"Wait Winston, do you know what you're talking about?" Foreign Secretary Halifax suddenly changed color, looked at Churchill in disbelief and said: "If the French fleet is destroyed by force, it will cause an uproar all over the world." What will the Americans think of us, they will think that we are really as murderous and despicable as Germany propagandizes, stabbing us in the back of our close allies who fought side by side one moment ago! How will the Americans still be willing to help us when the time comes? Not to mention joining the war as our allies! ”

Churchill shook his head slowly, and said calmly: "Not like this. Did you know? The reason why the United States is not fully supporting Britain now is not because we have relied on tens of billions of dollars in war debts from the United States before, nor because we united with the French to squeeze American power out of Europe, but because the White House does not believe in the determination of the British royal government to persist in fighting, and is worried that the aid given to us will fall into the hands of Hitler with the rapid surrender of Britain, which in turn will pose a threat to the security of the United States. ”

"Therefore, there is nothing more evident than the destruction of the French fleet to show our determination to fight. In order to persist in the great cause of resisting Hitler, Britain did not hesitate to open fire on its former allies! As soon as this news comes out, the United States will certainly do its best to provide us with support. At present, we are the only ones left in Europe who have the courage and strength to resist Hitler, and the White House cannot sit idly by and let us die alone. Churchill said flatly.

Halifax was shocked and shocked, he had no idea that Churchill would make such a statement. For the sake of Britain's interests, the large French fleet said that TK was TK, and there was no guilt or painful psychological burden in it. Admittedly, this unequivocal shrewdness and ruthlessness are indeed the qualities of a statesman, but it is clear that Britain now needs to consider more than just the White House government. The American public is largely emotional, and their attitudes are clearly reflected in the White House's decision-making. Especially this year, Roosevelt still wants to seek re-election in violation of the Basic Law, and at this juncture, he obviously does not dare to make a move against the will of the people!

Hearing the other party's concerns, the corners of Churchill's mouth were slightly hooked, as if he was making a silent mockery: "Public opinion can be changed and manipulated. Even in the United States, where speech is the most free, the prevailing mood can still be deliberately guided by the White House authorities: apart from the various official media, President Roosevelt's fireside chats over the years alone have changed the perceptions of countless Americans and made them more concerned about getting involved in European affairs. As for how to guide us, President Roosevelt was more concerned about being active than we are, because he understood very well what it meant to support us. ”

Halifax said with some difficulty, "All right, Winston. Even if everything is as you say, are we sure that we will carry out this action? Don't forget, the French fleet was a force almost as strong as the Royal Navy, and even with the ships currently anchored in our harbor, there were 7 battleships, 1 aircraft carrier, 16 cruisers, 41 destroyers, and 46 submarines scattered throughout the French overseas colonies. In terms of the quality of warships, many French ships are also superior to ours, especially the two Richelieu-class ships that were only commissioned this year. ”

"If we decide to resort to force, we must ensure that the vast majority of France's front-line warships are completely destroyed, and that our own losses are kept to a minimum." Halifax's mind became more and more active, and at the same time he clearly expressed his will to oppose it, "If we open fire on the French fleet, France will hate Britain to the core." If we are unable to destroy the vast majority of its living forces, Britain will henceforth face a frenzied retaliation by the remaining French ships, which will undoubtedly be extremely unfavorable to our maritime situation. ”

Churchill's brow furrowed, and his fat face gradually showed a little solemnity. He didn't think about it from a military point of view just now, but only made what he thought was the best solution politically. Now in the face of Halifax's questioning, Churchill pondered for a long time and could not give an answer, so he had to turn his attention to Pound, the first sea secretary next to him. A moment later, however, Churchill's heart sank as he saw Pound shaking his head at him.

