IMO it would make sense to boost Energy production via Event. After all, West Germany could have met her own energy needs entirely by coal well into the 1980s, not to speak of Brown Coal in East Germany, for whatever that's worth.
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Yeah, far as I know, Germany's the only place in the world where coal mining was important enough that there's a national historic landmark because of an architecturally significant coal mine...
Seriously, for Germany to run low on energy specifically is ludicrous, some of the Ruhr seams have been worked literally for two hundred years and in the '40s were in no danger of running out. I'm pretty sure they're still workable today.
And yes, as a long-term fix, events would work fine. F12 works just fine short-term, though. Since I'm already using F12 to fire events that are in the Nazi track, but have no reason not to fire (like any interest in the '30s in aircraft carriers), I'm quite willing to fudge Mod33's ridiculously low resource totals. Of course, the game's done now, so that's all in the past.
And the family expands again 
.
Liked the scene in 'Sedan'. I personally find it quite hard to write an action scene, so I can only admire people pulling one off with (apparent) ease.
And Germany running out of coal? While sitting on two of the largest coalfields in Europe? I think the modders have something to fix...
.Liked the scene in 'Sedan'. I personally find it quite hard to write an action scene, so I can only admire people pulling one off with (apparent) ease.
And Germany running out of coal? While sitting on two of the largest coalfields in Europe? I think the modders have something to fix...
Energy? I don't think I ever had a problem with energy. I'm pretty sure I had at least 50k in energy reserves and positive growth all through 1938 when I played. Very strange.
And the family expands again
Liked the scene in 'Sedan'. I personally find it quite hard to write an action scene, so I can only admire people pulling one off with (apparent) ease.
And Germany running out of coal? While sitting on two of the largest coalfields in Europe? I think the modders have something to fix...
Thanks; 'Sedan' is based on memories of a real field exercise on the MOUT course at Fort Hood. The level of realism will probably drop considerably when knives are involved, though.
Nah, only problem in '38 was rares, and that could be solved through trade. It's the fact that Germany runs out of energy at all that bugs me. In 1938, the economy was still rosy, though Mod33's scripted for economic crisis in early 1939.
Planned an update today, but my daughter's in the hospital for pneumonia, about to be transferred so they can suction her lungs out. As a result, my writer's block is somewhat complicated. I'll update when I can.
Having your daughter ill is reason enough to have writer's block and to burn the whole universe, so don't worry. I hope that she recovers soon. Best of wishes.
That make the two of us... poor girl, i have little brother and know when they sick very bad, i wish than your child can cure very early
Thanks to everyone for their well-wishing. She's out of surgery (has been for a couple days, but first time I've been near a computer) and doing okay, but still sedated, at least until the breathing tube comes out. I might have the bones of an update worked out; amazing what trying to sleep on hospital couches will do for you there.
29. Qualified Success
Naval Aviation Training Facility Rügen
Rügen, German Empire
12 October 1938
Peter Volkmann held his breath as he watched the Fieseler trainer come in, far too steep and far too fast, on the runway section marked off as a "flight deck." The landing signal officer - Vogt, his qualifications completed - waved furiously, trying to divert the incoming aircraft, but instead it slammed, belly-first, into the tarmac, porpoising twice and jumping the first three arresting wires before catching the Number Four wire. The throttle jumped forward, a shorter jump than it might otherwise have been, and the plane snarled against the resistance of the cable holding it back. Vogt gestured for engine cutback, and the plane rolled off the taxiway. After a moment's hesitation, Vogt raised a flag - green, signalling that the pilot had passed this landing. Peter nodded, making a note on his clipboard before jogging toward the taxiway.
When he got to it, the plane was already in the hands of the ground crew, chocked and engine quiet. The pilot was standing next to it, an anxious look on his face. Peter, stone-faced, pulled a set of wings from his pocket, bronze rather than the gold he wore, and, wings cupped in his hand, extended it. "Congratulations, Highness. Pass." Ludwig's eyes widened for a moment, then he smiled broadly. "Thank you. Now where do I go? Fighters? Torpedo bombers? Dive bombers?"
