Chapter 368: Power Calculation (3)
Fang Yan didn't notice Raeder's abnormality, and directly told him in detail about the problems in the fleet he had discovered. The 128-mm high-level dual-purpose gun equipped with the pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info light aircraft carrier has almost no chance to shoot at the sea in actual combat, and the density of anti-aircraft firepower is insufficient, so it should be replaced by a quadruple 40-mm anti-aircraft gun. At the same time, the fire control devices of small-caliber anti-aircraft guns were so powerful that they often spent seven or eight thousand rounds of artillery shells to defeat an enemy aircraft, so optical and mechanical engineers had to develop a precise and reliable system to capture a high-speed moving aircraft.
Listening to Fang Yan's report, Raeder was hesitating about the more urgent things he was about to do. Raeder was completely unsure of the young man's true intentions: this attitude of meticulous study of his own profession could be the best proof of the young man's dedication to the navy, or it could be the smoke bomb he deliberately released at himself. After all, the other party has never lacked contact with the outside world during the three weeks of recuperation in the hospital, and if he realizes what is happening in advance, it would be completely easy to make such a response!
Raeder's mind raced, and in a few breaths he made his final decision. He has never been an indecisive person, and the reason why he hesitated just now was only because there was a little unexpected change in the originally conceived script, and he was far from the point of changing the course of the existing decision and reversing it. In any case, he had already made a summary of the Norwegian naval battle in front of Hitler that was unfavorable to the youth in front of him. Even if he really misjudged his political leanings, he himself should be responsible for the impulsive decisions made in the second half of the naval war.
After Fang Yan's report was finished, Raeder said solemnly: "Jonas, you have generally performed well in this operation. It not only accurately judged the offensive target of the British fleet, but also provided timely air cover for the shelling fleet, which in turn inflicted heavy damage on the British fleet; However, your last rampage was caught by the enemy. If it weren't for the lack of sufficient means of ship control in the British Air Force, our army would most likely lose 1~2 valuable aircraft carriers! Even so, our air fleet will have to stay in port for the next few months. The Atlantic portion of the Weser exercise was also terminated, giving the British an extremely important respite. ”
Fang Yan's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "For the final air attack on the air fleet, I feel extremely remorseful and regretful. During these days of recuperation in the hospital, I dreamed every night of that death and blood that would never have happened! I am willing to take my share of responsibility for this tragedy, and if I could have preserved the two air fleets relatively intact, the North Atlantic would be a different world today. ”
Raeder's heart shook, and for a moment he froze in place without saying a word. The young man in front of him unabashedly admitted his responsibility and negligence, and this upright and calm made Raeder surprised and relieved. You must know that if the vast majority of high-ranking officers encounter accusations or criticisms, they will definitely justify themselves at the first time: because once the black cauldron is carried on their backs, their career will be pressed into a heavy mountain, and those who are unlucky will be directly moved to the left and forgotten and buried in a corner, and those who are lucky will most likely be cut off from the road to promotion and can only work in their current positions for the rest of their lives.
The reason why Raeder was able to become commander-in-chief that year was also due to the fact that his predecessor, Admiral Zenkel, was involved in a scandal of embezzlement. If not, how could the then 52-year-old Raeder have a chance to reach the top?
However, Raeder, who is pragmatic, has a deep hatred for this bureaucratic Taiji. He has publicly stated his firm position within the Navy more than a dozen times, saying that he will strictly investigate and re-investigate the practice of exculpating sophistry once it is implemented, but because it is a key issue related to his own future, Raeder's efforts have always had little effect. Seeing that Fang Yan did not exonerate himself this time, Raeder felt a little more relieved, after all, this young man was grown up by him, and he did not live up to his painstaking teachings in terms of morality and ethics after all.
"Jonas, I really don't want to talk too much about it. After all, you have made great contributions to this naval battle, and even this air fleet was built because of your foresight, but you must understand that merit and demerit are always two different things. A hint of guilt ran through Raeder's heart, but it was quickly replaced by determination. He looked at the young man's bright and clear eyes, and said slowly: "In the next few months, the four main aircraft carriers of our army will be repaired in the shipyard, and you, the commander of the Second Air Battle, have become the commander of the light pole, and there is no real meaning." Therefore, I have decided to remove you from your post as commander and take up a temporary post at the General Headquarters. ”
"The director of the Navy Construction and Repair Bureau, the elder Fifure, will officially retire in September this year. Due to his physical condition, he has been asking the General Headquarters to leave his post early since last month, and Jonas, you can take over his post after a few days off. After careful foreshadowing, Raeder finally said his plan.
