Holy Roman Empire

As the commercial center of Britain, it also serves as the second largest commercial port in the country, and its foreign trade volume accounts for 1/4 of the country's total trade volume.The export ranks first in Britain, and the import is second only to London.

In addition to its prosperous business, it is also the manufacturing center of Britain, especially the shipbuilding industry, which ranks among the top three in the world.

However, this heavy industrial city is also one of the main stations of the Royal Navy.So many conditions came together to brew today's tragedy.

Air defense is hopeless, and it is simply unrealistic to deal with the overwhelming bomber fleet with just a few anti-aircraft artillery and a few anti-aircraft machine guns.

Warships can run outside, as long as they move, their survivability will be greatly increased, but the docks and ports cannot escape, so they can only stay where they are as targets.

The telegram asking for help has already flown out.Now Major General Winston can only pray for God's blessing: the enemy's accuracy is not enough, and he did not cause major 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 passed through 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 when there was no radar, everyone in air defense could only see with the naked eye, or listen with their ears.

When the enemy plane was found, the enemy had already reached the top of the head.Not everyone is a strategist who can judge the enemy's strategic goals at a glance from the direction.

The bureaucrats also need reaction time when an enemy plane is found and an early warning is issued after confirmation.

In addition to the time for reporting layer by layer, waiting for the London government to make a decision will consume no faster time than enemy aircraft.

If Major General Winston was willing to wait patiently, he might receive an enemy attack warning telegram after a while.

Of course, it may not be received this time, because at the same time that Liverpool was attacked by air, London was also reduced to a battlefield.

Although the existence of smog is not conducive to launching air strikes; the bombing of London is of great political significance, and whether it can achieve results is secondary.

As the capital of the British Empire, London's air defense force is naturally not unmatched by Liverpool.

The air defense siren had long been sounding, and with the explosion of bombs and the roar of artillery, the whole city fell 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.

Bombs are dropped at super high altitudes, whatever is blown up is nothing, the result depends entirely on God's will.

Those in the sky cannot see the earth clearly, and those below cannot see the sky clearly either.The British anti-aircraft artillery and machine guns were also firing indiscriminately.

Estimating the results obtained, it is not necessarily that after the bomb exploded, the shrapnel fell and caused great losses to oneself.

But if you don’t shoot, you can’t do it. Everyone needs to be comforted.What's more, only when the shells are fired can you prove that you are in air defense.

For the sake of life, the British government has been forced to move into an air-raid shelter.Originally, Prime Minister Campbell refused, but the enemy bombed so fiercely that a shell happened to land on the government office building.

Fortunately, the quality of the building is excellent, only the roof was damaged, and the overall collapse did not occur.

Probably the capitalists knew what this place was and did not cut corners, otherwise the British government would be wiped out.

Of course, the biggest contributor is the smog.Because of the low visibility, it was impossible to accurately aim at the target below. The Shinra fighters participating in the bombing were all equipped with ammunition that focused on the killing range, and their damage to single targets was limited.

Having escaped one catastrophe, no one can guarantee that they will escape the next catastrophe.In the face of cruel reality, if you don't move, you have to move.

It's definitely not because of fear. It's mainly to ensure the smooth operation of the command system of the British Empire. Everyone has to sacrifice their personal...

After entering the safety zone in disgrace, Campbell was naturally in a bad mood. He glanced at the Minister of the Air Force and asked sharply, "Where is our air force? Why hasn't it launched to intercept it?"

Facing the Prime Minister's questioning, Air Force Minister Atilio explained helplessly: "The fog in London is too heavy, the airport in the city has been closed long ago, 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 planes have already started to take off and are on their way. "

There is no way, the winter in London is such a pit.Under the thick fog, the plane flew out without any problem, but it was embarrassing when it landed.

No matter how experienced a pilot is, there is no way to accurately find an airport to land in a world where the visibility is less than 50 meters.

As a last resort, the Air Force can only put the airport in the surrounding cities.There is no problem in normal times, but it is troublesome in wartime.

Whether it is giving an order or taking off to rush over, it takes time.Being able to reach the battlefield within an hour is high efficiency.

Every minute on the battlefield is precious, let alone an hour.After such a long time, the enemy has completed a round of bombing and fled.

The main reason is lack of experience and lack of perfect early warning mechanism.But as far as the ghost weather in London is concerned, in the age without radar, it is really not that difficult to get an early warning.

The airships of the Germans in the original time and space were able to plunder over London, not to mention changing to airplanes now.

Although the actual lethality is not great, it brings great mental damage!After such a wave of tossing, it is estimated that the confidence of the citizens of London in the war may fall to the bottom.

