Reborn South Africa as a police officer

Chapter 2378 Continue to Fight
Southern Africa's need for precision-guided bombs is actually far less urgent than that of the German army.

There are not many ships in the entire Mediterranean Axis. Even if they are equipped with precision-guided bombs, they still lack targets worthy of using precision-guided bombs.

The cost of precision-guided bombs is much more expensive than ordinary bombs. Most of the tasks that precision-guided bombs can accomplish can also be accomplished by ordinary bombs. The British have already started using bombs weighing ten tons. Come out, but there is no suitable bomber, even the "Super Sky Fortress" can't hold it.

Of course, precision-guided bombs must be developed. The Axis powers are weak in the Mediterranean, but Japan still has two super warships. These two warships are a serious threat to the Allied forces.

Although Rock has always disliked battleships, when two super battleships with a full load displacement of more than [-] tons appeared on the battlefield, Rock was still on his back.

This is the warship with the largest displacement in the history of the world. The latest "Iowa" class battleship in the United States has a full load displacement of only 5.7 tons. "Yamato" and "Musashi" are completely larger than "Iowa". .

The main guns of "Yamato" are three triple-mounted 94-type 45-fold 460mm naval guns. This is also the largest artillery in the world. The Japanese army equipment has been criticized, and the navy is still very strong.

除了9门460毫米主炮之外，“大和”的武备系统还包括四座三联装60倍径155毫米舰炮，12座双联装127毫米舰炮，45座三联装、21座单装25毫米舰炮，另外还有7架舰载机。

In May of this year, a patrol fleet composed of two US destroyers and a southern African light cruiser accidentally encountered the "Yamato" in the waters north of the Philippines.

The Allied fleet bravely launched an attack on the "Yamato". The captains underestimated the firepower output of the "Yamato". The superstructure of the USS destroyer was completely flattened, and the "Anderson" was also sunk. Of the 155 officers and soldiers on the two warships, only 375 survived. The cruiser "Irwin" escaped with a high speed of 13 knots.

The Japanese paid too much attention to displacement and ignored the speed of warships. The fastest speed of the American "Iowa" can reach 33 knots, while the fastest speed of "Yamato" is only 27 knots. This is the biggest weakness of "Yamato".

When the news reached Lion City, Angie and MacArthur both had a headache.

The Japanese have a total of two such warships.

With these two powerful warships, the Japanese are actually capable of threatening the Changi Naval Base. No Allied warship can confront these two giant ships head-on. The model Allied forces also have powerful air forces. If "Yamato" Breaking away from the fleet's air defense system will also be sunk by swarming fighter planes.

The time came to October, and the winter of the Russian battlefield came as promised.

In the past two years on the Russian battlefield, the German army will launch a crazy attack every summer.

The Russians counterattacked in winter, and the weather was the biggest help for the Russians.

This year the situation is different from previous years.

In previous years, although the German army was weak in attacking in winter, at least it was able to defend, and it was not a disadvantage on the battlefield.

This year, the German army lost the initiative on the Russian battlefield. Russia launched a counterattack against the German army at almost the same time. The big bearded man used Russia's almost endless human resources, and did not give the little bearded man a chance to breathe.

The Germans have actually reached the end of their ropes. After two years of bloody battles, the Russians suffered heavy casualties. At the same time, the life of the Germans is getting more and more difficult. Not only are their resources about to be exhausted, but their military strength is also becoming more and more stretched.

In this case, the counterattack of the Allied forces in the Mediterranean made Mustache even more desperate.

The downfall of the bald head forced Mustache to send more German troops to reinforce Italy.

After the North African campaign, the Axis powers in the Mediterranean were virtually doomed, and Rommel could not recover from the defeat.

After experiencing the indescribable Battle of Sicily, Eisenhower and Alexander finally recognized the strength of the British and American troops. It was so difficult to fight a Huber, and Rommel was even more difficult to fight, so Eisenhower And Alexander had to rely more on the cooperation of Southern Africa.

