy on their trip.

As they entered the village of Mungret the lead company of the West Limerick Battalion were momentarily startled when they were approached by 6 armed women on bicycles, who abruptly emerged out of the shadows and were nearly shot. One woman was clearly in charge and demanded to see the commanding officer. Ritter von Thoma was with the lead company at the time and stepped forward. "I am Maj. Von Thoma, I.R.A. and I am in command of the West Limerick Battalion."

The woman saluted sharply, "Honored to meet you, major. I am Staff Sergeant Donahue from the 5^th Kerry Battalion. We were out on patrol. If you are heading for Limerick, you should be warned that we spotted a sizeable enemy patrol to the east of here less than 15 minutes earlier. We dunna think that they spotted us though."

The major snorted almost cynically and shook his head slightly. This woman who claimed to be a staff sergeant was strange but he had encountered many strange things since coming to Ireland and this woman was merely the most recent not the strangest. "And how large is this patrol?" he asked.

"I would estimate them as being somewhere between 40 and 60 men, major."

The major rubbed his chin. He debated with himself whether or not to attack. On the one hand it might alert the enemy to their presence. On the other hand it would be best to try to surprise them now and not risk being ambushed by them later. After a minute he told Donahue, "I am going to take one of my companies and deal with this enemy patrol. Could you give me directions as to where you spotted the enemy patrol."

Mother Superior frowned, "Major, trying to tell you is likely to result in confusion under these conditions. It would be best if we were to lead you there in person."

I had a feeling she was going to say that thought von Thoma shaking his head cynically well maybe because it makes some sense He then ordered the commander of the 2^nd company, the one with all the new arrivals, to assist the Ersatz Marines in escorting the vital supply wagons into Limerick. The smaller but more experienced 1^st company he led with Sgt. Donahue and her fellow amazons by his side. Under the feeble illumination provided by a setting quarter moon his company fell upon the enemy patrol. The major was only a little bit surprised when the women from 5^th Kerry Battalion engaged in the firefight. What was downright unsettling to von Thoma is that they performed rather well, esp. SSgt. Donahue.

Meanwhile the supplies and reinforcements entered Limerick without any trouble. Both were quickly distributed.

------Mullingar (Westmeath) 0150 hrs

The lead company of the Cavan Battalion groped and stumbled its way in the dark into the town of Mullingar. At the edge of the town they ran into roadblock manned by 5 constables whom they soon overwhelmed though one of them escaped to warn the rest inside the town. Cavan Battalion then lurched into town encountering resistance only at the train station and the R.I.C. station. The rebels were unable to take the former but the latter turned out to be inadequately guarded. They were able to overpower the constables coming out of the darkness with men armed with shotguns. Inside the station they found supplies incl. ammunition as well as the highly variegated array of firearms that had been confiscated from both the local company of Irish Volunteers and battalion of Redmond's National Volunteers.

-------Philadelphia harbor 0155 hrs GMT

Another large collier departed Philadelphia hauling Pennsylvania anthracite to Ireland.

------Meiszagola (Lithuania) 0200 hrs

The Russian infantry tried again to retake the crest of the key hill. This attack was reinforced with 2 poorly trained Territorial battalions where less than half of the men had a rifle. The Germans had brought up searchlights and their illumination was soon supplemented by parachute flares and star shells. Some of the attackers made it through the weak wire barrier into the German trenches but very few had grenades and their trench fighting skills were inferior to the defenders. They inflicted some casualties on the Germans but suffered many more in process and in the end were repelled completely.

------Noyelles-sur-Mer (Picardy) 0225 hrs

Until recently the tenuous line of communication of the British First Army was barely able to handle the minimum nightly flow of supplies. For that reason Gen. Haig had been disinclined to send very many of his wounded back through it lest they clog the key road. Instead less than 300 wounded were evacuated each night by boat at Le Crotoy. This inability to evacuate most of the wounded entailed considerable hardship as First Army was receiving only about half the medical supplies its overcrowded field hospitals so badly needed.

In the last few days the flow of supplies, esp. ammunition, to First Army had been seriously cut. This was because there was no sea traffic between Britain and France. What food and fodder they were receiving was coming from the French. The change from bully beef would've been welcomed by the Tommies except that the quantity of French food was insufficient. There had been fears the last night that German warships might shell this road but mercifully nothing had come of that. With the road less crowded Gen. Haig decided to send nearly 5,000 of the wounded belonging to the decimated 4^th Infantry Division back down the road across the Somme as a preliminary move to sending the rest of that division south at a later date. The horse drawn ambulances of division's 3 ambulance companies were supplemented by putting some of the wounded into the supply wagons used by the ASC companies which delivered food and fodder that night. There was too little petrol left in B.E.F. to use its motor ambulances. The horses drawing the ambulances were weak and sickly having been seriously underfed for more than a fortnight.

Any of the wounded who could walk at all did so. Some of the more lightly wounded assisted those comrades who were having trouble keeping up. As usual the certain German batteries registered on the road during the late afternoon then sporadically shelled it throughout the night esp. the sections around Morlay and Noyelles-sur-Mer where the road lay closest to the frontline. As the batteries of I Army Corps were dangerously low on shells they made no attempt to suppress the German batteries this night. There was now another one of these firing episodes with 7.7cm shrapnel shells bursting close enough to the column to cause casualties. In this stretch of the road a series of slit trenches had been dug along the sides of the road for the use of the nightly ASC convoys. Those soldiers that could walk dove into these trenches as soon as the shelling started. The seriously wounded soldiers inside the ambulances did not have that luxury and suffered the worst for it along with the medics who remained with them and the poor draught horses.

The shelling stopped after 3 minutes. Those soldiers that were in the slit trenches returned to the road. As the march restarted so did the German batteries not because they could see what was happening but merely because they had over time learned how to play a cat and mouse game with the British ASC companies during the night. This shelling lasted another 3 minutes causing additional casualties to the wounded and the soldiers who attended them. When this round of shelling ended, the surviving recipients were more hesitant about resuming their march south but eventually did so without further interruption. Several of the ambulances were now hauling corpses.

------Ennis (Clare) 0230 hrs

Gen. Wilson, the commander of VI Army Corps continued to press Gen. Baldock, the commander of the West Riding Division for progress. Discouraged by the results near Sixmilebridge, Baldock decided to make another night time assault on the city of Ennis which anchored the enemy's left flank. About half of the defenders at Ennis were the rebels of the West Clare and Central Clare Battalions. Gen. Baldock hurled 6 battalions into this assault including the entire 109^th Brigade. The attackers suffered heavy losses and were only able to penetrate the defences in one sector guarded by the West Clare Battalion. Even that modest success soon bogged down in vicious house to house fighting.

