"Actually, I have always firmly believed that even if giant ships such as 'Yamato' and 'Musashi' were built, once a war broke out, it would not be enough to guarantee victory in the war against Mi."

"An important issue affecting the Japanese army is the contradiction between the navy and the army. The Army is blindly confident about whether or not the Mi War can be won, while the Navy is deeply skeptical. The election of Admiral Mitsumasa Yonechi as Prime Minister by the Council of Ministers was timely and popular. However, the discontent of the Army cannot be concealed in any way. Although it was thanks to the kind words of His Majesty the Emperor, the Minister of War Hatake finally took office. However, Minister Hata soon resigned, citing poor health, and in this case, the Army rejected the Cabinet's recommendation for a successor, which was to be expected. This was done in order to avenge His Excellency Miné's stern refusal to conclude a German-German alliance when he was Minister of the Admiralty, and on the other hand, to bring about the collapse of the Cabinet that opposed the idea of the Army. Now, the radical ideology of the young generals that 'Britain must be defeated' is becoming more and more obvious in shaping the political situation. In some departments of the armed forces, a group of people below Dazuo who did not understand the world trend and held a pro-German and anti-American viewpoint completely indulged general-level officers. Osa-level officers such as Iwabe and Tatsumi, who were pro-British and Mimi, were also excluded from the General Staff Headquarters, and the war theory flowed from Miyake to the whole country like a torrent. ”

"I, as the commander of the Combined Fleet, spent most of my time at sea. For no matter what cabinet I am, as long as I am Minister of the Navy, I will certainly lead the navy against the alliance between China and Germany, and I will certainly oppose the war against Britain and Syria even more strongly. If the navy is resolutely opposed, then no matter how much the army sharpens its knives, it is still single-handedly unable to start a war. I had anticipated what was going to happen, and I was deeply worried about the future. ”

Writing this, Yamamoto Fifty-six shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.

"Regarding my appointment as commander of the Combined Fleet, a staff officer said that this was a 'sea exile' for me. If I were in Tokyo, I would have been assassinated as a national thief, and the post of commander of the Combined Fleet is the highest honor of a military general, and I have no reason to refuse it. In this way, I was completely put in the situation that the edict stipulates that 'soldiers should not interfere in politics'. ”

"Actually, I think it's better to have Yoshida Zengo in this position. Yoshida-kun is much stronger than me. If he had been asked to do it, he would have done a good job, but unfortunately, Yoshida's health deteriorated under internal and external mental pressure, and he left his job soon after. ”

"The current situation is that the Navy is led by the nose by the Army, and unwittingly goes to the abyss of war. The attitude of the new Minister of the Navy, Kazuko Shiro, was different from that of His Excellency Yone, and he made a compromise with the Army, and Prime Minister Konoe feared that he would be slowly dragged into the water by the Army. Prime Minister Konoe and I have had several confidential conversations. Prime Minister Konoe raised the crucial question of whether the navy would be able to win if it fought against the British. To this, I gave a clear answer: 'If you can work for a while within a year of the start of the war, it is difficult to predict what will happen in the future.' In other words, if you fight for a long time, you will be defeated. The implication is that it is better not to fight. For we are all well aware of the tenacity of the British and the tenacity of the American pioneers who were no less than the soul of Yamato. Therefore, Prime Minister Konoe naturally decided categorically to avoid fighting against Britain and Mi no matter what. He immediately devoted all his energy to diplomacy with the United States. However, this practice aroused the hatred of the Army, and the situation had developed to the point where it could no longer resist the Army's insistence on going its own way. The Army's insistence here refers to the trend of thought that 'Britain must be defeated'. At this moment, some scholars and writers also wrote articles such as "We must crusade against the British" and "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere". They curry favor with the army and scold that the rice negotiations are flattering foreign diplomacy. They played a very bad role in the deterioration of the situation. ”

"I think that if we adopt the strategy of 'we must fight against Yingmi,' we will actually have a situation of being punished by Yingmi, which is unthinkable. The only person who is qualified to judge whether it is a 'crusade' or a 'punishment' can only be the naval authorities. Why? Because Britain and Miri are two naval powers, they are unconquerable, and the danger of being attacked is bound to be on their side. Whether or not the navy can control the sea and air power in the Pacific Ocean for a long time is a watershed moment in victory or defeat, and the key to determining war and peace. ”

"I have always maintained the view that it is impossible to win a war if it is extended for more than a year. If the outcome of the battle could be decided by fighting 9 times, then the desperate battle of 'Yamato', 'Musashi', 'Shinano', and 'Azuchi' might be able to win for Yumoto, and if the fight continued endlessly, 'Yamato' would not be able to escape the fate of defeat no matter what. ”

"I made a rough plan, and the cost of building the 'Yamato' battleship was 150 billion yuan, with an average of 2 million yuan per ton. This alone shows that such a warship will never be built again, because the cost of building a 'Yamato' battleship is too high. And it is said that he could have invested such a huge amount of money to build 4 ships without hesitation, and in retrospect, it is indeed shocking. ”