"My staff members have drawn up a battle plan. If we attack north from the direction of Greece, then we can join forces with the Russian army somewhere on the Black Sea coast. This will deal the heaviest blow to the Germans. If we cooperate Soldiers together, then the war can be ended in the shortest possible time.” Patton’s thinking was different from Eisenhower’s.

Eisenhower and Alexander wanted to rely on Sicily to attack the Apennine Peninsula.

"If it is Greece, we will have to face more difficulties. The damage caused by the Russian winter does not distinguish between the enemy and the enemy, and I seriously doubt whether our army can withstand the cruelty of the Russian battlefield." Alexander had lingering fears about the German army. It was so difficult for the Allied forces to fight against the German army in North Africa. To go to Russia to fight against the main force of the German army, the Sikhs of the British and Indian troops really couldn't do it.

"What the Russians can do, of course we can do it too." Patton was displeased that the combat effectiveness of the British and Indian troops could not be used to measure the combat effectiveness of the Southern African Expeditionary Force.

"Marshal Patton, has your plan been approved by Pretoria?" Eisenhower was more direct. He didn't believe that old fox Rock would agree to Patton's plan.

"This plan is still being perfected—" Barton was really not sure.

"Then let's take a look at our plan—" Eisenhower offered to introduce Patton.

Compared with Patton's plan, Eisenhower's plan was much less difficult. The Allied forces already had a fairly complete logistics base in Sicily. Through Sicily, they could directly attack the Apennine Peninsula.

The Apennine Peninsula is a slender strip with many ports along the coast. After the surrender of the Italian Navy, the Axis powers suffered a great loss in sea power, and the Allied forces could launch landing operations as they wished through the ports.

Another advantage of launching an attack on the Apennine Peninsula is that the resistance encountered will not be too strong.

In Sicily, Eisenhower and Alexander seriously underestimated the Italian army's will to resist when fighting on the mainland, resulting in heavy casualties. Patton Jr. and Montgomery also made a lot of jokes and made a fool of themselves.

After the king of Italy went into exile, the kingdom of Italy declared its demise, and the will of the Italian army to resist declined rapidly. No one was willing to shed blood for a hopeless war, especially the romantic Italians.

"The Germans also know that the Apennine Peninsula is difficult to defend, so the German defense line is concentrated in northern Italy. There are only a few German troops in the Apennine Peninsula, and the Italians are dispirited. We only need to send ten divisions, or five divisions. We can occupy the Apennine Peninsula.” Eisenhower was too optimistic, ten divisions wanted to take the Apennine Peninsula, even if all the troops participating in the battle were the Southern African Expeditionary Force.

The Allied forces are fighting away in mainland Italy. Even with the support of the fleet and air force, ten divisions are not enough.

"I think we have to send at least twice as many troops before we can hope to occupy the Apennine Peninsula." Alexander thought so too.

"No, we still have a strong fleet and air force. Even if we don't use airborne troops, we can land at any port on the Apennine Peninsula at will, appear behind our enemy, and cut off the enemy's logistics supply, so that the enemy will quickly collapse. .” Eisenhower was full of confidence, and Patton and Alexander looked at each other, both of them expressionless.

Don't listen to Eisenhower's good words, this is actually another shirk.

The Allied forces do have a powerful fleet and air force in the Mediterranean, but they are dominated by the southern African army and the British army.

In Eisenhower's plan, the fleet and air force were used everywhere, and the troops dispatched by the US military were mainly the army.

This is bad intentions.

Everyone knows that battleships can't go ashore, and it depends on the army to resolve the battle.

At that time, the southern African army and the British army worked hard as coolies, while the American soldiers appeared in the Apennine Peninsula as a savior to save the Italians.

Isn't this exactly what Eisenhower hoped for.

"The first launch point for the landing, I suggest Rome, so that the Italian army can be disintegrated as quickly as possible, and we must also consider the influence of the Vatican City State." Eisenhower attaches great importance to the influence of religion force.

In another time and space, when Winston and Beard met in Tehran, Beard asked Winston: How many armored divisions does the Vatican City State have?
This question has become a famous scene for various netizens to ridicule the bearded man and the Vatican City State.

