On the third day after Christmas, the Fuhrer's special train crossed France and arrived at the western coast of the Brittany Peninsula, where the largest military port in France, Brest, was located. It was currently the largest overseas base of the German Navy.
Although the ocean has a large heat capacity, the Bay of Biscay had entered the coldest period of the year by the end of December and early January due to the invasion of cold currents from the north, with an average temperature dropping below zero. Therefore, when the German military generals disembarked from the train, each one was tightly wrapped in thick coats. The tall figure of the Duke of Windsor tightly embraced his wife (at least nominally), abandoning the throne for her, showing remarkable consideration and meticulousness, which was admirable.
With the arrival of the top leadership of the empire, the vast Brest port area had been tightly controlled by thousands of SS soldiers. The streets and alleys were cleaned spotlessly, reaching international first-class standards in both hygiene and civility. Of course, the focus was not on this. A week ago, the "Gneisenau" and "Prinz Eugen" formations, which had been cruising in the Atlantic for 76 days, returned to the European continent with remarkable achievements.
Amidst the falling snowflakes, two elite fast battleships were quietly berthed in the military area of Brest harbor. They were still painted with camouflage specially designed by the German Navy for operations in the Atlantic (which was different from the square camouflage of the British Navy). After a long voyage at sea and multiple battles, the bridge, chimneys, turrets, and hulls of the ships were intact. Especially the long-barreled naval guns on the ships pointed upwards with powerful and imposing postures, resembling two naval warriors saluting.
"It is evident that our navy is just as excellent as the Royal Navy with its fine traditions!" Standing on the dock, the Fuhrer, wearing a large cap and a gray overcoat, said cheerfully to his new ally.
"Yes, very outstanding!" Perhaps the Duke of Windsor, who witnessed the decline of the Royal Navy from its heyday to its decline, wearing a black overcoat and a black gentleman's hat, did not genuinely admire from the bottom of his heart. In 1911, he accompanied as the Prince of Wales for the entire Royal Review. At the age of 17, he must have been deeply impressed by the grandeur of the world's navies. Twenty-six years later, the unprecedented grand Royal Review was held for the coronation of George VI. At the age of 43, he observed as the Duke, and at that time, the Royal Navy still possessed the most formidable power in the world. From any perspective, the two German warships before him were not enough to match the truly majestic and invincible power.
"I look forward to the day when the German and British fleets fight side by side, although there will be no real opponents for the combined might of these two fleets!" Hitler said confidently, smiling.
"One day there will be!" The Duke of Windsor replied calmly.
Guided by Rader, the group then boarded the battleship "Gneisenau". In the cold wind, over a thousand officers and soldiers on the ship lined up on the deck to welcome them. In the past two months, this cold and impersonal steel giant had sunk 12 British merchant ships with its fierce firepower. Although the number of ships that successfully reached England during the same period was far more than this number, it was still a considerable blow to the morale and psychology of the British military and civilians. Nevertheless, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor still followed Adolf Hitler, shaking hands with the senior officers on board, and listened attentively to the impromptu speeches of the Fuhrer. Their attitude also showed the immense prospects of cooperation between two former enemies.
During the several days' stay in Brest, the Fuhrer personally presided over and confirmed the "Trojan Horse" operation plan aimed at capturing and controlling the port of Belfast. This plan was not only another close cooperation between the German Navy and Air Force but also the first cooperation between German and British forces in combat operations. Due to the high-level attention and political considerations, the German fleet commander, Admiral Lütjens, served as the overall commander of the operation, with General Student, the German paratrooper commander, as the deputy commander. Admiral Schmundt, the Chief of Naval Staff, was responsible for coordinating and coordinating all operational matters. As for Hans-Logan, the Air Force Operations Minister who contributed many ideas to this operation plan, he was fully responsible for the overall deployment of the Air Force combat forces during the operation. This also meant that he could mobilize the four main air fleets currently operating in England—the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Air Fleets based in Norway, and the newly formed 5th Air Fleet undergoing pre-war training in France. These four main air fleets were equipped with more than 1,200 fighters and nearly 1,500 bombers, as well as a considerable number of long-range reconnaissance aircraft. In addition, two coastal reconnaissance squadrons and three seaplane reconnaissance squadrons belonging to the naval aviation force would also participate in this operation. According to the new agreement between the German Navy and Air Force, the new anti-ship bomber squadron and the carrier aircraft test squadron were being formed, and the aircraft carrier "Graf Zeppelin," which was halted in May 1940 and was 85% complete, had restarted construction. At the latest by April 1941, the German Navy would possess a powerful air force that had been longed for!
