Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1128: Chapter 142, Shinra’s Sea Lion Plan
 

The minor incident on the Persian front did not attract much attention from the Vienna Government. Different identities view problems from different perspectives.

In Franz’s view, whether it was passing through or coercing the Russian Army to join the attack on Persia, it was all a minor issue.

The Russians had been salivating over India for more than a day or two. Regardless of what the upper echelon of the Tsarist Government thought, the nobility and bureaucrats within the country could no longer restrain themselves.

Even with the Far Eastern Battlefield binding their hands and feet, nothing could stop the Russians’ ambitions towards India. Especially after the Shinra Navy’s great victory in the Battle of Malacca, the Russians’ confidence in the Continental Alliance winning the war had soared sky-high.

Inside the Russian Empire, the voices of the War Party had already reached the clouds, and the biggest concern of the Russian Aristocracy was, “If we’re late, the British might surrender.”

This was not without basis, as the previous wars in Europe had proven; before they could exert their full strength, the French had surrendered.

The Great Britain Empire, compared to France, had much more at stake, with India alone enough to make the Russians insatiable. If they were too late to act, they would miss the opportunity to divide up India, and there would be no remedy for regret.

Under this backdrop, the frontline Russian Army would not only not obstruct but might even take advantage of the situation to join in directly.

After all, this was not the first time for the Russian-Austrian cooperation in combat. Based on past cases, fighting alongside the Austrian army not only ensured logistical support but even their food standards were several levels higher.

As for the political issues, people with different stances have different views. Perhaps in the eyes of the War Party, those who hinder the war are “traitors.”

Once a fait accompli was created, given Nicholas II’s indecisive nature, he could do nothing but reluctantly accept the situation.

With the Russians entering the war, was there still a need to worry about cannon fodder? At worst, after the war, a piece of India could be carved out and given to the Russians.

Now, what still caught Franz’s attention was the European battlefield. The military was no longer satisfied with bombing The British Isles and had come up with a grand strategy for landing on The British Isles.

“Isn’t it a bit rushed to land on The British Isles now?”

It had to be admitted that air supremacy was a good thing. The Holy Roman Empire, holding air supremacy, had stunned the British at the beginning of the war.

So much so, that even without having control of the sea, the Sacred Shinra Army was prepared to make a forced landing.

Once the landing was successful, the war would be on a countdown. Mere militias hastily conscripted could not resist the advance of the Sacred Shinra Army.

However, landing was not easy. Despite the poor performance shown by the British now, it was only because they had not yet adapted to this war.

If they were to come around, John Bull would not be so easy to handle. Even if they couldn’t turn the tide, at least they could struggle a bit.

Chief of Staff Mörck said, “Your Majesty, this is the best choice to end the war in a short period.

The British have not yet reacted, their mindset is still stuck in the European wars era; this is the best opportunity.

If we successfully complete the landing, it won’t take three months to defeat the British and win the war.

If we follow conventional tactics, it will be hard to win this war without one or two years.

To win the war in the shortest time possible and minimize war losses, taking some risk is acceptable.”

“Finishing a world war in three months” was an exhilarating thought; it was clearly cheating.

If the war could really end in such a short time, the allies of the British would essentially be useless.

Franz did not believe that the American countries could complete mobilization and deploy troops to the European battlefield in just three months.

Of course, this meant the previously planned interception tactics were wasted. No matter how much they block, The British Isles still had three months’ worth of supplies.

In this regard, Franz had no special demands. As long as they could win the war, no matter the method, he could accept it.

After much hesitation, Franz slowly said, “Then let’s try it, but the plan needs to be more meticulous; we can’t give the enemy any opportunities and cause too much damage to our attacking forces.”

It turned out that every politician did not lack a daring gene; the only difference was whether the gene was dominant or recessive.

Forcing a landing on The British Isles seemed to have no problems, but in reality, it was fraught with dangers.

The main force of the Royal Navy was still intact, and the British Air Force also retained a certain level of strength; if they found an opportunity, the possibility of heavy losses was very high.

