Iron Cross
Chapter 382: Aftermath of the Tsunami (Part 2)
After listening to Roosevelt introduce the relevant strategies described by General Kim, Li Hai sighed: "I'm afraid General Kim didn't tell you all his worries."
"Is he trying to hide the truth from me? Or is he holding back from me?" Roosevelt raised his brows, obviously unhappy, "Why would he do this?"
"Probably not, I'm afraid he hasn't thought of a countermeasure yet. He is a very controlling person and does not allow too many things that are not under his control. Maybe he is thinking of a way to get the best of both worlds." Li Hai walked to the map. on the top, pointing to a point and saying, "Intelligence personnel show that the Germans will soon make a big move here..."
Roosevelt looked up and saw that it was Gibraltar: "Do you think Gibraltar will be lost soon?"
"Spain is determined to provide all kinds of conveniences to the Germans. Under the siege of the German navy, land and air force, I don't think Gibraltar can last for a month..." Li Hai patted the middle of the Mediterranean with his hand again, "There is still a whole month here. A combined fleet, can you imagine the scene of them all rushing into the Atlantic Ocean?"
Roosevelt was stunned, and a terrifying scene flashed through his mind: If Germany broke the blockade of Gibraltar, and the combined fleet joined hands with the Italian Navy to rush into the Atlantic Ocean, it would not only turn the Atlantic upside down, but even the entire east coast would be bombarded by the cannons of Japanese super battleships. Shivering (he had no idea that the Yamato class could not pass through the Suez Canal) - no matter how many warships the British had, it would be difficult to compete with the entire naval power of the Three Kingdoms axis, even if they added the Atlantic Fleet.
"We must support or even defend Gibraltar?"
"Can't do it!"
"It can't be done?" Roosevelt was stunned. "How is this possible? At least it can delay the collapse or fall."
"This matter is very difficult." Li Hai explained, "There are two ways to defend the Gibraltar Fortress. First, possessing sea control can eliminate surrounding forces that are malicious to the fortress and provide a steady stream of supplies for the fortress guards; Second, possessing air superiority and deterring the enemy’s attack on the fortress are both impossible now.”
Roosevelt thought quickly: Since the Italian Navy and the Combined Fleet were in the Mediterranean, it was indeed too difficult to fight for sea control. If the Allied Navy was sure of defeating the Axis Navy in the Mediterranean, it would be better to abandon Gibraltar and release the enemy to fight. At least this way A land base that can also be located far away from the axis.
"Then fight for air supremacy..." Roosevelt said, "I can send enough planes and pilots to Gibraltar."
"It can't be transported! Even if the plane is actually delivered to the defenders, it will turn into a pile of scrap metal soon." Li Hai patiently explained to Roosevelt, "Gibraltar does not have any strategic depth, only a bunch of forts and An airport has extremely limited capacity. The enemy can destroy and blockade the airport with artillery, and this can be done at night. As soon as a war starts, the land airport will be destroyed. Only by deploying aircraft carriers near Gibraltar can there be hope... The problem is, No matter where this aircraft carrier is deployed, the Axis powers can find it and attack it - because it is surrounded by German airfields, and I can't find an aircraft carrier that can withstand land-based attack aircraft. "
"Doesn't that mean we are helpless?"
"I just thought of a way, but I didn't have enough time."
"Tell me about it."
"Draw Portugal into the alliance, and then deploy sufficient military forces in the country to use Portugal to coordinate the defense of Gibraltar."
Roosevelt smiled bitterly: "Let's not talk about whether Portugal can agree. Even if it agrees now, it will be too late for us to send military forces there. Even if Portugal joins the alliance, what is the probability that Portugal will survive in the face of Germany's land attack? That's all. The road itself is impassable."
Roosevelt asked in confusion: "Then why didn't General Kim clarify it to me? I am not an unreasonable person, and I can understand the military difficulties - how can the axis be so easy to hit and sweep half of the world?"
"Because he is afraid that you will force certain military tactics for certain political reasons."
"For example?"
"You ordered him to send an escort aircraft carrier to support Gibraltar, and take off fighter planes from above to delay the German attack as much as possible. In the eyes of many people, escort aircraft carriers are relatively cheap, and they will not feel bad even if they are lost. If they have to be sacrificed for some strategic purpose , they belong to the expendable category.”
Roosevelt suddenly realized why Admiral Kim reacted so violently today when he heard that the British asked for 20 escort aircraft carriers - like a cat whose tail was stepped on. This was the reason.
"Is there something wrong with this strategy? It doesn't work?"
"Maybe it will work." Li Hai sighed, "But there can be as few as 800-900 people on an escort carrier, and as many as thousands. If we want to support Gibraltar, we need to be mentally prepared to sink 15-20 escort carriers."
