Conquering the world from the Kaiser's driver

Lin Shangzhou called Bode up to look at the map with him and figure out how to explain his war plan to the military.

.

Chapter 280 Alfred's Design

At 11:15 am on May 5, the platform of Essen train station was filled with social reporters, government officials, and people from Krupp Arsenal who were eagerly waiting to see the Chancellor.

At the front of the crowd stood the mayor of Essen. Next to the mayor stood a middle-aged man, the leader of Krupp Company, Gustav Krupp. He stood on the platform with a serious face, looking along the railroad tracks into the distance where only the railroad tracks could be seen.

Standing behind Gustav was a young man, he was Gustav's son, Alfred Krupp. The young man had the same serious expression on his father's face. They both attached great importance to the arrival of the prime minister.

Five minutes later, people on the platform heard the rumbling noise of the train and the "woooo" sound of the whistle. Hearing the sign that the train was about to arrive, people cheered up and prepared to welcome the prime minister.

A few minutes later, the train stopped, the carriage was opened, and a young soldier in gray military uniform walked out of the carriage. Behind him was the prime minister with an oriental face - Lin Shangzhou.

Seeing the Chancellor walk out of the carriage, the reporters couldn't wait to pick up their cameras to take pictures. The mayor of Essen greeted him with a smile, and Gustav followed behind him.

Seeing the mayor coming over, Lin Shangzhou also smiled faintly and exchanged a few words with the mayor. Then, without waiting for the mayor to introduce himself, Gustav extended his hand to Lin Shangzhou and said to the young man in front of him in a slightly enthusiastic voice: "Hello, Mr. Prime Minister, I am honored that you came to Essen to inspect our arsenal. I am Gustov Krupp, the chairman of Krupp Company. The one next to me is my son, Alfred. You can call me Gustav."

Gustav's attitude surprised Lin Shangzhou a little, but it was understandable. After all, the Krupp family and the Hohenzollern family had a close relationship, and he himself had a good relationship with the German Emperor.

"Hello, Chairman Gustav."

Lin Shangzhou stretched out his hand and shook the right hand of the square-faced old man in front of him. After greeting Gustav, Lin Shangzhou looked at Alfred behind Gustav. The young man, who was only a few years older than him, looked at him calmly and introduced himself very politely.

After Alfred finished his introduction, the mayor of Essen came forward and said that the Krupp family had prepared an itinerary for Lin Shangzhou's arrival, and the next step was to go to the Krupp family's mansion for lunch.

Lin Shangzhou nodded and said, "Let's set off now without further delay."

Afterwards, Lin Shangzhou and Bode got on the Krupp family's car and headed for their family mansion. On the way to the Krupp mansion, what Lin Shangzhou himself did not expect was that the person riding in the car with him was not the mayor of Essen, nor the leader of the Krupp family, Gustav, but Gustav's son Alfred.

The young man obviously did not expect that his father would arrange for him to ride in the same car with the prime minister. He seemed a little restrained from the moment he got in the car.

Alfred looked out the window to relieve the tension in his heart. He was not afraid of Lin Shangzhou's identity or him as a person. There was only one reason why he didn't talk to Lin Shangzhou - he didn't know what to talk about.

He knew nothing about the young prime minister, so he had no idea about his preferences, so he naturally had no way to start a conversation. If he insisted on having an awkward conversation and left a bad impression on the prime minister, it would be better for him to not say anything.

Lin Shangzhou looked at the young man of the same age beside him and planned the next questions to ask. He was not clear about the specific research situation on tanks in the Krupp factory. If Alfred knew something, it would be more convenient for the inspection in the afternoon.

"Can I just call you Alfred?"

Lin Shangzhou spoke first to Alfred, who felt much more relieved after hearing this. Since it was the prime minister who brought up the topic, there would most likely be no awkward conversation.

"Mr. Prime Minister, of course."

In the next few minutes, Lin Shangzhou chatted with Alfred about some simple daily things. Through the chat, he learned that Alfred was 26 years old. Since they were of the same age, the two became familiar with each other in just a few minutes.

After they became familiar with each other, Lin Shangzhou said to Alfred: "Alfred, you said you are working in your design bureau now, so can you tell me what tanks Krupp is currently manufacturing and designing?"

Hearing this question, Alfred was delighted. He himself had participated in the design of tanks and was very familiar with it. At this moment, he suddenly realized why his father arranged for him to ride in the same car with the prime minister. The prime minister's inquiry about tanks showed that he was interested in tanks. He could explain this to him, which would help him to get along well with the prime minister.

