The British are indeed contacting the French, hoping to get a batch of new du gas bombs from them and then take them to the Dutch battlefield to let the German army taste defeat. However, the French regretfully told them that the production of such things is very difficult.
Difficulty, what they used on the battlefield of the Isere River was saved after a long time, and now there is less than one ton left. Not to mention evenly given to the British, they themselves are now on tenterhooks, fearing that the Germans will attack again.
Launching an attack!
The French didn't lie. They really had less than a ton of shalin shells left. Moreover, Chief Yuan also told them that due to production capacity, it was difficult for him to guarantee when the next batch of shalin shells would be delivered.
To France.
Of course, what he said is pure nonsense. The delivery cruiser is in Sweden at this time, and it is said that unless there are special circumstances, it will stay in Gothenburg for at least half a year. As for this special situation, it must be when Emperor Yang
I feel like France should be allowed to win another battle.
The French also understand this, and they don't mind cooperating. Anyway, both the Marne River and the Alps battlefield have basically calmed down. The German army has no courage to attack again, and the French army has no ability to counterattack. Both sides have a tacit understanding of the stalemate there.
With.
The German-Austrian forces on the Italian battlefield have begun to shift their attack targets and are now launching an offensive against Genoa. It is obvious that they are preparing to concentrate their efforts on pushing Italy away. In this case, the French are happy to watch the excitement.
Although they didn't believe what the French said, the British had nothing to do. However, they still didn't think too much. After all, if France had it, it was impossible not to use it on the Marne River front. Since they didn't do this, it definitely didn't exist.
But without this new type of du gas bomb, the British army would really not be able to break through the German-Dutch Allied Forces' defense line in the Netherlands, and even Rotterdam would not be able to be truly occupied. From the landing to the present, the British army has lost two people in this city.
There are 100,000 people, and there is almost no intact building in Rotterdam. Fighting is going on every day, every moment, among the piles of ruins. This once major commercial center in Europe has completely turned into a hell.
.
However, the defense line of the German-Dutch Allied Forces did not waver at all, especially as the number of Dutch casualties increased. The Dutch's hatred of the British also increased. In order to avenge their relatives who died in the war, a large number of people who were originally mild to the British
The Dutch also began to take the initiative to join the war against the British. There were more and more frequent attacks in the British-occupied areas including The Hague and Amsterdam. At this time, the Netherlands had become a quagmire for the British.
Now the British must face a choice, whether to continue the mess of the Netherlands, or simply give up. Free an army group on the Dutch battlefield and devote it to other battlefields, especially the Italian battlefield. Although after the German army defeated the Isere River, the Italians
There is no longer any talk about switching to another school, but judging from the current situation, if you don’t do it, you will be destroyed.
The total strength of the Italian army is only 1.5 million, and there are less than 200,000 British troops. However, the Allied forces now have a total of 1.7 million troops on the Italian battlefield, but they need to face six full armies of the Allies. In addition, there are
In the previous Montenegrin Expeditionary Force of 50,000 people, the total strength of the two sides was almost the same. Considering the terrifying combat effectiveness of the Italians, the results there were not difficult to predict.
Once Italy is solved, the more than 1.5 million Allied armies will immediately be pressed into other battlefields, especially the Russian battlefield. The balance on the Eastern Front will be immediately broken. Nicholas, who was originally half-hearted, made a behind-the-scenes deal with Germany to withdraw.
War is not impossible, and then there will be the defeat of the entire Allied Powers group.
So in comparison, giving up the Netherlands would free up at most one German army group, while losing the Italian battlefield would free up at least five Allied armies. The choice between the two is not difficult to decide.
Just when the German army officially gave up its attack on France from the Alps, leaving the Fourteenth Army behind for defense, the remaining two armies turned around and headed south, meeting the two Austro-Hungarian armies that were originally on guard against the Italians and rolling over the Apennine Mountains like a steamroller.
When the three-pronged attack on Genoa, Florence and the eastern coast of Italy was launched, the British finally made a shameful but rational choice. They began to withdraw from Rotterdam, where they had been fighting for half a year, and retreat directly to the mainland. This was actually equivalent to
Their Battle of the Netherlands was a complete failure. After invading this neutral country in a despicable manner and losing four battleships and 200,000 army soldiers, the British Empire finally had no choice but to admit defeat.
This news caused a round of boos in British newspapers. Former Admiralty Churchill, who had led the Battle of the Netherlands, was once again found out and was unanimously denounced by national public opinion. Not only was his residence in London attacked by angry people, but also several
Many of the families of the fallen soldiers went to burn Churchill's portrait outside Blenheim Palace. It can be said that the entire Marlborough family was discredited.
