Chapter 408 Problems come one after another!

Seeing so many people's eyes focused on him, the German commander, Major General Rutte, felt like a thorn in his back and a sense of helplessness welled up in his heart.

He knew very well what these people were thinking. They simply felt that the German army had always been known for its powerful air force. At this critical moment, the German army should bravely stand up and bring out more advanced carrier-based aircraft to enhance the strength of both sides in the naval battle.

However, only he himself understood the actual situation within the German army.

In the German military system, all flying toys are under the jurisdiction of the Air Force. At present, the two sides have not reached any consensus on this issue. It is basically an impossible task to get carrier-based aircraft from the Air Force.

"I will report this matter seriously to the headquarters." After a long silence, Major General Rutte slowly spoke.

But there was one thing he didn't say in his heart, which was "Don't have too much hope."

After all, he was well aware of the complexity of the sea and air struggles within the German army and the air force's absolute control over aircraft. It was conceivable how difficult it would be to get the air force to give up its carrier-based aircraft.

"At present, we have ten escort aircraft carriers, but we are indeed inferior to the Allies in terms of carrier-based aircraft. If we can get your support, I believe we should be able to gain a greater advantage in the upcoming naval battles." At this time, Nagumo Chuichi couldn't help but emphasize again.

He felt helpless about the German air-sea dispute. In his opinion, carrier-based aircraft should essentially belong to the navy, but the German Air Force insisted on bringing them under its jurisdiction, which really left him speechless.

However, when he thought of the fierce conflicts between Japan's own navy and land, he felt that the situation in Germany seemed normal.

Hearing this, Major General Rutte did not speak immediately, but fell into deep silence. After a while, he continued to look at Nanyun Chuichi quietly, as if thinking about something.

"Mr. Rutte, can you provide the fighter planes? And we can provide the pilots? Is this feasible?" Nanyun Chuichi suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Major General Rutte was stunned at first, and then quickly thought about the feasibility of this proposal in his mind.

If this is the case, we can indeed try to propose this plan to the headquarters. Maybe there is still a glimmer of hope.

But he also knew in his heart that the possibility of success was still slim.

"Mr. Rutte, I hope your country can understand that if we lose the naval battle in the Mediterranean, it means that we will completely lose control of the entire Mediterranean. Not only that, even the oil fields in North Africa will have to be handed over to the enemy. By then, the result that awaits us may very well be losing the war." Nagumo Chuichi felt that if he didn't say it more seriously, it would be difficult to attract the attention of Major General Rutte and make him truly realize the urgency and seriousness of the matter.

Hearing this, Major General Rutte fell silent again. His eyes revealed a complex emotion, both worry about the current situation and anxiety about the uncertainty of the future. The pressure of the Mediterranean naval war was like a heavy mountain, pressing on his heart. He knew the importance of this war, and if he failed, the consequences would be disastrous.

"I know what you said. I will report to the headquarters as soon as possible. I believe there will be a solution this time." Major General Rutte said firmly. Hearing this, the others didn't know what to say. They knew that now they could only pin their hopes on the decision of the German headquarters.

Not long after, Dönitz, who was far away in Berlin, received the telegram.

At this time, he had just become the commander-in-chief of the German Navy and was awarded the rank of Admiral of the Navy. As for the original Raeder, he had returned home sadly to retire.

Dönitz sat in his spacious office, looking solemnly at the telegram sent by Major General Rutte.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes lingered on every word in the telegram, thinking carefully about its meaning. After reading for a while, he handed the telegram to General William Marshal beside him.

At this time, the German Navy suffered heavy losses in terms of talent.

The original Field Marshal Raeder was ordered to be relieved of his post due to command errors and disagreements with the High Command, and had no choice but to return home to retire.

Now only Dönitz was left to hold on. Originally there was also General Lütjens, but he had also died in the battle.

The other generals were all conservatives. Although they fought bravely, they were no longer up to date in terms of strategic vision and ability to adapt to the war of the new era. Dönitz looked around and felt a little sad. The once powerful German Navy was now facing such a difficult situation.

"General Marshal, what do you think?" Dönitz raised his head and looked at General Marshal, waiting for his opinion.

"The Air Force may not agree." Admiral Mashar shook his head and said. He was very familiar with the attitude of the Air Force and knew that they had a strong desire to control aircraft and were unlikely to give up carrier-based aircraft easily.

"Maybe, we can try, but before that we need to get the support of Marshal Keitel. If he agrees, maybe we will succeed." Dönitz didn't think so. He mainly thought that if they lost the Mediterranean naval battle, they would need to consider peace talks. So he wanted to fight for it again and give the German Navy a chance of survival.

"Then we can only try." Admiral Marshal spread his hands, indicating that he could give it a try. They all knew that this was a difficult game, but for the future of the German Navy, they had to take this step bravely.

Soon, Marshal Dönitz came to Field Marshal Keitel's office.

His steps were firm but a little anxious, knowing the importance of this meeting.

