Due to a lack of funds, the organizers of the Hamburg International Machinery Fair did not make a big splash, but the chic arrangement allowed it to quickly rise to the top of the national press after its opening, and most people were interested not in the exquisite military equipment of Germany, but in the path chosen by the GDR. The Soviet Pravda commentary article was quite sharp -- "Germany's military ambitions are on the rise," and the article also linked the slander and attacks against the KPD at home, and deduced that the GDR was being corroded by the evil forces from northern Europe, and if the outside world did not interfere and correct it, it would not be long before it would become a major threat to the stability of Europe and even the world, and even the source of the next world war.

In the eyes of many, the Soviet rhetoric was too alarmist, and the New York Times carried a contribution from a well-known journalist and biographer who had traveled throughout Germany, and who believed that Germany today was a clean blank slate, with 60 million Germanic people building their homes with their industriousness and ingenuity, and that the country's natural resources and technological characteristics, with the military industry as a breakthrough, were beyond reproach.

The increasing heat, and even the criticism from the outside world gave the Germans a free advertisement for the fair. In the two weeks following the opening, there was a surge in the number of foreign visitors to Hamburg, Germany, including enthusiastic pacifists and many who came in search of opportunities. Schumann, Minister of Defense Alphons. When the plane of Juan and his entourage arrived in Hamburg, Lynn, as the president of the GDR, came to greet and accompany the visit, such a move could not help but surprise those who were purely watching the excitement.

At this time, the European Industrial Union was only signed by France, Germany, the Netherlands, Rwanda, Hungary, and Belgium to sign the Coal and Steel Joint Venture Framework Agreement, and there were still many differences to be agreed on the formation of the industrial union, coupled with the wait-and-see of Italy, Switzerland, Spain and other countries and the boycott of the Soviet bloc, people did not feel that the Western European countries had found a solid common ground of interests, nor did they think that the concept of the European Union had reached the stage of becoming a reality. However, as long as one analyzes the situation in Europe from a certain perspective, it is not difficult to understand the need for Germany and France to work together - the military threat from Eastern Europe and the political, economic, and financial "erosion" from the sea direction have put a lot of pressure on the two traditional European powers and their neighbors. France, in particular, had a strong and unique sense of national pride that made them reluctant to be the followers of the United States like Britain, and wanted to restore their former military, political, and economic influence in Western Europe, while at the same time having to beware of the wolf-like Soviet army and solve the thorny colonial problem. Inbred long-range attacks are indeed a wiser choice.

Receiving Schumann and his entourage with the highest standard of courtesy, Lynn actually has "ulterior motives", German industry is in the stage of large-scale reconstruction, and military projects are starting abruptly. Therefore, during the visit to the expo, Lynn instructed the accompanying docents to highlight the advantages of MP44 assault rifles, MG42 general-purpose machine guns, FG series airborne radars, surface-to-air guided rockets and E50 tanks. Theoretically speaking, they can comprehensively improve the technical content of the French team in land and air combat, and their large-scale application can greatly strengthen the hard power of national defense.

After the end of World War II, France also experienced a painful start - the reconstruction of the army, the consolidation of industry, and the adjustment of finance. Due to the attrition in the war between the Eastern and Western camps, the size of the French team could no longer be compared with that before World War II, and its military equipment was also in a transitional period, with American-style weapons becoming the main equipment of the army, including captured German weapons, accepted British weapons, and original domestic equipment. Listened to the blueprint of the army drawn out of thin air by the German docent. Schumann and his defense minister, General Juan, were not very interested, and their attitudes puzzled Lynn and his staff. …,

At the dinner at the end of the visit, Schumann ate a French snail specially prepared by the host. While whispering to Lynn, who was sitting beside him, he said: "Although the Maginot Line has left us with infinite sadness, with France's current military strength, defense is a rational strategy. ”

At first hearing this, Lynn thought that the stubborn Frenchman was ready to repeat the same mistakes, and just as his eyes widened in surprise, Schumann smiled slyly: "Of course, we will not be stupid enough to spend another ten years and countless dollars and manpower to build a line of defense that cannot be moved. If Germany can withstand the threat from the east, then the French will have peace of mind! ”

The meaning of these words is even more worth pondering, and Lynn Tsai carefully looked at Schumann, the French prime minister did not look like he was looking for advanced equipment at the moment. Instead, it's like a seller.

"Cooperation!" Schumann left the snail shell on his plate and looked at Lynn, "Only by working closely together can the common interests of France and Germany be maximized." ”

"What do you think we should do?" Lynn asked rhetorically.

"Make up for my shortcomings with your strengths, and make up for your shortcomings with my strengths!" Schumann's answer sounds very awkward, but the reason is simple and simple.

"Exactly?"

