Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 111



Only Noblemtl

#111

Mustang.

The Mustang, with its brilliant name, is finally in my hands.

North American Aircraft’s design engineer, Eric Schmidt, created an aircraft with performance surpassing that of the P-40 Warhawk in just 117 days based on blueprints he had created in the past. That was the P-51 Mustang.

Even with the Allison engine, the Mustang’s performance was rated as better than that of the P-40.

Of course, it’s better, but that doesn’t mean everything is satisfactory.

However, Britain, which had no other viable alternative, wanted to order as many as 320 units.

In that situation, I got a spoon based on future knowledge.

“Why don’t you try installing an engine other than the Allison engine? I heard that Rolls-Royce’s Merlin has such good performance?”

Naturally, North American was reluctant to accept my proposal.

“We know that the Merlin engine is excellent. But when we think about supply···.”

“I heard that Packard is in talks to license production, isn’t that right?”

“I understand that what Packard produces already has a supplier.”

Demand for Merlin engines was also considerable within Britain.

The reason Packard was initially given the license to produce the car was because the four factories in the UK alone could not handle the required volume.

“There is no guarantee that we will receive Packard products…”

“That problem will be a problem for later, let’s just try it for now.”

If a Mustang that is okay to run turns into a killer, wouldn’t the British be the first to take it even if we don’t like it?

Then, expanding the factory and increasing production would not have been very difficult.

However, North American was not very pleased with my suggestion to replace the engine.

“It is still receiving excellent reviews.”

“Yes, the British Air Force, which took the first production batch, said that they just need to supply them as is.”

“We’re busy producing too···.”

If a little more time had passed, and the weakness of being a weakling at high altitudes while being a weakling at low altitudes had been revealed, it might have been easier to persuade.

‘But it’s a waste of time to wait until then.’

We already know the outcome, we have the power to suppress it, so why hesitate?

Luck was on your side too.

When I first implemented the Merlin engine at the end of January, the performance improvement was not as dramatic as I had expected.

“Isn’t it no different from the Allison engine?”

“Isn’t it the same with Merlin’s turbocharger that it can’t do its job?”

“That’s why. Why do you insist on recommending this so much···.”

“I heard that some people disliked Ford.”

Because of this, some even said that Ford was chosen because of Henry Ford, who had particularly good relations with Nazi Germany and even received a medal from it.

It’s not that it isn’t,

“We just didn’t know.”

“Right now, we are doing our best to ensure the victory of the United States of America and the Allied Forces.”

“Please let us···.”

He came to me and begged me to believe him.

“Then Allison, create a better one than Merlin.”

“yes?”

Wasn’t it true that the original gongdol had to be ground to be tasty?

How can I just send away a bastard who came to me on his own two feet, saying he would do anything? I have to change him.

“Isn’t loyalty something that is shown through actions, not words?”

When I told Ford to come up with something that would cover up its dark past as a Nazi collaborator, he nodded vigorously and turned away.

And soon after, news came that Merlin’s two-stage supercharger had been completed in England.

“An improved version of the Merlin Engine has been released?”

“Yes. It’s called the Merlin 60 and it has a two-stage supercharger.”

“Then let’s bring that one and try it out.”

Actually, I didn’t know this at all, I was lucky.

I almost got evaluated as a fool because the performance didn’t improve properly even after attaching Merlin, but luckily it turned out well.

Furthermore, with the news that the Allison-engined Mustang, while it looked like a Lu Bu at low altitudes, was helpless against the German Bf109 at high altitudes, no one was objecting to my order to transplant the Merlin engine into the Mustang any longer.

“As the Minister said, the performance of the prototype equipped with the new Merlin engine is amazing.”

While the improved performance at high altitudes was encouraging, even more surprising was the increase in range.

When I filled the fuel tank to its full capacity by installing a full tank of spare space, the Mustang became the Mustang I knew.

“Based on what we have confirmed through test flights, the range is likely to be at least 2,500.”

“Is that true?”

“oh my god!”

The Royal Air Force was so delighted that they placed an order for 1,000 aircraft.

Of course, our US Army ground forces were also delighted. Of course, there were some who grumbled among them.

“There are still many shortcomings.”

“Is that so?”

The one who was expressing his discontent with a sour look was none other than Mitchell.

The Mitchell Task Force returned to the mainland via Guam after the bombing of mainland Japan.

And the special forces were touring the country as living billboards.

“Aren’t you currently promoting conscription?”

“I put my hand on my chest and made a few frowns, and then they let me go and told me to rest.”

I shook my head at Mitchell’s words that he got out of it by pretending to be sick as if nothing had happened.

Anyway, Mitchell, who escaped from the billboard line, sneaked into the development of a new model.

No matter what anyone says, he was the most senior member of the aviation academy and had a wealth of practical experience, so even the technicians could not easily ignore his advice.

“So what are you dissatisfied with?”

“It’s good that the cruising range has increased by adding a fuel tank, but if you make a mistake, it’s easy to crash.”

I didn’t understand what they were saying when they grumbled that the center of gravity would change depending on the amount of fuel, causing problems in combat.

“Now that we’ve found the problem, let’s find the solution.”

“That’s why there are people who don’t know the field···.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay if the lieutenant general, who knows the situation well, took care of it?”

“Okay, okay. How can I win an argument with you?”

Mitchell waved his hand and soon asked with a serious face.

“All set, when can I send this guy to the Philippines?”

Mitchell’s question drew a sigh.

