Chapter 151

The navy is too expensive, and the cost of a battleship can equip a mechanized army, and an aircraft carrier can arm an infantry army. Despite burning money, Fang Jianxiong gritted his teeth to support the navy, for the simple reason that the future belongs to the ocean. In fact, since the Qing Dynasty was opened by British cannons, the sea has been a battleground for China to return to the ranks of world powers. Isn't the United States clamoring for the first island chain of republics in parallel time and space? The biggest significance of the existence of this island chain is that the United States has the leading power to encompass the interests of the entire Pacific Ocean. If China wants to go to the world and gain more living space, the sea must be contested.

Not to mention, there is also a bastard neighbor with a strong navy by his side. The struggle for the sea is to compete for the future of the country and the nation, and there is no room for error. Although after more than 20 years of accumulation, the country is not rich, and it is very difficult to support the navy and army at the same time, but Fang Jianxiong has no choice. The sea is the future, and there are countless resources in the west and north underground.

Europe, after seeing the purpose of Britain and France to cut off the Norwegian passage, Hitler finally made up his mind to solve the Norwegian problem, and without Swedish steel, this battle would not be fought. When the Germans were making their battle plans, the German Navy, which did not have much naval capital, sank the Graaf-Bess by the British Navy in South America on December 17, 39, which gave the German Navy a clear idea. In order to take Norway, it was impossible for the German navy to fight Britain head-on, so it played a trick to hide the sky and the sea, and preemptively moved before the British and French forces, and the first fleet disguised itself as a freighter carrying heavy equipment and military rations lurking in Norwegian waters.

On April 9, 1940, Germany issued an ultimatum to Norway and Denmark to accept German "protection". The King of Denmark, who is over 70 years old, convenes a cabinet meeting. German conditions were accepted. The Germans passed through Denmark with 140,000 troops, 1,300 aircraft, and more than 230 ships in 14 divisions. The Norwegian government does not look at its strength, it has only 6 active divisions. The strength of 15,550 people (the establishment of this division is too weird, it should be a serious lack of strength).

The weak Norwegian government has issued a cry of "we will never give in, we will fight". That's what they say, and that's what they do. In Oslo, the heavy cruiser German battleship Blucher was sunk with shore artillery. The heavy patrol of the Lützov was heavily damaged. The Germans launched a fierce attack at any cost, and finally the commander of the first division stationed in Oslo, Eric Hesen, could not bear it and ran away to Sweden first, and the commander of the second division surrendered to the Germans. German paratroopers shine in this campaign, landing at Fornab airfield, and then improvised a military band. Blowing and blowing and blowing entered Oslo.

The king of Norway did not surrender and led his troops to the Arctic forest, suffering heavy losses under the frenzied bombardment of the German air, but the Norwegian king and government did not compromise, and they continued to move north, insisting on fighting.

While Norway was fighting, the British navy began to show that it was far superior to the Germans. The German cruiser Gönigsberg was surrounded and sunk by 15 aircraft. In Narvik, a British fleet of five destroyers attacked the German navy in the Grand Harbour. 2 German destroyers were sunk, 3 were heavily damaged, as well as all German cargo ships, and Rear Admiral Bundy of the German Navy was killed. However, the British fleet did not please it, and as soon as it left Narvik, it met another German fleet, and two destroyers were sunk in a chaotic battle. Two ships were heavily damaged. When Churchill heard the news, he ordered the navy to retaliate.

The battleship Wasbat and the aircraft carrier Fury struck out, and with the cooperation of nine destroyers, swept across the harbor of Narvik, where all the German warships were there. All destroyed. On 20 April, the Anglo-French forces attempted to land at the port of Namsos, but were hit hard by the Germans, so they abandoned their plans and turned north to cooperate with Norwegian government forces.

In the north, the British and French forces were victorious, and after 15 days of fierce fighting, the city of Narvik was captured.

The war in Norway was not extinguished, and a new war was ignited in Western Europe. Hitler, who basically controlled Norway, couldn't wait to avenge Versailles' revenge. A military operation called Plan Yellow was launched to sweep through the low-lying countries of Belgium and the Netherlands. Belgium is a little better, the Netherlands is hateful. During the First World War, the German army in Holland suffered from the river. The Dutch opened the floodgates at every turn and flooded them, which was troublesome. So the bridge to Rotterdam became extremely important, and the Germans played another parachute, and one guy took the bridge. Now there is no good way to do it in the Netherlands, and it is useless to release water.

The Dutch, hoping for Allied support, did not give up in difficult circumstances, holding the bridgehead at the other end of the bridge. Unfortunately, the allies again played the role of pig teammates, and on May 14, the Netherlands surrendered.

