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France surrendered!

"The free world began to fall, the iron hooves of the fascist Nazis conquered France, and England became the last bright place on the European continent. But we will not surrender! We will fight in the oceans, we will fight in the air with more and more confidence and more and more power, and we will defend the soil at any cost. We will fight on the beaches, we will fight on the landing sites of the enemy, we will fight on the streets of the fields, we will fight in the mountains. We will not surrender! Even if our island or a large part of this island is conquered and plunged into famine! I never believed that this would happen to our imperial subjects overseas, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries belonging to the Commonwealth, were coming from all over the world! They will fight to the end with us, armed and protected by the Royal Navy! We will not surrender until the new world, when God thinks fit, will use all its strength to save and liberate the old world.

We will never surrender, we will fight to the end! ”——

Winston Churchill.

On June 13, at 18:30 local time in France, in the Foch carriage in the Compiègne Forest, the Franco-German armistice negotiations ended. Shortly after the French government representative Huntsger signed the instrument of surrender, Churchill delivered a speech over the radio in front of 100,000 people at a rally, Downing Street, in which Britain would fight to the end. Although his speech was impassioned, and although the old lord tried to revive the majesty of the British Empire, even the British themselves believed that the war had been lost! The French on the other side of the Atlantic even joked that in three weeks Britain would be picking up cigars dropped by the Germans, as they did.

The surrender of France completely changed the world pattern. The Renault government resigned. Petain, hailed as a hero of the First World War, was pushed to the fore and took over the baton of power in shame. The cowardly French parliament convened an emergency session and began to form a capitulation government in order to cater to Germany, and also demanded that the governors of the colonies swear allegiance to the new government. At the same time, it also promised Germany that the French who cooperated with other countries in the war against Germany would be dealt with by military law! That is to say, de Gaulle's Free French Army, which fled from the country, was actually just a group of war criminals! Meanwhile. Hitler, however, fell into a frenzy, and even demanded that the Foch carriage be transported to Berlin as an exhibit to commemorate the victory of the war, and that the monument to the French victory in World War I should be blown up, leaving only a statue of Marshal Foch. Let him watch alone as the German tanks galloped by.

England was the first to panic! On the eastern coastline, soldiers can be seen digging trenches in the seaside gardens and standing guard on the docks. A little further inland from the coast, women in towns and cities large are mobilized, nervously digging so-called "deterrent lines" and anti-tank trenches. The men, on the other hand, began to build fortifications and barbed wire fences on the outskirts of the city and on the main streets of the city. All the gardens were required to have bomb shelters, and the former golf course was turned into an anti-aircraft artillery position. The racecourse became a barracks, and the wharves of fishing boats were filled with mines! Citizens began to accept the crude weapons issued by the government, the government began to teach people to make Molotov cocktails on the radio, and suicide blasters were passed among the workers! On London Square and on the rooftop terrace. The population began to conduct air defense training, and every household needed to send lookouts. Even the hotel women joined the ambulance team, and the waiters who drove the elevator went to dig trenches as soon as they got off work.

Hitler strolled through the streets of Paris, lingering at the Eiffel Tower and the Élysée Palace. The British, on the other hand, were lining up to hand out gas masks. The children were gathered together and nameplates hung up. Carrying a small school bag on their backs, they took their favorite toys and rag dolls and sent them to a refuge in the inland countryside, because their parents were no longer able to take care of their children, and all the coastal subjects of England had to take up arms.

But the great French conquerors apparently rejoiced too soon!

When the news of France's surrender was brought around the world by radio waves, and the whole of Germany was in a frenzy, Jiang Baili, as Yang Qiu's envoy, had secretly arrived in London. In addition to bringing the important news that Yang Qiu will visit Cairo in a week, he also took out a carefully prepared list of weapons. 500,000 rifles that have been sealed with grease for more than 20 years, 5,000 203 mm, 152 mm, 105 mm, 85 mm, 76 mm and 75 mm field guns, 50,000 old Han 2 machine guns (Bren type) machine guns, 100,000 Stern submachine guns, 50,000 grenadiers, 600 T34 tanks, 1,200 BT and T26 tanks, 30 territorial water-class anti-submarine frigates, 800,000 gas masks, 50,000 tons of canned luncheon meat, 20,000 tons of tungsten ore, 50,000 tons of aluminum, etc. All weapons are equipped with five base ammunition.

The total price is 5.6 billion yuan (about 2.8 billion US dollars)!

