Part 122, Chapter 2055
Chapter Two Thousand Fifty-Five
8th April 1971
Cuxhaven
The reformation of the 4th Marine Infantry Division which had been deactivated following the end of the Second World War was not without controversy. They would be joining the 3rd MID as one of the primary expeditionary forces of the German Empire, while the 1st MID deployed in the Baltic and the 2nd MID would remain a Landwehr Unit in Schleswig-Holstein. With the tempo of operations actually increasing in the Pacific and this latest crisis in South America, there was actually some question as to whether or not the current Corps would be enough. Regardless, the days of them having to make do with the Heer’s castoffs was firmly over. Tilo didn’t care if he had to dig up the festering corpse of the idea that the Marines had to do everything on the cheap with second-hand equipment and drive a stake through its heart in front of a meeting of the High Command, it was something he would be perfectly happy to do.
The 4th was the direct result of issues that Tilo had identified a few years earlier over conversations Prince Louis Ferdinand Junior who had been a part of the KM’s General Staff in Kiel at the time. It had started with talk about the obsolescent and improvised nature of the Marine Infantry’s fire support elements and how they were essentially a Corps composed entirely of Light Infantry in an era when Composite Divisions were clearly superior. Tilo had structured the 4th MID along the lines of one of Heer’s Panzer Divisions with allowances made for the amphibious nature of the Marine Divisions. The fact that he had done this with the full support of the Kaiserliche Marine wasn’t lost on anyone as Tilo had placed the 3rd and 4th MIDs to be first in line for the acquisition of Leopard II Panzers. He had also poached whatever talent he could from the Heer. Like always there were those who sought greener pastures or else were looking for some real action after having sat in garrison for ages.
Then there was the idea that Albrecht von Richthofen had floated as an addition to the relatively small and absurdly named so as to not be confused with the far larger Fleet Command Marine Amphibious Aviation Command. The British designed Kestrel Fighter-Bombers that Junkers AG was already gearing up to produce for the Fleet Air Command. Again, this would put the Marine Infantry at the front of the line. Reier had told Tilo that elbowing their way to the front of the line was the way that the Marines had always had to do things, otherwise they didn’t get shit. Of course, the new fighter-bomber was unorthodox and composed of several unproven technologies, so the Navy was more than happy to give it to the Marines. It was always nice to have a scapegoat when things didn’t work out as planned.
“The airplane is exactly as the Brits advertised” Albrecht said, “Far more than adequate for the mission you have in mind.”
“I figured that it would be” Tilo said. Mostly because of the evaluation of a slightly different version of the same plane that had been flown by Junkers AG several months earlier. Of course, Albrecht wasn’t aware of that little detail unless Erich Hartmann had told him.
“The timetable you are suggesting is ambitious” Albrecht said to Tilo as soon as he got him on the phone after his return to England. “It suggests that you think everything is going to go perfectly.”
Due to an odd confluence of events, Tilo had been placed in command of Allied Forces in the upcoming operations in South America. He was learning that it took considerable effort to get the Commanders within the other Service Branches to come around to his way of thinking. This was especially true when they were trying to protect their various fiefdoms.
“We have a lot more wiggle room than you realize” Tilo replied as he looked out the window of his office, slightly disgusted that he even had an office with a window to look out of.
“How?” Albrecht asked, “The British only have a few production models and I doubt they will play nice at this time.”
“Production models that were only built with our money and technology” Tilo calmly replied, he had spoken with Reier after Albrecht had left for England a few days earlier about how Albrecht would react to their situation. Predictably was the conclusion. Albrecht had always been one to play by the rules, everything done by the book. It was just as well that he was a Naval Officer because he never would have survived in the Marine Infantry. Albrecht would have tolerated the British dragging their heels and making excuses about for the endless delays. Tilo had looked for alternative that better suited matters on this side of the English Channel.
“Tell your Attack Squadrons that they will be taking deliveries of new planes soon, within a few months” Tilo continued, “After my men get first whack, of course.”
“I don’t see how with no planes” Albrecht replied, “The British…”
“Don’t have the only production line” Tilo finished, “Now that their airplane has made its public debut, things will get a lot easier for us.”
“Wait, what?” Albrecht asked, “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Just tell your people to be ready” Tilo said.
Albrecht had a reputation for keeping a cool head in a crisis and for being able to solve problems quickly. Tilo wished that he had shown that in this circumstance. If he had, he probably would have given Junkers AG the go-ahead ages before Tilo had.
