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After Zhang Zizhong returned to the Ministry of National Defense, he immediately convened a meeting of ministers of the army, navy, air force, and space services, which was attended by Cai Yi, the new minister of the army, Chen Ce, the new minister of the navy, Liu Hang, the new minister of the air force, and Gao Fei, the new minister of the sky army. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo╔╗

The meeting was top secret, and no one except Zhang Zizhong and the four ministers was allowed to attend, including secretaries and adjutants.

With such a confidential meeting, the four ministers felt that something was unusual, and quickly guessed that the meeting must have something to do with the imperial government's entry into the war.

Zhang Zizhong directly conveyed the opinions and plans of the emperor and the prince of the East Palace to everyone, and the four ministers immediately felt extremely excited after hearing it, and they all competed for the first credit.

"According to the instructions of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the first battle will be handed over to the submarine force of the Navy to carry out the Arctic Ocean battle plan."

Chen Ce immediately laughed excitedly, and the other three ministers sighed angrily, congratulating the navy on winning the first battle mission, and cast envious glances at Chen Ce.

"Please rest assured, Lord Zhang, the Navy will go all out to ensure the completion of the mission!"

Zhang Zizhong nodded and asked, "Do you have any ideas?" ”

Chen Ce was about to speak, when he suddenly looked at Cai Yi, Liu Hang, and Gao Fei, and stopped talking.

Cai Ye suddenly said sourly: "What! The first credit is given to you, and we are not allowed to listen to it, can we envy it? ”

"Lord Cai is serious!" Chen Ce smiled and said, "Please also ask the three adults to give you some advice!" ”

"Cut!"

Cai Yi, Liu Hang and Gao Fei suddenly glanced at Chen Ce angrily.

Zhang Zizhong smiled. ╔╗ said: "Just say it!" What's your idea? ”

Chen Ce paused, and then said: "Since we want to destroy the trade routes between the United States and Germany, and we can't let the United States and Germany seize our handle, it is easy to be recognized by dispatching surface warships and aircraft (referring to carrier-based aircraft) to attack American and German merchant ships and warships. That would put tremendous pressure on the Empire, and the anti-war sentiment of the Imperial people would probably rise, which would be detrimental to the implementation of the Imperial Government's plan to enter the war. ”

Zhang Zizhong nodded. "Good! You get straight to the crux of the matter, go ahead! ”

"Yes!" Chen Ce continued: "So I will send the most elite submarine force of the Empire. Enter the Arctic Ocean to carry out an attack mission. The submarine is hidden underwater, it is difficult for the enemy to detect it, and if the attack is successful, the United States will also think that the Soviet submarine did it. The United States and Germany will definitely send a large number of anti-submarine fleets into the Arctic Ocean routes, and in a few months they will definitely find out that the submarines attacking them are far superior to the Soviet submarines, so that they will suspect the Reich, but they have no evidence to directly accuse us. In this way, on the one hand, we will use submarines to deal a fatal blow to the sea routes of the Allies and cut off the channel for the US-German alliance to replenish each other's resources. On the other hand, it also forces virtue to attack or declare war on us first, so that the empire can enter the war as a matter of course. ”

Cai Ye said suddenly: "It seems that the plan is seamless, but how can you guarantee that the submarine of the Navy will not be detected by the anti-submarine fleet of the United States and Germany, and how can you guarantee that our submarine will be able to deal a heavy blow to the Arctic Ocean route of the United States and Germany." As far as I know, the Reich's submarines were also exported to Germany, and the Germans were also very strong in submarine and anti-submarine capabilities. ”

Zhang Zizhong looked at Chen Ce and asked, "This is indeed very important, if you are caught by virtue." The Empire will be very passive! ”

"There's not going to happen like that!" Chen Ce said confidently: "What the Imperial Empire exports to Germany are old submarines that have been decommissioned by the Imperial Navy's submarine fleet for more than ten years, which cannot be compared with the most advanced Song-class submarines currently equipped by the Imperial Navy, and are even worse than the newly commissioned Yuan-class attack nuclear submarines. ”

"What? The Yuan-class nuclear submarine is already in service? ”

The Yuan-class nuclear submarine, which only started construction last autumn, was completed and put into service in less than a year, and Cai Ye and Liu Hang suddenly showed surprise. ╔╗

Zhang Zizhong added: "Due to the sudden change in the international situation. All nuclear programs have been brought forward! The nuclear reactor of the nuclear submarine Nautilus was built before the start of construction, so it was built very quickly. ”

Chen Ce also explained: "Due to the great progress of the empire in machining and welding technology, our Navy Ship Administration for the first time adopted the advanced shipbuilding technology of the warship construction in sections and finally assembled together, and it originally took two years to build a ship as a whole on the slipway, but after adopting the new technology, the hull was divided into several parts and built separately, which saved nearly half of the time." And in a state of war, two-thirds of the time can be saved. ”

Cai Ye suddenly said enviously: "Your navy is really happy, nuclear-powered battleships, nuclear-powered submarines, and there will be nuclear-powered cruisers in the future!" ”

"Your army may have a nuclear-powered combat vehicle at some point!" Chen Ce suddenly quipped.

