985985 Japan's "February Revolution" and Germany's "Support"

15 January 1940, Australia.

The front line of confrontation between the Chinese and Japanese armies stretched from Tai O to the Victoria Desert, with a total length of more than 300 kilometers. Over the past two months, the two sides have engaged in a series of skirmishes along this front. On either side of Forrestal, which controlled the railroad and road to Eastern Australia, colonial divisions brought in from Vietnam engaged in fierce positional battles with the Japanese Second Army stationed there. On the front, less than 20 kilometers wide in the north and south, the Australian Front engaged four Vietnamese colonial divisions to attack in turn, and hundreds of support artillery pieces were overwhelming. Tens of thousands of elite infantrymen, under the cover of an assault artillery regiment, braved the fire of the Japanese Second Army to attack. In other parts of the front, the squadron also invested a large number of troops to launch a diversionary attack.

The battle, dominated by infantry and artillery, lasted five days, and both sides knocked out a total of more than 1 million shells! The grasslands around Forrest turned into a desert full of craters, and from the mouth it looked like the surface of the moon full of craters. After a fierce battle, after four Vietnamese colonial divisions paid a huge price in casualties, they finally made a salient about 10 kilometers wide and 7 to 8 kilometers deep on the north and south sides of Forrestal, like two sharp knives inserted into the Japanese battle line. In the last two days of the battle, the Japanese army also deployed heavy troops to counterattack, invested in the elite second division, and even used dozens of Army Air Force Type 98 light bombers for air support for the first time. The Japanese army launched a frantic counterattack for two days and two nights in a row. However, under the blow of the superior firepower of the squadron, the Japanese troops who desperately counterattacked suffered heavy losses, and finally returned in vain. In this way, the two huge salients were like two swords of Damocles hanging over the heads of the Japanese army, which made the entire New Japanese Front feel restless, and even more so that their defense was completely focused on the Nullarbor Plain with Forrest as the core. And the real sword of the squadron, the 1st Armored Army of the Wehrmacht, has quietly arrived in a barren Victoria Desert, and the real armored assault will start here.

Hu Lian stood on the roof of the half-track armored command vehicle, looking at the nearly 2,000 tanks and powerful artillery arranged in a wedge-shaped assault formation in front of him! These were the full strength of the Wehrmacht's 2nd Panzer Corps, and all the tanks and guns were painted in an earthy yellow paint, the same color as the surrounding desert. At the head of the armoured assault group were the Wehrmacht's most powerful tank No. 4 and No. 3 assault guns, four Panzer Divisions and two Panzergrenadier Divisions with a total of four heavy tank battalions armed with Tank No. 4 and six heavy assault gun battalions armed with No. 3 assault guns, for a total of 260 No. 4 tanks and 390 two or three assault guns! Deployed on both flanks and in the middle were 12 battalions of No. 3 tanks and 2 battalions of No. 2 assault guns, totaling more than 900 vehicles! It was followed by nearly 2,000 armored vehicles of various types and more than 3 elite officers and men of eight Panzergrenadier Regiments. The final finale of this massive armored assault cluster was 7 self-propelled artillery regiments of 378 105mm

150mm self-propelled gun.

The neatly arranged self-propelled guns have raised their thick and long barrels, and the muzzles of the black holes are all pointed at the Japanese positions in the east, and the yellow and clear shells have been lying quietly in the barrels, waiting for an order to turn the Japanese forward positions 10 kilometers away on the opposite side into a sea of fire! In addition to these 378 self-propelled guns, there is also an aviation division with nearly 500 combat aircraft on standby at a secret air base in the depths of the Victorian Desert!