Alfred nodded vigorously and said, "Of course, Mr. Prime Minister."

In the next few minutes, he told Lin Shangzhou about the current tank design situation in Krupp Equipment Design Bureau. However, Alfred's story made Lin Shangzhou feel gloomy.

As he expected, the tank designs in the Krupp Design Bureau tended to be infantry-assisted types, but he was also relieved that most of those designs were on paper and only one was built and partially mass-produced, which was the model he saw at the Berlin garrison yesterday.

Lin Shangzhou looked out the window, thinking about what Alfred had just said. Although he felt relieved that those not-so-suitable tank designs were just designs, he also found something wrong in this matter. It was normal to have so many drawings, but it was a bit strange that there were almost no experimental vehicles.

Alfred, who was beside him, looked at Lin Shangzhou and thought of his own design, so he said to him tentatively: "Mr. Prime Minister, some colleagues in the design bureau and I designed a tank that is completely different from those designs, but due to funding reasons, we did not continue..."

Hearing Alfred's words, Lin Shangzhou's eyes immediately lit up. This tank was completely different from those designs. This meant that Alfred's design was a tank with better maneuverability and more suitable for mobile warfare. If this was the case, then he had really found a treasure. As for funding, that was not a problem. If Krupp did not allocate funds for him to design, he would pay for them to design it.

He quickly turned back to face Alfred, who then said the second half of the sentence.

"Are you... interested in learning more?"

There was a bit of expectation and worry in his eyes when he looked at Lin Shangzhou. Alfred hoped very much that the young prime minister in front of him would be interested in the design of himself and his colleagues, because in this way he would have the opportunity to obtain funding to continue his design. At the same time, he was also worried that Lin Shangzhou would not be very interested after listening to his explanation.

"of course."

Lin Shangzhou smiled and nodded vigorously. After getting his permission, Alfrey said, "Two years ago, my colleagues and I designed a tank that fits his armored force combat concept with the help of former Prime Minister Albert."

(Albert?)

Hearing this name, Lin Shangzhou felt a little strange in his heart. It was expected that Albert would help Alfred, but in Lin Shangzhou's view, everything Albert had done in the nearly ten years of being in power seemed to be paving the way for himself.

Germany's economy flourished during his administration, he solved the federal issues, and he resigned when he was about to compete with him for the position of chancellor. Now he has paved the way for himself in terms of tank equipment.

"The tank we designed is called the Panzer IV. Its armor is weaker than that of current tanks, but its main gun caliber is the same as that of current tanks, which is 75 mm. Its maximum speed can reach 40 to 45 kilometers per hour. In addition to the 75 mm main gun, we also designed a lightweight version equipped with a 50 mm gun..."

After listening to Alfred's words, Lin Shangzhou was in a very happy mood. Although Alfred was talking about the data in the drawings, if there were drawings, it could be made, and if it could be made, it could be mass-produced. If Germany had fully developed the Type 1932 tank in 1934, then according to the national strength of the German Empire, it would only take one or two years for the Type tank to be equipped and put into service, and the time would be around .

The production of Germany's main Panzer IV in 1934 would certainly not have increased during non-war times, but production was not a problem. The key was that if the Panzer IV was used in 34, the German zoo could have opened earlier.

The excellent performance of the Zoo and the powerful national strength of the German Empire will give Germany an advantage in armored power that cannot be matched by Britain, France and Russia.

"At that time, we also tried to manufacture an experimental model of the Panzer IV, but my father stopped the project halfway through because such a tank did not meet the needs of the army. It is still in the factory warehouse now."

Alfred's tone was full of regret and loss. He and his colleagues really wanted to complete the manufacturing of the unfinished Type 4 tank and send it for a test drive, but his father's disapproval forced him to give up the idea.

Looking at the lost Alfred, Lin Shangzhou smiled slightly, patted his shoulder and said, "Are you interested in showing me your design drawings and semi-finished tanks? I am very interested in your design."

Lin Shangzhou's words made Alfred's eyes light up, and the disappointment and regret in his heart were instantly swept away, replaced by excitement and excitement. He was so excited that he almost jumped up, wondering whether he should ask Lin Shangzhou if this was true, but then he thought it was unnecessary. After all, as the prime minister of a country, he would not lie about such a thing, right?

"After visiting the arsenal this afternoon, you can take me to see your design drawings and semi-finished tanks. If your design satisfies me, I will convince your father to let you continue with this project. Let's talk about it this afternoon."

Alfred nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. He couldn't wait to let Lin Shangzhou see the design drawings and the semi-finished tank.

