"How far are we from Iceland now?" Lütjans asked suddenly. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"There are about 350 nautical miles left," replied the seafaring staff officer of the Combined European Fleet right away. "If you continue on the anti-submarine route, you can reach the sea off the coast of West Iceland in 16 hours."

"There are 16 hours left." Lütjans smiled at William. "They are now at least 700 nautical miles from Iceland, and they can't go higher than 12 knots, and it will take at least 100 hours to take the anti-submarine route, so we have three days to blast the port of Reykjavík into ruins and lay thousands of mines." ”

True, the United European Fleet under the command of Lütjens was aimed not at the Combined Allied Fleet and the NR21 fleet, but at their destination in the Icelandic port of Reykjavík!

The port of Reykjavík is located within a semi-circular bay with an entrance about 38 kilometers wide.

The Americans laid three anti-submarine nets there to block the sneaking in of German submarines, and also built large security batteries in Sandgerzi and Akranes on both sides of the bay, and deployed large-caliber artillery brought from the United States.

And on Icelandic soil, near the port of Reykjavík, the Americans have been building military bases on a large scale since 1940. At present, a series of military facilities have been built, including barracks, large warehouses, large oil depots and large airports.

Moreover, the Americans have also deployed a large number of troops and planes in military camps and airfields near the port of Reykjavík in Iceland. There are nearly 40,000 troops on the ground, and nearly 300 aircraft belonging to the US Army and Navy Air Corps, including a large number of P-38, P-51, B-17, B-24 and B-25.

It can be said that Iceland is now a big stronghold set up by the Americans on the doorstep of Europe! As long as this stronghold exists, the Arctic Circle route cannot be cut off.

Even during the polar day, warships and steamers capable of fast sailing could venture through the combined blockade of German sea and air forces under the cover of the P-51 and P-38 taking off from Iceland.

It is also very difficult to remove the nail from Iceland, which is located north of the British mainland. Without taking the UK, it is unlikely that you want to jump over and fight Iceland - without overwhelming sea and air superiority, it is whimsical to want to play frog jumping!

However, it is not easy to overpower Iceland, which has P51 and P38, during the polar day season, when the days are long and the nights are short. With the exception of the Fokker Zero, it was difficult for any German fighter to reach Iceland from Norway and Ireland. And the Fokker Zero does not fly high, and it cannot escort high-altitude bombers like the JU288.

So in the spring and summer of 1942, the Nazis on the European continent could only watch Iceland helpless.

However, after the autumnal equinox, Iceland, near the Arctic Circle, also enters the polar night period. The battleships of the Combined European Fleet can now use their guns to destroy this large stronghold of the "American colonization of Europe".

……

"Sir, the German fleet has been discovered!"

At 9 a.m. on December 8, the shouts of the communications staff broke the somewhat oppressive silence in the commander tower of the battleship Massachusetts.

"Where?" Admiral Ingersoll immediately asked.

"150 nautical miles south of Iceland was discovered by Catarina's seaplane...... The radar detected a very large formation of ships, at least hundreds of ships of various types! ”

"Iceland...... South? Admiral Ingersoll was stunned for a moment, "They're going to intercept us near Iceland?" ”

"No, I'm afraid it's not intercepting us." British Vice Admiral Fraser's face suddenly turned ugly, "Their target is Iceland!" ”

"Iceland!?" Admiral Ingersoll took a breath, "The Germans are going to capture Iceland?" ”

"It shouldn't be an attack." Fraser shook his head, "There are 2 American infantry divisions on Iceland, and there are quite a few marines, so it's not very easy to occupy. But the Germans could destroy the port of Reykjavik and nearby facilities with naval guns! And the Germans can also lay mines outside the port of Reykjavik, so that we have no way to get in......"

There is no way to get into the bay outside the port of Reykjavik! This meant that more than 250 freighters and an entire fleet, as well as 108,000 American GIs, would have to drift outside the bay and be attacked by German submarines, planes and ships at any time.

Cargo ships and sailors on the fleet are all accustomed to wind and waves, but the 108,000 army forces can suffer from seasickness day and night in the fierce winds and waves near the Arctic Circle? If you faint for a few weeks, will you still be able to pick up the Nazis in Ireland?

"The Nazis can't be allowed to blow up the port of Reykjavik!" Admiral Ingersoll gritted his teeth, "The Combined Fleet should attack immediately and go to a decisive battle with the Germans!" ”

"Strike right away? And what about the NR21 fleet? They can't run fast. ”

Except for a few fast cruise ships, most of the NR21 fleet are very slow freighters and oil tankers, which cannot run fast at all. Moreover, so many large and slow steamers did not dare to go in a straight line if they were fast, otherwise they would have suffered heavy losses in the face of German "wolves".

