This is the story of a German military strategist who travels back in time to 1942 during World War II in an attempt to save the Reich from the brink of disaster. Through a series of strategic adjustments and military reforms, the protagonist begins to turn the tide of the war. The work is characterized by its rigorous historical setting and detailed military descriptions, offering a glimpse into high-level decision-making and military operations in Germany during World War II.
Chapter 028 Steering (6) The top leaders of the army and navy expressed their unwavering confidence in victory, but for Roosevelt, who could no longer afford to lose, he couldn't help but be more cautious and comprehensive in his considerations. He asked, "When will the army be ready? Have you contacted Charles de Gaulle's troops Starting from tomorrow, the 6th Air Force can be deployed at any time and arrive one after another. As for other ground forces, if the ships are complete, the first three divisions can board and depart on October 5th, with two divisions going to Guyana and one division going to Brazil. I think the second batch of troops can depart before October 15th. They will go directly to Brazil, but they hope to have close protection from the navy, "Marshall thought seriously." As for Free France, they only have one or more companies in total, and we don't expect them to fight. Let them show their faces when Guyana holds its entry ceremony Roosevelt asked, "Can the M26 tanks in the armored division be fully equipped The lessons and impressions of the Tiger tank on the US military were too profound, to the point where Roosevelt, as president, directly inquired about the equipment and organization of the division level - this scene always feels a bit familiar. We can prioritize ensuring that each armored division is equipped with one heavy tank battalion, averaging around 58-64 vehicles, "Marshall explained with some embarrassment but patience." We hope to test the combat performance of M26 in practice Roosevelt nodded and said, "It's better to be cautious. I'd rather consider the situation more complex and difficult. Be careful not to make big mistakes. By the end of October, all 12 divisions should be deployed, and then we must launch a total attack on Argentina before Christmas, striving to solve the problem in one month. In early May, I hope to return and continue the Azores campaign - is this arrangement okay Marshall and General Jin exchanged a glance and then nodded in agreement. The president was still very understanding. It was only late September, and he had given seven months in one breath - enough time for the German army to conquer Western Europe. Moreover, it is said that using a total of 12 army divisions, even if General Jin describes the German army as reinforcing 1-2 divisions, this is an overwhelming advantage. If the 6-1 advantage in South America cannot defeat the Germans, then this war is completely unnecessary - after all, the US population is only 80% larger than Germany, and its industrial and economic strength is at most more than twice that of Germany. After all the high-ranking officials left, Li Hai was left behind by Roosevelt. Although this presidential chief of staff often couldn't control the military, he was still a trusted confidant, with good vision and means, and was a first-class figure. Several legislators jointly wrote me a letter, hoping that I could consider negotiating as a way out. Li Hai thought that the president had left himself alone to talk about the prospects of the South American war, but he was surprised to find such a topic. His face was full of shock. Shao Xi, "he tentatively asked," is this their personal idea or the idea of some factions within the party Are these differences? "Roosevelt retorted. Li Hai nodded helplessly, acknowledging that the President's words were reasonable - Members of Congress have always been representatives of certain constituencies and interest groups, and are not simply personal actions. This letter, later known as the "September Letter" in American history, was jointly signed by five senators and eight members of the House of Representatives and addressed to President Roosevelt through informal channels. The letter listed many current situations, although it may have exaggerated content, there are several reasons that are relatively sufficient: Firstly, the people's war weariness is growing. After the Pearl Harbor Incident, in less than two years, the number of military and civilian casualties in the United States has exceeded one million, with over 500000 deaths. Even the most passionate patriotic enthusiasm has been awakened by snowflake like death notices, especially for many young soldiers aged 18 and 19 who have not yet fully embarked on their life journey. Their families received news of their deaths or injuries and returned home a few months later, causing a great social shock. The European Voice radio station's call for peace talks, prisoner lists and living conditions reports, and the establishment of the SS American Division have also shaken everyone's emotions; Secondly, the use of US national strength is gradually approaching its peak, but the hope of victory is still slim. At present, the total mobilized troops have exceeded 8 million, and the acquisition, production, and transportation of all material resources have reached an incredible height. In the 1944 fiscal year, the military budget was originally planned to be controlled within 100 billion yuan, but after deliberation by lawmakers, it was believed that it would never be less than 120 billion yuan. Finally, following Roosevelt's suggestion, it had to be set at 123. 3 billion yuan (with 6. 