The Rise of the Third Reich

"What? The Germans are going to drop an atomic bomb?"

Since President Roosevelt mentioned a lot of information about the German atomic bomb in his testimony before Congress before his death, the top brass of the British (Canadian) and American military actually knew more about the atomic bomb than their German colleagues. Most senior officers at the level of Vice Admiral Fraser have heard various "rumors" about the atomic bomb and know that it is a very powerful bomb. One atomic bomb can produce an explosion equivalent to 10,000-20,000 tons. .

"That's really what Lieutenant General Collins said in his telegram?" Fraser's face was gloomy and solemn. The victory on Newfoundland was about to be won, but the Germans were about to use their most terrifying secret weapon...

"Yes." Colonel Cook was lower in rank than Fraser, but he had also heard a few news about the atomic bomb, but he did not know as much as Fraser, so he lowered his voice and asked: "Lieutenant General, what did I hear about this?" Just one atomic bomb can destroy a city the size of New York?”

"It's nothing," Fraser shook his head and sneered. "Scientists have already calculated using formulas. The damage range is only about 10 square kilometers. It cannot destroy New York at all... If it were to be thrown on Newfoundland, it would probably be It can blow up half of the Churchill Naval Fortress."

The Pentagon and the British (Canadian) Imperial Staff have long organized experts to study Germany's use of atomic bombs on the Newfoundland battlefield.

After expert research, it is believed that the Churchill Naval Fortress is most likely to be bombed. However, when the Churchill Naval Fortress was built, the Americans and British already knew that the Germans were researching the atomic bomb. So we had already been prepared - the four twin 406mm turrets of the fortress were far apart from each other, more than 3 kilometers, and there were tall mounds of dirt surrounding the turrets. Unless an atomic bomb explodes nearby, it is unlikely to destroy the turret.

In addition, the other shore artillery positions in the fortress are also very scattered and protected by solid fortifications.

As for the core part of the fortress, it is more than ten meters deep underground. The specific location is strictly confidential, and it is unlikely to be directly hit by an atomic bomb dropped from high altitude.

In addition to the Churchill Naval Fortress, the sea near the beaches of Newfoundland may also be attacked by atomic bombs-this is the idea of ​​​​tsunami bombs. The Germans may use atomic bombs to create huge waves to destroy the US military defensive positions along the coast of Newfoundland and clear the way for landing operations.

This tactic does not pose a great threat to Newfoundland, because the main terrain on Newfoundland is a plateau. The average altitude of the island is as high as 300 meters, and there are cliffs tens to hundreds of meters above sea level everywhere. Yes, it is impossible to be destroyed by the waves.

However, for Fraser, who is commanding the fleet in Concepcion Bay, the atomic bomb falling in the seawater is what he needs to worry about. In fact, there is no need to worry too much, because Concepcion Bay has several hundred square meters. Kilometers, it would be good if the power of the atomic bomb could reach one-tenth.

Moreover, the Royal Navy's Newfoundland fleet had already formulated a corresponding plan, called the "Turtle Plan," which actually meant dispersing and concealing the fleet in the bay away from beaches that might be the site of German landings.

"Execute the Turtle 2 plan," Fraser did not dare to neglect and immediately issued the order. "The destroyer formation withdrew to take shelter behind Bell Island, and all torpedo boats and submarines dispersed immediately.

In addition, the destroyer formation is ready with smoke bombs... We also have to guard against the German anti-ship missiles. That is the real big threat! "

"As you command, Lieutenant General."

…

"Lieutenant Colonel, no enemy aircraft have been detected above 8,000 meters above Concepcion Bay."

At noon on April 29, 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf von Heinsberg-Yusupov Hersmann was riding a Bv138E-3 waterborne early warning aircraft that had just been put into use, circling 5,000 meters in the air off the coast of Concepcion Bay.

This waterborne early warning aircraft is the latest model of the Bv138E. The nose section used to install the radar has been redesigned to look like a protruding big nose (similar to the later Y-8 early warning aircraft), so it has better upward detection capabilities. Therefore, the Bv138E-3 at an altitude of 5,000 meters can "see" targets above 13,000 meters, which is enough for Hessmann to command the extremely high-altitude Me262T jet fighter in combat.

However, the current American fighter jets have also become smarter. Once the Me262 jet fighters appear in groups, they will immediately lower their altitude and hide in the airspace below 5,000 meters. Therefore, Hessman's superb air combat command methods are basically useless. Not enough to perform.

"What about below 5,000 meters? Are there any enemy planes?" Little Hersman asked again.

"There are many enemy aircraft in the airspace below 5,000 meters, and they are fighting with our Fokker aircraft." The electronic officer on the waterborne early warning aircraft reported to little Hersman.

