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Page 208
The prince was still furious when another officer came running up and brought the three of them some new information.
"What? Is it highly credible?"
“It is absolutely true, Your Highness.” The officer’s face was calm but tinged with panic. “All the destroyers that went to attack the Soviet fleet were sunk. The surviving officers and men on the Annacelle and Ritzia, including the fleet commander, Colonel Persson, had all their lifeboats taken over by Soviet warships. As for the Canslow and Ezogon, apart from some KMF pilots and helicopter pilots who had left beforehand, none of the officers and men on board survived.”
“God…” Kelly leaned against the wall, bent over, and held her head, trying to calm herself down. “Is there anything else?”
"We have some preliminary results regarding the issue of nausea and vomiting among the troops in Rostock in the harbor," the officer said, pulling out several photographs.
"Based on eyewitness accounts and battlefield footage, we discovered that the British bombers dropped not only bombs, but also these iron oil drums. We collected some of these and found that the drums were inscribed with the words 'A Gift from the Thames'."
"The Thames?" The name was both familiar and unfamiliar to Kelly. "Are you sure this refers to the river on the island of Great Britain, and not some code name for a biological weapons department?"
“To put it simply, Your Highness,” the officer said, pulling out a stack of notes, “we finally found an undamaged iron barrel in the harbor. According to our chemical defense personnel, it was filled with wastewater, along with some household garbage, medical waste, and so on. Then we interviewed some British prisoners of war and came to a terrifying conclusion: this is very likely the water from the Thames River in England…”
"What the hell?" Not only did Kelly feel like she was listening to gibberish, but the general and the duke couldn't help but ask again.
“I’m not joking, sir.” The officer’s expression was very serious. “The London of this world has turned the Thames into a complete stinking ditch. Residents along the river don’t dare to open their windows because the smell can easily cause upper respiratory tract infections… Moreover, the laboratory personnel have only extracted a small amount of common highly toxic industrial substances from it, apart from carbonyl chloride. They haven’t found anything like mustard gas.”
Ha, is this a provocation? It seems the British of this world are saying: We can live next to a deadly sewer and listen to loudspeakers while defending our capital from the German Luftwaffe, and you're so delicate? If it weren't for the fact that our royal family has someone named Elizabeth, this bucket of wastewater might have toilet paper with Kelly's sister's name printed on it.
……
"Are you alright, Your Highness?"
"In half an hour, I require all generals to be in the main conference room of the command center. No one is allowed to be absent..."
Before the prince entered, the generals were discussing the prepared reports in the conference room.
"My esteemed ministers, I presume you have all understood what was written there," Kelly said, sitting down and gazing at the ceiling. "I would like to ask you a question: What are your views on the Elbe River?"
"Your Highness. The Elbe River is currently a major obstacle preventing the US and British forces from launching another joint attack while we are attacking the Soviet army."
"Oh? Very good answer, an insurmountable barrier!" Kelly slammed his hand on the table. "Then what's going on with the American and British warplanes tearing such a large hole in the Elbe River air defense line these past few days?"
"Your Highness, according to our statistics, the air power deployed by the US and Britain has increased by 30% in the past week, which indicates that our enemy has mobilized its reserve air force. In addition, according to our latest information, we have now regained partial air superiority over the Elbe River and have also inflicted considerable losses on the enemy."
"Don't you think this comes too late?!" A furious Kylier continued his questioning. "We destroyed so many enemy planes, and then what? Now the troops on Rügen Island are in dire straits, and our main plan was to drive all Soviet ground forces out of German territory west of the Oder River. Now we're still 25 kilometers from Dresden and a whopping 37 kilometers from Leipzig. Weren't we desperately trying to suppress the enemy's air force? What, in the end, we've almost broken our own sword?"
Kelly sat down in frustration, panting heavily, and the generals dared not utter a sound.
Everyone understood the state of the front lines with the Soviet army: they had been trying to launch long-range raids and encirclements against the Soviet forces, but the Soviet tactics had suddenly become cautious and hesitant, resulting in limited success. The soldiers were becoming more accustomed to engaging the enemy in District 45, and their casualty ratio was gradually closing, but it seemed they were still lacking something.
At the same time, in order to hone the combat capabilities of each army group and corps on an even scale, a method of alternating offense and defense was adopted, and a large number of troops were mobilized at a time. As a result, the troops on the Elbe and Oder Rivers were always in a state of almost static mutual artillery bombardment and air attack.
