Despite the valiantness of the British Navy and Army, the German forces in Norway increased due to lack of preparation, and the British were unable to compete with the Germans. The Anglo-French forces were forced to abandon the struggle with Germany in Norway in desperation. At the end of April, the Germans occupied all of Norway.

The German operation in Norway was victorious, and for the German Navy, although the Norwegian campaign lost some surface ships, the overall losses were not large. The occupation of Norway ensured the supply of iron ore to Germany (and the British could no longer get large quantities of ore and timber from Scandinavia). After Norway was occupied by the Germans, the German Navy's forward base was greatly extended to the north, creating extremely favorable conditions for the subsequent attack on the British mainland.

The failure of the Anglo-French expedition to Norway led to the collapse of Chamberlain's cabinet, and on May 10, 1940, Chamberlain handed over the post of British Prime Minister to Winston Churchill, Secretary of the Admiralty.

China, Yanjing, the Supreme Command of the Chinese Federation.

"It seems that this world war is really inevitable."

Wu Peifu, president of the Chinese Federation, who was dressed as a generalissimo, looked worried when he looked at the report on the war situation in Europe sent by the relevant departments.

On May 17, 1940, President Cao Kun died of illness while serving in Yanjing, and Wu Peifu became the new President of the Chinese Federation in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Chinese Federation as vice president. Wu Peifu, who has been in politics for many years, never imagined that he would one day become the president of China in such a way. Cao Kun's sudden death seemed to herald an ominous coming, and shortly after the outbreak of war in Europe, Wu Peifu received the rank of marshal at the suggestion of Yang Shuoming, the Minister of Finance, who suggested that "the country should move to a wartime system as soon as possible".

Now Wu Peifu already feels that the clouds of war are approaching China.

As the current helmsman of China, if he is not careful, he will be doomed.

"The Soviet army has not yet occupied the entire territory of Finland, and it will not attack our country for the time being. War Minister Cai Ye said.

"What is the state of Ben's military in Eastern Siberia?" Wu Peifu's voice was a little hoarse.

"In Eastern Siberia, the total strength of the army is about 200,000, 1,500 tanks, more than 1,000 artillery pieces, and more than 700 combat aircraft of various types." General Zhang Xiaojun, chief of the General Staff, said, "These are the strength of the regular army, and there are about 100,000 people in civilian armed groups similar to militias, and as of this year, the total number of immigrants in Siberia has totaled more than 3 million, most of whom have received some military training." In the event of a war with China, the strength of its army could be increased by more than two to three times. The navy has a fleet stationed in Kamchatka, with two battleships, four aircraft carriers, 22 light ships such as cruisers and destroyers, and 10 auxiliary ships. ”

"I heard that Ben is also building a super battleship similar to the German Navy's 'Großdeutschland', right?" Wu Peifu asked.

"It does." Admiral Shen Honglie, Chief of Staff of the Navy, replied, "I have taken extreme secrecy measures against the construction of this ship, and the specific data of this ship is not yet known, but we can almost determine that the tonnage of this ship should be more than 120,000 tons, and the caliber of its main guns should be more than 460 millimeters." ”

"I heard that the main battle of the Norwegian British and German navies was defeated, and the British army suffered a loss, and it suffered on this huge ship of more than 100,000 tons." Wu Peifu said, "How many tons is the largest warship in my country at present? I remember 80,000 tons, right? If our country goes to war with Ben, the sea is the key, and if this is true, then we have already lost before we can fight. ”

"Don't worry, President, such a giant ship is also under construction in our country." Admiral Tang Qianming, Minister of the Navy, glanced at Yang Shuoming and said to Wu Peifu, "It is expected that it will be completed this year, and it will be able to enter service in the navy next year and form combat effectiveness." ”

"What?" Wu Peifu couldn't help but be taken aback when he heard Tang Qianming's words.

"It's also for the sake of secrecy," Tang Qianming glanced at Yang Shuoming again, and explained to Wu Peifu, "President Cao Da knew it when he was alive, but President Cao Da died early and didn't have time to explain to you. ”

"It's not too late to know." Wu Peifu took a breath, and the expression on his face was much more relaxed, "It's always a good thing to be prepared." ”

"What other plans do we have to hide from President Wu, we can tell them all today." Yang Shuoming looked at everyone, smiled, and said.

After listening to Yang Shuoming's words, Cai Yi, Tang Qianming and others all turned around and beckoned, and several officers immediately stepped forward, opened the briefcases in their hands, took out the document bags printed with the word "top secret" inside, and put them in front of Wu Peifu.

"Oops! That is to say, this time you can have a good fight with myself! Wu Peifu's face showed a rare look of excitement, he rubbed his hands, and impatiently took a document and opened it.

At about the same time, at the Kure Navy Shipyard in Samoto, Yamamoto Isoroku, commander of the Combined Fleet and commander of the First Fleet, was writing something in the cabin of a cruiser.

