At this moment, Göring had not yet realized that his responsibility for overseeing the Third Reich's Four-Year Plan had been completely hollowed out; he merely muttered neurotically, "Are you telling me the Air Ministry won't even be able to manage aircraft production from now on?"
Hoffman pretended not to hear his grumbling and turned to Grand Admiral Raeder, saying, "Since the strategic focus of the war is shifting back to the Southern Front, the role of the Navy is crucial. The construction of large surface warships needs to be accelerated... The aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin should resume construction as soon as possible and be put into service."
"The Graf Zeppelin is being towed back to the port of Kiel for resumed construction. It is currently over 85% complete. If there is sufficient steel and construction personnel, the Navy is confident it can be completed within 12 months, but..." Raeder trailed off.
"No, I cannot wait that long. Speer will coordinate the construction personnel and materials. I can only give you 6 months to complete all construction. Furthermore, the construction blueprints must be modified. Since those obstructive 8 twin 150mm main guns haven't been installed yet, cancel them entirely—aircraft carriers are not meant for artillery duels. It would be better to use those guns on light cruisers, and equipping more small-to-medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns would be more beneficial for air defense. At the same time, expand the hangar area and increase the number of carrier-based aircraft to at least 60." Understanding the implication of Raeder's hesitation, Hoffman glanced at Göring and added, "The carrier-based aircraft previously prepared for the Navy shall be returned to the Navy immediately. Simultaneously, the Air Force must provide corresponding carrier-based pilots for the carrier strike group; train them quickly and get them on board as soon as possible. Aircraft factories must complete the production of over 400 naval-type fighters and dive bombers within 6 months. After that, the Navy should train its own carrier pilots and maintain independent control."
"No, I do not agree." Göring, who had been silent until now, suddenly roared, spittle flying onto Hoffman's face. "The Air Force is mine! The Navy is not allowed to have its own aircraft. Everything that flies in Germany belongs under my jurisdiction!"
"What do you mean the Air Force is yours?" Before Raeder could respond, Bormann immediately stood up and retorted, "The Air Force belongs to the Third Reich, it is the Führer's force, a strong bastion of National Socialism. How dare you treat them as your private militia? As for everything that flies in Germany being under your jurisdiction, I think there are far more sparrows in the sky over the Third Reich than airplanes. You might as well appoint yourself Minister of Birds for the Third Reich..."
"You..." Göring couldn't catch his breath. He habitually reached for his waist, only to grasp nothing, realizing he had disarmed before the meeting. He glanced at the conference table, but there was nothing suitable at hand; only his field marshal's baton could be considered a weapon. He immediately grabbed the 50-centimeter-long baton, encased in platinum and inlaid with diamonds, and struck Bormann across the head and face. Bormann, not expecting Göring to actually resort to violence with a weapon, was caught off guard and struck several times, screaming in pain as blood gushed from his nose. The scene was thrown into complete chaos.
Seeing the ferocious appearance of the enraged Göring, several soldiers who had reacted, including Keitel, Zeitzler, and Jodl, quickly grabbed him. Himmler stepped forward, his movements as agile as a 20-year-old, and immediately snatched the marshal's baton he had been using as a weapon from his hand; it appeared to be stained with Bormann's blood. Bormann was pale and couldn't utter a word, feeling only a burning sensation on his face. He reached up to wipe it, inadvertently smearing the dripping nosebleed across his face, leaving it a terrifying mess of white and red. His small frame dared not confront Göring, so he could only cast a pleading look toward the Führer, tears welling in his eyes, nearly crying from the grievance. Hoffman, not expecting to see a physical brawl at such a moment, was trembling with rage. He pointed at Göring's nose and cursed, "Good! We are in the middle of a proper strategic meeting, and you dare to commit assault? Do you have any respect for me as your Führer?"
Pinned down by several men, Göring stiffened his neck, breathing heavily, his face flushed red, but he said not a word.
The usually reticent Foreign Minister Ribbentrop suddenly delivered a finishing blow: "Führer, Field Marshal Göring has always been arrogant and lawless, never regarding his comrades. Today, he has dared to openly defy the Führer, insult colleagues, and assault a comrade. I believe he should face party disciplinary action."
"Yes, yes." Bormann nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice. "We must teach him a lesson he will never forget for the rest of his life."
Hoffman nodded and went with the flow, saying, "I think so too. First, relieve him of his duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force and Minister of Aviation, and let him reflect on his actions properly." He had been considering how to quietly dispose of this useless imperial marshal who caused more trouble than he solved. He had originally planned to spend time slowly racking his brain over it, but Ribbentrop's words served as a reminder—he could dismiss Göring from his posts and sideline him right now.
