"Marshal, if we get into a bitter battle on the Western Front, it will ruin the current advantage...... So I suggest you think hard one last time, whether you want to perform the very risky 'Scythe Swing'. In fact, as things stand, we don't need to take such a risk. ”

It was also a sleepless night for Field Marshal Hersmann. He was speaking to General Halder, the Second Quartermaster General (in early 1940, the deputy chief of the General Staff was renamed the First Quartermaster General and the Second Quartermaster General), who had doubts about Operation Scythe.

General Halder's idea was to occupy Belgium and Luxembourg rather than to extend the war to France, which Germany gained air bases closer to the Atlantic, the British mainland, and Paris. The "short-legged" BF-109 could directly escort bombers to Paris, while the "long-legged" Fokker Zero could protect the He-115 and Ju88 from fighting in the Atlantic, 1000 km away. In this way, the tactics of aircraft + submarines to break diplomatic relations can be implemented, and it will definitely be able to effectively block the British sea transportation lines.

Therefore, the capture of Belgium would effectively implement the strategy of bombing + blockade, thus forcing Britain and France to sue for peace within 12-18 months. With Germany's current strategic material reserves, even if the Soviet Union interrupts supplies, Germany will be able to support itself for 24-36 months. So the strategy of bombing + blockade is relatively safe in the eyes of Halder.

In fact, his idea turned the fake plan of "flattening Paris" into reality, and there were many supporters in the top echelons of the Wehrmacht.

However, at the end of 39, Hersmann was "convinced" by Manstein, who was now the chief of staff of the Western Front Headquarters, to support the plan of a surprise attack by the armored group through the Ardennes Forest.

Moreover, Hersmann also intensified his proposal of "Operation Scythe" (an amendment to the "Manstein Plan") -- to encircle and annihilate the Allied 1st Army Group deployed on the border between France and Belgium, instead of the French troops deployed on the "Maginot Line" as Manstein's original plan.

According to the deployment of "Operation Scythe", the 64 divisions of Army Group A under the command of General Rundstead (including 7 armored divisions and 3 motorized divisions) will break through from the Ardennes Forest area, then break through the Maas River, where the defense is relatively empty, and finally wave north with the main force of the armored group, all the way to the sea, seize the ports of Dunkirk and Calais, and complete the encirclement of the main forces of the coalition forces that have broken through into Belgium.

But this plan is a bit risky for Halder and others.

The first is the almost impossible task of breaking through the 110-kilometre-long forest into France in two days - there is no problem in breaking through the Ardennes Forest, where the Belgians have not made much defense. But how is it possible to break through 110 kilometers of forest in 2 days? It will take at least 5-7 days, which gives the British and French forces time to calmly mobilize troops to block.

Secondly, it is also a difficult task to break through the Maas River near Sedang, although the French army is currently empty of troops near Sedang, but the transportation around Sedan is very convenient, and it is easy to mobilize reserves to rely on the Maas River to deploy defenses.

Thirdly, as soon as the Germans were blocked at the Maas River, the raid turned into a positional battle. The Ardennes Forest was inaccessible, and it was difficult to support up to 64 divisions to engage the Anglo-French forces along the Maas River.

Fourth, with too many troops on the central front, Army Group B (30 divisions, including 3 armoured divisions and 1 motorized rifle division) under the command of General Bock on the Northern Front would be in a bitter battle in Belgium due to insufficient strength - General Bock's Army Group would face at least 30 Anglo-French divisions and 22 Belgian divisions.

"Franz, your worries are unfounded." Hersman looked at his watch, it was still three hours before the ground attack was launched, and less than two hours before the air attack was launched.

"It's not 1914, the pattern of the war has changed profoundly, and the most critical factor in determining the outcome of the war is not the number of artillery and infantry, but the aircraft!" Hersman said! Now we have 4,600 modern aircraft at our disposal, and they have less than 1,300 more modern aircraft left after these months of consumption.

This is an overwhelming advantage, which will ensure one-way transparency on the battlefield to our side, and can also delay the enemy's military movements with air strikes...... So even if there are any loopholes in the plan of Operation Scythe, there will be no problem. ”

The might of the Luftwaffe tactical air force was not fully demonstrated in the 12-day campaign of Poland - because the Polish army was routed almost on the first day, and the next 11 days were almost lying down and beaten. As a result, senior generals like Halder, who had not served as commanders in the Air Force and the Armored Forces (which often exercised with the Air Force), still had a poor understanding of the power of air superiority.

