Reborn South Africa as a police officer

Chapter 2318 Crazy Young Man
The fear of Russia in European countries is rooted in the Russian labor movement. If British and French workers also become national leaders, it will be a disaster for the current British and French leaders.

Renard Capet himself was the biggest capitalist in France, and he knew it well.

Perhaps Darlan really wanted to counterattack the mainland of France, but for Leonard Capet, the desire to counterattack the mainland was not so urgent. After all, the ruling class of Vichy France and Free France was essentially the same as before the outbreak of the war. It's all the same group of people.

So the situation is very clear, for France, Germany is the enemy.

For French capitalists like Renard Capet, the French workers are the real enemy.

While Leonard Capet was in Pretoria, Darlan was in Walvis Bay inspecting two Richelieu-class battleships ready for service.

Even in the world, the performance of the "Richelieu" class battleship is extremely outstanding.

The current "Richelieu" is very different from the original design version. After the Walvis Bay Shipyard undertook the construction task of "Richelieu", it made some modifications to the design of "Richelieu", mainly Part of this is the addition of more anti-aircraft weapons and the removal of carrier aircraft.

This kind of modification is acceptable. When France determined the "Richelieu" plan, it made as many as six revisions to the plan before it came to the final version.

This version remains incomplete in the eyes of engineers in southern Africa.

In the French design, "Richelieu" has only six double-mounted 100mm anti-aircraft guns and four quadruple-mounted 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine guns.

南部非洲的工程师将100毫米高射炮的数量增加到12座，把13.2毫米高射机枪换成20毫米和40毫米高炮，数量也增加到48座，防空能力大大提升。

In order to install more anti-aircraft guns, "Richelieu" canceled the hangar and catapult. The original "Richelieu" carried 3 seaplanes. This task will be undertaken by the light aircraft carrier in the formation.

The light aircraft carrier in southern Africa is similar to the escort aircraft carrier in the United States. It is also converted from a commercial ship. It carries about 20 fighters and usually has a displacement of no more than 12000 tons. With the industrial capacity of southern Africa, it can be completed in about two months. a search.

This speed made Darlan inexplicably horrified.

"We have to admit that in terms of industrial capacity, we have fallen far behind southern Africa and the United States." Free French Minister of Industry Georges Bloom happened to be in Walvis Bay and accompanied Darlan on inspections.

Darlan looked solemn, watching the "Richelieu" docked at the berth without saying a word.

The "Richelieu", with a full load displacement of nearly [-] tons, is undoubtedly the most powerful warship in French history on paper.

Unfortunately, it was not what Darlan wanted.

Now that the world war has broken out, the confidence of the navies of various countries in battleships has been completely broken. Aircraft carriers are the future development direction of the navy. What Darlan really wants is a "city" class or "island" class aircraft carrier similar to southern Africa.

Coincidentally, the "Bloemfontein" aircraft carrier equipped with the Atlantic Fleet is docked next to the "Richelieu".

"Bloemfontein" is the third ship of the city-class aircraft carrier. This class of aircraft carrier has a full-load displacement of 35000 tons and can carry about 110 fighter jets. most aircraft carriers.

Last year, "Bloemfontein" was once deployed to serve in the Indian Ocean Fleet. It was just transferred back to the Atlantic Fleet at the beginning of this year. Now "Bloemfontein" is undergoing routine maintenance in Walvis Bay. By the way, it is upgrading its equipment, mainly to replace it with the latest radar Search system.

The radar search system installed on the "Richelieu" was removed from the "Bloemfontein".

Both Darlan and George Bloom knew about this matter, and the two of them had a tacit understanding and didn't mention it to avoid embarrassment.

"Does our shipyard have the strength to build an aircraft carrier now?" Darlan was determined to build a brand new French navy.

Not broken but not built, the self-sinking of the Toulon fleet is a tragedy for the French navy, and it is also a chance for rebirth. After accepting the two "Richelieu", Darlan can rebuild the French navy according to his own will.

