British civil servant

Looking at it this way, Britain's caution is understandable. At the same time, the Pentagon also suggested to Reagan that it might as well wait and see, to see if Britain, the former world hegemon, still has martial arts today?

This is a question that the United States has always been interested in. Is the old father still able to do it now?This world does not have the Suez Canal War as a reference. On the contrary, the Korean War and the Vietnam War fought by the United States have been seen by all countries in the world, and it seems that their combat effectiveness is not good enough.

Argentina is the second strongest in Latin America, at least that's how Argentina defines itself. How far it can compete with the United Kingdom is still of great interest to all walks of life in the United States.

Even American public opinion started a discussion on this, thinking that although the United Kingdom has brought out the most powerful force after the war, it is impossible for the United Kingdom to win easily because of the expedition and the Argentine defenders waiting for work.

"Such remarks are counted as one, and they are all charged in pounds." Homeless Alan Wilson, facing Arnold who came out to find him, proudly puffed up his chest, and began to be like a prince again, decisively winning a thousand miles away Besides, "Did your mother ask you to come and find me to go home?"

"Uh, it's not. I came to see my father by myself. Before the eldest brother comes back safely, I still have to work hard on my father. Anyway, you have a place to live." Arnold shrugged and said, for example, you can pay attention to Princess Margaret's personal Life, this is not a problem.

"It's the first time your mother has been arguing with me for such a long time." Alan Wilson sighed quietly, patted his younger son on the shoulder and complained, "My good son, you should be on my side. You and I are both men. "

Good boxing!Arnold was in awe, but awe could not change anything, "I can't let my father go back, and now my mother is angry, I am just one more victim by standing on your side, so we still have good wishes , Brother came back after making meritorious deeds, and everything is gone."

"You are really my good son." Alan Wilson smiled like a smiling tiger. He looked at Arnold differently. He was really a good boy with a flexible moral bottom line. So he sacrificed his father?

The supreme authority who is homeless, still needs someone to take him in?Hepburn, for example, has a strong interest in taking in the secretary-general of the cabinet. If he hadn't been busy recently, he would have to go to Monroe's place to receive foreign friends, so it would be no problem to live in Hepburn every day.

Arnold has a clear heart about this, and his father has indeed sacrificed too much for this country.

Then he called a bright girl to drive the car over, and Alan Wilson asked his son very pleased, "What's your name?"

"Elizabeth Hurley." Arnold told the truth, and also met from the beauty pageant, but she didn't participate in the beauty pageant, but happened to appear in the photos when he was practicing his photography skills.

As the task force approaches Latin America, the Atlantic Fleet can already start operations. The target is on South Georgia Island. South Georgia Island is part of the Falkland Islands and is also where the British Antarctic scientific research base is located, so there are supply aircraft on the island. A runway for takeoff and landing, taking back South Georgia would provide a base for land-based fighters that can't take off and land.

South Georgia Island is very close to Antarctica, more than 1000 kilometers away from the Falkland Islands, and more than 2000 kilometers away from the mainland of Argentina. It is both safe and can provide guarantees for subsequent operations.

There are only 200 defenders on the island. Compared with the size of the island, landing is not difficult for the British army. The biggest difficulty is not to anger the seals on the island. The number of seals and walruses on the island far exceeds the number of Argentine defenders, because The target of the main fleet is too big, and it is more dangerous from the air. The special boat squadron shoulders the landing task and lands from the sea through small landing craft.

There were anti-submarine helicopters in the air as cover, and more than 40 British soldiers went to the island under the cover of the naval guns of the task force warships, and quickly launched an attack.This caught the unprepared defenders by surprise, and they became prisoners without understanding what was going on. This was not even a battle.

But there are battlefields besides the battlefield, and the war of public opinion is equally important. Alan Wilson, who received the news in London, did not care what the facts were, and directly called the major newspapers to prove his reliability to the UK, "Special Boat Squadron One War God, took South Georgia in one hour and 22 minutes. The British Empire is invincible, I hope to see reports like this soon."

If the only public opinion hegemony that has not suffered the slightest loss cannot do this, Alan Wilson will definitely be quite disappointed. Taking South Georgia Island is extremely beneficial to the UK. At least the UK has a foothold that allows land-based fighters to land. The Falkland Islands are threatened.

