Logistics
Ludendorff had been on the train for almost two days before he finally arrived in Berlin. As he gazed out of the window, the sights of both the familiar and unfamiliar city stirred a sense of melancholy within him. After disembarking, he was greeted by a young military officer in his twenties who approached with a salute.
"Colonel Ludendorff, I am Second Lieutenant Mandrill of the General Staff. I have been ordered to meet you," the officer announced.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Ludendorff replied. He followed Lieutenant Mandrill out of the station. The lieutenant gestured towards a Type T car parked by the roadside. "Let's proceed by car," he suggested.
After placing his luggage in the vehicle, Lieutenant Mandrill informed Ludendorff, "Colonel, I have arranged for your accommodation here. Tomorrow morning, the Chief of Staff, His Excellency Mochi, will meet with you to discuss the situation with the Romanian army."
The following day at the German General Staff Headquarters, Ludendorff stood before the Chief of General Staff, Little Mochi, and began his report. "Colonel Ludendorff, as an advisor to the Romanian army, could you provide an assessment of their military situation?"
"Chief of the General Staff," Ludendorff started, "Upon my arrival in Romania, I found the military to be bloated with personnel, corruption rampant among the senior officers, and a lack of tactical understanding among the junior officers. Many had a low level of education, to the extent that they couldn't even recognize military orders. However, the morale among the soldiers was relatively high, albeit with insufficient training, resulting in poor overall combat effectiveness. Initially, one of our divisions could match up against two of the pre-reorganization Romanian divisions."
Ludendorff paused for a moment before continuing, "During the reorganization in Romania, we increased the training intensity for soldiers. Junior officers were primarily re-educated at the Bucharest Military Academy, and senior officers underwent retraining as well. After three years of reorganization, they now mirror our nine-tier military organization structure. Their equipment is on par with ours. Generally speaking, the current trained army can compete with us on a divisional level. Personally, I believe their extensive military reorganization indicates a preparation for war."
Despite his friendship with Edel, Ludendorff maintained a professional demeanor while discussing his observations with the Chief of Staff.
General Mochi, upon hearing Ludendorff's detailed account, pondered Romania's intentions. From a German strategic viewpoint, it would be beneficial if Romania joined the war against Russia in the future. However, Romania had not yet been fully aligned with German interests, and positioning an elite army on Russia's Bessarabian front line also served as a protective measure for East Prussia and Austria-Hungary.
Considering the disputes between Romania and Bulgaria over the Dobrogea region, Little Mochi speculated on the potential adversaries Romania might be contemplating.
"Thank you very much for your analysis of the Romanian army, Colonel Ludendorff," Little Mochi expressed his gratitude.
"It is an honor for every German to serve the empire," Ludendorff responded, standing straight and without hesitation.
"This time upon your return, I plan to assign you to the second division of the General Staff. What are your thoughts on this?" Little Mochi inquired.
"I have no objections at all. I am honored to work under the Chief of Staff," Ludendorff replied, pleased with the assignment to the second division of the general staff, which was responsible for operational planning—a role well-suited to his skills.
Little Mochi, having reviewed Ludendorff's credentials and his performance in Romania, was very satisfied with his capabilities.
"You have just returned; take a one-week rest to reconnect with your family before commencing work," Little Mochi suggested empathetically.
After receiving approval for his vacation from Little Mochi, Ludendorff left the General Staff Headquarters and drove to the residence of the retired General Schlieffen. Upon arrival, he was ushered in by the butler to meet Schlieffen, who was deeply engrossed in revising his military plans.
General Schlieffen, alerted by the butler, stood up and approached Ludendorff. "Ah, Ludendorff, it's been a long time. How was your tenure in Romania?"
"Thank you for your concern, General. I had a productive time in Romania. Now, Chief of the General Staff General Mochi has transferred me to the second division as the chief. I am here to assist you in continuing to refine the plan," Ludendorff updated Schlieffen on his current situation.
"Good, good. With all these new developments impacting the plan, I am too old and lack the energy. Ludendorff, your help is greatly appreciated," Schlieffen expressed his gratitude to his former subordinate.
"You are too kind, General," Ludendorff replied respectfully.
Ludendorff then briefed Schlieffen on the changes he had observed in the Romanian army, particularly focusing on the Romanian rapid mobile division. Schlieffen pondered upon hearing that this division, equipped with 800 cars, could achieve twice the maneuverability of an ordinary division without relying on railways.
"This is a new trend. The advantage of being twice as fast will offer the military more strategic options, though it will undoubtedly strain the government's budget," Schlieffen noted.
"Yes, I calculated in Romania that to enhance logistics, each division would require at least 300 additional cars to be effective. This represents a significant expense and only addresses logistics improvements, not accounting for personnel training and daily road maintenance," Ludendorff explained, discussing the results of his calculations.
This was indeed a limitation of the era's technology. Even after Edel introduced Dongfeng trucks, the primary mode of transportation remained trains, which could transport nearly 1,000 tons compared to a truck's 1.5 tons. It would take over 600 trucks to match the capacity of a single train, highlighting the cost challenges.
"The truck still has advantages over the carriage. It can bridge the gap between train stations and the army, but the cost is substantial," Schlieffen acknowledged, understanding the issue clearly. However, at the time, Germany had a large stock of horses, and even Little Mochi, the current Chief of the General Staff, hesitated to replace all short-distance transportation with trucks due to the myriad of associated challenges.
"It is still feasible to equip the vanguard with enough trucks for transportation," Schlieffen mused, always concerned with the maneuvering speed of the rotating attacking forces in his plans. Now that there were better short-distance transportation options than horse-drawn carriages, it was no surprise that he was keen on integrating them.
