Along with the commanders of the two navies came the main fleets of the French and Italian navies. Like Marshal Redl, the commander of the Italian naval fleet, Admiral Decoltan, and the commander-in-chief of the French navy, Admiral Darlan, also knew that the British The George V-class battleships currently being built in the country have advanced capabilities. Although the three countries are currently in an alliance, no one is willing to take a step back when it comes to matters related to national interests. Dividing the battleships under construction in the British Navy will greatly improve the naval strength of each of the three countries. After all, except for Germany, the latest battleships of France and Italy have not all been completed. France has three "Richelieu" class fast battleships of the same class as the Bismarck class: "Richelieu", "Jean Bart", " Clemenceau", only the Richelieu is close to completion, and now the French Navy has to rely on two Dunkirk-class battlecruisers: "Dunkirk" and "Strasbourg" to decorate the facade .
Compared with the French Navy, the situation of the Italian Navy is only slightly better. Only two of the new Veneto-class battleships have landed on the slipway. Among them, the second Littorio has only been launched for a month and has not yet formed enough combat effectiveness. Admiral Decoltan, the commander of the Italian Navy Fleet, also hopes to obtain several British battleships to enrich the strength of the Italian Navy, so he attaches great importance to the issue of dividing British battleships.
But Marshal Raeder also has a reason not to retreat. The German Navy can only reluctantly send two heavy cruisers to fight. The strength of the German Navy has become very disproportionate to Germany's current power. Compared with the German Army and the German Air Force, In terms of world status, even if the German Navy is not ignored by the United States and Japan, it is not much different. This is no longer the era of the High Seas Fleet more than 20 years ago, and precisely because the German Navy was once glorious, Redel wants the German Navy to rise again.
In terms of national strength, Germany is undoubtedly much stronger than France and Italy, but Redel cannot overly force the commander of the Italian naval fleet, Admiral Decortan, and the commander-in-chief of the French navy, Admiral Darlan, to let them They made concessions. After all, it was no longer the colonial era, and France and Italy were far from being small countries that could be bullied at will. Therefore, Marshal Redl still focused on persuasion, and pointed out that the current situation of the German Navy was not good, and he wanted to use both soft and hard tactics to gain benefits for Germany. Benefit.
No one was willing to give in. The naval commanders-in-chief of the three countries argued in Berlin for several days, and finally came up with a feasible plan. Admiral Decoltan, the commander of the Italian naval fleet, would get the three countries' support in Gibraltar. The British battleships that were captured and sunk in Gibraltar during the war will be compensated by a British Nelson-class battleship after the occupation of Britain. The French Navy will receive another Nelson-class battleship, as well as a George V-class battleship. To compensate the French Navy, Germany will help France build the unfinished Richelieu-class battleship. The remaining four Georg V-class battleships will be owned by Germany.
After the talks, the three parties began to finalize the plan to land in the UK. There were a total of three landing routes. The shortest route is the Z route, which only takes 2 and a half hours, but it is within the range of British shore-based artillery and cannot be used; the second is the shorter X route, but it is almost completely blocked by British minefields and requires It will take at least a week to clear these roadblocks; then the only option is route Y. Route Y starts from Dunkirk, bypasses the mine buoys in Kwent, turns southwest, and finally reaches the port of Oost. The whole journey takes nearly 6 hours.
"Landing must take the shortest distance. I believe that with the help of the Italian and French navies, we will soon be able to eliminate the threat of British artillery!" Marshal Redl said solemnly, "Because the German navy suffered heavy losses in the naval battle , this landing operation can only be completed by the navies of the two countries. The German navy can only dispatch two heavy cruisers to help. I will witness this with the two commanders on a newly launched Zeppelin aircraft carrier. Such a historic moment!”
"This is also our glory!" Admiral Darlan and Admiral Kortan stood up together and said. Germany finally got help from other countries and landed in Britain. If we talk about the High Seas Fleet period, Germany did not need help from other countries at all, because apart from the British Ocean Fleet, the most powerful navy in the world was the German High Seas Fleet. But no matter what Marshal Redl thinks now, Admiral Darlan and Admiral Kortan are obviously full of excitement about the landing operation, especially the target of the landing is the United Kingdom, which has the world's largest navy for hundreds of years. when.
The German military port of Kiel has been in a rather deserted state since the High Seas Fleet was towed away by the British. Although the Bismarck-class battleships and Scharnhorst-class battlecruisers entered service, Kiel Port has been re-opened. It has the appearance of a military port, but compared to the High Seas Fleet in its heyday, the current Third Reich Navy is still a bit shabby. But now, the Port of Kiel has once again reappeared the grand occasion of the High Seas Fleet. Of course, it would be better if those warships replaced the French flag or the Italian flag with the German flag.