------vicinity of Shavli (Lithuania) 0300 hrs

The Russian XXXVII and XIX Army Corps made simultaneous night attacks against the Army of the Dvina, with the former from the northwest while the latter hit from ENE. By this time the XXXVII Army Corps which consisted mostly of poorly trained men had already suffered staggering losses in the fighting around Shavli. The attack it now mounted was relatively weak and accomplished very little. The XIX Army Corps had better trained men, many of them with months of combat experience, and had suffered considerably less casualties in the battle so far. Their attack therefore performed better, and was able to advance a kilometer against the 11^th Landwehr Division taking a few prisoners in the process but then was able to advance no further.

------Kesh (Fermanagh) 0305 hrs

The Northern Ireland Brigade was on the march again. Col. Heinrici still felt that staying in one spot for too long was to court disaster. He knew that the British force he had engaged at Pettigoe was still nearby. He had taken a good bite out of it but he knew it still remained a threat and suspected that it would likely tail his brigade. Heinrici was not sure of its exact strength and so felt that trying to eliminate it was too risky at this time.

Yesterday afternoon he had considered trying to take Omagh, the county town of Tyrone. He decided it was likely to be at least moderately well defended. If he was able to take it at all it would likely be costly. The men in his brigade told Heinrici that the area around the village of Dromore was overwhelmingly Catholic and took pride in their rebellious history. It was hill country suitable for defense. From there he could cut the important rail line that ran from Omagh into Enniskillen where there was a bridge crossing Lough Erne. He decided that would be his brigade's next destination.

------south of Neuilly-L'Hôpital (Picardy) 0500 hrs

The bombardment of the British IV Army Corps which had been intermittent through the night now intensified. The British batteries had even less shells than the day before. Gen. Plumer, the commander of Second Army, had strongly ordered them not to attempt to duel with the Germans. This let the German howitzers chew up the British trenches with impunity During the night small parties of pioneers escorted by a few riflemen had opened a few gaps in the already weak British wire barrier. The German howitzers opened up some more holes.

Part of this bombardment was directed at the Belgian 5^th Infantry Division to the east. The Belgians had whittled down their once impressive stockpile of shells in the last 3 weeks. They began to duel with the Germans but once they realized that their trenches were being spared the wrath of the enemy howitzers, they went silent and repositioned themselves.

------Paris 0505 hrs

After the war the execution of de Valera became a popular topic amongst Spanish writers and artists, the most famous example being the painting by Salvador Dali, which is considered by some to be his best work and by others merely his most grotesque.

------Kilmainham Jail (Dublin) 0520 hrs

Ironically in the last few minutes of her life, the Countess Markievicz found herself thinking of Eamon de Valera. She recalled how as commandant of the 3^rd Dublin Battalion he refused to let the women assigned to his unit carry arms. At the time that had made her angry but now she merely found it oddly amusing. She wondered what had happened to the dour Mr. de Valera, the math teacher. Last she heard he was in Spain making propaganda speeches on their behalf which did not strike her as being very dangerous. She was much more worried about the fate of Pound. She was well aware that he had fallen head over heels in love with her. She in turn loved Ezra but not in that way. She wondered if the British might be reluctant to execute Pound because he was an American citizen. She hoped so. She also remembered poor James Connolly, who had been unjustly executed with great fondness. If there really was an afterlife she would be joining him soon. She briefly wondered what ever happened to silver tongued Jim Larkin. Would he ever make it back to Ireland?

She also thought of her daughter and realized with regret that she had not been the best of mothers, being more interested in politics than child rearing. The countess hoped she would some day forgive her mother. She tried to not to think at all about Casimir, her cruel ex-husband.

She suddenly heard the distinctive sound of a volley being fired in the distance. This was the second time she had heard that sound this morning. The first time there had been a pair of Capuchin friars in her cell doing their best to spare her agnostic soul the torment of eternal hellfire. She had finally insisted that they go save someone else's souls, maybe their own.

Two soldiers led by a subaltern now approached her cell. "It is time, Your Excellency," said the officer.

"Yes, it is time for Ireland to cast off the yoke of British oppression," she answered tartly.

They led her out to the entranceway to Stonebreaker Yard. At that point the subaltern moved behind her and began to tie her hands behind her. "Could you possibly dispense with tying my hands?" she asked, "I promise to stand still and not to make any rude gestures."

"Sorry, but it happens to be the standard procedure, Your Excellency," replied the subaltern.

"And is the blindfold mandatory as well?"

"I am afraid so, Your Excellency." After the subaltern placed the hood over her, he then pinned a piece of paper with a target marked over her heart. He found that a bit disturbing to do to a woman and was therefore glad the countess was blindfolded lest he might blush.

"You can't win you know?" she told him.

The subaltern wasn't completely sure what the countess was referring to and asked, "I beg your pardon?"

"If you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can imagine," she replied not with bravado but a strange stoicism.

The officer shook his head and decided then and there that she was just another romantic Irish loon. Not the first they had executed and certainly not going to be the last. When he was done he nodded to the two guards who moved to her sides and they guided her to a corner of the yard. There a half dozen soldiers with rifles were waiting. Two of them were smoking cigarettes which they now extinguished. The blindfolded countess could smell the smoke from the cigarettes plus a whiff of residual smoke from rifles having been fired a few minutes earlier. There were other smells as well that she thought were familiar but she did not care to identify.

She felt like saying something more in her final moments. She heard the subaltern give orders.

"Ready! Aim!"

She opened her mouth to speak but before she could

"FIRE!"

------SMS Kaiser Friedrich III off Ennis 0530 hrs

The 24cm guns of the old predreadnought once again slowly fired HE shells at British positions. Once again there was considerable worry about hitting nearby friendly units, which was justified as this time 3 members of West Clare Battalion were killed and 8 more wounded. However the British suffered 39 casualties and their attack on Ennis lost what little momentum it had left.

------Tipperary town 0540 hrs

The motorcyclist messenger of the 2^nd Tipperary Battalion had just returned to Tipperary after a morning trip to the HQ of the Erzherzog Karl Division. He promptly delivered to Maj, Vopel a letter from Feldmlt. Krauss.

