Chapter 1163 Gaoqibao Plan - Preparing to Move the Capital

When Joseph Patrick Kennedy returned, Washington was already covered with a white snow. The banks of the Potomac River were covered in white. Looking through the falling snow, even the surface of the anti-aircraft balloons floating high in the sky seemed to be covered with a layer of white snowflakes.

Compared with New York under the threat of German missiles, this city looked very peaceful. There were far fewer anti-aircraft guns deployed on the streets, almost no fortifications and tanks, and not many people in military uniforms. After becoming the interim president, Wallace ordered the Joint Chiefs of Staff to deploy defenses on the East Coast, not only to prevent German missiles and bombers, but also to prevent them from suddenly landing somewhere on the East Coast. Therefore, in large cities bordering the Atlantic Ocean such as New York and Boston, it is now like facing a great enemy. Fortifications that have been built or are under construction can be seen everywhere, and tanks and fully armed National Guard soldiers can also be seen everywhere.

Many factory workers or company employees working in Manhattan also began to receive short but effective military training - this is not difficult for the United States where everyone has a gun - many people also received old Springfield rifles, grenades and helmets, and some people bought Thompson submachine guns and Browning automatic rifles at their own expense. The old M1917 water-cooled heavy machine guns and 60mm mortars were also stored in designated locations, and special people were designated to keep and use them. In theory, with only one order from New York Governor Dewey, New York City alone can immediately organize hundreds of thousands of armed militias!

In addition, the legislatures of 14 states on the East Coast have successively passed resolutions authorizing state governments to arm the people and must ensure that all mentally normal and undetained adult male citizens in the 14 states have guns - at least one, the more the better!

However, in the capital of the United States of America, the situation seems to be much more relaxed. Washington, D.C. is not a coastal city, and it is still some distance away from the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, the city has a small population and a small area. It has no value except being the political center of the United States.

However, as the vice president-elect, Kennedy knew some inside information. Behind the "unprotected" Washington, D.C., was a top-secret plan to move the capital. Once Washington, D.C. was within the combat radius of German long-range bombers, in order to prevent the U.S. command center from being destroyed by nuclear weapons, the political center of the United States of America would be moved to Chicago.

While the capital relocation plan was being prepared in secret, residents of Washington, D.C. were organized to dig air-raid shelters to prevent Germany from suddenly developing missiles or ultra-long-range bombers that could drop atomic bombs on Washington, D.C. However, as the "spare tire" of the President of the United States, Kennedy did not have to live in the capital that might be bombed by an atomic bomb. After taking the oath of office, he would lead a "spare tire cabinet" composed of "spare tire" officials from various government departments to Chicago first. And he was ready to become the commander-in-chief of the United States of America after Truman was killed by an atomic bomb...

Before taking office, Truman and Kennedy could not appear in Washington at the same time. Only when one of them left could the other come to the capital from Catoctin Hills (later Camp David), 120 kilometers northwest of the capital Washington.

Now Truman is "vacationing" with his family at Catoctin Hills, and Kennedy came to the capital to discuss peace issues with Wallace and the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties on behalf of Truman.

Although the daytime bombing of Buenos Aires launched by the US Army and Navy Air Force a few days ago dealt a heavy blow to fascism in South America, the Germans still showed a disappointing tough attitude at the negotiating table.

Not only were they unwilling to make concessions on the amount of war reparations (or any other name), but they also put forward requirements on the issue of "American national self-determination" - the Germans demanded that Europe's colonies in the Caribbean and many independent island countries in the Caribbean be merged to establish a completely neutral and completely independent Caribbean Federation!

Obviously, the Germans want to support several big countries in the backyard of the United States that can fight against the United States! The New Asbanian Federation in the south of South America is one, and the Caribbean Federation is probably another. Maybe they will also support Mexico to unify Central America.

In addition, the Kingdom of Canada, which has separated from the British Empire, is also very likely to be supported by the European Community... This is very likely, because the future heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Canada is also a princess, and her husband, according to the practice of the British royal family, can only come from an ancient royal family that believes in Protestantism on the European continent. And such families are almost all from Germany!