Of course, this was just a small episode. In fact, by this time Fatty Qiu had already gone to the battlefield with shame all over his body, and went to distant Italy to prepare to defend the honor of his ancestors with his blood.
The British withdrawal from the Netherlands immediately aroused Germany's vigilance. Although there was only one group army, if they were to invest in the Italian battlefield, it would also have a serious impact on the war situation there. Although it would not defeat the Allies, it would at least make the war there
If the delay continues, in the final analysis, the total strength of the two sides in Italy is almost the same, and the Italians' combat effectiveness is even worse. With the natural dangers of the Apennine Mountains, they have a great advantage in defense.
In this case, William certainly could not let the British leave. The German army in the Netherlands immediately strengthened their offensive, but at this time their allies were unwilling to contribute. The Dutch wanted the British army to get out of the way quickly. They were originally on this battlefield.
Forced to be involved, the most prosperous city so far was turned into ruins, and more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians were killed and injured. Such a heavy price made the Dutch almost cry. Now the British want to leave, they set off firecrackers
Now that I'm ready to say goodbye, I don't want to cause any more trouble to the British.
Even the Dutch government deliberately created obstacles for the German offensive and tried to avoid further fierce fighting between the two sides. With their tacit cooperation, the main force of the British army quickly withdrew from Rotterdam, and all the British troops, including those in Amsterdam, retreated to The Hague.
Originally, the Germans wanted to use airships to bomb The Hague, but Queen Wilhelmina directly objected to William. William could not ignore her too much, so he simply canceled the plan to save her face.
However, he would not just watch the British retreat. The already impatient High Seas Fleet, under the leadership of his brother, once again fought out of Wilhelmshaven. At the same time, six battleships in the Baltic Sea also came through the Kiel Canal.
Joining this fleet, twenty-three battleships and battlecruisers marched menacingly towards the coast of the Netherlands. For the first time, the German navy confidently faced their old enemy.
After receiving the news of the departure of the High Seas Fleet, the twenty-eight battleships and battlecruisers of the British Home Fleet also came out, like a warrior defending honor, ready to face the challenger again in the ring.
During this period, the fleets of both sides have not increased in size, including those that were still under construction on the slipway. It is not that they do not want to build more, but they have no money. Both Germany and the United Kingdom have almost no money and limited resources.
The financial resources must be maintained to maintain the land battlefield, and money-burning things like battleships can only be suspended.
The commanders of the two fleets knew their missions very well. They went to sea for a decisive battle. No one on the two sides played any tricks. They collided head-on in the most direct way. In the waves of the North Sea to the west of the Frisian Islands, Britain and Germany
The ultimate showdown at sea, the largest battleship showdown in the history of war, suddenly kicked off.
The two fleets facing each other, at the moment they discovered each other, began to turn in formation just like last time, displaying terrifying broadside firepower.
The British learned the lesson from the last time this time and knew that arranging those weakly armored battle cruisers into separate formations would only turn them into targets for German fast battleships, so this time they simply incorporated them directly into the battle fleet. Although this
It was risky to do the same, but the British had no choice. After the six battleships in the Baltic Sea joined the High Seas Fleet, the numerical advantage of the British Home Fleet was already very small, twenty-eight versus twenty-three. The result was exactly all the Edward VII-class battleships.
Against six fast battleships, four British battlecruisers faced four German battlecruisers, and the remaining British battleships and battlecruisers were mixed to face the remaining German battleships, turning the British's numerical advantage into firepower advantage.
This super war has been intense from the beginning. Fifty-one giant sea beasts, arranged in two classic battle lines, plowed two approaching straight lines in the waves of the North Sea, each heading towards their own side while sailing.
The opponent poured out artillery fire crazily, and terrifying flames spurted out from the muzzles of the giant cannons. The shells weighing hundreds of kilograms roared loudly and streaked across the sea with a harsh roar, like splitting armor.
The battle ax smashed open the opponent's thick armor, and then the explosion flames and steel fragments erupted from the inside of the battleship, and the sea was like an erupting volcano.
This is a decisive battle, a decisive battle for the fate of two empires. The winner will win everything, and the loser will lose the war. For honor, for victory, for the majesty of maritime supremacy, the world's number one British Navy and the world's number two Germany
The navy uses steel, fire and blood to write their respective epics on the blue pages.
Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that at this moment, the real overlord had been born in the far east. (To be continued)