Chapter 10

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May 11, around 7:00 AM

Near Magdeburg, Osterwieck

The war did not change his work. He was a farmer whose family had been farming for generations, and he was 63 years old this year.

His farm, like many others, had been affected by recent mechanization and efficiency improvements, introducing agricultural tractors and small aircraft for pesticide spraying, significantly increasing production.

Nevertheless, he set out in his tractor to tend to the fields as he did every day.

A railway ran a short distance from his fields, and he could often see trains carrying large amounts of cargo passing by.

About 30 minutes after arriving at the field, he heard the sound of a locomotive coming from the direction of Berlin.

He stopped his work and looked towards the tracks. Soon, a steam locomotive, characteristic of its hissing sound, appeared.

The locomotive was pulling a large number of covered and open freight cars. He was taken aback by what he saw.

Many soldiers were sticking their heads out of the windows, and the open freight cars were loaded with various vehicles such as tanks, armored cars, and self-propelled artillery, with many soldiers also riding on them. When they noticed the old man in the field, they all waved at him.

Some of them, perhaps with permission from their superiors, were waving regimental flags. The flag depicted a black eagle and a crown.

He had seen this flag once a year at the military parade held in Berlin, when he took his grandson to see it.

This flag was based on the coat of arms of the House of Hohenzollern and was introduced at the parade as the emblem of the elite German Imperial Army unit that guarded the emperor.

"Guard Division..."

He muttered softly.

The old man had heard that the war situation was not favorable. The German government, not openly admitting the initial defeat—though specific casualties were not disclosed—was also launching campaigns to promote national unity, the purchase of war bonds, and the recruitment of women to factories to secure labor.

While he was thinking this, the train passed by. Within 30 minutes, another locomotive pulling freight cars came from the direction of Berlin.

This train also carried a large number of soldiers from the Guard Division.

"...Soldiers are gathering from the east to the west. Germany has not yet engaged the enemy in battle."

The old man's words faded into the May sky. His words were indeed correct.

One day after the start of the war, the German army had recovered from the chaos. The deployment of the Guard Corps to the front lines was approved without opposition, and the necessary preparations for the movement of the units were made without rest, with the movement beginning at dawn the next day.

The Guard Corps and the 1st Panzer Corps were combined into the Western Panzer Group, and General Werner's brother, General Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt, was promoted to Field Marshal and took command of the group. General Ewald von Kleist was appointed as the new commander of the Guard Corps, and General Paul Hausser remained as the commander of the 1st Panzer Corps.

Additionally, Colonel Erich von Manstein was appointed as one of the staff officers under Field Marshal Rundstedt as planned.

The movement was not over.

The Army Public Relations Department announced that, as of 7:00 AM, 18 hours after the start of the war, they were in the process of forming about 10 divisions of active and reserve troops. The Air Force Public Relations Department announced that more than 600 front-line aircraft were gathering in the western sector, and the Navy Public Relations Department announced that the Baltic Sea Fleet based in Danzig and the North Sea Fleet based in Kiel had set sail.

While the Army and Air Force were a given, the Navy's main force, the High Seas Fleet, was trapped in Wilhelmshaven port along with three remaining Bayern-class battleships, 11 cruisers, and 28 destroyers. Urgent preparations were being made to salvage the Bayern and block the locks.

Fortunately, the North Sea Fleet had two Helgoland-class battleships, a cheaper version of the Bayern-class, equipped with 15-inch guns, providing a considerable naval striking force. However, the Baltic Sea Fleet, with three cruisers—light cruisers in the historical context, as the London Naval Treaty had not been signed in this world—and 10 destroyers, was more of a coastal defense fleet.

The German military, in announcing the current situation, naturally expected it to be detected by the French Army. However, the German Army, which had not had any success since the start of the war, needed to boost the morale of the people. Even if detected, it was thought that the French Army would be unable to do anything about it.

Two infantry divisions from the Western Army Group had already begun deploying along the Rhine connecting Essen, Koblenz, and Saarbrücken. They received armored vehicles directly from the Krupp factory in Essen. Of course, they could move and fire their guns, but they were not ready for combat. Therefore, these new armored vehicles were mainly used as cover and mobile pillboxes. It was a wasteful use, but since armored vehicles like tanks could be replenished, it was not a problem.

Around 8:40 AM, Lower Saxony, Wittmundhaven Air Base

Colonel Grau, the base commander, was flipping through the roster of the air group stationed at the base in a temporary command post. Since last night, aircraft had been arriving one after another at Wittmundhaven, and the base had recovered its strength to 256 fighters, 84 single-engine bombers, 32 twin-engine bombers, and 64 four-engine bombers.

