The Rise of the Third Reich

Hersmann returned to Berlin on May 1, 1942, after completing a series of bluff inspections.

And this night, for people on both sides of the English Channel, will be a sleepless night that will always be remembered in their hearts.

All 18,000 officers and soldiers of the 1st German Marine Division had already boarded the ship in Wilhelmshaven at noon that day, with a large amount of their equipment and baggage (this division was actually a light armored division with a large number of amphibious tanks and self-propelled artillery). They are also equipped with 5 amphibious assault ships, 78 T-type and T-type "magic modification" series ships.

In the evening of that day, the fleet began to organize outside Wilhelmshaven, and the 5th Fleet of the European Combined Fleet was responsible for covering it - although most of the German Navy's main ships left the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

However, there are still many ships left to form the 5th Fleet, including three "missile cruisers" that are not amazing in appearance in today's German Navy, but are actually extremely powerful in combat effectiveness.

In addition, three "Rhine" class escort aircraft carriers (C-ships) have now joined the 5th Fleet. And their strength cannot be underestimated. Although the C aircraft carrier is also a Diaoyu aircraft carrier, compared with its counterparts in the United States and the United Kingdom, it is built by a German shipyard that pays attention to quality and likes to build high-quality products. Therefore, it can also be regarded as a Diaoyu aircraft carrier. of elites.

Aircraft C has a relatively large tonnage (12,000 tons), a relatively fast speed (21 knots), relatively strong anti-aircraft firepower, and a large number of carrier-based aircraft, reaching 30 (the hangar accommodates 24 aircraft, and the deck has 6 tethered aircraft) ), of which 24 are commonly used carrier-based aircraft. In other words, there are a total of 72 carrier-based aircraft on the three "Rhine" class escort aircraft carriers, and their combat effectiveness is still very impressive.

Under the escort of the 5th Fleet, nearly 70 amphibious assault ships and landing ships fully loaded with soldiers and equipment were quickly formed, and then sailed towards the entrance to the English Channel at a speed of 12 knots in strict accordance with the timetable set by the German High Command. .

The air forces and naval aviation of Germany, France, and Italy also became extremely active starting at noon on May 1. Fighters flew in groups along the patrol route over the English Channel, guided by ground radar and high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, to intercept all air targets that dared to approach.

A large number of squadrons of Ju87 Stuka dive bombers also appeared in the air above and near the strait, searching back and forth at medium and low altitudes of less than 1,500 meters. All British ships discovered by them, whether military or civilian, were violently attacked. attack.

As for the large long-range anti-ship aircraft of Germany and Italy, such as Ju288, P.108, D0217, S.M.79 and the Ju88 that have not yet been replaced, they are nowhere to be seen, apparently waiting for the British fleet to dispatch.

"I didn't expect that the sky over the English Channel is completely in our hands." Rudolf von Ribbentrop, who has become a Marine Corps lieutenant, is leaning on the side of the "Baltic" and looking up at the German planes in the sky. Talk to yourself. He remembered that before he left Europe for Japan, the skies over the English Channel were still a stalemate battlefield between the two sides.

"Company Commander, the British air force has long since failed. British aircraft have been inactive since late December last year." Second Lieutenant Carl Weiser, a platoon leader under Rudolf, walked away with a vehicle inspection report. Come over.

"Last December?" Rudolf von Ribbentrop thought of the Battle of Hawaii and the wonderful idea of ​​using submarines to transport tanks to land. After he returned to Germany and was transferred to the Marine Corps Command as a staff officer, he once proposed to his superiors the use of submarines to transport tanks.

As a result, he was regarded as an alien by a group of elite staff officers who graduated from the Berlin Military Academy, and was then sent to serve as the company commander of the 16th Amphibious Tank Company of the Second Regiment of the 1st Marine Division.

Thinking of the "conservatism" of the Wehrmacht, Rudolf von Rittrop sighed softly, then took the report and read it carefully.

Lieutenant Ribbentrop asked: "Have the fuel and batteries of all vehicles been checked? Are the spare fuel tanks filled? When we reach the beach in Ireland, we don't know when we can refuel."

"Everything is filled up and checked. There is no leakage or damage." Second Lieutenant Carl Wiesel replied. He was not just running an errand, but really strictly checked each one in accordance with the instructions.

"Okay, now I'm going to do a spot check." Lieutenant Ribbentrop closed the report and said to Second Lieutenant Carl Weiser. "Come with me."

"Okay, Lieutenant." Second Lieutenant Carl Weiser saluted, and then followed his boss to inspect the vehicle.

