I asked you to escape, but you became a soldier in World War II

Chapter 74 Powerful American Military Industry

When Lin Chen reported the latest news to Moscow through the Soviet Embassy, ​​Moscow quickly called back, "Be patient, we will communicate!"

Now that he had the latest instructions, Lin Chen made up his mind. He moved into the high-end apartment in San Francisco provided for him by the US military.

Without the shackles of the black suitcase, he can finally enjoy his vacation happily.

On the streets of San Francisco, he felt the city's great vitality for the first time. Various anti-war cartoons were posted all over the streets. People were busy and consciously engaged in various production activities. There were recruitment advertisements everywhere on the streets, and young men in military uniforms were walking on the streets in high spirits.

This country is so modernized that horse-drawn carriages are rarely seen anymore. Private cars and buses travel through the streets. Trams are rare in other countries and regions, but they can be seen everywhere here.

The skyscrapers rising from the ground made Lin Chen feel as if he was in another world. The economic prosperity here had obviously surpassed that of most cities in the Soviet Union.

After obtaining consent from the US side, Lin Chen, accompanied by Deputy Commander Steve's adjutant, also visited the US military's arsenal, tank and shipbuilding plants.

Of course, he could only take a quick look from a distance, and the core secrets would definitely not be opened to him.

At the arsenal, he saw what large-scale assembly line production operations were. An M1 Garand rifle could be assembled from a semi-finished product into a brand new finished product through assembly line operations in just a few minutes, and then packaged and shipped to the front line.

Each cannon, with its barrel formed by high-temperature stamping and various spare parts assembled, is finally neatly arranged on the open ground.

In addition, there were a large number of Sherman tanks, parked in two rows on both sides of the road.

The adjutant humorously said that they were not short of production capacity, but what they lacked most were skilled tank drivers who could drive these tanks onto freighters and then successfully reach the various fronts of World War II.

"In this way, wouldn't it be able to greatly solve the employment problem?" Lin Chen raised his own question.

"Yes, the unemployment rate here was quite high before. With the outbreak of the war, every factory needs people, and even many housewives have gone into the factories. The unemployment rate has reached a historic low!" The adjutant said with pride.

Lin Chen felt extremely sad. On the one hand, he was fighting desperately, while on the other hand, he was making a fortune from the war. Who could he explain this to?
At the shipbuilding factory, Lin Chen happened to see two escort aircraft carriers being launched at the same time. This major launching event, which should have been held with a ceremony, seemed ordinary here because the launchings were too frequent, with several ships launched almost every day. How could there be time for a ceremony?
According to the adjutant, the ships they launched the fastest were the merchant ships that were in great demand in Europe. The "dumpling-like" construction speed completely made up for the huge losses caused by the German U-boat "wolf pack" tactics.

"What is the difference between this escort aircraft carrier and an ordinary aircraft carrier?" Lin Chen was very curious.

"The biggest feature of escort aircraft carriers is that they are small. They usually have a flat flight deck, and the island-style superstructure is much smaller than that of conventional aircraft carriers." The adjutant did not avoid Lin Chen's questions. As long as it did not involve military secrets, he could tell everything. "Unlike light aircraft carriers, which are converted from combat ships, escort aircraft carriers are generally converted from large merchant ships, so they are smaller aircraft carriers and are mainly used to escort merchant ships. They are usually deployed in front of the transport fleet, using carrier-based aircraft to scout and attack submarines, or guide surface ships to attack. In addition to escorting, escort aircraft carriers often serve as transport ships. Because the deck is completely flat, it is much easier to transport goods and has a greater capacity."

When Lin Chen heard this, he could not help but imagine the scene of the escort aircraft carrier attacking the German "wolf pack" in the North Atlantic Ocean. If the carrier aircraft had joined, the loss of the German submarines would have been much greater. So in the future, there would be a saying that "World War II was won bit by bit by the powerful military industry of the United States."

Seeing the many B-24 bombers loaded on the ship, Lin Chen's eyes lit up. This type of bomber became the main force in bombing Germany during World War II. Germany's military industry was destroyed mainly because of it.

"These planes are to be shipped to the UK. The UK is now forming more and more strategic bombing forces to carry out strategic bombing on the German mainland. As long as Germany's military industry is severely damaged, their combat effectiveness on the front battlefield will be greatly affected, and the war will naturally end soon."

"What about Japan? Don't they need these bombers in the Pacific?"

"Ha, Mr. Lin, you know a lot. The maximum bomb-carrying range of the B-24 bomber is only more than 3000 kilometers. It is not very useful in the vast Pacific battlefield, but in Europe it can take off from the UK and bomb most German cities." The adjutant whispered to Lin Chen, "We are now developing a more powerful and longer-range strategic bomber. Once it is put into actual combat, Germany and Japan will suffer!"

Lin Chen understood that he was talking about the B29 Super Fortress bomber. However, this type of aircraft was put into actual combat at the end of World War II, and the main target of bombing was the Japanese mainland. This is a story for later.

After visiting San Francisco for two days, Lin Chen was deeply touched, but what made him most excited was that General Steve made an appointment to meet with him again.

"Mr. Lin, we have prepared the relevant materials according to the previous agreement. According to the agreement, we will provide the Soviet Union with a large amount of aviation aluminum to help them build fighter jets and bombers, as well as tanks, trucks and other materials that the Soviet Union urgently needs. These can help the Soviet army greatly improve its battlefield mobility." General Steve said very generously and handed Lin Chen a list of materials.

Lin Chen took a quick look and asked, "Excuse me, how can I get back?"

"As for the issue of going back, we suggest that you take a large transport fleet to the Soviet Union. Of course, we will send a powerful escort fleet, including an escort aircraft carrier, so safety will not be a problem." Steve was full of confidence.

"We originally considered sending you back with a B-24 bomber, which would be faster and more efficient, but we are currently short of pilots, and the escort fighters don't have enough range, so it would be dangerous on the way."

Lin Chen knew that what General Steve said was by no means alarmist. If the B-24 did not carry bombs, its range was enough to return to the Soviet Union, but the escorting fighters could not fly such a long distance. If there were no escort fighters, it might be intercepted by the Japanese Air Force along the way, which would be very troublesome.

"Thank you very much for your arrangement. When should I leave?" Since the return plan has been decided, he naturally wants to go back early so that he can catch the upcoming Battle of Kursk!

(End of this chapter)