Chapter 6: From Tactics to Strategy

November 9, 1940, Berlin.

The howling north wind carried snowflakes through the air, making the vast city feel unusually desolate. The grand buildings slept quietly, and although it wasn't yet night, streetlights were already lit. On the wide boulevards, vehicles moved at a slower pace than usual. In this era without car air conditioning, Logan had to bundle up in his blue military coat to ward off the cold.

"I say, old chap, you should have stayed a few more days in the Mediterranean. The climate there is much warmer than here!"

The speaker was Hans-Jürgennek, currently the Chief of the Imperial Air Force General Staff and a faithful follower of the Fuhrer. At 41, he was the youngest lieutenant general in the Empire, but due to Logan's "meteoric rise," many believed it was only a matter of time before this record was broken.

Despite the potential challenge from younger officers, Jürgennek appeared quite magnanimous. On several occasions, he had given high praise to his subordinates.

"I wouldn't mind holidaying in Sicily once the war is over, but during wartime, the efficiency of the Italians is simply a nightmare!" Logan didn't conceal his disdain for his allies.

Jürgennek chuckled, "They are naturally romantic, not our type at all! Hey, we've been discussing lately, if it weren't for your trip to Sicily, the Italians wouldn't have taken Malta!"

Logan waved his hand dismissively. "I can't take credit for that. The Italian paratroopers did well, and there are things we can learn from them. But I heard the Italians haven't been faring too well in Greece these days..."

"Yes, they've shifted to a comprehensive strategic defense. Looks like being kicked out of Greece is only a matter of time! High Command has decided to intervene!" Jürgennek whispered.

Based on his historical knowledge and personal experience with the Italian army, Logan knew German intervention was inevitable. However, although the Southern European campaign ended in a decisive German victory, Germany missed the opportunity to attack the Soviet Union. Logan had been pondering over this issue a lot lately in Sicily, where he felt bored and frustrated.

"We send troops to Romania, Italians go to Greece. Any recent moves from the Russians?" he inquired.

"The Russians? They seem quite ambitious this time. Intelligence suggests they've reached some sort of agreement with the British. The Middle East might fall into Soviet influence!" Jürgennek said cautiously.

Logan had heard similar rumors even in Italy. Iran, under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty, though not formally aligned with any side in the war, had close ties with Germany. The German government had invested heavily in both Iran and Iraq, hoping to secure valuable oil resources. However, the distance from Germany-controlled areas to both pro-German Iran and anti-British Iraq, even with Axis control of the Mediterranean, was still hindered by a reluctant Turkey.

"Are you suggesting the Soviets might expand their influence in the Middle East, like invading Iran?"

"Well, though we don't have precise information yet, our Iranian friends have been feeling pressure from the north!" (Soviet Azerbaijan bordered Iran to the north, and during World War II, Soviet and Anglo-American forces jointly invaded Iran, expelling all German diplomats and nationals.)

"What's our plan for that?" Logan inquired further.

"That's been the focus of High Command's recent discussions! Those damn Italians, they always think the Mediterranean is their backyard!" Jürgennek grumbled.

"As long as the British move their Gibraltar fleet and aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean, their 'backyard' will become a battlefield!" Logan sarcastically mocked the Italians.

"Speaking of the British, we'd better end the war with them this winter. Otherwise, our navy, air force, and elite army units will be bogged down in Britain, which is quite disadvantageous for the overall strategic situation! By the way, the Air Force Commander-in-Chief is planning to inspect combat readiness in Britain soon. Once the weather clears, we'll launch our final assault on the British!"

"Oh? Field Marshal Kesselring is going to Britain? Ah, he'll become the first German Field Marshal to set foot on British soil during wartime!" Logan remarked casually.

"It's not Field Marshal Kesselring, it's our Reich Marshal!" Jürgennek said, lowering his head slightly, inadvertently hiding his gaze under his cap.

"Ah?" Logan was surprised, but immediately concealed his expression.

"The Reich Marshal has resumed his position as Chief of the Air Force General Staff. The decision was made by High Command yesterday. You probably haven't been informed yet!" Jürgennek said calmly.

"What about Field Marshal Kesselring?"

"He's the Commander of the Western Front Air Force!" Jürgennek quickly stated the new position.

"I see." Only half a month away from Germany, and there were already so many changes. Thinking about this, Logan couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental: he was still hovering on the edge of the decision-making circle of the German Air Force!

