USSR 1941

  Chapter 798 Strategic Interests

   "You mean..." John held up the photo and said, "This is a piece of equipment that can cross the English Channel?"

   "Yes!" Shulka replied: "And I believe that it has the characteristics of cheapness and high speed. You can observe its engine..."

Speaking of which, Shulka pointed to the engine in the photo and said: "It is outside the fuselage, and its overall structure is extremely simple. It can almost be said to be a large model aircraft. But it is indeed a weapon. The fuel in the rear can make it a long-distance Flying, with explosives in the front to make it go off like a bomb, plus the Germans were experimenting on the Baltic Sea...Comrade John, do you think the USSR has where the Germans need to cross the ocean?"

  John thought about it, and then he didn't dare to hesitate any longer, and immediately walked to the radio station with the photo.

  Information was quickly passed to Churchill, of course it was only information rather than photos... This era is not like the modern era where you only need to send an email to send pictures to the destination.

   But there is still a sketch on Churchill's desk.

It is not difficult to make this sketch, you only need to mark the key points with coordinates in the radio station, and then connect the key points with smooth curves or straight lines... This is often used in the military for scouts to scout the terrain Then transfer terrain data.

Petri and Menzies were called to Churchill's office at the same time. This situation is not common, because MI5 and MI6 are in a competitive relationship to a certain extent. Although they are consistent with the outside world, there are also many internal contradictions. Therefore, there is a strict division of powers for them.

   "Do you think this is true?" Churchill sent a sketch to the two of them, along with a piece of information about the "small plane".

  Churchill added: "These materials are provided by the Soviets, you can be skeptical about it!"

  Petri and Menzies looked at the sketches and documents for a while, but neither commented.

   "Tell me what you think!" Churchill couldn't wait.

   "I think this requires the research and discussion of scientists and weapons experts!" Petry said: "Such as aerodynamic layout, and feasibility, etc.!"

   "Of course!" Churchill replied: "I have already done so! What I want to know is if there is any other possibility!"

   "Other possibilities?" Menzies stared at the sketch and said, "Your Excellency, do you think this may be fabricated by the Soviets to deceive us?"

"what you think?"

   "Although I hope so!" Menzies shook his head and said: "Because if this is the case, it means that the Germans do not have this equipment, and we don't need to face such risks!"

   "Why do you think it really exists?" Churchill asked.

"Because this is a very good idea!" Menzies replied: "If it was invented by the Soviets, first of all, the Soviets who invented it must have good enough imagination and creativity; It is possible; again, the Soviets should keep this 'fabrication' as a secret and develop it alone, so that it won't be long before the Soviets have a super weapon and the lifeblood of the war, instead of leaking it to us!"

   Churchill was speechless.

  Because he knew that Menzies was right, no one would use such a good idea as a blackmail tool just to get some supplies and supplies.

   This is obviously unreasonable.

  So Menzies' analysis is more in place than Petri's. Petri hopes to find flaws from a scientific point of view, while Menzies basically draws conclusions directly from intelligence analysis.

"In addition..." Menzies continued: "This reminds me of something. Our intelligence personnel in France provided some information. They found that the Germans built several large secret military factories in France, but they did not Find out what these military factories produce! Now it seems...they are very likely to be used to produce this kind of 'small aircraft', and they are mass-produced!"

Churchill suddenly became irritable, he stood up from the chair, walked back and forth in front of the desk a few times, then stopped and said to Menzies: "You mean, although we won the air battle, although we The navy is stronger than the Germans, but the Germans can still shoot at my office? As long as they know where my office is?"

  Menzies was silent for a while, and then replied: "Perhaps it is true, Your Excellency Prime Minister! What we need is not to escape, but to find a way to face it!"

  Petri stared at the map for a while, then said: "If it's true, I'm afraid it's not just Britain that needs to be faced!"

   "What do you mean?" Churchill asked.

   "And Africa!" Petri pointed to a point on the map and said, "I mean the island of Malta! The Germans can blockade the airport of the island of Malta with this equipment!"

   Churchill immediately realized that Petri was right.

  The situation on the island of Malta was actually played out by British pilots...The island of Malta is only 246 square kilometers, and there is only one military airport on the island.

   This made the British army have to ensure the safety of this military airport, otherwise it would suffer heavy losses and lose air supremacy once it was bombed by the German army.

   This is indeed the case. The United Kingdom also once lost its air supremacy around the island of Malta, so the island of Malta also lost its role in restraining the German supply line.

  But Hitler didn't pay attention to the island of Malta because of this, so he transferred the Luftwaffe to the Eastern Front to attack the Soviet Union... The resurgence of the British army on Malta caused a lot of trouble for Rommel's African Army.

  At this time, on the island of Malta, because the main force of the German air force was in the direction of the Soviet Union, the British could use the air force to prevent the German army from bombing its airport.

However, if the German army has a piece of equipment, it can bomb the airport of Malta Island directly from the south coast of France or the north coast of Africa without the need for fighter planes or pilots. Air supremacy?

   Without air supremacy, it means that the supply lines of the German army will be unblocked.

   "Yes!" Churchill said: "This is what the Germans want, this is their purpose!"

  At this time, Churchill no longer doubted the authenticity of the intelligence, because it was indeed in the strategic interests of the Germans, whether it was bombing the British mainland or the island of Malta.

   What Churchill and his intelligence chief didn't know was that this new German equipment was just a prototype, and it simply didn't reach the level of horror they imagined.

  But this is human nature, they are born to be afraid of the unknown.