Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1136: Chapter 150: Landing Countdown

Explaining is equivalent to concealing; no matter how sufficient the reasons, they can’t hide the fact that the U.S. Army was lacking in combat power. Repeatedly emphasizing the enemy’s strength is nothing but an excuse for failure.

But without excuses, one must take the blame. Even if one wanted to show a willingness to take responsibility, now was certainly not the time.

The situation had developed to this point, which no one had anticipated. Before launching an attack, Roosevelt couldn’t have dreamt that the Oceanic Alliance of seven nations couldn’t even take down the enemy’s colonies.

One only had to look through history books to know, the vast territory of the United States was snatched from the hands of the Colonial Empires.

Back then, each of these countries was more powerful than the United States, but due to geopolitical factors, the final victory always belonged to the United States.

Now, the British were blocking the connection between the enemy and their colonies. It was the best time to act, and it made no sense for the multi-national cooperation to fail.

...

Alas, a plan that was supposed to be foolproof ended in failure. Contrary to previous territorial disputes, the enemy showed exceptional ferocity this time.

Hitting a snag in Cuba was one thing; after all, the enemy was short on troops, and persistence could lead to victory.

The really troublesome one was Austrian Central America; the immigrants there were like hedgehogs, prickling at the slightest touch.

As soon as there was a hint of invasion, before the Allied Forces had even finished assembling, the locals struck first.

Mexico and Columbia, two allies, were now being ground into the earth by the enemy. If the United States didn’t step in, they were going to surrender.

As for the other allies, only the three strongest in South America had some fighting capability. Yet, in Roosevelt’s view, the “three strong” were hardly strong at all and couldn’t claim the title.

Argentina and Chile combined couldn’t handle Patagonia, a place with a population of just over a million—hardly a mark of a strong nation.

Most importantly, without removing this thorn to secure their own rear, it was impossible for these two countries to send troops to support Columbia.

Ignoring the side-liners, the mere tens of thousands of troops sent by Brazil could not secure the Republic of Colombia.

Against this backdrop, the United States had to divide its forces three ways, supporting both Colombia and Mexico, while also taking down Cuba.

Such a burdensome task was clearly too much for the military. Unless they fought a war of attrition, using the country’s advantage in national strength to gradually wear down the enemy, victory seemed out of reach.

But reality is cruel. As the war progressed, the international situation became increasingly unfavorable for the Oceanic Alliance.

Countries that were originally inclined toward Shinra were now restless. If Britain suffered another defeat, it’s feared these countries might join the fray.

It didn’t matter if other countries joined the war, but the neighboring United States had to be taken into consideration.

Even though the Brits used economic means to tether the United States and maintain their neutrality, politics could change at any moment.

Extracting a deeply embedded nail was hard enough, adding to that a crowd of enemies would make the upcoming battles unwinnable.

Regret came too late; political slogans had been shouted, and the United States’ ambitions revealed—now the Vienna Government would certainly not let them go.

“America for Americans” could also be interpreted as “America for the people of the United States.” If this goal were achieved, Theodore Roosevelt would, just like in the original timeline, become one of the greatest Presidents in American history.

Regrettably, they’d had a poor start, receiving a heavy blow. But now, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue the fight.

Even if victory was out of reach, they had to prove their strength on the battlefield and make the enemy think twice about slighting them.

There was no need to be top-tier in the world, as long as the U.S. Army demonstrated the combat effectiveness of a second or third-rate nation, the Vienna Government would have to consider carefully before settling scores in the autumn.

…

English Channel, accompanied by the initiation of “Operation Sea Lion,” the navies of the Continental Alliance gathered in force.

No fewer than one hundred and eighty naval ships, large and small, formed a formidable sight, especially led by thirty-six Super Battleships which were particularly imposing.

If the British could launch a surprise attack and destroy this fleet, the Continental Alliance wouldn’t be able to recover for at least five years.

But one glance at the planes circling in the sky made it clear that any surprise attack was impossible without first dealing with the “eyes” in the sky.

Wishful thinking; the air force was Britannia’s weak point. Be it flying altitude, speed, or agility, Britannian aircraft were a generation behind.

This industrial lag wasn’t something that could be caught up with in an instant. Even with increased investments, it took time.

At sea, where everything was in clear view, without air superiority, one was nothing but prey to ambush.

One look at the Royal Navy, on the verge of war, yet hesitant to enter the fray, said it all.

