What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 288 A small accident

Off the coast of Antigua.

With the combined efforts of several salvage vessels, parts of the USS Wisconsin have surfaced.

Due to the tilting and damage to the bow during the silence, the No. 1 turret has been dislodged, leaving only an empty seat ring, and the entire bow has almost completely disappeared.

Andrew had no time to feel sorry for her; behind him were a dozen or so elderly people who had been rushed through the search.

They split into two distinct groups, one wearing blue baseball caps and the other wearing white baseball caps.

The former consisted of genuine Hans native crew members from the Bismarck, Tirpitz, and other warships, while the latter belonged to the Royal Navy and even included pilots who sank the Bismarck with torpedo bombers.

Although half a century has passed since the war, these elderly people are not difficult to find.

An old Hans sailor holds a photograph given to him by Andrew, which shows the view of the USS Gresenau taken by the USS Wisconsin.

"This must be the Gresenau."

He said with absolute certainty:
“I know every corner of it. Whether it’s the artillery layout, the chimneys, or even the details of the corridors, they are all exactly the same. I can remember them with my eyes closed.”

On the other hand, veteran Royal Navy pilots were equally certain when faced with photographs of the sunken Bismarck:
“I’m 99% sure it’s exactly the same perspective I’m seeing when she was sunk.”

Besides identifying the photos, the old sailor Hans also took a closer look at the bullet holes on the USS Wisconsin and said he was very familiar with them.

The more photos and shell marks they saw, the more the old Hans sailors felt a mix of joy and sorrow, amazed by the fleet's return yet saddened by the tragedy of its sinking once again.

But the thought that they had sunk two Iowa ships made the sadness worthwhile.

However, the crew members of the Royal Navy and the US Navy were not in a good mood, watching the remnants of the great battle with gloomy expressions.

Not long after, Johnson received the salvage report:
The USS Wisconsin's hull can still be salvaged and repaired, but considering the dilapidated state of its interior, it is recommended that it be used as a museum.
The entire hull of the USS Iowa was twisted by the high-speed impact, and a large number of compartments were damaged. It is recommended to abandon the salvage operation.
As for the two Perry-class destroyers, they'll probably only be able to salvage some remains at most.

Moreover, after being identified by veteran sailors, the Second Fleet warships were found to be remarkably accurate, adding to the mystery surrounding their unique characteristics.

Compared to that, the fact that Bismarck Lütjens' voice is similar to that of the real Lütjens is nothing.

The biggest headache right now is for the technical experts:
First, they examined the seabed traces and could not explain why so many warship wrecks disappeared so quickly after entering the sea.
Second, Raytheon personnel carefully examined the seawater residue and the surviving surface of the USS New Jersey, but could not analyze the composition of the mysterious smoke, suspecting it was water vapor.

But how can we ensure that the warship can still be completely enveloped by the water mist while traveling at high speed?

One question after another was raised, but they all remained a mystery. Johnson could only angrily inquire about the intelligence agency's findings.

The Naval Intelligence Agency, in conjunction with the IAA, thoroughly searched South Mei, but still found no clues.

However, they obtained some statements from Hans:
When questioned by the intelligence agency, some of the surviving high-ranking officials claimed that the empire did indeed have an Antarctic exploration program, and that a large number of documents and some secret department personnel had indeed disappeared on the eve of its demise.

When the intelligence agency went back to the mass interrogation records from decades ago after the war, they found that someone had confessed fifty years ago that Rao Xi had indeed sent people to Antarctica, but nothing came of it.

Actually, this wasn't exactly a secret. Not only did Lao Xi send people to Antarctica, but he also explored other remote plateaus. However, at the time, it was believed that his purpose was influenced by mysticism and was simply a waste of time.

Now, they must re-examine the materials from that year.

However, fifty years have passed, and not only has the data been severely lost, but many people have also passed away, which is undoubtedly a huge challenge.

After listening, Johnson reluctantly added a clause to the next part of the plan:
Re-investigate Hans's secret plans from fifty years ago and re-interrogate the elderly who are still alive.

...January 19th marked the last day of the first phase of opening of the Dawang Scenic Area.

According to the expanded plan, the scenic area will be open for 10 days in the first phase, then take a 5-day break, and then open for another 10 days until just before Chinese New Year's Eve. After the New Year, it will open again and continue until the end of the winter vacation.

Tang Wen was in Echeng, as were Lao Gao and Lu Jun, and leaders from Danshui Town were also there.

The first thing they discussed was Tang Wen's proposal to expand the tourist area and build Goose City Happy Valley.

The first Happy Valley in the original timeline should be Shenzhen Happy Valley, which was built in 98, so he simply copied the name over.

The original site features a combination of beachfront, military theme, and flight experience, while the other side offers more fun amusement facilities, transforming the entire bay into a vibrant tourist city.

Moreover, Goose City is not far from Shenzhen. A direct tourist bus can take you there in just one hour, so it shouldn't be a problem for Goose City to replace the original Happy Valley in Shenzhen.

Then came the car factory. It turned out that Dawan Town couldn't handle it all, so the supporting facilities originally intended for Panda Motors also joined in, creating a complete automotive industry chain.

After initial discussions, it was determined that the Happy Valley project would require an additional 8 million yuan in investment, while establishing the Feiyue Motors project would be much easier.

Almost everything Panda Motors left behind is still there; the factory buildings and land are already in place, and all that's needed is to clear it out and hand it over to Gaijin.

Tang Wen didn't raise many objections, and even accepted the name of Feiyue Motors without bothering to change it.

Shen Wei is currently busy recruiting people and collecting data, and the assembly line will not be set up until at least mid-97.

After a day of discussion, Tang Wen was about to have dinner when he suddenly received a phone call:
As a Zero reconnaissance aircraft carrying tourists landed, the tourist in seat number 3 was thrown out and fell into the sea.

……

"He's fine, just a little water inhalation and soft tissue contusion. We'll observe him and prescribe some medication."

The tourist who fell into the water was rushed to Echeng Hospital and thankfully was unharmed.

Tang Wen breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around and looked at the pilot who had almost been scared to death, telling him to take a week of paid leave first.

They already knew the cause and effect:
The cockpit of the Zero seaplane was not completely enclosed; there was a support structure and a window at the rear for easy observation.

The tourist was rather thin and had unbuckled his seatbelt while in the air. When the plane landed, his watch came loose and got stuck on a protrusion on the back of the plane. Fearing it would fall off, he reached out to grab it.

As a result, the pilot discovered a ship in the landing channel preparing to abort the landing and go around. Due to the excessive angle of attack, the pilot was thrown out of the water.

Fortunately, every tourist wore a life jacket just in case, and the height was not too bad, so apart from swallowing too much seawater, they were all fine.

Tourists of this era are also known for their resilience and hard work; some even admitted their mistakes, yet still received free admission and compensation.

However, all open-cockpit aircraft in the entire scenic area were immediately grounded, and rectification was unavoidable.

Tang Wen grasped the key point of the incident:

The seaplane's landing route was blocked, so it opted to go around.

He turned to look at Gao Yuliang, who had just finished reassuring the tourists in front of the camera, and said seriously:
"The scenic area must be expanded to reduce flight density; before that, the number of flights must be reduced by 50%."

Old Gao nodded; that was exactly what he wanted to say.

(End of this chapter)