It’s nice that I was able to get my hands on a Merlin faster than the original time by shoving it into a Mustang, but…

The problem was the Merlin that was stuck in there. No, to be exact, it was the nationality of Merlin’s owner, Rolls-Royce.

“It’s ours!!!!!”

Those fucking Tommy kids were the problem.

“Who first ordered an aircraft from North American?”

“Where is the engine that goes into the Mustang?”

The Tommy guys were on edge, their eyes wide open, lest we lose the Mustang to them.

“They are harassing North American and Packard to expand their factories, but…”

In the current state where it is still somewhat lacking in becoming a celestial nation, it was something that would require some time.

“shit.”

Mitchell swore with a frustrated expression and took out a cigarette and lit it.

“Who is to blame for the chaos that has taken place in the Philippines, or rather, in Asia, right now?”

Although the Jabs who turned around and left are the biggest culprits, if you look at the percentage of fault in detail, the Tommy guys were not entirely without fault either.

“So the Malay Peninsula finally fell into the hands of the Japs?”

“yes.”

Singapore, which had lost supremacy in the air and then supremacy at sea immediately after the sinking of Britain’s Z Fleet, was unable to hold out properly.

In the first place, we have lost the right to provide and even the right to control the sea, so how can we hold out?

The British forces on the Malay Peninsula were not much different from the American ‘Chinese’ forces I had seen and witnessed some time ago.

“Anyway, those Tommy guys.”

The Japanese army that attacked Singapore had only 30,000 men, while the defending Commonwealth army had over 80,000 men. They surrendered without even putting up a proper fight, despite having more than twice as many men.

Just looking at the numbers makes me sigh, but if you look at the process, there really wasn’t a single idiot like me.

“How can we hold out when there are so many of them surrendering at will because they have already lost control of their troops?”

“I clearly told that guy Perceval to build up his air power.”

Mitchell frowned and began to rail at Perceval.

“Damn. If those Tommy guys had done their job, Luzon wouldn’t be so isolated now.”

The reason they laid mines all over the place except Manila Bay was to prevent the landing of Japanese troops, but also because they trusted the British Eastern Fleet based in Singapore.

“I thought Tommy’s guys were better than our seals.”

I didn’t trust the British as much as Mitchell did, but I didn’t think they would do such stupid things.

Anyway, when the British lost the Malay Peninsula to the Japanese and retreated to India, Luzon was left in a truly isolated and helpless position.

Of course, during this time, the Japs guys didn’t give up and showed off their crazy power.

“They killed people in Singapore just like they did in Nanjing.”

They say I can’t give my bad habits to others.

Contrary to their promise to Arthur Perceval that he would be safe if he surrendered, the Japanese army carried out large-scale massacres after occupying Singapore.

The massacre, which initially took place in Chinatown, where the Chinese community resided, soon spread to include Singaporeans of Indian descent, British soldiers and servicemen, and civil servants of the British Malay Federation.

At least 50,000 people were massacred, and according to the testimonies of those who managed to escape, it was a hellish situation no less severe than that of Nanjing.

“You beheaded them because you were wasting bullets. You are uncivilized anyway.”

It was a terrible thing.

And what was even more horrifying was the reality that we were calculating the pros and cons of such Japanese atrocities, saying that they were helpful to us.

“What can we do? That’s how war is.”

“Yes.”

Japan’s image in other countries, except Singapore, where it committed massacres throughout history, was not particularly bad.

First of all, even at the beginning of the Pacific War, not only was Japan’s true nature not well known, but there were also many people who admired Japan as the only great power in Asia that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers.

But things are a bit different now, thanks to what happened during the Great Kanto Earthquake.

The work done to save Koreans at that time played a major role in informing Southeast Asians of the true nature of Japan.

The Philippines, which is not as successful as Japan, but feels closer to us because its situation is similar to ours, has also risen rapidly.

In such a situation, the massacre by the Japanese army in Singapore was a good fuel for rallying anti-Japanese figures in Southeast Asia.

“Even if we assume that Luzon Island is self-sufficient in terms of food and that urgent needs are smuggled through Vietnam, we will soon reach a limit.”

“Yes.”

There was no business in Daguri, and it was clear that without supplies, Luzon would eventually reach its limit.

“So we have to send him away.”

“It’s not like we can just send a Mustang.”

At my words, Mitchell threw down the cigarette he was holding and swore.

“shit.”

Sending the Mustang wasn’t difficult. All you had to do was load it onto a carrier, launch it far away, and land it on Luzon Island.

The Mustang was the one that could go at a leisurely pace while filling up some kill marks when the Japs guys came out to meet them in the middle.

So, as soon as the Mustang aircraft were secured, it was possible to send the Mustang to Luzon Island.

But how much fuel will there be for the Mustang that landed on Luzon?

And what about the pilot who drove the Mustang there?

“So in the end, the seals have to make their way through.”

“yes.”

The seal’s response to our earnest wishes was…

“킴멜, 이 개새끼 죽여 버릴 거야.”

Arthur III replied in a bitter tone, looking at me shouting with a frown on my face.

“I won’t go to you. There are so many people who want to kill that guy right now. Me first.”

The seals were crippled.

He boasted so loudly that he was confident…

The only consolation was that our seals, Tommy’s seals, and Jabs’ seals were all equally crippled.

“Damn it. I’m an idiot for trusting those seal pups.”

“I agree.”

After all that chaos, King, whom I had been desperately waiting for, was finally released from the Atlantic and arrived in Washington.

There are conditions.