German Red Prince

Page 145

While this may seem ruthless, an army without discipline is unacceptable. Of course, military judges, with such great power, must also be restrained.

The duties of military judges are only to ensure the morale of the troops and handle soldiers' problems. They cannot directly interfere with command, but can only make suggestions. Everyone has their own expertise, and professional matters should be left to professionals.

During the Soviet era, before the outbreak of the Soviet-German War, the fact that political officers had the final say in halting military operations gradually became a stumbling block for military commanders.

For most of its history, the Soviet Union employed a system of one-man leadership, with military adjutants responsible for political work. However, when a political commissar was appointed, he had the final say. This was especially true in the early days of the Red Army, when most of the military commanders were not Bolsheviks, and the political commissar essentially acted as a supervisor.

The political commissar is indeed adept at ideological work, but when it comes to working on military strategy, he is clearly not as good as the commander. Allowing the political commissar to interfere excessively in command is a very wrong decision.

If we intervene arbitrarily, we will not only fail to gain support within the military, but we may also incur many unnecessary sacrifices in the war.

Therefore, Thorne also referenced the Chinese political commissar model. Although the Chinese political commissar model was learned from the Soviet Union, there are still some differences.

After the establishment of political commissars, the Soviet Union adopted a dual-command system, where the army commander and political commissar had equal status and command authority, which resulted in a very bloated command system.

The political commissars of the Soviet Army caused some degree of command confusion. When they disagreed with the corps commanders, they were prone to deadlock, which slowed down decision-making efficiency. Moreover, during wartime, political commissars often had more power than military officers, and they were not good at military command, which often caused unnecessary casualties.

China has reformed the functions of political commissars, adopting a system of division of responsibilities. The army commander and the political commissar are in charge of different areas. The military commander is responsible for specific tactics, while the political commissar is responsible for ideological work and can only make suggestions on military policies. The final decision-making power still rests with the military commander.

Thorne now has another purpose in establishing military judges: to allow them to influence the kingdom's officers.

In the early days of the Soviet Union's military, almost all the officers of the Soviet Red Army came from the old army. These officers had extremely poor political literacy and could be said to have no faith at all.

At this point, someone was needed to reform them. The emergence of political commissars transformed them into outstanding commanders and fighters loyal to the Bolsheviks, which played a crucial role in the Soviet Union's final victory in the civil war.

The situation in the Kingdom of the Rhine is now similar to that of Soviet Russia. Every country has a different national situation. In the East, they not only have a political team but also a military team. Even in the most difficult times, the Red Army still had tens of thousands of people. Even if they were just soldiers, as long as they survived until the founding of New China, they would be at least division commanders.

At that time, every Red Army soldier was a future backbone, which could greatly ensure the stability of the army later. Germany was different; it was impossible for them to succeed in guerrilla warfare on the plains.

The Communist Party of Germany currently has an armed force, but it consists of scattered armed workers. If they had more than a thousand armed men, even the most moderate Kingdom of the Rhine would not accept them.

This resulted in the German Red Army lacking its own military core, meaning it would inevitably need the support of the old army when launching a revolution. With the involvement and influence of the military judge, Thorne could win over a group of officers in advance and mold them into outstanding commanders loyal to communism.

Thorne is writing a plan to provide a more detailed explanation to the military judges, so that the Socialist Labor Party and the Communist Party of Germany can prepare to strengthen their control over the army.

Just as he was about to leave, Guderian came over and immediately begged Thorne to show mercy and not disband the Storm Commando.

At that moment, another officer ran in and told Thorne that a Stormtrooper soldier had come to apologize and begged him not to disband the Stormtroopers.

Thorne was now completely baffled. When did he decide to disband the Storm Commando?

283. Reshaping

“Your Highness Thorne, this incident was caused by the armored forces. I neglected to discipline them, so if you want to punish someone, just punish us. The Storm Assault Team has made so many contributions to the kingdom; they can't just be disbanded like that.”

As soon as Guderian entered, he saw Thorne writing something, which made him even more convinced that Thorne wanted to disband the Stormtroopers.

In Guderian's mind, Thorne had a very strong grasp of the times; he could accurately recognize the direction of future development, and everything he was doing now was to drive the kingdom forward.