In the airspace below 5,000 meters, the fighters of the US Army and the British Army (Canada) are entangled with Fokker 636 fighters that took off from the aircraft carrier. They originally came to Newfoundland to support ground operations, but unexpectedly they encountered hundreds of F4Us, F6Fs, F7Fs and P51s. As a result, the air support mission was unable to be carried out, and they fought with the numerically superior enemy aircraft. A ball.

The fierce air battle has lasted for more than an hour, but because there were too many American fighter planes, there was no winner. The sky was filled with piston fighter jets flying up and down trailing white exhaust fumes, and from time to time there were planes circling and falling trailing flames and black smoke.

However, as the jets commanded by Hersman Jr. arrived on the battlefield, the stalemate situation in the air would immediately change.

"Lieutenant Colonel, Electronic Eye 81 just sent a telegram: Thunder has approached Newfoundland." At this time, the communications officer under Hessman Jr. also reported loudly to him.

"Okay, got it." Little Hersman actually didn't know what the "Thunder" fleet was for? An officer of his level is not qualified to have access to that level of secrets.

However, the plan he received before departure stipulated that once the "Thunder" fleet arrived, he must obey the command of Electronic Eye 81, the command aircraft of the "Thunder" fleet.

"Is it Rudolf? I'm Helmut Lundt from Electronic Eye 81." Helmut Lundt's voice soon sounded on the airborne radio. Colonel Lundt was once the commander of Little Hersman at Carl The teacher at the Sruhe Air Force Non-commissioned Officer School was very familiar with little Hersman.

"Colonel Lunt, can we talk in code?" Little Hersman is a frontline air commander and is very vigilant.

"Okay, okay," Colonel Lunt's voice came from the radio speaker, "Use code words, Kitty Hawk 1, I am Electronic Eye 81, and I am in command now."

"Yes." Little Hersman replied, "Electronic Eye No. 81, please give the order."

"All fire-breathing eagles maintain a height of 10 stories."

"Ten stories high?"

"Yes, and then the Wind Eagle will also go up to the 7th floor." Colonel Lunt said, "You will also rise to the 7th floor. In addition, all the Wind Eagles will be under your command from now on. Your mission is to be responsible for the pirates The air quality in the Bay must be clean above the 7th floor.”

"Pirate Bay" refers to Concepcion Bay, "Spitfire" refers to the Me262T jet fighter, and Windhawk refers to the Fokker 636 fighter. "Above 7 floors" refers to altitudes above 7,000 meters.

Colonel Lunt's order was to let Hersman Jr. command all the Fokker 636 and Me262 fighter jets taking off from the aircraft carrier, control the airspace above 7,000 meters above Concepcion Bay, clear out the Allied fighters there, and prepare the fleet for the atomic bomb drop. to create conditions for entry.

I wonder if it’s because the previous air battles have given the Me262 its reputation as a high-altitude killer? Anyway, when hundreds of Me262s and Fokker 636s commanded by Hersman Jr. rushed to the airspace above 7,000 meters above Concepcion Bay, no American fighter jets dared to compete.

Newfoundland time, at 12:45 noon on April 29, 1945, Hersman Jr. reported to Colonel Lunt, who was responsible for commanding the entire atomic bomb delivery operation: "Electronic Eye 81, I am Kitty Hawk 1, air control mission. Has been completed."

"Okay!" Colonel Lunt asked the electronics officer next to him, "Is the passage into Concepcion Bay clear?"

Colonel Lunt's command plane is also a Me264H radar early warning aircraft. It is currently escorting the two Me264K bombers responsible for dropping and controlling the atomic bomb, 6,000 meters away from the right rear, and the altitude has reached 12,000 meters.

There is also another Me2e264K bomber 6,000 meters away to the left and rear, also at an altitude of 12,000 meters.

The high-power S-band radars on the two Me264H aircraft can clearly detect enemy and friendly aircraft within dozens of kilometers around the two Me264K bombers. Especially in weather like today, it is basically impossible for an enemy plane to sneak past the detection of two Me264Hs and get close to two Me264Ks. Even if there is a chance of slipping through, the 16 He219Gs serving as escort missions are not a vegetarian. Definitely shoot them down.

"Sir, access to the bay is clear!"

"Okay!" Lund nodded, picked up the intercom and said, "Electronic Eye 82, how is the situation ahead?"

"Sir, there is a vacuum ahead," the air combat commander on Electronic Eye 82 (another Me264H) replied in code, "not a speck of dust was found."

"All attention!" Colonel Lunt ordered loudly, "I am Electronic Eye No. 81. Now I order, enter the Pirate Bay, 11 stories high. Thunder 1, Thunder 2, prepare to drop bombs."

Chapter 1262 Atomic Bomb Nineteen

Grays Harbor Airport, Newfoundland. As the roar of the tank motor gradually faded away and the sound of gunfire and artillery gradually became sparse, the German paratroopers guarding the trenches and firepower positions took a long breath.