"Maj. Vopel,

You are to attack the town of Crossroads, where there is the important railroad junction, no later than 1300 hrs GMT. You are to remain there until contacted. When you arrive there send this messenger back to me immediately with written confirmation"

------Meiszagola (Lithuania) 0600 hrs

The German VIII Army Corps resumed its attack. The two regiments of the Motorized Heavy Artillery Brigade had been split again last night with the 1^st regiment being dispatched to assist the II Bavarian Corps which was marching on Vilna to the south. The 2^nd regiment remained near Meiszagola, where its two batteries of 21cm Morser were repositioned during the night. These augmented the 15cm and 10.5cm howitzer batteries of VIII Army Corps in blasting the incomplete Russian entrenchments below them on the hill. After an hour the German infantry of the 16^th Infantry Division were able to take the forward Russian trench suffering acceptable losses. Throughout the morning they slowly advanced down the hill in the direction of Vilna.

------Arklow (Wicklow) 0605 hrs

Maj. Rommel had traveled by motor car this morning to confer with Count Tisza. It had been more than 10 days since Rommel had been in communication with Army Detachment François and except for Pearse's occasional interference ran things exactly as he wished in that period. Now he was no longer completed isolated. That had some very obvious benefits, such as the shipment of weapons and badly needed ammunition he had received yesterday. However it also presented some possible problems, not the least of which was the count's infamous temper.

"Your Excellency, I am Maj. Irwin Rommel, IRA, commander of Dublin Brigade," Rommel reported speaking in German.

The count returned Rommel's salute and looked him over for a few minutes before replying, "Hauptmann Schumacher has told me about the so called Irish Brigade that commands IRA battalions. You are not really a major, now are you?"

Rommel's nostrils flared as he answered, "I do in fact hold a special temporary rank of major, Your Excellency. This has most unfortunately been the cause of considerable confusion."

"I can see how that would arise. For one thing, I do not think that Hauptmann Schumacher would acknowledge you as his superior. However that is moot as I clearly outrank both of you."

Pearse sighed inaudibly. There was no arguing with the count's point but the fact that he made it so bluntly did not bode well. "Uh, that goes without saying, Your Excellency," Rommel glumly replied.

The count grinned ever so slightly, "I have been told that you were seriously wounded in Dublin but continued to command not only your battalion but all of Dublin Brigade as well performing admirably under most difficult circumstances fighting with poorly trained troops against overwhelming odds. You must have some Magyar blood in you, yes?"

"Uh, not that I am aware of, Your Excellency."

"Hmm and how are you feeling now? Can you continue to command Dublin Brigade effectively? Be honest."

This question had been expected. Rommel's wound continued to cause him varying degrees of pain and sapped his strength and endurance. He was making a very conscious effort not to show any signs of impairment during this interview. "Yes, Your Excellency, I believe that I can continue to command. I genuinely feel that the worst is behind me." The last statement was only partially true.

The count stared at Rommel for a half minute then shrugged slightly, "I will take your word on that for the time being. You have obviously established an effective rapport with these undisciplined Irishmen producing more from them than I would have thought possible."

"Yes, Your Excellency, just yesterday we trapped and destroyed an entire British battalion that had been pursuing us," boasted Rommel. After a few seconds it occurred to him that it would be best to butter up his new superior a little, "Of course, my victory would not have been possible without the shipment of ammunition you provided us."

"An entire battalion destroyed? I am much impressed but also a little bewildered, major."

"Uh, how so, Your Excellency?"

"If you can destroy an entire battalion, how is that you have been unable to eliminate a small force of R.I.C. inside Wicklow town?"

"Those constables have established strongpoints, Your Excellency. It will take time to deal with them without suffering heavy losses. The battalion I had sent to Wicklow was subsequently needed to cut off the retreat of the British battalion we ambushed yesterday."

"I see," replied Count Tisza sounding less than completely convinced, "My orders from Gen. von François are to hold Arklow and if I am unable to do so then I am to destroy the munitions factory here to prevent it from being used by the British. I need to secure the town of Wicklow as it occupies a key position on the coastal road leading from Dublin to here. It would also be the best spot for the British to land troops unopposed only a short march from me. I have already dispatched one of my squadrons this morning to secure Wicklow but I am ordering you to send at least one of your battalions back to Wicklow as soon as possible to assist them."

"Jawohl, Euer Exzellenz," replied Rommel. He saw no reason to object as the reasoning was sound.

The taciturn face of Count Tisza softened slightly, "Good. Do you know your current strength by unit?"

Rommel had anticipated this request and prepared a typewritten report which he carried in a small valise he brought with him to this meeting. "Yes, Your Excellency, I have it with me." He opened the valise and produced the report.

The count was impressed by Rommel's preparedness. He looked it over then asked with a hint of skepticism, "And this is taking into account the casualties you took in destroying the British battalion yesterday?"

"Our casualties were fairly light, Your Excellency," Rommel answered. After a few seconds he added, "Uh, Commandant Pearse has learned that a small battalion of Irish Volunteers has been formed here at Arklow. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is. Why do you ask, major?"

"Well you see, Your Excellency, Pearse believes that unit should be incorporated into Dublin Brigade. I often disagree with him but I believe he is correct this time."

Tisza was mildly surprised by this and took his time before replying, "For the time being I am going to deny that request, major. Despite your reassurances I think you are overwhelmed commanding even the forces you have already and besides I insist Wicklow Battalion manning the defenses here at all times. In fact I am tempted to remove one of your battalions and put them under Hauptmann Schumacher here instead."

Rommel was irritated by this but realized he needed to be cautious with someone as fiery as the count, "I will abide by whatever you decide, Your Excellency. However I must warn you that removing a battalion from Dublin Brigade will surely provoke a storm of protest from Herr Pearse."

Tisza snorted, "Sir Roger warned me that this Pearse might prove to be troublesome."

Sir Roger? thought Rommel before he realized whom the Count was referring to. "Uh, you have met with Casement, Your Excellency? Is he here in Ireland now? Pearse keeps asking me about him. I told him that I do not believe that he came with the first wave."

"Yes, he is here now. He came ashore with my regiment at Waterford. We had a lengthy conversation. I believe that he intended to go to Cork which is the center of action. An interesting fellow. He claims that it was due to his efforts that you and I find ourselves here."

