Chapter 1039 This is the first domino to fall
Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
The logistics personnel and reserve officers and soldiers who stayed at the port were anxiously waiting for news from the front. They gathered in groups of three or four to discuss:
"That's the British Royal Navy. Even if its main force was transferred to the Atlantic and couldn't return in time, their North Sea Fleet is still as powerful as ours."
"Yes, more importantly, they have rich combat experience, and warships with faster speeds can always occupy advantageous positions."
"It's still difficult for us to win under these circumstances. I can't imagine what's waiting for us."
…
The officers and soldiers were filled with worry. They were afraid that after this battle all the good situation Germany had now would disappear, and would be replaced by huge reparations, various humiliations and essentially unequal treaties.
At this moment, a signalman suddenly rushed out from the second-floor command center, his voice hoarse from excessive excitement:
"We won, we won!"
He ran down the stairs quickly, but when he jumped with the last few steps, he lost his balance and fell flat on his face.
But he didn't care, even though when he got up from the ground, the corners of his mouth were bleeding and his teeth were stained red, looking a little scary: "We won, we defeated the British fleet, and we occupied the port of Lerwick!"
Everyone couldn't believe it and surrounded him with a loud "whoosh":
"What? We captured Lerwick Harbour?"
"Are you serious? We won?"
"You mean Lerwick in Shetland? What about the British fleet? How much did our fleet lose?"
…
The signalman answered loudly, his eyes full of pride:
"Of course it's true, absolutely true. We just received the telegram."
"Our fleet suffered only negligible losses; seven torpedo boats were sunk, and the Bayern and Baden were slightly damaged."
"The British fleet was completely defeated. We sank at least five of their battleships, 12 cruisers and destroyers!"
…
The officers and soldiers were in an uproar.
Most of them believed that the German High Seas Fleet and the British North Sea Fleet were evenly matched, and even if some thought that the German army could win, it would be a narrow victory.
I didn't expect the result to be such a huge victory.
After a moment of shock, everyone burst into cheers and ran around to tell each other.
…
The news soon reached Berlin, and Prime Minister Ebert of the Provisional Government breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the call.
He has secured his position as Prime Minister.
Not only is it stable, but there is also a high possibility that he will become a hero for "saving Germany from dire straits."
But of course, Albert knew that all this was the result of cooperation with Charles.
From now on, Germany must follow Charles' lead. Albert is determined on this point: Charles is the future of Germany, everything else is empty!
…
Paris, France.
Due to military secrets, almost no one knew that the German High Seas Fleet was engaged in a decisive battle with the British Fleet in the North Sea. They were also worried that the huge fleet organized by Charles was blocked east of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Inside the Hotel Crillon, representatives from various countries were divided into two factions.
The countries in the Mediterranean region gathered together to discuss the operation of the coal and iron trade, which had been completely implemented with the victory of the French Toulon fleet in the Mediterranean.
Although Greece is still fighting against the British troops trapped on its territory, it has actively promoted the sharing of coal and iron trade rights.
Representatives of these countries believe that the Mediterranean has nothing to do with the outside world.
The king here is undoubtedly France. Even if France is blocked in the Mediterranean by the British Royal Navy and cannot leave, there will be no problem for them to respect France.
Countries outside the Mediterranean are somewhat worried.
The Dutch representatives, in particular, thought they were happy too early. If the French fleet was trapped in the Mediterranean and unable to move, and the Netherlands was right across from Britain, how could they face the "wrath" of the British Royal Navy?
The Belgian representatives remained resolute. They comforted the Dutch representatives: "Don't worry, France has the most powerful army. Although you don't share a border with France, Belgium can use it as a passage for the French army to reinforce the Netherlands."
But this still could not reassure the Dutch representatives.
What if the Royal Fleet didn't land?
What if their warships blockaded or even bombed the Netherlands from the sea?
Although the survival of the Netherlands is not a problem, its economy and trade will soon be in trouble!
…
There are also various unfavorable remarks circulating among the people:
"That's the Strait of Gibraltar. Even though we have aircraft carriers capable of launching fighter jets, it's still difficult to pass through safely."
"Yes, aircraft carriers are not suitable for sailing in narrow seas. This is not Ciel's fault."
"This is due to previous decision-making errors. The Minister of the Navy and the parliamentarians always favored the port of Toulon instead of Brest, which led to this situation."
…
In the office of the Minister of War at Paris City Hall, Gallieni frowned as he looked at the map.
He understood what the citizens were talking about. This was indeed a problem left over from the past, and the Brest Shipyard was even at risk of being closed down at one point.
The previous French regime was too short-sighted. They always felt that they could not compete with Britain at sea, so they concentrated their main development efforts on the port of Toulon.
But the problem already exists, and this is the fact that we have to face now.
We cannot say that the problems left behind can be left unresolved.
Although Charles has now developed France to the point where it can easily defeat a squadron of the British Royal Navy, it still faces the risk of being blockaded in two special directions: the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar.
How to solve it?
The little guy seemed a little anxious. He gathered all the ships, including the warships that had just been captured and had not yet formed combat effectiveness, and bet them on the Strait of Gibraltar.
"Hold on," Gallieni muttered to himself.
"The Strait of Gibraltar is not a place that can be built up by sheer numbers."
"If you're not careful, your aircraft carrier might capsize in this ditch!"
The staff ran back and forth, constantly collecting intelligence from the front line, including the British fleet's attack on the port of Brest.
Everything is interconnected. Once the port of Brest is lost, it means that the British army can blockade the Strait of Gibraltar with all its strength.
At this time, Lieutenant Colonel Fernando, who was guarding the phone, asked in disbelief:
"What? What did you say? The British fleet retreated?"
"Why retreat?"
"Because of the German fleet? Are you sure?"
Lieutenant Colonel Fernando kept his mouth open for a long time and stared blankly at Gallieni.
When Gallieni heard these words, he didn't think there was anything strange about them at first, but then he thought about it and looked back at Lieutenant Colonel Fernando in shock.
He seemed to understand that he had been deceived by Charles again.
There is no need to attack the Strait of Gibraltar in this battle.
The French Navy doesn't even need to take action; someone else will do it.
From the outset, Charles had planned for the German High Seas Fleet to launch an all-out attack on the British North Sea.
This is the first domino to fall!
(End of this chapter)
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