"...According to a comprehensive and systematic investigation, almost all the capital ships of the United Nations on the west coast have been wiped out, but fortunately, before the war, a large number of our heavy cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers were sent to Australia
and New Zealand, to escort convoys transporting ammunition supplies and troops, and our losses on these ships are very small.
"Therefore, based on actual needs, we only need to appropriately supplement a few aircraft carriers cruising in the Atlantic Ocean to complete the formation of several aircraft carrier formations, partially restore the strength of the Pacific Fleet, and regain control of the sea!"
Admiral Stark, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, took the report and reported it carefully.
Many people may not know much about the official positions and composition of the U.S. Navy. In fact, the Chief of Naval Operations is the Chief of Naval Staff in the usual sense and is the actual commander of naval military operations.
The military power struggle between the chief of staff and the chief of staff of the U.S. Army has been going on for a long time.
After the independence of the United States, the Department of the Army and the Department of the Navy were established successively. According to the law, the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy are the President's representatives in the Army and Navy respectively, and the two ministers must be civilians. This is to prevent the emergence of military personnel.
dictatorship. However, this has produced a fatal weakness, that is, ministers who are civilian officials do not know much about military affairs, or even know nothing about military affairs. Using troops indiscriminately will definitely have an adverse impact on military operations.
At the beginning of the last century, during the Second American-British War, the United States suffered the consequences of this and suffered consecutive defeats in battles against the British. In order to change this situation, the U.S. government reformed the military. In order to assist the Secretary of the Army in commanding the military, the United States established a special
A staff department composed of heads of various bureaus of the Army Department was established, but from a practical point of view, the staff department was not effective at all in guiding the war.
After the war, the United States began to try to establish a centralized command system, so the Secretary of the Army appointed an officer as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, so that the Secretary of the Army would obtain technical advice from the staff and direct military operations through the Commander-in-Chief of the Army.
In theory, the authority of the Secretary of the Army should be higher than that of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. After all, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army is appointed by the Secretary of the Army. However, in practice, a question arises - can the Commander-in-Chief of the Army really command the army? If the command is implemented, the Secretary of the Army
Where to put it? This is tantamount to usurping "the authority of the Secretary of the Army as the command representative of the President." If the command is not implemented, this position will be useless and redundant. As a result, the originally centralized and unified command system will be weakened.
It caused great trouble.
In the absence of a war, even if there is occasional friction between the Army Secretary and the Army Commander-in-Chief, the problem is not too big. However, if the two have entanglements over command authority and restrict each other during war, military operations will definitely be affected.
This situation has occurred many times in the history of the United States. During the Mexican-American War in the middle of the last century, the Secretary of the Army and the Commander-in-Chief of the Army each had a set of combat plans and each commanded the troops they could control. The President of the United States at that time had no idea who to pass.
to issue orders, which greatly delayed the progress of the war.
The responsibilities of the minister and the commander-in-chief are unclear, which also makes front-line commanders at a loss as to whose orders they should obey. In the early days of the American Civil War, the Northern Army was often affected by this. Front-line commanders sometimes received orders from the minister and the commander-in-chief at the same time.
The almost completely opposite orders put them in a dilemma, which resulted in the defeat of the war. In order to change the chaos of the command system, President Lincoln appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Army to take command of the three armies and have full authority to direct the army's military operations. The Secretary of the Army was responsible for recruitment of soldiers, logistics and supplies, etc.
affairs, this move quickly reversed the unfavorable situation and accelerated the victory of the Northern Army.
However, this command system is contrary to the provisions of the law and actually deprives the Secretary of the Army of his military command authority. Later presidents went even further and simply let the Commander-in-Chief of the Army take charge of Army operations and ordered all Army bureaus to report to the Army.
The commander-in-chief reported work instead of the secretary of the army. This move was strongly criticized by Congress and had to be abandoned. The responsibilities of the secretary of the army and the commander-in-chief of the army were not clearly defined, which once again affected the subsequent Spanish-American War.
After the Spanish-American War, the U.S. government and military leaders, who were deeply inconvenienced, believed that this confusion of responsibilities could no longer continue and that the Secretary of War, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and the various administrative, technical, and logistical departments of the Army must be ended.