Not only expensive but also black! Before the war, excluding resources, weapons were worth up to 50 million US dollars, not to mention that most of these weapons were warehouse goods (old goods at the bottom of the box) and captured Soviet weapons, which were not achieved at all. But even so, Field Marshal Alexander jumped up excitedly: "1800 tanks!" 5000 cannons? Is this true? Do you have that many weapons? How long does it take to ship by sea? ”

Although they are all captured Soviet-style tanks, now I am afraid that Britain is willing to buy thousands of even the most primitive "water tanks". Even Marshal Pound of the Navy pinched his finger bones white, thirty territorial water-class anti-submarine frigates German submarines are in trouble! (There were not many German submarines at that time).

Buy! Buy it at any cost, even if it's bankrupt!

This is no joke! After losing all the heavy equipment in Dunkirk, the British government now can't even muster the heavy equipment of three infantry divisions! The lack of weapons is unbearable! For example, the anti-tank guns deployed on the coastline only had six shells per gun, and the artillery command had to ban all exercises in order to save ammunition! Of all the soldiers, only 50 rounds of ammunition were rifles, and half of the 1.5 million National Guard, who were eventually armed with shovels and golf clubs. On the southern coast, people were also ordered to remove street signs from all streets to prevent landfall.

It is said that this will make the Germans get lost.

In order to raise weapons, the British government even requisitioned 20,000 old flintlock pistols from private collections.

It is conceivable that when Jiang Baili came up with a list and said that light weapons, artillery and ammunition and gas masks could all be shipped within a week. 1,200 BT and T26 units delivered in three months at the latest, and 150 units per month of the T34, what a shock to the UK! There are also doubts that Britain can't afford to wait now, so no one wants to get a blank check.

Jiang Baili could understand the mood of the British in terms of gains and losses, so he looked at his watch in a hurry and nodded to the translator. With his movements, the interpreter immediately took out the materials of the Second Central Asian Battle that had been prepared from his bag, got up and handed them to Marshal Alexander with both hands: "Your Excellency Marshal." If there were no surprises, the Battle of Tashkent should have started by this moment. In addition, a week ago we thwarted the Soviets' plans for a counteroffensive, annihilating at least 270,000 Soviet troops and encircling their main forces in the Petropavlovsk triangle. The total number of people is between 600 and 700,000. ”

"Is this true?"

"It can't be! Stalin mobilized more than a hundred divisions to take part in the counterattack. ”

"God!"

Alexander's eyes widened suddenly, and the entire conference room exploded. The military and political officials around them were all dazed and shocked. Of course, they knew something about the Second Central Asian War, although they could not get a specific battle report, but they learned from the intelligence of the Soviet side that Stalin dispatched hundreds of divisions and launched a surprise attack! Therefore, everyone thought that China and the Soviet Union would start a vicious war. So no one expected that the Chinese envoy would come up with such shocking news with shaking hands. My God! Tashkent had half a million Soviet troops. If the Petropavlovsk encirclement really has 600,000, plus the 270,000 that have already been wiped out, another East Kazakh campaign is born! Coupled with sporadic figures such as Afghanistan and Ahvaz, the Soviet Union has lost more than three million main troops since the start of the war!

The interpreter didn't seem to listen to the shouts around him, and continued: "If there is no accident. In two weeks, the Soviet army in Tashkent will be completely wiped out! By the end of July, we will liberate the entire region of Central Asia from Petropavlovsk to the east of the Aral Sea! So rest assured, we have exactly enough weapons to pay, and we will do everything in our power to contain the power of the Soviet Union. In no way will they be given the opportunity to destroy Europe! ”

Quiet, quiet or quiet!

When the translation is all done. All that was left of the room was a heavy gasp.

The Katyn massacre and the Soviet-German secret deal were announced, and Britain has been worried that the Soviet-German alliance will be formalized. But now even if there is an alliance, I am afraid that the Soviet Union will not be able to project much strength to Europe, so Britain's enemies are only Germany, right, and Italy.

Knowing that Central Asia is about to win again, the red-eyed Alexander is going crazy! Only Churchill remained silent, because he understood that in this world, any large arms business between countries has a political purpose. So he slowly lit his cigar and stared at Jiang Baili with his eyes like falcons: "Mr. Special Envoy, what does England need to pay?" Is it just gold and currency? ”

The two substantive gazes not only made the officers and cabinet ministers present gradually calm down, but also made Jiang Baili secretly exclaim in his heart, no wonder Yang Qiu would regard this old lord as his main opponent. Fortunately, he was prepared, and smiled peacefully: "400 million yuan in cash or equivalent gold and bonds, Anglo-Iranian oil company, Kuwait supervision, and hand over the Chagos Archipelago to our country as a supply point for the navy, in preparation for your country's military operations, and finally recognize our country's temporary trusteeship of the French East Indies, we can't let the hostile country control here, even if France surrenders to the government." ”

"It can't be!"

