5 – Preparation for Victory (1)
Schloss Sanssouci, Potsdam, German Empire.
The German Empire had entered into a state of war with four countries. Although the scale was smaller than the previous world war, it was still worthy of the title “World War.”
The problem was that Germany’s allies were of little use except when facing small countries like Serbia or Montenegro.
Therefore, it was necessary to maximize the efficiency of the German army, the main force of the allies.
I had summoned the newly appointed military officials to the palace and discussed the new organization that would be implemented sequentially throughout the army from October 1914. Everyone present here was an important figure who would grow into the backbone of the German army.
Oscar von Hutier, the creator of the infiltration tactics, “Lion of Defense” Fritz von Lossberg. The father of the German defense force, Hans von Seeckt. With their skills and foresight, I believed that they would refine the new organization that had been thrown out like a cloud.
I wanted to change the traditional German infantry division, which consisted of two infantry corps under two infantry divisions, into a triangular organization with four infantry divisions under two infantry corps.
There were some ambiguities in the deployment of divisions, with three divisions placed in the front and one division kept in reserve.
Above all, the division required too many personnel. The current infantry division required nearly 20,000 troops to be fully staffed.
Considering the nature of the “World War,” which would consume a massive number of lives, it was necessary to adjust the size of the divisions that consumed excessive human resources.
“The organization Your Majesty desires is similar to the division organization experimented by our Ottoman military advisory group. We also tried applying this concept to the Ottoman Army during the Balkan Wars, but the results were not satisfactory.”
As the project implies, the German military had been testing the concept of triangular organization for a long time. At that time, the Ottoman infantry divisions, which had implemented a new organization, had shown remarkable performance in the Balkan Wars, and the triangular organization had been judged unsuitable for the battlefield.
However, when the situation changes, so does the conclusion. Maintaining a rectangular organization in a situation where there is a shortage of personnel in a major war is fundamentally unreasonable.
After extensive discussions with the senior officers, a standardized triangular organization was established in the last session starting from 1915. The new infantry divisions abolished the higher-level units called brigades and adopted a simplified structure consisting of three infantry regiments and one artillery regiment.
“The new divisions will eliminate unnecessary brigades, shorten the decision cycle, and increase response speed.”
The forward-thinking officers highly evaluated the advantages that the new organization would bring. The decision cycle refers to the time it takes for a commander’s decision to be made and reflected on the actual battlefield. The fact that the triangular organization, which lacked an intermediate level like the brigade, was more advantageous than the rectangular organization was also a reason.
Since World War II, it has been proven on the battlefield that the side with a faster response to variables wins. The German armed forces, which dominated Europe in the early stages of World War II, thoroughly demonstrated this fact. At that time, the German armed forces shortened the decision cycle and efficiently used time compared to the Allied forces by using radios and a mission-oriented command system, and defeated the enemy in just six weeks. In contrast, the Allied forces, due to outdated communication and slow decision-making, prolonged the decision cycle endlessly and suffered defeat despite having superior forces.
However, the new organization with a shortened decision cycle was not without its weaknesses.
“We must compensate for the weakness of reducing the infantry size as the divisions have become smaller in the new organization. The possession of machine guns needs to be increased, and this is the biggest problem.”
As Rossberg said seriously, even now, the German army had the world’s strongest infantry firepower.
The number of machine guns per battalion was three times that of a British infantry battalion and was unmatched by France or Russia.
The organization plan gradually took shape through several discussions.
The finalized plan was sent to the military authorities for review and to consider applying the new organization to the new divisions and report the results.
“Your Majesty, General Höffner has arrived.”
The awaited successor to the Army Air Corps had arrived.
In modern countries, this would be an unimaginable story, but in the German Empire of 1914, they did not have an air force.
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“What do you mean by having airplanes and pilots?”
Officially, the German Empire’s air corps was part of the army.
Except for the Ottoman Empire among the major countries in the world at the time, any organization that could be called an air force was all operating under the army air corps. It was not uncommon for airplanes to be used for mail delivery or reconnaissance missions during peacetime.
It was impossible to change this perception overnight.
I had no intention of creating an “Air Force” right away.
After all, the current aircraft could only support the Army’s operations and nothing more.
But that didn’t mean I wanted to subordinate the Air Corps to the Army.
“It’s just a formality to keep them under the Army, but in reality, they should be raised as an independent group to make it easier to transition into an Air Force.”
The role model I had in mind was the US Army Air Corps during World War II. The US Army Air Corps was only nominally part of the Army; from budgeting to personnel and operations, they operated completely separately from the Army. If I wanted to get involved in anything related to war without stimulating the warlike nature, this was the best way to develop an Air Force.
As I entered the meeting room, the officer who had been waiting for me politely greeted me. Ernst Wilhelm von Hauffner, born in 1860, was an elite cavalry officer who had spent most of his military career in the cavalry. He had received high evaluations within the German military, having completed the General Staff Course, which was only allowed for a few officers, and had been granted a rank by the Kaiser.
