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The Z-class destroyers were given to the smaller member states of the North Atlantic Fleet for autonomous use as naval defense forces, while the two cruisers had a more important purpose: unlike the "freedom of sea and shore defense forces," they were assigned to the main combat order of the North Atlantic Fleet.
To elaborate further: These two warships have already removed all their German-made anti-aircraft guns, and they will soon set sail for the Portsmouth naval base in the UK to be fitted with new radars. Bofors and Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns will be crammed into the hulls as much as possible, and the secondary guns of the Prinz Eugen will be replaced from 105mm twin anti-aircraft guns with British-made MKXVI 4-inch dual-purpose guns.
The US and UK still valued these two ships highly. Moreover, the Prinz Eugen had a length that surpassed almost all World War II cruisers and a full-load displacement of nearly 20,000 tons. It would be a waste not to properly convert it into a powerful mobile sea-based air defense platform.
As for the personnel on these two ships, thanks to the effective assistance of Dönitz and Raeder in recruiting soldiers and shipwrights and reorganizing the German military industry behind the scenes, the Northern Union eventually allowed the two cruisers to be operated by German sailors, who also became members of the Combined Fleet.
Of course, like Steiner and others, the two German naval admirals were also prohibited from appearing in public, and naturally could not attend the command of the two ships—at the very least, Dönitz was someone Hitler had personally designated as his successor, and there were still several crimes that needed to be discussed in court that had not been cleared up.
As the sea breeze from the North Sea blew, and as they looked at the carrier-based aircraft patrolling between the sea and sky, and the British and American aircraft carriers encased in their fortified walls, a mix of emotions welled up in Raeder and Dönitz's hearts.
One envisioned Plan Z, a massive warship-building project to revive the German Navy, while the other devised a wolfpack tactic to blockade shipping lanes and dominate the oceans—both men, standing on the Nazi war machine, used every means at their disposal, all in an effort to defeat the British Empire and the Royal Navy across the Channel.
But until the day the swastika flag turned to ashes, the two marshals probably never imagined that they, along with those they had invaded and those who had defeated them, would stand under the same flag against the same enemy within a year.
"When I have time, I'd like to ask Mr. Cunningham why the Combined Fleet's aircraft carriers are all crammed into a Task Force numbered 45."
"I'm sure you all know what these extraterrestrial visitors call us," Lemonnier answered the two marshals' little question. "Perhaps they really like the number 45? It doesn't matter. One day, when the second hand points to 45 every minute, our enemies will flee in terror away from the North Sea and hide back in their evil lair."
……
With the ship about to set sail, the German sailors on the Prinz Eugen all gathered on its foredeck, while the crew of the Leipzig also assembled on one side of the warship, awaiting the final pre-departure briefing.
Admiral Marchar, who led two cruisers and nearly two thousand handpicked sailors, was a pragmatic and unblemished figure in the German Navy. He had commanded the Scharnhorst-class cruisers and sank the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier Glorious in Norway.
Even though Prince Eugen beneath him was far inferior to Scharnhorst, who had long since passed away at sea, the admiral, gazing at the white star flag rising from the mast and the spirited sailors before him, uttered the first syllable in a hopeful tone.
"It is my honor to see you all again on the deck of a warship. Similarly, I would like to express my gratitude to those on land who are also true to their hearts."
"We have lost too much in the war, some of which we had to give up, and some of which we were willing to give up and had to give up. The people who are united under this new banner today are proof of this."
"We have lost our homes and our loved ones, but we have also abandoned the fanaticism we once had as invaders. We may have little left, but we will certainly have one most precious asset—we still possess the humanity of a German. We understand the principles that a person should follow, and we know that a truly bright future lies in our own hands."
"We will no longer blindly follow the meaningless slogans and oaths of the past, nor will we seek to remain aloof in some corner of the world. We will stand under a new banner, with people from different countries at the forefront of the European battlefield, and demonstrate the true character of the German nation."
……
As troop transport ships and landing ships approached the coast, hundreds of German soldiers, long since demobilized, remained scattered throughout the area.
Young people with a lingering passion for fighting for their country naturally still hold the belief in taking up familiar guns and cannons early on; wicked bandits and outlaws who have committed numerous atrocities will be turned away, or even thrown into prison buses bound for Western Europe; while many veterans seem no longer willing to go to the battlefield.
The officers of the Northern Union were busy all day long traveling around the country for this purpose—even a dilapidated windmill might house a down-on-his-luck artillery commander, let alone the Heidelberg University located between Frankfurt and Stuttgart.
Today, a major knocked on the door of a pharmacology cadet—a thin young man who would be turning 24 in a few days.
