Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1121: Chapter 135: In a Dilemma
 

In the evening, the results of the daytime bombing had been summarized into a report that was delivered to Vienna Palace.

Of course, due to the conditions on the battlefield, it was impossible to accurately count the enemy’s losses, so there would certainly be differences between the report and the actual situation.

A margin of error was a minor issue; the key was that the air raid was successful. Looking at the war report in his hands, Franz highly suspected that the upper echelons of the British military were all Shinra spies.

Air defense was a joke. This wasn’t just a matter of having flaws; it was more like they had deliberately left the doors wide open for the Shinra Air Force to enter.

London was somewhat better, although the air raid had not been detected in advance, there was still some anti-aircraft fire. If not for the heavy fog, they might have actually achieved a substantial victory.

Other places were embarrassing. The Shinra Air Force bombed Liverpool, passing many towns along the way, yet not a single anti-aircraft gun was seen.

Of course, it could also be that the troops below were too timid, fearing angering the enemy and bringing disaster upon themselves, so they simply pretended not to see.

Not firing was one thing, but it would have been prudent to at least send an urgent telegram to their colleagues as a warning, so everyone could be prepared.

Other guarantees could not be made, but at least the Royal Navy could have set sail in advance. As long as they didn’t assemble a large fleet, there would be no threat from above.

Redeploying planes from all over the country to join the battle was not a problem. After all, Britannia was only so big, and since they were fighting on their home soil, there was no need to consider returning to base.

But joining the battle is one thing; no matter what, they should have waited until the main forces were assembled before entering the battlefield!

Rushing to be the first to arrive and then engaging in battle was not something an ordinary person could come up with.

Since it was a technique of sending the head, the results were naturally very shocking. If not for the passive completion of the assembly during Shinra Air Force’s rotation, the British Air Force might have been completely defeated.

Although they weren’t completely defeated, heavy losses were inevitable. A total of 376 enemy aircraft were confirmed shot down, with countless more damaged.

The air battle was a splendid victory, and the bombing also achieved notable results. Liverpool Port, a British military stronghold, was severely hit. It was one thing to sink warships, but the key was the destruction of the shipyards.

Dry docks could be rebuilt, equipment could be repurchased, but the loss of engineers and skilled workers was permanent.

In those days, the average lifespan was less than fifty, so there was no such thing as retirement, let alone rehiring.

Of course, Britannia had extensive resources and a reserve of talent. At worst, they could poach manpower from other smaller shipyards, but building warships was different from building commercial vessels, and an adjustment period was unavoidable.

Repairing shipyards would take time, training skilled workers would take time; without a couple of years, don’t even think about it.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t speed up the process; if competitors were willing to help, progress could be made faster. But the likelihood of that was about as high as humanity entering an era of universal harmony.

Of course, today’s bombing wasn’t guaranteed to be foolproof. It would be best if the air force could visit continuously over the next few days to solidify this hard-won victory.

In contrast, the bombing of London was very Zen-like. There were no strategic targets at all; it was all up to the bomb crews’ feelings.

The thick fog blanketed the sky, making it impossible to see the ground clearly, so it was up to the British Government to put effort into tallying the results.

Compared to the glorious victories, what pleased Franz even more was the losses. In the day’s operations, the Shinra Air Force had paid the price of 27 fighter planes lost and 79 fighter planes damaged to varying degrees.

“`

Among the downed aircraft, apart from three bombers, the rest were all fighter planes, with five fighters having been hit on their way back to base.

Such an exchange rate could definitely be called a miracle in military history. The only regret was that miracles do not happen often, and having suffered such a loss, the British would surely learn from it; one could not expect the enemy to keep making foolish mistakes.

“The air force performed well, and we must continue to push forward. However, the bombing battlefield needs to be expanded; any city within the air force’s coverage is a target.

The bombing of London should be feigned; while the British are still out of sorts, we should lure and kill as much of the British Air Force’s living strength as possible, covering for bombings in other areas.”

It had to be admitted that London was a good place, even though the fog made it impossible to lock on to ground targets, the enemy’s ground-based anti-air defenses were equally ruined by the fog.

This meant that Shinra’s air force, having traveled far, could fight on equal terms with the British Air Force defending its homeland.