The crowd burst into laughter.

After Zhang Zizhong laughed, he immediately said: "Don't go off-topic!" ”

Chen Ce then continued: "Our Song-class submarines have been tested for many years, proving that their title of oceanic black hole is well deserved, and at present, our Song-class submarines have repeatedly entered the territorial waters of the United States, Germany, Britain, France and other countries to track their warships and submarines, and have not been discovered, because the noise of our Song-class submarines is very close to the noise of the ocean itself, and it is difficult to distinguish the enemy's sonar system. We can take advantage of this and carry out covert raid missions on the Arctic Ocean routes. ”

Zhang Zizhong nodded suddenly: "Very good!" Since I have this ability not to be discovered by the enemy, then I can rest assured that this Arctic Ocean combat mission will be handed over to your navy! ”

Chen Ce hurriedly said: "Resolutely complete the task!" ”

At this time, Air Force Minister Liu Hang suddenly asked: "Even if the Song-class submarine is claimed to be an ocean black hole and is not detected by the enemy, it must always surface for ventilation!" Even if they are not discovered by the United States and German ** ships, their planes are not blind! I don't think it's as good as this, how about our Air Force escort you? We will help you take out the enemy reconnaissance planes in the sky, so that you can also get twice the result with half the effort! ”

Chen Ce knew very well that this was an excuse for Liu Hang to intervene and get a credit, so he explained: "I have already considered this. ╔╗Our Song-class submarines have been underwater for up to 15 days, and after performing combat missions, they have enough ability to shake off the tracking of enemy ships. In addition, I plan to combine the trial plans of the Nautilus nuclear submarine with the Arctic Ocean plan. ”

Zhang Zizhong asked, "What is the combination method?" ”

Chen Ce explained: "Nuclear submarines have a long endurance that no submarine can match. The Admiralty plans to carry out the Nautilus's under-ice passage through the polar ice of the Arctic Ocean, and once the program is successfully completed, the Imperial Navy's submarine fleet will have direct access to the Arctic Ocean from the Pacific Ocean. The sudden appearance in the Barents Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean would pose a mortal threat to the American and German navies. Its strategic significance is no less than that of the Empire's successful development of nuclear weapons. ”

Everyone was taken aback, Chen Ce's plan was not bold, but if it succeeded, it would definitely be an unprecedented strategic victory.

Goofy asked: "The entire Arctic is covered in snow and ice, and although there is an ocean under its glaciers, the thickness of the ice varies, so how can a submarine pass through?" ”

Chen Ce smiled: "Lord Gao still doesn't know the performance of our Nautilus nuclear submarine. The Nautilus is capable of high-speed propulsion at a depth of 400 meters underwater at a speed of 28 knots, and is equipped with the Empire's most advanced radar and sonar detection and navigation systems. It is possible to dodge any underwater obstacles. ”

Zhang Zizhong was immediately overjoyed: "This plan is worth a try, once the submarine channel under the North Pole is opened, our submarines can quickly enter the North Atlantic from the North Pacific, saving two-thirds of the range, and the strategic value is great." ╔╗”

Cai Yi found a map of the North Pole, compared it for a while, and said: "Maybe the long self-sustaining power of nuclear submarines can pass through the waters below the North Pole, but the self-sustaining power of conventional submarines is probably not enough." ”

Zhang Zizhong suddenly became worried, but Chen Ce smiled mysteriously. "We, the Admiralty, have already considered this. ”

The crowd looked surprised again.

