“…… I am your servant, and you have the right to remove me from my office if you wish. What you don't have the power to do is to hold me accountable without giving me the power to act effectively, to hold me accountable as Prime Minister, and yet, as the distinguished MP put it, 'to be checked by authorities in every way'. ”

“…… I can attest that all over the world, in the United States, in distant China, all our friends are waiting to see if there is a strong united political axe in Britain and whether the national leadership of Britain will be opposed. If those who attack us are reduced to a paltry number, and their vote of no confidence in the United Axe is transformed into a vote of no confidence in the makers of this motion, no doubt every friend of Britain and every loyal public servant of our cause will cheer it......"

Finally, the House of Commons held a vote. As a result, Wardlow Milne's motion of no confidence was defeated by a vote of 475 to 25. Churchill survived this critical day with his honesty and prestige.

The British Prime Minister walked out of the House of Commons with a relaxed step. The sky is so blue, the sun is so bright, this is a rare good weather in the summer of the British Island. Groups of parliamentarians kept pouring in to congratulate Churchill. But Churchill's mind was now focused on the war. He is well aware that his premiership depends entirely on victory on the battlefield, at least no more defeats.

"Let's turn it all around with a win!" Churchill said confidently.

"I think there's going to be a win like that." General Ismay heard Churchill's words and said, "Cunningham has already begun to act." ”

"If this operation is successful, we can cut off the claws of Germany and Italy as they reach out to Europe." Churchill shook his fist, his eyes shining with excitement.

At this time, Churchill was hoping for a glorious victory to sweep away the defeatist atmosphere in Britain, and he did not think about the impact of the next battle on him, the British Empire, and the whole world.

November 20, 1940, Truk Island, South Pacific, Command of the South Pacific Fleet of the Chinese Navy.

Located in the core of the Caroline Islands, Truk Island is the largest island in the Truk Islands, with a triangular shape, more than 60 kilometers long on each side, and a lagoon with a diameter of 30 to 40 nautical miles in the middle, which is a natural port of anchorage for ships. Originally a German colony, it was seized by the League of Nations after the end of World War I, and was later entrusted to China by the League of Nations.

Now Truk Island has become the headquarters of the South Pacific Fleet of the Chinese Navy.

The Truk Islands are the choke point of the Pacific Ocean and have a very important strategic position, and are known as the "unsinkable aircraft carrier" and "Gibraltar in the Pacific". In World War I, under the pretext of fighting against Germany, Ben seized the Truk Islands and occupied them for three years, but because of the fact that Ben did not contribute much in the First World War, he took advantage of the inability of Western countries to look east to seize territory and invade China, which caused strong dissatisfaction among the Western powers. In order to use China's power to contain Yuben, under the joint intervention of the Western powers, Yuben was forced to withdraw from the Truk Islands, and the Chinese navy was stationed until now.

Today's Truk Island, in addition to the necessary port facilities, also has a large airfield and a powerful air strike force formed by hundreds of Chinese warplanes. Many of the combat training projects of aircraft carriers of the Chinese Navy are completed here.

"The port of Taranto, Italy, was attacked by a British aircraft carrier, Chief." A Chinese naval officer handed over a battle report to Yang Shuoming, who had come to Truk Island to inspect the island, "The Italian navy has suffered heavy losses. ”

Yang Shuoming took the report and read it, although as a traverser, he had long known the outcome of this battle, but he still wanted to know if history had changed here.

"Of the six battleships of the Italian Navy anchored in the port of Taranto, the 'Cavour' was hit by a torpedo and sank on the way to the shipyard; the 'Lidorio' was hit by three torpedoes and its bow sank badly, and a large amount of water entered below the bridge, and it was estimated that it would not be able to participate in the battle for a short time; the 'Duirio' had two ammunition compartments flooded and ran aground on the beach; and the 'Veneto' was wounded. In addition, the cruiser Taranto and the destroyer Liberchio were damaged, and the seaplane hangar, oil depot and shipyard in the harbor were severely damaged. The officer said on the side, "In this battle, the British army only dispatched 21 aircraft, only 2 aircraft were shot down, 2 were damaged, 11 torpedoes were consumed, and 52 112-kilogram semi-armor-piercing shells were consumed. ”

"In this surprise attack, the Italian Navy lost almost half of its capital ships, which can be described as a great loss of vitality." Fleet Commander Shen Honglie said on the side, "The Italians were completely frightened this time. The Italian Navy is allegedly ready to evacuate the surviving warships from Taranto and disperse them to the northern ports. ”

"The Italians are giving up the sea dominance of the Mediterranean!" Yang Shuoming quickly finished reading the report and nodded, "The sea transportation route from Italy to North Africa is likely to be cut off, so the war situation in Africa will be even more uncertain." ”

"Although the British army won a game in the Mediterranean, the impact on the whole situation is still limited." Shen Honglie said, "The British army withdrew from Dunkirk to the mainland less than half of the troops into France, all the heavy equipment was discarded, and the air force was not well prepared, and it was all supported by the navy, so it may not be able to hold the British Isles." ”

"If the British want to hold their homeland, the air force is crucial." Yang Shuoming said, "Like the battle of Taranto, if it weren't for the power of the aircraft, it would have been difficult to perform this great feat. ”

"Yes! The inspiration for this battle of Taranto is also huge. Shen Honglie pointed out the window and said, "No, in order to strengthen the aviation strength of the base, four light aircraft carriers have been transferred from China." ”

Yang Shuoming looked in the direction of Shen Honglie's finger, and in the blue water, the figures of several aircraft carriers were clearly visible.