And so, almost a month has passed, and the Soviet army has been unable to wipe out their army again. Meanwhile, the United States and Britain have gradually seized the Soviet army's formidable crown and become a dazzling force in the West.
……
"Any objections to sending all the well-trained army groups and corps to the western front for a large-scale attack?"
Everyone was somewhat surprised by this sudden change in strategic goals; it wasn't like the composed Prince Kelly's usual style.
"The British and Americans have the ability to carve a huge chunk out of us when we attack Rügen Island, so aren't you worried that they might strike right at our heart just before we capture Leipzig and Dresden? Or do you think that a million-strong expeditionary force can survive simply by relying on natural barriers? Or that the 100-kilometer distance from the Elbe to Berlin is already safe?!"
Just then, an officer ran in from outside.
"Your Highness and the generals, we have received reports from the Elbe River that our air force has just achieved a major breakthrough, completely suppressing the defensive firepower of the American and British forces in certain sections of the river, together with our ground forces. At the same time, Colonel Caronville, as Her Highness Elizabeth's staff officer, strongly recommends that we launch a forced crossing of the Elbe River in the following areas as soon as possible."
As he spoke, the officer handed the prince a hastily handwritten operational plan for crossing the river and expanding the landing zone, which the colonel had drawn up on the spot, for his review.
“Now, next,” Kelly said, looking up and taking a deep breath, “let’s vote. Those who decide to dedicate the main force of the expeditionary force to defeating the American and British forces, raise your hands.”
Looking around, only General Malendo remained silent.
“Your Highness, I remember you said that Rügen Island is a major pass for us to enter the Baltic Sea. It has not yet been captured, so I will leave this place to you for the time being. I will discuss the plan to attack Kleipzig and Dresden on the southern front with Colonel Karonville.”
……
Two nights later, Marshal Zhukov was at his headquarters in Leipzig, listening to reports while leisurely eating a late-night snack.
"General Chuikov reports," the officer said, looking at the text on the report. "Reconnaissance units have reported that the enemy is making a large-scale relocation of its troops that are confronting us on the front line, and the giant aerial object that bombed Szczecin has also disappeared. Meanwhile, Polish Marshal Rokossowski reports that the defense forces on the Oder River have not detected anything unusual from the enemy."
"Mmm." The officer noticed that Zhukov was nodding excitedly while drinking kvass, and wondered why this scene was a bit strange.
"Then, this is the situation report from the Western Allies: Britannia has deployed more than 10 divisions to launch a strong assault on more than a dozen riverside towns and villages, including Schönebeck and Stendal. The Allies have inflicted heavy casualties on them, but the enemy's offensive momentum is very strong, and they are unlikely to be able to recapture all the lost riverside strongholds. The enemy has already created a salient 13 kilometers deep from east to west..."
"Go on, go on, I really enjoy hearing this." The officer was momentarily at a loss, and even General Soklovsky beside him couldn't understand why the marshal was still enjoying his bread. This telegram announcing the change in the war situation had become a side dish for him.
"Finally, there was news from General Golovko, commander of the Baltic Fleet, that the Swedish side wanted to invite him to discuss military arrangements, and that General Cunningham of the Royal Navy also wanted to meet with him in Sweden."
"Great, great! Remember to remind the Red Navy to tell me as soon as possible if there's anything good."
Zhukov told the officers to go back and save the telegram, while Soklovsky kept asking why the Marshal not only did not intend to take advantage of the situation to launch a counterattack, but also issued several orders to retreat.
"Let me ask you a question, comrade." The marshal nodded and asked in return, "When you face a sufficiently powerful opponent, how many options do you have to defeat him or force him to compromise?"
"For example, using overwhelming force to force them back from the very beginning, what else?"
"This is just like the Nazi invasion of our homeland five years ago. Although we had a powerful military, we didn't have time to use it before Moscow was in imminent danger. So things turned into the second scenario: the Germans, unable to sustain the thousands of kilometers of the Soviet-German front, launched a full-scale offensive, then a focused offensive, and finally suffered a series of defeats. What buried their ambitions, besides the millions of Soviet Red Army soldiers, was the countless wounds that were too vast to heal on the battlefield."
