After meeting with various envoys stationed abroad, Chen Dayong asked for instructions whether to dismantle several sets of trains and captured ships at Qingdao Station and transport the steel back to the base to make weapons.
Liu Yimin asked about the situation of the captured ships. It turned out that after the Japanese army captured Qingdao, they salvaged all the warships and ships that Shen Honglie sank in the waterway. There were 22 ships in total. The Japanese army named "Zhenhai", "Tong'an" and "Dinghai" , "Chuyu", "Yongxiang", "Jiangli", "Haihe", "Haiyan" and other eight warships were salvaged, only to find that all the warships' guns had been removed, and they had no choice but to tow them to Qingdao Shipbuilding After being repaired, the other ships were handed over to the Japanese Shipping Co., Ltd. in Qingdao for commercial transportation.
In addition to these ships, our army also seized two Japanese 10,000-ton cruise ships and five cargo ships this time. In addition, the Japanese army seized the "Seagull", "Haiqing" and "Haijun" that were salvaged from the Liugong Island waterway. "The four warships "Hai Peng" were also towed to Qingdao and entered the shipyard for repairs.
Among these ships, the "Zhenhai" is the largest and is an aircraft carrier. Originally, the Northeast Navy had an aviation group with eight aircraft. During the Northern Expedition, the ship went south to attack Wusongkou 13 times, and it carried aircraft. "Tong'an" is a destroyer, "Dinghai" is a transport ship, "Yongxiang", "Chuyu" and "Jiangli" are gunboats, "Haiou", "Haihe", "Haiqing" and "Haijun", The six ships "Petrel" and "Haipeng" are gunboats.
When Liu Yimin heard this, he was ecstatic and knew that this was really the warship of the Third Fleet that sank by Shen Honglie on the waterway. Among other things, this "Zhenhai" ship turned out to be a German troop transport ship. The Germans in World War I After the defeat, it was exiled to Qingdao and became a cargo ship. The ship weighed 2,708 tons and had a speed of 12 knots. It was named "Xiangli" at the time. After Shen Honglie bought the ship, it was sent to the Japanese Naval Base in Lushunkou for repair and modification. After modification, it was equipped with two 4.7-inch-caliber Armstrong naval guns and four 3-inch-caliber army guns. It was powered by a coal-fired boiler reciprocating steam engine with 1,200 horsepower and a speed of 12 knots. Although not as good as the Japanese ship, it could still carry a With two aircraft, it was considered the earliest aircraft carrier in old China. Although it was not a regular aircraft carrier, and it did not have a catapult device. The aircraft had to stop and anchor when taking off, and a crane was used to hoist the aircraft into the water to take off, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, Among the Chinese naval ships that were lagging behind at the time, they were somewhat outstanding.
The aircraft carried by the "Zhenhai" is a Schreck FBA-19 seaplane produced in France. This aircraft is an improved version of the Schreck FBA-17, with a total length of 12.87 meters and a wingspan of 8.94 meters. The main engine is composed of the original The 180-horsepower rear-propulsion engine was changed to a 300-horsepower Hispano-Swisa forward-propulsion engine. The speed was increased from the original 158 kilometers per hour to 180 kilometers per hour. It once broke the world record for seaplane flight altitude.
After marveling, Liu Yimin secretly lamented that it was a pity. If Ni Hua's cargo ship had not been discovered by the Japanese army, the Japanese would not have discovered the liberation of Qingdao so quickly. In that case, they could use these ships, plus the cargo ships of the United States, Britain, Germany and other countries in Qingdao. , organize a surprise force to raid Lianyungang or Tianjin, Dalian, and greatly expand the results. It is useless to say anything now. The Japanese fleet is just off the coast of Qingdao. Not to mention the 10,000-ton cruise ship and this fleet, it is just a small wooden ship. will also be discovered.
