[chico20854]

February 10, 1998

Nothing in canon for the day. Unofficially,

French and Belgian parliamentary leaders (follow the arrest of dissenters) in Versailles reach agreement in concept for the unification of the two nation's governments, tentatively to be titled the Belgian-Franco Confederation. They break their marathon session (they have been meeting at Versailles for over five days and long nights) to return to their capitals to seek buy-in from their respective fellow political leaders and to detail civil servants to begin working on the details of the agreement.

Both sides’ armies are in a dire condition. The remnants of both combatants’ air forces are largely grounded by lack of fuel. At sea, the remaining naval combatants, also out of fuel, have nearly all returned to port. More importantly, as far as NATO’s armies in central Europe are concerned, the cargo ships that ferried the ammunition, fuel, spare parts and replacement equipment have ceased sailing. (Even if they had fuel, there is little cargo available for them to carry, as war production in America and the UK has largely come to a halt after EMP bursts and the collapse of the transportation system). The German, Dutch and Danish economies produce little war materiel due to the lack of electrical power and raw materials, and general disruption and insecurity. The prewar logistic stockpiles in western Germany and the Netherlands have been depleted in the Battle of Germany and Operation Advent Crown, and the stockpiles of the armies in the field were targeted during the nuclear exchange or abandoned during the long retreat across Poland. Further, with the collapse of the German government, military units are now responsible for distributing food and fuel in their local areas, and have largely depleted their remaining supplies by the late winter.

The relief column of the 158th Motor-Rifle Division is unable to depart from the base in Zenica because the convoy carrying fuel from further down the valley has been delayed by heavy partisan activity and poor winter weather. In Sarajevo the 151st Tank Regiment loses a T-34/85 to an anti-tank mine while trying to return to the unit's base after successfully duelling a Jugoslav recoilless rifle in the hills; the regiment is down to a week's short rations and two day's vehicle and heating fuel.

The US Navy-owned (but civilan-manned) tanker USNS Paul Buck completes loading a cargo of 225,000 barrels of refined petroleum products at the refinery in Bizerte, Tunisia. The US government paid the refinery owner what would normally be considered an exorbinant amount for the cargo, successfully outbidding the French and Italian governments' representatives for the cargo.

In Trakai, Lithuania, the courier from the regional Party committee is received by Colonel Skrebys, the local military commissioner, who informs them that the requested draftees are instead being used for local defense and that, if in some time in the future the area has excess personnel of military age, he will dispatch them "with all due haste" to republican authorities. Skrebys then dismisses the courier and has him escorted out of the area. The courier notices that the castle is guarded by uniformed troops.