Chapter 36: We Created Both BMW and Volkswagen

After finalizing the development arrangements for the light machine guns and submachine guns with the Bergmann company, Lelouch’s mission in Thuringia was essentially complete.

Over the next three or four days, he personally assisted Hugo Schmeisser in outlining the technical roadmap, planning the timeline, and completing the paperwork for the new Bergmann subsidiary. The new entity was provisionally named "Bergmann Salzburg Industrial Co., Ltd." It was merely a company name, not a brand, so there was no need for excessive formality; it was akin to any other regional subsidiary. When Bergmann asked why he had chosen a place as Austrian as Salzburg, Lelouch casually explained it was his hometown, and Bergmann raised no further objections.

As for the branding of the new company's products, Lelouch envisioned multiple options. The first name that came to mind was "Volkswagen." He knew that in this "harmonized" world, he had effectively intercepted the destiny of many people who no longer existed. If he didn't create the "Volkswagen" brand, it would surely vanish into the currents of history. However, he also realized the brand seemed better suited for vehicles with civilian utility. For pure infantry weapons, it would be better to establish a separate brand in the future.

Once the company was established, Hugo Schmeisser quickly produced a design proposal, promising prototype light machine guns within half a month and submachine guns within a month, followed by small-batch trial production. With a mid-December delivery deadline, Schmeisser guaranteed 100 new light machine guns and 300 to 500 submachine guns.

While refining the technical specifications, Schmeisser noted that the key challenge for the submachine gun would be the fine-tuning of the bolt weight. Designing a non-locked, blowback-operated bolt in such a short time meant it would be impossible to achieve the perfect weight immediately. It required tedious, iterative testing; rushing it would inevitably result in a bolt that was either too light or too heavy. A light bolt would cause premature recoil and gas leakage upon ignition, while a heavy one would fail to cycle properly, leading to jammed casings.

Lelouch offered a reassurance that absolved Schmeisser of responsibility: if perfection could not be achieved, the initial version should lean toward being slightly too light. As a military enthusiast, Lelouch was well aware of the dangers of overly heavy bolts—the reason the French Chauchat light machine gun of World War I was notorious was largely due to its heavy, stiff recoil assembly. In the Chauchat, the barrel moved rigidly with the bolt, acting like a long-recoil artillery piece. While this reduced felt recoil, the moving mass was so heavy that it often failed to cycle, leading to frequent jams. Having seen test videos of the Chauchat back home, where it jammed four times in a single magazine, Lelouch was determined to avoid that trap. He would rather have a shorter range and gas leakage than a jammed weapon.

With this reassurance, Schmeisser accelerated the development. Knowing the end-user’s low requirements and willingness to forgive flaws, his efficiency soared.

***

On November 12, having finished his tasks in Thuringia, Lelouch and Immelmann set off by plane for their next stop: Munich. This was the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria, the home base of Prince Rupprecht, and the headquarters of Siemens.

Lelouch had a list of smaller items to outsource in Munich. Crucially, he needed Siemens to solve the issue of miniaturizing and portabilizing radio stations. For the Stormtrooper units, a radio light enough to be carried by an assault squad was the true essence of their tactics—more important even than machine guns or submachine guns. Only a portable radio would allow frontline troops to report positions accurately and call for artillery support, making the army’s long-range heavy guns far more flexible and effective.

On the plane, Captain Immelmann, who had spent the last few days in a guesthouse with nothing to do, expressed his frustration. "Thuringia was so boring; there's no tourism in such a small industrial town. You, on the other hand, have been busy securing so many good things for the Army."

Lelouch smiled from the rear seat. "I let you sleep in after we returned, and now you’re complaining. Once we reach Munich, you’ll have to find time to teach me how to drive and fly. Besides, I wasn’t just working for the Army. The things I had Bergmann develop—these test-model machine guns—actually have cooling issues that will need fixing later. But using these 'imperfect' models for the Air Force, perhaps mounted on your reconnaissance planes or used handheld, would be perfect..."

Immelmann protested, "Are you saying the Air Force should use factory seconds?!"

Lelouch countered, "You don't understand! There is no such thing as trash, only resources in the wrong place. These guns have poor environmental compatibility for ground warfare, but for air combat, it doesn't matter. Think about the wind speed while flying; the air-cooling efficiency is many times higher than on the ground! If you want to fight in the air, you should have guns specifically designed to be compact and lightweight, stripping away unnecessary cooling structures. Aircraft payload is precious; we must push for the extreme in this regard."