"None of the above, sir. You're done here." Before the Prince could protest, he began ticking points off on his fingers. "Sir, you're six years over the cutoff age. Every time you go up, you endanger the succession. The Princess is five months pregnant. By your own words, you're just doing this for show. You don't even like being in uniform." Peter had run out of fingers; he fell silent. Fortunately, the Prince smiled ruefully, shaking his head. "All right, all right, I understand, Korvettenkapitän. At least I did better than the Admiral, eh? So what now?"
"Tradition is that you dunk those wings before you put them on. The O-club is that way, and I'd bet anything Vogt already called in that green flag." He pointed back toward the growing cluster of buildings just off the runway that marked the inhabited portion of the base. Surprisingly, the Prince headed away with no further discussion, leaving Peter to feel as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders. None of the men in the Special Class had washed out, or worse, died.
Another weight materialized, in the form of Admiral Canaris, looking grimly amused at the Prince's retreating back. "So he passed, eh? Father's got his claws in now." Canaris grinned, pulling a long, thin cigar from his peacoat pocket. "Not that you know anything about the Navy getting its hooks in, Volkmann." He offered the cigar to Peter, who declined, then shrugged and lit it, inhaling slowly. "Speaking of you... what do you see yourself doing now, Peter?"
Peter shrugged. "Well, sir, long as they're fitting out the Hindenburg with a catapult, I don't see us going back to sea. I figured I'd run the shore school here until further notice." Canaris nodded slowly. "Half-right. I have one more job for you, as our most experienced carrier pilot." He smiled sourly, digging in his pocket before pulling out a navigational chart, folded and re-folded so often that its original fold lines had long ago vanished into a new maze of creases and wrinkles. He thrust the chart at Peter, who began the task of unfolding it to determine what the chart showed. He found the title just as Canaris continued speaking. "You remember I asked you to figure out how to sink the Hood? Well..." Peter saw the legend now: SCAPA FLOW.
"I want you to work out how to attack the Home Fleet at anchor."
---
Charlottenburg Palace
Berlin, German Empire
18 November 1938
Erich Raeder crossed the space between door and desk to salute the Kaiser. "All-Highest, the annual report on the state of the fleet." He presented the leather-bound report as Wilhelm nodded gratefully, pointing to a chair. "Please, sit, sit. You mind if Franz joins us?"
"I serve at your pleasure, All-Highest." It was not an answer, but then Raeder suspected it best that the Kaiser did not know his opinion of Franz von Papen. "Mmm. Karl, bring Franz," the Kaiser called to the page at the door, immediately banishing him from his thoughts upon doing so, returning his thoughts to the report. "So can you summarize for me?"
"Yes, All-Highest. In February, you will need to visit Hamburg. The Bismarck is nearing completion, as is the Graf Zeppelin, though they will of course be delayed by sea trials. I have attached recommendations for their captains in the report." Wilhelm looked up, smiling wistfully. "Mmm. Well, I already have a captain picked out for the carrier. Kapitän zur See von Preussen." He drew the rank out, savoring it - Ludwig's relative disinterest in military service had been forgotten in his recent aviation qualification. Raeder stifled a choking noise, sitting upright. "It shall be as you order, All-Highest. Now... the submarine arm. This is most serious."
Wilhelm leaned back in his chair, eyebrows high, and the admiral continued. "We have drafted plans for U-boat production for the foreseeable future, All-Highest, but we are meeting some resistance. The Marshal," he said, slightly defensively, "believes we are cutting into the Army's steel quota. Clearly this is not true, as the new submarine production supersedes old production rather than augmenting it."
"Mmm. What's the problem exactly, Admiral?"