In fact, do not underestimate the role of religion. The Vatican City State does not have a single armored division, but its status in the eyes of Christians all over the world is irreplaceable. The influence of Christianity on Europe does not need to be emphasized. It is necessary to ask someone to be crowned, or else the name is not right and the word is not right, and the position is not right.

The more important point of the Vatican City State is the control of religions in various countries.

The appointment and removal of archbishops in European countries is decided by the Vatican City State, and governments of all countries have no right to interfere.

This is also the case in southern Africa in theory, but how could Roque allow this to happen? After many friendly communications with someone known as a prisoner of the Vatican, the Southern African Federal Government agreed in principle to the Vatican City State’s leadership of Christianity in southern Africa. The Vatican City State chooses the archbishop from a pool offered by the federal government of Southern Africa.

Both parties are quite satisfied with the result.

"If the Vatican City State orders, can the German troops lay down their weapons?" Barton asked nonsense. If the Vatican prisoners had such a great influence, Christ would have ruled the world long ago.

"Marshal Patton, you still have to respect God." Alexander reminded Patton that his words and deeds now represent the North African Allied Forces.

The influence of religion in southern Africa is divided into two. It has a huge influence among the white group and little influence among the Chinese group. Although many Chinese are also used to going to church or temple to burn incense on weekends, in fact Most people just seek a psychological comfort, not how faithful their faith is.

As the commander-in-chief of the North African Allied Forces, Patton's words and deeds have great influence. There are many devout believers in the British, American, and French troops in North Africa. If Patton's words are spread, it will still have an impact on the morale of the North African Allied Forces.

"The plan to attack the Apennine Peninsula needs to be further improved. The Free French Army is ready to attack Corsica. Corsica is French territory. The Free French Army has a strong desire to fight." Patton routinely reported, the first paragraph Time to meet the Italian Navy, the Southern African Air Force swept the airfield and port of Corsica, which cleared the way for the attack of the Free French Army.

"Then let's take Sardinia first—" Eisenhower also had a plan B. The difficulty of attacking Sardinia was also less than that of attacking the Apennine Peninsula.

Since all parties have plans, each will fight his own way.

De Gaulle still attached great importance to the attack on Corsica. He sent the only armored division in the Free French Army, the two "Richelieus" of the navy, and the "Clemenceau" aircraft carrier just purchased from southern Africa. They came out in full force, and the total strength of the participating troops exceeded 20.

Intelligence indicated that the Axis forces in Corsica had no more than 5 troops, most of whom were from Vichy France.

These Vichy French soldiers did not have a strong will to resist the Free French Army. During this period, the Southern African Air Force dispatched reconnaissance planes many times and spread leaflets in Corsica to publicize the North African Allied captive policy, urging Corsi to The Vichy French forces on the Isle of Chia surrender.

The Vichy French army is the former French army. The French army has surrendered once in the French campaign, and they are familiar with it.

On October 10, the Free French Army officially launched an attack on Corsica.

The Vichy French army's will to resist was indeed not strong. When two "Richelieus" appeared outside the port of Ajaccio, the defending Vichy French army turned against them. The corps was killed, about a battalion of Italian troops voluntarily surrendered, and the Free French took Ajaccio with little effort.

Ajaccio is the capital of Corsica. There are not many towns on the island. Most of the residents live in Ajaccio and Bastia in the northeast. As long as you take these two cities, Corsica The German-Italian coalition forces on Jiadao had nowhere to retreat.

On the 17th, Charles de Gaulle arrived in Ajaccio on the "Clemenceau" aircraft carrier.

At this time, the battle in Ajaccio was completely over, and the Free French Army held a ceremony for Charles de Gaulle to enter the city. When the photo of Charles de Gaulle entering Ajaccio in an open-top off-road vehicle was published in The Times, Charles de Gaulle's personal prestige reached a new peak.

France needs heroes so much. Since Joan of Arc, few people have fought against adversity like de Gaulle.

The Vichy government slandered de Gaulle in newspapers on the grounds that de Gaulle had betrayed French interests, but it aroused more French interest in de Gaulle.

Now that France can't even keep its homeland, how many people still care about colonies thousands of miles away?

(End of this chapter)