On the night of April 15, 1940, just as Guderian commanded his Panzer Army to the north overnight in the battle of the Monte-Diu Heights, the Prime Minister of the British Empire, Winston. Churchill locked himself in his office and drafted a letter of help to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He and Roosevelt had been in "private correspondence" for several months, and although today's correspondence was approved by a cabinet meeting, Churchill used the name "former naval officer" instead of "British Prime Minister Winston Churchill." Because the content of the letter was really disgraceful to the British Empire.

In the letter, Churchill first asked for private correspondence between the two men. Then he reported to the President of the United States on the situation of the war in Europe, in which he wrote: "The situation has deteriorated rapidly, the enemy has clearly gained the upper hand in the air, and their new technology is making a deep impression on the hearts of the French." ”

Churchill also told Roosevelt: "Although it is not yet certain, we must expect that Mussolini will also rush in and take part in the plundering of civilized nations." ”

Britain and France continued to woo Mussolini for several months, giving a lot of loans, oil and steel, but Mussolini never joined the "World League of Anti-National Socialism" (you can't use the anti-fascist alliance, because Mussolini himself is a fascist). But on April 14, British intelligence officers returned top-secret news from Rome: the Italian army was urgently mobilized, and the combat readiness level had been raised to the highest level!

This was clearly a harbinger of Italy's entry into the war! But Churchill knew that Mussolini would never be foolish enough to go to war with Germany at a time when France was about to be defeated by Germany.

Italy must have entered the world war as an enemy of Britain rather than an ally, but this was not too bad news for the British Empire. And what really worried Churchill was France, which he had already anticipated by this time.

So he said to Roosevelt in his letter: "We anticipate that in the near future we will be attacked by air and by paratroopers and airlift troops, and even by seaborne landing forces." We're ready for that. If necessary, we will continue to fight alone, and we are not afraid to fight alone. ”

Although he wrote, "Not afraid to fight alone," Churchill warned Roosevelt: "But, Mr. President, I am sure you will realize that if the voice and power of the United States are suppressed for too long, they may not be of any use." You will see a completely conquered Nazified Europe soon before your eyes......"

Then the British Prime Minister began to ask for help from the United States, in which he wrote: "What I am asking for now is that you declare a state of non-belligerence, which means that you will do everything in your power to help us except that you do not actually send your armed forces into the war." He then went on to ask the United States to borrow "forty or fifty older destroyers to make up for the gap between our existing ships and the large number of new ships that we had begun to build from the beginning of the war." In addition, Churchill wanted the United States to provide hundreds of the latest combat aircraft, as well as a much-needed shipment of air defense equipment, ammunition and steel.

Finally, the words of great shame came, and the Prime Minister of the British Empire wrote in a begging tone: "As long as we can pay dollars, we will continue to buy in dollars; But I have reason to believe that even if we can't pay, you'll still supply us. ”

The dignified prime minister of the empire on which the sun never sets, now he is begging from the president of the United States in a low voice, you must know that the world war has only been fought for more than 8 months. After 8 months of fighting, the British Empire began to "ask for food", and if it lasted another year and a half, without the need for German landings, Britain would have to go bankrupt!

Early the next morning, after writing the "letter asking for food", Churchill arrived in Paris, France, by plane. As soon as he arrived in Paris, he heard terrible news from the British ambassador that the French government ministries were already burning the file of documents!

Soon, Churchill arrived at the Marting Palace with the "gray-looking" French Prime Minister Renaud and the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces, Gammarin. The three men were speechless for a few moments in a lifeless conference room before Churchill asked the two Frenchmen who looked like they were about to cry: "How serious is the matter?" ”

"Mr. Prime Minister, now the Germans have stabbed France in the defenseless abdomen!" Gan Molin looked very depressed, and could not compare with Marshal Xia Fei in 1914, who had briefly perked up the previous morning and followed Xia Fei's order for a decisive battle. But this morning, more bad news came and his spirits were sluggish again.

