The soft sun shines on the earth, and the warm atmosphere is addicting. On the dock, the sound of the ship's boiler had already sounded, and it was another busy day.
"Tom, you know? We're at war with the Austrians."
The opening remarks of the man in gray with self-questioning and self-answering were no surprise to everyone. The work on the pier is dull and tedious, and there must be some fun to relax.
Gossip is undoubtedly the cheapest pastime. It happens that people come and go on the dock, and it is the most well-informed place, and there are many nonsense topics.
Tom rolled his eyes and put the goods in his hands on his lap: "John, are you talking nonsense
I also know that the war is not only with the Austrians, but also with the European countries. Since I started work today, the bigwigs have been talking, and my ears are not deaf.
But what does this have to do with us. Work or work, do you want to join the army? "
In Britain, there are also thresholds for "joining the army", not just being strong and clean.
In peacetime, there were only so few lobster soldiers, and there was no need for large-scale recruitment; the navy had higher requirements, and illiterate people basically did not think about it.
Now that the war has broken out, the lobster soldiers have indeed begun to expand their recruitment, but now they go in as cannon fodder.
At the same time, the entire European continent is at war. The Royal Navy does not hesitate in naval battles. Land battles are where they fight and die.
The knowledge of ordinary people may not be high, but everyone still has the most basic common sense.
"Cut!" John said disdainfully, "Tom, you know a little bit about it. When I'm a fool, join the army at this time?"
After a pause for a few seconds, seeing that Tom did not reply, John said to himself: "Don't think that the war has nothing to do with us, prices will definitely rise together with the war.
Remember, we import millions of tons of agricultural products from the Holy Roman Empire every year. Now that it has suddenly disappeared, how can such a large gap be made up
Along with the war, our trade with European countries will also be interrupted. It is estimated that there will be less work on the dock next. "
Nothing else matters. Prices are going to go up and there will be fewer people living on the dock, but it has a deep impact on everyone's hearts.
They all began to figure out how much food they could hoard; if the work on the dock was gone, what could they do next.
The more I thought about it, the more serious the problem became. For a time, everyone's faces were cloudy, and their interest in chatting was lost.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound rang out, and there was an overwhelming group of planes heading towards the sound.
Limited by technology, jet fuel is also expensive these days. It's okay to be idle, the British Air Force will never concentrate on so many fighters to play.
The workers on the port have not yet reacted, but the Royal Navy stationed not far away has noticed the problem.
I don't know who shouted "enemy attack", and then there was an overwhelming sound of explosions.
Bricks, dirt, tiles, and even human body stumps were flying in the air, and cries, shouts, and calls for help were heard endlessly.
Looking down from the sky, there are only three colors left in the whole world: the azure blue of the sea, the gray black that is splashing everywhere, and the dazzling bright red mixed with it.
The scene in front of him made the on-duty Major General Winston pale in shock. After he reacted, he immediately ordered: "Quick, order everyone to board, set sail, and leave the port!"
Organizing air defense
This is the Port of Liverpool, located in the northwest of England, hundreds of kilometers from the closest point to mainland Europe.
No one had thought in advance that this place would be bombed by air. Even when it comes to preparing for air defense, London is doing it.
However, the smog in the winter saved London, and Liverpool, a port city considered safe, was hammered by the Shinra Air Force.
No way, who made them happen to be within the bombing coverage of the Shinra Air Force? If it is further away, such as Aberdeen in Scotland, it will be avoided because of the distance.
If it is only a short distance, then Hastings and Margate in the Strait of Dover are less than 100 kilometers away from the European continent, and it seems that they should be bombed.
Unfortunately, both Hastings and Margate are small rural places, not so much a city as a larger town, that are not worth targeting at all.
In contrast, Liverpool is different. Perhaps in the future, London is the dominant one. This port city is very inconspicuous; but now it is the core city of Britain, second only to London in importance.
