Chapter 58: The Paper Shark Hunt

Church, red carpet, rose petals scattered on the floor, smiling guests, and a gray-haired priest, scenes that used to only appear in movies, now vividly presented themselves before Zhang Hainuo's eyes.

"I do!"

Perhaps the most cliché phrase, but in the eyes of every couple, it symbolizes a promise of love, enduring through this lifetime!

After exchanging rings, Hainuo von Finkenstein and Anna Tiefert, the lovers who met amidst the flames of war, finally became husband and wife on the 1050th day after the end of the war. Love under the flames of war bloomed into the most beautiful flower after enduring hardships.

In Zhang Hainuo's imagination, his wedding should have taken place in Germany's largest cathedral, attended by his navy comrades and their partners, with a group of handsome guards holding swords forming the honor guard. However, today, there was only Edwin present, no honor guard, and fewer than 30 guests, mostly Anna's friends from Denmark. As for the church, although it was somewhat famous in Aalborg, it couldn't compare to those magnificent cathedrals. Even Zhang Hainuo himself wasn't wearing the familiar navy uniform; instead, he wore flowers on his chest rather than medals.

However, at this moment, none of this mattered to Zhang Hainuo anymore. He held his beautiful, healthy, and perfect bride, and in his heart, nothing was more precious than this!

After the wedding, the newlyweds returned to their castle... uh, no, to a small house with a garden on the outskirts of Aalborg. After careful decoration, it had become their cozy love nest.

Originally, the wedding was planned to take place in Brazil, but the scene at the Aalborg pier caused a significant change in their plans...

"Mom! Mom! What's wrong?"

Amid Anna's anxious cries, Jolans Tiefert, who had just turned fifty, was pale, with clenched teeth, showing no response to anything around her.

This was Aalborg's pier, with the British cruise ship "Amoroso" about to set sail not far ahead, and Zhang Hainuo still holding five tickets from Aalborg to London...

During his school days, Zhang Hainuo had learned some basic first aid knowledge. He quickly checked that the frail woman still had a pulse and breath, then hailed a carriage and sent her directly to the nearest hospital.

After more than two hours of emergency treatment by the doctor, Anna's mother finally woke up from her sudden coma. By this time, kind-hearted Anna had almost cried herself into a puddle. Though she was awake, the doctor's subsequent conclusion left everyone speechless—Anna's mother's body was too weak, years of illness had rendered her unable to endure any more hardships, let alone a day-long voyage on a ship!

After stabilizing Anna's mother's condition, Zhang Hainuo transferred her to the best hospital in Aalborg. However, after an examination, the doctors there came to almost the same conclusion—she had no serious illness, but she couldn't withstand long-distance travel until she recovered.

Constantly comforting Anna, who was tearful, was the only consolation for Zhang Hainuo. With him by her side, she at least didn't feel completely helpless, but losing her brother, father, and almost losing herself had made her particularly sensitive and fragile in terms of family.

Anna clung tightly to his side, unwilling to leave him for a moment.

In this situation, Zhang Hainuo had no choice but to ask Edwin to rent a suite in a hotel just one block away from the hospital. After Anna's mother's condition stabilized, he left Anna's brother and Edwin to take care of her in the hospital while he took Anna to the hotel to rest.

Three days and two nights had passed since Anna's mother collapsed on the pier. Poor Anna had hardly closed her eyes. Sometimes she would doze off in Zhang Hainuo's arms, only to be awakened by her own nightmares. When she made sure her mother was still well, she would be in tears again.

The autumn sun was warm, and Zhang Hainuo gently drew the curtains in the room, allowing the tired Anna to sleep more peacefully. After brewing a cup of coffee, he began to plan for the future.

Given the current situation, Zhang Hainuo knew that Anna wouldn't leave her mother and him to go to Brazil. He couldn't bear to let Anna live with regrets. But as the commander of U-148 and the behind-the-scenes director of the Schneider Shipyard, he was responsible for the livelihoods of hundreds of people. Crew members, experts, technicians, workers, as well as the relationships with the Salvadoran government, Royal Ironworks, Weisell, and Croll, everything revolved around him as the leader and spiritual core. Hess and the others played equally important roles, but Zhang Hainuo's foresight determined the future of this team, and that was irreplaceable!

After much thought, Zhang Hainuo decided to propose to Anna, then have their wedding in Denmark, and finally buy an apartment in Aalborg for her and her brother to temporarily stay and take care of their mother.

A few days later, Anna's mother's condition gradually improved. Not only could she go out in a wheelchair to bask in the sun, but she could also occasionally stand up and take a few steps. At Zhang Hainuo's request, the attending physician conducted another comprehensive examination of her. The examination report showed that this woman in her fifties was extremely weak both physically and mentally due to long-term malnutrition and excessive worry and sadness. She needed a long period of rest and recuperation to recover—but with proper care, she could eventually return to a relatively normal state.

