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Text Chapter 901 Cairo (7)

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    The thin heels hit the marble floor of the French Navy Headquarters in Marseille, which is sweet and rhythmic.  It's just that the French naval officers, who have always been famous for their romance, had no intention of taking another look at the owner of the high-heeled shoes today. They all stood blankly in their seats, staring at the telegraph machine, waiting for the latest news.

    ¡°For France and the French Navy, the past thirty hours have been a disgrace!  It¡¯s torture!  It is full of treachery!  In addition to the three battleships abandoned in North Africa in one go, the two battleships that fled to Britain and a battleship in Alexandria were also disarmed by the British. The pre-war Fourth Navy only had the Jean Bart that went to the West Indies and the fleeing ship.  Two Dunkirk-class battleships in Greece.  But even these three ships are already in danger!  The U.S. Navy has already dispatched to stop the Jean Bart. Greece is a neutral country and it is impossible for the French fleet to be anchored for a long time. Facing the four British battleships and two aircraft carriers that are eyeing the outside, the tired fleet and lack of ammunition supplies are destined to be destroyed as long as they leave the port.  Sink them all!  Moreover, the sinking of the Hood completely angered the British government and people.  The latest news is that several battleships, including Nelson and Rodney, have begun mobilization. If a settlement cannot be reached soon, they will sail to the Mediterranean within a week.

    Who can save the French Navy?

    "General, we meet again." Under the leadership of the adjutant, Jin Bihui and China's Plenipotentiary Representative to Europe Zeng Qi walked into Darlan's office.

    Darlan looked numb and even stared at Jin Bihui with anger.  From the moment she brought the news to Marseille, the French Navy seemed to have stepped into a trap!  Every thread is so closely intertwined that it is hard to believe that China is not at fault here.  But anger cannot solve the problem. The most critical thing now is to keep the battleships. As long as there are battleships, the French Navy still has hope of making a comeback, otherwise it will be another Germany.  So he waved the officers away.  After asking the two of them to sit down, he asked with self-mockery: "Mr. Ambassador, Miss Jin, are you planning to add insult to injury, or are you going to do this?"

    "Two hundred million yuan (approximately 100 million U.S. dollars)." Zeng Qi was very direct. He placed the contract and a letter that had been prepared in front of Darlan: "It has been deposited in the Swiss Bank and will be handed over to Darlan after the war.  Your country will lease its fleet in Greece to us. We will promise to ensure the safety of the people on board and return the warships to your country after the war. If there is any loss, we will compensate it at a discount. This is the contract and  A personal letter from Marshal P¨¦tain, who promises that everything will be decided by you."

    From RMB 400 million to RMB 200 million.  Darlan felt bitter in his heart.  He looked at Jin Bihui with some reluctance: "I'm afraid this is not in line with the price proposed by Miss Jin."

    Jin Bihui smiled and said: "General, the $200 million includes the Richelieu and Jean Bart."

    "The Jeanbar is still under my control!" Darlan said angrily.

    "Oh? Can you persuade the US government to let it go?" Jin Bihui was not angry at all.  In fact, after the news of the US Navy's interception came out, Yang Qiu knew that he had no chance of letting the Barr, so he asked Jin Bihui to lower the price.  This is a pity. The Richelieu-class battleship is one of the few good things that Yang Qiu can like.  Much better than B¨§i fine level.  After all, there is still a gap between the metallurgical level of the Republic of China and France so far. Even if all naval gun technology is copied from France and a lot of metallurgical technology is introduced from France, the performance is still weaker.

    "That sentence made Darlan feel as if he was deflated, and he leaned back on the chair slumped.  After a long while, he picked up the peace treaty, but put it down again without looking at it. He seemed to be unwilling to accept it.  Asked: ¡°What if I say no?¡±

    Zeng Qi looked at Jin Bihui. Although he is currently the highest diplomatic official of the Republic of China in Europe, he is not responsible for this matter.  So after Jin Bihui got the hint, he leaned forward.  For the first time, two cold lights appeared in the show: "You can order them all to sink, or we can sink them!"

