The real situation was far less serious than Churchill had imagined, at least not as he said, the French fleet was ready to draw a line with the Entente! The reason why the French navy did not respond to the British telegram in time was that Admiral Darlan, the principal of the French navy, left the port of Brest for Paris to discuss countermeasures. So there is no way to give feedback in time. However, this accident was not bad for de Gaulle, because after Darlan's departure, the head of the entire French fleet became Vice Admiral Lacroix, who had been the governor of the French colonies in Africa, with whom de Gaulle had established a very good personal relationship during his time in Africa. De Gaulle hoped that he and the Entente would seize the opportunity to persuade Vice Admiral Lacroix to lead the fleet to join the Entente. For this reason, de Gaulle also rushed back from the front to prepare for a face-to-face interview with him.

"Charles, I'm really surprised that you're here." Lieutenant General Lacroix did not meet de Gaulle inside the Brest naval base, but chose to stay in a hotel next to the military port. There was a tone of distrust in his words, and it was not normal for de Gaulle to come to see him in private instead of staying at the front at this critical time. "You certainly didn't come here on orders from the government or the Ministry of Defense, and if this matter gets out today, I'm afraid you will be punished very severely." Lacroix waved his hand and continued, "Explain your intentions, but I don't want to mention the fleet today, you are the army, I am the navy, we are not a system, and this fleet belongs to the French Republic, me." Even General Darlan has no right to make his own claims! ”

"Well, let's say something else. What do you think of the battle ahead? Lieutenant General Lacroix's opening remarks left de Gaulle speechless, but very quickly. The French general found a breakthrough in the other direction. "You're in the Army, I think you should have more say in the current situation, why do you ask me?" Lieutenant General Lacroix asked rhetorically.

"Well, I'll just tell you what I think, at the moment, our chances of winning are very slim. The French legions had already been heavily damaged. We have lost a lot of equipment and experienced officers and men, and the Germans are now standing still not because they can't beat us, but because the relative lag in logistics and air support has led to a weak offensive of two weeks at most. Even in 1 week, the Germans will be able to restore supplies, and by that time, except for a few strong fortresses, everything else will be easily captured by the Germans like paper paste, France is on the eve of collapse, everything is too late, even if China enters the war, this will not be reversed. De Gaulle's words took Lieutenant General Lacroix by surprise. He was shocked by the other party's straightforwardness and pragmatism. "I have answered your question, so tell me that at this very moment, France is in the most critical moment. What will you do? Obey the government's orders or choose another way out? De Gaulle asked rhetorically.

"It's not something I can think about, I'm just a lieutenant general. You can't overstep your bounds. My task is to keep an eye on this fleet in my hands so that nothing happens to him. Whoever wants to hit the fleet is destined to go home. Lieutenant General Lacroix replied with a blank face.

"It doesn't matter who makes the decision. There are only two options. Although the world is large, the only real decisive forces are the Central and Entente powers. It's impossible to stay out of it. Wallgrass is generally the fastest to die. Even if the fleet can sail out of the harbor behind us, then where can you go? Other French ports? Or a French colony? Or is it a base for the Allies or the Entente? Remember, friend, that the power you have in your hands is your original sin, and he has decided that you cannot stay out of it, and you must choose one of the two! De Gaulle said in a sincere tone.

De Gaulle's remarks hit the nail on the head, saying that it was almost impossible for the French fleet to eventually join the fleet of the Central Powers, and the new French government would not be able to hand over the last formed strategic armed forces of France to the Germans, if that case, France would really become a vassal of Germany. The status is comparable to that of the current Italian puppet regime. On the one hand, the naval officers and men were worried that they would become cannon fodder for the Entente, and on the other hand, the new French government wanted to keep this force in its own hands and then sell it at a bargain. So the most likely path for the French at this stage was that of the centrists, and if the Germans agreed to keep the French fleet, then the French government would naturally be willing to leave the fleet in a military port in the west of France. De Gaulle, on the other hand, explained that it was impossible for this fleet to remain in the hands of the French!

"Think about it, friend, you are now like a child with a lot of gold coins in your hand. There is not enough strength to return the treasure in your hands. During the war, the Germans will control France's important ports and transportation hubs, your fleet will be under the threat of German artillery and aircraft, and they will definitely demand that the fleet be disbanded and disarmed. If that's all there is to it, what can you do if the Germans want to seize the fleet? Self-sinking? Germany can be salvaged. And with the addition of the Chinese Navy, the Allied fleet will be at a disadvantage, and they will certainly try their best to make up for this disadvantage, tell me, if you were Count Spee, then what would you do with the French fleet? De Gaulle continued.

"You want me to follow Meiying? And then send someone under the fence as cannon fodder? Letting decades of hard work of the French Navy go to waste? Lacroix's tone was still impulsive, but there was less resistance. Until the situation becomes clear, I just want these fleets to stay quietly in the harbor. The rest of the things are not for me to think about, and things don't necessarily go the way you envisioned, maybe there's a third way? I just hope you and your men and allies don't bother us! After Lacroix finished speaking, he signaled to see off the guest, he had already made his attitude clear today, and he also knew his position. That's enough, there's no need to stay! All he needed now was to wait, to wait for the results of the contacts between Paris and the Germans!

Lacroix was still hesitating, he still had a glimmer of illusion about the Germans. What is certain, however, is that the French fleet will not be incorporated into the Allied fleet. Of course, if something unexpected happens. Maybe it's going to happen. After the talks, de Gaulle said this to Barton. The last sentence is a hint. Let the Entente not act rashly! And at the same time that de Gaulle was in contact with the naval fleet, with the acquiescence of the French president. The capitulationists, led by Petain, had already begun to make contact with the Germans.

