28 Feb 1936 - Würzburg

[Diarist]

I spent another couple days with Rupprecht primarily because of the bad flying weather. I did have the chance to see more of Munich and its attractions though. Also I had time to do some shopping, well mostly buying souvenirs. I also managed to contact Heinz Guderian in Würzburg. He suggested that I fly to Nürnberg instead of Würzburg so that's what we did. I intended going there anyway to meet with representatives from Bramo. I met them alone because Freiherr von Richthofen had to return to Berlin. We didn't make any concrete deals but they showed interest in working with our firm. Aircraft engines aren't my speciality so I couldn't really offer much of technical value. They did promise to send a couple of their engineers to England in the near future. (I have the impression that they were a bit more secretive than BMW.)
That was yesterday. Heinz arrived this morning and he drove me to Würzburg and offered me his guest room. It's not much fun being alone in a hotel so I accepted gladly. It was early afternoon so he showed me around the garrison. Plenty of Panzer Is and Panzer IIs but no other tracked vehicles. Interesting was the dummy gun on the commander's tank so that it didn't look different thus not making it a priority target. I made a mental note of that. I commented about the cross on the side of the tank's turret and asked if that's there to help the enemy aim better. I wasn't the only one who had made that comment.
Now it's time to get a little posh because we're going to officer's casino this evening. My red uniform will definitely be easy to recognize. I am looking forward to it though.

[Diarist]

My uniform was a bit mussed but Margarethe, Heinz's wife, quickly fixed it. His son Heinz Günther was also at home for the weekend so I had company. He's a Leutnant in the Wehrmacht and is a platoon leader in the 1st Panzer-Regiment stationed in Erfurt which is about 100 miles north of here. I didn't know it but Heinz's father was also a General in the Kaiserliche Armee. Heinz Günther is 3 years younger than me and was surprised that I was already a major at 25 years old so I told him about being a temporary major for the Italian war then being allowed to keep the rank after the war because of "good service".
"My father told me about the classic Panzer-Angriff in NW Italy. So you weren't part of that?"
"No, but I helped plan the operation. In fact I was the one who gave the presentation to British and French leaders in Chequers and Winston Churchill was immediately in favour of it."
"My father was really impressed with what you British are doing in that command you have."
"TRADOC, Training and Doctrine Command," I told him.
"He also says you are wasted sitting at a desk instead of having a command."
"I thought so too at first but believe me, Heinz Günther. In my current position I can influence things much more than as an Operations Officer within a Panzer-Battalion. By the way, I am also the Operations Officer of our Royal Parachute Regiment and King Edward is its Commander."
At the dinner I had to recite a few of the amusing events that I've experienced over the last year but I spent most of the time listening to what they said about the demise of the Nazis. When asked my opinion I politely declined only commenting that nobody had cried any tears in England and that we welcome the opportunity to work with Germany as friends and if necessary as an ally.
"Canaris told me that at Luxembourg Summit we were technically at war and if the talks had failed Germany wouldn't exist in this form any more," Heinz Guderian commented.
"We don't joke about such things, Heinz. There were at least 100 divisions posed to pounce on Germany from all directions. Hitler was really good at making enemies. I'm glad that it didn't happen because the only winner in the long run would have been the Soviet Union."
"Very true, Bob but there are many in the Wehrmacht who believe that the Nazi leadership was good for our armed forces."
"I would be a fool to deny that but it was his goals for that strong military which we and many Germans officers disagreed with. We have a strong expansion and modernization program in Britain too but we are doing it without neglecting the needs of the civilian population nor are we persecuting a large group of our people. One could say that Hitler's policies helped us persuade parliament and the general public to accept the burden of rearmament."
"Many of our economists in Berlin praise Britain's economic policies. They doubt however that they can be applied so easily here in Germany."
"It wouldn't be easy but it can be done that's why we are suggesting a European solution. The principle is simple. Unemployed workers are drafted into the armed forces but they work in factories which produce the equipment which one day they will use as soldiers. Their military pay is subtracted from their factory wages so industry gets cheap workers and eventually the military receives skilled soldiers for no extra cost. That's the theory."
"It sounds simple but it isn't, correct?"
"No primarily because nobody knows what the armed forces will need 3, 4 or 5 years from now. Also the organization of Armed Forces 1940 hasn't been agreed upon yet. I believe however that Germany can benefit because the Federal Economic Council will be located in Berlin if the politicians ever get this European Alliance working."
The conversation turned to politics again so Heinz Günther and I excused ourselves and we walked to the bar of the Officers Casino in a separate room.
"Do you know what the meeting is all about tomorrow?" Heinz Günther asked.
"I don't have any exact details, I just know there will be a few visitors from Berlin if the weather holds. Are you going too?"
"Of course not. My father mentioned it."
"I shall be promoting Anglo-German joint-ventures."
"What exactly are joint-ventures?"
"A simple definition is that two or more business pool their resources but retain their distinct identities. They share the costs of development and all can produce a finished product afterwards. It would be a good way to standardize military equipment within partner nations. I'm hoping for more than that though. I would like to see infantry rifles and light machineguns using the same ammunition and even if each nation has a different rifle or different light machinegun they still use the same ammo. A simple and ideal solution but difficult to achieve."
"Now I understand better why your desk job is more important than leading a company or battalion."
"Your father is in a similar situation. He also has much more influence than 'just' a division commander."
After a couple more drinks we walked back to the Guderian residence. I enjoyed the evening.