Anti-Japanese War: The whole world is a base vehicle

Chapter 204 Take Back the Oil Field!

In the turbulent situation of World War II, every piece of news related to resources was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing a thousand waves.

This time, the news that North Africa may have huge oil resources was like a bombshell, causing an uproar among the top leaders of various countries.

British Prime Minister Churchill, the leader who always led Britain to resist tenaciously during the war, keenly realized the huge crisis and opportunity hidden behind this news.

He knew very well that once the news was true, an extremely fierce battle for resources would inevitably unfold on a global scale.

Britain, the former empire on which the sun never sets, has suffered huge losses in the war and must not sit idly by in this resource game, otherwise it will fall into an extremely passive situation.

So Churchill acted quickly. He urgently convened cabinet members and senior military officials to discuss a foolproof plan to deal with this crisis.

In that smoke-filled conference room, the atmosphere was so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

The map hanging on the wall seemed to quietly tell the severity of the situation. Everyone's face was filled with anxiety and worry, as if they were about to face a life-and-death test.

Churchill was the first to break the silence. His deep and powerful voice echoed in the conference room, informing everyone present of the shocking news. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have received reliable intelligence that North Africa is very likely to have extremely rich oil resources. This is both an opportunity and a huge challenge for us."

As soon as these words came out, the conference room exploded. Everyone was talking to each other, expressing their opinions. A military general stood up suddenly and said anxiously, "Mr. Prime Minister, we must take action immediately! Time is running out. If other countries take control of North Africa's oil resources first, our war situation will become more difficult. Our fleet, aircraft, and tanks are all dependent on oil. Without oil, we will be unable to move forward!"

"That's right," another cabinet member quickly agreed, "We can't let Britain's interests be harmed in the slightest. We already have a certain amount of military power in North Africa, and we should use it immediately to conduct a comprehensive investigation and resolutely strike this mysterious force. Only in this way can we ensure that we have an advantageous position in this competition for resources."

However, not everyone is so radical.

A senior diplomatic official pondered for a long time and then slowly said, "Mr. Prime Minister, I understand everyone's urgency, but we cannot take military action rashly. The situation behind this is still unclear. We don't know where this mysterious force came from and whether there are other countries supporting it. If we act rashly, it may trigger a large-scale conflict with other countries, which will be a disaster for us who are in the midst of a war. I think we should first communicate in depth with various countries through diplomatic channels to understand the situation clearly before making a decision."

The two completely different views plunged the conference room into a heated debate.

Some people support military action, believing that the opportunity is now and will not come again; others support diplomatic means and advocate cautious action to avoid triggering a greater crisis.

Everyone insisted on their own opinion and refused to give in, arguing endlessly.

Churchill sat there quietly, listening to everyone's speeches with deep eyes and a frown on his face.

He knew very well that this was a major decision that concerned the fate of Britain, and that every choice could bring about completely different consequences, so he had to be extremely cautious.

After some careful consideration, he finally spoke slowly and broke the deadlock in the argument.

"We will take a two-pronged approach," Churchill said with a firm look, his eyes revealing unquestionable determination. "On the one hand, the military will immediately strengthen its military deployment in North Africa. Send more troops, upgrade equipment, and keep a close eye on the actions of this mysterious force, but do not act rashly without clear instructions. We must remain highly vigilant and be ready to respond to possible emergencies at any time. On the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must increase its diplomatic efforts and actively communicate with other countries. Understand their attitudes and positions, explore the possibility of cooperation, and at the same time demonstrate our determination and strength. We must strive for the greatest interests for Britain in this battle for resources."

While Britain was busy launching countermeasures, other European powers were also busy.

This news was like the center of a storm, attracting the attention of all countries.

France, as a once important power in North Africa, naturally knows the importance of North Africa's oil resources to itself.

However, at this time, France had no autonomy in many matters because it had surrendered to Germany.

They can only helplessly wait for Germany to make a decision and then follow Germany's footsteps.

As for Germany, there is no doubt about its desire for oil.

Given the huge consumption of the war, oil was as important to Germany's war machine as blood was to the human body.

Germany's tanks, planes, and ships all require large amounts of oil to power them.

If Germany could control North Africa's oil resources, its war situation would be greatly improved, and its military operations would no longer be constrained by oil shortages.

Therefore, the German High Command made a quick decision and asked their intelligence department to pay close attention to the development of the situation. The intelligence personnel were like hunters hiding in the dark, collecting intelligence about North African oil resources and the mysterious force.

At the same time, the German army increased its reconnaissance efforts on this mysterious force and dispatched a large number of agents and reconnaissance troops to try to uncover the truth behind this mysterious force.

Although Wang's army was far away on the North African front line in the midst of war, it had very detailed intelligence on the enemy's rear.

When he learned that there were more and more foreigners in Cairo during this period, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

These foreigners undoubtedly came for the legendary oil resources.

However, at the same time, he also sincerely admired Lu Yuhua's plan.

I have to say that Lu Yuhua's move was indeed very clever.

Originally, Lu Yuhua wanted to secretly exploit Egypt's oil resources.

After all, Egypt's oil production is very considerable, and a simple exploration will reveal large amounts of oil reserves.

However, the arrival of Brazil made him change his mind.

He felt that there was no need to proceed in secret, and decided to do it openly and draw the attention of the world's powers to North Africa. In this way, he could do things in South America with peace of mind.

So far, the plan has been very successful. The major powers have shifted their attention to North Africa and started various open and covert struggles there.

As for Lu Yuhua, he will be able to launch full-scale operations once the base vehicle arrives in South America.

By then, he would be able to produce weapons and equipment in South America, recruit and mobilize soldiers, build up his own military force, and create a storm in this vast land of South America.

