Seven Seas Beacon Fire

Today's dispute isn't just the Navy and Army arguing with each other; in fact, it is. The Army is arguing with itself, and the Navy is arguing with itself.

After all, the establishment of the air force involves a fundamental issue of interest—who is in charge of the aircraft?

The military is an exclusive entity. For example, tanks are definitely equipment belonging to the army. Theoretically, the navy can certainly allocate funds to buy some tanks, and the army can even allocate funds to build an aircraft carrier.

But the question is, what's the point of doing this kind of cross-disciplinary work?

The farce of the Japanese Navy building tanks and the Army building aircraft carriers during World War II has become a laughing stock for military enthusiasts. This reflects the unnecessary internal friction caused by the fierce infighting between the Japanese Navy and Army.

But airplanes are a little different.

Can you tell which of these paramecia is grinding meat in the sky and which is licking the ground?

The army does have a real need for aircraft to support its operations, and the navy needs even more. What is the deck of an aircraft carrier for?

After the Air Force becomes independent, it will certainly have its own aircraft. The question is whether the Army and Navy can retain their aircraft.

If it can be retained, should there be any restrictions?

If we can't retain it, then what will happen to our joint operations with the Army and Navy?

These are all very complex issues.

"Nephew, why haven't you said a word since the beginning?" The person presiding over today's meeting was Li Che's good second uncle, Prince Zhao, Li Renxu.

He probably noticed that Li Che was unusually quiet today, so while everyone else was making a lot of noise, Li Renxu, who was also having a headache, decided to ask his good nephew for his opinion.

Li Che rolled his eyes inwardly. To be honest, he really didn't want to answer the question. Li Che admitted that establishing a dedicated air force was very important, as it played an extremely important role in the development of the air force, especially the future strategic air force.

The problem is that, looking at the history of another world, countries that established air forces during the early stages of naval aviation development often faced numerous setbacks in the development of their naval aviation.

Needless to say, the only aircraft carrier in the Navy, which was bestowed upon the Navy by Byron for Mayer, was never completed. This aircraft carrier, which had one of the largest hangar areas in the entire World War II, had a pitifully small number of carrier-based aircraft.

Is it because Zeppelin couldn't bring more planes?

Of course not. In terms of the area efficiency of folding wings, the three carrier-based aircraft of the Japanese are known for their excellence. The famous SBD has a unique speed brake design so that its wings cannot be folded at all. The Japanese Elephant Fighter can only fold a little bit of the wingtip in order to maintain the structural strength of the main wing, which is almost no folding.

However, given that folding aircraft wings are less efficient, aircraft carriers from the US and Japan, with hangars smaller than Zeppelin's, can carry more aircraft.

Therefore, the number of aircraft that Zeppelin could carry was not the limit he could carry, but rather the size of the fleet allocated by the Navy under the control of the German government. After all, that idiot Meyer wanted to bring everything that could fly under the control of the Air Force, so the Navy under the German government naturally had no carrier-based aircraft available.

RN suffers from the same problem. Why is it still using Swordfish aircraft? Why is its aircraft carrier carrying so few aircraft?

Go ask the Royal Air Force! You think the Royal Air Force likes using "three-person kayaks"? You think the Royal Air Force likes that the Illustrious can only carry thirty-odd aircraft? Why did the Illustrious's aircraft capacity jump to fifty or sixty after receiving aid from its cousin, the Corsair and Hellcat?

It can be said that the two countries with the strongest naval aviation in World War II were precisely those without independent air forces. This is no coincidence, but an inevitability!

Therefore, even Li Che himself didn't know whether he should support or oppose the establishment of an air force.

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P.S.: I don't know why, but while writing this chapter, I kept thinking of that joke, "Please come up to the podium."

Chapter 326 Aviation Control Committee?

Faced with his second uncle's question, Li Che could only manage a forced smile.

Perhaps in the past, I was always able to point out a path that would enlighten everyone when my grandfather, father, and uncles encountered difficulties in making decisions, based on their experiences in another world. This behavior made them have higher expectations of me.

It's as if I should be like Zhuge Liang, able to provide answers to any question.