"Now the wounds of France are getting bigger and bigger, and the losses of the troops are increasing." "Since yesterday afternoon, the German armored forces have been moving north, and the troops of the 9th Army are unable to resist and are retreating. The 2nd Army's counteroffensive against Sedan also did not work, and the 3rd Reserve Panzer Division and the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division fought hard for more than a dozen hours on the Monte-Diu Heights, each attack repulsed by the Germans...... Mr. Prime Minister, it seems that there is no way to close the huge gap in Mence-Sedang, which is now getting even bigger. ”

Is this coming to an end? Churchill was dumbfounded. The Germans only began their onslaught on April 10th, and today it is only the 16th! Lost after a week? That's too fast, right? Although the defeat of France had been anticipated, Churchill could not imagine that France, the "world's largest army power", would hold out in days under the German offensive.

"So where are the strategic reserves?" Churchill was silent for a while and then asked.

Gammelin shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "No...... It didn't work. ”

What he meant was that even if the troops that were being trained and formed were put into it, they would not be able to save the fate of defeat...... Perhaps it is time to consider seeking peace!

Churchill was stunned by Gammelin's answer, he did not fully understand Gammelin's words, he thought that France had no reserves.

Seeing that Churchill was silent, Gammel made another suggestion: "Prime Minister, the question of abandoning Belgium must now be considered...... Belgian troops had to be withdrawn to Normandy and Paris. And the land route is likely to be cut off by the Germans, and the Germans will be able to reach the goal by advancing 200 kilometers north, and we have no forces in this direction that can stop the German armored clusters, so we must consider the possibility of withdrawing troops by sea. ”

"Withdrawal from the sea?" Churchill looked at Ganmalin and said to himself, That's hundreds of thousands of troops! There are so many heavy equipment, how can it be said that the troops will be withdrawn? All the personnel, equipment, baggage, and vehicles of an infantry division (motorized infantry) of the British Expeditionary Force cannot be transported without ships of 20-300,000 tons! The nine divisions of the British Expeditionary Force alone had to be transported by ships of 2 million tons of gross tonnage, and with the French troops, 10 million tons was not enough. Although the transportation distance is not far, the ship can be used back and forth, but the 3 million ton ship is indispensable. Of course, there are ships, but does the British Empire have air supremacy in the English Channel? If they were to retreat by sea, would they let the Germans lose millions of tons of aircraft and submarines?

"Well, as soon as I return to London, I will immediately begin to study the question of the retreat from Belgium." Churchill thought about it for a long time, but he agreed to Gammelin's request.

"In addition, we need the UK to send more fighter jets to cover our operations in the Setang area." Ganmarin then made another request. "It's about whether dozens of divisions on the 'Maginot Line' will be surrounded by the Germans."

Gammelin had no hope of winning the war, but the conditions for peace had to be fought for, and if France lost these dozens of truly combat-ready divisions, it would have to be slaughtered by Germany.

So Gammelin is now thinking about how to strive for a "decent peace", and he can't hide this idea from Churchill.

"Okay, we can supply 10 more squadrons of fighters!"

Churchill knew what had to be said to cheer up Renault, and he pondered, "Now I know the plight of France, which may be worse than it was in 1914, but the valiant French people will not be deterred by such difficulties, and we in England will not give up fighting." Even if only we are left, Britain will fight alone until victory! Because the final victory must belong to the side of justice!

Germany is not without its weaknesses, it is a country that cannot be self-sufficient. Not only are most of the industrial resources dependent on imports, but even the most basic food production cannot meet the needs. So as long as the British Empire still controlled the seas, it could suffocate the German economy through a continuous blockade. And the United States of America will still stand with us this time, and if necessary, the United States will definitely enter the war.

This is how we win the war. I hope that France can join us in winning the crown again! ”

Churchill's words seemed to inspire Renault, and the French Prime Minister's disgraced face was a little more bloody, and he nodded and said: "Okay, France will definitely stand with Britain, and no matter how difficult it is, we will not negotiate peace with Germany alone." ”

Renault turned his face to Gammelin, who was still frowning, and said: "General, I ask the French army to launch a counteroffensive in the Sedan area with the utmost determination to cover the transfer of the troops stationed in the 'Maginot Line' to Paris...... We are going to defeat the Germans again outside Paris, just as we did in 1914! (To be continued.) )