Chapter 95

Marshal Vasilevsky has been in the Far East for a year. In fact, the Soviet Union is not completely unprepared for the war against Japan. As early as after the end of the Belarusian campaign, the Supreme Command entrusted Vasilevsky with the Soviet army on the coast of Heilongjiang, The Primorsky and Transbaikal regions assembled to conduct preliminary calculations to determine the supplies necessary for the war against Japanese imperialism.

Before the Battle of Berlin, the Far East combat plan had been agreed by Moscow. After Germany formally surrendered, Vasilevsky was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Far East Soviet Army, responsible for commanding the Transbaikal Front Army, the Far East First Front Army, the Far East Second Front Army and Pacific Fleet.

However, compared with the Soviet Union's ease on land, the sea power it relies on can only be said to be a drop in the bucket. Although Moscow suddenly increased its support for the Far East before and after the Battle of Berlin, the forces that the Soviet Union can organize can only support 50,000 soldiers. A landing force of up to 60,000 people.

Of course, the telegram that arrived at Marshal Vasilevsky at the same time also showed the determination of the headquarters at all costs. He also stated that the British fleet in Southeast Asia has arrived at night and will provide support for the landing operations.

For this reason, Marshal Vasilevsky changed his landing plan in the Kuril Islands and set his sights on Hokkaido, the second largest island in Japan. Among the Far East Command, Marshal Vasilevsky said to his subordinates , "If the information is true, the number of Japanese troops in Hokkaido is really not much larger than the defenders in the Thousand Islands. In the battle on the front line of the Pacific Ocean, the US military adopted a combat method called island hopping tactics. In terms of power, it is more important to set clear offensive goals and not waste military power on worthless targets."

The island hopping tactic is a tactic adopted by the U.S. military when it counterattacked Japan. Instead of conquering the islands one by one or in sequence, they attacked one by one, so as to not only achieve the actual occupation of the attacked islands, but also force other islands to surrender without fighting. soldier.

So the Battle of Okinawa broke out, but Swindle Island was still under Japanese rule, because Swindle Island was the stronghold skipped by the US military's island-hopping tactics, occupying Okinawa cut off the connection between Japan and Swindle Island.

Marshal Vasilevsky learned of Moscow's eagerness, so he gave up the landing of the Kuril Islands, and planned to copy the island-hopping tactics of the US military to attack Hokkaido.

"Although the objective conditions are insufficient, comrades don't need to be too anxious. We also have favorable conditions. For example, the telegram from Moscow also explained Japan's remarks for peace. According to the analysis of diplomatic comrades, Japan's attitude towards the Soviet Union is to avoid Seeking peace through war, and the attitude towards the United States should be seeking peace through war.”

"Under the current conditions, the core of the Far East campaign must be found on the Korean peninsula to supplement the lack of preparations on the front line of Hokkaido. The distance between the Korean peninsula and the Japanese mainland is not far. Comrades, please remember a term, Tsushima Strait .”

As soon as Marshal Vasilevsky finished speaking, the Far East Command fell into a moment of silence. The Ma Strait is the western edge of the North Pacific Ocean, the southwestern tip of the Japanese archipelago, and the waters between Tsushima Island and Iki Island. The Tsushima Strait extends from northeast to southwest, about 200 kilometers long, 40 kilometers at its narrowest point, and the water depth is negligible to 100 meters. The continental shelf is very developed, and the bottom of the canyon is relatively gentle.

That was also the place where the Imperial Japanese Navy defeated the Imperial Russian Navy in the Tsushima naval battle, but for Marshal Vasilevsky, the naval battle decades ago was not what he wanted to talk about.

The next thing is what he wants to say, "Comrade Malinovsky, your task is to attack Japan-occupied Korea, rushing all the way to the Korean Peninsula and the nearest Tsushima Strait to the Japanese mainland. Don't worry about other things. Annihilate The Japanese army on the peninsula is also collecting ships that can cross the sea on the peninsula, and is deciding whether to proceed with the next step based on the progress of the occupation.”

"Understood, Comrade Vasilevsky." Malinovsky was born in Osad and is now the commander of the Transbaikal Front Army. He arrived in the Far East after the end of the European War.

A year later than Marshal Vasilevsky.

After revising the combat plan, Marshal Vasilevsky set the main target of the Transbaikal Front Army led by Marshal Malinovsky on the Korean Peninsula. Cover the Soviet Union's attack on Hokkaido!

Without mentioning how the Far East Command will affect the revision of the operational plan, the Potsdam meeting is still going on. Even Allen Wilson was still operating in the dark. Originally, he thought that when the issue of the war against Japan was settled, his work would be over.

Facts have proved that he, a civil servant in British India, is still relatively naive in dealing with the issue of black-box operations. Once such things like black-box operations start once, there will inevitably be countless times.

Cabinet Secretary Edward Bridges shattered Alan Wilson's innocence in just two sentences. If the official talks at the Potsdam Conference were not over for a day, there would be no reason for the private bargaining with the Soviet Union to end.

Seeing Alan Wilson's surprised look, Edward Bridges explained indifferently, "During the Munich meeting, it was like this. The negotiating object changed, and the British Empire was still the party."

"But I have nothing to say. Isn't the war against Japan over?" Alan Wilson smiled wryly, "I can't have dinner with a Soviet woman at the magenta bar every day. Isn't this a waste of national resources."

"Yeah..." Edward Bridges recognized Alan Wilson's understanding of wasting national resources and gave him encouragement, but he answered the question without changing his original intention, "But we generally call this diplomacy... "

Isn't this too sophisticated? Alan Wilson couldn't laugh or cry, and said with a bitter face, "Sir Edward, I shouldn't have too much contact with the Soviets. I still want to make progress, and I want to make progress too much. If at the Potsdam Conference, I secretly conduct black box with the Soviets The matter of the operation, if people know about it in the future, it may cause trouble for my future."

"All your actions are for the benefit of the British Empire, and all words and deeds will be archived." Edward Bridges said calmly, "There is no possibility of leakage, and no one can verify it."

"But elections are coming soon, what if the next government finds out?" Alan Wilson also knew that this kind of thing should not be said nonsense, so he deliberately lowered his voice.

"Is the opposition party coming to power? Do you think our respected prime minister and foreign minister said to the leaders of the initiative and the opposition party? You have betrayed the interests of your loyal allies? Don't worry, you are our people." Edward Bridges eyebrows With a pick, he raised his wrist to look at the time and said, "In the past few days, I said that you have dealt with the affairs of the British-occupied area, so let's go."