After entering the office, Marshal Dönitz did not delay in telling him all his ideas about equipping the navy with carrier-based aircraft.

When Marshal Keitel heard the other party's request for carrier-based aircraft, a bitter expression appeared on his face.

He knew very well that fighter planes were the lifeblood of the German Air Force. If he agreed to Dönitz's request, the Air Force would definitely fight him to the death.

"Marshal Dönitz, I'm afraid the Air Force will not agree." Marshal Keitel spread his hands, indicating that he could do nothing to help.

Although they are both marshals, Keitel and Dönitz are both marshals of arms, while Goering is the imperial marshal, and his scepter is different from theirs. In the German military system, Goering's status and power are indeed higher. So, now that Dönitz has made this request, it is indeed a bit embarrassing.

But Dönitz obviously didn't want to give up, he felt he could try again.

"Marshal Keitel, the outcome of the naval battle in the Mediterranean is related to our overall strategy. If we fail, I'm afraid the empire will not be able to hold on for long." Dönitz took a deep breath and said in a heavy tone.

His eyes revealed his concern for the future of the empire and his desire for victory.

"I believe Marshal Goering will understand our painstaking efforts."

Hearing this, Marshal Keitel was silent for a while. He weighed the pros and cons in his mind and thought about the possible consequences of this request.

Finally, he said he would give it a try.

As for whether it would be successful, he was not sure. After all, it involved the conflict of interests between the Air Force and the Navy, and things were far from simple.

Not long after, the military meeting was held again, and this time the focus of the discussion was on the navy's deployment of carrier-based aircraft.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense and all the generals looked serious.

When this issue was first raised, it was strongly opposed by Goering.

"Unless the navy is willing to transfer the aircraft carrier to the command of our Air Force." Marshal Goering stated directly.

He made a bold statement that all flying toys would be under the jurisdiction of the Air Force.

His attitude was firm and unquestionable, which put the navy in a difficult situation.

"Marshal Goering, we can transfer the ownership of the aircraft carrier to the Air Force, but can the Air Force command an aircraft carrier? Or does it have experience in commanding an aircraft carrier? Besides, these carrier-based aircraft, including the pilots, are not directly commanded by our navy. Among the four-nation joint navy, only the Japanese naval generals have actual combat experience with aircraft carriers." Dönitz persuaded earnestly.

His eyes revealed sincerity and eagerness, trying to make Goering understand the key.

He knew very well that in this debate, he had to convince Goering with reason and make him realize the complexity of the actual situation.

To put it bluntly, even if the Air Force provides carrier-based aircraft and pilots, they will be under the command of the joint navy of the four countries and will have nothing to do with their navy.

This is a realistic issue and the point that Dönitz wants to emphasize.

He hoped that Goering could understand that the navy was not trying to seize the air force's resources, but was serving the needs of the entire war situation.

This made Goering a little embarrassed.

He has always been known for his strength and confidence, but Dönitz's words really made him think.

But he was so strong that he would never agree so easily. You know, the German Air Force has a strange organization, that is, the German Air Force also has a large number of ground forces, known as the Air Force Field Division. I don't know what this guy's brain circuit is thinking.

Anyway, ordinary people can’t understand it.

The Air Force has taken over the Army's work, which is really weird.

"Moreover, those escort aircraft carriers do not belong to our navy, but to Italy and France. They just lack advanced carrier-based aircraft and pilots with rich combat experience. In the final analysis, our navy does not directly intervene in the command, and they are still under the jurisdiction of the Air Force to the outside world." Dönitz persuaded again.

He sighed helplessly. For the sake of the war situation, he had no choice but to compromise.

He knew that this was a difficult negotiation process, but for the victory of the Mediterranean naval battle, he had to give it his all.

As expected, this time Goering's reaction was not as strong as before.

He began to think seriously about whether this plan was feasible.

He frowned, his eyes wandering around every corner of the conference room, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

After thinking for a while, I felt that I was indeed thinking too much.

After all, the German Navy didn't have a real aircraft carrier. As for whether it would have one in the future, that was a matter for the future. Maybe it wouldn't be long before the Air Force built its own aircraft carrier.

Thinking of this, Marshal Goering knocked on the table and finally made a decision.

"The Air Force can provide some modified fighters and some experienced pilots, but the ownership still belongs to the Air Force. If you agree to this, I agree." Goering's tone was firm and also revealed a hint of compromise.

"No problem." This time, Dönitz showed a hint of surprise on his face, and a big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

Unexpectedly, the problem that Redel failed to solve was solved by myself.

Although the ownership still belongs to the Air Force, it will at least change the situation in the Mediterranean for the better. He knows that this is a difficult victory, but it is also an important beginning.

Next, they will work together to fight for victory in the Mediterranean naval battle.

After the carrier-based aircraft were dealt with, the next topic of discussion turned to the problems encountered in landing on the British Isles.

Landing on the British Isles was undoubtedly a new and challenging military operation for the German army.