Grays Harbor Airport is still in the hands of the Germans for the time being, but no one knows whether the next US military attack will kill these Nazi supermen.

Captain Brandt is still alive and well. After his platoon was repelled by the last US attack, there were only 15 officers and soldiers left who could still fight, including a Frenchman named Mitterrand who had terrible marksmanship. .

However, Brandt still found a very suitable position for Mitterrand - making him a sniper assistant. In fact, he served as an assistant to Brandt himself. Because there were only one squad of soldiers left under his command, Brandt stopped commanding them personally. Instead, 13 of them were reduced to a squad, and the anti-tank firepower of a squad was held, using an 88mm "Doll" anti-tank rocket launcher and an "Iron Fist" 200 anti-tank grenade launcher that were airdropped on the 28th to deal with the impact. American tanks entering the airport.

Brandt himself formed a sniper team with Mitterrand, responsible for supporting the squad's firepower operations with precise shooting.

In the battle that just ended, Brandt's FG42 paratrooper rifle claimed the lives of six more American freedom fighters. And his soldiers also did a good job, destroying 3 American tanks, one of which was an M26.

However, the reason why the attacking U.S. troops retreated was not because of the heroic fighting of Brandt and other German paratroopers. In fact, these paratroopers with only "light equipment" had a very difficult time fighting the heavily armed mechanized troops of the United States. After a hard fight until noon on the 29th, the German paratroopers guarding the Grays Harbor Airport were at the end of their strength. As long as the Americans showed a little more determination, they could capture the airport. But just when they were about to succeed, they suddenly retreated for some unknown reason.

Brandt, who was smoking a cigarette, knew very well that if the airport did not receive reinforcements, the next American attack would succeed! And when the time comes, he will become a prisoner or... sacrifice himself heroically for the cause of Nazism and fascism!

As an anti-fascist and anti-Nazi socialist, this way of death is really ironic.

Just when Brandt felt extremely depressed, a messenger from the 101st Air Assault Battalion headquarters suddenly rushed to the bomb crater where he was and shouted: "Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant Colonel Schwarzenegger ordered to wear all protective gear." Equipment, everyone enter the bunker."

"What?" Brandt was stunned, "What did you say?"

"Wear all protective gear and everyone enter the bunker. This is the lieutenant colonel's order!"

"Order? Okay... I have to obey!" Brandt shook his head, threw away the cigarette in his hand, stood up staggeringly with the FG42 paratrooper rifle, and then waved to Mitterrand, who was in a daze. , "French, let's go back to the stronghold."

"Oh." Mitterrand responded numbly, then stood up and followed Brandt to the anti-tank stronghold not far away.

At the same time, in Grays Harbor, which had just changed hands, Major General Ross, commander of the 16th Armored Division of the US Army, was also arranging his men to avoid possible atomic bomb attacks - he had only received the atomic bomb requirements from the 20th Army Headquarters 10 minutes ago. The news came.

But he is not too worried about the atomic bomb... Even if the bomb has a power equivalent to 20,000 tons, it can only be used against densely populated big cities. What use is it in a place like Newfoundland? What does a deserted island of 110,000 square kilometers fear from atomic bombs?

As for throwing atomic bombs into the sea to create waves, he is not worried. Although Grays Harbor is on the coast, the altitude of this port is not very low. Only the area near the pier is easy to flood, and other places are quite high. Unless the Germans drop the atomic bomb near Grays Harbor, there is no need at all. Afraid.

Therefore, Major General Ross rejected Lieutenant General Walker's suggestion to withdraw troops from Grays Harbor - although the process of capturing this port was surprisingly easy (it was actually given up by the Germans on their own initiative, and most of the highlands outside the port are still in the hands of the Germans) , but Major General Ross was still unwilling to try again.

Therefore, he just moved his troops to a slightly higher position, or simply occupied a house that looked stronger and could withstand the waves. As for Major General Ross himself, he moved his headquarters to a torpedo boat brigade headquarters. He also specially occupied a seat by the window, just to see with his own eyes what an atomic bomb explosion would look like?

"Major General, is this okay?"

Major General Ross heard someone talking to him and looked back. It turned out that one of his adjutants had set up a camera. Not only did he want to see the atomic bomb explosion with his own eyes, but he also wanted to record it on film and send it back to the United States to open the eyes of President Truman.

"Well, okay, that's it." Major General Ross nodded, thinking: Isn't it the atomic bomb? What's there to be afraid of?

Major General Ross was not afraid of the atomic bomb, but Major General Collins, the commander-in-chief of the Newfoundland ground forces in Fortress Churchill, was very afraid. Because he felt that the atomic bomb was coming to blow him up, and it would most likely fall on Fortress Churchill. This fortress is the most critical to the entire Newfoundland island. If you don't blow up the fortress, what will you blow up?

