I Became a Captain of the British Empire

Whereabouts of steering gear

When I left the headquarters, there was a car parked on the side of the road. Standing in the driver’s seat on the right side of the car, Kirk saluted as he saw me coming down the stairs.

“Thank you for your effort. Captain.”

A voice I haven’t heard in a long time.

However, Kirk blushed as he soon realized his mistake.

“Oh, sorry! that… Flyer leader.”

“All right. Call me whatever you like.”

I smiled and patted him on the shoulder and got into the passenger seat. The title of flyer leader was about to become awkward anyway.

In fact, the position of captain was also an adjunct.

“I had a lot of trouble waiting. The 1st Navy Police asked to see you for a second.”

“yes? You mean the 1st Navy Police?”

Kirk blinked in surprise and asked.

“Yes, they told me to go to Germany.”

Kirk, who started the engine, opened his eyes in surprise.

“yes?! no that’s what… .”

Hesitantly, he asked cautiously.

“Isn’t that a demotion?”

“No, not like that.”

The guy who sighs. It seems that my heart is quite sleepy. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, but if you’re dragged away, you won’t be comfortable either.

Soon the car starts moving. Unlike Kirk, who checks his surroundings and shakes off a cold sweat, I couldn’t quite relax my expression.

“It’s just that things don’t look good there.”

The background rushed backwards.

Nursing is a b*tch. It’s like saying, in fact, it’s like being put on another front line. At least according to him, the situation in Berlin is not going to be easy.

cigarettes attract I feel like I want to pick up a bottle of soju on the bridge. Oh, there is no soju. Damn, what pleasure am I supposed to live with… .

Kirk asked, just as he was about to be seized with a serious sense of skepticism about the future.

“When are you leaving?”

“They told me to wait. I think you should rest for a few days.”

“okay. Oh, and the awarding ceremony is ready for lunch tomorrow.”

“already?”

This is unexpected news. It is said that the 1st Navy Police and the Secretary of the Navy also attend. There will certainly be grand events and receptions.

but… .

“It’s annoying.”

“Captain!”

I seriously want to roll around in bed.

No, I’ve been through the war since the moment I came here. I haven’t had a good rest in 3 months. If you’ve done this much, wouldn’t it be normal to take a vacation? I wouldn’t be able to rest if I went to Germany anyway… .

I don’t want to waste even a minute or a second of my hard-earned time. Competence is the law to bloom in sufficient rest.

“I’m a brigadier general, Kirk. Not the captain.”

Kirk looked at him with a puzzled look. Then, as if swallowing a sigh, he mumbles his mouth and speaks.

“Then, I will call you Lieutenant Commander. Just in time for the new captain to arrive.”

“A new captain?”

Come to think of it, I did ask for a high-ranking officer to be the captain of Repulse.

You can’t handle both the duties of a flyer leader and a captain.

This is a separate request when I met the Home Fleet Commander. But it was only suggested yesterday…

“Are you here already? The news is late because I’m not in a hurry.”

“uh… Didn’t I tell you yesterday?”

did you? Come to think of it, I think it was included among the reports I heard spilling over in the midst of exhaustion before going to sleep. I shook my head and thought again.

… I guess I forgot.

“Oh yeah. What was your name?”

“Colonel Torbay.”

“Tobey?”

Flashed, both eyes opened.

It’s a name I’ve heard. No, it’s a name I can’t recognize.

I looked at Kirk again and asked.

“Are you talking about John Tovey?”

“Yes, it is, but… .”

Kirk shrugged in surprise and answered. The person I think is right.

Little by little, the corners of his mouth went up.

John Cronin Torbay.

The man who commanded the British mainland fleet during the pursuit of Bismarck. He boarded the battleship King George V himself, killed Bismarck, and was promoted to admiral.

He said he would send some good friends, and a real talent like gold came rolling in. It’s an excellent opportunity.

Although he may just be taking on the role of captain of a capital ship, he is an officer who has already proven himself competent. Or I can make it competent.

“I want to meet you. Can we go to Liverpool now?”

“You mean here? The distance is too far to travel in one day, Admiral. Aren’t you tired too?”

“No, I am fine.”

“I’m not okay! Didn’t I tell you that there is also a medal ceremony tomorrow?”

such an ignorant bastard.

“… If I say I can’t go because I’m in Liverpool, won’t they just send me medals later?”

“Commander! please!”

Sheesh, I can’t even eat the seeds.

He clicked his tongue and turned his head. Anyway, I wanted to fall for something like this, but nothing goes my way in life.

“Aren’t you happy to receive a medal from the Brigadier General?”

“Who is not happy?”