For the British citizens who have been unable to hear any news after leaving the port, even a small piece of good news can make them let go of their worries, even if there is no news at all.

The news of the victory of capturing South Georgia Island came at the right time, and the whole of Britain fell into a carnival. Even the poorest patriots in the East End of London would proudly puff up their chests when they heard the news that Britain had captured South Georgia Island.

"It's true that the British haven't fought wars for too long." The US Secretary of State, General Haig, was a soldier, so how could he not know the inside story? It's what the British media call "Soldiers from Heaven".

At least for now, the U.S. military, which has prepared peanuts and melon seeds, has not yet felt that it has entered the drama, but they also admit that the British Expeditionary Force has a foothold, and the follow-up impact is still great.

As for taking South Georgia Island in one hour and 22 minutes, it is very ridiculous, but it is just a way of spiritual victory.It is understandable that the United States does not need to expose the British internal propaganda.

The disappointment on President Reagan's face is unavoidable. This is not the war she envisioned. So far it has been described as boring. Could it be that the big drama is coming later?

The first thousand and 570 eight chapters beat the US ship

The formation of the huge cruiser General Belgrano and two Sumner-class destroyers was still driving quietly at the southern tip of the Malvinas Islands, bathed in a darkening sky.

The "General Belgrano" was originally the Brooklyn-class "Phoenix" light cruiser used by the US Navy during World War II. The Argentine government purchased the "Phoenix" cruiser at a low price of 120 million US dollars.

Originally called "October Victory", it was soon renamed "General Belgrano". A 500-ton warship only costs [-] million yuan for repairs and refits. General Belgrano is really cheap.

After undergoing two modifications, the old seaplane facilities were changed to helicopter equipment, new sea/air search radars were installed, and modern point defense ship-to-air missiles were added.

Although many components malfunctioned from time to time, the Argentines took care of this old ship carefully, but it didn't help.The battleship was paddling hard, and the entourage of the two destroyers had been guarding her right side, in order to guard against potential British carrier-based aircraft.

As for the pride of another Argentine navy, the May 25th aircraft carrier was sold to Argentina by the United Kingdom. Alan Wilson was very soft-spoken at that time, but even if he already had the right to speak, he might not stop it. After the war, the British Navy could not wait The feeling of giving away for free is not something ordinary people can understand.

Think about how difficult it was for Britain after the war because of its huge debts, and then look at how it can organize expeditionary forces to fight thousands of miles away today, and you will know that no authority is absolutely worthy of this country.

Now the pride of the Argentine Navy is in another direction, relying on Argentina's own geographical advantages, going to Tierra del Fuego to block the South Pacific task force from entering the Atlantic Ocean.I don't think much about it. Tierra del Fuego is an inherent territory of Argentina, but it is separated from the mainland by a strait, so it can receive support from the mainland at any time.

The only problem is that the British task force in the Pacific Ocean is still far away, and it has not yet appeared in the sight of the Argentines.

After a day of vigilance, the people on the cruiser were exhausted, so they were not singing and laughing, but they were also resting in secret.

Although the United Kingdom has turned the Falkland Islands into a restricted area, the Argentine Navy has not entered the war zone designated by the United Kingdom at this time, and South Georgia Island is even more than a thousand kilometers away. The Queen Victoria-class aircraft carrier battle group is in The waters of South Georgia Island are beyond the reach of the Argentine Navy.

Ordinary naval officers and soldiers did not even know that South Georgia had been retaken by the British, thinking that the subsidiary islands of this archipelago were still in the hands of Argentina.For the vast majority of Argentine soldiers today, war is a bit too unfamiliar, far more unfamiliar than British soldiers.

Although the British surface fleet has not officially gone south, only a squadron participated in the operation to recapture South Georgia Island, but it definitely represents calm under the sea.

The nuclear submarines of the main fleet had already left Ascension Island and came to the waters around the Falkland Islands to build a blockade against Argentina.

On South Georgia Island, the British officers and soldiers who had regained control at this time were unloading the supplies delivered by the ocean-going fleet, and the airport on the island also ushered in the Vulcan bomber, which was normal.

If the main islands of the Falkland Islands are recaptured, the British Expeditionary Force will suddenly find that there are more than one battlefield airports that can be used. They are all built with the money saved by the supreme authority from between the teeth. As long as they are leveled after landing, they can Putting it into use, not to mention allowing fighter jets to take off, transport planes can also take off.