Therefore, if the Allied Combined Fleet wanted to reinforce Iceland, it had to abandon the NR21 fleet. Otherwise, when the German fleet dismantled the port of Reykjavik, they would not have been able to arrive.

"It is possible to let the old battleships and some cruisers, destroyers stay to protect them."

Admiral Ingersoll pondered: "We will bring two South Dakota-class, four Soviet-class, two Kronstadt-class, three King George V-class and other new battleships and some cruisers and destroyers to support Iceland." ”

Iceland must be saved, but the NR21 cannot be left without battleship protection. Fortunately, Ingersoll had already prepared, and when he set off from New York, he also brought 5 Queen Elizabeth class, 2 Wyoming class, 2 New York class, 2 Mexican class and 1 Florida class, a total of 12 old battleships.

So he can now split the fleet in two, with 12 old battleships to protect the NR21, and 11 new battleships/battlecruisers against the main forces of the combined European fleet.

For this arrangement, the chief of staff of the fleet, Fraser, sent by the British, fully agreed. But Vice Admiral Frazier's vote in favor did not work much, because this fleet had a political commissar!

According to the agreement reached between Molotov and Roosevelt, the Allied Combined Fleet was to be implemented under a two-chief system, with military commissar Comrade Bulganin and commander Comrade Ingersoll having equal command power, and major decisions had to be approved by both.

Therefore, after discussing the countermeasures, the two capitalist naval experts immediately boarded the red battleship USS Soviet Union on a speedboat to seek the opinion of the deputy chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and the head of the State Bank......

The place where Comrade Bulganin listened to the two men's reports was the party conference room on the USSR -- the meeting room of the Bolshevik Party, the Atlantic Fleet Committee of the Soviet Red Navy!

Comrade Bulganin is a member of the Central Committee, and he will soon enter the political bureau, and his position in the party is not comparable to that of Kurznev at all, so he is the secretary of the party of the Atlantic Fleet of the Red Navy. The place where he usually holds meetings is in the Fleet Party conference room......

Sickle-and-hammer flags, portraits of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin were hung in the room, and slogans in Russian were plastered with the slogan "Workers of the world unite and must liberate all mankind!"

Admiral Ingersoll and Vice Admiral Fraser followed Gromyko into the uncomfortable conference room.

Bulganin, dressed in the uniform of the political commissar of the Navy, stood at the door to greet them and greeted them cordially in English: "Comrade Ingersoll, Comrade Fraser, please come in." ”

"Military Commissar...... Homosexuals! ”

"Hello, Comrade Military Commissar."

Admiral Ingersoll and Vice Admiral Fraser had no choice but to salute Bulganin. Then a few people sat down at the conference table, and the main seat was, of course, Comrade Bulganin's -- this is the party office! And Admiral Ingersoll is not even a party member......

After taking his seat, Admiral Ingersoll told Bulganin of the proposal he had discussed with Vice Admiral Fraser to divide his forces, and Gromyko acted as an interpreter on the spot.

"What?" Bulganin frowned a little, "Split the fleet in two?" And let the Soviets and Kronstadt class go to war with the main German fleet? Will victory be assured? ”

"Yes!" Admiral Ingersoll nodded, "We have a 6:2 advantage in the number of battleships with 406mm guns, and we have an even greater advantage in the number of 406mm guns, which is 54:16." ”

Bulganin is the governor of the Central Bank, and of course he understands the truth that 6 to 2 and 54 to ****.

"Comrade Military Commissar, we cannot allow the Germans to occupy or destroy American military installations in Iceland." Kurznev also helped the two capitalist generals to speak, "If the Germans take control of Iceland, then the shipping routes near the Arctic Circle will be cut off." ”

"Are you sure?" Bulganin asked in Russian.

"Yes!" Kuznetsov said that "the German fleet will most likely not engage us...... Maybe they will find a way to attack the NR21, so it is even more dangerous to stay behind to protect the NR21 fleet. ”

Even more dangerous things the Red Navy can not go!

Bulganin made up his mind, nodded and said to the two capitalist generals: "Well, I agree with your proposal. But...... I have one more condition. ”

"On what terms?"

"With the battleship USS USS as the flagship!" Bulganin said that "the military commissar and the commander should be on the same warship, so that there can be unity of command!" ”

Unity of command? Who's in command? Why don't you let the chairman of the Federal Reserve take command with you? Admiral Ingersoll opened his mouth and was speechless for a moment. (To be continued.) )