As the commercial center of Britain, it is the second largest commercial port in the country, and its foreign trade volume accounts for 14% of the country's total trade volume. The output ranks first in Britain, and the import is second only to London.
In addition to commercial prosperity, it is also the manufacturing center of Britain, especially the shipbuilding industry, which ranks among the top three in the world.
However, this city of heavy industry is also one of the main stations of the Royal Navy. So many conditions have come together, and today's tragedy has been brewed.
Air defense is impossible to count on. It is simply unrealistic to want to deal with the overwhelming bomber group with only a few anti-aircraft artillery and a few anti-aircraft machine guns.
Warships can run outside, and as long as they move, their survivability will be greatly increased, but the docks and ports cannot escape and can only stay in place as targets.
The telegram calling for help had already flown out. Now Major General Winston can only pray for God's blessing: the enemy's head is not enough to cause great damage to the port and shipyard.
Deep down in his heart, Winston had already greeted all the defenders and bureaucrats in the cities along the way.
Hundreds of enemy planes crossed the border without even issuing an early warning, which is clearly dereliction of duty.
In fact, Major General Winston was wrong. The warning was issued, but it was sent to London, not Liverpool.
In the era of no radar, everyone in air defense could only see with the naked eye, or listen with the ears.
When the enemy plane was found, the enemy was already overhead. Not everyone is a strategist who can tell the enemy's strategic goals at a glance from the direction.
When an enemy plane is detected, and an early warning is issued after confirmation, the bureaucrats also need reaction time.
In addition to the time of reporting, waiting for the London government to make a decision, the time consumed will not be faster than the enemy aircraft.
If Major General Winston was willing to wait patiently, he might receive a telegram warning of enemy attack in a little while.
Of course, this time may not be received, because at the same time that Liverpool was attacked by air, London was also reduced to a battlefield.
Although the presence of smog is not conducive to launching air strikes; the political significance of bombing London is of great importance, and whether it can achieve victory is the second priority.
As the capital of the British Empire, London's air defense force is naturally not without defense that Liverpool can compare.
The air defense sirens had been whining long ago, and with the explosion of bombs and the roar of artillery, the entire city was plunged into chaos.
The impact of the smog is two-way. The Shinra Air Force cannot accurately locate the target below, so it simply fights for character.
Throwing bombs down at super high altitudes, what is blown up is what counts, and the outcome of the battle depends on God's will.
Those in the sky cannot see the ground, and those below cannot see the sky either. The British anti-aircraft artillery and machine guns were also firing indiscriminately.
It is estimated that the results obtained may not necessarily be that after the bomb explodes, the shrapnel will fall and cause great losses to oneself.
But not shooting is not enough, everyone needs comfort in their hearts. What's more, only when the shells are fired can they prove that they are in air defense.
For the sake of life, the British government has been forced to move into the air-raid shelter. Originally Prime Minister Campbell refused, but the enemy bombed too fiercely, and a shell just fell on the government office building.
Fortunately, the quality of the building is excellent, only the top is damaged, and there is no overall collapse.
Probably the capitalists knew where this was and didn't cut corners, otherwise the British government would be wiped out.
Of course, the biggest credit is the smog. Due to the low visibility, it was impossible to prepare to aim at the target below. The Shinra fighters participating in the bombing were equipped with ammunition that focused on the killing range, and had limited lethality to individual targets.
After one catastrophe has been avoided, no one can guarantee that they will be able to escape the next catastrophe. In the face of the cruel reality, you have to move if you don't move.
It's definitely not because of fear, it's mainly to ensure the smoothness of the British Empire's command system, everyone has to sacrifice personal...
Entering the safe area with a dismal face, Campbell's mood was naturally not much better. He glanced at the Minister of Air Force and asked sharply, "Where is our Air Force, why hasn't it been launched to intercept?"
In the face of the Prime Minister's questioning, Air Force Minister Attilio explained helplessly: "The fog in London is too heavy, the airport in the city has long been closed, and our air force can only be transferred to the airport in a nearby city.
