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

Chapter 205 Cooperation and win-win!
Wang Jun, a military commander who has made his mark on the battlefield, is facing the complex situation on the North African battlefield with extraordinary calmness.

At this moment, his attention was focused on a piece of intelligence that had just been delivered, which contained detailed information about Admiral Cannin's deployment of reinforcements.

However, this information, which was enough to make other generals nervous, seemed like an expected common thing in Wang Jun's eyes. There was no surprise or worry on his face. Instead, he showed a calmness that seemed to be well prepared.

"It would be strange if the British army did not send in reinforcements." Wang Jun shook his head slightly and whispered to himself, with a hint of confidence in his accurate grasp of the situation in his tone.

In his view, the British army's defeat in the North African battlefield had put them in a difficult situation. In order to reverse the situation, it was inevitable to draw reinforcements.

This is like a ship in a storm. In order to avoid sinking, it will try every means to find a safe haven.

But for Wang Jun, this move by the British army made him feel relieved.

"At least now that we know the source and number of the British reinforcements, the next thing we need to do is to deploy the troops." Wang Jun's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he had already outlined a complete battle blueprint in his mind.

He knew very well that in war, intelligence was the most valuable asset, and mastering the enemy's dynamics was equivalent to mastering the initiative in the war.

Now, he has a clear understanding of the situation of the British reinforcements. What he needs to do next is to rationally deploy his troops based on this intelligence and formulate the most effective combat strategy.

There is another important reason why Wang Jun was so calm and composed, that is, he was not alone.

Behind him, there is a secret base that operates day and night and provides him with continuous support.

During this period of time, the staff at the base have been busy at their respective posts like tireless worker ants.

Compared to elite soldiers who require a lot of time and resources to carefully train, ordinary conscripts have great cost advantages.

Not only are their recruitment costs low, but their training period is relatively short, which makes it extremely easy to mass-produce troops.

In just one month, the base was able to successfully raise tens of thousands of troops. This powerful troop expansion capability undoubtedly provided a solid backing for Wang's army on the battlefield.

Looking back, Lu Yuhua had some concerns in his heart when he expanded his military forces on a large scale.

After all, in this international environment where the strong prey on the weak, the sudden rise of any force may arouse the vigilance and fear of other powers.

He was worried that his large-scale military expansion would lead to joint suppression from other countries, thus leaving him isolated and helpless.

However, as the situation continued to change, especially the interweaving of forces on the North African battlefield, the attention of the great powers was distracted.

At this moment, the so-called fears that once made him worried became insignificant in the face of reality.

He no longer had to think too much about these external pressures and could devote himself wholeheartedly to preparing for combat against the British army.

In addition to the British reinforcements' movements, Wang Jun also keenly captured another important piece of information - the Italian army's reinforcements.

The purpose behind this action of the Italian army is obvious.

The rich oil resources in North Africa are like a huge cake emitting tempting light, attracting various forces to compete for it.

For the German army, North Africa is geographically relatively remote. Although they coveted the resources of this land, their military operations in North Africa often seemed beyond their capacity due to the long front line and difficult logistical supplies.

As the saying goes, "the whip is too far to reach", the German military presence in North Africa has always been subject to many restrictions.

However, for Italy, the situation is quite different.

Italy is across the sea from North Africa, and its geographical advantage gives them a natural convenience in military operations in North Africa.

In the eyes of Italian high-level officials, the port of Alexandria in North Africa is undoubtedly a shining pearl. As long as they can successfully capture this port, they can take over Egypt.

Once they took control of Egypt, it meant that they had the initiative in negotiations with the local indigenous people.

At that time, they will be able to put forward their own conditions on the distribution of oil field profits as they please and obtain huge economic benefits from it.

It was precisely based on a comprehensive consideration of the British reinforcements, the Italian army's movements and his own strength that Wang Jun not only did not care about the British reinforcements at all, but instead had some expectations deep in his heart.

He is like an experienced chess player who has already seen through every move of his opponent before the game even begins.

He was looking forward to the arrival of British reinforcements, as this would be a great opportunity for him to demonstrate his military talent and completely defeat the British army.

At the same time, in the distant Mediterranean Sea, German Navy Marshal Raeder was standing on the command deck of his flagship, his brows furrowed and his eyes revealed an unprecedented solemnity.

Spread out in front of him was a huge nautical chart, on which were detailed markings of various important locations along the North African coast and the deployment of troops of both sides.

However, what worried him at the moment was not the complicated war situation in front of him, but an unexpected discovery - the North African waters were actually rich in oil resources.

"How could this be..." Marshal Raeder muttered to himself with an expression of disbelief on his face.

Originally, he did not pay much attention to the interests of this sea area. In his strategic planning, the main task of the German Navy was to engage in fierce competition with the British Royal Navy in the Atlantic for maritime hegemony.

However, this sudden discovery was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, which instantly shattered his original strategic conception and made him nervous.

"We must take the port. Once we have it, we can transport oil back home through it." There was a firm light flashing in Marshal Raeder's eyes. He pointed forcefully at the Port of Alexandria on the nautical chart and said in an unquestionable tone.

In his opinion, Alexandria, as one of the most important ports in North Africa, has an extremely important strategic position.

Once the German army successfully occupied this port, it would open a door to Germany's oil treasure trove.

They can transport the rich oil resources of North Africa to Germany through the port, thus alleviating the plight of the extreme shortage of domestic oil resources. Lieutenant General Lütjens, standing aside, looked at Marshal Raeder silently and nodded slightly.

