Chapter 247: Do Not Insult Mr. Meyer
"I'll interrupt you for a minute and return to Jin Province in half a chapter."
In the eye of the storm of the World War, outside a gorgeous official residence.
A fat man, to be exact, a 240-pound fat man, walked slowly into the legendary "palace" in front of him with heavy steps.
The cost of this office building is extremely high. Although it took only one year to build and the construction progress was extremely fast, the construction cost could buy 200 loaves of bread.
It is a symbol of power. As a building also used for propaganda, color photos of the luxurious marble hall frequently appear in the country's newspapers.
"Your Excellency Marshal!"
The fat man waved his hand, signaling the guard to continue his work.
He was very familiar with this place. He came here more than a dozen times a month on average after the war. Coupled with his special identity, he could barely be considered half the owner.
After entering the gate with his head held high, what came into view was the rectangular flower hall.
The transparent ceiling decorated with glass on the top of the building allowed the sun to shine through the entire hall without any obstruction.
The bright sun was just like the fat man's mood. During this period, he won a victory and successfully dealt with the enemy who threatened his own oil fields.
Even at sea, there was a great harvest. The young men in the Air Force killed 3 cruisers, 6 destroyers and several small ships. They also damaged 1 aircraft carrier, 2 battleships, 4 cruisers and 6 destroyers.
Thinking of this, the fat man curled his lips in dissatisfaction.
Logically speaking, the ships on his own sea surface can more or less take off reconnaissance planes. Since they can take off and land planes! They should belong to the sequence of the Air Force.
"Sooner or later, I will grab the Zeppelin aircraft carrier!"
"As for those surface ships, it depends on whether the old dog Raeder is obedient! But he seems to have been exhausted by Dönitz. The wolf pack is really interesting."
The fat man has made countless harsh words in his life and even changed his name because of this.
He once wanted to intercept the enemy with the Air Force, but the other side directly staged an epic retreat. He once wanted to make the enemy surrender by air strikes, but ended up being a background board in the air battle.
He would later promise supplies to the army on the Eastern Front and in North Africa, but not even half of the amount was delivered.
But he did destroy Raeder.
While talking to himself, the fat man passed through the flower hall. At the end was a wall decorated with geometric marble, and in the center of the wall was a second door leading to the interior.
After entering the door, there was a small round hall with only a dim headlight on the top to provide lighting.
Normally, a normal person would feel trapped in darkness and lost when suddenly entering a small and dark room like a basement from a large and bright space.
In this way, the guilty visitor would involuntarily feel nervous and afraid.
In theory, the fat man was a frequent visitor, not to mention that he had recently won a victory, so he should not feel panic.
But after entering the small round hall, he began to sweat uncontrollably. The sweat as big as beans flowed from his forehead to his neck, and an ominous premonition still arose, as if warning him to be careful next time.
"How could this happen? Why am I afraid!"
"I am a tough guy who is second to none, what can scare me!"
But a series of self-suggestions did not work. The fat man hurriedly took out a medicine bottle from his jacket pocket and swallowed a few small pills to recover.
After a short rest, he continued to move forward.
In front of him was a marble gallery 200 meters long and 12 meters wide. This place was modeled after the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, and there were many famous paintings inside, which showed that the designer had a certain pursuit of art.
While walking in the gallery, the fat man's mood and emotions were much more stable.
It seemed that everything had returned to the time before 1940, when his family was invincible.
"I don't know what you want me to do today."
"The Battle of Crete just ended not long ago, maybe to discuss the arrangements for the next eastward advance. If so, then I have to put forward some conditions to get more resources for my air force."
Five minutes later, the fat man tidied his appearance. After confirming that everything was normal, he slightly adjusted the position of the medal on his chest, took a deep breath and walked into the office.
The entire office is very tall and spacious, giving people a sense of majesty.
The decoration here is extremely luxurious, and even the chandeliers are the most expensive brands in the world. Various leather sofas, carpets, coffee tables, and chairs are almost all airlifted from all over the world.
It is worth mentioning that there are many oil paintings in the room. It can be seen that the owner here is obsessed with art.