The combat order was issued as soon as the air strike occurred. Our fighter jets have begun to take off and are on their way. "
There is no way, London's winter is such a pit. Under the thick fog, the plane flew out without any problem, but it was embarrassing when it landed.
Even an experienced pilot would not be able to accurately find an airport and land in a world with less than 50 meters of visibility.
As a last resort, the Air Force can only put the airport in the surrounding cities. In normal times there is no problem, but in wartime it is troublesome.
Whether it is to issue an order or take off to come over, it takes time. Being able to reach the battlefield within an hour is highly efficient.
Every minute on the battlefield is precious, let alone an hour. For such a long time, the enemy has completed a round of bombing and running away.
Mainly still inexperienced and lack of a sound early warning mechanism. However, as for the ghost weather in London, in the era of no radar, it is really not difficult to get an early warning.
In the original time and space, the airships of the Germans were able to plunder the sky over London, not to mention the planes now.
Although the actual lethality is not large, the mental damage caused is huge! After such a tossing down, it is estimated that the confidence of London citizens in the war is about to fall to the bottom.
Prime Minister Campbell said cautiously: "Order the Air Force to deal a head-on blow to the enemy at all costs. Let the Austrians know that London is not a place where they can come and go when they want!"
…
The potential was forced out. Under the command of the military, the British Air Force broke out with unparalleled potential, completed the launch in the shortest time, and rushed to London at the fastest speed.
The 3rd Air Regiment, led by Colonel James, was one of the best. As a representative of the British Air Force, it was the first to arrive over London.
However, what greeted him was not flowers, let alone applause, but an enemy plane coming towards him.
There was no other way, the order of the military was too urgent, and there was no time to assemble, so they rushed to London.
The 3rd Air Force Regiment, which was the closest and the fastest in response, was tragic. After arriving on the battlefield, there are all enemy planes as far as the eye can see.
"Fake!"
After scolding, Colonel James hurriedly ordered a retreat. There are often ten enemies, but the fighters that can fight one against ten have not yet been born.
At least the Third Air Force Regiment led by James does not have such strength. It's no shame to win or run, anyway, the fog in London is big enough, and the people below don't know what's going on in the sky.
It's a pity that it's all too late, and it takes time for the fighter to turn around in high-speed flight. After such a short time, the enemy's fighter plane was already approaching.
Seeing that nothing could be done, Colonel James immediately ordered: "The enemy's fighter planes are faster than us, and they can't run away. Prepare to fight!"
The confrontation began. Almost every British fighter plane was besieged by two to three Austrian planes. The scene was tragic.
The whistling bullet rubbed past his ears, and Colonel James, who took his life from the god of death, saw that there were two fewer fighters in the team before he could breathe a sigh of relief.
Immediately afterwards, two violent explosions were heard below. The power of a plane hitting a building is not comparable to that of an ordinary bomb.
It is estimated that this should be the two most powerful blows since the air raid. Whether there is a victory or not depends on the will of God.
Ignoring the worries of the compatriots below, Colonel James can only hope that his teammates will come sooner, otherwise his Third Air Force Regiment will be cold.
The second round of confrontation has already begun. There are more enemy fighter planes participating in the siege, and the teammates have not yet appeared. Colonel James is already full of despair.
At the critical moment, the miracle did not appear. The absolute strength gap cannot be made up by luck, not to mention that Colonel James' 3rd Air Force has bad luck.
As long as there is a trace of favor from God, they will not be the first to arrive and fall into the siege of the enemy.
After struggling for three rounds, in the fourth round, Colonel James's 3rd Air Force Regiment had only the last two fighters left.
If you look closely, you will find that these two fighter planes are already full of bullet marks. The ability to persist until now is entirely due to their excellent professional quality and escaped fatal injuries.
At this moment, the shadow of his teammates finally appeared in the sky, but Colonel James was only depressed.
"Another one to die!"
Although he knew that he should not think so, the true thoughts in his heart were not controlled by his personal will.