Although the fortress is very strong, it is an atomic bomb after all! One bomb alone has the equivalent of 20,000 tons of explosives!

So as soon as he got the news that the atomic bomb was coming, Major General Collins immediately moved his headquarters and left the fortress and ran to the Conception Bay Naval Base near Bell Island - Conception Bay is a rare "low land" on Newfoundland. The beach is very long and there are many harbors where light ships can dock, making it an important base for the Royal Navy's Newfoundland fleet.

Moreover, this harbor is blocked by Bell Island and two other small islands, and is deep in Concepcion Bay. Therefore, we are not afraid of enemy landings, nor are we afraid of the crashing waves caused by atomic bombs.

In addition, there has long been a reserve command post here in Conception Bay, which was used by the Newfoundland Island Ground Forces Command after the destruction of Fortress Churchill. It is now being opened ahead of schedule as the location of Lieutenant General Collins' temporary headquarters.

"Sir, the radar station at Fortress Churchill reported that a large German fleet was sighted about 30 nautical miles east of the entrance to Concepcion Bay."

"Sir, the Newfoundland Island Air Defense Command reports that about 300 German fighter planes are hovering over Concepcion Bay at an altitude of 7,000 meters to 12,000 meters."

"Sir, Vice Admiral Fraser reported that his fleet has completed the evacuation and is no longer afraid of atomic bombs."

Not afraid of atomic bombs? Lieutenant General Collins stood in front of a fort observation port overlooking Concepcion Bay, looking at Belle Island across the sea, thinking: If only I could really not be afraid...

…

"Sir, Thunder 1 has arrived at the designated location and requested to install the fuze."

At this moment, the Me264K bomber responsible for dropping the atomic bomb had arrived at the entrance of Concepcion Bay, hovering at an altitude of 11,000 meters.

"Agree to install the fuze and conduct a final test." Colonel Lunt gave the order.

Because the atomic bomb will be thrown into the sea, two sets of depth-fixed and timed fuzes will be installed. As long as a set of fuses is activated, the atomic bomb will be detonated. For safety reasons, the fuse must be installed before launch.

After the fuze is installed, it is the final test, mainly to check whether the indicator light and remote control device at the tail of the atomic bomb are intact. This Heisenberg Device No. 3 used in actual combat is actually a remotely controlled guided bomb. The impact point of the bomb can be changed to a certain extent by shaking the tail.

In addition, the parachute package at the tail of the atomic bomb is also the focus of inspection - in order to prevent the detonation device from being damaged by violent collision with the water surface when the atomic bomb falls into the water (the fuze is designed to withstand such a collision), the atomic bomb will open the tail parachute when it lands at an altitude of 1,000 meters. , and then slowly fall into the sea. When it sinks to a depth of 50-60 meters, the depth-fixing fuse on the atomic bomb will detonate. Through the explosion, the plutonium-239 charges inside the atomic bomb will be mixed together, causing a violent chain reaction. reaction......

"The fuze has been installed and all tests have been completed. Everything is normal."

"Okay!" Colonel Lunt did not immediately order the bomb drop, "How is the situation in the air below?"

"There are some American fighter jets below 6,000 meters, and no large American ships have been found on the water."

"Order Thunder 1, Thunder 2 and the escort aircraft squadron to descend to 7,000 meters." Colonel Lunt added, "We also descended to 7,000 meters and let Electronic Eye 82 continue to stay above 11,000 meters."

The fleet that dropped the atomic bomb soon circled and descended to 7,000 meters. Colonel Lunt raised his telescope and looked at the sea through the porthole. The visibility is very good and you can clearly see the entrance of the bay.

"Tell Thunder 1 that you are allowed to drop the bomb!"

As Colonel Lunt gave the order to drop the bomb, the voice of the count came from the airborne radio: "5-4-3-2-1-release!"

Colonel Lunt heard "release" and quickly searched the sky with his telescope, and soon found a flashing eye-catching red light point falling rapidly. Colonel Lunt realized that it was the atomic bomb!

The bombing has been successful!

"This is Electronic Eye No. 81," he immediately used the radio to inform Little Hersman, who was responsible for commanding the fighter jets to protect the bombardier group, "Call Kitty Hawk 1!"

"I am Kitty Hawk 1, please give instructions."

"All fighter jets immediately raise their altitude and evacuate over Concepcion Bay! All fighter jets evacuate, and they must be quick!"

Little Hersman didn't quite understand this order, but he immediately responded: "Yes, we will evacuate immediately!"

Immediate evacuation is actually unnecessary, because what is about to happen is not an atomic bomb air explosion, but an underwater explosion. Nuclear radiation and shock waves do not threaten aircraft at an altitude of 7,000 meters. However, for safety reasons, except for the two Me264K bombers with radiation protection design, other aircraft must stay as far away as possible before the atomic bomb explodes.