"You are here? Sit down."
"I only prepared boiled water for you, this is the old rule."
"Friend, relax, today is a private party. It's only May now, why are you sweating so much?"
After hearing what the other party said, the fat man silently pulled out a chair and sat opposite his partner. Because the opening remarks were very relaxed, he gradually returned to his previous state.
After a few seconds of silence, the person opposite took out a photo.
The protagonist in the photo stood in front of an old biplane fighter. He was wearing an air force coat and leather boots, with a cane in his hand and a wicked smile on his face. It is not an exaggeration to call him a handsome guy.
After taking the photo, the fat man fell into memories in an instant.
Back then, he was young, handsome, courageous, daring to fight and charge, and he even dared to falsely report his battle records.
During World War I, he had experienced dozens of air battles, big and small. Even if the rudder was damaged or the fuselage was seriously damaged, he would still try his best to drive the car back.
Although his record was far from that of the Red Baron, he lived longer and took over the former's formation.
At that time, he was a legend in the Air Force and an iron man in everyone's mouth.
Suddenly, an emotionless voice interrupted the fat man's memories and rudely brought him back to reality.
"Is this photo of you?"
The two were old acquaintances, and theoretically everyone knew the answer to the question. However, since the other party asked, there must be some deep meaning.
After thinking about it, the fat man still didn't understand, so he had to answer honestly: "It's me."
Who would have thought that the person in front of him would not give up, not only stood up from his seat, but also put the photo to his face and continued to ask: "Really?"
A clay man still has a little temper, let alone a fat man from a traditional aristocratic family.
Being questioned like this can already rise to the level of humiliation. But in order to gain more resources, he could only patiently answer: "It's me! At that time, I was still very thin."
Perhaps the thin man broke some kind of seal, the person opposite sat back in the chair first, and then took off his glasses with trembling hands.
"I'm so angry! This is not you!"
"The person I know! It's the national marshal! Not Meyer who stays in a luxurious villa all day and only knows how to enjoy life!"
After hearing the word Meyer, the fat man's face flushed.
This level of humiliation is just like Huang He selling French equipment to the French, it's basically a face-to-face fight.
What's more, his weight soared because he blocked a shot for the other party in the beer hall that year.
When receiving treatment, he had to use painkillers and other drugs to relieve the pain, which eventually led to his dependence on all kinds of lollipops.
Before the fat man could speak, the person on the other side continued to scold him:
"Since the beginning of the war on the Western Front! You have been making mistakes! Are you going to blame Rundstedt for the failure of Dunkirk?"
"What about the Battle of Britain? Are you going to say that it was Kesselring who planned to bomb the city? What about Operation Mercury on Creek Island? The most elite paratroopers suffered heavy losses! Who will take this responsibility!"
"You really disappoint me more and more! What about the high-spirited war hero back then?"
Although he was scolding, it was obvious that the main person did not want to scold too harshly.
The fat man was an old brother who sold his property to invest in the most difficult period, and he even blocked the bullet for him. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are friends who have passed their lives.
What's more, the other party's achievements are unmatched.
What was the level of his own air force after World War I and before World War II? After the outbreak of World War II, it could almost beat the previous military powers. All of this was inseparable from the efforts of the fat man.
At the beginning of the Battle of Britain, as soon as there was a sign of failure, the other party ran to the front-line airport for inspection. Being able to do this proves that he still has some ambition.
And no matter how much he scolds, he can't be dismissed.
After all, he doesn't have enough people under him, and those Junker nobles are more difficult to manage than one another. Now the war is unstoppable, and he will replace people as soon as the front line is not going well!
Field Marshal? Just a wage earner.
The fallen fat man in front of him is his confidant and one of the original shareholders!
Taking advantage of the opportunity when the other party bowed his head and was scolded, the owner calmed down and continued:
"I don't want to dismiss you, nor do I want to use you as a scapegoat. I hope you can put down your work temporarily, find a quiet place to quit lollipops, and lose weight by the way."
"Your energy is divided by too many complicated things. During the rest days, you should think carefully about how to do better in the next war."