Before Jiang Baili's conditions were finished, British Admiral Pound angrily interrupted: "There is a long-term agreement between Kuwait and the British government, and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company is also an important property of our country, and it is also impossible to sell it. ”

"Huh?" Jiang Baili was lightly surprised in his heart, he didn't expect that Pound first questioned Kuwait and Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, but instead disdained the Chagos Archipelago that Yang Qiu had taken care of many times.

In fact, Jiang Baili is not clear, even Yang Qiu is not clear, although the strategic location of the Chagos Islands in later generations is extremely important, but at present, because Britain has too many good ports in the Indian Ocean, the location of Ceylon and Socotra Island is better than that of Chagoss, and Churchill has considered taking the French Navy into his pocket, even if it is unacceptable, it must be destroyed all! It was also prepared to take all the East African colonies, including Madagascar and the Seychelles, into trusteeship in one go, so it did not attach importance to the archipelago with only one naval refueling station. Not to mention 30 anti-submarine frigates, 10 are willing to transfer. What Britain really values is Kuwait and Anglo-Iranian oil companies! The former is currently the only three remaining areas of control in the Persian Gulf (the other two being Oman and Yemen), while the latter is an important source of oil and a key pawn in Iran's continued involvement in the post-war period.

As for the French East Indies, from Churchill to the beggars at the bottom. No one cares, because they have long hated the French!

Jiang Baili, who was confident, was very aware of Britain's situation, and put away the list with a smile: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, the President has considered formally forming an alliance with your country in Cairo. Provided, of course, that we get a fair standing! As for the marshal's concern for oil security, we can commit to providing your country with three million tons of crude oil annually from now until the end of the war, through Saudi Arabia's Saudi China Petroleum Corporation and Gulf Oil Company. As for the Anglo-Iranian oil company, it is not actually that we want to buy, it is the request of the Iranian government. Your Excellency Prime Minister, now is the time to unite all forces against the fascist Nazis. Are you really willing to give up the chance to defeat the USSR and Germany in order to protect a company with revenues of only £4 million a year? You should know that as long as the Caucasus is not occupied by us for a day, the Soviets will supply Germany with oil in a steady stream! So far, this supply has exceeded two million tons per month!

So we bought it later. It will not be taken for ourselves, but will be returned to the Iranian government, so that the Iranian government and people can better serve us and fight the Soviet-German Nazis together. The Iranian government has promised us that it will provide your country with 2 million tons of oil per year free of charge after redeeming the oil fields! As for Kuwait, this is just to balance the needs of Saudi Arabia and Iran, you know. The Iraqis are very close to Germany, Turkey is also pro-German, and we have received definite information that the Soviet Union has provided the Kurds with a large number of weapons and ammunition, and they are very likely to cooperate with Germany in attacking Iraq! As for your worries, there is no need. As long as East Oman (present-day Oman) is in your hands, we can share the right to ship in the Strait of Hormuz. ”

"Is Mr. Yang Qiu really considering announcing an alliance in Cairo?"

Churchill's pupils began to dilate, and he didn't even pay much attention to the words that followed. Although they knew that it was impossible for China to send troops to Europe for the time being, if Yang Qiu announced an alliance immediately after the defeat of France, it would be a shot in the arm for the British people! What's more. Although Roosevelt verbally promised to consider sending troops, the damned glorious policy of isolation was not so easy to break through. So he has even recently begun to use his brains, preparing to find a few submarines disguised as German submarines to launch a sneak attack on New York Harbor.

Ahem, it's a secret!

The black-hearted old man coughed twice, came back to his senses from his scattered thoughts, and constantly weighed the pros and cons in his heart.

There is no doubt that Yang Qiu was greedy, but Yang Qiu's greed has always been controlled in the Persian Gulf and the Asian part, avoiding India and Africa, which were most important to the British. Of course, the British Ministry of Intelligence is well aware of the relationship between the Muslim League and his relationship, but even if the Muslim League is divided, it will not be able to cut the Gangetic Plain, the richest in India. As for Kuwait, he is also right, controlling East Oman is equivalent to controlling the Strait of Hormuz, so why not trade with small Kuwait?

