章 215: 215
Episode 215: What will you toast for (6)
The reaction of Churchill's companion Roosevelt on the other side of the Atlantic was no different from Churchill's.
There is no need or reason to meet Hitler. The reason he came to America. Hitler's proposal to send a special envoy to the United States was also rejected.
Public sentiment boiled over the White House's stern response.
The anti-German camp praised the government for making the very right decision, but the pro-German and anti-war camps poured out harsh criticism, saying that the government was forcibly creating an excuse to intervene in the war in Europe.
Either way, there was no change in the White House's response.
Roosevelt would never meet Hitler or a special envoy sent by Hitler. A request to meet with Ambassador Papen to the United States was also rejected.
After the promised five days, Germany launched a V2 attack on Britain again. However, on the same day, Hitler issued a further statement, promising that he would immediately stop the air raids if Britain was willing to negotiate, even if it was late.
Churchill did not reply.
And on Christmas Eve.
About 800 bombers appeared over Hamburg.
Britain gathered bombers and pilots from all over the country for Operation Gomorrah. And bombs were also diligently stockpiled.
The goal of Operation Gomorrah is to completely erase Hamburg from the map.
Before the sortie, Arthur Harris summoned the pilots and gave them the following instructions:
The first target is the enemy's base and factories producing military supplies, but they are also told to drop bombs generously on civilian residential areas. Only then can we demoralize the enemy and instill fear in the Germans.
"The Jerrys fired rockets at London first and turned it into a sea of fire. You guys are returning that resentment back to me.
And just in case, if there is anyone who feels a strange sense of pity or guilt, take off your clothes right away. "Because the RAF doesn't need such cowards and traitors."
While the bombers took off from the runway and flew towards Hamburg, the Christmas festival was in full swing in Hamburg.
Citizens were delighted with Germany's great victory on the Eastern Front this year and were filled with hope that the war would end next year.
However, an air raid alarm sounded, and the joyful festival atmosphere was interrupted.
"oh my god. "How many cars are these?"
"Damn you guys Tommy. "You really made the right decision."
The soldier who was counting the number of bombers caught on radar could not hide his embarrassment.
It was the first time since the start of the war that such a large number of bombers had arrived.
***
"It was so disgusting that so many people came out."
Major Johannes Steinhoff, a veteran Luftwaffe pilot aboard the Me262, clicked his tongue when he saw the RAF bombers filling the night sky.
Even by rough estimate, the number is over several hundred.
All those bombers were on their way to Hamburg. Cold sweat broke out as I thought about the bombs loaded onto each bomber and the people living in Hamburg.
"Everyone listen carefully. If you miss even one-tenth of that, Hamburg will become a sea of fire. Now the citizens of Hamburg are only trusting in us, and we must not betray their expectations. Everyone, fight to the death!"
As soon as Steinhoff finished his instructions, he rushed towards the American B-17 heavy bomber at the forefront of the enemy's ranks.
His subordinates all rushed towards their respective targets.
The machine gun turret located on the top and bottom of the B-17 fuselage rotated and sprayed 12.7mm bullets.
With yellow tracers decorating the dark night sky, Steinhoff fired a 55mm R4M rocket while flying in a blind spot to avoid enemy fire.
"Hit!"
When the rocket hit the joint between the wing and fuselage, the B-17 tilted sharply and soon descended to the ground, emitting smoke.
The Luftwaffe used every means possible to protect Hamburg from RAF bombing.
In addition to fighter planes and anti-aircraft guns, only a few Hs 117 Schmetterling (Navy) units, which had just begun deployment, were deployed.
The Schmettering, which can be said to be the world's first SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile), was a weapon that Hitler, who was busy preparing countermeasures against Allied air attacks, put special effort into developing.
The fuselage of the Avro Lancaster hit by Schmettering split in half, leaving behind large and small debris.
A Lancaster hit by these fragments lost its balance, stumbled, and crashed completely after being hit by a 30mm machine cannon from an Me262.
***
'I'm crazy. I'm crazy.'
Corporal Roy Galloway was deeply regretting his choice.
At the same time, whenever a fighter plane with the Iron Cross on its tail and wings came into view, he diligently sprayed 7.7mm bullets to prevent enemy aircraft from easily approaching the aircraft.
Even a 6-year-old child knows that Ireland does not usually hate Britain.
But paradoxically, there were hundreds of thousands of Irish serving in the British army who swore allegiance to the King and the Union Jack.
Galloway was one of them. He was not Irish born in England, but was from Killarney (a city located in southwestern Ireland).
Although Galloway had no reason to serve in the British army, he chose to serve in the British army rather than serve in the Irish army, the army of the country of his birth.
There was no particular reason. I just wanted to earn a lump sum of money by serving in the British army, which had better pay and better benefits than my own country's army.
At the same time, I also wanted to ride a bomber that would make a man's heart flutter just by looking at it. The Irish army does not have heavy bombers.