------HQ Army Detachment François Buttevant (Cork) 0615 hrs

Late yesterday Gen. von François had moved his HQ to the captured British Army camp at Buttevant. The battalion of Czechs that had been guarding his HQ had been reduced to a single company with the rest sent off to rejoin the Erherzog Karl Division. The North Cork Battalion also guarded his HQ while it recruited and trained.

The general was now meeting with Major von Rundstedt, who was still his acting chief of staff in Hell's absence. "The British are clearly falling back on Limerick, Your Excellency, with the possible exception of what remains of the Welsh Division which according to Feldmlt. Krauss is heading more to the northeast," reported von Rundstedt.

"Hmm. Could they be intended to serve as a flank guard for the 11^th Division?" asked the general.

"Perhaps, Your Excellency, but if they are doing that then they are permitting a dangerous gap to open up between them and the 11^th Division. An alternative hypothesis would be that the Welsh Division has become so severely weakened that the British have decided to withdraw it completely from the battle."

"In that case we must ask if the British will quickly replace it with another division?"

"Quite possible, Your Excellency, but we have no intelligence confirming that hypothesis."

"That is moderately reassuring but we must be on our toes as we approach Limerick, esp. Krauss who has his right flank hanging in the air."

"I would recommend that Brigade Frauenau be used to guard his Krauss' right flank, Your Excellency. Their ability to harass the British withdrawal will be reduced as the Lowland and 11^th Divisions draw closer to Limerick."

"I will relay your orders, Your Excellency, but I must remind you that there are serious delays in communicating with von Frauenau."

"I have not forgotten that. How far have our divisions advanced in their pursuit of the retreating British?"

"A messenger on a motorcycle arrived from the 111^th Infantry Division a few minutes ago, Your Excellency. Gen. Sontag claims to have a battalion in Croom already as well with a squadron of dragoons at Patrickswell in addition to harrying the retreat of the Lowland Division, but he feels that he must pause to let his men rest while his artillery and supply train catch up. He does not see any signs so far that the British intend to deny him use of the main road to Limerick."

The general sighed slightly, "Gen. Sontag has made very good progress. I won't begrudge his men some badly needed rest. What of 6^th Bavarian and the Austrians?"

"While Krauss was clearly demonstrated some tactical skill the last two days he has permitted his two brigades to separate more than I think is wise. I want to order him to give up on the pursuit of the Welsh Division and concentrate instead on the 11^th Infantry Division. The 6^th Bavarian Division and a portion of Brigade Hell are attempting to overwhelm the rear guard of the 11^th Division near Lough Gur right now. The terrain in that area is rather rough and is presenting some difficulties. If the Austrians can increase their pressure---and they do see to perform surprisingly well in hills---that should make things easier."

"The Austrians take mountain warfare more seriously than we do and could teach us a thing or two in that art. I learned that back when I was in command of Center Army. That is not to say that even their best officers cannot make a mistake now and then. I concur with your recommendation. Before I forget is the new armored train still expected to be ready to leave Cork at noon?"

"Unfortunately, Your Excellency, the head of the construction team informed us by telegram this morning that there are some last minute problems and that he will need at least one more hour maybe two."

The general frowned, "Send him a telegram back that if its departure is delayed more than two hours there will be serious consequences."

"With pleasure, Your Excellency."

"Oh, and there is one other matter that is looming larger in my mind. See if we can follow up about that rebel battalion we ordered to be sent from Athlone to seize Galway city by coup de main."

------Limerick city 0625 hrs

Capt. Shultz, the commander of the 5^th Kerry Battalion was ordered to report to Gen. Jacobsen, the commander of the Naval Division. "I do not have any time to waste today," stated the general, "so I will get straight to the point. I have received reports that there are women attached to your unit. This is admittedly a fairly common occurrence with the I.R.A. battalions and is under certain circumstances excusable. However it is certainly not our policy to use women in combat and I have reports of at least two instances where this policy was violated, with a possible third occurring this morning. Were you aware of these incidents?"

"I am now aware of them, general. I saw nothing---NOTHING!" said Schultz emphatically.

The general arched an eyebrow and gave Capt. Schultz a hard look. He had a vague recollection of Schultz from the preparation phase of Operation Unicorn. A fellow officer had pointed him and jokingly remarked that Schultz was the fattest officer in the Irish Brigade, where lean hungry types were the norm. It looked like Schultz had managed to gain more weight since landing in Ireland, which was remarkable as most of the officers the general dealt with incl. himself, had lost weight. Jacobsen did not know what to do with this man. The 5^th Kerry Battalion had played an important role in attacking the rear of the British 31^st Brigade which permitted the Naval Division to concentrate on countering the attack of the West Riding Division coming through Clare. That development may have been the decisive difference in the last three critical days, during which it had looked very ominous for the Naval Division. Despite the irregularities concerning women the general was even considering recommending Shultz for a medal.

"So what you are saying that you have no idea what was happening with the men---perhaps I should say 'men and women', under your command?" asked the general with some obvious sarcasm.

"Uh, it was dark, general. Some of my orders were not communicated properly. These Irishmen are inadequately trained, in some cases completely untrained. They lack proper discipline."

"Harrumph! Discipline should be the first thing you give them."

"General, I only took over the 5^th Kerry Battalion as it was being ordered to march to Limerick. Before then it had been commanded by Lt. McAndrews, an Irish Volunteer who had been badly wounded and was not recovering as quickly as Kerry Brigade HQ had expected. A strange situation arose where he was forced to rely way too much on a female subordinate named Bridget Donahue who to be fair did try to inculcate some discipline. Unfortunately she also established some unorthodox informal policies esp. in regard to how women were to be utilized."

"Hmm, do you think Donahue was provided too much leeway because she and Donahue were, uh…"

Schultz shook his head vigorously, "Oh, no, general. That sort of thing would be very much out of character for Moth---uh I mean, Sgt. Donahue."

The general sighed, "I am bewildered why your battalion has so many women. Here in Limerick we moved all the women along with the men deemed least fit for combat into a company sized support detachment. They perform rear area duties and have been moderately useful in those roles. I was led to believe that Kerry Brigade had implemented a similar policy. Was I misled?"

"No, general, they have a similar policy in Kerry. When I took over command of the battalion I too was surprised that they still had so many women. I was unable to do anything about it right away as we were on the march at that time."

