Chapter 13 Rebirth After Disaster
Even in the depths of winter, the temperature in southeastern England hovered around freezing, and the damp cold air might have been irritating for soldiers from the eastern and northern parts of Germany. Stepping outside, hats, boots, and weapons would all be coated with a layer of moisture, and washed clothes could only be dried by the fire. However, in the face of war, these were not true worries. At least people didn't have to worry about losing a part of their body due to frostbite.
"Hey, guys, check every part carefully! Don't skimp on the engine oil, but don't overdo it either! Pay attention to details!"
At the German frontline airfield north of Portsmouth, ground crew members in gray overalls were performing routine maintenance on several brand-new Bf-109 fighter planes. The loud technical sergeant waved a stick in hand, as if herding sheep rather than supervising his subordinates.
With careful observation, one could easily notice the distinct differences between these Messerschmitt fighters and the E-4 models heavily equipped by the German Air Force: streamlined fuselage, slightly smoother wings, and square engine air intakes replaced with circular ones.
New models always brought new hope. With this mindset, senior officers from the Imperial Air Force Operations Department appeared at the airfield, ready to observe the first combat deployment of these newly named Bf-109E5 fighters. Until July 1940, the Messerschmitt fighters had encountered few adversaries, but in the skies over Britain, they faced a strong challenge from the British Spitfires. In dogfights, the Spitfires could match the Bf-109 in maneuverability and absolute speed, whether in escape or attack, due to their adept high-speed dives. Therefore, Hans Lohr, the Deputy Director of Luftwaffe Weapons Production, proposed two crucial plans: to quickly make the Fw-190 produced by Focke-Wulf combat-ready, and to upgrade the existing Bf-109E fighters. Both plans received approval under Udet's support, and improving existing equipment would obviously take less time. While the first units equipped with the Fw-190 light fighters were still training in southern Germany, the first batch of E5-equipped fighter squadrons had already been deployed to the front lines.
Guided by the signalman, a fighter plane with a new appearance and a blue-gray paint job turned from the apron to the runway under its own power. Instead of running away, the ground crew members stood by with interest, watching the new aircraft take its first flight at the airfield. Captain Joseph Burch, a ace pilot from the 26th Fighter Squadron, personally commanded the flight. Despite the headwind, the fighter only slid a hundred meters before leaving the ground. After taking off, it circled low for two rounds, then climbed to altitude and performed a series of moderately difficult tactical maneuvers. When the wingman took off, they engaged in a ten-minute aerial exercise using the Luftwaffe's most common two-plane tactics.
"General, our boys are quite skilled, aren't they?"
On the open ground near the air traffic control tower, Air Force Colonel Adolf Galand was quite pleased with his subordinates' performance. This super ace, who rose to fame overnight in the Battle of the Isle of Wight, was promoted to commander of the 26th Fighter Squadron at the end of September. After suffering heavy losses in the previous phase of the battle, he was ordered to France for a period of rest and to receive a batch of new fighter planes. Now it seemed that his troops under his command were indeed strong!
"Yeah, not bad at all! Let everyone adapt to the new equipment during the final stage of the Battle of Britain. The Royal Air Force is no longer a match, but it won't be long before we encounter tougher opponents! We must not be complacent!" These words of weighty importance came from an officer younger than Galand, wearing a thick dark gray woolen coat and a large-brimmed military cap. White bandages could be seen from his forehead to his temple under the cap, and although his brow was furrowed, his eyes sparkled with anticipation for the future. Since arriving in this era just over four months ago, poor guy had already been wrapped up like a dumpling three times. But among all his injuries, this one was definitely the most fortunate and worthwhile, because the arrogant Hermann Göring was dead, absolutely dead. Even with God's favor, there would be no chance of resurrection! The Luftwaffe had been liberated, and excellent air force commanders could finally showcase their talents without being influenced by the personal whims of that guy!
The trace of sorrow in his eyes was for comrades like Graeme, Jochenneck, and Korten. After two months of acquaintance, his opinion of the Air Force Chief of Staff had changed significantly: he was a serious, talented young officer, and his deference to Hermann Göring was more out of obedience to superiors than anything else. His belief and admiration for Adolf Hitler were not driven by strong political motives.