Galloway, who chose to enlist in the RAF despite the dissuasion of his family, relatives, and friends, heard on the BBC news that German troops had crossed the Polish border the day after he enlisted. World War II broke out.
Only then did he think that maybe he had made a big mistake. But the water has already been spilled.
All Galloway could do was shoot hard and pray.
God. Please forgive this sinful lamb and have mercy on me. Please allow me to live safely and return to my hometown.
Every time our planes crashed after being hit by fighter jets or anti-aircraft guns, Galloway's blood ran dry. It felt like her heart would stop at the thought that she, too, could soon become like that.
At that time, a Bf109 appeared in his field of vision, and Galloway reflexively pulled the trigger. Four Browning machine guns fired bullets at one Bf109.
The pilot, startled by Galloway's fierce fire, turned his nose sharply and ended up colliding with his colleague who was coming from next to him.
The two Bf109s with broken wings plummeted toward the ground.
"Okay, gotcha! Haha, those idiots... .! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Galloway laughed like a madman. The greater the fear in his heart, the more he laughed.
Despite the Luftwaffe's desperate interception, the number of bombers was too great.
The bombers reached the skies over Hamburg after enduring fierce attacks from German planes and dropped bombs that reduced Hamburg's buildings to dust.
The air raid continued for five days without missing a day.
***
December 31, 1942
hamburg germany
Hamburg suffered significant damage from the Royal Air Force's air raids that lasted for five days.
During the air raid, approximately 8,000 people were killed and 62,000 homes were destroyed.
U-boat, Tiger, 88mm, and dynamite production plants located in Hamburg also suffered major and minor damage, so it was expected to take about 6 to 7 weeks to recover and return to normal.
Göring and Todt said that considering the scale of the air raid, the damage was rather small, but when they arrived in Hamburg, they could not help but speak up about the devastation.
"······This is true"
"It's miserable."
"Huh..."
An inn whose roof was blown off so you could see the sky from the first floor, a store where only piles of red bricks remained, houses that were turned into huge piles of concrete, and a hotel that looked like an abandoned building with all its windows broken.
And even the people who were as black as coal from the heat of the bomb.
The red Christmas decorations sticking out from all over the rubble filled with nothing but dust and trash added a strangeness to the gloomy scenery.
Because many unexploded bombs are still buried, traffic is restricted on many streets of the city.
While rescue workers were carrying the injured people rescued from the rubble pile onto stretchers, the dead were taken to an open space and laid out on the ground at regular intervals.
This was done so that the bereaved families could identify the bodies and find their families.
The temporarily installed sign was filled with notes and flyers left by people looking for their families.
Dear Hella, Dad is dead and Mom is moving to her aunt's house in Luneburg. Heinz Heno and Rudolf Heno. They are both 12 years old and have light brown hair. If you are looking for these two people, please contact the number below.
I didn't have the courage to keep looking at them, so I turned my head.
On the Elbe River, which runs through Hamburg, corpses were floating among the garbage. Rescue workers went around the river in boats and pulled out bodies with hooks.
I went to the relief center where survivors were gathered and resting. Even though I must have been in an indescribably difficult and exhausted state, people were surprised by my appearance and cheered enthusiastically.
"Your Excellency the President!"
"It's really your Excellency the Fuhrer!"
"Heil, Heil Hitler!"
The SS guard stopped the crowd of people flocking to me, but I waved my hand. And I shook hands with each and every person who cheered at me.
I didn't know what to say, so I just said things like 'Thank you for your hard work' and 'I hope you cheer up.'
"Kid, what is your name?"
"B-My name is Bruno."
I approached the boy with gauze on his cheek and asked his name. The boy with burns on his face and arms made eye contact with me and his eyes widened.
"So, Bruno... What about your parents? "Where are you?"
"He's dead. both."
"… .."
I said something pointless. I hesitated, not knowing what to say next, but Bruno spoke first.
"But if Dad sees me like this now, I don't think he will be very happy."
"why?"
"My dad belonged to a social democratic party or something. I used to curse at His Excellency the President every chance I got. "He said something to me too, but it was so difficult that I don't know what he meant, but it wasn't a very good thing anyway."
"Hmm, hmm."
Göring cleared his throat as if he was uncomfortable, but young Bruno continued talking as if he had no idea what that meant.
"Anyway, it feels new to meet someone I saw in the newspaper in person. "Can I ask you a question?"
"of course. "Ask me anything."
"They say the Tommys dropped a bomb on our house. What are the Tommys?"
"Tommy refers to the British people."
"Why did they drop a bomb on my house?"
"That's because they hate us. "We're at war with England."
"aha······."
Bruno thought for a while and then asked:
"Can we win the war?"
"then. of course."
Because I'm going to make it that way.
It took a full day to tour all of Hamburg, meet people, and listen to their stories.
