28

let's (1)

December 26, 1936.

Chiang Kai-shek ordered the start of the 6th first attack operation.

Chiang Kai-shek has only one goal: to completely eradicate the Communist Party in China.

"To prepare for the future decisive battle with Japan, we must first strike down all the hateful commies who are attacking us every day. As long as they live and breathe, China will never be at peace!"

The German military advisory group in China, led by Lieutenant General Alexander von Falkenhausen, led the National Revolutionary Army and took the lead in defeating the Communist Party.

Thanks to their activities, the National Revolutionary Army continued to win and the Communist Party quickly lost its foothold.

On January 20, 1937, while the first attack was in progress, Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Berlin, Germany, leading his staff.

"Welcome, President Jiang. "Thank you very much for coming that far."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Führer Hitler. "I never thought he would come out to meet me in person..."

Chiang Kai-shek seemed quite surprised when I personally came to meet him at the airport.

I smiled and waved my hand.

"A noble person is coming, so how could I not come to meet him? "Isn't China a friend of Germany?"

"Thank you so much for thinking that way!"

Chiang Kai-shek looked at the red and blue flags hoisted all over Berlin with a happy face, fluttering in the wind.

You would never have imagined that the Chinese flag, which was despised by the international community, would be displayed in a major European city.

Even before the meeting began, the smile on Chiang Kai-shek's face never left.

What Chiang Kai-shek wanted from Germany had already been decided.

Weapons, more weapons. And Germany's excellent science and technology. Everything possible, from mechanical manufacturing equipment to pharmaceuticals.

"As the President knows, a ground operation to eradicate the Chinese Communist Party is currently underway. "Thanks to the fact that the advisors sent by the President are all highly talented, the first attack operation has been progressing without any problems to date."

"That's really fortunate."

"But there is still a dire shortage of weapons and medicine. All of our factories in China are operating, but this is not enough. "We desperately need medicine to treat the technicians and soldiers needed for the factories we will build in China."

"Well sir."

In return, Chiang Kai-shek offered enormous resources mined in China.

Even so, I had no reason to refuse Chiang Kai-shek's request because I was sincere about securing minerals necessary for waging war.

Since both sides had the same interests, the negotiations were concluded quickly. We give weapons and technology to China, and China gives us minerals.

Not only infantry small arms, but also anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, howitzers, as well as tanks and armored vehicles were exported to China.

Even the No. 1 Tank, which had been proven obsolete during the Spanish Civil War, was an excellent tank from China's perspective, so Chiang Kai-shek accepted the price I suggested without hesitation.

Are you saying I scammed you? What are you saying!

I just sold the product at a 'reasonable price' to the person who was willing to buy it.

They say they will buy it no matter the price, so why am I refusing?

I may have ripped off a bit on some items, but that's what business is all about.

It's a battle between swords and swords, with both sides desperately trying to make a profit.

Anyway, I guess it worked out because we were both satisfied.

"Thank you, President. "Thanks to Germany, China will be able to leap forward into an even greater country."

"That's too much praise, right? "I will also earnestly pray that the Communist Party will completely disappear from mainland China as soon as possible."

***

"Is this really true?"

"That's right. "Have people been deceived all this time?"

Without realizing it, Henry Wilson began re-reading the contract from cover to cover.

The contract stated an amount that he could not even imagine.

If you have this money, you won't have to worry about not only your home loan, but also your children's school fees and your parents' hospital bills.

Is that it? Even an old car in the garage can be replaced with a new car straight from the factory.

"You just need to come to Germany and help with the work for two years. The money will then be deposited into the teacher's account. "I promise."

"Really this much money...? "I just can't believe it..."

"Uh huh, so does that mean I'm only seen as a fraud?"

"I don't mean that, but wouldn't you still have doubts at least once?"

"Then there is nothing we can do. After all, the decision is up to the teacher. If the teacher doesn't like it, I won't encourage it anymore. Anyway, there are quite a few people other than you who want to meet me. "I'm not sure if we'll all be able to meet today."

"Now, wait!"

As the man turned to leave, Wilson called the man to him in an urgent voice.

"I have a contract! "It's only been two years, can't you do that?"

At Wilson's words, the man smiled as if he knew that would happen.

"A wise choice, sir. Then, please pack your bags and come to the location specified in the contract two days later. Instead, you should not discuss the contract with anyone. Also to the teacher's family. If you break this rule, our relationship with you is over. Of course, I can't give you even a penny."

"Don't worry about that. "My family completely believes anything I say anyway."

"Okay then. "I'll see you in two days."

***

The Reichsmarineamt (RMA), which was in charge of designing German ships from 1889 to 1919, was a dream among all ship designers in Germany due to its highly innovative and advanced organizational atmosphere, high compensation, and treatment on the same level as high-ranking officers. It led to work.

However, when Germany lost the war, RMA was also disbanded, which deprived Germany of the advanced technology essential for ship design.

Although RMA was revived by changing its name to MA (Marineamt), it made the mistake of hiring a large number of novice designers who could not even cross the RMA threshold to make up for the departure of a large number of high-quality talents.

