"What is it? Take it back and redo it! ”

"What? You pig brain, he Ji Weishan said that he would give it if he wanted it! Lao Tzu's Seventh Fleet is almost gone, and the new ships must be replenished first! ”

"Who said that? Lord Tang? You tell Tang Fatzi that he can't repair the Jiangsu within two months, and Lao Tzu led his troops to copy his equipment department! ”

Early in the morning, there was a roar in the naval headquarters, and the characteristic loud voice of Commander Long seemed to calm God, and the sky was clear for the first time in the New Year.

But the sky is clear, but Commander Long is still angry, this time in order to intercept the Indian Grand Fleet and the South African Fleet, the Imperial Royal Navy is not small. The Jiangsu was seriously injured, not to mention the sacrifice of the captain Yan Feng, but also paid 2 Yangtze River class cruisers, 7 destroyers and 4 submarines, especially the Nenjiang cruiser in the 74 fleet at the last moment of covering the destroyer raid at night, unfortunately hit by the 381 mm shells fired by the Malaya, and only 71 of the 725 people, including the captain, escaped!

More than 2,000 casualties in total may not be a big deal in a war that uses millions of troops at every turn, but in the eyes of the Xinhua Navy, it is already huge. What made Long Guozhang most angry was that just after receiving information, Campbell finally returned to Cape Town, South Africa with 3 battleships and 6 cruisers, and his dream of encircling and annihilating the entire Indian Grand Fleet was finally shattered.

"Commander, the Marines have arrived in the port of Mumbai." The staff officer came in and reported.

"Didn't you meet resistance?"

"No, the destroyer fleet entered along the course from which the Grand Indian Fleet had left. Commander Chen also said that when they left, all the sailors were taken with them, and the remaining British troops had already been withdrawn from the harbor, and he was currently leading his troops into the city of Mumbai, and it was expected that they would be able to control all of them by the afternoon. ”

"And what? Don't spit out. ”

The staff officer muttered secretly, don't you just want to sell a pass, and it is said that you are spitting, it seems that the commander is in a bad mood today, be careful! Hurriedly said: "The marines also seized 2 French battleships damaged in the last battle in the harbor, according to the preliminary inspection, except for the artillery shells and anti-aircraft guns were dismantled, the other equipment is all in good condition, but an Indian businessman said that the French political axe has sold them to him as a scrap ship, and asked us to let them go." ”

"Fuck it! Tell Chen Dong to arrest that guy. Commander Long was furious, someone dared to take food in his mouth, it was really fatal, and roared angrily: "The crime is collaborating with the enemy!" ”

"Yes."

The staff officer shrunk his neck, and was just about to convey the commander's order, when a word behind him almost made him fall.

"Wait, this guy must be very rich if he can buy 2 battleships, just copy his house too!"

Don't mess with anyone, Commander! Since the start of the war, the Yangtze River-class light cruisers have not suffered losses, this time they lost two at a time, and they sacrificed so many soldiers, it was not easy to get some loot and someone dared to stand up and rob, this is not looking for death!

You deserve it!

Seeing a staff officer gritting his teeth and coming out of the commander's office, Cheng Biguang, who was about to enter, didn't know that the commander was using the topic to play, and the reason was not all because of the loss of the Seventh Fleet, but because yesterday the General Staff came with news that the four plans of the Honolulu-class light cruiser under construction in the Navy were cut down!

You must know that these four light cruisers are about to lay keels, and the reason for cutting them down is not only that the General Staff predicts that the war will end in the first half of next year at the earliest, and that there will be no longer so many warships, but also because it will make way for the Air Force's new four-engine large bombers.

It is said that because of the high cost of construction, the Prime Minister's Office and the General Staff Department had a disagreement over the number of bombers, and finally the General Staff made a compromise, in order to make the bombers form a large-scale combat effectiveness in the shortest possible time, they started to cut down many non-essential items, and if it were not for the fact that the Taiwan and Xi'an classes had already come to an end, it was estimated that they would also be "black-handed."

Just after losing two ships here and not being replenished, the new ship project over there was cut off, so you can imagine how angry the commander was.

After being cut down, there are only 22 Yangtze River class and 4 Honolulu-class light cruisers left in the navy on paper, which is a blow to the navy that has always wanted to maintain the scale of 12+10+10+32 after the war.

