The Rise of the Third Reich

Stalin's decision to dispatch the Red Navy's Atlantic Fleet to participate in the Atlantic War on October 8, 1942 was the official decision of the Supreme Command of the Soviet Union.

However, this does not mean that the Red Navy Atlantic Fleet can leave its home port of Molotovsk the next day to beat the Germans in the windy North Atlantic. In fact, it was only Molotov who left the Soviet Union on October 9.

This busy People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union took a diplomatic delegation on several transport planes modified from Pe-8 bombers, took off from Murmansk and left the Soviet Union, passing through Iceland under the control of the United States, and then flew to the United States. . Because you need to pass through the airspace of Finland and Norway controlled by Germany on the way, there are some risks.

So as soon as Molotov arrived at the White House, the President of the United States greeted him cordially: "Comrade Molotov, how are you on the road? Did you encounter any German planes?"

His words were quickly translated into Russian by Litvinov, the Soviet ambassador to the United States.

"Everything is fine. We didn't encounter any German plane."

Molotov replied with a smile: "Actually, they don't have many planes. Now they are all concentrated on the eastern front to fight with our Red Air Force. There are no planes in Finland and northern Norway. This is very important for our Red Navy in the Atlantic Ocean." The operations the fleet is about to undertake are very beneficial."

The Red Navy's Atlantic Fleet's passage into and out of the Barents Sea is close to northern Norway. If the Germans deploy a large number of aircraft in northern Norway, it will certainly pose a certain threat. But now is the polar night period in the Arctic Circle, and aircraft are not very useful in the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. Otherwise, Molotov would most likely have betrayed the revolution or died for the cause of communism...

"Oh?" Roosevelt heard what he wanted to hear most, "Is the Red Navy fleet ready to attack?"

Although the U.S. shipbuilding industry is strong, the battleship construction cycle is too long. The No. 1 Iowa-class battleship, which the U.S. Navy has high hopes for, was just launched on August 27 this year. It is now being outfitted and will be completed and commissioned next spring. But when the spring equinox arrives, the days are long and the nights are short in the North Atlantic. By then, Ju288 bombers equipped with remote-controlled gliding bombs will be hovering over the North Atlantic all day long. Who dares to risk the Iowa-class battleship? Therefore, the day when the Iowa and New Jersey truly show their strength may be postponed until after the autumnal equinox in 1943.

It's too late... The British mainland will not be able to hold on to the 1943 autumnal equinox no matter what. If the British mainland surrenders, Germany will be invincible!

Therefore, the Soviet Red Navy, which keeps claiming to want world revolution, is now the last hope of the capitalist British Empire.

"Yes, our navy is ready to attack." Molotov sat down on a soft sofa in the Oval Office of the White House, and then said with a smile, "As long as some details are discussed, the Red Navy will Will enter the Atlantic Ocean and fight the Nazis with the American and British navies!”

Details? When Roosevelt heard this from the translator, he thought to himself that the problem that would allow Molotov to come forward would probably not be trivial.

"What's the problem? Just say it." Roosevelt's tone sounded very generous, and he just had to add, "Money is not a problem."

But Molotov knew that the reason why Roosevelt was so generous now was entirely because the Soviet Union was worth the price!

If it weren't for the Soviet Union, the United States would have almost lost the world war by now.

"The first is the issue of forming a combined fleet." Molotov did not mention money to Roosevelt at all, but mentioned the matter of forming a combined fleet.

"Of course we must form a combined fleet." Roosevelt nodded. He also discussed this issue with Admiral Lacey, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernesto King, Secretary of State Hull and others. The fleets of the three countries of Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union in the Atlantic must have unified command so that they can exert their greatest power.

Moreover, the mode of decisive battle in the Atlantic is likely to be a battleship formation battle. How can a formation not have unified command? Therefore, forming a combined fleet is inevitable.

"Then who will be the commander of the combined fleet?" Molotov asked next.

"Admiral Ingersoll, the commander of our United States Atlantic Fleet, can serve as the commander of the combined fleet." President Roosevelt proposed the candidates discussed with Hull, Lacey, Ernest King and others.

"Mr. President, do you want to put the Soviet Red Army under the command of American soldiers?" Molotov shook his head and said, "This time we have brought out 4 Soviet-class battleships and 2 Kronshtadt-class battleships. Battlecruisers, they are the main force of the combined fleet, so the commander should be Admiral Kuznetsov.”

His words were translated into English by Litvinov. After hearing this, Roosevelt laughed and said: "Admiral Kuznetsov will be the commander? Well, then will the political commissar of the Combined Fleet be made by us Americans?" Appointment? If you don’t object, then I will appoint Senator Truman to serve as the political commissar of the Combined Fleet.”