I am not a greedy human being. Receiving decorations makes old age comfortable. nothing bad But timing is an issue.

“It’s just that the desire for sleep precedes the desire for honor right now.”

“I have been taught that gentlemen do not live by instinct.”

I think it’s a bit different from what the gentlemen I’ve heard mean… .

In any case, there are no holes to escape.

Admiral Fields asked me to never fall into it because it is also a political issue.

To be honest, if it wasn’t for that word, I would have pushed medals and other things to the background.

Well, I’ll think about the later stuff later. I believe in tomorrow’s me

There was something even more curious.

“Has there been any contact from the ship?”

“There was. But there are too many issues for me to report… .”

Kirk grimaces in pain. It seems that he has been bothered by the pouring reports.

I didn’t have anything to say, I just covered my mouth.

“Let’s sort out the most important reports and talk about them.”

“First of all, the situation is urgent, so they plan to put it on the battlefield immediately after emergency repairs.”

It’s not a complete repair. I’m sorry, but there’s no way. It is a yard where one flagship is not enough. If you can only fight, you can’t afford to put it in the dock for half a year.

In any case, trying to repair a ship that has been damaged within the period will be a bit of a headache at the dry dock. The appearance of the head of the technical department, whose face had turned into a bamboo statue, is still good in my eyes.

“I should at least get an overhaul when the war is over. But I’m a little worried that it will work properly even after the repair is finished.”

“I sneakily listened to what the supervisor said, but he said height was the problem.”

“Well, that must be natural.”

I’ve heard the story of the steering wheel countless times, and now it’s about to stick a nail in my ear.

“… But what is it anyway?”

“Ah, that.”

The guy who stopped and looked suspiciously. It’s obvious what he’s hiding. Are these cubs hiding something?

I purposely frowned and shook my head.

“Speak quickly.”

“They say you turned the key too roughly.”

Kirk continues to speak in a cold sweat.

I couldn’t help but tilt my head. I didn’t understand what you meant.

“Didn’t I get along like that?”

It must have just been a lot of work to do. When I asked while staring at Kirk, the hesitant guy cautiously opened his mouth.

“This is about my classmates, but do you know the maintenance class Heart Sailor?”

“You mean the friend you went out with? Of course you know.”

“He almost hit his head on the railing.”

“Well, why is that?”

“The boat is tilted too hard.”

I thought for a bit and came to a conclusion.

“The U.S. Army made a mistake.”

I think I heard a sigh for a moment.

Kirk looked at me for a second with narrow eyes, then spoke after a while.

“Do you know what our ship’s sailors say when they look at other capital ships?”

“It must be treated like children.”

“No matter how quickly that ship maneuvers, our crew members can hold on to the railing and hold on.”

corrected judgment.

Apparently, I raised the sailors to be strong.

“Am I that bad?”

“This is the captain’s opinion, but… .”

After losing his luck like that, Kirk quietly noticed.

I nodded.

“Tell me.”

“Aside from turning too quickly, they say the boat shakes too much because the angle is too large.”

Do you make a big angle? But most of it is because the situation is so urgent. I can’t help it, so this is a pass.

“It is said that it is more so because the angle of attack is set large without considering the speed.”

What does it mean when a battlecruiser loses speed? Slowing down in combat takes a lot of determination and determination. Pass this too.

“They say it seems like they’re making this kind of mistake because it’s their first time on a large ship… He said he wanted me to make a judgment beforehand and issue steering orders. ah! Still, he says he’s really fortunate that he doesn’t hold the key himself these days.”

… This makes me mad.

“Hey, have you ever tried steering?”

“yes? Oh no. doesn’t exist.”

“I knew it.”

He let out a sigh and spoke.

“Because I saw your driving skills.”

“yes?”

Kirk shook his head in confusion. Staring at him as he blinked, he nodded across the crosswalk behind him.

“Did you just cross a crosswalk?”

“Ah, yes.”

“It was quicker to turn left at the lodging designated by headquarters.”

Kirk hurriedly alternates between the crosswalk and the road sign. He quickly lowered his head.

“sorry. I don’t know the road around here… .”

“If you don’t know, you should study, my friend! Oh, make a U-turn on the right side of the road over there.”

“yes? Oh, it’s too late… .”

“You should have judged that beforehand. Driving is all about speed!”

Kirk shuddered, not knowing what to do, and continued to make mistakes.

It seems that the army is missing. I’ll have to look at my hand.

“Don’t go to 92nd Street, it’s quicker to go back the other way. Oh sh*t, you’re late again!”

I don’t know why, but his actions kept overflowing with things to point out. A strong sense of mission to correct him burned my heart.

