Iron Cross

"Judging from the results of the Battle of Tarawa, the starting point for formulating Plan B+ was too optimistic, and our strength did not yet have an overwhelming advantage. Intelligence shows that there are currently at least 600 aircraft deployed in the Azores, most of which are cutting-edge aircraft , including the most advanced jet fighters of the German army, they can also easily dispatch reinforcements from Spain and Portugal. Spain currently has at least three German air wings stationed there. Although Portugal does not have one, it has a tacit understanding with Germany. Be prepared accordingly.

Unlike Tarawa, which has only one main island, the Azores has several islands, and the area is not small. The existing fleet size cannot achieve a complete blockade at the same time. It must be fought one by one, which will be a bloody tug of war... …”

Admiral Jin spoke in bits and pieces. In fact, it was just one sentence. Based on the performance and battle conditions of the Japanese army defending the island, he did not believe that the infantry could defeat the Azores within a week or 10 days. In the view of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the German Army is out-and-out No. 1 in the world. The Japanese Marine Corps has been able to hold on for so long and cause so much damage to the troops. There is no reason why the Germans cannot do it. The cost of air strikes on the Azores has become increasingly high. The British suspended air strikes because they were unable to obtain fuel due to the previous blockade. The average loss rate of U.S. bombers taking off from Newfoundland exceeded 25%. This was still using the latest B -29, if it is the original B-24 or B-17, the damage is so great that it cannot be seen at all.

Therefore, the casualties and losses proposed by General Jin are a bit shocking: "We estimate that once the entire plan is launched, we need to prepare for 5-6 divisions to be severely damaged, lose 1,000-1,500 aircraft, and plan to lose 200,000-300,000 tons of main force. The tonnage of the ship has not yet reached the point where it can bear this price.”

Roosevelt's face turned livid. He knew that General Kim was doing it for his own good. It was very uncomfortable for a general to admit that his skills were inferior to others. It was even more humiliating for a stubborn person like General Kim. If a battle is launched when the conditions are not met, I am afraid that General Jin will not refuse, but as he said personally, the losses will be very heavy. Once it fails, it will mean that the strength accumulated by the United States for more than half a year has been wiped out. This is something that politics cannot afford - the most unacceptable thing now is failure! A victory as disastrous as Tarawa is barely acceptable.

Roosevelt also knew that after the failure of the African campaign, the Army had an instinctive panic about competing with the German Army. Without a force several times that of the enemy, they did not dare to guarantee victory. This time the Marines attacked Tarawa. The casualties were twice that of the enemy as evidenced by this.

"Then what's the next step?"

"Continue to maintain a defensive position in the Atlantic direction. The aircraft carrier formations continue to be trained and cultivated locally. The strength in the Pacific theater must be strengthened. After the North Carolina ran aground, Nimitz only had 3 battleships available, which was too few. It is recommended to allocate 2 battleships and Part of the Army's troops are reinforcing the Far East. In addition, the Pacific Theater has also proposed a new combat plan-planning to attack the Marshall Islands after the main force of the Combined Fleet has passed through. "

"Can he hold the Gilbert Islands?"

"It doesn't matter if we can't defend it. It doesn't matter if the enemy takes over again."

Everyone wondered why General Jin said this.

Li Hai revealed the answer: Even if the Japanese army recaptures Tarawa, they will not have enough time to establish a defense system similar to the original one. The second and third battles to seize the island will be much easier. In essence, it is not the ground power that determines whether the island can be seized, but the navy. The Pacific Ocean is so big that the Pacific Fleet and the Combined Fleet can completely hide and seek until the balance of power between the two sides changes fundamentally.

Roosevelt nodded slightly: "If we can take down the Marshall Islands, it will be considered a great victory. It will be equivalent to us kicking open the defensive door of the Japanese Empire in the Central Pacific. Will taking away two battleships be harmful to the situation in the Atlantic Ocean?"

"The problem is not big. The USS Wisconsin (Iowa-class) can be put into service at the end of October, and the USS Missouri (Iowa-class) can be put into service in early December. The strength will not be weakened too much. This time we plan to combine the Iowa and the West The Virginia was transferred to him - this was owed to him before, and a few more escort carriers were provided by the way. Anyway, a large number of Casablanca-class escort carriers will be put into service soon. "

When talking about escort carriers, Roosevelt felt like having a convulsion and a toothache. Although escort carriers can be built quickly, they are very expensive. A Casablanca-class escort carrier (excluding carrier-based aircraft) costs US$12 million, which is about six thousand dollars. One Essex-class fleet aircraft carrier, but its vitality is too fragile. Last time, it provided five escort aircraft carriers to the United Kingdom. After the German fleet and submarines broke up the relationship, they are all finished now, along with the aircraft and other equipment on them. , 100 million US dollars just disappeared.