After Zhang Zizhong fished everyone's appetite, he explained: "The Imperial Navy has found three anchorages suitable for mooring submarines in the close proximity of the North Pole in northern Xinjiang!" ”

Liu Hang suddenly sneered: "You can blow it more reliably, who doesn't know that the Arctic approach is basically frozen all year round, and there is not even a bay, let alone a submarine anchorage!" ”

Chen Ce smiled: "That's right! The Arctic is close to the ground covered with snow and ice all year round. There is no bay! ”

Everyone looked at Chen Ce in amazement, and Zhang Zizhong said unhappily: "Don't sell Guanzi, hurry up and explain what the situation is?" ”

Chen Ce smiled slightly, and then said: "Although the bay near the Arctic is covered with ice and snow all year round, we unexpectedly found that the ice in several places is very thin, and the ice can be chiseled with the corresponding ice-breaking equipment, and even when the submarine reaches the nearby area, the floating force can also support the ice. We can use these places to resupply conventional submarines, or we don't need to resupply, as long as we can meet the air replacement needs of the submarine to surface. ”

Zhang Zizhong understood what Chen Ce meant, so he asked, "You mean to establish a submarine frog jump supply station close to the Arctic?" Relay across the Arctic Ocean? ”

"Yes!" Chen Ce nodded and said, "The supply station is not the point!" The tonnage of the Song-class submarine is very large, and there is basically no need for food and water supply when crossing the Arctic Ocean, and the only thing that needs to float is because it uses diesel-electric machines to consume a lot of air, so it has to float for ventilation. ╔╗”

Now that some anchorages have been discovered that allow submarines to float, conventional submarines can also cross the Arctic Ocean by leapfrogging.

Fortunately, the Chinese Empire controlled most of the Arctic proximity (Siberia) and was able to provide assistance and protection for submarines leapfrogging forward, making this strategy possible.

However, the so-called passage of conventional submarines through the Arctic Ocean is only near high latitudes, that is, near the coastline of northern Xinjiang and the periphery of the Arctic Circle. Only nuclear submarines are capable of navigating the Arctic Circle's inner Arctic Circle. At the same time, it only takes a dozen days for a nuclear submarine to pass directly through the Arctic Ocean from the North Pole. At present, the maximum diving time of conventional submarines is no more than seven days, and they cannot directly approach the road, and can only sail along the coastline of the Arctic Ocean.

It can be said that the great advantage of nuclear submarines is vividly demonstrated at this moment, but since the Chinese Empire has not previously approved the construction of multiple nuclear submarines, only one Nautilus nuclear submarine is far from enough. In the face of the Arctic Ocean route of the United States and Germany, the Chinese Empire could only dispatch a large number of conventional submarines to carry out combat missions.

After the problems are solved. Zhang Zizhong personally named the project the Arctic Ocean Black Hole, which means to create an undersea black hole for the Arctic Ocean shipping routes of the US-German allies and devour their merchant ships and ships, so as to achieve a blow against the US-German allies. Strategic purposes in support of the Soviet Union.

According to the plan of the Imperial Admiralty, the USS Nautilus nuclear submarine will launch a mission to cross the Arctic Ocean in July, once the Nautilus has completed its mission to cross the Arctic Ocean. Then the Chinese Empire would have a map of the Arctic route from the Pacific Ocean directly to the North Atlantic, and the Nautilus would be on a combat mission to attack American and German ships on the one hand. On the other hand, it is tasked with helping conventional submarines explore safe waterways.

According to Chen Ce's estimate, the Imperial Navy will complete all the underwater routes of the Arctic Ocean in the winter of 42 years of Guanghua, and begin to carry out the test of conventional submarines crossing the Arctic Ocean.

Before that, however, the Imperial Admiralty sent 120 Song-class submarines into the North Atlantic and the Barents Sea to attack American merchant ships and warships.

And Zhang Zizhong then also reported to the Congress. The huge role of the historical nuclear submarine is irreplaceable by conventional submarines, and the Congress is requested to approve the construction of a number of nuclear submarines. And Zhang Zizhong's move was strongly supported by the emperor Wang Chenhao.

Soon, the Imperial Diet approved a bill to build four more Yuan-class nuclear-powered attack submarines, allocating 352 million dragon coins and requiring the four nuclear-powered submarines to be completed within three years. But in fact, the Imperial Navy couldn't wait to get these nuclear submarines, so it embezzled other ship construction funds to speed up the completion of the construction of four new nuclear submarines. In the end, the four Yuan-class nuclear submarines were completed at the end of Guanghua 43 years. They are -SSN-702, -SSN-703 Horn Shark, -SSN-704 Great Grey Shark, -SSN-705 Great White Shark. When the 704 and 705 were completed, their tonnage had exceeded 10,000 tons, the diving time exceeded 84 days, the safe diving depth exceeded 500 meters, and the diving speed reached 30 knots. Basically, all the coefficients are far higher than the Nautilus. It can be classified as a nuclear submarine of another class, but the imperial side still classifies it into the Yuan class.