The English Channel wasn’t lacking good harbors, but the problem was that these ports were within bombing range of enemy planes. Showing up now was like a lamb walking into the mouth of a tiger.

Originally, following the assembly of the Continental Alliance’s navies, the Royal Navy no longer had the advantage. If additionally bombed by the enemy’s air force, there’d be no hope left for battle.

The Battle of Malacca served as a textbook example, where the enemy’s planes first damaged the warships, with the navy swooping in to finish the job, easily securing victory.

Learn from mistakes and grow wiser. Drawing lessons from past experiences, the Royal Navy prudently kept away from the Shinra Air Force.

They could hide away during peaceful times, but now, as the enemy intended to land on the British Isles, there was no more hiding—if not careful, they could lose everything.

As Minister of the Navy, Swindon was under immense pressure, fearing one misstep could destroy the Royal Navy and mark him as a sinner of Britannia.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one under stress—all the high-level officials of the British Government were under immense “pressure.”

Like the calm before a storm, an oppressive atmosphere permeated the air, suffocating.

…

“From the intelligence we’ve gathered, the enemy has completed their assembly and will soon launch an attack on us.

The moment of testing for the Great Britain Empire has arrived. Despite our defeat in earlier wars, we shall never surrender; we will fight to the end.

Unlike any previous campaign, our forces are now unprecedentedly well-supplied, and the support of forty million British citizens is our most solid backing.

The enemy’s choice to attack the British Isles is a mistake. Here we have…”

—April 27, 1905, Declaration of Defense of Britain by Prime Minister Campbell.

You can tell whether a country or nation is great by observing their behavior during critical moments.

The ability to rise above many competitors and dominate the world surely meant that Britannia had its exceptional qualities.

With the situation worsening, perhaps realizing the danger, the internal struggles of the British Government gradually eased.

…

Although the Opposition party was still criticizing the Government, they had abandoned any action that could drag them down.

Through relentless media campaigns, everyone from princes and nobles to the common British populace understood the significance of the war.

Under the pressure of the Continental Alliance, the Great Britain Empire’s war machine finally started operating at full speed.

Finally unified internally, Prime Minister Campbell felt not an ounce of joy. If possible, he would rather not have this unity that came under the threat of an enemy.

“With one mind, we match any foe.” It was just a political slogan; what truly decided the outcome of war was power.

For the Great Britain Empire, the situation had deteriorated beyond control. Even if they won the Declaration of Defense of Britain, it could only temporarily stave off the danger of national extinction. Victory in the war still seemed out of reach.

Army Minister Marcus said, “To intercept enemy landings, we have deployed one million troops along the English Channel Coast, with a further half a million mobile troops ready to reinforce at any time.

In addition, we have organized one million militiamen responsible for logistic transport. They can also reinforce if the battle situation becomes critical.

However, this is only the worst-case scenario. If possible, it would be best to stop the enemy outside The British Isles.

Once the flames of war reach our homeland, even if we annihilate the enemy, we still lose.”

It was evident that the army had put in its utmost effort. Since the war began, they had gradually sent reinforcements of five hundred thousand troops to India, one hundred fifty thousand to the Cape of Good Hope, and fifty thousand to the Indochina Peninsula.

To maintain stability in Ireland and Scotland, a total of one hundred eighty thousand troops were stationed there.

Mobilizing so many troops from a population of forty million in Britain was truly a Herculean effort.

Especially considering that out of these forty million, there were three and a half million Scottish people and four million and four hundred thousand Irish people.

The Scottish could be overlooked, as despite some discord, they generally identified with Britain.

Ireland was different; bullied too miserably in the recent half-century. Its population declined from eight million two hundred thousand in the mid-19th century to the current four million four hundred thousand, filled with grievances.

Luckily, Ireland Island was positioned in the rear—otherwise, if the enemy landed in Ireland, they would find guides everywhere.

For safety, the drafted Irish soldiers and Scottish soldiers were mostly sent to the colonies.

With the removal of many able-bodied men, local stability was temporarily ensured. But counting on them to contribute to the war was wishful thinking.

Even with all efforts exhausted, Marcus still felt insecure. The enemy was the entire European Continent; it was too difficult for the Lobster Soldiers to challenge a multitude of foes alone.