The 12+10+10+32 plan is the most important set of figures in the Navy's plan for the next ten years, namely 12 heavy aircraft carriers, 10 battleships, 10 cruisers and 32 light cruisers. Judging from the current situation, if the aircraft carriers are fully commissioned, there will be 11 heavy and 2 medium-sized aircraft carriers, 4 Taiwan-class battleships and 6 Guam-class battleships, and eight Hebei-class ships will not be dismantled and mothballed for the time being.

The main cruiser has 6 Xi'an-class, 4 Yanjing-class will also be converted and downgraded to cruisers after the war, and the most important all-rounder light cruiser at sea originally had 24 Yangtze River class and 8 Honolulu-class, but now the Yangtze River class has lost 2 ships, and the Honolulu class has been cut down by 4 ships, and the number is insufficient.

Of course, this is not much of a problem, not to mention that the navy can maintain its superiority in aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft for at least 10 years, and large cruisers alone can temporarily make up for this shortcoming.

That's why Long Guozhang felt angry.

Long Guozhang beckoned Cheng Biguang to sit down, he was born in a professional class and joined the navy after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and his own military ability may not be outstanding enough, but his overall situation and overall planning ability are good, and he was also pulled up by Tan Xiaozeng, the former chief of staff. Speaking of wars, there are currently arrogant generals in the navy, but people like him are the most scarce, so after several years of observation, he has slowly secured the position of chief of staff.

Compared with the commander's anger, he has always been low-key, but he is smiling. The price this time is indeed painful, but the harvest is very rich, the two Spanish-class battleships are almost intact in their hands, the two prestige-class battlecruisers and the two Avenger-class battleships are sunk in the port of Seychelles, but Ye Zugui has sent a telegram, which can be salvaged, plus some other ships captured, just dismantling and selling scrap iron This time the navy will make a steady profit.

Seeing Cheng Biguang smiling, Long Guozhang couldn't get angry anymore, so he took out his cigar and lit it and asked, "What's the matter with me?" ”

Cheng Biguang said with a smile: "Commander, Ye Zugui sent a telegram just now, saying that the Spanish Vice Admiral hopes to send a telegram back to China. ”

"Send a telegram back home?" Long Guozhang was slightly stunned, he couldn't understand what this Tonis was doing, and couldn't help asking, "What the hell is Ye Zugui doing?" Have you forgotten the captive regulations? ”

Cheng Biguang smiled and explained the reason, it turned out that Tonis had always felt that he had been betrayed by Hill after being captured, so he wanted to send a telegram back to tell the Spanish political axe what happened to him.

"That's a good thing!" Long Guozhang is an old man, how can he not understand the mystery of this telegram, and when the Spanish political axe gets the telegram and knows the details at that time, he will definitely trouble Britain, and he may not withdraw from the war, but the relationship between the two countries will definitely be greatly damaged. Besides, among the several Entente countries, Spain was already weak, the domestic political situation was unstable, and the call to withdraw from the war was no worse than that of Russia before, plus the economy and people's livelihood were almost paralyzed after the war began, and now all three battleships were lost at once, which must have made matters worse, so the news will definitely cause an uproar after returning home.

"I think so too, so I've already replied to Ye Zugui and promised him." Cheng Biguang continued: "In addition, the General Staff has just sent a telegram approving the construction of a joint naval and air force base on Diego Garcia Island (Chagos Archipelago), but before that, we need to find a way to remove the aborigines above. ”

Long Guozhang nodded, the strategic location of the Chagos Archipelago is very important, known as the crossroads of the Indian Ocean, and it is also the most important barrier to the west of Australia, the conditions of the bay and the port are also very good, it is a rare transit station in the Indian Ocean, as for the aborigines above, needless to say, he will also let people "clean up".

Since the Prime Minister's Office and the Parliament have reached an agreement with the Maldives Provisional Political Axe respectively, they will follow the British example and become the protectorate and suzerainty of the Maldives, and Seychelles will also refer to this method in the future, so in order to plan for the future, Xinhua must also have a military base in the Indian Ocean that completely belongs to it, so the Chagos Archipelago will definitely be included in the imperial territory, at least it will become an unorganized territory.