Wait, if we can find a way to hide these ships near Laizhou Bay or near the estuary of the Yellow River, we may be able to organize a navy in the future. At least we can transport some troops to sneak attacks on Tianjin at any time. If we can survive until the Pacific War breaks out , all the Japanese naval power is attracted by the US military, wouldn't it be possible to use this fleet to traverse the coastal waters, not to mention Qingdao, Tianjin, and Dalian, or even go south to attack Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou. In that case, I would be happy!
Gotta find a way to save these ships!
Liu Yimin told Chen Dayong that all the trains and rails would be dismantled and transported back to the mountains. If there was not enough time, the dismantled steel would be transported out of Qingdao and buried somewhere. After the situation calmed down, it would be transported back to the mountains. As for the warships, he Think again.
Liu Yimin's first thought was to send six gunboats out to sea, load them with explosives, and sneak attack the Japanese fleet. But after thinking about it, he laughed, because he did not have naval talents in his army. He just found part of the former Shen Honglie's missing third fleet in Qingdao. People may not be willing to commit suicide attacks like this. Besides, the Japanese fleet off the coast of Qingdao is a large fleet. Not to mention that it is not easy for gunboats to get close. Even if they get close and the sneak attack is successful, it is nothing for the Japanese army. They lost one warship, but they lost six gunboats. The Japanese lost one and could build ten more, or eight more. Where could they build them?
The second trick Liu Yimin thought of was to use coastal defense artillery to bombard the Japanese fleet, force it to stay away from the Qingdao sea, and drive the ships away at night. But there are two problems here. First, Chen Dayong reported that Qingdao's coastal defense fortifications did not have coastal defense artillery. , according to people at the shipyard, Yu Xuezhong did build coastal defense fortifications in Qingdao at that time, but there were no coastal defense guns. When Shen Honglie sank the ship, he removed the guns from the ship and transported them to the Yangtze River defense fortifications. The Japanese came After that, not to mention coastal defense artillery, not even coastal defense fortifications were repaired, because Tan's navy was too powerful and could not find a strong opponent in Asia. Secondly, if he had no naval personnel, how could he drive away the warships?
After much deliberation, Liu Yimin thought that Chiang Kai-shek had naval talents. Should he send him a telegram and ask him to send people to Qingdao to try to get the warships up and then try to get the warships to a safe place. Then he laughed when he thought about it. , if Chiang Kai-shek had that intention, he would not order Shen Honglie to sink the ship, let alone Qingdao to abandon it without a fight. Chiang Kai-shek is unreliable!
Liu Yimin felt that there was still a way to go, which was to find a way to hand over the fleet to a third country and convert it into a cargo fleet. If the Japanese occupied Qingdao again, they might confiscate the fleet, but they might not be able to offend the third country and ignore it. It has been changed to the warship combat function of the cargo fleet and will no longer interfere. If this is the case, it is necessary to strengthen the control of this fleet to ensure that it can be used at critical times.
Alas, all the mistakes were my own fault. I just thought about letting Ni Hua transport the goods. I just thought that the sea is so big. At this time, foreign merchant ships can still sail in China's offshore waters and dock at will. Why didn't I think about it in the United States? Will the Japanese spies track Ni Hua's actions from beginning to end? Otherwise, wouldn't the Eighth Route Army Navy be born now?
Liu Yimin couldn't think anymore and quickly sent a report to the headquarters and the chairman, explaining the current situation of the Japanese fleet controlling the sea off Qingdao and reporting his own approach to the fleet.
The chairman called back and urged Liu Yimin to speed up the transportation of supplies from Qingdao, and asked him to return to the division headquarters quickly and study the battle plan to deal with the Japanese army's mopping up and retaliating. The Japanese army would not leave too much time for our army. As for the fleet handling issue, the chairman said that it was under control
If so, you can try to hand it over to a third country to open a freight company. If you are not sure, you can dismantle it or blow it up and sink it, but you must not leave it to the Japanese army.
After reading the telegram, Liu Yimin was in high spirits, took Shi Ran with him, and drove to meet with the American Consul in Qingdao, Suo Kebin.
The U.S. Consulate is at No. 1 Yishui Road.
