Chapter 519: The Competition

The weather was excellent. The entire hillside was covered with sun umbrellas and young couples sitting on the grass. They were enjoying the mild late-April weather and the most spectacular competition in all of Germany.

What was being held here was the largest glider competition since the founding of the German Glider Association. Fifty-nine clubs, and even the association itself, were participating. Behind most of the clubs stood aviation industry giants such as Dornier or Messerschmitt, which greatly increased the intensity of the competition.

Under the auspices of the German Air Force’s technical department, this place had become a testing ground for new German aerial flight experiments, and also the most important logistical base for cultivating the German Air Force’s reserve talent. This kind of competition was held every year, and every year it trained thousands of experienced pilots for Germany.

It could be said that the ability of the German Air Force to expand from nothing into a powerful force with nearly 10,000 aircraft and gliders of various types in just a few years was a great credit to these clubs. This nationwide participation in flight competitions had given Germany a reserve of air force pilots that was even on the verge of catching up with the United States. And in this process, female pilots had gradually emerged, which, to a certain extent, had increased the depth of the German Air Force’s reserves.

It had to be said that female roles in the German pilot corps were becoming more and more common. They served as bombardiers and gunners on bombers, as co-pilots and flight attendants on transport planes, as pilots in the helicopter units, and even as operators on paratrooper gliders. The large-scale appearance of these female pilots in dangerous positions was used to reduce the losses of male pilots. They were numerous and easy to supplement, and most of the young girls even had a fanatical devotion to the Greater Germany Party and did not fear sacrifice.

Last month, a German fighter squadron composed entirely of female fighter pilots had entered service. This squadron would be responsible for the air defense of a certain area in Germany. This marked that in the future German Air Force, women would hold at least 20% of the positions, in order to free up more men to do more valuable work.

In the valleys, by the cliffs, and in other places, a series of competitions would be held according to the rules, including glider speed races, endurance flights, and altitude flights. Afterwards, there would be aerobatic performances, formation parades, and sightseeing tours in airships and hydrogen balloons.

As the majestic music began to play, the German national flags that covered the mountains and fields seemed to all unfurl in the wind. Everyone stood up from the grass. They looked towards the top of the slope, their eyes full of reverence for the small pavilion there, which was the most distinguished seat for this glider competition.

“The Führer and the First Lady have arrived!” a soldier of the 0th SS Division shouted, holding his assault rifle and standing at attention. Since the last assassination attempt, the Führer’s security had become even stricter. The surrounding area was basically full of armed guards, almost at a density of one post every five steps, one sentry every ten.

“Long live the Führer, Akado Rudolph!” The people near the slope all raised their right hands and cheered loudly, their voices echoing in the valley, rising and falling, melodious and powerful.

“Long live the Führer, Akado Rudolph!” More people followed, raising their right hands and shouting. They called out to their leader in the most adoring voices. They loved this country, and they loved this great Führer even more.

Akado personally supported Mercedes and walked into the pavilion. He carefully helped the very pregnant Mercedes to sit down in a comfortable sofa. Only then did he turn around and wave to the crowd below, who were shouting “Long live.”

The cheers below became even more fervent. They shouted with abandon, waving fiercely at their idol. The hillside was covered with waving swastika flags and all sorts of hats and handkerchiefs.

“Be seated,” Akado said softly to the officials beside him. After speaking, he sat down in the main seat himself.

“Long live the Führer, Akado Rudolph!” Only then did August, Krupp, and the others sit down. Some of them were wearing suits, and some were in military uniforms. They formed a dark mass of people sitting around Akado.

Almost all the dignitaries of the Reich had attended this grand competition, including Chancellor August and Deputy Chancellors Krupp and Bosch, as well as the military’s Brauchitsch and Raeder, and the political leaders Foreign Minister Merkel, Minister of the Interior Jelinek, Minister of Industry Speer, and Minister of Propaganda Fanny. The attendance of so many dignitaries showed the great importance the high command of the Reich attached to this grand event.

They had to attach importance to it, and they had to whip up more enthusiasm. The German Air Force had proposed a five-year expansion plan. It was to double the size of the existing air force in the next five years. By then, the massive German Air Force would have over 16,000 aircraft and 80,000 standard pilots. If you also included the supporting radar, airfields, and air defense positions, the total strength would exceed 900,000 men.