As if seeing through Churchill's hole cards, Jiang Baili smiled deliberately: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, you can continue to wait for the US government's list of sales." But let's not forget that His Excellency Roosevelt had already announced the expansion of the Army last month, and he had hundreds of thousands of troops in dire need of armament. From a military point of view, even if the United States is willing to enter the war, it will not be able to complete preparations until the end of the year. So to alleviate your country's concerns, the president has made it clear before departure that three fighter groups will be sent to your country if necessary to help defend England's air security, but our pressure on the ground and at sea is too great, so you have no reinforcements before the end of the year! ”

Jiang Fangzhen's words were like a sharp sword piercing the heart of Britain, repeatedly hitting the soft underbelly. Churchill's face instantly turned black like a ball of charcoal, because his every word hit the nail on the head! Even if Roosevelt used the trick of submarines, he would need enough time to prepare for war, so between now and the beginning of 42, it would be the most dangerous and difficult truncation for England.

"I don't have the authority to make such an important decision, it will take time to discuss it with the Cabinet Council." The old gentleman, who was full of confidence in front of the British people, took the initiative to lower his tone, but his teeth were clucking.

Jiang Baili was not only not nervous, but very happy, and smiled slightly: "Okay, but I hope to reach a peripheral negotiation with you before Cairo." ”

Yang Qiu took advantage of the fire to rob. While encroaching on the heritage of Britain and France, deep in the dense rainforest of Shicomu, Yanagawa Heisuke and the officers also stood respectfully in front of the map, their eyes following the back of Shunroku Hatata. The news of France's surrender had reached here, but he was not happy, because the "French meal" that he thought he could enjoy easily before the war had suddenly turned sour! The 18th Division, which swept through the South Seas, ran into a wall in Siem Reap and was blocked by only two regiments, losing even the most valuable chariot troops, and finally even alarmed the commander-in-chief of the southward advance, Shunroku Hatata, to personally supervise the battle.

"Yanagawa-kun. Can you tell me about the movement of the Chinese troops? Shunroku Hatatake stared at the map, his tone surprisingly calm. But all the officers knew that he was not so good to serve.

Yanagawa Heisuke immediately stepped forward and pointed to the map of the French East Indies: "Hey! General, please see, the chariot unit of China is parked north of Hanoi. The French clearly did not intend to open railways and military facilities for them to use. Of the six infantry divisions, two have already crossed the Red River towards Vientiane, and an airborne regiment has been parachuted into Ban Phapong as their vanguard. One division entered Haiphong, one division was behind the chariot units, and the last two divisions were moving towards Nghe An in Annam, presumably to capture Porikanxay and Khammon in Laos. Two marines of the Navy also landed ashore from Da Nang and Hue and Kampong Son. The directions are Champasak and Siem Reap respectively. ”

"Is there any movement in the three army divisions in Kunming?"

"Not yet."

"Very well, but what about your troops?"

"The 114th Division has arrived in Chonburi and is coming, and in three days I will be able to gather two divisions, and I will definitely be able to take Siem Reap and defeat the Chinese people! The 29th Division has also taken over from the Siamese Army in the offensive against Champasak. I also sent a wing to Vientiane to support, as long as we take these places before the main force of China arrives, we can do so. ”

"Yanagawa-kun! Are you ready to drain all the troops that the empire has given you in Siem Reap? Before Yanagawa Heisuke finished speaking, Shunroku Hata's face turned cold. Impatiently interrupted: "As a lieutenant general of the Great Japanese Imperial Army." You should be aware that neither the resources nor manpower of the empire can be compared to that of China. Nanyang is too far away from the soil and lacks industrial capacity, so every soldier here is precious! Now the people of China have a chariot division and eight infantry divisions to arrive, and there are three more divisions in Yunnan that can go south at any time! If you have to fight slowly like this, are you preparing for a decisive battle with the people of China and us here? ”

After hearing the dissatisfaction in the words, Yanagawa Heisuke's sideburns suddenly dripped two drops of cold sweat: "Please give instructions to Your Excellency the General!" ”

Seeing that Yanagawa realized his mistake, Shunroku Hata slowed down his speech: "Yanagawa-kun, the navy has taken Ceylon and opened up the communication line in the Andaman Sea. In order to stabilize their position, those people desperately promoted this victory at home. Now Admiral Hill is still waiting in Ceylon for the British fleet to take the bait, if. Shunroku Hata paused, his eyes swept over the Japanese officers around: "So, our army needs this victory to wash away the shame of losing to Shina twice!" Prove to the people that China is not invincible! To boost the morale of the entire empire! But at the same time, we have to be fast, we have to race against time, and we have to avoid a decisive battle with the Shina forces here, because the empire will need some time to prepare. ”