Raeder sighed. "All-Highest, the new boats are nearly double the size of the old boats. They also have much, much larger fuel stores. Marshal Bock believes this means that I am somehow stealing his tanks." For a moment, Wilhelm remembered Schacht's prophecy - that it could not be done all at once. "Well, have you spoken to Hermann? I understand he has a steel mill or somesuch that he's invested in." Raeder visibly flinched; he would rather swallow a lemon whole than ask Hermann Goering for anything. "I shall... consider it, All-Highest."
"Mmm. And you said the carrier program is on track?" Wilhelm looked forward, clearly interested in that subject. Raeder decided to use it as his wedge. "Yes, sir. If we can get the Graf Zeppelin in service, we can start developing a proper carrier doctrine. Though we would need at least one other carrier to test... we can't neglect the danger from the Bearn or the Ark Royal, sir." Wilhelm smiled, raising a hand. "Are you trying to sneak a larger steel allotment past me, Admiral?"
"No, sir. Those ships have already been authorized. Though I would be grateful if you would attend to the launch ceremonies." Wilhelm laughed, and the door opened, the page murmuring, "Sir, the Chancellor is here." The Kaiser beckoned, nodding. "Yes, yes, send him in!"
Franz von Papen slipped into a chair beside Admiral Raeder without permission; as one of the Kaiser's favorites, he received no reprimand. "Franz, the Admiral was just briefing me on the naval report for the year." Papen cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And what good news comes from the sea, sir?" Raeder inwardly sighed before beginning his explanation anew. Papen listened, nodding, and then asked a surprise question. "So what do you know of these Japanese battleships that General Ott has been raving about?"
Raeder blinked, coughed once, and shrugged. "I can tell you very little. I can, however, say that the J-class hulls already outclass them." Papen leaned forward, more than polite interest on his face. "Oh?" Raeder nodded, content to let it rest at that, but Papen pressed on. "How so?" Inwardly, Raeder sighed. "It begins with the radio detection systems we have been testing at Kiel. Frankly, the Japanese don't know their head from their tail when it comes to electronics. I worry about the British, though..." He frowned, staring speculatively at the horizon before he shook his head. "Yes. Well. Radio detection systems. Fire control systems. And range. I just don't see how a Japanese battleship is a threat in the North Sea... especially with the support we've been giving them." His mouth twisted slightly.
Papen nodded as if satisfied. "Well then, Admiral, you don't look like a happy man, what's the problem?" Once more, Raeder sighed inwardly, and explained the steel situation. The Kaiser looked bored, perusing the report slowly. When Raeder was finished, Papen clicked his teeth. "Simply won't do, Admiral. I've spoken to Prince Wilhelm and the Marshal, and they've asked to expand the Guards by at least one division. Majesty, how does the Leib-Panzer-Division 'Totenkopf' strike you?" Papen saw the Kaiser's eyes flicker wide-open, and made sure the barb was firmly seated. "I understand that old Marshal Mackensen would make an excellent colonel-in-chief."
Raeder was apoplectic, and barely managed a civil response. "It sounds like a splendid idea, All-Highest; may I suggest that General Goering may be able to meet some of their steel needs?" Wilhelm nodded. "An excellent suggestion, Admiral! Franz, speak to Hermann. Now - about your battleships, Admiral... send the bill to Baron Krupp, I'm sure that he, of all people, can find the steel somewhere." He waved his hand in airy dismissal, and Raeder knew that he had achieved as much of a victory as was likely.
---
Army High Command, Bendlerblock
Berlin, German Empire
26 December 1938
Generalleutnant Georg Thomas was widely regarded as a very cold fish by those who knew him, ruthlessly practical and devoted to German restoration in a way that most officers were not. He had gone so far as to join Goering's steel firm as a director in the hope of keeping its production in line with military requirements. That it also kept him in a state better suited for an old-fashioned aristocrat than the son of a factory owner was a side benefit. That was essentially the limit of Ernst Volkmann's knowledge of the man, and it was barely expanded by the order to report immediately post-Christmas. Still, it had meant Christmas in Berlin, and a chance to surprise Lise with the great new house in Wannsee - not that he would ever sell the Charlottenburg townhouse, but they were rich now, at least by Ernst's reckoning of such things. This was what went through his head, in brief, when he knocked at Thomas's nondescript third-story office door.
