Chapter 31: Propaganda Film

On the second day of Germany's successful annexation of Austria, the military trial of General Friedrich, the former Commander-in-Chief of the German Army, on charges of "homosexuality," began. A few days later, a result was reached that was both comforting and frustrating: the esteemed leader, who had devoted his entire life to the German defense forces, was found innocent.

Clearly, this outcome left Hitler in an awkward position. However, he had already devised a timeless political maneuver—by triumphantly boasting of victories, he diverted attention away from the issue. Hastily convening a parliament session, he reported on the great events in Austria but remained silent on Friedrich's case. Although the military court had acquitted Friedrich, it did little to salvage his future in the army. Behind this scandalous episode that shook Germany lay a dark and ruthless power struggle.

Almost simultaneously with Friedrich's misfortune, there was Erich von Manstein, who had served as the Minister of Defense for Germany since 1933. He was dismissed from his position as a Field Marshal because he married a former prostitute—according to the military code, marrying the daughter of a washerwoman was considered dishonorable, and such behavior was unacceptable to the officer corps!

Zhang Hainuo had always viewed these two "scandals" with sympathy and indignation. However, upon Edwen's reminder, he discovered for the first time that he harbored a similar "hidden agenda." Initially, he felt that the so-called engagement had never been respected by the other party's family or the individuals involved, so he didn't mind its termination. Moreover, when he married Anna in Denmark in 1921, the situation did not allow him to return to Prussia openly.

Zhang Hainuo was well aware of the strict regulations regarding personal conduct in the German defense forces. However, what used to be admired traits had now become a time bomb ticking in his life, a situation he could never have imagined before.

On the way back to Kiel Harbor, Zhang Hainuo remembered the story of Reinhard Heydrich being expelled from the navy: Heydrich was a type of young talent favored by young ladies, so rumors abounded. In the summer of 1930, Heydrich met the daughter of a Hamburg shipyard manager, and they quickly began living together. That winter, Heydrich fell in love at first sight with a Danish noblewoman named Lena at a ball and passionately pursued her. Heydrich's ex-girlfriend learned of this and had a mental breakdown. Her father, who had close ties with many naval officers, filed a complaint with the naval authorities, demanding an investigation into Heydrich's personal conduct. Heydrich was furious at this bullying tactic and claimed in front of a tribunal composed of three naval officers that the woman had moved in with him after only knowing each other for a few days. How could a naval officer marry such a casual woman? Heydrich's cynical attitude angered the tribunal, and they found him unfit to remain in the navy. In April 1931, after serving nine years in the navy, Heydrich was notified of his dismissal, effectively ending his naval career.

For Heydrich, if not for this "conduct incident," he would not have joined the Nazis and the SS, becoming an infamous "mass murderer," and ultimately falling into his own grave. Perhaps some people thought that overseeing the Gestapo was somewhat glorious, which was better than struggling in the navy. If Zhang Hainuo were expelled from the navy, it wouldn't be difficult to secure a position under the Führer, perhaps even more promising than staying in the navy. However, that was not where his ideals lay.

When he returned to Kiel, it was already past dinner time. Zhang Hainuo had no appetite and went straight to the apartment specially arranged for him at the Fleet Command Headquarters. Most of the time, he lived alone. Currently, Anna was in Denmark, accompanying her elderly and ailing mother, and she only came to Germany occasionally by train. The officers at the headquarters were quite familiar with the wife of the Chief of Staff.

Turning on the desk lamp, Zhang Hainuo looked at the photo frame on the bedside table and couldn't help but smile from the bottom of his heart. Anna was a crying girl, but she was able to overcome all the twists and turns with her steadfast belief in love, entrusting her life to him in the end. She was filial to her mother and had a deep bond with her brother. She was kind and helpful. Even if he were to be expelled from the navy, Zhang Hainuo felt that he would not regret his choice at the time. But now, before things escalated beyond repair, he should do what he could to resolve the matter.

A night of restless dreams.