It was already 10 o'clock in the evening. Suo Kebin did not fall asleep after returning from Liu Yimin's cocktail party. He was busy discussing with the personnel of Qingdao Mobil Oil Company about assisting the Eighth Route Army in quickly transporting oil.
Seeing Liu Yimin's arrival, Suo Kebin was surprised. However, he knew that Liu Yimin was a busy man and would come to his door for any reason. Visiting him was a top-secret matter, so he quickly finished his explanation, let the people from Mobil Oil Company go, closed the door, and called for them.
An assistant at the consulate asked Liu Yimin into the office and started talking.
Liu Yimin signaled Shi Ran to take notes and said, "Mr. Suo Kebin, I am so presumptuous in disturbing you late at night. Please forgive me!"
Suo Kebin actually doesn't welcome Liu Yimin's visit in his heart now, because the U.S. government pursues a policy of neutrality, and Liu Yimin always wants to pull the United States onto the chariot to jointly deal with the Japanese. This makes the soft-spoken Suo Ke trembling.
, for fear of getting into trouble.
Seeing that Liu Yimin was so polite, Suo Kebin didn't want to be too rude. After all, the two parties had just made a big deal and disposed of the oil reserves of Qingdao Mobil Oil Company, so he smiled and said: "Dear Liu,
You are the most generous Chinese person I have ever met, and also my most distinguished guest. Please tell me, is there anything I can do for you?"
Liu Yimin had something on his mind and was anxious to leave Qingdao and return to Weixian so that he could concentrate on thinking about how the Japanese army would retaliate next. He had no time to play circles with Suo Kebin. But he knew that these American diplomats were very slippery, and Suo Kebin
Bin has been in Qingdao for a long time and has already transformed into a businessman. I don't know whether Suo Kebin will accept his idea! He said carefully: "Mr. Suo Kebin, I have something to discuss with you. Let's deal with it."
Okay, it will be beneficial to both of us. I wonder if you are interested?"
Suo Kebin is a businessman and a spy at heart. As soon as he heard that it was profitable, his attitude immediately changed, because he knew that the person in front of him was currently the most powerful person in Qingdao and even Shandong. In addition to causing trouble, he could still do real things.
Bring him benefits.
Suo Kebin immediately stood up and made Liu Yimin a cup of coffee, put it in front of him, and then said: "Dear Liu, you always bring us surprises. Tell me, what kind of business is it?"
Liu Yimin took a sip of the coffee. It tasted good. He put down the cup, glanced at Suo Kebin, and then said: "Mr. Suo Kebin, I want to start a shipping company in partnership with you, or with the United States."
When Suo Kebin heard this, he shook his head, stood up, and said loudly: "God, dear Liu, you are so crazy. The sea is full of Japanese warships. You are their mortal enemy. If they know about shipping
The company belongs to you, and the cargo ship will soon be blown up and sunk. Your idea is so surprising and unbelievable that I cannot agree with it."
Liu Yimin and Suo Kebin refused without being surprised. He took another sip of coffee and took out a cigarette from his pocket.
Shi Ran quickly put down the record book, took out a match, and lit it for him.
Liu Yimin took a big sip happily, and then said calmly: "The international community has commented that Americans have been dizzy by the economic crisis. Even Japan looks down on Americans. I still don't believe it, but tonight I believe it."
Mr. Kebin, you have disappointed me so much. I will write a novel based on your performance, called "The Consul of Qingdao", and send it to newspapers and magazines in the United States, Britain, France and other countries for publication. When the time comes, you can enjoy it.
My writing style.”
Suo Kebin was irritated and roared loudly: "You are threatening and blackmailing! I will lodge a strong protest with the Chiang Kai-shek government through the embassy in the Republic of China!"
Liu Yimin was smiling, smoking a cigarette, looking at Suo Kebin's angry face through the smoke, but his tone became colder and colder: "I also want to write an article titled "What did the Americans do in Qingdao?" The main idea is
Write down the fact that when you served as the consul of the United States of America in Qingdao, you took advantage of your position to do business with the Japanese, helped the Japanese purchase and transport strategic materials, and supported the Japanese in disguised massacre of Chinese civilians."