In a situation where the three pillars stand against each other and compete with each other, a unified decision-making center is established.
After that, the United States formally established the Army's General Staff in the style of the German General Staff, replacing the Army Commander-in-Chief with the Army's Chief of General Staff. The General Staff was controlled by combat officers and provided strategic planning for the Army to the President and the Secretary of the Army.
Provide consultation on development and other related matters, supervise the work of various departments, and guide the training of the Army. The General Staff Act passed by Congress later basically realized this idea, but during World War I, the Army Staff Act
A new conflict arose between the commander and the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force over the issue of military command authority.
The situation of the Navy is slightly better, and there is no such problem in terms of command authority.
Since the establishment of the Navy Department, it has been the civilian minister, with the assistance of some staff or committees, to direct the construction and military operations of the Navy. There is no commander-in-chief of the Navy. Each department of the Navy operates independently and reports its work to the minister. In Malaysia
Under the guidance of Han's "On Sea Power", the U.S. Navy gradually grew and played an increasingly prominent role in the war. In 1915, the U.S. government established the Chief of Naval Operations in the Department of the Navy. This authority was equivalent to the Chief of Staff of the Department of the Army.
The assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations has his own direct staff.
Before and after Germany invaded Poland, the lineup of the U.S. Navy's command system was already very large. According to Americans' own classification, the U.S. Navy mainly consists of the Department of the Navy, naval combat forces and shore agencies. The Department of the Navy is located in Washington and is the main administrative leadership agency of the Navy.
, it includes the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, the Department of Naval Operations, the Marine Corps Command, the bureaus directly under the Department of the Navy, and in wartime, the Coast Guard Command. Naval combat forces include combat fleets, maritime forces, fleet marines and other forces.
Shore institutions are the general term for other naval institutions other than combat forces and the Department of the Navy, mainly including naval military districts, naval bases, naval aviation bases, etc.
Due to the lack of a unified "Department of Defense", when a war breaks out, the President of the United States has to act as a liaison between the Army and the Navy. Since overseas operations require the formulation of joint combat plans, as early as the Spanish-American War in the last century
, the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy organized an Army and Navy Commission composed of an officer from each service, but it was in name only.
Before the Pearl Harbor incident, in order to facilitate the coordination and command of military operations and provide military advice to the president, the senior commanders of the navy and army finally formed the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Army Chief of Staff and the Chief of Naval Operations were ex officio candidates, and the Army Vice President in charge of Army Aviation
The Chiefs of Staff were also included, and later Admiral William Sealey, President Roosevelt's personal chief of staff and former Chief of Naval Operations, assumed the chairmanship. The Joint Chiefs of Staff were responsible for the overall operational command of the U.S. military, and the Secretary of the Army and Navy was responsible.
The daily work of various ministries, assisting in war mobilization and other work.
Back to business, after hearing the report from Chief of Naval Operations Stark, Roosevelt nodded to Secretary of the Navy Knox and asked:
"In response to the shameless aggression of the Japanese, is there any response to the military expansion bill we submitted to Congress?"
Knox smiled bitterly: "I have to say that the Communists helped us completely solve the trouble. Now the public opinion in the country is highly consistent. Anyone who opposes the war is a traitor who has been spurned! In this case, my friend, Congressman
Obviously we will not offend voters. The new shipbuilding plan we submitted was successfully passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. This means that in the next three years, we will acquire more than thirty battleships and aircraft carriers, and more than one hundred cruisers.
and destroyers, gaining an overwhelming advantage over the Japanese navy."
Roosevelt nodded: "This fully shows that our people have finally awakened! During this period, I spoke to the people on the radio almost every day, convened meetings with important members of the Republican and Democratic parties, and vigorously emphasized unity and the ultimate goal.
Looking at it now, everything in the country revolves around war, which is good... By the way, have the new fighter jets and tanks purchased from Nanhua's drawings a few months ago been mass-produced?"
"It has been realized, and the scale is not small!"