"In the world today, there are a series of legends about the Tsurumoto Navy, the most notable of which is the construction of the super battleships 'Yamato', 'Musashi', 'Shinano', and 'Azuchi'. At present, the largest warship owned by Britain and the United States is at best 80,000 tons, but this warship is unexpected, shocking both at home and abroad - the full load displacement is 140,000 tons. With the construction of these four giant ships, people experienced some sorrows and joys. ”

"Until now, the people of Japan have been completely ignorant of the construction of warships, and the fact that the naval authorities have been able to build such a huge warship behind the people's back shows that they have good intentions and great courage."

"The great achievement of building the world's largest warship will be forever recorded in the annals of world history along with the name of the nation. Although Germany has built 170,000 tons of warships, it has not been able to win the crown of the world's largest ship. However, it is an indisputable fact that the company has the ability to build such a giant warship, and it will be a great spiritual force for the rejuvenation of the nation. However, from a strategic and tactical point of view, why create such a huge warship? ”

"The construction of the four giant ships was carried out in an attempt to scrap the Washington disarmament treaty. After the First World War, in order to redivide the spheres of influence in the Far East and the Pacific, the imperialist countries held the Washington Conference on the Limitation of Naval Armaments and the Far East and the Pacific Region, also known as the 'Pacific Conference'. The participants included 9 countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Italy, China, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands. At the meeting, the Washington Disarmament Treaty was signed, which stipulated the ratio of the navies of each country, and stipulated the tonnage of capital ships, the maximum displacement of warships, the maximum caliber of artillery, and so on. The "Washington Disarmament Treaty" in this book refers to this treaty.

"After the abrogation, four super-giant warships were successively equipped with keels on the slipways surrounded by large walls in Nagasaki, Kure Port, and Yokosuka. The Shinano and Yamato ships were originally built in the dockyards. The fact that the wall was used to conceal the truth shows that the naval authorities have indeed racked their brains in order to achieve the goal of secretly building ships. ”

"In 1936, when the international situation was becoming tense, the Washington Disarmament Treaty was still in force, and according to this treaty, the three major naval powers of Britain and the United States had to limit the construction of warships."

"In the aftermath of World War I, politicians knew that the competition between Britain and Germany had sown the seeds for the war, and they feared that the competition between the American navies would eventually lead to World War II. As a result, the disarmament treaty was skillfully formulated at the Washington Conference, which was a historical success. Marshal Yuzaburo Kato, the plenipotentiary of the Plenipotentiary of Katomoto, made a great contribution to the conclusion of this agreement, and the praise from the British and American press rained down on him, thus enhancing the prestige of the Namoto Navy. ”

"With its incredibly gorgeous style, it is ranked as one of the 'three major powers in the world', which undoubtedly mainly depends on the strength of the country and the prestige of the large navy. However, Marshal Kato was not inferior to world-famous statesmen such as Belfort in Britain and Hughes in the United States, but he also held the leading position in breaking the deadlock in the conference on many occasions. ”

"After returning to Japan, Marshal Kato faithfully adhered to the Washington Disarmament Treaty, was willing to serve as the world's third-largest naval force, and hoped to continue to strengthen the country's power in the name of peace. At that time, Kato, who had mastered this strategic leadership, was silent in both the hardliners in the navy and the young men in the army. ”

"Unfortunately, Marshal Kato died before he could completely dispel the dissatisfaction with the naval ratios created by the Washington Disarmament Treaty, and the Navy lost a prominent strongman, and the hardliners began to raise their heads, advocating a revision of the tribal naval ratios and, if not fulfilled, the abolition of the treaty. At the time of the London Disarmament Conference in 1930, the influence of Marshal Kato was still there. Prime Minister Okada, Finance Biao, Nomura, Yamanashi, Hori, and other resourceful generals worked out the key terms of the agreement. Prime Minister Minnet and I became their heirs. ”

"As we all know, the London Conference was the one that decided the fate of the 'Washington Disarmament Treaty'. In view of the significance of this meeting, the parties to the agreement convened a preparatory meeting in London. In this regard, I was elected as a representative in my capacity as a rear admiral and attended the preparatory meeting. At that time, both the 'treaty faction' and the 'opposition' had great hopes for me. But when I came back from the conference, I said frankly: 'There is no hope for the conference, and the next good thing must be considered.' 'I have been in contact with British Prime Minister John Macdonald, and he is indeed a remarkable politician. Talking to him is like talking to a kind old man. ”

"As I had predicted, the Second London Conference had indeed broken up, and it could be said that this outcome had long been expected by the Navy. The only thing left was to extend the treaty on the construction of warships, which had expired, by five years. During this period, the parties held several compromise talks, which the British and Americans saw as the only measure they could count on and tried to maintain the peace. They believe that naval competition is largely preventable as long as warships are not rebuilt. ”