A few days later, prototype evaluations of the new carrier-based torpedo bombers Ar195 and Fi167 were conducted in Kiel Harbor. If everything went as expected, the standard carrier-based torpedo bombers of the Navy would be selected from these two types.

Zhang Hainuo's favorable impression of Arado (Arado) mainly came from the Ar196—the carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft already selected by the German Navy, which would replace the He60 currently used by the main fleet. In contrast, the Fieseler company had a relatively smaller reputation in the aviation industry. The only aircraft they had previously adopted by the German military was the Fi156 "Storch" liaison/observation/ambulance aircraft, and this was their first competition for an order from the naval aviation units.

Both Ar195 and Fi167 were carrier-based two-seat reconnaissance/torpedo bombers designed after the construction plan of the "Graf Zeppelin" aircraft carrier was determined. Both Arado and Fieseler chose the same biplane configuration as the British Swordfish torpedo bomber, but their metal fuselage structures were much more robust.

As soon as the two prototypes appeared, Zhang Hainuo's attention was immediately drawn to the Fi167: it used a large aspect ratio wing, with fixed leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps. This design meant it could take off in a short distance, and its fuselage was designed to be slender. The main landing gear struts were extended quite long, allowing it to withstand a high descent rate during landing. Because the landing gear struts were located forward of the aircraft's center of gravity and combined with powerful hydraulic braking devices, the aircraft could be effectively braked in a short distance, giving the pilot good controllability.

In terms of the cockpit, the Fi167 with its twin wings adopted an extremely advanced design—similar to the long, arched glass canopy of the American F15 fighter jet. This ensured that both the pilot and the observer in the rear seat had a good view. Paired with its stout landing gear that resembled the feet of a science fiction robot, Zhang Hainuo felt like he was at a crossroads of time and space!

In comparison, Arado's Ar195 prototype, although also a biplane, seemed much clumsier, with a blunt nose fairing and shorter wings. At first glance, Zhang Hainuo believed that most people would have the same inclination as him.

In the subsequent prototype flight tests, the Fi167 lived up to its impressive appearance. Its short takeoff and landing capabilities left a deep impression, and its flight speed was significantly higher than that of Arado's prototype. According to the information provided by the Fieseler company, Zhang Heno learned that it was powered by a 1100 horsepower Daimler-Benz 12-cylinder inverted V-type piston engine, with a maximum speed of 325 kilometers per hour during testing, a practical ceiling of 8200 meters, and a combat range of 1500 kilometers. Its primary armament consisted of 1 fixed forward MG17 machine gun and another 7.92mm caliber machine gun mounted on a rotating gun mount in the rear seat. The aircraft could carry a maximum of 1000 kilograms of bombs or 756 kilograms of torpedoes.

Although the Ar195's various indicators barely met the initial standards set by the Navy, after a series of tests, the opinions of the technical officers at the Naval Ministry unanimously favored the Fi167. General Rolf Karls, who served as both the commander of the Kiel Naval Base and the commander of Naval Aviation, was no exception. He immediately entrusted Zhang Heno with the task of compiling and submitting the summarized data to the Naval Command, stating that although it was a heavy responsibility, it was not as complicated as it seemed. Setting aside his doubts, Zhang Heno devoted himself wholeheartedly to the new task. He compiled the design data of the two prototypes and the evaluation reports from the technical department, and based on his own opinions and those of General Rolf Karls, he wrote a seven-page written report strongly recommending the Navy to adopt Fieseler's design, suggesting ordering an initial batch of 12 to 15 aircraft for further testing, improvement, and training.

General Rolf Karls was very satisfied with the report and readily signed his opinion at the end: "Completely agree!"

With this report in hand, Zhang Heno flew to Berlin once again. This time, apart from his adjutant, Leon, only two other officers accompanying him were headed to the Naval Command headquarters. Therefore, the cabin of "Auntie Roon" seemed empty. Holding a cup of hot coffee in his hand, Zhang Heno looked out of the porthole at the constantly passing clouds, recalling the scene when he first met Fenna. It had to be said that she was a noble beauty, but as people imagined, this kind of noble young lady from a wealthy family was accustomed to keeping people at a distance, yet always sought after by wealthy young men. Now, twenty years had passed. Whether that former icy beauty had succumbed to the saying that "looks fade" or still maintained her outstanding charm from back then, Zhang Heno felt that he should find an opportunity to meet her and bring closure to the matter of their engagement.