8th April 1971
Cuxhaven
The reformation of the 4th Marine Infantry Division which had been deactivated following the end of the Second World War was not without controversy. They would be joining the 3rd MID as one of the primary expeditionary forces of the German Empire, while the 1st MID deployed in the Baltic and the 2nd MID would remain a Landwehr Unit in Schleswig-Holstein. With the tempo of operations actually increasing in the Pacific and this latest crisis in South America, there was actually some question as to whether or not the current Corps would be enough. Regardless, the days of them having to make do with the Heer’s castoffs was firmly over. Tilo didn’t care if he had to dig up the festering corpse of the idea that the Marines had to do everything on the cheap with second-hand equipment and drive a stake through its heart in front of a meeting of the High Command, it was something he would be perfectly happy to do.
The 4th was the direct result of issues that Tilo had identified a few years earlier over conversations Prince Louis Ferdinand Junior who had been a part of the KM’s General Staff in Kiel at the time. It had started with talk about the obsolescent and improvised nature of the Marine Infantry’s fire support elements and how they were essentially a Corps composed entirely of Light Infantry in an era when Composite Divisions were clearly superior. Tilo had structured the 4th MID along the lines of one of Heer’s Panzer Divisions with allowances made for the amphibious nature of the Marine Divisions. The fact that he had done this with the full support of the Kaiserliche Marine wasn’t lost on anyone as Tilo had placed the 3rd and 4th MIDs to be first in line for the acquisition of Leopard II Panzers. He had also poached whatever talent he could from the Heer. Like always there were those who sought greener pastures or else were looking for some real action after having sat in garrison for ages.
Then there was the idea that Albrecht von Richthofen had floated as an addition to the relatively small and absurdly named so as to not be confused with the far larger Fleet Command Marine Amphibious Aviation Command. The British designed Kestrel Fighter-Bombers that Junkers AG was already gearing up to produce for the Fleet Air Command. Again, this would put the Marine Infantry at the front of the line. Reier had told Tilo that elbowing their way to the front of the line was the way that the Marines had always had to do things, otherwise they didn’t get shit. Of course, the new fighter-bomber was unorthodox and composed of several unproven technologies, so the Navy was more than happy to give it to the Marines. It was always nice to have a scapegoat when things didn’t work out as planned.
“The airplane is exactly as the Brits advertised” Albrecht said, “Far more than adequate for the mission you have in mind.”
“I figured that it would be” Tilo said. Mostly because of the evaluation of a slightly different version of the same plane that had been flown by Junkers AG several months earlier. Of course, Albrecht wasn’t aware of that little detail unless Erich Hartmann had told him.
“The timetable you are suggesting is ambitious” Albrecht said to Tilo as soon as he got him on the phone after his return to England. “It suggests that you think everything is going to go perfectly.”
Due to an odd confluence of events, Tilo had been placed in command of Allied Forces in the upcoming operations in South America. He was learning that it took considerable effort to get the Commanders within the other Service Branches to come around to his way of thinking. This was especially true when they were trying to protect their various fiefdoms.
“We have a lot more wiggle room than you realize” Tilo replied as he looked out the window of his office, slightly disgusted that he even had an office with a window to look out of.
“How?” Albrecht asked, “The British only have a few production models and I doubt they will play nice at this time.”
“Production models that were only built with our money and technology” Tilo calmly replied, he had spoken with Reier after Albrecht had left for England a few days earlier about how Albrecht would react to their situation. Predictably was the conclusion. Albrecht had always been one to play by the rules, everything done by the book. It was just as well that he was a Naval Officer because he never would have survived in the Marine Infantry. Albrecht would have tolerated the British dragging their heels and making excuses about for the endless delays. Tilo had looked for alternative that better suited matters on this side of the English Channel.
“Tell your Attack Squadrons that they will be taking deliveries of new planes soon, within a few months” Tilo continued, “After my men get first whack, of course.”
“I don’t see how with no planes” Albrecht replied, “The British…”
“Don’t have the only production line” Tilo finished, “Now that their airplane has made its public debut, things will get a lot easier for us.”
“Wait, what?” Albrecht asked, “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Just tell your people to be ready” Tilo said.
Albrecht had a reputation for keeping a cool head in a crisis and for being able to solve problems quickly. Tilo wished that he had shown that in this circumstance. If he had, he probably would have given Junkers AG the go-ahead ages before Tilo had.
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