The Rise of the Third Reich

Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia, United States.

President Roosevelt of the United States inspected the newly commissioned Essex-class No. 4 ship "Franklin" at this naval base (this name was historically given to the Essex-class No. 5 ship, but this time and space was because of the Yorktown (so the name Franklin was given to the No. 4 ship), and also watched the demonstration of the "one-time Spitfire" Spitfire Mk5G fighter jet.

The Spitfire Mk5G fighter is an improved model of the Spitfire Mk5F (also a "disposable Spitfire"). Like the Spitfire Mk5F, this fighter is also specially customized for the German Ju288 high-altitude and high-speed bomber. A Merlin 267 engine produced by the American Packard Company is installed. The performance of this 12-cylinder liquid-cooled engine is not outstanding and cannot match the Merlin V-1650 series engines produced by Packard Company for the P51 series. However, this engine developed by the British Rolls-Royce Company before the fall of the mainland is extremely targeted - it has only one target, which is to be able to mount the terrifying Fritz X remote-controlled gliding bomb from 12,000 meters Ju288 bomber penetrating defenses at high altitude.

In order to allow the engine to output strong horsepower at an altitude of 12,000 meters, the Merlin 267 engine has a specially designed two-stage two-speed supercharger designed for high altitudes, which allows the engine to run at full speed in an oxygen-deficient extremely high-altitude environment.

In addition to the Merlin 267 engine with superior high-altitude performance, the Spitfire Mk5G fighter also has an aerodynamic shape (increased lift) and a special body structure adapted to high altitudes. The aircraft was very light, had no armor, and had a small fuel tank capacity, but key parts of the fuselage were strong enough to withstand the strain of dive acceleration. At the same time, the Spitfire Mk5G fighter also learned from the previous generation Spitfire Mk5F's lack of firepower, strengthened its firepower, and is equipped with four 20mm cannons, which can instantly break medium bombers such as the Ju288 into pieces.

In addition, the way the Spitfire Mk5G takes off and lands is still weird. In order to save weight, this aircraft simply eliminated the landing gear. When taking off, use the ship's catapult and attach a rocket booster to speed up the climb. After completing the interception mission, the pilot will parachute, and the plane... will be thrown away like this!

What a proper nouveau riche style!

However, the United States currently does not need to produce tens of thousands of various bombers for strategic bombing of Germany, so it has the raw materials and production capacity to produce carrier-based high-altitude interceptors such as the "Disposable Spitfire."

A muffled sound of "Peng" reached the ears of President Roosevelt who was sitting on the flight deck of the USS Franklin. A Spitfire Mk5G aircraft had been ejected directly from the hangar. Under the combined action of the Merlin 267 engine and rocket booster, the small Spitfire climbed at an extremely high speed and disappeared within a few minutes.

"It flies so fast!" President Roosevelt said with a smile to the people around him, "And it's also very high."

"Mr. President, it can climb to an altitude of more than 12,000 meters very quickly." Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernesto King told Roosevelt, "Then it will conduct a dive attack and use four 20mm anti-aircraft guns to kill the Germans. The Ju288 was broken into pieces. Even if the Ju288 was escorted by Fw-190 carrier aircraft, it would be useless."

Even if the Fw-190T carrier-based aircraft is equipped with the high-horsepower engine of the BMW801F series, its extremely high-altitude performance is not particularly outstanding. Because as a carrier-based aircraft, it must take into account medium and low altitudes, while also having a long range and a certain ability to attack ships and ground. When there are many uses, it naturally becomes complicated but not refined.

Moreover, because the Spitfire Mk5G operates above the fleet, it can also be commanded by the shipborne radar. It can seize high altitudes in advance and then conduct dive attacks. It will not tangle with the Fw-190T, but will directly use four 20mm cannons to bombard the Ju288, and then run away. How can someone intercept this?

"Hahaha," Roosevelt laughed heartily, "Now our navy can deal with the Germans in the Atlantic, right?"

"Yes, Mr. President." Ernesto King said, "We can deal with the Germans and fight a war of attrition."

The United States is a wealthy country, so of course it must take advantage of the wealthy people. Therefore, the U.S. Navy now has a wealthy mentality. It does not consider any clever strategies to fight a war of annihilation, but only intends to steadily consume the enemy.

Therefore, the U.S. Navy is now planning to cancel dive bombers and torpedo bombers on aircraft carriers. There will be only three carrier-based aircraft, F4U and Fk5G.

This can ensure that U.S. carrier-based aircraft achieve a satisfactory exchange ratio in air combat, and also ensure that the aircraft carrier is not easily sunk by the enemy.