"Also." Cheng Biguang was not used to smoking cigars, so after lighting a cigarette, he continued: "The chief of staff asked us to prepare for the invasion of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. ”

As soon as he heard that he was going to enter the heart of Europe, Long Guozhang also forgot the depression just now, and hurriedly asked, "What?" Canal repairs ahead of schedule? ”

"Nope."

"So why are we going to go in? Where did it come from? Long Guozhang was just about to say "advance base", when he suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up: "Cuba has an echo!" ”

Cheng Biguang nodded, it is not a day or two for the navy to enter the Atlantic, and there is actually no problem with the shipping route from the Mediterranean, but it is more troublesome to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, so what everyone hopes most is to find an forward base in the Caribbean Sea west of the Panama Canal, and it is best to be able to lease it for a long time.

Long Guozhang and Chen Ping were thinking about Puerto Rico, which is now equivalent to an American colony and can take the opportunity to take down and occupy it, but Li Mo is more fond of Guantanamo in Cuba, and has been secretly negotiating with Cuban political axes for several years the idea of leasing the Guantanamo base for a long time.

As a reincarnated person, the advantage is that you don't have to analyze and search for strategic places all over the world by yourself, as long as you enclose the places where the future generations of American imperialism will not let go.

Guantanamo was famous in later generations, and it was a base that the United States was unwilling to give up, even if it was incompatible with Cuba, it never thought of letting go, just because it was too important!

Moreover, Guantanamo Port is the best natural seaport in the Caribbean, bordering the Windward Strait to the east, choking the passage of the Atlantic Ocean into the Caribbean Sea, and its strategic location is important.

The bay is horseshoe-shaped, divided into two parts, the inner harbor and the outer harbor, the bay is long, the width is large, but the entrance is only 3 kilometers wide, before the war, Xinhua took advantage of the good relations with Cuba, in the name of aiding the construction of the Cuban Navy, the harbor has been repaired, and it is now one of the main bases of the Cuban Navy, and the giant ships can enter and exit freely.

From the point of view of the facilities, it is very well established, and it is a very good base to move forward.

Cheng Biguang also knows the important surname of Guantanamo, and at present, Xinhua is like Zhongtian, and Central and South American countries can hardly resist strong diplomatic and military pressure, so the lease is almost nine out of ten, just waiting for the Panama Canal to restart.

So he immediately said: "Vice Foreign Minister Gu Weijun has arrived in Cuba and is negotiating with the Cuban political axe, judging from the current situation, the Cuban political axe has agreed to the Lend-Lease agreement in principle, but they want to get some naval compensation." ”

"Navy compensation? What do you mean! Long Guozhang immediately pricked up his ears vigilantly, this word is not good when he hears it.

Cheng Biguang smiled slightly: "The Cuban Navy has a thin foundation, only 2 old-fashioned destroyers and more than a dozen torpedo boats that we support, and it has been suppressed by the United States before the war, and even the lifeline of the country's economy has been pinched in the hands of American businessmen. ”

"Aid the battleship!" Long Guozhang jumped up directly, saying that he was greedy, but now he is nothing compared to the Cubans! As soon as you open your mouth, you want to come to the aid of the battleship! I really want to treat the empire as a big boss!

"Damn, I'll go and beat it down by myself!" Long Guozhang muttered unwillingly, battleship! It's not cabbage, even if it's captured, it's a lot of money to sell it, enough to rebuild four Honolulu-class light cruisers by yourself!

Looking at Cheng Biguang with a smile on his face, Long Guozhang suddenly understood, after daring to go around in a big circle, he fell in love with the few broken warships he had captured, and hurriedly scratched his forehead and asked: "I know, it must be Yuanshou and Duan Qirui who asked you to be lobbyists!" Right? ”

"I said Biguang, you are also my chief of staff, and you can't go out with your elbows! If those captured warships were to be sold, we would have enough money to build a light cruiser on our own, which would be a top priority. ”

"Hehe, how could I not know." Cheng Biguang smiled: "But two Spanish-class battleships are of little use to us, but they are a good thing for Cuba, and they still have a feud with Spain, and if they are paired with a few auxiliary warships, I estimate." ”

"I know how to take our naval trophies as favors, why don't you go to the Air Force and the Army!" Commander Long is very painful, although 2 Spanish-class battleships are useless to Xinhua, but if they really want to sell them, they can sell at least a few million, and now they are given away like this, can they be happy.