Coincidentally, Mercedes had been bored at home and wanted to get some fresh air, so the decision for the Führer to personally attend this aviation extravaganza was made. With a short speech from Akado, the competition officially began. The music played again, but it was no longer the majestic tune that symbolized the Führer of the Reich, but the exciting one that represented the competition.

“Next, let’s welcome today’s contestant number 1 and his glider team! His aircraft has very unique technical features, with flat and slender wings, which is very rare in a speed race…” the pleasant voice of the announcer came from the loudspeaker, explaining the contestant’s information.

Mercedes watched as the distant contestant, with the help of several staff members, climbed into his aircraft, looking very excited. “Hey, Akado, that contestant is from the Ruhr, not far from your hometown.”

Akado held Mercedes’s hand, feeling that his wife had clearly been putting on some weight recently. He smiled and followed her finger to the competition site, where he saw that the glider had already rushed down the runway from the slope, heading for the cliff at the end.

There, the glider soared high into the wind, as if it had come to life in an instant. With the whistling of the wind, it charged forward at high speed in the sky. After only a short time, the finish line flag was raised high, and the result was quite good, close to the level of the third-place winner in the last competition.

The contestant, upon returning to the top of the mountain, was clearly also very satisfied with his performance. He smiled and hugged his girlfriend, letting a middle school student who was presenting flowers place a wreath around his neck. Everyone applauded his excellent performance, and he frequently waved to the people he knew.

Then the second pilot set off with his glider. This contestant was from the city of Weissach in the Württemberg region of Germany and was a very competitive favorite to win the championship. His glider club was sponsored by the Focke-Wulf company and had strong technical support.

So the moment this pilot appeared, he was met with a wave of cheers and applause. He excitedly waved his arms, as if he were determined to win this competition. Soon, the technicians had prepared his glider for him, and with the help of his assistant, he entered his aircraft.

With the sound of a whistle, this glider also charged into the airflow, heading for the finish line at a very fast speed. Because he was a favorite to win, the diving speed of this aircraft was very fast, like a falcon diving straight down, drawing a gasp of surprise from the crowd.

It was clear that a club sponsored and supported by a large company was not something that some of the smaller clubs could compare to. The second contestant’s aircraft completely surpassed its predecessor in both design and performance.

“Oh! My God!” Mercedes was clearly shocked by the high-speed charge towards the finish line. She covered her lips with her hand, her beautiful eyes wide as she stared at the incredibly fast aircraft.

Akado smiled and squeezed his wife’s hand. He turned and asked Krupp, who was not far away, “Krupp, our gliders are getting faster and faster. Are all these designs and their parameters fully documented?”

“We have a record of every design, my Führer,” Krupp replied proudly. This work was the technical reserve that he was in charge of, so he was very clear about the progress in this area. The tireless pursuit of excellent technology was the nature of German technicians; on this point, they were more confident than the technicians of other countries.

Soon, the cheers came again. The result of this pilot was sent back from the finish line. He was a full three seconds faster than the first contestant, breaking the glider speed record set by the Messerschmitt company last year.

This contestant received even more flowers and applause. Several beautiful girls even surrounded him and offered him their passionate kisses. A few engineers and managers from the Focke-Wulf company smiled and patted the pilot’s shoulder. The young man looked very young, probably only sixteen or seventeen. He had blond hair and blue eyes and looked very handsome.

“What was his name again?” Akado turned his head and asked Mercedes, who was cheering for the contestant. “I wasn’t paying attention to the introduction just now. He seems to be quite famous.”

Mercedes smiled and replied, “My Führer, his name is Hartmann. He was the runner-up last year.”

“…” This time it was Akado’s turn to be speechless. This handsome young man was the future number one fighter ace of the German military? This hot favorite to win the championship, who was so popular among the girls, was actually the “Black Devil of the Sky” who had shot down over 350 planes?

“If he wins the championship this year, I will personally invite him to dinner!” Akado suddenly became interested. He pointed to the big boy who was having a third wreath placed around his neck and said to the head of the SS, Reinhard Heydrich, who was at his side, “I’ll bet 20 marks that he wins the championship this time!”

“My Führer, you are a bit too confident,” Krupp interjected at this moment. “This pilot is indeed excellent, but winning the championship doesn’t just depend on the pilot.”

Published: 2025-09-01T04:07:04.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2025-12-09T19:29:33.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c519-137832504

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