At that time, the whole world was watching Yumoto's attitude. In the autumn of that year, I unilaterally declared that the extension of the Washington Treaty was invalid and issued a notice that I had decided to withdraw from the agreement. At the time, the uproar this decision caused in the world was beyond the scope of pen and ink. In short, at a time when the world political situation is full of gloomy clouds, if Ben agrees to extend the agreement to stop the construction of warships, this move will surely become a ray of light that illuminates the East, and people hope to dispel the dark clouds that have enveloped the world and strive for the arrival of light. However, this bright vision was driven into the abyss of disappointment. ”

"Such a big decision is not easy for Ben to do. The 'moderates' within the Navy have long been pouring their efforts into it, and the senators are also worried that the world situation is not good for them. However, the fury of the 'shipbuilding competition', which has already seized the authority of the navy, has become unstoppable. ”

"The installation of the keel of the battleship 'Yamato' at the Kure Port Shipyard was almost the same time as the announcement of the withdrawal from the treaty. The announcement of the withdrawal from the Washington Treaty and the start of construction of the Yamato battleship coincided in time, something that even the gods could hardly do. There is a certain reason why Benben has been able to achieve this. ”

"Ben made up his mind to build the ship very early, and all kinds of design drawings were already ready, and as early as a year ago, the preparation of the slipway and the assembly of materials had already begun. Without these preparations, it would have been impossible for the construction of a giant ship to happen at the same time as the abolition of the treaty. What's more, like Britain and the United States, it has been 13 years since it stopped building warships, and besides, it lacks experience in building warships of more than 35,000 tons. The Anglo-American side is no exception. However, after so many years, the Navy has jumped from 35,000 tons to 140,000 tons of warships. In the past, even British and American experts believed that the construction of warships of more than 50,000 tons was unthinkable. The purpose of building giant warships was that once the situation of competition in building ships reappeared, although it could not overwhelm Britain and the United States in quantity, it would also surpass them in quality, so it was decided to build large warships that Britain and the United States could not imagine at all. Another important consideration is that large warships of 140,000 tons cannot pass through the Panama Canal, so even if the United States succeeds in copying it in the future, it will be difficult for the fleet to move from the Atlantic to the Pacific. ”

"The Yamato, which was started at the same time as the withdrawal from the treaty, was actually designed while the treaty was in force, and the keel was installed in the midst of the world's calls for the extension of the treaty restricting the construction of ships. I would like to add here that the construction of giant warships, although contrary to the spirit of the Washington Disarmament Treaty, is by no means intended to provoke war. The real intention is to use the power of the great navy to enhance the international status of the capital. Marshal Kato's major strategic thinking still fundamentally dominates the navy. The 140,000-ton ship was like a steel barrier, counting on its role in negotiations with Britain and the United States. No country dares to underestimate the position of strength of the country, and this is the guiding ideology of the building of giant ships. ”

"I remember that His Excellency Mitsumasa, Minister of the Admiralty, said in response to a question in the Diet: 'The Imperial Navy does not have the strength to compete with the three countries of Britain and the United States, and does not want to do so in the future.' This clear and extremely important statement by Prime Minister Minère expresses the Navy's conviction. At this time, the battleship "Yamato" had already entered the dockyard, and the construction of "Musashi", "Shinano", and "Azuchi" had also been decided. ”

"Not only that, but His Excellency Mitsumasa Mine, Minister of the Navy at that time, and I myself were resolutely opposed to the further strengthening of the military mutual assistance agreement between China, Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union. In particular, I was in a-for-tat confrontation with the Army, not giving an inch, and I was not afraid, and I declared at the time: 'We will never do anything stupid with Britain and the United States as enemies.' He said that even if the "Yamato" giant ship was built, this firm strategic belief would never change. ”

"But there is no doubt that being the first to build a giant warship casts an ominous cloud over the world. During my tour of Europe and the United States, all the media circles questioned the construction of the giant ship. The famous British reclusive journalist Goosen (former editor-in-chief of the British Morning Post) was a reporter at the time of the alliance between Britain and Britain, and he was an out-and-out pro-Japanese faction. He said to me: 'I think that the construction of huge ships will be beneficial to Yuben from the perspective of sea power, but will it bring disadvantages to the situation of Yuben's country?' I am deeply concerned about this. At the end of the conversation, I said to him: 'Why don't Britain and the United States allow Britain and the United States to have a navy commensurate with the strength of their country?' If this can be acknowledged, all problems will be easily solved. In the big picture, I hope that Britain and the United States will have this bit of political style. To my remark, Gouin replied that he felt the same way, and deeply regretted it. ”

"When I went to the United States again, I had a conversation with Hansen, a world-renowned naval correspondent for The New York Times? Baldwin talked. He said: "I heard that there were 12 anti-aircraft guns on the battleship Yamato with a caliber of 5.5 inches alone. I was amazed at how much he knew. At parting he said: 'We have put the matter of disarmament on the shelf of each other, and it seems that we have to fight.' Let us meet again at the Conference on Disarmament after the end of the war. What he did not know was that there was clearly no disarmament conference left. ”

(To be continued)