But this time, he really didn't know what to do for a moment. It wasn't that he didn't have experience in this area from another world. Although he was a naval enthusiast on the internet in that other world, everyone knows the nature of military enthusiasts.

Those who can call the Type 055 destroyer "wife" are 80% just as likely to be "Qing" (a sarcastic expression of admiration) for the J-20.

Li Che is not lacking in experience; on the contrary, he has too much experience to draw upon.

"I think it is necessary for the Air Force to be established as an independent service, but the conditions for the Air Force to be independent are not yet mature." After deliberating for a long time, Li Che decided to put the issue aside for the time being.

Well, now he himself feels a bit like the person in that joke, "Please come up and sit on the stage."

“Nephew, what you’re saying… is it support or opposition?” Li Renxu patted his shoulder with his large, fan-like hand: “Don’t speak so ambiguously like those bookworms. Give me a straight answer and tell me where it’s not mature enough.”

Li Che looked up at his second uncle. Although his second uncle always appeared rough and unrefined in front of outsiders, and seemed like a simple-minded person, he could tell from his second uncle's words that his second uncle had a stance on whether the air force should be independent—or at least a bias.

While it seemed casually suggested that he discuss why it was premature to establish the air force as an independent branch of service, he was not asked to explain why the air force should be established as an independent branch of service.

In this world, the difference between telling half the truth and telling a lie is often not that great.

It seems that my second uncle doesn't really want the air force to become an independent branch of the military, which... is actually quite understandable.

As one of the senior generals in the military, especially the army, his second uncle's abilities demonstrated in the past world wars were enough to prove that he was an excellent commander above the qualified level. Therefore, if a war were to break out in the future, such as a war to reclaim Yingzhou, he would at least be able to obtain the position of a group army commander.

In the existing organizational structure, the army group commander can command the subordinate army air force. At the end of the last World War, although my second uncle did not become a formal army group commander, he was basically no different from an army group commander in the later stages of the Silla Peninsula. In the operation to conquer southward after the Battle of Wonsan, my second uncle seemed to have some experience in the use of aircraft.

Previously, cavalry or scouts were needed to conduct reconnaissance in certain areas, but two sorties by aircraft were enough to gather most of the information. The hastily retreating Colombian troops simply did not have the time or energy to construct camouflage and cover. Therefore, the aircraft could easily detect where Colombian troops were fleeing, where they were gathering, and where small numbers of Colombian troops were attempting to launch a counterattack or ambush.

This one-way battlefield transparency, as if it were a divine eye, allowed Second Uncle to fight with great success in the later stages of the Silla Peninsula campaign. After this experience, Lee Cheol trusted his Second Uncle and naturally hoped to keep the air force firmly in his own hands.

After all, the greatest benefit of flight is altitude, and for the army, sufficient altitude can solve many terrain problems. And this is only the most basic help that air force can provide to the army.

"The biggest shortcoming is actually only one point. As an independent branch of the military, if the air force were established now, would it have the capability to operate independently? I think it's probably not technically possible right now."

Li Che seemed to be following his second uncle's lead, and his words did indeed bring a satisfied smile to his second uncle's face.

"Yes, although some aircraft are quite large now and can carry dozens or even hundreds of kilograms of bombs, how can these aircraft defeat the enemy on their own?"

As Li Renxu spoke, he turned his gaze to the officers who were the most vocal in supporting the establishment of an independent air force: "In this world of military warfare, no matter how the fighting goes on land, the infantry is ultimately needed to take over the territory. No matter how the fighting goes at sea, warships are ultimately needed to control the sea areas. Although airplanes can take off, they still have to land on the ground."

"Your Highness, you are mistaken!"

An officer with a small mustache stood up: "It's not always necessary to occupy the territory to achieve your goal. It seems Your Highness hasn't read the most cutting-edge military theories in aviation!"

Then the mustachioed officer looked around at his colleagues and continued, "As early as three years ago in the Kingdom of Syracuse, an officer named Julio put forward a clear and complete theory of strategic bombing."

He pointed out that in modern warfare, the enemy's deployment of a large number of troops for dense and powerful defenses would dash any hope of a breakthrough by the army.

