Chapter 613 Trouble (End)

Just when Fatty Qiu was eagerly hoping that the United States would make a quick decision, General Jin, who was forced into a corner, was secretly discussing the feasibility of Plan C. There were only three people attending the meeting, except for the person he trusted very much and had been presiding over the designated Plan C. In addition to Turner, he also urgently summoned Spruance, who had just returned with his fleet.

"The situation is almost like this. I was asked at gunpoint whether to do it or not..." Admiral Jin cursed and talked nonsense. "You should think about it seriously. Don't hesitate. If it works, it will work. If it doesn't work, it won't work."

He firmly held on to one thing: Churchill's desire to stage a coup was not revealed to the two of them - he was afraid of frightening their courage.

Turner and Spruance had no time to dwell on Admiral King's foul language and seriously considered the feasibility of executing Plan C now.

"Sir, frankly speaking, there is not much chance of winning. Do we have to fight now?"

"Yes, Azores is very important, but why are you in such a hurry?" Turner was full of surprise. "Didn't we agree to postpone it not long ago? How can we change it from day to day?"

Admiral Kim simply said: "The president has set a deadline of September to October. If it is later, he is afraid that the British will not be able to hold on and will surrender."

"Climate-wise, September and October are more suitable months. After that, the weather gets colder and the sunshine shortens, making it very difficult to deal with the Azores' German army." Turner said, "The key is that we don't have enough troops now, and there is no guarantee of victory. I’m sure, if it’s postponed to April or May next year, I’ll be more sure.”

"The Army Aviation Group stated that it can dispatch 1,000 heavy bombers."

Turner curled his lips: "What's the use? After taking off from Newfoundland, it will be stuck in the air for 5-10 minutes at most to the Azores, and it will return soon. In the end, the battle will rely on carrier-based aircraft."

"There is no chance at all if we try hard." Spruance pondered, "Assuming the war starts in early October, how many escort carriers will be in service?"

"We can add up to six more ships based on the current ones."

"It's not enough, at least double it." Turner said.

"Is there any way to add more escort carriers?" Spruance suggested. "The quality is almost okay, and they will probably be scrapped after they are finished."

"There is always a way..." Admiral Jin touched his head and said fiercely, "In the worst case, I will slow down the construction speed of the Essex-class ships, and concentrate all shipbuilding workers and resources on building escort aircraft carriers. Pile them out too!"

Hearing this crazy idea, even Turner, who has always been fearless, was stunned, and murmured to himself: "Let me do the math, if 30 ships can be dispatched into combat, plus a fleet of aircraft carriers, it can probably be Collect 1,100 aircraft. If the German and Italian naval fleet carrier-based aircraft are completely absent, the German army on the island will be calculated as 600 aircraft, and some will be consumed through heavy bombers, and then through carrier-based aircraft. When the German aircraft are used up, we estimate that we will only have 1,100 aircraft. There are 200 aircraft left, which is completely insufficient to seize the island. "

"If we add 7 more ships, that means 200 more. It would be better to have 400 as a base." Turner sighed, "After all, the air firepower is not enough to support the ground forces. It would be better if we can invest 45 ships. If we do too much, 1,500 planes can be dispatched at one time..."

Spruance said: "There is another solution that is not a solution. Learn from the Pacific Fleet and get an Iowa-class battleship to go to the beach!"

"Let the Iowa class go to the beach? The North Carolina has no choice but to take the initiative to go to the beach. You can't say it!" Admiral Jin showed an expression of disbelief and shook his head like a rattle, "No, no, no! Iowa The new Montana class is currently the most powerful battleship. The new Montana class will generally not enter service until 1946-1947. They are all washed up and used up. How can I deal with guys like Tirpitz in the future? "

"I would like to use the Queen Elizabeth class, but their firepower is too weak, their speed is too slow, and their survivability is not strong." Spruance sighed, "If it were them, two ships would be enough for one island."

"Two ships are just two ships, and the British have to pay for them! We also want them to send four army divisions! Damn it, it's all Churchill's fault..." Admiral Jin cursed, speaking to the Prime Minister of the British Empire, old bastard, shut up Fatty, in short, he didn't have a single kind word to say, and he almost cursed him like crazy.

Turner and Spruance always felt that there was something in what General King was saying, but they were not in a position to find out what it was.

After repeated discussions, the Navy finally determined its determination to go to war. Admiral Kim also specifically asked Nimitz for his opinion. The answer he gave him was very interesting: "Who made this suggestion to you? I suggest that this person be transferred to the Navy on the spot. Reserve, never to be used again!”

After receiving the call back, Turner and Spruance looked at each other, dumbfounded.

Admiral Kim sent another call: "The person who made the suggestion was Franklin Roosevelt. Everyone else in the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed. We are just waiting for the Navy to express its position."

The second call came back soon, and the text was full of helplessness: "Well, I hope God bless the United States, but the few warships promised to me must not be missing."