Political commissar? Senator Truman? Who is this guy? Are you a member of the American Bolshevik Party?

Molotov was stunned again and again, and suddenly he didn't know how to talk to this cunning American president.

Litvinov, who served as his translator, reacted quickly and immediately asked: "Mr. President, are you kidding me? Do you really want to have a political commissar in the Combined Fleet?"

"Yes," Roosevelt nodded seriously, "because the Soviet Red Navy is the main force of the Combined Fleet, and the Red Navy has a political commissar, then the Combined Fleet should have a political commissar. I think Senator Truman will be happy to take up this position. He He is a comrade who is very good at ideological work.”

This is not possible! Litvinov thought to himself: If Comrade Truman becomes the political commissar of the Allied Combined Fleet, how many anti-revolutionary elements will be captured in the Atlantic Fleet of the Red Navy after the war?

"I'm afraid Comrade Truman is not suitable to serve as the political commissar of the Combined Fleet, right?" Molotov also reacted. "It would be better for our Comrade Bulganin to serve as the political commissar of the Combined Fleet."

Roosevelt still smiled and nodded, and said: "Then the commander will be Admiral Ingersoll."

"Then...Okay." Molotov was considered to have been bypassed by Roosevelt, but the position of commander of the Allied Combined Fleet was originally a bargaining chip... To be honest, the Americans really wanted to let Kuznetsov's company Molotov himself felt that it was unreliable for a Red Navy commander who had never been a battleship captain to command the combined fleet.

"The second is the issue of the Irish battlefield." Molotov made a second request. In fact, this was not the first time that the Soviet Union raised the issue of the Irish battlefield. Since the Soviet Union's "world revolution" was not very successful, Stalin hoped that Britain and the United States would launch a truly effective offensive in Ireland in order to attract German troops and reduce the pressure on the Soviet Union.

Although the United States agreed in principle to send troops to Ireland, it required the Soviet Union to first send a fleet to fight with Britain and the United States in order to seize control of the North Atlantic.

Now that the Soviet Union has agreed to send a valuable fleet, the United States must also give a definite answer on the issue of sending troops to Ireland.

"We are already organizing an expeditionary force and have formulated a plan code-named 'Operation Torch.'" Roosevelt's answer was also straightforward, "The first expeditionary force to arrive in Ireland will include 4 infantry divisions and 2 armored divisions. Under the command of our Lieutenant General Eisenhower, 110,000 American soldiers are ready and ready to go!"

Probably the code name "Torch" has such a good meaning that the Americans in this time and space named their plan to send troops to Ireland "Operation Torch" - Morocco is now inaccessible, there is no polar night phenomenon there, and Gibraltar is still in Europe Homeport of the United Fleet. If the American landing fleet goes there, it will definitely be blown to pieces by swarms of Ju288 and Do217 using remote-controlled gliding bombs.

However, Ireland can still be visited. It is relatively close to the Arctic Circle, and the weather after the autumnal equinox is not very suitable for aircraft to operate at sea. In addition, the United States has also deployed P38 and P51 in the Faroe Islands, which can resist the attacks of Ju288, He219, Fw-190B/C and other aircraft with excellent high-altitude performance. Although it may not necessarily achieve air superiority, it can at least allow the Ju288 to Difficulty accurately delivering glide bombs.

"That's great." Molotov expressed satisfaction with Roosevelt's answer, "But I still have to remind you that German tanks are very difficult to deal with! Their Tiger tanks have powerful firepower and very strong armor. Our 76.2mm gun cannot penetrate them, and the effect of using the 72mm gun against Tiger tanks is not very good.”

"We already have weapons that can deal with German Tiger tanks," General Marshall, who accompanied Roosevelt, took the question and replied, "Our M10 tank destroyer has a 50 times caliber 76.2mm tank gun that can shoot at 500 meters The 117mm thick average steel plate penetrated at a distance should be enough to deal with the frontal armor of the Tiger tank. "

"Can it penetrate 117mm thick steel plates?" Molotov asked with interest, "Can you give us some? We now need cannons that can deal with Tiger tanks."

"No problem." Roosevelt readily agreed to Molotov's request.

Because he knew that the Soviet Union would soon launch an operation to rescue Leningrad, and the German Tiger tanks would be the biggest obstacle to the Soviet army's rescue of Leningrad. Now the Soviet Union has repeatedly asked the United States to send troops to Ireland, obviously to ensure that the Leningrad liberation campaign can proceed smoothly. Roosevelt fully supported any military action that might result in large numbers of German deaths.