The original timeline’s “Operation Sea Lion” failed due to various factors, with seeds sown as early as the Battle of Dunkirk.

Of course, the main reason was someone’s sudden whimsy: shifting the focus of the air raid to bombing London, giving the British Air Force a breathing space and turning danger into safety.

Franz, of course, would not ignore the lessons of history. Although the Shinra Air Force also bombed London, their strategic purpose was starkly different.

The German Three bombed London targeting the command system to try and plunge London into chaos, cause the collapse of the British command system, and force the British to surrender.

The bombing by the Shinra Air Force was much simpler; it targeted the British Air Force, mainly to lure and kill the British Air Force’s main force.

Essentially, bombing London was a cover; the actual bombing targets were still the British heavy industrial system.

In Franz’s eyes, destroying a large steel plant mattered as much as annihilating a division of the British Army; wrecking a shipyard was far more significant than sinking a battleship.

Lacking significant support, once the self-sustaining mechanism was lost, the defeat of the British was only a matter of time.

Having a choice with higher certainty, Franz naturally would not take risks. But now it was different; the risks had been reduced to a controllable range.

The worst outcome would be the loss of a few ships and tens of thousands of troops, which the Holy Roman Empire could completely afford.

…

The Shinra version of “Operation Sea Lion” commenced, but it did not mean the previous strategy was invalidated. They were not contradictory and could certainly proceed simultaneously.

Changing strategic plans on a whim was absolutely a taboo in military strategy, like what happened to that someone who lost his empire because of inconsistent and impulsive decisions.

Having learned from historical lessons, Franz always held a cautious attitude in strategic issues.

It seemed like the Holy Roman Empire had many strategies, appearing to focus everywhere and nowhere at the same time, but in reality, it was not the case.

In strategic choices, major and minor nations differed starkly. Limited by their national power, minor nations pick one direction and stick to it firmly.

Do not expect them to turn back or switch mid-way because minor nations often only have one chance; failure means doom.

Compared to that, the situation for a major power was different. With abundant national strength, multiple strategies could be supported at the same time, and the failure of one or two would not be a significant detriment.

Compared to Britannia, the Holy Roman Empire had already gained an advantage in national power, so it was not surprising that multiple strategies were launched simultaneously.

A detailed study would reveal that the previous series of strategic plans by the Shinra military all had one common characteristic: to weaken Britannia’s war potential.

…

The sunset faded, leaving only the afterglow of the evening sky. Two ships flying the British flag approached Cam Ranh Bay, one following the other.

From the aged cannons on board, one could vaguely discern that the ship in the rear was a warship. It was peculiar to see the warship follow so closely behind the merchant ship.

As they drew closer, the steel cable connecting the merchant ship and the warship became visible—it turned out that the warship was being towed forward by the merchant ship.

Finally, the warship entered the harbor. The surviving officers and soldiers aboard collectively breathed a sigh of relief. As a lucky survivor of the Battle of Malacca, Gale had also paid a heavy price.

The numerous bullet marks on its surface were proof of Gale’s suffering. If one observed closely, they would notice that Gale was especially low in the water, as if overloaded.

Overloading was impossible, as anything that could be discarded had been jettisoned along the way.

Since it wasn’t overloaded, the conclusion was clear. Fortunately, Gale was designed with an enclosed cabin; otherwise, just the water entering the ship could have been lethal.

Perhaps due to the exhilaration of the escape, once Gale had shaken off its pursuers, its propulsion system completely broke down.

Had it not been for encountering a British merchant ship midway, Gale might have become a ghost ship.

As soon as the warship stopped, repair personnel promptly boarded to start repairs. Their quick responses indicated that the engineers were highly experienced, evidently not their first encounter with such a situation.

The outcome of the Battle of Malacca had already been communicated. The Royal Navy, left to guard, quickly recovered from the initial chaos and got back into action.

Regardless, life had to go on. The result of the naval battle could not be changed, but the aftermath still needed to be addressed.