His reluctance to report to the military camp was also due to some events: not long ago in Frankfurt, some German officers and soldiers had a physical altercation with American officers and soldiers.
"I don't want to see any insults on the bulkhead when I get back into the tank." The young man shook his head, seemingly more interested in life-saving pills than in the bloody battles on the Eastern and Western fronts.
He took out two medicine bottles and placed them in front of the major.
"Look, this is aluminum hydroxide tablet, used to treat excessive stomach acid; and this is sucralfate tablet, used to repair the gastric mucosa. So, if you put aluminum hydroxide tablets into a bottle of sucralfate tablets, does that mean the former can repair the gastric mucosa? If someone whose gastric mucosa needs repair swallows this mixed aluminum hydroxide tablet and their condition worsens, will they still believe that this bottle of medicine can relieve their symptoms?"
In other words: In your eyes, do you really believe that German soldiers who have abandoned the swastika will live in peace with their former anti-fascist allies? And if a terrible incident occurs that would upset all countries, would you still trust the German soldiers?
The question asked the major whether he trusted him, but in reality, it was the young man himself who didn't trust him.
This chemistry question didn't completely defeat the major. He looked at the medicine bottle and the words on it, and organized his thoughts.
"You're right, but the pharmacists who make these pills are human. They know what elements shouldn't be in pills. Treating stomach acid is a simple acid-base neutralization reaction, so why choose aluminum hydroxide instead of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide? And why would aluminum still be present in different pills for different symptoms in the same organ?"
"Because we clearly understand that volatile sodium and potassium cannot be consumed in this way, just like those fanatics who still call for the Nazi Party. We will carefully screen and refuse them out. As for those real troublemakers in recent events, regardless of nationality or background, they have all been dealt with by military law."
The major paused, then took out two pens and two pieces of paper.
“I have a very simple way, soldier, regarding whether you are the ‘aluminum element’ I am looking for: let’s each write down the word for aluminum in our native language and see if we write the same word.”
"I understand, haha, they're all Aluminium." The young man smiled slightly. "So, it seems I don't have a choice, is that right?"
“To be fair, sir,” the major glanced at a photo of a soldier on a tank on the table, “I think any soldier who has experienced a world war, a soldier with blood in his veins, regardless of his background or position, would not want to see the invaders kick down the door in his own country, and all he could say was: ‘Please spare me, sir. I’m willing to trade these medicines for my life.’”
"You don't have to fight for the North, you don't have to fight for Germany, you don't even have to fight for your identity as a soldier, but you do have to fight for the peace that you long for and that will truly come in the future."
……
"Please wait here for me, it will take about half an hour."
The young man stood up, took a box that looked like it contained medals from a bundle beside him, went into the inner room, and closed the door.
Those 20 minutes felt rather long. The major sat on the doorstep like a pitiful guest being turned away, waiting for the other officers who were recruiting German soldiers at Heidelberg University to arrive.
They were puzzled. What kind of person was in this room that made a major wait outside like this?
Just as the timer reached 30 minutes, a door hinge clicked from inside the room.
The young man changed into a clean tank soldier uniform of the National Defense Army, which was slightly stained with the vicissitudes of the prisoner-of-war camp. Several war wound medals and silver armored combat badges were carefully hung on the front of his clothes.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear why he had been busy in the inner room for so long—the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on his collar had just been filed into a messy mess, and there were still iron filings between his fingers.
“I’m very sorry to have kept you waiting.” He slowly raised his right hand and gave a solemn military salute. “Lieutenant Otto Carius, formerly of the 512th Tank Destroyer Battalion of the German Wehrmacht, reporting to the North Atlantic Strategic Defense Alliance.”
Chapter 327, Section 416: The Fall of the Lion and Serpent Banner
"To Elizabeth di Britannia, Supreme Commander of the Expeditionary Force of District 45, the following is a joint report by Count Hohenzollern, General Windsor, and Major General Trossa on the first phase of the Jutland Operation."
"In the past month and a half, we have made relatively smooth use of our superior troop strength to advance from the middle reaches of the Elbe River all the way to the outskirts of Kiel. The march was about 200 kilometers. Although we were not able to completely annihilate a certain division or brigade-level unit of the Northern Union, we have penetrated into the enemy's strategic depth to a sufficient extent."
"Currently, the naval facilities in Wismar are nearing completion. As for the three German cities in the north that are important strategic targets, Lübeck is completely under our control, and the port is being cleared and maintained. We are also certain that the Northern Alliance forces are short of manpower in Kiel, which is just around the corner."
