"No, we can't destroy the Panama Canal. Pen %Fun %Pavilion www.biquge.info"

Hersman immediately vetoed Raeder's proposal.

Now the Germans, of course, have the ability to destroy the Panama Canal, with Me264 long-range bombers and atomic bombs!

The Germans built a large, concealed airfield near Georgetown in Guyana (covered with green camouflage nets) that could take off and land Me264 heavy bombers. From there the straight-line distance to the Panama Canal is only 2300 km, which is completely within the combat radius of the Me264.

Although there were no fighter planes to escort the Me-264 during the raid on the Panama Canal, it was possible to use night cover and high-altitude bombing to allow the Me264 to fly over the canal - at least there was a considerable probability that it would be safe to reach and drop the atomic bomb.

"Marshal of the Reich, the risk of doing so is not very great, as long as the number of Me264s dispatched is sufficient, the risk of the atomic bomb carrier aircraft being shot down is ......"

"No, I'm not worried about that." Hirschman interrupted Raeder with a wave of his hand, "I think the Americans must have a navigable Panama Canal, and only then can the Americans have hope of victory." This is very beneficial for us. ”

Raeder was stunned.

Hersman smiled and said: "Only by giving the Americans hope of winning will they let their precious fleet leave the protection of shore-based aviation and enter the ocean to fight a decisive battle with us." ”

Now the Americans are heavily defended in Newfoundland, Bermuda, the East Coast of the United States, the Florida Peninsula, the Bahamas, the Greater Andreas Islands (consisting of four large island-level Cayman Islands and many smaller islands including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica), the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands (the Windward and Leeward Islands are located between the Greater Andrés Islands and the South American mainland, locking the entrance to the Caribbean Sea like a chain) and Trinidad.

According to intelligence, on the islands of the Caribbean Sea, the Americans have established thousands of military bases, large and small, and the total number of shore-based aircraft and seaplanes deployed exceeds 10,000! There must be more than a million ground troops there – and that's not counting the U.S. troops in Venezuela, northern Brazil, and Panama!

And under the protection of a million troops and 10,000 combat aircraft, the Americans' large fleet is very difficult to destroy. Without destroying the Grand Fleet of the Americans, it would be very difficult to attack the Caribbean.

Even if the European coalition forces could rely on air superiority to suppress the US shore-based aircraft on Trinidad and the Windward Islands, the landing formation would still be very dangerous in a landing operation -- even a decisive assault by an American battleship could destroy the entire formation and turn the landing operation into a disaster.

"Our odds are in the air, under water, in the combat effectiveness of the ground forces." "And the Americans' odds are the number of surface ships, the number of planes, and the Panama Canal," Hersman said. If we blow up the canal with an atomic bomb now, the Americans will inevitably not be able to retreat, which is very bad for us. Even if we could destroy the canal before the four Iowa-class battleships entered the Caribbean, the four Soviet-class ships that had been left in the Atlantic theater and the two Iowa-class ships that were about to be completed would still cause great difficulties for our landing operations. Moreover, if the Americans were to put only the bulk of their fleet in the Pacific Ocean, Chile would surely fall very quickly, and then Peron's regime would be shaken, and if something went wrong with Argentina, we would lose the logistical support for the march to the Caribbean. ”

On the question of whether or not to blow up the Panama Canal, the Operations Bureau of the General Staff conducted repeated war games, and finally came to the conclusion that it would not be destroyed on the basis of the reasons that Hersman now stated. And the most crucial factor is, of course, Juan. Peron's power is up. His roots in Argentina and the new Federation of Asbania are not deep, and if Chile is lost and Buenos Aires is relentlessly bombed, he is likely to be overthrown by the disappointed Argentine. And in the event of chaos in Argentina, Germany would have to send troops to occupy the country. Considering the distance between Argentina and Europe, as well as the vastness of Argentina, the occupation will be very troublesome!

"But then the numerical superiority of the Americans would be too great," Raeder shook his head, reiterating his point again, "and we will have to leave the 10th, 11th, and 12th Task Fleets in the Atlantic." ”

"You can't leave these three task forces in the Atlantic!" Hersman thought about it for a moment, and also rejected Raeder's suggestion. "First of all we, no, it should be Perón who must retake the Gulf of Valparaíso, both for military and political purposes, is a must. And to recapture Valparaiso Bay, it was necessary to drive out the Grand Fleet of the Americans, and at the same time take control of Puerto Montt. In order to accomplish this task, it is necessary to send 6 Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers. ”

The recapture of Valparaiso Bay is a matter of attitude! Now the whole of South America is watching, if the Germans do not save Chile, then the prestige of Germany and the European Community in South America will plummet, and the pro-American forces in South America will be arrogant. And if Peron's new Asbanian coalition forces drove out the American invaders, then his prestige at home would be high and his power would be consolidated.

The dispatch of 6 Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers is necessary to ensure that the air war can be won - the 10th, 11th and 12th task forces each have 2 Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers, so there are a total of 6 Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers, instead of 9-10 large fleet carriers as the Americans believe.

In addition, the so-called "Zeppelin"-class aircraft carriers are actually two-stage aircraft carriers.

Among them "Count Zeppelin" and "Peter. The design of the "Strasser" is basically the same, both of which have a standard displacement of 30,000 tons and a full load displacement of 36,500 tons, and the size is similar to that of the Essex class in the United States. Without the deck-tethered carrier aircraft method, it can carry up to 84 carrier-based aircraft, of which 12 are reserve aircraft.