"Yet another mystery, yes? And I thought Limerick city battalion was very strange. As I said before I do not have time to investigate this matter properly. I am much more concerned about the future than trying to decipher the past. For the time being I am going to leave you in command of the 5^th Kerry Battalion, but if there are any more irregularities I will not hesitate to relieve you. Is that clear?"

"Yes, general."

"Good. Now I see no reason not to go ahead and do what Kerry Brigade should have done. As soon as you return to your unit you are to immediately send all of your women to the Limerick support company."

"Might I be permitted to keep Sgt. Donahue for a while longer, general? She is very familiar with many details of the battalion and has been very involved in its day to day routine."

The general thought that over for a few seconds then answered, "You can keep her for two more days, but I will hold you strictly responsible for her actions. All the other women are to leave your battalion immediately."

------Laragh (Wicklow) 0630 hrs

Lt. Col. Sir Winston Churchill was disappointed to find out that he was still alive. His soul had been willing to move on but his body was not cooperating. He was in great pain esp. in his chest and he was wracked with fever. It hurt merely to breathe and he felt incredibly weak. There was a rebel soldier in the room keeping watch over Churchill, who had been provided a private room, albeit a tiny one. When he saw Churchill was conscious he left the room. He soon returned bringing with him a youngish man wearing what Churchill surmised was the official uniform of rebel officers.

"Here commandant, you can now see for yourself that it is just like I told you. The colonel here is now conscious."

Churchill had trouble with his right eye. He squinted with the left. He saw a man looking to be in his mid 20's dressed in what looked to be a rebel officer's uniform. Churchill opened his mouth. At first he found it impossible to speak, and was horrified that his wound may have rendered him permanently mute. It hurt to breathe but he forced himself to draw a deep breath and then managed to wheeze, "Are you, are you Maj. Rommel?"

Pearse was startled and replied, "No, colonel, I am Padraig Pearse, commandant of Dublin Brigade and interim head of the independent Irish Republic."

Churchill rolled his eyes and moaned, "Oh. Young man, young man, do you have any idea how much harm you are doing?"

Pearse had been impressed by Churchill's daring defiance yesterday but he was in no mood to be patronized and lectured. "And do you have any idea how much harm the English have wrought here in Ireland?" he countered.

Churchill wheezed and coughed, then answered in a rasping voice, "I am having trouble breathing much less talking this minute. I would love to have, cough, a lengthy discussion with you about Irish history but I am afraid that I might, cough, expire before reaching even the halfway point." Churchill winced as he spoke. The act of speaking was causing him considerable pain but for him not to speak would be even more painful.

Pearse could see that Churchill was in obvious pain and he became more sympathetic. "Perhaps I should let you rest and come back later," he replied.

Churchill forced a semblance of his grin onto his face, "No, don't go just yet. If I don't fall asleep---or die-right away I will feel terribly depressed if I have no one to talk---" He then went into a prolonged fit of coughing, rasping and wheezing.

Pearse became alarmed. He moved forward and grabbed Churchill and shook him. "Sir Winston how are you feeling?" he asked. Churchill tried to respond but could only make incoherent noises. These increased Pearse's fears that Churchill was dying. He turned to the Irish soldier who had summoned him and ordered, "Go fetch one of the doctors and tell him that Sir Winston is dying. Go now!"

As the soldier left Churchill's fit of coughing began to subside. He managed to raise his right hand and feebly waved it. Seconds later he finally managed to speak albeit in a weak voice slightly stronger than a whisper, "Ahhh, wheeze, uh, I think the worst of it has passed. Uh, where were we?"

Pearse shrugged and answered, "Nowhere really. You complained that you weren't up to discussing Irish history but then you went on to complain that you would suffer needlessly if left alone with no one to talk to. When the doctor gets here I think I am going to suggest moving you in with the other wounded prisoners."

Churchill had another coughing fit before he could answer. He then asked, "Is it possible that I could get something to drink?"

"Certainly, I will get you some water. Or a good cup of tea if you prefer."

"Uh, cough, I was thinking of something uh, stronger if you know what I mean."

Pearse nodded, "When the doctor comes I will ask if providing you a small dose of Jameson would be harmful."

"Jameson? By any chance is there a wee bit of Scotch in your inventory?"

"I am afraid you will have to make do with Irish whisky and only if the doctor has no objections."

Churchill had another of coughing and wheezing. Finally he was able to resume speaking, "Have if you ever wondered what would have happened if some event in history had turned out differently?"

"I guess I have on occasion. Like what would've happened if the storm had not persisted in Bantry Bay back in the December of 1796."

"Well, yes that is the general idea though I must admit that your premise is not one that appeals to my imagination. I have on occasion thought about the American Civil War and wondered how it might have turned out differently. In the back of my mind is the notion that there might be a clever story that I might write based on that idea," said Churchill who again fell into a prolonged episode of intense choking, wheezing, gasping and coughing.

Pearse waited for this to subside before he responded, "I am not sure I would like your story, Sir Winston because it would be yet another tale where the oppressors prevail. We Irish know too many of those stories already, thank you very much."

Churchill wanted to reply to that but coughing and wheezing grew more serious. Pearse became worried when the former First Lord started to turn blue and even more when he lost consciousness again. Pearse grabbed Churchill's body and shook him but he remained unconscious. He was breathing but weakly. A minute later the British medical officer arrived and asked what happened while he examined the patient.

"He woke up and we started talking, that is all," Pearse answered.

"How much talking? Only few words or did you try to draw him into an animated political debate? Extended conversation is very taxing for someone in his condition," the doctor chided Pearse, "His lungs are working at only a fraction of their capacity."

Pearse felt a little bit sheepish and answered, "It was more than few words, doctor, but not all that much. And I went out of my way not to agitate him. I just thought some conversation would lighten his spirit,"

"Well you thought wrong. He is still just barely hanging on and you have made things worse."

Pearse was aghast. He had seen all too many men die hideous death since the beginning of the Dublin Rising, but this was different. He had never literally talked anyone to death before.

------Enniscorthy (Wexford) 0655 hrs

The 8^th Battalion Devonshire had been ferried to Rosslare yesterday as reinforcements for the newly formed Eastern Region. It had promptly marched to Wexford city where its commander was briefed on the situation within County Wexford, which was that the rebel forces were now concentrated at Enniscorthy. This morning the 8^th Devonshire left Wexford city before first light and marched hard to Enniscorthy. There they launched an immediate attack on Wexford Battalion. This bold attempt to storm the town from the south was driven off by the rebels. After that the commander of the 8^th Devonshire sent one of his companies to try to outflank the enemy from the west while the rest of his battalion held the attention of the rebels. This flanking maneuver succeeded in panicking Wexford Battalion. The British took more than 100 prisoners and the rest of the Wexford Battalion retreated in disarray to the northeast. The 8^th Devonshire eagerly pursued.