"I promise! I will keep your position for you! The war on the Eastern Front cannot leave you."
After a burst of torture, the fat man's eyes sparkled, as if he had returned to the battlefield of World War I.
He figured out a lot of things in an instant. His family's current situation is not very good. Although a large amount of territory has been occupied, it is troublesome enough to suppress resistance.
Moreover, oil is also a death warrant. If the eastward advance does not work in a short time, it will definitely be dragged into the quagmire.
The current prosperity, wealth, power and authority are all based on victory. Once the empire falls, everything will become a thing of the past.
"Okay! I will lose weight and quit lollipops!"
"Before leaving, I have a few requests for you. First, we need a long-range air force! Fighters plus dive bombers can no longer meet the needs of the battlefield."
"Second! Let the damn Zeppelin aircraft carrier be completed! The progress is less than 10%! The air force alone cannot conquer the enemy. We need Zeppelin, Tirpitz battleships, and Bismarck battleships to form a fleet!"
After hearing these words from the fat man, the owner was trembling with excitement! The two seemed to have returned to the early days of their business!
"Okay! I'll wait for you to come back! Marshal!"
······
30 kilometers above Yangquan, on the C47 sky train.
In order to cut off the escape route of the Japanese in Shanxi Province, the Marine Corps 1st Regiment divided into three groups and headed for various target points.
Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, and Xing Zhiguo, three commanders, each led a team. In the first round of the offensive, they cooperated with friendly forces and successfully captured Niangziguan Railway Station, Jincheng Airport, and Yuncheng Airport.
After returning to the regiment headquarters, everyone took a short rest and set off immediately.
The second round of mission targets are Pingxingguan, Zijingguan and Yangquan. As long as these three key points are taken, the enemies in the entire Shanxi Province will be surrounded. Even if the Japanese abandon all heavy weapons and go into battle lightly, they will not be able to escape.
It is worth mentioning that due to the rapid action of the 129th Division, only a small part of the transportation routes were destroyed.
The soldiers also seized a large number of pack animals, trucks and a small number of trains. Even those damaged mechanical transportation tools can be reactivated after a little repair after the war.
In the cabin of the transport plane, Li Da, the commander, was reading a report on the Battle of Crete. Since he was transferred to an airborne soldier, Lao Li's learning attitude has been improved.
Whenever there is a large-scale parachute operation in any part of the world, he always uses various channels to get war reports.
The next step is to compare the combat modes and combat processes of both sides, learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and improve the existing shortcomings of the Marine Corps.
Among them, various newspapers and periodicals in the border area are the main channels. Although the TG lies in the mountains, it has all major international news, but the timeliness is not good.
Free France will also find a way to send a detailed report of major battles.
Looking at Li Yunlong who was studying tactics seriously, Zhang Dabiao couldn't help but say:
"Captain, how is the research going? Have you figured out anything? If not, I can help you analyze it."
"Although I didn't see the specific process, I can see the casualties clearly. The foreigners' tactics are really not as good as our local products in the Republic of China."
Since the establishment of the Marine Corps 1st Regiment, the best officers and soldiers in the entire military region have gathered together.
In addition, the regiment encourages healthy competition. In order not to embarrass the original New 2nd Regiment, Zhang Dabiao naturally followed his own commander to study cultural courses and military skills.
After hearing the words of the battalion commander and chief of staff, Li Yunlong did not answer the question directly, but handed the battle report in his hand to the other party directly.
"Take a look first, we'll summarize later."
"We have to admit that a military power is confident. If we do this, the deputy commander-in-chief will be heartbroken."
Five minutes later, the two used the time before reaching the destination to start communicating.
According to intelligence, the average age of the paratroopers of De San is less than 19 years old, and the average education level is more than one level higher than that of their comrades.
But the Marine Corps 1st Regiment also has its own advantages. The soldiers' training time is three times longer than that of the other side.
The first batch of paratroopers went through more than half a year of ground training, plus ten parachute training before being allowed to go to the battlefield.