The Stormtroopers, being an old-fashioned military unit from an earlier era, have lost their war potential and are no longer able to adapt to future warfare environments. Therefore, Guderian believes that Thorne will use this incident to disband the Stormtroopers on the spot.

Thorne was completely baffled by Guderian's words. When did he say he wanted to disband the Storm Commando? What had happened that made Guderian rush over to him in such a hurry?

"Heinz, what are you talking about? When did I say I wanted to disband the Storm Commando? The establishment and disbandment of a military branch is not something I can do alone. How could I possibly disband it with just a word? I don't have that much power."

“Your Highness, I know that, but given your status and position in the kingdom, the establishment and disbandment of a military branch is just a matter of a word. So I hope you can withdraw your order and not disband the Storm Commando.”

"Heinz, who told you I was going to disband the Storm Commando? Wasn't the military supposed to handle the Storm Commando? They want to disband the Storm Commando?"

Thorne was somewhat incredulous at the military's ruthless handling of the situation. It was a brawl, and while serious, it shouldn't warrant such a drastic decision to disband the unit.

"Yes, Your Highness, the military is already preparing to disband the Storm Commando. A large part of the reason this incident has caused such a commotion is because of the armored forces. So we hope Your Highness will not disband the commando. This is a heroic unit. If it is disbanded like this, then the armored forces will become sinners for all time."

While Guderian was still trying to persuade Thorne, before Thorne could even understand the situation, someone else came in and told him that a Stormtrooper had come to apologize to Thorne and ask him not to disband the Stormtroopers.

"Let him in. I'd like to know what's going on. It's really strange."

Thorne had the officer invite the soldiers outside in, wanting to hear what had happened.

Metz waited outside for the notification, his face still bruised. He had been hit by the most concentrated firepower during the fight, and his injuries were quite serious.

Metz was rather uneasy, after all, the prince was a prince, whose status was much more noble than his. Although he came from the Storm Assault Team, which was currently the strongest military branch in the Kingdom of Rhine, it was impossible for him to meet a prince of a kingdom so easily.

No matter what, he was the one who broke the rules first, he was the one who started the fight. It's very difficult for a soldier who has made a mistake to go and see someone. Moreover, the armored unit is Thorne's pride and joy. To have a conflict with such a unit would be a slap in Thorne's face. It's already very polite of him not to kick him out directly.

Just as Metz was lost in thought, the officer came out of the house and invited Metz inside, saying that His Highness Thorne wanted to see him in person.

This surprised and relieved Metz. He hadn't expected Thorne to be willing to see him. This was a good thing for him and the entire Storm Commando. His Highness Thorne was not a muddle-headed person when it came to important matters. He hoped to explain to Thorne and ask him not to disband the Storm Commando just like that.

As soon as Metz entered the room, he saw Guderian standing to the side. Clearly, the armored troops had already begun their operation. Metz didn't know why Guderian was there, but he had a feeling it wasn't a good thing.

"Your Highness Thorne."

Metz gave Thorne a military salute. Although his hand was so badly injured that he could barely lift it, Metz still managed to salute Thorne with great effort.

"What's matter?"

“Your Highness Thorne, this whole incident was caused by my personal reasons. It was my impulsiveness that caused such a huge mess. I violated military discipline first, and I am willing to accept the punishment. This matter has nothing to do with the Storm Assault Team. Please do not disband the assault team, Your Highness.”

"You're here to talk about this too? That's interesting. You all told me not to disband the Storm Commando Team. Where did you hear that I was going to disband the Storm Commando Team?"

Thorne stood up from his seat and looked at Metz, who was standing there. "Tell me why I disbanded the Storm Commando. I'm curious about that too."

“Your Highness Thorne, the Storm Commando has always been the Kingdom’s elite military force, and the Kingdom has given priority to equipping them with various weapons. However, since the formation of the armored forces, the Storm Commando has become less important than before. This time, I personally felt the Storm Commando’s helplessness in the face of tanks. Facing such a behemoth, it is impossible for a small squad to destroy four or five enemy tanks as it used to be.”

