October 24, 1937, Guangzhou Bay, Zhanjiang. One by one, the warships whimpered and began to light fires and anchor. The battleship units of the Chinese Navy have already left for Europe, and this time it is the newly formed Chinese Expeditionary Fleet Headquarters and cruisers, destroyers and other auxiliary ships that have set off. Prepare to escort the officers and soldiers of the third batch of the Chinese Expeditionary Force to Europe.

In the military port, the military music was loud, but the sky was a little dark, and some misty drizzle was falling intermittently. The orderly array of Wehrmacht officers and men was silently embarking on the boat, while a group of people organized by the Kuomintang and the Young People's Party who did not know the truth waved flags in the distance and let out bursts of hoarse cheers.

Today's waves were not small, pushing the large warships of the Chinese expeditionary fleet in the harbor to fluctuate in a row, and this time there were two Canton-class air defense cruisers, four Königsberg-class light cruisers, four destroyers, some transport ships and a hospital ship heading to Europe. At this time, the two super battleships Zhenyuan and Dingyuan have already passed through the Suez Canal and will soon reach Europe! In this regard, the British Empire, the world's naval hegemon, has already expressed its dissatisfaction in private, and if it were not for the fact that the war situation in Poland was really tight, the world revolution would have spread to Western Europe...... They were ironclad and would not develop the canal for the Chinese fleet to pass. In addition, the British Admiralty has also drawn up a plan to relocate all the battleships originally stationed around the world back to the mainland if necessary, to guard against the Sino-German combined fleet with six super battleships.

In the bridge of the Guangzhou air defense cruiser, the flagship of the Chinese Expeditionary Fleet, Luo Yaoguozheng, who had come to see off the expeditionary force, and Admiral Long Tenghui, commander of the expeditionary fleet, stood side by side. The two of them looked at the spectacular scene of the army marching out at the port, but their brows were not lifted.

"Auxiliary Marshal, is it really possible for us to fight with the British Navy when we go to Europe this time? They are the world's naval hegemons, and with the power of China and Germany, I am afraid they are no match for them......"

"Why? I don't think the British Navy has three heads and six arms! ”

"The navy of the British Empire has been able to dominate the world for hundreds of years, and there must be something unique about it, even if it declines after the First World War, it is by no means something that we and Germany can compete with. Not to mention anything else, the total tonnage of the battleships alone. There are 560,000 tons in the UK! And we are only six Zhenyuan class ships together with Germany. That's just 240,000 tons, less than half of them! Once the fight starts. We can't help but consume people. ”

Luo Yaoguo glanced at the worried Commander of the Expeditionary Fleet. He smiled faintly and said, "But our six Zhenyuan-class ships are stronger than any British battleship!" And with the Luftwaffe in force, I don't think there is anything wrong with this battle. ”

"With all due respect, although our Zhenyuan-class is strong, the British also have a few very good battleships. For example, the battlecruiser Hood, which has a standard displacement of 42,000 tons, has a tonnage that is 2,000 tons larger than our Zhenyuan-class battleships, and its main guns are 8 15-inch 42 times the diameter of the same as ours...... The British Nelson and Rodney were also very formidable battleships, and although their standard displacement was less than 34,000 tons, they were equipped with three turrets of 16-inch 45 calibers, which should be able to easily penetrate the town's defenses. The threat to us is great! Assistant! Our battleships are hard-won! Long Tenghui's face was slightly ugly, probably because he was worried that the battle with the British fleet would destroy the "weak" Chinese navy.

Although the British Empire, the world's naval hegemon, has long been a paper tiger, it is a paper tiger with a very powerful appearance, and if someone doesn't stab it, no one can see it at a glance.

Luo Yaoguo knew Long Tenghui's thoughts, smiled faintly, and patted the thick bridge deck of the Guangzhou.

"What are we building these big warships for? Isn't it just to create a sufficiently broad living space for China? And the direction of our expansion is the north and the south...... Compared with Siberia and Central Asia, the South Seas will be more important for China's development in the next 10 to 20 years, especially since the warm and humid climate there is very conducive to the growth of crops and can greatly ease our food supply. The people live on food! The root cause of the civil strife in China over the past has been the lack of sufficient food. So after we defeated the USSR, we will quickly move south! Capture the South Sea possessions of Britain, France, and the Netherlands. The British Empire's navy is undoubtedly the greatest obstacle to our attainment of this strategic goal, even if they hide far away in Australia to serve as a presence fleet, it will be a great constraint on our operations. So your task is to do everything you can to destroy or contain the main forces of the British fleet in Europe. ”

……

Just when Luo Yaoguo saw off the third batch of troops of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, Wei Lihuang and Du Yuming and their entourage were invited to the "Wolf's Den" in East Prussia, Germany. This place, consisting of a pile of wooden houses and cement warehouses, surrounded by barbed wire, watchtowers and minefields, which looks a bit like a concentration camp, is Adolf. Hitler's General Command of the Eastern Campaign. Dozens of kilometers in the vicinity are already heavily guarded. Waffen-SS troops wearing red armbands stood guard at the intersections. There are also patrols equipped with half-tracks patrolling around. From time to time, fighter jets painted with the German Iron Cross logo passed in the blue sky. The convoys gathered everywhere fluttered flags. A high-level military conference seems to be about to take place here!

