Chapter 119: Problems in Hokkaido

The meeting had already ended. Andre looked at the smiling Lieutenant General Constantine and wondered what was keeping him here?

"Andrei, you did a good job this time. You have dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the Americans. Your photo of the aircraft carrier flying over the American aircraft carrier has now appeared in Moscow's Pravda. It's the front-page headline again. Marshal Ustinov is very satisfied. If you hadn't been awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the first time so recently, he would have been planning to award you the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the second time. It's just that you are being a little reckless. If you are really hit by an American missile, our Far East Military District will lose an outstanding regiment commander." Lieutenant General Konstantin said.

"Serving the Soviets." Andrei said, "At that time, I only wanted to strike back at the Americans' arrogance. Now that I think about it, it was indeed a bit dangerous. However, if I were given the choice again, I would still do it. I will never regret it."

"Andrei, you are still young and have a bright future ahead of you." Lieutenant General Konstantin said, "Marshal Ustinov was right about you. He asked me to take care of you."

"Thank you, General." Andrei said. At this moment, his heart was warm. Although Andrei knew that Ustinov liked tough Soviet soldiers like himself, this concern still touched Andrei.

"Andrei, after returning to the army, be prepared for combat. The improved R-40 missiles have been sent to the base, and you must be prepared to mount the new missiles." Lieutenant Constantine continued.

Improved R-40!

The biggest disadvantage of the R-40 is that its range is too short, especially for the infrared seeker model, the real effective range is only more than 20 kilometers! Therefore, the Soviets are still developing and using a new improved missile, which makes the effective range of this missile reach 50 kilometers. The model is called R-40D.

Hearing what Lieutenant General Constantine said, Andrei immediately thought of the newly added 592nd Regiment, and then thought about it together with the present. What was going on? Was it really going to be a war with the Americans?

This is the best! A severe blow to the arrogance of the Americans! However, during the Cold War, it seems that no such incident occurred. There was no large-scale military conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. After all, if the two giants really fought, it would mean that the Cold War would turn into a hot war, and even a nuclear war would break out, causing the destruction of the earth.

Although Andre concluded that a nuclear war would not break out, that was based on the knowledge of later generations. If the war really got intense, both sides would definitely dare to use anything.

"Yes." Andre answered. He knew that the lieutenant general had reminded him enough and there was no need for him to continue asking.

Should we fight or not? How big should we fight? What kind of strategic situation should we achieve?

These issues were not what Andrei was considering. At this time, in the Kremlin, a large group of people were discussing such issues that were crucial to national affairs.

"For two hundred years, we have been trying to open up an outlet to the Pacific Ocean. After the end of World War II, we tried to occupy China's northeast and establish a base for the Pacific Fleet in Dalian, China. Due to some reasons at the time, none of these became a reality. In fact, we were taking a detour at the time. The most suitable outlet for us is not in China, but in the island country! As long as we occupy Hokkaido, we can directly get an exit to the Pacific Ocean!" Defense Minister Marshal Ustinov was now enthusiastically trying to persuade other senior officials in front of him.

Gain access to the Pacific Ocean! Although the Soviet Union has obtained Vladivostok, it is not an ice-free port. It freezes for several months every winter and is not suitable for a naval base. If it were not for the short general, the Soviet Far East Pacific Fleet would not have chosen it as its base.

Similarly, Sakhalin Island and other places were also excluded. At that time, Stalin tried to ask China for Dalian Port, but what was the point? Just look at the map. Even if Dalian Port was used as a base, it would still be blocked by the Americans near the coast and could not get out at all!

If you want to get out, you need to get a more suitable forward base. Now, no matter from which angle you look at it, Hokkaido is the most suitable one!

Due to concerns about the Soviet Union attacking Hokkaido, the island country did not develop Hokkaido much, and now the population there is only a few million. On Hokkaido, Kushiro City on the Pacific coast serves as a port. Akkeshi Bay, 30 kilometers northeast of Kushiro City, overlooks the Pacific Ocean just like the island country's Tokyo Bay, and is just the right base for the Soviet Pacific Fleet. Together with the nuclear submarine base on the Kamchatka Peninsula, they form a horn with each other, and can advance into the Pacific Ocean at any time to compete with the Americans for hegemony in the Pacific!

For the Soviet Union, this is also an important step to break the current strategic situation.

As for Kunashir Island and Etorofu Island, their strategic depth is too shallow and they are not suitable as permanent naval bases.

"Besides, that place should have belonged to us. During World War II, the island country was also one of the fascists and should have received adequate punishment! The island country should have been divided and occupied like Germany. Now, we are just taking back what belongs to us." Ustinov continued, and he began to bring up old accounts again.

Weak countries have no diplomacy, only big countries have the right to speak on the world pattern. On August 15, 1946, US President Truman contacted the Soviet Union to discuss the distribution of countries after accepting the surrender of the island nations, that is, the distribution of the actual occupied areas of each country. Among them, the Soviet Union was allocated Manchuria, the Korean Peninsula north of the 38th parallel north latitude, and South Sakhalin Island, but the Kuril Islands were not included. Stalin believed that the areas obtained by the island nations from surrendering to the Soviet Union should be based on the secret agreement of the Yalta Agreement to obtain all the islands of the Kuril Islands. In addition, he put forward a new requirement to obtain the northern half of Hokkaido north of the line connecting Kushiro City and Rumoi City. This was also a retaliation for the island nations' dispatch of troops to Siberia.

Both Rumoi and Kushiro have a large port, and they are rich in coal and iron ore resources. Rumoi is the second largest port after Otaru and Wakkanai on the coast of Hokkaido. From here, you can go directly to the Liaodong Peninsula to the west. The Soviet Union is rich in oil energy, but poor in coal. At the same time, Hokkaido, which is warmer than Siberia, has rich agricultural and fishery resources centered on dairy farming, which is very important to the Soviet Union.

By obtaining this place, not only can the Sea of ​​Okhotsk be made an inland sea of ​​the Soviet Union, but also the dream of owning an ice-free port, Kushiro Port, in the open ocean, which has been fulfilled since the Russian Empire era, from where submarine forces can be sent directly into the Pacific Ocean!

As a result, the then US President Truman bargained and agreed to the Soviet Union's occupation of the entire Kuril Islands, but refused to allow the Soviet Union to occupy the northern part of Hokkaido. In order to prevent the Soviet Union from succeeding, the Americans quickly landed on the islands and took the lead in occupying the islands.

The Soviet Union lost Hokkaido and lost the ability to balance the Americans in the Pacific. Now, it is time to correct this mistake!