“We all know that your focus is on armored forces, and the Storm Commando is becoming marginalized. This can be seen from our weapon rations. Previously, submachine guns were the exclusive weapons of the Storm Commando, but now the Kingdom has designed new submachine guns and begun to equip them on a large scale to ordinary troops. With these troops having a firepower advantage, the Storm Commando has completely lost its role and there is no need for it to continue to exist.”

After all this, it turns out that the reason why Thorne invented the submachine gun was because the Storm Commando felt marginalized, which made them feel unbalanced and eventually led to this situation. This was originally a very small matter, and it was actually very easy to resolve. But it has to be blown out of proportion. It seems that setting up military judges in the army is indeed very necessary.

"Don't worry, the Storm Assault Team won't just disband like this. They are all heroes of the kingdom, just like the Kingdom's Hunters. Such heroic units will not disappear from the stage of history."

"Lieutenant Colonel Guderian just told me about this, advising me not to disband the Storm Commando. How could I possibly disband such a heroic unit like this?"

"However, you are also right. Compared to before, the Storm Commando is not as effective on the battlefield. But the Kingdom cannot disband the entire commando team because of this. That would be extremely irresponsible. In the future, you will continue to carry forward your indomitable spirit in other places. That is my promise."

The Storm Commando's role on the battlefield is certainly not as significant as it was during the Great War. Times have changed; now it's the era of tanks and armored vehicles. However, Thorne cannot simply abandon the entire commando unit. The division of military branches in Europe is still relatively simple, consisting of the army, navy, and air force, without the further subdivisions that are common in later generations.

As elite units of the army, the Storm Assault Team can serve as the precursors to many other units. Thorne is also undertaking a large-scale military reform, and the kingdom will have even more elite units in the future.

Mountain troops, airborne troops, and many special operations forces can all select personnel from the Storm Commando. This cannot be called disbanding the Storm Commando, but rather reshaping the team.

284. Skilled in both literature and martial arts, and extremely handsome.

The Storm Assault Team, as one of the core military branches of the Kingdom of Rhine, is not very large in number. The idea of ​​making it small and elite was originally the Storm Assault Team's founding principle.

Throughout the entire kingdom, the total number of Storm Commandos is only about 15,000, which is not much among the 100,000 standing troops of the Kingdom of Rhine. Even during the Great War, when the German Empire's army expanded to a million, the number of Storm Commandos was still less than 50,000.

During major wars, Stormtroopers did not operate like other units, with several battalions or regiments moving together at once. Instead, they were dispersed among various units to coordinate with other units, which is why they were respected.

The Storm Commando is primarily responsible for assaults and breakthroughs. They are often at the forefront, and only after their operations are successful will follow-up troops continue to advance.

The Storm Assault Team has consistently had one of the highest casualty rates, and every assault is a near-death experience. A sense of honor is ingrained in their very bones.

To highlight their special status, these people's helmets and uniforms are often custom-made, embroidered with different patterns, and even their weapons are custom-made. This is also one of the reasons why their numbers are small. To maintain such an army, the resources required are several times that of an ordinary army.

If such an elite legion were disbanded like this, it would be a huge loss. If we wanted to build such an army again in the future, it would take a lot of effort. Although the Storm Assault Team is not as useful as it used to be, that does not mean it can be disbanded.

Of course, Storm Commando cannot remain as it is now. Times have changed, and Storm Commando must keep pace with the times and move forward. Only a restructured Storm Commando can adapt to future warfare.

Thorne would certainly not allow the Stormtroopers to be disbanded, such an extremely irresponsible thing as that. What he wanted to do was to revitalize the team and make it glorious again.

At the commando unit's base, everyone waited anxiously for news of their disbandment. The more the news spread, the lower the morale of the entire commando unit became. Many were already preparing for retirement. Although they could return to their original units and become key soldiers, their strong sense of honor made them unwilling to do so.

While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Thorne followed Metz back to the military camp. Seeing that the atmosphere there wasn't very cheerful, Thorne knew that something had happened.

"Everyone, don't look so sad. I know what happened, and I know the whole story. I assure you, the Storm Assault Team will not be disbanded!"

Thorne shouted something to everyone, and upon hearing this, everyone perked up. The Storm Assault Team wouldn't be disbanded? This was fantastic news.