"Enter." Ernst did as he was bid, heels clicking and hand rising to forehead in salute. "Sir, Oberst Volkmann reporting to the Chief of the Economic Section as ordered!" Thomas glanced over him once, with those fishlike eyes, before returning his salute and gesturing wordlessly at a plain, unadorned wooden chair. Ernst sat, peaked cap on his left knee, while Thomas pursed his lips and drummed his fingertips on the desktop. "Oberst Volkmann. Opened the rail line from Breslau during the Rising. Designed the flatcars we use to haul tanks now. Refitted the Bosphorus line from '34 to '36, and opened the Berlin-Baghdad line by mid-'37." Thomas recited it all from memory as if bored. "And a successful investor, with a small stake in a wide variety of firms." His eyes caught Ernst's. "Wife, Lise. Eldest son Peter is a naval aviator, middle son Johann is a staff officer in Guderian's corps, and youngest son is a parachutist. Daughter is at Saumur learning to be an equestrian." Thomas twisted the last word in amusement, then slumped back slightly. "Just so you understand, I studied you carefully before asking for you here."
Ernst nodded slowly. "I am... grateful, sir. I appreciate the attention to detail." Thomas raised one eyebrow a fraction of a millimeter. "We do not have time for diplomacy here, Oberst. I doubt you will remain grateful. For now, I need you to construct an appreciation of rail lines in Polish Silesia by the New Year. If satisfactory, I will likely have more involved projects for you. Do you have any questions? No? Good. Dismissed, Oberst."
---
---
---
Blohm & Voss Werft
Hamburg, German Empire
12 February 1939
"An excellent week, Admiral," the Kaiser beamed. Next to him, Raeder nodded grimly, peacoat pulled tight against the winter. "A grandson and a battleship, by God!" Wilhelm waved at the ship in front of him, its name newly painted on its sea-gray hull: BISMARCK. Raeder merely nodded again, watching the officer on the foredeck from their position on the dock. The battleship had slid down the quays easily enough, and was floating under her own steam, but she was nowhere near ready. Truth be told, he was nervous - what if Bismarck and her planned sister ship were not ready by the time those saber-rattling fools in the Bendlerblock started a war?
Still, it was a good period for Raeder - the Graf Zeppelin was already doing its shakedown in the Baltic, though it would likely be some time before it was truly ready for service. The endless arguments with Dönitz over the submarine force had been resolved with Krupp-Germaniawerft's tacit cooperation, and the submarine force was growing at the steady rate of a boat every week. The new long-range Type IX boats could not dive as deep, but they had one edge that the Type VII lacked, a tube that allowed the engines to run underwater. Scheepsbouw had called the device a "schnorkel," developed for submerged operations in the IJsselmeer, but Dönitz had leapt on it as a way to keep his boats running on their diesel engines while submerged.
Where they truly differed was that Raeder wanted to use the U-boats as scouts, while Dönitz wanted to let them loose on enemy commerce. It was, Raeder suspected, an argument that would only be settled once war broke out. As it was, he had hedged his bets and grudgingly offered to let Dönitz train his crews in both methods.
"Yes, sire, a very fine week indeed," the Admiral finally replied, scanning the Bismarck.
