Chapter 1382 The Last Moment of the United States (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
The entire empire was mobilized, and everyone realized that war was about to break out!
Among all the countries, the United States is the most nervous about the imperial mobilization!
As a member of the Allied Powers, the United States did not mobilize. Although Congress did not pass a general mobilization decree, it ordered the conscription of 1.5 million new soldiers when the Ming Dynasty Xuanbu issued a general mobilization order. In other words, the United States also began to prepare for war.
While they were making preparations, they also continued to ask Ming to cancel mobilization and even hoped that Ming would sign an agreement to neutralize America.
At the same time, the tension between Ming and the United States was getting closer and closer to breaking point. Although the US Secretary of State Walter Quentin Gresham and the Empire's ambassador to the United States had extremely intense negotiations, the Empire continued to insist on its position - refusing to stop the total mobilization.
"We believe that the disputes in the Old World should stay in the Old World, and the New World should not and must stay away from the disputes in the Old World."
In Washington, President Cleveland specifically emphasized this when he summoned Imperial Ambassador Tian Maocai.
"Peace! When the Old World is engulfed in war, peace is the most precious thing to the people of the New World."
In fact, to a certain extent, Cleveland was an isolationist. He did not agree with the United States' intervention in the affairs of the Old World, but he had to face the threat of the Ming Empire. Because of the threat, he did not oppose an alliance with Britain, but he was unwilling to go to war with the Ming Dynasty because of Britain.
Moreover, in Cleveland's view, the war that broke out in Europe was the best time for the United States to get rid of the economic crisis. Two years ago, the bankruptcy of the Philadelphia-Reading Railroad Company triggered the economic crisis, which led to a long and severe depression, followed by the reduction of gold reserves, widespread unemployment, industrial overproduction, and poor harvests of agricultural products. At this time, the European economy was also in recession.
In order to save the economy, Cleveland took many measures, even building a large number of dreadnoughts, which was itself a way to alleviate the economic crisis. But now, with the outbreak of war, Britain was waving gold pounds to order supplies in the United States. As long as it was not involved in the war, the United States would soon get rid of the depression and usher in a new prosperity.
Therefore, for the United States, neutrality is the best choice. Of course, this neutrality is temporary, but the premise of neutrality is that the Ming Dynasty must also remain neutral like the United States.
"Mr. President, we think the same. We are willing to negotiate with any country on the issue of peace! And we are willing to make corresponding concessions."
Although Tian Maocai answered like this, when Cleveland expressed his hope that the Empire would lift the mobilization, he still spoke directly.
"Mr. President, total mobilization is a necessary choice for the empire to maintain its own security and peace!"
"But Mr. Ambassador, a total mobilization could very likely lead to the war spreading to the New World!"
"Mr. President, this is a scene that none of us want to see!"
After the negotiations broke down again, the U.S. Congress passed an order to recruit an additional 700,000 troops. Although the United States did not mobilize, it had actually begun substantial mobilization. The dark clouds of war that were about to break out began to hang over the New World.
At the same time, the newspapers in the empire reported a lot of news every day, saying that the imperial government would never give up the last ray of hope for peace and was determined to continue to do its utmost to adjust its relations with the United States. Of course, the newspapers also did not forget to report that the United States' request for the empire to cancel the general mobilization was tantamount to a request to sit back and wait for death.
In a word, the United States is arrogant and unreasonable, while the empire has always advocated peace; in order to avoid war, the empire is willing to make the greatest concessions. All of this is nothing more than telling all citizens that everything is the United States' fault.
The empire announced its mobilization only after it was attacked. Why did the United States intervene and demand that the empire lift its general mobilization?
But what does the mobilization of empire have to do with the United States?
At the same time as the U.S. Congress approved the implementation of the second phase of the military expansion plan, on March 25, the Imperial General Staff formulated a naval combat plan against the United States and Britain based on the "Big Thunderstorm Plan", and also issued the "Imperial Headquarters Order No. 1" ordering the Imperial Fleet to begin combat preparations.
When the First Order of the Imperial Headquarters was signed, the First Naval Air Fleet was still at the Blanca Bay base in the south, making final preparations for the implementation of the plan.
In the chief of staff's office of the First Air Fleet on the aircraft carrier USS Jingwei, the commander-in-chief of the First Air Fleet, Major General Wu Anping, chief of staff Brigadier General Shao Muzhi, and staff gathered around Lü Deren's sand table at the Hampton Roads to study.
Outside the window, under the afternoon sun, the bay was rippling with blue waves. More than a dozen warships of the First Air Fleet, with the "Jingwei" and "Jinwu" aircraft carriers as the core, were quietly anchored in the bay.
The atmosphere in the chief of staff's room on the ship was sometimes lively and sometimes tense: the staff officers holding the nautical charts were whispering to each other from time to time, while Lu Deren was looking at the sand table without saying a word, with a confused look on his brows.
"Captain Lu."
Staff Officer Jiang Hongyong spoke up.
"Will the main attack be by torpedo or bomb?"
"Um!"
After taking a breath, Lu Deren immediately replied:
"I think we should still use torpedoes as the main attack. Battleships have thick armor and can't be destroyed by dive bombing. At best, we can only destroy the deck equipment. To deal a fatal blow to the battleship, we must use torpedoes as the main attack at the same time!"
"Torpedo attack...but the water depth is only about 15 meters, and the surface space is limited."
Staff Officer Jiang Hongyong said in an embarrassed tone.
"Yes, that's the problem."
Pointing at the sea chart and thinking for a while, he said:
"The water depth at Hampton Roads is only 15 meters. The U.S. battleships are probably parked side by side here. The distance from the opposite shore to the target sea surface is about 800 meters. The shore there is a naval shipyard area with tall obstacles such as large chimneys and cranes. What do you think? Isn't it difficult to carry out a torpedo attack?"
With a wry smile, Lu Deren thought, of course it’s not easy!
But it’s not difficult.
After all, the method of "Sea Holly" to carry out torpedo attacks is generally to launch a torpedo when it descends to an altitude of 10-20 meters and the target is 500 meters away; after the torpedo enters the water, it dives to a depth of ten meters, and then relies on the action of the rudder to float to four to six meters from the water surface and rush towards the target.
In fact, the Sea Holly is almost a "high-speed torpedo boat", but it can fly.
"But bombing alone is not very effective. With so few planes, we can't achieve the expected results. So if we want to achieve results, we still have to rely on torpedoes."
Lü Rende's answer made Major General Wu Anping think for a while and then said,
"Let's focus on torpedoes. What is the purpose of launching a surprise attack? It is to maximize the results of the battle. Using torpedoes will achieve greater results. Hmm..."
Staring at the American warships anchored in the Hampton Roads on the sand table, Major General Wu Anping said again.
"It's settled. The first wave of attack will mainly consist of torpedoes!"
"Captain Lu?"
The Chief of Staff thought for a moment, then said:
"Just follow the orders of the superior! Anyway, time is running out, so we must hurry up and do it."
Then the Chief of Staff looked around at the people sitting there and said:
"Now, the order may be issued at any time. In short, we don't have much time! This is a battle that can turn the tide!"
The old group is down, so I created a new book club group: 739209015. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and deduce the plot together.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