"This is the 'Jingwei' level, isn't it?" Yang Shuoming said.

"Always have good eyesight." Shen Honglie smiled and nodded, "It is said that it is a light aircraft carrier, and the displacement is also 20,000 tons." ”

"The Admiralty is worried, and I think I'm going to do some tricks like the British played in Taranto, right?" Yang Shuoming looked at the huge ships in the distance and asked thoughtfully.

"That's it." Shen Honglie said, "I have always been eyeing our China, and I heard that they have built a lot of aircraft carriers, so we can't take it lightly." Seeing that Yang Shuoming looked a little trance-like, Shen Honglie thought that he was worried about the defense here, and immediately said, "Of course, it is not so easy for me to carry out a surprise attack here. ”

"What if I came not only aircraft carriers, but also those super battleships?" Yang Shuoming asked.

"If you want me to say, super battleships are complete waste, not much use. We even built two of them, but there was no need for that. It's a pure waste of manpower and material resources, and with that money, it's better to build more aircraft carriers and get more new planes out. Shen Honglie said, "With these aircraft carriers and these planes, I said that my ships will come and ensure that all of them will be sunk." ”

"Personally, I'm not too inclined to build super battleships, but the people have proposed to build them, and Congress has passed a bill and given grants, so it has to be built." Yang Shuoming smiled and said, "I've already said it alone. ”

"Yes, yes!" Shen Honglie also laughed, "You Yang Dacai God can't help yourself too many times. ”

"Actually, when I came to take a look, it was basically equivalent to a tour of the mountains and rivers." Yang Shuoming said with a smile, "I don't need to worry about the navy now. ”

"Leaving in a moment?" Shen Honglie asked.

"Of course." Yang Shuoming looked up at the large plane parked at the airport in the distance, and nodded, "There are many places to see." ”

"Be careful to keep me in mind." Shen Honglie smiled, "Over the years, the one they hate the most is you." ”

"So what?" Yang Shuoming looked at him and laughed, "Now, even if you kill me, you can't change anything." ”

He raised his eyes to look at the fighter planes that swept across the blue sky, and said to himself: "If I am smart, what I am thinking about now is not to shoot me down, but how to shoot down our planes." ”

At this time, almost at the same time as Yang Shuoming said this, in the imperial garden flower pond of the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Yamamoto Fifty-six suddenly sneezed.

"Yamamoto-kun......" Ishihara Wan'er looked at Yamamoto Fifty-six, who looked a little haggard, and asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Yamamoto fifty-six waved his hand and said absently.

At this time, a staff officer was using a long wooden pole to point to the models of warships in the flower pond while explaining:

“…… The British Navy's successful raid on the port of Taranto was guided by advanced military concepts and theories, and the British generals represented by Admiral Cunningham were keenly aware of the role of the air force in determining the name of the navy through several exercises and actual combat in the thirties, and boldly decided to use the carrier-based air force as the main force to attack the Italian fleet anchored in the harbor. This was actually a triumph of advanced military concepts and theories, and the Italian Navy did not expect the British to carry out a surprise attack in this way, although the Italian army had anti-aircraft firepower, but the deployment was very imperfect, and in addition it was not psychologically prepared, it was defeated by the British army using 20 old biplanes. ”

"The British army's victory also depended on careful and meticulous pre-war preparations, for which the British army planned and prepared for a long time, and trained and modified the pilots and aircraft participating in the battle to make them more suitable for the operation. The Maltese shore-based air force conducted aerial reconnaissance on many occasions, providing accurate information and ensuring that the commanders were determined to fight. When the conditions are not yet ripe, it is better to postpone again and again than to attack rashly, and strive to hit the target with one blow. In October, the Chinese and British troops planned to carry out attacks several times, but they were postponed many times due to weather, aircraft, and other reasons, and it was not until November 11, when all conditions were relatively ripe, that they decisively launched a surprise attack and succeeded in one fell swoop. ”

For this reason, the activities of its Mediterranean Fleet and H Fleet were extremely active, and the transport flotilla was also dispatched in a big way, creating the false impression that the main force of the Mediterranean Fleet was escorting the convoy, and interfering with the correct judgment of the Italian command organs, so that the British fleet sailed at sea for five days and nights, not only was it not intercepted by the Italian troops, but the military port of Taranto did not even enter a high-level state of alert. On 11 November, Italy also sent a large fleet of 88 planes to participate in the air raid on the British mainland, without sending planes to protect its vital fleet. ”

