In a small, messy, stuffy room at 10 Downing Street, smelling of old books and cigar butts, Donovan, the special envoy of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, met the obese British Prime Minister again. Churchill's big red face looked serious and determined, and he smoked the end of his cigar and said slowly in a deep voice:

"That Italian leader is a braggart clown, and he is not at all comparable to the three real villains of Kaiser Wilhelm, Chancellor Hitler and Field Marshal Hersmann."

Donovan understood why Churchill said such things as soon as they met, because the whole country was boiling in Italy for the past two days, and everyone was cheering for the victory of the invincible fascist navy and fascist air force.

And Donovan himself came from the United States for this!

"It would be better so, Mr. Prime Minister." Donovan said, "Because it's really hard for Mr. President to help Britain right now." ”

And if the Italians really wiped out half of the strength of the British Mediterranean Fleet, as they boasted. Then in January of next year, Churchill will have to deal with President Wilkie...... Because if Britain had lost Egypt and the Suez Canal before November 1940, public opinion in the United States would have changed dramatically.

The anti-German sentiment stirred up by the defeat of France would subside at the prospect of a certain defeat for England. After all, the United States is a very practical country, and if Britain is bound to lose before the United States is ready to fight, then it is impossible for the United States to defeat Germany and Italy alone.

Since it is impossible for the United States to defeat Germany and Italy, what is the need to fight? If the United States does not have to go to the world war, then who needs a competent commander-in-chief (referring to Roosevelt)? Roosevelt, who has already been president for two terms, still has bad rules to be re-elected for three consecutive terms?

"Prime Minister," said Donovan, "Egypt and the Suez Canal must not be occupied by the Italians before the November polling day!" ”

"Of course we won't fail!" Hearing this, Churchill said with some anger, "That's the Italians, do you Americans think they are the same as the Germans?" How could we, the British Empire, lose to Italy? How could such a thing happen? ”

"That's great." Donovan went on to say, "Mr. President and the leaders of both parties in Congress have made an agreement that if we can lease a naval base on a British island in the Caribbean, then they will agree to hand over 50 mothballed destroyers to Britain." ”

It's a hard condition to accept! Churchill furrowed his brows, exchanging British land for ships would only embarrass Parliament.

At this time, Donovan smiled bitterly, "There is one more condition...... The President also had to give a written guarantee that in the event of a German invasion and victory, the British fleet must not surrender or flee to Germany, but must sail to American ports. ”

"I can't even think about that, let alone write it as an official document." Churchill was immediately annoyed and said angrily, "German warships have a lot of practical experience in escaping and surrendering." And we don't. ”

Roosevelt's request was actually related to Mussolini's braggadocio. The President of the United States consulted with a number of senior admirals of the Navy. They all believed that the victory of the Italians in the Mediterranean was not only possible, but also taken for granted!

Their "hunchback" aircraft are fully capable of this! In the early years, the U.S. Army purchased several civilian "Humpbacks" (this is a kind of passenger aircraft) through civilian enterprises for research, and found that its maximum speed exceeded 400 km/h and the maximum range could reach 3,300 km, which was still the 1935 model. Now the "hunchback" aircraft of the Italian Air Force definitely has a better engine, it must be a medium bomber and torpedo attack aircraft with very superior performance. If there are several hundred of them (the US Navy believes that the Italians must have a few hundred), then a dozen Sea Spitfires of the British Mediterranean Fleet will not be able to withstand them at all.

The Chief of Naval Operations told Roosevelt that, in light of the bombing of Scapa Bay (the United States already knew some of the relevant information) and the attack on the port of Toulon, Italy's fascist air force would certainly be able to inflict heavy losses on the British Mediterranean Fleet as long as it was performing properly.

And several high-ranking generals of the US Navy were very surprised by Admiral Cunningham's "indiscriminate command". They thought that with such a confused general in command of the British Royal Navy, Britain would probably lose...... No, Britain will definitely lose! So the US Navy has to think about receiving the remnants of the British Royal Navy.

"This danger should not be great." Donovan didn't insist anymore, he also knew that the problem embarrassed Churchill.

"yes, it's unlikely," Churchill said. "I couldn't agree more." He said as he pulled out a stack of photographs and handed them to Donovan. The photo shows some formidable-looking battleships and hulls that have not yet been outfitted.