"I can represent Germany, but can you represent France? To be honest, I was surprised that the person I was negotiating with was a retired general, and I always thought it might be Renault or some other representative. Ribbentrop, who represented Germany, was full of disdain and sarcasm when he saw Petain, who was already a little old and senile across from him! There was no doubt that Germany was about to emerge victorious on the European continent, that the Teutonic knights had finally defeated their old enemy France again after a few decades, that what Wilhelm I had done would be repeated in the near future, and that German glory would reach its peak.

"Renault is a thing of the past. I am here to end the war and avoid unnecessary casualties. Your Excellency would not want to see more German soldiers die because of one or two of your inappropriate words, right? France was defeated, but the chips in our hands would still affect the course of the war, and even if Paris fell, we still had a large number of colonies in Africa, an army, and a complete French navy. If your conditions are too harsh, then it will definitely be a great disservice to Germany! Petain sneered.

France is losing, but if it is to break the jar. It will definitely be possible to tear two more pieces of meat off the Germans! And now France also has something that the Germans are interested in, for example, that fleet. The greatest losses among the German navy, land and air forces were not the air force, which first went to war with the Allied powers, nor the army that commanded millions of armies and the Allied armies, but the navy! As the saying goes, a hundred years navy. The peculiarities of the naval class make it deplete quickly, and it is difficult to replenish. The French fleet at this time was determined by the Germans. And Petain clearly understood this, so he intended to bargain with the Germans around the navy.

And the demands of the Germans are for the most part about the same as they were historically. In addition to demanding the dissolution of the French army, a third of France, including Paris, was occupied by Germany. and the transfer of all the coastal areas of France to Germany outside. Germany also demanded the dismantling of the lines of defense on the Franco-Belgian border and the Franco-German border. The French government was responsible for paying for the German occupation forces, and the biggest difference was also in the navy. The Germans demanded that the French fleet must be evacuated to the French ports established by the Germans. And handed over some of the cutting-edge warships to the Allies for seizure, although the Germans promised that if these warships were damaged in the future "use", the Germans would compensate them after the war, but everyone could understand that the Germans were preparing to incorporate the French fleet under their command!

"These conditions are too harsh, especially when it comes to the terms of the French Navy, which are absolutely unacceptable! He is the link that guarantees our connection with the colonies, and with the end of the war, our land forces can be reduced, but the fleet cannot be reduced, and it is even less likely to be handed over to other countries!" Such harsh conditions were unacceptable to even Petain, and he categorically rejected the demands of the Germans.

"But how can the French government guarantee that this fleet will not fall into the hands of the United States and Britain in the future? Our negotiations with the French Government are premised on the fact that the French Government must renounce all hostile actions. And it can stop the crazy behavior of a small group of people in private. We can't ignore this hidden danger because of your assurances! The current French fleet is stationed too close to the British. This fleet can only be reassured by the ports that are placed under German control, this is the bottom line, the bottom line that cannot be changed! If we can't do that, we'd rather destroy them all! Ribbentrop's almost roaring voice resounded throughout the chamber.

"The fleet could be evacuated from the port of Brest, but it could only be placed under the supervision of the French government, and these warships could be reduced in personnel and part of the armament could be dismantled. But at the fleet station, absolutely no German military forces were allowed to exist. That's our bottom line. After saying this, Petain made a quiet gesture to indicate that he was not finished: "If the officers and men of the fleet know that they are going to the ports controlled by the Germans, then the best outcome is that these ships sink into the sea, and you will not be able to get them!" Give up, whether I promise you today or not, this result will not change. ”

In Petain's view, even if Germany temporarily occupied part of the French territory, it was possible to negotiate that the French government would be responsible for the military expenses of the occupation forces, but it was almost impossible to ask the French to hand over the fleet. Even if Petain had agreed, it would never have been possible.

"We can discuss other issues first, but the French fleet must be transferred from the port of Brest to other places within four days, and the French government must be prepared to stop resisting. And seal and seize all military supplies, pending acceptance by the German army, and this period cannot exceed a week. If it is not fulfilled by the expiration date, it is a sign of a breakdown in negotiations. Seven days should be enough time for you to change governments. Ribbentrop said.

"Paris can be declared an undefended city, the entire Eastern Front will do, but I'm afraid not on the Western Front, where the Anglo-American forces and De Gaulle are the territory, and they will resist until the last moment. It was useless for us to give orders. You have to solve this problem yourself. Pétain smiled wryly.

"That's good, take care of the northeastern region of France, and leave the problem of the northwest region to us to solve!" Ribbentrop nodded and said that the purpose of today's negotiations had been achieved, and judging from Petain's performance, the French agreed in principle in all respects, except for the naval problem, which could not be solved. This meant that Germany could occupy the most critical and central areas of France and build a breakwater to defend against the Allies' counterattacks. The resistance of the French Army would soon cease, and the Allies could bring back some of their elite troops from the front and then seize time to recuperate and prepare for the next phase of the fighting in the Middle East. Now that the Germans were at a crossroads, should they continue to bring down the British in one fell swoop, or should they prepare for the Indian campaign? Both plans have their own advantages and disadvantages. The German General Staff was also hesitating.

Thanks to the book friend zhouyu1976 for the reward~~~, as well as the book friend I kill me, the blue of the seabed, weiyizhi, and the monthly pass support of the old road 6978 ~~~~~. (To be continued......)