Chapter 107 BASF Factory
What! ?
At that moment, everyone stared at Gu Ji with different expressions, some were horrified, some were excited, and most of all they were envious.
"Sherman"'s current military rank is Private First Class, and the General Staff awarded him the rank of Staff Sergeant, which is equivalent to a three-level promotion.
And that Iron Cross.
A Hans warrior, it is his greatest honor to receive the Iron Cross.
Although this thing has been sold to millions in the late World War II, its honor is still very important at this moment. Among the few people present, only Luca of the 1st Guards Flag Division wears one on his collar.
Eugen on the side was so envious that his eyes almost fell out of his head.
But when the bearded General Staff learned that Gu Ji was anxious to return to Ludwigshafen, he suddenly remembered.
"It does happen. I have just received an order from my headquarters. Ludwigshafen was bombed by a B-17 fleet of the 341st Bomb Group of the Eagle Army. I was asked to dispatch several teams to investigate and make statistics."
After hearing the main topic, Gu Ji's eyes flashed with interest and his tone was calm.
"General Staff, if you agree, I would like to go to Ludwig to investigate this matter."
"General Staff, I also want to go with Sergeant Hermann!"
Unexpectedly, Eugen could not wait to stand up and straighten his back.
The bearded man put his hands behind his back, glanced at everyone's faces one by one, and nodded with satisfaction:
"Well, since you have just experienced life and death together on the battlefield, we will temporarily organize you into a team, with Second Lieutenant Luca as the captain and Staff Sergeant Hermann as the deputy captain. We will investigate and make statistics on Ludwig this time. Harbor bombing incident.”
"yes."
Luka had originally intended to recruit an outstanding subordinate like Gu Ji, so of course he readily agreed.
No surprises.
The news of Mosnelli's resignation that night once again caused a sensation in the Hansi military camp.
In the Battle of Nannan Outer Islands, Hans' army was defeated steadily.
In order to prevent the soldiers from losing morale, the bearded General Staff decided to hold a ceremony to confer a title on Gu Ji at the base that night. It was rare to have a soldier who could be regarded as a model, so of course he had to publicize it vigorously.
"Staff Sergeant Hermann relied on his excellent command ability to fight to the last bullet and rescue his comrades from the encirclement. He has the aura of Hans' will."
Because the original product was still being produced, the General Staff could only temporarily take out an official copy of the Black Cross and tie it on Gu Ji's collar.
"I hope that Sergeant Hermann can continue to rely on Hans' will just like relying on a stone wall, and keep fighting for this honor!"
The Hans soldiers in the audience immediately burst into applause.
Gu Ji didn't feel very passionate at all. He had a different position. It would be better to think carefully about how to use this meritorious service to gain command benefits for himself.
After the investiture ceremony.
Leer stepped forward and hugged his shoulders, grinning:
"Good job, buddy. After one battle, your level is the same as mine!"
"Brother Hermann, oh no, sir, when we get to Ludwigshafen, I hope you won't forget to teach me command skills!"
"Everything is easy to say."
Gu Jizheng was sending Eugen away in a few words, but he happened to encounter the military police escorting a group of soldiers to the punishment camp.
When the military policeman saw him, he immediately straightened his back and gave an excited military salute.
The soldiers had already taken off their military uniforms, their faces were covered with bloodstains, and a white sign hung on their chests with shameful slogans such as "I am a deserter, I am a coward, I am a traitor".
Eugen spat viciously:
"Damn deserters, what a disgrace to the Hans Empire!"
"Forget it Eugen, just stop saying a few words."
Leer pulled him.
In fact, everyone knows that these soldiers are not real deserters. They just saw Roman civilians taking to the streets to celebrate and test whether the war is really going to end.
The night breeze blew.
The shame tags on the soldiers' chests, as well as the Iron Cross medals on the collars of Gu Ji and Luca, and Eugen's crazy expression seemed to echo their lost and silent expressions.
…
Two days later in the morning.
The military police were ordered to inform Gu Ji and others that the transport crew was ready. It was a gray-green JU-52 transport plane that could accommodate 18 soldiers.
The distance from Lebudas to Ludwigshafen is only about a thousand kilometers.
In less than three hours, the plane landed over Ludwigshafen.
[Goal: Successfully reach Ludwigshafen within three days! 】
【Please choose your reward! 】
[Improvement of lung function and blood oxygen level (medium)] or [Improvement of human body tolerance (medium)]
To be honest, the two rewards refreshed this time are not as attractive as the previous round on the surface, but they are very practical in the face of disasters.
