by gerald hall
Perhaps you can covey this counter-proposal to Government House? I am willing to work with our military as well as those of our allies. But my financial and manufacturing resources do have limits unfortunately.”
“Of course, Mister Cavill. After all, we are all seeking the same goals.” Colonel Bailey replied with a sort of slimy smile before shaking Harold’s hand and leaving.
Harold just wanted to wash his hands after dealing with the officer from Government House. As far as Harold was concerned, Colonel Bailey was just another bureaucrat wearing a uniform. Harold hated bureaucrats with a passion, both in the 20th and the 21st century. The agendas of bureaucrats were frequently not necessarily in the best interest of the people that they served.
One thing that Harold had not told Colonel Bailey was that he had already sold the license to build several of Harold’s armored vehicle designs to the Americans, including the latest medium tank design. Of course, the Americans would insist on incorporating their own guns into the tanks and even the self-propelled artillery pieces, while the vehicles built for the Commonwealth would be armed with the new seventeen-pounder tank gun. But at least General Patton and his American Tiger volunteers would very soon be equipped with vehicles that we a match to anything that the Germans could field short of the Tiger Mark VI.
Chapter Seventeen:
Japanese Imperial Navy Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
May 4, 1943.
Kapitän zur See Werner Kruptmann had spent the better part of two months aboard the Type IXD2 U-Boat, U-178. Fortunately, his Japanese hosts had provided the German naval officer with sufficient facilities to get cleaned up before meeting with the Commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
“Admiral Yamamoto will see you now, Kapitan Kruptmann.” An English-speaking Japanese officer wearing captain’s insignia told Captain Kruptmann.
Both Yamamoto and Captain Kruptmann were fluent in English. The admiral had served as a naval attaché in Washington, D.C. while the captain had spent time studying in England between the wars. Since English was the language that both officers had in common, this is what they spoke during their meeting.
“We are honored by your visit, Kapitan Kruptman. Can you help us increase our ability to strike at our enemies? After all, we share a common set of foes, don’t we?” Admiral Yamamoto asked.
“I believe that we can, Herr Admiral. We have our own projects to project power beyond our waters in an unconventional manner, of course.” Captain Kruptmann said. What he was referring to was the project to have a U-Boat tow an encapsulated V-2 rocket underwater to within range of an strategic target like a city or naval base. The canister would then be ballasted to a vertical position and the rocket fired to its target.
“However, your large aircraft-carrying submarines that we recently learned about offer another possibility for the application of one of pieces of new technology.” Captain Kruptmann noted.
“We are eager to learn all that we can from our German allies.” Admiral Yamamoto replied as he looked intently upon the German naval officer. He had complete confidence still in the fighting ability of the Japanese sailor to defeat his adversary under the proper circumstances.
“We have drawings, photos and other technical information on our new jet engines available for you. We have also brought with us the latest information from the Abwehr on the Allies’ newest weapons.”
“What about these new ‘vengeance’ weapons of yours? Do you have technical information on them with you?” Admiral Yamamoto asked through his interpreter.
“We do have technical information on the engine used by our V-1 missile that we are prepared to share with you. It could be useful to you in a number of wars, I’m sure. As I mentioned a few minutes ago, your large submarines could be very potent launch platforms for weapons derived from our V-1’s, I believe.”
“So you think that we could transport and launch your V-1 missiles from our submarines in place of the aircraft that they normally carry?”
“Yes, Admiral. Based on the information that we already know about your aircraft-carrying submarines, I believe that you can. The combination will give you options to attack enemy ground targets that will not expose your precious aircraft carriers or battleships to destruction.”
Eventually, the conversation moved to more operational matters.
“What are you planning on doing next, Admiral Yamamoto? We understand that while the Americans have been stalled in their operations against you, the Englanders and their allies in the Far East have proven to be far more difficult to deal with.”
“We are in the process of launching a new operation against the French and British forces. We underestimated them during our attempt to invade Australia. But we will not do so again. We have already successfully landed forces into the northern half of Borneo. When we eliminate the British and French capital ships, we will finally be able to attack their bases more directly.
I’m sure that you will be very pleased when we succeed in the operation. That will force the British to devote more of their naval forces to the Pacific. This will open up many possibilities in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean for Germany and Italy, will it not?”
“Yes, it will. It will also allow Japan to cut off the supply of weapons to the Chinese resistance, I’m sure. However, we need for Japan to do something else as well as compensation for the technology that we are providing you.”
“What do you need?”
“We need for you to attack the western Soviet Union as soon as possible.”
“That will mean violating our Nonaggression Pact with Moscow.”
“Yes. But you signed that pact because the Soviet Union defeated you on the battlefield earlier at Khalkhyn Gol. Now, many of those Red Army troops are now facing the Wehrmacht. You will be able to redeem your honor with a victory against your Russian enemies once again.”
