Chapter 217 |
< World War II - The Awakening of a Giant (3) >
October 15, 1941
Northern Germany, Schleswig-Holstein – Kiel Naval Port
I was at the Kiel Naval Port, observing the flight training of carrier-based aircraft that had been converted for use on our aircraft carrier.
There were carrier-based versions of the Bf109 fighter and the Stuka (Ju 87), and even the Ar200, a torpedo bomber modified from the Ar196 seaplane.
The technological exchange with Britain had been a great help, especially in the design of the Graf Zeppelin and the torpedo bombers.
Not to mention, when we were modifying our Hanomag armored vehicles, we were able to reference their Bren Gun Carrier.
The technological exchange with them was a profitable business in many ways.
The Graf Zeppelin we had completed was now very different from its initial design.
Still, seeing Germany's aircraft carrier, which in the original history was never even completed, now proudly sailing under its own power and conducting landing and takeoff drills for its carrier-based aircraft, I felt a surge of naval pride…
…or not.
Not at all. Not even a tiny bit.
Damn it, with that budget, how many tanks, how many bombers could we have built?
Britain is our ally anyway, so why do we have to pour our budget into the Navy like water?
Of course, the moment I voiced such thoughts, Admiral Raeder, who was smiling like a proud father, would transform into a demon and grab me by the collar. But seriously, I questioned whether we really needed such a grand Navy when we weren't even pursuing global hegemony.
It's not like I could order them to scrap what was already being built, so we completed it, but…
"What do you think, now that you see it in person?"
I smiled back at Admiral Raeder, whose face was beaming.
Well, as a matter of courtesy, I should probably say it looks cool.
"Not very impressive."
Oh, come on, who's this party pooper!
As every admiral here and I stiffly turned our heads, Emperor Wilhelm III added with a stoic face.
"Isn't it just a floating airfield? A true capital ship should have the majestic and heavy appeal of massive cannons."
"Indeed, Your Majesty! You know that the true king of the sea is the battleship. Of course! Our Navy has high hopes for the Graf Zeppelin, but that expectation is limited to a supportive role."
I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or not.
Hearing Wilhelm III's follow-up, Admiral Raeder's face lit up as he began to chatter excitedly.
Hey, Your Excellency, the highest-ranking Field Marshal in the Navy, have some decorum.
Just because the topic turned to battleships, you're acting like a child…
"We have refitted the Bismarck and Scharnhorst, which were damaged in the last naval battle, and we have great expectations for them!"
Admiral Raeder glanced at me as he said this, but I mercilessly turned away.
Even if you look at me like that, there will be no construction of additional battleships.
No, I tell you. You anachronistic big-gun zealots!
I suppose I can't blame them, as their era was the last golden age of the Big Gun Doctrine…
I turned my gaze to the anchored, refitted Bismarck and Scharnhorst.
Both ships now had their main armaments standardized to 15-inch guns.
Had we developed and built new main guns in such a short period?
Of course not.
We had neither the time nor the budget.
Those were salvaged from what France had been building for the main guns of their third and fourth Richelieu-class ships before construction was canceled.
We took the spare parts and modified them to our own specifications.
It's a bit of a funny story, but since the Bismarck's main guns were completely destroyed in the Anglo-French Naval Battle, this ended up being the cheaper option.
It was a considerable wound to the Navy's pride, but objectively, the performance of the Richelieu-class main guns was superior to the Bismarck's. The same went for the Scharnhorst, which had been using guns so pathetic you couldn't look at them without crying, like its 11-inch cannons.
I had been concerned that we wouldn't be able to use the Richelieu's quadruple-gun turret, but it was originally a design that put two twin-gun turrets together. Since the joining process hadn't even started yet, we managed to solve it with British help.
A moment of silence for the French Navy, which, along with the Jean Bart—now renamed the Widerstand—had contributed so much to the development of the German Navy.
I left the Emperor and Admiral Raeder, who were caught up in their battleship high, and approached Admiral Wilhelm Marschall.
"I'm counting on you for this expedition, Admiral."
"Leave it to me, Minister of Defense!"
Admiral Marschall replied with a sharp salute.
As a result of the Parliament's vote, the dispatch of the fleet to Asia was confirmed.
In any case, our main enemy, the Soviet Baltic Fleet, was stuck in Kronstadt harbor, unable to move because of the Tirpitz and some obsolete battleships watching them from nearby Viipuri.