At that time, it was established under the guise of building an airport for immigrants from the Falkland Islands, but later, because there were only more than 1000 immigrants in the Falkland Islands, the commercial value was almost zero, and the route was not opened, but the airport was retained.

The wartime cabinet at the London base camp received two reports at this time, whether to bomb the defenders of the Falkland Islands, and to discover the Argentine task force with the cruiser General Belgrano at its core. Do not take the attack?

Defense Secretary John Nott and Prime Minister Thatcher discussed these two issues, but in Alan Wilson's view, there was nothing to discuss, "Of course it is to send that second-hand American cruiser to sea. But the Falkland The archipelago is our territory, bombing is meaningless, it is better to leave a little precious ammunition for more valuable targets."

"I also think what Sir said makes sense." Mrs. Thatcher immediately stood by the cabinet secretary after hearing this.

"Well, the Prime Minister is right." John Nott hesitated to speak and finally did not continue. He always felt that after the war broke out, the Prime Minister's reliance on Whitehall was greatly increased, as if he was being manipulated. , hope this is an illusion.

In fact, if you think about it carefully, isn’t it obvious who has been standing firmly behind the prime minister and who is unswervingly implementing the privatization reform?

If in another two years, the richest woman kicks out the cabinet secretary again, he can live directly in No. [-] Downing Street.

From the beginning of the war, the prime minister, who was under tremendous pressure, was being PUAed by the cabinet secretary all the time without knowing it, and his understanding of the war with Argentina became more and more similar.

The frontline commander, General Woodward, commander of the submarine force, requested to sink the flagship of the Argentine Navy, and he directly obtained the approval of the wartime cabinet, letting the other party boldly do it.

If left alone, once the British fleet starts to land and operate, the three Argentine naval fleets will surely stab the British army from behind, forcing the British to divide their troops to support the defenders of the Falkland Islands. The fleet is in danger of being wiped out under attack from both sides.

London's approval determined the fate of the pride of the Argentine navy, and it was better to fight it than to kill another pride of the Argentine navy, which was an aircraft carrier sold by the United Kingdom, and it would be embarrassing to sink the United Kingdom.

The nuclear submarine Conqueror, which was hidden in the Baddold seamount in the south of the Falkland Islands, quietly approached the General Belgrano and began to seize the position.At this time, on the General Belgrano, because the Afghan army thought it was outside the [-] nautical mile blockade area, most of the personnel were taking a nap, and they didn't even have a surveillance post!

The current "Conqueror" only needs to wait for the prey to throw itself into the net. Its reactor core is stable and the temperature is normal. The torpedo compartment has already been filled with ammunition, and everything is ready.

An hour later, following behind the target, the Conqueror, which was already in an excellent launch position, was able to make a decision on the fate of the cruisers within range. There is no doubt that the cruiser General Belgrano should use its talent To the bottom of the icy South Atlantic Ocean.

Lieutenant Colonel Riverd Brown, the captain who has already made a decision in his heart, does not need to use the latest "Tigerfish" wire-guided torpedoes, but uses the old unguided MK-8 torpedoes to attack.

Famous British dramas have said that new torpedoes cannot be used, and torpedoes designed and built during World War II can be used.

The MK-8 torpedo is a traditional weapon of the British submarine force. It has been used for decades. The British submarine force used the MK-8 to achieve an excellent record in sinking the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara.Now it will demonstrate its usual reliability, sending the US-made cruiser to the bottom of the sea, highlighting the special relationship between Britain and the United States.

"Launch!" One minute later, following Lieutenant Colonel Riverd Brown's command, three MK1s roared out and flew straight to the General Belgrano.

120 seconds later, the first torpedo launched by the Server hit the rear of the port side of the Admiral Belgrano, tearing open the hull of the No. [-] engine room. With a muffled thunder, the internal lighting system of the ship was suddenly interrupted, and it was in a relaxed state. The officers and soldiers of the Argentine navy in the middle of the battle were shaken hugely and fell to the ground. Most of the officers and soldiers had blank faces, but some people speculated that they were attacked by the British.