“This will also take some pressure off of your troops as well, will it not?”
“Of course. But the ultimate goal is for both of us to defeat the Bolshevik’s. The Americans are paralyzed right now and offer no real threat to you. The vast mineral resources of Siberia and Mongolia are desperately needed by Japan. Now is the time for you to attack.”
Of course, the Germans didn’t really care if the Japanese succeeded. All they needed to do was make Stalin hesitate in some of his troop movements from the Siberian Military District to face the Wehrmacht near Moscow. If the peace overtures with the English were successful, then the Japanese would be left to face the Americans and their allies alone. Germany’s Axis alliance with Japan was a marriage of convenience, not of common philosophy. The German High Command had already decided that the Japanese would be expendable when necessary. By abandoning the Japanese to fight alone, Germany could secure their victory and rebuild in peace because making peace with the Americans would be relatively easy.
“We will certainly consider your request. Now, may we continue our discussion about technology transfers and intelligence on enemy weapons? Admiral Yamamoto politely asked with a smile that hid his anxiety over the German request.
That day’s meeting lasted another several hours with the Germans briefing the Japanese on the new German weapons. The Japanese, in turn, briefed the Germans on what they had learned from Japanese radio intercepts of Allied transmissions. The Japanese also inquired about Russian weapons, especially since the Germans had considerable experience now facing them.
After Captain Kruptmann left at the end of that day’s meetings, Admiral Yamamoto spoke more plainly to his fellow Japanese about what he thought Japan should do.
“I would argue against taking any action against the Soviet Union regardless of what our allies want. However, I fear that General Tojo may not be nearly as prudent as I am about these things. My guess however is that even he will not give the Germans exactly what they want either. It may be much easier for us to conduct a small ground operation and focus on a much larger aerial st
rike against the Russians instead. That is certainly what I would advise for him to do. We simply cannot move enough troops towards Mongolia without weakening our campaigns elsewhere or being noticed by one of the foreign intelligence services.
I still believe that our aircraft are certainly superior over the Russian aircraft that we know are deployed near Mongolia. But we will have to step up surveillance flights in the area to ensure that we have accurate intelligence on Russian military dispositions before we begin offensive operations against them.”
“You are worried about these Sturmovik attack planes that the Russians have been plaguing the Germans with, aren’t you?”
“I am. But if the Russians try to use them against us, we will have to find a counter to them, one way or another.”
Over the course of the next week of meetings with Captain Kruptmann, Admiral Yamamoto and his technical experts poured over the photos, blueprints and documents that the Kriegsmarine officer had brought with him. By the time that Captain Kruptmann was ready to return back to Germany, the Japanese had already started to formulate their own ideas for adapting V-1 technology for use with large fleet of aircraft-carrying submarines.
Japanese Imperial Navy Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
July 1, 1943
Captain Kruptmann had left over a month earlier onboard the U-Boat that he came to Japan in, but the technical information that he provided during his visit was quickly assimilated by Japanese scientists and engineers. Admiral Yamamoto came to meet with some of the Imperial Navy’s scientists to learn what was being developed. Several different scientists who were also officers in the Imperial Japanese Navy presented a variety of new and improved weapons. Most of the items that were presented to Admiral Yamamoto were improved or kamikaze versions of existing weapons. But Captain Omo Kinugara had something far different to show the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet.
“Taishō, we had originally considered using an aircraft based on the German Fiesler Fi-103R as a new strike weapon to be launched from our submarines. That was the manned version of their V-1. However, the controllability of the craft was questionable, especially for an inexperienced pilot.
The overall concept was still valid, particularly with the use of the pulse jet to propel the weapon. We decided to design and construct a completely new weapon. This weapon was called the Baika which means ‘Plum Blossom’.”
Captain Kinugara then showed Yamamoto a series of design drawings of the Baika before continuing.
“Originally, this was designed to be launched from land bases against enemy ships. So the Baika was first fitted with conventional landing gear. But with the idea in mind of using the Baika as a submarine-launched or even a ship-launched weapon, we created a modified design that did away with the landing gear. This allowed us to increase the internal fuel capacity for longer range and marginally increase the size of the warhead. A single Baika can sink a transport or do very heavy damage to a warship.”
“Very good. How many of these weapons can be carried aboard an aircraft-carrying submarine?” Yamamoto quickly asked.
“For most of our submarines, one Baika replaces one scout plane. However, for the new I-400 class, the three Aichi M6A1 Seiran strike aircraft are replaced by four Baika weapons.”
“So Ka. That would give the I-400 a significant strike capability, wouldn’t it?”
“Hai. The extended range of the Baika should also improve the survivability of the launching submarine which must surface in order to fire the missile. That will allow the submarine to fire from a distance, far from enemy defenses.”
“Can the Baika also be fired from a surface ship?”
“Hai. All that is needed is a catapult or rocket-assisted ramp carriage that can accelerate the weapon to sufficient speed.”