If we did not take this opportunity to kill as much of the British Air Force’s living strength as possible, once winter ended, these good days would be over too.

To put it plainly, it was still about exploiting the British’s pride. The public could not tolerate Shinra’s Air Force running wild overhead while the government did nothing.

As long as the British Air Force was crippled, the subsequent battles would be easier. Even the Third German Empire dared to play with “Operation Sea Lion”; a more superior Shinra could certainly follow suit.

Just because the original timeline’s British Air Force was able to punch above its weight, did not mean it could now. One must understand that at this time, American aunts were still playing with mud, utterly lacking the ability to provide support.

Now that the main force of the British Air Force had been drawn to London, bombing other areas became easy. Although London was the heart of The British Isles, other areas were just trivialities, but Franz didn’t despise them at all.

If it were not for the air force being unable to cover all of The British Isles, Franz would have certainly ordered bombs be dropped on every city.

The goal wasn’t to kill the enemy, but to scare them.

As long as the hearts of the Britannian people were unsettled, the battles ahead would be easier. Now, the air force couldn’t cover all of The British Isles, but covering half of the cities was no problem.

All that was needed was a little covert guidance, and once the citizens of so many cities started to make a fuss, demanding the London Government organize air defense, there would be quite a spectacle to see.

Minister of the Air Force Conrad said with difficulty, “Your Majesty, continuing the bombardment of The British Isles is no problem, but wanting to lure and kill the main force of the British Air Force might be difficult.

In today’s fight, we have already severely damaged the British Air Force. According to data collected at the front and previous intelligence, the British Air Force has already lost a quarter of its planes, and maybe less than half will be able to continue into battle tomorrow.

After suffering such a loss today, the British will surely learn from it; they will not make the same mistake twice.

If the British study carefully, they will realize that our bombing has not had much impact on London; rather, the destruction from the air combat has been greater.

Once they’ve calmed down, I’m afraid the British Air Force might simply fold. Even if there’s pressure from the public, they will only offer symbolic resistance.

Then, they will quietly build up their strength, waiting for the opportunity.”

No matter how great a plan, it needs the cooperation of the enemy. The fight during the day was perhaps too fierce, directly dealing a heavy blow to the British Air Force.

If the British Air Force does not learn from it and keeps choosing to clash head-on with Shinra’s Air Force, it might not take long before even their organization will be destroyed.

After some thought, Franz said indifferently, “Then find a way to keep provoking them; the pride of the British cannot be exhausted by one failure.

If that really doesn’t work, then we’ll drop leaflets over The British Isles, and let the British public make the decisions for them.

“`

“I don’t care how you do it, but within the next month, you must drop at least twenty thousand tons of bombs on the British heads,” Franz demanded.

Effort was necessary, as bombs too have shelf lives. The Vienna Government had prepared for the war for too long, resulting in an excessive stockpile of ammunition.

Had it not been for the Russians ready to take up the excess and the international market open for offloading, the mere expiry of weapons and ammunition would have posed a significant problem.

There was no alternative; plans cannot adapt as quickly as situations change. The Vienna Government’s initial plan was prepared for the worst-case scenario: Britain forming an alliance with France, Russia, and others to besiege Shinra.

The diplomatic tactics of those stirring up trouble were indeed formidable, but they were humans, not gods; they couldn’t reverse the overall situation.

Thanks to the efforts of the Vienna Government, not only did the worst-case scenario fail to manifest, but the situation had shifted to the other extreme.

The enemy, once to be guarded against, had now become an ally. Therefore, the ammunition reserved for the French and Russians now had only the British to bear.

As for the Oceanic Alliance the British had conjured up, Emperor Franz claimed he couldn’t see it. After all, it was currently out of reach, and dealing with those troublemakers was a matter for after the war.

…

London, it was another sleepless night. The daytime bombings had reshaped many people’s perceptions, striking deep into everyone’s nerves.

“So, the Royal Navy isn’t invincible, and London isn’t safe either!”

This realization was followed by endless rage; the enemy had dropped bombs on their heads, and the government seemed to be doing nothing—a clear dereliction of duty and incompetence.

Fortunately, the fog was thick enough that the ordinary citizens had not witnessed the aerial combat during the day, or else their fury would have escalated even further.

