The Rise of the Third Reich

While Japanese Navy Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku was in a hurry to return home, the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Husband Kimmel, had just concluded his visit to India and arrived directly after a long-distance flight. Washington, the capital of the United States.

"Husband, how do those hapless Brits describe their failure?"

On the way from the Navy Club where he was staying to the White House, his boss, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark, sat with him in a large car. Stark smiled and asked about the investigation - Admiral Kimmel was sent to India, of course, to investigate the Mediterranean campaign, which has not yet been settled.

How did the British Royal Navy lose the war? Is it because of a weak weapon or a bad mind? We must find out, because it is very likely that the U.S. Navy will be at war with the navies of Germany and Japan before long.

"They mentioned the German Ju88, the Fokker Zero and the Italian three-engine hunchback."

Admiral Kimmel was a handsome man who spoke very seriously and seemed to have no sense of humor.

He pointed out in a low tone: "The Ju88 is a twin-engine dive bomber that can dive at a 60-degree angle to drop two 500-kilogram bombs. The aircraft called the 'damn hunchback' by the British is the Italian S.M.79 medium-sized aircraft. The bomber can carry an aerial torpedo, with a combat radius of up to 1,000 kilometers, and is very fast, but at the same time it can fly smoothly and horizontally at low altitudes. As for the Fokker Zero, its mid- and low-altitude performance is very good, better than ours. The P-39 is better and can fly farther. These three types of aircraft are the reason for the British defeat in the Mediterranean battlefield. I think our Pacific Fleet will also encounter them soon... If our Secretary of State Hull does not allow Japan to send troops to Japan. Expansion in any direction!”

"The U.S. government will not allow Japan to continue its expansionary policy!" Admiral Stark told Kimmel with certainty. "So your Pacific Fleet will be preparing for war from now on."

"But didn't we still hope that Japan would expand on the East Asian continent?"

"That was before the Mediterranean Campaign," Stark shook his head and said, "Now we can't do that. Because now to defeat Germany, we must unite with the Soviet Union. And we can't unite with the Soviet Union to attack Germany while supporting Japan to attack Close comrades of the Soviet Union in the East.”

"Can't we?" Kimmel still didn't quite understand.

"Of course not!" Stark said with a wry smile, "Now the initiative is in Stalin's hands. We have to desperately please this fatherly leader of communism, and we must pretend to like the Soviet Union and its close comrades. Anything that might make Stalin feel that the United States We can’t do anything very unreliable, even if Stalin doesn’t really care.”

Since Germany has not yet shown any obvious signs of attacking the Soviet Union, and the two countries still maintain the friendship of socialist comrades and brothers on the surface, the initiative in interactions with Britain and the United States lies entirely in Stalin's hands. The United States must be careful to please the Soviet Union so that the Soviet Union feels that it can equally divide the world with the United States.

Therefore, before the Mediterranean Campaign, the strategy of "driving trouble westward" adopted by Britain and the United States is completely unworkable now, because Japan's westward advance with the support of Britain and the United States may make Stalin think that Britain and the United States still hate communism - even if Stalin would not be so I don't think President Roosevelt dared to take this risk.

Moreover, after the Mediterranean Campaign, British maritime power had suffered heavy losses. It was very easy for Japan to seize British colonies in Southeast Asia. The Dutch East Indies may also be obtained through transactions with Germany.

Under such circumstances, even if the United States continues to feed Japan with steel and oil, Japan may not leave Southeast Asia easily captured and go west to attack its close comrades in the Soviet Union.

General Kimmel asked: "The president is worried that the oil and steel we are selling to Japan will eventually be turned into weapons and hit on our own heads?"

"No," Stark shook his head, "Actually what the president is worried about is that Japan ignores our military presence in the Pacific and directly attacks the British colonies and the Dutch East Indies. What should we do if that happens? ? Will Congress agree to the United States declaring war on Japan for British interests in Southeast Asia?"

"Mr. Secretary, are you saying that the president deliberately wants to anger Japan?" General Kimmel suddenly realized.

The U.S. Congress is now the biggest obstacle for the United States to let go of its hands and participate in the world war. The best way to get around this obstacle is to let others take action first. And if Japan chooses to bypass the Philippines and head south, can the U.S. Congress approve a declaration of war on Japan?

"But Japan may still bypass the Philippines." General Kimmel shook his head.

"Then find a way to make the Japanese think there is no way around the Philippines." Admiral Stark said. "Husband, do you have any idea?"

"Of course... there is a way." Kimmel thought for a while and said, "Submarines and bombers can be deployed in the Philippines. It would be great if there were sharp shore-based anti-ship aircraft like the Ju88 and S.M.79."