"Unfortunately, it is very difficult for the Royal Navy to complete this operation at this time. As Lord Viscount (Halifax) said, the Royal Navy's surprise attack on the French fleet must be a complete victory, which requires our fleet to have enough firepower to quickly sink a large number of French warships before the French fleet can put up an effective resistance. However, we simply don't have many ships to carry out this task right now. ”

Pound spread out his hands and said with a sad expression: "At this moment, the H fleet led by the battlecruiser Prestige is searching for German shipwrecks in the Caribbean, and at the same time monitoring a French fleet anchored in the French West Indies. And the battleship Resolve was in Alexandria to maintain pressure on French warships such as the Lorraine in the harbor. As a result, the Royal Navy now has only three capital ships at its disposal, including the aging Ramillis. And they faced as many as 7 French battleships, including opponents like the Richelieu. ”

"But don't we have the advantage of a preemptive strike? The French could not have imagined that the British navy would fire on them, and that all their warships must be parked in the harbor, and we would simply blockade them outside the harbor and knock them all out like a fixed target. Churchill was not to be outspoken.

Pound looked at him with a somewhat complicated look, and his heart was indescribably emotional. The chubby prime minister in front of him may indeed be an outstanding politician with unique vision, quick thinking, and strong will, but in the military field, he has never been able to really land the wild imagination in his head on the actual ground.

It is true that this action of the British Navy can have a surprising effect, but the actual opening of fire is after all a last resort. As soon as Britain came up, it was sure that it wanted to seek a peaceful solution, hoping that the French would obediently sail their ships to the West Indies and hand them over to the United States for safekeeping, and this would inevitably leave room for the French fleet to react. If the French were vigilant enough, it would only take about two hours to bring the fleet into combat readiness, at which point they would pose a great threat and challenge to the British fleet whether they resisted or broke through. You must know that at present, the British fleet can no longer lose more warships, and once it fights hard, it will definitely be a big defeat strategically!

The most critical point is that the current French Navy does not put all its eggs in one basket, but disperses its ships to various overseas bases. At this time, the two battleships "Jeanbar" and "Ocean" were in Casablanca, Morocco, the four battleships "Dunkirk", "Strasbourg", "Brittany" and "Provence" were in the Mediterranean, and the battleships Richelieu and the aircraft carrier Xiafei were far away in Dakar, West Africa, near the equator, and 5,000 kilometers away from the British mainland.

In any case, the British Navy did not have the ability to inflict devastating strikes on all three sites at the same time, and at most it could inflict heavy damage on French warships in one location. And the consequence of not dying is that you will be attacked by madness!

When Pound explained in as tactful words as possible, Churchill fell silent, just smoking the cigar in his mouth. Indeed, as Pound had argued, the action would be meaningless without destroying the entire French fleet, and would add another sworn enemy to Britain politically.

It is not itchy for Britain to be too lice now, but it still has to be weighed twice when facing Vichy France, which has a strong fleet - among the four new battleships and one new aircraft carrier of the French Navy, any ship being pushed into the axis is an unacceptable consequence for Britain. In addition, there were a large number of cruisers and other light ships, which were also capable of being the last iron plate that crushed the British naval war.

Churchill's thoughts raced, and he was stimulated by nicotine to reorganize the future vein. In response to the French fleet, Britain had no choice but to abandon the idea of resorting to force, and if the French were unwilling to sail their ships to the West Indies, they had no choice but to let them sail back to Toulon proper. In this way, at least the French fleet will be able to maintain its neutrality in the coming months and not become Hitler's accomplices.

And even if the French fleet fell, the impregnable fortress of Gibraltar could become the last steel lock on the British Atlantic shipping line, keeping the huge French and Italian fleets out of the Atlantic gate. As for the Suez Canal, Britain also had a way to sabotage it, by blowing up the locks and sinking the ships, etc., so that the Axis could not use it again for at least a year.

"Do you have to give up the Mediterranean......" Churchill murmured inwardly, and a flood of sadness and humiliation came flooding back. Only 30 years ago, the Mediterranean was still a symbol of the empire's global dominance, with one of the most powerful British fleets stationed, and the surrounding ghosts, ghosts, snakes, and gods, including France, were all suppressed by the British fleet stationed in Egypt, and did not dare to challenge or rebel. It was Churchill's first time as Lord of the Admiralty, and he remembers everything vividly. Today, Britain's domination of the Mediterranean is coming to an end, and there is no St. George's Cross in the sky over this warm, busy sea.

"After seizing the French warships in Alexandria, order the Mediterranean Fleet to quickly withdraw to the mainland. Before the Italians made their next move. Churchill spoke slowly, his voice a little hoarse, "Gibraltar will be our last barrier to the Mediterranean, and from now on we will do everything we can to strengthen its defenses." ”