"No... Adolf! You cannot do this to me!" Hoffman had thought this arrangement left Göring some leeway; although he wanted to eliminate this fat-headed fellow, he wasn't fully prepared yet. Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the large and stout Göring—whether blinded by rage or triggered by the terrifying memory of Hitler's purge of SA Chief Röhm—struggled free from the three men pinning him down. With his marshal's baton already confiscated by Himmler, he suddenly grabbed a chair from behind him and threw it at Hoffman.
Not expecting Göring to suddenly attack, Hoffman instinctively shrank back when he saw the chair flying toward him, but he was too slow. He only managed to avoid most of it, but his chest was struck heavily by the back of the chair. The immense impact was more than he could bear, and he fell to the ground.
"Guards, guards!" This time it was Speer who shouted at the top of his lungs. Seeing that the situation had turned for the worse, Goebbels immediately ran over to help Hoffman up, asking anxiously, "Führer, how do you feel? Are you alright?"
Seeing that Göring had entered a berserk state, the several soldiers disregarded military etiquette and rushed forward again to pin him down, refusing to let go despite his desperate struggles. Zeitzler, relying on his youth and physical strength, finally managed to gain the upper hand.
Armed guards rushed in, led by the blond, blue-eyed Major Gensche, but today he had no clear orders and didn't know what to do. To be honest, he was terrified by the scene—a room full of party and state leaders, with the raging, encircled Göring on one side and the fallen, furious Führer on the other.
When Hoffman was struck, he nearly lost his breath, but fortunately, the thick Turkish carpet on the floor prevented him from being seriously injured. He was completely enraged. Pointing at Göring, he roared at a pitch three octaves higher, "Guards, Göring has actually attacked me! Arrest him and take him away immediately!"
The strong guards stepped forward without hesitation to execute the order. As he was being dragged away, Göring was still shouting, "I am a Field Marshal of the Third Reich! By what right do you arrest me? By what right! Adolf, Adolf, I want you to come out and speak for me! After all these years of life and death, of meritorious service to you, you are actually dismissing me because of a complaint from a champagne salesman?"
Hoffman finally regained his composure. With Goebbels' help, he stood up in a disheveled state and swept his gaze over everyone in the conference room. "That bastard Göring has made a laughingstock of you all. The meeting is temporarily adjourned. Goebbels, Himmler, Bormann, come to my office."
Once inside the office, before everyone was even seated, an angry Hoffman spoke, "What do you think? How should we deal with the Göring problem?"
"I think he is completely insane. Not only did he attack his colleagues like a mad dog, but he actually dared to attack the Führer. It is simply unforgivable." Bormann had stopped his nosebleed by now and said viciously, "His actions have seriously deviated from the standards of a party and state leader. I agree with the Führer on dealing with him severely."
"Göring's misdeeds go far beyond what happened today." Himmler said in a deep tone, "The SS has reported Field Marshal Göring's illegal activities to me more than once. Not only has he used his position to embezzle and misappropriate state property, but he has also used his advantage in managing occupied territories to amass countless treasures, antiques, and artifacts for himself. Dozens of oil paintings collected in the national museums of Greece, Poland, and France are in his home alone. Furthermore, he has used the opportunity the Führer gave him to manage the economy and coordinate supplies in occupied territories to engage in profiteering—he even dared to sell supplies to the enemies of the Third Reich... Also, he has constantly deceived the Führer on military matters, acting recklessly by relying on his status as Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, installing cronies, and squeezing out capable, upright officers. He has spouted nonsense and made repeated mistakes at Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, home air defense, and the Russian front, causing heavy losses to the Third Reich! In addition, among the public and outside the party, Field Marshal Göring is the direct source of many vulgar jokes."
"Enough!" This was exactly the effect Hoffman wanted. He turned to ask Goebbels, who had not yet expressed his stance, "Doctor, tell me, has this problem reached the point where it must be solved?"
Goebbels was, of course, aware of Göring's various misdeeds. Previously, he had not dared to speak out due to the other's influence, but now the Führer's tone gave him a feeling he was incredibly familiar with—it was the same atmosphere as when Röhm was purged back then. For a smart man, it was best to follow the Führer's wishes rather than the opposite.
He said emotionlessly, "Whether it is the party or the state, no one is allowed to be above the Führer. If Göring has made mistakes, he must take responsibility himself."
Bormann suddenly said gloomily, "He said earlier that there are no traitors in the Air Force? Hmph, people have been exposed in the Army, the Navy, and the General Staff. Is the Air Force the only pure land? I don't believe it. Maybe he covered it up? Comrade Himmler, you should investigate this thoroughly."
"Comrade Bormann's suggestion makes a lot of sense. Let the SS handle this issue." Hoffman signaled Himmler with a glance. The latter understood his implication, couldn't help but shudder, then immediately regained his composure and said in a low voice, "Führer, I will handle it properly."
Half an hour later, the strategic meeting resumed, but after Göring had disrupted the proceedings, everyone had little heart for it. After Hoffman assigned a few more tasks, the meeting was hastily adjourned. As for the handling of Göring, everyone tactfully refrained from bringing it up again...