Chapter 729 Must Obey the Party's Command
"How far are we from Iceland now?" Lütjens suddenly asked.
"About 350 nautical miles," the European Combined Fleet's navigation staff immediately replied. "If we continue to take the anti-submarine route, we can reach the western waters of Iceland in 16 hours."
"There are still 16 hours." Lütjens smiled and said to William Messer, "They are now at least 700 nautical miles away from Iceland, and the speed will not exceed 12 knots. It will take at least 100 hours to take the anti-submarine route. In this way, we have 3 days to bomb Reykjavik Port into ruins and lay thousands of mines."
That's right, the target of the European Combined Fleet commanded by Lütjens is not the Allied Combined Fleet and the NR21 Fleet, but their destination, Reykjavik Port in Iceland!
Reykjavik Port is located in a semicircular bay, and the entrance of the bay is about 38 kilometers wide.
The Americans set up three anti-submarine nets there to prevent German submarines from sneaking in, and also built large security turrets in Sandgerdijk and Akranes on both sides of the bay, and deployed large-caliber artillery shipped from the United States.
On the Icelandic land near Reykjavik Port, the Americans have been building military bases since 1940. A series of military facilities including barracks, large warehouses, large oil depots and large airports have been built.
In addition, the Americans have deployed a large number of troops and aircraft in the barracks and airports near Reykjavik Port in Iceland. There are nearly 40,000 ground forces, and nearly 300 aircraft belonging to the US Army Air Force and the Navy Air Force, including a large number of P-38, P-51, B-17, B-24 and B-25.
It can be said that Iceland is now a large stronghold set up by the Americans at the doorstep of Europe! As long as this stronghold exists, the Arctic Circle route cannot be cut off.
Even during the polar day, fast-moving warships and ships could still risk passing through the joint blockade of German sea and air forces under the cover of P-51 and P-38 taking off from Iceland.
It was also very difficult to remove the nail of Iceland, after all, Iceland is located north of the British mainland. Without taking Britain, it is unlikely to jump over to attack Iceland - without overwhelming sea and air superiority, it is a fantasy to want to play frog leapfrog!
However, it is not easy to suppress Iceland with P51 and P38 in the polar day season when the day is long and the night is short. Because except for the Fokker Zero, other German fighters can hardly reach Iceland from Norway and Ireland. And the Fokker Zero can't fly high and can't escort high-altitude bombers like Ju288.
So in the spring and summer of 1942, the Nazis on the European continent could only watch Iceland helplessly.
However, after the autumnal equinox, Iceland, close to the Arctic Circle, also entered the polar night period. The battleships of the European Combined Fleet can now use naval guns to destroy this large stronghold of "American colonization of Europe".
…
“Sir, the German fleet has been spotted!”
At 9 a.m. on December 8, the shout of the communications officer broke the somewhat oppressive silence in the command tower of the battleship Massachusetts.
“Where is it?” Admiral Ingersoll asked immediately.
"150 nautical miles south of Iceland, it was discovered by the Catalina seaplane... The radar detected a very large fleet of ships, at least hundreds of ships of various types!"
"Iceland... South?" Admiral Ingersoll was stunned for a moment, "Are they going to intercept us near Iceland?"
"No, I'm afraid not to intercept us." British Vice Admiral Fraser's face suddenly became ugly, "Their target is Iceland!"
"Iceland!?" Admiral Ingersoll took a breath, "Are the Germans going to capture Iceland?"
"It shouldn't be captured." Fraser shook his head, "There are two US infantry divisions on Iceland, and many marines, so it's not easy to occupy. But the Germans can use naval guns to destroy the port of Reykjavik and nearby facilities! And the Germans can also lay mines outside the port of Reykjavik, so we have no way to enter..."
There is no way to enter the bay outside the port of Reykjavik! This means that more than 250 cargo ships, the entire fleet and 108,000 American soldiers have to drift outside the bay and may be attacked by German submarines, aircraft and ships at any time.
The sailors on the cargo ships and fleet are fine, as they are all used to wind and waves, but can the 108,000 army be seasick day and night in the strong winds and huge waves near the Arctic Circle? If they are seasick for several weeks, will they be able to fight the Nazis in Ireland?
"We can't let the Nazis blow up the port of Reykjavik!" Admiral Ingersoll gritted his teeth, "The Combined Fleet should attack immediately and fight a decisive battle with the Germans!"
"Attack immediately? What about the NR21 fleet? They can't run fast."