And with rocket attacks periodically raining down on that port, they had their hands full.
Besides, from the moment Britain handed over all of France's reparations and allowed us to use the French Army, they had essentially paid us in advance and secured our promise of support on the Asian Front.
Of course, it wasn't as if we got nothing in return…
After some discussion, the Navy decided to dispatch a fleet centered around the battleships Bismarck and Scharnhorst, and the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin.
The commander initially considered by the Navy was Günther Lütjens, a close friend of Dönitz, who was already in India…
However, he was rejected on the grounds that he had a history of conflict with the Bismarck's captain, Ernst Lindemann, and that it would be troublesome to appoint a commander who lacked popularity for an expeditionary force.
Instead, Admiral Wilhelm Marschall was chosen. He had experience coordinating with the submarine fleet in the Baltic Sea and a track record of completely screwing over the Soviet Baltic Fleet.
From Admiral Lütjens's perspective, who was pushed aside due to a subordinate's insubordination, it must feel incredibly unfair, but he was put in charge of the Baltic Sea instead, so… there's that.
I glanced worriedly at the Graf Zeppelin and opened my mouth.
"Admiral, as you know, those ships are vital strategic assets, built with a budget that nearly broke Germany's back."
"I am well aware, Minister! I will repay you with military merit!"
"Ah, no, that's not what I'm asking for…"
"Of course, I will do my best to bring them back in one piece."
Admiral Marschall added with a playful smile, and I let out a sigh of relief.
---
On the car ride back, the Emperor spoke up.
"You got something unusual from the British, didn't you, Minister?"
"Ah. Yes, Your Majesty."
What we got for this naval dispatch wasn't much.
Recognition of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
As of October 17, 1941, they officially joined the Allied Powers and declared war on the Empire of Japan.
Churchill had initially expressed reservations, but he was in no position to refuse the liberation of a Japanese colony when it wasn't even a British one. The Netherlands, for their part, were just along for the ride with the Allied Forces.
Jiang Jieshi of the Republic of China also expressed considerable displeasure, since we had essentially snatched a subordinate group from under him, but he shut his mouth when we presented evidence of German-supplied equipment ending up not just with warlords, but with the Japanese.
What could he do? If he was so upset, he should have kept his own house in order.
"To think of gaining such a thing from a colony in the Far East, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is quite capable."
"Haha…"
Of course, it wasn't for free.
Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the Provisional Government and, in exchange for supporting their official recognition and liberation, secured 20 years of tungsten mining rights in Korea after its liberation.
It wasn't a cheap price, and they said there was much debate on their side, but at least Korea, unlike in the original history, had earned the right to fight as a proper member of the Allied Powers.
We also managed to secure some scraps from the Asian Front, so personally, a weight was lifted from my mind.
I'm genuinely curious what Syngman Rhee's face looks like right now.
In any case, that's all I need to worry about on the Asian Front for now.
Now that the Rasputitsa on the Eastern Front is ending, I need to prepare for what comes next.
I hope General Model's unit is safe.
---
October 16, 1941
Capital of the Empire of Japan, Tokyo
The Emperor of Japan, Hirohito, was furious.
"What, what! My own subjects have risen against the Empire!"
"Th-That is not the case, Your Majesty the Emperor! It is merely some disloyal elements who rejected the Empire's rule and were operating out of China—"
Hirohito slammed his desk, cutting off Prime Minister Tojo Hideki.
"Prime Minister, how much do you disregard my insight! Those disloyal elements have been officially recognized! This is no different from the Allied Powers declaring their intent to tear Korea from the Empire's embrace!"
Tojo flinched and fell silent.
By the standards of the European powers, Korea was merely a colony in the Far East.
The idea that such dissidents from Korea would be officially recognized as a co-belligerent in the Allied forces was a situation they had never even imagined.
To the Empire of Japan, Korea was not just a colony; it was a land of second-class subjects, practically part of the homeland. To declare they would tear away such a legitimate territory of the Empire?
The message from Germany, which had led this, was clear.
They had no intention whatsoever of letting the Empire of Japan off easy and would intervene in the Asian Front in some form.
Of course, Germany, having gained many concessions from France's post-war settlement, had to declare its intervention in the Asian Front to maintain its diplomatic standing in Europe.
That they would intervene didn't mean it would be a total war with Germany's full might, as they were doing against the Soviet Union.