The residents of Kiel Port welcomed two powerful fleets from other countries, although they were still not as powerful as the powerful navies of the United States and Japan after the fall of Britain. However, such a navy is already a super powerful naval force in Europe. Who said that after the destruction of the German High Seas Fleet, there would be no strong naval force in Europe except Britain. Since the British Navy was jointly strangled by the German Navy and Air Force, the world's main maritime power has completely disappeared from Europe. Compared with the navies of the United States and Japan, if the European navies want to compete with them, at least two of the three countries of Germany, France and Italy need to join forces.
After losing the Mediterranean Fleet, the British Royal Navy has completely dropped from the first in the world to the current sixth in the world. The three countries with the strongest navies in Europe are the Italian navy, which is third in the world, and the French navy, which is fourth in the world and has similar strength. The fifth largest German Navy in the world. The British Navy can only bully the Soviet Red Navy in Europe now. All the British feel extremely sorry for their navy, but the Germans do not see it that way. In their view, this is just the current German navy avenging the High Seas Fleet.
Currently, there are three French "Cobat"-class dreadnoughts docked in Kiel Port: "Cobat", "Ocean", and "Paris", and three "Provence"-class super-dreadnoughts: "Provence" and "Brittany". , "Lorraine", these six battleships are very old and are no longer suitable for combat. But now the British Navy is the weakest in history. There are only two Nelson-class battleships protecting its homeland, and the age of those two Nelson-class battleships is not as young as France's six battleships. That's why Admiral Darlan dispatched these six already outdated warships.
The latest French warships in the port are two "Dunkirk" class battlecruisers: "Dunkirk" and "Strasbourg". What's funny is that the Dunkirk class battleship was originally It was built with the German Navy and Italian Navy as imaginary enemies, but had to confront its original ally, the British. The Dunkirk-class protective armor is designed to withstand the 280mm caliber artillery attack of the German Navy's pocket battleships. The side armor of the hull is tilted, focusing on the ability of the hull to resist torpedoes below the waterline, and strengthening horizontal armor defense from aerial aircraft. Bomb-throwing attack. In 1934, after Italy announced that it would build a new battleship, France approved the construction of a second Dunkirk-class battleship. Strasbourg, the second ship of the same class, has strengthened the defensive armor on the sides, main gun turret and upper ammunition compartment.
In addition to these battleships, the French Navy also dispatched 2 Duquesne-class heavy cruisers, 2 Suffren-class heavy cruisers, and 7 heavy cruisers and some light cruisers. Although the Italian Navy had two fewer battleships than the French Navy, Mussolini kept two old Count Cavour-class battleships: Cavour and Giulio Caesar in Italy and sent out There are two Caio Dulio-class battleships: Caio Dulio and Andrea Doria. However, two Veneto-class battleships that Italy had just launched were sent over. It can be said that Italy's naval strength is slightly higher than that of the French navy. This is mainly because France has seriously delayed its naval expansion plan.
In the early days of World War II, few countries completed their pre-war armament plans. Even the German Navy, which had been preparing, did not fully complete its shipbuilding plan. This was mainly due to Hitt? Le saw that other countries were not prepared, but the German Army had completed preparations and suddenly launched war. This is why many countries have to postpone their armament plans. So now Germany, France and Italy, their shipyards are still building warships for their navies.
In addition to the Caio Durio-class battleships and the new Veneto-class battleships, the Italian fleet also includes 6 heavy cruisers and 11 light cruisers. It can be said that after Admiral Cortan saw the shock in the eyes of Admiral Cortan, the commander-in-chief of the French Navy, he felt relieved in his heart.
The Italian Navy and the French Navy are clearly docked on both sides of Kiel Port. Both sides have regarded each other as imaginary enemies for many years, and it is obviously impossible to change them all at once.
Since the battleship Tirpitz was sent for ship overhaul, Reinhard & von Loyankram have been bored and lazy in the port of Kiel. If they fight, Reinhard & von Loyan will Klamm now even doubted whether he was crazy. Not only him, but Rear Admiral Ernst Lindemann, the captain of the Bismarck, also observed the repair status of his battleship every day. After learning that at least three to six months of overhaul would be needed, Ernst Lindemann The rear admiral couldn't help wailing, because he knew that he would definitely not be able to land in England in time.
Sure enough, the French naval fleet and the Italian naval fleet were stationed in the Port of Kiel at this time. The military port that was originally exclusive to Germany now has the posture of being converted into an international port. Seeing two huge foreign fleets staying in the German military port, Rear Admiral Ernst Lindemann couldn't help shouting, "Oh my God, this is the Germans' place! Where is our navy?"
"It's undergoing major repairs!" Reinhardt von Lohenkramm also said helplessly. If the two people had always been proud enough of the naval battle that severely damaged the British Navy, now they felt a little complicated. The news of the landing in Britain had spread throughout the world. Of course the two of them knew that the German navy currently dispatched only two heavy cruisers, and they also knew that. So when I saw the French fleet and the Italian fleet docked here, I knew what was going on. Germany led the operation to land in Britain, but could not send out a fleet to escort them, which really embarrassed the two of them.