The same inspection has actually been carried out twice, and this is the third time. Since the 22 No. 3 amphibious tanks of the 16th Amphibious Tank Company were installed on the amphibious assault ship "Baltica", the platoon leaders of the five tank platoons have to check the status of the vehicles every eight hours to ensure that the 22 tanks Everything is intact - the integrity rate is the combat effectiveness! Especially in landing operations, before seizing the port, all supplies can only be provided through the beach. It is impossible to send backup vehicles to the beach. Therefore, the landing tank troops must cherish the equipment on hand and make sure that they exert their maximum combat effectiveness.

Throughout the day on May 1, officers and soldiers of four tank companies (each regiment has one tank company) belonging to the 1st German Marine Division aboard four "Baltic"-class amphibious assault ships completed at least 2 rounds of routine equipment inspection. On board the amphibious assault ship "Norwegian Sea", the fifth ship of the "Baltic" class, Paulus, the "office general" who went to the battlefield again after 28 years, was a little restless at this time.

The last time he went to war was in 1914, when the First World War began, but he was withdrawn from the front line due to illness soon after. After that, he obtained a position in a military office through connections, and remained there until he was appointed more than a month ago. Before becoming the commander of the 1st Marine Division, he had never left the army to lead a soldier.

"Lieutenant General, you don't have to worry. According to intelligence, there are no Irish troops stationed near Cork Bay."

Colonel Botto von Alberg, chief of staff of the 1st Marine Division, was a battlefield veteran, having participated in the Spanish War, the Polish Campaign, the Belgian Campaign and the Yugoslavian Campaign. He was invincible after fighting all the way, so naturally he had full confidence in the Germanic superman who was cheating.

Moreover, the landing place this time was not a beachhead in southern England filled with troops, artillery and tanks, but near Cork Bay in Ireland. It is close to Cork, Ireland's second largest city, and Cork Bay is also a natural deep-water harbor. Once the port is obtained, a truly powerful armored division will set off from the French port of Brest and reach Cork Bay in less than 20 hours.

"Besides, we are not the first German soldiers to set foot on Irish soil." Colonel Alberg sat comfortably in an armchair he found from somewhere, squinting his eyes and said to his somewhat nervous boss, "According to The plan is that the supermen of the 7th Airborne Division will jump to Dublin to invite the Irish government to join the European Community. Maybe there will be no landing at all, but they will drive directly into Cork Bay and disembark from the dock.”

After being exposed by his subordinates, Lieutenant General Paulus was a little confused. After coughing twice, he said: "Colonel, what I am worried about now is not the landing, but after the landing... According to intelligence, the British have heavy troops stationed in Northern Ireland. , and armored forces. If the British know that we are going to attack Ireland, their armored forces will immediately break into Irish soil, and then there will be a tough battle!"

…

"Lieutenant, are your people ready?" Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Sussmann, commander of the German 7th Airborne Division, asked a man in a barracks next to a large military airport on the Brittany Peninsula. The scar-faced lieutenant who is 1.92 meters tall.

This big man with a scar face looks fierce and seems to be a robber with a rough background, but in fact he is a graduate of the Engineering Department of the University of Vienna named Otto Skorzeny. While studying at university, he joined the Austrian Nazi organization and became a storm trooper. And this guy also really likes fighting. He participated in 14 duels while studying in college. The scar on his face was from the 10th duel.

However, after Austria was controlled by Germany, he did not go into politics, but picked up his old profession and became an engineer. By the time the world war began, he was already a modestly accomplished engineer, and he also had a C-license for piloting an airplane. So he signed up for pilot training, but was rejected because he was too big. Then he joined the Waffen SS and became an infantryman in the "Adolf Hitler" standard group. After the Battle of France, he was promoted to a candidate officer. .

After graduating from the SS Officer School in Braunschweig, he did not return to the "Adolf Hitler" team. Instead, he was recruited by the German airborne troops who merged with the Miuta Special Forces and upgraded them to an independent force. A special forces officer affiliated with the airborne force.

"Lieutenant General, my people have been preparing for Ireland for a full year!" Otto Skorzeny performed a military salute, and then replied, "All of us are now able to use English and Irish proficiently. All officers at least I have been to Dublin once and am very familiar with the terrain there, and I have personally met with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland.”

"Very good!" Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Sussmann said, "Then I now announce that 'Operation Moonlight' will begin in 48 hours, and 'Moonlight Squadron' must be ready to go at any time. Lieutenant, I wish you good luck. Yours Success will make our military operations in Ireland more effective."