God didn't give the Argentines time to think too much. After 60 seconds, the second torpedo hit the large cruiser between the bow chain locker and the front ammunition depot. The violent explosion broke the ship of General Belgrano. The keel, bow of the cruiser snapped off, and the forward deck bowed downward.

The Argentine sailors on the ship woke up like a dream, rushed out of the cabin and rushed to the battle position. The captain, Colonel Bonzo, ordered an inventory of the damage and tried to carry out damage management and rescue, but the 1-ton Belgrano had already begun to tilt violently .

The first torpedo was quite deadly. This torpedo hit the No. [-] main engine room. The violent vibration immediately caused all four main engines of the shellfish to stop, the power system in the ship lost communication, and the damage control system was paralyzed!

The second torpedo hit the bow of the cruiser, just between the No. [-] turret and the anchor chain. This is the end of the cruiser's side armor belt. Without armor protection, the torpedo damage was particularly serious. The bow keel of the general was blown broken.

The communication was interrupted, the tube was paralyzed, and the screen was empty, only the echo of the waves. The sonar operator was in a hurry, and there was only the noise of the ocean.The captain's instructions can only be conveyed to each cabin through the original microphone and messenger, and then conveyed separately by the responsible sailors.

General Belgrano began to bank sharply to the left.Captain Bonzo was still trying his best to rescue the warship at first, struggling in vain for half an hour, the tilt had reached [-] degrees, the helpless Captain Bonzo ordered to abandon the ship, and the Argentine sailors sang the national anthem and boarded the lifeboat.

The nickname of the Atlantic Ocean of Storms has always been well-deserved, not to mention that it is close to the Antarctic waters. The sea conditions at this time are very unfriendly to rescue. The most important thing is that there is no one to rescue.

After the General Belgrano was attacked, the other two destroyers panicked because they lost their command. Not only did they not carry out anti-submarine attacks, but they quickly fled the battlefield from south to north, leaving the fate of their comrades-in-arms to the cold sea water.

The first thousand and 570 nine chapters exist in the fleet

"Spiritual atomic bombs can't kill people, but we have to be careful of the Argentines' revenge. We don't want to test the effect of shield ships in modern naval warfare unless it is absolutely necessary."

The so-called shocking news came, but Allen Wilson remained calm. After all, this cruiser was an emergency product built during World War II. It may have a greater symbolic meaning to Argentina, but it is not the case for the United Kingdom. Be careful if it is sunk should be UK.

Especially the task force that undertook the capture of Tierra del Fuego. This fleet maneuvering in the direction of the South Pacific did not exist in history. All kinds of accidents happen.

In his capacity as Secretary-General of the Joint Intelligence Committee, Alan Wilson conveyed the judgment of the strength of the three armed forces of Argentina, especially the Air Force should be given special attention.While achieving a big victory, we should be more cautious at this time, and we should wait until the task force from afar approaches Tierra del Fuego before launching the next round of offensive.

"That is to say, the landing in the Falkland Islands is suspended." Although Marshal Peng Yingwu is already the number one figure in the military, he obviously does not act like another General Peng.At the critical moment, the national conditions of our country are fully expressed here. Since the head of Whitehall thinks that it should be done slowly, it is absolutely right.

"We are working steadily to achieve a beautiful result in the end. If the General Belgrano sinks this time, the result will be that the Argentine Navy dare not leave the port. We can land on the Falkland Islands at any time." Alan Wilson explained, "It's nothing more than a question of whether we think about it or not. In this case, we are not in a hurry for a day or two."

No authority remembers that two days after the sinking of the General Belgrano, an Argentine fighter jet fired a French Exocet missile and sank the British destroyer HMS Sheffield in one fell swoop.

At present, there is no destroyer with this name in the British 82 destroyer sequence, but there is one named Amethyst. Although this name is quite unlucky, Argentina should not be able to sink it, because this destroyer is not in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean. In the middle of the task force in the Pacific direction.

As a result of the sinking of the General Belgrano, the Argentine Navy completely withdrew from the theater except for the submarine force, and watched the British army gain command of the sea in the Falklands.The Conqueror thus became the first nuclear-powered submarine to sink an enemy ship.

This news naturally made British citizens happy. After all, it was the first record of a nuclear submarine in modern warfare, and the Pentagon of the United States also attached great importance to this example of warfare.The conclusion reached was that the British did not speak martial arts and sank the Argentine warship that did not enter the blockade.