Admiral Yamamoto paused for a few moments before replying.
“Very good. Continue with your work on the Baika. We will need a final design very soon. Obviously, we need a weapon like this in production as quickly as possible. We cannot assume that we will be able to defeat our enemies with conventional ships and aircraft any longer.”
The admiral then left the room to continue his series of meetings that day. The war was still not going nearly as well as Minister Tojo and his allies had confidently predicted two years earlier. But Admiral Yamamoto was determined to do his duty to fight for his people, regardless of the price. His honor demanded no less of him.
The next meeting was of extraordinary importance to not only Admiral Yamamoto, but to the entire Imperial military leadership. The final plans for what was to be the decisive battle against the Allies in the southwest Pacific were to be finalized today.
Unlike the earlier attack upon the Derby area, this battle was meant to draw out the Allied fleet and air forces to destroy them once and for all. To accomplish this, the Imperial Combined Fleet was to employ all of its available big gun ships in addition to four fleet aircraft carriers, three smaller aircraft carriers plus dozens of lighter warships.
The battleships Yamato, Musashi and Haruna could not join the battle because they were still undergoing repairs from earlier US and Coalition submarine attacks. This left the battleships Nagato, Mutsu, Kirishima and Kongo to form the battle line. On paper, they were still far more powerful than the Allied capital ship force. Like the earlier attack, the Japanese capital ships were split into two separate groups. One would be the bait. The other force with Nagato and Mutsu would be the executioner. Or at least, this is what the Japanese thought.
Port of Haiphong
French Indochina
August 1, 1943
Harold had traveled to Haiphong at the invitation of the Free French government there to inaugurate the opening of a new factory there for the production of some of Harold’s vehicle designs. The atmosphere at Haiphong was already very jubilant with the news of a French ocean liner arriving with over fourteen-hundred spouses and children from Vichy France. The families of many of the French sailors had been given permission to travel to French Indochina to be with the men, in spite of the fact that the sailors were still fighting against the Axis.
In fact, Harold’s Cavalier had flown over the huge French ocean liner Île de France on its way into Haiphong harbor before landing at the nearby seaplane port. Hundreds of French women were on the decks waving at Harold’s seaplane as it flew over. The Cavalier was so close that Harold could see the smiles on the women’s faces.
After the Cavalier landed and taxied up to the dock, Harold got out along with forty other passengers. He was met by a pair of French military officers as he walked from the seaplane. One of the officers was a French Navy lieutenant while the older man wore the uniform of a French Army Colonel.
“Monsieur, we have been told that someone from Île de France wants to see you on a matter of some importance. He is traveling under diplomatic privilege.” Colonel Francois Mureau explained.
“Who is he?”
“We are not at liberty to say. All that we know is that he is responsible for arranging for these families to be reunited with their husbands. I must also mention that he is also German.”
Harold raised his eyebrows at the mention of a German diplomat having made such an effort to meet with him. The Vichy government would have never allowed the families of sailors that they considered renegades to be reunited unless the Germans encouraged or at least permitted it. What did the Germans want? Harold also wondered what any of this unusual activity had to do with him?
The three men walked over to a small hotel not far from where the French liner was now docked. Harold and the two French officers went inside. The French had apparently rented one of the rooms ahead of time because when Harold and the others went inside, it already had some fresh food and wine waiting on a table.
“Would you please remain here with Lieutenant Gaspar, Monsieur? I will return here shortly with our other distinguished guest. Please feel free to have something to eat and drink. I’m that you are quite hungry an
d thirsty after your flight here.”
“Merci, Colonel.” Harold said with a smile.
After about thirty minutes, Harold looked out the front door of the hotel room to see Colonel Mureau walking up with a tall man in his mid-thirties. The tall distinguished looking man in a dark formal business suit walking next to Colonel Mureau towards Harold seemed strangely familiar. The German diplomat smiled and waved when he saw Harold. Obviously, he knew who Harold was. Finally, recognized who the German diplomat was. It was the man that Harold had spoken with in Paris just before the war, Werner von Braun’s older brother Sigismund.
“Good afternoon, Herr Cavill. It has been several years since we met previously. I trust that you and your family have been doing well? You have a wife named Dorothy, three daughters and a son now, correct?” Sigismund politely asked in accented but very understandable English. The German diplomat had been briefed about Harold and his family by Abwehr operatives prior to boarding the French ocean liner.
“You are very well informed, Ambassador von Braun.”
“Oh, while I do still serve the Deutschland in its diplomatic service, I do not hold the post of Ambassador. I am merely a secretary to the ambassador in Addis Ababa.”
“That is quite a change from working in Paris, I’m sure.”
“Jawohr. It most certainly is. Unfortunately, it is the price to be paid when you have a disagreement with a senior official from the National Socialist Party.” Sigismund wryly noted.