Naval Aviation Training Facility Rügen
Rügen, German Empire
12 October 1938
Peter Volkmann held his breath as he watched the Fieseler trainer come in, far too steep and far too fast, on the runway section marked off as a "flight deck." The landing signal officer - Vogt, his qualifications completed - waved furiously, trying to divert the incoming aircraft, but instead it slammed, belly-first, into the tarmac, porpoising twice and jumping the first three arresting wires before catching the Number Four wire. The throttle jumped forward, a shorter jump than it might otherwise have been, and the plane snarled against the resistance of the cable holding it back. Vogt gestured for engine cutback, and the plane rolled off the taxiway. After a moment's hesitation, Vogt raised a flag - green, signalling that the pilot had passed this landing. Peter nodded, making a note on his clipboard before jogging toward the taxiway.
When he got to it, the plane was already in the hands of the ground crew, chocked and engine quiet. The pilot was standing next to it, an anxious look on his face. Peter, stone-faced, pulled a set of wings from his pocket, bronze rather than the gold he wore, and, wings cupped in his hand, extended it. "Congratulations, Highness. Pass." Ludwig's eyes widened for a moment, then he smiled broadly. "Thank you. Now where do I go? Fighters? Torpedo bombers? Dive bombers?"
"None of the above, sir. You're done here." Before the Prince could protest, he began ticking points off on his fingers. "Sir, you're six years over the cutoff age. Every time you go up, you endanger the succession. The Princess is five months pregnant. By your own words, you're just doing this for show. You don't even like being in uniform." Peter had run out of fingers; he fell silent. Fortunately, the Prince smiled ruefully, shaking his head. "All right, all right, I understand, Korvettenkapitän. At least I did better than the Admiral, eh? So what now?"
"Tradition is that you dunk those wings before you put them on. The O-club is that way, and I'd bet anything Vogt already called in that green flag." He pointed back toward the growing cluster of buildings just off the runway that marked the inhabited portion of the base. Surprisingly, the Prince headed away with no further discussion, leaving Peter to feel as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders. None of the men in the Special Class had washed out, or worse, died.
Another weight materialized, in the form of Admiral Canaris, looking grimly amused at the Prince's retreating back. "So he passed, eh? Father's got his claws in now." Canaris grinned, pulling a long, thin cigar from his peacoat pocket. "Not that you know anything about the Navy getting its hooks in, Volkmann." He offered the cigar to Peter, who declined, then shrugged and lit it, inhaling slowly. "Speaking of you... what do you see yourself doing now, Peter?"
Peter shrugged. "Well, sir, long as they're fitting out the Hindenburg with a catapult, I don't see us going back to sea. I figured I'd run the shore school here until further notice." Canaris nodded slowly. "Half-right. I have one more job for you, as our most experienced carrier pilot." He smiled sourly, digging in his pocket before pulling out a navigational chart, folded and re-folded so often that its original fold lines had long ago vanished into a new maze of creases and wrinkles. He thrust the chart at Peter, who began the task of unfolding it to determine what the chart showed. He found the title just as Canaris continued speaking. "You remember I asked you to figure out how to sink the Hood? Well..." Peter saw the legend now: SCAPA FLOW.
"I want you to work out how to attack the Home Fleet at anchor."
---
Charlottenburg Palace
Berlin, German Empire
18 November 1938
Erich Raeder crossed the space between door and desk to salute the Kaiser. "All-Highest, the annual report on the state of the fleet." He presented the leather-bound report as Wilhelm nodded gratefully, pointing to a chair. "Please, sit, sit. You mind if Franz joins us?"
"I serve at your pleasure, All-Highest." It was not an answer, but then Raeder suspected it best that the Kaiser did not know his opinion of Franz von Papen. "Mmm. Karl, bring Franz," the Kaiser called to the page at the door, immediately banishing him from his thoughts upon doing so, returning his thoughts to the report. "So can you summarize for me?"
"Yes, All-Highest. In February, you will need to visit Hamburg. The Bismarck is nearing completion, as is the Graf Zeppelin, though they will of course be delayed by sea trials. I have attached recommendations for their captains in the report." Wilhelm looked up, smiling wistfully. "Mmm. Well, I already have a captain picked out for the carrier. Kapitän zur See von Preussen." He drew the rank out, savoring it - Ludwig's relative disinterest in military service had been forgotten in his recent aviation qualification. Raeder stifled a choking noise, sitting upright. "It shall be as you order, All-Highest. Now... the submarine arm. This is most serious."
