The "really useful" assistance that Nagano Shufu asked for was not the weapons and equipment such as planes, tanks and warships, but the pilots, the ace pilots of Germany!

Although Japan's industrial strength was very weak compared to the first-class powers such as the United States, Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 However, because Japan has always practiced "Songun politics", they did not lack aircraft and aircraft carriers in the early days of the war.

According to the plan, by the end of 1941, the Japanese Navy would have more than 10 aircraft carriers, including 6 large fleet aircraft carriers (Chisei, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shozuru, and Zuizuru), 3 light aircraft carriers (Ryuchamp, Fengxiang, and Zuiho), and 1 escort aircraft carrier (Okaka). In terms of the absolute number of aircraft carriers, Japan is now actually the first in the world!

But the time for Japan to remain the number one in the world is very limited, and both the United States and Germany now have very large aircraft carrier construction programs.

Regardless of the US imperialism that builds aircraft carriers like dumplings, even Germany, which has not yet completed the integration of European industrial strength, now has 5 fast cruise ships undergoing modification (aircraft carriers), 6 Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers under construction, and 17 C ships with a standard displacement of 12,000 tons (cheap escort aircraft carriers with a speed of 18 knots) under construction.

In addition, there are 2 "Seydlitz" class aircraft carriers and 1 training aircraft carrier with a standard displacement of 7,500 tons.

Therefore, making full use of the superiority in the number of aircraft carriers in the early stages of the war became the key to Japan's decisive victory.

But the aircraft carrier itself has little combat effectiveness, and the combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier lies in the carrier-based aircraft. And Japan, although there is no shortage of carrier-based aircraft, does not have enough carrier-based aircraft pilots.

At present, the total number of commonly used aircraft owned by the Japanese army and navy is only more than 3,000, and the scale of pilot training in Japan is limited by oil, and the scale has always been small, so it is difficult to provide a large number of carrier-based aircraft pilots in a short period of time.

Therefore, although Japan could have 10 aircraft carriers by the end of 1941, it could not provide these aircraft carriers with enough carrier-based pilots to maximize their combat effectiveness.

Taking the "Chicheng" aircraft carrier, which has a full load displacement of 41,300 tons, as an example, the "Chicheng" aircraft carrier can carry up to 91 carrier-based aircraft after adopting the method of carrying some aircraft on the moored deck. However, at present, the number of aircraft commonly used in the "Chicheng" carrier-based fleet is only 18 Zero fighters, 18 Type 99 dive bombers, and 27 Type 97 torpedo attack planes, for a total of 63 aircraft. Although there are still some spare aircraft, the number of 63 commonly used aircraft is too small, and it is unlikely that there will be as many as 28 reserve aircraft.

Therefore, the "Chicheng" aircraft carrier is now unable to give full play to its maximum combat effectiveness, and the situation of the rest of the Japanese aircraft carriers carrying carrier-based aircraft is also about the same, and the number of commonly used aircraft of several "old aircraft carriers" is only 70 to 80 percent of the maximum number of aircraft carried, and the situation of the newly built aircraft carriers is naturally even worse.

Of the 10 aircraft carriers that Japan already has or will have, the maximum number of carrier-based aircraft is 91 for the "Chicheng," up to 90 for the "Kaga," 72 for both the "Soryu" and "Flying Dragon," 84 for the "Xianghe" and "Zuizuru," 30 for both the "Ryuchamp" and "Zuiho," 21 for the "Fengxiang," and 27 for the "Otaka." The 10 aircraft carriers can carry a total of 601 carrier-based aircraft, and if 61 of them are reserve aircraft, the remaining common aircraft that can be used for combat can also reach 560.

However, the number of excellent carrier-based aircraft pilots (captains) that the Japanese naval aviation can produce now is at most more than 400, and the difference is almost 100. Now there are only more than two months left before the planned surprise attack, and it will definitely be too late to rely on Japan's own training, so Germany can only support the carrier-based aircraft pilots.

"You want 100 captains of carrier-based aircraft?" Hersman looked at Jizaburo Ozawa, who was visiting again, and asked in English, "Is it possible that if we provide 100 captains of carrier-based aircraft, you will occupy Hawaii?" ”

"Your Excellency, if my Imperial Navy is adequately supported, I will consider taking Hawaii." Jizaburo Ozawa didn't say anything, "But whether this goal can be achieved depends on the situation." ”

Ozawa would have liked to have 100 German ace pilots, but he had reservations about the occupation of Hawaii.

In fact, there was already a lot of opposition within the Japanese Navy to attack Pearl Harbor, and many people thought it was too risky. If the "Occupy Hawaii" campaign, which is several times riskier, is to be carried out, the opposition will probably be even greater.