Just as the Imperial Chinese Navy was preparing to calculate the Arctic Ocean route of virtue and Germany, the European theater once again broke out in the Great War. After destroying France, Germany moved eastward and launched a full-scale attack on the Soviet Union again, and Hitler once again clamored for the destruction of the Soviet Union in three months, avenging the defeat in the last Battle of Moscow.

However, the Germans still failed to solve the problem of fuel and water tank protection for winter operations in the northern part of the Soviet Union, so Hitler clamoured to attack Moscow again, but it was only a smokescreen to confuse the Soviet Union, and the Germans focused on the southern regions of the Soviet Union, where the winter was warmer.

At Hitler's request, the German High Command drew up a plan for operations in the south in the autumn and winter of 1942, codenamed "Operation Blue". Its main contents were: Lister A Army Group, with Kleist's 1st Panzer Army as the left flank and Luff's 17th Army as the right flank, attacked from south of Kharkov and north of Taganrog to the east and southeast, respectively, to occupy Rostov on the lower reaches of the Don River, and to the south to control the oil fields in the Caucasus; Army Group B, with Hort's 4th Panzer Army and Weix's 2nd Army as the left flank and Paulus's 6th Army as the right flank, struck east and southeast from south of Kursk and north of Kharkov, respectively, occupying Voronezh in the upper reaches of the Don and advancing towards Stalingrad.

The Soviet High Command was also stepping up preparations for the autumn-winter campaign of 1942. Stalin and the Soviet High Command judged that with the fall of France and the transfer of the main forces of the Allies to the Soviet battlefield on the Eastern Front, it was extremely likely that the German army would occupy Moscow in one fell swoop in revenge for its defeat. Because in this direction, the German army still had more than 130 divisions and more than 2.1 million people. Therefore, the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Army decided to concentrate most of the forces of the reserves in the Moscow direction.

The strategic intention of the Soviet army was to conduct an active strategic defense in the near future, but at the same time it was necessary to carry out a series of offensive campaigns in the Crimea, the Kharkiv region, the Ligov-Kursk direction, the Smolensk direction, and the Leningrad and Demyansk regions.

When discussing the specific battle plan, Stalin was interested in and fully supported the plan of offensive in the southwest, put forward by the commander-in-chief of the southwestern direction, Marshal Timoshenko. The Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, Marshal Shaposhnikov, however, said that the General Staff did not agree with this plan, saying that the base camp could not and did not have enough reserves to supply to the southwest. This opinion was rejected by Stalin.

In the end, Stalin approved Timoshenko's plan to carry out the Kharkov offensive campaign with troops to the southwest. The plan provided for the implementation of a centripetal assault from the Volchansk region and Barvenko, the capture of Kharkov in one fell swoop and the creation of conditions for the liberation of Donbass.

Before the main forces of the German army and even the Allied ** team were transferred from the Western Front to the Eastern Front, on May 8, 1942, the German 11th Army under the command of General Manstein first launched an offensive in the Crimea, and a week later occupied the Kerch Peninsula, capturing 170,000 Soviet troops. On June 4, nearly 100,000 Soviet troops guarding the fortress of Sevastopol were forced to surrender to the Germans, who occupied all of Crimea.

On May 12, while fierce fighting was raging on the Kerch Peninsula, Marshal Timoshenko commanded the Southwestern Front and the Southern Front, with a total of about 45 divisions, to attack Kharkov from the northeast and southeast of Kharkov, respectively.

The offensive began smoothly, breaking through the German defenses and advancing 25-50 kilometers in 3 days and nights. Stalin was delighted and, on this basis, condemned the General Staff, saying that it was almost because of the intransigence of the General Staff that such a smooth campaign was canceled.

But Stalin could not rejoice for long. On 17 May, the German 1st Panzer Army of Kleist, with the support of the 17th and 6th armies, launched a counteroffensive from south of Kharkov on the Soviet flank, and on 23 May encircled the 9th and 57th armies of the Southern Soviet Front, the 6th Army of the Southwestern Front, and the Bobkin Battle Group. By May 29, most of the besieged Soviet troops had been annihilated. Lieutenant General Kostenko, deputy commander of the Southwestern Front of the Soviet Army, Lieutenant General Podras, commander of the 57th Army, Lieutenant General Gorodyannis, commander of the 9th Army, and Major General Bobkin, commander of the campaign group, were killed. A total of 250,000 Soviet troops were captured, 1,249 tanks and 2,026 artillery pieces were lost. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to the starting point () to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support, is my biggest motivation. )