"Share technical information and avoid duplication of production." Schumann replied in politically charged terms. "In recent years, we have worked on the development of vehicle and aircraft engines, and have achieved remarkable results in this regard, and now our products have been able to meet the needs of many types of bombers, transport aircraft, tanks, armoured vehicles and transport trucks. ”

Lynn immediately pondered in his heart, the quality of French engines is really good, during World War II, Germany used a large number of aircraft and vehicle engines manufactured in France, when the German army was defeated, only plundered or destroyed part of the equipment, with the existing technical data and personnel, France was indeed able to quickly resume production after the war, and regardless of the differences in mechanical standards, if Germany gave up engine development and production and depended on France, it would inevitably cause a situation of strategic constraints, but think the other way around, The French, with this lever, were relieved to boldly connive at the rearmament of Germany and to defend France against a powerful enemy in the east with German population and land.

"This is a very valuable proposal, which conservatives will oppose and abhor, but in the long run it will untie the chains that have been in the hands of Germany and France for so many years – think of how much wealth and energy we have expended on each other for nearly a century, and which has greatly constrained the development of both countries. In the end, Germany and France together are less than one-third of the national power of the United States! ”

"Aha, I knew that His Excellency the President was a real man of insight, very different from those pedantic guys!" Schumann smiled and praised, then leaned in and said, "I won't tell you." France has successfully developed a jet-powered strike aircraft, and judging from the current equipment of the same type in various countries, there is no such strike aircraft that can compare with our masterpiece! ”

Lynn had heard about the "tempest" in France before, but the intelligence agencies in France had limited capacity and were unable to provide more detailed information. As far as Lynn knew, it was the first French jet fighter after the war. Not only is it equipped with the French team, but it is also exported to the Middle East and Asia, and it is a relatively successful design.

"The air combat is croaking, and the ground attack is also very powerful." Schumann added confidently.

Before seeing is believing, Lynn took advantage of the situation to sell: "If you can combine Germany's airborne radar and guided rockets, the comprehensive capabilities of this fighter will definitely be higher!" ”…,

Schumann pouted and smiled, then wiped his hands with a napkin: "As long as Germany needs it, we will give priority to supply it at the most affordable price." Years later, it may be these eagles who have resisted the armor frenzy from the east. ”

What a counter-salesman, Lynn said to herself. There was still a smile on his face: "So, are the French people ready to put aside their armaments and concentrate on supporting their neighbors against a strong enemy behind their backs?" ”

"It's impossible for the French to wave a handkerchief and sing the Marseillaise." Schumann replied with a figurative analogy, "Unlike Germany, we have to deal not only with the defense of Europe, but also with armaments in some colonial affairs." ”

With that, Lynn knew what Schumann was referring to. Beginning in 1946, the people of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia launched an independence movement against the restoration of French colonial rule. The French team has become a soft persimmon. Vietnamese, Laos, and Cambodia formed a united front that supported and coordinated closely with each other in the war, repeatedly inflicting heavy losses on the French colonial army, and many areas of the Indochina Peninsula were controlled by the rebels. After the signing of the armistice between the Allies and the Soviet Union, France withdrew its main forces from the European theater and sent more than 100,000 troops to the Indochinese colonies in late 1949. However, in the absence of a clear advantage in troops and equipment, several counterattacks by the French team ended in failure.

In addition to the Foreign Legion, which is quite powerful, the French team after World War II is like a sick chicken, with neither enterprising nor enterprising strength. Lynn said tentatively, "If our neighbors need it, we'll be happy to form a volunteer army." ”

Schumann shook his head decisively: "It's better to solve some things by yourself." ”

Since France did not want foreign powers to interfere in Indo-Chinese affairs, Lynn changed the topic with interest and talked about the combat advantages of the MP44 automatic rifle over the American semi-automatic and automatic rifles.

"This time I bring you a gift to Your Excellency the President, which is our newly developed semi-automatic rifle, which has excellent performance." Schumann politely rejected Lynn's "sales pitch", but France is France after all, and due to the limitations of national power, it is still unable to achieve "self-sufficiency" in many aspects. When it comes to the situation in Indochina, Schumann is somewhat helpless, because the elusiveness of the rebel guerrillas did not give the French colonial army a headache, and because of the limited air transport capacity, it is difficult to deal with the guerrilla warfare in the mountains and forests by modern means.

At this point, Lynn gradually heard what the French meant. On the Indo-China battlefield, the French army used airborne tactics, but although the traditional airborne troops had the characteristics of flexibility and mobility, their combat resilience and durability were insufficient, and several large-scale airborne operations during World War II and the East-West camp war had been interpreted with reality, and it was difficult to play an ideal role in the quagmire of guerrilla warfare. To change this limitation, it is necessary to equip the Airborne Forces with more powerful weapons. During World War II, the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and Germany all developed airborne tanks, and during the Great War between the East and the West, the United States and Britain allied forces tried to use airborne tanks on a large scale in airborne operations.

"How can we help?" Lynn asked in a tone of friendly neighborly concern.

Schumann did not squeak, but dipped his finger in water and left the symbol "Me-323" on the table.