"Commander, the chief of staff also asked me to tell you that the two French battleships in Bombay also want it."

"Fuck off, there are no doors, you tell Chen Ping for me, either continue to build four light cruisers, or don't want to poach a ship from me again!" Long Guozhang finally went crazy, and finally won a battle and got the spoils of writing, which is good, he was targeted before he could do it!

Can it not be hot!

It is not surprising at all that Cheng Biguang is not surprised by Commander Long's sudden madness, the Admiralty has been discussing how to use the spoils of war to raise funds to continue to build four light cruisers, and now that he has taken four at once, it is strange that Commander Long is not mad.

However, he didn't continue, anyway, he knew that Commander Long had a fierce mouth, but he would never dismantle the stage at a critical time, so he took out the document he had just received, turned to the topic and said solemnly: "Commander, I just received a telegram from the Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff, the Prime Minister's Office and the General Staff have decided that they will send the Grand Prince to Bombay to serve as the military attache of the Navy in wartime!" We are required to do a good job of sending ships to protect us. ”

"Oh? The eldest prince is going to Meng?! Long Guozhang pulled through the telegram and read it in detail.

Although the telegram was sent by Tang Shaoyi and Chen Ping, others may not know what is behind it, but they can't hide it from him, this must be from the emperor's instructions, not to mention that Li Zhen is still his son-in-law, so he read it more carefully.

"I estimate that this is the emperor's final test for the eldest prince." Cheng Biguang closed the door of the office as he spoke, although he was not as close to the royal family as Long Guozhang, but he had already entered the high-level of Xinhua and knew a lot of things that ordinary people didn't know.

Long Guozhang's face gradually became solemn, although he did not say it explicitly, but Cheng Biguang's guess is indeed reasonable, Li Zhen has a lot of influence in the army, especially the shelling of the New York protection battleship injured has already spread all over the world, and now he is suddenly asked to go to India, it must be the idea of further testing.

Although Xinhua is a constitutional monarchy and the imperial family does not have much power, it does not mean that you can just find a royal child to be the emperor. Today's royal family has been recognized by the whole country, and its influence is almost unshakable.

In addition, the royal family itself is the largest consortium, so choosing a good heir is a must.

Long Guozhang was both happy and a little worried, happy that if Li Zhen passed this hurdle, he would definitely be the future emperor, and his daughter would become the queen!

The worry is that India is not very peaceful now, first of all, the port minesweeping has not yet begun, not to mention the narrow waterway, in case of saboteurs, it is easy to hit mines, plus India still has a large number of Entente troops, if they know about this, they will definitely launch assassinations and other actions.

The second is that the domestic situation in India is complicated, don't look at Gandhi's people who are making a big noise, but the national contradictions are not only not reduced but are getting bigger and bigger, especially the disputes between Hindus and Muslims are close to white-hot, and there was a common enemy before the British colonial axe, but now the British colonial axe has existed in name only, so the contradiction will only become more and more intense, once it is made public, it will inevitably be an armed conflict, how to balance and get the maximum benefit from the empire, it is a test for anyone.

If you can handle these well, then you can really be a capable minister!

Long Guozhang took a breath and felt that he seemed to be thinking a little far, since the emperor sent the eldest prince, he must have made arrangements. However, he is also his father-in-law in the final analysis, and Li Zhen is still an active naval officer, so it is not so much about sending ships to protect him as he is taking this opportunity to show his muscles to India!

Having said that, it is time to deter the Indians, whether they occupy it or not, at least let them understand who is the master of the Indian Ocean now! Lest those headscarve-wearing guys have anything else in mind!

Sitting next to him, Cheng Biguang didn't understand Commander Long's thoughts, it was not his turn to worry about the royal affairs, but the imperial royal navy always wanted face, so this time he had to show his strongest strength!

"The heavy aircraft carrier Bashu and the battleship Taiwan." Long Guozhang bit his cigar and thought of these two cutting-edge ships that had just started sea trials.

(To be continued)