"In addition, Italy's already limited air defense did not work to the fullest, allowing the British air raids to achieve an unprecedented victory. If the British army still has regrets, it is that if 2 aircraft carriers and 40 aircraft are invested, it will definitely be a devastating blow to the Italian Navy! ”

"In the aftermath of this war, the strategic balance of naval power between Britain and Italy in the Mediterranean changed dramatically, and for some time afterwards British superiority was established, greatly benefiting British operations in North Africa and the Balkans. In terms of military theory, the British military created a precedent of using aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft to attack enemy naval bases and achieve complete victory, which further proved the important role of aircraft carriers in modern warfare and revealed the decisive role of aircraft in modern naval warfare. This victory also provides us with an excellent example of warfare. ……”

At this time, Emperor Hirohito, who was staying in the house, looked at the group of senior admirals of the Namoto Navy who were surrounding the flower pond outside, and unconsciously let out a sigh.

"Do you really want to implement the 'Imperial Horn Plan'?" Hirohito asked Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yonechi, who was standing beside him.

With regard to future war arrangements, the military headquarters has drawn up two operational plans, one is the "Heavenly Horn Plan," which is to attack China, and the other is the "Imperial Horn Plan," which is to attack the United States. Both options have been debated by the military and the political axe's top brassips, but now, with the defeat of France and the end of the Battle of Taranto, the answer has become apparent.

"Regardless of victory or defeat, we must start a war against the United States, if not, there is no way out." Mitsumasa Yonechi said, "It is said that Ben is surrounded by rice and China, otherwise it will not be able to break the siege. ”

Hirohito looked at Mitsumasa Yonechi in surprise and didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

He had already heard it just now, and the smell of "broken jars and broken pieces" in the Prime Minister's words was said.

"But what if it fails, what should I do?" The Emperor asked worriedly.

"General Yamamoto has worked out a detailed plan, naval and operational, and there will be no failure." Mitsumasa Minai said, "At that time, the United States will be threatened by Germany, and there will be no time to be distracted in the Pacific Ocean. With the cooperation of the Soviet Union, China will inevitably perish. ”

"Since everyone is so confident, I'm so sorry if I missed the fighter because of my hesitation." Hirohito said, "Let's do it!" ”

At this time, in the Imperial Garden, the docent was replaced by Yamamoto Isoroku, who explained in detail the plan to attack the US Pacific Fleet base at Pearl Harbor with aircraft carriers as the main force. Looking at Yamamoto Fifty-six's slightly rickety figure from a distance, Hirohito sighed again.

When Yang Shuoming's special plane landed at Shanghai Airport, it was already late at night.

"Chief, this is something that the Ministry of Intelligence just sent." When Yang Shuoming arrived at the accommodation, an officer handed in an envelope.

Seeing that Yang Shuoming had no intention of being idle, Xi Xue couldn't help but shake her head slightly.

"These pictures were taken from Africa?" Yang Shuoming opened the envelope, looked at the wreckage of the destroyed tanks in the photo, and asked with some surprise, "So fast?" ”

These photos show the battlefield in the desert of North Africa, and the tank wreckage scattered all over the battlefield looks extremely tragic and deeply sad.

In one photo, it is a completely destroyed British "Valentine" tank, the entire hull has been twisted and deformed, above the hull, there are two bodies of British tankers, their hands and feet have been blown away, the whole person seems to be charred, lying there, looking very terrifying.

In another photo, the destroyed Sherman tank has its turret lifted and its hull is burning and billowing smoke. Next to the wreckage of the tank, the bodies of several fallen British infantrymen can be seen.

"We have quite a few observers there, and these are all taken from the battlefield." The officer explained, "The local leaders thought that the German 'Tiger' tanks might pose a great threat to us in the future, so they were in a hurry to turn back." Both the War Department and the General Armament Department also received it. ”

"The tanks on this are all destroyed by the 'Tiger', right?" Yang Shuoming said, and the relevant data of the "Tiger" tank flashed in his eyes.

"Yes. At present, in the African theater, this tank of the German army is simply invincible. The officer replied, "According to one observer, a German Tiger tank once destroyed 22 British tanks in one day. The British tanks, due to excessive losses, are urgently turning to the United States and our country for help. ”

"Have you ever driven a tank?" Yang Shuoming suddenly asked.

"I've driven it." The officer nodded, "Like our 'Walker' tank, I have driven it all, and the surname of the 'Walker' tank can be very good, but I think that if we fight this 'Tiger' head-on, I am afraid it will be difficult to win." ”

"I know." Yang Shuoming used the "supercomputer eye" to compare the surname of the Chinese "Walker" main battle tank and the German "Tiger" tank, and nodded.

"However, the Soviet Union doesn't have Tiger tanks now, does it?" Yang Shuoming asked.

(To be continued)