Therefore, he argued that the best approach was to seize air superiority and then destroy the enemy's vital parts, including their supply lines and the people's will to resist. The enemy would then surrender due to the destruction of their industrial potential. Although their front lines would still be intact, their factories in the rear would be destroyed, and they would be unable to produce guns and ammunition. Defeat would be all that awaited them!

"As long as we adhere to the theory of strategic bombing and build a powerful air force capable of strategic bombing, we can win the war by directly destroying the enemy's rear-area industrial base!"

Wow, this feels like the work of a follower of Douhet? Is this world where an officer named Giulio proposed the theory of strategic bombing?

"You think you can defeat the enemy with the meager supplies hanging on your planes?"

Li Renxu was not someone who could be refuted or persuaded with a few words. Although he himself was not particularly enthusiastic about the technological development of the Air Force, he had followed his good nephew for so many years. Under the influence of his good nephew's views, he had heard and seen so much that he could be considered a semi-technical officer—at least he had a relatively good understanding of the performance and specifications of the weapons and equipment under his command, including the aircraft.

"Even the largest aircraft built with current technology can carry hundreds of kilograms of bombs, which seems quite astonishing in terms of weight. But think about it from another perspective: how long can hundreds of kilograms of artillery shells keep up with artillery fire? Even if all these bombs were to fall on the enemy, what would happen? Let alone destroying the enemy's industry, it would probably be difficult for you to completely destroy a factory, right?"

Li Renxu clearly had a clear understanding of the largest bomber currently in service with the air force: "Not to mention, when we discuss a certain strategy or tactic, we cannot separate it from our actual defense needs. The strategic bombing you mentioned should be based on our hypothetical enemy, right? And our biggest hypothetical enemy is right across the sea from us! Even if we set up an airport in the southern part of the Silla Peninsula, can your planes bomb the industrial facilities of the entire Yingzhou Islands? Is your range sufficient?"

These words seemed to pierce the heart, each one hitting the aviation faction's weak spot. The man with the mustache was clearly refuted by his second uncle's words and was momentarily at a loss for words.

I never expected that my second uncle was so good at debating, in addition to leading troops into battle.

However, next to the officer with the mustache, a younger officer stood up: "Your Highness, the current aircraft performance does have limitations, and just as His Highness the Crown Prince said, we cannot do it with the current technology, but technology will develop, which does not mean that we cannot do it in the future."

The younger officer astutely seized upon the point Li Che deliberately left unsaid: "It's only been a little over 10 years since airplanes first appeared. They've evolved from flying toys that could only carry one person for short distances to killing machines that can carry hundreds of kilograms of bombs. So we have reason to imagine that in the future we can acquire even bigger and more powerful airplanes, carrying even more bombs, to launch terrifying bombing raids on the enemy in swarms!"

Upon hearing this guy's words, Li Che revealed a subtle smile. It seemed there were indeed some clever people out there. Looking at his second uncle's ambiguous expression, Li Che almost burst out laughing.

In this era of rapid technological development, even the most conservative thinkers cannot deny that the aviation industry will undoubtedly achieve even greater success in the future.

After all, everyone knows that these planes are only just getting started.

Li Che had actually considered directly supporting the independence of the air force. Although an independent air force would certainly have some adverse effects on the naval aviation, Li Che felt that with his status and connections, he could actually eliminate such effects.

Just before he was about to express his opinion, his second uncle's words made him realize that his second uncle probably did not want the air force to become independent. After all, even if the army was allowed to retain its aviation in the future, how could it compare to having all the flying chess pieces on land under the army's jurisdiction? That would be more direct, more effective, and more comfortable.

So he reorganized his words before speaking and did not express his opinion directly. It seemed as if he was trying to cater to his second uncle's attitude, but in fact he was also quietly planting seeds of discord.

"Sigh, I've really gone to great lengths to maintain unity and stability within the Tang army," Li Che thought to himself.

He realized that the independence of the Air Force was not a simple matter of policy, nor was it a matter of whether his position on the Navy's side could help the Navy secure resources in the future.

As the crown prince, he could only take care of the naval air force at most. However, he realized that this was actually more of a struggle between reformers and conservatives within the military, a matter of power within the military.

