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

Chapter 270 | Distinguished Service Cross (Two-in-One)

Therefore, after the conversation ended, Shan Key went straight to the embassy after leaving the headquarters.

The composed Liu Zhaowen even had the leisure to sip a cup of coffee in the afternoon, appearing unhurried and as if everything was under control.

Da Liu, oh no... Lao Liu, why are you so calm?

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. How good can coffee really be? I'd much rather drink tea."

Shank pulled out a chair, sat down, and said, "I just went to the General Staff headquarters and talked to Marshall. Apparently, there are some capitulationist tendencies in the American upper echelons, and they're thinking about peace talks. Is there any news from the embassy?"

"There have always been surrender factions, it's just a matter of how many there are. Few politicians are smart, most can't even read a map, so how can you expect them to understand military affairs?" Liu Zhaowen said matter-of-factly.

"Well, now that the Battle of Washington is over, there are probably even more surrenderers now, right?"

"That's right. The military was confident that they could hold the capital, but now the capital has been lost. Many people are terrified. The Russians are also sending spies to try to turn them against the Soviets. The Bureau of Investigation is arresting people every day. It's a complete mess."

The fall of Washington, D.C., and the collapse of the Potomac River defense line, along with a series of defeats, instilled fear in many politicians with wavering resolve.

The agents sent by Britain and Ivan Ross were no pushovers either. They took the opportunity to sow discord and secretly reach agreements with some politicians by promising special treatment, plotting to establish a puppet regime.

Given the precedents of Varland and Marianne, the head of the FBI—the president's most trusted confidant—Director John Hoover was extremely vigilant and ordered zero tolerance and comprehensive surveillance.

The president also signed an additional amendment to the Homeland Defense Act—that extraordinary measures should be taken in extraordinary times, and that any official or politician found to have the tendency to flee or defect to the enemy can be arrested immediately without prior consultation.

Under the direct command of the director, the FBI simultaneously launched a frenzied search in various states, arresting hundreds of people in just one week, causing widespread resentment.

The most ridiculous thing is that in California and Washington (not the same Washington) on the West Coast, agents sent by the unified federal intelligence agencies were also affected, with dozens of people being arrested, which is quite embarrassing.

The flood washed away the Dragon King Temple.

The agents sent by the Great Unified Federation were also there to maintain close ties with local officials and politicians, support their own people, and prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

The two sides are currently engaged in low-key negotiations, keeping their positions confidential, while the American side complains that this is interference in its internal affairs.

As for what happens to those who are arrested, according to convention, those agents are later repatriated.

Shank asked, "Where did Lao Xia go? Detroit?"

Liu Zhaowen nodded and said, "Yes, he went to Detroit for an inspection. The Great Lakes industrial area is bound to be the next battleground. What do you think?"

"It's hard to say. The Americans have a lot of troops, and I think Kruger is alright. He's more reliable than MacArthur. The problem now is that we've suffered several defeats on the Eastern Front, and the morale of the army is low." Shank shrugged and said casually, "The probability of winning or losing is about 50/50."

"Old Xia's telegram yesterday said the same thing: fear of the enemy is spreading in the army, and the situation is not optimistic." Liu Zhaowen shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "This cannot continue."

"Then let's send troops," Shank said. "There's no need to insist on waiting for the Americans to take the initiative."

“That’s right.” Liu Zhaowen said without hesitation, “I’ve reported the current changes at the top in America to the central government. You should take a good rest; you’ve been traveling for so many days. Phoenix isn’t a very comfortable place to stay; why not go to San Francisco?”

"I'm still waiting to receive the award."

"what ever."

There is never the best time, only the right time.

Just like buying things, the sooner you buy, the sooner you enjoy it; the later you buy, the more discounts you get.

Shang Ke believes that now is a suitable time to intervene.

In the Great Lakes industrial region, the American First Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, had 25 miscellaneous divisions on paper, with a total strength of nearly 700,000 men. However, excluding the hastily formed new units, only 10 to 12 of them were truly combat-ready.

Approximately 300 65mm anti-tank guns have arrived as military aid, with two-thirds allocated to the 1st Army Group, but this only addresses the immediate need.