Secretary of the Army Stimson said happily: "At present, Longan Aircraft Company has produced three prototypes: the P41, which is an imitation of the Nanhua A26 fighter jet, the P42, which is an imitation of the A27, and the P43, which is an imitation of the latest A28. Experiments have proven that the performance of the three fighters
, completely defeated the P40 and P37 fighter jets we equipped, and had a great impact on the P47 being developed. The monthly output of Longan Aircraft Company is two hundred, and the production capacity cannot be increased for a while. It has authorized United Aircraft Company and Boeing Aircraft Company to produce these three aircraft.
It is believed that it will soon reach a monthly production scale of 1,000 or 2,000 fighter jets.
"In addition, the M7 and M8 tanks, which are imitations of the South China Wolf and Leopard (actually Leopard I) tanks, have been successfully trial-produced by Amway Steel Company. When the troops accepted them, the response was good. It is generally believed that they are better than the Covenanter provided by the British.
Crusader, Matilda and other tanks have much better performance. The Ministry of War has decided to purchase all tanks with such superior performance before our own m3, m4 and m5 tanks are developed. At present, Amway Steel Company has authorized Corning
Heavy Industry, produced by the United Tractor Company, the monthly output will reach 1,000 units in three months, which will greatly ease the pressure on tank supply."
"very good!"
Secretary of State Hull, who promoted cooperation between the United States and South China, had a look of pride on his face and said solemnly: "The American army does need tanks. Troops without tanks have no combat effectiveness. Now that we have tanks, it is very important to prevent the Japanese army from attacking."
Implementing landing operations on the west coast is very critical."
Army Chief of Staff Marshall nodded, took over the conversation and said: "Yes, during the battle on Oahu, the Japanese army used a large number of light tanks and quickly broke through the defense lines held by our army. As many as 30,000 people defended Oahu.
It is incredible that the island fell in less than two weeks... Originally we thought that with the strong defenses there, we could hold on for at least a month, maybe even half a year.
"Based on the combat situation reported from Europe, the blitzkrieg launched by the Germans mainly relied on the rapid advance of tanks, armored vehicles and trucks. Although the French purchased many new tanks from Nanhua, they were rigid in their combat operations. In Germany
Under the novel tactics, the defense line collapsed and finally collapsed thousands of miles away. Whether our army wants to stick to the mainland or counterattack Hawaii in the future, it will need a lot of tanks. Now the manufacturing drawings provided by Nanhua can be said to be extremely helpful to our army.
huge."
When Marshall said this, he said with concern: "With the fall of the Hawaiian Islands, the Japanese have now occupied almost all the islands west of the United States. Next, the enemy is very likely to concentrate its forces and land anywhere on the west coast...
..Yes, most of our industrial bases are concentrated on the east coast, but after so many years of development on the west coast, especially those brand-new factories and enterprises built by Chinese groups, most of them are in the west. Therefore, we need to strengthen the defense of the west and not give
The Japanese army can take advantage of this opportunity!"
Roosevelt's heart sank and he asked Secretary of Naval Operations Stark:
"Although the Navy suffered a disastrous defeat at Pearl Harbor, our heavy and light cruisers and destroyers were preserved. Stark, do you think it is necessary to transfer half of the battleships that escort merchant ships in the Atlantic to the Pacific and re-
Form a battle fleet?
"Also, the aircraft carrier USS Langley is currently stationed on the southwest coast of Australia, the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga is undergoing maintenance at a shipyard on the west coast, and the aircraft carriers USS Wasp, USS Yorktown, and USS Hornet are cruising
On the Atlantic..."
Seeing that the two navy bosses were about to speak, Roosevelt raised his hand, indicating that he should finish speaking first: "So far, Germany has still not declared war on the United States, and has even avoided contact with our naval escort ships at all times, leaving our naval resources at a disadvantage.
There is a serious shortage of capital ships on the west coast, which seems to be a waste... Do you think it is necessary to transfer all aircraft carriers to the Pacific to participate in the war against Japan?"
"It depends on whether it is actually needed..."
Stark thought for a while and replied with a very solemn expression: "Because the former Pacific Fleet Commander, Admiral Kimmel, committed serious malfeasance, he has been removed from office by the President, and he has been replaced by Admiral Chesko Nimitz.
Will......"