When I arrived at this place, looking at the surrounding arrangement as if facing a great enemy, a tense and solemn feeling of imminent war suddenly arose in the chests of the two Chinese generals, Wei Lihuang and Du Yuming. The convoy passed through one post after another, and each sentry looked at two oriental faces coming to the meeting, and the look on their faces was full of admiration...... This world war has been fought until now, and it seems that these Chinese have achieved brilliant results in the Far East! Poland, on the other hand, was defeated, but Germany was sitting. This time, the Führer summoned so many generals to the "wolf's den", it should be to discuss the matter of sending troops, right?

Wei Lihuang sat in the car and smiled at Du Yuming: "Guangting, do you see it, the prestige of our ** people still depends on war!" It's a pity that this is not the work of our expeditionary force, there has been no battle in Germany in the past few months, and it is really impatient to watch the Northeast Front perform. ”

Du Yuming smiled faintly and looked at a car on the side of the road with the Italian tricolor flag and the logo of the Italian Expeditionary Force, whizzing past them. "Junza. Don't be impatient. After all, the main battlefield of this war is in Europe, and no matter how well it is fought in the Far East. Even if you take the whole of East Siberia. Nor did it endanger the very foundations of the Soviet Union. And winter in the Far East is coming soon, and it's time for them to watch us perform! Maybe. We can make it all the way to Moscow. Put Stalin in a cage and bring him back. ”

Wei Lihuang laughed, after receiving an urgent call from the "Wolf's Den" last night, he vaguely guessed that there would be a big war breaking out, and a kind of eager mentality unconsciously flooded from the bottom of his heart. He pointed to a car in front of him and said to Du Yuming: "Guangting, do you see, it's General Rundstead's car, he has already arrived, why don't you talk to him first?" First of all, inquire where to send troops this time, whether to rescue Poland or directly attack the Soviet Union...... Our Eighteenth Army should also pull it out and make an appearance. ”

At this time. In a gray, gloomy map room. Adolph. Hitler and several of his senior generals were studying the latest battle situation around a huge map of Poland in the throttling of 50,000.

"Keitel." With a pale, somewhat morbid finger, Hitler tapped the map of northern Belarus lightly. "Do you think Stalin was planning the same deception? It was not Poland that he really wanted to attack, but Lithuania and Latvia...... Only by defeating the two German army groups there could his Soviet Union hope to survive. ”

Keitel followed Hitler's finger and saw that northern Belarus and southern Lithuania were densely marked with unit numbers and various symbols representing divisions or armies. The Soviet Union and Germany each amassed heavy forces there, and it seemed that a large-scale battle would be staged there.

"My Führer, there is no doubt that there is such a possibility, but rest assured that two and a half million German ** troops plus 500,000 League ** troops are enough to defeat the armed forces of the whole Soviet Union. If Stalin dared to do that, it would only lead the USSR to its demise faster! ”

"What is the difference between dying sooner and dying later?" Hitler shook his head thoughtfully, "If I were Stalin, I would never miss every opportunity to fight, even if there was only a few percent chance of winning, it would be worth the risk!" ”

"But the Soviet Union will not even have a 1 percent chance!" Keitel patted his chest confidently and said: "We have concentrated eleven armored divisions, 50 infantry corps or motorized infantry corps, and 7,000 combat aircraft there, such a strong force is enough to deal with any possible attack, please rest assured!" ”

Hitler frowned and added, "We only started in December, will it be a little late?" Now the Poles have agreed to cede the Danzig corridor. And their main forces have also been defeated, do you think the date of our operation should be brought forward to a certain day in November? ”

"My Führer, we are scheduled to send troops in December, mainly taking into account the climatic and road conditions in Eastern Europe. Every year from the end of October to the end of November is a day when the weather plummets, rain and snow are concentrated, and the road conditions here are very bad, there are not many hard roads, and when it comes to the rain and snow season, the roads will become muddy, and our armored troops will sink into the mud. ”

"Well, I see." Hitler nodded slightly and said, "But just because we don't go doesn't mean they won't come!" It is necessary to order Army Group North and Army Group Center to do a good job of defense, and if Stalin's men dare to come, they must be dealt with severely! As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Franz, the commander of Army Group South. Admiral Halder, "Mr. General, your Army Group South will have an extremely important task to do this time, and I need you to contain the main Soviet forces in Poland until at least December 5, 1937. ”

"Okay, Führer, I'll do my best." Halder's face was very serious, and he paused and said, "But...... Führer, are we really going to sit idly by and watch the USSR capture Warsaw? This was incompatible with the honor of the German Empire. ”

Hitler glanced sideways at Halder, who was always at odds with him, and patiently explained: "Yes, my general, it is an absolutely necessary strategic arrangement for the Soviets to capture Warsaw. This is a political necessity! Now that the Soviet Union has installed a red Polish government, I don't care if this is a trap or not, I only know how much shock this red Polish government will be to the entire Western world once it comes to power in Warsaw! And it was also possible that this red Poland would trap Stalin's army of several million, if he did not want to lose a new socialist state. ”

At this time, the door of the war room was pushed open, and General Rundstead, commander of Army Group North, walked in with Wei Lihuang and Du Yuming.