"What is even more surprising is that on this 140,000-ton giant ship, there are 12 20-inch cannons. Moreover, the speed of the giant ship is 27 knots. This kind of shipbuilding record is unmatched by many countries in the world. Therefore, it can be said that the ambition to build the ship and the sophistication of the technology are simply appalling. ”

"In fact, the advanced shipbuilding technology of this book has long been praised by the world, and the construction of giant ships is by no means accidental. Retrospectively, as early as 1907, when the Navy transformed the bow angle of the cruiser "Tsukuba" into a fishing boat, he had already emerged as a "newcomer with an immeasurable future" in the world shipbuilding community. Previously, the bow of a battleship was plunged into the water from the tip of the horizontal line, with the aim of ramming the enemy ship. However, this type of ship was not suitable for long-range artillery battles and affected the speed of the ship, so it was transformed into a fishing boat-type bow in one fell swoop. This step made Yuben's ship-building technology go ahead of others again. ”

"In the past, the combined fleet of the Tsumoto that participated in the Battle of the Tsumoto Sea, including the flagship Mikasa, were all imported ships. However, in the second year of this naval battle, when the construction of the battleship "Tsukuba" began, the design was immediately renovated, and the company became one of the world's leaders. In the Showa era, there was a new leap forward in shipbuilding technology. The 3,000-ton light cruiser Yubari was equipped with weapons and equipment comparable to those of the 6,000-ton battleship of the British Navy, and the world was shocked. In the famous heavy cruiser competition at the time, the endurance of the 'Yubari' was also superior to that of similar ships in the British and Mimetric. In the early Showa period, the flagship of the British Far East Fleet, the "Kent" (a 10,000-ton heavy cruiser), came to the port of Yokohama, and at the invitation of the ship of the same type, "Myoko," the British officers and men boarded the "Myoko" to visit, and said with infinite emotion: "Today is the first time we have taken a warship." This was both a semi-flattering remark and an expression of the true feelings of the British naval officers. Similarly, in 1937, when the heavy cruiser Ashigara attended the coronation of the British Emperor, a reporter from The Times of London wrote this sentence in a sentimental commentary: "The wolf of the sea has arrived." This is actually not an exaggeration. ”

"These ships embody the spirit of the navy soldiers of the time. Therefore, the Yamato-class battleship is by no means accidental, it is built by comprehensively inheriting the design characteristics of the ship and integrating all the technical experience. Compared to other ships, the giant ship itself is extremely tough. But I still think that the so-called 'unsinkable ship' does not exist. Especially with the advent of the aviation era. ”

After writing this, Yamamoto didn't seem to dare to look at the words he had written, and he carefully closed the notebook and locked it in his case.

At this time, Yamamoto Fifty-six would not have thought that one day, these words written by himself would become a witness to history left by him.

Yamamoto Fifty-six got up and came to the window, looked out, his eyes fell on the "Tenryu" aircraft carrier not far away, and the waves in his heart gradually calmed down.

At this time, the orderly walked in and reported to him, saying that the staff officer, Kuroshima Kametosa, had asked to see him.

"Invite him in, I just have something to ask him." Yamamoto Fifty-six nodded and motioned for him to bring Kuroshima in.

After a while, the Black Island Turtle Man appeared in front of Yamamoto Fifty-six and saluted him, and with the movements of the Black Island Turtle Man, a pungent stench wafted over.

Kuroshima Kameto is almost the same "weird" as Akiyama Shinyuki, and it can be said that everyone in the Combined Fleet knows about it.

Yamamoto Fifty-six chose to ignore this, and he raised his hand to return the salute and invited Kuroshima Kameto to sit down.

"I've seen the plan you've drawn up, and it's not bad." Yamamoto Isoroku said, "Do you also think that we should start a war against the United States first, and not against China?" ”

"Yes." The Black Island Turtle Man nodded with a blank expression, "We should start a war against the United States first." ”

"I heard that the Shina Navy is also building super battleships similar to the 'Yamato' class, what do you think about this?" Yamamoto asked again.

"It's just rumor, it's unlikely to be true." Kuroshima Kameto said, "The budget of the Shina Navy is insufficient, and the shipbuilding level of Shina is far from that of Yumoto, so it is impossible to build a ship similar to that of the 'Yamato' class battleship." ”

"But the people of China already have a powerful aircraft carrier fleet." Yamamoto said, "The aircraft carriers that appeared at their last parade were very advanced in design. ”

"The combat power of aircraft carriers is reflected in the surname of the aircraft and the skills of the pilots, and from these two aspects, the aircraft has an advantage." "We don't need to be afraid of the Shina Navy at all. ”

"In that case, why don't we defeat the Shina Navy first, relieve our worries, and then go to war with the British?" Yamamoto asked again.

"The threat to China is not the navy, but the army." Kuroshima Kameto said, "The Yamato Navy has the ability to destroy the Navy, but the Navy's Navy's Navy's T As long as the army cannot be wiped out, it will be stuck in the quagmire of the mainland and will not be able to extricate itself, as in the previous wars of conquest and support. ”

Listening to the words of the Kuroshima turtle people, Yamamoto Fifty-six couldn't help but look up to the sky and sigh.