Generally, submitting a report directly to the Naval High Command would yield a more direct response. Zhang Heno had always done this. However, this time, he decided to follow the regulations. He first submitted the report to the Chief of Naval Staff—currently held by Helmuth Heie. After reviewing the report, Heie decided to directly submit it to Admiral Raeder for review, a process that did not take much time. Overall, under minimal external interference, the efficiency of the Naval High Command's operations was still good. Unfortunately, this excellent tradition was always easily broken by strongmen after the outbreak of war: Emperor Wilhelm II had severely intervened in naval strategic tactics in the past. Once the naval warfare turned unfavorable, there was no guarantee that the current dictator would not follow the same path as history.

Two days later, Raeder convened a special planning committee, which was customary in the German military. The committee consisted of 11 experienced officers and technical officials, who quickly reviewed the report submitted by the Naval Aviation Command. Because there was hardly any controversy, they only had a brief discussion and submitted a specific implementation plan to Raeder: allocate 1.2 million marks from the Naval Aviation Project budget to support Fieseler's establishment of production lines and the purchase of the first batch of 12 Fi167s. With Zhang Heno's advocacy, the amount was eventually increased to 1.8 million marks, and the number of aircraft in the first batch was increased to 15, to expedite the formation of combat capabilities of this satisfactory two-seat reconnaissance/torpedo attack aircraft.

With the matter of carrier-based torpedo bombers settled, Zhang Heno received another task from Raeder: the second ship of the Schanhorst-class battleship (battle cruiser), "Gneisenau," was scheduled to be commissioned in May. The Minister of Propaganda personally called, and barring any accidents, the Fuhrer would attend the commissioning ceremony of the ship. The Propaganda Ministry also hoped to seize this opportunity to shoot a propaganda film about large warships. Given Zhang Heno's relationship with the upper echelons of the NSDAP, Raeder hoped that he would take charge of coordinating the Navy's affairs in this regard.

(The two ships of the Schanhorst class began construction in May 1935. The lead ship, Schanhorst, was commissioned in January 1939, while the second ship, Gneisenau, was commissioned eight months earlier than Schanhorst. Its early commissioning was mainly for trial sailing and training. Later, during navigational testing in the Baltic Sea, it was discovered that the freeboard was too low to be conducive to navigation. The ship was docked for modifications in the winter of 1938.)

The preference for large warships by the Fuhrer was no secret in Germany. Since coming to power, he had attended the launching ceremonies of "Graf Spee," "Schanhorst," and "Gneisenau." When "Graf Spee" was commissioned and replaced "Deutschland" as the fleet flagship, he had also made a speech to the naval officers and men present at the scene. Regarding the task assigned by Raeder, Zhang Heno could not find a reason to refuse it. He subsequently went to the Imperial Chancellery to negotiate matters related to the Fuhrer's attendance at the commissioning ceremony and the filming of the propaganda film on behalf of the Naval Ministry.

Because Zhang Heno was the naval officer most admired by the Fuhrer—an open secret even in the Imperial Palace—Goebbels did not adopt a condescending attitude despite the difference in rank between them. Zhang Heno felt that this was one of the factors considered by Raeder in choosing him. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Goebbels listed the cooperation matters related to the Navy: the main security measures would be taken by the Navy, but the SS would also dispatch armed personnel and plainclothes officers to assist in maintaining order at the scene; the Fuhrer's itinerary would be arranged jointly by the Navy and the Fuhrer's Office, which was no different from the past when the Fuhrer participated in the launching ceremonies.

Goebbels hoped to maximize the propaganda value of the recording by suggesting that the Navy deploy all its main force ships for a grand naval parade. His photographers would conduct panoramic shooting, and the naval propaganda film would be presented to the public along with recent propaganda films about the army to dispel the fear of potential enemies harbored by the people.

