Arriving at Colonel Parisi's office, General Crook was already sitting on the sofa in the reception area waiting. When he saw Fang Lang and Colonel Parisi coming in, he was not polite. He pointed to the sofa next to him and said:
"Come and sit."
Fang Lang glanced at Colonel Parisi and sat down together.
"Why, I think Fang, you seem to have some questions?"
General Crook smiled and lit a cigar.
"Report to the general! I will resolutely execute the order!"
Fang Lang didn't know much about the rear admiral in front of him, so he definitely didn't dare to tell the truth! It can only mean obeying orders and following instructions.
Hearing Fang Lang's words, General Crook didn't take it seriously. He smiled and handed the cigar box to the two of them, indicating that they both took one. Fang Lang was about to say that he didn't smoke cigars and was about to refuse.
He was kicked on the foot. He knew it was Colonel Parisi's action, and he couldn't help but be startled. I saw Colonel Parisi reaching out and taking out a cigar from the cigar box with a smile on his face.
Just when Fang Lang thought it was an illusion and was about to extend his hand to refuse again, his foot was kicked again. Now Fang Lang understood what Colonel Parisi meant. Colonel Parisi knew that Fang Lang didn't smoke, but he still kicked Fang Lang.
Fang Lang quickly reached out and took out a cigar from the cigar box with a smile on his face. Although, Fang Lang didn't understand why Colonel Parisi asked him to take the cigar. However, Fang Lang knew that Colonel Parisi probably meant no harm.
Seeing both of them getting cigars, General Crook lowered the cigar box casually and said:
"Fang, don't be nervous, we are all on our own. I understand that it was the two of you who proposed this trip to the Pacific battlefield to General Morais.
I agree with your idea. The Brazilian Navy needs a modern naval fleet. This is indeed a rare opportunity, and I must express my admiration for your ingenuity.
I don’t know what kind of relationship Fang has with the Fifth Aircraft Carrier Battle Group of the US Navy, so that they can suddenly offer to invite you to join their fleet to fight together.
However, what I want to tell you is that our Brazilian Navy sees your efforts in building a modern naval fleet for the Brazilian Navy, and our Brazilian Navy will never forget your contribution. "
Fang Lang was a little confused by what he said, and he didn't know whether what General Crook said was the truth or an irony. Think about the fact that the naval officers of your own country are too close to the naval officers of other countries. According to Fang Lang's thinking, this is a wrong political tendency that should not occur.
So Fang Lang didn't know how to answer General Crook's words, so he could only bite the bullet and defend himself:
"Your Excellency General, I really hope that our Brazilian Navy can have a modern naval fleet that can maintain the security of our own maritime borders.
Privately I did contact some of my friends in the British and American militaries, hoping they could give me some help. However, please rest assured that I am Brazilian and everything I do is for the rise of the Brazilian Navy. "
General Crook laughed and said:
"Fang, don't be nervous, we don't mean to blame you. Britain and the United States are our allies, and it is very necessary to maintain long-term, smooth and effective communication with the armies of advanced countries.
We at the Brazilian Navy appreciate your proactive and effective communication with both navies this time.
It is precisely because of your communication that the United States agreed to sell us a Cleveland-class cruiser, two Fletcher-class destroyers, and a Little Shark-class submarine at a low price after the war. He even said that he would give us two LST tank landing crafts as gifts.
After communication between the Expeditionary Force Command and the Brazilian Navy and Ministry of Defense, it was finally unanimously decided to place all these new warships under the command of your Navy's First Fleet.
We hope that during your visit to the fifth aircraft carrier battle group in the United States this time, you can carefully learn the combat experience of the aircraft carrier battle group and lay a solid foundation for Brazil to have its own aircraft carrier battle group in the future. "
General Crook's statement is equivalent to a direct statement that the Brazilian Navy will focus on training Fang Lang and make him the commander of the Brazilian Navy's first aircraft carrier formation in the future.
Before Fang Lang could express his excitement, Colonel Parisi slapped his thigh and said:
"Fang, you are great. In this way, our Brazilian Navy will soon have its own aircraft carrier battle group. I never thought that our Brazilian Navy would be so powerful one day.
You actually have a relationship with the US aircraft carrier battle group. You must make good use of this! Come back to learn more about the combat experience of aircraft carrier battle groups. When one day we really have our own aircraft carrier battle group, we must invite me to board the aircraft carrier for a visit! "
As a naval general, no one can resist the temptation of an aircraft carrier. Although there were a large number of battleship fans in the Brazilian Navy before the war. However, as the war continued, battleships began to be slowly marginalized.
The Brazilian Navy does not even have experience with submarines, let alone aircraft carriers, so this time Fang Lang was able to participate in the battle of the US aircraft carrier battle group, which was regarded by the knowledgeable people of the Brazilian Navy as a rare practical learning opportunity.
