The Rise of the Third Reich

The "really useful" assistance Nagano requested was not weapons and equipment such as aircraft, tanks, and warships, but pilots, Germany's ace pilots!

Although Japan's industrial strength is very weak compared to first-class powers such as the United States, Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. However, because Japan has always practiced "military-first politics", they did not lack aircraft and aircraft carriers at the beginning of the war.

According to the plan, by the end of 1941, the Japanese Navy will have more than 10 aircraft carriers, including 6 large fleet aircraft carriers (Amagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku) and 3 light aircraft carriers. ships (Ryujo, Hosho, Zuiho) and 1 escort aircraft carrier (Daya). In terms of the absolute number of aircraft carriers, Japan is actually now number one in the world!

However, the time that Japan can remain number one in the world is very limited. The United States and Germany now have very large aircraft carrier construction plans.

Regardless of the fact that the United States is like dumplings in building aircraft carriers, even Germany, which has not yet completed the integration of European industrial strength, currently has 5 fast cruise ships undergoing modification (aircraft carriers), 6 Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers under construction, and 17 standard ships. The 12,000-ton displacement C aircraft carrier (a cheap escort carrier with a speed of 18 knots) is under construction.

In addition, there are two "Seidlitz" class aircraft carriers and one training aircraft carrier with a standard displacement of 7,500 tons that have been built.

Therefore, making full use of the numerical advantage of aircraft carriers in the early stages of the war has become the key to whether Japan can achieve a decisive victory.

But the aircraft carrier itself has little combat effectiveness. The combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier lies in the carrier-based aircraft. Although Japan does not lack carrier-based aircraft, it does not have enough carrier-based aircraft pilots.

At present, the total number of commonly used aircraft owned by the Japanese Army and Navy is only more than 3,000. Moreover, the scale of Japan's pilot training is limited by oil and has never been large. It is difficult to provide a large number of carrier-based aircraft pilots in the short term.

Therefore, although Japan could have 10 aircraft carriers by the end of 1941, there was no way to equip these aircraft carriers with enough carrier-based aircraft pilots so that they could exert their maximum combat effectiveness.

Taking the "Chicheng" aircraft carrier with a full load displacement of 41,300 tons as an example, the "Chicheng" aircraft carrier can carry up to 91 carrier-based aircraft after adopting the method of carrying some aircraft tethered to the deck. However, the current number of commonly used aircraft in the "Chicheng" carrier-based fleet is only 18 Zero fighters, 18 Type 99 dive bombers and 27 Type 97 torpedo attack aircraft, a total of only 63 aircraft. Although there are still some reserve aircraft, the number of 63 commonly used aircraft is too small, and there cannot be as many reserve aircraft as 28.

Therefore, the "Chicheng" aircraft carrier is now unable to exert its maximum combat effectiveness, and the rest of the Japanese aircraft carriers are carrying aircraft in the same situation. The number of commonly used aircraft on several "old aircraft carriers" is only 70%-80% of the maximum number. The situation of newly built aircraft carriers is naturally even worse.

Among the 10 aircraft carriers that Japan already has or will have, the "Akasei" can carry up to 91 carrier-based aircraft, the "Kaga" can carry up to 90 aircraft, and both the "Soryu" and "Hiryu" can carry 72 aircraft. , "Xianghe" and "Zuihe" can carry 84 carrier-based aircraft, "Ryuxiang" and "Zuiho" can carry 30 carrier-based aircraft, "Phoenixiang" can carry 21 carrier-based aircraft, "Daying" " can carry 27 carrier-based aircraft. The 10 aircraft carriers can carry a total of 601 carrier-based aircraft. If 61 of them are reserve aircraft, the remaining common aircraft that can be used for combat can also reach 560.

However, the number of outstanding carrier-based aircraft pilots (captains) that the Japanese naval aviation can produce now is only more than 400 at most, and the difference is almost 100 people. There are now only more than two months left before the planned surprise attack. It will definitely be too late for Japan to train itself, so it can only let Germany support carrier-based aircraft pilots.

"You want 100 carrier-based aircraft captains?" Hersman looked at Ozawa Jisaburo who was visiting again and asked in English, "Does it mean that if we provide 100 carrier-based aircraft captains, you will occupy Hawaii?"

"Your Excellency, Marshal, if our Imperial Navy receives sufficient support, we will consider occupying Hawaii." Ozawa Jizaburo did not say anything, "but whether this goal can be achieved depends on the situation."

Jisaburo Ozawa really wanted to get 100 German ace pilots, but he had reservations about occupying Hawaii.

In fact, there was already a lot of opposition within the Japanese Navy to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and many people thought it was too risky. If the "occupation of Hawaii" operation is to be carried out, which is several times more risky, the opposition will probably be even greater.

