Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1122: Chapter 136: The Battle of Malacca
 

The situation on the battlefield was dire, and domestically it was even worse. The opposition party, legislators, experts, and scholars… there was no one who wasn’t criticizing the Government.

In peaceful times, Quivering protests spurred movements that would have stormed the Government demanding explanations by now.

There was no need to worry tonight, as everyone was busy moving house, temporarily distracted from seeking their misfortune.

Tomorrow was unlikely to bring trouble either. Based on the current situation, as long as there wasn’t a storm, enemy warplanes would visit again.

Even though there was deep resentment against the Government, no one would dare to protest under the bombs.

If any commotion occurred, it would make them live targets. Nowadays, there was no such rule as ‘avoiding civilian casualties’; everyone’s favorite pastime was dropping bombs on crowded areas.

Of course, the recent London bombings were an exception. Limited by natural conditions, the Shinra Air Force had been forced into indiscriminate and reckless attacks.

Having narrowly escaped disaster, no one could feel relief, for the longer the tension was pent up, the more violent its eventual release would be.

After some time, Chancellor of the Exchequer Asquith broke the silence, “The public is watching the Government. The enemy has dropped bombs on our heads, failing to take concrete action in retaliation now would be inexcusable.”

Feeling the expectant gazes of everyone, Attilio became increasingly embarrassed. He too desired “retaliation,” but the power just wasn’t there!

Unable to escape, Attilio reluctantly said, “Don’t look at me, the Air Force can’t bomb Vienna, not even a single bomb can be dropped there.

The enemy’s Air Force took off from the European Coastal Airport, very close to London; while Vienna sits deep in the European hinterland, thousands of miles from Britannia.

That distance exceeds the coverage area of our Air Force. If we really wanted to retaliate, we could symbolically send fighter jets to raid the enemy’s coastal cities.

If it really comes down to it, bombing cities like Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam might be feasible.”

It was a sorrowful topic. Unable to strike the enemy’s capital, and even having to be cautious and discreet about hitting the enemy’s coastal cities, not daring to deploy the main force.

After all, the enemy possesses the world’s leading Air Force. Britannia’s lack of a perfect air defense warning system doesn’t mean the enemy lacks one either.

If the enemy detected them in advance, it would just result in more losses. The daytime battles had traumatized Attilio, the Air Minister, letting a cautious mindset once again take dominance.

Even if they were conducting a reprisal, it had to target the enemy’s less defended areas. Undoubtedly, a one-day tour through the airspace of the France-Belgium-Netherlands was far safer than wandering around Shinra’s homeland.

Foreign Minister Adam spoke, “It won’t work. Although France-Belgium-Netherlands are currently our enemies, they’ve been coerced into joining the Continental Alliance and don’t share Vienna’s motives.

While they have engaged in the war, they’ve only provided the Shinra Air Force with airports and some strategic materials and haven’t truly sent troops.

Bombing their capitals now might pressure the Vienna Government indirectly, but it would also drive these three countries completely against us.

If it was only these three countries, it might have been manageable. But it would trigger a chain reaction, provoking hostility from other members of the Continental Alliance.

Given the persistent style of the Vienna Government, they would not miss such an opportunity. If they managed to unite the European states through this, then the war is lost for us.”

Though it appeared as a conflict between two major camps, it was still only Britannia and Shinra that were actively fighting, with the rest of the Alliance nations either watching or waiting for an opportunity.

If these nations were provoked into fully engaging, Britannia’s situation would worsen considerably. Not to mention, the defense war in India had already commenced.

No, I’m wrong—the defense war in India had already started; it was just that the battlefield was still a bit far from India, posing no immediate threat as of yet.

Army Minister Marcus said, “Adam is correct, the current situation is very unfavorable to us, and indeed it is not suitable to provoke other countries.

This war has already expanded beyond Europe, with Africa and Asia both as main battlefields. Just today, the enemy also launched a full-scale attack against Persia and the Indochina Peninsula, clearly targeting India.

Now, there is a constant demand for reinforcements on the front lines; even though we have expanded our army to one million and our colonial troops to three million, it is still not enough.

