"By the way, when will our ocean-going fleet return to the mainland this time?" When Hitler sent Ribbentrop out of his office, he suddenly thought of this crucial matter, and immediately asked Raeder.

Since the outbreak of war in Europe, Hitler has devoted almost all his energies to land warfare and domestic affairs, and the naval fleet, which he had favored before the war, has been out of his sight for a long time. At this moment, Raeder came to the door, and Hitler remembered that this fleet, which had been reborn after the war, had also brought himself a brilliant victory: they not only beat the British who first declared war on Germany in Scapa Bay, but also marched in the vast North Atlantic, sinking a large number of British merchant ships and warships.

Hitler realized that if the fleet succeeded in triumphing, it would set off a new wave of war frenzy throughout Germany - knowing that the navy was not facing a third-rate enemy like Poland, but a British navy, which had overwhelmed Germany for decades. As long as this victory is fully proclaimed, the German people will no longer be afraid of the power of the West!

Thinking of the upcoming celebration banquet for the Navy, Hitler's heart moved slightly, and the figure of the young and handsome officer naturally appeared in his mind. Speaking of which, it has been 15 years since they realized that they are today, and during this long time, the other party has been helping his career move forward in various ways. For Hitler, who had already taken almost all the power of the country at this time, the only pursuit was only to take revenge on the murderous bandits who had trampled and abused Germany, and on this difficult and dangerous road, as the chief of staff of the Navy's ocean-going fleet, he also played an irreplaceable key role!

What honor should little Jonas be awarded? Hitler thought with some annoyance. From the point of view of pure merit, it is more than enough to promote him to commodore from the rank of admiral: after all, it was he who planned and participated in the implementation of the surprise attack on Scapa Gulf, which shocked the world, and achieved a historic victory. All of this has been reported in detail by Lindemann, the captain of the Bismarck, who had returned to Hong Kong earlier, in his debriefing. By any measure, Jonas deserves to be credited with his performance in this fight, and without his crucial decisions, the sneak attack on Scarpa would never have been a complete success.

However, as soon as he remembered the age of the other party, Hitler retreated a little. Today, Jonas is only 31 years and 4 months old, and it would be too unbelievable for him to wear a shining star so early. You must know that the brigadier general already has the right to command a detachment to fight alone, and the generals in the German Navy who can take charge of themselves are all middle-aged and elderly students who have been trained in the position of school officer for at least 15 years before they can be promoted. Although this situation seems to be dull and deep, blocking the path of promotion for young people, it is an inevitable product of the unique attributes of the navy. Compared to army soldiers who can be recruited in batches, naval warships require huge investment and years to build; As their commanders, the admirals are naturally also burdened, and their tolerance for mistakes is not at all the same as that of their army counterparts.

At the beginning, the talented Betty was known as the "Nelson of the New Century" of the Royal Navy, and at the age of 29 she had already served as the captain of a battleship and received the rank of colonel. His name was well known not only within the Navy, but throughout the United Kingdom. However, even so, Betty was only promoted to major general at the age of 39, and spent 10 years in the position of colonel. And this is already the youngest general among non-royal officers in the British Navy in a hundred years. Now that Fang Yan has only served in the Navy for a total of 15 years, it is already a very exaggerated speed to be promoted to lieutenant colonel, if he becomes a general again, won't it completely ruin the professional system of the Navy? What's more, today's German Navy is still Raeder's country within a country, even if Hitler is the supreme commander, without Raeder's nod and approval, he can't promote a private.

It seems that it can only be compensated for by issuing medals. Hitler thought with some guilt. After the outbreak of the Great War in Europe on September 3, in order to arouse the fighting enthusiasm of the soldiers, Hitler ordered the establishment of a new Knight's Cross on top of the traditional Iron Cross of the first and second classes, as the highest military honor. After a month of fighting, more than 50 officers and men with outstanding meritorious service have been awarded this medal. Although the merits of others were much inferior to those of Jonas, Hitler had already figured out a solution to make the medal not ordinary.

"Dear Führer, in fact the ocean-going fleet has no real intention of having to return home." Just as he was thinking about what he could do to make amends for his loyal old friend, Hitler heard Raeder's astonishing reply. His mouth was wide open, and his face was full of bewilderment, didn't he just say that the Blücher and a few other injured ships were dragged down by the ocean-going fleet returning home, why were they not ready to return now?