The last day of 1940 passed in a calm and peaceful atmosphere, but the atmosphere of the new year was greatly weakened due to the war. Adolf Hitler and his Supreme Command rarely stayed in a French port, and the German soldiers stationed in Brest were extremely fortunate to enjoy New Year's blessings with their idol. At the lively banquet, perhaps few people could predict that the next year would be the most brutal year in human history, with millions of lives lost in wars raging across the world. However, it would also be the most exciting year in military history, with comprehensive warfare, including land, air, and sea battles, ushering in a new era. Large-scale deep strikes, encirclement and annihilation, and the widespread use of naval aviation, etc., would create a new chapter in military history.
In the cheerful melody played by the military band, handsome officers of various ages danced with elegant and beautiful ladies. As the center of attention, Adolf Hitler remained in the spotlight with his classic parted hair and simple corporal uniform, showing signs of aging with gray hair creeping in at the temples. Throughout the evening, he wore a constant smile, lively and agile, appearing younger and more vigorous than the Duke of Windsor before him.
Amidst the lively atmosphere, Hans Lutjens sat quietly in a corner, sipping red wine. For the "Trojan Horse" operation, he had once again devoted himself entirely, feeling exhausted. Fortunately, with the joint efforts of the commanders, its development was faster and more satisfactory than that of the "Wrath of Neptune." However, no plan could accommodate all changes, and on this special night, Lutjens chose not to dwell on anything related to it, but to quietly rest, savor, and contemplate.
"Oh, how can our imperial hero enjoy alone?" A navy admiral, not tall, dressed in a blue dress uniform, sat down uninvited next to Lutjens on the sofa, holding a glass of brandy. To outsiders, Lutjens was known as a fervent admirer of battleships and a stubborn traditionalist who refused to wear the dagger with the ** emblem, still performing a simple military salute when the Fuhrer boarded the ship. Due to his outstanding achievements, he had been promoted twice within the year of 1940, leaping from rear admiral to admiral, and from commander of the reconnaissance fleet to commander of the Third Reich Fleet!
Promoted from captain to rear admiral in four months, and from rear admiral to admiral in five months, it's hard to say who was faster — climbing the ranks in the military has always been difficult, and advancing to the top even more so. However, for this naval officer, Logan's memories were more about "The Last Nine Days of Bismarck," a biography detailing the deployment, commands, and responses of commanders from both sides before and during the battle. It could be said fairly that as the commander of the German fleet, Lutjens was competent, but defeated by circumstances and luck!
Lutjens raised his glass politely, "Rare leisure, let's savor some fine red wine from the Bordeaux region! After tonight, we will all be fighting for survival again!"
"Yes, for survival, and for victory!" Lutjens half-raised his glass in return, then took a sip leisurely.
"General, I heard that our navy has proactively recruited new sailors?" Logan casually asked, seemingly considering some inter-service matters, different from Goering's tendency to interfere in everything and only mess things up. In terms of balanced development across branches, time travelers ultimately possessed a more forward-looking vision!
"Yes, we have indeed recruited over twenty thousand new sailors in advance, selecting eight thousand suitable candidates for specialized training in ocean navigation and naval combat. However, currently, the training of these sailors is split between the Hannover, Silesia, and Schleswig-Holstein, and these three old ships can only accommodate half of them, so the rest have to temporarily use cruisers, converted freighters, and even sailboats for training. Hmm! Everyone is troubled by this!" The admiral did not mince his words, as in a traditional land-based power like Germany, the army's size far exceeded the sum of other branches, while the air force, having expanded rapidly since the mid-1930s, now had a total strength twice that of the navy and ten times that of the armed SS.
Compared to the armed SS, the size of the German navy had been slow to grow, mainly due to the limited number of ships — the German military-industrial complex could produce enough guns, tanks, and vehicles every month to equip a corps, and enough combat aircraft to arm 4-6 air force squadrons, but since 1939, German shipyards could only provide the navy with two main ships, about ten light ships, and around two hundred submarines per year (the number increased in the later stages of the war), so it's not surprising that the gap in scale was widening!
"Hehe, I remember a saying: It's better to let people wait for equipment than to let equipment wait for people!" Logan casually "plagiarized" the PLA uncles' words of wisdom, a principle that held true in any era and any country. Following that, he continued with a seemingly indifferent tone, "The Tirpitz should be ready for service soon, why not let some of the new sailors train on it? Also, the Lutzow and the Admiral Scheer, which currently have no long-range raid missions, can temporarily serve as training ships! In our air force, we currently use similar methods to increase the efficiency of training for reserve pilots!"
"Oh?... Ah!... Oh!" Lutjens thought for a moment, then slapped his thigh abruptly, "That's a brilliant idea!"
The better part was yet to come, Logan smiled calmly, feeling a small sense of satisfaction in his heart.