Yanagawa Heisuke blinked twice secretly, what kind of strategy is this? If you can't take Siem Reap and Champasak, what's the use of going deep and playing fast? If you want to win, how can you make the other party endure this breath? ”

Seeing that he still didn't understand, Shunroku Hata continued: "We have received accurate information that the Soviet allies have already invested more than a hundred divisions to launch a counteroffensive, and China must guarantee one hundred and thirty divisions in Central Asia and West Asia in the short term, and there are still thirty divisions in the Persian Gulf, so the troops that have entered Indochina now are the maximum force they can come up with." So they've been sending false signals that they're only sending troops to fulfill their agreement with France, but they've actually started covert operations. According to the reports of Kagesa Zhenzhao Daisa's subordinates, it is likely that there have been major changes within Annam recently, and there are many radicals and guerrillas who have received the support of the Shina people. Through these, it can be seen that the main purpose of Yang Qiu of China this time is not actually aimed at us, he wants to take over the colony of Annan! Therefore, you have to settle Siem Reap and Champasak as soon as possible, cut off the north-south connection of the Mekong River, and occupy Laos and the south of Annam, so that their army will not be able to join forces with the navy, and they will have to retreat to the north without army support. ”

Yanagawa Heisuke secretly complained in his heart. To put it simply, if you don't have a navy on your side, you can't force the Shina Navy planes that hover overhead all day, how can you cut off the Mekong River? On the contrary, Masanobu Tsuji next to him was particularly active, and interjected: "General, in fact, this is very simple. You see, the stubbornness and non-cooperation of the French, the advance of the China Army was actually very slow. Because this is not Central Asia, and the rainforests and rivers will bog down heavy tanks and trucks, we should attack more actively, using the silver wheel tactics, interspersing Annam in great depth and outflanking the Chinese army! ”

"Oh? Tell us about your plans. Shunroku Hata had a good impression of Masanobu Tsuji, so he immediately asked.

Seeing that the commander-in-chief of the army's southward march was willing to listen to his plan, Tsuji Masa's confidence became even more proud, and he pointed to the map and quickly flipped his lips: "Siem Reap is an important barrier to the east, but it is not the only one. You can use the Silver Wheel Army, taking advantage of the light and fast characteristics of the Imperial Army, cross the Biandan Mountains and enter from the direction of Gage, and then attack Kratie along the Mekong River to the south, outflanking the Chinese army in Siem Reap! Similarly, in Champasak, the offensive task was to continue to be handed over to the Siamese Army, so that the 29th Division would abandon the frontal assault and quickly enter the territory of Annam from Asopo and run to the sea, cutting off the connection between the Chinese army and navy. ”

"Your Excellency Masanobu Tsuji, the Shina Army is not a British team, they have very complete firepower, and they have a lot of trucks and vehicles. Let the lightly armed Silver Wheel troops go out, and once they encounter artillery and aircraft blockade, the losses will be very large. Yanagawa Heisuke was angry, and secretly scolded Masanobu Tsuji in his heart for not being emotional. If he followed his plan, wouldn't it be tantamount to saying that his command in the past few days was wrong?

Masanobu Tsuji, who wanted to be in the limelight, didn't care about this, and when he saw Yanagawa Heisuke questioning his plan, he immediately said loudly: "Commander, although the people of China have trucks and heavy artillery, this is not Central Asia, the rainforest will make the power of planes and artillery decrease, muddy roads and rivers, and the roots are not suitable for truck movement!" Only our Silver Wheel troops will not be restricted by the terrain and can easily intersperse detours. They don't even need to be eliminated, as long as they are threatened and feel the power of the Empire, they will retreat immediately. ”

After Masanobu Tsuji finished speaking, he went to agitate Shunroku Hata again: "General, didn't you just say that the people of Shina would provoke a coup d'état in Annam in the near future?" Then it is even more decisive to take a comprehensive detour! Because once they collude with the Annam people to succeed in the coup d'état, then no one can stop the Chinese from taking control of this place. ”

Shunroku Hata nodded with satisfaction and looked at Yanagawa Heisuke: "What Masasan Tsuji said makes a lot of sense. Yanagawa-kun, what do you think? ”