Chapter 641 Turn (End)

The top leaders of the army and navy vowed to express their confidence in victory, but for Roosevelt, who could no longer afford to lose, he had to consider the problem more carefully and comprehensively. He asked: "When will the army be ready? Have you contacted de Gaulle’s people?”

"Starting from tomorrow, the 6th Air Force can be dispatched at any time and arrive and station one after another; as for other ground forces, if the ships are ready, the three leading divisions can board the ship and set off on October 5, of which two divisions will go to Guyana and one division will go to Guyana. The second group of troops will go to Brazil. I think they will go directly to Brazil, but they hope to have strict protection from the navy. "As for the Free French, there are only more than one in total." Even, we don’t expect them to fight, just let them show their faces when Guyana holds its entrance ceremony.”

Roosevelt asked: "Can the armored division have all the M26 tanks?"

The lessons and impressions of the Tiger tanks on the US military were so profound that Roosevelt now actually used the dignity of the president to directly inquire about the equipment and organization at the division level - this scene always feels a bit familiar.

"Priority can be given to ensuring that each armored division is equipped with a heavy tank battalion, with an average of about 58-64 vehicles." Marshall was a little embarrassed, but patiently explained, "We hope to test the combat performance of the M26 in practice."

Roosevelt nodded: "It is better to be cautious. It is better to consider the situation more complicated and difficult and be careful not to make a big mistake. All 12 divisions should be deployed before the end of October, and then a general offensive against Argentina must be launched before Christmas Eve. Try to solve the problem in one month. I hope to go back and continue the Azores campaign in early May - is this arrangement okay? "

Marshall and General King looked at each other, and then nodded in unison. The president was still very considerate. It was only late September, and he gave it 7 months in one breath - this was enough time for the German army to wipe out Western Europe. It also said that the total strength of the army would be 12 divisions. Even if the German reinforcements described by General Kim were 1-2 divisions, this would be an overwhelming advantage. If the 6:1 advantage in South America cannot defeat the Germans, then there is no need to fight this war at all - after all, the United States has only 80% more population than Germany, and its industrial and economic strength is at most twice as much. More than enough.

After all the top officials were exposed, Li Hai was retained by Roosevelt. Although the President's chief of staff could not control the military in many cases, he was still a confidant, with good vision and good means, and he was still a first-class figure.

"Several congressmen jointly wrote to me, hoping that I could consider peace talks as a way out." Li Hai thought that the president left him alone to talk about the prospects of the war in South America. He did not expect that it would be such a topic. He was very Surprised, his face was full of shock.

After a while, he asked tentatively: "Is this their personal idea or the idea of ​​certain factions within the party?"

"Are these differences?" Roosevelt asked rhetorically.

Li Hai nodded helplessly, acknowledging that what the president said was reasonable - members of Congress have always been representatives of certain constituencies and interest groups, and they are by no means purely personal actions.

This letter was later known as the "September Letter" in American history. It was jointly signed by 5 senators and 8 representatives and was written to President Roosevelt through informal channels. The letter listed many current situations, although it was inevitably exaggerated. content, but there are quite good reasons from several aspects:

First, the people's war weariness is growing. After the Pearl Harbor Incident, in less than two years, the number of civilian casualties across the U.S. military exceeded 1 million, and the number of casualties exceeded 500,000. No matter how passionate the patriotic enthusiasm was, it was awakened by the snow of death notices, especially for many 18 and 18-year-olds. The 19-year-old young soldier's life journey has not yet fully begun. Just a few months later, his family received news that he was killed in action or returned home disabled, causing a huge social shock. The European Voice radio station called for peace talks, the prisoner list and News such as reports on living conditions and the establishment of the SS American Division further impacted everyone's emotions;

Second, the use of U.S. national power is gradually approaching its peak, but the hope of victory is still slim. At present, the total number of troops mobilized has exceeded 8 million, and the acquisition, production, and transportation of all material resources have reached an incredible level. In fiscal year 1944, military expenditures were originally intended to be controlled within 100 billion, but after deliberation, lawmakers believed that it could not be done anyway. It would be less than 120 billion. In the end, it had to be set at 123.3 billion according to Roosevelt's suggestion (6.7 billion was added as this year's expenditure). This number is almost equal to the total military expenditure of the United States in the ten years before the war, and even exceeded the pre-war total national expenditure. income. Although the United States is relatively wealthy and has abundant materials and means of production, more than 100 billion per year is still a heavy burden. What is even more desperate is that even after paying such a high price, the United States still cannot gain an advantage on the battlefield, let alone victory.