The Air Force General Staff had decided to unify this largest base in the west with new aircraft, and all of these were new models. All the fighters had been converted to the new type, but this was due to the pilots' unanimous request. Among them, about 70 pilots were at 60% to 70% of their training, but the commander of this fighter group approved it. They were generally trained in squadrons, but the fighters were different. The commander of the air group lobbied for the latest and most advanced aircraft, and Werner, knowing his historical performance, lobbied the higher-ups and made it happen.

The reason for gathering the new aircraft at this base, far from France and near Wilhelmshaven, was to avoid French air raids as much as possible. For the German Air Force, the new aircraft at Wittmundhaven were invaluable counterattack forces.

Colonel Grau stretched and relaxed his stiff body. He was tired, but it was a pleasant kind of tired. Most of all, a staff officer dispatched from the Air Force General Staff just 20 minutes ago had explained the counterattack plan to "grab the heart of the French."

The operation was named "Waterloo," derived from the ancient battlefield where Napoleon was defeated, and it was a plan to "grab the heart of the French."

"I was surprised that French fighters and bombers could make a round trip here."

Colonel Grau's words echoed the thoughts of many in the Air Force. The nearest French Air Force base to the German-French border was the Reims Air Base. The one-way distance from there to here was about 680 km, and the round trip was nearly 1,400 km, but the discovery of what appeared to be drop tanks from the French Air Force suggested that they had the capability to invade to this extent, which was not so surprising.

In any case, the German Air Force had to operate not only in Germany but also in the vast African continent, Manchuria, and the Pacific. In Africa and Manchuria, there was still a good chance of survival even if they made an emergency landing, but in the Pacific, they had to fly over the sea, and the chances of survival after an emergency landing were almost non-existent.

Therefore, the German Air Force explored methods for single-engine fighters to fly long distances, allowing for larger aircraft with large fuel tanks and the use of drop tanks. Of course, Werner's lobbying was significant, and anti-aircraft fighters were, of course, an exception.

At that moment, the air raid sirens blared, signaling an incoming attack. Simultaneously, the speakers announced the scale, direction, and speed of the enemy aircraft.

"It seems the French are not fools, but our early warning network worked this time."

Many radar stations and observation posts were set up from the western border to the inland areas. They communicated with each other by radio to determine the targets and approach directions of enemy aircraft. At the start of the war, due to negligence and communication errors, they were ineffective, and ultimately, the French Army's invasion created gaps. However, by setting up temporary stations further inland, they managed to maintain their functionality.

Incidentally, there was a movement to introduce anti-aircraft radar, jointly developed by Siemens, Telefunken, and Hülsmeier, thanks to Werner's efforts.

"Good."

Werner Molders, a lieutenant, muttered and licked his lips. He had just graduated from the Air Force Academy but had shown outstanding flying skills and was already entrusted with the command of a flight.

He was grateful to be in combat so soon but also felt anxious about it. His aircraft, officially named JF13 Falke by the Air Force, was a single-engine fighter, the third in the series. The name "Falke" (Falcon) was given by RFR, and its internal name was different.

It was the Messerschmitt Me109, a creation of Willy Messerschmitt, influenced by Kurt Tank, Edgar Schmued, the Wright brothers, and Anton Fokker.

"Someone said well that it's a flying heavy cavalry."

Molders said this, followed the guidance, and moved his aircraft from the parking area to the runway. His turn came soon, and he skillfully maneuvered the black-painted aircraft, starting the takeoff run. Soon, his JF13 soared into the sky.

As he said, this Me109, or JF13, was completely different from its historical counterpart.

In the historical world, Dr. Messerschmitt's concept was to fit the most powerful engine into the smallest possible airframe, but in this world, it was different. His concept was to fit a powerful engine and pursue a robust, easy-to-handle airframe.

To accommodate the powerful engine, he ensured the necessary volume and then stripped away the excess, a design philosophy that prioritized the engine. As a result, it was more like the F4F or P47, with a stout, barrel-like shape, far from the sleek appearance of the historical Me109.

It was equipped with a Daimler-Benz DB601 engine, a V12 liquid-cooled engine with 1,100 horsepower and a fuel injection system. The pointed nose, characteristic of liquid-cooled engines, remained, but the rest was stout and bullet-like. As a result, its maneuverability was poor, and the DB engine, being a conventional V-type, was not suitable for mounting a motor cannon, which was a weakness compared to the historical Me109.

