Aviation-Centric Combined Fleet

Chapter 44 - Germany's Strategy

Minister Hori, mentioned by Yamamoto as one of the demons in his mind, changed his tone to signal the beginning of today's main topic.

"The attack on the southern resource zone has been completed in the first stage of operation, and there are prospects for securing control of the Indian Ocean, the main target of the second-stage operation. In response to this, the Imperial Navy is preparing for the third-stage operation. Since this will be a plan relying on Germany and Italy, in other words, a plan depending on external forces, we have no choice but to trust them and wait for good news. However, we must ensure that the preparations are thorough."

If the Imperial Navy annihilates the British forces deployed in the Indian Ocean and secures control of the sea in that area, Germany and Italy will clear the Suez Canal, securing the communication line between Europe and Japan. Yamamoto was aware of such an arrangement.

"Germany temporarily shelved the major offensive against the Soviet Union planned for this summer and redirected its forces toward the Mediterranean. In other words, Germany is keeping its promise to us. I heard that Hitler is capricious and selfish, so I was wary that he might break the promise to our country. However, surprisingly, he seems to have a sense of duty."

Expressing a little relief at Germany's policy, Hori continued his explanation.

"Perhaps the German Air Force and the Italian Navy will collaborate to begin the assault on Malta. After securing dominance over the eastern half of the Mediterranean, they plan to invade Egypt and ultimately aim to take control of the Suez."

Although there was no disagreement with Hori's predictions, Yamamoto had a slight question, so he asked about it.

"What about the Mediterranean Fleet? I've heard it's a powerful fleet that includes aircraft carriers and battleships. Moreover, the most critical issue is the time it will take until the end of the operation. Comparing the strength of the German and Italian forces with the British forces in Egypt, the success of the operation seems certain, but we can't afford to be too slow. In the meantime, the United States will undoubtedly strengthen its forces."

"The Mediterranean Fleet will likely attempt to escape to the British homeland once Malta falls. With the Indian Ocean blockaded and the Mediterranean in the same state, their supply lines will be cut off. They have no choice but to wither away under those circumstances. However, the British navy will never allow such a thing now that they suffer from a shortage of ships. Also, from the perspective of confidentiality, the details of the operation could not be disclosed, but they say it's a blitz operation, in other words, a swift resolution. If they take too much time, there's a risk of the Suez Canal being destroyed. Probably, Germany will deploy a considerable force prepared for the anti-Soviet war. In other words, they plan to commit a large force and decisively settle the outcome. They understand that this is a crucial moment for them."

As Hori pointed out, the destruction of the Eastern Fleet, which has lost the Oriental artery of the economy that must not be lost, will be the only opportunity to force Britain out of the war. If Britain withdraws from the war, Germany can concentrate on the war against the Soviet Union for the time being. In the Battle of the Indian Ocean, the Royal Navy lost a large number of ships, making it easier for U-boats to do their job. If they can cut off the transatlantic communication line here, not only will the continuation of the war become impossible for Britain, but the nation will likely plunge into famine. However, relying solely on U-boats is somewhat insufficient. Therefore, Germany sought cooperation from the Imperial Navy. Although Hori did not reveal the details, the return for the Imperial Navy is undoubtedly immensely significant.

"But it's rather surprising. Hitler considers the Soviet Union as the main enemy and convinced himself that the defeat of Britain is secondary. I honestly find it shocking that he prioritizes breaking through the Suez over the summer offensive against the Soviet Union."

Hori let out a bitter smile in response to Yamamoto's muttered words.

"It goes to show that even the leader of Germany is just a human being. Hitler probably finds it amusing to see Churchill in distress. The man who has given him a hard time is now at the edge of the cliff. And he plans to push Churchill into the abyss with his own hands. For him, there may be no greater pleasure than this."

The war against Japan must have been a series of nightmares for Churchill. The state-of-the-art battleship, the Prince of Wales confidently sent out at the beginning of the war was easily sunk, and Singapore, the key stronghold in the East, also fell. Moreover, Britain lost the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean, and control of the sea in that area was seized by Japan. Certainly, Churchill's career is in crisis. In a way, the fact that he remains in the position of Prime Minister even after such repeated failures might be impressive.

"I've said this before, but there's also the issue of war expenses. The wealth that Britain looted from around the world over centuries is truly vast. Acquiring this would solve Germany's financial problems in the war. Also, it's for the spoils of war against the Nazi top brass. Britain has a plethora of art collected from around the world. And Hitler distributes that to his close aides. The Nazi bigwigs seem to have an extraordinary interest in art. In fact, when they occupied Paris, a considerable number of artworks reportedly ended up in their hands through illegal means."

Hori's somewhat unsavory talk left Yamamoto thoroughly disgusted. And at that moment, he became convinced that opposing the Tripartite Pact for different reasons was not a mistake.