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Soviet attacks were not limited to Germany. Germany's allies, Hungary and Romania, also suffered air strikes from the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of the war.

The Hungarian and Romanian armies, which are second-rate armies at best, are no match for the Red Army, but if left alone, there is a risk of stabbing the flanks or rear of the Red Army advancing toward Germany, so destroying them in advance is a risky element. will have to be removed.

Stalin instructed Tymoshenko and Zhukov, who were drawing up detailed plans for Operation Uranus, to come up with a way to occupy Hungary and Romania in a short period of time.

However, the two attempted to persuade the Soviet Union, arguing that it would be suicidal to allocate troops to Hungary and Romania when it would not be enough to pour the entire force into Germany.

In the end, Stalin changed his original plan and reached a compromise by deploying only enough troops to Hungary and Romania to keep these two armies in check.

In any case, if only Germany collapsed, all of Eastern Europe would become a Soviet powerhouse, so as Tymoshenko and Zhukov said, there was no need to occupy it at the expense of precious troops and materials.

However, Romania's Ploiesti oil field was left out of the discussion.

Since the oil produced from the Ploiesti oil field was a pillar of German industry and military, it had to be destroyed at all costs.

Hitler also knew that if the Soviet Union attacked, the Ploiesti oil field would be their first priority.

In order to protect oil fields that are important not only to Romania but also to Germany, Germany dispatched the 3rd Air Force to Romania to defend the Ploiesti oil field.

As soon as news broke that Soviet Air Force bombers had taken off from the runway, fighter planes from the German Air Force and Romanian Air Force also took action to protect the Ploiesti oil field.

The bombers that arrived over Romania had to deal with German and Romanian fighters attacking them like angry bulls.

***

This was the third battlefield for Lieutenant Hans Joachim Marseilles. His first battlefield was over Italy, and his second was over Yugoslavia.

In Italy and Yugoslavia, Marseille succeeded in earning the title of ace by shooting down a total of eight enemy aircraft.

However, he did not receive very good reviews from his superiors.

When a battle begins, not only has the enemy thrown off the restraints of those around him and recklessly attacked, confusing those around him more than once, but he has also lost his plane four times.

It was like being shot down once for every two planes shot down, and the fact that it was not because it was shot down by an enemy plane or anti-aircraft gun, but because it ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing was a consolation that was not comforting.

Each time he crash-landed, he came back alive and unscathed, but he was branded by his superiors as a troublemaker who only flew fighter planes on a bad day.

As a result, despite being an ace who shot down eight enemy planes, he had to live alone as a cadet while all his classmates wore so-called rank insignia.

The day he was officially promoted to second lieutenant was four days before the war broke out.

-Hey, Marseille!

Before the battle began, Marseille's colleague Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt radioed Marseille.

-Don't get into trouble today. If you get shot down again, the leader might kick your balls.

"Don't worry about it, brat. "I will take care of it, so please take care of yourself."

Marseille shouted loudly as usual, as if nothing had happened, but in reality it was the opposite.

He also knew that his superiors were watching him closely. Because of his record of shooting down 8 planes, he has been left alone until now.

On the day Marseille was promoted to second lieutenant, the company commander, Lieutenant Neumann, called Marseille aside and informed him that his superiors were keeping a close eye on him.

Also, if there is an accident and the aircraft is blown up, the plan is to return it to ground duty semi-permanently.

'I know you have a knack for fighting. I admit that. But, the virtue of a pilot is not what you think. He said individual abilities are important, but working together with his colleagues is also important.

The higher-ups see you as a rabble-rouser who only believes in his abilities. If there's an accident next time, you'll never be able to hold the steering wheel. I agreed with that decision. Don't feel too sad. Because it's for you too.

The reason you're still alive today is purely due to good luck. If you want to keep on the controls, and if you don't want to die, you'd better calm down a little. Get a little more experience. I hope you take note of my words.'

Marseille never forgot Lieutenant Neumann's words. He couldn't forget if he wanted to.

-It's the Soviet Army!

-Everyone move as trained! Good luck!

Soon, when the battle with the Soviet army began, Marseille moved the control wheel, suppressing the desire to jump into the enemy camp right away.

The Ta152 dealt with the bombers, and the Fw190D dealt with the escort aircraft. The Fw190 was a different fighter than the Bf109 that Marseille had flown before.

The Bf109 was superior to the Fw190 in high-altitude performance and also surpassed the Fw190 in low-speed maneuverability, but the opposite was true at low and medium altitudes.

In addition, the Fw190's strengths were that it was easier to control than the Bf109 and that it could perform more diverse missions than the Bf109, such as air combat, bomber interception, and anti-ground attack.

Thanks to these advantages, new pilots preferred the Fw190 over the Bf109, but senior pilots preferred the Bf109 due to its unique advantages and familiarity with the hand.

Maybe that's why there was quite a bit of talk among the pilots when they switched to the Fw190 and received training.

The Bf109 is a good enough fighter, so is there a need to change the model? It would be better to give it to the newbies and let the seniors continue to ride the Bf109... .