Walter Kluge was a German immigrant born in Prussia. His father had fought in the Franco-Prussian War, and he immigrated with his family when he was eight years old. He had pure Prussian blood and was quite in line with the stereotypical Prussian officer style: rigorous, serious, fond of training troops, and always attaching great importance to military training.

Four-star general Kluge is not well-known, and could even be considered virtually unknown. However, his military skills are commendable. He is accustomed to formulating meticulous and comprehensive battle plans, and his command of several battles in the Pacific War resulted in impressive exchange ratios.

Shang's opinion is that Kruger did not participate in the European war like in the original timeline. Now all the US military generals are thorough academics, and it is hard to say whether they can reasonably deploy troops and command an army of hundreds of thousands of people.

Aside from human factors, what Mr. Shang finds most interesting is the choice of strategic offensive direction.

The current situation seems somewhat similar to that in history, as if it were all preordained.

Dalinzi once said: "The judgment of strategic direction (whether it is right or wrong) determines ninety percent of the outcome of a war."

As is well known, there were huge divisions within the German army at the beginning of the Soviet-German War.

The debate over the strategic direction of Army Group Center remained unresolved, with the higher command unable to reach a consensus on the issue. Operation Barbarossa failed to clarify a crucial question: after capturing Smolensk, in which direction would the German strategic focus be placed?

The faction led by Chief of Staff Hader insisted that after that, they should march directly on Moscow and dismantle the Soviet Union in one fell swoop, instead of spreading too much out in the north and south.

Of course, the final result was that the shampooman rejected the idea, and the Central Army Group split its forces and marched south, subsequently winning the Battle of Kiev, the largest annihilation battle in the world, capturing over 600,000 prisoners alone.

The original plane was like that, and there are similarities now.

Since the expeditionary force set foot on the American continent, there has been a disagreement among the British and Ivan Ross leadership about whether to prioritize attacking the Great Lakes industrial region or the east coast, and there is no consensus.

After weeks of debate between the two factions, Veronica finally made the decision herself, and the expeditionary force concentrated its limited forces to march south and attack the east coast.

This decision undoubtedly enabled the expeditionary force to achieve another brilliant victory in the early stages of the war, but how things will develop in the future is hard to predict.

Perhaps prioritizing the attack on the Great Lakes industrial region would have been a better choice?

Shank's gaze lingered on the map for a long time.

He had a big meal at a local Chinese restaurant, then slept soundly until the next day when he was received by the president.

□

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□ “...Your courageous actions far exceeded the basic duties of an advisor. Without your help, those thousands of soldiers could not have successfully evacuated.”

From the president's perspective, Mr. Shang was remarkably consistent in his words and deeds. He proposed a seemingly shocking night raid plan and was even willing to participate in the operation himself. In the end, he managed to evacuate about four thousand soldiers right under the enemy's nose without any major incident.

This is far more honest than many two-faced politicians and capitalists.

Marshall nominated a man for the Distinguished Service Cross, and the president graciously approved it.

"General Marshall told me that with those soldiers who fought so hard in desperate situations, we could rebuild eight or ten superior divisions with them as the core."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"This is of great significance to the United States," the president exclaimed. "They are not only the backbone, but also armed civilians among the soldiers. They symbolize a spirit, an indomitable spirit."

Shang Ke echoed, "That's right, an army lacking spirit and conviction is easily defeated."

The Army Distinguished Service Cross is awarded to recognize the most courageous acts in combat. It is the second highest honor after the Medal of Honor and is in principle awarded only to the American Army. However, it has also been awarded to Marines and foreigners during the European wars.

The ribbon is blue with thin red borders on both sides. The medal itself has a retro feel, is made of bronze, and is shaped like a cross and an eagle.

While expressing his gratitude, Shank thought to himself, "The president has already given me a medal, shouldn't our country's president prepare a one-ton medal for me in the future?"
The president then spoke with him about the current war situation and expressed concern about the future of the Great Lakes industrial region.

He naturally emphasized the difficulties and risks: "Michigan is right next to Canaan, with no depth, and the enemy's supply lines are very short. General Kruger's troops were under tremendous pressure."

The president pondered for a moment and said, "Our biggest problem is the lack of powerful tanks. The army has difficulty fighting against elite enemies in the field. The army hopes to import some tanks from China. What's your opinion?"

Shang Ke thought to himself that distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, and imported tanks are not like time-space teleportation devices.