    "You?" Darlan asked in astonishment.

    "Yes, is us!"

    Jin Bihui¡¯s words shocked Darlan¡¯s heart.  China and Britain are about to form an alliance!  Britain, which was isolated and on the verge of failure, gained its first important ally at the most critical moment.  This means that Eurasia is no longer fighting on its own.  The war is officially heading towards a confrontation between world-class military alliances!  Thinking back to the U.S. Navy's action to intercept the Jean Bart, it clearly means that two huge figures have slowly emerged behind the British.

    Once this alliance is formally formed, it will be extremely terrifying.

    China has the world¡¯s largest human resources (pre-war ranking), the world¡¯s fourth comprehensive national strength, the world¡¯s third-largest army (thought to be behind the Soviet Union and Germany), the world¡¯s largest air force (ranked after entering Persia), and the world¡¯s fifth-largest navy!

    The United States ranks fourth in the world in terms of human resources, ranks first in comprehensive national strength, has the second largest navy in the world, and accounts for 60% of the world's manufacturing industry!

    The second largest human resources in the world (including colonies and the British Union)State), the United Kingdom ranks second in the world in terms of comprehensive national strength, has the world's largest navy, and the world's sixth largest army!

    In front of this alliance that has emerged in outline, Darlan has no choice.  Either watch a lifetime of hard work go to waste, or save the last bit of vitality for the French Navy!  Thinking of this, he once again picked up the "Sino-French Naval Concession Agreement" handed over by Zeng Qi, his right hand trembling.

    On June 30, after 48 hours of emergency communication and consultation with the Chinese government, Yang Qiu and Churchill reached an agreement with the French government to lease out the entire French fleet trapped in Greece.  With Darlan's nod, the agreement officially came into effect, which meant that the French Navy, which ranked fourth before the war, disappeared overnight!

    According to the agreement, the French Navy will not only temporarily hand over the Djibouti base to Chinese custody, but also transfer the battleships Dunkirk, Strasbourg, Algeria, Foch,  Duplex, Tourville, Glorious, Marseillaise, Montcalm, Bertin, Terrible, Reckless, Vicious  The destroyers, the destroyers HMS Triumph, the destroyers HMS Albatross, the destroyers HMS Great Eagle, and the destroyers USS Sparrowhawk, a total of seventeen warships (some were intercepted midway and then withdrawn to France) were all leased to the Chinese Navy for 200 million yuan.  According to the agreement, China will ensure the safety of personnel on board and will not use the warships in Europe.  After the war, all the warships will be returned to the French government free of charge. If there is any damage, the two parties will negotiate a discounted compensation.

    at the same time.  Roosevelt also followed Yang Qiu's example and leased the battleship Jean Bart, the aircraft carrier B¨¦arn and five other ships hiding in the West Indies for US$40 million to join the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet. They would also be returned after the war.  To the French government.  The British Navy divided up the remaining three battleships and 60 other ships, which will be handed over to the French Navy at an appropriate time.  The Vichy French Navy only had two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, ten destroyers and more than 20 submarines left.

    The Fourth Navy, which was well-deserved before the war, was completely carved up in just five days!  A once world-famous empire came to an end with the decline of the navy!

    Although the French navy was solved, the British were not much better.  Within a week, the British Navy first lost an aircraft carrier, two Avenger-class battleships and two heavy cruisers in the Indian Ocean.  Then the Hood was lost in the Mediterranean, plus the battlecruisers Renown and Repulse lost in the Battle of the Andaman Sea, and the battleship Royal Oak which was sunk by a German submarine after the war began, there were 15 battleships/battlecruisers before the war began.  There are only nine capital ships left in the British Empire.  Moreover, the Resolution will need to lie in the dock for at least a year, and the Warrior and the George V are also determined to be unable to participate in the war within half a year. Even if the Shandong stimulates the George V class to speed up the construction speed, the next four ships will not be ready until 1941 at the earliest.  It can only be put into service at the beginning of the year.  This means that before March 1941, Britain could only produce seven battleships: Nelson, Rodney, Queen Elizabeth, Warspite, Barham, Malaya, and Avenger (four Georges  Five generations under construction).

