In order not to miss the best time, the General Staff of the Workers' Navy suggested that Operation Northern Lights should be launched no later than three days after the Anglo-French landing.

The reason for the latter strike was that everyone wanted to occupy the moral high ground, especially the German Society, which considered itself a pioneer of civilization.

The illegal infringement of Norway and Sweden by Britain and France is undoubtedly an arrogant and arrogant violation of sovereignty, and it will not lose the initiative if they take action any later than they do.

The General Staff considers it very advantageous to implement the plan in January, because the Nordic region, due to its high latitude, has a noticeable phenomenon of short days and long nights in winter, and the nights can be as long as 18 hours.

In this way, the long darkness will provide excellent cover for the transport ship formations that transport the army, and the unexpected and possible losses will be greatly reduced.

Compared to the army and navy surface ship forces, which are still fully preparing, most of the submarines available for deployment have been deployed to Norwegian waters or the North Sea, and more than 20 U-boats are effective enough to delay the Royal Navy's follow-up operations.

The Germans were very self-aware - they believed that even if the British and French landed, the Norwegians would put up a symbolic resistance at best, but that they might have a high level of resistance against the Germans.

At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also begun to write the notes that will be needed at that time, and everything is proceeding in an orderly manner.

December 25 is an important festival in Western traditions, the day of the legendary birth of Jesus.

Although he is in a foreign land, he still has to live the festivals in his country.

Today's Nanjing is gray, although the winter rain last night stopped early in the morning, but the sky is still gloomy, and the ground is wet, this cold and humid feeling makes people very uncomfortable.

Like the legations of other Western countries, the Germans got a small pine tree suitable for a Christmas tree early on, and decorated it with colorful ribbons and mini light bulbs.

However, the difference is that the German society does not call Christmas a legal holiday, nor does it promote this traditional festival very much, but because there are many Catholics and Protestants, they have long acquiesced in its existence, after all, it would be a bit foolish to force a ban in this regard.

In the official statement, they do not mention the word "Christmas", but it is still a holiday, and it is a long holiday that is connected with the Neujahr New Year's Day.

On that day, with the blessing of countless grilled sausages and countless bottles of beer, the German diplomatic staff of the Legation spent a comfortable day.

Zhou Changfeng made an appointment to meet Chrissy by name the next morning, so it would be easier to discuss because of old acquaintances.

The private meeting was not formal at all, it was more casual, and the main purpose was only to exchange information about the upcoming Nordic war.

The Ming court was quite contradictory in its cooperation with the German Society, although the senior officials of the DPRK and China were well aware of the principle of distant friendship and close attack, but they were very negative, and even the exchange of information was somewhat secretive.

Mingren's attitude made the Germans very helpless, and they finally reached a consensus at the beginning, and even such the most basic cooperation could not be effectively implemented, which really made people doubt the sincerity of the Ming side.

It was still in an old place like Tonghui Hotel, which was suitable for semi-public and semi-private activities, and only twenty seconds after Zhou Changfeng sat down, Chrissy followed and pushed the door in.

This one is always on time.

"Good morning, what, your face doesn't look good." He asked with a smile.

"I drank a lot of alcohol yesterday, so it's going to be a little uncomfortable." A disappreciative Chrissy shrugged.

"Okay, let's get down to business." Zhou Changfeng pondered for a moment, and then cut straight to the point, "According to the summary of information and telecommunications from various parties, we (the Metropolitan Governor's Office) estimate that the British and French operations will be launched on the 15th to the 20th, what about you?" ”

"We're ready to always be three days behind them...... Around. Probably thinking that her answer was too clear, Chrissy added two more words.

"You're being honest, and we don't seem to be straightforward at all."

"Actually, it's useless just because you know."

"Considering this will be the first battle since the outbreak of war, the Royal Navy is too much of a threat to you, and even a tactical victory is meaningless and a strategic defeat. We propose that the main fleet remain motionless and continue to contain the British as an existential fleet. ”

Chrissy shook her head slightly, "How could we possibly forget the lesson of Jutland. ”

"The size of the British's Z fleet is too large, and it's quite troublesome for us to clean them up, so you can contain a little bit." Zhou Changfeng said, these are just relays the attitude of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion.

