“If they were wise,” Nung said, “the Americans would harden what electronics they could. More importantly, they would bring massive quantities of simpler weapons to the fortified line and widen the depth of their defense. That would take time, but a month would be better for them than a mere two weeks.”
“Why haven’t they already done that?” Deng asked. “The Americans are not fools.”
“I would suspect cost and time,” Nung said. “They have a limited supply of both and must balance each decision for maximum effectiveness.”
Deng turned to the Leader. “If the rest of the Army cannot attack, it will leave Marshal Nung’s forces open to a concentration of American forces. Despite the brilliance of the plan, his three armies cannot face the full weight of American might.”
“If the Leader would permit me to speak to the issue?” Nung asked.
“By all means,” the Leader said.
“Foreign Minister Deng raises cogent points,” Nung said. “But I do not believe they are insurmountable obstacles. One, the Americans will not know we are unready to attack into Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. We should use selected areas and have our troops there perform demonstrations of force. We must deceive the Americans into thinking we are about to unleash our mass into Texas. Greater troop movement and open supply rearrangements will focus their attention to the wrong sector.”
The Leader nodded thoughtfully.
“Likely, the Americans do not realize the Germans want more time,” Nung said. “With our demonstrations, the Americans will anticipate an assault on the wrong front, holding their various theater reserves in place. Therefore—”
“Will they do that if California is about to fall?” Deng asked. “Won’t they instead risk depleting inactive fronts and rush those reinforcements to hurl your armies back into Mexico?”
“There are three reasons why I don’t believe so,” Nung said. “First, the speed of our assault will strategically surprise the Americans. We will not give them the time to shift those reserves. In other words, by the time they think about doing as you suggest, we will have conquered the Golden State and sealed it tight.”
“And if your attack fails to keep the pace of your desired speed?” Deng asked. “It is my understanding that clever military plans seldom survive contact with the enemy.”
Nung bristled. Who had reached Prudhoe Bay despite every impediment set before him? Who had won the Siberian War? The answer was he had through his swift attacks.
While clearing his throat, Nung squared his shoulders. “Foreign Minister, Leader, I stake my reputation on achieving a swift and California-conquering assault.”
The others stared at him, and Nung realized his temper had gotten the better of him. He had spoken too bluntly and too boldly, too much like a Russian barbarian—at least how the others would view it.
“The second reason,” Nung said, deciding to drive ahead with his analysis, “is the nature of California. Much of it sits behind the Sierra Nevada Mountains. If it looks as if it will fall, the Americans might decide to try to seal us in the Golden State. That, too, will weaken their resolve toward sending other theater reserves into California.”
“How does their sealing us in California help us?” Deng asked. “This sounds like a reason to leave California alone and concentrate on a greater conquest by driving through Texas into the American heartland.”
“As you’ve stated earlier,” Nung said, “we are attempting a continental conquest. You do not shove an entire cake into your mouth to eat, but slice off pieces, eating a little at a time. First, their attempt to seal us in California would help us defend what we conquer. It would help us digest California. Californian foodstuffs are also important in their own right. Central California particularly produces great quantities of agricultural goods. However, if the Americans are so foolish as to strip their other fronts of reserves to save California—”
“And thereby smash one of our fronts,” Deng said, “as they defeat your armies in detail. I had been led to believe that the coordination of all our assaults would be what would lead us to victory.”
“That would be optimum, of course,” Nung said. “But, as I was about to say, I also mean to send airmobile troops to the Sierra Nevada mountain passes, stopping or slowing any reinforcements into California.”
“This is possible?” Deng asked. “Will you also stake your reputation on this?”
“I will!” Nung said.
Deng sat back, staring at him.
“You spoke of a third reason,” the Leader said.
Nung bowed to the Navy Minister. “I do not presume upon naval matters. But I have been wondered about something.”
“Tell us,” the Leader said.
“Can I show you rather?” Nung asked.
The Leader gestured for him to do so.
For the next half hour, Nung outlined an amphibious assault he had worked out toward securing the Monterey Bay coastal region, the Bay Area and then a strong thrust into the Central Californian Valley.
“The question becomes,” said Deng, “how long until the Navy could gather the needed forces to attempt such a thing?”
The Navy Minister licked his lips. “Leader, the Navy could attempt this amphibious assault in three weeks, perhaps sooner.”
Deng’s head swiveled around as he stared in shock at the Navy Minister. The man was supposed to be his staunchest political ally.
The Leader sat back in his chair, looking like a satisfied cat licking its paws.
Nung had spoken via satellite phone with the Leader during his Pacific crossing. It had been his suggestion about how to turn the Navy into the Leader’s ally in this.
“Marshal Nung,” the Leader said. “You have spoken boldly and honestly. I appreciate your candor, your enthusiasm and your military skill. What you are suggesting is breathtaking in scope. You have achieved near military miracles in the past. Yet it seems to me that your forces are too small to grasp this amazing prize. What additional units do you feel you would need to insure the conquest of California?”
“To make the continuous assault against the fortified areas a certainty, I would need the 19th and 33rd Reserve Armies,” Nung said. “They are presently in the strategic reserve and simply need dedicated transports to reach my front. For my armored thrust, I would require the addition of the 233rdTank Corps. It is presently in the Third Front and would need to be sent via rail. I would hope they would begin to entrain several days from now. Once the assault has commenced, I would also need the transfer of the 7th Army from Arizona. For the duration of the campaign, I require the dedication of the 10th, 13th and 18th Air Fleets.”
Marshal Kao flexed his violinist’s fingers. They were long and had large knuckles. It seemed impossible he could ever slip his gold wedding ring off its finger. He now tapped on his scroll. After reading what was there, Kao looked up, scowling. “Combined with the amphibious invasion, that amounts to over two million troops: a third of our Expeditionary Force.”
“That is correct,” Nung said.
Marshal Kao blinked repeatedly.
“We have moved six million soldiers into Mexico,” the Leader said. “The South Americans have moved three million. The Germans, I believe, will become greedy and eager to slice off their portion of America once we show them the possibility of it.”
“Storming and capturing California is a grave risk,” Deng said.
“And yet, as Marshal Nung has pointed out,” the Leader said, “it is a risk in a limited theater of war.”
“Provided his airmobile brigades can block the strategic passes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains,” Deng said.
“It is a risk,” Nung admitted. “That is why we need the Blue Swan missiles. They are the key to the assault. We must smash through the border defenses at speed and trap the bulk of California’s armies there. That will panic the Americans and make the amphibious assault that much more deadly to enemy morale.”