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

Chapter 272 | Is one million in tuition a lot? (Part 2)

He and Liu Zhaowen had been old friends for six or seven years since Hull took office as Secretary of State, and this was the first time he had seen Liu Zhaowen show a surprised expression.

"Was this authorized by the president?"

"Yes, Liu, the President and the Senate hope that you will not send regular troops in name only. Perhaps it would be more considerate of the feelings of the American people to use the excuse of civilian volunteer troops."

Liu Zhaowen glanced at his briefcase, which contained a memo, and said quickly, "This is a huge mistake. We've been urging you for over a month and you've been making excuses. Now you're suddenly giving in. This is too frivolous!"

Hull, unsure of the source of his resentment, awkwardly replied, "I'm sorry, but many conservatives are emotionally opposed to receiving reinforcements from other countries; they're too sensitive."

With a helpless expression, Hel sighed, "This world is truly awful. No one ever imagined it would deteriorate to this extent. Now, the hope for a just world rests on you Chinese people..."

Before Hel could finish speaking, Liu Zhaowen stood up, picked up his briefcase, and turned to leave.

Hopefully we can still make it in time!

He thought this, but after taking only two steps, he thought of other possibilities.

What if it's too late?
He then stopped and turned around, took out a diplomatic memorandum from his briefcase, and solemnly said, "Today I was ordered to deliver an ultimatum, but I didn't expect you to suddenly change your mind."

Looking puzzled, Hel took the memo and began to browse through it.

Then, Hel's expression froze, and he muttered involuntarily, "My God..."

This ultimatum succinctly states the severity of the current world situation, highlighting that the American federal government's series of poor performances have left the regime in a precarious position, and its reluctance to send troops to support it is squandering a golden opportunity.

"...To ensure that strategic resources and naval power do not fall into enemy hands, our forces must be permitted to be stationed at Pearl Harbor. Secondly, all capital ships at the San Diego naval base must immediately prepare to set sail, disarm, refuel for one-way journey, and transfer to Pearl Harbor to await orders. Thirdly, the actions of the exiled fleets of Varland and Marianne must not be obstructed; they must be given the opportunity to choose their own destination."

"A decision on this request must be made within two hours, no later than 8:30 a.m. If it is not complied with, we will take limited military action against the naval bases in Hawaii and San Diego. This order is hereby given."

Hel's hands trembled slightly: "You...you're so heartless..."

"I have to rush off to deliver the message!" Liu Zhaowen turned and left, saying as he ran, "You can only blame yourselves for being so slow! Two divisions have been waiting for you on the island for almost half a month!"

Her, with a pained expression, was speechless.

Liu Zhaowen jogged out of the official residence, got into the car, and immediately told the driver to return to the embassy as quickly as possible.

The car, led by a motorcycle, sped away, leaving everyone in its dust!

same moment.

North of the Hawaiian Islands, on the mirror-like blue ocean, a massive fleet is sailing southeast.

Now that the naval fleet had arrived, Shank naturally didn't want to continue traveling on the cargo ship, so he hopped on the fleet's flagship, the Nanling battleship.

Serving on such a behemoth is a rare opportunity for naval officers and soldiers. Although ordinary sailors still have to sleep in cramped bunk beds, both the food and comfort are much better than on a destroyer.

As for the officers, needless to say, the ship's officers' mess hall and canteen offer chilled drinks and various pastries 24 hours a day.

Upon hearing someone report the current location again, Shang Ke couldn't help but complain to Fleet Commander Chen Lin once more: "To be honest, I still think you guys went too far."

"When considering matters of national importance, let's be less emotional and more rational," Chen Lin said calmly.

"We've done everything we can, what else can we do? We've given them advisors and guns, and two divisions are already on the island waiting." The colonel next to him said with exasperation, "Damn it, the Americans are hopeless. Their million-strong army is like trash, yet they're too proud to admit their mistakes. We'll have to clean up their mess in the end."

“Uh…” Shank said helplessly, “Actually, objectively speaking, I think the US military still has a chance to hold the Great Lakes industrial area, about 60% chance.”

The colonel said, "You clearly said before that you were only 50% sure."

"Having a 60% chance of winning is not enough, and we cannot afford a 40% chance of losing either." Chen Lin said calmly, "The United States' performance this month has been sluggish and hesitant, a typical timid and submissive approach, which is not convincing."

Shang Ke explained with a wry smile, "I actually think the central government is being too pessimistic."