And due to the excellent matching mechanism of the Asian battlefield, the Marine Corps 1st Regiment does not need to deal with the enemy's air defense firepower network in most missions.
Even enemy aircraft will be dealt with by the escorting Air Division 1st Division first.
But the paratroopers of De San are more miserable. Their bulky transport planes can easily become the best targets for ground firepower.
In order to avoid being killed in the air before landing. They could only avoid the heavy and take the easy way out by letting the paratroopers start parachuting at a higher position to reduce the exposure time of the transport plane in front of the ground fire network.
This became a vicious cycle. In order not to become a target for ground combatants, the paratroopers hanging in the air usually chose to land in an area slightly farther away from the target.
Such tactics caused the paratroopers who landed to spend a long time looking for their own large forces, thus missing the best time to attack.
Of course, in the Battle of Crete, the paratrooper tactics of the German III had been updated and iterated once.
In the response plan given by Student, he chose to use the more durable Junkers to concentrate airdrops. Start parachuting at a distance of 120 meters from the ground and quickly complete the assembly after landing.
However, there are technical problems with the parachute of the German III. Once carrying weapons, non-combat casualties will occur due to weight reasons.
In order to reduce casualties, Student required ordinary soldiers to carry only a pistol, one or two grenades and spare bullets, and officers and non-commissioned officers were allowed to carry submachine guns for paratroopers.
As for rifles, heavy machine guns, mortars, grenades and various ammunition, they were all placed in boxes and delivered together with the paratroopers.
Although the separation of people and guns reduced non-combat injuries, it was easy for soldiers to engage in fire with the enemy before they got their main weapons, and eventually died on the battlefield due to insufficient firepower and ammunition.
After experiencing the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, the Marine Corps 1st Regiment came up with a better solution to this problem.
That is, before the paratroopers carried out a large-scale airborne landing, they would first dispatch glider troops to send fully armed and heavily armed soldiers to the landing area of the paratroopers in advance to clear and occupy the enemy's firepower points.
In the Battle of Crete, the German III suffered a total of more than 6,000 casualties, of which paratroopers accounted for 75%, and various transport aircraft and combat aircraft also lost nearly half.
The main reason for the tragedy was that the British intelligence organization was more powerful and intercepted the enemy's combat plan through Ultra before the battle began.
At that time, there were more than 40,000 Allied soldiers stationed on Crete. After obtaining the intelligence, they immediately strengthened the defense forces near the airport and its northern coastline.
Before the German Third Paratrooper Division landed, the Allied forces on the ground had already sharpened their knives and were ready to welcome the uninvited guests.
Finally, there is one more thing that must be mentioned. It was windy on the day of Operation Mercury.
The paratroopers were blown all over the sky as soon as they jumped off the transport plane. Some unlucky ones even fell directly into the sea or the enemy's position, and their deaths were meaningless.
Even its division commander and staff officers crashed on the way, and the entire front-line highest command system was wiped out before the war even started.
"Even in such a mess, they can still win. I have to say that the tactical literacy of the German soldiers is really high."
Hearing Zhang Dabiao's words, Li Yunlong rolled his eyes helplessly. Then he took out a piece of paper and ignored the turbulent environment of the plane to record his gains.
"First, pay attention to the confidentiality of intelligence, and even actively try to monitor the intelligence of the devils, and strive to hit the snake at its weakest point."
"Second, pay attention to the weather before performing the mission. When encountering extreme weather, you need to decide whether to return based on the importance of the mission."
In fact, the current Marine Corps has already reached the threshold of the highest combat power of the paratroopers during World War II.
The only shortcoming is the lack of armored forces and advanced communication equipment.
The German Third is +5, and there is no shortage of resources. The naval battle that everyone wants may be brought forward.
Everyone here has some obsession with the navy of the German Third.
You can only choose the lord for airborne tanks. It happens that Halifax and Hamilcar both have the British, so you can force it into national policy and scientific research.
Radio and other scientific research slots, it is not particularly urgent at this stage, and I will squeeze the director later.
Today's slacking was not very smooth. I wanted to write 6K, but I didn't have enough time.