The morning sun hung slanting in the southeastern sky. Under the sunshine, all the capital ships of the Fourth Fleet of the Republic Navy were concentrated in the bay in eastern Zhejiang.
This is Xiangshan Bay, one of the largest naval bases of the Republican Navy. It is also the naval base shared by the East China Sea Fleet and the Fourth Fleet of the Republic of China Navy. Due to the outbreak of the war, more than half of the main force of the East China Sea Fleet was transferred to the Jiangsu coast and the Yangtze River Estuary area. Here
It became the main anchorage of the Fourth Fleet.
In this bay, which is almost embraced by the Xiangshan Peninsula and the Chuanshan Peninsula, it is surrounded by continuous mountains. After entering the entrance of the bay, a natural deep-water wave harbor with wide waters and calm waves is formed. This is a large and well-defended navy.
Camouflaged anti-aircraft artillery groups and coastal defense fortresses were deployed on almost every peak around the base and Xiangshan Military Port and on Central Mountain Island, Hengshan Island, and Tongshan Island outside the entrance to the bay.
On the red water drum of the deep water anchorage, the flagship of the Fourth Fleet Commander, Admiral Sa Shijun, and the newly commissioned battleship "Huashan" of the Republic Navy are moored. Surrounding the flagship are 4 heavy aviation battleships and 4 battleships.
1 heavy cruiser
A large fleet consisting of foreign ships, 12 cruisers, 18 destroyers and 12 ocean-going frigates, as well as a large supply fleet including 1 large support ship, 8 supply ships, 3 oil supply ships and other auxiliary ships
.
Currently, most of this huge fleet, painted with the unique dark gray paint of the Republic Navy, is still stationed on the water at the anchorage. Some warships have left the port and are on standby on the sea. Each warship is busy preparing to set off.
Preparations. Due to being filled with fuel, fresh water and supplies, the assembly line of each warship is very low.
Medium-sized ships such as destroyers and frigates can leave the port on their own, while warships above cruisers, including large supply ships, can enter the channel with the help of tugs.
At 9:30, the battleship Huashan raised the admiral flag of Sa Shijun, and then raised a signal flag on the mast to issue an order to the assembled fleet: the fleet will sail on time!
The heavy anchor chain was twisted up from the water, and the water was churning. The muddy black water flowed out along the anchor chain hole, leaving a wide stain on the side of the ship. The first one to set off was the first one.
11th Destroyer Flotilla, followed by 12th Destroyer Flotilla, then 7th Destroyer Flotilla
The Guards Fleet, followed by the 15th Cruiser Fleet, the 16th Cruiser Fleet and the 7th Battle Fleet, followed by the 4th Air Fleet, the Supply Fleet, the 8th Battle Fleet and the 13th and 14th Cruiser Fleets, and finally the 10th Destroyer Fleet
and the 8th Frigate Fleet.
This huge fleet will leave the Xiangshan base and head to a new battlefield in the Indian Ocean.
The fleet lined up in three columns and sailed southward through the waterway west of Liuheng Island at a speed of 20 knots. The morning sun was often hidden among the white clouds floating in the sky. There were about three naval shore-based aviation fighter escorts in the sky.
The squadron's fighter jets kept circling back and forth overhead.
Fang Minghao leaned on the railing of the main deck of the Huashan, appreciating the different feeling of this giant warship galloping on the sea. The waves stirred up by the warship rolled under his feet, and the steam turbine was still able to operate at high speed on the deck.
Feel some slight and even vibrations.
The president and a group of senior officials all went to the command tower, and even the junior officers were squeezed onto the deck. Except for some higher-ranking officers, not many people knew about this situation.
After a while, an officer wearing an army uniform came down from above. He found Fang Minghao and told him that the president asked him to come up. Fang Minghao followed the adjutant to the second floor of the command tower, where the original officers' mess was changed into
He entered a large conference room and walked to the door. Two stout guards immediately saluted him after seeing him.
"Xiao Fang, you came just in time. We are discussing the relationship with Germany. We would like to hear your opinion." There was a large rectangular conference table in the room, with a dozen or so desks on the side.
There is a soft chair with a high backrest. The president is wearing a light blue shirt and sits in the main seat facing the cabin door.
Sitting on both sides of the long table were Foreign Minister Shi Zhaoji and Vice Minister Wang Zhengting, Director of the President's Chamber of Servants General Feng Jiajun, Director of the National Security Bureau Chen Qi, Admiral Sa Shijun, Director of Naval Operations Lieutenant General Lin Guogeng and the Fourth Fleet Staff Officer
Major General Mo Yaoming and others were in charge, but everyone was sitting in a casual position, and it looked like they were just chatting.
"The Germans have occupied Norway, and their next target will definitely be France. Major General Fang, you have stayed in Europe the longest, let me talk about your views on the prospects of this war." Lin Shuo was sitting in the cabin.
On the wall, the fresh sea breeze blew in from the open small porthole. His hair was a little messy by the wind, and some of them were still shaking in the wind.
Fang Minghao sat next to Vice Foreign Minister Wang and stood up quickly after hearing the president's speech.
"Sit down, sit down!" The president motioned him to sit down. "We are just chatting, there is no need to be so formal. Major General Fang once predicted that the Germans could defeat France within three months." The president turned to Foreign Minister Shi and Sa Shi
Jun said.
"How can we make such a conclusion? You must know that during the European War, the French and British spent more than four years with the Germans, and then finally brought Germany down." General Sa immediately told Fang Minghao.
"The balance of power in war is determined by many factors. Of course, industrial capacity is one of the most important and decisive factors. The president has emphasized this aspect many times. Other factors include population and reserve force structure, as well as
An important aspect is the willingness for war." Fang Minghao said, "The current situation in France is different from ours.
Our situation before the Siberian War was somewhat similar. Both the people and the government lacked the will to war. They were afraid of war and built the Maginot Line because of fear. I personally think that the Maginot Line and the Great Wall of ancient China are both human beings.
One of the stupidest projects in history, it caused the entire nation to lose its enterprising spirit."
"But the French Army's numbers and equipment are not weaker than those of the Germans." Foreign Minister Shi asked.
"Yes, even the French have an advantage in terms of equipment and total strength, but on the other hand, the French's military thinking and strategic tactics are extremely outdated. It is precisely because of their lack of willingness to fight that the country's military thinking is
The French have stagnated. The artillery equipped by the French is about twice that of the Germans, and their tanks are even better than their opponents in terms of performance, but so what, from the Polish campaign to the present, nearly six million tanks
The French Army did not always stay behind the Maginot Line and do nothing.
"Fang Minghao said, "This kind of conservative military thinking has led to the entire French army's lack of mobile combat capabilities. Another aspect is that France lacks combat aircraft with excellent performance. We have proven that aviation in the battlefields of Central Asia and Southeast Asia
It is the decisive force to gain the initiative on the battlefield, especially in areas like Europe where the territory is small and lacks strategic space. The initiative on the battlefield will inevitably lead to the failure of the campaign. For the French who originally lacked the will to fight, the failure of the campaign would mean
It means total collapse."
"Very good, the analysis is very reasonable." The president said appreciatively to him, "If you want to defeat the enemy, you must first have the determination and courage to defeat all enemies."