Suo Kebin's angry face turned the color of pig liver, and he kept roaring: "Dear Liu, I regard you as a friend and receive you. I never thought you could be so despicable and slanderous. When did I help the Japanese invade China?"
?When did I help the Japanese massacre Chinese civilians? You failed to blackmail, but instead slandered me! I protest!"
Liu Yimin's expression remained unchanged, but his tone became colder and colder: "In view of the fact that Qingdao Mobil Oil Company sold gasoline and diesel to the Japanese army to help the Japanese army's tanks, armored vehicles, cars, warships, and aircraft fight in China's territory, territorial waters, and airspace,
Attacking the Chinese army and massacring civilians for no reason, I am ready to suspend our business, confiscate all properties of Qingdao Mobil Oil Company, and make the situation public. It should be noted in particular that Mr. Suo Kebin has significant interests in Qingdao Mobil Oil Company.
Is it a scandal for public officials to participate in the trade of strategic materials between belligerent countries? It just so happens that I have a group of American journalists here, many of whom are righteous people. I think they will be interested in this matter and will dig out a lot from it.
Interesting news clues. Mr. Suo Kebin, I have to congratulate you, you will soon become the focus of news in the United States and even the world."
Suo Kebin could no longer roar at this time. He fell down on the sofa, covered his face with his hands, and kept moaning: "Oh God, I met the devil!"
Liu Yimin continued: "Although the United States currently pursues a policy of neutrality, domestic support for China's Anti-Japanese War is very loud. News from newspapers and radio stations about China's Anti-Japanese War are everywhere. Many Americans also take the initiative to donate money and materials to support China.
People's War of Resistance. Many people of insight have begun to discuss and criticize isolationism and neutrality. President Roosevelt has begun to study China policy and U.S. defense issues. Congress has also allocated huge sums of money to develop the navy. As diplomats stationed abroad
, instead of focusing on studying domestic policy changes, they make profits by transporting gasoline and diesel to Japan. I guess the US investigation agency needs this type of typical case. The American people also want to know who in the government agencies is resolutely implementing the policy of neutrality.
Adding salt to the wounds of the Chinese people who are suffering deeply!"
Suo Kebin didn't even moan anymore. He sat on the sofa with his head hanging and said nothing.
Liu Yimin finished smoking, stood up, walked to Suo Kebin, looked at him with pity, and said softly: "Since Mr. Suo Kebin is not interested in starting a shipping company in partnership, I won't bother you. Have a good dream,
Good night!"
After saying that, Liu Yimin walked towards the door.
At this time, Suo Kebin's assistant spoke: "Mr. Liu, please stay. Mr. Suo Kebin may have something else to say. Come on, please sit down. The coffee is cold, and I will make you another cup."
With an authentic New York accent and a pleasant voice, Liu Yimin couldn't help but turn around and take a closer look at Suo Kebin's assistant, only to find that she was a blond beauty in her 20s, about 1.75 meters tall and as tall as ivory.
With his complexion, tall nose, and blue eyes, he looked like the image spokesperson of a certain brand on TV in later generations.
Liu Yimin couldn't help but mutter: "Damn it, I was so busy chatting with Suo Kebin just now, but I didn't realize that his assistant is so young and beautiful!"
Suo Kebin was an old man and was awake at this time. He knew that once Liu Yimin left here, endless nightmares would be waiting for him. He quickly stood up, walked to Liu Yimin, held Liu Yimin's hand and said: "Dear Liu, you
You are so good at telling jokes that I almost lost my composure. Come, please sit down and let me introduce you. This is my friend’s daughter Claire. She is on vacation in Qingdao and is temporarily serving as my assistant. Claire, this is
He is China’s most famous general, Lieutenant General Liu Yimin, commander of the Eighth Route Army’s teaching division. Come, let’s get to know each other.”
Claire stretched out her hand generously, her blue eyes almost watering: "Hello, dear general, nice to meet you."