Wilhelm leaned back in his chair, eyebrows high, and the admiral continued. "We have drafted plans for U-boat production for the foreseeable future, All-Highest, but we are meeting some resistance. The Marshal," he said, slightly defensively, "believes we are cutting into the Army's steel quota. Clearly this is not true, as the new submarine production supersedes old production rather than augmenting it."
"Mmm. What's the problem exactly, Admiral?"
Raeder sighed. "All-Highest, the new boats are nearly double the size of the old boats. They also have much, much larger fuel stores. Marshal Bock believes this means that I am somehow stealing his tanks." For a moment, Wilhelm remembered Schacht's prophecy - that it could not be done all at once. "Well, have you spoken to Hermann? I understand he has a steel mill or somesuch that he's invested in." Raeder visibly flinched; he would rather swallow a lemon whole than ask Hermann Goering for anything. "I shall... consider it, All-Highest."
"Mmm. And you said the carrier program is on track?" Wilhelm looked forward, clearly interested in that subject. Raeder decided to use it as his wedge. "Yes, sir. If we can get the Graf Zeppelin in service, we can start developing a proper carrier doctrine. Though we would need at least one other carrier to test... we can't neglect the danger from the Bearn or the Ark Royal, sir." Wilhelm smiled, raising a hand. "Are you trying to sneak a larger steel allotment past me, Admiral?"
"No, sir. Those ships have already been authorized. Though I would be grateful if you would attend to the launch ceremonies." Wilhelm laughed, and the door opened, the page murmuring, "Sir, the Chancellor is here." The Kaiser beckoned, nodding. "Yes, yes, send him in!"
Franz von Papen slipped into a chair beside Admiral Raeder without permission; as one of the Kaiser's favorites, he received no reprimand. "Franz, the Admiral was just briefing me on the naval report for the year." Papen cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And what good news comes from the sea, sir?" Raeder inwardly sighed before beginning his explanation anew. Papen listened, nodding, and then asked a surprise question. "So what do you know of these Japanese battleships that General Ott has been raving about?"
Raeder blinked, coughed once, and shrugged. "I can tell you very little. I can, however, say that the J-class hulls already outclass them." Papen leaned forward, more than polite interest on his face. "Oh?" Raeder nodded, content to let it rest at that, but Papen pressed on. "How so?" Inwardly, Raeder sighed. "It begins with the radio detection systems we have been testing at Kiel. Frankly, the Japanese don't know their head from their tail when it comes to electronics. I worry about the British, though..." He frowned, staring speculatively at the horizon before he shook his head. "Yes. Well. Radio detection systems. Fire control systems. And range. I just don't see how a Japanese battleship is a threat in the North Sea... especially with the support we've been giving them." His mouth twisted slightly.
Papen nodded as if satisfied. "Well then, Admiral, you don't look like a happy man, what's the problem?" Once more, Raeder sighed inwardly, and explained the steel situation. The Kaiser looked bored, perusing the report slowly. When Raeder was finished, Papen clicked his teeth. "Simply won't do, Admiral. I've spoken to Prince Wilhelm and the Marshal, and they've asked to expand the Guards by at least one division. Majesty, how does the Leib-Panzer-Division 'Totenkopf' strike you?" Papen saw the Kaiser's eyes flicker wide-open, and made sure the barb was firmly seated. "I understand that old Marshal Mackensen would make an excellent colonel-in-chief."
Raeder was apoplectic, and barely managed a civil response. "It sounds like a splendid idea, All-Highest; may I suggest that General Goering may be able to meet some of their steel needs?" Wilhelm nodded. "An excellent suggestion, Admiral! Franz, speak to Hermann. Now - about your battleships, Admiral... send the bill to Baron Krupp, I'm sure that he, of all people, can find the steel somewhere." He waved his hand in airy dismissal, and Raeder knew that he had achieved as much of a victory as was likely.