Rather than how much impact it will have on the future, it's more accurate to say how much it will impact the stability of the Tang Dynasty's military at present, given the current independence of the air force.

You have to understand that once this kind of conflict between military branches starts, it's not your problem anymore. It's not something that a mere imperial grandson can resolve by mediating; even the emperor himself might not be able to do it.

Because this kind of inter-service conflict is one where you don't have a specific target to win over or attack, it's essentially a collective will.

Consider the American admiral mutiny after World War II, and the fierce conflict between the first and second classes in America—these are all relatively mild cases.

When faced with such conflicts between military branches, the Russians have a history of taking drastic measures, such as arresting officers of the opposing side through administrative means, effectively eliminating their competitors in a physical sense.

"Second Uncle, I think it would be better to do this," Li Che said. "On the issue of air force, I think we can learn from the navy's experience."

"Should we follow the Navy's example?"

Li Che nodded: "The separation of combat and training is similar to that of our navy and the Royal Navy of Victoria. Both are responsible for the overall management of all ships at sea. The Navy Department is in charge of the design and construction of a warship, but how to use and command the warship after it is built is in accordance with the orders of the fleet command."

We could also first organize an aviation management committee to manage all aircraft in a unified manner, from performance bidding to production organization. Once the aircraft are produced, they would be allocated to different units by the aviation management committee according to demand.

In recent years, we have maintained the existing organizational structure of Army Aviation and Navy Aviation. Once technology advances further, and we can establish a high-tech air force capable of conducting transoceanic strategic bombing, we can then consider establishing our own air force. And I believe that day shouldn't be too far off.

"Does that mean the army and navy don't need airplanes anymore?"

Li Che smiled and shook his head: "It's not that we don't want it. The Army will retain its corresponding Army Aviation Corps to support the Army's operations, and the Navy will naturally retain its Naval Aviation Corps. The Air Force will be an independent branch of the military, separate from the Naval Aviation and Army Aviation Corps, and on the same level as the Navy and Army."

Li Che presented his proposed solution, and after explaining it, he couldn't help but admire how much more tactful he had become than before.

For his second uncle, this was a way to temporarily put the problem aside. For those in the aviation faction, it was like giving them a pie in the sky. At this stage, when the war had just ended and the country needed stability the most, internal strife within the military was avoided.

As for the possibility that this suggestion might indeed lead to some duplication and waste in the future development of the air force... it can only be said that duplication and waste in the propeller era are not necessarily a bad thing.

Chapter 327 Matter is the cornerstone of technology and thought.

"My second brother told me that your eldest nephew wasn't very decent, that he didn't support him where he should have."

When Li Che returned to his residence that evening, he saw his father sitting in his study with a cup of hot tea, waiting for him. After they met, Li Renzhi stared into Li Che's eyes and said bluntly, "He originally thought you would support him, but he didn't expect you to just temporarily put this matter aside."

"What? My second uncle came all the way here to complain about me?"

“I didn’t complain about you. Your father hasn’t eaten with your second uncle for a while. We ate together tonight and chatted for a bit at the table.”

Am I doing something wrong?

Li Renzhi gently rubbed his hands on the teacup: "It's not that you did anything wrong, but it was a bit of a surprise to everyone, including myself. I originally thought you were also unwilling to see the Air Force become independent, but now it seems that's not entirely the case."

Li Che shook his head and sat down on another chair. He reached out and unbuttoned the top button of his collar, making his neck, which had been constricted, a little more comfortable. Li Che did not continue on his father's words, but instead glanced at the hot tea in the Crown Prince's hand and the coat draped over his shoulders: "Father, it's already summer, and you're still holding hot tea and wearing a coat at night. With your body still recovering from a serious illness, you should rest more."

“I know my own body. Now that the country is newly established, there is no turning back once our family has taken this position. Your grandfather and your father are both helping you remove the thorns.”

"Some things should be let go. Dad, you have too many things to do. Don't waste your energy on military matters."

Do you think the question of whether or not a branch of the military should be established is a simple military question?

