章 132: 132
"Mr. President. Please review the declaration of mobilization order."
"The longer we delay, the more advantageous it is for the Soviets."
Despite the generals' urging, I remained steadfastly silent.
As I was just looking at the map in silence, the generals also became a little quiet, as if there was no need to keep urging them on.
But he didn't retract the attention he gave me.
"The mobilization order… ."
"?"
"I won't get off."
"Mr. President!"
When I refused to announce the mobilization order, sighs flowed from the generals' mouths.
Even Keitel, who had never once thrown up a tantrum when I spoke, spoke as if he couldn't understand.
"Mr. President, I also do not know what effect the declaration of mobilization will have on the German economy. However, although the economy is important, preventing the threat of enemy invasion is more important."
Keitel, the Wehrmacht's top expert on administration and economics, seemed to have guessed that my reluctance to declare mobilization was due to the economy.
In fact, economic problems were the biggest reason.
However, it was not purely economic, there were other reasons as well.
"There are many indications, but no confirmation that the Soviet Union will actually attack Germany. It could be deploying troops and supplies to the border in advance in preparation for a German invasion.
And if we launch a preemptive strike, it will inevitably lead to the participation of the United States and Britain in the war. If even Britain and America turn into enemies, Germany will be finished."
"Well, Mr. President. "Isn't it extremely unlikely that the United States will intervene in the war, even if it is Britain?"
Leather's question.
"The United States is having a hard time fighting Japan in the Pacific. So how can you intervene in a European war?"
Himmler's question. If you think about common sense, what these two people say is correct.
It doesn't make sense to intervene in the European war on a topic that is being spread against Japan in the Pacific right now.
But the country that makes that absurd thing possible is the United States. The United States has the national power to do so, and it actually did.
"It may be unlikely that we will send troops to participate in the war directly, but intervention does not necessarily mean only sending troops. We could intervene by providing the Soviet Union with weapons, ammunition, food, and other supplies. And even if the United States is being pushed back by Japan right now, if America's fraudulent production and vengeful troops combine, they will soon advance to the Japanese mainland. As I said before, you should never look down on America.
The same goes for the Soviet Union. Although they performed quite poorly in the Winter War, they ultimately won against Finland. Even during World War I, Russia was pushed back by Germany, but Germany also had no choice but to deploy millions of troops to the Eastern Front to deal with Russia. By the time the armistice treaty with Russia was signed, the United States had already entered the war. "Everyone knows what happened after that."
"Then, Mr. President, what do you plan to do next?"
Richthofen asked. There is no mobilization order or preemptive strike. However, if you want to stay still, only the Soviet Union is in a good situation. It must be frustrating.
"It's still too early to call for mobilization, but that doesn't mean we can't make any preparations."
"then?"
"First, place all troops on the border on high alert and deploy each division deployed throughout Germany to the Soviet border. Mainly divisions equipped with the latest equipment such as Panther and Tiger. Also, consult with Minister Ribbentrop and tell him that the Soviet Union's movements in Romania are unusual and that you will dispatch the Air Force and air defense units to protect the Ploiesti oil field. "Romania is also a country that would reject the Soviet Union, so it will accept it right away."
"All right."
If the Soviet Union and Stalin were really planning a war, Romania's Ploiesti oil field would have been ranked first for attack.
The Ploiesti oil field accounted for 30% of the total oil consumption of the Axis countries, and at one time, Germany even depended on the Ploiesti oil field for 90% of the oil it needed, so you can easily guess how important it is.
Naturally, Ploiesti was the target of intensive attacks by the Allied air forces throughout World War II, and when Romania joined the Allies in August 1944, Germany suffered from severe fuel shortages.
Therefore, Ploiesti had to be defended at all costs.
"Yes, there is also Türkiye. "Please contact Turkey and ask if we can deploy our navy and air force to Türkiye."
At the same time, Turkey was so eager to import German equipment that it was asking whether it would be possible to build a tank and aircraft production plant directly on its own land.
Representatively, we are negotiating to build a production plant for the Panzer IV, Bf109, and Fw190 in Turkey, and if we take this opportunity to allow our military to use Turkey's ports and air bases, it will be very useful in anti-Soviet warfare.
First of all, simply blocking the Dardanelles Strait will not only completely block the Soviet Navy's entry into the Mediterranean, but also using the air base in eastern Turkey will allow you to strike the Soviet Union's Baku oil fields and inflict a huge blow!
"Suggest that you build a factory for the Turks and use the port and air force base. "Even if it is impossible to participate in the war, there will be no harm in using their ports and airstrips as the scope of our military's activities will greatly increase."
"Yes, Mr. President!"
"Marshal Leder. There is a risk that the Soviet Navy may launch a surprise attack using submarines, so prepare your defenses in advance."
"We will implement it immediately."
If torpedo-blocking nets are properly installed in major ports such as Kiel, Memel, Königsberg, Stettin, and Danzig, it will be possible to block them from enemy submarines.