In Belgium, German gliders staged a brilliant special operation, and within ten minutes, while 1,200 defenders were still asleep, the Eben-Emaar battery easily changed hands. This fortress, which had dozens of huge cannons and was difficult to overcome, was taken by the Germans. Without the shelter of a fortress that has been painstakingly maintained for many years, Belgium faces a naked beauty to a strong man who is in high spirits.

On 28 May, Belgium surrendered.

It is worth mentioning that on May 10, when the German ambassador entered the office of the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs and was taking a telegram from his pocket, Mr. Minister interrupted him: "I beg your pardon, Mr. Ambassador, let me speak first. You have just attacked our country, committing a criminal aggression against Belgium, which is loyal to neutrality. In 25 years, already for the second time. What is happening now is even more odious than the aggression that took place in 1914. The German side did not present an ultimatum to Belgium, nor did it issue a note or protest. In this regard, Belgium has made up its mind to defend its country. ”

The German ambassador continued to read his ultimatum as if he had not heard this, as if he were oblivious to the fact that the German troops had actually entered Belgium. The Belgian minister interrupted him: "Leave me with the text, I am willing to absolve you of this painful responsibility." "What happened to Belgium and the Netherlands proves once again that a weak country has no place in the hearts of a powerful enemy. If you want to hit you, hit you, and pinch you if you want to.

During the period of the Republic of China in history, how could this not be the case in China? Therefore, the country cannot be weak, and a weak country has no dignity at all! The citizens of a weak country are only worthy of being manipulated and bullied. In this sense, the Republic is worthy of the declaration that "the Chinese people stand up." Since that day, China has not been a country where anyone can enter militarily if they want.

At 6 p.m. on May 10, the day the German army entered Belgium, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain submitted his resignation, and half an hour later, a 66-year-old fat man named Churchill, who liked to hold a cigar, was recruited into the palace. The King looked at Churchill for a moment with a sharp and wondrous eye, and then said, "Do you know why I came to you?" Churchill replied, "Your Majesty, I can't think of why?" King: "I will ask you to organize a government." Churchill gladly accepted. At 10 o'clock that night, a list of five cabinet members was drawn up.

Churchill, a hard-liner who was appointed in times of crisis, was never liked in peacetime. But at this time, Churchill's toughness did give the nation confidence. In his inaugural address, Churchill said: "I make it clear to Parliament, as I have made it clear to the ministers who have come into the Cabinet, that all I can offer is blood, toil, tears and sweat and that what we are facing will be a very severe test, a protracted struggle and suffering."

What is our policy? My answer is: fight on land, at sea, in the air. Fight with all our might, with all the strength God has given us, against a tyranny unprecedented in the dark, pathetic history of human sin. That's our policy.

What is our goal? I can answer in one word, and that is victory. Win the victory at any cost-not be afraid of terror, win the victory-no matter how long or arduous the road ahead is. Because you can't survive without victory.

It is important to realize that without victory there would be no British Empire, that without victory there would be no more of the symbol of the British Empire, and that without victory there would be no more centuries of strong demands and impulses that humanity should strive for its own goals. ”

The rise to power of the hardliner Churchill did not change much of the reality. On May 10, the Germans entered the Ardennes Pass, and under air cover, the 7 Panzer Divisions of Army Group A rushed out of the Ardennes Forest in three days in a long snake formation, and the resistance of the French cavalry could be said to be negligible.

France was completely stunned and plunged into chaos. The French government appointed the 73-year-old Weygand as commander-in-chief, and after taking office, Weygand tried to form a line of defense on the Somme. The Germans did not give the French the slightest opportunity to violently attack the French supply lines and staging areas with aircraft and long-range heavy artillery. The French army was completely passive and did not have the strength to confront the German army during the First World War.

France's defeat was doomed, not because of its lack of strength, but because of its all-round backwardness in tactical thinking, and because of the self-inflicted consequences of the policy of appeasement. Seven tank divisions rushed west along the north bank of the Somme in wedge-shaped formations, unstoppable. Advancing at a rapid pace of 20-40 kilometers per day, the German soldiers told the French along the way: "We don't have time to capture you, lay down your arms and flee for your life to the south, lest you get in the way." ”

The war was spreading rapidly in France, and the plans made by the French staff officers had not yet begun to be implemented, and the war situation was completely different. The German mechanized units were simply on the road, and the French Air Force, which had been beaten by the Luftwaffe at the beginning of the war, did not have much opportunity to perform in this battle.

France is crying under the iron hooves of the German army!

ps:ps: Because of the Chinese New Year, the update was delayed, everyone understands. I'll briefly explain the European thing, and then I'll go back to Asia.