Naturally, Liu Yimin would not practice any foreign etiquette. He shook hands with Claire generously, said that he was very happy to meet the beautiful Miss Claire, and sat down to listen to what Suo Kebin had to say.
Seeing that Liu Yimin was not leaving, Suo Kebin asked dear Liu to talk about his specific ideas for starting a shipping company.
Liu Yimin then told the story of Shen Honglie's sinking of the Third Fleet warship in the waterway and the salvage and repair of the warship by the Japanese army in order to deal with the Japanese. Finally, he said: "Our army wants to retain these warships, but there is no way for the time being, because the Japanese navy fleet is
It is impossible for ships to sail out of the Qingdao sea. If they are dismantled, the losses will be too great. They say that they are starting a shipping company, but actually they want to hand over the warships to you for custody. We can change the warships into cargo ships, and the ownership will belong to
We usually carry out freight operations with you, and the income belongs to you. But we are not allowed to sail far away. We are engaged in freight transportation between Qingdao, Lianyungang and Tianjin to ensure that we are called at critical times. Please remember that this is our ship and you must listen to us.
After receiving the order, you must stop all activities and sail the fleet to the designated place on time. Mr. Suo Kebin, this is equivalent to giving you a fleet for free. What do you think of this business? "
Suo Kebin already understood at this time that the man in front of him was not an ordinary soldier and could not be provoked at all. However, this was not an ordinary cargo ship, but a Chinese fleet. Although it was old and dilapidated, it could still fight as long as it was armed.
.In this case, the risk will be great.
Suo Kebin thought for a while and then said slowly: "Dear Liu, have you ever considered that if the Japanese reoccupy Qingdao, they will definitely look for these warships. At that time, no matter what reasons we give, they will not
I believe that the warship will be confiscated. Maybe people will be arrested and killed for it."
When Liu Yimin saw Suo Kebin saying this, he felt relieved and said with a smile: "Mr. Suo Kebin, you are thinking rightly, otherwise we would not want to cooperate with you. This is how I have considered this matter. Tomorrow
Ah, our army will invite the more famous businessmen in Qingdao to auction the trophies, which include not only these warships, but also two 10,000-ton cruise ships and five cargo ships from the Japanese shipping company. Our asking price will be very high, much higher.
The price of these ships will be about double. No one dares to buy these things in the first place. Even if they dare to buy, we will not sell them to them. Plus the price is so high, there will definitely be a cold scene. Our army announced that it will sell Japanese cargo ships and
The cruise ships were dismantled, and one by one. When the call came for the cruise ships, you arranged for the Qingdao Mobil Oil Company to stop and buy the ship. Then you set up a shipping company and started business. In case the Japanese army captured Qingdao,
To inquire about the whereabouts of these ships, you must take the initiative to declare them, return the two cruise ships to them, and tell them that you protected the cruise ships. As for these warships, they are already cargo ships of American companies, and the Japanese have no right to interfere. In this way,
The Japanese will be grateful for your efforts in protecting their cruise ships. In addition, they cannot afford to offend the United States for the time being. In the eyes of the Japanese, the warships are dilapidated and old ships, so they will not be too difficult. When necessary,
You can ask the Qingdao Mobil Oil Company to come forward and bribe the Japanese commander, and everything will be fine. If that doesn't work, you can ask the Japanese army to compensate you for the huge losses. I believe that by this time the Japanese army will not waste money on these old ships.
"
Suo Kebin thought about it for a long time and felt that this matter was not completely hopeless. Besides, although the United States had declared neutrality, the domestic political winds had changed significantly. President Roosevelt was quietly taking preparations for war. Maybe one day he would actually be like the one in front of him.
Guys are cooperative.
Suo Kebin thought about it and then said: "Dear Liu, I can only tell you that I am willing to help you and try my best to protect these warships as much as possible, but I dare not guarantee it. In case of failure, please
Don't blame me."