It's a pity that the Americans didn't invite everyone to study together, but only invited Fang Lang. Therefore, judging from this matter, Fang Lang naturally became the only candidate for aircraft carrier fleet commander.
Since Fang Lang is the only candidate, of course the escort fleets needed to support the aircraft carrier must be given to Fang Lang's command. This caused the Brazilian Navy's voice to carve up these new warships to be ignored.
Seeing that neither of them seemed to care much about their specific relationship in the US Navy, Fang Lang didn't explain too much. What he is most concerned about now is the specific composition of his fleet.
"Your Excellency, General, please rest assured! I will definitely make good use of this rare practical learning opportunity to learn the command experience of an advanced aircraft carrier fleet.
You just said that the warships given to us by the Americans can only be sold to us at low prices after the war is over, right? "
After seeing General Crook exhale a puff of smoke, he motioned for the two of them to light cigarettes and nodded. Fang Lang continued:
"Then if I go to the Pacific battlefield this time, I can just take the House and the captured submarine with me, right?"
General Crook nodded after hearing this and said:
"Yes, it is up to you to decide whether you need to bring a submarine. However, our crew is still in the exploratory stage of operating submarines, and I hope you will give them some learning time.
In addition, our Brazilian Navy's future plan for your First Fleet is to hope that it can become an independent combat unit with joint sea, land and air strike capabilities.
Although we do not have an aircraft carrier yet, we will transfer ten fighter jets and pilots from the Expeditionary Force Air Force and put them under your command. In the early stage, they will use seaplanes to train in Natal, and they will be able to listen to your command at any time.
On the Army side, through our coordination with General Morais of the Expeditionary Force, we will equip you with a land force of four to five hundred people. We allow you to organize specific personnel and commanders by yourself.
I hope you can seize the time and set up the first fleet as soon as possible. And form a complete report and submit it to our Navy Department.
As for heading to the Pacific battlefield, you must seize the time. Considering that the United States is currently launching the Battle of Okinawa, it is said that the U.S. Marine Corps has suffered nearly 20,000 casualties, and the Japanese Army is still resisting tenaciously. General Moraes suggests that you can lead Own Marines headed to Japan.
Although there are not many troops, it can also let our allies see the strength of our support for them. "
Fang Lang did not expect that the Brazilian Navy would be so anxious. Now it was equipping itself with fighter jets and marines before there was even a shadow of the aircraft carrier.
Brazil's first aircraft carrier in history was the Giant-class aircraft carrier "Revenge" purchased from the British in 1956. This aircraft carrier has just been completed from the British shipyard at this time and has not yet entered the British fleet.
If we look at it from this time point of view, Brazil is indeed dreaming of aircraft carriers, and is even impatient. There is no such little butterfly like itself in history. Now it seems that Brazil may actually have an aircraft carrier of its own in advance.
As for the Okinawa campaign being organized by the Americans, Fang Lang knew that it would be difficult for him to catch up. After all, the campaign would be completely over by the end of June.
And when he sets off to Saipan now, the battle must be over. After the Battle of Okinawa, Fang Lang knew that there would basically be no large-scale war.
This war basically destroyed Japan's last naval power. Of course, this does not mean that all the Japanese navy's warships were sunk, but that it consumed Japan's last fuel inventory.
In response to the Okinawa campaign launched by the US military, the Japanese Combined Fleet went to great lengths to collect 2,500 tons of fuel, which was less than half of the 6,400-ton fuel tank capacity of the "Yamato" and could barely guarantee the one-way fuel consumption to Okinawa. required.
After this battle, the U.S. warship anchorage moved directly to Okinawa, and most of the time it launched bombings of the Japanese mainland through aircraft.
Admiral William Leahy, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, pointed out to current U.S. President Truman that the next direction of attack would be Japan’s Kyushu Island.
Comparing the level of Japanese resistance on Okinawa, if the Kyushu Battle is launched, the United States will need to invest about 767,000 Marines and be prepared to suffer 268,000 casualties. This number is about the same as the U.S. military’s total number of casualties so far. The same number of people died on every battlefield around the world.
Therefore, the U.S. government is very reluctant to launch a landing operation easily. U.S. President Truman also made it clear that he "hopes that it will be possible to prevent the recurrence of the Okinawa-style battle throughout Japan."
According to the plan formulated by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, it required an attack on Kyushu Island in the autumn of 1945 and an attack on Honshu Island, Japan's main island, in March 1946.
President Truman also agreed to this plan, but for the "Little Boy and Fat Man" being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which directly penetrated the Japanese devils' psychological defense line. This local attack plan will definitely be implemented.
If this plan is really to be implemented, it will definitely not be enough for Brazil to invest just one battalion of Marines. Fortunately, this plan will not be implemented.