Britain delivered a clear message to Germany with its air raid on Hamburg. There is absolutely no reinforcement. There is only one: victory or surrender.
And yesterday, two U-boats were sunk by a U.S. Navy destroyer in the North Atlantic.
When I arrived in Berlin, I didn't go straight to the Fuhrer's residence but headed to the broadcasting station. In America, Goebbels prepared the necessary manuscripts in advance.
"Dear German people, this is Adolf Hitler."
As I looked around Hamburg, I paradoxically felt a sense of relief in my heart.
With this, we have a clearer cause than ever before.
The justification is that it is Churchill and the British who really want war.
The British didn't just kick back the peace proposal, they bombed Hamburg mercilessly, resulting in innocent victims.
And the United States violated its neutrality and attacked and sank a German Navy U-boat.
If this is the answer of the UK and the US, it makes sense that we would also give an appropriate answer.
"I have just toured Hamburg and returned to the capital. Hamburg was scarred, destroyed and its people suffered as a result of the RAF's merciless attacks. The damage and devastation were indescribably gruesome and terrible.
The British people and Prime Minister Churchill not only laughed at our sincerely extended hand of reconciliation, but also spat at and insulted us.
And in the Atlantic, a U.S. Navy destroyer attacked and sank a Korean U-boat.
This is not only a clear violation of the obligations of a neutral country, but also a provocation and expression of hostility toward Germany.
Out of respect for the special nature of the relationship between the United States and Great Britain and for America's policy of neutrality, I have strictly prohibited our Navy from engaging in any hostile acts against American ships sailing to Britain.
However, President Roosevelt of the United States has ridiculed my efforts and those of our people and has carried out provocations in reverse.
It's not that we don't know how to be angry, so we don't get angry. I just had to be patient.
Now the time for patience is over.
I speak here and now on behalf of Germany and the German people. The British people will pay for their acts of terrorism and we will make sure they do so. And that we will no longer condone additional provocations and hostile acts by the United States.
As of now, all ships sailing to the UK must stop immediately if requested to do so by the German Navy, and any strategic materials discovered during the inspection will be confiscated. If you refuse the request to stop the line and flee or use force, we will attack and sink you without mercy, and all parties involved will be responsible for this.
One final warning. Please don't make us angry anymore. Germany does not want war with the United States and, if possible, would like to enjoy peace with mutual respect. However, if the United States clearly intends to be hostile to Germany, Germany will also treat it accordingly.
"I hope President Roosevelt makes a wise decision."
After the broadcast ended, the clock hand pointed to 12 o'clock.
1942 ended and the new year of 1943 began.
***
January 1, 1943
War Office, London, England
The new year dawned, but Churchill still could not return to 10 Downing Street and began his first day of work in the underground bunker of the War Office.
Operation Gomorrah, which Churchill and Harris strongly advocated and implemented, was half successful.
The goal of conducting an air strike on Hamburg and causing damage to the enemy was successful, but the loss was too great compared to the damage inflicted on the enemy.
In the air raids that continued every day for five days, the RAF had 159 bombers shot down and 186 seriously damaged.
Although they inflicted such enormous damage, they were unable to completely destroy Hamburg or break the enemy's morale.
Rather, it only inflamed the Germans' fighting spirit.
Because the damage suffered by the Air Force during Operation Gomorrah was so severe, Churchill had no choice but to cancel the plan to attack Berlin, which was scheduled to follow Operation Gomorrah.
Considering the damage suffered by the Air Force, there was an opinion that air raids on large German cities should be refrained for the time being and that we should focus on recovering from the damage.
Nevertheless, Churchill's face was full of composure.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Your Excellency."
Attlee was also puzzled as to why Churchill looked particularly bright today.
"I'm not in a good mood because it's the New Year... Is there anything else going on?"
"It's not obvious. "There's no way Hitler would be in a bad mood when he practically declared war on the United States."
The reason Churchill was able to be so relaxed despite the damage from Operation Gomorrah was because of expectations about America's participation in the war.
"Hitler declared that he would forcibly seize American ships heading to England. It will now become clear to Americans that they cannot remain neutral in the wars taking place in the Atlantic and Europe."
Churchill hoped that the United States would enter the war, as it had done in World War I, and shift the balance of the war back to the Allies.
If millions of American troops equipped with enormous supplies cross the Atlantic and reach Europe, not only will they be able to retry the failed landing in France, but it will also be possible to put more pressure on Germany.
If the landing in France is successful, we may be able to strengthen with Germany under much more favorable conditions than now, or even expect the destruction of Germany!
Occupying Berlin would be difficult because the Soviet Union, in charge of the Eastern Front, would have to work harder than it does now, but it would be much better than strengthening with Germany over the Strait of Dover.
"If the United States enters the war, Jerry's monopoly will end. "Even if we can't plant the Union Jack in Berlin, we can at least restore Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam."
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