Marseille, a natural pilot, quickly got used to the Fw190, but he also secretly missed the Bf109. A Yak-1 rushed towards him as he was lost in thought.

"Where!"

Marseille easily moved its nose to avoid the barrage of 20mm cannons fired by the Yakgi. Then, he skillfully caught up to the enemy's rear and fired his machine cannon.

The Yak plane, covered in 20mm cannon shells, crashed helplessly like a mayfly that had reached the end of its lifespan. With this, Marseille's combat results increased from 8 planes shot down to 9.

In the past, Marseille would have gone berserk and rushed into enemy territory, but not this time. He followed Lieutenant Neumann's advice and remained calm.

There are still many red flags. In other words, the opportunities to fight were wide and wide. This time too, if you rush in recklessly and make an emergency landing, you may end up having to let go of the controls forever.

The sense of crisis made him more mature. Marseille maintained his composure to a degree that was unusual for him to deal with the oncoming Yaks.

Soviet pilots were brave, but inexperienced and clumsy. This is because the Soviet Union killed and eliminated all capable pilots and commanders with its own hands.

Pavel Lichakov, who was promoted to Lieutenant General of the Air Force at the young age of 29 due to his performance in the Spanish Civil War, was purged along with his wife Maria, a major in the Air Force, after being falsely accused of being an enemy of the people. Major General Ernst Shacht, commander of the bomber unit, also played an active role in the Spanish Civil War. , Chairman of the Air Defense Committee of the People's Committee for Defense Grigory Stern also died on the execution platform.

Even Aleksandr Novikov, the only hope left for the Soviet Air Force, was executed, effectively condemning the Soviet Air Force to death.

The Soviet Air Force, which had lost all of its capable commanders, was reduced to a group of big idiots, and the fledgling pilots had to fly out on planes blindly without ever receiving proper training.

-Good! I caught another one!

-You idiots. It's worse than even a child's level.

German pilots, who had received training based on skills developed over many years of actual combat, unilaterally toyed with Soviet pilots.

Marseille's comrades, who were nervous at first as they fought the battle, soon found themselves wandering through the enemy lines.

But that wasn't the case in Marseille. He fought the enemy calmly from the beginning to the end of the battle.

Even when the enemy plane he was chasing was shot down by a colleague, he did not get angry or impatient. He was just looking for his next opponent.

After all the escort planes were eliminated, the Fw190 squadron joined the bomber hunt.

Thanks to the performance of the Ta152s, the number of bombers was reduced to two-thirds of the original number.

As Fw190s also intervened, the bomber pilots were seized with despair and fear.

The TB-3 was equipped with four machine guns to defend itself against enemy aircraft, but it was manaless against veteran German pilots.

The German planes dodged the barrage of machine guns fired from the TB-3 and pounded machine cannon shells into its heavy body.

Marseille, who was flying to avoid a barrage of enemy strafers, fired an MG151 directly above the cockpit of the TB-3.

The TB-3 that lost its pilots flipped over, crashed, and collided head-on with another TB-3 flying below.

TB-3, which collided with a fellow plane, had its right wing split and plummeted toward the ground. Colleagues who were looking at the scene all exclaimed in exclamation.

-Oooh! That's amazing!

-I'm serious?!

It was not normal to shoot down two bombers in one attack. The radio network was full of voices praising Marseille.

As the escort planes were attacked, the bombers began to turn. They carried the same bomb they had planned to drop on the Ploiesti oil field.

However, the German Air Force did not send the Soviet bombers kindly. The same goes for the Romanian Air Force. The fleeing Soviet bombers were constantly attacked by German and Romanian fighters.

Like a pod of killer whales hunting an old and weakened baleen whale, the number of bombers was rapidly reduced by fighter planes that persistently followed and attacked.

The order to withdraw was given only after the number of bombers fell below 1/4.

The fuel was running low and there was little ammunition left, so the pilots turned without hesitation.

Thus, the first air battle to defend the Ploiesti oil field ended with a major victory for Germany and Romania.

***

The pilots who successfully completed their mission and returned to the base received a warm welcome from the ground personnel waiting at the base.

Marseille, who got off the fighter jet while shouts of national independence rang out from all directions, approached Stahlschmidt, who was surrounded by ground staff and receiving congratulations.

Stahlschmidt, seeing Marseille's face as if he had something to say, spoke first.

"Woah, Marseille. Did you say it was great today? How long did you catch? "I only captured three fighter jets."

"I'm in the third generation too. 1 fighter, 2 bombers. by the way… .."

"?"

"I mean… . "I think I've got a feel for it now."

***

Although it was well past 4 a.m., the lights were on in every room in the Presidential Residence.

I listened to the reports pouring in from the mouths of the generals. The war had begun, and fighting was taking place across the Eastern Front, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Because Manstein had moved his troops back in advance, the damage from Soviet artillery fire was minimal.

At the same time, the Soviet Air Force also launched air strikes, but most of them were shot down by our Air Force.

Göring said in a proud voice that the damage to German forward cities due to the Soviet Air Force's air raids was minimal, and at the same time, the Soviet air strikes targeting the Ploiesti oil field in Romania were also successfully repelled.