The Soviet Navy was oppressed by the German Navy throughout World War II, and Kuznetsov, the Minister of the Navy, was purged by Stalin, so the current state of the Soviet Navy is beyond words.
So, you don't have to worry too much, but you never know.
"Admiral Dönitz, how many U-boats are currently deployed in the Mediterranean Sea?"
"There are 6 ships."
Many people may find it absurd to hear that there are only six U-boats in charge of the wide Mediterranean Sea, but this is actually the average.
At the beginning of World War II, there were an average of 7 U-boats operating in the entire Atlantic Ocean, and even on days when conditions were bad, there were often none.
And since the German Navy's main theater was the Atlantic Ocean, not the Mediterranean Sea, six ships could not be considered a small number.
"Do you know where all six ships are?"
"There is one U-boat training in the Adriatic Sea, one anchored in the port of Heraklion on Crete, and the remaining four are all anchored in the port of Pula."
"It's unlikely, but the Soviet military could mobilize its entire Black Sea Fleet and attempt a landing in Romania at the start of the war. U-boats are absolutely necessary to stop the Soviet troops from landing in Romania. "I will leave full authority to the admiral, so please discuss this carefully with Marshal Leder."
"yes. "Hold on to your worries."
"Marshal Goering. "If Turkey agrees to provide an air base, send the bombers and 'Leger' to Turkey together."
"Are you talking about Leger? How many guns can I send?"
"as many as possible."
'Leger' was the name of a very large bomb developed by Germany, the so-called earthquake bomb.
As you may have noticed, it is modeled after the 'Tallboy', an earthquake bomb developed by Britain at the end of World War II.
It's a really big bomb, 6 meters long and weighing close to 5.2 tons.
Because it is slightly smaller than the original Tallboy, its power is also weaker than that of the Tallboy, but it is by far the most powerful among existing aviation bombs.
The super-large guns used by Nazi Germany, such as the Karl self-propelled mortar and the Gustav train gun, have amazing firepower, but require enormous costs and manpower to operate.
As a specific example, just to roll one Gustav train gun, a total of 4,000 to 5,000 people were needed, including 250 gun operators, 2,500 railroad engineers and engineers, anti-aircraft artillery units and additional security units to protect the train gun from enemy aircraft.
Just one train gun! The price of the train gun itself, which amounts to several million marks, is a bonus. It would be much more economical to use that money to buy a few dozen more bombers!
In addition to the Tallboy, special bombs made in England, such as the jump bomb and what people commonly refer to as the 'water sujebi bomb', are also being developed. Originally, the jump bomb came out first and the tall boy came later, but here it was the other way around.
In any case, dropping a bunch of German version of the Tallboy 'Leger' on the Baku oil field would cause even greater damage to the Soviet Union.
Even if the Baku oil field is destroyed, there will be support from the United States and Britain, so the fuel shortage that the German military experienced at the end of World War II will be less, but it will still hold the Soviet military back considerably.
Instead, in Germany, there are only two bombers that can be flown with the Leger, the Fw 200 and the He 177, so it is also an item that cannot be used just about anywhere.
The price is much higher than that of regular bombs. Therefore, we had to be careful in dropping each shot.
"and… . Marshal Manstein?"
"Yes, Mr. President. "Please tell me."
"I will appoint the Marshal here and now as the 'Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front.'"
"!!!"
"You mean now?"
Manstein, who had a mean expression on his face like a flatterer who regularly appears in third-rate gangster movies, opened his mouth in surprise when he heard what I said.
The other generals were also surprised by the news of Manstein's sudden appointment as commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front, so they stopped their conversation and all looked at Manstein.
"It is premature to use the term Eastern Front since the war has not yet broken out, but for convenience, I will call it that. From now on, the Marshal will be able to exercise command and discretion over the entire Eastern Front. Of course, the subjects of the Marshal's command authority include all troops deployed on the Eastern Front, including the Navy, Air Force, and SS in addition to the Army."
"Oh, no… . Mr. President? "Can you decide on such an important position right now?"
Although Manstein was happy about the sudden appointment, he kept rolling his eyes, probably because he was concerned about the gaze of those around him.
Blomberg, Fritsch, and Rundstedt are exceptions, as they each hold the position of commander-in-chief of the garrison.
There are many veterans who are older and older than him, such as Bork, Küchler, Kleist, and Lev, but he is naturally concerned because he has surpassed all of his prominent seniors and has been given the enormous position of Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front.
"It may seem a little hasty, but considering the performance you have shown so far, do you think it is sufficient? Just as France was able to be conquered thanks to Operation Sickle, the Marshal has an eye for a great country. If you are a Marshal, I have appointed you because I am confident that you will do well, so do your best. "If you need anything, please tell me anytime."
The older officers who were higher in seniority than Manstein were still giving Manstein strange looks, but they could not say anything because it was an order I had personally given. The corners of Manstein's mouth rose up to his ears, as if he was truly moved by my words.
