Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven Surface Articles

At the door of the meeting room in Wolf's Lair, Manstein found Acador, the head of state who was preparing to hold a combat meeting. He felt a little weird about the Empire getting involved in the war with Japan for an insignificant ally. Germany's declaring war on Japan will not gain any substantial benefits, and even Japan's declaring war on Germany will not cause Germany to lose anything. He doesn't understand why everyone cares so much about superficial articles that are not beneficial.

"My head of state, isn't it a bit too hasty to start a war with Japan for the distant lands that do not belong to northern Britain at all?" Manstein said as soon as they met: "We don't care about Japan's declaration of war at all, as long as we slowly Waiting for a result in the Pacific is enough."

"This is a political issue. If I consider it purely from a military point of view, I will not even accept Australia's statement. I will curse back and watch Japan occupy it." Akado glanced at Manstair Yin explained with a smile: "But once political interests are involved, the pros and cons of many things have to be re-analyzed."

"We planted the seeds of friendship in China. If we get too close to the Japanese, then General Sickert's previous strategic investment will be in vain. This is obviously not in the interests of the empire, nor is it in line with the empire's long-term strategic arrangements "Akado handed one of the documents in his hand to Anna on the side: "Moreover, if the Japanese do not immediately respond to the declaration of war, then Germany's influence on the surrounding allies will be weakened. Once the northern United Kingdom finds and the United States If there is no reason for people to flirt, then our Atlantic barriers will show weakness, which is not a consequence that the empire can bear."

"So, my head of state, we can declare war, but why did we send so many submarines to the Pacific Ocean? It is obviously not in our interests to help the United States fight the Japanese navy." Manstein continued to ask.

Akado pointed to Manstein and said, "You, you, Augustus wouldn't ask such a stupid question. I sent so many submarines, but I didn't move our main force." Fleet, haven’t you seen the difference? Submarines reaching the Pacific Ocean can minimize our losses, and this scale is used to appease the northern United Kingdom, without Chamberlain, we will be cursed.”

Why would Akado waste his saliva explaining this to his general? Because not only Manstein was puzzled by Akado's decision, even Doenitz, the navy's submarine commander, was dissatisfied with Akado's distribution of his 10 submarines. However, due to the distance, Doenitz, who was inspecting the construction of the submarine base along the coast of Norway, did not have the conditions to ask Akaduo the reason in person.

So Akado is now explaining to Manstein, because he needs Manstein to spread his ideas and persuade more people to support this decision to declare war on Japan. So Akado decided to say more: "In the past, I would not dare to let the submarine force go to such a far place to perform missions. But everything needs to accumulate experience, and the same is true for ocean dispatching and commanding. Therefore, I think it can be done. In this way, we can accumulate valuable experience for the navy and lay the foundation for the fleet expedition.”

"in addition,

The maturity of the navy's submarine technology and the extremely low failure rate of the new and improved submarine are also the guarantee for this expedition. Such a long sea voyage is just an opportunity to test the long-term combat capability of our submarine force, and as far as the mission itself is concerned, I believe that after the captains of 10 submarines return, I will issue orders for 10 medals. "Akado smiled, and didn't plan to say anything more. There were several generals from North Africa in the meeting room, as well as General Scherner, who was about to go to North Africa to command the K Group Army.

Manstein watched Akado bring Anna into the meeting room, and stood outside for a few seconds. He now knew a lot about the empire's considerations. Some of the questions Akado said were already guessed by him. Some he hadn't thought of. He is a general, not a politician. Most of the time, he only needs to consider how to reduce losses and win the war, and does not need to consider other issues.

Germany sent 10 submarines to Australia. This action had to be shown to Chamberlain. This was politics; and these 10 submarines had to accumulate experience for the fleet sailing along the way, and finally participated in the battle. This was military. Mixing politics with the military to achieve diplomatic goals, and mixing the military with politics to reduce wasteful spending, this is a science that is worth learning and considering.

At this very moment, Chamberlain flew to Berlin and met with Imperial Chancellor Augustus, and the two discussed the Australian issue for a whole morning. What Chamberlain meant was not to give up Australia as much as possible, and even hoped that the German army could send 1 or 2 divisions there to help the British defend this vast colony.