------south of Neuilly-L'Hôpital (Picardy) 0700 hrs

The German guns ceased their bombardment of the British trenches. The German assault consisted of 10 Bavarian battalions. By this time not only were the artillery batteries of Second Army desperately short on ammunition but several machineguns in IV Army Corps were down to their last belt. The British batteries remained silent. The inadequate British wire barriers were cut in several places. The no man's land was short and the attackers were soon in what remained of the shallow forward trench where they eliminated the survivors, many of whom had been dazed by the bombardment, with a copious use of hand grenades. The Bavarian advance continued south taking the hamlet of Plessiel without much difficulty. At the village of Drucat though they were stopped by two stubborn strong points, the stronger one being inside Drucat Castle. There were also problems on the right flank of the advance at Buigny-St. Maclou and on the left flank at well at Millencourt-en-Ponthieu where Belgians quickly moved 4 Lewis guns into action.

Gen. Plumer had prudently ordered V Army Corps not to saturate its forward trench with too many soldiers. This meant that IV Army Corps had sufficient close reserves to commit to at first slowing then stopping the German advance. Gen. Plumer also reluctantly moved some of the ammunition reserves from the batteries of I Army Corps to IV Army Corps using up what little petrol he had left in the process.

------Paris 0715 hrs

Premier Clemenceau had considered calling another meeting of the Council of Ministers but ultimately decided against it. Instead he met in private with his Minister of Marine, Jean Augagneur. "What is the latest news from the Royal Navy," Clemenceau impatiently demanded to know.

"Premier, they have informed us that they have some intelligence that suggests that the Germans have laid mines off the mouth of the Seine and Cherbourg yesterday. Confirming this one of our submarines unsuccessfully attacked what we now believe was a German minelayer off the mouth of the Seine yesterday. The British now believe that the German battle fleet is heading back to Ireland escorting still more reinforcements and supplies."

"Hmm, so much for the battered German fleet limping home to tend to their wounds, but yes? Again I must ask where is the British fleet? Why is it not swooping down and finishing off the Boche?"

"The Royal Navy is telling us nothing about the location and intentions of the Grand Fleet, premier. Our admirals feel that the Royal Navy planning to intercept and destroy the Germans en route to Ireland but they do not trust us with the details."

"If this is indeed the case then our problems are solved, but one must ask what happens if the Germans somehow make it back to Ireland? When we can we expect the resumption of trade, most of all coal which we need so urgently? And for that matter, what about the needs of the B.E.F. which I know for a fact is desperately low on ammunition and would be starving if we were not graciously providing them with food."

"We have been told that sending a limited convoy of freighters to Le Havre is under consideration for tonight."

"Just how limited? Is it going to be only carrying supplies for their army like the last time or will it also contain some colliers?"

"They did not say, premier. I will reiterate that this convoy is merely under consideration and so things are in flux with little in the way of details."

"The British do not seem to realize the seriousness of our situation. The rerouting of colliers originally destined for Italy proved to be an inadequate substitute while it lasted. Things are going to get still worse in a hurry if the British do not resume their exports to us soon."

"We have communicated that already to the Royal Navy, premier. Several times."

"And what was their reply?"

"Premier, our liaisons tell us that they are well aware of our hardships, but maintain that they will have the situation rectified in short order and ask us to be patient. They go on to suggest that in the meantime our army should cease all offensive operations in order to conserve---"

"---what insolent fools!" roared Clemenceau interrupting, "The Boche are on their last legs here in France! They cannot sustain their current level of losses what with their foolish campaigns in Ireland, Serbia and Lithuania. By the end of the month their increasingly undermanned trench line will crumble and we will chase them all the way back to the Rhine! If we call off our attacks now they will have an opportunity to firm up their weakened defenses and make good their losses. The latest news from Serbia is not encouraging. The Germans may be able to terminate their involvement there in early June allowing them to move divisions back to France. Another reason why we must make a maximum effort now but the British, being imbeciles, want us to throw away the opportunity to win the war this year---all because they fear that they might lose a handful of freighters?"

"The British admirals have their own perspective on war, premier. It is obvious that they do not properly appreciate the overriding importance of the ground war as they are not even supporting their own army adequately."

"What you say is all too obviously true. I am going to give the British two more days to restore the trade to at least the minimum level that we require. In case they do not then I want you to present the Council of Ministers and myself with a report Monday on what realistic options we have for using our own warships in the Atlantic to help resolve this predicament.'

------Sligo city 0720 hrs

News of Sligo's shelling had circulated out into the countryside during the night. Already more than a 100 men had joined the 4^th Northern Ireland Battalion, which had suffered 14 casualties from the shelling. The battalion and its support company established a new camp just south of the city. News of the shelling continued to spread throughout Connaught during the day.

------Longford town 0730 hrs

News of a concentration of rebels arriving at the town of Longford caused the commander of the 10^th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, which was part of the British forces besieging Athlone, to dispatch his strongest company to investigate with orders to eliminate the enemy if possible. This company skirmished with rebel patrols as it approached Longford routing them easily. When it boldly assaulted the town itself though, it discovered to its dismay that it had underestimated the strength of the enemy, which outnumbered them more than 4 to 1. The company commander terminated the attack before losses became disastrous. He then marched his men back to his battalion bringing disturbing news.

------Old Admiralty Building 0735 hrs

Sir Edward Carson, the First Lord of the Admiralty, had just arrived. "Has there been any further word about the German fleet?" he asked anxiously.

"None, whatsoever, First Lord," replied Adm. Callaghan, the First Sea Lord, "The torpedo boats we sent out from Portsmouth and Devonport at dusk failed to make contact. Nor have our submarines and airplanes, which are still searching. The torpedoboats have been recalled though as it is too hazardous for them during the day."

"Just to clarify I would point out that we have only have only one submarine stationed in the western half of the Channel at this time," Adm. Jackson added, "With two more posted in the Celtic Sea."

"But we have no reason to question our intelligence that they are returning to Ireland?" asked Carson, glancing in the direction of Adm. Oliver.

