Chapter 106: Germany's Air Force

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This new engine was nothing short of a revolutionary invention in military technology. It allowed the ME-109 to reach a super speed of 570 km/h, a velocity that could leave any active service fighter in the dust and endowed the ME-109 with an unparalleled rate of climb. For this reason, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Air Force, Kesselring, called his new weapon the “King of the Climb.” No one considered his words an exaggeration; on the contrary, Colonel Dick’s evaluation was simply four words: “the title is well-deserved.”

The more compact engine also allowed for a more advanced weapons configuration. This super-fighter was equipped with a powerful 20mm cannon in its nose to ensure heavy firepower, penetration, and destructive force. Additionally, it mounted two 13mm heavy machine guns to maintain a high density and continuity of fire. This armament ensured that the ME-109 would not have any issues with its firepower for the next five years.

Of course, there was an alternative configuration: the ME-109 could be fitted with two additional 20mm cannons on its wings. This modification would give the aircraft terrifying firepower, but unfortunately, it would come at the cost of some of its range and maneuverability. The most critical issue was that the wing-mounted cannons could only hold 60 rounds each—a frankly frustrating limitation.

An even more modern feature was the ME-109’s cockpit design. Although various factors resulted in the ME-109 having a very narrow field of vision from the cockpit, it was indeed a fully enclosed, pressurized cabin. This guaranteed that the ME-109 could fly high enough to easily shake off opponents or attack enemy targets at high altitudes.

The biggest problem stemmed from its compressed landing gear, which made landing the ME-109 its most dangerous maneuver. Pilots required extensive training to master the habits of landing this aircraft. Even so, the operations manual repeatedly emphasized avoiding takeoffs and landings in strong winds.

The trade-off for its high-speed dive and climb capabilities was a slight loss in low-altitude performance, so the aircraft was never intended to take on ground-attack missions. This was a minor but notable flaw. Even when moonlighting as a bomber, the ME-109 was highly inadequate. The plane could only carry a single bomb, and only if it wasn’t carrying a drop tank. It could not perform a dive-bombing run; the pilot had to release the bomb in level flight—you could compare its accuracy to driving with your eyes closed.

Naturally, this new aircraft was designed to dominate the skies, and it achieved this with its superior performance. The moment the test pilot climbed out of the ME-109, he swore to all the designers shaking his hand that it was the most powerful fighter he had ever flown.

Data showed that this aircraft could “slaughter” all contemporary fighters. Whether in speed, low-altitude turns, or spiral climbs, the ME-109, which began gradual mass production in 1931, was superior to its rivals in every aspect. And only a few lead engineers at the Messerschmitt company knew that they had already shattered the world air speed record back in 1930.

To compensate for the ME-109’s inadequacy in ground attack, under Akado’s direction, German aircraft manufacturers provided the German Air Force with a new piece of equipment called the Stuka dive bomber. In parallel, Germany designed a twin-engine long-range bomber, which was slated to be the future mainstay of the German Air Force’s ground attack fleet.

Akado now faced a situation similar to that of Göring and Hitler in the past. The German Air Force was being built from scratch and constantly suffered from a shortage of aircraft. Prioritizing fighter development was undoubtedly the fastest way to catch up with the world’s air powers, but doing so meant sacrificing the air force’s long-range attack capability, resulting in the “short-legged air force” that was so regrettable in his past life.

To prevent Germany from lacking a long-range strike capability, Hitler’s solution was to compensate with impractical things like the V-2 rocket. Akado, however, decided to solve the German Air Force’s “short-legged” problem with long-range strategic bombers.

Although Akado’s resources were more plentiful than Hitler’s had been, he found they were still insufficient to simultaneously develop both long-range bombers and air superiority fighters. From a practical standpoint, Akado still chose to prioritize the ME-109 fighter project.

The difference, however, was that he laid out an ambitious future strategic bomber plan from the design level up. This plan involved using current technology to design and develop a superior four-engine, large multi-purpose aircraft, and then to use this large aircraft to advance Germany’s civil aviation.

Later, this design would be improved upon and developed into a military transport plane to serve Germany’s paratroopers and vital military airlift needs. This way, Germany would not fall behind the world in terms of technology and experience in large aircraft design and production. As long as it didn’t fall behind, it would not suffer from a lack of experience and technology in the near future.