The three men saluted Hitler, and Rundstedt said: "The Führer, General Wei and General Du of the Chinese Expeditionary Force have been ordered to arrive. ”

Hitler looked at the two Chinese generals with his deep, gray-blue eyes and nodded politely. He stretched out his hand and called softly, "Keitel." Take the order to the Chinese. I'm going to give it personally. Taking the document with the order from Keitel's hand, he looked at it and said: "The Eighteenth Army of the Chinese Wehrmacht will form the Russian First Army together with five Russian infantry corps and one Italian corps." The commander of the army group was to be the Grand Duke Alexander of the Russian Empire. General Wei will be the deputy commander, and the Prince of Savoy of Italy will be the chief of staff of this army group. The Russian First Army would be responsible for the defense of Latvia and, after the launch of the offensive against the Soviet Union, would launch an offensive in the direction of Leningrad together with Army Group North, at which point the Russian First Army would act as the vanguard of Army Group North. In addition, the Supreme High Command would like to remind you that during this period you must be on guard against a possible preemptive attack by the Soviet Union.

Finally, I can also tell you both that your Chinese 8th Panzer Division will be assigned to Army Group South and go to Poland with the German 1st Panzer Division to expel the Bolsheviks there! ”

……

Although the news of Nazi Germany's military dispatch was enough to comfort the long-awaited "Polish traitors". However, it could not stop the Soviet Red Army pouring in from the breaches on the southern flanks of the Brest salient. The main force of the Soviet Polish Front was desperately attacking the two flanks, and on the night of the 24th, there was still no sign of stopping, and the entire Brest battlefield was illuminated by artillery fire like blood red.

The Polish army desperately resisted the various attacked strongholds and positions, and even constantly launched counterattacks. But the counterattack organized by the Polish army, which had been beaten in disarray, was not coordinated. Under the blow of the concentrated forces of the Soviet Red Army, there were heavy casualties. One by one, the key points were taken away, and the troops were annihilated. The 27th Special Army and the 28th Special Army of the Soviet Army, with tank forces as the main force, ignored the surrounding Polish firepower points, kept pouring into depth, and achieved a meeting at 8 p.m. on October 24 about 8 kilometers east of the Brest Fortress! Completed the division and encirclement of the strategic cluster of the Brest Polish army. At the same time, the two Soviet special armies also sent cavalry units to crisscross the vast area behind the Polish army, destroying all the military targets they saw, and the Polish artillery group was left except for some around the Brest fortress, and the rest were either destroyed by Soviet long-range artillery and aircraft or captured by these cavalry! Even the headquarters of the Polish 15th Army was destroyed under their sabers and grenades, and the army commander, Major General Beck, was killed in battle. The adjacent 16th Division of the Polish Army and the 47th Division were completely crushed under the northern and southern flanking attacks of the Soviet cavalry and infantry! This time, the Soviet Red Army's large-depth offensive operation was indeed a great success!

The five tank armies, which had made great contributions to the victory of the Soviet army, had already lost more than 40 percent of their armored strength in the assaults on the 23rd and 24th -- the Soviet T-26 tanks were too weak in their protection, and the T-28 had too many mechanical problems. Neither of these tanks is clearly suitable for really intense battles. However, in the fighting from September 30 to the present, the Soviets have captured more than 1,000 Chinese or German-made No. 1 tanks, most of which have been successfully repaired. These tanks will be replenished into the 5 Tank Corps for the next stage of the assault on Germany!

In the early morning of the 25th, the commander of the Polish army, Shimigvi, who saw that the overall situation was completely hopeless, finally issued an order to "abandon the Brest salient, break through the encirclement with the whole army, and retreat to Warsaw." Then he led his command and a small number of guards and boarded the train to Warsaw. However, the nearly 300,000 Polish troops in the Soviet encirclement were completely in disarray, and they could not leave the battlefield with his orders. Their suffering continued until November 1, when the Polish army lost more than 600,000 troops in the Battle of Brest, which lasted for almost a month! About 350,000 of them were taken prisoner, and among them were more than 10,000 officers of all ranks, all of whom were secretly executed by the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs for more than a month!

On November 2, 1937, the 8th Army of the Soviet Red Army, which had crossed the Bouag River, "liberated the first Polish city, Biava. Poderaska". On the same day, the government of the Socialist Republic of Poland, chaired by the leader of the Polish GCD, Rencki, officially moved into the Polish city on the west bank of the Bouag River and issued a "Letter to the Polish Proletariat", calling on the Polish proletariat to launch an uprising and overthrow the Khimigvi puppet government...... (To be continued)