“Isn’t it too fast? Also think about the ride quality. It’s not like I’m driving alone.”

The steering wheel turns wildly, and the horn sounds incessantly. The sound of tires scraping the floor.

There is still plenty to point out.

I seem to catch all kinds of faults today, but I don’t know why.

I don’t know anyway.

“Damn it, it’s no different from a pedestrian’s speed. If anyone sees it, they’ll know that we’re doing a red flag ordinance right now.”

Looking at the background moving slower than the turtle, he clicked his tongue.

The handle bends again.

“How many times do you only see the Thames? Are you going to drown me in the river?”

Squeak – The car comes to a stop with the brakes.

“Brigadier General.”

I turned my head in shock at the voice that was cold as ice. Kirk stopped the car at a red light and said nothing.

Eyes like knives. chilly air.

I was just about to ask him why he called.

“It’s not me who talked about steering skills.”

When the yellow light came on, he stepped on the accelerator and continued.

“It’s a sailing yard.”

“… let’s go.”

For some reason, I couldn’t find anything to point out after that. Half an hour later, we didn’t talk until we arrived at the officers’ quarters.

* * *

At the same time, the White House in Washington DC, USA.

Hoover looked at the pile of papers in front of him with a confused look. The cause that cut his sleep time in half after the war was still standing on his desk like a solid fortress.

Day by day, the flesh evaporated in chunks. Thanks to that, he didn’t have to worry about becoming a pot-bellied person, but he couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, what is an important reminder? Chief of Staff.”

With a sigh, he asked the army chief of staff, MacArthur, standing in front of him. MacArthur, who had come in a neatly ironed military uniform today as if he had been interviewed, approached Hoover with his hands behind his back and said,

“I have told the enemy, but I would like to speak again to the President.”

“Just get to the point quickly.”

At the sharp response of the president, MacArthur cleared his throat and spoke quickly.

“I got a tip that the Communist Party was involved in the protests in Detroit.”

Booming, Hoover opened his eyes. He gritted his teeth and asked again.

“Are you sure?”

MacArthur nodded. A deep sigh came out, followed by an uncomfortable moan.

“Didn’t I report on the situation in Quebec?”

“I heard you.”

“Somehow, it seems that some of the French Communists broke through our military encirclement and hid in the north.”

“Such a sickness! Why couldn’t you stop it?”

cried Hoover, who jumped up from his chair.

Because it was unbearable news. Communist exiles creeping into the mainland. This is an unacceptable situation.

MacArthur replied with a calm face.

“These are the guys who managed to escape from Foch’s hands. It won’t be easy to catch.”

“Damn it, I told you to be stricter! Leaving aside the idiot Napoleon, what will happen if they come into contact with Hugh… !”

Having said that, Hoover kept his mouth shut. It was because it was not something to say in front of a soldier.

Although he guessed that the general standing in front of him was a sly man with an interest in politics, Hoover was still a man who knew how to choose the right time and place.

“Anyway, I trusted you! But you make me rot like this!”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your expectations.”

To put it mildly, Hoover didn’t have much to say. He just shook his head, clutching his throbbing forehead. Without missing the moment, MacArthur continued.

“Your Excellency, as you know, public opinion in the South is turbulent. If the Communist Party gains momentum in the midst of this, things will get out of control.”

“That’s my part to figure out.”

Hoover glared at me, as if telling me not to meddle. In front of his sharp eyes, MacArthur took a step back.

“I’m just offering you a suggestion.”

“Is there a way?”

Raising the corners of his mouth, he nodded.

“First of all, the dissolution of the protest is the first. If the workers do not cooperate, the war will become increasingly difficult.”

That’s right. When it comes to producing wartime materials, Detroit is a city you can’t afford to miss.

So Hoover couldn’t help but care.

“First, persuasion comes first.”

“of course. We just want to have a plan ready.”

“… The risk is considerable, can you prepare?”

“I’m still looking for a good friend.”

Eventually, raising the corner of his mouth, MacArthur continued.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

It would have been like that normally. But Hoover reconsidered his judgment.

At least, he is a friend who agrees with the Communist Party. Maybe he’ll work things out just fine.

I had a sudden thought.

“I will think about it.”

I was just nodding my head. Urgent footsteps echoed in the hallway. Then, with a bang, someone slammed the door open.

“dismissal! It’s urgent!”

An aide gasping for breath.

His face was white, he staggered from the doorway and leaned his hand on the desk as if to sit down. Hoover and MacArthur all looked at each other with bewildered faces.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Panama… Go Panama!”

Hearing the ensuing report from his aide, Hoover was speechless.