"These are the fleets that those three villains (Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler, and Hersmann) are preparing to attack." Churchill said, "What has been built are the Bismarck-class battleships, and there are currently two of them, which appear to be 50,000 tons." What has not yet been built are the 'Hindenburg' class, the former is estimated to be a 60,000-ton battleship, and the 'Zeppelin' class, which is said to be an aircraft carrier of 3-40,000 tons...... If the Germans had conquered North Africa and the Middle East, they would have been able to get shipyards in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden to help them build such ships! ”

Taking the Middle East and North Africa means having oil from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, cotton and grain from Egypt, and non-ferrous metals and chromite from Turkey. And it can further extend its claws to the rich India. In this way, the Germans would have enough resources to win over other European countries, and the end of Britain would not be far off.

"But it also means that Germany will not invade anytime soon," Donovan said, looking at the photo, "and the unbuilt ships on it will not be commissioned until at least 1942......."

"It seems that they were preparing to invade in 1942," Churchill said, "and we still have a chance." ”

Churchill curled his thick lower lip and looked at Donovan. "But before that happens, we're going to fight back, with a four-shot heavy bomber!" He handed Donovan another photograph of a heavy bomber with four engines parked on the runway. "We are ready to build a large number of such bombers and blow up Germany. If you are willing to join, victory will come sooner. ”

"But only if Egypt and the Middle East cannot be lost...... That's a battlefield you can't afford to lose! Donovan put the picture on the table and said, "If the Germans had enough oil and the productivity of the entire continent, it would have been their four-engine heavy bombers that had blown Britain flat." ”

"I understand!" Churchill smiled, "Don't worry, there will be no accidents in the Mediterranean and North Africa, which belong to the British Empire and no one can take it away!" ”

Churchill's big words were not nonsense, and he had just approved plans to send additional reinforcements to North Africa and the Mediterranean before meeting Donovan. Wavell and Cunningham will get everything they want!

……

"From now until 42 years, it will be a precious period of recuperation."

In a conference room of the General Staff of the Tsosen University, Hersman was presiding over an armaments work meeting. France will hold a referendum in August to decide which surrender package to accept. However, opinion polls suggest that France will become a member of the European Customs Union and the European Monetary Union.

As a result of France's "inevitable capitulation", Germany was temporarily left without an opponent on the European continent. Therefore, the production of armaments should also be adjusted accordingly, the production of tanks, armored vehicles and artillery can be slowed down, and the production of various warships and transport ships must be accelerated.

However, Hersmann did not dare to take it lightly, after all, there was a behemoth in the east of Germany, the Soviet Union!

"But after 42 years, an even more intense war will come." He glanced at the members of the Armaments Committee in the conference room, and said, "So there must be no slackening in military preparations!" The large-scale 75mm gun used in the No. 4 tank had to be fully developed by the end of the year. By June 41, all the Wehrmacht's No. 4 tanks had to be upgraded! The development of the 40-45 ton tank V and the 50-55 ton tank VI had to be completed by June 1942. ”

The development of tanks No. 5 and No. 6 began as early as 1937, 1938. Hersman's request at that time was that the No. 5 was a 40-45 ton tank, equipped with a large 75mm gun; The No. 6 is a 50-55 ton tank, armed with a large 88mm gun. And both tanks had to have a good power system and solid inclined armor......

"The upgrading of the Air Force's equipment must also be hurried," Hirschman continued, "The 'final solution' for high-altitude and high-speed piston fighters, the 'practical solution' for heavy piston carrier-based aircraft, and the 'practical solution' for turbojet fighters must complete the first test flight of prototypes in 1941." ”

Germany in this time and space was also the first country to build jet aircraft. Moreover, under the impetus of Hersmann, major German aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturers such as Junkers, Fokker, Heinkel, BFW, Henschel, Dornier, Mercedes-Benz and Siemens have received research and development funds allocated by the military to invest in the research of jet aircraft and turbojet engines. At present, there are several practical solutions that have entered the prototype stage.

As for the "final scheme" of the high-altitude and high-speed piston fighter and the scheme of the heavy piston carrier-based aircraft, they were studied as a replacement model of the BF-109 and the Fokker Zero. The R&D task was given before September 39. Several scenarios have now been advanced to the prototype stage. (To be continued.) )