Nicknamed the "Giant", the Me323 is still a giant in the field of air force today, and its design originated from the Me321, a large transport glider developed by the Luftwaffe to support the invasion of Britain by implementing the Sea Lion Project, and its original development goal was to "carry a large amount of equipment to carry out emergency transportation of German troops landing in the British Isles". Although the Sea Lion Campaign was cancelled, the need for the rapid airlift of heavy military equipment remained, with a focus on Operation Barbarossa for the Soviet invasion. On October 18, 1940, the Luftwaffe asked Juncker and Messerschmidt to develop a large transport glider at the same time. Both of these developments were ambitious: the specifications of the proposal wanted to fit a half-track armored vehicle with a towed 88mm gun or a tank IV. Juncker's Junker 322 design concept, nicknamed the "Mammoth", was not favored by the Luftwaffe, and the Messechmitt proved to be a mature model due to its outstanding contribution to the Eastern Front. Therefore, it was decided to design a larger transport aircraft based on it, namely the Me323. In view of the success of the Me321, the Luftwaffe favored the development of Messerschmidt, but in order not to overburden the engine industry, which was already running on production capacity, it decided to use the French GR14N star-shaped air-cooled engine. Like the Me231, the Me323 features a massive semi-cantilever high monowing with a support cable between the fuselage and the wing. In order to reduce the weight and use of aluminium alloy, most of the wing structure is made of plywood and cloth skin, the fuselage is made of metal tubes and wooden main beams, the outer side is covered with plastic paint skin, and the interior of the cabin is covered with thick cables to bear the weight of the payload. The reinforced wings are equipped with six engines, and in order to counteract the torque effect of the three engines on one wing, the propellers of the three engines on the other side rotate counterclockwise. The aircraft uses a fixed 8-wheel landing gear. An air fairing was added to the upper part and pneumatic brakes were added to the rear wheels to allow the aerial monster to come to a stop on the 200-metre runway. …,

Normally, the Me323 is staffed by five operators – two pilots, two flight engineers and one radio operator, with the option of bringing two additional gunners in wartime. The flight engineer's seat is in a small cabin on the wings, between the inside and the central engine, so that the engineer can observe the condition of the six engines during flight at any time, so that the pilot can concentrate on the flight (the pilot can still overtake the engineer and directly control the operation of the engine and propeller). Compared to its predecessor, the Me321, the carrying capacity of the Me323 has been reduced by 10 to 12 tons. This is the price that must be paid in order for it to fly on its own. Despite the six engines, the liquid take-off and landing booster rockets designed by Dr. Walker are often used in combination, which are mounted underneath the outboard engines. In total, it can accommodate 4 groups of rockets. The cargo compartment of the ME323 is 11 meters long and 3 meters wide, and can carry two 3.6-ton trucks, 8,700 loaves of bread, an 88-mm anti-aircraft gun and accessories, 52 barrels of fuel, 130 passengers or 60 stretchers. With the exception of a few modifications from the Me321, most of the Me323 was produced from the ground up, with the early production using a two-bladed wooden propeller, which was later replaced by a three-bladed all-metal variable-pitch propeller. The Me323 is designed to be sturdy enough to withstand a large amount of enemy fire unless it is fueled, but due to its large size and slow flight speed, it can be said to be the best target. Another problem is that its range is too short, usually only 1,000 to 1,200 kilometers under load. Despite this, the Me323 is a valuable air freight asset in Germany and is heavily used.

Looking at the water stains on the table, Lynn was distracted for a moment. Neither in the Nordic period nor in the current GDR era did he take this relatively successful heavy transport aircraft into account. However, the French combat operations in Vietnam have a very different nature and characteristics, and the Me323, which is durable and can fly under its own power, obviously has advantages that the United States and Britain cannot match with heavy gliders and large transport aircraft, but its manufacturing process is more complicated, and the technical drawings are also strictly kept secret, and it is not difficult to understand that the French only have engines and cannot replicate this "prehistoric giant bird".

"We'll provide the engine, and you'll take care of the rest, how?" Schumann took the initiative to suggest.

Lynn thought about it, with the current strength of France, the Indo-China War would only last longer than history, which meant that the actual need for heavy transport aircraft in the French army was not as great as the appetite of the leaders, and the laborious rebuilding of the Me-323 may end up with only a few dozen aircraft produced. On the balance, Lynn said: "There is a considerable cost to getting this aircraft back into production, and Your Excellency the Prime Minister has indeed made up your mind?" ”

"What? Does His Excellency the President feel that confidence is low, or is it impossible to do so with Germany's current strength? Schumann asked lukewarmly.

Lynn shook his head: "The development prospects of heavy transport aircraft are unforeseeable by short-sighted people, if you are not determined and give up halfway, you will only waste everyone's efforts in vain and become a laughing stock for future generations." ”

Schumann silently added another column of numbers next to the already blurred water stain: 200.

During the entire World War II, the Germans only produced 201 planes, and the French actually asked for 200 planes in one go. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly passes, and your support is my biggest motivation. )

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