His eyes also revealed his recognition of this strategic goal. As a senior general of the German Navy, Vice Admiral Lütjens knew the importance of oil to the German war machine.

During World War II, oil was the blood of modern warfare. Without oil, planes could not take off, tanks could not move, and warships would only become a pile of scrap metal floating on the sea.

The oil reserves of the German army before the war were only enough to sustain the war for more than 100 days.

Now, as the war drags on, the German army's oil reserves are almost depleted.

Under such circumstances, the sudden discovery of oil resources in North Africa undoubtedly gave them a glimmer of hope.

"Marshal, I think we can cooperate." Lieutenant General Lütjens hesitated for a moment and slowly expressed his thoughts.

There was a hint of caution in his tone. After all, this was a major decision concerning Germany's future strategic direction and required careful consideration.

"What do you mean?" Marshal Raeder turned his head slightly and stared at Lieutenant General Lütjens, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

He highly recognized the ability of this subordinate and knew that the ideas he proposed must have profound meaning, so he waited patiently for his explanation.

Hearing the marshal's question, Lieutenant General Lütjens took a deep breath, organized his words, and then expressed his opinion in an orderly manner: "North Africa has always been the traditional sphere of influence of Britain, France and Italy." His voice was low and powerful, echoing in the empty command cabin.

Marshal Raeder did not refute this statement, but nodded slightly to show his agreement.

As an important colony of European powers in Africa, North Africa has long been divided and controlled by Britain, France and Italy.

This is an indisputable fact and the reality that Germany must face when conducting military operations in North Africa.

Lieutenant General Lütjens was relieved to see that the marshal agreed with his point of view, and continued: "Now the British forces are about to be driven out of Egypt, and France has surrendered to us. But they are still hesitant and wavering in their attitude towards the colonies in Africa. In this case, only Italy is left."

Before Lieutenant General Lütjens finished speaking, a gleam of sudden enlightenment flashed in Field Marshal Raeder's eyes.

He instantly understood what Lieutenant General Lütjens meant, that is, Germany should cooperate with Italy to jointly compete for North Africa's oil resources.

Under the current circumstances, it is undoubtedly a daunting task for Germany to gain a foothold in North Africa and successfully obtain oil resources relying solely on its own strength.

Italy has a certain military foundation and geographical advantages in North Africa. If the two countries can work together, their strength will be greatly enhanced.

With the joint strength of the two countries, it is not an unattainable dream to take over the entire North African region and control the rich oil resources.

"Your idea makes sense." Marshal Raeder nodded slightly with an appreciative smile on his face.

He expressed his approval of the cooperation concept proposed by Lieutenant General Lütjens, and at the same time began to carefully plan the specific details of cooperation with Italy in his mind.

He knew very well that this would be a cooperation full of challenges and opportunities and needed to be treated with caution.

However, Marshal Raeder was also clearly aware that cooperation with Italy was not all smooth sailing.

The Italian army's performance on the battlefield has always been criticized, and there is a big gap between its combat effectiveness and fighting will compared to the German army.

Moreover, in past wars, Italy had defected many times at the critical moment, which made the German top leaders always doubt Italy's loyalty.

Therefore, before cooperating with Italy, a complete cooperation plan must be formulated to clarify the rights and obligations of both parties to ensure the smooth progress of the cooperation.

At the same time, on the sea not far away, the Italian naval fleet was sailing slowly.

Their target is also the Port of Alexandria. Italian top officials are also salivating over the oil resources that are about to be obtained in this sea area.

Commander Arturo Ricardi stood upright on the deck. Although his posture was still straight, his furrowed brows revealed his inner struggle.

He gazed at the North African coastline in the distance. The sparkling waves before his eyes turned into thick oil. Every ripple seemed to remind him of the fierceness of the competition for resources.

"This is our traditional power. Do you think we should share it with the German army?" Commander Arturo Ricardi turned slightly, retracted his gaze from afar, and fell on the face of the adjutant beside him. There was both unwillingness and a bit of exploration in his eyes.

In his opinion, the Italians have been operating in North Africa for many years. From colonial infiltration to cultural influence, every inch of land here has left Italian footprints.

In the past, everything on this land seemed to belong to Italy's sphere of influence by default.

Before the discovery of Egypt's oil fields, North Africa was more of a colonial glory and strategic buffer for Italy.

Compared with other core interest areas, the Italian army's deployment and investment in this land can not be said to be a full-scale effort.

But now, everything has changed dramatically. The oil gushing out from the ground instantly ignited the greed and ambition of all parties.

These black liquids are not only a symbol of energy, but also a key support for the country's future development.

For resource-poor Italy, this is simply a huge piece of fat meat thrown by fate, and there is no room for any mistake.

The adjutant straightened up slightly. He met the commander's sharp gaze with a calm expression and said unhurriedly: "Your Excellency Commander, Alexandria is not so easy to take." As he spoke, he raised his hand and gestured towards the city hidden behind the coastline in the distance. "The military facilities there are very complete, and the British army must have made careful defensive deployments. Not only are there fortresses and artillery batteries along the coast, there are also a large number of defenders on standby in the port, not to mention those warships that are eyeing us covetously." The adjutant's voice was low but powerful, and every word was like a warning bell ringing in the commander's heart.

"Although we have courage and certain strength, facing such a solid defense line, it is almost impossible for us to take Alexandria Port in a short period of time by ourselves." The adjutant paused slightly, revealing a hint of determination in his eyes, "And the German army has a strong ground attack force and advanced weapons and equipment. If we can work together with them, our chances of winning will be greatly increased. From a strategic point of view, we must cooperate with the German army."

(End of this chapter)