Seeing that Hitler's eyes gradually became irritated and cold, Raeder hurriedly explained: "Now what needs to be repaired are only a few injured battleships. Most of our warships are still in intact condition, and the reason why they are also withdrawing from the Atlantic at this moment is purely to avoid accidents and escort these damaged ships. If the ocean-going fleet can return to the Norwegian Sea from the North Atlantic and escort the wounded ships to Murmansk, then they will naturally throw off their baggage and can go anywhere. At that time, our four aircraft carriers will be able to turn back and enter the Atlantic Ocean again to slaughter the British merchant fleet. ”

Hitler was stunned when he heard this, he didn't expect the navy to play like this, and when he came back, he went back again, completely treating the Icelandic basin and the Danish Strait as a backyard for free access. Compared with the trapped North Sea in the last war, the Navy's actions today are indeed much more active. After a moment of silence, Hitler spoke: "Marshal, according to the Navy's plan, should the ocean-going fleet wait for an opportunity to continue cruising in the North Atlantic, or return to Wilhelmshaven there?" ”

"This issue is being discussed within the Navy." Raeder looked a little embarrassed, as if he was ashamed of the vague answer he had given, but it was a disagreement within the Navy that had just arisen with the return of the Ocean Fleet's telegram. He paused, then further explained: "Those who think that the fleet needs to hunt in the North Atlantic again are based on our experience of defeat in the last war, and the theory of sea power proposed by Jonas: that the value of the fleet's existence is to take the initiative to use it. Now that the British Navy is more weak than ever, it is the best time for our fleet to strike with all its forces and completely cut off the British lifeline at sea. ”

Others don't think so at all. They pointed out that the forces now defending the aircraft carriers have been greatly weakened by previous battles, and if they enter the North Atlantic from the Norwegian Sea, there will be only one heavy cruiser with 60 percent of their ammunition consumed and 10 destroyers with a total of three-quarters of torpedoes left to rely on. These forces were no longer enough to oppose the British cruiser detachment, and in order to ensure the safety of the precious and powerful aircraft carriers, they believed that the carrier fleet should be returned to replenish and maintain. A few months later, the Bismarck and Tirpitz entered service one after another, and the lineup was complete, and then a new voyage was launched. Raeder said slowly. In fact, he could not weigh which of the two views was more advantageous for a while. Originally, Raeder was going to think about it carefully after he went back, but he didn't expect Hitler to directly bring out this topic.

Hitler turned his body and looked directly at the dark night scene outside the floor-to-ceiling window: the lights of Berlin under the moonlight still seemed so prosperous and full of life even in the war environment. After a while, Hitler slowly spoke: "Your Excellency, although neither you nor your navy like or touch politics, the ultimate goal of all military operations is politics. As the leader of Germany, I have to think about everything holistically. This time, I need the ocean-going fleet to return home as soon as possible. ”

"Now the Polish campaign is over. In a few days, I'm going to have a big celebration of this victory. If the naval fleet can also return in about ten days, the celebration will inevitably be pushed to the highest peak, which will play an irreplaceable role in calling the people's enthusiasm for war and inspiring the army's desire to fight. ”

Speaking of this, Hitler's eyes showed a bit of nostalgia and sadness, and he said softly: "The scene of 1914, presumably the marshal must still remember, right?" His Majesty William delivered a war speech in front of the palace gates, and hundreds of thousands of citizens cheered like a tsunami; The populace rushed to lay flowers for the soldiers on the march, and there was not a word of complaint about the strict wartime work orders issued by the government. Today's Germany has lost that pure national blood, and people are still hesitant and resistant to this war; Therefore, I need to use one brilliant victory after another to re-nurture that noble soul of self-confidence and pride in Germany. ”

Raeder's heart was surging, and these words struck straight at the part of his heart that had been sealed in the dust for a long time. The glory and blood of the Imperial Era have always been a glorious past that he misses and sighs about, and in the past twenty years, Raeder has dreamed back to the past for many nights. Raeder took a deep breath and said with a firm expression, "Your will is my long-cherished wish, and it will definitely be fulfilled." (To be continued.) )