On August 3, Guderian, who was conducting landing training in northern France, received an order from William II, "The landing operation may start at any time. I hope you can make all preparations!" On the same day, the Air Force dispatched a large number of troops, but this time it was not to go Instead of bombing cities and airfields, they bombed British defensive positions, while patrolling the large number of small ships that still existed in Britain to monitor their movements. With the cooperation of Italy and France, Germany dispatched two destroyers and some minesweepers to survey the sea areas where the British might mine mines.
At this time, British leaders, including Churchill, discovered that the intelligence agents who had been able to provide Britain with accurate intelligence seemed to disappear overnight. This was Vice Admiral Kalinas, the director of the Military Intelligence Agency affiliated with the National Defense Forces, who made a sudden move to arrest the British agents lurking around him. According to the agreement with Lin Wei, all these people were handed over to Heydrich. However, it is no longer a secret that Germany will conduct military operations. Churchill has been able to confirm from many aspects that Germany will definitely carry out a landing plan within a month. To this end, Churchill ordered nearly half a million British troops to be deployed on the coast where Germany might land.
Every move of the British army was clearly observed by the Luftwaffe's reconnaissance planes. After losing the Royal Air Force, the British could only watch the Luftwaffe conduct reconnaissance without scruples above their heads. But there is nothing he can do. For all the British military and civilians, except for the English Channel, from weapons to troops, from morale to combat experience. None of the British are at a disadvantage, and now they can only rely on the natural dangers of the English Channel to protect themselves. However, some British leaders have realized that the English Channel is nothing more than a psychological line of defense. With the advancement of science and technology, the original natural barriers of the English Channel are no longer enough to protect themselves.
On August 6, William II suddenly issued an order, ordering the 150,000 landing troops led by Guderian to prepare within a week, and called in Admiral Redl. The latest landing time should not exceed August 15 day. After Marshal Raeder explained the difficulties, William II was unmoved and just asked Admiral Raeder to overcome the difficulties.
Why is William II so eager to land in the UK? This is mainly because William II hopes to solve the British problem as soon as possible so that he can free up his hands to solve the Soviet Union. William II did this because of the worrying news coming from the three Baltic countries. The Soviet Union has already begun to annex three small countries.
Relations between Germany and the Soviet Union were all friendly on the surface. At every new action or war Germany took, Molotov, representing Stalin, never missed an opportunity to praise and flatter the Germans. When Germany invaded Norway and Denmark on April 9, 1940, Molotov immediately told the German Ambassador to Moscow von der Schulenburg that morning that "the Soviet government understands the measures Germany was forced to take." "We wish Germany complete success in the defensive measures it takes," Molotov said.
A month later, when the German ambassador visited Molotov to formally inform him of the attack by German troops in the West (Ribbentrop had instructed his ambassador to explain that such an attack "had been forced upon Germany" , because Britain and France are about to advance to the Ruhr via Belgium and the Netherlands"), the Soviet politician once again expressed his happiness. Schulenburg telegraphed to Berlin: "Molotov accepted this notice in a spirit of understanding and said that he recognized that Germany must protect itself from British and French attacks. He has no doubt that we will win." In fact, both sides know that the other's assurances are nothing more than farts.
As early as June 14, the day the German troops entered Paris, the Soviet government had issued an ultimatum to Lithuania within nine hours for a reply, demanding that its government resign, arrest some of its key officials, and ask for the right to send as many Red Army troops as it wished. Send as many Red Army troops as you want. Although the Lithuanian government accepted the ultimatum, Moscow considered its acceptance "unsatisfactory." The next day, June 15, Soviet troops occupied the country—the only Baltic state bordering Germany. Over the next two days, the Soviet Union issued the same ultimatum to Latvia and Estonia, both of which were then occupied by the Red Army.
On these matters, could Stalin be equal to Hitt? Newspapers that were as ruthless as Lewes were suppressed, party leaders were arrested, and all political parties except the Communists were outlawed. The Russians held "elections" in these three countries on July. In this way, the "elected"
After the national parliaments approved the annexation of their countries to the Soviet Union, the Russian Supreme Soviet "accepted" them to the motherland: Lithuania was admitted on August 3, Latvia on August 5, and Estonia on August 6.
After William II learned the news, he summoned his generals to Sanssouci Palace to discuss the current Soviet problems. After knowing William II's concerns, Lin Wei immediately said, "Your Majesty, the elite armored forces of the National Defense Forces are carrying out the British During the battle, in order to prevent the Soviet Union from attacking us while we are relaxed, I can order five SS divisions except the Military Police Division and the Northern Division to station in Poland, so that the Soviets will not dare to act rashly!"
"Very good!" William II ordered loudly, "The British problem must be solved as soon as possible! We don't have time to waste with the British. I hope to see the kind of performance of the German army in the Battle of France, the kind of victory that was determined in one week. Performance!"