Chapter 649: Lifeline at Sea

Hasselt City Government, where Albert I was directing the placement of prisoners and the construction of defense lines during this period.

Charles' armored corps is more suitable as a mobile force. In principle, they should wait for infiltration in the second line instead of building trenches in the first line and confronting the enemy.

Therefore, as soon as the war stabilized, the defense line was immediately handed over to Albert I.

At this time, Albert I was deeply buried in a pile of documents, and the problem of supplying materials to the prisoners was what was giving him a headache recently.

In the Battle of Antwerp, Charles captured more than 100,000 German soldiers, and Hasselt captured more than 200,000 more. Together with the prisoners captured in normal times, there were more than 500,000 prisoners stranded in Belgium.

This was a considerable burden for Belgium, which was in a wartime state and short of supplies.

In particular, a considerable number of these prisoners were prisoners that Charles had promised to "treat well".

"I think the British should share some of the pressure." Albert I frowned and complained: "They control the routes and supplies, but they don't care about the supplies needed by the prisoners."

"I have raised this request with Marshal Kitchener." Major General Eden replied helplessly: "But the Marshal thinks that we can organize the prisoners to work and let them support themselves."

"That's easy to say." Albert I snorted coldly: "It's wartime now. Our own food can't even feed the soldiers on the front line, not to mention that the harvest of crops cannot be achieved in a short time."

These guys, if they don't plan to provide supplies, I will release the prisoners back to Germany.

At this time, the staff sent a telegram: "Your Majesty, a telegram from Antwerp. I heard that Charles commanded the aviation regiment and the French Navy to win a victory in the North Sea."

"Really?" Albert I responded casually.

He thought it was just a small victory, after all, it was the French navy.

The British Royal Navy couldn’t do anything to the German Navy, so what achievements could the French Navy make?

However, he took the telegram and glanced at it. His eyes widened instantly. Then he looked up at the staff officer in surprise: "Are you sure this is true? Seven German warships were sunk, including a battlecruiser?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the staff officer replied, "I have sent someone to verify this with General Charles."

"Then..." Albert I still couldn't believe it: "How much did the French fleet lose?"

If the Frankish fleet had suffered greater losses, it could not be called a "victory."

"I heard that only three warships were damaged." The staff officer replied: "One cruiser was seriously damaged, and two destroyers were slightly damaged."

Albert I was stunned for a long time without reacting.

"No, this is impossible." Major General Eden couldn't believe it either. He stepped forward, took the telegram and looked at it, but it was true.

"How did Charles do it?" Albert I asked in amazement.

He knew that naval warfare was different from land warfare. Naval warfare tactics were usually very simple. Apart from the "T"-shaped formation that could bring out the firepower of the fleet, it was a head-on collision of armor and artillery.

Therefore, Albert I could not understand why this result happened, even though it was Charles who commanded the battle.

"It was Charles' bomber." The staff officer gave the answer: "He used bombers with torpedoes to attack the German battlecruisers from the air. The Germans were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses."

Albert I and Major General Eden looked at each other.

Actually brought a torpedo into the air?

As expected, it’s Charles!

Suddenly, Albert I burst into laughter: "I knew he could do it, and he did it. The facts prove that my choice was correct, General, absolutely right!"

Eden was puzzled: "Your Majesty, it's just a naval battle. Charles has won many victories, and this is just one of them."

"This is a naval battle, General, this is a naval battle!" Albert I grabbed Rear Admiral Eden's shoulders and shook them hard, as if trying to wake him up: "Do you know what victory in a naval battle means? Do you know what the appearance of this bomber carrying torpedoes means?"

Major General Eden was confused. Coming from the army, he was more concerned about the Belgian territory and did not quite understand the importance of the ocean.

"Look at this." Albert I excitedly pulled the map over and placed it in front of Major General Eden, pointing at the English Channel and saying, "The entire Belgian coastline is blocked in the English Channel. Major General, have you not thought of anything?"

After looking at the map and thinking for a while, Major General Eden seemed to understand.

"Your Majesty means," Major General Eden said hesitantly, "that we are always subject to the control of the British Royal Navy?"

"Yes." Albert I nodded:

"We have decided to fully support the Shire, but the Shire has some irreconcilable conflicts with the UK, including conflicts between us and the British."

"Before this, I was always worried about the threat from the sea."

"Although we have fortresses and the defense system built by the Charr, these defense systems can only defend against attacks from land, but cannot withstand threats from the sea."

Major General Eden, staring at the map, agreed: "Yes, Antwerp's last way out is even the sea escape route. Once blocked by enemy warships, our fortress will be a target under the battleships' cannons."

"In addition, there are material supplies." Albert I added: "And foreign trade."

"Of course." Major General Eden nodded.

Foreign trade is the economic foundation of Belgium. Its development model is to import large amounts of raw materials from abroad, process them and then export them to all parts of the world. More than 50% of its industrial output needs to be exported by sea.

Therefore, sea routes are tantamount to Belgium's lifeline.

"It's different now." Albert I laughed heartily: "Charles brought torpedoes to the sky and set up an airport in Antwerp..."

Albert I pointed his finger at the location of Antwerp on the map and drew a circle to demonstrate the control range of the bomber.

Major General Eden suddenly realized.

In the near future, it will no longer be Britain that will control the sea power of the English Channel, but France, or more precisely, Charles.

Originally, Albert I was a little wary of Britain. He was worried that once Britain was willing to put the world's best navy on the Belgian coastline, Belgium, a small country with no strategic depth, would collapse in an instant.

Even if it is not a military blockade, Belgium cannot afford an economic blockade.

But now, Albert I no longer has this last bit of fear.

In the future, the English Channel will belong to Charles, and Britain’s powerful navy may not even be able to enter the channel.

It is better to cling to Charles's thigh than to have to look at the faces of Britain, France and Germany, or even be caught in the middle and be in a dilemma!

Albert I was in a good mood for a moment: "Prepare the car, we will go to Antwerp immediately!"

(End of this chapter)