Addressing doubts about the influence of the naval propaganda film, Goebbels added: "Such films are only for the ordinary people to see. The Fuhrer believes that the British will not be alarmed by battleships equipped with 280mm main guns like the 'Gneisenau' and mere 10,000-ton Deutschland-class battleships. Therefore, the Navy need not worry that such a propaganda film will have any adverse effects!"

This seemed to be a strategic move on Goebbels' part, but Zhang Hainuo refrained from commenting. Instead, on behalf of the Navy, he made a simple request: that any footage involving classified naval equipment and weapons not be included in the propaganda film, to which Goebbels readily agreed. However, the Minister of Propaganda and Education then proposed, citing the effect of the film, that on the day of the ceremony, naval personnel should salute the Fuhrer with a raised hand rather than the traditional military salute.

Zhang Hainuo inwardly acknowledged Goebbels' cunning. It wasn't merely a matter of the effectiveness of the propaganda; it was fundamentally about the Navy's political stance. While the navy had sworn allegiance to Adolf Hitler on the day he became the Imperial Fuhrer, it didn't mean they were beholden to the Nazi Party. Since the Nazis came to power, most leaders of the German Defense Force had been striving to keep the military out of political events. However, the army had wavered after losing the leadership of Blomberg and Fritsch, whereas the navy's situation was relatively better. Two years prior, at the launching ceremony of the "Schleswig-Holstein," naval personnel responded with the traditional military salute under the leadership of Admiral Raeder in response to Hitler's raised hand. This reportedly displeased some Nazi Party members at the time, but over the following two years, the German Navy had managed to maintain this tradition quite well.

Regarding this longstanding issue, Zhang Hainuo could easily have responded on behalf of the Navy without much thought. However, outright rejection might give ammunition to critics and even be used to criticize the Navy for disrespecting the Fuhrer. After some consideration, he replied in a different manner:

"The traditional military salute of the Navy is also an expression of the highest respect for the Fuhrer! If we are talking about differences between the raised hand and the salute, it's only because they represent another unique identity: that of soldiers of the German Empire!"

Perhaps Goebbels hadn't anticipated meeting resistance from this naval representative on his proposal. Helpless in this matter, even the Fuhrer was firm. He chuckled awkwardly, "I always feel that the Navy should salute the same way as the people, symbolizing unity between the military and civilians. Isn't that good?"

"Military and civilians are originally united in loyalty to the Fuhrer. Since both gestures express unwavering loyalty to the Fuhrer, it seems there's no difference in protocol!" Zhang Hainuo stood his ground.

Goebbels then countered with a question, "If both gestures express unwavering loyalty to the Fuhrer, what's the harm in saluting?"

Goebbels was almost as skilled in speeches and propaganda as the Fuhrer himself, but Zhang Hainuo knew he couldn't back down in this situation. He had to maintain a calm demeanor, neither falling into the opponent's linguistic traps nor finding a way to defeat the opponent.

"Soldiers are the foundation of the nation, and tradition is the foundation of soldiers! Since it's the foundation of the nation, it shouldn't be easily shaken. Minister, don't you agree?"

Goebbels looked at Zhang Hainuo with a slightly surprised expression and said meaningfully, "Very well, Admiral, let's end the discussion on this topic for today! By the way, the Fuhrer has placed great hope in you!"

Zhang Hainuo paused for a moment, smiling, "I will always keep that in mind!"

This confrontation didn't bring trouble to their future cooperation—at least not on the surface. Zhang Hainuo naturally became the liaison officer between the Navy, the Chancellor's Office, and the Propaganda Department. After several consultations, it was finally decided that the newly commissioned "Gneisenau," three Deutschland-class battleships, three Konigsberg-class light cruisers, and a squadron of torpedo boats would participate in the so-called naval parade. These ships were well-known to foreign military observers for their sleek design, powerful armament, and had already been featured in various propaganda films. However, equipment such as shipborne radar, naval aviation units, and newly commissioned destroyers would not appear in the propaganda film.

