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U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt inspected the Essex-class No. 4 ship "Franklin" (historically the name was given to the Essex-class No. 5 ship, but the name Franklin was given to the No. 4 ship because the Yorktown was still there), and at the same time to watch the demonstration of the "one-time Spitfire" - the Spitfire MK5G fighter.

The Spitfire MK5G is an improved version of the Spitfire MK5F (also a "disposable Spitfire"), which, like the Spitfire MK5F, was specifically tailored for the German JU288 high-altitude and high-speed bomber. A Merlin 267 engine produced by the American company Piccard was installed, and the performance of this 12-cylinder liquid-cooled engine was not outstanding, and it was not as good as the Merlin V-1650 series engine produced by Piccard for the P51 series. However, the engine, developed by the British company Rolls-Royce before the fall of the country, was very targeted - it was aimed at a single target, a JU288 bomber capable of carrying the dreaded Fritz X remote-controlled glide bomb from an altitude of 12,000 meters.

In order to produce powerful horsepower at an altitude of 12,000 meters, the Merlin 267 engine has a specially designed two-stage two-speed supercharger designed for high altitude, which allows the engine to run at full speed in extremely high-altitude environments without oxygen.

In addition to the Merlin 267 engine, which has excellent high-altitude performance, the Spitfire MK5G fighter has an aerodynamic shape adapted to high altitude (increased lift) and a special airframe structure. The aircraft is lightweight, unarmoured, and has a small fuel tank capacity, but the key parts of the fuselage are sturdy enough to withstand the tugs of dive acceleration. At the same time, the Spitfire MK5G fighter also learned the lesson of the previous generation of Spitfire MK5F insufficient firepower, strengthened firepower, and was equipped with four 20mm cannons, which can instantly smash medium bombers like the JU288 to pieces.

In addition, the take-off and landing method of the Spitfire MK5G is still a wonder. In order to save weight, such an aircraft simply eliminated the landing gear. Use the ship's catapult and rocket booster at the time of takeoff to speed up the climb. And after completing the volley mission, the pilot parachutes, and the plane ...... Just throw it away!

It's really a proper local tyrant style!

However, the current United States does not need to produce tens of thousands of bombers of various kinds for the strategic bombing of Germany, so it has raw materials and production capacity to produce carrier-based high-altitude interceptors such as the "One-Time Spitfire".

A muffled sound of "Peng" reached the ears of President Roosevelt, who was sitting on the flight deck of the USS Franklin, and a Spitfire MK5G aircraft had been ejected directly from the hangar. With a combination of Merlin 267 engines and rocket boosters, the tiny Spitfire climbed at great speeds and was lost in a matter of minutes.

"It's flying so fast!" President Roosevelt smiled and said to those around him, "And it's still high." ”

"Mr. President, it can climb to an altitude of more than 12,000 meters at a very fast speed." Chief of Naval Operations Ernesto. Admiral King told Roosevelt, "Then there was a dive attack and four 20mm anti-aircraft guns to smash the German Ju288 to pieces." Even if the JU288 is escorted by FW-190 carrier-based aircraft, it is useless. ”

Even if the FW-190T carrier-based aircraft is based on the high-horsepower engine of the BMW801F series, its extremely high-altitude performance is not particularly outstanding. Because as a carrier-based aircraft, it must take into account medium and low altitudes, and at the same time have a large range and a certain ability to attack ships and grounds. As soon as there are many uses, it will naturally be miscellaneous but not refined.

Moreover, because the Spitfire MK5G is operating in the sky above the fleet, it can also be commanded by the ship's radar, which can seize the high altitude in advance and then carry out a dive attack. will not entangle with the FW-190T, but directly bombard the JU288 with 4 20mm machine guns, and run away after the fight. How can this be intercepted?

"Hahaha," Roosevelt laughed heartily, "now our navy can maneuver with the Germans in the Atlantic, can we?" ”

"Yes, Mr. President." Ernesto. "We can fight a war of attrition with the Germans," King said. ”

The United States is a local tyrant, of course, it is necessary to give full play to the advantages of local tyrants. Therefore, the US Navy is now thinking of a local tyrant, not considering what tricks to use to fight a war of annihilation, but only planning to consume the enemy in a down-to-earth manner.

So the US Navy is now planning to cancel the dive bombers and torpedo bombers on the aircraft carrier, and there are only three types of carrier-based aircraft, F4U, F6F and the disposable Spitfire MK5G.

This will ensure that the US carrier-based aircraft will have a satisfactory exchange ratio in air combat, and at the same time, it will also ensure that the aircraft carrier will not be easily sunk by the enemy.