So after learning about the latest peace terms of the Germans, the leading figures in Washington, D.C., were indignant and opposed. At the same time, many shocking photos of the burning Buenos Aires published in Roman newspapers also gave the highest-level decision-makers in the United States a false hope. Many people believe that continued bombing will force the political situation in the New Asbanian Federation to undergo progressive changes. The military dictator will be overthrown by the angry people, and then the whole country will fall into collapse and turmoil. This would greatly affect the German military deployment in South America, and the attack on the Caribbean would be delayed. That would be the best time to reach a decent peace.

Kennedy himself was unsure about this somewhat wishful judgment. He was a banker and Wall Street speculator by profession, and was not an expert on South America. Out of the instinct of a financial speculator, Kennedy was also inclined to let the United States fight again.

Because when he met people like Mussolini and Hess in Rome, he still felt the goodwill of the fascists and Nazis. Even though the Americans turned Buenos Aires into a sea of ​​fire, Hess agreed to Mussolini's proposal to exchange prisoners of war. The two sides will first exchange the release of seriously injured or seriously ill prisoners of war - this is a tailor-made exchange condition for Little Kennedy, who has lost his arms and legs, but it is also more beneficial to Germany. The Germans are currently imprisoning There are 20,000 to 30,000 sick and injured patients in the United States, and the monthly medical expenses are a huge expense. Moreover, as a condition of the prisoner exchange, Germany also required the Americans to pay for the food and medical expenses of the released prisoners.

Since there are far more American sick and wounded patients to be released than European Community sick and wounded patients to be released, politicians in Washington believe that this is a sign of German "weakness" and "eagerness to reach a peace treaty." At the same time, Hess's position that he would not use atomic bombs to kill American civilians during the talks is unknown, but it is also considered a weakness.

"The Germans are getting weak." Wallace, who is still president and will soon become secretary of war, told Kennedy and other top American officials attending the meeting in the White House Cabinet Room, "and we must continue to show toughness. The air strikes against Europe and Buenos Aires should continue."

The United States dropped bombs into the potato fields in Ireland. It started when Roosevelt was still alive and has continued to this day. It is unknown how many large craters were blown in the potato fields in the west of the island of Ireland. At the same time, more than 100 people were injured. A B-29 is missing! However, even if the cost was staggering, Americans still insisted on bombing potato fields because such actions showed that the United States was capable of fighting back.

If necessary, the B-29s now bombing potato fields will carry germ bombs to bomb the big cities in the European Community!

In addition, air raids on Irish potato fields could effectively contain the strength of the Luftwaffe. Forcing the Germans to increase the number of heavy fighters that can be used for night interceptions (usually twin-engine, two-seater and equipped with radar).

The Americans' daytime air raid on Buenos Aires was also costly! In the first thousand-aircraft raid, 177 aircraft of various types did not return. The loss rate exceeds 17%!

Such a high loss rate is definitely unbearable for a long time - this is equivalent to an average aircraft being shot down after performing 6 missions - but when thinking about the possibility of blowing up the New Asbanian Federation, a South American fascist country, China Leahy (who is now also the Secretary of War), Secretary of the Navy Forrest, and senior military officials including William Leahy, Marshall, Ernest King, and Arnold, all agreed to continue this cost. Expensive air strikes.

"Their military strength is also very tight," Wallace told Kennedy. "According to reliable intelligence, the Germans have asked Olga to send an air expeditionary force of the Russian puppet army to Argentina to participate in the war."

Kennedy was a little puzzled, "How could it be? The Germans have so many planes, how could they not send out hundreds of fighter jets to protect Buenos Aires?"

Arnold, commander of the Army Aviation Corps, had long known that Kennedy would ask this question, and immediately explained: "The maximum number of shore-based day fighters in Germany and France is seven to eight thousand. Although it is not a lot, the battlefield they are responsible for is also very large. Europe wants to defend, and many islands in the Atlantic Ocean have to be deployed. In addition, they also send a large number of aircraft to Belém, Brazil and Guyana...that is the base for the invasion of the Caribbean.”

Kennedy understood: "In other words, the Germans have deployed the main force of their shore-based fighters to northern Brazil and Guyana, and are preparing to attack Trinidad from there?"

"Yes, that's it." William Leahy replied, "Germany began to deploy operations to attack the Caribbean in 1942. It built many airports and terminals in Guyana, and after controlling the Port of Belém in northern Brazil, it continued to With expansion, there are currently no less than 50 large German airports in Guyana and Belem, which can accommodate 5,000 aircraft!"