With the commissioning ceremony approaching, Goebbels dispatched his large professional photography team. Some Italian journalists also arrived with the team—an arrangement made for diplomatic reasons. However, the German Navy was cautious about this, and before their arrival, all submarines and destroyers had left Kiel Harbor. The Naval Aviation Command had also relocated its training grounds to the island of Heligoland, hundreds of kilometers away, which had become one of the important submarine bases and naval aviation bases of the German Navy.

Due to weather conditions, the commissioning ceremony scheduled for May 20th was postponed to the next day. Nevertheless, over 100,000 people flocked to Kiel Harbor to witness the commissioning ceremony of this cutting-edge warship. Adolf Hitler, who had recently achieved a resounding victory in the German-Austrian merger, was still the irreplaceable focal point. He enthusiastically reviewed the naval guard of honor and saluted the crowd gathered to witness the commissioning of the "Gneisenau." The people greeted the Fuhrer with the Nazi salute, but naval personnel and accompanying generals such as Raeder still adhered to the traditional military salute.

Within days of the commissioning ceremony, the Imperial Propaganda Department efficiently completed the post-production editing of the film, accompanied by stirring marches. The propaganda film was first screened internally within the government and the military. Although this was a common propaganda tactic for the Nazis, Zhang Hainuo had to admit that the majestic warships, neatly lined-up sailors, and the waves stirred by the battleships were compelling beyond words. The low, solemn marching music was particularly effective in stirring the enthusiasm of the youth. Approved by the Fuhrer, the propaganda films separately produced for the Navy and the Army were released nationwide in June. The effect was evident: during the entire month of June, over 40,000 people applied to join the Navy, and the Army had even better recruitment numbers, with about 200,000 people queuing up at various major recruiting stations in Germany.

******

In a large villa in the outskirts of Berlin, enormous French windows flooded the living room with ample sunlight. The elegant Bohemian-style decor exuded luxury without being ostentatious, with tapestries, oil paintings, vases, and crystal chandeliers adorning the space, each piece displaying exquisite craftsmanship. The all-cashmere sofa was luxuriously soft, beyond people's imagination. The maids responsible for cleaning the room moved with nimble grace, resembling a troupe of ballet dancers.

In the adjacent room, the atmosphere seemed starkly different. Dim lighting obscured the faces of those nearby, and the air carried a distinctive scent of film. Sitting on a spacious sofa was the mistress of the mansion, while her elderly yet vigorous steward stood quietly by her side.

On the opposite side of the sofa, a screen displayed various scenes and figures rapidly transitioning. However, there were no sounds of the sea's waves, no blaring of ship horns; instead, the people depicted were impassioned, raising their arms with fervent expressions, yet only the monotonous sound of the projector filled the air.

The camera switched between crowds, warships, and the leader of the Third Reich. In present-day Germany, few could face such scenes calmly, yet the sparse audience in this private cinema consisted of such individualists.

"It's him, isn't it?" A refined but resolute voice broke the prevailing calm.

The elderly man standing nearby bowed respectfully, replying in a low voice, "Yes, Admiral Hainuo von Finkenstein, current Chief of Staff of the Navy's main fleet and Director of the Naval Aviation Corps. He's one of the rapidly promoted figures in the German Navy in recent years, reportedly having some special connections with the upper echelons of the National Socialist Party. Unfortunately, we still can't access his naval records, nor can we determine what he's been up to in recent years. Should we perhaps use our connections with the government to investigate this?"

The scene on the screen had frozen on one of the images: a mundane background with several naval officers in uniform as the focal point. Among them, a man in his early forties, with a well-proportioned, sharply defined face exuding the confidence and composure of a mature man, yet his skin showed no signs of being weathered by the sun and sea breeze like his colleagues'.

After a while, the woman's voice resounded once more, slow and deliberate, "This is a dangerous game, with only one chance to bet on the exquisite roulette! Meyer, do you think we should gamble or not?"

The old man replied with utmost deference, "It's entirely up to you, my esteemed and illustrious CEO!"