Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the sea surface of Saint-Nazaire Naval Port, located in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, was dyed colorfully. Steel warships were moored on the anchorage, dragging out long shadows in the setting sun. <-> The flagship of the new Atlantic Fleet Commander Admiral Fang Minghao is stable on the side close to the breakwater. The "Himalaya" with a full load and displacement of more than 72,000 tons is like a mountain peak rising abruptly on the sea. Behind it, in turn, They are the "Tianshan", "L¨¹liangshan", "Yanshan" and the battleships "Yandangshan" and "Wuyishan" captured from the French at the beginning of the war, while the "Wuhan" and "Qingdao" The two "Municipality-class" aircraft ships and the two "Beihai-class" aircraft ships "Xihai" and "Qinghai" are located inside the anchorage's key protection. The stationed battleships and cruisers raised two protective barriers.
Since the 8th U.S. Air Defense entered England, industrial and military targets in Germany have been subject to more and more frequent aerial bombings from the U.S. and British coalition forces. The German air force, which gradually declined during the war, was unable to stop the opponent's strategic bombers from attacking the German mainland. This made Hitler realize that Germany would not be able to resume military production without the help of the Republican Army.
At the "request" of Germany, the Republic finally agreed to send the Republican Army to southern France to "coordinate" with the German army to strengthen the defense of the western front of Europe. According to the agreement reached by the two parties, the Republican Army will be responsible for the defense of the French occupied areas south of Lower Normandy, while the German side can concentrate all its forces to strengthen the defenses of Upper Normandy and the Belgian and Dutch coasts.
The Republican Army¡¯s land force in southern France was only three armies with 250,000 people, but its naval and air forces were relatively strong. A total of more than 1,800 fighters from the 15th Air Force of the Army Air Force are stationed in the Lower Normandy area, while more than 1,500 fighters from the 12th Air Force of the Naval Air Force are stationed in the Brittany area and the area from Angers to Nantes.
The Atlantic Fleet (Sixth Fleet) of the Republican Navy, which was reorganized in accordance with the Sino-German Mutual Defense Treaty, includes the two most powerful battleships of the Republican Army, including a total of four aviation battleships, six battleships, and 12 cruisers. Fourteen warships, in addition to the 9th Submarine Command with 116 submarines. spiritual realm
In addition to the Sixth Fleet stationed in the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Fleet of the Republican Navy and the main fleet of the Italian Navy, mainly stationed in Gibraltar, can also enter the Atlantic Ocean at any time for support operations.
"The Chinese have no intention of attacking the United Kingdom. With their strength, it is not too difficult to cross the Strait of Dover. Moreover, unless the British take the initiative to attack their defensive area, they will encounter some retaliatory attacks. Apart from bombing, the Chinese are not interested in the German plan to bomb Britain on a large scale. It can be seen from this that the Chinese are not very happy to see Britain wiped out. This will result in the loss of an important force to contain Hitler." Not far from Zell on the railway line. A special train that had just left the station was running in the wilderness. A Vichy government military delegation headed by Admiral Darlan had just visited the Republican Navy Fleet in Saint-Nazaire and reached some cooperation agreement frameworks. The Republic China's support for the Vichy government gave Darlan hope of reviving the law.
"Yes. Our opportunity has come. If we cooperate with the Chinese, it will be possible for us to rebuild industry and armaments. This is the only way for us to return to the ranks of great powers." Admiral Jean Sur, commander of the French Navy Fleet, was very Agreeing with Admiral Darlan, the Chinese promised cooperation with Republican China if the Vichy government maintained its cooperation. We will do our best to safeguard France's territorial integrity after the war, and from now on support the Vichy government in rebuilding industry and armaments.
"The Chinese do not want to see Germany's military expansion. For them, supporting France is the best way to contain Germany. The Chinese promise to share a common market with us and guarantee resource sharing in the future common market , investment is not restricted, which does not cause us any loss, but is an opportunity to rise." Darlan said that the plan to establish a common market proposed by China is a good opportunity for France.
"How long will this war continue?" Jean-Sur suddenly asked a puzzling question. In fact, the Chinese have not conducted any major military operations in North Africa and the Atlantic since the spring of 1943, and the war situation seems extremely strange. .
"Maybe they think it's enough, but it will take a long time to reach a peace agreement. In fact, neither side of the war has the ability to completely defeat their opponent. The final result will still end with the signing of an armistice agreement. From now on, The direction of the war will change from a full-scale war to a struggle for some local interests. No one will be the ultimate winner. It is the most advantageous choice for us to maintain the current neutrality. Don't do it for the interests of one party like Laval and others. And completely offend the other side." Admiral Darlan advocated that France maintain strict neutrality and not obviously lean towards the war side. This is consistent with the pro-German Prime Minister Laval'sOpinions are not unanimous.
France is now just an insignificant settlement strategically, but strong national sentiments have made the pretentious Gauls always seem out of tune with Britain and Germany in European affairs. France's alliance with Britain is only to deal with the Germans, but in After the Battle of Mirskbil, the French hated the British no less than the Germans.
Starting to support France from now on will make all French people feel grateful to Republican China. In the overall post-war framework, France has always been an important link. Support for France will make most Latin-speaking countries think that Republican China is a country worth relying on and trusting.
After the Chinese took over control of Lower Normandy, Buyatani, Loire and Poitou-Charentes from the Germans, they began to actively cooperate with the Vichy government and help the French with equipment. Police and gendarmerie forces. The Chinese have no plans to stay in France for a long time. Once the war is over, they are likely to withdraw their troops from France. Strengthening the control of the Vichy government is particularly important for long-term cooperation in the future.
Italy is the country that has benefited the most from cooperation with Republican China. The Chinese even handed over Egypt to the Italians. Now from Somalia to Libya, almost all of North Africa has fallen into Italian hands. Mussolini was supported by the military because of his "vision", and his dominance became stronger than before the war.
According to the agreement, the Chinese support the Germans¡¯ demands for the Belgian Congo and the former German West African colonies in principle, but they have to fight for it themselves. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have landed in West Africa and will not leave easily. Hitler was preparing to send an army to Africa to fulfill his colonial dream.
Hitler organized another major campaign on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1943, but it did not achieve much results. Under pressure from the Chinese, the head of the Third Reich finally gave up his Eastern Front dream and turned to deal with the British with all his strength. In order to end the war as soon as possible.
The problem is that the British, who have lost most of their colonial empire, will not easily agree to an armistice unless they can no longer sustain it. This is a dilemma.