In addition, the US Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernesto King, also proposed an "active fleet" theory.

It means "not to fight decisively, but to remain active". In fact, this is an extension of the existing fleet theory. The existing fleet should stay in the port and not move much. The "active fleet" should be dispatched as much as possible, not for the purpose of decisive battle, but to mobilize the enemy's fleet to force the enemy's fleet to run exhausted and consume fuel.

When the aircraft carrier formations of both sides encounter each other, they do not pursue sinking enemy ships, but only seek to shoot down as many enemy aircraft as possible.

However, before the Spitfire Mk5G, a disposable carrier-based high-altitude interceptor aircraft, is equipped with troops, the Americans have no theory and cannot realize it. Because the Ju288 can drop Fritz-X bombs or Hs293 bombs/missiles (models equipped with rocket engines have now been developed) from heights where ordinary carrier-based aircraft cannot effectively exert their power, it poses too great a threat to the U.S. fleet.

"Mr. President, look over there, the pilot has already parachuted." General Leahy, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and military adviser to the president, put down his telescope at this time, raised his hand and pointed to an open umbrella flower in the sky, and said to Roosevelt, "The aircraft first rushed to an altitude of 12,500 meters, then performed a simulated dive attack, then circled and lowered its altitude to 3,000 meters, and then the pilot parachuted out."

"Very good, perfect!" Roosevelt smiled, "We must equip the fleet with this aircraft as soon as possible. Because our Russian friends are now in big trouble, a big trouble."

The president looked back at his adviser and confidant Hopkins, "Harry, don't you think so?"

Harry Hopkins frowned, his face was very pale, and he looked very melancholy.

"Mr. President, I think it's a little late," Hopkins said.

"Is it too late?" Roosevelt smiled. "It's not too late. It's not too late now. As long as Stalin hasn't signed the armistice agreement, it's not too late."

"Maybe this day will come soon," Hopkins said. "Otherwise, what else can the Soviets do? They just suffered a disastrous defeat...The situation is deteriorating rapidly."

Roosevelt nodded, and then said to Secretary of State Hull, who accompanied him to Norfolk: "Cordell, was that Kennedy invited by Hitler?"

"Yes, Mr. President," Hull said. "He really wants to go because the Germans have made some offers that he thinks are very good..."

When Roosevelt listened to Hull's introduction of the peace terms proposed by the Germans, he lit up a Camel cigarette, took two puffs, then waved his hand and said, "Let him go."

"What? Mr. President..." Hull was startled, looked at Roosevelt and asked, "Are we going to change our policy?"

Roosevelt tilted his head and said: "Of course this possibility exists, so Mr. Kennedy should go to Berlin. Of course... someone must also go to the Soviet Union."

The President glanced at Harry Hopkins.

"Mr. President, I can go." Hopkins replied immediately, "But... what should I say to Stalin?"

"Say something that will make the Russians bite the bullet and fight." Roosevelt said lightly.

"But what can I say?" Hopkins asked.

Roosevelt smiled: "This is easy...because we can also make peace with the Germans. We must make Stalin understand that he can betray the United States and the United States can betray the Soviet Union. If he dares to make peace with Germany, then what awaits him is our Abandon the prospect of fighting the whole of Europe alone.”

"Mr. President, are you telling the truth?" Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernesto King interjected and asked, "Are we really going to abandon the Soviet Union?"

Abandoning the Soviet Union meant making peace in the Atlantic so that the United States could concentrate on fighting Japan, which was good news for the U.S. Navy.

"That's up to the Soviet Union!" Roosevelt said coldly. "We can give up at any time and watch the Bolsheviks fall into the cold Arctic Ocean. In the long run, this will be detrimental to the United States.

But my president only served until January 1945, so I am not worried at all about how much impact a Germany that rules most of Eurasia will have on the future of the United States. This is a headache for future American presidents. If Stalin was prepared to make peace with Germany alone, then I would not mind Germany destroying the Soviet Union, and would even support such a thing. In fact, more people in the United States hate the Soviet Union than hate Germany! "

After hearing Roosevelt's words, Hopkins suddenly felt confident. He smiled and said to the President of the United States: "Mr. President, I know how to negotiate with Stalin. I think this time he will have to bite the bullet and fight to the end!"

Roosevelt smiled and said: "He will fight to the end, because in addition to us, there is a Russian empress who wants Stalin to fight to the end... Harry, I remember a British Prime Minister said that there are no permanent friends in the world, nor are there any Eternal enemies only have eternal interests, right?”