However, the Empire of Japan was in no position to know the detailed political situation within the Allied Powers.
The Empire of Japan was worried about the possibility of Germany's mighty, multi-million-man army pouring into Asia.
At least from the Empire of Japan's perspective, they could only assume that Germany had recognized them with the intention of turning Korea into their own puppet state or colony.
"If Germany defeats the Soviet Union and their armies pour into Asia, can we stop them?"
"…Th-That would be difficult to guarantee, but…"
The Imperial Japanese Army had already experienced a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhukov's Soviet Army at Khalkhin Gol, and the fear from that experience left them without the courage to face the Soviet Union alone.
To them, the German Army—which had fought consecutive wars against Italy, Poland, and France, and was still achieving victory after victory against the Soviet Army—appeared as a force of nature, an object of terror.
Hirohito looked at the Prime Minister, who couldn't even admit they would lose, with a pathetic expression. He chewed his lip and muttered.
"Damn it, they were supposed to be our allies…"
If only Hitler had done a slightly better job, they would have been the Empire's most reliable ally.
Hirohito felt a pang of regret, but reality was reality.
In the end, he spoke with a reluctant face.
"Wouldn't it be better to seek an armistice now?"
The Empire of Japan had driven the Republic of China into a near-death state and seized the Southern Resource Area, but now it was overstretched, unable to digest the vast territories it had occupied and slowly dying on its own.
In this situation, France had collapsed, Britain had begun to seriously project its power into India, and it was obvious that Germany would also intervene in Asia after defeating the Soviet Union.
America, which had ignored Japan's gestures of reconciliation after the regime change, could intervene at any time.
There were more than enough reasons for Japan to stop the war. But Tojo Hideki jumped up.
"That would be unthinkable, Your Majesty the Emperor! They have subjugated France and are pushing back the Soviets; they are at the height of their arrogance! If we were to sign a peace treaty now, we might have to give up the entire Southern Resource Area we worked so hard to occupy!"
In reality, it was the Empire of Japan, which had profited from an empty-house robbery while Europe was on fire, that had become arrogant. And what they would have to give up was not just the Southern Resource Area.
But regardless, if a de facto surrender negotiation was concluded, Tojo Hideki's head would certainly roll.
"Then what is your plan? Preparations for the invasion of India will still take more time, won't they?"
The assembly of the India invasion force, commanded by Mutaguchi Renya, was making no progress.
The Imperial Japanese Army was facing a severe shortage of troops.
In that situation, when trying to requisition troops for the invasion of India, the characteristic factional infighting of the Japanese military led to a stalemate, with each side insisting the other's factions should provide more troops.
When the exasperated Imperial General Headquarters issued a requisition order, the commanders on the ground would simply ignore it, and their superiors from the same faction would cover for them, creating a ridiculous situation.
Even worse, when they did manage to painstakingly requisition troops, the Navy, which was supposed to transport them, would prioritize their own cargo and endlessly delay the transport.
"The Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, has completed his preparations! With Your Majesty the Emperor's approval, he will immediately occupy Ceylon Island (modern-day Sri Lanka) and inflict a decisive blow upon them!"
"Ceylon Island…"
Hirohito licked his lips.
Ceylon Island, not bad.
If they could seize Ceylon, the Japanese Navy could project its influence decisively throughout the waters near India and block all sea routes coming from Europe to India via the Suez Canal.
"That's right, Your Majesty the Emperor! If we take Ceylon, Britain will suffer a fatal blow and will have no choice but to consider an armistice!"
"But didn't they refuse to surrender even when they were ambushed by the French and the fall of London was imminent?"
Hirohito's question was valid, but Tojo Hideki immediately rebutted.
"Things are different now, Your Majesty the Emperor! They are wary of Mutaguchi's army, and without supplies by sea, the Allied forces in India will simply self-destruct! Once Britain loses its power to project influence in Asia, even Germany will not be able to extend its hand here. They will be forced to submit to the Great Empire of Japan!"
"Hmm…"
It was an overly optimistic line of thought with even a little reflection, but they had been on a winning streak until now.
The Army may have shown some disappointing aspects, but their pride, the Imperial Japanese Navy, was a collective of victors!
In the end, choosing the sweeter-sounding option after much deliberation, Hirohito nodded.
"Very well, I grant my permission.
Show that old, fat lion that this Greater East Asia is the domain of the Rising Sun Flag!"
"Yes, sir!"