    On the contrary, the United States across the sea has eighteen battleships (there are also two North Carolinas, four South Carolinas, and six Iowas under construction), and the Japanese have 14 battleships (including old-fashioned ships, and three Yamato battleships under construction).  China has eight ships (four are under construction in Shandong. Not counting the two Dunkirk-class ships).  The gap on the aircraft carrier is even greater!  The Chinese Navy already has a total of eight fleet aircraft carriers including two Beihai class, four Sichuan class, and two Liaoning class, with a total tonnage of nearly 210,000 tons, as well as four General class escort aircraft carriers (followed by eight Liaoning and ten General class  Under construction), Japan also has a total of eleven aircraft carriers: Hosho, Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Ryujo, Zuikaku, Shokaku, Shoho, Zuiho, and Ryuho (  Five light aircraft carriers are under construction or refit).  Although the United States only has five fleet aircraft carriers.  But five Essex-class aircraft carriers have already started construction at the same time.  On the contrary, after the continuous losses of the British, even including the newly delivered Glorious, there are only four aircraft carriers left: Glorious, Ark Royal, Formidable and Glorious (four are under construction).

    ¡°Whether it is tonnage or quantity, the UK has fallen behind Japan, which ranks second.  With Italy's four Veneto-class fast battleships being launched and delivered one after another, the Bismarck and Tirpitz battleships approaching service, and the Shandong-class battleships being delivered at the end of the year and other factors.  The total tonnage of the world's largest navy before the war suddenly plummeted to fourth place. However, the Chinese navy, supplemented by 17 French warships, surpassed Japan in total tonnage and became the second largest navy in the world!

    The "Sino-French Naval Concession Agreement" is an important turning point in this world war!  As the officers of the 22nd fleet boarded the French warship and passed the Suez Canal under the escort of the British fleet under the escort of the British fleet, the new world order took initial shape in Cairo.

    On July 1, the General Staff Headquarters and the Navy Ministry transferred 5,000 naval officers and soldiers to??Buti accepted the French warships, and at the same time sent 27 10,000-ton ships, three engineering ships and two large floating docks to the Chagos Islands, and officially upgraded the 22nd Fleet to the Third Fleet (externally known as the Indian Ocean Fleet)  , and ordered the Second Fleet and the Third Fleet to work together to protect the two Dunkirk-class ships returned to China for repair and modification. After repair, they will all be transferred to the Third Fleet's combat order together with the remaining French warships.

    There is no doubt that apart from the UK, Germany and Japan are the other two unlucky ones!  Although Hitler agreed with the French Navy on the surface, he always wanted to take the French Navy into his pocket. Unexpectedly, China, the United States, and Britain actually carved up the Fourth Navy under his nose.  Raeder was extremely angry and immediately persuaded Hitler to completely take over France in the Mediterranean and attack Spain and Gibraltar to implement the Great Mediterranean Plan!  Japan was even more unlucky. It tried its best to defeat half of the Indian fleet, thinking that it could turn around and devote itself to dealing with the Sino-US attack. Unexpectedly, the Chinese navy, whose total tonnage was not as good as its own, added 17 warships overnight.  Without firing a shot, a force of three aircraft carriers, four battleships, six heavy cruisers, eight light cruisers, seventeen destroyers, eight frigates, and fourteen submarines was raised in the Indian Ocean, a total of six  The main fleet of sixteen ships.  It also owns bases such as the Chagos Islands, Djibouti (leased), Addu Atoll, Seychelles (after the alliance, the UK will open it to the navy) and the Persian Gulf, taking the Indian Ocean into its hands.

    It¡¯s all in vain!
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