Zhang Hainuo quickly sent a telegram to Hess, informing him that he would be delayed in Denmark. Without Anna's knowledge, he and Edwin quietly prepared roses and a diamond ring for the proposal. On a clear autumn morning, in front of Anna's mother and brother, Zhang Hainuo knelt down, holding ninety-nine bright roses, and spoke words of love to Anna.

In this white room, under the blessings of her mother and brother, Anna tearfully accepted this delayed proposal. This pair of lovers who had endured the test of war and separation finally came together.

A week later, Anna officially became Mrs. von Finkenstein.

Though a moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold, being torn between a sick bed and subordinates who needed him, this newlywed couple couldn't enjoy a fulfilling honeymoon. They barely had a few days together after getting married. On the last day of September, Zhang Hainuo and Edwin boarded the cruise ship bound for England. He left a sum of money sufficient for them to live on for a long time for his newlywed wife and detailed instructions on his whereabouts in Brazil, promising to return as soon as he arranged things there.

Although Anna seemed unusually strong when they returned to Salvador, she didn't shed a single tear before the cruise ship carrying Zhang Hainuo set sail. But Zhang Hainuo could fully understand her sincere concern.

In London, Zhang Hainuo inquired and found out that although there had been transoceanic flights using Curtis Company's seaplanes as early as the summer of 1919, long-distance flights had not yet officially begun carrying passengers. Currently, the only air route from London to New York was operated using giant airships filled with hydrogen.

So, Zhang Hainuo and Edwin had no choice but to obediently board the cruise ship bound for Rio de Janeiro from London. Despite the absence of the threat of German submarines, it still took nearly three weeks for such a luxurious liner to arrive in Brazil.

With a heavy heart, when they returned to Salvador, a series of good news significantly lifted Zhang Hainuo's mood: all the airplanes purchased from Curtis had arrived, and their application to establish an airline had been approved by the Salvadoran municipal government. Twenty-two crew members had signed up to learn to fly, and Fred was tirelessly training them. The first batch of equipment from Krupp had arrived at the Royal Ironworks, and experts were guiding them in installing the equipment. It was estimated that they would be able to start trial production in three to four months, and if all went well, the first batch of high-quality steel would be produced in six months. Two 2,000-ton dry docks at the Schneider Shipyard had been completed, and construction of the first 1,500-ton short-haul freighter would commence this month.

At the same time, several submarine experts, including Klayster, brought good news—they had successfully replicated the design drawings of the U-139 submarine after detailed research and partial dismantling of U-148. Based on the experiences of Hess and the crew with the submarines they had used in combat, as well as the technical drawings brought from Germany by several submarine experts, they jointly redesigned medium-range attack submarines, ordinary U-type submarines, and long-range submarines. Finally, they designed three brand-new submarines named U-901, U-902, and U-903.

Although Zhang Hainuo was not a submarine designer, his extensive experience in commanding submarines enabled him to fully understand these drawings filled with lines and various numerical symbols. Coupled with his excellent spatial imagination, he had already envisioned the approximate appearance and attack effectiveness of these three submarines—although their designs were not revolutionary, the improvements based on combat experience made him, a distinguished submarine commander, feel like a strong general encountering good horses. If it weren't for the current lack of submarine construction equipment and skilled technicians and workers, he would have been eager to start building these submarines immediately.

"U901, mainly used for operations near the British Isles. Designed with a submerged displacement of 1200 tons, a range of 7500 nautical miles, a maximum surface speed of 18 knots, and a submerged speed of 9 knots. Equipped with 6 500mm torpedo tubes, carrying 16 spare torpedoes, surface armament consists of 2 88mm deck guns and 2 8mm machine guns, with a crew complement of 40!"

The design lead for this submarine, Dr. Kleist, personally explained that it could be considered an enhanced version of the UB series of medium-range submarines from World War I, with reinforced volume, firepower, and range. From the drawings, its seaworthiness should be one level higher than the previous UB-III type. At the same time, Kleist also reminded Zhang Hainuo that their submarine research team was currently lacking torpedo and optical equipment experts. While he and Hank Streitzman had some research in these areas, submarine design required precision, and the addition of professional personnel would greatly reduce the likelihood of errors.

Zhang Hainuo silently noted this in his heart. Although the actual construction of submarines had not yet been put on the agenda, it was necessary to be prepared.

"U902, primarily used for intercepting British merchant convoys in the North Atlantic!" Young William Foster wasted no time in directing his criticism towards the British. After spending some time together, Drs. Kleist and Martin had given him high praise, calling him a "talented submarine designer," and suggesting that with more experience, his future achievements would be considerable.

Whether to become a master of the generation or leave behind a regret, Zhang Hainuo believed the key lay in the environment and opportunities. In a department filled with talented individuals, young people like him might not get the chance to showcase their talents solely based on their seniority. Although here he could avoid such constraints, he still needed to ensure that theoretical discussions did not stray too far from reality, especially given the current inability to translate designs into production.

