Chapter 354: Sea Robbery (1)

Early the next morning, Churchill held a high-level meeting to discuss how to deal with the German super artillery.

suggested Viscount Alan Francis Brooke, Commander of the Home Defense Force. "We should send bombers immediately to destroy those cannons."

Edgar Ludlow Hewitt, Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command, said coldly. "How to blow it up? The Germans are not fools. How could they be unprepared?!" There might have been hundreds of fighter jets guarding the place. If our bombers flew over, wouldn't they just fall into a trap?

Viscount Brooke frowned. "Then it has to be blown up, otherwise we'll just get beaten and not fight back?!"

Commander-in-Chief Hewitt spread his hands. "Anyway, the Air Force doesn't have the ability to carry out this kind of mission. How about sending infantrymen to swim across the strait to bomb it?" Of course, he didn't want to see his capital being bombed every day. As long as there was a slight possibility of success, he would not do anything. He did not hesitate to send out bomber units to blow up the German artillery. But the problem now is that even if he is willing to pay a heavy price, he may not be able to achieve his goal.

The more the two talked, the stronger the smell of gunpowder became. At this moment, several more shells fell into London. Churchill's face became even more ugly. After all, yesterday at noon, he swore to the people on the radio that he would never let a bomb fall into London. It's better now. The citizens of London can only hide in air-raid shelters and shiver. Even they are hiding in air-raid basements for meetings.

Pressing down the cigar in his hand, Churchill issued the order in an unquestionable tone. "The German artillery must be destroyed, and they cannot be allowed to continue bombing without restraint. The Air Force is responsible for this matter, and I want to see the results within three days!"

The Prime Minister had already spoken, and Commander-in-Chief Hewitt could only reluctantly agree. "Yes." He thought to himself. It seems that the bomber unit has suffered heavy losses this time.

Just as Churchill was about to end the meeting, a panicked secretary hurried in. "Your Excellency Prime Minister, the Navy Department called. One of our transport fleets encountered a German fleet."

"What?!" Churchill was shocked and stood up suddenly. "Which fleet is it? What's the damage?!"

the secretary replied. "It's the 415th formation, transporting mostly grain and steel. Their last telegram was that the Germans were boarding the ship."

"Boarding?" Churchill frowned in confusion. He could still understand it after being sunk. What does "boarding" mean?

In the Atlantic waters more than 1,500 kilometers away from the United Kingdom, the German fleet received news from a reconnaissance plane. "According to the speed of this transport fleet, they will enter the attack range of our carrier-based aircraft in thirty minutes."

The UK is an island country with scarce resources and is highly dependent on overseas countries for its means of life and production. Although the British Isles have a large land area, their natural conditions and geographical factors cannot support a population of more than 40 million. Many basic living items and production means are almost completely dependent on the supply of overseas colonies. The total amount of maritime supplies exceeds 68 million every year. tons, with more than 2,500 maritime transport ships every day.

Pound, the former Admiralty Minister of Time and Space, said: "If we lose the naval battle, we lose the entire war!"

At that time, under the guidance of the "wolf pack tactics" invented by submarine genius Dönitz, a small number of U-boats caused unimaginable trouble to Britain. From September 1939 to May 1940, German submarines sank more than 240 merchant ships with a total tonnage of 850,000 tons, while only losing 24 of its own. By 1942, Britain's imported materials had dropped to 28.5 million tons, equivalent to only 42% of the pre-war level. Churchill recalled many years later: "The only thing in the war that really scared me was the threat of German submarines...A submarine attack is the most devastating disaster."

Even though submarines are very useful and elusive, after all, this weapon is limited by its own performance and cannot completely strangle the British transport fleet. Even under the guidance of Dönitz's wolf pack tactics, the hunting efficiency has improved. , and completely incomparable with aircraft carriers.

The aircraft carrier fleet with carrier-based aircraft can control tens of thousands of square kilometers of sea area, use air power to carry out rapid strikes on targets in this sea area, and cooperate with the search of carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft, it can be said that there are few fish that slip through the net. This is also It completely strangled British transportation lines and completely cut off Britain's maritime lifeline.

Lütjens gave the order on the bridge of the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. "Prepare to send attack aircraft."

Today's German aircraft carriers are equipped with A-1 attack aircraft, which were originally developed as a successor to the SBD, the main attack aircraft of the US Navy in World War II, and were taken over by Yannick as his own. The manufacturing process of this attack aircraft is not very complicated, but it has many features. For example, its range can reach an astonishing 2,500 kilometers; it has a very terrifying bomb load. 14 under-wing pylons and a central fuselage pylon can carry up to 3,036 kilograms of aerial bombs. This does not include the four 20mm cannons with 200 rounds of ammunition each, which is many times stronger than the liquid-cooled + short-legged Stuka.

A staff officer spoke. "Your Majesty General, isn't it a waste to just sink them like this? Can we capture this fleet? They are full of war supplies."

After hearing this fantasy-like idea, everyone looked at each other, while Lütjens nodded thoughtfully. "I used to hear that the submarine force had sunk so many ships, and it was impossible for the submarine force to capture them even if they wanted to. Now we need speed, firepower, and such advanced radar that we are not afraid of them escaping even at night. Okay, that’s it, order the Marines to prepare to board the ship.”

Half an hour later, a shrill battle alarm sounded over the British transport fleet. Father Hamilton frowned and muttered with some dissatisfaction. "Damn it, didn't they say that German submarines would not attack during the day?" His ship was not loaded with important strategic materials, so his ship could not sail in the core area again. Instead, it was very close to the periphery. If it was really a German submarine, his ship would be easily attacked.

"Henry boy, you have good eyesight, go out and watch it, so as not to be hit by a torpedo."

The encounter not long ago was vivid. The last transport ship was also attacked by wolves. Many ships were sunk, but the remaining ships were busy escaping and didn't care about their compatriots in the water. I don't know if the Germans have picked them up. If even the Germans don't care about them, they will die there.

Although he has been drifting in the sea for a lifetime, Father Hamilton doesn't want to die in the sea. He still wants to see his son and hug his grandson.

Henry quickly pushed open the iron door of the bridge, stood on the iron stairs outside the island, and looked out at the sea in the distance.

Soon he shouted. "Father Hamilton, Father Hamilton, it's not a submarine, it's, it's a German plane!"

Plane? Father Hamilton subconsciously squatted down and looked out, and happened to see two German planes flying through the sky in front.

This is thousands of miles away from the European mainland, how could German planes fly here? What's going on? !

Father Hamilton didn't have time to think about it, the planes in the sky dived down demonstratively and flew over the fleet.