Western European Campaign Western Front Headquarters Meeting (Part 1)

  Zhou Tianlei first met Lüte Yinsi in the naval headquarters. After exchanging military greetings, Lüte Yinsi smiled and said to Zhou Tianlei: "I don't know if you were enlightened by that mysterious person, but now your methods are really many, and now you've brought us such a great opportunity! They're waiting for you in the office." With that, Lüte Yinsi left.

  "Kot, you're absolutely fantastic!" Dunitz gave Zhou Tianlei a Russian-style bear hug. He almost couldn't breathe from the squeeze. "If this plan succeeds, I'll promote you to senior colonel." Redl was also smiling at that moment.

  "Let's go. Hurry up, we have to rush to the meeting of the Supreme Command Headquarters." The several of them walked out of the command center and quickly got on the car heading to the temporary headquarters.

  When several naval officers arrived at the headquarters conference hall, the army command and air force command looked at them in confusion. Raeder, Lutjens, and D?nitz all came to attend the meeting, which was somewhat unexpected, but they were still eligible to attend this level of meeting. However, Zhou Tianlei's appearance left them perplexed. Although he was quite famous in Germany now, his rank was not high enough to appear at such a meeting. Raeder, Lutjens, and D?nitz could bring their deputies, but Zhou Tianlei was not their deputy.

  Until Hitler's voice rose, everyone turned around: "I know some of you may have questions, like how this meeting can let a major general attend. Hauptmann Prien is specially added by me according to the request of the Navy, because the conference will involve the British Navy, they remind me to find a grassroots commander who can make everyone understand the problem more clearly. So I approve Hauptmann Prien's special qualification for attending this meeting. Everyone please sit down."

  After everyone sat down, a senior officer from the headquarters immediately put coffee in front of everyone. The deputy military officer pulled open the large curtain on the wall, revealing the battle map inside. Several other deputy officers also sat down at the tables in the four corners of the conference hall to record the meeting situation.

  Hitler spoke again: "Today's meeting is very important. We will discuss the next step of the Western Campaign here. Jodl, you speak."

  Jodl walked up to the map, holding a pointer in his hand, and pointing at the map said: "From the current situation, our attack is going quite smoothly. The A Army Group of Rundstedt has broken through the French defense line at Sedan, and Kleist's armored group has occupied Abbeville. It should be especially pointed out that General Guderian has now reached the English Channel. We have already occupied the French port of Boulogne and are currently advancing towards Calais. Other armored units have also reached the Aisne River line, and we have cut off the connection between the British Expeditionary Force and the French 20th Army Corps and the French domestic army. In addition to the cooperation of the B Army Group in Belgium, we have basically surrounded them in the Aisne River area. However, I would like to specifically mention that Rommel's 7th Armored Division and the cooperating Waffen-SS units encountered a British counterattack at Arras while breaking through the Anglo-French defense line. Thanks to General Rommel's proper handling, we have already defeated the British army with minimal casualties. In his report, he mentioned encountering new British tanks that our current 37mm anti-tank guns cannot penetrate. He used an 88mm high cannon to repel the British tanks. From this, we can see that although the British Expeditionary Force and the French 20th Army Corps have been cut off from their connection with the French rear, they are trying to find a way to break through it. Given the many rivers and swamps along the Aisne River line, which is not suitable for our armored units, we should not take risks and make unnecessary sacrifices just to eliminate the British Expeditionary Force and the French 20th Army Corps, which are destined to be eliminated. Our armored units are the main force in the second phase of our decisive battle with the French army, and they must not be risked. Based on the above situation, I believe that our armored units should stop attacking, enter a period of rest and reorganization, and build defensive lines along the Aisne River line to prevent the British Expeditionary Force and the French 20th Army Corps from making another adventurous attack like at Arras. Then, with infantry units advancing towards the enemy's defense line from behind our armored units. Although this may take a little more time, the cost of eliminating the British Expeditionary Force and the French 20th Army Corps will be greatly reduced. My report is finished." Jodl returned to his seat after finishing speaking.

  He glanced at Hitler, who had a thoughtful expression on his face, and knew that he was already moved by Jodl's words and was weighing his opinions. After a while, Hitler raised his head and said: "We can't indeed consume the power of our armored group on the British Expeditionary Force and the French 20th Army Group, but sending infantry is also very risky. Who has a better way?"

  "My esteemed Commander-in-Chief, let my air force complete this task. Without the slow and cumbersome infantry of the army, my air force will annihilate the enemy. I guarantee that within a few days, the enemy will be blown to smithereens."

  Several old men in the army looked at each other, this fat man who loves to steal credit has jumped out again. What to do now? Zhou Tianlei was very anxious, if he couldn't stop Gorin, then the outcome of this meeting would be settled.

  G?ring was looking at the crowd with great satisfaction, as if his air force had already accomplished its mission. At this time, Hitler suddenly said: "Raeder, what do you think of your navy? I've read the report submitted by your navy and found some new ideas in it. Can you elaborate on that here? Especially, I heard that this was written by our empire's hero." G?ring immediately turned red with embarrassment.

  Deng Yizhong poked Zhou Tianlei and whispered to him: "Behave yourself."

  Colonel von Rundstedt stood up, saluted the audience first, and then walked to the map. Pointing at the map with a pointer, he said: "Everyone pay attention to this place." Everyone looked, and the pointer pointed to Dunkirk. Jodl asked in confusion: "That port is so small, what can the British use it for? According to our reconnaissance, the British are now strengthening the port facilities there, but it's still too small, only suitable for replenishing logistical supplies."

  "Withdraw back to England." Zhou Tianlei's tone was very calm.

  "Withdraw back to Britain? Haha, that's the biggest joke I've ever heard." G?ring burst out laughing.

  "G?ring, this is a military conference, what are you laughing at? Is this not a military conference but a circus. If you have something to say, listen to others first." Hitler said discontentedly. G?ring's laughter stopped immediately.

  "The British have been dominant at sea for several hundred years, and they think about problems in a way that is very different from ours." Zhou Tianlei's face was filled with worry (nonsense, you little brat, it's not just for Germany, but also for your life).

  "Now we have surrounded several hundred thousand British, if this army is eliminated by us, the British mainland will not find a more elite force than them. Nor can they resist our attack on the British mainland, so the British must rescue them back. Where will they go? One way is to try to contact the French internal troops, which they tried yesterday and were defeated by General Rommel. Another way is to retreat from Dunkirk."

  "But how can they withdraw under our attack?" Kettler asked. "Your plan is to stop the armored forces and go on the offensive with infantry, but if the British build solid defensive fortifications, do you think our soldiers will have any way to take them? Isn't this equivalent to starting another war of trench attacks with them? They only need to sacrifice a batch of rearguard troops, and they can cover the successful withdrawal of their main forces. By the time the army breaks through their positions and reaches the French beaches, there will probably be nothing waiting for us except sand, sea breeze, and things that the British cannot take away."

  "My Luftwaffe will stop them!" G?ring bellowed.

  "Air force? Until when I don't know if the weather will permit your air force to take off, even if it can, but facing Britain's powerful navy and air force, how much confidence do we have that our air force can keep the British at bay?"

  "Even if what you said is true, where would the British find so many ships to transport soldiers?"

  "Ships? They have plenty of civilian ships in England, the British military can easily requisition them to transport people. Do you think they won't be able to find any ships?" D?nitz spoke up.