The sturdy fuselage of the Do-217 did not save most of the crew members' lives. After being hit by at least 20 large-caliber machine gun rounds and over 150 machine gun bullets, it crashed irreparably into the sea, with only 3 of the 23 people on board surviving. A few days later, the German military salvaged the wreckage with two tugboats. Looking at the aircraft's fuselage riddled with holes of all sizes, one couldn't help but wonder what kind of luck it took to survive such a ordeal.
Among the three survivors, one was named Walter Hendrick, a captain staff officer in the Air Force Staff; another was named Heinz Scopel, General Graeme's adjutant; and the last one, named Hans Lohr, was the Director of Operations for the Imperial Air Force. Ironically, after the initial personnel adjustments, Air Force Deputy Commander Milch still did not need to be involved in combat matters. Field Marshals Kesselring and Sperrle were each responsible for the actual command of the Western and Eastern Fronts. With the deaths of the Air Force Commander-in-Chief and the Deputy Chiefs of Staff, the highest strategic decision-makers in the German Air Force became the previously less prominent Director of Operations.
Of course, the vast and important Imperial Air Force could not be completely controlled by a 27-year-old Air Force Major General. On the night the Air Force Headquarters plane was attacked, Adolf Hitler convened an emergency meeting of military and political leaders. It is said that the Führer did not explode in rage at the meeting, but made a very important decision, the content of which was top secret and known only to the attendees. The next day, the High Command announced a decision: the German Air Force would be temporarily commanded by the Führer himself, and Air Force Deputy Commander Milch would oversee logistics production. Kesselring and Sperrle would exchange positions, meaning that the Air Force combat forces deployed on the Western Front would be commanded by Field Marshal Sperrle.
Due to extreme distrust of aerial transport, Adolf Hitler issued a ban: military commanders were not allowed to fly on planes without the approval of the High Command. As a result, Sperrle, who was in Berlin, traveled to Sylt by train, then took a naval destroyer to the Isle of Wight. The journey to his new post was undoubtedly bumpy and arduous. Although Lohr's injuries were not serious, he was still arranged to recuperate in a field hospital in Southampton. The personnel of the Air Force Headquarters left in the rear also split into two groups: some went to the High Command for office work, awaiting the orders of the Air Force's full commander, Adolf Hitler; while others came to Southampton and established an Air Force Frontline Staff Operations Department according to the requirements of the High Command.
"Oh, we were really worried that after the end of the Battle of Britain, we would have to switch to Lufthansa and become civilian pilots, hahaha!" Adolf Galand, with his handsome little beard, continued to show off his omnipresent humor. However, after experiencing the life-and-death ordeal, his good friend Hans Lohr had undergone a significant change in character.
"Don't worry! As long as Winston Churchill remains Prime Minister of Britain, the war between Britain and Germany will not end easily!" The young Air Force Major General spoke with an air of control.
"So... will our air battles with the British shift to the waters between Scotland and Northern Ireland, or between Britain and Iceland? The sea there is quite cold!" Although he said so, Galand wasn't really worried.
During the days lying in the hospital bed, Lohr had thought a lot. After the ice-cold seawater, his brain was unusually clear. He whispered to his acknowledged friend, "No, as the British government retreats to Canada, the Mediterranean and North Africa will become their new strategic core! Across the vast Atlantic Ocean, the frontal confrontation between Britain and Germany will be limited to the navy. Battleships and aircraft carriers are the decisive forces, but neither side has the ability to completely defeat the other at sea!"
Galand took out a cigar from his pocket, sniffed it under his nose, and turned to look at Lohr. "The Mediterranean? Isn't that where the Italians have always been trying to control? Even if we crush the main force of the British army, can't they handle those tens of thousands of British colonial troops?"
Lohr smiled without saying a word.
After more than half an hour of flight, two German fighter planes slowly landed. According to the technical department's requirements, Messerschmitt expanded the fuel tank capacity of this improved model and could also mount three different sizes of additional fuel tanks as needed for combat missions, increasing the maximum range by thirty percent compared to the previous model. Recently, although new fighter and bomber squadrons arrived in the British theater of operations every day, the Western Front jointly commanded by Lohr and Sperrle did not carry out large-scale bombing operations as before. After consultation, the two commanders reached a consensus on strategy: to let Britain become a training ground for German Air Force pilots rather than a battleground.