Americans are like this. They are more lenient than self-interest and stricter than others. The British do not practice martial arts. When they created the Tokyo Bay incident, they responded in desperation.

After the nuclear submarine made great achievements, according to the instructions of the wartime cabinet, the British Expeditionary Force entered a period of preparation. At this time, while the nuclear submarine was maintaining the blockade, the protagonist belonged to the British ocean-going fleet and transported various required ammunition to South Georgia. The island, strategic transport aircraft are also stationed on the island, obviously the next stage is to recapture the Falkland Islands.

Military personnel from various countries, including the Pentagon, think so, but this is not the purpose of Alan Wilson. The professional opinion discussed with the Ministry of Defense is to capture Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands at the same time as much as possible. Then use this as a base to launch a strategic bombing of Argentina, land in Buenos Aires, and declare the end of the war.

If all goes well, before August, Britain can declare unilateral victory and end the war. Not everyone understands this strategic goal.

At least John Nott, the Secretary of Defense, had some scruples about the landing, "Will the United States interfere?"

"I would be lying if I said that there is no such possibility at all. But it needs the firm attitude of the wartime cabinet. At this point, the UK cannot end in a hurry, and the government's support rate does not allow it. For the consideration of the ruling party, It has to be as brilliant as possible based on what we have. Buenos Aires is a city on the coast and that helps us."

Alan Wilson calmly explained, "We announced the withdrawal of troops after we knocked down the Argentine capital, which is the result of maximizing interests. If the Argentine capital is inland, this suggestion should not be made. This consideration is for reference. The two border wars in Asia in [-] and three years ago, these are two very smart border wars."

"Using a high-intensity but short-term attack to create the greatest results, and declaring at this time that the goal has been achieved to end the war is very smart, even cunning."

Even if it is facing the consequences of India not being good, it is terrible. Alan Wilson does not believe in the soft news that New Delhi is already close at hand. It is not the case if you go deep into the inland.

Britain has a great say in this strategy. In the wars of the nineteenth century, at least in the East, the British Expeditionary Force implemented the policy of not going deep into the interior.

Once Britain makes a mistake on this issue, it will be an example of the annihilation of the entire army in Afghanistan. Therefore, the cabinet ministers understand what he means. It is just to land and complete the occupation of the Argentine capital. The biggest obstacle is not on the battlefield, but on the battlefield. It depends on what Americans think.

Whether she can withstand the diplomatic pressure from the United States is the biggest difficulty facing Mrs. Thatcher. Mrs. Thatcher also knows this. Maybe in a short period of time, she has to sit with her good comrade-in-arms Reagan to watch the possible relationship between the two countries. deterioration.

After the other ministers left No. [-] Downing Street, Alan Wilson reached out and grabbed the Prime Minister's hand, muttering in concern, "It's so cool, Margaret, maybe the US won't fight against the UK at this time."

"Why, you were kicked out by Pamela and came here to offer courtesies?" Mrs. Thatcher quietly withdrew her hand from your cabinet secretary, and said in a businesslike tone, "Working hours."

In his heart, the Prime Minister was telling himself that he must not give the other party wrong signals, thinking that the old relationship could be revived after many years, and this kind of ambiguity must be given the strictest warning.

The framework has been formulated. The only problem is the troops landing in the Falkland Islands. Alan Wilson suggested that the use of the Gurkha brigade is the best choice. The Gurkha brigade soldiers who grew up on the roof of the world can resist to a certain extent close to Antarctica. The climate of the battlefield, on the contrary, the Malayan garrison does not have this ability, and the local soldiers are all grown in the tropics.

Just like when Fukang'an attacked Nepal, he also recruited troops from Heilongjiang to fight in the alpine region.

It is more suitable to use the Gurkha brigade, which grew up in the alpine region, as a force to land in the Falkland Islands than other forces.

During this period of lull, Britain was using her still-strong seaborne capabilities to deliver all manner of arms to the recaptured island of South Georgia.And use South Georgia Island as a base to conduct reconnaissance on the Falkland Islands. Of course, the Galileo navigation system in space can also do this important task, but the electronic reconnaissance aircraft modified by the Warrior strategic bomber is not more able to let the Americans Did you see it?

