Chapter 79 Old Knowledge

As a diplomat, Lynn made friends with many Dutch military personnel in Amsterdam. Although he rarely showed even a little professional military literacy, he still became friends with some of them with his very experienced knowledge of people and his increasingly mature communication skills. Then he further consolidated his relationship through tennis, hunting and even racing activities. Opening his private address book, Lynn easily found the name of the Dutch Royal Guard officer. It was the weekend that he picked up Sara from Alkmaar and paid a visit to him.

I visited several Dutch officers of similar age to me, and learned from them that the number, equipment structure and other situations of the troops stationed in the Alkmar Barracks at this time. Unlike the troops that were responsible for royal ceremonial guards and inspected in the past, this Royal Guard was a mechanized corps formed by two old army units. It belongs to the specifications of a strengthening regiment. Because it was equipped with all American medium-sized tanks, new self-propelled artillery and armored vehicles, it was highly anticipated by the Dutch senior management, and even called it "the most powerful marine regiment in the history of the Netherlands."

From the information obtained from outsiders, even those with close seemingly relatives, Lynn will carefully identify it. From the distance between the Alkmar Barracks and the scale of the central square in Amsterdam and the surrounding traffic conditions, Lynn believes that the high-level leaders of the Allied Command in Europe directly inspect the troops in the barracks. The pragmatic Dutch may not hold another military parade in Amsterdam, and the possibility of Allied generals taking trains to the Netherlands from Poland has also been minimized.

In order to get as much intelligence as possible, Lynn actively goes to any banquet that can be involved, whether it is official or private. Sometimes it is not surprising that two games a day are caught. Obviously, the visit of the Allied senior officials to the Netherlands is not a complete act of justice. In recent times, not only major allies such as the United States, Britain and France, but also diplomatic officials and arms company representatives from Sweden, Switzerland and other countries are also particularly active. What they are interested in is the Dutch wallets - the overall preparation for war means the demand for military equipment surges, and the United States and Britain provide free of charge is only part of it. Although the Dutch government's arms budget has not been announced yet, various versions of the news have already flown all over the sky. Whether the final result is 200 million or 500 million US dollars, it contains coveted profits.

Chasing profits is not always the goal of merchants, and the government will choose appropriate official behaviors for its own considerations. Soon, Germany, which has recently joined the Allies' camp, also sent a special delegation to the visit. Although they were called visits, the head of the Ordnance Production Department of the General Staff of the Defense Army was the leader, and famous business representatives and technical experts from the famous arms company such as Krupp and Mauser were accompanied, with the intention to be seen from the member list.

On the day the delegation arrived, the German Embassy in the Netherlands naturally held a grand dinner of hype for them. Baron von Mayn asked Lynn to be responsible for the invitation distribution and transportation arrangements for Amsterdam, so Lynn was unable to meet the delegation members as soon as possible. When all the important guests arrived at the banquet, Lynn was finally relieved. However, when he walked into the banquet hall, he was soon attracted by a familiar face. The other party was obviously seen before, but there was no familiar name on the list. He was...

As he looked at each other, Lin En suddenly remembered that he was the staff officer Felix Kaman he met in the Sixth Defense Zone of Berlin? At that time, he led the night warriors to the area of ​​the area through the sewer and passed the captured Soviet colonel to the Sixth Defense Zone Command. Later, the colonel was rescued by the Soviet attacking troops, and Lin En captured the unlucky guy for the second time on the way to rescue his comrades.

After more than two years of meeting his colleagues of that year, Lin En should have been filled with emotion, but at this moment he did not forget his current identity. So when the other party pointed his index finger at him in surprise, he stepped forward at the rhythm of an infantry assault and said, "Ha, old man, I didn't expect us to meet again! Why don't you remember me? I am Hugo Horst! We met in Berlin! Has it been too long?"

Lynn said, blinking at the other party. His words just now were very quick, completely preventing Kaman from speaking. The proper volume only attracted the slightly curious gaze of a few people nearby.

"Oh..." Kaman grasped Lynn's hand with understanding, "I remember, of course, how could I forget it! I didn't expect to see you here, it was a big surprise!"

"Yes, the world is so small! We meet again after a long time, shouldn't we have a few drinks?" As he said, Lynn took Kaman to a place with fewer guests and picked up a glass of champagne to cover up: "I'm so sorry, old man, I have no choice... You know how they handled the SS staff at that time, so..."

Kaman and Lynn flirted with glasses and whispered: "I can understand that although some of the people act too extreme, there are also many soldiers who are worthy of admiration like you, brother. I am still your trustworthy friend."