"Regarding the plan for the siege of Hamburg, based on our pre-war assessment and post-war investigation, the enemy forces, led by the British and Americans, were indeed significantly outnumbered by us inside and outside the city. The Northern Union also had a serious shortage of air power for quite some time."
"The strategic and tactical arrangements for the assault on Hamburg were not flawed in the details. Rather, we misjudged the naval power of the Northern Alliance. At the same time, we also bear an unshirkable responsibility for the erroneous expectation that British and American reinforcements would land in Germany."
"As the main force on the front line of the northern encirclement, Count Hohenzollern's 18th Army suffered about 3.6 casualties, accounting for the largest share on the northern front. Other units suffered fewer casualties. At the same time, after the collapse of the siege of Hamburg, there was no obvious eastward pursuit by the enemy. Preliminary statistics show that the two main armies on the northern front, plus auxiliary units, suffered a total of about 7.7 casualties."
"In contrast, the southern encirclement faced a much larger number of US troops stationed in Germany, and General Windsor's Edward III Army suffered heavy losses. Not only did it encounter fierce resistance from the US forces during the construction of the siege encirclement, but during the retreat, Buchholz, a key route and logistical hub, was also blocked by three or four divisions."
"Fortunately, the command system of the surrounded troops was not destroyed, and thanks to the air cover, as well as the rescue by General Trossa's 35th Army as a reserve force southeast of Hamburg, the Edward III Army and the 45th Army were spared from being severely damaged or even annihilated. However, the three armies also paid the price of more than 10 casualties."
"Meanwhile, regarding the results of Her Highness the Crown Princess's approved raid on the Danish carrier battle group in the north, of the four Skyships, the Roblush was completely destroyed and crashed with no survivors; the Grass was also shot down on its return voyage, but thanks to effective measures, it successfully made an emergency landing in the bay where Wismar is located, but according to the assessment, it will require more than a month of major repairs. The Archivk and the Landius, which served as a feint, suffered virtually no damage during the operation."
"Regarding the results of the raid on the enemy navy, the crew of the Archivk can confirm that two destroyers were sunk by our side, and there may be two battleships and two cruisers hit by our side; while the air group commander in charge of the feint attack on the enemy aircraft carriers in the waters west of Hamburg reported that there may be two destroyers sunk by our side, three aircraft carriers damaged by our side, and one battleship and several destroyers."
"Based on the current information we have gathered, we have determined that for a considerable period of time, ground forces will not be able to launch another offensive into Hamburg and beyond, even if we are still able to maintain our existing occupied territories."
"We strongly suggest revising the current strategy toward the Nordic region to a strategy that prioritizes sea routes and supplements them with land routes, aiming to land on the coasts of Denmark and Sweden. Your Highness, please coordinate this matter with the naval personnel as soon as possible, as it concerns the long-term direction of the Nordic strategy. The army can also ensure the rapid construction of a land-based air defense perimeter and firepower group to guarantee the safety of the expeditionary fleet in the Baltic Sea."
"In addition, according to General Trossa's visits, we have discovered some unusual phenomena in the towns of District 45, west and north of the Elbe River. Occasionally, some German civilians spontaneously harass our rear, either by stealing supplies or by sniping. Although most of them are still relatively compliant, they are mostly middle-aged and elderly people."
"Therefore, we suggest that Your Excellency heed the advice of the Duke of Sasler to suspend the previous large-scale arrests of civilians in the 45th district and instead conduct strict screening and selection, and under no circumstances should they be detained near important military facilities in the Berlin area. At the same time, for the sake of future appeasement policies, we suggest that a survey of public opinion in Germany and neighboring countries be conducted as soon as possible."
"We covered a greater distance at a lower cost than ever before, yet failed to achieve all our goals. This is a disgrace to the Britannian military, and we are willing to take full responsibility for the defeat in Hamburg."
……
When the news that "Northern Union has deployed more of its navy, we have been forced to retreat, and Hamburg cannot be taken" reached Berlin, everyone thought that Elizabeth would, as before, either faint from shock or fall into a state of depression for several days, unable to eat or drink.
Unexpectedly, just half an hour later, while the generals were spontaneously discussing things in the conference room, the princess suddenly pushed open the door and walked in.
Everyone looked at Elizabeth's face with bated breath—she still looked slightly lost and haggard.
"Your Highness!" Also here, the captain of the Skyship Archivk, with a sob in his voice, suddenly knelt down on both knees in front of her.
