The design for this new ship is also very ingenious. The Americans had the right idea when they built those two light scout carriers. Since those ships retained forward turrets as hybrids, they decided to give their flight deck a slight angle so the guns would have clear arcs of fire. As Brandenburg already had its Anton turret fully installed, I suggested that we simply leave it in place, and then use that marvelous wide beam on the ship to create a second angled flight deck. It looks to be progressing very well, heavily camouflaged under all that netting so the British can’t see it from above. This opens up some new possibilities for carrier operations that not even the Japanese have thought of yet.
Yes, all the Japanese, and American carriers as well, have one long straight flight deck. The British build their carriers this way as well. So when they operate, they can only do one thing at a time, either recover or launch planes, but not both. That will not be the case with Brandenburg. That angled flight deck will allow us to recover aircraft even while we launch, and I am insisting on steam assisted catapults, four of them. Two will be mounted at the end of that angled deck, and another two on the bow of the ship. That big 16-inch turret will be flanked by a pair of fighters, always ready for takeoff.
At the moment, I can put 42 planes at sea aboard Peter Strasser in the north, another 40 on the Prinz Heinrich, and 12 on the Goeben. When I get Brandenburg, I can double that, and if we manage to convert Seydiltz and commission that ship as the Wesser, then I get 20 more. The DeGrasse conversion looks to be too far off to contemplate. But those other four ships will give me over 200 planes if I concentrate the carriers like the Japanese. That is real naval air power. That is how the Japanese and Americans operate, and we can do the same… that is, if I can keep Goering’s fat hands off the planes earmarked for naval assignments. He’s likely to demand control of the carriers personally! He has it in his mind that anything with wings belongs to him, and any place those planes are based comes under his thumb. Well, I must be very firm, but also very cautious.
Hitler told me to discontinue the Oldenburg, and I have obeyed that order. But wait until the Fuhrer’s birthday next year. Wait until I invite him to stroll with me on the deck of the Brandenburg. I am risking my entire career on this.
Part III
In for a Penny
“In for a Penny, in for a Pound.”
Chapter 7
MacArthur had barely escaped from the Philippines, spared what would have been an ironic death at the end of a Standard Missile 2 designed by his own countrymen. Captain Harada refused to allow any operation to ambush the American General, in spite of the urgings of his executive officer Fukada.
“Why are you so squeamish?” Fukada had protested. “We’re committed here. You know that as well as I do. Taking out MacArthur would be a real blow to American operations.”
“Possibly,” said Harada. “You could see it that way, and I know you may have a sour belly because of what happened to your family during the occupation. Losing your great uncle like that was hard.”
“Don’t bring that into it,” said Fukada. “This is simply a matter of strategy now. Why not get the primary mover on the other side? They took out Yamamoto, and didn’t bat an eyelash at that.”
“Because we don’t know who we might get in MacArthur’s place. Taking him down is going to create a big hole in this history, and we both know that nature abhors a vacuum. Something has to fill that void, and that will be entirely unforeseen, a real wildcard in the deck. What you have to realize is that our missiles will only take us so far in this. But the knowledge we have about how this war plays out is perhaps the greatest advantage. Take out MacArthur and everything could unwind. He’s the devil we know, likely to influence events in a fairly predictable manner. Don’t you see? We can read MacArthur like a book—literally. We know what they pushed for, what they decided, and that’s real power. Suppose they send someone like Patton over here? He’d be completely unpredictable?”
“That’s ridiculous…. But I do see your point. Yes, Big Mac is the devil we know, I’ll grant you that. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him sail into Tokyo Bay on the Missouri and rub our noses in those surrender documents.
“That’s a long way off, if it ever happens at all,” said Harada. “The whole point of our being here is to see that it doesn’t have to come to that. But what I’m trying to say is that we can’t see the real ends of any intervention we might make here. You act as though we’re riding this war like a horse, all nicely tethered and amenable to our every command. Yet we both know it’s a pretty wild steed, and things could easily get out of control. Everything we do here will have some consequence. For one thing, what if our presence here becomes widely known? Can you imagine the effect that would have?”
“Who’d believe it?” Fukada shook his head. “Hell, we can still barely believe it ourselves. No, my bet is that we’ll remain a secret weapons project, a prototype, to anyone outside the very limited circle of those who know the real truth. There’s practically no chance any real knowledge of our presence here would become generally known. People simply would not believe something that fantastic.”
“Let’s hope you’re right, but you see my point, don’t you? We don’t belong here. That’s the simplest way I can put it. Everything we do will be an anomaly, an insult to the history, and we have no way of knowing what dominoes will fall because of our actions.”
“The damn Russians don’t seem to be worrying much about it. They put Hiryu down and then roughed up Mutsu and Chikuma without all this hand wringing.”
Harada took a deep breath, thinking about that. “That may end up being our real aim here—the Russians. You’re right about one thing. This Karpov fellow seems to have no qualms about using his missiles, or any consequences arising from that. If we go north, then we’re going to end up butting heads with that man and his ship. Mark my words.”
“So MacArthur gets a pass here?”
“I just can’t do what you’re asking XO. Call me stupid, but there’s something wrong about bushwhacking him with a hot missile, in spite of what the Americans did to Yamamoto. But I’ll give you this much, we’ll even the score by making sure the Admiral doesn’t meet his appointed rendezvous with those P-38s. After all, we need him if this crazy plan of ours is to have any chance of succeeding.”
Fukada had to settle for that, but he made one last argument. “Look Captain… Alright, fair is fair, and if MacArthur gets a pass, then we save Yamamoto. I’ll go with that. But the time is coming, and very soon, when that Admiral is going to want to see just what this ship can really do. I’ll tell you one thing—the Emperor will not accept a negotiated peace if it involves major concessions, and Tojo will fight it tooth and nail. Our plan is crazy, though I’ll still support you all the way on this. But you’d better get your decks cleared and ready for action here. It’s coming.”