The main forces of the Far Eastern Fleet had been nearly wiped out, rendering it virtually non-existent, and no reinforcements could be deployed; the only option was to urgently repair the surviving warships.

There were no flowers, no applause, and similarly no welcome banquet. The tense atmosphere indicated that the situation in Cam Ranh Bay was not optimistic.

However, for Colonel Nigel, who had just narrowly escaped death, these were minor issues. Barely saving his own life was a blessing from God; who cared about the situation?

If he were to consider the future, it would only be after returning to get a good night’s sleep and fully relax.

…

Colonel Nigel stated expressionlessly, “Governor, that is the entire account of the Battle of Malacca.

This was hardly a war; from beginning to end, we were passively receiving hits, without organizing even a single decent counterattack.

After Admiral Mitchell ordered a scattered retreat, we separated, and the telegraphs sent afterward received no replies.

During the retreat, the enemy’s aircraft mostly focused their attacks around the main ships; it’s very likely that Elizabeth has been lost.”

It was apparent that Colonel Nigel had taken a heavy blow. Devoid of his usual spirited backfoot,

he radiated an aura of defeat, his tone filled with “despair.”

It was unavoidable; the Royal Navy had suffered too harshly in the Battle of Malacca. Not only had they lost their previous arrogance, but everyone also lost faith in the future.

Colonel Nigel was among them. In his view, with the strong rise of the air force, the role of the navy in future wars would diminish.

Unfortunately, the Holy Roman Empire was the world’s leading air force superpower, and in the field of aviation, they had left Britannia far behind.

In upcoming battles, if the enemy’s air forces couldn’t be handled, no matter how strong the Royal Navy was, it would struggle to demonstrate its true power.

Having lost all desire, since he had also lost faith in the future, Colonel Nigel naturally adopted a nonchalant attitude towards any potential accountability that could follow.

He wasn’t a deserter on the battlefield; Nigel had fled with “Gale” only after receiving the retreat order.

Bringing Gale back was his duty to the Great Britain Empire. It was unreasonable to ask for more.

However, someone had to take the blame, and Admiral Mitchell, the fleet commander, was the prime candidate.

But that fellow was most likely already facing God, and everyone is forgiving toward the deceased. Since Mitchell had perished on the battlefield, even if there were grave mistakes, they were all dismissed.

The burden of responsibility could only fall on those alive, and it was more likely to be officers with less influence and higher ranks who could become scapegoats.

Unfortunately, Colonel Nigel was one of the candidates for becoming a scapegoat. After all, those of higher rank were mostly on the main ships, and most of those ships had sunk to the bottom of the sea.

“Colonel Nigel, let’s stop here for today. What you need now is to go back, take a hot shower, get some good sleep, or perhaps go out and relax.”

Despite not receiving the news he wanted, Governor Evans did not intend to trouble Nigel further. Pursuing accountability was a matter for the future; currently, there was too much else to consider.

With the conclusion of the Battle of Malacca, the international situation in East Asia had been completely disrupted, and Cam Ranh Bay was no longer safe.

The enemy might attack at any moment, and with the British forces in the Indochina Peninsula, there was almost no chance of victory.

Once the Indochina Peninsula fell, as the governor, Sir Evans would also become one of the unfortunate ones.

As each was a hapless individual in a foreign land, why add to each other’s troubles?

Just looking at the circles under his eyes, Governor Evans had probably not slept well recently. Perhaps there was still a chance for the Great Britain Empire to turn things around, but for the British-Indochina Colony, there was no possibility of a counterattack.

…

The world does not change at an individual’s whim, and for the British, the situation in East Asia continued to deteriorate.

The once mighty British Far East Fleet had now become stray dogs, chased around the world by the Oceanic Alliance.

Indeed, Spain and the Netherlands had also entered the war. Victory most easily stimulates people’s nerves, and the initially reluctant countries of Spain and the Netherlands had also changed their minds.

Since they were already involved, why not seek the greatest benefit for themselves? Opportunities to beat a dog in the water were rare and naturally could not be missed.