However, in the trench-filled First World War, there wasn’t much that an exceptional cavalry officer could do.
“I apologize for making you wait, General.”
“Soldiers are accustomed to waiting.”
Hauffner said without showing any expression. He had the appearance of a stoic Prussian cavalry officer.
After I offered Hauffner a seat, I brought up the matter.
“We will discuss the warlike nature and the future, but we need someone to take charge of the Imperial Air Corps. I am considering you for that position.”
Hauffner looked puzzled.
For someone who had built his career in the cavalry, the Army Air Corps was not particularly appealing. The Imperial Air Corps, which was treated as a communication unit in the battlefield, was incomparable to the stable career path of the elite cavalry unit. My suggestion would have sounded like telling him to give up the elite path and go down to the slums.
So I provided an explanation.
“Until now, the Imperial Air Corps has been regarded as a means of reconnaissance and communication for the Army. But that will change. A new era is approaching where we will compete for the development of new aircraft to dominate the sky and prevent enemy aerial activities. I don’t want Germany to be left behind in that trend.”
“Your Majesty believes that an important battle will take place in the sky?”
Hauffner asked, visibly intrigued.
“More than that. If a giant airship or nimble airplane starts dropping bombs on cities, what can we use to counter them? The Army? The Navy’s battleships? Only airplanes. Fighter planes equipped with machine guns!”
Hauffner’s expression had changed, apparently interested in the story.
Jim wants to develop and maintain airplanes for aerial combat, and he wants to train and cultivate pilots who can control them, many times more than now. He also wants to properly organize ground personnel, bases, and logistical support to ensure stable operations. All of this requires people. People like you, Kyeong.
Kyeong seemed deeply impressed by those words.
He stood up from his seat and bowed his head.
“As a soldier, how could I refuse your command when you, Your Majesty, need me? I consider it an honor to serve in the Imperial Army Air Force. Please trust me.”
“Official procedures are still pending, but from this moment on, I consider Jim as the Commander of the Imperial Army Air Force. You shall be responsible for the Empire’s skies.”
“Thank you for entrusting me with such a great duty, Your Majesty.”
When I handed him the insignia of a lieutenant colonel, Kyeong was taken aback.
I had planned to promote Kyeong to a higher rank.
“He is the Chief of the Air Force, so he should wear the insignia of a general.”
Didn’t the Commander of the United States Army Air Corps also wear the insignia of a general? There was nothing Germany couldn’t do.
Inspired by the unexpected promotion, Kyeong resolved to prepare his own plan for cultivating the Air Force based on the conversation we had.
“I have already begun preparing to be the first to be ready to fight in the sky. The enemies of Germany who have sided with Russia and France will soon learn what it means to lose control of the sky.”
But even if they controlled the airspace, Germany could not lead the country to victory. The fledgling German Army Air Force couldn’t accomplish what even the U.S. Air Force couldn’t do during the Vietnam War.
So, I needed to hold more cards in my hand.
I started by giving all the pilots in Kyeong’s Air Force officer ranks to strengthen his Air Force. Granting officer ranks to pilots had become common practice since World War II, so this was a measure that was 20 years ahead of its time.
And I changed the branch of the Imperial Air Force from “Communications” to “Aviation”.
I couldn’t expect perceptions to change overnight, but it was necessary to quickly elevate the status of the Air Force, which was seen as nothing more than a postal delivery or reconnaissance service.
Before the talent was drained away by the draft, I needed to make them interested in becoming pilots.
“We also need advertisements for the Air Force.”
“Is this an advertisement?”
I showed them the finished draft.
“Do you want to fight for the German Empire? If so, an excellent battlefield awaits you. The gentlemen’s dignified and formal dueling field in the sky! The Imperial Air Force is looking for individuals with the potential to become knights of the sky. Enlist now!”
Above the densely written text, there were also illustrations to stimulate the readers. I was confident that the emotionally charged drawings, ahead of their time, would receive a positive response.
“Is this the recruitment advertisement conceived by Your Majesty?”
I had plagiarized the propaganda posters I had seen from the British in the previous game without permission. And pretending that it was my own creation, I even put a steel plate on my face. The courtiers who didn’t know this couldn’t hide their surprise at the fact that Kaiser had an interest in popular culture.
I also instructed them to prepare a stamp design that included airplanes flying in the sky.
Stamp issuance was a fairly effective means of inducing national interest, as it was something that Germany routinely did while conducting naval exercises.
“The Imperial Family must set an example for the Empire.”
I demanded that all children and relatives, except for the aristocrats on the front lines, contribute to the establishment of the “Aviation Association.” They followed the order issued by the head of the Hohenkoller family without any objections.
The key figures of the royal family called for the establishment of an “Aviation Association” similar to the Fleet Association, and made contact with social figures.
“Until today, we believed that Germany’s survival depended on the sea. But if the Empire wants to win, it must dominate the sky. The one who rules the vast airspace will soon rule the world!”
This was the beginning of what is known as the construction movement of the air force.
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1) The German army does not have a colonel, but a two-star general.