Taking a sip of champagne, Lin En said twice "thank you". Only then did he look at Kaman carefully. From the embarrassment and fatigue on the battlefield to the current uniformity of the military. This officer from the National Defense Forces showed his dignified and extraordinary temperament, and there was also an embellishment on the epaulette, which meant that he not only changed from a prisoner of war to a regular soldier, but also advanced to a level against the trend.

Lynn grinned happily and said, "It's time to call you Colonel Kaman now, where is it?"

Kaman also smiled heartily: "The General Staff of the German Defense Forces is still the old profession of the staff officer. So, what should you, Mr. Horst, call it now?"

"The German Provisional Government sent a second-class counselor to the Dutch Embassy, ​​or simply call me Mr. Counselor." Lynn replied.

"So Mr. Counselor, we have been separated for 28 months, and you look much more mature. By the way, General von Nottstiz, you still remember! The commander of the Sixth Defense Zone at that time met in the air defense bunker!" Kaman gestured with one hand.

"Well, um! Remember, the war situation was urgent at that time, and the general had no time to pay attention to me and handed over my affairs to you directly. Haha, it sounds like something that happened yesterday. General von Nottstiz..." At this time, Lin Neng suddenly realized that the first place on the delegation's member list was von Nottstiz, but he also glanced at it in a hurry back then, but now he just looked at the name.

"He is now the Chief of Ordnance Department of the General Staff of the Defense Army and the leader of the delegation this time." Kaman introduced proudly, then turned his head and searched the crowd.

Lynn knew what he wanted to do, so he stopped him, "Well, Colonel, now may not be a good time to talk to the general. It is best if you explain it to him privately first, so as not to encounter the embarrassment we just had just been."

Kaman thought for a while: "Okay."

"How are you doing recently? Are you busy rebuilding the army?" Lynn put aside his personal feelings for the time being and asked the insider about the situation of the German Defense Force from the standpoint of the empire.

"Yes, it's like rebuilding a house in the ruins. There are many things to do. At the beginning, I didn't even have a clue. Now I feel that everything is missing. The psychological pressure is really great!" Kaman said like a complaining woman. There is no need for Lynn to ask in detail. He then sighed like a bamboo tube pouring beans. Although the scale of the German Defense Force has expanded to more than one million, only one-third of the people under the command of the German General Staff. Most of them are still used as auxiliary support troops for the Allies, and they are basically all infantry troops.

There were no tanks, no assault guns, and even fewer armored vehicles were pitifully rare. They were simply cannon fodder in position attacks. Although the Allied Command approved the equipment plan proposed by the German Defense Force, it always said that there were too many newly formed American ** teams and they all lacked equipment. In fact, a year ago, the US and British ordnance warehouses were filled with combat supplies, but they were generously given to the Soviets during the retreat in Eastern Europe. Now at least one-third of the Soviet army's equipment is seized and repaired Allied goods, and a special component assembly line has been opened in Siberia.

"How is the Air Force?" Lynn asked with the flow.

"Several production lines have been rebuilt, but the materials, funds and energy are tight. At the beginning, 20 new aircraft could be built every month, mainly the FW-190 D12 type. They did not allow us to re-produce jets, and we did not have ready-made technical equipment. In addition, we were recycled and repaired old Allied aircraft, Mustangs, lightning, fire, hurricanes, etc., because of the lack of repair parts, the situation was unsatisfactory!" Kaman shook his head helplessly.

"I heard that the Navy is in a bad situation, too?"

"There is not even a decent warship!" Kaman could only smile bitterly, "What about you? How is the life of a diplomat?"

"Eat, drink, dance, sleep." Lynn smiled self-deprecatingly: "It feels very depraved!"

"Isn't it more depraved to help the enemy in the past?" Kaman also laughed at himself, and the two clinked glasses again, and then Kaman asked, "Do you have any idea to return to the army?"

It must be fake to say no. Just now, listening to Kaman talking about all kinds of the army, how could Lin Neng not remember the glorious years of the past? He did not forget that his childhood dream was to be a general who was scattered across the battlefield and sweeping away mountains and rivers. Although he has been fighting on a new battlefield for two years, he can't find the feeling he used to. After hesitating for a long time, Lin Neng finally shook his head: he didn't think of the reason to return to the army.

"Then let's keep in touch from today! Maybe one day we are tired of the work in the General Staff and apply to be transferred to the diplomatic department to be a low-level military officer, and we will become comrades and comrades again." Kaman said openly.

"Although we haven't seen each other for more than two years, we have always been comrades and comrades with the same dreams!" Lynn looked at Kaman. This soldier who also withstood the test of war in the most cruel battles was not difficult to understand the profound meaning of "same dreams". However, revival was a bloodthirsty adventure for Lynn, but for Kaman, it was a remnant that could only be buried in his heart - he smiled helplessly and turned his head to sigh sadly.

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Chapter completed!