Iron Cross

The reporters took many scenes of the leaders of the three countries meeting and shaking hands. The spotlight was constantly shining on the scene, especially Eva, who was photographed repeatedly by many reporters who reacted - this was explosive news.

"Dear Head of State, His Majesty the Emperor has a gift for you."

"Can you know what it is?"

"An ivory sculpture of a naval battleship of a humble country. I hope you like it." Horikichi personally handed over a white battleship sculpture wrapped in a crystal cover.

Hoffman took it and took a closer look, then asked with a smile: "Is it the super battleship Yamato?"

"yes."

"I like it very much and thank you for your affection."

Mussolini also received a similar gift a few days ago. He couldn't put it down and liked it very much. After seeing Hofmann handing the gift to his entourage to put it away and personally telling Eva to put it in the study room of the Berghof Villa, everyone knew that this woman had a high status in the eyes of the Führer.

After the pleasantries were over, there was a formal meeting between the heads of the three countries. Only a few people were eligible to participate. Mussolini, as the host, ushered everyone into the venue that had been prepared. He even specifically told his confidants to arrange everything for Eva. Don't neglect her.

Japanese Prime Minister Kazunari Ugaki did not attend due to the long journey, but Horikichi had obtained the certificate of plenipotentiary, and Hoffman knew through Cole that the Japanese Prime Minister had long been ignored. In a sense, Horitayoshi spoke better than him. The weight is great, so I didn’t feel disappointed. On the contrary, when talking about matters with Japan at the moment, it is more effective and meaningful to talk directly with the military leaders like Horikichi than to talk with the head of the government.

After closing the door, the axis leaders could finally talk about some confidential matters. For the German side, Cole served as the translator because he could not only speak Italian but also Japanese. Mussolini's son-in-law, Count Ciano, was also carefully selected. We hired a translator, and some of the German and Japanese naval admirals could speak simple English, but they had strong accents and could only communicate in words. In fact, it was Hoffman who had the best English. After all, he was educated. A high-level intellectual with a doctoral education, but he knew that Hitler's English ability was not good, so he never showed it, only occasionally using a few words to suit the situation.

"The battleships Ise and Hyuga have been delivered to your country. Now some warships are undergoing installation of radars and new anti-aircraft guns at various shipyards, and some warships are being repaired. We are deeply grateful to Germany and Italy for their strong assistance. ”

"We have received the metal, rubber and other special products delivered by your country." Speer answered the question that Japan is most concerned about. "The materials promised to your country are being loaded one after another. Considering the speed and speed of the transport ship, At that time, aircraft, tanks and other equipment will be shipped one after another in five days, and they will be concentrated on Socotra Island first, and the remaining materials will be prepared gradually. "

"The idea proposed by your country of establishing direct trade channels and accounting currencies between the two sides has been considered completely feasible by our research. Our country can give you a quota of 1 billion marks for the purchase of materials that your country is interested in. We can deliver This time it can be shipped directly, but it requires a certain production cycle of equipment. You can place an order first and wait for the next shipment.”

This routine is completely similar to the barter transaction between the Soviet Union and Germany. The only difference is that it is transported by sea and transported by Japan itself. Italy also provided a quota of 200 million marks for Japan to purchase.

Horikichi breathed a sigh of relief: There is a huge domestic demand for related materials and equipment, and he sent a bunch of lists. In addition, the ambassador to Germany, Hiroshi Oshima, provided reference opinions. He felt quite overwhelmed in the past two days, and even more The difficulty is that Japan currently has no ability to pay, let alone foreign exchange, so it vaguely mentioned the idea of ​​barter. Fortunately, Germany agreed after all, and the United Fleet's hard work to come to Europe to fight was not in vain.

"Thank you very much. If Germany and Italy have any needs that Japan can meet, please also submit them. I will ship them together next time I go to Europe."

"I would like to remind you that after the route is opened, we must strengthen our anti-submarine capabilities. In the past few days, we have sunk two submarines of unknown origin around the Indian Ocean islands." Redl suggested, "Now we basically have the control The enemy has used various means to destroy control of the Indian Ocean, so we have to attach great importance to it, so we will continue to strengthen our counter-submarine capabilities in the next stage.”

Speaking of anti-submarine warfare, Horikichi has long been worried: the Japanese Navy has always focused only on fleet combat and not on anti-submarine warfare, especially after the main force of the combined fleet went out. In the past three months, the tonnage of ships sunk by Allied submarines on the Nanyang route has exceeded 200,000 tons. A large part of the crude oil extracted with great efforts in Borneo has been discontinued before being transported to the mainland. It is ridiculous that there is still a A lot of paranoid staff officers believed that the Americans could not endure the hardship of submarine warfare, and they always turned a blind eye to this loss. If things couldn't change and the transport ships loaded with arms or equipment that had been laboriously brought from Europe were sunk, Horikichi wouldn't even know how to go back and explain.