On August 10, after suffering for several nights, Admiral Jin, with bloodshot eyes, spoke at the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "Since Plan C confirms that the Navy will take the lead, I will first talk about the Navy's requirements. If this requirement is not met, I will I would rather resign and go home than sign the order.

First, 45 escort aircraft carriers must be dispatched, with a minimum of no less than 42, and two-thirds of the corresponding carrier-based aircraft must be prepared for battle losses;

Second, prepare for the landing of 8 divisions, including 4 American divisions and 4 British divisions, which must include 2 armored divisions, 3-4 divisions in the first wave, and prepare for half of the battle losses;

Third, prepare for the loss of 4-6 battleships, of which 2 Queen Elizabeth class, USS New Mexico, and USS California are used as fixed firepower points, prepare for the loss of another 2 battleships, and 2-3 regular aircraft carriers;

Fourth, weather permitting, the Army Aviation Group will dispatch no less than 500 cover sorties every day. "

Everyone was dumbfounded. Admiral Jin's posture was almost to put all the capital in his hand. This was not an ordinary battle, this was almost a decisive battle in the Atlantic Ocean.

Marshall asked doubtfully: "45 escort carriers? Are there so many warships available now? Are you planning to call the Pacific?"

"There are none now, but it can be increased. It is recommended to postpone the construction of the newly started Essex-class warships and concentrate all efforts on the construction of escort aircraft carriers. The progress must be accelerated in these two months to build 15-20 ships. The Pacific Fleet will not move. The reinforcements promised to them must also be given as scheduled.”

Roosevelt remained silent, thinking painfully for a long time, and then slowly said: "If this requirement is met, when can we attack? What are the chances of winning?"

"No sooner than late October, the chance of winning..." Admiral Jin glanced at the venue, "It's barely close to 55%."

"I'm curious as to how much strength the Germans have concentrated in the Azores to require so much of our strength," Hull asked.

"I originally thought it was not necessary, but the Battle of Tarawa reminded me that there is nothing wrong with thinking about the situation a little more difficult." Admiral Jin explained, "The enemy fleet did not appear in the Battle of Tarawa, and the Pacific Fleet used a total of 4 Battleships, 11 aircraft carriers including escort aircraft carriers, and nearly 200 army aircraft, consumed a total of more than 20,000 tons of ammunition and lost 8,000 troops in that tiny place. Intelligence showed that the Azoretic forces were at least as powerful as the Japanese. 4-5 times. It has a very powerful land-based aviation force. After half a year of construction, the German army's fortification system in all aspects is very complete. 55% of the chance of winning is based on the absence of the German and Italian navies. If they participate, maybe they will Dropped to 45%…”

No one can now accuse General King of being cowardly, because the Battle of Tarawa was the result. Everyone agreed that the Germans were much more difficult to deal with than the Japanese.

Roosevelt had a headache. He didn't know which decision to make: Either support Churchill in carrying out a coup, or seize the Azores to ensure Britain's lifeline. Halifax, the ambassador to the United States, believed that retaking the Azores was the key to Britain's protracted war. The only way out.

On the surface, it seems easier to support Churchill's coup. Donovan has secretly reported the relevant plans, but the disadvantage is that there are endless consequences. Hull reminded him: If this matter was revealed in the future, it would not only have irreversible consequences for British-American relations, but also have an irreparable impact on the political lives of Roosevelt and Churchill. The United Kingdom and the United States are not Germany. Even if the president and prime minister obtain rights equivalent to those of the head of state, their terms of office cannot remain unchanged for life.

Hull warned him: "History will have its day of reckoning."

Roosevelt retreated again: He was not alone, there was a full Roosevelt family behind him!

"Actually... I think in a place like the Azores, we can just give the Germans a secret bomb." Admiral Kim meant what he said. He knew the ins and outs of the Manhattan Project, " Listen to the scientists, just one of those secret bombs can wipe out the Azores!"

"But it's still a theoretical idea so far." Marshall sighed. "Scientists have said that results will not be available until 1946 at the earliest. We can't wait that long, and the British can't wait that long..."

Roosevelt gritted his teeth: "Nothing is foolproof in a war. As our strength grows, the enemy's strength will also grow. Who can guarantee that we will have an overwhelming advantage in half a year? Hitler is gradually consolidating his advantages in Europe. If he hesitates again, he is afraid that We kept missing opportunities. I think when the Germans went to fight France, they didn't expect it to go so well?"

Everyone nodded, this was quite convincing.

"I have made up my mind. If it is confirmed that the main force of the German and Italian fleets is not in the North Atlantic in October, we will launch Plan C. This will not only help improve our strategic situation, but also help save our British allies..." Rooseveltton After a pause, "If the plan fails, I am willing to take full responsibility and I will personally apologize to the people at that time."

"I announce that Plan C is officially launched, codenamed Overlord!" He slammed the table, "Let us work together to remove this nail!"