"So you mean? Britannia is starting to focus its attacks on the US and Britain, and may even get bogged down in a quagmire of conflict across Europe. We can then pay a lower price than before and let the West take over our mission to win this war?"
"Send these things to Moscow quickly, Comrade Stalin will be very pleased." Zhukov smiled, slowly raising his hand to unbutton his coat. "I can finally get a good night's sleep."
Chapter 271 The Morning Star of the North Atlantic (Part 1) (Section 352)
After the Baltic Fleet sent the sailors who needed to be settled ashore and covered the retreat of the battleship October Revolution to a safe area near Danzig, Admiral Golovko had to pessimistically examine the Red Navy's trump cards.
He now has only four destroyers left, and the position of fleet flagship has been temporarily transferred to the cruiser Gorky. The only consolation is that while he was traveling to Sweden on the Gorky, the Kirov, as a sister ship, returned.
The shipwrights in Leningrad worked overtime and risked their lives to repair the cruiser at the naval base, which had sustained only minor damage from a single mine. The remaining lightly wounded and critically injured crew members had to remain in bed for the time being.
Two cruisers slowly entered Helsingborg. The Kirov-class cruisers, which are 190 meters long, surrounded the Swedish naval vessels, which were generally less than 100 meters long. This was perhaps the last bit of face left for the Soviet Union and the Red Navy.
Marshal Cunningham of the Royal Navy had not yet arrived, which surprised Golovko. However, the Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Navy, Strömbek, took him to another room first, accompanied by the Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Army, Douglas.
"Thank you for the heroic fight of the Soviet Red Navy, thank you so much." Strömbek immediately grasped her hand tightly.
“We just did what we could, General,” Golovko said with a smile. “I also want to thank the Swedish Navy for their risky intelligence, and on behalf of Marshal Zhukov, I want to thank you for providing the transport ships.”
“Please have a seat.” Strömbeck immediately began his own conversation, “May I ask what the Soviet Union’s future plans are at sea?”
"General, you already have a certain understanding of the Britannian army. While the Baltic Fleet's remaining resources are insufficient for a direct confrontation, its agile and fast destroyers and cruisers, stealthy submarines, and the minefields covering the seas, combined with the shore-based Soviet air force, still hold considerable value. I believe that although the Swedish Navy's total tonnage is not ideal, it will be wholeheartedly dedicated to defending its homeland's territorial waters, won't it?"
“If you mean that until the end of the war, the Baltic Sea will only contain warships of its coastal states,” General Strombeck said seriously. “Then I need to have someone take notes.”
"Currently, we only have six large surface ships with a total displacement of about 6 tons left to hold the front line. Therefore, we plan to avoid direct confrontation at sea, adopt a strategic defensive posture, deploy a large number of mines in the territorial waters of Poland and the three Baltic states, and, in the future, cooperate with the air force to carry out appropriate maritime surprise attacks according to changes in the situation."
"You wouldn't say that Sweden will also make the same arrangements, would you?" General Douglas asked with some skepticism. "Although we've come to understand Britannia's military strength over the past few months, and they certainly have the guts and capability to bring out the same or even more trump cards after losing a large number of their troops, is that also true at sea? In your opinion, do we need to hand over the Baltic Sea so easily?"
“At least the vast majority of the Swedish people need to be mentally prepared for this, sir.” Golovko shook his head helplessly. “If the Britannian navy, as rampant as a pack of wolves, launches a large-scale invasion in the future, the fate of the Baltic Fleet will probably change: from ‘waiting for the Northern Fleet to arrive in Leningrad’ to ‘a collective relocation to Murmansk’.”
"But you must understand, as the saying goes, unity is strength." The general suddenly changed the subject, "Not only the Soviet Union, but also the United States and Britain, we have all realized that without multi-faceted cooperation, victory in this war will be nothing but empty talk."
"The fall of Rügen Island was only a matter of time, and the Soviet troops on Bornholm Island had already withdrawn as required, since it was originally Danish territory. So, if the US and Britain are unwilling to enter the Baltic Sea, who else is capable of working with General Strömbeck to defend Sweden's thousands of kilometers of eastern coastline in the Baltic Sea?"
The two Swedish generals nodded, and after reminding the officer next to them to take notes, they stood up with Golovko and shook hands again. It was at this moment that the guest of honor that the latter was to meet slowly arrived.