In addition, Chief of Naval Operations Ernest Murray. Admiral King also put forward a theory of an "active fleet".

It means "not fighting, but staying active". In fact, this is an extension of the theory of the existence of the fleet, which should stay in the harbor and not move. The "active fleet", on the other hand, should be dispatched as many times as possible, not for decisive battles, but for the purpose of mobilizing the enemy's fleet in order to force the enemy's fleet to exhaust itself and consume fuel in vain.

When the aircraft carrier formations of the two sides encountered, they did not seek to sink enemy ships, but only to shoot down as many enemy planes as possible.

However, before the Spitfire Mk5G, a one-time carrier-based high-altitude interceptor, was equipped with troops, the Americans also had empty theories and could not realize them. Because the JU288 could drop Fritz-X bombs or HS293 bombs/missiles from heights where ordinary carrier-based aircraft could not effectively exert their power (a version with a rocket engine has now been developed), the threat to the US fleet was too great.

"Mr. President, look there, the pilot has already parachuted." Admiral Leahy, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and military adviser to the president, put down his binoculars at this time, raised his hand and pointed to an open umbrella flower in the air, and said to Roosevelt, "This plane first rushed to an altitude of 12,500 meters, then carried out a dive simulation attack, and then circled and lowered the altitude to 3,000 meters, and then the pilot parachuted." ”

"Good, perfect!" Roosevelt smiled, "To equip the fleet with such aircraft as soon as possible." Because our Russian friends are now in big trouble, big trouble. ”

The president looked back at his adviser and confidant, Hopkins, and said, "Harry, don't you think so?" ”

Harry. Hopkins frowned, his face was very pale, and he looked very melancholy.

"Mr. President, I think it's a little late." Hopkins said.

"Late?" Roosevelt smiled, "It's not too late, it's not too late." As long as Stalin had not signed the armistice, it was not too late. ”

"Maybe that day will come soon." Hopkins said, "Otherwise, what else would the Soviets do?" They just lost a game...... The situation is deteriorating dramatically. ”

Roosevelt nodded, and then said to Secretary of State Hull, who had accompanied him to Norfolk: "Cordell, was that Kennedy invited by Hitler?" ”

"Yes, Mr. President." "He would love to go because the Germans offered some conditions that seemed good to him......"

As Roosevelt listened to Hull's presentation of the terms of the German peace, he lit a Camel cigarette, took two puffs, and waved his hand and said, "Let him go." ”

"What? Mr. President......" Hull was taken aback, looked at Roosevelt and asked, "We're going to change policy?" ”

Roosevelt tilted his head and said, "Of course there is such a possibility, so Mr. Kennedy should go to Berlin." Of course...... Someone had to go to the USSR too. ”

The president glanced at Harry. Hopkins.

"Mr. President, I can go." Hopkins immediately replied, "But...... What should I say to Stalin? ”

"Say something that will make the Russians bite the bullet." Roosevelt said lightly.

"But what can I say?" Hopkins asked.

Roosevelt smiled: "It's easy...... Because we can also make peace with the Germans, we have to make Stalin understand that he can betray the United States, and the United States can betray the Soviet Union. If he dares to make peace with Germany, then what awaits him is the prospect of being abandoned by us against the whole of Europe alone. ”

"Mr. President, are you telling the truth?" Chief of Naval Operations Ernesto. Admiral Kim interjected and asked, "Are we really going to abandon the Soviet Union?" ”

Abandoning the Soviet Union meant peace in the Atlantic, so that the United States could concentrate on confronting Japan, which was good news for the U.S. Navy.

"That's up to the USSR itself!" Roosevelt said coldly, "We can let go at any time and watch the Bolsheviks fall into the icy Arctic Ocean." In the long run, this is bad for the United States.

But my presidency was only in office until January 1945, so I was not at all worried about how much a Germany that ruled much of Eurasia would affect the future of the United States, which was a headache for future American presidents. If Stalin had been ready to make peace with Germany alone, then I would not mind the destruction of the USSR by Germany, and would even support such a thing. In fact, there were more people in the United States who hated the Soviet Union than Germany! ”

When Hopkins listened to Roosevelt's words, he immediately had a bottom in his heart, and he smiled and said to the President of the United States: "Mr. President, I know how to negotiate with Stalin. I think this time he'll just have to fight to the end! ”

Roosevelt smiled and said, "He will fight to the end, because besides us, there is another Russian empress who wants Stalin to fight to the end...... Harry, I remember a British prime minister who said that there are no eternal friends and no eternal enemies in the world, only eternal interests, right? (To be continued.) )