From the current situation, to maintain our overseas colonies, we need at least two million regular troops and five million colonial troops.”

Hearing these staggering numbers, everyone felt dizzy as if struck in their souls.

Two million regular troops and five million colonial troops—this was truly a new precedent in the limits of human military resources.

Even during the European wars, no one had mustered an army of seven million—this number was a true challenge to prevailing views.

“Do not look at me like that; this number was determined after the Army Department collected data and conducted a thorough analysis. Let me break it down for you:

Optimistically calculating, in order to maintain the security and stability, especially in the Ireland region, we need at least five hundred thousand regular troops;

For Cape of Good Hope, a key military strategic location, the Army Department plans to station one hundred thousand regular troops and two hundred thousand colonial troops, deploying them in phases according to actual needs;

In the East African region, another strategic location albeit of slightly lesser importance and vast area, the Army Department plans to station two hundred thousand regular troops and six hundred thousand colonial troops, with the option to abandon it if necessary;

Indochina Peninsula…”

It was shocking to realize how daunting the figures were once calculated. Despite having seven million troops, the battlefield truly demanded such a force. If a counterattack was considered, even this number could prove insufficient.

Without adequate combat strength, numbers had to make up for it. Including reserves and supplementary troops, the total number of armed forces in Britannia might very well exceed ten million.

Maintaining such a massive armed force was an overwhelming thought. Even for a wealthy and powerful Britannia, everyone felt the strain.

After a moment of silence, Interior Minister Azevedo was the first to speak, “This war is for the entire Oceanic Alliance, and it should not be fought by us alone. I propose mobilizing the strength of our allies to share the burden together.”

The British Government had long been engaging the power of its allies. Unfortunately, everyone awaited visible advantages before acting; echoing the call was one thing, but committing fully without sufficient benefits was another.

No way around it. Over the past few centuries, the British Government had issued too many unfulfilled promises; now, everyone was guarded.

Without settling specific benefits in advance, no country would be fooled. The main issue was that Britannia was not domineering enough currently to instill enough confidence in others.

Especially after today’s airstrike. A leader that couldn’t even secure its own homeland was hardly in a position to ask others to risk their lives.

Even though it was clear that there was no turning back once sides were chosen, self-interest was an inclination hard to eliminate.

Singapore, almost at the same time the declaration of war was broadcast, the Shinra Navy had already launched their attack, greeted by the well-prepared defending forces.

As a strategic point guarding the Strait of Malacca, the British had been operating in Singapore for decades and naturally wouldn’t give it up easily.

Rows of super-large caliber coastal guns were the defenders’ greatest confidence. The Shinra Navy had barely emerged on the horizon when they were met with a barrage of artillery fire.

Startled, Admiral Arest hastily ordered, “Command the fleet to stop advancing, the bombing squadrons take off immediately, target the enemy’s coastal guns.”

Engaging coastal guns with warships was definitely a losing deal. If it had been before, there would be no question; for the sake of achieving strategic objectives, no matter how great the losses, it only affected superficially.

Now, however, the arrival of aircraft carriers had changed the paradigms of naval warfare. With a mobile bombing fortress at hand, there was no need to continue the direct confrontation.

When coastal guns met bombers, the outcome was self-evident. Bombs dropping from the sky instantly disrupted the situation on the island.

The defenses, once as solid as gold, now seemed like mere paper under the enemy’s bombardment, easily pierced.

Colonel Burkes, stationed at the Port of Singapore, was now devoid of his usual elegance, nearly bellowing, “Organize anti-air defenses immediately, get the anti-air guns and machine guns operating.

Any coastal guns not yet targeted by the enemy, immediately camouflage them, and do it quickly…

Communications, communications, where have you died off to?”

A young man ran over immediately, yet before he could get close, Colonel Burkes scolded, “What are you scrambling about for, hurry and send a telegram to the Far Eastern Fleet.

Tell Admiral Mitchell, we are under enemy siege, the situation is extremely critical, we need reinforcements, reinforcements!”

