“Why can we be invincible if we control the Persian Gulf?”
"Why? What's so good about that place in the Persian Gulf? There's not even water on the shore, just sand!"
"Yes, is it possible that there is treasure under the sand on the edge of the Persian Gulf?"
"Eighteenth Military Advisor, have you figured out some secret?"
"This treasure."
Not to mention, being able to infiltrate high-level figures in the Ming Dynasty controlled by the Zhuge family can glean some secrets. Therefore, a good international situation seminar will soon turn into a treasure hunt conference in the Persian Gulf.
Brothers Zhuge Weiyi and Zhuge Weyong also knew that there was a treasure in the Persian Gulf, but now was not the time to reveal the secret, so they both cast a stern look at Zhuge Weidao - they couldn't talk nonsense, especially related to black gold. if!
If word of this got out and the British Empire knew about it, there would be big trouble.
The terrain of the Persian Gulf is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Once the British Empire established a coastal defense fortress and deployed a large number of mines at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, it would not be easy for the Ming Navy to enter.
Once the British produce a large amount of oil in the Persian Gulf, the British Navy is likely to launch a large-scale all-oil-powered boilers and steam turbines. This means that British surface ships can have greater tonnage and speed!
Although the British can now get a large supply of oil from the Pennsylvania oil field in the United States, how can the oil bought at high prices from American profiteers be as good as the oil snatched from the Middle East?
Moreover, once those American profiteers convert the pounds earned from selling oil into gold and silver and transfer them to France, they will accelerate the collapse of the British Empire!
The British Empire relied not only on the Royal Navy but also on Jewish bankers in London!
"Everyone," Zhuge Weidao had already thought of his words in just a moment. He picked up a baton, pointed lightly toward Malacca, then pointed a little toward the Persian Gulf, and finally knocked a wooden stick on the tin. Orchid Island, "The Persian Gulf, Malacca and Ceylon Island are located on the west, east and south of the Indian Empire respectively. If we take all these three places, then India will be surrounded by us, and its sea lines of communication with the British mainland We will all be cut off!
Even if we cannot capture Ceylon for the time being, as long as we hold the Persian Gulf in our hands, we can still send a break-up fleet from the Persian Gulf to cut off India's route to the Suins Canal. The fast destroyers rushing into the Indian Ocean from the Strait of Malacca can easily hit Indian transport ships orbiting Africa. "
He paused and then added: "Although the Indian Empire still has huge strategic depth, a large population and sufficient agricultural products, India's industrial chain is quite incomplete and is only a link in the industrial production system of the British Empire. If its foreign trade is cut off by us, the factories in India will soon stop working and production. This country will soon lose its war potential and will become an agricultural country with little self-defense capability and can only be slaughtered by others. "
At the same time, the UK will also lose an important link in its industrial chain. This will severely impact the UK's wartime economy and may even destroy the UK's war capabilities!
"Is it that serious?" Mr. Yu asked, "Daozi, according to you, if the route between the British Empire and India is cut off, she will be defeated without a fight?"
"Of course!" Zhuge Weidao nodded, "Old man, have you forgotten the fire saltpeter produced in India? Before the saltpeter mines in South America were discovered, the output of Indian saltpeter mines accounted for 70% of the world's total saltpeter output. Above, the British used Indian saltpeter to choke our necks! If we first cut off the route between Britain and India, and then cut off the saltpeter route in South America, what else would the British use to fight a world war?"
In fact, the method of artificially synthesizing ammonia has long been mastered by the Zhuge family - such an important "secret" is of course recorded in the heavenly book. However, there is still a certain distance between knowing the method and realizing industrialized production. Moreover, with South American saltpeter almost opening up every ship to be transported to the Ming Dynasty, the risk of launching ammonia synthesis project is not small (the annual output of South American saltpeter is hundreds of thousands). Ton). However, now that the war is imminent, routes to South America are also at risk of being cut off. Therefore, the Jinyang Coal Chemical Industry Bureau controlled by the Zhuge family has now begun trial production of industrial equipment for the production of synthetic ammonia.
Zheng Guozhong knew about chemical industry, and of course he knew the importance of Indian saltpeter to the British Empire - although the supply of South American saltpeter was almost endless, Indian saltpeter was a strategic resource that the British Empire could control! So since South American saltpeter became available, the British Empire began to protect the saltpeter mines in India.
In addition, India has the only cow dung industry in the world. Many Indian homes store a large amount of cow dung. This can be used to collect salt!
Moreover, India still has a population of 200 million and a large number of cows that can "shit for Britain"!
Thinking of this, Prime Minister Zheng nodded and said: "Daozi, you are right. Besieging India is indeed a good way to defeat the British Empire. If we compete with the British Empire for hegemony, we can win without fighting, so it is best not to fight with them." . If you can fight in a small way, don't fight in a big way.
This method of trapping printing and making English is very good! Now that Malacca has two islands blocked by us, Sumatra in the hands of the Dutch can be occupied by them even if we claim it. If we can capture the Persian Gulf to the west, there will only be one island of Ceylon left. We should be able to capture it in a small battle.
By the way, how are we going to win the Persian Gulf and how are we going to hold it? "
Of course Zhuge Weidao has already thought of a way.
"Your Majesty, the Persian Gulf is easy to capture," Zhuge Weidao said. "The slightly more difficult thing is to cross the Strait of Malacca, and the more troublesome thing is to hold the Persian Gulf. My method is to take advantage of the opportunity of delivering two hero-class battleships. Form a large formation including two hero-class ships, seven or eight old feudal king-class ships, several Nandao-class troop carriers, some coal carriers, and ammunition ships, and rush through suddenly, swiftly, and resolutely. Strait of Malacca.
The British fleets in Singapore and Malacca are limited in size and they must not dare to use force to stop them. As long as we can cross the Strait of Malacca, we can sail seven or eight King-class battleships, some other old cruisers, and a few troop carriers, coal ships, and ammunition ships into the Persian Gulf. After entering, we will occupy it immediately. Cape Hayinma, Pirate Bay, Qeshm Island. And lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz!
In this way, even if the British followed, they would not be able to break through the obstruction of mines and seven or eight Lord-class battleships equipped with 280 mm cannons and rush into the Persian Gulf. As a result, the entire Persian Gulf is firmly controlled by us with seven or eight old battleships and some old cruisers.
If the British don't want our old battleships to cut off their channel to the Suins Canal, they must place more battleships outside the Persian Gulf. This can not only contain the strength of the British Royal Navy and the Royal Indian Navy, but also It can also create opportunities for our fleet to destroy the enemy, break through Malacca, and occupy the island of Ceylon. "
Zhuge Weiyi, the Minister of the Navy, was very satisfied with the plan proposed by his one hundred and eighty-year-old brother. He added with a smile: "Prime Minister, Daozi's method is very good! Those feudal king-class battleships have no value in modification. Moreover, their performance cannot meet the needs of decisive battles at sea. They are just for display at home. At most, they are used to defend the coast. That is just a show. If they can be inserted into the Persian Gulf to serve as floating forts, that would be great. But that’s it.”
Chief of Naval Staff Zhuge Wenyong also added: "We also have some broken ships purchased from the Japanese at low prices, which are not used by the navy at all. I think they can be sent to the Persian Gulf together. Those from the Four Heavenly Kings, the gun tubes It's so thick that it can be used as a fort when beached."
Hearing this, Zheng Guozhong glanced at Yu Quan again, "Mr. Yu, what do you think?"
"Okay!" Yu Quan nodded, "I think it's okay. Let's do this!"