However, at this time, the two armies in the Victorian Desert were calm before the arrival of the great war. In order to maximize the suddenness of the breakthrough, the time for artillery preparation was shortened to 10 minutes, and 378 self-propelled guns would concentrate their fire on a section of the Japanese forward position of less than 10 kilometers, and then this group of nearly 2,000 tanks, assault artillery and more than 3 elite Panzergrenadiers would launch an all-out assault! Tear through the Japanese defenses, then sweep southward, and together with the 1st Panzer Army, which is pressing Forrest from the front, completely smash the 16 divisions of the Japanese 2nd and 3rd armies!

Seeing that the steel division in front of him was ready, all the tanks and assault artillery had been activated, puffs of white smoke erupted from the exhaust pipes and filled the entire desert, and bursts of deafening motor roars resounded in the sky. Hu Lian knew that the time for the general attack was approaching, so he raised his wrist and looked at the time. The hour and minute hands on the watch were pointing to the Roman numeral 12 in unison, and he waved his hand vigorously with a straight face: "Fire!" ”

The staff officers beside him immediately picked up the microphone of the radio station and gave an order that symbolized the shattering of the dream of the Japanese mainland. Immediately a puff of white smoke rose from the positions of the entire self-propelled artillery group, followed by the roar of artillery discharge. Flashes of lightning pierced the sky, emitting a piercing scream, and swooped down on the thin Japanese defenses.

The cannonballs exploded on the opposite front, and in the blink of an eye, a sea of fire was formed, and at the same time, the roar of a huge motor came from the air and the ground at the same time, and the whole earth seemed to be shrouded in a loud sound of shaking mountains!

The squadron has launched a general offensive in Australia!

……

"The defense line of the New Japanese Front was broken through by the Chinese army!" At an emergency meeting at the base camp, Lieutenant General Toshiro Obata of the Army General Staff Headquarters listlessly read the urgent defeat from the front. However, the Japanese civil and military officials present all had completely numb expressions. At this point, everyone knew that the Japanese Empire was gone, and it was not surprising to hear such bad news, but if no bad news came one day, it would make people suspicious.

"Is there any will from Your Majesty?" Fumiro Konoe waved his hand and directly interrupted Obata's report, there is no suspense about the ending of the new Japanese Front! Hundreds of thousands of troops are placed on the Victorian Desert and the Nullarbor Plain...... Even a layman like Konoe knew that this arrangement was self-defeating after the Korean Campaign, but what could he do? Adjust the deployment on the front line of the confrontation of millions of armies? Abandon your original position and retreat a few hundred kilometers to Flinders Ridge? If you don't let the armored forces of the Chinese army chase after you, the whole army will collapse! Therefore, everyone, including the New Japanese Front, simply stopped thinking about this problem......

Itamongiya, who served as the emperor's microphone, nodded with a wry smile: "Your Majesty's will is for us to negotiate with the German side and urge them to fulfill the agreement reached before...... Raise 50 kg of highly enriched uranium-235 to us for the manufacture of uranium bombs. In addition, the local side was asked to hold out for six months anyway to buy time for uranium bombs. ”

Konoe Fumiro was stunned for a moment, and said in his heart: "This god is really good at wishful thinking, and at this time, he actually wants to get raw materials from the Germans for making uranium bombs." ”

He shook his head and turned to Foreign Minister Shigetoku Togo: "Togo-kun, let Ambassador Oshima negotiate with the German side." By the way, are Ambassador Matsuoka's negotiations with the Chinese side still ongoing? ”

Dongxiang Shide said coldly and weakly: "Negotiations with the German side will be arranged immediately. Ambassador Matsuoka's contacts with the Chinese side have also been maintained...... The latest condition of the Chinese side is that China's territory will be limited to the four mainland islands, and in addition, they have also demanded that troops be stationed in the Japanese archipelago, that China's navy will be disbanded, and that the army can only be maintained at a minimum size, and that it cannot possess advanced weapons such as aircraft and tanks. Furthermore...... In addition, His Majesty the Emperor must also retire! The current cabinet must also resign, and the new emperor must be approved by the Chinese side, and the new cabinet members must also be approved by China. However, we are still allowed to deal with the investigation of those responsible for the war (in fact, the Sino-Japanese war in this time and space seems to have been launched by China, so there are few responsible people on the Japanese side). ”

There was a sudden silence in the conference room, and although the conditions proposed by China were harsh, they were not unacceptable...... At least after acceptance, everyone's glory and wealth can be preserved. Is there a day when Japan, which is occupied by China and has to be approved by China, will there be a day of revival? Perhaps the fate of the merger of Japan and South Korea will eventually fall to Japan itself. Who would be willing to accept such an outcome? Several representatives of the army and navy sighed and wept there, and no one would say "yes." And he did not dare to say anything against it.

If it weren't for that terrible "uranium bomb", the representatives of the military would still dare to harden their mouths, but now ...... The latest casualty figure of the North Korean army under the three "uranium bombs" yesterday has reached more than 400,000! How many uranium bombs can Japan's so-called 6 million army and 8 million reserve soldiers be worth? According to the latest data provided by the German side, there are always ten or eight uranium bombs owned by the Chinese! And their isotope separation plant can also produce at least 30 kg of weapons-grade uranium-235 per month! The result of holding on can only be the destruction of the Japanese nation! I'm afraid this result is even worse than the merger of China and Japan, right?

I don't know how much time has passed, but War Minister Nagata Tetsuyama suddenly sighed and said: "Otherwise, let Ambassador Oshima ask the German side, if they are not willing to fulfill the agreement to raise uranium-235, we will accept China's conditions and preserve the vitality of the Japanese nation." ”

Konoe Fumiji glanced at Prince Zaihito of Xianyuan Palace, whose eyes were red, his face was pale, and the corners of his mouth were still trembling slightly: "Your Royal Highness, what do you mean?" ”

Prince Zairen of Xianyuan Palace was extremely painful in his heart at this time, and he couldn't even speak, but nodded stiffly, and then cried bitterly......

……

Germany, Berlin, Chancellery.

“…… At present, the isotope separation plant in Thuringia is fully operational, with more than one gas diffusion machine working 24 hours a day, and the entire production process is exactly the same as that of the isotope separation plant in China. Starting in February, a minimum of 30 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium-235 will be available each month, and Germany's first atomic bomb test will take place before the end of May this year. In addition, the development of the Junkers Ju-290 heavy bomber for dropping the atomic bomb has been completed, the first 12 Ju-290s have been equipped with the Air Force, the construction of a large military airfield on the island of Puerto Rico is intensifying, and by the beginning of June at the latest, we will be able to drop the atomic bomb on the United States! ”

Speaking was the new Third Emperor Minister of Preparation and Wartime Production, Albert Brown. Hipper. At this time, he was directly responsible for Germany's atomic bomb project. After the Chinese side sent copies of film footage taken after the nuclear explosions in Pyongyang, Busan, and Wonsan to Berlin for Hitler to see, Hipper was immediately called to the conference room of the Chancellery.

Unlike usual, today's German Führer was very calm, without inserting a word during the whole debriefing process, and after waiting for Hippert to close the folder, Hitler waved his hand and motioned for him to sit down.

"My Führer," said Hipper, who had just sat down, was immediately upright by German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. He bowed slightly to the dictator of the Third Reich before he reported: "This afternoon, the Japanese ambassador, Lieutenant General Hiroshi Oshima, submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a request to our country to fulfill the agreement of the German-Japanese Technical Cooperation Agreement on the supply of 50 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium-235 to the Japanese side. In addition, Ambassador Oshima also tactfully stated that if Japan refuses to provide these uranium-235 within three months, then Japan will consider withdrawing from the war. ”

Hearing this, Hitler's mustache moved slightly, revealing a wry smile: "These Japanese...... At this point, they don't give up, what a bunch of stubborn guys. As he spoke, he glanced at the fat man Goering, who was sitting on his left. Herman, what do you think? Are we going to find a way to mediate the Sino-Japanese war again? ”

The fat man smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders: "My Führer, the Sino-Japanese War has been going on to this point, and Japan has actually perished!" What is the need for us to supply precious uranium-235 to a country that is on the verge of extinction? 50 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium-235 is not a small amount. ”

"The Imperial Marshal is right, we don't have much weapons-grade uranium-235 in our hands, and the United States is also going all out to develop an atomic bomb, and if they go to the front, we will most likely be forced to retreat from the Americas." The Chief of the Army General Staff Keitel thought for a moment and then continued: "And if we set a precedent of supplying weapons-grade uranium-235 to Japan, will China provide the same thing to Russia or Britain?" ”

Hitler nodded slightly, Keitel's worries were not unreasonable, compared to China, which has a vast territory and does not have any threatening powers around the core area, the surrounding environment of Germany itself is not very ideal. Countries such as Russia, Britain, France, and even Italy, although they regard Germany as their allies, each has its own small abacus, and now I am afraid that they are all planning to acquire nuclear weapons to get rid of Germany's control, right?

"But once Japan withdraws from the war, we will have to face the United States alone." Foreign Minister Ribbentrop shook his head and offered a different view: "And those countries of South America will certainly reconsider their position, which is very detrimental to our war in the Americas. ”

"What else can Japan do for Germany? Even if they had the atomic bomb, it would be just a bargaining chip with China, and they would lose a little less. The fat man Goering said this, with a contemptuous expression on his face, and he smiled: "Besides, it is not Japan that will decide the outcome of the American War, but the atomic bomb!" As long as we can have the atomic bomb before the United States, we will win! Saying that, Goering waved his arms vigorously, stood up and shouted: "We can destroy the whole of America with an atomic bomb!" They only have to surrender! Can only surrender! ”

"But what if...... What if the United States possessed the atomic bomb first? Ribbentrop frowned and reminded in a low voice: "Although the United States does not have access to the German air base now, it is still possible for them to bomb the German ** bases in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, so that we have no bases that can threaten the US mainland for the time being." Even...... Our war with the United States can only end in a draw! ”

"So what role can Japan play?" Goering asked rhetorically.

"If the German Empire can't eliminate the United States, the world of the future will be China, the United States, and Germany." Ribbentrop pondered and said: "And among the three world empires, China has the best geopolitical situation, the largest land area, the richest resources, and the largest population!" Although their industry and science and technology are still far inferior to Germany's, they will definitely become a strong opponent of Germany's world leadership in the future! So, we need a force to contain China, and Japan seems to be the only possible option at the moment. ”

Hitler nodded slightly, and China now has three main neighbors, Russia, Japan, and India. Among them, Russia is also a neighbor of Germany, and the European part of Russia is very close to the core of Germany, on the contrary, the Sino-Russian border is a large area of land that is inaccessible and has harsh natural conditions, so supporting Russia is definitely a double-edged sword, and even the harm to Germany is far greater than that of China! India would have been a good choice, but now the country is still fighting an endless civil war, and it is surrounded by Chinese forces, so Germany can't do much. In this way, Japan is indeed the only option, but now the Japanese mainland is probably about to be occupied by China soon......

"Führer, even if Japan is occupied by China, it is possible that it will become a quagmire that constantly consumes China's strength! As long as the Japanese emperor can continue to remotely command the resistance forces in the country in Hawaii or elsewhere. Ribbentrop smiled, and then said to Hitler: "Now we must make a gesture that we have not abandoned Japan, and encourage Japan to build Hawaii as its last bastion and support the Japanese government in waging a guerrilla war against China." We can even promise to intervene in the Sino-Japanese war after the end of the war between the United States and Germany...... The premise, of course, is that the war is not over, even if it continues in the form of guerrilla warfare. As for Japan's request for uranium-235, we can find a way to be perfunctory, such as helping them to build some facilities in Hawaii to produce uranium-235 or something......"