"We have B-17, B-24, B-25, and BD-1 and BD-2." Admiral Stark said, "These aircraft have sufficient bomb load and range, although they cannot carry out Dive bombing, but horizontal bombing combined with torpedo attacks can still pose a great threat to the Japanese. "

Kimmel added: "Admiral Cunningham also told me that 50 British submarines and 10 camouflaged raiders will soon arrive in Southeast Asia. If Singapore is attacked, he hopes to use these submarines and camouflaged raiders Our base in the Philippines.”

The Philippines was stuck between Japan and French Indochina, Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. If the Philippines became a base for British submarines and camouflaged raiders, Japan would have a hard time dealing with them. Moreover, in the process of Japan chasing these submarines and attack ships, it will easily violate the sovereignty of the Philippines under the protection of the United States. By then, the US military stationed in the Philippines will be able to counterattack openly.

"Besides," Admiral Stark finally asked as the car was about to stop in front of the White House, "are you aware of what happened at Scapa Flow and Toulon? Our fleet at Pearl Harbor will not be subjected to the same A blow, right?”

"This is impossible. We have deployed more than 300 aircraft in Hawaii, and by the end of the year there will be more than 400, and radars will soon be deployed." Admiral Kimmel said confidently, "If the Japanese fleet really dares to come If they touch Pearl Harbor, they will all be sunk!"

Admiral Stark laughed: "Okay! This is the best result. We have to anger Japan first, then defeat it, and then we can deal with the Germans with peace of mind."

…

"Are you subject to sanctions and embargo? The Dutch East Indies authorities are also unwilling to sell oil and rubber to you?"

Hersman, who had just returned to Rome with his wife Chloe, met Oshima Hiroshi and Kuroshima Kameto at the Medici Villa. They told Hersman that Yamamoto Isoroku had returned to Japan because Japan was subject to sanctions and bans. transport.

What also surprised the Japanese was that the Netherlands, which had always been very pro-German, actually sided with Britain and the United States in this action to sanction Japan - this of course could not be an unauthorized act by the Dutch East Indies authorities. , should have received instructions from the Dutch government.

The reason why the Dutch government did this was obviously related to Japan's coveting of the Dutch East Indies. After Japan invaded French Indochina, the Dutch government was very worried that the Dutch East Indies would become Japan's next target of aggression, and therefore asked Germany to provide guarantees for the Dutch East Indies. In order to maintain relations with Japan, the German government rejected the Dutch request, which made the Netherlands more convinced that Japan would invade the Dutch East Indies.

"Then can you promise not to invade the Dutch East Indies?" Hersman asked the two visiting Japanese.

"Your Excellency, Marshal, liberating the people of the Dutch East Indies is the Japanese Empire's obligation to the yellow people in Southeast Asia!" Lieutenant General Hiroshi Oshima said very seriously.

Hersman shrugged, "In this case, it's normal for the Dutch not to sell oil and rubber to you... As far as I know, your oil reserves can last for 24 months, right?"

Oshima Hiro's brows were already frowning. He certainly knew how close the relationship between Germany and the Netherlands was.

"But the Dutch East Indies do not belong to the Netherlands, and we cannot give up there!" said Hiroshi Oshima.

"General Oshima, you don't have to worry," Hessman waved his hand, "We have a way to solve this problem... The Dutch East Indies is not Dutch territory, it is just a property of the Dutch government. You can't take it away for nothing. But you can exchange it for something of equal value."

Regarding the issue of the Dutch East Indies, the German High Command has long studied it. It must be handed over to Japan, otherwise Japan will not have the energy to follow Germany. But the Dutch also need an explanation. Who told old Emperor William and Queen Wilhelmina that a friend in need was a friend indeed?

"Something of equal value?" Oshima Hiroshi and Kuroshima Kameto looked at each other, and Oshima asked, "What is it?"

"South Africa!" Hessmann said, "After capturing Singapore, you must send a fleet to cooperate with us in capturing Ceylon, Madagascar and South Africa. Then we will hand over South Africa to the Netherlands, and you can get the Dutch East Indies."

Of course the Dutch would be happy to exchange South Africa for the Dutch East Indies. In fact, the oil and rubber in the Dutch East Indies could not be sold for much money, far from being comparable to South Africa.

"We can agree," Oshima Hiro said, "Tokyo will definitely agree... So can the Dutch East Indies authorities sell oil to us now?"

Hessmann shook his head, "This is not possible, because the British have at least 4 battleships and 1 aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. This is a force that the Dutch East Indies authorities cannot resist." He looked at the big island, "Unless you immediately Declaring war on Britain, otherwise the Dutch East Indies authorities could only temporarily succumb to British will, otherwise the British could blow up the oil fields there. "