……
Field Admiral Cunningham sailed directly aboard the light aircraft carrier HMS Unicorn, accompanied by another destroyer, and approached the coast of Helsingborg. Although the former was not much different in length from the Kirov-class destroyers, its full-load displacement was the sum of the displacement of two cruisers.
The Royal Navy's prestige was instantly diminished by this floating airfield, which was simultaneously recovering and repairing carrier-based aircraft. Was the Royal Navy arrogantly proclaiming its invincibility, or boasting about its feat of easily sinking two missile destroyers?
“Ah, a reliable but mysterious comrade.” Golovko could only manage a forced smile. “How interesting, we’ve been working together several times, yet this is the first time we’ve shaken hands.”
"Long time no see, sir?" Cunningham calmly accepted the sarcasm and instructed the accompanying officer beside him to open the briefcase.
“Of course I’m fine, my friend.” Golovko continued with his sharp sarcasm, venting his anger at being tricked by the British. “I am truly honored to fight alongside the Royal Navy. Look at what a powerful naval force you are. You annihilated the enemy so quickly that your allies didn’t even have time to find your St. George’s flag.”
Cunningham didn't pay much attention to Golovko's fluctuating emotions. After checking that everything was correct, he handed the stack of photos of the Royal Navy base and several translated reports to the latter.
……
General Golovko was once asked what he thought when he looked at the swarms of damaged Red Navy warships in Leningrad after Germany's surrender.
Some people have asked Field Marshal Cunningham what he thought as he looked at the old, lonely man adrift in the naval port in the heart of the British Empire.
The Jutland burial song praises the ever-rising sun against the backdrop of the heavens.
The sunken ship in Beihai still stands, yet no great hero dares to challenge it.
……
Time has passed, and the Royal Navy's flag has flown over every sea in the world for far too long. The dazzling cross has gradually faded to dark red, and the pure white background has been torn with cracks, like the tattered cloak of an old, wandering knight.
Given the opportunity, Field Marshal Cunningham could have been an unparalleled commander who led the Royal Navy to fill the Baltic Sea. However, the aging British Empire treated the old sailors who fought on the ocean like beggars.
In the era of aircraft carriers, facing the threat of air power, battleships could only survive if they possessed high speed and sufficient anti-aircraft firepower. Of the five King George V-class battleships that Britain began construction on before World War II, HMS Prince of Wales had already rested in the Far East, while HMS Duke of York and HMS Anson were deployed to the Pacific to serve as flagships, struggling to sustain the British Empire.
The lead ship, HMS King George V, had only passed through the Iberian Peninsula a few days prior, rushing back to its homeland to handle urgent matters. As for the fifth ship, HMS Howe, due to the low demand for battleships in the later stages of World War II, most of the new radar and fire control systems had only recently been installed under the pressure of war, leaving the sailors on board with almost no combat experience.
All six Lion-class battleships were scrapped before Germany surrendered. The Vanguard suffered even more; although most of its facilities were completed, it could not be officially commissioned and had to silently bid farewell to the Field Marshal in the dock.
This was true of the new forces since the 30s, and the older battleships were an even more unsightly sight.
"BIG SEVEN"—this was the title given to the only seven battleships in the world equipped with 16-inch main guns during the "Naval Holiday," a title that carried an air of invincibility. But look at Portsmouth and Scapa Flow: HMS Nelson, as the flagship of the Home Fleet, still enjoyed some prestige, while HMS Rodney, before even hearing news of Japan's surrender, was already sitting in harbor, waiting for its decommissioning order in utter boredom and monotony.
If the Nelson-class battleships can be considered lucky, what about the much older, slower battleships?
Of the Queen Elizabeth-class ships, only HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Warspite are still capable of going to sea. HMS Barham, a member of the same class, has been sunk, HMS Warrior has been converted into a training ship for naval mechanics, and HMS Malaya has been converted into a accommodation ship for the torpedo school.
None of the Revenge-class ships were capable of carrying out Royal Navy operational orders. HMS Sovereign was in the Soviet Northern Fleet, wandering abroad under the name Arkhangelsk. HMS Resolution could still be used as a training ship, but HMS Revenge and HMS Ramirez had most of their main and secondary guns removed and used as reserve and barracks ships. Their desolate appearance was even very similar to HMS Royal Oak lying quietly in Scapa Flow.