“No legion of honor in the kingdom will be disbanded. Every heroic legion has its own story. Since the Storm Assault Team was formed, its achievements can be said to be second only to the Hunter Legion. How could the kingdom allow such a team to be disbanded?”

"Some say that the emergence of armored forces has replaced you, causing you to be forgotten by the kingdom and turned into an ordinary unit. I want to say that this is not the fault of armored forces, but the fault of the times. No unit can be the mainstay of the army forever. Perhaps in the future, armored forces will also be replaced by other units. We cannot dwell on past glories; we must look forward!"

"The kingdom's army is constantly moving forward. Only by looking forward can we take steps. We are not Prussia, still immersed in the glory of the past. The Rhine Kingdom has come this far because of its continuous progress and development. If we slow down, others will catch up with us. You have all seen the power of tanks before. Honestly, are you really confident that you can take down such a big guy?"

"The Storm Commando will not disband, but it cannot remain as it is now, or it is destined to be eliminated. The Storm Commando needs to be rebuilt. Such a glorious unit needs to be passed down, to inherit the spirit of the Storm Commando, and to remember your motto!"

"Commandos!"

"Be a pioneer!"

The soldiers below shouted in unison, "The Storm Commando will always be the vanguard on the battlefield; this is their motto."

"You are the vanguard of the kingdom, and I will never allow anyone to disband you!"

Thorne assured everyone that he would not disband the Stormtroopers; what he wanted to do was rebuild the team, and the first step in rebuilding was to find a suitable commander for the unit.

The Storm Commando is currently the most elite legion in the army. In the future, it will be divided into many branches of the military, so it needs an all-around officer to manage the force. Thorne needs to find an officer from the army who is both literate and capable to become the new Storm Commando commander.

Of course, the Kingdom of the Rhine is not lacking in famous generals, especially since Thorne is a time traveler. He had his eye on someone early on, a rare all-around commander in Germany during World War II. This person was not only good at both literature and martial arts, but also very handsome.

Unlike many German generals, Kesselring did not come from a military family. He was born in Marktódov in 1885; his father was a teacher who later became the city's superintendent of schools. He harbored the ambition to become a soldier from a young age.

After graduating from secondary school, he had already decided on his career path. In 1904, he enlisted in the 3nd Infantry Regiment of the Kingdom of the Rhine and was promoted to second lieutenant three years later.

During his youth as a military officer, Kesselring devoted himself to the pursuit of specialized knowledge, which gave him strong military expertise. He first received professional education in artillery, then received meteorological observation training in Mainz, and finally received specialized training in surveying and optical measurement at the Artillery and Engineering School in Frankfurt.

These learning experiences laid the foundation for his later service in the motorized anti-aircraft artillery company and made him an excellent army commander. During the war, Kesselring had been promoted to captain and had served in various military and staff positions before serving in the General Staff.

During the war, Kesselring was stationed in Lorraine with his unit. In late 1914, Kesselring was transferred to the 1st Rhine Division of the 6th Army of the German Empire. Kesselring distinguished himself in the Battle of Arras, where he skillfully halted the British advance with his tactics. For his outstanding performance on the Western Front, Kesselring was awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class and First Class.

Although Kesselring did not study at the Charlemagne Military Academy like others, his solid foundation and outstanding command ability led him to serve in the General Staff, making him one of the few outstanding officers in the army.

Kesselring was serving as a staff officer in a legion in Wiesbaden when he suddenly received a transfer order, and the army ordered him to set off immediately for Frankfurt.

Upon arriving in Frankfurt, Kesselring learned that he had been appointed as the new commander of the Stormtroopers, a position personally filled by His Highness Thorne.

285. Black Lightning

After the war, Kesselring remained relatively unknown in the army. Although he had performed well during the war, the kingdom had no shortage of officers like him, and Kesselring himself did not have much ambition. He simply went wherever he was needed.

Although he was born into the artillery, his outstanding command ability allowed him to serve as a staff officer after the war. Now it is peacetime, and it is very difficult to get promoted in peacetime. Kesselring was promoted to lieutenant colonel near the end of the war, but almost ten years have passed and he is still a lieutenant colonel.