"Since it's oceanic navigation, I think endurance and sustained combat capability should take precedence. Therefore, despite having a submerged displacement of 1600 tons, U902 still only carries 6 500mm torpedo tubes, allowing for an increase in spare torpedoes to 20, with a crew complement of 46. The range is 9000 to 10000 nautical miles, with a maximum surface speed of 16 knots and submerged speed of 8 knots. Surface armament includes 1 150mm deck gun, 1 88mm gun, and 2 8mm machine guns. Additionally, I hope this submarine can operate at high speeds underwater for two to three hours, so I've added an extra battery compartment!"

After William Foster proudly introduced his design, Zhang Hainuo's expression remained serious. To prevent this self-proclaimed "genius" submarine designer from becoming complacent, he offered a rather stern evaluation from the perspective of someone from the future:

"Mr. Foster's design is excellent. As a submarine commander, I would like to raise a few points. Firstly, while increasing endurance, torpedo quantity is just one factor to consider. Imagine if the crew is exhausted from prolonged sea voyages, how can they maintain combat readiness? Secondly, the addition of the battery compartment will inevitably reduce crew activity space and storage capacity for fresh water and supplies. I believe that in the next decade, advancements in battery technology will increase energy storage per unit weight, but human needs for food, fresh water, and space will not decrease!"

"Thirdly, through the previous war, we seem to have seen the perfect combination of submarines and artillery. Captains love surfacing submarines to use deck guns against helpless merchant ships. However, let's not forget that in the last 16 months of the war, we were almost powerless against the convoy escorts of the Allies. Our submarine guns were useless against enemy cruisers, destroyers, and gunboats!"

On the design drawings of the U-903, a long-range submarine with a displacement of 2100 tons, Zhang Hainuo saw even more powerful surface firepower—two 150mm guns plus one 37mm gun, with an astonishing ammunition capacity of 200+150 rounds. Apart from diving and torpedo attacks, this was essentially a large gunboat with firepower comparable to a destroyer!

"Lastly, I wonder if you have noticed that in the last year or two of the war, aircraft emerged as a potent weapon in anti-submarine warfare. In future conflicts, they will continue to play this role, and their anti-submarine capabilities will be even stronger! Therefore, our submarines equipped with only 2 8mm machine guns are insufficient. By the time we draw conclusions from actual combat, many excellent crew members and their submarines may have been lost to enemy aircraft!"

Originally, Zhang Hainuo intended to mention some issues with submarine ventilation pipes, but seeing that these experts were already exhausted from pondering over his previous questions, he decided to leave it for later.

"Of course, these are just some thoughts from me as a submarine commander, provided for your reference. There's no need to immediately make design improvements! As I've said before, we'll figure out the materials and personnel equipment, while you're fully responsible for submarine design!"

The morning after this conversation ended, Zhang Hainuo ran into William Foster at the door. The young designer told him that yesterday's conversation had given him a lot to think about, so he had stayed up all night to put his ideas on paper. This time, his new design retained the 150mm gun on the foredeck, with double-mounted 8mm machine guns fore and aft of the conning tower, and two 37mm anti-aircraft guns on the aft deck, commonly used by the army during World War I.

While Zhang Hainuo found this design to still be somewhat incongruous, he didn't blame them. Instead, he engaged them in detailed discussions on various aspects and even shared some thoughts on submarine ventilation pipe design in a "sudden inspiration."

After this exchange and research, Zhang Hainuo keenly felt the importance and necessity of building submarines as soon as possible. If these designers' designs remained on paper, it would be difficult to create a truly excellent submarine. What appeared reasonable on paper might be a fatal flaw in actual use. Only when submarines were actually built could people discover and make improvements.

At this time, the groundwork Zhang Hainuo had previously laid began to show results—Kleist told him that venerable shipyards like Bremen's Weisell, which had built dozens of submarines during the war, although stripped of equipment by the Allies, had not lost their accumulated technical expertise and talent pool. Simply repurchasing equipment would make it effortless to manufacture submarine components, let alone complete submarines.

Zhang Hainuo agreed with this assessment. However, he had another plan in mind—Sekenndorf was overly cautious and might not agree to sell submarine components to him. Currently, Germany was experiencing severe economic recession, and people were struggling to make ends meet. At such times, a timely offer of competitive salaries would surely attract these technical personnel. As for technical secrets, he believed that in the face of financial incentives, few would remain indifferent.

While planning to continue poaching talent from Weisell and other German shipyards, Zhang Hainuo also considered the possibility of cooperation with American shipyards. Although he had never had much fondness for Americans, he had to admit that the scale and quality of the American shipbuilding industry had surpassed that of European countries. If he could import standardized manufacturing technology from Americans, it would greatly enhance shipyard efficiency and even improve Germany's industrial manufacturing speed in the future.