Starting from the No. 3 ship "Marshal Raeder" of the "Count Zeppelin" class, the standard displacement of the aircraft carrier has been increased to 32,500 tons, and the full load displacement has increased to 42,500 tons. The number of carrier-based aircraft (excluding deck mooring) increased to 92, of which 12 were also reserve.

This modified Zeppelin class is officially known as Zeppelin 2 or B41 within the European Community Navy. A total of 10 ships have been started, and 6 have been completed and put into service, named "Raeder", "Lütjens", "Mackensen", "Wadsey", "Moltke" and "Steinmetz".

The 10th, 11th and 12th task forces of the Combined European Fleet have six Zeppelin-class ships, all of which are actually powerful B41 ships. Although there are no "overloaded" aircraft using the deck mooring method, they each have 80 carrier-based fighters/fighter-bombers/reconnaissance aircraft.

According to the latest way of organizing carrier-based aircraft, these 80 carrier-based aircraft are divided into five squadrons, four fighter-bomber squadrons, and one reconnaissance-bomber squadron -- all equipped with multi-purpose carrier-based aircraft. Of the four fighter-bomber squadrons, two are equipped with Fokker Type 636 carrier-based fighter-bombers with excellent medium- and low-altitude performance, and two are equipped with Fw190T carrier-based fighter-bombers with excellent medium- and high-altitude performance. One squadron of reconnaissance bombers is equipped with the two-seat carrier-based Fw190TE reconnaissance bomber, also based on the Fw190 (this aircraft also has good air combat capabilities).

Although there are only 480 carriers, but considering the performance of the Fokker 636 and the latest model of the Fw190T family of fighters. Task Forces 10, 11, and 12 are still strong.

If they remain in the Atlantic, the Americans will most likely resort to the tactics of shrinking, and the fleet will not leave the Caribbean Sea or near the American coastline.

"As long as the Valparaiso Bay is bombed by a large number of Fokker 636 and Fw190T, the Americans will definitely make a move in the Atlantic." Hersman analyzed, "This is our chance to hit the U.S. Navy hard!" Erich (Raeder), can the Navy do it? ”

Hearing this question, Raeder's brows furrowed deeply, "If there are 6 less Zeppelin-class, then in the Atlantic theater we only have 2 Zeppelin-class, 2 Seydeliz-class, 3 Prussian-class, 10 Kesselin-class (not including one Kesselin-class of the New Asbanian Navy) and 2 Xiafei-class, as well as 10 escort carriers. ”

According to the latest establishment, the number of commonly used carrier-based aircraft for the "Old Zeppelin" is 72, the number of commonly used carrier-based aircraft for the Seydlitz-class is 28-30, the number of commonly used carrier-based aircraft for the Prussian class is 60, the number of commonly used carrier-based aircraft for the Kesselring class is 40, and the number of commonly used carrier-based aircraft for the Xiafei class is 30, and the number of commonly used carrier-based aircraft for escort aircraft carriers is 24.

So the 32 aircraft carriers mentioned by Raeder have a total of 1,120 commonly used carrier-based aircraft.

In addition, the European Joint Escort Command has 25 escort aircraft carriers and 600 commonly used carrier-based aircraft, and the European Community Joint Marine Corps has 10 amphibious attack aircraft converted from escort aircraft carriers and 150 commonly used carrier-based aircraft.

In other words, the EC Navy and Marine Corps currently have a total of 51 aircraft carriers, 10 amphibious assault ships and 2,350 carrier-based aircraft pilots on board.

However, the pilots of the carrier-based aircraft assigned to the escort command were slightly less skilled, and they flew the relatively easy to control Fokker Zero D-type carrier-based fighter-bombers, so they were not regarded as the main force on the front line.

Therefore, the main force of the combined fleet aviation of the European Community Navy is 26 fleet aircraft carriers and about 1,360 carrier-based aircraft pilots (captains).

"Don't forget that we also have battleships, missile ships and Type 21 submarines!" "In addition, the Me264, Ju288, Ju188 and Do217, which can carry remotely controlled missiles, can also form a powerful strike force." Even with 6 less Zeppelins, we would be able to defeat the Americans in the Atlantic.

Now what I'm worried about is not the loss of the decisive battle at sea, but the fact that the Americans don't dare to take out their main forces! ”

Hersman thought for a moment, "We still have to let the Americans be more sure, and send another rapid landing formation from the port of Belém to the Pacific coast of Chile." ”

The so-called "rapid landing formations" do not fall under the jurisdiction of the EE Joint Fleet or the EE Joint Escort Command, but are under the name of the EE Joint Marine Corps Command.

The main ships of this "rapid landing formation" are only the "Baltic" class amphibious assault ships with a standard displacement of 12,500 tons, and the Faroese-class dock landing ships with an empty displacement of 4,032 tons and a full displacement of 7,930 tons -- the Faroe Islands-class is actually a ship designed by the United States for a counterattack on the European continent from Britain, and it was originally planned to lease a batch to Britain, so the drawings and models were given to the British Admiralty.

A formation usually consists of 5 Baltic-class amphibious assault ships and 15 Faroese-class dock landing ships, plus about 10 fast transports, oil carriers and 10-20 old destroyers (destroyers are seconded from the Navy). It can transport 15,000 Marines and all equipment and a considerable amount of supplies at a time, plus 50-75 Fokker Zero D aircraft (belonging to the Marine Corps).

Definitely a fast landing strike force that should not be underestimated!