Roosevelt interjected: "Yes, General Nimitz was appointed by me, but I did not randomly find someone to replace Kimmel who made mistakes. Only General Nimitz can solve the current difficulties. Nimitz
He graduated from the Naval Academy, participated in the last European War, and served as the Chief of Staff of the Atlantic Fleet. In addition, he also served as the flagship captain of the Asiatic Fleet 'Otasta', the Commander of the First Pacific Battle Fleet, and the Director of the Aviation Bureau of the Navy.
I have some experience in aircraft carrier operations, which the Japanese navy is good at.
"I have also served in the navy and understand the importance of new technologies and new tactics to the navy. Judging from the Battle of Malacca, the Battle of the Maldives and the Battle of the Seychelles that the British Navy has encountered, as well as the Pearl Harbor incident we just experienced,
It has gradually become a reality for aircraft carriers to replace giant ships and artillery. When we conducted experiments in which carrier-based aircraft attacked battleships and heavy cruisers and caused them to sink, the result was extremely correct, and it was not just a wonderful thing as some people said.
Coincidence. In this case, we must send someone who understands naval warfare under new technological conditions to serve as fleet commander, otherwise it will not be enough to curb the Japanese army’s crazy offensive.”
Stark agreed: "The president's decision is undoubtedly wise. After research, our Naval Operations Department also agreed that only Admiral Nimitz can take on this important task. However, there is a situation here. Please consider it, the president.
With our strong assistance, the British Royal Navy still firmly controls the situation in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In fact, as long as the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal are controlled by the Allies, then the Italian Navy can only stay in the Mediterranean.
We can't come out to cause trouble, and the Germans' pitiful existing fleet cannot cause a big blow to us. Therefore, it is completely feasible to mobilize ships from the Atlantic Fleet to the Pacific!
“What needs to be considered now is whether it is necessary for us to assemble a fleet of ships in the Pacific region, and whether we should implement a strategy of Europe first and then Asia, or Asia first and then Europe... The *** Navy has since acquired Pearl Harbor.
After the victory, it has fully established its advantage in the Pacific region. The waters west of the United States have become a pasture for the Japanese aircraft carrier formations to cruise, but this does not mean that our United States is weak and can be bullied!
"If the Japanese army sends carrier-based aircraft to bomb cities on our west coast, the Army Air Force can send fighter jets to respond. We have obtained British coastal radar technology and also introduced radar tanks from Nanhua, which can already target two hundred nautical miles.
Monitor the range and have enough time for early warning!
"Building ships takes a long time. Moreover, due to the Japanese sneak attack, we lost a large number of excellent naval crews at Pearl Harbor. Now we are unable to counterattack Hawaii, let alone an expedition to rescue Australia and New Zealand. My navy
After studying the situation, colleagues in the Operations Department agreed that under the current situation, the warships on the west coast and Australia should be withdrawn, and all warships should be retracted to the Caribbean area on the Atlantic side. After an advantage is formed, they can then proactively seek to attack!"
"Wait! Stark, you mean... the Department of Naval Operations is preparing to temporarily abandon the Pacific?" Roosevelt was very surprised: "Admiral Stark, do you know what this means? Oh, no
, Churchill will never allow us to do this, otherwise Australia and New Zealand will be lost, and the two countries in the Far East will also be deeply disappointed with the United States, not to mention that we still have more than 100,000 people in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Officers and soldiers, it is absolutely possible..."
"Mr. President, I have to remind you that the 15,000 people in the Philippines can basically be delisted!"
Stark shrugged: "Actually, I don't want to do this, but the current situation is very dangerous. The Japanese are attacking crazily, attacking, and attacking again. If we don't want to consume our strength bit by bit, we should know how to use it appropriately."
Gather strength!”
Hull asked: "Didn't South China launch a counterattack in the Middle East? I think we are not so passive! According to South China's intelligence, after driving the *** out of the Persian Gulf, South China's army will attack East India, Burma and
Malaya launches an offensive to weaken Japan's war potential! If you continue to do this slowly, Japan will be defeated in three to five years!"