Of course, this large aircraft avoided many of the detours the Germans had taken in the past. For instance, the proposal to couple engines together in the hope that a large bomber could have the performance of a dive bomber was flatly rejected by Akado the moment it was raised. On the Air Force’s report, Akado drew a large red ‘X’ behind the request and wrote his own comment: “The gains do not justify the losses.”

Thus, from the very beginning, German bomber design went down a path similar to the American B-17’s four-engine layout. Because test flights revealed that a single vertical stabilizer design lacked stability, German designers stubbornly changed it to a twin-tail design with vertical stabilizers at the ends of the horizontal tailplane.

Although this slightly affected the rear-facing defensive machine gun’s field of fire, the more stable design, which also appealed to the aesthetic sense of the German Air Force’s generals, was kept. After all, Akado was not a professional aircraft designer. When faced with a barrage of questions from engineers laced with technical jargon, he had to feign composure, using coughs and nods to hide his own lack of expertise.

Additionally, Akado had not abandoned the development and manufacturing of air-cooled engines. On the contrary, he also supported their research and development for several reasons. In the German Navy’s top-secret archives, it was noted that during a meeting with Raeder and others, Akado had mentioned some of the advantages of using air-cooled engines for naval aviation.

The FW-109, designed specifically for the navy, shared about 15% of its parts with the army’s ME-109. It used an air-cooled engine and a redesigned aerodynamic profile. Although it looked bulkier, it was more rugged and durable, suiting the harsh operational conditions on an aircraft carrier.

An air-cooled carrier-based fighter would save precious fresh water for the carrier and wouldn’t risk having a fighter be written off due to coolant leakage from minor combat damage. Furthermore, carrier combat did not require high-altitude interception, so a more suitable fighter design was used.

Thus, Germany had as many as four aircraft models in the design or production pipeline, including two types of fighters, a dive bomber, and a large multi-purpose aircraft series. While this seemed to increase the burden on the aviation industry, in reality, most of these projects were still in the validation and test-flight stages.

Compared to the German Air Force, the development of the German Navy was far more blatant. Within the “Naval Clauses” of the “New Treaty of Versailles” signed with Britain, the tonnage limits for German destroyers and light cruisers were very lenient. In other words, Germany could build many brand-new destroyers and light cruisers.

Against this backdrop, the German Navy’s X-class cruiser smoothly entered active service, strengthening the navy’s power. Germany now possessed 41 ocean-going destroyers, 5 cruisers, and 23 large submarines, giving it a complete coastal defense capability.

Meanwhile, an aircraft carrier codenamed “Blue Whale” was already on the drawing board. Based on Germany’s ability to construct battleships, this type of aircraft carrier presented no technical difficulties and could be put into construction immediately when needed. Moreover, ten percent of its parts were interchangeable with the German “Hercules-class” transport ship, and German naval architects were very familiar with the entire construction process.

For the few technical hurdles in the aircraft carrier’s design that could not be solved immediately, Germany had purchased the relevant patents from Japan and the United States. It could be said that with a single order, Germany’s aircraft carrier could begin construction and be easily launched within a year. And this was a fleet carrier capable of operating 60 aircraft of various types.

Naval aviation training had also begun systematically. Germany’s reserve of pilots now exceeded 1,100, ready to expand the naval air arm and the air force at any time. These individuals were currently employed in aviation clubs scattered across Germany, under unified military-style management and having undergone systematic military training.

Furthermore, Germany had also made achievements in radio technology. Communication range and call quality had seen great strides. Because they were manufactured later, many Panther tanks were still equipped with old-style radios, but the Wehrmacht’s equipment department was trying every means to increase the production of new radios to meet the needs of the army, navy, and air force.

Near Berlin, the Wehrmacht had secretly established a base for a new type of equipment. This new equipment featured a giant steel antenna array and had a pleasant name: Radar. Akado’s trusted confidant, Kesselring, along with his Chief of Staff, Wever, and the Deputy Commander of the Air Force, Dick, were gradually perfecting Germany’s air defense radar network. Paired with anti-aircraft guns and fighters, they were confident they could ensure the absolute security of all German airspace.

The testing of the radar overjoyed all the German technicians involved in its development. With this advanced electronic equipment, Germany’s skies could be under twenty-four-hour, uninterrupted surveillance. Using this equipment to direct aircraft in combat could only be described with one word: game-changing.

Remembering all this good news, Akado’s mood calmed somewhat. He sat back down in his chair, his face etched with exhaustion.

“For now, we can only wait! Wait for Stresemann to bring back good news from Britain,” Akado said with a sense of resignation.