Even if General Yamamoto 56 is finally able to implement the plan despite public opinion, he will definitely formulate a relatively conservative plan and will not throw the old capital of the Combined Fleet into it. Rather, the main force and the landing force will be followed by the 1st Air Force for several hundred nautical miles, depending on the situation of the air raids, whether to take further action.

In addition, the Army's attitude to the Hawaii landing operation is unclear. It seems a bit unreasonable to invest 4-5 elite divisions at a time, and to abandon the Philippine operation and the occupation of the Dutch East Indies, two relatively low-risk operations. So Jizaburo Ozawa can't give any guarantees now.

Hersmann exchanged glances with Field Marshal Raeder, commander-in-chief of the German Navy, who was meeting today. Field Marshal Raeder certainly did not approve of handing over 100 German naval carrier-based pilots to Japan, but Hersmann had agreed to send a group of aces from shore-based pilots to receive take-off and landing training from aircraft carriers in order to replace these elites drawn from aircraft carriers. So it's hard for him to object.

"A maximum of 60 carrier-based pilots," Raeder said, "and all of them are Fokker Zeros, because we don't have many experienced carrier-based dive bomber pilots." ”

The main task of Germany's two official aircraft carriers, "Seydlitz" and "Seckert", is to escort the main fleet, so there are more carrier-based fighters on them, and the number of carrier-based dive bombers is relatively small, and sometimes all-fighter configurations are adopted. Therefore, fighter pilots account for the majority of carrier-based aircraft pilots in the German Navy today.

At present, there are more than 300 fighter pilots in the Luftwaffe and the Navy who have won the "Blue Max" -- this means that more than 7,500 planes have been shot down. However, because the Luftwaffe had enough fuel supply, it no longer used its trump card to death, and generally took the "Blue Max" to transfer to an instructor or be promoted to a higher position to get out of the most intense battlefield. Therefore, there are many "blue Max" in the Luftwaffe and naval aviation, but the number of "super aces" shot down by more than 50 aircraft is very limited.

"60 is too little, at least 80 are needed." Jizaburo Ozawa thought for a moment and then said, "However, we can guarantee that these German pilots only undertake the tasks of direct concealment and instructors, and in principle, do not undertake the mission of escorting attack aircraft groups." ”

"Direct cover" means covering the fleet, which is a relatively safe combat mission, and even if it is shot down, there is a high chance of survival. As an instructor, there is no need to go into battle -- there are basically no instructors with rich combat experience in the pilot schools of the Japanese Navy and Army Airlines, and if they can get German ace pilots as instructors, they will be able to raise some of their training levels.

"And, I'm going to hand-pick the pilots." At this time, Ozawa Jizaburo put forward another condition, "I hope to see them take off and land from the aircraft carrier and various air combat maneuvers, and then talk to them one by one." ”

Ozawa didn't seem to trust the Germans much. Hersman frowned slightly, but he nodded and said, "I can grant your request, but if you don't end up with a campaign to occupy Hawaii, we will recall these pilots." ”

He paused, and then said, "Vice Admiral Ozawa, give you 7 days to go to the port of Kiel to select people, and the Imperial Navy will fully cooperate." Then we will arrange for these personnel to go to Japan through the Soviet Union as soon as possible, and as for other aid supplies, it will be difficult to reach Japan safely now, and we will have to wait until the Indian Ocean route is opened. ”

Although Germany now occupied Gibraltar, Britain also occupied the Canary Islands and Madeira, and laid a large number of mines at the exit of the Strait of Gibraltar. Therefore, the Atlantic route has not been opened for the time being, and as for the Suez Canal, the canal is unblocked, but the Gulf of Aden is still blocked by the British. The Italian and French fleets, which did not have aircraft carriers, could not rush out either.

As for the transportation of goods through the Soviet Union to Japan, it was completely interrupted from August 1941. However, the personnel can still pass, otherwise Jizaburo Ozawa and Shouichi Terauchi will not be able to come now.

"In addition, we can provide you with a staff corps composed of German engineers and artillery specialists, all of whom had participated in the capture of fortifications in Europe. Know how to lay down a fortified fortress like Oahu. Hersman then made another suggestion.

"And we have a lot of information to give you about the fortifications of Oahu," he said...... In fact, the Oahu fortress was not as strong as it could have been, and its most formidable shore forts were the two 14-inch cannons of Randolph Battery, the two 16-inch cannons of Williston Battery, and the two 16-inch cannons of Hatch Battery. But these cannons can't theoretically hit your 'Yamato', and the 'Yamato''s 460mm cannon will definitely destroy the defenses of these batteries. Moreover, all the large-caliber shore guns on Oahu are deployed in the direction of Pearl Harbor, and there are no large-caliber shore guns on the north side of the island.

So if you are determined enough, Oahu will be Japanese! (To be continued.) )