Because it is very different from history, the size of the Z Fleet organized by the Royal Navy is almost three times that of the original plane-

a Nelson-class battleship, the USS Rodney; three Vengeance-class battleships, the Revenge, the Resolve, and the Sovereign; A Queen Elizabeth-class battleship, INS Warrior.

There were also the battlecruiser Prestige, the aircraft carrier Eagle, the anti-aircraft cruiser USS Grain Goddess, and seven destroyers as a screen force.

The King George V-class battleships were still under construction and naturally could not participate in the battle, but such a large number of battleships were still a difficult opponent.

Obviously, the British were very determined to defend the interests of the Far East, and the Ming navy, which was facing a great enemy, had to change its plans accordingly.

Many people do have high hopes for the power of aviation, but after all, they have not been tested in real combat and no one can guarantee that they will really be able to deal an effective blow to the fleet of the British.

No one thought that aviation alone could inflict a devastating blow on such a large fleet, and that would be too ambitious.

The Metropolitan Governor's Office only hoped that the time would come to weaken this mighty "annihilation fleet" with a massive air strike, and then devote decisive surface forces to annihilate it.

Of course, in front of the TF-58 task force, these are scum.

Chrissy couldn't help but complain: "You are really selfish, the British fleet will pose a great threat to our operations. How nice would it be if they all came to you? ”

Eldest sister! If the Royal Navy really dares to drag your family across the world to smash the door of Daming, you should simply be bold and land directly on the British Isles in waves.

"How can it be said to be selfish, I am just relaying the requirements of the imperial court. And ah, they must have to prioritize their own national interests. ”

"Are you like those bureaucrats now?"

"Now?" Zhou Changfeng, who was suspicious, stretched out his index finger and pointed at himself, "Is there a difference between me and before?" ”

Chrissy nodded, and said seriously, "Selfish people don't risk going to that hellish place in Spain. ”

Zhou Changfeng covered his forehead with a smile and said, "How can there be such a pure person." And to tell you the truth, I took the equipment you helped with before I left. ”

"What equipment?"

"It's that jumping mine, which ignites the projectile after it is triggered, and then detonates more than a meter away. I hit it at a glance, it's very useful, it's an anti-infantry weapon. ”

"How dare you steal the intellectual products of the German people."

"Stealing? No, no, it's called borrowing. Zhou Changfeng said nonchalantly: "And I've been tired and tired for so long, and I've been in a military prison for a few months, so it's not too much to take a souvenir." ”

Chrissy choked on this, and she commented unhappily: "You are as cunning as the other Orientals! ”

Interludes are interludes, and business still has to go on.

Interludes are interludes, and business still has to go on.

Then, the two continued to exchange some information.

The circumference of the pen, who was pinching the pen, wrote quickly, as did Chrissy on the other side.

"By the way, a friendly reminder, I see that your paratrooper division has a key omission." Zhou Changfeng coughed twice, and gestured: "It is too risky to separate people and weapon boxes for airdropping, once the landing point deviation is too large, the paratroopers will have to fight the enemy with pistols, in this regard, I suggest you learn from the British and equip the paratroopers with new weapon slings." ”

Chrissy on the other side changed a pen, thoughtfully, and then muttered, "Thank you for your suggestion, I will convey it, but personally, I still respect the opinions of the soldiers and commanders." ”

Zhou Changfeng let out a "hehe", picked up the wine bottle and poured the wine into a square glass wine cup.

This cup is delicate and the pattern is sandwiched between the glass.

"When breech guns first appeared, weren't there many people who hindered its promotion in the army? I heard of a Prussian general who even said before his death that 'no breech gun should be used at the funeral of his grave'. Then the Austrian generals, after seeing the breech guns, were arrogant, saying that 'it is noble to eat with the mouth, and never to use enema guns loaded from behind'. Therefore, you can't fully trust the soldiers of the troops, and they may not all be right. ”

After Zhou Changfeng finished speaking, he took a big sip of the wine glass, the unique fruity aroma and sour taste of the wine filled the mouth, mixed with mellow wine, very comfortable.

"Thanks, that's a good suggestion."

"It's just a matter of effort."

After that, as the dishes are served one by one, the two sides switch to a mode of small talk while eating and drinking.