Blue [Vital Capacity Improvement (Medium)]: Increase the deep inhalation volume of the lungs by 24%, increase the hypoxia tolerance time of important organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys by 32%, and increase the activity of type II pneumocytes by 7%;
Blue [Human body tolerance improvement (medium)]: Improves the body's ability to resist cold and heat by 27%, improves the skin's resistance to chemical burns by 19%, and increases bone marrow's hematopoietic ability by 16%.
Both focus on improving personal survival capabilities.
If you look at it from a game perspective.
Vital capacity is a type of blood loss that is very small in the early stage and very fast in the later stage;
Tolerance means losing blood steadily and slowly throughout the process.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Ji decided to choose the former. In large-scale factory fires and chemical leak accidents, the increased resistance has limited effect, and he still has to rely on equipment.
The protective equipment during World War II was generally unreliable.
[New goal: prevent the accident disaster from spreading out of the port! 】
Through the cabin window, he glanced down at the town below.
Rudwigshafen is located on the left bank of the Rhine River and is the second largest city in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Compared to Lebudas and Berlin, there is not such a strong war atmosphere here. Looking at the entire city, apart from the red-roofed and white-walled private houses, nearly half of it is surrounded by various dense factory pipelines and railways.
There are very few high-rise buildings in the city center. Instead, there are chimneys emitting white gas and gray smoke, as well as various huge circular and cylindrical condensation towers and combustion towers.
Because here sits the world’s largest chemical company:
BASF Group Headquarters.
It is the chemical product base with the largest factory area in the world. The company headquarters and factories are close to the port and train tracks. It is like a "small city", with the building area alone reaching seven square kilometers.
There are a total of 100 kilometers of streets, 200 kilometers of train tracks, and 2,500 kilometers of pipelines in the interior, which is enough to illustrate its complexity and hugeness.
Therefore, the accidents that occurred at BASF in history were often very serious.
After landing at the airport, Luka turned around and asked.
"Herman, do you want to go home first or..."
"We'll wait until the investigation mission is completed."
Gu Ji hesitated.
So Luca got in touch with the local military police stationed there.
Because too many troops were consumed on the east-west front battlefield and guarding the occupied areas, there were very few troops stationed in Hans's native towns. They were basically junior troops or newly produced troops.
The Military Police Department equipped Gu Ji and others with a military vehicle: a Volkswagen Type 82 bucket truck.
With a gray-green body, a square convertible shape, and a spare wheel mounted on the hood, it looks like a small armored vehicle.
While driving on the road, it also attracted the attention of many people.
Some people stopped to watch, some teenagers chased behind the car with a playful smile, and some young soldiers patrolling the streets saluted, trying to express their enthusiasm and respect for the veterans.
Compared to Eugen who was so excited that he honked his horn randomly.
On the contrary, Leer's expression was complicated, as if he thought of the tragedy on the battlefield and those comrades who had sacrificed their lives.
Under the leadership of the young military police, Gu Ji and others finally arrived at the bombing site, located in the southwest area of the BASF factory.
Fortunately, the Hans Air Force arrived in time, and the area bombed was not too large. Only one of the five aerial bombs fell in the factory building.
With the factory fence as the center, everything nearby was razed to the ground, and the metal pipes were twisted and broken, leaving several bomb craters half a person deep.
When Eugen saw this scene, he was so angry that he gritted his teeth.
"These damn Eagles!"
Beginning in January 1943, the heads of the Foggy Eagles decided at the Blanca Conference that the two armies would jointly carry out strategic bombing operations against Hansi, especially important industrial cities, with the intention of destroying Hansi's heavy industrial base.
As one of the important chemical industry cities in Hans, Ludwigshafen was often severely damaged during World War II and was rebuilt into a modern city after the war.
Luca first called the commander of the unit in charge of the accident, a corporal with thick eyebrows in his twenties and eighties, and asked about the details of the bombing at that time.
Since several people came with transfer orders, Corporal Thick Eyebrow naturally did not dare to neglect them.
However, enemy strategic bombing is mainly handled by the National Defense Air Force.
There are not many key points that can be investigated on the ground, and they are basically just a formality.
After only chatting for a few words, Luka ended the inquiry and then turned to look at Gu Ji.
"Herman, do you have anything else to ask?"
"After the factory faced the bombing, did it prepare corresponding emergency management measures for explosions and fires?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, he stopped the thick-browed corporal.
The other party scratched his head and had to find the manager in charge of the production base.
The manager's name is Goering, a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing a white shirt and a gray vest. His oily hair is combed to make it look shiny. When he walked over, he deliberately took out a valuable golden pocket watch, like It means: My time is precious.
Gu Ji knew at a glance that the other party was a very shrewd businessman.