With the talent pool already low and the budget also shrinking, the upper echelons of the Navy, which was competing with the Army and Air Force, urged it to produce results as quickly as possible.

Even if you at least give them plenty of time, they're going to the extent of pestering you when it's not enough?

Of course, there is no way there will be good results.

As all of this created synergy in a negative way, MA fell from the best organization in Germany to the worst organization in Germany.

However, this does not mean that all ships designed by MA were of a scrap class.

As a country that has been a naval powerhouse for a long time, even if it is rotten, the basic performance was acceptable, but there was a problem somewhere in all of them.

As a representative example, the Bismarck-class battleship, which was the face of the Kryx Marine, was equipped with separate surface auxiliary guns and large-diameter anti-aircraft guns, so it was difficult to effectively respond to enemy air attacks, and the turrets were not equipped with any special safety devices, so they were frequently exposed to sea water. suffered from a breakdown.

Even the performance of anti-aircraft guns was substandard, and even these were only equipped with 16 guns, making them extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks.

In addition, there are numerous other problems, such as the fire control system and the decrease in defense due to poor side armor, but it is too tiring to explain them all, so I will omit them.

The battleship, the most important force, looks like this, but there is no way the other things were fine.

In the case of the destroyer, it boasted a very large size even among the destroyers of the time, but its actions were greatly restricted due to its poor armament and short range.

For a guy with a short range, it's a bonus that he's equipped with 6 boilers.

Considering that all of this directly leads to a decrease in performance as well as a waste of resources and costs, it was a task that needed to be solved urgently.

To solve these problems, the help of talented people was needed.

A lot of that too.

I brought back as many designers as possible from the previous RMA back to MA, and ordered Afwehr director Wilhelm Canaris and SD director Heydrich to recruit British and American ship designers and bring them to Germany.

And we also gave the Navy enough time.

There is no need to produce results right away, so stop looking for MA and take your time.

"No matter what the Army and Air Force say, don't be too impatient. Because I know better than anyone else that not only the admiral, but all Navy personnel are suffering in unison.

Even if it takes some time, a more perfect product should come out. "The difference in performance directly affects the life and death of soldiers in actual combat."

"That is a very wise statement, Mr. President!"

Perhaps because he was still bothered by the Army and Air Force's sarcasm that they received a lot of budget but had no actual results, Leather seemed so moved that he even cried when I assured him that I could do it myself and take my time.

I just said a few words as a compliment, but there's no need to cry.

I feel burdened for no reason.

***

In addition to recruiting British and American talent, there was one important task: importing Japanese technology.

If nothing else, Japan's naval technology is far superior to Germany's.

Even during World War II, Germany had a precedent of inviting engineers from Japan to build ships, so there was nothing that could not be done.

Although it is unpleasant, it is something that cannot be helped.

Japan's naval technology and know-how were absolutely necessary to make the German Navy, even if it could not reach a first-rate level, at least capable of fighting.

While Germany, which was the second largest naval power in the world after Britain, collapsed due to its defeat in World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, Japan, a latecomer, was a victorious country and was able to accelerate the strengthening of its naval power.

As a result, Japan had a powerful navy competing for second or third place in the world even before the outbreak of World War II.

In comparison, the German Navy was only at the starting point and was only at a second-rate level.

The position has completely reversed in just a few decades.

The reality of a former student becoming a current teacher is quite humiliating, but in order for a person to develop, he or she must be able to acknowledge reality and accept it.

I met with Shigenori Togo, the Japanese ambassador to Germany, and frankly told him that Japan's help was needed to strengthen Germany's naval power.

Originally, Shigenori Togo did not have a favorable view of Nazi Germany, the ultimate anti-Semitism, because his wife was Jewish.

Because of this, he clashed with the military, which valued relations with Germany, and was replaced by Hiroshi Oshima, who was pro-German.

However, in today's history, the Dogo's attitude toward me has been very friendly thanks to my personal action in rejecting anti-Semitism.

"I understand, Mr. President. "I will immediately contact the home country and convey Your Excellency's wishes."

"Thank you, Ambassador."

As of 1937, the evaluation of me in Japan was ambiguous.

While some people were in awe of Germany, which had turned a defeated country into a powerful country again in less than five years, there were also those who thought it was an enemy of Japan because Mein Kampf warned of Japan's ambition to invade Asia.

In particular, there was some suspicion about the fact that he secretly invited Son Ki-jeong and Nam Seung-ryong, who won medals at the Olympics, to eat with them and praised them diligently.

"Why does the German Fuhrer make such a joke...?"

"What on earth was in Hitler's head?"

In this way, from the perspective of Japan, I, Adolf Hitler, was a person who was difficult to define in one word.

However, no matter what the public's opinion was, the exchange proposal from Germany, a European power, was a temptation too sweet for Japan to resist.

Although Germany's navy was only second-rate, its army was considered the world's strongest along with France, so the Japanese military, which desperately wanted exchanges with the German military, responded positively to my proposal.