"I, Manstein, on the honor of my name and family, I will definitely live up to the expectations of His Excellency the Führer. Heil Hitler!"
***
Manstein was certainly an excellent strategist, but it was difficult for him alone to decide where to place the army group on the vast eastern front, the corps belonging to the army group, and the divisions that made up the corps, and which front to deploy them to. Therefore, each army group was divided into northern, central, and southern parts. Generals were selected to command.
I decided to respect the original as much as possible. The commander of the Northern Army Group, which would defend East Prussia and advance through the Baltic States to Leningrad in the event of a counterattack, was Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Lev, and the Central Army Group, which would block the Soviet Army's offensive in Poland and take charge of Belarus and central Russia, was Commander Fedor. Appointed Marshal von Bock.
Lastly, Marshal Ewald von Kleist was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Army Group South, which would defend Romania and attack Ukraine.
Among them, Lev and Bork, excluding Kleist, actually served in the Northern and Central Army Groups in Operation Barbarossa.
Rundstedt, who commanded Army Group South, was the commander-in-chief of the Belgian-Netherlands garrison, so he entrusted Army Group South to Kleist, who was in charge of the 1st Panzer Group of Army Group South.
All three of them were talented people who had skills and connections, so they wanted to do well on their own.
It was decided to continue entrusting Guderian to the position of Chief of Armor.
Guderian also wanted to go directly to the front and command the army group in case of emergency, but he postponed it because there was no one who could perform the position of armor general better than him.
Of course, I was satisfied when I told him that I would immediately entrust him with the Central Group Army if the situation were to arise.
"Marshal Rundstedt, please assume the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front."
"You're the commander-in-chief of the Western Front?"
Rundstedt, who had flown to Berlin, was told that he had important instructions to deliver separately, and he looked uncertain whether he should be happy or not.
Instead of the Eastern Front, where you never know when war might break out, it's quiet France. Are you treating yourself like an old man? Rundstedt's expression seemed to say this.
"exactly. Churchill, now that he has become British Prime Minister, Anglo-German relations will not be smooth going forward. In particular, war broke out with the Soviet Union, and it doesn't look like Britain will sit still. So I think it would be a good idea for the Marshal to go to France and prepare for the worst."
I explained in detail what to do in France to correct his misunderstanding.
Building defensive facilities in areas where British troops were expected to land in the event of war, such as Calais and Normandy, training and nurturing reserve divisions to be deployed in the war against the Soviet Union, etc.
Only after the hour-long briefing was over did Rundstedt express his approval.
As Rundstedt took over as commander-in-chief of the Western Front, Marshal Johannes Blaskowitz was appointed to the vacant position as commander-in-chief of the Belgian-Dutch garrison.
And in preparation for war with the Soviet Union, citizens living in the Soviet Union were advised to withdraw.
At the same time, the dispatch of engineers scheduled to be sent to the Soviet Union was put on hold, citing appropriate reasons. The Soviet Union did not react in any way.
Mass production of Panzer 4 was finally halted.
According to schedule, mass production was scheduled to end last winter, but mass production took longer than planned to meet additional orders from overseas.
Instead, in preparation for wartime, Panzer 4's parts factories remained as they were, and mass production of Kugelblitz, Brumbear, and Hornise using Panzer 4's chassis continued.
On the same day, it was decided to send engineers to assist in the licensed production of the Panzer IV requested by Spain and Turkey.
Franco paid for licensed production with his gold reserves, and Turkey was allowed to license production on the condition that it lease its ports and bases for use by the German military and increase the supply of minerals to Germany.
The Ordnance Department proposed a rescue tank, anti-aircraft tank, tank destroyer, and self-propelled artillery using the Panther.
Is there a need to build a new anti-aircraft tank with an expensive Panther chassis when there is already a Kugelblitz?
Of course, defense would be good, but since anti-aircraft tanks were originally designed to catch fighter planes, not tank battles, there is no need for their defense to be as special as the Panther.
It would be better to pick up another Panther.
The same goes for self-propelled guns. Therefore, both are dismissed.
The tank destroyer was somewhat ambiguous.
A fixed fighting compartment is installed on the Panther's hull, and the latest 88mm 71 caliber tank gun is mounted on it. Anyone can see that it is a Yakt Panther.
The Jagd Panther is considered the best tank destroyer of World War II, but I wondered if there was a need to make more wooden tank destroyers. Even though it is 75mm, there is a hatcher.
However, Guderian and Lutz had different thoughts.
War is not just about offensive warfare, but also defensive warfare, so a tank destroyer is not a bad option as it has a low hull and is advantageous for ambushes, but can also gain stronger defense and firepower than tanks of the same class.
"I know what you want to say. But is there really a need to complicate the production system by making separate tank destroyers?"
"Mr. President. Germany's military industrial system is more efficient and well-organized than any other country in the world. "I think it is excessive to worry that the production line will become more complex just because one model is added."
uh… ..is this correct? I had thought about it before, but I think our positions have changed.
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