However, there were compensations that far outweighed these drawbacks. The thorough reduction of internal components and modularization simplified production and maintenance. Large fuel tanks with armor plating and rubber were installed in various parts of the aircraft, and the cockpit was equipped with a teardrop-shaped canopy for better visibility. The landing gear was designed to be strong and easy to take off and land, even on rough terrain.

The main armament consisted of four 13mm machine guns mounted in the wings. The wings were extremely robust. The 13mm machine guns, manufactured by Rheinmetall, were not the historical MG131 but the Browning M2. Rheinmetall, in competition with other companies like Krupp, Mauser, and Walther, discovered the 12.7mm machine gun developed by John Browning and obtained a license to produce it. They also developed an explosive round that the original 12.7mm lacked. After various tests, it was adopted as the MG13, a 13mm machine gun, by the German Army in 1920. Due to its excellence, it was also used by the Navy and Air Force.

Molders, followed by the aircraft of his flight, headed west and began to climb. Compared to the outdated JF12, the climb performance of the JF13 was incomparable. Other JF13 fighters were also taking off one after another, and soon the sky above Wittmundhaven was filled with over 100 German Air Force aircraft.

"From the control tower to all aircraft. The enemy formation is flying towards us at an altitude of about 2,000 meters. The number of enemy aircraft is approximately 100, all single-engine. Prepare for the welcome party."

Even without the instructions from the control tower, all the fighters were already preparing for the welcome party.

"Ascend to 4,000 meters. Let's teach the French our manners."

Following the instructions from the squadron leader, Molders climbed higher. He glanced to the side and found what he expected.

There was Adolf Galland, a lieutenant and flight leader, who was one year older than him.

Their eyes met. Galland switched off his radio and mouthed something.

"Can you keep up...?" "You try to keep up!"

"Captain, it's all audible." "We won't lose to Galland's squadron."

These words reflected the resolve of Molders' squadron. It was not a hostile sentiment but a pure rivalry.

"Sorry to interrupt, Lieutenant Molders."

Molders and his entire squadron were startled. The speaker was none other than Colonel Manfred von Richthofen, who had rushed from Berlin and, despite his position as the commander of the fighter group, was participating as a pilot.

"Who are we?"

In response to the question, Molders immediately answered.

"We are the Lutzow. Guardians of Germany's skies."

"Until we fall."

"Vanquishing all who dare to attack."

"Wishing to be the Black Devils."

These were the mottos of the fighter group led by Richthofen. The fighter group he commanded was the 22nd Fighter Group "Lutzow." The most distinctive feature of this group was that their aircraft were painted black, and the nose was adorned with a beautiful silver-haired Valkyrie. This was made possible by Richthofen's flamboyant personality—originally, he wanted to paint all the aircraft red, but the entire group opposed it—and Werner's support.

"Very good, Lieutenant Molders. We will now, under the protection of the Valkyrie, strike down the French, who are blessed by Joan of Arc. Do not let your guard down, do not break formation, and consider the death of your comrades as your own. That's all."

With that, the communication ended. In the silence that followed, Molders looked down to search for enemy aircraft.

One minute, two minutes passed, and Molders spotted small black dots mixed in with the landscape to his right below. There were countless dots, and they did not seem to be natural.

"Enemy aircraft spotted! To the right below!"

As he shouted into the radio, instructions came from Richthofen.

"All aircraft, dive! Follow the training!"

Molders instinctively manipulated the throttle and foot pedals, entering a dive. He glanced back slightly and saw that the aircraft of his flight were following closely, as if tied together by a string.

Molders returned his gaze forward and focused on the approaching enemy aircraft. The speedometer already exceeded 600 km/h and was approaching 700 km/h.

Before he could recall the model of the enemy aircraft, he pressed the machine gun firing button on the throttle lever. Immediately, a torrent of 13mm machine gun bullets from the wings engulfed the enemy aircraft. The enemy aircraft, hit by the barrage of bullets, was riddled with holes like a sewing machine.

As Molders passed under the enemy aircraft, several dull explosions echoed from behind. He performed a roll and climb, as trained—none of his flight were missing—and observed the results.

"That's impressive."

Galland's voice was heard. Molders couldn't help but whistle.

Their field of vision was filled with enemy aircraft either smoking and falling or leaving black smoke trails from explosions.

"All units, prepare for a second attack. Understand, this is your first air combat. No one is allowed to die or be shot down. Attack in flights!"