.

Chapter 281 Half Number Four

No matter how much they talked in the car, it was not as good as seeing with their own eyes the half-broken No. 4 parked in the warehouse of the Krupp factory. Lin Shangzhou and Alfred seemed to have achieved a unity of mind at this moment. Lin Shangzhou did not continue to ask about the half-broken No. 4, and Alfred did not bring it up again.

More than 20 minutes later, Lin Shangzhou spent the most serious lunch time in Krupp's mansion. Gustav and Alfred, father and son, enjoyed the lunch in silence and seriousness. There was almost no interaction between the father and son. In the whole restaurant, besides the sound of the waiter walking back and forth, there was only the sound of knives and forks scraping against plates and chewing food.

This was a dining scene that Lin Shangzhou had never experienced before. As a guest, he naturally ate his lunch in silence, following the host's wishes.

Half an hour later, Gustav and Alfred took Lin Shangzhou to Krupp's arsenal. Naturally, the municipal officials of Essen also followed them, but they all knew that the chancellor's focus was on armaments and they were just a foil.

After arriving at the Krupp Arsenal, Gustav first took Lin Shangzhou to visit the factory's weapons production line. Inside the factory, Lin Shangzhou looked at the workers working hard on the assembly line, and next to him was Alfred who was explaining to him.

After Alfred finished talking about one thing, Lin Shangzhou asked Gustav who was standing on the other side of his body: "Chairman Gustav, how are the workers in the Krupp factory treated? Does it meet the standards set by the state?"

After saying that, Lin Shangzhou looked into Gustav's eyes, waiting for his answer. Others had different reactions after hearing this question. Bode hoped that Lin Shangzhou would not do anything fancy, while the rest of the officials were guessing the prime minister's intentions. Although this question was within their expectations and they had prepared countermeasures, and Gustav would not seek trouble for himself, the officials were still a little nervous.

It was anyone's guess what this young left-wing socialist would do.

After a second of symbolic thinking, Gustav nodded and replied: "Of course, Mr. Prime Minister, the Krupp factory implements the national standards to the end."

He then explained to Lin Shangzhou the treatment of workers in the Krupp factory, which was generally good. Lin Shangzhou pulled a worker aside to ask about the situation, and after getting an answer consistent with what Gustav said, he expressed satisfaction and appreciation on the surface.

But Lin Shangzhou had no idea what was actually going on. Krupp was a family with connections in politics and military. It was not a small factory that he could control at will. In the future, he would need Krupp's help to promote the development of German weapons and equipment.

In other words, even if the actual treatment of Krupp factory workers is lower than the average, Lin Shangzhou will make the necessary trade-offs.

Of course, Lin Shangzhou believed that no one would seek trouble.

After visiting the production line, Gustav took Lin Shangzhou to the design bureau inside the factory. Inside the design bureau, Lin Shangzhou saw Krupp's most outstanding artillery design.

He wanted to make some suggestions on these design plans, but since he had not yet held a military meeting, he thought that without the military's approval, even if he, a person who had never been exposed to military equipment, made some suggestions, they would probably not be adopted by Krupp.

So Lin Shangzhou just looked at the design drawings and listened to the designer's explanation. More than an hour later, he was led by Alfred to the abandoned warehouse where the "Half-No. 4" was stored.

A group of people came to the front door of the warehouse and faced this long-abandoned warehouse. The accompanying staff were pushing the door open. Gustav looked at the warehouse door that was gradually opened, thinking about something in his heart. After a few seconds, he turned his head to look at his son, and a barely noticeable arc appeared at the corner of his mouth, but in an instant, the barely perceptible smile disappeared, and no one noticed Gustav's change.

Alfred felt the gaze from his father, but his heart was becoming more and more excited as the warehouse door opened. In his eyes, what was going to happen next was the only chance for him and his companions' design to see the light of day again, and he was determined to seize this opportunity.

If Alfred knew what Lin Shangzhou was thinking, even if Gustav and a group of government officials were around him, he would probably still dance with joy without caring about his image.

Lin Shangzhou was also looking forward to seeing the "Half-No. 4" next, and no matter whether the "Half-No. 4" in the warehouse could satisfy him, Lin Shangzhou would ask Gustav to let Alfred continue with the plan, and the design and development of this "No. 4 tank" must go on no matter what.

Without matching tanks, there will be no victory in the military exercise. If we cannot win the exercise, we will not be able to gain recognition from the military, and the future will be much more difficult.