"Yes! When the Chinese army was weak, it was said that the Chinese army could not be eliminated, and now the Chinese army, with the support of Yingmi, the national strength and military strength are not what they used to be, and it is impossible to eliminate the Chinese army. ”

"If Ben levied again, the United States is likely to send troops to help, so that Ben will be trapped in a two-front battle situation, and it will be difficult to win. If it is said that the rice is the main army, then the branch may not be willing to send troops to help the rice. The Black Island Turtle Man said, "And with the military strength of the rice country in the Pacific, it is by no means an opponent of the empire, so it is more appropriate to compare the two and collect rice than to levy support." ”

"Why do you say that the army will not send troops to help?" Yamamoto asked.

"This is determined by the ethnic inferior roots of the Shina people." "The people of China are selfish, intolerant, fond of infighting and xenophobia, greedy for comfort, valuing profit over righteousness, and lacking enterprising and pioneering spirit. Do what is beneficial, and do not do what is not profitable. It is said that the country will inevitably send troops to help support, because the country consortium has major interests in China, and China has no interests in the country. ”

"Yes! If Ben wins, then China will inevitably depend on it, and if it is defeated, then China will definitely depend on the rice country and help the rice army attack me. Yamamoto Fifty-six nodded and said, "The knowledge of the Shina people for this 'standing in line' is incomparable to that of other peoples. ”

While the two men were talking, a communications officer, led by an orderly, walked in briskly.

"Your Excellency, the Ministry of the Navy has called and asked you to go to Tokyo immediately to attend the meeting." The communications officer said, handing a telegram to Yamamoto Isoroku.

Yamamoto Isoroku opened the telegram and glanced at it, and handed it to Kuroshima Kameto.

"Germany should have taken Sweden today." After reading the telegram, the Kuroshima Kameto said calmly, "The cabinet must also consider this issue of taking sides." ”

Yamamoto Fifty-six understood what was going to happen, and couldn't help but let out a deep sigh in his heart.

China, Yanjing, Supreme High Command.

"The Germans captured all of Norway and Sweden so quickly." Wu Peifu, president of the Chinese Federation, said with some surprise, "Its combat power is really not comparable to other countries." ”

"On the contrary, the Soviet army has increased by nearly a million troops, and it has not yet taken Finland, which is too big." Chief of the General Staff Zhang Xiaozhun said with a smile, "In this way, the Soviet army is really not afraid. ”

Listening to Zhang Xiaozhun's words, some of the senior generals of the Chinese side who attended the meeting also laughed.

Through intelligence, they already knew about the performance of the Soviet troops on the Finnish battlefield.

The current Soviet army has almost become the laughing stock of the whole world.

"The Germans had a terrible partner in the last war, and this time it is still the same." Wu Peifu also laughed, "It looks like the Germans are dying." ”

"However, the Germans were able to take advantage of the Soviet Union this time by pulling the Soviet Union as an ally." Yang Shuoming smiled and said, "Germany's own resources are insufficient, and this time it can get a large amount of war materials from the Soviet Union, so this time it has the strength to build the world's first giant ship. ”

"Hanzhi's statement is reasonable, this war is a competition for national strength, not just the victory or defeat between armies." "Without a strong industrial system and sufficient resources, it is impossible to defeat. ”

"I now regret that we divided Siberia between China and Ben in the first place." Wu Peifu seemed to remember something, and sighed, "Raising tigers!" ”

"Yes! The resources of that land played a crucial role in the development of the city. Jiang Baili said, "If there is no place, it will be difficult for me to compete with my country now." ”

"Anyway, we in China have not been idle in recent years, and now it is time to distinguish the superior." Wu Peifu said.

"It's a sure thing, but we don't have to rush it." Yang Shuoming smiled and said, "I think that I just want to compete with my country, and it won't be now." ”

"How does Hanzhi know?" Wu Peifu asked in surprise.

"They need to divide the European side." Yang Shuoming said, "Germany has occupied Norway and Denmark, destroyed Poland, annexed Austria, there is no need to worry about the future, the next target is France, the first power in the European army, and Britain, the first naval power, if the German army is victorious, the United States will inevitably concentrate its main military strength on the east coast, and its military strength in the Pacific Ocean will inevitably be weak. ”

"What Hanzhi said is good." Listening to Yang Shuoming's words, a hint of admiration flashed on Jiang Baili's face, "It's because of why I'm not moving now." ”

"I see." Wu Peifu understood, "Just like the last time in Europe, they had to stand on the side of the winner." ”

"Judging from the current situation, if the German army wins the attack, it will inevitably form an alliance with Germany and the Soviet Union." Yang Shuoming said, "Then we will work with the Soviet Union to flank our country." ”

"If Britain and France had won, Ben wouldn't have done this, would he?" Wu Peifu thought about it and asked again.

"I'm afraid not necessarily." Jiang Baili said, "After the Soviet Union occupies Finland, if the whole country moves eastward in order to try against us, it is very likely that Ben will send troops to attack our country together with the Soviet Union." It is said that the heart of the original death will not die, and such an opportunity will not be missed. ”

(To be continued)