It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 262 | Three Major Events

Shang Ke chuckled coldly, raised an eyebrow, and shook his head, saying, "I'm not surprised at all that they failed so quickly due to their lack of organization and discipline and their lax attitude."

"Two major cities have been lost just like that. Now, no matter how Washington tries to defend it, it's unlikely to end well. Zhicheng, what do you think?"

"I don't feel there's much to say. The Americans have brought over a few divisions from the Great Lakes, so it's like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Our anti-tank guns have also arrived, right? The defenses we've set up along the river in Washington should hold for about three to five days."

Hearing him say that, Xia Zhizun was somewhat surprised and frowned, saying, "Three to five days? You're so pessimistic?"

Shank said matter-of-factly, "It's pretty much true. The Americans don't even have decent tanks. Without mobile forces, how could they possibly hold out with just a defensive line?"

He picked up the wooden pole, tapped the map on the table, and casually said, "I guess this is how it will be. When the Russians attack, they will definitely try to cross the Potomac River head-on at first. After a few attempts, they will fail and then simply send troops upstream to find a place to cross the river, threatening the flank of the defense line. And that will be the end of it."

“Uh…” Xia Zhizun pondered, “Doesn’t this underestimate the role of the air force?”

"The tactical effect is mainly psychological intimidation, which is difficult to quantify specifically." Shang Ke gestured on the map with a wooden stick, then continued:
"At the operational level, we could bomb the supply line, but as you can see, from New York to Philadelphia, and from Philadelphia to Baltimore, there are many parallel side roads in addition to the main road. Although the number of British and Ivan Ross's fighter units is not large, their quality is good. The Hurricane and Yak are quite advanced. If they just concentrate their operations in this strip of airspace, they can effectively protect the supply line."

MiG Corridor?

Jacques Corridor!

The two chatted for a while before losing interest and ending the conversation.

Shang Ke complained, "The Americans are so slow. Do they want support or not? My 8th Mechanized Infantry Division, with over 10,000 men, is still waiting on that godforsaken Midway Island."

"They say it's still arguing, there's no conclusion yet, and people are still hoping for the best." Xia Zhizun chuckled, clearly waiting to see America make a fool of itself.

It's not hard to understand the mentality of the American upper class; it's essentially a matter of national pride and obsession, and they simply can't bring themselves to ask for help.

After all, the total number of British and Ivan Rus' expeditionary forces was only a few hundred thousand, which was too embarrassing to admit, and history would forever record this joke.

Although the enemy defeated our entire army group with ease, there were still losses and attrition. Since we are fighting on our home turf, we have no shortage of troop replenishment and may be able to withstand the enemy's offensive on our own.

"Ha, naive. They'll behave themselves once Washington is lost too," Shank muttered.

The American Army has amassed what appears to be a large force in Washington, D.C.

｜6 infantry divisions
｜1 National Guard Infantry Divisions

| 1 Marine Regiment
| 4 exiled units (brigade level)

According to Marshall's deployment, the 1st Marine Regiment and the 24th Infantry Division were directly responsible for defending downtown Washington.

Specifically, it was divided into three regimental combat teams, with two regiments defending the Capitol Building and the White House area respectively, and the other regiment providing cover for both; the Marine Corps was responsible for defending Constitution Park and the Lincoln Memorial.

Bradley was ordered to command the city battle, while Eisenhower and Hodges were responsible for commanding the entire defensive line. There's not much to say about Bradley and Eisenhower; both were the steady, reliable type of general, and essentially more of a commander-in-chief than a general, with tactical abilities inferior to their operational organization skills.

Historically, the US military's large-scale participation in wars was only four or four years in advance, which was too late. Many generals did not have enough opportunities to hone their skills and demonstrate their abilities, and therefore could not find anyone to praise.

Although he appeared indifferent, Shank, considering his role as an advisor, still offered a friendly reminder that lacking a strong mobile force was extremely dangerous.

Eisenhower took this suggestion very seriously, but he was powerless to do anything without resources. He only had a few dozen severely outdated M2 light and medium tanks, which were barely enough to deal with infantry, let alone engage in armored warfare against T-34s.

The M3 medium tank was only finalized last month, and it is already outdated upon leaving the factory. However, it is the only tank that the United States can currently offer. Before the successor, the T6 experimental medium tank, is successfully developed, they can only bite the bullet and prepare for mass production.

【Picture】

The next day.

While the west bank of the Potomac was busy reinforcing its defenses around the clock, the Catherine Palace in St. Peter's Fortress was once again filled with the joy of victory.

It seemed that there was nothing or no one in this world that could stop the Ivan Rus' Empire from marching toward glory.

Veronica had already decided that once the expeditionary force captured Washington, she planned to visit Marianne and personally ascend the Eiffel Tower to look down upon all living beings.

Her daily work is not complicated; it mainly involves listening to reports from her subordinates and then making decisions on some important requests.

The first major event today concerns the immigration progress in Königsberg, an ice-free port of great strategic importance. Veronica firmly believes that preserving the land but not the people is the only way to ensure long-term stability, so she ordered the expulsion of German civilians from Königsberg, then renamed the area and began immigration.

The second major event was the request for mass production of the T-34A, an improved version of the T-34 cruiser tank. The frontal armor thickness remained unchanged, but the turret was replaced with a large three-man turret. A 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun was added to the turret commander's position, and the tank gun was changed from a short-barreled 30-caliber gun to a long-barreled 76.2 mm gun with a 42-caliber barrel.

Currently, the Imperial War Council has assessed that the tank's protection capabilities are still sufficient, so the first improved version focuses on enhancing firepower and ergonomics.

Veronica approved the request.

The third major issue involved professional military matters. She did not make decisions unilaterally, and after a short while, she summoned Lieutenant General Kovalev.

"It is said that the troops attacking Philadelphia almost captured the enemy's gold convoy?"

“That’s right, Your Majesty. According to the information we have, the American Treasury has transferred gold stored at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in batches. The last batch of more than 100 tons of gold was stuck in Philadelphia due to transportation problems. When our vanguard tried to seize the gold, the enemy’s reinforcements arrived,” Lieutenant General Kovalev said regretfully.

Veronica is much more ambitious now than before, and she doesn't feel depressed about missing out on more than 100 tons of gold.

She picked up the documents on the table and asked, "Some people have suggested that after capturing Washington, while the expeditionary force advances westward, we should send paratroopers to raid Fort Knox and seize the gold there. Do you think this is feasible?"

(End of this chapter)