During the meeting, the captain had been deeply worried. The reason was that during the previous raid on the Northern Alliance carrier battle group, the tragedy of the USS Roblus and the earlier retreat of the USS Glass meant that the captain held the last hope of the Sky Fleet and Her Highness the Princess's expectations in his hands. But just now, seeing the faint wakes of the rapidly retreating carriers appearing in the distance, the captain ultimately chose to retreat in the face of the pursuing aircraft.
Although Trosa and Hohenzollern had never commanded a Skyship, they understood the captain's intentions—this unexpectedly bankrupt raid was destined to end in failure, and no matter how much the Archivist could do, it wouldn't be enough to change Hamburg's fate.
“I don’t want to hear crying.” Elizabeth’s words were somewhat cold, but still sincere. “You should be relieved that your ship has returned safely and your crew is unharmed. Don’t forget, their lives have always been in the captain’s hands.”
Elizabeth didn't even sit down. She said a few words to the generals standing at attention in front of her and then hurriedly left.
"Army, first hold Lüneburg and Lübeck, then the road to Kiel must also be in our hands; Navy, continue to expedite the new missile project, then give me a plan on how to deal with the Northern Union's naval and air forces in taking Bornholm Island... That's all, I'm going to Oranienburg first, none of you need to accompany me."
……
The weapons engineers who had fought alongside the expeditionary force were waiting to submit their new products to the princess.
The imperial soldiers are no longer the inexperienced calves they were six months ago, and the weapons they need should not be the same old ones.
During this period, the needs of the front-line officers and soldiers were addressed by first devising a solution for the assault gun: a smaller turret than the original, and the large-caliber cannon that could only fire low-velocity armor-piercing and high-explosive shells was replaced with a thinner and longer cannon.
The effects were immediate. The turret rotated faster and more flexibly. Most importantly, it could fire sideways and while moving, without fear of being flipped over by its own recoil. The engineers even discovered that the new model could potentially have more armor added.
As for the new cannon that can fire armor-piercing shells, although it is still slightly difficult to deal with the M26 and IS-2, the higher muzzle velocity can better deal with moving targets. This is perfect for the expeditionary force armored soldiers who watch the tanks of Zone 45 speeding by from the observation port every day.
The good news wasn't just for one person. Those gunners who used to be relegated to assisting infantrymen in obscurity had, in light of the current battlefield conditions in Area 45, converted small-caliber machine guns from KMFs and assault guns into squad machine guns.
With a small caliber and relatively light weight, it comes with a built-in bipod. Designed for easy and flexible deployment and to reduce personnel requirements, it is fed only through a drum magazine (a copy of the PPSh-41), without belt feeding. Furthermore, considering the differences between infantry rifles and vehicle-mounted rifles, the rate of fire has been reduced for better control.
……
With a tank and a machine gun, and aiming to address the two most critical weaknesses of the expeditionary force, all the relevant engineers who came to Berlin were united like never before, and delivered such a result under limited resources.
In contrast, KMF's engineers seemed particularly "leisurely" and were the target of much criticism. KMF pilots, struggling in Germany, deeply resented those who designed their dolls in this way, yet managed to remain in the top positions in the military for several years.
The soldiers' feelings are understandable, but it's clear that the blame doesn't lie entirely with the engineers; at least, the lion's share doesn't belong to these junior engineers.
The design concept, materials, and structure were largely influenced by people like Count Lloyd, while the weapons were designed in this way also reflected the needs of those old men who were still fighting in formation.
In short, KMF engineers had almost nothing to do in Area 45 except for routine maintenance—mainly because they couldn't produce high-end weapons like hadron cannons, shields, and missiles in large numbers.
It's true that environment shapes people. The engineers were naturally led astray by the "bad influence" from District 45. They stopped working on high-tech projects and instead started messing around with KMF's limbs.
They removed the dual limbs and replaced them with wheels or tracks, or even modified them to spider legs, to reduce the KMF's height; they welded a massive, thick, and heavy steel plate onto the front, sacrificing maneuverability and even balance for defense. At the Oranienburg testing grounds, you could hear the freaks falling and getting bruised and battered every day.
But that doesn't mean there weren't any decent ones among them. A few engineers removed the two arms of the KMF and replaced them with twin-mounted KMF machine guns or twin-mounted recoilless rifles. From a distance, it looked like a tall guy carrying a load of firewood skating into the test range.
Compared to the previous haphazard modifications, they felt that the KMF should be transformed into a simple support firepower carrier. They even proposed an even bolder plan: to remove the lower body and escape device of the KMF, attach it to a four-wheeled vehicle turret, and then tow it with a truck or infantry fighting vehicle, turning it into an incapable electric turret.
These ideas were probably inspired by the twin-mounted machine gun turrets on US military half-tracks, but upon closer inspection, this haphazard modification seems to be the optimal solution.