"If it's a light aircraft carrier, we can build it, but the bigger problem is the carrier aircraft—" George Bloom smiled wryly. Building an aircraft carrier is not that easy.

Compared with the tragic French Navy, the French Air Force is a greater tragedy.

Before the outbreak of World War II, the French Air Force was still equipped with old biplanes. When the Germans frantically improved the performance of their fighter jets through the Spanish Civil War, the French were watching.

It wasn't until 1937 that Germany began to develop new fighter jets when the threat from Germany grew, but it didn't go smoothly.

The aviation industry in France is relatively complicated, and there are a large number of airlines. When developing fighter jets, they fought independently and could not form an effective joint force. The French government at the time realized this problem and started the nationalization of the French aviation industry.

This idea is correct, but unfortunately it was implemented too late. When Germany invaded France, France had only about 750 new fighters, a considerable part of which had just been delivered to the troops and had not yet formed real combat effectiveness.

The German Blitz caught the French Air Force by surprise. When France stopped resisting, there were still about 300 of the latest MB.152 fighters that had not had time to play a role.

The Germans took 150 MB.152s to Germany as training aircraft, and sent the remaining MB.152s to Italy and Romania. The French Air Force was divided.

After the establishment of the Free France, the French Air Force was rebuilt and currently has approximately 260 aircraft.

All these planes were provided by Southern Africa, and the pilots also received training in Southern Africa, but they only received training on roadbeds. To become a naval aviation force, they need to accept new training content.

"Is it possible to obtain the most advanced aircraft technology from southern Africa?" Darlan was whimsical. Airlines in southern Africa can sell aircraft, but technology is not for sale.

George Bloom doesn't want to answer that question.

If it were a French airline, it wouldn't be easy to sell the most advanced technology.

No, it is simply impossible.

Even if it is sold, it must be an outdated technology.

"It's okay if it's an American—" Darlan was not discouraged. France is like a down-and-out noble lady, waiting for southern Africa and the United States to bid.

"The Americans are not stingy. The key point is that the American technology is not the most advanced." George Bloom smiled bitterly. The phoenix is ​​not as good as the chicken. France now wants to have both sides, but southern Africa and the Americans are not stupid.

Fortunately, Southern Africa still remembered the old feelings and gave Darlan four light cruisers and six submarines. These warships are now docked in the port, and the French can drive away at any time.

There were not many French naval officers and soldiers who arrived in North Africa with Darlan, and there were not enough staff for the two "Richelieus", so Darlan had to wait.

In the evening Darlan and George Bloom dined at the Rhodesian Hotel in Walvis Bay, unaccompanied by Southern African officials.

Darlan was a little angry. The southern Africans were too arrogant and didn't even have the most basic etiquette. After all, he was a senior official at the level of the Minister of Defense. Free France was not a government-in-exile like Poland and Greece, where all the mainland fell. So coldly received.

"Don't be angry. Southern Africans are very pragmatic and treat dinners differently from us." George Bloom was not angry. When the Germans arrived in Paris, the Parisians were still drinking and dancing. They deserved it.

In the last world war, France had been completely crippled. This time, France performed so poorly, which is also expected by many people.

Those who are unwilling to accept failure, such as Leonard Capet, have begun to deploy overseas early to retain hope for the future of France.

More people lay flat completely and didn't care about the war at all. Paris had already fallen into a mood like doomsday carnival before it stopped resisting.

There were many people in the restaurant, but it was not noisy. The melodious music was clearly audible, and most of the guests were talking softly. Darlan hadn't experienced this kind of pleasant environment in France for a long time.

"After this battle, we should accept the fact that Europe has been weakened." Darlan realized this when he came to Walvis Bay.

"The colonial empire model is inherently unsustainable. What we can do is to delay the disintegration of the empire as much as possible." George Bloom's understanding is deeper than Darlan's. France's North African colonies are also unstable, and resistance forces come and go one after another. Free France spent more and more energy suppressing the resistance movement.

This has a lot to do with French colonial policy.