It is rare to have such an opportunity to talk with her like this, and the enthusiastic Zhou Changfeng can be described as gushing.

From customs to academic theories, from sea power to capital, the topics of the two are unpredictable, and the topics span so much that Chrissy doesn't know how to answer in some aspects.

When talking about military off-road vehicles, she proudly claims that the Type 82 bucket car is the most outstanding and unmatched.

Zhou Changfeng naturally disagreed, but he was slightly drunk and subconsciously boasted without thinking about it: "What is this, I have driven the Dongfeng warrior to one hundred and fifteen ...... before."

His words came to an abrupt end.

It's so embarrassing that I didn't pay attention to saying the wrong thing.

"Ahem, don't take it seriously, that ...... Just casually. ”

Chrissy stared at him and let out an "um".

Can you imagine how surprised she is now - can drive a military off-road vehicle that can reach 150 kilometers per hour? How much high technology are these Chinese hiding?

This kind of knee-jerk speech is unlikely to be a lie, and Zhou is not a professionally trained agent who will deliberately set a trap.

In this way, the meeting and conversation ended very smoothly, and both sides got a satisfactory result.

The old year quietly left, and the wheel of time slowly ran over the gap between the years.

Although Zhu Lingjing also wanted to have a year name of her own, in order to show her respect for the still living emperor, she announced that she would postpone the change of era name for two years.

This has the benefit that comes with it, that is, the new year name can just correspond to the single digit of four-one, four-two, four-three, and so on.

The thirty-ninth year of Zhichang came unconsciously, and some newspapers and broadcasters in the Ming Dynasty believed that this must be a year full of strife from beginning to end.

Berlin, 10 January.

The heavy snow could not hide the prosperity and splendor of the capital, and the white snow on the road was cleared aside in time, and the traffic was unimpeded.

With the recent establishment of the War Council taking over power, the status and importance of the Ministry of Defense have deteriorated day by day.

During the four-hour deliberations, all the senior generals of the army, navy and air force involved in Operation Northern Lights presented their views in turn and vouched for accuracy in their personal names.

At this point, everything seemed to be doomed, and everyone was waiting with bated breath for that moment to come.

Lieutenant General Albert, Chief of the General Staff of the Air Force, instructed all officers in the operational sequence:

"The prelude to modern warfare has been opened, and it is necessary to carry out this operation to protect the interests and safety of the German people, and our enemies are trying to sabotage it by cutting off the supply of iron ore......

"The success or failure of the operation depends on the quality of the air force and navy, and the determination of the commanders, and the supremacy of the sea in the main areas will remain in the hands of the British, and we must deal with them with the firmest determination and fearless courage......

On January 16, the sky was fine.

The shetland Islands and mainland ports set sail in a large Royal Navy fleet, with battleships, cruisers, destroyers, landing ships, transports, and ......

Hundreds of ships laden with tens of thousands of British and French troops passed through Scapa Flow, followed by the North Sea, looking down from the sky in what resembled a grand march of arms.

After detecting a different frequency of telecommunications, the Stasi was very clear that the British and French had already begun to act, and the intelligence transmitted by the informant later confirmed this.

At the moment when they learned the news, the officers of the General Staff of the Workers' Navy were all bright-eyed and excited.

At 8:59 a.m. that morning, a telegram was sent from the General Headquarters to the headquarters of the submarine unit in the combat sequence - "It's time to observe the Northern Lights, please get ready for astronomers and observatories."

On the piers of the naval bases, located in Wilhelmshaven and Kiel, sailors began to enter the submarine one by one.

Behind them was the rising sun, and in front of them was the vast sea, and the sun reflected the whole blue sea with shimmering brilliance.

"In good condition, the pressure of the pipeline is stable, and the speed is increased."

"Yes! Comrade Commander! ”

"The main engine sets the speed, proofreads the compass, and advances three."

In the roar, two 1,400 hp six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines burst into power, driving the two propellers to spin at high speed.

One by one, the Type VIIB submarines left the dock or cave, leaving a snow-white spray behind them.

There is no doubt that the hungry sea wolves have been waiting for a long time.

1. The setting of the food has been updated, and the supply of that egg is wrong, and it is written in half, and it will be corrected tomorrow.

2. Should we write more or less about the war in Europe?

(End of chapter)