"How much would our environment change if the High Seas Fleet could take advantage of Norway's many natural harbors?" At one meeting, Hipper's seemingly casual remark shocked the attendees, and he really couldn't imagine what the purpose of this high-ranking official in asking such a question was now being discussed how to deal with the British.

"Go on, let's listen." After a brief silence, Tirpitz smiled and encouraged the latter to continue. Although he didn't understand why Hipper would ask such a question at this moment, he believed that Hipper's words definitely had a deep meaning.

"I've heard a submarine commander named Dönitz complain that one of his biggest fears after a sortie is crossing the North Sea. Outside the cover range of our air force, the British deployed a large number of long-range twin- and four-engine aircraft and airships, they tracked the submarine and guided the anti-submarine warfare ships to attack our submarines. And if we could get from Bergen, Trondheim or Stavanger in Sweden, our submarines would have direct access to the Norwegian Sea, while the British would have to use only the airfields of the Shetland Islands at home airports, which would greatly reduce the threat to our submarine fleet. Submarine forces could go directly north to the Norwegian Sea, and then move along the edge of the line of aircraft patrols of the British. The restrictions of the other side on our submarines will become very low. Hippert explained.

"And if our High Seas Fleet can use this as an anchorage, then we will be putting our guns on the head of the British Grand Fleet. Maybe rely on the airports in Shetland. There will be some hardships in our attack, but the scope of action of the Grand Fleet will inevitably be greatly reduced, and even they will have to pay careful attention to the time they spend repairing their ships. Otherwise, there is a good chance that we will seize the opportunity. Looking at everyone's strange eyes, Hipper continued.

"But if the British take a preventive attack, destroy these ports before we can enter them, and what you say will be useless. It is impossible for the High Seas Fleet to be permanently stationed for a long time in a place where basic logistics cannot be provided. An officer retorted.

"Well, just in case, the British had to leave the air force protection of the Shetland Islands to risk attacking these ports? And then our biggest problem was solved. The British came out, and we just happened to fight them ?! Scheer said excitedly.

"That's what it means, if we attack Norway. In order to guarantee the blockade of the High Seas Fleet, the British had to act, whether it was to help Norway defend itself against our attack or to preventively destroy Norwegian ports. And Norway has a long coastline. The British wanted to destroy these ports. It will take a lot of time, we have a lot of opportunities to choose to engage the British, and the waters around Norway are already out of the combat radius of British land-based aviation. At least their twin-engine planes can't fly. And if we can get some airfields early and send planes over, we're on the ground running! Hipper went on to add.

"The idea is good, even if it can only provide a forward base for submarines, it will put a lot of pressure on the British. It was also said that if we could use some of the Norwegian ports as a base, we could force the British Grand Fleet to fight. It's a good prospect. The only question now is whether the army will be able to attack or force Norway to accept our terms, and whether His Majesty the Emperor will support our plans. "Ponder for a moment. Scheer thought that there was a great possibility that Hipper's plan would at least break the blockade of the German Navy by the British! So that the high seas fleet gained a geographical advantage!

And when this plan was perfected, it was sent by Tirpitz to the Kaiser's desk. The German emperor was also considering whether it would be appropriate to do so. After Spain joined the side of the Central Powers, the German Army did not gain much advantage in the French battlefield, although the French were forced to transfer some of their forces to the southern front, but the Americans filled the gap, and the German Army repeatedly defeated the Allied Army and tore through their defenses, but was finally blocked by a steady stream of reinforcements and the Allied air force. The American behemoth is gradually adapting to the battlefield after a period of warm-up, and their army is gradually gaining experience and more equipment, while the German army is exhausted after four years of hard work. So much so that Moltke the Younger more than once privately suggested that William consider the possibility of a truce.

"If the war is for profit, then we have already won, and the land from the Russians is enough for us to develop for 20 years or more. After decades of development, the German Empire can definitely become the first power, and neither China nor the United States can change this reality. Even if we can defeat France completely this time, we will definitely succeed next time. We've reached the pinnacle of expansion, we've overdrawn our forces to gain an advantage on the battlefield, and if we continue to fight, the results will only get worse and worse. Moltke persuaded William to consider the possibility of an armistice.