"Britain and France, which are colonizing Southeast Asia, will hinder the future growth of the empire. Germany also has Britain and France as potential enemies."

"Germany's advanced technology and weapons are absolutely necessary for the development of the Imperial Army!"

"But doesn't Germany have a close relationship with China? "I don't think Germany will be a very friendly country for the empire that has to conquer China someday."

"It's all about obtaining Chinese minerals. Moreover, the Empire does not import weapons from Germany either."

"This might be a good opportunity to turn Germany's attention from China to the Empire."

Although there were voices of opposition and concern, the general response from the Japanese government and military was 'welcome'.

Japan handed over its naval technology - ship and torpedo designs - to Germany, and in return received various weapons from Germany.

The item that Japan welcomed the most was none other than the blueprints for Panzer 3.

The development of Panzer 3 was halted due to repeated failures, but despite this, the Ordnance Bureau was unable to let go of its attachment to Panzer 3 and modified the existing design to create a new blueprint.

They seem like tough guys.

Why are you so obsessed? Who will die if we don't make this?

"The development of Panzer 4 has already entered the final stage, so there is no need to build Panzer 3. "Don't waste your precious time, just give up."

"But Mr. President, this time will definitely be different. so-"

no. Don't change it. I have no intention of changing it. Go back quickly.

The Ordnance Bureau's persuasion did not work for me, who had already made up my mind to mass produce the 4th Tank.

I've been saying this for a long time, but No. 4 is much better? Unlike No. 4, No. 3 cannot mount a 75mm long gun barrel, so it can only be used as an assault gun.

The blueprint for No. 3 was almost destined to rot in the warehouse forever, but surprisingly, this complex of worries shone during transactions with Japan.

"Oh, these are German tanks."

"Look at this beautiful exterior. "It's so beautiful!"

Even though it may be the 2nd tank, the 1st tank would not be particularly special from the Japanese perspective, but they showed great interest, perhaps because it was a German-made tank.

Was the expression used in this case to make someone else's rice cake look bigger?

Because Panzer 4 was still under development, there were only two tanks that could be shown to Japan: Tank 1 and Tank 2.

The Japanese continued to express their exclamation when they saw No. 1 and No. 2, but perhaps they were not satisfied with this and made new demands from me.

Are there any other tanks?

Although there is a Tank No. 4, it is still under development, and even within the Army, there was opposition, saying they could not leak a new, underdeveloped weapon.

I also had no intention of showing Panzer 4.

The alternative that came to mind was Tank 3.

"this is······?"

"It's a blueprint for a new tank that Germany is developing."

At that time, I remembered the blueprint for No. 3 and showed it to the Japanese negotiating team.

As expected, they showed great interest in the blueprint.

"The front of the hull is 30mm long, the sides are 15mm wide, and it is planned to be equipped with a 37mm 45 caliber main gun like the PaK 36. The maximum speed reaches 69 km/h. "How is it?"

As of 1937, the only tanks with the most powerful performance among Japan's tanks were the Type 95 light tank Hago and the Type 97 heavy tank Chiha.

The Type 97 57mm tank gun mounted on the Chiha is only used for infantry, with little armor penetration, so it is not something that can be used in tank battles in the future.

Unlike the Chi-ha, the 37mm Type 94 tank gun mounted on the Hago has acceptable performance for the Japanese military, penetrating 45mm armor plate at 300m, but due to design issues, the tank commander is responsible for all tasks, including commanding, shooting, and loading the tank alone. Therefore, its combat efficiency is significantly lower than that of the 3rd tank, which is separated into a commander, gunner, and ammunition operator.

In contrast, the firepower, defense, and mobility of the Panzer 3 were all superior to any other tank possessed by the Japanese military.

"Actually, there was a lot of opposition even in the army, saying we shouldn't show this, but I brought it specifically."

"Well, is that really true?"

"Would you lie as president? I also had a lot of worries. Is it okay to show this? However, the naval technology and torpedo designs that your country will give to Germany are also valuable, and we cannot hide them. "Isn't it a true transaction if you make the most of the profit but pay the price?"

Yeah, it's a lie.

Of course, it is true that there has been talk within the Army about releasing the design of Tank No. 3.

However, it did not reach the level of opposition, and it was decided that it would be advantageous to demand more from Japan using this as bait since it would not be used anyway, so it was made public.

The result was a huge success.

"Thank you very much, Mr. President. "I don't know what to do with myself because you're willing to give me such a precious item."

"Uh huh, I have to speak straight. I sold it for the full price, so how could it be something I gave away? "I just hope it can be of some help in returning home."

"of course! This deepens the relationship between Japan and Germany!"

Whoever wants.

I'm only doing business because I need your skills, and I have no intention of becoming friends with you guys?

Well, anyway, drinking kimchi soup was up to the other person, so I left it alone.

The Japanese negotiating team returned dreaming of a more powerful army armed with technology from Germany, an advanced country, and the Krixmarine generals happily toasted the warship technology and torpedoes they would receive from Japan.

The success of this negotiation raised my status within the military as a bonus.