"Our country cannot entrust its fate to other countries." Chen Lin looked at the distant horizon and said casually, "Since the founding of our country, the Yellow Peril theory has been rampant in Europe. For the past hundred years, every decision our country has made has taken the worst-case scenario into account. It is nothing more than resisting the whole world."

This statement left Shang Kegan speechless.

After a long while, Shang Ke spread his hands and said, "Alright, I'm the kind of person who strives for the optimal solution. I feel that sometimes going too far is not worthwhile."

Chen Lin turned to look at him and said quietly, "Military and national affairs are not like business. You can't be too concerned about gains and losses. Many times, there is only a tactical optimal solution, not a strategic optimal solution."

“That’s true.” Shank changed the subject and asked, “When will the navy be ready to attack Sri Lanka?”

"Thirty medium and large landing ships will complete training in October, and forty more will be delivered, which should be completed by the end of October."

"The General Staff plans to start the war in November, which is quite a tight schedule."

"What are the chances of the army being successful?" Chen Lin asked with a half-smile.

"Ten percent." Shang Ke replied without hesitation.

"They seem quite confident, aren't they afraid of making a mistake?"

"That's for sure. Luck doesn't matter when faced with absolute strength. I don't think there's much to say about land warfare. If you want to advance into Europe, we'll have to see when your navy is confident of annihilating the Royal Navy."

"Around 1943, the Consultative Council only approved the construction of 32 aircraft carriers and 7 battleships for the time being."

8:29 a.m.

Four carrier-based aircraft, each carrying tens of thousands of leaflets, quickly took off and flew directly towards Oahu.

Subsequently, more fighter jets took off and patrolled around the fleet.

According to intelligence, the defense forces on Oahu are pitifully small. Apart from the coastal artillery units, there is only one National Guard infantry division with severe understaffing, which is only equivalent to a regiment in actual size.

Just then, a captain from the communications department rushed over, saluting and shouting urgently, "Commander! Urgent telegram from the General Staff! The Americans have requested assistance! There's a chance! Suspend military operations!"

In an instant, everyone in that compartment on the bridge turned their heads to look at it.

"Hmm?" Chen Lin turned around, took the telegram, read it quickly, and calmly ordered, "Lift the radio silence, recall the aircraft, and immediately inform the expeditionary fleet to cease operations. Keep calling them every two minutes."

"Yes!"

At this juncture, there's no need to consider whether or not to expose yourself.

For two weeks, the expeditionary fleet, located far off the west coast, has maintained complete radio silence, adhering to the principle of receiving but not sending communications as required.

However, such long-distance communication carries a significant risk of omissions; historically, both the US and Japan experienced numerous instances of failing to receive telegrams during the Pacific War.

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Fortunately, nothing went wrong this time, and the expeditionary fleet also received orders to halt operations at the same time.

On the bridge of the Wujiang, Shen Changyuan, commander of the expeditionary fleet, raised his hand to check his watch. It was well past 8:30, and only one minute away from 9:00.

In an instant, the observation and communication department was in complete chaos.

In the heat of the moment, the telegraph operator sent the 'stop attack' field incorrectly. After realizing the mistake, he quickly corrected it and resent it.

According to the action plan, after the carrier-based aircraft formation is assembled, it will fly strictly according to the planned route and break into the naval base from the northwest to carry out the attack. It is expected to arrive at Santiago at around 9:05.

Damn it! Now we can only leave it to fate.

Shen Changyuan's heart was in his throat.

At the same time.

On a small hill south of Santiago, a huge, wire mesh-shaped radar antenna is slowly rotating.

An SUV slowly drove up, and a private got out carrying four aluminum lunch boxes and walked toward the control room not far away.

He walked into the control room and saw four soldiers still enthusiastically fiddling with the radar equipment.

"Hey!" He waved the aluminum lunchbox in his hand and called out, "Brothers, this is a hearty breakfast for you, all thanks to the 'chef'."

The SCR-271 early warning radar has only been designed and finalized for a few months, and its production is limited, with only 20 to 25 sets manufactured so far. All of them have been prioritized for deployment to important locations, and the Pacific Fleet's home port—San Diego Naval Base—is no exception.

Everyone was very interested in this thing and played with it tirelessly. In an era when televisions were not yet widespread, no one could resist the allure of an advanced oscilloscope screen.

“Strange, these peaks have been there all along. I think you’ve broken the machine, Johnson. The lieutenant will kick your ass to pieces.”

