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The weather in Marseille in late June is beautiful. The bustling streets, the chuckling men and women, the melodious dance music and the fragrant French bread make it impossible to imagine that a month ago the country was filled with guns and blood. Perhaps for ordinary Frenchmen, surrender is a good option to avoid bloodshed here, and only the ubiquitous gendarmes can make people feel the traces of war. Although the Free France, led by General de Gaulle, had already been established in London, its appeal was clearly insufficient, and at least in Marseille there was no news or voice at all about him.

The Renault convertible, escorted by naval guards, slowly stopped at the entrance of the Opéra de Marseille. When the owner of the opera house saw the couple getting off the car, he immediately greeted him: "General, thank you for the light." ”

"You're welcome, and I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend time with my wife." Darlang took his wife by the hand, smiling and polite.

In fact, he came to see the opera this time, not only to accompany his wife, but also to show an attitude, so that everyone can see the confident attitude of him and the new government to restore the prosperity of France. As the cars of dignitaries and dignitaries stopped at the door, Darlang talked to several councillors and walked inward with his wife in his arms. Soon after he entered the theater, a black unlicensed car quickly stopped at the back door of the theater, and Jin Bihui wore a red cheongsam and walked into the theater with a small bag.

"General."

"Your Excellency Darrang, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello General."

Along the way, Darlan was greeted by constant greetings, and although he looked amiable with a smile on his face, his mind was not on the opera at all. Because lately he has been very troubled, don't look at Hitler's promise to neutralize the French Navy and not participate in the war, but the infiltration of the navy is very frequent. Raeder also called several times to hope that his fleet would change its mind and join the war, or at least give the German navy access to Mediterranean ports and shipbuilding facilities.

Although German coercion and inducement were frequent, they were more frequent by Britain across the Channel. Not only did Pound call many times. Even Churchill repeatedly called him and repeatedly asked him not to hand over the fleet to Germany. Not to mention the communication between the upper levels, the contact between the lower levels is also very intensive. The officers and soldiers on the two battleships and more than sixty other warships that had retreated to Britain before the surrender were all taken care of by the British Navy not to return home or surrender. Even de Gaulle personally appeared in Portsmouth Harbour. In addition to the battleships that fled to Britain and were difficult to return, what worried him the most was the six capital ships and ten cruisers that had been withdrawn to North Africa in advance. You must know that North Africa is not Europe, and neither facilities nor supplies can support the long-term stationing of the Grand Fleet. But it doesn't work to withdraw. After all, the Germans are still watching.

With mixed thoughts, he and his wife finally found their seats. But at the moment when the lights went out and the curtain opened, a slender figure suddenly squeezed in from the side and sat beside him.

Darlang is strange. The seat next to him should be a member of parliament, how can she become an oriental woman? So he subconsciously grabbed the pistol and looked around as if looking for the councillor who should appear. His nervousness is justified, you know, he is the soul of the French navy, and the competition for the ownership of the fleet is very fierce, so there have been rumors recently that Britain and Germany and even de Gaulle's Free France are going to send people to assassinate him.

Just as he looked nervously around. A soft voice came from his ear: "General, don't be nervous. My name is Jin Bihui and I'm from Beijing. ”

Jin Bihui? Beijing? Darlan not only did not relax, but raised his vigilance again. Because he had heard of this woman, who was said to be a spy for Beijing. But relations with Germany are very good. Even the wife next to him noticed that something was wrong, and hooked his arm to tremble slightly. At this moment, the opera officially begins, and the singing and beautiful dancing gradually draw the attention of the surrounding area.

Take advantage of this opportunity. Jin Bihui smiled and glanced at Darlang's wife, and finally stopped on Darlang's face. Then deliberately place your hand in a position where the other person can see it. This is undoubtedly telling others that she has no ill intentions. So Darlang breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where did your ticket come from?" What about Councillor Finn? ”

"Rest assured, Councillor Finn is very good." Jin Bihui put on a comfortable posture and said with a smile: "General, it is not difficult for us to get an opera ticket from His Excellency Petain. ”

Darlan felt a pang in his heart, he didn't expect that the other party's ticket was actually obtained from Petain's hands! But this is not surprising, as long as you think about the personal relationship between Yue Peng and Petain, and think about who was in Paris when the German army attacked, you can know that the old guy has a deep relationship with China. With this thought, Darlang relieved himself and removed his hand from the handle of the gun. But I don't understand, why does this woman with the label of a Chinese spy use this way to see herself, so that China also wants its own fleet, right? So he asked in a deep voice, "You came to me in this way, is there anything wrong?" ”

Jin Bihui said: "I'm very sorry to see you in this way, I just don't want others to mistake me for Raeder or Marshal Pound." ”

Darlang knew the meaning of this sentence, and saw that she was still going around in circles, and was a little impatient: "Miss Jin, you don't have much time!" ”