"Sir, should we announce the news that we have discovered oil?" the subordinate stepped forward and asked cautiously.

"Of course, since they are so interested, we must attract their attention." Wang Jun showed a confident smile on his face and said slowly, "Go ahead and publish our detailed exploration data to let the world know that there are rich oil resources here. At the same time, send out the signal that we welcome cooperation and investment to attract more people to come here."

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate responded quickly, turned around and left quickly to carry out this important task.

Soon, the news that Egypt had discovered a large amount of oil resources and welcomed cooperation and investment from all countries spread throughout the world. The reactions of the major powers varied.

While strengthening its military deployment, the United Kingdom has actively communicated with various countries through diplomatic channels, trying to win over some countries to jointly fight against potential competitors.

On the one hand, they cooperated with some African countries to gain local support; on the other hand, they conducted secret negotiations with the United States, hoping to obtain American support in terms of resources.

Germany continues to increase its intelligence gathering and reconnaissance efforts in North Africa.

Their agents are spread across every corner, trying to find the weakness of the mysterious force, while also planning how to gain the upper hand in this battle for resources.

Germany also maintained close communication with Italy, trying to unite Italy's forces to jointly deal with the situation in North Africa.

France, although it has no autonomy, is also secretly observing the development of the situation.

They hope to gain some benefits for themselves in Germany's decision-making.

Some French officials maintained secret contacts with their counterparts in Britain and other countries in an attempt to gain more inside information.

Some other countries have also begun to take action.

Some countries are trying to get a share of North Africa's oil development through economic means; some countries are beginning to strengthen their military preparations to avoid falling behind in the competition for resources.

"How could there be so much oil here?" He held the telegram from London tightly in his hand, his eyes wide open, his face full of astonishment, and he stood there for a long time without being able to recover.

You know, Egypt, as a colony of the British Empire, has been under British control for hundreds of years.

During these long years, British influence has penetrated into every corner of Egypt. From politics to economy, from culture to military, Britain seems to know this land like the back of its hand.

But now, this telegram ruthlessly reveals an incredible fact - they were completely unaware of the huge oil resources hidden underground.

"This is really outrageous." Kan An Ning muttered to himself, his voice full of regret and shock.

In his mind, this was a great disgrace to the British Empire. If this telegram had not clearly come from London and had not been endorsed by official authority, he would never have believed it.

At this time, a subordinate walked into the tent quickly, breaking the slightly dull atmosphere. "Admiral, it seems that we were right to request reinforcements from India." The subordinate's tone was filled with excitement and relief. "Now that London has decided to increase the number of reinforcements, it is obvious that they hope that we can recapture Cairo and occupy these oil fields."

Kan An Ning nodded slowly, his eyes moved away from the telegram and looked into the distance, as if he had already seen the endless wealth hidden in the land occupied by the rebels.

"Yeah," he said softly, already knowing London's intentions.

In this war-torn age, oil is the blood of war and the key factor in determining victory or defeat.

No one would complain about having too much oil, not even a country with a strong financial foundation and developed economy like the British Empire.

What's more, according to British logic, the oil originally belonged to them.

In their eyes, as a colony, all of Egypt's resources should belong to the British Empire.

Kan Ning knew very well that this was a battle concerning the interests and honor of the empire.

The city outline of Cairo quickly emerged in his mind, and the streets and alleys there were where he had walked countless times.

Today, it is occupied by a group of rebels, and underground in this city lies a huge treasure that could change the course of the war.

He had to retake Cairo and bring the oil fields back under British control.

"Get ready immediately. We need to speed up the deployment of the battle." Kan An Ning turned around and gave orders to his subordinates, "Once the reinforcements arrive, we will launch a general attack and defeat the rebels in one fell swoop."

"Yes, General!" The subordinate stood at attention and saluted, then turned around and quickly left the tent to convey the general's order.

Kan An Ning stood alone in the tent, lost in thought.

He recalled several previous battles with the rebels. Although those rebels were poorly equipped, they fought extremely bravely. They seemed to have an extremely firm determination to protect this land.

Moreover, there seems to be a mysterious force supporting them, which makes the battle even more difficult.

"However, the situation is different this time." Kanan Ning clenched his fists and secretly encouraged himself, "We have more reinforcements and the full support of London. As long as we plan carefully, we will definitely win."

He began to carefully review previous battles and analyze the rebels' tactical characteristics and weaknesses.

He found that although the rebels showed strong flexibility and mobility in local battles, they had obvious shortcomings in their overall strategic layout.

They lack effective coordinated combat capabilities, and the links between various units are not close enough.

"This is our breakthrough point." A gleam of light flashed in Kan An Ning's eyes, and he had already made a preliminary battle plan in his mind.

He decided to take advantage of the rebels' weakness and adopt the tactics of divide and encircle to defeat their troops one by one.

At this time, senior British government officials far away in London were also closely following the situation in Egypt.

Prime Minister Churchill personally inquired about the matter of reinforcements to Egypt, and he was well aware of the importance of this battle.

If they could successfully recapture Cairo and control those oil fields, it would not only provide a steady supply of power for Britain's war machine, but would also demonstrate the strength and majesty of the British Empire internationally.

"We must stabilize the situation in Egypt as soon as possible." Churchill said seriously at a cabinet meeting, "Those oil resources are vital to us. How is General Cunningham's preparation?"

"Prime Minister, General Kanan Ning is fully prepared and will launch a general offensive as soon as the reinforcements arrive," a cabinet member replied.

"Very good, we must ensure the smooth progress of this operation. Tell General Cunningham that the honor of the British Empire depends on him." Churchill's eyes revealed firm determination.

(End of this chapter)