Panic was unavoidable; the Port of Singapore had been peaceful for decades, its population mostly immigrants, who rarely even encountered conflicts with the natives.

Since the garrison was stationed, they had never fought a battle. It was precisely because the port was secure and relatively affluent that Colonel Burkes had been sent there to ‘gild his career.’

Unfortunately, plans do not change as swiftly as circumstances; soon after Colonel Burkes took office, the port faced a massive war.

Originally, Colonel Burkes had a chance to leave, but believing he was well-versed in military strategy, he insisted on staying to guard Singapore for the Queen.

For this, he had devised a “flawless” defense plan, and those rows of coastal guns had been completed under his supervision.

Regrettably, he had considered the maritime threat but overlooked the aerial threat. Watching a massive gun get destroyed by enemy bombing, Colonel Burkes panicked.

After all, he was a military academy graduate with a decent military foundation. He hesitated only for a moment before reacting.

From afar, Admiral Arest, looking through his binoculars, was now revealing a look of admiration in his eyes, occasionally murmuring something audible only to himself.

As time passed, the enemy’s coastal artillery gradually fell silent, either damaged by the bombing or to conceal their positions. At any rate, the sea was now calm.

His aide reminded, “Commander, the enemy’s firepower has been suppressed, we can commence the landing operation.”

The conditions for a landing operation were in place. Admiral Arest waved his hand, “No rush, we have plenty of time.

The enemy’s request for reinforcements has just been sent out. The Far Eastern Fleet has probably not even departed yet. If we take Singapore too quickly, what if they decide not to come?”

Tactical principles, when boiled down, are quite similar across all times and places. Although the Holy Roman Empire does not have the idiom ‘encircle and attack the reinforcements,’ the tactic nonetheless exists.

The rush to attack the Port of Singapore was intended to draw the Far Eastern Fleet into a deciding battle. A glance at the map shows that starting a war near the Strait of Malacca greatly benefits the Shinra Navy.

Right next door is our own colony, and the Air Force has already coordinated well; an air division had already assembled, now just waiting for the Far Eastern Fleet to come and take a beating.

In this context, it was natural that the Port of Singapore could not be taken down too swiftly. If the British were not offered hope, the Far Eastern Fleet wouldn’t come over for a decisive battle!

Admiral Arest had planned this all along, only waiting to deal with the British Far Eastern Fleet before heading to the Indian Ocean to poke the British in the backside.

Whether the ultimate plan succeeded or not, just eliminating the British Far Eastern Fleet and taking the war to the Indian Ocean would strategically be a success.

…

In warfare, the schemers are always schemed against.

While the Shinra Navy was plotting against the Far Eastern Fleet, the British were not idle; by that time, the Far Eastern Fleet had already left Cam Ranh Bay and was less than two hundred nautical miles from Malacca.

Receiving the garrison’s call for help, Admiral Mitchell showed no hint of panic, instead revealing a mocking smile.

He then asked an officer nearby, “How far is the Japanese Navy from us, and how long until they can join us?”

The Shinra Navy using the siege of Singapore to lure the Far Eastern Fleet to the Strait of Malacca for a decisive battle was a blatant scheme, naturally not fooling Admiral Mitchell.

As long as Britain wanted to keep the Malacca route, this battle was unavoidable. Both sides had anticipated this before the outbreak of the war.

In Mitchell’s view, as long as their own strength was sufficiently strong, even if the battlefield was somewhat disadvantageous, it could still be compensated for with sheer strength.

To ensure the security of the Strait of Malacca, without being able to lure out the main force of the Shinra Navy, Mitchell decided to turn the tables.

To secure a victory, Mitchell did not hesitate to promise great profits to the Japanese, preparing to unite the naval power of both countries to seize control of the waters in the Southeast Asia region.

“About 50 nautical miles away, given the current speed of both parties, they should be able to catch up with us by noon tomorrow.”

Looking at the telegram in his hands, Admiral Mitchell slowly said, “The garrison is under great pressure; we can’t afford too much delay on the road.

The time for the decisive battle might have to be moved up, urge the Japanese to increase their speed, and strive to join us sooner.”

…