“Send reinforcements?” Another general frowned, a worried look on his face. “We also need a large number of troops for the landing operations on the Western Front. Where can we find extra troops to send to Sicily? Moreover, the German reinforcements have just arrived. Their defenses must be very tight. If we attack rashly, it will only cause greater losses. The soldiers are already under tremendous pressure on the battlefield. If we launch another strong attack, it will likely result in more casualties.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” the first general asked angrily, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone. He found the second general’s objection somewhat difficult to accept.

“I think we should adjust our strategy first,” the second general said slowly, his voice steady and calm, “temporarily abandon the assault on Sicily and adopt a roundabout tactic to attack the German army from the flank.”

“At the same time, we will intensify air strikes on the German rear to destroy their supply lines and weapons production bases. This will weaken the German army’s combat effectiveness and create conditions for our counterattack.”

“This idea sounds good,” another general said. He nodded slightly, with a thoughtful look on his face. “However, our air force is currently mainly concentrated on the Western Front. It may be difficult to carry out large-scale air strikes on the rear of the German army. The mobilization of the air force takes time and resources, and it will also affect the combat plan on the Western Front.”

“Then we should transfer some air forces from the Western Front,” Roosevelt said, his eyes revealing decisiveness and determination. “The situation in Sicily is now very critical, and we must give priority to solving this problem. Even if it will have a certain impact on the landing operations on the Western Front, we cannot watch Sicily fall into the hands of the German army.”

“But will this affect the landing operations on the Western Front?” a general asked worriedly, his face full of worry. He was very worried about the progress of the landing operations on the Western Front.

“This is indeed a problem,” Roosevelt pondered for a moment, his brows knitted, his face showing a solemn look, “but we can’t just watch Sicily fall into the hands of the German army. We have to find a balance between the two and minimize the impact on the landing operations on the Western Front. We can first draw out a part of the air force to conduct a tentative air strike. If the effect is good, we can gradually increase the force. At the same time, we must strengthen the defense of the Western Front to ensure the smooth progress of the landing operations.”

The meeting lasted for several hours, the generals expressed their opinions and argued until they were red in the face. Their voices echoed in the conference room, and everyone was working hard for the interests of the country and the victory of the war.

Some generals advocated concentrating forces for a frontal assault, some suggested adopting a roundabout tactic, and some proposed strengthening intelligence work and logistical support. The various opinions and suggestions intertwined together, making the atmosphere of the meeting extremely heated.

Finally, under Roosevelt’s leadership, they developed a new battle plan.

This plan integrated the opinions of various generals and adopted a combination of roundabout tactics and air strikes, while strengthening intelligence work and logistical support.

The generals discussed and analyzed the plan in detail, ensuring that every detail was considered.

“Okay, let’s execute this plan.” Roosevelt stood up and looked at everyone present with a firm gaze, his eyes revealing trust and expectation. “Ladies and gentlemen, this war is related to the survival of our country. We must go all out and not slack off. I believe that as long as we unite as one, we will be able to defeat the German army. No matter how many difficulties and challenges there are ahead, we must move forward bravely and at all costs for the benefit of the country and the people.”

“Yes, Mr. President!” The generals answered in unison, their voices firm and powerful, as if to break through the oppressive conference room and convey their determination to defeat the enemy. Their faces showed a firm look, as if they had seen the dawn of victory.

After the meeting, Roosevelt returned to his office. He sat in a chair, looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky, and prayed silently in his heart.

There was a hint of paleness in the sky, and a new day was about to arrive, but the shadow of war still loomed over the earth.

His heart was filled with hope, hoping that the new combat plan would be successful, that the US military would win on the battlefield, and that this cruel war would end soon.

Just then, the secretary came in with a document in his hand. “Mr. President, this is the latest report on weapons development.”

Roosevelt took the document, read it quickly, and a gratified smile appeared on his face. “It seems that our scientists have made some progress.” He said, with a hint of joy and expectation in his voice.

“Yes, Mr. President.” The secretary nodded, a smile on his face. “They have made some breakthroughs in the research and development of new weapons. Although it will take some time to test and improve, this is very good news. After working day and night, scientists have finally made breakthroughs in some key technologies, and the progress of the research and development of new weapons has been significantly accelerated.”

“Very good. Continue to increase investment in research and development, and make sure these new weapons are put into use as soon as possible.” Roosevelt said, his eyes revealing firmness and determination. “These new weapons will be the key to our victory over the German army. We must provide scientists with the best conditions and support so that they can devote themselves to research and development.”

“Yes, Mr. President,” the secretary responded and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Roosevelt stopped him, “Is there any new information from the intelligence department?”

The secretary shook his head slightly and said, “Not yet, Mr. President. They are trying their best to collect intelligence about the German army, but there has been no substantial progress. Intelligence personnel are running around in the German-occupied areas, risking their lives to collect intelligence, but the German army’s confidentiality measures are very strict, and it is difficult for them to obtain valuable information.”

Roosevelt frowned and said, “Tell them to speed up. We can no longer fight the German army blindly. We must understand their every move. We can increase the training of intelligence personnel, improve their skills and quality, and strengthen cooperation with intelligence agencies of other countries to jointly obtain intelligence.”

“Yes, Mr. President, I will convey your order immediately.” The secretary said, turned and walked out of the office.

Roosevelt leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. This war was like a nightmare with no end. He didn’t know how long he could hold on. But he knew that as long as he had a breath left, he would fight for the interests of the United States and world peace. After a long time, Roosevelt opened his eyes, looked at Admiral Marshall in front of him, and slowly said, “How is the Manhattan Project going? When will the super bomb plan be completed?” Those who could stay here were all Roosevelt’s confidants, so he didn’t have too many scruples when speaking.