But even he himself knew that this plan was a dream, and even the most confident German commander could not approve of this crazy plan. So this plan to send troops to Australia is just a cover, a bargaining chip for each other. In fact, what Chamberlain really wanted to say was the latter sentence: Since army reinforcements are not feasible, then please ask the empire to send the navy to go there?

"Mr. Prime Minister, I believe that even you agree with our point of view. The High Seas Fleet must never be used, right?" Augustus and Raeder were in charge of meeting Chamberlain, and received the "British Prime Minister" grandly at the Berlin Grand Hotel ", the two sides did not have any politeness, and immediately started negotiations to discuss the plan to send troops.

But even Chamberlain is not a fool. Of course he saw that the huge hole in Australia was just a trap dug for him by the British royal family and the Americans. What he wants to be is a "hero" to rejuvenate and preserve Britain, so naturally he cannot and dare not risk his own life to death.

Even if Chamberlain asked for the mobilization of the High Seas Fleet that August said, the Germans would never agree, not to mention that Chamberlain knew better than anyone that the High Seas Fleet must not be moved.

Once the High Seas Fleet goes to the Pacific Ocean, regardless of the outcome, the British naval fleet in the Atlantic Ocean will immediately regain its advantage. He is the first existence to die, so it is even more impossible for him to make such a stupid request to use the High Seas Fleet.

For Chamberlain, the most ideal situation is: the German navy sends a squadron consisting of a few cruisers or a few destroyers to show off its force for northern Britain. Even if all these warships are sunk, it will not hurt. It would be good if the Japanese were afraid, but even if they did, the losses would be the Germans', and it had nothing to do with Chamberlain.

However, the Germans obviously had a better choice and sent a fleet of ocean-going submarines to the Pacific Ocean. In this way, Chamberlain can't say anything. After all, the Germans gave the northern British enough face and sent a fairly impressive lineup of 10 submarines.

However, compared to the cruiser and destroyer's speed of 30 knots, the speed of the submarine is indeed a bit of a feeling of crying without tears. In the area driving all the way to the Pacific Ocean, most of the time the submarine can only have a speed of about 10 knots. When the situation arises, it is even necessary to dive and reduce the speed to 5 knots. This speed is simply a cruel torture for the distant Australia waiting for rescue.

With a distance of nearly 20,000 kilometers, it may take several months to drive all the way. This is not so much reinforcement of Australia as revenge for Japan's invasion of Australia. It is estimated that when this fleet entered the Pacific Ocean, Japan had already occupied Australia and sang all the way to the continental United States.

But Chamberlain did not raise any objections. He knew that even if the German High Seas Fleet was now desperately rushing to Australia, it would be estimated that Japan had already occupied Australia when it got there-the Americans did not really send Australia to the Germans, but used A trick tricked the Germans once. So it's not at all to blame the Germans for being helpless, but to blame the Americans for being despicable and shameless.

Just when Germany dispatched submarines in a hurry to show their presence in the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese were not idle. They seized almost all Axis merchant ships in Asia and completely turned their backs on the Axis group. This made Japan a windfall, and a lot of free goods from the Axis countries.

These merchant ships could not return to Europe because of the war. After all, the Indian Ocean, which is full of British naval warships, is definitely a restricted area for Axis merchant ships. So these merchant ships stayed in Asia, doing some short-distance business, and occasionally cameo for intelligence gathering. Borrowing Sickert's face and Japan's scruples, these merchant ships even started a smuggling business, smuggling American arms to China.

But this time it was clear that the Japanese really planned to tear themselves apart and start a full-scale war, and even seized these merchant ships. He also killed the owner of the ship, sent the crew to a concentration camp, and confiscated all the goods on board. Including rubber and food, even guns and ammunition.

The German government in Berlin, which received the news, did not issue any statement. After all, war has already started between the two countries, and nothing else will help. What the Germans have to do now is to wait, to wait for those submarines going to the Pacific Ocean to send back some usable news.

"Gentlemen." Doenitz said to the submarine commander who was going to the Arctic Ocean to carry out the blockade mission on the fifth day after the submarine left port: "Our soldiers are already on the way to the Pacific Ocean, and our submarine force will always be the head of state." The sword of vengeance will always be the trump card of the empire's pride! I hope that you will bring back more glory to the empire when you go to the battlefield this time!" r1148

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