Chapter 312 Gibraltar Fortress (End)

Just when Governor Lidderdale was at a loss, the captain of the Bismarck, Otto Ernst Lindemann, gave the order to open fire.

It is rumored that after the Bismarck sank in the original time and space, only more than 100 of the 2,200 crew members survived, and one of them survived. It was adopted by the British Navy Cossack destroyer and named Oscar. As a result, the Cossack sank less than 5 months later, but the kitten Oscar survived again and was taken on the Royal Ark aircraft carrier, and was given a new nickname: Unsinkable Sam.

As a result, less than 20 days later, the Royal Ark aircraft carrier sank, but the kitten Oscar survived again. Later, the Legion and Lightning destroyers where it had been were sunk by the German army in 1942, and no warship dared to adopt it after that.

Maybe Oscar is a "warship killer". If the Bismarck had not taken it out to sea, would it not have sunk?

Of course, this is a joke. When the Bismarck was built, aircraft carriers were still heresy and attack aircraft were not yet established, so the designers had a dispensable attitude towards air defense. The 37mm anti-aircraft guns equipped could not provide intensive firepower at all. Like the 98k rifle, they were fully loaded manually and were known as "37mm hand-pulled guns".

As a result, they could not even defend against the "Swordfish", a torpedo bomber with a maximum speed of only 222 kilometers per hour. They were hit by three torpedoes dropped by the opponent, one of which hit the stern, causing the Bismarck's rudder angle to be stuck at 15 degrees. In the end, they were surrounded and beaten by the British fleet that caught up, and were sunk by more than 400 shells. Their death was quite aggrieved.

However, compared with the Shinano, the Bismarck at least achieved major results in the only battle (sunk the British flagship Hood), so it was considered a fun death.

At this time, Yannick's air defense performance for warships has almost reached a demanding level. The Bismarck is no longer equipped with those almost useless 105mm anti-aircraft guns and the pitfall 37mm twin anti-aircraft guns. Instead, it is equipped with 30 twin-mounted Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns, in addition to 20 twin-mounted 20mm anti-aircraft guns.

"Boom boom boom!" As the order to fire was issued, the eight twin-mounted 380mm main guns manufactured by the German military industry king Krupp family, carrying the pride of the German arms industry, roared one after another, and the barrels sprayed orange-red flames. The huge air pressure from the muzzle pressed a wide shallow pit on the sea surface beside the ship. Under the huge recoil, the entire warship seemed to tremble, but the huge hull successfully buffered the recoil. All those who witnessed this moment couldn't help but feel a deep awe of this terrible man-made destructive power.

Lindemann said excitedly. "It's really spectacular! This is why I like battleships!"

The muzzle velocity of Bismarck's 380mm main gun is 820 meters per second. 12 seconds later, eight shells hit the top of the Gibraltar Fortress fiercely, blasting thousands of pounds of boulders into countless pieces, and dozens of pounds of boulders flew everywhere, flying all over the sky.

"Fleet free fire!" Lindemann gave the order.

Suddenly, hundreds of naval guns of various calibers roared, and shells hit the fortress like a meteor shower. The explosions were continuous and terrifying, and the whole fortress trembled violently.

Governor Liddell's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. He was so anxious that he was spinning around in the command room like an ant on a hot pot. The reinforced concrete on the ceiling trembled from time to time, and then the dust fell.

"Has London called back?" This is the nth time he has asked.

The adjutant shook his head. "Not yet, General."

The H Fleet had just been destroyed, and the British side had no time to support Gibraltar. Of course, even if they had ships to reinforce, they would not have the courage to support such a large fleet.

Governor Lidderdale murmured dejectedly. "It's only the fifth day. Today is the fifth day of the battle. The German army has not suffered any casualties, but... Tell me, what did I do wrong? Why did it end like this?"

Looking at Lidderdale's dull eyes, the adjutant couldn't help but worry that he might collapse. "Compared with the Germans, our war thinking has been outdated for at least 20 years. The Germans are not only ahead of us in tactical thinking, they also have new and powerful weapons, and I think they are fighting us in a planned and step-by-step manner, unlike us, who always think of making preparations after the battle starts.

But now is not the time to discuss these things. This fortress can't withstand a few rounds of bombardment. We must make a decision."

Seeing Governor Lidderdale's puzzled eyes, the adjutant coughed lightly. "Germans always treat prisoners well, what do you think, General?"

When the European Combined Fleet fired the sixth round of shells, a white flag was raised from the firing hole on the other side of the fortress.

Manstein looked at the group of frightened British prisoners of war walking in a long line with his back to them. Suddenly, he raised his hand and pointed at the British officer with the rank of admiral in the team, and ordered the guard next to him. "Bring the Governor of Gibraltar here."

"Is this the guy who clamored to kill 200,000 of us? I really don't know where he got his confidence from?" Manstein also showed a look of contempt on his face.

Two guards escorted Lidderdale to Manstein, and both sides reported their identities to each other. Lidderdale raised his chin slightly, trying his best to maintain his dignity, and spoke. "General Manstein, I hope you can abide by the provisions of Article 4 of the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war and ensure our personal safety."

Manstein nodded. "Of course our army will abide by the agreement. You don't have to worry about your future life as a prisoner of war, Your Excellency the Governor. As for the specific details, I will arrange for my adjutant to negotiate with you in detail. He will make specific arrangements for you. After all, you are acquaintances."

"Your Excellency Governor Lidderdale, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon." The adjutant deliberately emphasized the three words "so soon". Seeing the face of the governor change from white to red, from red to purple, and finally to the color of pig liver, he felt extremely happy.

Ignoring Lidderdale's resentful eyes, Manstein ordered his subordinates to take Lidderdale back to the prisoner team.

Soon, the passionate speech of Arias came from the radio station in Spain. "Gibraltar, which was occupied by Britain as a colony since 1704, today once again flew the Spanish flag with the help of our German friends!"

When the Spanish government issued a victory declaration to recapture the Gibraltar Peninsula, the world was shocked.

France and Italy sent congratulatory telegrams first, and other German vassal states also sent congratulations one after another.