7 billion yuan added as this year's expenditure), which is almost equal to the total military expenditure of the United States in the ten years before the war, and even exceeds the pre war national income. Although the United States is relatively wealthy with abundant resources and means of production, the annual burden of over 100 billion yuan is still a heavy burden. What is even more despairing is that even at such a high cost, the United States still cannot gain an advantage on the battlefield, let alone victory. Thirdly, as the war progresses, the inherent weaknesses in the strategic domain of the United States are becoming increasingly clear. The rift between the two oceans was originally a unique geographical advantage of the United States, but in turn, the geographical environment of the two oceans also restricts the ways and efficiency of the United States' power deployment. Now the total number of armies that the United States can fight exceeds 5 million. Although not very elite, equipment, supplies, and materials are sufficient, and human resources are not scarce. If we border Europe on land and push these 5 million to the western front, the German army, which is caught in a two pronged battle, will only collapse immediately - because the total strength of the German army on the western front of the European continent is only about 500000. However, the presence of the Atlantic Ocean makes the United States have to keep its huge troops at home, at most sending 50000 or 100000 troops up. This approach can only send heads to the German army, and there is no second option. For example, for transoceanic transportation, although the navy optimistically believes that the newly built ships in the United States can withstand the enemy's sinking numbers, the enemy will never win this tonnage war. But those who truly know the inside story understand that this is just psychological warfare. A Liberty ship costs $2 million, and with various equipment and fully loaded supplies, the value of a single ship usually exceeds $10 million. Such a ship, a German submarine, only needs one torpedo, about $20000, to solve the problem, even if the Germans only hit one torpedo out of ten. The exchange ratio is also 50:1, making it clear who loses and who wins. Moreover, the speed of German artificial submarines is not slow. The latest situation reported by the escort command shows that the German submarine fleet has invested in new equipment - a fast submarine with an underwater speed of over 17 knots, which is much faster than the Freedom or Victory ships and cannot be caught by traditional anti submarine methods. The fourth and most important point is that the Axis powers have no intention of destroying or overthrowing the US regime. Japan and Germany have extended olive branches to the United States at different times and through various channels, hoping to reconcile with the US and achieve a dignified peace. Although conditions vary, they generally recognize the status of the United States as a world power and agree that the United States will continue to lead the Western Hemisphere and the Pacific, which has attracted the attention of isolationists. Most Americans only hope to live a small life behind closed doors, without much ambition to dominate the world, and unlike Germany, which has suffered 20 years of grievances, anti war and isolationist sentiments are resurfacing under the clamor of fighting for the past two years. As high-level figures, Roosevelt and Li Hai also knew the underlying message behind this letter: capitalists and conglomerates are currently deeply saddened by the losses in South America and are concerned that this situation may spread to various countries in South America. Compared to possible markets in Europe, Africa, and Asia, the Latin American market is one that American capitalists will never give up on. After reading the letter, Li Hai sighed and said, "I admit that all these questions are correct and I see the essence behind things, but what I want to know more is what they plan to do? Will they make a public call for peace Roosevelt remained silent for a while before speaking: "They put forward a proposal, hoping that the government can adjust its strategy: to make peace with Germany - or to sign a ceasefire agreement, at the cost of us giving up support for Great Britain, demanding that Germany give up support for Japan, and the United States concentrate all its efforts on dealing with Japan, and then turn back to consider the threat from Europe. On the one hand, giving up Great Britain will help us concentrate our energy and resources on doing our own things well; on the other hand, once Germany stops assisting Japan, it will actually cause the disintegration of the Axis camp and provide convenience for us to ultimately solve the Japanese problem Due to the Pearl Harbor incident, the United States had almost no intention of reaching a dignified peace with Japan from top to bottom. Everyone had only one thought - to wipe Japan off the map, but their views on the conflict between Germany and the United States were different. Apart from some people, represented by Roosevelt, who believed that there was a principle difference and hegemonic struggle between Germany and the United States, many people believed that there was no inherent contradiction between the two countries. It was only because the United States could not tolerate the situation in Europe and sympathized with it. The fact proved that this concern was completely unnecessary - the Eastern countries enslaved by Russia were liberated by Germany, France defeated by Germany regained its new life, and even the Jews who had been rumored to be slaughtered had found a place to settle down in Africa. Li Hai was very clear that when Roosevelt spoke to him today to discuss these matters, he must have changed his mind. He cleverly asked, "Will you adjust your strategy appropriately to deal with the current situation Roosevelt shook his head first, then nodded again: "Concentrating our efforts to defeat Japan is also a strategy. If we solve Japan in 2-3 years, we will be very advantageous in the future What do you mean The scientists of the Manhattan Project have made significant progress. They told me that within three years, we could get a powerful bomb, "Roosevelt gritted his teeth and said." Places like the Azores don't need to send millions of tons of warships and hundreds of thousands of soldiers to fight for them. Just one, just one, and the whole world will be clean I understand what you mean. I will find a way to communicate within the military and formally propose adjustments to the policy after the end of the South American campaign Roosevelt laughed: It's easy to talk to smart people.