Callaghan answered, "That is correct, First Lord."

"And what of the Grand Fleet? Is it still anchored at Mull with steam raised?"

"That too is correct, First Lord, though we are considering moving it to a position west of Islay soon. From there Adm. Bayly could counter another attempt to cut our line of communication through the Irish Sea by their battle cruiser squadron."

"I have no objections to that, admiral. There is a good chance that we will be sending another division to Ireland starting tomorrow. It is sure to be a hot topic for the War Committee meeting later this morning. If we do decide to send another division, it will become imperative that the German battlecruisers not be allowed to interfere. In addition to stationing the Grand Fleet over Islay it wouldn't hurt to have one of our submarines in St. George's Channel."

"A good idea, First Lord. We shall see to it," replied Adm. Callaghan.

"The key question has become once again, 'How long does Adm. von Ingenohl intend to remain in Ireland?'" Carson speculated, "For that matter how long can they stay in Ireland?"

"I am still not convinced that Ireland is their main objective, First Lord," spoke Adm. Wilson, "There is a possibility that the additional reinforcements they are escorting back to Ireland will turn out to be rather weak. They are meant to force us to commit additional divisions to Ireland and when we do that the High Seas Fleet will then return to the Pas de Calais to support an invasion of England."

Carson drew a deep breath and arched an eyebrow on hearing that, "What diabolically cruel nightmares you conjure up for us, Adm. Wilson! I may not be able to get to sleep tonight. What do you have to say about this, Adm. Callaghan? Do you agree with Adm. Wilson here that what is underway is one final German diversion before they storm English beaches?"

Callaghan shook his head slightly, "I am afraid that I must admit that it is possible, First Lord, but only remotely so in my opinion. I myself am inclined to a much more cheery interpretation of the facts that may help you get to sleep tonight."

"By all means let's hear it."

"My theory is that Adm. von Ingenohl firmly believes that his capital ships must be repaired soon from the damage they suffered at Celtic Sea. Tirpitz and Moltke realized that their precious fleet is going to be in the yards for at least a month and so they forced von Ingenohl to bring more supplies plus an additional wave of reinforcements they hurriedly assembled, so that Gen von François would have a decent chance to hold on until such time as their fleet can return."

Carson nodded, "That interpretation of events is much more to my liking but admittedly it is little more than speculation founded on a paucity of actual facts. So I must turn to you, Adm. Oliver, and ask if you can offer us some more facts that might shed some light on this?"

"Ah, not from any new wireless intercepts, First Lord," answered Oliver, "but there is one bit of new information that I think does shed some light. I have learned that the Germans have in the last four days been purchasing a variety of contraband material from neutral countries and shipping them in neutral hulls. This information has unfortunately been delayed in reaching us by the saturation of traffic on the transatlantic cables."

"I am well aware of the problem with the cables capacity, admiral," replied Carson, "It was bad enough before we lost the Waterville station. I do not want to begin to consider what would happen if we were to lose the remaining stations in Kerry. What countries and what type of contraband are we talking about?"

"At first it was merely the United States, First Lord, but we now have reports of rubber being shipped from Brazil and horses from Spain. The first American freighter carried mostly copper but we now have reports of at least one collier being dispatched. Copper and rubber are cargoes that are sorely needed in Germany but not horses and still less coal. At first glance I found this all a bit confusing but I have come up with a theory that the horses are meant for Gen. von François and the coal for Adm. von Ingenohl when he is operating out of Ireland. The stocks of coal at Haulbowline and Queenstown are substantial but not infinite."

"Hmm. An interesting hypothesis but what about the copper and rubber?" asked Carson.

"A fraction of the copper may be used by the German fleet to make electrical spare parts in Ireland, First Lord, but I believe most of it as well as the rubber is ultimately intended for Germany. You see, in addition to using Ireland as a base to prey upon our own commerce I now believe that the Germans hope to use it as a staging area for blockade running. They believe it will be much harder for us to intercept neutral merchantmen carrying contraband before they reach Ireland than it is to stop them entering the North Sea. Once the contraband is unloaded in Ireland they can be transferred to German hulls and periodically escorted back to either Germany or the Pas de Calais. They may even be planning to load high value exports such as dyes on the neutral ships for the return voyage to generate some foreign currency."

"An additional benefit to the Germans would be that every neutral flagged vessel that they employ is one less hull we can use for our own needs," commented Adm. Jackson.

------SMS Schlesien Western Approaches 0805 hrs

A merchantman had slipped through the dispersed fan of 2^nd Scouting Group during the night and was now spotted first by Lusitania which Adm. von Spee had positioned 16 km ahead of the battleships to act as a scout. Schlesien was promptly dispatched to overtake what turned out to be a 2,600 ton British flagged freighter hauling canned peaches from Savannah to Belfast. Due to their proximity to Ireland von Spee decided to keep her as a prize, even though she could only sustain 8 knots. As an afterthought the admiral decided to permit a few armed Fenians to augment the prize crew.

------Stavka 0835 hrs

The Grand Duke was meeting with his chief of staff, Gen. Yanushkevich and the deputy chief of staff, Gen. Danilov. "Before we begin discussing army matters," Nikolai announced, "It is my sad duty to report I have just learned this morning that Adm. Essen, the commander of the Baltic Fleet, died of a lung infection Thursday. He was a very dynamic naval officer, sometimes to the point of arousing controversy as he was an outspoken advocate of using our navy much more aggressively. In particular, there had been some discussion of sending out the Baltic Fleet while the main German fleet was vacationing in Ireland. Unfortunately his illness put a damper on that. Our navy could use more men like him. For that matter so could our army."

"This is very sad news indeed, Your Royal Highness, as there had been no history of serious health problems with Adm. Essen," replied Danilov, "It is a great loss for Mother Russia. Is there any word yet as to who will replace him?"

"Not yet and it may take some time as the Tsar wants to have the final say on the matter," answered the Grand Duke, "His Majesty has made it clear that he does not want another Tsushima."

"Which means that our worthless navy will sit on their fat haunches and complain like they always do while our brave soldiers lay down their lives for Mother Russia," ranted Yanushkevich.

"That is not how I would express it, general, but there is unfortunately some truth in what you say," replied the Grand Duke, "But let us not digress into naval strategy. What is the latest from Northwestern Front?"