"The only confirmed results are 232 bombers shot down and 176 fighter planes shot down!"

"Oooooh!"

Exclamations of exclamation automatically came out of the generals' mouths at the jaw-dropping shame.

If Goering's words are true, it means that the enemy lost more than 400 fighter planes and bombers in just three hours after the start of the war.

The Luftwaffe's capabilities were good, but the level of the Soviet Air Force was understandable.

"That's amazing. In any case, the value of the Ploiesti oil field is indescribably important. If the Ploiesti oil field burns, we cannot guarantee victory in this war. "It's good to celebrate victory, but the war has just begun, so please don't be complacent and pay more attention to protecting the oil fields."

"Is it possible, Mr. President? Don't worry though. As long as there is an air force, the Ploiesti oil field will be fine!"

"cancer. "I will only trust the Marshal of the Empire."

Leder reported that the Aurora, carrying 600 passengers, had been sunk by a Soviet submarine.

Of the passengers on board Aurora, 379 were rescued by the schnell boat that was escorting Aurora, as well as fishing boats and U-boats that rushed to hear the news.

However, 221 passengers were not rescued.

"The Soviet submarine that attacked Aurora was sunk by Schnellbot. In addition, attacks by Soviet submarines were reported in seven ports, including Danzig, but the only damage confirmed so far was one fishing boat hit. Of the Soviet submarines that attempted the attack, 11 were sunk by mines laid by friendly forces, destroyers, schnell boats, and reconnaissance aircraft, and two were damaged, drifted, and were captured by friendly forces."

The captured Soviet submarine crew were in Danzig. All prisoners were scheduled to be transported to Berlin to obtain information.

Even at this very moment, in order to listen to the reports pouring in from the front lines and discuss countermeasures with the generals, I had to stay awake all night until morning.

I drank coffee to prevent fatigue. Einspener, commonly known as 'Vienna coffee' in the English-speaking world. A glass of Einspänner was also given to the generals, who had already been up all day without getting off work, so they welcomed the cold and sweet Einschfener.

"Mr. Fuhrer, this is Marshal Manstein."

"Connect."

When I picked up the receiver, I heard Manstein's familiar voice. To my question about the current war situation, Manstein gave a short answer.

-It's still going smoothly.

In other words, the war was progressing according to the defense plan drawn up in advance. Thank goodness.

"But don't let your guard down too much. "Because the Russians sometimes showed us things that went beyond our imagination."

-Don't worry, Mr. Fuhrer! Who am I? As long as there is Manstein in the world, communists will never set foot on German soil.

Although the war had just begun, Manstein's voice was full of composure.

When I heard Manstein's report, which seemed to be more than relaxed and even somewhat conceited, my burning heart was relieved a little.

I was confident that even if I didn't say anything, they would take care of it. It's that Manstein.

"I understand. Well then, please do your best."

***

At the same time, Ribbentrop heard the Kremlin's position from Soviet Ambassador to Germany Vladimir Dekanozov.

"-Therefore, the Soviet Union declares war on Germany... .."

After finishing reading the declaration of war, Dekanozov turned his head and looked out the window to avoid Ribbentrop's gaze staring at him.

It was a view of Berlin that I had always seen, but I wouldn't see it again for a while.

Maybe forever.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"… ..her."

Ribbentrop, who was a representative pro-Soviet figure among the Third Reich's magnates and signed the non-aggression pact with Germany, smiled helplessly. He was silent for a while, then suddenly opened his mouth and asked a question.

"Is this really what Secretary General Stalin means?"

"That's right."

Dekanozov nodded. He also deeply acknowledged that Ribbentrop had put in a lot of effort to maintain friendly relations between the two countries.

But today, all his efforts were in vain. The Berlin-Moscow alliance he has been advocating for is no longer there.

The Soviet Union surprised Germany without declaring war, and Germany received a declaration of war from the Soviet Union only after the surprise attack.

As a pro-Soviet person, it was obvious how he would be treated in politics for a while.

"I just don't understand. What on earth did we do to your country to be like this? yes? "Let's hear the reason."

"I'm sorry, but this is a question I cannot answer. "I just follow Comrade Stalin's instructions."

"I understand. Then, I guess there's no need to be here anymore."

Ribbentrop stood up, pushing his chair loudly. And he walked out the door without looking back.

"Go to the Presidential Residence immediately."

"All right."

Ribbentrop, sitting in the back seat of the Mercedes, fell into despair, anger, and a sense of desolation.

We ran in all directions to promote friendship between the two countries, but now all our efforts have been in vain.

Strictly speaking, the war with the Soviet Union was not his fault, and the Fuhrer's trust in him would remain the same, but it was obvious that his right to speak would diminish.

I guess only Göring, Goebbels, and Himmler are good. Thinking about the three people who would be smiling brightly right now, I became very angry.

He also thought about Stalin. On the day the non-aggression pact was signed, Stalin said this to him:

'Tell this to Führer Hitler. I will keep this agreement until the end.'

You sound like a fucking fraudster.