Chapter 5: Speaking Frankly with the Sunroof Open

In the spacious arched workshop, which was larger and taller than a typical hangar, Logan saw the "Warsaw South" in the assembly stage—the German Air Force gave this large glider an unrelated code name, "Warsaw," for Kocks Company, and "Warsaw South" for Messerschmitt Company.

"The current completion progress is seventy-one percent. According to the scheduled plan, the first prototype should be completed by the 28th of this month, and the first test flight will be conducted on the 30th!" Dr. Friedrich introduced professionally.

"That leaves... one week!" Logan said involuntarily, his gaze sweeping from the nose to the tail of the first prototype. Compared to the prototype he saw yesterday at the Kocks factory, Messerschmitt Company was indeed lagging behind in progress. The noses and fuselages of these three giant gliders were not completely covered with skin, and the tails were still just frameworks. Nonetheless, the workers toiling away in front of them looked like ants next to watermelons.

The bidding notice from the German Air Force stated the requirement to carry a fully armed IIC tank or an 88mm gun and trailer. Kocks Company cautiously chose a value close to the lower limit: 11 tons. Messerschmitt's plan seemed ambitious: 20 tons. Therefore, it was easy to see which prototype was larger. Taking the size difference into account, Logan noticed that the tail wing structure of the gliders in front of him was significantly larger than that of Kocks Company's prototype. He had heard concerns about the small size of the tail wing during his conversation with Kocks Company's designers yesterday. Out of professional integrity, he shouldn't have mentioned this to Dr. Friedrich, but for Logan, following the rules wasn't in his vocabulary.

"The tail wing, being somewhat larger, should be beneficial!" Logan whispered to Dr. Friedrich when no one else was paying attention.

The doctor didn't find it surprising at all and continued earnestly, "Yes, Major, we have given special consideration to this aspect! The biggest problem now lies with the towing aircraft. Even with our most powerful Kocks 90 engine at full throttle, it won't be able to lift off when the glider is fully loaded!"

"Is that so?" Logan said nonchalantly. Before he crossed over, he had only heard of the Ju-87 and Ju-88. So, yesterday at the Kocks factory, there was a small joke: an Air Force Major didn't even know what a Ju-90 was! It turned out that the Ju-90 was currently the only four-engine aircraft in Germany. It was put into production in 1937. Due to its unsuitable performance as a bomber, it was mainly used for aerial transport. However, its production volume was low, far less famous than its two "brothers," the Ju-88 and Ju-87!

Dr. Friedrich didn't notice Logan's expression and continued, "If we produce a towing aircraft with enough power specifically, it will definitely take too much time to meet the Air Force's requirements. So, we are considering other options, such as using multiple towing aircraft together or installing rocket boosters on our gliders..."

"Um, Doctor, sorry to interrupt, but you just mentioned... rocket boosters?" At this moment, Logan wondered if he had misheard, because the use of rocket engines in primitive jet aircraft was typically seen towards the end of World War II, and yet it was only 1940!

"Yeah, rocket boosters. They're liquid-fuel rockets produced by the Walter factory. Each one can provide 1000 pounds of thrust and multiple can be used together!" Dr. Friedrich seemed oblivious to Logan's astonishment.

The concept of rocket boosters immediately conjured up images of missiles, rockets, and jet fighters in Logan's mind, leaving him feeling like he had stumbled into a time warp. In reality, even among World War II enthusiasts, a comprehensive understanding of rocket technology was rare. Setting aside the dreams of ancient civilizations to conquer the skies, modern rocket theory could be traced back to the late 19th century with the works of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and his Rocket Equation, and further developments were made in Germany with the Spaceflight Society in the early 20th century. Figures like Hermann Oberth and his experiments with liquid-fueled rocket engines laid the groundwork, while innovators like Helmut Walter and Wernher von Braun emerged in the 1930s, with the former developing practical rocket propulsion systems and the latter successfully launching liquid-fueled rockets to altitudes of 2.2 and 3.5 kilometers in 1934.

Given this context, when Logan eagerly mentioned rockets, jet aircraft, and missiles to Dr. Friedrich, the doctor appeared bewildered.

During lunch, after Dr. Friedrich's explanation, Logan finally realized his "misconception" about history, but he quickly thought of something else: since current rocket technology couldn't be applied to large equipment, why not develop anti-tank rocket launchers?

Facing an advanced expert whose thought process differed significantly from the norm (no offense intended), Logan didn't see the need to beat around the bush. He directly shared his idea about rocket launchers with Dr. Friedrich. Although the doctor's own research didn't involve this area, he enthusiastically recommended another person to Logan: his friend, Dr. Langweiler.

If Logan knew that this weapons engineer for Krupp was the inventor of the historically renowned Panzerfaust, he would have been excited enough to hug Dr. Friedrich and spin him around three times. After all, the Panzerfaust 150 Model 44, which was originally scheduled for production in 1942, would have significantly enhanced the individual combat capabilities of German troops if it had appeared two years earlier and been extensively equipped with the German Army and Airborne divisions.

Due to his military duties, Logan had to set aside this "personal matter" for the time being. However, as the Junkers Ju 52 took off from the runway, he felt that this trip had been quite fruitful. As long as one of the two powerful aircraft manufacturing companies completed the task on time, the airborne divisions would receive the first batch of heavy gliders capable of carrying tanks in August. Additionally, obtaining British radar and developing effective jamming devices would greatly reduce the difficulty of the German Luftwaffe in suppressing the Royal Air Force. Once the German forces gained control, even if only over the Strait area, the "Operation Sea Lion" would have a chance of survival!

Ideals were beautiful, but when the image of the bloated and ugly face of Hermann Göring appeared in his mind, Logan couldn't help but sigh softly. With this super-duper "big spender" around, it would be difficult to save the fate of the German Air Force with just some technological improvements! Since his current strength was far from sufficient to compete with this fat man, could he borrow the power of others, such as Milch?

As he looked out of the porthole at the beautiful scenery, Logan fell asleep in the noisy cabin without realizing it.

Time was of the essence, time was of the essence, a voice in his mind kept saying. If the critical point of the Battle of Britain was missed, Germany would likely fall into the old trap of fighting on two fronts! Something had to be done to change the course and outcome of this famous air battle, and the German Air Force must win...