"Gen. Alexeev reports that the attack of Fifth Army against the Germans at Shavli is continuing, Your Royal Highness. Fortunately the last train carrying elements of III Army Corps made it to Dvinsk before the German cavalry cut the railway," commented Yanushkevich, "Once III Army Corps is added to the battle, the Germans will be crushed at Shavli and their overly bold strategy will crumble completely."

As usual Grand Duke Nikolai was skeptical about whatever Yanushkevich told him. He turned to Danilov, whose opinion he trusted and asked, "And what is estimation of the situation, general?"

"I believe our eventual victory at Shavli is probable but by no means certain, Your Royal Highness, and that worries me because there is also a chance that the Germans may take Vilna soon. If they can hold on to Vilna the problem of supplying our First, Second and Twelfth Armies at anything close to their current strength will become very difficult."

"Hmm that could ultimately force us to abandon Warsaw," mused the Grand Duke, "For that reason alone it must be prevented at all cost."

"There is nothing to worry about, Your Royal Highness!" protested Yanushkevich, "Fifth Army will quickly prevail, giving us the initiative in East Prussia and cutting the line of communication of their forces in Lithuania. I tell you we are the verge of a great victory---one which might alter the outcome of the war."

"That may well be true, general, it could also lead to very serious problems if Fifth Army fails at Shavli and we lose Vilna," countered Danilov.

"What do we have defending Vilna at this time?" the Grand Duke asked Danilov.

"According to our latest information from Gen. Alexeev it currently consists of 2 second line infantry divisions, 2 cavalry divisions and an independent infantry brigade, Your Royal Highness. Oh, and the usual assortment of impotent Territorial battalions."

"And do we know the German strength there?" asked the Grand Duke.

"Northwestern Front has not yet provided us with that information, Your Royal Highness," answered Danilov.

"Your Royal Highness, Tenth Army should be able to prevent the fall of Vilna until Fifth Army's attack achieves victory," offered Yanushkevich.

"Tenth Army is struggling to prevent the Germans from overwhelming its right wing and being enveloped," said the Grand Duke, "That greatly limits what they can do to help Vilna."

"Ah, but the most recent report from Alexeev is that the German attack on Tenth Army has stalled," replied Yanushkevich.

"Or is merely taking a temporary pause to regroup in preparation for a resumption," countered Danilov.

"We shall order Gen. Alexeev to take firmer action to defend Vilna. I do not know what more we can do now. As usual we do not have a clear enough picture to order a specific plan of action," said the Grand Duke.

"Northwestern Front has requested both reinforcements and an increased allocation of weapons and ammunition, Your Royal Highness," said Danilov.

"Which would be at the expense of Southwestern Front, which have been steadily losing ground to a mostly Austrian offensive in Galicia while trying to sustain its own offensive in the Bukovina which is encountering stiffening resistance," replied Nikolai.

"That is correct, Your Royal Highness!" interjected Yanushkevich, "Which is precisely why we would should deny that request. Alexeev can and will inflict a crippling blow on the Germans with what he has already."

"Again I feel compelled to remark that I see that scenario as probable but far from certain, general," Danilov commented.

"Bah, you are being overly cautious. That is how the Germans have gotten away with being overextended. Everyone is being far too cautious to take advantage of it," Yanushkevich replied. As an afterthought seconds later he added, "Except maybe for M. Clemenceau. He seems to have the proper spirit."

"The latest report from Southwestern Front indicate that there has not been the usual early morning assault in Galicia today though there is still some fighting around Jaroslaw where the Austrians are trying to establish a bridgehead," Danilov noted, "Perhaps the enemy offensive is losing steam."

"As is our own offensive in the Bukovina," said the Grand Duke ruefully.

"I must respectfully disagree, Your Royal Highness," Yanushkevich protested, "Gen. Ivanov reports that Ninth Army is continuing to advance. The campaign is a great success."

The Grand Duke shook his head, "I have serious doubts about that. For one thing those glowing reports are becoming increasingly imprecise even for Ivanov. For another, no major objective has been taken in the last week and the haul of prisoners gets smaller and smaller. Apparently no Hungarian artillery is being captured. Lastly Ivanov deliberately avoids providing us with his own casualty figures lately, which makes me suspect that they have been getting worse."

------north of Dessie (Abyssinia) 0845 hrs

The heavy rain had tapered off to drizzle shortly after midnight and had stopped completely before dawn. The sky remained overcast though threatened to resume its downpour at any moment. BGen. Noel Lee, the commander of the northern expeditionary force, decided to launch his attack during this respite. His artillery consisted of one battery of 15 pounders and a mountain battery. He did not count the half dozen antique guns that Zauditu's men possessed as having any military value and did not order them set up.

The British commenced their 15 minute bombardment. After nearly 5 minutes the Abyssinian artillery replied, hesitantly at first, but picking up speed. The Abyssinian artillery was stronger than Gen. Lee had been expecting mostly due to the weapons with modern recoil mechanisms the Italians had sent to Iyasu through Eritrea recently. They had also provided their former enemies with a dozen advisers who instructed the Abyssinians as best they could on how best to use their new weapons. The first few Abyssinian salvos were far off target but their gunners adjusted their aim and eventually more than held their own in the artillery exchange.

The infantry that Gen. Lee had brought down from Egypt had consisted of the 30^th Indian brigade which had been detached from the 10^th Indian Division reinforced with the 1/8^th Battalion Manchester Regiment which had been removed from the 37^th (East Lancashire) Division. Upon arriving at Khartoum a King's African Rifles (KAR) company was added to the expeditionary force. Gen. Lee realized that his artillery had not completely demoralized the enemy as he had hoped but he still thought they had succeeded in softening them up enough for a his men to breakthrough their defenses. He therefore committed the 1/8^th Manchester and 2 of the Indian battalions to make the assault and instructed Hapte Giorgis to follow close behind them to be prepared to exploit the breakthrough.

The attacking battalions were forced to charge up a fairly steep gradient. At first the accuracy and rapidity of the Abyssinian rifle fire was marginal and it appeared to the general that his plan might work. However the effectiveness of the enemy rifle fire increased and then a pair of machineguns commenced firing while a portion of the Abyssinian artillery started to tear into the attackers. It now became all too clear that the attack was not going to succeed and the AngloIndian battalions fell back. However the mass of the rebel Abyssinians behind them who were still trying to advance impeded their retreat for a few minutes while casualties mounted with the rebels suffering some casualties as well. Finally signals reached them from Hapte Giorgis to retreat as well.