The only legendary warship that could still keep up with the speed, the last battlecruiser in the world, could only feel resentment and unrest: firstly, it was to serve as a learning platform for naval officers and soldiers from China; secondly, some of the 4.5-inch anti-aircraft guns on both sides of the warship had been removed, so how could it be allowed to launch an attack like this?
……
“I’m sorry, like you, I also failed to protect the warships on my own…” As he spoke, Cunningham suddenly turned his face away, lowered his head, and slowly wiped the corner of his mouth with a trembling handkerchief.
This wasn't feigned sympathy; Golovko felt a certain degree of empathy—despite the Baltic Fleet suffering heavy losses, his own rationality as a fleet commander allowed him to understand Cunningham's actions. Having never commanded an aircraft carrier fleet, he had no right to criticize the old Mediterranean sailor's "cautious" approach.
“But don’t worry.” Cunningham suddenly looked up and gave a polite smile. “You may still have a hard time seeing the St. George’s Banner on the battlefield, but you will see more British aircraft insignia.”
“Sir,” a British officer ran up at that moment, “the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable reports that they will meet us in the Kattegat Strait at around 15 p.m. today.”
"Good, very good. Come on, let our Siberian gentlemen hear it too." Cunningham chuckled at Golovko. Now, the third and fourth ships of the Royal Navy's Illustrious-class aircraft carriers, as well as HMS Unicorn, an auxiliary ship of the same class, were all present. At the pass connecting the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, there were now more than a hundred naval carrier-based aircraft watching.
Golovko was also pleased; it seemed the British were truly interested in the Baltic Sea.
However, Cunningham's laughter didn't last long. He invited the Swedish commander-in-chief to the destroyer that was accompanying him, and soon the destroyer was about to weigh anchor and leave.
"Comrade General." At this moment, a Red Navy officer ran down from the Gorky and whispered in his ear, "The Americans and British are up to something big."
Chapter 272, Section 353: The Morning Star of the North Atlantic (Part 2)
The destroyer, carrying three Swedish generals, crossed the Øresund Strait and arrived in Denmark, opposite Sweden. After bidding farewell to Field Marshal Cunningham, they boarded an Allied convoy to go to an Allied airfield and boarded a transport plane bound for Hamburg.
At this moment, in front of a hotel building called Nashdat in Hamburg, flags of different countries were flying. All the original hotel facilities had been moved out, and soldiers were carrying truckloads of office equipment inside.
Eisenhower and Montgomery waited in a small cabin for Bradley, who rushed over with a document signed by the U.S. Secretary of War.
“You’ve done a great job, Brad.” Eisenhower was very pleased, like a porter whose burden had been lifted from his shoulders. “It’s so good to have someone helping me run around…”
“In this situation, it would be strange if we could relax easily.” Bradley chuckled. “To be able to get so many people speaking different languages together in such a short time is truly a miracle.”
“Oh, I think you should thank the British first, of course, the British on the other side.” Montgomery chuckled. “They crossed the Elbe at just the right time. If it were too early, we wouldn’t have time for a meeting, and if it were too late, we wouldn’t be able to persuade the others, would we?”
"General Tassini has arrived!" As soon as the officer at the door pushed open the door, the three generals immediately stood up to greet the commander-in-chief of the French forces stationed in Germany.
“Oh, I hope you’re here to cure our insomnia, my friend.” Montgomery looked at Tassini’s smile, his heart filled with anticipation. “Well, any news from Paris?”
“Thank God.” Tassini finally gave them some good news: “The various political parties in the country have decided to temporarily suspend their differences and allow General de Gaulle, as the Supreme Commander of the French Armed Forces, to declare war on the Britannian Empire.”
That's great news.
“Well, it’s not that we’re deliberately making excuses,” Tassini said with a wry smile. “Until the enemy crossed the Elbe River, the various parties were still discussing whether to leave you behind to deal with the situation in Vietnam. Our few warships and tens of thousands of troops were still there.”
“Oh, of course they can leave, provided someone can command the French lads in battle.” Eisenhower smiled dismissively. “Please take your seats and rest for a while; the meeting is about to begin.”
……
While the Allied forces had not launched a ground offensive in Germany for nearly a month, Western and Northern Europe were not uninvolved.