Chapter 1,405 The Formation of the Balkan Front
Chapter 1405 The Formation of the Balkan Front
London, the conference hall of the Allied High Command. Sitting on the left side of the conference room is the British host, headed by British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith. Next up were Field Marshal Lord Hamilton and Lord Admiralty Churchill. Sitting opposite were French Prime Minister Louis Bardot and French Army General Pétain. Today, the topic they need to discuss is no longer the war on the Western Front, because compared to the solidified battlefield on the Western Front, the situation on the Eastern Front worries them the most!
"The Russians are finished. According to our estimates, after the Germans launched two consecutive battles, the Russians lost approximately 1.5 million troops, of which more than 1.3 million were killed and burdened. This is an irrecoverable loss. Even if the Russians If we can withstand such a huge loss of manpower, we will definitely not be able to withstand the loss of equipment. It may not be long before a considerable number of Russian soldiers will go to the battlefield with machetes or spears." Prime Minister Herbert's words were full of pessimism.
"So, in order to save Russia and save ourselves, I believe that the original Great Neil Strait Offensive and the Balkans battlefield cannot achieve our campaign goals! Because in Romania, the strongest army of the Allied Powers is eyeing the Bavarian Army. Everyone should be aware of the performance of the Western Front, right?" Lord Hamilton said.
As a veteran who has fought for the British Empire since the 1970s, the fact that this guy is alive to this day shows that he is absolutely capable. He may be a little outdated in terms of tactics, but he definitely has a strategic vision! The problems that Mackensen could see, Lord Hamilton could naturally also see. How to deploy an army in those small places? ! (Historically, if the battle had not been fought in the Dardanelles Strait, but on a plain, the British and French troops landing on it would have easily beaten the Turks into dogs.)
If it were before, the top leaders of Britain and France would still have some doubts about using troops in the remote Balkan Peninsula, but now, there are no doubts anymore, because this is the only way to save the Russians! This has reached a critical moment of life and death. Therefore, even if Britain and France were no longer willing, they still made great efforts on the issue of troop mobilization in the Balkan theater. The Anzac Corps, the Native Reserve Division, and the Indian Corps under the British. The French black North African troops and the newly rested second-line troops. The cannon fodder that the Japanese sent to Europe again was pulled and collected together. This time, Britain and France decided to open a new front to deal with Turkey!
"We agree in principle to land in the Turkish port city of Izmir in western Asia Minor, and then set off for Constantinople. But we need additional air force, and it will also take time to deploy military power and equipment. If your country is in the Balkans And if the time for launching the offensive in the Dardanelles remains unchanged, it may be difficult for us to act together." Admiral Pétain, sitting opposite Lord Hamilton, said.
Before this meeting, Britain and France had already negotiated that the northern Balkan Peninsula and Dardanelles Strait would be the responsibility of Britain, Japan and Greece. France was responsible for the landing operations on the southern front in Asia Minor. The two armies launched an attack on Constantinople together and completely cut off the 3B Railway! But because the so-called southern route plan was just put forward recently,
Therefore, the French army is not fully prepared, so the attack time will be relatively late, which may give the Allies opportunities to defeat each other.
"It's too late. If we don't take action immediately, I'm afraid the Germans will have a military parade in front of the square in St. Petersburg! Nicholas II has reached the brink of collapse, and his regime is also panicked." Herbert shook his head and said .
"Are we prepared for emergencies?" Baldo asked.
"It's still too early to discuss this matter. At present, Tsarist Russia is still our staunch ally. Even if something unexpected happens to Emperor Nicholas, as long as we can open a gap in the direction of Turkey, everything will be fine. Even if something unexpected happens to Emperor Nicholas , and it will not affect the overall situation." Herbert said with a pun.
"Well, that's good. It doesn't matter who controls the Russian power. As long as they are still on our side and can help us contain some of the German troops." Baldu nodded and said.
"The combat effectiveness of the Greek troops is not worth looking forward to. Although 200,000 troops have been gathered, the maximum number that can fight is only about 60,000. I think it would be better for the rest to take on logistical tasks. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps has already been deployed in Greece. There are about 70,000 people in 5 divisions. The Japanese have deployed 2 divisions, including the so-called Fukuoka Division. Their establishment is relatively large, with 40,000 people in 2 divisions. In three days, 3 local divisions will The second-line divisions will arrive in Greece one after another, and by then, we must attack and cannot wait!" said Lord Hamilton.
"The aviation force is also in place. 5 aviation wings, with a total of more than 600 aircraft of various types, have been deployed in Greece. We must launch an offensive before the Bavarian Air Force goes south. The navy is also well prepared, and the main force of the Spey fleet remains Lying on the slipway, our complete super-dreadnought detachment plus the French navy can completely block the Dardanelles Strait. And the 15 pre-dreadnought ships of the three detachments of the Royal Navy can be responsible for supporting your country's landing in Asia Minor." Churchill said on the side.
"The French Army will deploy 10 divisions in the Mediterranean theater as scheduled, with a total of 140,000 troops and 300 various aircraft. But this will take time. We will complete the deployment in 2 weeks at the earliest, and there is an obvious time difference between us. .We hope you will seriously consider our opinions," Bardu insisted.
"Then I can only express regret. Although we cannot launch attacks together, we will still cooperate with each other." Herbert made a helpless gesture.
"By the way, what is the opinion of the onlooker?" Baldu said. After formulating the strength of both sides and the time for the war to begin, the two sides began to discuss another issue, and the importance of this issue was no less important than the previous Balkan campaign!
"Italy? They are still hesitating. If they were leaning towards us before, now, after millions of Russian troops were wiped out in just a few weeks, the Italian king has leaned towards neutrality. Unless We can fight a game-changing campaign in the Balkans!" said Herbert.
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