Stark smiled and shook his head: "Mr. Secretary, although South China has launched a counterattack in the Middle East, they do not have a navy and cannot shake the foundation of the Japanese army. The Japanese can launch new offensives at any time in the Pacific. We
There is no capital to resist at all! Only by shrinking the fist can we hit people. We temporarily give up the Pacific Ocean, but we can own the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. For now, this kind of deal is still a good deal!"
"no!"
Roosevelt shook his head firmly: "Not only can our navy not shrink, but it must also go out to attack! As long as we persist for two years, we can regain the strategic initiative! Military must serve politics. Judging from the current situation, in
The war between Australia and New Zealand can effectively contain the energy of Japan, which is very worthy of American assistance! As for the Philippines, I have sent a request to Mr. An Yi, Chairman of South China, hoping that they can rescue the MacArthur family. As long as General MacArthur’s headquarters
If it exists, the U.S. Far East Army still exists and can resist resolutely!"
Marshall said in a depressed mood: "Poor Douglas, he was so unlucky. The Navy sent three submarines to rescue him, but they all lost contact... The damn ***, I sometimes even suspect that they are...
We have spies inside, otherwise how could we seize the opportunity so well?"
Secretary of War Stimson smiled: "If you want to say anything else, I still believe it. As for spies, it is simply impossible. After the Pearl Harbor incident, the House and Senate passed emergency bills, stipulating that Japanese overseas Chinese in the country during the war should be centralized and controlled, and their
Personal freedom, they are prohibited from participating in military and political activities. Moreover, our orders are all issued through secret codes, and not many people know about it. At this level, *** spies cannot penetrate us at all!"
"Do you think it's possible that our password has been leaked?"
Roosevelt asked with concern: "The British once deciphered the German code. Unfortunately, with the bombing of Bletchley Park and the death of a large number of code experts, the deciphering work basically came to a standstill. In fact, our code-breaking achievements have not been achieved at all.
It is no worse than Bletchley Park. They have basically mastered the rules of the secret diplomatic messages of the Communist Party of China and achieved gratifying results. Unfortunately, the Japanese are very cunning. At the critical moment, their diplomatic secret messages actually used a brand new code.
Due to the rules, we were unable to obtain the correct time for the Japanese Navy to attack Pearl Harbor, and the tragedy of the Pacific Fleet occurred as a result! Think about it, if someone organized by the Japanese government deciphered our secret code, what a terrible thing it would be.
What a matter!"
Admiral William Seeley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who coordinates the navy, army and air force, hesitated slightly and then said affirmatively:
"Mr. President, such a thing will never happen! Our cipher machine uses fifteen turntables, ten of which can be taken out, rearranged, and installed in different positions. The direction of rotation of the turntables can be forward or backward.
After typing on any keyboard, there may be more than one turntable rotating. Such complex mechanical movements make it seem to change randomly, with no rules at all. I don't think anyone in the world can decipher our secret code.
....Of course, if Mr. President feels it is necessary, we can change our password system regularly to maintain the confidentiality of information transmission!"
Roosevelt nodded: "We must hurry up on this matter. Not only the Navy must quickly change our password, but the Army must also hurry up and change it. The foreign affairs department must also change it every once in a while. Otherwise, it is very likely that the details will not be correct."
Caution can lead to new disastrous defeats. There is a Chinese saying that a thousand-mile embankment breaks in an ant nest. A disastrous defeat may also be caused by a slight negligence!"
Hull, Stark and Marshall looked at each other and then nodded, indicating that they would execute it as soon as possible after returning.
At this time, Roosevelt's personal adviser McIntyre walked into the conference room.
Roosevelt took a telegram from McIntyre, and after reading it, handed it to Secretary of State Hull. Hull was surprised and delighted after reading it, and then handed the telegram to Secretary of War Stimson, Secretary of the Navy Knox, and then to Secretary of the Army
Chief of Staff Marshall, Chief of Naval Operations Stark, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff William Seeley, Army Air Forces Commander Arnold and others.
"Oh God!"