"Actually, Britain and the United States have a very good idea of ​​designing escort aircraft carriers for anti-submarine use. Therefore, there are several aircraft carriers in the combined fleet force composition that I firmly refuse to join the combat queue because they are more valuable in anti-submarine warfare. Unfortunately, we lack useful ones. Anti-submarine aircraft." Tsukahara 243 added.

Hoffman knew that Japan was talking about several aircraft carriers converted from merchant ships such as the Okita, the Seahawk, and the Cloudhawk. After different personnel layouts, the Japanese Navy's relevant ideas and thoughts were also changing, but it was obvious that Horikichi alone is not enough.

"From our practice, armed trawlers have a certain effect in anti-submarine warfare. If they are paired with suitable aircraft at the same time, the effectiveness of joint operations will be maximized. In fact, your country's seaplanes are very good. With a little modification, they can be suitable for anti-submarine warfare. "Patrol aircraft." Kesselin said, "In addition, the Italian SM79 sea attack aircraft can also undertake sea patrol missions. This is a common equipment for Germany and Italy."

Horikichi, Tsukahara and others exchanged glances and immediately said: "Then we will go see this kind of aircraft tomorrow. If it is suitable, we hope to introduce some."

"I just received a battle report from the front line before I left today. The German navy achieved a major victory in the Norwegian waters, sinking a Sovereign-class battleship, 3-4 cruisers and 10 destroyers, and also destroyed more than 15 merchant ships. Currently It is being replenished at the Norwegian port, and the next step will be to enter the North Atlantic for a large-scale breach of diplomatic relations. "

"Is it the Tirpitz?"

"Yes." Hoffman smiled and said to Horikichi, "After the Battle of Malta, we will consider launching the Battle of Gibraltar as soon as possible. I hope your country can send troops to participate."

Mussolini interjected: "Franco has agreed?"

"No! He hasn't agreed yet. Ribbentrop is still doing the Spanish work. I believe they will agree. If they don't agree, there is nothing I can do." At this point, Hoffman suddenly paused. Went down.

"Forced crossing from Spain?" Mussolini immediately asked - this was explosive news.

"No, we are going to land in Spanish Morocco, the Spanish colony in North Africa." Hoffman said, "We have armored divisions in Algeria. As long as I give the order, we can cross the border and control that area within 24 hours, and then The fleet can land directly at the port of Ceuta. I mean no offense to Spain, but he cannot just watch the fortress of Gibraltar damage the Axis cause. There is a limit to my patience and tolerance for the Spanish supreme leader, if Franco continues. I would not mind helping the positive forces within Spain find leaders who better represent the fundamental interests of the Spanish people - just like we have done before."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Ciano looked at Hoffman at a loss and opened his mouth in astonishment - he did not expect to hear such a tough answer, despite the nature of the Three-Nation Axis Talks. It is very confidential, but changing the political situation in Spain has actually reached the point of being discussed openly, which shows how angry the head of state is. After secretly taking a look at the expressions of the top German officials around him, Kesselring, Keitel, Speer and Raeder all looked calm, indicating that Germany had reached a unified opinion - Franco If you don't know how to show appreciation, you will be toasted and fined.

After listening to Ciano's translation, Mussolini couldn't sit still. He knew that the words were meant for him. The head of state knew very well that there was a close relationship between Rome and Madrid. There were some words that Franco did not agree with. Ken said to Berlin, but he could confide in Rome. The smart and sensitive Mussolini completely understood Hoffman's voice-over and understood that Germany's determination was unshakable. He immediately said, "I completely agree with you. We spent a lot of effort to assist him." , if he still refuses to express his attitude even when we have a huge advantage, it can only be said that his position has gradually slipped to the side of our enemies. "

Horikichi said nothing about European affairs, but since it was mentioned that the attack on Gibraltar would require the participation of the combined fleet, he couldn't help but care. Suddenly, he remembered the inexplicable collapse of the Tojo cabinet, which now seemed to have a lot to do with the Germans. He couldn't help but look at Hoffman with confused eyes, who smiled at him: Only time travelers understand that Horikichi is a figure after the disruption of time and space, and the person sitting in this position should have been Yamamoto Isoroku.

Horikichi said euphemistically: "Gibraltar is very important, but the Combined Fleet cannot stay in Europe for too long."

Hoffman nodded: "I completely understand this. It will not occupy your fleet for too long, let alone delay your schedule."

"I'm very curious about what method you used to attack Gibraltar. As far as I know, it is known as the most impenetrable fortress. I'm afraid plane bombing is useless. The firepower of shore artillery is said to be very fierce, and battleships can't shoot at it at all."

Seeing that everyone's eyes were focused on him, Hoffman explained with a smile: "To ensure victory in the battle, I am going to use the most famous mass murder weapon in the world..."