Chapter 15: Devil's right hand man
Hickett rushed back to the headquarters of the National Defense Force the following day. For a commander-in-chief, remaining in the exercise area indefinitely wasn't ideal, even though the world was aware that the German Defense Force was modest in size, with only a few personnel and weapons. This reality placed Hickett in a position akin to those leading entire army groups in other nations, though he was loath to acknowledge this fact. Thus, he found solace in his office, indulging in dreams of commanding more than a dozen armies—a thought that brought him considerable comfort.
"Lieutenant Grace!" Hickett called out to his trusted female secretary after settling in, his tone light. "Has Akado submitted the purchase report yet? Did it include the payment for the car?"
This question plunged Grace back into her conversation with Akado from the previous day. In a moment of anxiety, she had pressed Akado, "But if the general asks about it, I dare not hide it! If this is revealed, the general will no longer trust me, and your concealment will fail!"
Akado had laughed in response, a mischievous glint in his eye. "My procurement bought a company in Munich for a tidy sum. The company's name? Bayerische Motoren Werke. Quite a mouthful, so I prefer 'BMW'."
He pointed to the document in front of Grace, his smile widening. "From now on, all my car and armored vehicle purchases will be listed under the acronym BMW. Just report that to Hickett. If he finds out, you can blame me."
"What do you mean?" Grace had asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"In future reports, whatever is listed as BMW in the National Defense Force's procurement will actually refer to BMW motorcycles and cars. It's a play on words—horsepower versus actual horses, get it?" With that, Akado had ended their conversation.
Recalling this, Grace smiled at General Hickett. "Lieutenant Colonel Akado purchased 300 BMWs in this report. It seems he still has a fondness for horses."
"This Akado, still playing games with me," Hickett muttered with a chuckle, scanning the report. Noticing an entry for 200 cars, he snorted in displeasure, closed the report, and set it aside. "That will be all," he said, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose. "I'm tired and need a break."
While Hickett was misled by Akado's clever use of the BMW name back at headquarters, Akado himself was at the exercise site, personally overseeing the training of his armored commanders. He pointed towards a forest across the field, instructing a group of young soldiers and officers gathered around him.
"Order your troops to halt here, deploy armored reconnaissance to scout these points! Confirm the enemy positions before organizing the attack. You are all vital to the National Defense Force, and I don't want a lack of preparation to lead to any losses," Akado instructed firmly, each principle emphasized by a finger held up and then bent down. "Discover the enemy, find the weakness, strike decisively, and then rest and resupply. These are your basic combat principles. Do you understand?"
"Maintain your most reliable comrades—your tanks! Clean the barrels, check the engines, and ensure all hatches function smoothly," Akado continued, a routine part of his speech during each exercise, driven by his belief in the irreplaceable value of each soldier under his command.
"Sir," a German officer around thirty-five years old interjected, raising his hand. He was diligently taking notes. When Akado acknowledged him, he asked, "What if we lose air control?"
Akado looked at the officer with interest, recognizing the historical significance of the man before him. After a few seconds, he asked, "Captain, what's your name?"
"Sir! My name is Heinz Wilhelm Guderian! I am a company commander in the 10th Light Cavalry Battalion," Guderian replied, standing straight as he saluted.
Akado couldn't help but smile, slightly amused. Before him stood the future expert in blitzkrieg tactics, a foundational theorist of armored warfare, known posthumously as the father of modern tank warfare, and here he was, merely a company commander.
"How to secure the skies is my concern; your task is to achieve the most with the least," Akado replied, then gestured for Guderian to follow. "Let's end today's session here. Come with me."
Once they were under a large tree, away from others, Akado turned to Guderian. "You seem to have a solid grasp of armored theory. Who analyzed it for you?"
"Sir! I once observed an exercise by the British Royal Tank Battalion. Their demonstration of a tank assault was powerful. I wrote a detailed report upon my return. Unfortunately, the British didn't value the exercise, and we lacked the resources to explore further," Guderian explained, his tone tinged with regret. "My report went unnoticed, so I could only develop my ideas in theory."
He looked at Akado with eagerness. "But then, my cavalry unit was trained as a mock tank unit, which gave me hope. I never expected to find such a visionary officer in Germany. I believe you will lead us to victory in the next war!"
"I can't claim to have mastered armored warfare entirely, Captain Guderian. There's too much I need to handle personally, and my time is limited. I need people who understand my vision to support me," Akado confessed, his hand resting on the tree trunk, his expression a mix of loneliness and determination.
"Lieutenant Colonel! I am willing to be your supporter! From the day I heard of you, I've been a fervent follower!" Guderian's face flushed with excitement, his enthusiasm palpable.
"Founding a theory, especially a practical one, is tedious. It requires extensive data support. So, I plan to have you help me gather the initial detailed data to validate our theories on armored warfare. Would you be interested?" Akado asked, seeing potential in the young officer before him.
"Absolutely, sir!" Guderian saluted enthusiastically.
"This year, in the autumn of 1921, I will transfer you to the Directorate of Transport at the Ministry of Defense. There, you'll learn everything about the logistics of armored motorized troops. Then, I'll arrange for you to intern at a motorcycle transport camp in Munich. Any questions?" Akado outlined the plan.
"Very happy, sir! Heinz Wilhelm Guderian promises you! I will dedicate everything to the German armored forces!" Guderian responded, his commitment unwavering.
After Guderian left, Akado sat on the grass, leaning against the tree, and sighed deeply. He wasn't just making conversation; he was genuinely exhausted. Over a year ago, he had begun tirelessly advocating for the future of the Luftwaffe. Although General Hickett's preference for cavalry and bicycles seemed somewhat outdated, he foresaw the potential for the Air Force to become an independent armed force, a vision that aligned with Akado's.
With Hickett's approval, Akado had established a department known as the Special Aviation Department within the revamped General Staff. This department, although small, reserved positions for 180 officers and incorporated some of the pioneering pilots from the First World War. Akado assigned these "special mission advisers" to the main forces, instilling an awareness of air force capabilities among the soldiers and officers, even in scenarios where actual aircraft were not present.
During this time, Akado also oversaw efforts to increase the production capacity of German arsenals like Krupp. However, the joint arms control committee, tasked with overseeing disarmament, failed to fully implement their mandates due to the involvement of multiple nations. Under Akado's direction, the German Wehrmacht covertly transported 1,500 new artillery pieces produced by Krupp to a hidden base in the mountains. This operation was meticulously timed to precede the arrival of arms control committee inspectors at the Krupp factory.
Additionally, Krupp secretly moved another 1,500 artillery pieces to a shell company in the Netherlands for concealment. When an Allied inspector noticed a discrepancy—Krupp had turned in 3,000 fewer cannons than the French intelligence agency had estimated—a dispute ensued. The Krupp representatives argued that the French intelligence service had exaggerated their numbers. Ultimately, the arms control committee inspectors compromised, breaking the deadlock. In a display of compliance, Krupp restarted production and manufactured a total of 3,000 cannons, which were subsequently transported and destroyed. The factory's machinery was also dismantled.
This incident highlighted the significant loopholes in the coalition arms control committee's monitoring of the scale of German armed forces, revealing the complexities and challenges of enforcing post-war disarmament agreements.
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