The Rise of the Third Reich

October 10, 1941, Gulf of Riga.

On the beautiful and calm sea, the seawater broken open by the bow of the armored ship "Kaiser Wilhelm II" (P-class armored ship, also known as Kaiser Wilhelm II-class) dispersed to both sides like tumbling white pearls.

The armored ship, named after the German emperor who died in June, has now completed sea trials and officially became a member of the German High Seas Fleet.

The design and construction process of this armored assault ship with a standard displacement of 23,700 tons, which the German Navy once had high hopes for, was a bit tortuous. It faced premature death several times. At first, Hessmann was not interested in such a costly "destruction ship" and wanted to kill the project. At the beginning of 1941, the German Naval Headquarters wanted to convert the four "Kaiser Wilhelm II" class armored ships under construction into aircraft carriers. However, these four somewhat outdated armored ships were finally completed thanks to a special weapon, the V1 man-operated flying bomb - now the P-class armored ships have become guided missile cruisers!

The spacious seaplane deck amidships in the design is now a missile deck. Where two steam catapults were originally planned to be installed, two manned missile launchers are now installed. On one of them, a very strange-looking V3 human-guided missile has been placed.

Originally, there were two German missile projects, the V1 project and the V2 project. According to the classification of later generations, V1 is a cruise missile and V2 is a ballistic missile. The V3 is a temporary project that replaces the currently unreliable pulse jet engine with a rear-mounted piston engine and propeller propulsion system. In addition, the V3 man-operated missile does not have a remote control navigation system, and a pilot must lie in a long and narrow cockpit to fly the missile. And under Hirschman's order, the designers also canceled the escape device. So this is a suicide bomb!

"Captain Leitch, it must feel terrible to fly this suicide missile, right?" Imperial Marshal Hersman was talking to the test pilot who was going to fly the V3 missile today.

The pilot who flew the missile was actually a woman. She was petite and exquisite, but not beautiful. She had a big head, a wide forehead, an unsightly big nose and a big mouth. Her name is Hannah Leitch. She is one of the few female test pilots in Germany and the world, and she is also one of the best test pilots in the Luftwaffe.

A week ago, for her contribution to the test flight and development of the V3 missile, Marshal Hersman personally awarded her the honorary Air Force Captain and the Iron Cross Second Class.

As for the V3 human-operated missile, a deceptive weapon, the reason why Captain Hannah Leitch, the smallest test pilot of the German Air Force, was found to conduct a test flight was because the missile was to be used by the Japanese - the V3 missile was It is an improvement on the V1 missile. It is not very large and has a diameter of only 0.82 meters. A fat man like Goering cannot fit into it. Fortunately, the people who will fly this kind of missile in the future will not be Germans, but small Japanese soldiers, so the missile cockpit is made very small and can only accommodate small people like Hannah Reich.

Hearing Hessmann's question, Hannah Leitch thought about it seriously, and then said: "Marshal Reich, I can only say that this V3 missile is a very difficult aircraft to control. It has to fly at a height almost close to the sea surface." , flying at a speed of 500-600 kilometers per hour. This requires extremely high driving skills and full concentration on control, so I don’t have much energy to think about other things when driving it.”

Hersman nodded and asked, "It's hard to drive, isn't it?"

"It's very, very difficult," said Hannah Leitch, "so we designed a two-seat V3 trainer missile. And it is recommended that each 'Dauntless' must have at least an A2 flight certificate and then take at least 20 hours V3 flight training.”

"So how many people have mastered the technology of flying V3 missiles now?" Hersman asked with a smile.

"Marshal of the Empire," Hannah Laich replied in a very proud tone, "Currently I am the only one in the world who can fly a V3 missile."

"Your Excellency, Marshal," Dr. Paul Schmitt, the chief designer of the V3 missile, added, "it is already very difficult to fly a missile, and it is even more difficult to land it. Currently, only Ms. Leitch can do it."

Of course, Hannah Leitch was flying a V3 missile that could land. At the same time, the warhead of this missile was also a fake without explosives. In fact, this V3 missile is an aircraft with a rear engine, and its aerodynamic shape is very unfavorable for landing. The pilot has to lie down to fly it. Just think about it and you will know how bad it is.

"But a real 'Fearless' does not have to master landing skills." Hannah Leitch explained, "The pilots who can land it have the skills to be aces, and it is impossible to act as a Dauntless."

Hersman smiled and said: "It's none of my business. I won't let the Germans drive such a thing."

Suicide missiles are obviously just something that can only be jumped over the wall. Germany is in such a good situation now, why are they using "suicide weapons"? This thing is for Japanese friends. Of course Hersman has no control over who they want to drive it.