Roosevelt was stunned: he didn't care about 15 or 20 ships, but tens of thousands of naval officers and soldiers... He shuddered for no reason. After losing 3,500 gold in the North Sea Battle, the admiral started banging the table and cursing people. If tens of thousands of naval forces were lost in the sea off Gibraltar, I guess the navy would riot, right?
"Moreover, Gibraltar is right on the edge of Spain, and the Germans can attack it at any time - this strategy can only delay the final fall of the fortress but cannot change the final fate."
"What's the point?"
"It makes a lot of sense - the longer the time is delayed, the better it is for us, because the Combined Fleet cannot stay in the Mediterranean forever. If we don't want the Combined Fleet to enter the Atlantic, the only way is to continue to send forces to block the gap and block the gap. Until others get fed up or can’t stand it anymore…”
"This is really... really..." Roosevelt said "it's true" twice in a row. He felt really speechless and asked, "In that case, why can't he just tell me?"
"Because if he knows these words, I will definitely report them to you..." Li Hai smiled bitterly, "He is the boss of the navy, and there cannot be anything that is not under his control."
"So he played a little trick with me." Roosevelt muttered, "Maybe he was unhappy with my strong support to the British."
Although Admiral Jin was a bit unkind, Li Hai didn't want to add insult to injury on such a trivial matter.
Roosevelt's depressed mood improved a lot: "The British asked us to escort the aircraft carrier. In your opinion, do you want to give it to us or not?"
"Since the five ships were agreed, they should be delivered, but you can't have any illusions. The British will never use these escort aircraft carriers to support Gibraltar. Don't look at Churchill's oaths now, bragging that they are impregnable and foolproof. This is really an emergency. They would lower their faces and ask us directly - Did you agree or not? They have done such unreasonable things in the past few years. "
"This..." Now it was Roosevelt's turn to be in trouble. He laughed at himself, "Am I just a scapegoat in the eyes of others?"
"This is different. You are looking at the overall situation. Admiral Kim is responsible for the navy - no naval commander has ever become famous by sacrificing a large number of his subordinates. From the perspective of emotions and job requirements, Admiral Kim would rather risk being attacked on the east coast. The risk of an attack cannot rashly give the navy's strength to the enemy. After all, it is possible in the front, but there are actual casualties in the back. "
"But if there is really an attack on the east coast, of course I will be criticized by the public, but his responsibility will definitely not escape."
"This sentence sounds very familiar - very similar to the reasons that Britain has always used to impress us. I have heard it a lot in the past few years: for example, if the European continent is controlled by Germany, it will be detrimental to the United States, for example, the United Kingdom will be defeated by Germany. It will pose a real threat to us," Li Hai said sarcastically, "Britain is a burning house right now, shouting for us to help him put out the fire - otherwise the fire will also burn down our house. God, our house is separated from his house by a river."
This sentence is an extension of Lehi's speech to Roosevelt when Congress passed the Lend-Lease Plan - Roosevelt said that when neighbors' homes were on fire, they should lend them fire hoses instead of bargaining over the price. Of course, Li Hai said this now not to ridicule his backstage boss, but to try to tell Roosevelt: It is okay to borrow fire hoses or even send fire hoses. If you have to risk your life and rush into the fire to save people, the nature of the matter is different. .
"This is a very dangerous point of view - although it is right and very marketable." Roosevelt sighed, "I understand the soldiers very well. Really, I am sorry for their sacrifices during this time, but I There will be no regrets - can the fire police not go in to rescue people because of danger? That is his duty! The United States is the guardian of justice and freedom on this earth, and it is our natural mission to defend the free world. This mission requires All Americans will do their best. If the country needs his life, he should die with a smile."
If Hoffman hears these words from Roosevelt, he must hug him and cry: A close friend! In this war, everyone went all out for the country, devoting everything they had, even if they sacrificed themselves - what is this if not the essence of national socialism?
Li Hai understood Roosevelt's subtext. He was silent for a minute, and then quietly changed the topic to other aspects: "So General Kim is unwilling to report such a solution, especially a solution that is easy to get into a dilemma. He must be Waiting for the combined fleet to return to the Far East, although none of us know when the Japanese will return. After all, the key problem is that the North African landing campaign did not persist. If we currently have a territory in Morocco and Algeria, we will not be able to defend Gibraltar. It’s not a matter of fact. In the final analysis, we should have ignored the forced landing in North Africa, which would have resulted in more casualties. In order to save fewer lives, we are now forced to pay a higher price.”
Roosevelt glanced at Li Hai with relief: It only took less than a minute for this confidant to adjust his position and views to be highly consistent with his own. He is really a smart man. He has always liked to deal with smart people...
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