"Long live victory!" Various actions of the Soviet Union have made the current German high command very worried, and also increased their sense of crisis.
On August 7, an unprecedented number of ships began to assemble from Dunkirk in northern France. For this operation, Germany mobilized almost all canal ships, plus more ships mobilized from France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The fleet, totaling thousands of ships of various kinds, was sent to the front of the British defense line. If the Royal Air Force was still there, it would only need to bomb this place once to achieve huge results, but it is a pity that it did not. For the Battle of Britain, Germany also took huge risks. If the losses of the German fleet in this battle were too large, even the domestic canal routes would be affected.
The entire British defense now consisted of nearly a million troops. In addition to temporary mobilization and limited troops retreating from Dunkirk, there was also a Canadian division and an Australian division. Coupled with an uncomplaining New Zealand division, these troops were recruited by the British from overseas before the war. The British could have summoned more colonial armed forces to protect themselves. Unfortunately, the premature collapse of the navy made the British plan permanent. It became the plan. In addition, there is a French armed force of less than 2,000 people commanded by French Undersecretary of Defense Charles de Gaulle. Although far more French soldiers were rushed to Britain by the British, the vast majority of French soldiers chose to obey the Pétain government. Although they won't start a fight with the British, they don't want to go to war with the German landing troops for the British.
Arms including seven armored divisions of the Wehrmacht are now on standby in the assembly area in northern France. Now they only need an order from the German Emperor Wilhelm II to participate in this battle that will go down in history. Germany's main landing force will land from the shortest route through the English Channel (Strait of Dover). The main target is the southern British city of Dover, and the secondary target is Portsmouth Military Port, a military port of the British Royal Navy for centuries. If Germany's 150,000 troops gain a foothold in Dover, they will attack London directly. Shake the defense line deployed by the British. After successfully mobilizing the British defenders' defense lines, the second wave of landing troops landed at Portsmouth. As for cities such as Southampton, they were abandoned by the German high command because of their relatively long routes.
On the contrary, Dover is located at the mouth of a chalk highland gorge, 35 kilometers away from Calais, France, across the Dover Strait. For the German high command, the route here is definitely the shortest. Although the threat from the British Royal Navy has disappeared, it is still the first choice for the German Army, which pays attention to quick battles. Although the British defenders there will make a fierce return voyage, the addition of the Italian Navy and the French Navy has once again allowed the high command to use this somewhat risky route. Because William II believed that Guderian could repeat the prestige of the German armored group in the Battle of France.
Guderian's armored group concentrated 1,600 tanks from Germany's seven armored divisions. This is 40% of Germany's current armored force. Apart from the SS armored group, it is the largest in Germany. Although the number of armored forces is not as large as that of the SS, it is not as large in terms of experience. After all, General Guderian is the master of German armored force theory. This gap in commanders is not the result of the SS using the number of tanks. Can be leveled.
After the end of the French Campaign, Guderian had already felt that the landing campaign in Britain would begin sooner or later, so he had been conducting cross-sea combat exercises. As expected by Guderian, he soon received permission from the German High Command. Command, although Germany's leading people from Hit? Le changed back to William II, but his determination to conquer Britain did not change at all, and he was even more eager to conquer Britain.
Although there was only a short month left for Guderian, Guderian still tried his best to make his troops fully adapt to the sea-crossing operation. For Guderian, it was not difficult to fight a successful landing operation. , the difficulty is that after the landing operation, the German armored group will definitely face the siege of the British army several times their number. How to avoid being driven into the sea is what Guderian is considering.
Although Lin Wei has repeatedly assured that the British are not prepared now. They lack weapons and cannot even do one person and one gun. However, Guderian did not know the efficiency of the SS, so he could only deploy tactics according to the worst plan, and even prepared to sacrifice 500 tanks to protect the stability of the beachhead. It would take at least a day for Germany to completely send the second batch of landing troops to Portsmouth and form a support role for Guderian's armored group. In other words, Guderian had to fight on the small beach. Living with British troops rushing from all directions for a whole day was undoubtedly a huge test for the armored group.