"Hannah, are you willing to go to Japan?" Hessman asked Hannah Laich with a smile.

"Going to Japan?" Hannah Laich was stunned.

Hersman said: "They need V3 missiles. Since you are the only test pilot who can fly V3, you can only serve as the instructor."

Before coming to the Gulf of Riga to observe the V3 missile test flight, Hersman received a telegram from Lieutenant General Paulus, in which Paulus reported Japan's "Hawaiian Operation Strategy" and the latest request for assistance.

Hersman did not agree with the two-step attack on Hawaii, but there was nothing he could do to change the Japanese plan. As for Japan's request for two aircraft carriers, Hessmann will definitely not agree - the two "Yamato" class ships will not come to Europe, and of course the German aircraft carriers cannot go to the Pacific. However, one "missile cruiser" can be sent to the Pacific to help.

The P-class armored ship is designed for the purpose of breaking diplomatic relations, so it has a top speed of up to 33 knots and an endurance of 25,000 nautical miles (13 knots). Enough to sail from Bergen around South America to Truk Atoll in the Western Pacific (the anchorage of the Combined Fleet).

If it takes 36 consecutive days of sailing at a cruising speed of 19 knots, it can definitely arrive before the Pearl Harbor incident. Of course, you can also stop at an Argentine port that has good relations with Germany and add fuel supplies.

Moreover, it has passed the autumnal equinox, and the Arctic has entered the polar night period. The night time in the Denmark Strait in the Arctic Circle has almost reached 20 hours, and the sea conditions and weather there are very bad even during the day, making it difficult for aircraft to function. Therefore, as long as it is escorted by two "Bismarck" class ships and several cruisers and destroyers, a P-class armored ship can easily break through the Denmark Strait.

As long as this P-class armored ship did not break diplomatic relations after breaking through the strait, the British would not be able to send out their home fleet to pursue and intercept it. After all, blocking the Strait of Gibraltar and preventing the French and Italian fleets from breaking into the Atlantic Ocean is currently the top priority of the Royal Navy.

…

"Mr. President, it seems that a German fleet has broken through the Denmark Strait and entered the North Atlantic!"

On the morning of October 15, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark made an emergency call to President Roosevelt.

"A German fleet?" Roosevelt frowned. "Did our fleet stop them?"

"President, this German fleet has at least 20 ships, including probably 2 Bismarck-class battleships..."

Roosevelt's face darkened. An excellent opportunity for the United States to join the war was wasted by the greedy naval officers and soldiers who were afraid of death!

"So... did we send a ship to follow them?" Roosevelt asked again.

"After following for a while..." Admiral Stark's voice was a little dry, "but soon there were storms and waves on the sea, and the radar of one of our light cruisers was damaged by the storm, so we lost track of the other party."

"So a whole German fleet is now out in the Atlantic and we don't know where they are?"

"Yes...Mr. President."

In fact, the entire German fleet has now returned to Bergen, and only one P-class armored ship "Kaiser Friedrich III" is now sailing to South America at a speed of 19 knots.

"Then let the Atlantic Fleet dispatch to search for this German fleet, and learn their whereabouts no matter what!" Roosevelt gave the order and hung up the phone. Then he glanced at Secretary of State Hull, who was sitting opposite him.

"Mr. President, the British seem to be getting more and more trouble." Hull already knew what happened from the conversation between Roosevelt and Stark.

Roosevelt sighed softly, spread his hands and said: "But those people are always unwilling to let me become a wartime president right away."

Those people must include the officers and soldiers of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet who are greedy for life and fear death! If they dared to go out of the harbor in the dark to attack the German fleet, it would very likely cause a battle.

Of course, the result must be that thousands of American soldiers died for their country with a smile... It is a pity that President Roosevelt did not have such brave soldiers. So he had to think of other ways to drag the United States, which was at peace and prosperity, into war.

As for the methods, it seems that there are only two methods at present. One is to engage in some conspiracies that cannot be put on the table; the other is to openly coerce Japan.

But now Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party has a very bad relationship with Germany because it has sheltered the Spanish Republican government. Besides, Germany's plan to unite with Mexico to attack the United States is simply an insult to the intelligence of the American people.

As for the trick of blowing up a certain ship and then framing it on the Germans, it can be done, but there is no guarantee that Congress will pass it. Because many members of the U.S. Congress are now worried that the United States may not be able to defeat Germany, and they do not believe that the Red Soviet Union can help.

So President Roosevelt could only ask the Japanese for help!