The car finally stopped in front of the Imperial Chancellor's Office. Before getting out, Jürgennek said in a strange tone, "The Fuhrer will convene the Supreme High Command meeting tomorrow, which will be crucial for deciding the final battle with Britain! Today, you may still change his deployment!"

"Oh? Change what?" Logan pretended not to know.

Jürgennek stared at him for two seconds. "Change what you think needs to be changed!"

In the war command room of the little mustachioed Fuhrer, Logan saw the familiar British theater map. "Fortress" and "Wrath of Poseidon" were just two stages of the grand Operation Sea Lion, and their successful implementation had brought the final stage of "Sea Lion" to the agenda—the final battle plan still had two directional choices: to minimize casualties for ultimate victory or to maximize gains at the cost of casualties.

As a thorough adventurer, Adolf Hitler had wavered between the two choices several times. Considering that the German army had transported its most elite five armored divisions and sixteen infantry divisions to Britain, these battle-tested soldiers were invaluable assets for the next step of the operation. However, the warships on the slips of British shipyards and the weapon production lines in their armaments factories were highly coveted by German naval and air force commanders. In fact, the naval headquarters under Raeder had already drawn up a list: with full effort, there was a complete chance to seize 2-4 large warships under construction, around 20 partially completed cruisers and destroyers, as well as docks and full sets of equipment capable of producing 200,000 tons of ships annually. Of course, the biggest obstacle to preventing the German army from acquiring these vessels and equipment would be the British military and their explosives!

"Hans, do you remember the surprise I mentioned?" The little mustached man rubbed his hands together, speaking in a tone reminiscent of Santa Claus, as if he had no idea that his genius officer had spent almost too much time in Sicily.

"Yes, my Fuhrer!" Of course, Logan remembered, but after this trip to Italy, he dared not hope too much.

Hitler chuckled awkwardly. "I discussed it with Hermann, and you can choose one of the three positions: Chief of Operations of the Air Force, Deputy Commander of the 11th Airborne Corps, or Commander of the 1st Airborne Division."

If it had been before his trip to Italy, Logan would have hesitated between the last two options, as he felt more suited to being with the troops on the front lines rather than signing papers all day in the rear and dealing with interpersonal relations and complex logistical matters. However, after the Battle of Malta, he saw officers like Tony, under the incompetent command of Italian generals, forced to use paratroopers as assault troops.

"Chief of Operations!" Logan said confidently, the position that was originally held by 42-year-old General Hofmann von Waldau. Like many air force officers, he had long applied to command an aviation squadron at the front lines, and with the launch of the Southern European campaign, this young general finally obtained the position he had long awaited.

"Oh?" The little mustached man looked at Logan and said, "So, in the end, I won the bet with the Air Marshal?"

"Huh?" Logan said in surprise, "The Fuhrer thought from the beginning that I would choose Chief of Operations?"

"Hehe! Who would refuse a position where they can fully utilize their talents?" The little mustached man continued to rub his hands together. "On the surface, Hans, you are a very brave frontline commander with outstanding battlefield adaptability, but what is truly ingenious is the battle plans you arrange!"

Logan fell silent. While staff officers seemed to be able to dictate the course of events, the process of planning strategies was too arduous, not as enjoyable as leading a group of tough soldiers charging through the battlefield. However, his biggest concern now was that Germany was facing new strategic choices. If he couldn't change some things with the perspective of a pathfinder, then the German army would still suffer in the vast and cold expanse of Russia!

"The battle in Britain is already a foregone conclusion. Come, Hans, let's look further ahead! Bulgaria and Yugoslavia are about to surrender, I plan to attack Greece in January, coupled with the efforts of our Italian allies in Africa, the British will be completely driven out of the Mediterranean; in May, we will launch a comprehensive attack against the Russians, with support from our Finnish allies from the north, the Japanese will attack from the Far East, our first goal is to annihilate the main forces of the Russians on the Baltic coast and Ukraine, then seize their largest oil field, Baku. Before autumn, the Russians will bow to us! In this way, we will gain vast territory stretching from Norway in the north to Greece in the south, from Ukraine in the east to the French coast in the west, the living space that the Germanic people have long dreamed of!"

For Logan, this grand blueprint was not at all surprising. The leaders and staff officers of the Imperial High Command had spent countless days and nights perfecting this vast operational plan, but from a historical perspective, there were still many flaws. Fortunately, Logan still had ample time to rectify them!