"Giggles." Taking advantage of the wonderful moment on the stage, Jin Bihui let out a string of silver bell-like laughter, and approached a little while applauding: "General, you are so direct." Actually, I don't say it, you should also guess what I mean. North Africa cannot afford to have so many capital ships, neither Britain nor Germany will allow your fleet to exist for a long time! Wouldn't it be a pity if one day they were forced to sink themselves? So I have come this time in the hope that you will consider leasing us two Dunkirk-class battleships in Port Oran, two Richelieu-class battleships in Casablanca and Dakar, the heavy cruiser Algeria, the heavy cruiser Corbel, the heavy cruiser Foch, and the heavy cruiser Diplex. ”

"Are you kidding?" Dar Lang raised his voice, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. However, his voice was quickly drowned out by singing, so it did not cause a commotion around him.

Darlang was secretly amused in his heart, he thought that Jin Bihui was here to be a lobbyist and threaten him not to hand over the fleet to the Germans, but he didn't expect to take advantage of the fire to rob the leased warship! Are you kidding! North Africa alone had a total of six battleships and six heavy cruisers. It's good that she's got four of the best battleships and four of the best heavy cruisers in one mouth, and France hasn't broken enough to sell off the fleet! Besides. The navy and fleet are the biggest political assets in his hands, and it is currently in the preparatory stage for the new government, and he still hopes to rely on the fleet to sit on the throne of the prime minister of the new government, how can he lease it to others?! But Jin Bihui didn't tell a joke, and said seriously: "We know that it is difficult to make such a decision!" But unless you take a clear position, your fleet will be caught between Britain and Germany for a long time. You should also know that the warships heading to Portsmouth, England, have not been able to return, the ports of Oran and Millskebill, Algiers, Casablanca and Dakar. Even the West Indies your fleet is all under surveillance! I can tell you unequivocally that neither England nor Germany will allow an independent French fleet to exist for long! To help you solve these problems, we are willing to pay $200 million to lease eight warships. And we can guarantee that when the war is over, these ships will be returned to the French government free of charge. If there is a loss. We will also compensate according to the price. Of course, you can rest assured that we will not use them for Europe. ”

A trace of surprise flowed in Darlang's eyes, he really didn't expect that Jin Bihui would be 200 million US dollars as soon as he opened his mouth! If you don't have anything else in mind, it's a good way to preserve your strength. Because he did not want to hand over the fleet to Germany when he came, and certainly not to the treacherous Britain. But the problem was that Hitler promised to neutralize the French navy. But if he leases the capital ship to someone else, maybe tomorrow the Gestapo will arrive at the door, let alone ascend to the prime minister's throne.

However, Jin Bihui has a special identity, and since he has no hostility, he doesn't want to expose it. So he pretended to watch the opera, tilted his head slightly and said, "Miss Jin, I forgive you for your behavior today." You go, I'm not interested in any suggestion that I want to take the French Navy for myself. You only have twenty-four hours. I don't mind handing you over to the Germans after a while, I'm sure they won't have a good opinion of you. ”

"Okay." Surprisingly. Jin Bihui was not at all annoyed by this attitude of rejecting people thousands of miles away, and after picking up the satchel, he suddenly approached a little closer, pretending to be very intimate. Biting his ear, he said: "General, I have two pieces of news that you should be interested in." ”

"What's the news?"

"The first piece of news is that Lord Somerville, who is facing off against the Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean, has secretly transferred two Avenger-class battleships and the aircraft carrier Dreadnought to the Red Sea. In addition, the Royal Navy's newly commissioned battleships George V, the battlecruiser HMS Hood, HMS Queen, and HMS Resolve have all been cancelled and are replenishing combat supplies and ammunition in the harbor. ”

The news that the two winds and horses were not related made Darlang stunned. But before he could figure it out, Jin Bihui had already gotten up and kissed him on the cheek before leaving. In the eyes of outsiders, it seems that the two are a pair of very familiar boyfriend and girlfriend. Some people even began to secretly think that this might be the lover of His Excellency the Admiral.

"General, I haven't said anything, let alone been here." Jin Bihui didn't care about the eyes around him, and quickly disappeared into the dark theater after speaking.

Darlang's wife was still in a state of nervousness, wondering why her husband had spared the woman of unknown origin. But at this time, Darlang's mind was all attracted by the news just now, because he believed that Jin Bihui would not tell him these two news for no reason.

It's no secret that Somerville took two old aircraft carriers and four Avenger-class battleships in search of opportunities in the Indian Ocean, and the question is why would he split half of his fleet to the Red Sea when the Indian Ocean is so tense? You know, his strength is not enough! What was the goal that would have made Whitehall venture to make this decision? As for the Hood and the battleship George V, which had just been commissioned, they were both the backbone of the British Royal Navy after the two Nelsons, and they would certainly not move without a major mission. But now they are starting to replenish their supplies and prepare for the flight. Against Germany? Darlan shook his head. Bismarck was not yet in service, and the current surface fleet of the German Navy could not be combined to defeat a single Hood. Since it is not Germany, it is certainly not a day, otherwise Somerville would not have divided his troops.