Kesselring is currently stuck in a quiet office in Wiesbaden, with little to do. Wiesbaden's location is awkward. If it's responsible for the defense of the Franco-German border, which extends to Mainz along the Rhine River, Wiesbaden is on the other side of the river and not responsible for its defense. If it's the Frankfurt defense perimeter, it only goes as far as Hofheim, and Wiesbaden is too far away.

So, in general, Wiesbaden was a no-man's land, which explains why Kesselring hadn't been promoted for nearly ten years. The most he was involved in was probably inspecting ships passing through the Rhine.

It was thought that these uneventful days would continue indefinitely. If one did not have a strong desire for power, being stationed in Wiesbaden would indeed be very good. It was a perfect place to "retire." Kesselring had also joked many times that he was already in a "retired" state.

During his time stationed in Wiesbaden, Kesselring also learned to fish. Since there wasn't much to do each day, and as a staff officer, he didn't have as much work during peacetime as during wartime, Kesselring would fish on the Rhine River whenever he had free time, just to keep himself occupied.

That day, Kesselring was fishing on the Rhine as usual. He was not really fishing, but rather killing time, because he would throw the fish back into the river after each fishing trip. The most important thing for a staff officer is to be calm and composed. He fished to hone his patience and to keep himself calm at all times.

It seems the peaceful days won't last much longer. Soon someone found Catherine still fishing, and a report came from the kingdom specifically requesting Catherine.

"Lieutenant Colonel, the Kingdom wants to transfer you to Frankfurt."

The person who came to report was very excited. Kesselring was very kind to the soldiers in the barracks and had a good personality, so he was well-liked. Being transferred to Frankfurt was definitely a promotion, which was better than staying in Wiesbaden.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel Kesselring, on your transfer to Frankfurt. That's a very promising career for you. I bet it won't be long before you're promoted to colonel," someone nearby congratulated Kesselring.

"Transfer me to Frankfurt? Why has the kingdom suddenly remembered me?"

Kesselring was a little curious. He had been here for quite a few years, so why did they suddenly decide to transfer him to Frankfurt?

"Lieutenant Colonel, you really have a bright future ahead of you now. Look at this report, whose signature is on it?"

The man handed the report to Kesselring. The report was very simple, affirming and commending Kesselring's contributions during the war, and also acknowledging his work in Wiesbaden over the past few years.

It was only later that it was stated that because of his outstanding grades and excellent performance, the kingdom decided to transfer him to Frankfurt to take charge of other work. No specific job was mentioned, only that he should go to Frankfurt as soon as possible. The document was signed by Thorne at the end, which explains why others had already begun to congratulate Kesselring.

Those who are favored by Thorne are sure to have a bright future. Take Guderian and Model, for example. They came from Prussia, but it didn't affect their promotions at all. The three soldiers who followed Thorne back from the battlefield are also among them, and their ranks are all quite high now.

Thorne sent Kesselring over, which first and foremost affirmed his abilities. Look at the people he had previously selected: Paulus led a legion in Africa, and Rommel was building armored grenadiers, another elite branch of the kingdom's military.

Guderian and Model taught at Charlemagne's Military Academy and trained many excellent commanders. Sending Kesselring there would likely lead to the formation of a completely new branch of the military.

Kesselring was still somewhat puzzled by Thorne's sudden order. He hadn't done much in Wiesbaden over the years, and his achievements were all from more than a decade ago. How could Thorne be so sure of his abilities that he would send him over by name without even having met him?

But an order is an order. Kesselring put away his fishing rod, looked at the Rhine River and sighed, probably never having the chance to sit by the river and fish like this again.

Wiesbaden is not far from Frankfurt, so Kesselring arrived in Frankfurt on the same day he received the report and met with Thorne.

Looking at the tall lieutenant colonel in front of him, Thorne nodded with satisfaction. He was indeed very well-built and had a good face. No wonder he had the nickname "Smiling Albert".

"Hello, Lieutenant Colonel Kesselring. Sorry to bother you. I'm transferring you from Wiesbaden to Frankfurt."

"Your Highness, please give us your orders. Obeying orders is our duty."

"I heard you've been serving in the artillery corps, is that right?"

"Yes, Your Highness. In 1904, I joined the Rhine Kingdom Army as a trainee officer, serving in the artillery department. I served in the artillery for a period of time before being transferred to the General Staff."