The Pentagon, which strictly adheres to neutrality on the surface and secretly cares more about the direction of the war than anyone else, has finally discovered the bright spot of this war. The British shipping power is impressive. There is no doubt that it still maintains influence in the hotspots of Eurasia. The United Kingdom still has the ability to provide logistical support for the expedition.

"Are the British preparing to trap the Argentine defenders on the island?" This question quickly became the core of the Pentagon's discussion, but the basis of this discussion was overturned immediately.If a long-term siege is adopted, the consumption of Britain is absolutely staggering.

Moreover, there are more than 1000 British expatriates in the Falkland Islands. If some big news comes to the Argentine soldiers who have run out of supplies, it will have a great impact on Britain's international reputation.Therefore, the British will not use the method of starving to death together with the British expats.

Have we forgotten a question, the task force in the South Pacific is already approaching the waters of Chile, and this time the two fleets formed by the United Kingdom are about to join forces. "

"The force dispatched by the United Kingdom is already huge, but the military strength in the news is even greater. The Argentine embassy said that there are rumors among the Argentine people that the United Kingdom has dispatched the entire Rhine Army and dispatched the entire air force to prepare for a showdown with Argentina."

"It can be regarded as part of the truth. Nearly half of the navy's power, there are hundreds of fighters of various types on South Georgia alone. Unfortunately, there is no combat record of the Typhoon fighter. This fighter is highly rated by military companies. Especially McDonnell Douglas. Even the Tornado fighter jets outperform the Argentine Air Force in terms of performance. If there is an air battle, we can judge how crushing the UK is in terms of air superiority."

In the rainy atmosphere of the South Atlantic, the special escort fleet with the guided missile battleship Admiral Mountbatten and the Centaur aircraft carrier, Bastion and Hermes as the core finally approached the Drake Passage after approaching the Atlantic waters, The alertness of the task force has obviously risen to a higher level.

The anti-submarine helicopters on the Centaur aircraft carrier are always on the lookout, preventing the Argentine submarine from avenging the General Belgrano, which was buried in the ocean a few days ago.

Almost at the same time, the main fleet, which had been staying in Ascension Island, left the port in a mighty manner, and officially set sail to the south. It seemed that the time was ripe to recapture the Falkland Islands.

"The foundation of South Georgia is too poor. It is true that the Falkland Islands should be retaken earlier." Albert, who was wearing a large cotton jacket, was also wearing a bulletproof vest inside according to his father's words. Looking at the Rhodesian soldiers who were obviously uncomfortable with the local climate, he couldn't help but Sigh, the Yugoslavs are still not resistant to freezing, if the East Slavs definitely don't have this problem.

The first thousand and 580 chapters to seize the island

The vast majority of people would not have thought that the United Kingdom would take action in Tierra del Fuego first, since the United Kingdom had previously said that it would not occupy Argentine territory.

Alan Wilson has something to say about this point. It is the British public opinion that says so. Is it true that the war between countries is what the public opinion says?What else would the staff do?

Giving the command and decision-making power to the supreme commander of the navy will benefit their growth. It is naturally best if they win, but if they fail?The United Kingdom may fail, but it will definitely not lose to Argentina. At worst, it will retreat temporarily to regroup, but it is absolutely impossible to exist as a fleet if the Argentine Navy suffers a loss.

The war with Argentina has already started, and Britain naturally has no reason to back down. The task force came from the Pacific Ocean, and the distance is farther than the main fleet in the Atlantic Ocean. An island must be found for repairs. Tierra del Fuego must be captured. Who Neither can stay on board for long.

If you have to worry about international public opinion even if you fight Tierra del Fuego, then what to do with such a big scene, it is better to arrange it according to the Falklands War in your memory from the beginning.

At about four o'clock in the afternoon, a British helicopter appeared over Tierra del Fuego.Apparently, the plane wasn't here to watch the show.If the British army intends to watch the excitement, it is also to prepare for the next battle, instead of using reconnaissance helicopters that only have passive detection capabilities.

This reconnaissance plane is to find out the reality of Tierra del Fuego and prepare for the next landing. Obviously this time the reconnaissance was successful. Tierra del Fuego is the same as the Falkland Islands, because of the climate problem, it belongs to a sparsely populated island. For the British task force equipped with landing craft, there is no difficulty.