On August 8, the Luftwaffe resumed its bombing of Britain again. Factories and the positions set up by the British on the seaside became the new targets of the Luftwaffe. A group of aircraft would take off from northern France every hour. Compared with the previous period, In the decisive air battle of Afghanistan, the aircraft dispatched by the Luftwaffe are no longer so huge. However, for the British who no longer have the protection of the Royal Air Force, the Luftwaffe is more terrifying now than at that time because there is no longer the air power of the British to come. Protect them.
At the same time, William II communicated with Italian Prime Minister Mussolini, French Head of State Marshal Pétain, Spanish dictator General Franco and Portugal's Salazar. Now William II is eager for more and more people to participate in the attack. The British were getting better and better, so they readily agreed to Mussolini and Marshal Pétain's request to send landing troops. William II even asked Spain and Portugal to each send some symbolic troops to land in the UK, so that the two countries could successfully fall into the water. If not to avoid irritating the nerves of the Soviets, they were afraid of what the Soviets thought Germany and Eastern European countries had decided. Covenant, William II even wanted Romania and Hungary to participate in this landing campaign. Although Germany is secretly communicating with Eastern European countries in an attempt to get Eastern European countries to help Germany attack the Soviet Union when Germany and the Soviet Union go to war.
To be fair, Germany's allies are really not that good now. Even Italy's help to Germany is not as great as that of the Eastern European national teams. You know, in the future Battle of Stalingrad, General Paulus will challenge Zhukov. Yes, it’s not just the German army. It was the Italian Army that was defeated first, allowing the German Sixth Army to be finally annihilated.
However, Germany has no choice. Something is better than nothing. In the eyes of William II, Italy is just a defeated general of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. It seems a bit unqualified to be used as cannon fodder. However, due to Mussori Nigeria could not refuse the kindness and gave Italy a quota of 100,000 troops. We also know whether the Italian army is willing to hand over its youth to the cold beaches of England.
Regardless of whether they were willing or not, a legion of 100,000 Italians came to the German-controlled area via the railway. After passing through Germany, they would eventually be stationed in northern France and participate in the second batch of landing troops. Before the departure of the Italian Army, Mussolini specially saw off the Italian Army. After saying some encouraging words in the same old tone, the Italian Army finally joined the plan of the British campaign. They were better than their own navy. My colleague arrived ten days late.
The Italian and French combined fleets docked at Kiel Port arrived at Dunkirk in France immediately after their trip to Germany. Although the Dunkirk Port was bombed beyond recognition by the German Air Force, it only took nearly two months. The restoration has now restored it to its pre-war appearance. Although the prosperity has disappeared, fortunately, the wounds of the war have finally been healed.
Some warships began sailing in the English Channel and checked the sea conditions and data in the English Channel. The meteorological department has been paying close attention to the weather changes in the channel. During the Battle of Dunkirk, the German Air Force suffered enough losses in the weather. Germany will never let go of this seemingly small loophole this time.
On August 14, William II, who was no longer ready to wait any longer, issued an order to attack tomorrow. This also marked another part of the Blue Plan, the beginning of the British Campaign. In the early morning of August 15, various ports throughout northern France There was a sea of people, and tanks entered the ferry with the roar of machines. Massive supplies were loaded onto various transport ships. Outside these huge transport ships, the Italian and French joint fleets protected the safety of these ships. Oh, I forgot, there are two German heavy cruisers among them.
The 1st to 7th Armored Divisions of the National Defense Force boarded the ship one after another. Guderian was like an energetic young man, constantly checking every detail of it, including various aspects. You can't blame Guderian for this. Nervous, after all, it was Guderian's first time to conduct this kind of battle. It was not until everyone boarded the transport fleet that Guderian was the last to board the ship, but he boarded the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.
At 8 o'clock in the morning on August 15, the entire elite force of 150,000 people was all boarded. This huge ship began to slowly leave the French land and sail towards the unknown British land. What awaited them would be A fierce battle.
When the news reached Sanssouci Palace, William II stood there for a long time and said slowly, "I wish these German soldiers good luck!"
"I wish you good luck!" Lin Wei and his wife silently blessed in the garden of Yanger Villa.
"I wish you good luck!" the Luftwaffe pilot said, looking at the armored cluster underground.
"I wish you good luck!" Because all the main battleships were seriously injured, most of the sailors could only bless their comrades on the beach.
"Good luck to you!" This action touched the hearts of all Germans, and people prayed for these soldiers in various places.