"Anyway, proposing the establishment of an air force under the current circumstances is definitely not a mature suggestion." Li Che shook his head: "Dad, you don't need to tell me, I know why we are so eager to discuss the establishment of an air force at this critical juncture. It's not because the air force performs so well in war, but purely because the military reforms that Grandpa is leading are now facing great resistance."

As for the large number of troops that were cut... ordinary soldiers are manageable; it seems that Mr. Fifth had previously planned a new round of major railway repairs, and the factories and related railway and construction companies under the Ministry of Railways could absorb a lot of soldiers. However, the resettlement of many officers from the war era is much more troublesome. The Air Force's proposal to establish an independent branch is partly due to organizational issues, isn't it?

“That’s true,” Li Renzhi said. “So when I found out that the Army was second in command and the Navy had pushed you out to participate in this meeting to discuss the establishment of the Air Force, I knew that the top brass of the Army and Navy were not very happy to see the Air Force become independent.”

“Isn’t this a natural thing? Who would want to weaken their own power?” Li Che waved his hand. “But Dad, didn’t you consider this situation beforehand? Judging from your tone, it seems that you and Grandpa want the Air Force to be established as soon as possible so that it can absorb a large number of naval and army officers. You should have given me a heads-up beforehand. If you want to push for the establishment of the Air Force to be done sooner, I can change my words and help those aviation officers persuade Uncle.”

“Although you’ve seemed a bit carefree since you were little, your grandfather and I know that you won’t easily compromise on matters of principle. Over the past year or so, we’ve seen that your interest in the navy is genuine, and your identification with it is growing stronger.” Li Renzhi looked at his son’s naval uniform. “But you, I’ve heard lately, are focusing all your energy on building up the naval aviation. It seems that half of the young officers in your naval council are now naval aviators. Do you really agree to the independence of the air force?”

"The air force is a branch of service with unlimited potential, and independence is inevitable, but now is not the right time."

"When would be a good time?"

"Dad, do you know about the two aircraft carriers the Navy plans to refit?" Li Che suddenly asked. "The Dragon Phoenix-class aircraft carriers have a standard displacement of over 35,000 tons, making them one of the largest aircraft carriers in the world. Before the two Dragon Phoenix-class aircraft carriers are officially completed and commissioned, the aviation faction within the Navy will not have much say, no matter how much I support them. Dad, do you know why?"

"It's probably like in ancient times, you needed a lot of warhorses to have excellent cavalry generals, right?"

Li Che laughed and said, "If that's how it's described, then it's not wrong. In the end, the fantasy of the real world must be built on a down-to-earth material foundation. Otherwise, no matter how perfect the theory is, it will not bear fruit."

These words can actually be considered Li Che's summary and extraction of experience from another world. If we were to put the experience from another world into the current issue of the establishment of the air force in this world, what would be universally applicable and directly applicable for reference? Li Che believes that this is probably it.

Why was it that in another world during the early stages of World War II, the "Lian Kuo Kang Tai" and USN had the most advanced naval carrier-based aircraft technology and equipment, the most complete combat system, and a greater voice for aviation factions in the military compared to other countries?

That's because the Lexington sisters, along with Akagi and Kaga, were the four largest aircraft carriers in the world during the Naval Treaty era. It was precisely because the United States and Japan possessed these world's largest aircraft carriers that their domestic aviation factions had enough influence to fight for more resources.

In contrast, while a certain troublemaker has always been a pioneer of advanced technology, in the early days of aircraft carrier development during the treaty era, the aircraft carriers they had were either small carriers of 10,000 tons or carriers converted from slow and short battleship hulls. Several aircraft carriers converted from large light cruisers ended up looking like that monstrosity when designed with a double flight deck – a 240-meter hull with a flight deck only a little over 180 meters long at the top.

The situation worsened for the "troublemakers" later on. They were the first to develop key subsystems on modern aircraft carriers, such as angled flight decks, optical landing aids, and steam catapults. Unfortunately, due to the lack of large aircraft carriers for a long time, these things are now largely irrelevant to the "troublemakers."

How can you expect them to bear abundant fruit on such barren soil?

"Father, thinking about these things now is pointless. It will be more meaningful to talk about the independence of the air force when we can truly build a powerful Iron Wing."

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