Soon, the warehouse door was completely opened by the accompanying staff, and Lin Shangzhou also saw the so-called "Half-No. 4".

In the center of the warehouse, facing the main door, there was a square object covered with green cloth. Just by looking at it, Lin Shangzhou could tell that the object beneath the green cloth was "Half Number Four."

"Alfred, that one in the middle is the unfinished Panzer IV, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Prime Minister."

Alfred nodded, took the first step and walked in front, leading everyone towards the half of No. 4.

Coming to the half of No. 4, Alfred reached out and grabbed a corner of the green cloth, then forcefully pulled off the green cloth covering the half of No. 4's body. As the obstruction disappeared, the half of No. 4 finally revealed its true appearance.

The moment he saw this half of number four, Lin Shangzhou's mood became cheerful.

The half of the Type 4 tank in front of him only had the hull but no turret. This hull was roughly the same as the Type 4 tank in his memory of OTL. Although it had no turret, this was enough.

"Mr. Prime Minister, this is the unfinished Panzer IV. Its turret and some parts have not been manufactured for some reason, so now there is only this body."

Alfred suppressed his excitement and introduced this half of No. 4 to Lin Shangzhou. Gustav's expression changed slightly when he heard his son call this cold lump of iron "she". It was obvious that he was dissatisfied with his son calling Tank like that.

Lin Shangzhou walked forward, stroked the cold steel body of the tank and said, "It's okay, it's a small matter, we can just rebuild it and install it in the future."

As soon as these words came out, Alfred tried his best to suppress the joy in his heart. This sentence showed that the prime minister was very satisfied with the plan of himself and his companions, and he couldn't wait to tell his companions the good news.

In the next few minutes, Lin Shangzhou learned more detailed information about the Panzer IV from Alfred. After learning this information, Lin Shangzhou said to Alfred: "Alfred, can I make some suggestions about the Panzer IV?"

Lin Shangzhou couldn't make suggestions about Krupp's artillery because Krupp might not listen to him. But if he made suggestions about the Panzer IV tank, he believed that Alfred would definitely accept or even adopt them.

"Okay, go ahead."

Alfred nodded repeatedly and quickly took out a small notebook and pen from his pocket to prepare for taking notes. No matter how outrageous Lin Shangzhou's suggestions were, he would not have any opinion at all, and he did not dare to have any opinion at all.

Lin Shangzhou put his hand on the upper armor of the half-cut Panzer IV and said to Alfred: "I hope you can design a hull with inclined armor for the Panzer IV."

"Tilted armor?"

Alfred was stunned for a moment, with some confusion in his eyes. Seeing him like this, Lin Shangzhou wanted to explain to him why he wanted to design the tilted armor, but before he could open his mouth, Alfred nodded vigorously and said, "Okay, I will discuss the design with my colleagues."

Such a reaction surprised Lin Shangzhou, but he didn't care too much. After thinking about it, he continued, "Please also design a more powerful main gun for the Type 4 tank."

"Yes, Mr. Prime Minister."

Alfred still nodded without hesitation.

After saying these two points, Lin Shangzhou couldn't think of anything else he could suggest. He didn't know much about tanks. Sloped armor was necessary. The excellence of sloped armor could be seen from the fact that it was widely used on tanks after World War II.

And artillery is a must. In Alfred's design, the main gun used in the Panzer IV is the same as the early Panzer IV in OTL, which is a short 75mm gun. In the future, with the development of experiments and exercises, Alfred will definitely design a stronger artillery for the Panzer IV tank. But it doesn't matter if this matter is brought up earlier. Anyway, the long 75mm gun will be installed sooner or later, and early installation can free up more time for the next tank.

Afterwards, Lin Shangzhou did not raise any more opinions, and his trip to the arsenal came to an end.

The political officials left after returning to Krupp's mansion. Lin Shangzhou and Bode moved into Krupp's mansion under Gustav's arrangement and will take the train back to Berlin tomorrow morning.

After dinner, Lin Shangzhou took Bode for a stroll in the front yard of the mansion. When they were about to return to the mansion, he met Gustav. To be exact, Gustav was waiting for him here.

After the two exchanged greetings, Gustav invited Lin Shangzhou to take a walk in the garden. Lin Shangzhou gladly accepted. During the walk, he mentioned Alfred's design. Gustav agreed to let Alfred restart the plan, but subsequent development would have to wait until results were achieved.

Lin Shangzhou had no objection to this.

At noon the next day, Lin Shangzhou and Bode took the train back to Berlin. The next thing Lin Shangzhou had to do was to prepare for the upcoming military meeting.

.