---
Army High Command, Bendlerblock
Berlin, German Empire
26 December 1938
Generalleutnant Georg Thomas was widely regarded as a very cold fish by those who knew him, ruthlessly practical and devoted to German restoration in a way that most officers were not. He had gone so far as to join Goering's steel firm as a director in the hope of keeping its production in line with military requirements. That it also kept him in a state better suited for an old-fashioned aristocrat than the son of a factory owner was a side benefit. That was essentially the limit of Ernst Volkmann's knowledge of the man, and it was barely expanded by the order to report immediately post-Christmas. Still, it had meant Christmas in Berlin, and a chance to surprise Lise with the great new house in Wannsee - not that he would ever sell the Charlottenburg townhouse, but they were rich now, at least by Ernst's reckoning of such things. This was what went through his head, in brief, when he knocked at Thomas's nondescript third-story office door.
"Enter." Ernst did as he was bid, heels clicking and hand rising to forehead in salute. "Sir, Oberst Volkmann reporting to the Chief of the Economic Section as ordered!" Thomas glanced over him once, with those fishlike eyes, before returning his salute and gesturing wordlessly at a plain, unadorned wooden chair. Ernst sat, peaked cap on his left knee, while Thomas pursed his lips and drummed his fingertips on the desktop. "Oberst Volkmann. Opened the rail line from Breslau during the Rising. Designed the flatcars we use to haul tanks now. Refitted the Bosphorus line from '34 to '36, and opened the Berlin-Baghdad line by mid-'37." Thomas recited it all from memory as if bored. "And a successful investor, with a small stake in a wide variety of firms." His eyes caught Ernst's. "Wife, Lise. Eldest son Peter is a naval aviator, middle son Johann is a staff officer in Guderian's corps, and youngest son is a parachutist. Daughter is at Saumur learning to be an equestrian." Thomas twisted the last word in amusement, then slumped back slightly. "Just so you understand, I studied you carefully before asking for you here."
Ernst nodded slowly. "I am... grateful, sir. I appreciate the attention to detail." Thomas raised one eyebrow a fraction of a millimeter. "We do not have time for diplomacy here, Oberst. I doubt you will remain grateful. For now, I need you to construct an appreciation of rail lines in Polish Silesia by the New Year. If satisfactory, I will likely have more involved projects for you. Do you have any questions? No? Good. Dismissed, Oberst."
---
---
---
Blohm & Voss Werft
Hamburg, German Empire
12 February 1939
"An excellent week, Admiral," the Kaiser beamed. Next to him, Raeder nodded grimly, peacoat pulled tight against the winter. "A grandson and a battleship, by God!" Wilhelm waved at the ship in front of him, its name newly painted on its sea-gray hull: BISMARCK. Raeder merely nodded again, watching the officer on the foredeck from their position on the dock. The battleship had slid down the quays easily enough, and was floating under her own steam, but she was nowhere near ready. Truth be told, he was nervous - what if Bismarck and her planned sister ship were not ready by the time those saber-rattling fools in the Bendlerblock started a war?
Still, it was a good period for Raeder - the Graf Zeppelin was already doing its shakedown in the Baltic, though it would likely be some time before it was truly ready for service. The endless arguments with Dönitz over the submarine force had been resolved with Krupp-Germaniawerft's tacit cooperation, and the submarine force was growing at the steady rate of a boat every week. The new long-range Type IX boats could not dive as deep, but they had one edge that the Type VII lacked, a tube that allowed the engines to run underwater. Scheepsbouw had called the device a "schnorkel," developed for submerged operations in the IJsselmeer, but Dönitz had leapt on it as a way to keep his boats running on their diesel engines while submerged.