Escort carriers are now the largest contributor to personnel losses in the Navy, with a higher loss rate than submarines. The second major loser is the Army Aviation. A new B-29 bomber costs about 650,000 yuan. At least 400 of them have been lost since they were installed, including B-17\\B-25\\B-24\\C-47, etc. They are not fuel-efficient lamps. The losses this year are calculated in thousands. The dense numbers on the ledger make people panic. As for the sunk Liberty Ship and the supplies on it, it was just drizzle. The original idea was that as long as it could go back and forth safely, it would be enough.

Everyone at the top and bottom now understands that the ship is not the key, and there are not too many axis ships. The sailors and pilots on it are the key. As the losses accelerate, the experienced old leeks are cut off one after another, and now there are many naval escort boats. , the captains on the torpedo boats were even officers who graduated after the Pearl Harbor incident and joined the Navy for less than 2 years. The escort destroyer fleet was forced to use many veteran officers from the First World War, some of whom were older than Ni Miz is so big! Carrier-based aircraft pilots are even worse. More than 95% of them are novices who joined the army after the war started.

The situation of the navy was not good, and the army aviation was not much better. This time the 7th Air Force sent a strike group based in Melbourne to attack the Japanese fleet. It lost nearly 100 aircraft at one time, and almost no results were achieved. The next day, the unbelieving U.S. and Australian forces The military pilots tried again, and the result was almost the same. The results were still very few, and the loss rate was very stable - about two-thirds. In the end, the attack on the sea was almost the same as the death squad attack. Before going out, everyone had to write a suicide note and explain his last words. Some people once saw General Arnold secretly wiping tears after receiving the battle report. If this continues, sooner or later, the 7th Air Force will They wanted to follow in the footsteps of the 8th Air Force, but they had to go. Nimitz's fleet refused to return to Australia for rescue. If the Army Air Forces did not attack again, the Australians would definitely think that the United States had betrayed them.

The lack of results is just an illusion, and the combined fleet still suffered some losses. Several battleships were hit by bombs. Although not fatal, they were severely scarred. The light cruiser Ryuta, Wakasuki, and Yudachi were sunk one after another. A transport ship and an oil tanker were also lost, and the pilots were killed one after another. More than a dozen of them have been built, and half of the fighter jets have actually been updated. If it weren't for the support of transport ships and supplementary aircraft carriers, the mobile fleet would have been dead a long time ago. Compared to the huge team, this loss is just not significant. But the Japanese army's sweeping momentum, like locusts crossing the border, is scary to watch. In other words, Nimitz dared to risk his own future and refuse to turn back. If it were someone else, he might have rushed back screaming.

Admiral Jin saw this very clearly, so he had to protect Nimitz at all costs.

Compared with the losses, what is even more unacceptable is the humiliation in the heart: the combined fleet beat people stupid all the way around the Australian coast, Australia's originally not strong navy suffered a blow, and the merchant fleet was forced not to leave the port - —It’s not necessarily safe if you don’t leave the port. All the merchant ships parked in Melbourne were blown up by aircraft and naval guns of the United Fleet. Now there is a panic all over Australia. People are being evacuated urgently on the east coast of Australia. All normal production and living orders have been disrupted. A large number of buildings and factories have been razed to the ground, and the losses are countless.

Australia has deep interior areas that can be evacuated. Where can people in New Zealand evacuate? Therefore, the 7th Air Force knew that it was outmatched and had to continue to press forward to die. If they did not die, the Pacific Fleet would die. After thinking about it, Roosevelt thought that airplanes were easier to build. Therefore, he could understand Arnold's anger, and the climax of Lu Hang's sacrifice had not yet come. This kind of death-defying scene has been staged once in the Battle of Panama, but I didn't expect it to be staged again in Australia and New Zealand.

"In addition to the fleet, more aircraft, especially high-performance P-51\\P-47, must be sent to the Far East. Dive bombers, anti-aircraft guns and other defensive equipment must also be provided as much as possible. This cannot happen again next time." Roosevelt said solemnly, "Australia and New Zealand are our cornerstone in the Far East and must not be lost."

Admiral Kim nodded. The president refused to express his position on adjusting the "Europe first, Asia first" policy, but he was also deploying warships and adding aircraft. In fact, it was obvious that he was very conflicted in his heart.

"Next, I hope to do three things: first, ensure smooth air routes between Britain and Canada, expand the volume of strategic airlift, and let the British persist in their determination to resist the war; second, consolidate South Africa's defense and continue to strengthen its strength to ensure that this bridgehead is not lost. "Third, to further modify and improve Plan C, the Azores nail must be removed. If it is not resolved, both the counterattack on the European continent and the maintenance of the British Isles will face severe challenges."

Marshall asked: "What about India?"

"Tell Mountbatten that the Japanese main fleet is currently raging in Australia and New Zealand. Only 50,000 to 60,000 German and Japanese troops have landed in India. Let them find a way to counterattack - they have 300,000 troops in their hands." Roosevelt said angrily, "If it cannot defeat even this enemy, the United States will not be able to win the war even if it mobilizes twice as many troops!"