Prime Minister Campbell said cautiously: "Order the air force to give the enemy a head-on blow at all costs. Let the Austrians know that London is not a place where they can come or leave whenever they want!"

……

The potential is all forced out. Under the command of the military department, the British Air Force exploded with unparalleled potential, completed the lift-off in the shortest time, and rushed to London at the fastest speed.

The Third Air Force Regiment led by Colonel James is one of the best. As a representative of the British Air Force, it was the first to arrive in the sky over London.

However, what greeted him was not flowers, let alone applause, but enemy planes rushing towards him.

There was no way, the order from the military department was too urgent, and there was no time to assemble, so they rushed to London in a swarm.

The third air force, which was closest and quickest to respond, was a tragedy.After arriving on the battlefield, it was full of enemy planes as far as the eye could see.

"Fake!"

After scolding, Colonel James hurriedly ordered to retreat.There are often ten enemies, but a fighter that can fight against ten has not yet been born.

At least the Third Air Force led by James does not have such strength.It’s not embarrassing to run away if you can’t win. Anyway, the fog in London is thick 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. It takes time for a fighter plane to turn around while flying at high speed.After such a short time, the enemy's fighter plane has already approached.

Seeing that there is nothing to do, Colonel James immediately ordered: "The enemy's fighters are faster than ours, and they can't run away. Get ready to fight!"

The confrontation began, and almost every British fighter plane was besieged by two to three Austrian planes. The scene was a tragic one.

The howling bullets rubbed past his ears. Colonel James, who had saved his life from death, saw that two fighter planes were missing from the team before he could breathe a sigh of relief.

Immediately afterwards, two violent explosions were heard from below.The power of a plane hitting a building is not comparable to ordinary bombs.

It is estimated that these should be the two most powerful strikes since the air strike.Whether or not the results of the battle have been achieved depends on God's will.

Regardless of the worries of the compatriots below, Colonel James can only hope that his teammates will come sooner, otherwise his Third Air Force will be cold.

The second round of confrontation has already begun. There are more enemy fighters participating in the siege, but the teammates have not yet appeared. Colonel James is already full of despair.

At the critical moment, the miracle did not appear.The absolute gap in strength cannot be made up by luck, not to mention the fact that Colonel James' Third Air Force Regiment itself is not lucky.

But as long as God has a little favor, 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 Third Air Force had only the last two fighters left.

If you observe carefully, you will find that the shells of these two fighters are already full of bullet marks.Being able to persist until now is entirely due to their excellent professional quality and escaped fatal injuries.

At this moment, the shadows of his teammates finally appeared in the sky, but Colonel James only felt depressed in his heart.

"Another one to die!"

Although he knew that he shouldn't think like this, the real thoughts in his heart were not controlled by his will.

Chapter 134 A Heavy Loss

There is a first time for everything. As the first air battle in the true sense of human history, the British paid an expensive tuition fee based on their strength.

Refueling tactics are only suitable for specific occasions.Playing like this in air combat is obviously giving away heads.

It is a pity that Britain has never had any experience in air combat.After the attack, the British government's first reaction was to dispatch the air force to intercept it, without considering the issue of assembly at all.

Because of the different distances and different reaction speeds, the British fighter planes that took off from various airports finally arrived at the front line in batches.

The air battle is still going on, and after paying a heavy price, the British Air Force on the field finally assembled three-digit fighters.Although still at a disadvantage, the battle is no longer one-sided.

The Shinra Air Force participating in the battle has changed. Due to the limited flight time, the previous batch of fighters have returned to the flight for rest after completing their missions.

Unlike the first wave, which was dominated by bombers, almost all of the Shinra fighters in the sky are fighter jets.

If you put it in the future, everyone will know at a glance that today's bombing is over, and now it is directed at the main force of the British Air Force.

Anyway, we can't fight a decisive battle now, the most important thing now is to preserve our vitality.Even if you really want to go all out, you have to change to a battlefield that is more beneficial to you.

Below is London, and every plane crash is a giant bomb, more lethal than any bomb in the world today.

To put it bluntly, the damage caused by the bombing to London is less than one-tenth of the damage caused by the plane crash in the air battle.

Obviously, the British government caught in it couldn't think of so much. At this moment, they only have one idea, which is to gather more fighters, keep the enemy behind, and wash away today's shame.

As for the "loss" caused by this, the big shots who are full of anger can't care so much.

The anxious battle makes people feel irritable.If the air battle does not stop for a moment, everyone can only stay in the air-raid shelter.

The order in London is getting out of control. Although the cabinet government has repeatedly ordered to appease the people, it is still too embarrassing for bureaucrats to work under enemy fire.

When such a big thing happens, someone always needs to be held accountable for it.The battle in the sky is not over yet, and senior officials of the British government have begun to think about the aftermath.