Once bitten, twice shy.

The shock of the day had been so great that the British Cabinet Government was still operating from a bomb shelter. Had space permitted, they would have likely brought their families along.

Since bringing families along was not an option, sending them away was the next best thing. London was bustling at that moment, with the darkness doing nothing to dampen everyone’s enthusiasm for moving.

From princes and nobles to ordinary citizens—all who could afford to, were now fleeing to the countryside.

There was no choice but to leave; London was no longer a suitable place to live. The smog was bad enough, and now there were also falling bombs to contend with.

Not to mention anti-aircraft defense; a falling aircraft’s impact was much greater than a bomb’s explosion. No one could withstand a rain of falling metal.

They had never experienced a bombing before, and their anti-air measures were virtually non-existent. Even the bomb shelter the Cabinet Government used was just a makeshift basement.

Considering their lives, everyone unanimously decided to flee. After all, no matter how rampant the enemy planes were, it was unlikely they would bomb the countryside; it wouldn’t be worth the fuel cost.

Those who had to stay behind were in a constant state of panic, cursing their lack of wealth and the need to eke out a living.

While others could flee, government officials could not. If they too left, London’s order would very likely spiral out of control completely.

Looking at the compiled reports of the battle, Prime Minister Campbell nearly fainted. This was no longer a matter of heavy losses but one that affected the outcome of the war.

Having witnessed the Air Force’s might, Campbell’s confidence in the Royal Navy had also begun to waver.

The English Channel was just a narrow stretch of water; once air superiority was lost, no one could guarantee the enemy wouldn’t force a landing.

The Shinra Navy was strong, and with the navies of other European countries pitching in, if the Air Force joined forces, could the Royal Navy really hold out?

At least the Royal Navy in Liverpool had demonstrated through their actions that they were powerless against the enemy in the sky.

Forcing himself to calm down, Campbell asked somberly, “If we had been prepared in advance, does the Air Force have the capability to defend the safety of The British Isles?”

As if soul-searched, Attilio, the Minister for the Air Force, was at a loss for words for a moment.

If this question had been posed before today, he would have confidently answered “yes;” but now, with facts before him, claiming “yes” at this juncture would be nonsensical.

After hesitating for a while, Attilio slowly said, “It’s difficult! Today’s battle proved the disparity in strength between the two sides. Our boys are very brave, but the performance gap between the fighter planes is too vast.

As everyone has seen in the reports, just one day of engagement resulted in more than a quarter of our fighters falling, and nearly half needing major repairs.

At this point, the Air Force has been severely weakened and needs a period of recovery; in the short term, we shouldn’t engage the enemy again.

If we had been prepared in advance, the fight wouldn’t have been so lopsided. To defeat the enemy, we need more and more advanced fighter planes.”

This answer was not unexpected, but it was still disheartening.

The facts were there for all to see, this was a fight of inequality. The Air Force’s defeat wasn’t just due to inferior fighter performance; tactical application and battlefield response were inadequate in every aspect.

The only advantage might have been their courage, as no one fled. Of course, this couldn’t be considered bravery, given that those who tried to escape had met their maker.

The plane’s performance couldn’t keep up, which spelled tragedy. Even if they wanted to retreat, they couldn’t outrun the enemy.

Fighting gave them a glimmer of hope, but turning to flee meant exposing their backs to the enemy, leaving them at the enemy’s mercy.

Even in later stages, when the British fighters had a numerical advantage, it did not change their passive position.

The main reason was the lack of coordination among fighters. Despite the greater numbers, they appeared lost on the battlefield.

Unless these problems were resolved, any thoughts of turning the tide were mere dreams. However, identifying problems was easier than solving them.

Whether it was the performance of the fighters or the accumulation of tactical knowledge, both required time to build up and could not be remedied overnight.

Prime Minister Campbell said, “As for the issue with the planes, the government will try its best to find solutions; domestic factories are truly working overtime to rush production, but the military must find its own way to resolve the other issues.

To recover…”

The words stuck in his throat. Prime Minister Campbell had no certainty in his heart and dared not make rash promises.

The mood in the room grew oppressive once more, and faced with the current situation, no one could be optimistic. No one had anticipated that an aerial battle would put Britannia in such an awkward predicament.