Hersman took a sip of coffee, then looked at the worried general, and just smiled lightly: "If you can't break through the Ardennes Forest in 2 days, then 4 days, and if 4 days are not enough, then 8 days, there's no problem." If the French army had deployed a few more divisions along the Maas River, there would have been no problem, and I believe that Army Group A would have been able to break through, and General Rundstead and General Guderian would not let us down.

And there is no need to worry about enemy reinforcements, and large-scale air strikes will make it difficult for Britain and France to adjust their deployment. It was impossible for the mechanized and motorized units of the French to move in the face of an attack of 2,500 tactical bombers. Once they fall into the trap, they can't get out. Due to the huge air superiority that we have, the Anglo-French forces can only rush headlong into the big trap of Belgium and die there!

So the victory is ours, and it will be clear in 2 or 4 days. What we need to think about now is not to stop Operation Scythe, but to use this victory to build a great and united Europe. Franz, how is the 'Liberator Project' being prepared now? ”

The "Liberator Plan" was a combat plan for the seizure of the French Mediterranean Fleet and French colonies such as French Algeria, French ******, and French Morocco. And the capture of the capital ships of the French Navy, whose home port was Toulon, was the center of the whole plan.

If the campaign on the Western Front goes well, General Halder, now Quartermaster General 2nd, will soon be appointed commander-in-chief or deputy commander-in-chief on the Southern Front (see Mussolini's attitude) and will be responsible for carrying out the "Liberator Plan" that he himself has developed.

"There is no problem with the plan," Halder nodded, "the navy and the air force are very cooperative, and the problem now is the determination of the French and the cooperation of the British and Italy." ”

Hersmann shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "This generation of French people has little determination, and the Italian leaders will definitely not refuse us, as for the British Empire...... What else can't a dying dragon do? ”

He looked at his watch again and smiled slightly: "It's 1:45, and there are still 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the plane is about to take off!" ”

Halder knew that it was impossible to convince Hersman, he nodded, suddenly thought of something, looked at Hirschman and asked, "Rudolph is going to war?" ”

Hersman snorted: "There are still 2 hours and 45 minutes, and he will take off in the Fokker Zero, which is his first time participating in actual combat!" ”

……

"Rudolph, Walter, Prince, before you three rookies go to heaven, I'm going to nag a few last words!"

Squadron Leader Heinz of the 2nd Squadron of the 3rd Group of the 2nd Combat Aviation Regiment of the Naval Aviation. In the lounge at Limburg Airport in Heinsberg County, Lieutenant Barr called three "rookie" pilots to the 2 Squadron a few weeks earlier.

The three "rookie" pilots were Rudolph, the son of Hersman. Hersmann, a handsome pilot from Austria, Walter. Novotny, and Egmont, also from Austria. Prince Lip Wissenfield.

Prince Wiesenfeld was a great Austrian nobleman, and after the German-Austrian merger and the restoration of Kaiser Wilhelm, his father's title and annuity were restored. However, because he did not attend a regular officer school and an air force non-commissioned officer school, but graduated from the air force pilot school, he is not an officer now, but a corporal.

As for Rudolph, the son of Hersman. Both Hersman and Novotny received the rank of second lieutenant because they graduated from the Military Academy and the Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer School (Novortny only attended the Air Force Non-commissioned Officer School).

However, in the Luftwaffe and naval aviation, the commander of the formation did not look at the rank, but on combat experience. Hence Rudolph. Hersmann and Novotny were not qualified for the post of captain, but were just two officers with empty ranks.

Heinz. Lieutenant Barr looked at the three young men who were a little nervous and nodded: "I emphasize again, you must pay attention to covering and cooperating with each other when you go to the sky, now is not the era of one-on-one duels!" If you want to fly in a two-plane formation, the prince will fly with me, and Rudolph will fly with Walter.

Also, you have to keep in mind that our Fokker Zero is a very thin aircraft, so be sure to pay attention to ground fire, the ground fire of the French is very fierce! Okay, now that I'm done, is there anything else you guys want to ask? ”

"Lieutenant, how are the French pilots more skilled than ours? Can we get results today? "Rudolph. Hersman asked a somewhat imbecile question.

Heinz. Lieutenant Barr touched his chin and said, "You and Walter are carrier-based aircraft pilots, both of whom have undergone the most rigorous selection of elites, and ordinary French pilots are no match for you." But it's hard to say whether they can shoot down a French plane, after all, they have many fewer planes than ours, and I'm afraid I won't be able to meet them if I don't have some luck. So if you want to get results, you can start praying now. (To be continued.) )