After the end of the last world war, France had to open its doors to introduce the colonial population to enrich the French labor force.

Many French colonial residents immigrated to mainland France, where they worked, lived and received education.

What the French government did not expect was that some new immigrants who were educated in France did not devote all their energy to France as envisaged by the French government.

When they received modern education, they began to look at the French colonial system from another angle, and finally represented the colonies and put forward more interest demands to the French government.

This is normal. British overseas colonies are striving for self-government and independence. Even the Indians are beginning to wake up, as are French overseas colonies.

Who doesn't want to be truly in charge of the house.

"Perhaps we can refer to the southern African model and carry out more forms of cooperation with overseas territories." Darlan raised his expectations for overseas colonies. This is not a small progress, and finally progressed from oppression to cooperation.

"It's the way of the day—" agreed George Bloom, offering a toast to Darlan.

Darlan raised his glass in response, his expression not very happy.

Darlan and George Bloom ordered a bottle of champagne.

For the French, only the champagne produced in the Champagne region of France is the real champagne, and all other regions produce fruit wine, so the name champagne cannot be used at all.

The champagne provided by the Rhodesia Hotel was actually produced in Cape Town, and the "champagne" logo was clearly used on the label, which made Darlan feel the malice of some southern Africans again.

George Bloom has long been used to it. The grapes used to make champagne in Cape Town are also grown by French. These French in Cape Town are precisely the people who insist on using the "Champagne" logo the most.

At this moment a young man recognized Darlan and came up to Darlan and George Bloom.

In the peaceful environment of the Rhodesia Hotel, Darlan visibly relaxed his vigilance, and neither the secretary nor the adjutant was around.

"Marshal François Darlan, why did you order such a powerful fleet to leave this world in such a tragic way?" The young man's attitude was not very good, and the questioning tone made Darlan very uncomfortable.

"Because the French navy will never surrender, we will not cooperate with the enemy in any form." Darlan's mood suddenly became very bad, and when he gave the order to sink, he was also under tremendous pressure.

"Then why didn't you sink in Toulon with the fleet, but appeared in a high-end restaurant in southern Africa, or is it that you are a guy who is greedy for life and afraid of death, and is attached to power, and the French navy has become a victim of your own honor, You should be ashamed of this." The young man's attitude became fierce, and his words became more and more outrageous.

"I'm not. The French navy has not disappeared either. It will soon be reborn and continue to fight for freedom and peace—" Darlan was very angry, disregarding his image and arguing with the young man.

George Bloom raised his hand to call the waiter. The young man's behavior had obviously affected the dining of Dahlron and George Bloom.

"Sir, please go back to your seat and don't interfere with other guests' meals." The waiter was polite and put his body between the young man and Darlan, preventing the young man from approaching Darlan.

"You greedy guy who is afraid of death, if I were you, I would blow my head off with a gun. This is the only way for you to maintain your glory." The young man was crazy about output, and he didn't understand Darlan's difficulties at all.

Darlan's face was flushed, his body was trembling, and he couldn't speak a word.

Darlan, who was born in 1881, is already over 60 years old. He has been suffering from overwork all year round and cannot bear this kind of stimulation at all.

"Sir, please return to your seat immediately, otherwise please leave the restaurant—" the waiter's tone became stronger, preventing the young man from verbally attacking Darlan.

With a ferocious expression on his face, the young man suddenly pushed the waiter away, took out a revolver from his pocket, pointed it at Darlan brazenly and pulled the trigger.

bah—

The sharp gunshots broke the tranquility of the restaurant, and many guests looked around in a daze, not knowing what happened.

Although guns are not banned in southern Africa, there are some occasions where it is forbidden to carry guns.

The restaurant of the Rhodesia Hotel prohibits patrons from carrying firearms.

The waiter reacted quickly, and the young man only fired one shot before being thrown to the ground by the waiter.

George Bloom was stunned. Darlan had been shot in the chest, and blood was gushing from Darlan's fingers pressing the wound.

Darlan looked at the blood on his hands with disbelief on his face.

(End of this chapter)