As the monarch of a country, William is also thinking about what Germany can gain after the armistice, if the armistice negotiations are carried out on the premise of maintaining the border line between France and Germany before the war, then Germany can control Belgium and the Netherlands, Italy, Austria-Hungary and Spain are its allies, and in the whole of Western Europe, only France and Portugal are not under the control of Germany, and Germany can obtain the former Russian land as its own war dividend. Although he failed to defeat France on the battlefield, he made the vast majority of European countries prostrate at the feet of Germany or became allies of Germany, which can be regarded as achieving the purpose before the war.

And if the fight continues, with the support of the Americans, who are getting better and better, the exhausted German Army is indeed unlikely to achieve the task of pushing down France. The Kaiser began to consider how to get the Allies to agree to an armistice, and Wilhelm thought that his withdrawal from the French mainland should satisfy the French. And if you want the British to stop the war, it must threaten the survival of Britain, as an island country, the cornerstone of his survival is a strong navy, if it can severely damage the large fleet, it will naturally let the British think about it. As for the United States? If both Britain and France agreed, what else would the Americans have to jump?

This time, Tirpitz's letter mentioned a plan that could pose a serious threat to the British navy, that is, to use the Norwegian ports to gain a geographical advantage and force the other side to fight the Germans. This plan was exactly what Wilhelm II needed now. If the war is won, the British Grand Fleet will no longer be safe on the home turf after it has been badly damaged, and the sea lines of transportation will not be guaranteed. At that time, the British would naturally consider negotiations, and if they lost, Tirpitz also said that they could guarantee the safety of Germany's coastal waters with the cooperation of land-based aviation. From this point of view, Germany will not lose much even if it loses, and it will be very beneficial if it wins.

I have to say that this plan is fascinating. As for the attack on Norway, a country whose military strength can only be described as a fourth-rate, the German Army can also be described as hand-to-hand. As long as the Kaiser wanted to, then it was not a problem to capture the whole of Norway, and in the face of Norway, which was supported by Britain's absolute naval superiority in World War II, Nazi Germany took Norway in less than February. In this plane, the German navy was stronger than the British, and with the addition of Spain, it was possible to draw part of the troops to attack Norway on the premise of maintaining the existing front.

"Well, if the army can't draw enough troops, we can actually just control a few important ports and surrounding areas in Norway, and if necessary, we can use force as a backing to negotiate with Norway." Fearing that Wilhelm II would veto the construction of the navy because of the involvement of the army, Tirpitz thought for a moment and added. He almost said that he really couldn't use real money to lease Norwegian ports.

"Force is always the last option, and in order to prevent the British from jumping over the wall, I think we can first get Norway to agree to our submarines to stay in certain ports and get supplies, so that the action is smaller, and Norway should not risk the possibility of war with Germany and refuse this construction." Although Wilhelm II agreed in principle to the project, he preferred to implement the plan at a lower cost. But even this is absolutely enough in Tirpitz's opinion, for the simple reason that the purpose of the navy is to lure the British out, and as long as the British Grand Fleet moves, then the purpose has been achieved, and Norway does not necessarily have to be occupied!

On 15 June 1918, the German ambassador to Norway requested the Norwegian government to allow German submarines and surface ships to be resupplied in some Norwegian ports, and stated that if Norway agreed, the German fleet refueling in the ports would abide by Norwegian law and would not arrange for army personnel to enter Norway. And the cost of a qiē supply will be paid by Germany at the price. At this time, in the face of a powerful Germany, the Norwegian government did not have many options, and accepting it meant that it would turn against Britain, and not accepting it indicated that Germany might be overwhelmed by troops at any time. The dilemma is a pin-and-needle for Norway, a small and weak country.

After some weighing, Norway said that it agreed to the secret replenishment of German submarines in some ports, but said that in order to prevent the Germans from occupying the magpie's nest, the Norwegian government imposed strict restrictions on the size of the German navy's forces entering Norwegian ports, and all warships with a tonnage of more than 10,000 tons could not enter Norwegian ports. And to this the Germans actually agreed!

"Although we can't deploy an air force in Norway, we can at least use the bases in Norway to intensify our strikes on British transport lines, and I wonder when the British will not be able to sit still!" After receiving the news, Tirpitz said with satisfaction that with Norway as a base, the German Navy's submarines would save a lot of trouble, and with the character of the British, it was difficult for them to accept this reality, and maybe there would be some drastic action. And this excesses that the Germans were waiting for!

Thanks to the book friend zhouyu1976 and the book friend hukaikaka for the tip~~~. Yesterday the subscription broke a new record~~, the author is very excited, thank you for your strong support~~. There is a more ~~ this afternoon, I hope you will support a lot~~~. (To be continued......)