It takes one or two months for tanks to be loaded onto ships and shipped across the Pacific Ocean. Moreover, such heavy vehicles cannot be driven immediately upon arrival; the crew members need at least two weeks of training.

Instead of hoping to solve the immediate problem by importing tanks, it would be better to request military assistance. Two fully equipped armored infantry divisions are waiting for us at Midway and Wake Island.

Master Luo, hurry up! Master Luo, stop dawdling!
So Shank spoke the truth, saying helplessly, "Then it will take at least two months, Mr. President. I don't think there is that much time in the battle in the Great Lakes region. The British are still sending more troops."

He lowered his voice further and added, "If only your naval submarines could play their proper role, it would be great. Unfortunately, the submarine force has achieved too few victories. There must be something fishy about this. I suggest a thorough investigation."

In this situation, it wouldn't be good to say too much, as it would seem very deliberate, so he didn't say anything more and stopped there.

"Thank you for reminding me, I understand." The president seemed quite conflicted, clearly finding it difficult to make a decision.

Once a country actively requests military support from a unified federal government, the nature of the situation changes, and its voice and influence will be gradually lost.

Moreover, according to the Monroe Doctrine, the American continent is the United States' backyard. The United States should have been the leader of the American countries, but it was defeated to the point that it needed to call for foreign aid or it would perish. How will the American countries view this in the future?

He'd been putting on airs for decades, and finally he got serious, only to find out it was all just a facade.

After receiving the medal, Mr. Shang went to the embassy and displayed it openly, both as a way of showing off and as a way of showing off.

Liu Zhaowen told Mr. Shang that Xijing was aware of the latest situation and was holding a high-level meeting to discuss national affairs, and that they should wait for the time being.

Everyone thought it would take at least two or three days to get the results.

However, to everyone's surprise, just over ten hours later, an encrypted telegram arrived from Xijing, simultaneously activating a second set of diplomatic codes.

Liu Zhaowen read through the top-secret instructions at a very slow pace.

Finally, expressionless, he put the telegram into the shredder, then took out a lighter and lit the shredded paper.

"There will be several more diplomatic efforts in the next few days, with a final deadline of September 20th. If the US doesn't budge, we'll have to make alternative plans," he said.

With a slight frown, Shang Ke pressed on, "Is this any of my business?"

“That’s definitely necessary.” Liu Zhaowen smiled meaningfully. “Instruct ‘203’ to make the necessary preparations and return to the Midway Atoll by plane to resume their original positions. This must be done no later than the deadline. If the situation changes before then, it can be postponed as appropriate.”

203 is actually a code name for a certain person named Shang.

Completely bewildered, Shank asked, "Why go back to Midway? It's all so mysterious."

Liu Zhaowen said irritably, "Don't ask too many questions. It's a top-secret instruction; how could it not be mysterious?"

"It's so highly classified? I can't even tell you?"

"There's nothing we can do, it really is that high. You'll see when you get back to Midway."

What the hell?
After hesitating for a moment, Shank finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and decided to fly to Midway Island as soon as possible.

The country's embassy in America is indeed extravagant, with two dedicated passenger planes on standby at all times.

Therefore, Shank, who set off on a whim, successfully returned to Midway Atoll after two days and one night.

From the air, a fleet of more than a dozen cargo ships is still quietly anchored, and the island is covered with tents.

Upon landing, Shang Ke immediately ordered a telegram to be sent to the General Staff, indicating that he had returned to his own controlled area and requesting relevant top-secret instructions.

The codebreaker searched for a long time before finding the second set of diplomatic codes that was being used for the first time and transcribed the contents.

The impatient Shang Ke stood by, and as soon as the telegram was translated, he took it and quickly skimmed through it. He was shocked and looked around at the calendar.

Huh? The fleet has already set sail? Six aircraft carriers plus five battleships?

Such a quick action couldn't have been a spur-of-the-moment decision... Could it have been planned all along?

Seeing him frown slightly and unconsciously open his mouth wide, Zhang Anyuan asked curiously, "Commander, what's wrong? Has something big happened?"

“Not only is something big about to happen, but we also need to hit the jackpot. Go find me a map of Hawaii. We’re holding a meeting for all officers of colonel rank tonight.” As he spoke, Shang Ke took out a lighter and lit the telegram.

(End of this chapter)