"This ...... Your Excellency Marshal, I'm afraid this is not appropriate, is it? Under Raeder's gaze, Fang Yan said with some hesitation, "The Construction and Repair Bureau is a second-tier organization subordinate to the General Headquarters, and its leaders basically do management work. I had been serving in the fleet before, and I had no administrative experience at all, but I only knew some shipbuilding expertise, and I lacked the experience I needed to manage this department well. ”
"In addition, the Bureau of Construction and Repair has an inseparable connection with the shipyard, and my father is the largest shipyard owner in the country. If I take over this position, I'm afraid it will attract a lot of criticism. What's more, the Construction and Repair Bureau is one of the 4 core departments directly under the General Headquarters, and its leader must be at the rank of major general! Fang Yan spoke, his face full of sincerity and confusion, "It is already an extremely exaggerated thing that I can become a brigadier general now, I never thought that I could take another step forward before the age of 40." And didn't you just say that I would be held accountable for the latter part of the naval war? This appointment is completely a recognition of honor, right? ”
Raeder's facial muscles twitched imperceptibly, then smiled, "It's not what you think. First of all, the most important thing that the head of the Repair Bureau needs to master is the knowledge of ship technology, and other planning and management are details. For you, your attainments in the previous item are absolutely excellent, and you are qualified enough to hold this position; A few months ago, you were in charge of the aircraft carrier renovation of 4 merchant ships, and you also have an in-depth understanding of the engineering site. I'm confident that you'll be able to make the most of your strengths and adapt to this new role. ”
"Secondly, you don't need to worry about being Mr. Rudolph's son. Because your father's brother Walter has already held the important position of Minister of Economy, coordinating the industrial resources of the whole country, compared to him, the position of your relative is far from enough. So even if people do care, they won't point the finger at you. Raeder looked at the young man in front of him and said in a relaxed tone, "And I believe that you have no need or reason to collude with your father and do anything moth-like that harms the interests of the navy." ”
"In the end, I never said that you would be held accountable for your naval exploits. Temporarily transferring you out of the first-line fleet is the punishment I just mentioned, and the next thing is the reward. ”
Raeder took a deep breath and said, "You also know that the brigadier general of our army is essentially only a temporary rank of the first class. It was originally intended to be awarded to a colonel who served as commander of a small fleet, and even the epaulettes were the same as the colonel. At present, there are only 5 people in our army who have held this rank, and you are the only one who still holds it. At the beginning, it was too shocking to promote you directly to major general, and it was obvious that only being promoted to colonel could not match the great merit of your surprise attack on Scapa Bay, so I compromised you with the rank of brigadier general. Now that you have returned victorious in the Norwegian naval battle, your name has spread throughout the country, and you have become a major general. ”
Fang Yan's mouth opened wide and he couldn't speak for a long time. Raeder didn't stop yet, and continued: "Clear rewards and punishments have always been my principle of commanding the navy. If we are confined to the shackles of tradition and do not give due rewards to those who have made meritorious contributions, then no one will be eager to contribute to the army and the country. The glorious honor of creating history should be given the honor of breaking history! This is the main theme that is playing throughout Germany today, and you, Rear Admiral Jonas Brom, who just turned 32 this year, are the new star of our navy! ”
Fang Yan's expression gradually became solemn and solemn, and he gave a heavy military salute to Raeder. Raeder raised his hand to return the salute, then patted Fang Yan's shoulder and said, "The promotion ceremony and the award ceremony are scheduled to be held at 9 a.m. the day after tomorrow in the main auditorium of the Navy Headquarters. The reporters of the People's Observer will also be on the scene, and you will be well prepared for the interview that will be conducted later when you go back. When the time comes, you must show us the grace of the navy. ”
Fang Yan nodded, and then shook his right hand with Raider's outstretched hand. He put on his cloak and said goodbye to the other party, and left the commander-in-chief's office in a trance and excitement on his face. When Fang Yan walked through the flow of people and walked straight out of the gate of the Navy Headquarters, his original expression suddenly disintegrated like frost under the flames, and was replaced by endless mockery, sneering, bitterness, and coldness.
"The Naval Shipbuilding and Repair Bureau is a great place to go after careful consideration. Marshal, Marshal, you have reached this point, have you not forgotten to maximize the use of my inherent value? Fang Yan muttered in a voice that was only big enough for him to hear. Fang Yan walked to the edge of the parking lot, took a deep look at the window of Redder's office, which was already as small as a speck, and then resolutely turned his head, got into the car and twisted the engine keyhole.