Third, as the war progresses, the inherent weaknesses in the U.S. strategic field are increasingly exposed. The natural chasm between the two oceans was originally a unique geographical advantage of the United States, but in turn, the geographical environment of the two oceans also restricted the ways and efficiency of the United States in projecting power. The total number of U.S. troops that can be fought now exceeds 5 million. Although they are not very elite, they have sufficient equipment, supplies, and materials, and there is no shortage of human resources. If it borders Europe on land, these 5 million troops can be pushed to the Western Front. , the German army caught in a two-front war could only collapse immediately - because the total strength of the German army on the Western Front on the European continent was only about 500,000, but the existence of the Atlantic Ocean allowed the United States to keep its huge troops at home, with a maximum of 50,000. Transporting troops up 100,000 land, there is no other outcome other than killing the Germans.

Another example is transoceanic transportation. Although the navy is optimistic that the newly built ships in the United States are worth the number of ships sunk by the enemy, the enemy will never win this tonnage war. But those who really know the inside story know that this is just psychological warfare. The cost of a Liberty Ship is 2 million U.S. dollars. With various equipment and full supplies, the value of a single ship is usually more than 10 million U.S. dollars. German submarines like this are only If you need a torpedo, it can be solved for about 20,000 US dollars, even if the Germans only hit one of 10 torpedoes. The exchange ratio is also 50:1, and it is clear who loses and who wins. What's more, the speed of German man-made submarines is not slow. The latest situation reported by the Escort Command shows that the German submarine force has invested in new equipment - a fast submarine with an underwater speed of more than 17 knots, which is faster than the Liberty Ship or the Victory Ship. There are many, and traditional anti-submarine methods cannot catch them at all.

The fourth and most important point is that the Axis countries have no intention of destroying or subverting the US regime. Japan and Germany have offered olive branches to the United States at different times and through different channels, hoping to reconcile with the United States and reach a decent peace. Although the conditions vary, they generally recognize the status of the United States as a world power and agree that the United States will continue to lead the Western Hemisphere and the Pacific. This has attracted the attention of isolationists. Most people in the United States just want to live a small life behind closed doors and do not have much ambition to conquer the world. They are not like Germany, which has suffered 20 years of grievances. In the past two years, under the cry of fighting, anti-war and isolationism Thoughts are rising again.

As high-level people, Roosevelt and Lehi also knew the subtext behind this letter: Capitalists and financial groups are currently very heartbroken about the losses in South America, and are worried that this situation may spread in South American countries, and are related to possible markets in Europe, Africa, and Asia. For example, Latin America is a market that American capitalists will never give up.

Li Hai sighed after reading the letter: "I admit that these questions are all correct, and I also see the hidden essence behind things, but what I want to know more is, what do they plan to do? Will they issue a public appeal for peace?"

Roosevelt was silent for a long time before speaking: "They made a suggestion, hoping that the government could adjust its strategy: make peace with Germany - or sign an armistice agreement, at the expense of us giving up supporting Great Britain, requiring Germany to give up supporting Japan, and the United States to concentrate all its efforts on Japan, Then go back and consider the threat from Europe. On the one hand, giving up Great Britain will help us concentrate our energy and resources on doing our own things; on the other hand, once Germany stops aiding Japan, it will actually cause the disintegration of the Axis camp and have a negative impact on the country. We will finally solve the Japanese problem."

Because of the Pearl Harbor incident, the United States had almost no thought of reaching a decent peace with Japan from top to bottom. Everyone had only one idea - to wipe Japan off the map. However, they had different views on the conflict between Germany and the United States, except for Roosevelt. Some of the representatives believed that in addition to principled differences and hegemony struggles between Germany and the United States, many people believed that there was no essential conflict between the two countries, but that the United States was overly sympathetic because it could not stand the situation in Europe. Facts have proved that this worry is completely unnecessary - —The countries in the East that were enslaved by Russia were liberated by Germany, France, which was defeated by Germany, regained its new life, and even the Jews who had been rumored to be slaughtered found a place to settle down in Africa.

Li Hai knew very well that Roosevelt had changed his mind when he came to communicate with him today. He asked tactfully: "Will you adjust your strategy appropriately to deal with the current situation?"

Roosevelt shook his head first, and finally nodded: "It is also a strategy to concentrate on destroying Japan first. If it takes 2-3 years to solve Japan, we will be very advantageous in the follow-up."

"You mean?"

"The scientists of the Manhattan Project have made significant progress. They told me that within three years we will have a powerful bomb." Roosevelt gritted his teeth and said, "A place like the Azores does not need to send millions of tons of warships. Fight with hundreds of thousands of soldiers for just one, and the whole world will be clean!"

"I understand what you mean. I will find a way to communicate within the army and formally propose an adjustment policy after the South American campaign."

Roosevelt laughed: It's easy to talk to smart people.