“The Royal Navy is also ready, set to fight for the Empire at any moment. We hold the conviction of an assured victory, and the final triumph will belong to the great Britannia.

However, we cannot underestimate the enemy’s air superiority. Before the decisive battle begins, it would be best to first defeat the enemy air force, or at least keep them occupied.”

Shouting the loudest slogans, doing the most heartfelt tasks. It wasn’t that Swindon was cowardly; it was just that this war was truly challenging.

The combined naval forces of the nations in the Continental Alliance, in terms of the number of capital ships and total tonnage of the fleet, were not weaker than the Royal Navy.

Had the Opposition not been a hodgepodge of commands from different countries, the Royal Navy would hardly stand much chance of winning.

The small chance it had was negated by the enemy’s air superiority. This forced the Royal Navy to delay their arrival at the battle, wanting to wait until the last minute to reduce the risk of air raids.

“`

The Army and the Navy both had ample reasons, but the Air Force was in an awkward position, unable to shirk responsibility. One of the core factors that had worsened the situation to its current state was the inadequacy of the Air Force.

Even worse than in the original timeline, at least during World War II the British fighter planes were not inferior to German ones, and they had the United States to back them up.

Now, restricted by industrial capacity, domestically produced aircraft were a notch below in performance, and the planes produced by Americans were only fit for routine training, not for decisive combat.

The Air Force was eager to make a stand, but reality did not allow them to break out. After reluctantly saving up for several months, they had just begun to form a force but were already facing a tough battle.

The Air Force Minister Attilio, without any confidence, naturally dared not make any guarantees. After all, while they were building up their strength, the enemy was not idle.

Comparing the aviation industry capabilities of the two nations, for every fighter Britain could build, Shinra could build four or five, and with the Continental Alliance, that gap would be even wider.

As for emulating Japan in recruiting kamikaze pilots, that was a joke. It was hard enough to get a dozen people to sign up, and before they could even see battle, they were withdrawing one after another.

There was no choice; Britannia did not have a culture of sacrificing oneself for the greater good unless someone was impulsive. Upon cooling down, no one wanted to do such a suicidal job.

If they really wanted to implement it, they would have to wait for a time of crisis and then cheat the passionate youth. It would be best if they were mobilized and sent to battle immediately.

After much hesitation, Attilio firmly declared, “After several months of effort, the Air Force has accumulated three thousand fighter jets and five hundred bombers…

Once the Battle of the British Isles begins, we will do our utmost to tie down the enemy’s Air Force, creating an opportunity for the Navy.

Unless our entire force is wiped out, we will absolutely prevent the enemy Air Force from intervening in the naval battle!”

Forced into this decision, Attilio’s heart was bleeding. But now there was no alternative; if the Air Force did not step up, the enemy would land on the British Isles.

Don’t be fooled by the Army’s appearance of strength, as if it could hold the British Isles; once the fighting started, they would be of no use.

Foreign Minister Adam: “The Foreign Office has reached an agreement with the Japanese Government to bring in 200 kamikaze pilots, who are expected to arrive in London within twenty days.

At the same time, we have also communicated with various Revolutionary Parties. They have agreed to mobilize a group of passionate youths to join the war, with priority given to the Air Force to select them.

In addition, we have funded national independence movements in France, Poland, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Finland, and others. They will launch uprisings shortly.

We had also found the Hungarian Independence Organization, but unfortunately, they had lost their will to fight and dare not return to their country to lead the revolution.”

It must be admitted, John Bull’s diplomatic maneuvers were shrewd; even in a passive state, they could still stir the pot.

Fortunately, everyone present had seen their fair share of turmoil; otherwise, they might have thought it was nonsense. Importing anything was one thing, but importing kamikaze pilots was unheard of, probably a first since the beginning of time.

But upon reflection, it was not that surprising. Japan was eager to show themselves and let the Vienna Government know they were not to be trifled with, to ensure they survived the future settling of scores.

If they couldn’t impress with their national power or military combat effectiveness, the one thing that could make others wary was their willingness to risk it all.

Only by showing that the cost of sending troops a great distance was too high and out of proportion to the benefits could they dispel the Continental Alliance’s idea of settling scores after the fact.

To prove this, they had to demonstrate not just against the Spaniards in the Far East but in front of all the nations of Europe. Only by seeing it for themselves would it be a deterrent.

Just then, the British were willing to pay a high price to import “talent,” and the two hit it off at once.

…