Could it be Italy? That's possible. Italy had seven battleships, even the battleship Veneto was already in service, and the remaining three were being built intensively, which already posed a serious threat to Britain's sea power in the Mediterranean. But he soon rejected the idea, because if the target was Italy, then there was no need for Kim to tell him. Since it wasn't Italy, it was Darlan's heart that suddenly tightened!

The only goal that can make Whitehall risk being eaten by the Japanese Navy with two battleships in one bite is the fourth navy in the world! (Note 1)――

To the east of the Seychelles, the sun flag flies high.

The deck of the Akagi was filled with warplanes with torpedoes and bombs. The commander of the mobile fleet, Tsukahara 243, shuttled through the group, looking a little anxious. It has been half a month since the attack on Ceylon, but the British fleet has not appeared as if it had disappeared. At a time when the French East Indies were unfavorable and the situation in the South China Sea was becoming more and more tense, the battalion had gradually lost patience, and even Admiral Nagano called to give up the search for the British fleet and return to the Linga anchorage as soon as possible.

"General, we are still 300 nautical miles from Seychelles." Mitsuo Fuchida sandwiched the navigation report and walked quickly to Tsukahara: "In addition, Yoshinagasa reports that our fuel is already insufficient, and it can last a day at most." ”

"I see, send out a reconnaissance plane."

"Hey!"

Shortly after Mitsuo Fuchida left, four Zeros and six 97 ships with reconnaissance missions took off from the deck of the nearby Kaga. Looking at the reconnaissance plane, Tsukahara 243 did not have any joy. Coming to Seychelles is a gamble! It was Yama Fifty-six and the two of them who made the decision. Because if the British fleet cannot be found here, then the First Fleet must return at once! Otherwise, the rest of the oil will not even reach the Andaman .

In fact, by this time, it was already clear to the British Navy that the British Navy did not want a decisive battle, and they deliberately delayed the attrition in this way. Because everyone knows that Japan does not have a base in the Indian Ocean and cannot be refueled. On the contrary, Britain can easily obtain oil from the Persian Gulf, whether it is the Saudi Arabian China Oil Company, or China's Gulf Oil Company, or even the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company are providing heavy oil to the British Navy, plus bases throughout the Indian Ocean, it is completely possible to wait for the main Japanese force to leave.

This is precisely the reason why Tsukahara 243 had to come to Seychelles to gamble, if the main force of the British fleet could not be eliminated, once the First Fleet withdrew to the Linga anchorage, the Ceylon and Andaman Indian Ocean routes that had just been laid down would be seriously threatened.

But he got it right this time!

An hour later, a reconnaissance plane reported that it had been intercepted by a British Navy aircraft taking off from the port of Seychelles. In the chase, a 97 ship attacked and spotted the British aircraft carrier Athletic and two British Avengers battleships that were leaving the harbor!

"Only two battleships?"

After getting the news, Tsukahara two-four-three fell into tension. Because intelligence says that there were four battleships and two aircraft carriers. What about the remaining half? Is it nearby, or is it hiding in a corner waiting to sneak up on you? "General, do you want to wait for Admiral Shan's battleship to come?"

"No need! The Akagi, Kaga, and Soryu took off to attack, and the Wyvern was on standby. Although Tsukahara 243 didn't know why the British divided their forces, he intuitively thought that the other half of the fleet was nearby, so he decided to send only three aircraft carriers to attack, leaving the Wyvern to prevent a sneak attack. But he didn't know that in fact, there was no way to divide the British Navy. Due to the strength of the French navy, Pound had to draw two battleships and one aircraft carrier from Somerville's fleet. Then let the remaining fleet temporarily cruise around the Seychelles, hoping to drag down the Japanese fleet and force it to withdraw from the Indian Ocean on its own initiative.

But Whitehall apparently did not expect that Tsukahara 243 dared to take risks and boldly go deep into the Seychelles.

At three o'clock in the afternoon of June 24, the first Zero took off from the deck of the Akagi.

In less than half an hour, 36 Zero, 40 99 and 48 97 attacked in two waves of attack formations, and they rushed towards Seychelles.

"Either succeed or retreat."

Looking at the group, Tsukahara two, four, and three have words in their mouths-

Note 1: Ranking of major powers before 1939, Britain, France, the United States, China, the Soviet Union, Germany, Japan and Italy. The ranking of the world's major naval powers, Britain, the United States, Japan, France, China, Italy and Germany, and the fourth in tonnage of the Republic of China Navy, but it is ranked behind France because of its lack of experience and actual combat