Even if Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku is finally able to implement the plan against all odds, he will definitely formulate a more conservative plan and will not invest all the capital of the Combined Fleet into it. Instead, the main force and landing force will be followed several hundred nautical miles behind the First Air Force, and whether to take further action will be decided depending on the situation of the air attack.

In addition, the Army's attitude towards the Hawaii landing operation is still unclear. It seems a bit uneconomical to invest 4-5 elite divisions at a time and give up the two relatively low-risk operations of fighting in the Philippines and occupying the Dutch East Indies. Therefore, Ozawa Jisaburo cannot give any guarantee now.

Hersmann and Marshal Raeder, the commander-in-chief of the German Navy who attended today's meeting, exchanged glances with each other. Of course, Marshal Redl does not agree with handing over 100 German HNA carrier-based aircraft pilots to Japan, but Hessmann has agreed to transfer a group of aces from shore-based pilots to receive aircraft carrier takeoff and landing training to replace these pilots who were transferred from the aircraft carrier. Elite. So it’s not easy for him to object.

"Give a maximum of 60 carrier-based pilots," Redl said, "and they will all be Fokker Zero pilots, because we don't have many experienced carrier-based dive bomber pilots."

The main mission of Germany's two official aircraft carriers, "Seidlitz" and "Sekt", is to escort the main fleet. Therefore, they have more carrier-based fighters and fewer carrier-based dive bombers. Sometimes they will also use Full fighter configuration. Therefore, among today's German naval carrier-based aircraft pilots, fighter pilots account for the majority.

Moreover, Germany has many ace fighter pilots who can easily be transferred to aircraft carriers. Now there are more than 300 fighter pilots in the Luftwaffe and Hainan Airlines who have won the "Blue Max" - which means more than 7,500 aircraft were shot down. However, in this time and space, the German Air Force has sufficient fuel supply, so it no longer uses its ace to death. Generally, after taking the "Blue Max", it will be transferred to an instructor or promoted to a higher position to escape the most intense battlefield. Therefore, there are currently many "Blue Max" in the Luftwaffe and naval aviation, but the number of "super aces" with more than 50 aircraft shot down is very limited.

"60 is too few, at least 80 are needed." Jisaburo Ozawa thought for a while, and then said, "However, we can guarantee that these German pilots are only responsible for direct cover and instructor tasks, and in principle are not responsible for attack aircraft groups. Escort mission.”

"Direct cover" is to cover the fleet. This is a relatively safe combat mission. Even if it is shot down, there is a high chance of survival. There is no need to go into battle as an instructor - there are basically no instructors with rich practical experience in the pilot schools of Japan's Hainan Airlines and Army Airlines. If Germany's ace pilots can be used as instructors, the training level can be improved.

"Moreover, I want to personally select the pilots." Ozawa Jisaburo made another condition at this time, "I hope to watch them take off and land from the aircraft carrier and various air combat actions, and then talk to them one by one."

Ozawa didn't seem to believe the Germans. Hersman frowned slightly, but he still nodded and said, "I can agree to your request, but if you don't launch a campaign to occupy Hawaii in the end, we will recall these pilots."

He paused and then said: "Lieutenant General Ozawa, I will give you 7 days to go to Kiel Port to select people. The Imperial Navy will fully cooperate. Then we will arrange for these people to go to Japan through the Soviet Union as soon as possible. As for other aid supplies, It is difficult to safely deliver it to Japan now, and we can only wait until the Indian Ocean route is opened.”

Although Germany has now occupied Gibraltar, Britain has also occupied the Canary Islands and Madeira Islands, and has also laid a large number of mines at the exit of the Strait of Gibraltar. Therefore, the Atlantic route has not been opened yet. As for the Suez Canal, the canal is open, but the Gulf of Aden is still blocked by the United Kingdom. The Italian and French fleets without aircraft carriers also cannot rush out.

As for the transportation of goods to Japan through the Soviet Union, it was completely interrupted starting in August 1941. However, people can still pass through, otherwise Ozawa Jisaburo and Terauchi Juichi would not be able to come now.

"In addition, we can also provide you with a staff group, which is composed of German engineers and artillery experts. They have all participated in the battle to capture fortresses in Europe. They know how to capture a well-defended fortress like Oahu." Hess Mann then made another suggestion.

He said: "And we also have a lot of information about the defense situation of the Oahu Fortress that we can provide you with... In fact, the Oahu Fortress is not as strong as imagined. Its most terrifying coastal defense battery is the Randolph Fort. But these two 14-inch cannons, two 16-inch cannons from Williston Battery, and two 16-inch cannons from Hatch Battery cannot theoretically hit your Yamato. The 460mm cannons can definitely destroy the defenses of these forts, and all the large-caliber shore guns on Oahu are deployed in the direction of Pearl Harbor. There are no large-caliber shore guns on the north of the island.

So as long as you show enough determination, Oahu will belong to Japan! "