Prior to this, the German army had won numerous victories on the European continent with blitzkrieg, which was a land combat mode they were familiar with.

However, landing warfare was a completely new field, and its complexity and difficulty far exceeded the German army's expectations, which put the German army's logistics department under unprecedented pressure.

In order to accumulate the massive amount of supplies and sufficient fuel needed for this landing, the German logistics personnel worked hard and were busy for a whole month before they barely completed the task.

The hardships involved are self-evident. The preparation of each piece of material requires careful planning and allocation. From weapons and equipment to food and medicine, from fuel and ammunition to various military supplies, all of them are things that the logistics department needs to worry about.

Moreover, the transportation of these materials is a huge problem.

In order to ensure that these precious supplies could safely arrive at the landing site in the UK, the Navy's logistics and transportation department racked their brains.

Fortunately, the German Navy has a certain number of submarines, which played a key role in escort during the transportation process, reducing the risk of being attacked by British warships to a certain extent.

However, the transportation process was still full of difficulties. When the material transport ship arrived near the landing site, due to time constraints, in order to save time, the German army had to adopt a seemingly simple and crude but helpless method - directly throwing the materials into the nearby sea, then hurriedly returning to the ship, and then rushing to transport the next batch of materials.

Although the German troops that landed were only 50,000, the amount of supplies they consumed every day was astonishing.

Especially for key materials such as fuel, its consumption may not be obvious when it is on land, with the support of truck and rail transportation.

But in the case of sea transportation, problems arise.

Although the transportation volume is relatively large, it still needs to be transported again from the landing site to the front line. The transportation process in between not only takes a lot of time, but also requires a lot of manpower.

This series of problems resulted in a significant reduction in the offensive efficiency of the front-line troops.

It had been five days since the landing, but the German troops had not advanced very far. Such a speed of progress made the German generals sigh with emotion, and they deeply realized how difficult it was to maintain a large-scale maritime combat operation.

You know, building a strong maritime force is very difficult and requires a lot of time, resources and energy.

However, the speed of destruction can be extremely fast, just like the "Rainbow Operation" in history, which destroyed the former glory of the German Navy in a short period of time; the raid in the Mediterranean also caused heavy losses to the Royal Fleet.

However, the German army understood that logistical difficulties could generally be overcome through various efforts.

The difficulties encountered by the frontline troops were the real thorny problems. Especially the landing operations, which were cruel beyond imagination. In the past, in land operations, the German army usually coordinated the armored forces and the air force to quickly advance to form a safe passage, and then the infantry would come on the field to clean up the mess. But in this landing operation, the situation was completely different.

The infantry had to fight the British army for every position repeatedly, and every inch of land became a battlefield for fierce fighting between the two sides. Sometimes, both sides had to pay a heavy price just for a palm-sized piece of land.

When landing on the beach, the German army suffered heavy casualties. Hundreds of soldiers died in just a few minutes.

The soldiers not only had to endure the invasion of the freezing cold sea water on their bodies, but also had to bravely advance forward under the intensive machine gun fire of the British army.

If the British troops in the Portsmouth area had not been relatively small, the German landing operation would probably not have been so smooth.

Originally, the German army thought they were invincible on the European battlefield. However, this landing operation really opened their eyes and made them deeply realize the difficulty and cruelty of landing warfare.

There was no way, mainly because the landing operations were too unfamiliar compared to the German army's familiar tactical modes such as night fighting, armored advancement, and large-scale detours.

Moreover, the British army on the opposite side is also constantly learning and improving.

As time went on, the British Army's ability to defend and resist German attacks improved rapidly.

In addition, the British army was fighting on home soil. They had familiar terrain and the support of the local population, which made the German army face more unfavorable factors in combat, resulting in heavy losses for the German army.

Fortunately, however, the German army is not static.

In the brutal battles, they began to learn how to face the special combat environment of street fighting and actively think about innovative applications of tactics.

Instead of simply waiting for the armored forces and the air force to clear the way as before, they flexibly adjusted their tactics based on actual conditions.

Especially when encountering some bunkers that were difficult for tanks to reach during street fighting, German soldiers found that Panzerfaust rockets became their effective weapon.

The Panzerfaust has now become the favorite of infantrymen because it is so easy to use.

When encountering stubborn resistance from the British army, German soldiers would use Panzerfaust rockets, which would often hit the target with one shot and directly repel the British resistance.

However, the British army was also well aware of their situation and they knew that they had to completely destroy the landing German troops.

Therefore, the British army showed extremely high fighting will and tenacious resistance spirit in the battle, which also caused the German army to encounter more fierce resistance during the offensive.

However, the German army did not expect that the British resistance would be so tenacious, which posed a huge obstacle to the German offensive and made the landing operation more difficult and bloody.

That's just what war is like, full of uncertainty and cruelty. Both sides are constantly adapting and adjusting, trying their best to achieve their respective goals and missions.

"This is the problem we have encountered since the landing operation. We must find a way to solve it." Marshal Keitel took a deep breath and said.

(End of this chapter)