Where they truly differed was that Raeder wanted to use the U-boats as scouts, while Dönitz wanted to let them loose on enemy commerce. It was, Raeder suspected, an argument that would only be settled once war broke out. As it was, he had hedged his bets and grudgingly offered to let Dönitz train his crews in both methods.
"Yes, sire, a very fine week indeed," the Admiral finally replied, scanning the Bismarck.
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Remember Australia for Uranium. In any case...wow. I could see Einstein staying in Germany, but actually writing that letter to the Kaiser... Somehow seems odd, but that's probably my inherit distrust of pre-war Germany as a whole.
Couldn't figure out why he'd write it either, until I learned about Joliot-Curie's known Communist sympathies. DDR actually put out a stamp with his face on it. Anything that potentially brings together the two sides of the vise around Germany is likely even to wake up a pacifist like Einstein. Prior to finding that, it was going to be signed W. HEISENBERG. In-game, I used Einstein for the reactor-development techs and Heisenberg for the weapon techs.
The "in manuscript form," BTW, is Hahn's "Naturwissenschaft" article "On the detection and characteristics of the alkaline earth metals formed by irradiation of uranium with neutrons," which ITL is co-authored by Lise Meitner.
Coming soon to an Institute near you: Projekt Westerplatte. Did you know the German translation for "Leslie Groves" is "Ernst Volkmann?"
The "in manuscript form," BTW, is Hahn's "Naturwissenschaft" article "On the detection and characteristics of the alkaline earth metals formed by irradiation of uranium with neutrons," which ITL is co-authored by Lise Meitner.
Coming soon to an Institute near you: Projekt Westerplatte. Did you know the German translation for "Leslie Groves" is "Ernst Volkmann?"
Coming soon to an Institute near you: Projekt Westerplatte. Did you know the German translation for "Leslie Groves" is "Ernst Volkmann?"
I suspected.
EDIT: ALso, did you know that Nuclear Weapons were first theorized by a British Author in 1914?
Couldn't figure out why he'd write it either, until I learned about Joliot-Curie's known Communist sympathies. DDR actually put out a stamp with his face on it. Anything that potentially brings together the two sides of the vise around Germany is likely even to wake up a pacifist like Einstein. Prior to finding that, it was going to be signed W. HEISENBERG. In-game, I used Einstein for the reactor-development techs and Heisenberg for the weapon techs.
The "in manuscript form," BTW, is Hahn's "Naturwissenschaft" article "On the detection and characteristics of the alkaline earth metals formed by irradiation of uranium with neutrons," which ITL is co-authored by Lise Meitner.
Coming soon to an Institute near you: Projekt Westerplatte. Did you know the German translation for "Leslie Groves" is "Ernst Volkmann?"
Einstein informing the Imperial German government about the potential of an atomic bomb?????
NEVER!!! The man was an avowed pacifist and would never have supported an anti-democratic Hohenzollern restoration regime. He was deeply pacifist and moralist, the anti-communist card is not going to turn him into a supporter of rearmement. Sorry man but this is totally out of character for Einstein. He'd rather leave Germany than have any role whatsoever in the German rearmament, under a restored Kaiser no less. Your general storyline is great, but the way you are bending and distorting historical characters to fit your particular vision of "Germany can do no wrong" is turning it into a simple wankfest.
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I suspected.
What can I say, I really liked Herman Wouk's "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance."
Wells? Doesn't surprise me. After all, the nuke boat had been predicted by a French author. Of course, Verne thought the boat in question would be a ramming torpedo, not a launch platform...
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Leviathan07 said:
We are talking about the man who both wrote the letter I've shamelessly stolen to Franklin Roosevelt, and later expressed his regret for writing it. The writing isn't particularly out of place, especially in a climate where Einstein himself has no particular reason to fear the German government, and I'm curious as to why you think Wilhelm has waived the Reichstag, as that's not scheduled to happen until the election of 1944... and that's strictly because of the Soviets.