This finally piqued Immelmann’s interest. He realized that during World War I, most military aircraft machine guns were simply ground-based weapons moved to planes without modification. By specifically targeting the high-speed, high-airflow environment for cooling, they could double the firepower or save significant weight compared to other nations.

Immelmann was truly impressed. "You’re something else. I’m completely sold. I used to think it was a waste of talent that you rose to Captain so quickly, but now I see you deserve it. You might be a field officer in a few months. I’ll have to listen to your advice on Air Force construction from now on."

Lelouch replied, "We're brothers; no need for formalities. In a couple of months, your squadron might need to see real combat. That enemy reconnaissance plane you shot down earlier—it wasn't reported, right? The enemy doesn't know we're experimenting with air combat?"

"It wasn't reported," Immelmann confirmed. "I know the priorities. Exposing it before we are ready would only alert the enemy. I’d rather delay my personal recognition for the sake of the war. Since then, I’ve found another opportunity to shoot down a French pilot with my C96 Mauser. His plane crashed in our territory, so they’ll never find the wreckage; they’ll assume it was an accident. I’m following your orders to the letter: no provocations or operations over enemy-occupied territory."

Lelouch was satisfied. "You have impressive restraint. Two kills, and you're willing to be an unsung hero. Don't worry, once the Battle of Ypres begins, you’ll get your glory in full, and you'll be promoted with interest. I never let my brothers lose out."

"Forget the empty talk," Immelmann said. "Since you’re helping the Air Force, I won't cheat you. I previously said 3,000 marks to teach you to drive and fly; I’ll drop it to 1,000. But once your prototypes are ready, you have to give me one of each to test in the air."

"Deal."

***

After landing in Munich, they were greeted by a BMW sedan. The company, formerly known as BFW and focused on aircraft engines, had recently changed its name to "Bavarian Motor Works" at Lelouch’s suggestion after his meeting with the Prince.

Immelmann inspected the car with great interest. "How much for this?"

A royal steward replied, "It’s not for sale yet, just a prototype for the royal family and army high command. The Mercedes used by the Württemberg Grand Duke in the 4th Army cost over 20,000 marks."

Immelmann gasped. "20,000 marks? At a captain’s salary of 400, that’s 50 months of pay!"

Lelouch sighed. "Our industry is meticulous, but our efficiency is failing. In America, Henry Ford has brought the price of similar cars down to about 1,000 dollars—roughly 5,000 marks. For the cost of one of our cars, they can build four. If we don't improve our production efficiency, the gap will only widen."

The steward was skeptical, but Lelouch didn't argue. Immelmann drove them to the royal estate, and over the following days, Lelouch’s life improved significantly as he was gifted the BMW by the Prince in recognition of his work in Thuringia.

In Munich, Lelouch met with Hermann von Siemens. While the company was huge, his technical discussions were handled by project managers. The engineers were initially baffled by his request to miniaturize the 70kg FU08 radio. Lelouch’s solution was simple: modularity. He insisted on a design where the battery packs were separate from the main unit.

"If we split it, we need more insulation and cables, which will increase the total weight by a few kilos," the engineers warned.

"I don't care about the total weight," Lelouch said firmly. "I care about the individual load. I can have three soldiers carry the parts, but no one can carry 70kg alone."

The final design resulted in a 75kg total weight, split into three 25kg components. It was a compromise born of the low energy density of 1914-era lead-acid batteries. Lelouch felt a pang of annoyance: for a radio with a few dozen watts of power, they needed 50kg of batteries!

***

While Siemens worked, Lelouch spent his time learning to drive and fly under Immelmann’s tutelage. He also used the Prince’s budget to source other equipment: steel helmets, camouflage uniforms, and primitive gas masks. He even pushed to replace the standard tall-calf military boots—which were a nightmare in the muddy, waterlogged trenches of Ypres—with durable, low-cut work boots and leather gaiters to prevent "trench foot."

As he checked the equipment lists, Lelouch felt a sense of urgency. The war was coming, and he was doing everything in his power to ensure his side was ready for the brutal reality of 20th-century industrial warfare.