Even though a twin-mounted recoilless rifle might be a bit outdated as a device for densely projecting heavy firepower, a twin-mounted machine gun is a good thing, whether it's for suppressing infantry with direct fire, driving away enemy aircraft, or even serving as a close-in weapon system for warships at sea.
……
However, no matter what the engineers said, Elizabeth remained almost completely silent, and it was difficult for her to show the smile they expected.
"What's wrong, Your Highness? Could it be that we..."
"No, I'm not denying your achievements, it's just..." The princess frowned and sighed, "No matter how many of these things you can produce, without enough soldiers, they're useless..."
Then everyone suddenly realized—yes, in the four months since the crisis in Berlin was resolved, the expeditionary force has only sent Hohenzollern's less than five army groups, but our manpower shortage in the 45th district is increasing.
As for Elizabeth's meaning, although Schneizel seemed to be preparing to take advantage of the deterioration of relations with the Chinese Federation to announce the existence of District 45 and recruit soldiers within the Empire, she had a premonition that the expeditionary force would actually get a very small share of the pie.
When she went to visit the engineers, a letter arrived from the Marquis of Louis-Sébastien, who was in Berlin indulging in pleasure and approving official documents, which conveniently confirmed her suspicions.
Schneizel seemed to be curious about the culture of District 45, so he planned to hold a military parade on the central avenue of the capital as a call to arms. In the past, military parades were something that high-ranking officials and dignitaries would stand in formation in their own little corners of the country and admire themselves. Ordinary people had no chance to witness them, let alone hold a parade on the main street of the city in front of countless eyes.
However, in Schneizel's personal letter, he said that the number of soldiers from District 45 who returned to participate in the parade "does not need to exceed 50, and because the war is urgent, the brother and sister who are in command are not required to participate"—in Elizabeth's opinion, it is obviously more appropriate to translate it as "no more than 50 people are allowed, and there is no place for you and Kelly on the platform".
Good heavens, if they want to announce the 45th District through the military parade, but don't allow the officers and soldiers of the Expeditionary Force to return to the capital in glory and show off their prowess, it's obviously a case of ulterior motives!
"A marching formation? Like this?" At this moment, Bruno and his team had just returned from inspecting their artillery crews when they heard the contents of the letter Elizabeth had received. He then took out his phone.
They had previously found a videotape that looked like a Nazi German parade, played it, and recorded a digital version on their phones. After watching it several times, Bruno and the others' gazes fell on Iska and Grafria, the captains of the Imperial Guard, standing next to Elizabeth.
Unlike the standard assault rifles used by infantrymen, Her Highness the Princess's guards carried custom-made classic ceremonial rifles, which could fire bullets—the same bullets used in assault rifles—and could fire in bursts.
Then look at those German soldiers marching with goose-like steps in the phone. The ceremonial rifles of the Imperial Guards are exactly the same as the outline of their 98K rifles. If you add the polished bayonets on the Imperial Guards' ceremonial rifles, and then pair them with the Imperial Guards' uniforms...
"I have a somewhat premature suggestion: Is it more than enough for Your Highness's Imperial Guard to gather 50 men, or is it beyond their capabilities?"
Section 417, Part Eight: The Battle of Hamburg
[022 Friendly Reminder: This compilation is best enjoyed with the Battlefield 1 soundtrack "Flight School"]
On March 19, 1946, when the Britannian Expeditionary Force's 39th Army advanced into the American-occupied zone, it was cut off from its rear by American forces led by the 3nd Armored Division under George Patton. The pontoon bridge connecting the army to the east bank of the river was completely destroyed in a single day with the support of American and Royal Air Force jet aircraft.
Subsequently, five US divisions encircled the 39th Army. Fearing a protracted war of attrition and eventual annihilation, the 39th Army reluctantly abandoned its plans to advance into American-occupied territory and retreated north to join Edward III's Army, which was advancing into British-occupied territory. [Chapter 305]
Just as Edward III's army was dispatched to the rescue, the British army, in response to the American actions, also launched an offensive against the former, intending to cut off its connection with Berlin in the same way as the Americans.
The operation ended with the successful breakout of most of the 39th Army. On April 8, the 44th Division, which belonged to the army, surrendered due to the siege by the US forces and lack of supplies.
However, these gains did not salvage the overall situation on the Western Front. On April 11, the British 4th Armoured Division's plan to flank Edward III's Army failed. Edward III, having integrated the forces of the 39th Army, joined forces with the arriving 18th and 35th Armies and advanced at full speed towards Lüneburg. [Chapters 308-310]