"Nonsense! I turned the knob exactly as instructed in the manual!"

Several soldiers were in a hurry and, without even having breakfast, decided to bite the bullet and call their superiors.

After a long while, the lieutenant's voice came from the other end of the phone. You could imagine from his voice that he was still sleepy and probably taking a nap with his legs up on the desk in his office.

After listening to the report, he tilted his head, held the microphone between his fingers, reached for the duty roster on the table, and glanced at it casually.

He replied dismissively, "Those are B-17s from Hawaii, Army planes, carrying anti-tank guns supplied by Jong-guk. Ignore those B-17s."

"understand!"

"Listen, radar tubes have a short lifespan. Don't keep them on continuously. I know you're playing around with them!"

"Yes, sir!"

Due to the urgency of the situation, the American Army needed as many anti-tank weapons as possible. Since sea transport would take several weeks, two squadrons of B-17 heavy bombers were assigned to carry out a round-trip airlift mission from San Francisco to Hawaii to Midway to Tokyo. Each B-17 was equipped with two 65mm anti-tank guns and 200 armor-piercing rounds to transport the anti-tank guns as quickly as possible.

The lieutenant didn't take it seriously at all. He glanced at the clock on the wall and then closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

However, what the lieutenant didn't know was that at that very moment, more than a hundred carrier-based aircraft were flying densely in the air more than four thousand meters northwest of San Diego, heading straight for the naval base.

The outline of the land in the distance is clearly visible, and the town buildings are gradually taking shape.

The commander in charge was Naval Aviation Lieutenant Commander Xia Fangzhi. He found that the headwinds encountered by the formation were stronger than expected and slower than planned, arriving at the attack route about three or four minutes late.

Just as he was about to issue the battle orders, the rear gunner and radio operator suddenly shouted, "Captain Xia! The fleet has ordered us to cease our attack immediately!"

"What?" Xia Fangzhi asked, turning his head with difficulty.

"Another signal! Wait! The operation has indeed been halted!"

"what the hell?!"

Xia Fangzhi looked around and saw that all around him were fully armed carrier-based aircraft. The rising sun in the east cast a red and hot morning light, and the aerial torpedoes carried by the torpedo bombers gleamed. The aircraft carriers and battleships anchored in the anchorage and shipyard were clearly visible.

He shouted over the radio, "Formation, return to base! Fleet orders to abort operations!"

Upon hearing this, the pilots in the adjacent carrier-based aircraft cockpits all turned to look at him, thinking they had misheard.

Xia Fangzhi cursed under his breath, pressed the fire button and fired a burst of bullets, then forcefully pried open the canopy, raised the signal gun and fired a green signal flare...

9:30.

Looking out the window, Shang Ke saw several carrier-based aircraft landing on the Yuanjiang aircraft carrier about a kilometer away.

The atmosphere on the bridge was exceptionally solemn, and everyone felt a heavy weight on their hearts.

Everyone had made up their minds, but then they suddenly changed their minds. It would be awkward if things got out of hand.

Suddenly, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the cabin where the observation and communication department was located, and everyone around instantly relaxed.

"Commander!" The captain strode over and reported with delight, "The expeditionary fleet has sent a message that the first wave of attack formations received the order precisely and returned to base before the attack began."

Shang Ke also breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "It's a blessing from heaven."

The composed Chen Lin nodded slightly and said, "We're fine now, but your army's troubles are yet to come. Next, you'll have to clean up the mess for the Americans."

Now that it has been delayed for a few more days, it is possible that the British and Ivanos allied forces are already preparing to launch an offensive. The voyage will take another week, and the expeditionary force will have to regroup after arriving on the west coast. They will have to rush to join the battle after traveling thousands of miles, without any time to relax.

Moreover, the combat effectiveness of the US military is worrying, and it is unknown how long it will take to launch a counterattack and recover lost territory. During this period, the country's energy will inevitably be diverted.

It's fair to say that the Navy is currently very displeased with the United States.

"I'm still optimistic. Although the coalition seems to be constantly increasing its troops, it's almost at its limit." Shank straightened his military cap, put his hands on his hips, and said casually, "I plan to help run a few officer training courses in America. They are desperately short of junior officers. If we can do this well, and then pay the 'tuition fee' of a million casualties, we'll probably know how to fight."

"Huh? One million?"

Is one million a lot?

(End of this chapter)