Chapter 30

Lütjens, the most outstanding surface ship commander of the German Navy in World War II.

In the original timeline, on May 24, 1941, under the command of Lütjens, the symbolic British Navy battlecruiser Hood was sunk, greatly impacting the British Navy. The British fleet launched a full-scale attack on the Bismarck from all directions.

The final result is well known: the Bismarck sank under the full-scale attack of the British Navy. In the last battle, Lütjens left people with the final memory, "I can no longer control the ship. We will fight until the last shell..." It was May 27, 1941, and he was 52 years old...

Such an excellent military officer as Lütjens naturally deserves to be reassigned. An aide was sent to the Navy Department to find Lütjens, who is currently the captain of a small escort ship.

Lütjens hadn't been at sea these days, so when he heard that the Crown Prince was summoning him, he didn't dare to delay and immediately went to the palace. "Greetings to you, esteemed Crown Prince."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wilhelm talked about the matter at hand. "Lieutenant Commander Lütjens, I have a new task for you to execute."

Although the imperial power was severely weakened after the defeat in the last war and was checked and balanced by the parliament, how could William II be willing to give up those rights? After ten years with the support of those royalists, he gradually regained a lot of power, and now the parliament has been gradually suppressed by the imperial power, especially in the military.

"Please give your orders, Your Highness," Lütjens said respectfully.

After thinking for a moment, Wilhelm asked, "Let me ask you a question, Lieutenant Commander Lütjens. How do you think we can defeat the British Empire's fleet?"

Lütjens pondered for a while before responding, "Your Highness, forgive my dullness, but I can't think of a good solution. Putting aside the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles that prevent us from building warships, even without those restrictions, His Majesty the Emperor tried it ten years ago. So, compared to surface warships, I am more optimistic about submarines. If we can make submarines faster and capable of diving deeper, and improve torpedoes, perhaps we will have a chance in battle."

Upon hearing this, Wilhelm was taken aback. Isn't this something Dönitz should be saying? You, as a surface ship commander, are more optimistic about submarines? Should I switch you and Dönitz, let him command the aircraft carriers and you command the wolf packs? However, he quickly dismissed that thought to avoid any further complications. Speaking of Dönitz, what is he doing now? If I remember correctly, he should be serving as a torpedo boat captain, right?

Once Wilhelm regained his composure, he saw Lütjens looking at him with a puzzled expression. He smiled apologetically and continued, "That's right, it is difficult for traditional naval guns to gain an advantage against British naval guns. To be precise, we have almost no chance of defeating the British Empire's fleet. The submarines you mentioned are one option, but I have greater faith in aircraft."

"Aircraft?" Wilhelm's immediate reaction was that it would be impossible to use land-based aircraft to attack naval vessels. But then he realized, "Are you referring to aircraft carriers?"

Wilhelm nodded. "Yes."

Lütjens contemplated for a while, then shook his head. "Forgive me for speaking frankly, even if aircraft carriers can bring planes within striking distance of enemy ships, the losses would be considerable. If we want to sink a battleship, even without the interception of destroyers and escort ships, the battleship's own anti-aircraft defenses would inflict heavy losses on the planes. It seems like the risks outweigh the benefits."

Currently, most fighters are biplane or triplane models, and it's difficult for them to exceed a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour. It would be a significant loss to attack warships with these slow aircraft. "With the current aircraft, the losses would certainly be substantial. However, I have consulted with the research department. Based on the current technological development trends, within ten years, advanced engines could enable single-engine bombers to fly at speeds over 400 kilometers per hour while carrying 500 kilograms of bombs, and fighters could exceed 600 kilometers per hour."

Lütjens looked at Wilhelm with wide eyes, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Really?" After all, the maximum speed of the British "Sopwith Camel" fighter was 250 kilometers per hour. If the speed of bombers exceeded 400 kilometers per hour, even fighters would struggle to catch up. Moreover, the significantly increased speed would pose a serious challenge to the anti-aircraft gunners on warships.

Seeing Lütjens's astonished expression, Wilhelm couldn't help but find it amusing. He wanted to tell him that just thirty years later, the first supersonic fighter would be developed, and fifty years later, the Soviets would equip themselves with the renowned MiG-25, capable of speeds up to Mach 3 and altitudes of 30,000 meters. If you live long enough, you might even witness the first stealth fighter.

"Of course, as technology advances, the performance of aircraft will become more remarkable. By then, which country would still build battleships that are essentially floating targets?"

After World War II, battleships were mostly replaced by aircraft carriers. After all, battleships and aircraft carriers were similar in size, requiring more air defense and escort vessels. They were not cheaper to operate compared to aircraft carriers, but their combat capabilities were far inferior.

The rapid development of missile weapons dealt a fatal blow to battleships. Just imagine, a battleship worth billions and its thousands of highly trained crew members could be sent to the bottom of the sea by several missiles worth only a few million each. It was a tragic situation.

"We have ordered a considerable amount of supplies from the China, which will be continuously transported over the next few years. I have already asked the China to build small aircraft carriers to escort each convoy. We have also agreed that our personnel will operate the escort carriers. Over these years, you need to familiarize yourself with the operations of aircraft carriers and train a group of carrier-based pilots." Regular pilots only needed to take off from land, but carrier-based pilots had to perform normal takeoffs and landings in complex ocean environments. It required higher skills, and without extensive training, they would not be competent.

"As I mentioned earlier, I don't have much faith in battleships. Even if the Treaty of Versailles loosens its restrictions in the future, I don't plan to build many battleships. If we do construct some, they will either serve as escorts for the aircraft carriers or be used for ground attacks. The Empire's future naval strength will rely on aircraft carrier groups. Whether the Empire can defeat the British fleet and dominate the vast ocean will depend on you."

Upon hearing Wilhelm's words, Lütjens suddenly felt the weight on his shoulders increase. He couldn't help but straighten his posture and solemnly say, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will fulfill the mission."

Wilhelm nodded and handed several transfer orders to Lütjens. "I don't need those old stubborn advocates of battleships. Here are several transfer orders signed by His Majesty the Emperor. Gather a few like-minded individuals and go together to be responsible for the training of each batch of aircraft carriers. I will send a group of pilots to accompany you. Until the completion of the China's small aircraft carriers, you will practice carrier takeoffs and landings on land." Despite the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany managed to include some of its World War I aviators in the army, so he could still gather a group of pilots.

"Yes!" Lütjens was about to leave when Wilhelm added another instruction. "And remember, don't mention what I just told you to anyone else."

"Understood, Your Highness!"

Then Wilhelm found Dönitz, similarly deceived him, and sent him to the Netherlands to negotiate cooperation in submarine construction matters.