Liu Yimin shook his head: "Mr. Suo Kebin, it's not about trying your best, it's about having to do it. Think about it, our navy doesn't have many ships to begin with, and with the attacks of the Japanese army, its naval strength has dropped sharply. Although these warships are dilapidated, they are very important to us.
It is very valuable. If not, I would have ordered the warships to be demolished and used the warships' steel to make weapons. Why leave the two captured cruise ships to the Japanese? Therefore, please ensure the safety of these ships.
.”
Suo Kebin, who had already experienced Liu Yimin's power, knew that he had no possibility of refusing, so he could only try every means to deal with the Japanese army, and finally nodded in agreement.
Liu Yimin immediately asked Shi Ran to draft a memorandum, signed it himself, and handed it to Suo Kebin. Suo Kebin sighed in his heart and signed it anyway.
After finishing these things, Liu Yimin stood up, walked to Suo Kebin, took Suo Kebin's hand and said: "Dear Mr. Suo Kebin, don't be so sad. Once this matter is done, you will be a great hero in the future.
Leave your name in history. Not only the Eighth Route Army, but also the Chinese government will commend you. The Chinese people are grateful to you, and the U.S. government will also award you a medal. My words are not lies. Miss Claire can testify. If you don’t get medals and medals in the future,
With respect, I will stand up and fight for you."
When things got to this point, Suo Kebin had to let go of his mind, so what could he do? He asked Claire to tell the kitchen to prepare some supper, took out the red wine from his collection, and wanted to have a drink with Liu Yimin.
Liu Yimin was in a hurry to return to Wei County. He originally wanted to refuse, but he thought about marching overnight and eating more, so he sat down and continued talking to Suo Kebin, talking about nothing more than the situation in Europe and the cruelty of the Japanese.
After waiting for about forty minutes, Liu Yimin had already said goodbye several times, and then Claire came in with the chef and the dinner plate.
Liu Yimin saw that it was really rich. Not only did he have bread, butter, milk, omelets, but also roasted turkey. Just as he was about to start, he heard Claire say sweetly: "I hope you have a good appetite, eat more, this is a reward."
Heroic!"
Liu Yimin was not polite to begin with. When he heard this, he immediately said thank you to Miss Claire. As he said this, he picked up the knife and fork and opened it. He also drank a sip of red wine and a sip of milk. Claire pursed her lips and laughed.
When leaving, Liu Yimin told Suo Kebin that he would arrange for people to assist in the work, and asked Suo Kebin to arrange a suitable position for him, as an assistant or translator. However, there is no need to worry, all the Japanese spies in Qingdao have been wiped out, and the files
The data has also been transferred. If the Japanese army comes again, it will be completely dark and nothing will be clear.
Suo Kebin was relieved and hugged Liu Yimin goodbye. Of course, Liu Yimin also hugged Claire goodbye, and was kissed gently on the forehead by Claire, and a low English voice came from his ears: "God bless you!"
Looking forward to meeting you again!" Old Suo Kebin's eyes were full of smiles, and he quietly said to Liu Yimin: "Dear Liu, you are so charming, and Claire has a very high vision. I may want to congratulate you!
"
Shi Ran watched anxiously and pulled Liu Yimin away. On the way to the road, he reminded Liu Yimin that this girl was too enthusiastic and she should stay away to avoid trouble. Liu Yimin laughed when he heard this and had to tell Shi Ran that this was the United States.
Human etiquette is nothing.
Returning to the Guest House, Liu Yimin explained clearly to Chen Dayong what needed to be paid attention to, and ordered him to have the artillery regiment train as quickly as possible. After completing the dismantling and transportation tasks, he quickly assembled the troops and waited for orders to prepare for a big battle. Then he explained to Shi Ran the specific arrangements and arrangements.
When Suo Kebin co-runs the shipping company, he must send an old Red Army cadre to recruit crew members in Qingdao, try to find the missing personnel of the Third Fleet, and do a good job in ideological work to ensure that this fleet can return to our army safely in the future.
After explaining this, Liu Yimin led a battalion of guards and rushed to Weixian County overnight.