This super bomb research and development project, known as the “Manhattan Project,” carried the United States’ great hope of turning the tide of the war.

Admiral Marshall straightened up slightly, his expression a little nervous. As the key person responsible for coordinating this project, he was well aware of the difficulties and pressure involved.

The pressure came not only from the numerous obstacles in scientific research, but also from the increasingly pressing war situation. In his mind, he thought of the soldiers fighting bloody battles on the battlefield, whose lives were seriously threatened due to the lack of effective weapons.

“Mr. President, we have accelerated the research progress. However, their funding has increased several times again. If we want to achieve complete research success, the cost will not be less than 10 billion US dollars.”

Roosevelt couldn’t help but frowned slightly when he heard this.

The initial investment has exceeded one billion US dollars. According to the original plan, it will be successful in two years, and the total cost will be about two billion US dollars. But now we need to speed up the research, and the investment in various aspects has increased significantly.

The research scale was expanded, more people were recruited, the number of experiments was frequent, and the consumption of raw materials was huge. Each link required a lot of financial support, so the budget soared from 2 billion US dollars to 10 billion US dollars, a full five times increase. However, the time was shortened from two years to one year.

“Huh? Tens of billions of dollars?” Even a knowledgeable leader like Roosevelt was surprised to hear this number.

If this money was used to arm the forces, it would definitely be enough to arm millions of troops, and by then perhaps be able to sweep away the German army.

His thoughts drifted away in an instant, and he thought of the young soldiers who were being trained in the vast land of the United States. If they had this funding, they would have the most advanced weapons and their chances of winning on the battlefield would be greatly increased.

But he also knew that if the Manhattan Project succeeded, it would bring about a force that would completely change the course of the war.

Admiral Marshall had always had doubts about the super bomb project. If it weren’t for the president’s firm support, he would have given up long ago. But at this moment, he could only bite the bullet and continue to report.

He recalled the countless days and nights he had spent coordinating for this project, and how he felt exhausted by the demands of scientific researchers, the doubts of the military, and the pressure from all sides. But he understood that he shouldered the heavy responsibility of the country and could not retreat in the slightest.

“I understand. Funding is not a problem.” Roosevelt seemed to remember his determination to invest in this weapons project. He finally nodded and agreed, “I want to know what the research results are now?” There was a hint of urgency in his tone. He was so eager for good news that would let him see the dawn of victory.

“There haven’t been many results for the time being,” Admiral Marshall said truthfully. “The main problem is that there is a severe shortage of researchers and other staff. We have built four uranium isotope separation plants using different methods, as well as other research and production bases, such as the ‘Alternative Materials Development Laboratory.’ Moreover, Oppenheimer handed over a recruitment plan. He needs 5,000 civilian researchers, 10,000 military personnel, and 10,000 scientists.” As he spoke, Marshall handed over a recruitment plan.

“Recruiting so many?” Roosevelt asked in surprise, “Doesn’t he already have tens of thousands of people? Now he is recruiting more than 20,000 more. Can he manage it? So many famous scientists, can’t they develop it? Is this super bomb really so difficult to make?” His heart was full of doubts. With so much manpower and material resources invested, why was the progress so slow?

Admiral Marshall showed a trace of bitterness on his face, and he explained helplessly: “Yes, Mr. President. According to Oppenheimer, the development of the super bomb is full of difficulties. However, many breakthroughs have been made. As long as there is enough time, it will be able to be produced.” He tried to give the president hope, although he himself was not sure when this hope would become a reality.

“Can it be produced within half a year?” Roosevelt asked hurriedly with a glimmer of joy in his eyes.

He was so eager to have a super weapon that could quickly turn the tide of the war and reduce the casualties of American soldiers. He seemed to see the scene on the battlefield where American soldiers were cheering for the appearance of the super bomb and turned the tide of the war.

Marshall smiled bitterly. He knew the president had high expectations, but the reality was cruel. “Mr. President, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Our original plan was three years, and we’re just getting started, so it’s impossible to develop it in such a short time.” His words were like cold water, extinguishing the fire of hope that had just ignited in Roosevelt’s heart.

Roosevelt’s face flashed with disappointment, and his idea was shattered again. But he still pulled himself together and encouraged: “Can’t we speed up? Aren’t we hiring so many people?” In his opinion, with so many people hired and such a huge amount of money invested, it will definitely be successfully developed in the shortest time.

“Mr. President, hiring so many people will only speed up the progress. But if we want to develop it as soon as possible, some key technologies cannot be solved.” Admiral Marshall explained patiently, “For example, in the area of ​​refining, our equipment has always been substandard. So those scientists are redesigning the equipment, and then let our factory produce it, and finally install it. Then through experiments, if it can be refined, we will look at the concentration and so on. There are many key technologies here, and we have not mastered them yet, so it will take some time. However, Oppenheimer assured me that there should be a physical product in a year.”

Roosevelt listened to Marshall’s words quietly. He knew he couldn’t push any further because it was already the fastest speed. Pushing further might backfire. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to ease his inner anxiety.

He thought of the soldiers who had died on the battlefield, their families were waiting for them to return home, and who knew how long this war would last.

“We are now fighting on three fronts, and the situation is not optimistic.” Roosevelt said slowly, with a hint of fatigue in his voice. “The daily pension is also an astronomical figure, especially since the German army has various new weapons, which cause us great harm. If we don’t have new weapons that can fight against the German army, then we will suffer heavy losses in this war, which will affect our post-war interests. So we must launch the most powerful and strongest counterattack in the shortest time, and these require new weapons and super bombs. If they can be developed, peace will come soon.” (End of this chapter)