"Your Excellency, something is wrong!"

The secretary's voice interrupted everyone's thoughts.Prime Minister Campbell frowned, and hurriedly asked, "Has our air force been defeated?"

The flames of war have reached London, and things have long been bad.If there was worse news, it must be that the air force was defeated in the air battle.

The enemy is the world's most powerful air force. As a qualified politician, it is natural to plan for the worst in advance.

The defeat of the Air Force is the worst outcome that everyone expects right now, not one of them.

"no!"

After the habitual answer, the secretary quickly explained: "The battle in the sky is still going on, although the losses are a bit heavy, but our fighter planes are coming in a steady stream, and it is only a matter of time before we expel the enemy.

The news just came from the Port of Liverpool that there was also an enemy air attack there, and the defenders requested to send fighter planes for support. "

Hearing that "the air battle is still going on", Prime Minister Campbell's nervousness eased a little, and then he became nervous again.

Against the backdrop of the dominance of the Royal Navy, the British Air Force is only slightly better than the Army.The British government, which has never experienced air battles, never expected this scene to happen today.

If it weren't for the fact that the Holy Roman Empire spent a lot of money on the air force, "in line with the idea that what the enemy has, I also want to have it", there would be no air force at all.

It started late, but the domestic manufacturing industry fell behind in the second industrial revolution. The air force that followed suit is naturally not as good as the Shinra Air Force.

If it weren't for the advantage of local combat, air combat would have failed long ago.The current situation is not much better. The fighter planes participating in the battle did not escape because they could not escape at all.

The overall performance of the aircraft can't keep up. After close contact, they can't get rid of the enemy at all, so they can only bite the bullet and smash.

It just so happened that the military department issued another death order, and the people below didn't understand the situation in the sky at all, they just thought that the air force was fighting bravely.

These problems do not affect Campbell to make a decision now.London and Liverpool were attacked at the same time, and the British Air Force was unable to take care of both battlefields at the same time. It was self-evident which one to take care of first.

After a little thought, Prime Minister Campbell said in an artistic tone: "Tell the Liverpool defenders to organize their own air defense first, and the reinforcements will arrive in the shortest time."

What is the "shortest time" is another unsolved mystery in human history, and no one has ever figured it out.

But it happens to apply to the present situation in Britain.If you don't give enough confidence to the people below, maybe those guys who are in a panic may forget to organize resistance.

Although the resistance is difficult to be effective under the limited anti-aircraft firepower, it is better to do it than to do nothing.Even if it only shoots down one enemy fighter plane, that is still a record.

After sending his secretary away, Prime Minister Campbell thought about it.The Prime Minister personally directed the military battle, and it seems that he has gone astray.

Not every British prime minister is Mr. Churchill, keen to participate in military command, at least Campbell has no interest in commanding the army to fight.

Unlike any previous war, this war now requires the joint and coordinated operations of the army, navy and air force.

The first time you encounter anything, it is synonymous with trouble.This time is no exception. In addition to military command, political balance must also be considered.

It can be said that apart from letting Edward VII himself go up, anyone who serves as the commander of the army, navy and air force will attract criticism.

The problem is that Edward VII, as the king, even if he is the real king, is at best a name, and it is impossible to personally coordinate the joint operations of the three armies.

If it is a downwind battle, it will be fine if you can make political achievements. It is estimated that Edward VII has already jumped out and took over the command of the three armies.

It is a pity that the war has just begun, and Britain ushered in the darkest day, which deeply damaged everyone's confidence in winning the war.

Without certainty, the shrewd Edward VII would naturally not take the lead.Anyway, the cabinet is in charge of the daily work, and if something goes wrong now, it is also the cabinet's fault, and it is still the kind that cannot be shaken off.

Aware of the seriousness of the problem, Prime Minister Campbell immediately decided to speed up the construction of the command system.After all, war is better left to professionals.

……

Port of Liverpool, when the order of the London government arrived, the bombing of the sky ended.

Major General Winston, who watched the telegram, was heartbroken.Perhaps because of conscience, or to shirk responsibility, the news of the air defense warning finally came.

It came later than the London government's order to organize resistance on the spot.Apart from greeting all the relatives of the relevant bureaucrats in the bottom of his heart, Major General Winston can't do it now.

People's reaction speed is already very fast. According to the normal procedure, it will take at least a week to go through the process alone, and it may be delayed for half a year if it is slower.

Acting in accordance with procedures is the consistent code of conduct for British civil servants, free from any moral and legal criticism.

Although the bombing was over, the big names in Liverpool Port still did not show up.Perhaps because they were too busy with work, or perhaps because they were too impartial, important officials from both military and political circles signaled their subordinates to report to Major General Winston.