Faced with his question, Göring answered very calmly and officially:
"Our BASF production base has the most advanced safety handling system in the world. Once a fire occurs, the sprinkler system will automatically extinguish the fire as soon as possible. At the same time, the factory supervisor and security supervisor will immediately arrange for employees to evacuate and contact the fire brigade."
"What is the environment in which your chemicals are stored? What if it is bombed and causes a gas leak?"
When Gu Ji said this, Golin's face visibly stiffened.
However, he regained his composure in a moment and smiled.
"Sir, there is no need to worry about this. As a chemical company, our response facilities are very complete. The chemicals are stored in special high-pressure storage tanks, and the pipelines are connected with triple protection of decontamination towers, combustion towers, and spray pipes!"
For Eugen, the content of the exchange between the two was like listening to a book from heaven.
Even Leer on the side opened his mouth wide.
Luka said in surprise.
"Herman, you actually know so much?"
"Of course, I was born in Ludwigshafen, how could I not understand this."
After Gu Ji responded casually, he then asked Golin.
"Can I have a look at your technical operating manual?"
"With all due respect, sir, the main target of your investigation this time is the strategic bombing point of the Eagle Army, not the production safety environment of our factory."
"Of course I know, but the next time the Eagle bombers attack again, they happen to drop the bombs at the chemical storage place. In the absence of safe handling measures, once the gas explodes or leaks, you know that there must be some measures for this. How many people have died, and how much loss will the empire have to bear?"
Because Gu Ji is a local.
Luka and others only thought that he was worried about his hometown, so they did not find his performance of "going on the line" to be surprising.
A ruthless look flashed in Golin's eyes.
But after taking a look at the sergeant rank on Gu Ji's shoulders and the black Iron Cross medal on his collar, he finally resigned and said:
"Sir, what you said makes sense. I will send you the technical manual right away."
"I would like to visit the east area of your production base, is that okay?"
"Of course, but I have other things to deal with later. For the time being, I'll let the secretary show the officers around. Do you think that's okay?"
Goering waved his hand, and a young female secretary wearing a gray suit, long skirt, black stockings, and a top hat came out from behind.
Eugen's eyes were immediately fascinated by her long wavy hair and red lips.
Leer also grinned, showing an expression that every man would understand.
For these armored soldiers who stay on the battlefield all year round and deal with various tanks and artillery shells every day, how have they ever seen such a young and beautiful woman.
"My name is Hannah, sirs, please follow me."
Hannah briefly introduced herself, then walked to the front of the crowd and twisted her butt.
Gu Ji glanced at Golin who was leaving, and his expression seemed a little solemn.
BASF's production base is very large.
Just the east area is enough for several people to visit for an entire afternoon.
The reason why Gu Ji chose to see this area was because he remembered that the military train from Berlin to Ludwigshafen was coming in the northeast direction.
If the explosion can affect the train track, it is most likely from the East District.
But after turning around for a full circle, no one found anything.
Helpless, he could only return to the military area with the factory technical production manual handed over by Hannah.
Luka patted his shoulder and comforted him.
"Don't make yourself so nervous. Trust the empire's air force. Those Eagle bombers won't be able to invade so easily."
Gu Ji didn't speak, just nodded and passed by.
After returning to the room, he spent the whole night studying the key points of safety facilities in the production technical manual.
This moment also reflects the importance of language proficiency. If you do not master the language very proficiently, many professional vocabulary cannot be understood at all.
The accident happened around eight o'clock in the morning.
Gu Ji closed the manual and recalled the scene of the first explosion in his mind.
Although he knew the exact time of the accident, he had no choice. As a staff sergeant, he was unable to direct a world-class enterprise to conduct a comprehensive shutdown for inspection without key evidence.
Now, it's too late to fix the explosion.
"Remedial measures can only be carried out as soon as the explosion occurs..."
Early the next morning.
Gu Ji woke up at seven o'clock on time.
He could not yet determine the scope of the accident explosion, so he chose to stay in the military zone three kilometers away from the factory, found a sentinel observation tower, and picked up a telescope to survey the east area of the factory.
The time gradually approached eight o'clock.
Sudden.
With a loud noise, a fiery wave rushed out from the roof of the factory. With the earth-shattering noise, the billowing smoke rose into the sky like an overwhelming sandstorm, accompanied by scarlet flames that bloomed coquettishly, as if they were enchanting and gorgeous. The flowers on the other side of the river are vying for beauty.
Violent explosions were heard endlessly, and the surrounding factory buildings collapsed one after another. The broken reinforced concrete fell like a meteor shower, hitting the surroundings mercilessly.
An explosion happened! !