The first person to exclaim was Air Force Commander Arnold. He said in disbelief with a trembling voice:
"Is the South China Air Force now so powerful? It spans more than a thousand kilometers over the entire South China Sea, fights in Manila far away from home, then controls the air superiority over Manila, and then uses airlift to transport all
Our officers and soldiers should withdraw, and if possible, perhaps we can also withdraw some Philippine officers and soldiers to the South China mainland, and then use the Indochina Peninsula as a base to wait for opportunities to counterattack the Japanese army... I bet that this is the most brutal attack I have ever seen.
Crazy, the most incredible battle plan. If successful, it will be greater than the British’s Dunkirk evacuation!”
"A fairytale idea, but the possibility of implementation is almost zero!"
Stark said in a sarcastic tone: "This is too much! I personally doubt whether Nanhua has the ability to assemble such a large fleet, especially the planned air battle will be carried out over Luzon Island.
, losing the advantage of local combat, I don’t think the Nanhua Air Force can intercept the Japanese navy, army and aviation fighter jets that are constantly coming from all directions!
"Once all the escorting fighter jets are lost, its transport aircraft will become a living target for the Japanese. What is especially serious is that if Nanhua loses its air force advantage, its homeland will definitely be attacked by the Japanese navy.
, the situation in the Far East may even take a turn for the worse!"
Marshall disagreed: "Since Nanhua has proposed such an idea, they are certainly not without aim. Therefore, I think there is still a possibility of implementation. Compared to us, they have been fighting the Japanese for *** years.
(Counting from September 18th), they have richer combat experience than us. Giving them full trust may bring us extraordinary surprises!"
"Gentlemen, listen to me——"
Stimson looked at the problem from the perspective of a politician: "Since it is not a waste of our own strength, why don't we try to accept this magical rescue plan? Even if there is a loss, we don't have to pay for it... I
I firmly believe that since Nanhua took the initiative to propose such a battle plan, MacArthur and his family should be able to be rescued at the very least. In the end, even if the rescue failed, we and our allies have paid so much sacrifice and sacrifice.
No matter the price, both the people and the army will be deeply moved and their morale will be doubled!"
Roosevelt nodded repeatedly, and Hull sighed and said: "The Republic of South China is still a reliable ally! The British have made no contribution at all except asking us for people, weapons, and assistance. However, South China just made a request to us, and they did not hesitate to send
All its fighter planes carry out such a miraculous rescue mission, it’s a judgment call!”
Speaking of this, Hull said to Roosevelt: "Dear Franklin, I have visited South China and I have great confidence in their government and military leaders. They are not like those in the Nanjing officialdom who are rhetorical. They pay more attention to reality. Since we
Since we are already allies, we should fully trust them!"
"I'm very touched too!"
Roosevelt said with a smile: "Do you still question me when I fought against the public opinion to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act? Over the years, Chinese have entered the state assembly and actively participated in the political system of the United States, and I have been criticized for this.
In fact, as long as everyone plays according to the rules, but can burn bridges and help at critical moments, then we will allow them to join the game. If Nanhua can succeed in this rescue operation, it will be extremely beneficial to the United States.
A lucky moment. Perhaps more than 15,000 young men will be saved because of the benevolence of Nanhua Chairman An Yi, and 15,000 families will avoid losing their husbands, sons and fathers. I am deeply aware of this.
Impressed."
At this point, Roosevelt called another aide, Grace, and asked him to express his gratitude to Nanhua Chairman An Yi in his own name, and promised that the U.S. Navy and Army would actively cooperate with Nanhua's actions. If you need anything, just call him.
Just when Roosevelt was about to announce the adjournment of the meeting and let the Navy and Army Staff quickly coordinate rescue matters with South China, the phone in the conference room rang at an inappropriate time.
Roosevelt knew that the call would not be transferred here unless there was an emergency, so he instructed his secretary, Miss Lehand, to answer the phone.
Miss Lehand listened for a while, then suddenly let out an exclamation, and then looked at Roosevelt in panic: "Panama—Panama was attacked—"
~~~~~~~
***: I took an injection and took medicine yesterday, and after a night's sleep, I feel better. I wanted to work hard today and update 15,000 words to make up for the regret of not being able to update yesterday. Unfortunately, I don't have enough energy, so regrets are hard to come by.
fill.
Alas, after eight years of writing the book, my body is a little tired...Thank you again for your concern!