Except for a few fast cruise ships, most of the NR21 fleet are very slow cargo ships and oil tankers, which can't run fast at all. And so many large and slow ships dare not go in a straight line, otherwise they will suffer heavy losses if they encounter the German "wolf pack".
Therefore, if the Allied fleet wants to reinforce Iceland, it must abandon the NR21 fleet. Otherwise, they will not be able to reach Reykjavik Port until the German fleet has completely dismantled it.
"We can leave the old battleships and some cruisers and destroyers behind to protect them."
Admiral Ingersoll said with consideration: "We will take two South Dakota-class, four Soviet-class, two Kronstadt-class, three King George V-class and other new battleships and some cruisers and destroyers to support Iceland."
Iceland must be saved, but NR21 cannot be without battleship protection. Fortunately, Ingersoll had already made preparations. When he set out from New York, he also brought 5 Queen Elizabeth-class, 2 Wyoming-class, 2 New York-class, 2 Mexico-class and 1 Florida-class, a total of 12 old battleships.
So he can now divide the fleet into two, use 12 old battleships to protect NR21, and use 11 new battleships/battlecruisers to deal with the main force of the European Combined Fleet.
For this arrangement, the British Fleet Chief of Staff Fraser fully agreed. But Vice Admiral Fraser's vote of approval is not very useful, because this fleet has a political commissar!
According to the agreement reached between Molotov and Roosevelt, the Allied Combined Fleet implemented a dual-chief system. Military Commissar Bulganin and Commander Ingersoll had equal command authority, and major decisions must be approved by both.
So after the two capitalist naval experts discussed countermeasures, they immediately boarded the Communistist red battleship Soviet Union by speedboat to seek the opinions of the Deputy Chairman of the Soviet Council of People's Commissars and the President of the State Bank...
Comrade Bulganin listened to the two people's reports in the Party W Conference Room on the Soviet Union - the conference room of the Bolshevik Party Soviet Red Navy Atlantic Fleet Committee!
Comrade Bulganin is a member of the Central Committee, and will soon enter the Political Bureau. His status in the party is incomparable to that of Kurznev, so he is the natural secretary of the Party W of the Red Navy Atlantic Fleet. He usually holds meetings in the Fleet Party W Conference Room...
The conference room is hung with sickle and hammer flags, as well as portraits of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, and Russian slogans - Workers of the world unite and must liberate all mankind!
Admiral Ingersoll and Lieutenant General Fraser followed Gromyko into the conference room that made them feel uncomfortable.
Bulganin, wearing the uniform of the Navy Political Commissar, stood at the door to greet them and greeted them cordially in English: "Comrade Ingersoll, Comrade Fraser, please come in."
"Comrade Military Commissar...!"
"Comrade Military Commissar, hello."
Admiral Ingersoll and Lieutenant General Fraser had no choice but to salute Bulganin. Then several people sat down at the conference table, and the main seat was of course Comrade Bulganin's - this is the Party W office! And Admiral Ingersoll is not even a Party member...
After sitting down, Admiral Ingersoll told Bulganin the suggestion of dividing the troops that he and Lieutenant General Fraser had discussed, and Gromyko served as the interpreter on the spot.
"What?" Bulganin frowned a little, "Divide the fleet into two? Let the Soviet class and Kronstadt class fight the German main fleet? Can victory be guaranteed?"
"Yes!" Admiral Ingersoll nodded, "In the number of battleships with 406mm main guns, we have a 6:2 advantage, and our advantage in the number of 406mm main guns is even greater, 54:16."
Bulganin is the governor of the Central Bank, and he certainly understands the truth that 6 is bigger than 2 and 16 is smaller than 54.
"Comrade Military Commissar, we can't let the Germans occupy or destroy the US military facilities in Iceland." Kurznev also spoke for the two capitalist generals, "If the Germans control Iceland, then the routes near the Arctic Circle will be cut off."
"Are you sure?" Bulganin asked in Russian.
"Yes!" Kuznetsov said, "The German fleet will most likely not fight with us... Maybe they will find a way to attack NR21, so it is more dangerous to stay and protect the NR21 fleet."
The Red Navy can't go to more dangerous things!
Bulganin made up his mind, nodded and said to the two capitalist generals: "Okay, I agree with your suggestion. But... I have one condition."
"What condition?"
"Use the battleship Soviet as the flagship!" Bulganin said, "The military commissar and the commander should be on the same warship, so that they can have unified command!"
Unified command? Who will command? How about letting the chairman of the Federal Reserve command with you? Admiral Ingersoll opened his mouth and was speechless for a while.