"Yes, our president seems to have misunderstood some military terms. We have gained a strategic advantage, but it is still far from victory, and it is hard for me to imagine how we fight once the Germans really come to our opposite." Fletcher Jr. also complained.

"Okay, everyone, the Middle East and US-German relations are Washington's business, and as soldiers, all we have to do is how to win under the current circumstances. The purpose of our meeting this time is to coordinate the relationship between the two militaries and prepare for the war that follows, rather than complaining about Washington." Sims said.

"I will first talk about the first issue on behalf of the 6th Army. At present, the 6th Army has basically controlled the Bismarck Islands. It is only one step away from New Guinea and our first preset support point on the island. Japan's defense system near Laicheng is not strong. Considering that the Japanese Navy is still repairing in the Philippines, I hope the Navy can provide some help, seize the window period when the Japanese Navy cannot attack and directly control Laicheng, and build it into our first forward base." Marshall said.

"To be honest, our battleships lost more, and although the new South Dakota-class battleships were completed, they have not met the service standards. The Germans still did not give in to the battleships sold to us, so the battleships may be somewhat difficult. If your army only needs some former fearlessness, old cruisers can be provided." Sims said.

"It's enough. There are almost no big fish on the sea in New Guinea. The aviation power we deployed in the Bismarck Islands is enough to control the sky on the battlefield. As long as you hand over the fleet to us, the navy will not have to worry about the rest." Marshall said.

"We seem to have reached an agreement on this issue, so the following question." Sims sent a document to Marshall and said, "Do you know? Mr. General, when I saw the transport ships and escort destroyers that your army needed, I thought my eyes were misjudged. Do you want to build Lai City into an Iron City? And there are too many troops and equipment to transport? This number is far beyond the needs of the previous battles, and I think many of them are unnecessary."

"First, I need to make it clear that in the Battle of Bismarck Islands, the front-line combat troops of the 6th Army were always around 10,000 people, and on New Guinea, we need to fight at least 40,000 Japanese troops in an area of ​​over 70,000 square kilometers. Therefore, the first batch of troops we need to invest is conservatively estimated to reach 250,000, and there will be many heavy troops. Although according to the previous plan, we only have to occupy one point along the coast, you should be clear that in fact, we must occupy a considerable part of the area to ensure the safety of Lai City. Large-scale ground combat will be inevitable. Therefore, it is normal for the demand for transport fleets to rise sharply."

"Secondly, the base construction will be of high specifications. We are equivalent to moving the Navy and 6th Army advance bases that were originally located in the Truk area to Laicheng. We need to build a large number of military stations, airports and material warehouses, and also prepare high-specification ports and certain repair facilities for the Navy. Laicheng is a backward place, so everything we need, including the cement used for paving, needs to be transported from the local area. This is infrastructure equipment and even more than combat supplies. So, this is a must." Marshall said.

"Can't you lose some?" asked Majifen.

"Sorry, this is already a compressed list. Washington has already stated that it can provide transport ships according to this requirement, but the Navy still needs to be directly responsible for escort matters." Marshall said.

"If the so-called escort is just for dealing with destroyers or submarines, then this is not difficult. It is just a matter of 15o flat-panel destroyers and escort destroyers, which is acceptable. But if you meet a big guy, it may be a bit difficult." Sims said.

"Big guy? Are you talking about the former dreadnought? This shouldn't be very difficult, right? Didn't the Japanese do it before? We didn't deal with it well, too?" Marshall said.

"We are worried about bigger big guys. For example, Fuso-class battleships and Japanese aircraft carriers." Sims said: "I feel that as we gain a foothold on New Guinea and the growing U.S. fleet, the possibility of us fighting head-on battles with the Japanese is decreasing, and they may shift their targets to our maritime transportation lines.

"So what's our response?" Marshall felt a little cold when he heard Sims' words. After experiencing the massacre of the American transport fleet by the Japanese Navy, he really didn't want to face the main force of the Japanese Joint Fleet again.

"There is no way, we can see the problem, but it is difficult to come up with a solution. And the most important thing is that on the spot, very good battle commanders are required to plan and dispatch, which is our weakness. This is also one of my reasons for opposing Washington's breaking with the Germans at this time. Take this battle for example. General Redel's campaign planning and on-site move are important factors in our ability to return to Pearl Harbor. We may not need German warships in the future, but we need German brains." Sims said.

"Would we try it? Although the German fleet was ordered to return home, some of them were recruited as mercenaries through civilian channels. If we give generous treatment and some security guarantees, they should agree to stay and continue to serve us." Fletcher said.

"Maybe, but the most important senior personnel will go back." Sims said. "By the way, we will hold a farewell party tonight. No matter how the political relations between the two countries will develop in the future, for us and them, we were partners who used to fight together. Even though the military alliance no longer exists now, we are still friends, so I hope we can have a pleasant night before the German Navy leaves. At the same time, we can also communicate about some things. We may have extra gains."

"I think it's OK. After all, many plans will be a very long process. Now, we can first listen to other people's opinions in a relatively stable environment. I think this is very meaningful." Marshall said. So, at Sims' suggestion, the core personnel of the German and American navies spent their last friendly banquet at night in the future. This banquet left a deep memory for too many people. Even after 20 years, when the two sides met on the ocean, they would still occasionally recall this past!

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