"Your Excellency, we could draft a preliminary plan. Whether it can be implemented ultimately depends on the General Staff's decision," Ludendorff suggested, sharing his thoughts with Schlieffen.
"I really need your help this time, Ludendorff," Schlieffen acknowledged.
Ultimately, with the collaborative efforts of Schlieffen and Ludendorff, a more refined 'Schlieffen Plan' emerged. This revised strategy did not alter the troop formations significantly but incorporated the large-scale use of trucks for the detouring forces on the western front. According to the new plan, the detouring forces were equipped with varying numbers of trucks depending on their roles, with the leading troops receiving up to 600 per division, and the subsequent forces maintaining a minimum of 300 trucks each. In total, the 53 divisions of the roundabout troops were equipped with 23,000 trucks, significantly enhancing their operational mobility and effectiveness.
In the grand halls of the Royal Palace in Bucharest, the top executives of Volkswagen, known as the Big Four, were gathered, awaiting an audience with the Crown Prince. Volkswagen had established itself as a titan within the European automotive industry, commanding an impressive ninety percent of the truck and bus markets with its products. Competitors in the private car sector struggled to keep pace, often finding themselves disoriented by Volkswagen's innovative strategies. The name Volkswagen had become synonymous with automotive excellence in Europe.
"Francesco, are you suggesting that His Royal Highness has summoned us to discuss expanding our production?" Deraspar, the production manager, inquired of the sales manager. His primary concern was whether the current infrastructure and workforce were equipped to meet potential increases in production demands.
"Draspar, we're in the palace. Mind your words," Minoba, the general manager, chided the impetuous production manager. Realizing his faux pas, Deraspar fell silent. Minoba then turned to Tuslid, the R&D supervisor who seemed lost in thought, and asked, "Tuslid, do you reckon the Crown Prince has called us here to commission the development of new models?"
"It must be the reason; otherwise, why would he summon me?" Tuslid responded succinctly.
Minoba, with his deep understanding of both the Crown Prince and the currents shaping Volkswagen's trajectory, was well aware of the broader context. The automotive industry was booming, fueled by innovations from companies like Volkswagen and Ford, attracting significant capital investments. Renault in France and two major German automobile companies had already benefited from substantial capital injections from the banking sector. Across Europe, funds were pouring into the automotive industry, with many aspiring to carve out their share of the lucrative market. As Europe's largest and most advanced automobile company, Volkswagen had become a prime target for talent poaching, a trend that did not spare even Minoba, who had received numerous lucrative offers to jump ship.
As the group discussed the possible reasons behind their summoning, a palace guard approached and informed them, "His Royal Highness invites you in."
Ceasing their conversation, they straightened their attire and followed Minoba to meet the Crown Prince. Along the way, they encountered Karatuuri, the Minister of Industry, who had recently been promoted from his former role as mayor of Ploiesti to oversee industrial development—a strategic move by Edel, the Crown Prince, to bolster the sector. They exchanged polite greetings with the influential minister before continuing to the Crown Prince's office.
Upon entering, they were greeted by Edel, who awaited their arrival. Under Minoba's lead, they bowed and said, "We are honored to be in Your Highness's presence."
Edel wasted no time, "Minoba, I have summoned you here to commend your exemplary management of Volkswagen. As a token of my appreciation, I am awarding you 5% of the company's dividends—2% for you and 1% for each of the others." His directness was characteristic, reflecting his decisive nature.
Edel was acutely aware that since the introduction of the Model T, Volkswagen had been a target for poaching, a concern that extended to the top echelons of the company's management. However, the loyalty displayed by these four executives over the past months had not gone unnoticed, and he felt they deserved recognition.
"Thank you, Your Highness," the four executives responded, their excitement palpable. They knew all too well the significance of the dividends, which amounted to more than 10,000 pounds each—a substantial sum that represented a significant bonus.
With the pleasantries concluded, Edel shifted the tone, "Now, Volkswagen is tasked with designing a new 3-5 ton heavy-duty truck. It must be simple to operate, easy to maintain, capable of handling complex terrain, and have a reduced failure rate. Ideally, it should carry a 5-ton load, but a 3-ton model would suffice if necessary."
The executives were momentarily taken aback by the ambitious nature of the request, which underscored the strategic importance of such vehicles in potential wartime scenarios. The challenge was formidable.
"Your Highness, this is a demanding specification," Tuslid, the head of R&D, admitted.
"You will have four years," Edel responded, setting the timeline.
After a moment of contemplation, Tuslid replied, "We will endeavor to meet this challenge, though it will not come cheaply."
"Excellent, I look forward to celebrating your success," Edel concluded, effectively sealing their commitment.
Leaving the Crown Prince's office, the executives expressed their concerns to Tuslid. "Are you certain you can deliver? This isn't a matter to be taken lightly."
Tuslid reassured them, "Don't worry. If I didn't believe we could achieve this, I wouldn't have agreed. Enhancing load capacity involves reinforcing the vehicle's structure and increasing engine power. Adapting to complex terrain might mean enlarging the contact area between the tires and the ground. While ensuring easy maintenance will be challenging, it is feasible within four years."
Back at the Volkswagen factory in Constanta, Tuslid convened the R&D team to relay the Crown Prince's specifications. The room buzzed with initial reactions until Tuslid called for focus, "Enough discussion—the objectives are clear, and we must meet them."
He then delegated tasks, assigning Besaya to lead the development of a robust steel frame capable of supporting ten tons and Tooker to conduct tire bearing experiments with similar load requirements. Tuslid also appointed Wang Chaoqiang, a dedicated and skilled international student from Hanyang, as his assistant to monitor daily progress.
As the Volkswagen team embarked on this ambitious project, the Crown Prince turned his attention to other strategic interests, confident in the capabilities of his chosen executives.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder