"Comrade President, we also need submarines, which are the key to our victory over imperialism and the liberation of all mankind in the future!"

As soon as Trotsky's words fell, a voice rang out from the corner of the room. Trotsky looked over and saw that it was the People's Commissar of the Red Navy, Vyacheslav. Ivanovich. Zov.

This Zov was one of the very few Czechoslovaks in the upper echelons of the Soviet Red Army, and he was relatively isolated within the Red Navy, but he was a very good naval officer, so he was appointed by Trotsky as People's Commissar of the Red Navy.

"Well, submarines...... It is also needed. Trotsky nodded at the People's Commissar of the Red Navy and affirmed his opinion. However, Zov did not appreciate it, stood up and said: "Comrade Chairman, submarines will be the key to our defeat of imperialism!" The just-concluded Persian War tells us that the future mode of land warfare is likely to be the movement warfare of massively mechanized troops, and the past mode of positional warfare has been eliminated. Comrade Tukhachevsky, am I right? ”

The Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army replied: "Yes, this is exactly what the General Staff of the Red Army disposed of." ”

"Then large-scale mechanized warfare is indispensable for the massive use of oil!" The People's Commissar of the Red Navy said: "Modern weapons such as tanks, automobiles, armored vehicles, and airplanes all need to be powered by oil. And the only countries in the world that produce oil are now the United States, the Soviet Union, China, Persia, Japan and Romania. In Europe, only the Soviet Union and Romania had large oil fields. The oil fields of the USSR were firmly under our control and could not supply oil to imperialism. Romania was a neighbor of the Soviet Union, and the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army could control it at any time. Outside of Europe, Persia and Japan were allies of the Soviet Union. China's oil production is not much, it can only meet its own needs, and the only thing left is that the United States may sell oil to Britain, France, Germany, Italy and other countries. This American oil must be transported to Europe by tankers, and if the Red Navy can cut off the Atlantic shipping lanes, the warplanes of Britain, France, Germany and other countries will soon be paralyzed by the lack of oil!

Therefore, the People's Commissariat of the Red Navy strongly recommended that the Revolutionary Military Committee increase investment in submarines. ”

"So...... How many submarines do we need to ensure the cutting off of the Atlantic shipping lanes after the start of the war? ”

As soon as Trotsky asked the question, the Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Tukhachevsky, rushed to reply: "Of course, the more the merrier!" I fully agree with Comrade Zov's construction that the Red Navy should have submarines as the only focus of development. In the Sino-Japanese War of 1923. Two Chinese submarines left the entire Japanese Combined Fleet helpless, and also sank capital ships, including battle cruisers. If the Chinese had 100 submarines, I'm afraid Japan would have been destroyed by China by now! Therefore, the Red Navy should learn from the experience of the Sino-Japanese war. Quickly shift the focus to submarines, and even stop the construction of surface ships, and spend all the limited financial and material resources on submarines. ”

Although Tukhachevsky was an army officer, he was Trotsky's number one general. Since he fully supported the opinion of the People's Commissar of the Red Navy. Then Trotsky had nothing to hesitate about. He slowly stood up, nodded and said: "Very good, Comrade Zov and Comrade Tukhachevsky are very timely. In the future, the Red Navy's focus will be on submarines, and we should work with Japan to develop advanced submarines, and I ask the Red Navy to increase the number of submarines that can be used for ocean-going combat to ...... within 10 years 500 ships! Trotsky stretched out a slap and waved: "Comrade Zov, are you confident that you will complete this task?" ”

With a satisfied smile, Zov stood up and gave a military salute to Trotsky: "Guaranteed to complete the task." Comrade Trotsky, wait until the world revolution begins. The Atlantic will be ruled by the Red Submarine Force! ”

At this time, a secretary of the Revolutionary Military Council opened the door and walked in and handed a telegram to NKVD Commissar Yue Fei. Yue Fei took the telegram and glanced at it, and his face showed a calm expression.

"What's wrong? Adolph. Comrade Abramovich, what's going on? Trotsky asked hurriedly when he saw the facial expression of his old friend.

"The news from Berlin is about a secret weapon called 'uranium alloy armor-piercing shells', and the Chinese seem to want to develop this weapon together with Germany, Britain and France to use against the tank units of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army!"

……

News of China's readiness to develop uranium alloy armor-piercing shells against Soviet tanks first came from a reception at Bellevue Palace. The neoclassical building in Berlin's Tiergarten is now used as a temporary state guesthouse to host Chinese delegations visiting Germany.

After arriving in Berlin, Chang Ruiqing also took advantage of the summer residence of the former German emperor to frequently hold various balls and cocktail parties, inviting celebrities from all walks of life in Germany to participate, and repeatedly emphasized that the Sino-German alliance is unbreakable, and only the unity and cooperation of China and Germany can crush the ambition of the Soviet Union, a powerful red empire, to rule the world.

In the hall of Bellevue Palace, another reception is being held, and today the main European industrial and scientific dignitaries, Pan Yucheng, general manager of China Power Group, are the protagonists of the reception. Leshinskaya stood side by side, chatting and laughing with the general managers of well-known European and American power equipment manufacturers. These international electrical giants, who only see a large order of 5 billion US dollars, have not yet realized that for a long time to come, there will be a rather tragic dog-eat-dog war between them, and the seemingly harmless Chinese old man will become the biggest beneficiary of this war.

In a small parlor on the second floor of Bellevue Palace, several figures were also chatting happily. In addition to Chang Ruiqing, Li Fuji, director of the Chinese Institute of Physics, and Major General Pan Wenzhao, chief of staff of the Chinese armored forces, there are also German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, and the director of the German Army Armored Corps. Admiral Hoffmann, German chemist Hahn, Chief of Staff of the British Army's Armored Corps, John Brown, Chief of Staff of the British Army's Armored Corps. Major General Fuller and British physicist Ernest Fuller. Rutherford. Obviously, these people got together because of the legendary uranium alloy armor-piercing bullet. After the Persian War, both the German and British military. They have repeatedly overestimated the strength of the armored forces of the Soviet Red Army, and even made the wrong judgment that the Soviet Union already had ten to twenty tank armies, equipped with three or four thousand tanks. So in this case. Any weapon touted as a "tank nemesis" is sure to attract great attention from both Britain and Germany.

But the two big scientists at the scene were a little skeptical. Rutherford smoked his pipe and said, "Professor Li, although I have not studied uranium in detail, I know very well how technically difficult and costly it is to industrialize isotope separation...... So I doubt the possibility of the realization of uranium alloy armor-piercing shells. Why don't we focus on tungsten alloy armor-piercing shells? I think. Tungsten alloy armor-piercing shells are more than enough to deal with all the tanks that may appear in twenty years. ”

Chang Ruiqing and Li Fuji glanced at each other, and there was no surprise in their eyes. Ernest. A great scientist of Rutherford's level only needs to think about it for a while, and he will naturally understand what a ridiculous thing a uranium alloy armor-piercing bullet is. But. Chang Ruiqing did not intend to give up: "Mr. Rutherford, I believe in your analysis, tungsten alloy armor-piercing bullets can deal with tanks in the next twenty years, but what about twenty years later?" If Trotsky had unleashed the Second World War in 1950. Will we just watch the sea of tanks of the Red Army flood all of Europe and Asia? ”

Li Fuji also hurriedly chimed in and said, "Mr. Rutherford." In the study of uranium, we at the Chinese Institute of Physics have found that it is an ideal material for the production of anti-tank weapons, and perhaps this powerful armor-piercing projectile is not needed on the battlefield now, but we should still start studying it and find a way to produce uranium alloys for military use, and then we can start mass production when we need it. ”

Chang Ruiqing, Li Fuji, and Hahn talked in English, and Hitler did not understand much, so Hahn, a chemist next to him, acted as a temporary interpreter. When he listened to Hahn's relayed Li Fuji's speech. Immediately said in his German with a strong Austrian accent: "Mr. Rutherford said that the cost of producing this uranium alloy armor-piercing projectile is high, so how high is it?" ”

Without thinking, Li Fuji replied in fluent German: "We estimate." The price of a 75mm caliber uranium alloy armor-piercing projectile will be around $2000! But it can destroy a heavy tank worth tens of thousands of dollars...... Considering the current pace of tank development, it is likely that heavy tanks weighing several tens of tons will appear in the next decade! So we need sharper anti-tank weapons! ”

Hitler squinted slightly at the coffee cup, thought for a moment, and then turned his head to look at Max. Hoffman, who knew what Hitler wanted to ask, immediately replied: "It is worth studying, 2000 dollars a shell is nothing compared to the victory or defeat of the war, and the price of a 150mm howitzer shell is also hundreds of dollars." ”

Hitler raised his eyebrows as if he was convinced, and showed interest: "If we want to fight with the Soviet Union, our army needs a killer weapon that can restrain the sea of Soviet tanks!" I guess the price of uranium alloy armor-piercing shells is affordable. However, a secret weapon is not the most crucial factor in determining the outcome of a war, and it is impossible to win a war with the defensive strategy adopted by our two countries against the Soviet Union, because no one can destroy the enemy by defense. ”

Chang Ruiqing also did not understand Hitler's German, so Li Fuji acted as a translator, translating Hitler's words word by word into Suzhou-style Chinese. Chang Ruiqing just listened quietly, and pondered the meaning of Hitler's words repeatedly in his heart.

Although Britain, China, France, Germany, and Italy had long concluded an alliance treaty, this treaty was only defensive in nature, and there was no plan to attack and destroy the Soviet Union. Therefore, the strategic initiative is completely in the hands of the Soviet Union, and the five-nation alliance, which has an overwhelming superiority in strength, is passive everywhere and is on the defensive of being beaten, and it is indeed impossible to achieve the goal of defeating the Soviet Union.

However, it is not so easy to take the initiative to attack. Regardless of whether it can win or not, the post-war spoils alone are enough to make the five-nation alliance fall apart. Britain, France, and Italy did not now share a direct border with the Soviet Union, and if the Soviet Union was destroyed by the Five-Power Alliance, it was unlikely that the three countries would receive the territory that had belonged to the Soviet Union. In this case, would they like to see China and Germany become stronger by swallowing large swathes of Soviet territory? The answer is self-evident. It is likely that the day when China and Germany defeat the main force of the Soviet Red Army will be the day when Britain and France are allied......

Hitler was not a fool either. After a few years of recuperation, the current Germany should have the strength to defeat the Soviet Union and retake Poland and East Prussia. But he still doesn't move, I'm afraid he is just raising his head and accumulating strength, right?

But why did Hitler suddenly bring up the question of attacking the Soviet Union and discuss it in front of the British? By the way, there were only people from China, Britain and Germany who appeared in this meeting room today, and there were no representatives of France and Italy...... It's understandable that the Italians don't show up, as the biggest wrongdoer in the Persian wars. Mussolini is having a hard time now, and I'm afraid he doesn't have the heart to pay attention to foreign affairs. But why didn't the French come? Could it be that there was a disagreement between Britain, France and Germany on the question of the Soviet Union?

That's right. It must have something to do with the changes in Persia and India! Although Britain made concessions to the Soviet Union on the surface, it was certainly not convinced in its heart, and the Soviet Union did not really cut off aid to the Indian revolution for two months. Not only did the war in India not subside. On the contrary, there is a tendency to get bigger and bigger. So Britain wanted China and Germany to put more pressure on the Soviet Union, not necessarily to attack the Soviet Union, but at least to scare Moscow and turn their attention away from India and the Middle East to its eastern and western borders.

Thinking of this, Chang Ruiqing showed a hesitant expression and said slowly: "Mr. Prime Minister, I agree with your opinion, only by attacking can you defeat the enemy. If we want to completely eliminate the threat of the Soviet Union, we can only go on the offensive. Completely destroy the military power of Moscow! But...... Trotsky had the most powerful army in the world, and it was not easy to defeat him, and it required long and arduous preparations for war. The development of many new weapons, including uranium alloy armor-piercing shells, was an important part of the preparations for war against the Soviet Union. ”

Hoffmann translated Chang Ruiqing's English into German that Hitler could understand, and then Hitler spoke a lot of German quickly and urgently. Li Fuji translated: "Hitler said: He hoped that China and Germany could sign an agreement on a joint attack on the Soviet Union, stipulating that China and Germany must be ready to attack the Soviet Union within 10 years. Beginning on January 1, 1935, any country between China and Germany that waged war against the Soviet Union had to join the other country and jointly attack the Soviet Union. In addition, China, Germany, and Britain should further strengthen military-technical cooperation, jointly develop new types of weapons and equipment, and strengthen military exchanges......"

While Li Fuji was translating, Hitler was secretly looking at the quiet Chang Ruiqing out of the corner of his eye. Chang Ruiqing guessed correctly, this time, Hitler was indeed under the "instruction" of Britain to put forward this "ten-year plan to attack the Soviet Union". However, Hitler also knew very well that the British did not really want to destroy the Soviet Union, but just wanted to give the Soviet Union a taste of it. Therefore, Hitler was very obedient and did not propose any plan for the partition of the Soviet Union, so as not to irritate the nerves of Britain and France. But can the Chinese dictator agree to sign an agreement that has little to offer, but which obliges him to go to war?

However, Chang Ruiqing did not show a dissatisfied look, but listened to Li Fuji's translation with a smile, and then replied with a smile: "Such an agreement to jointly attack the Soviet Union is indeed very much in line with my wishes, it is better to call it the 'Anti-Third International Agreement', our current enemies are not only the Soviet Union, but also Soviet Japan, Soviet Poland and the Persian Republic controlled by the Soviet Union, and may face more enemies in the future." As he spoke, he looked up at Major General Fuller, chief of staff of the British armored corps, and asked, "Mr. Fuller, is the British Empire ready to become a party to the 'Anti-Third International Agreement'?" ”

Hearing this, Fuller looked at Hitler, who hurriedly said: "It is not convenient for Britain to formally join this agreement, but Britain will help China and Germany as much as possible." ”

That's to be expected, but it's nice to have help from the UK. Chang Ruiqing paused for a while, and then said: "So is Britain ready to participate in the research and development of uranium alloy armor-piercing shells?" ”

"Britain is ready to participate." Fuller and Rutherford exchanged glances, and said, "We will also be responsible for providing one-third of the research and development funds, and we will also share all the relevant technologies of uranium alloy armor-piercing shells." ”

"And what about the research and development work on the technology for industrial separation of uranium-235?" Chang Ruiqing seemed a little uneasy, and asked again.

Rutherford glanced at Hahn, the German scientist beside Hitler, and replied with a smile: "Just leave it to the Cavendish Schino room and the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute." ”

"We Chinese scientists also have to participate in this research and development, and when the research and development is successful, Britain and Germany are also obliged to help China build an isotope separation plant."

"Okay, we can take it." Fuller replied. When he said this, he glanced at Li Fuji beside Chang Ruiqing suspiciously, and seemed to have a little doubt about the true use of uranium.

As soon as Fuller's words fell, Hitler also said with a smile on his face: "Germany may also accept China's request, and in addition to uranium alloy armor-piercing shells, Germany also has several ongoing secret weapons research and development that China and Britain would like to participate in." (To be continued.) )