chapter 37 Another cabinet meeting part 2

Berlin, December 8, 1936

AH: ...Alright, Albert, you're next on the agenda.

Albert Speer (AS): My main point will be the integration of the Ostmarks war industry into the Greater Reich. For the most part, we have focused on spare parts production, rather than full assembly. With the notable exception of the Schutzenpanzer assembly plant outside Vienna.

This has allowed us to continue supplying the Wehrmacht with both new equipment produced in our pre-existing factories and the spare parts necessary to maintain the current training pace. Not to detract from the need for training and exercises, but it has become clear that for every plane or panzer we build, we need a second in spare parts. This has also led us to increase the minimum ready stockpile of wartime spare parts by almost 250%.

The new Arctic field kit and uniform is being field tested at regimental level during current exercises in Finland. We have been designing it in collaboration with the Finnish forces, and testing of the prototype has received excellent reviews. After last year's freeze debacle, chemical engineers (1) have gifted us with some new materials and we have used them for all kinds of arctic equipment, which will now face the ultimate test before going into production, i.e. soldiers .

The final item on my agenda is the Kriegsmarine and the ship returning from Spain. Now, the damage at Leipzig was mostly superficial. We will be back in service in mid-February, we will have to replace an anti-aircraft station and redo the paint job.

The same cannot be said for the Nürnberg, it has become clear that the rear half of the cruiser is a total loss. Apparently, her B turret has been deformed due to the explosion right behind her, as have most of the bulkheads and structural supports. This has raised the price of repairs to such a level that it will be cheaper to build a new M-class cruiser. It is my office's recommendation that we convert the Nürnberg into a dedicated minelayer and training ship.

We can do this by installing four of the new MAN diesels, giving it a maximum cruising speed of 25 knots. Then by removing the B and C turrets and replacing them with a pair of twin 12.7cm SK C/34s, this will reduce the crew requirement and create additional space for cadets. And during war we can convert extra bunk space into mine storage.

That leaves us with the two recently acquired Spanish cruise ships. The Prince Alfonso passed without a scratch and while the Miguel de Cervantes received several hits, her armor held up, except for the blow to the rudder that hindered her propulsion, damage that can be repaired with relative ease. Now we would like to upgrade her optics, electronics and anti-aircraft firepower to our standards. But other than that, there is no reason not to commission these ships into the Kriegsmarine.

AH: Raeder?

Erich Raeder(ER): They are very fast boats, although the design is a bit strange, we will definitely find a use for these boats. It's a shame about Nuremberg, but we definitely need the training facilities and a minelayer cruiser will be very useful.

AH: Okay, Albert, please put together a formal budget proposal and production needs, say by the end of next month. Joseph, you requested the next agenda item.

Joseph Goebbels (JH): Just to brag a little. Our new films are having box office successes, the first of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is hitting theaters around the world like a tsunami. Combine that with new merchandise, novels and comic book spin-offs, and we really get our underlying message across. All while collecting winnings and prizes....

...AH: Werner, as always, you and your men have the last word.

Werner von Blomberg (WB): Thank you, we will try to do it quickly. First, a brief confirmation that officer training programs are finally at full capacity; By the beginning of the next decade, we will have approximately a quarter of a million officers under the colors. There is also a massive continuing training program for all officers, as we will need no less than a tenth of them to achieve field grade and around six thousand to maintain flag rank.

Now, flag and field officers will mostly come from the original group of Reichswehr officers. Reinforced with veterans of the Great War who rose to company or battalion command and are still fit and young enough for field rank in 1940. Leaving the junior ranks to be filled by officers who were commissioned since the expansion of 1932.

This will mean that many of those in battalion and regimental command will be Majors with perhaps only seven years' experience and Obersts who have been civilians for the past fifteen years. Therefore, the enormous amount of training and exercises that the Wehrmacht is currently undergoing is needed.

The upcoming recruitment for the Landwehr's initial classes of men over thirty is incredibly popular. Especially during recent high unemployment, the idea of a stable part-time job has really taken off. This has allowed us to recover the classes lost from 1901-1909 and finally bring them into uniform. Required to undergo the same basic training as the rest of the forces and then two weeks a year plus twenty weekends, these troops will be excellent garrison and supply forces.

For the ladies we have also been quite successful in recruiting, their strength is now just over a hundred thousand. However, we are having a bit of a problem with turnover, as we are losing them to marriage almost as fast as we can train them. This has forced us to apply a commitment period of at least six months to recover our training expenses.

Finally, we have now started all experimental laboratory groups, concentrating the intellectual power of the German Reich. With research centers in electronics, engines, small arms, artillery and aeronautics, among others. We expect them to provide the Wehr with some of the best equipment and weaponry humanity has ever seen.

ER: For the navy there is not much news, we are still in the middle of the start-up crisis. Although that will be alleviated somewhat with the return of the crew of the Graf Spee and the survivors of the Nürnberg. With the two latest additions to the navy of the eighth and ninth destroyers this weekend and two light cruisers next month, the Kriegsmarine continues to grow at an astonishing rate.

Erhard Milch (EM): A similar story for the Luftwaffe, regarding growth and expansion. With only a small side story, the new page system is really paying off. Having each plane on the ground guided by a female attendant on a moppet with a small flag and a radio has already decreased the number of accidents on the ground by around 90%. Especially for the Bf-109, which was famous for its poor visibility and the need to zigzag to see where they were going, this is a blessing.

Werner von Fritsch WF(WF): The OKH has just finished its preliminary statistical analysis of the battle of Torrejón and Jarama, I will spare you the entire 800 page report and just mention a few highlights. Namely, that bulletproof vests are true lifesavers. Combine this with the rapid response of the new battlefield hospital and company medics and you increase the number of casualties saved by over 40%.

On the negative side, it has become clear that the Panzer II can only be used as a scout tank in future engagements. The Panzer II-based Flamingos, which were so successful during the attack, were only able to get close thanks to the fact that the Reds had almost no anti-tank weapons to speak of. If only a couple of T-26s had survived the initial assault, we would have been massacred.

No, the low number of casualties is due entirely to the fact that the scout company came in hard and fast, supported by the Stugs. If they had waited for reinforcements, the situation would have become extremely serious. Both the Artillery Inspectorate and the General Staff as a whole are now almost unanimous in their determination to have a battalion of these beasts attached to each field division.

Finally, the use of half-tracks with machine guns and troops armed with the new Steyr Maschinenpistole, in urban assaults, must now be considered part of the new Heer doctrine. Even so, doctrine will now consider urban assault as an action that should only be taken as a last resort. Surrounding the area and forcing the enemy city to surrender costs infinitely fewer casualties and supplies.

AH: Alright, that was this month's agenda, just in time to meet the ladies for dinner.