The Rise of the Empire

Chapter 1965: disaster

As for the transport fleet? When Marshal Haig saw a long loss on the list and a pile of zero loss of personnel and supplies behind him, he was almost in shock! A total of 58 various ships were destroyed in today's attack, with a total tonnage of more than 300,000 tons! You know, in history, the British were only ten million tons of civilian ships before the war. Now, the total tonnage of ships still flying the British Empire flag in the whole world is less than 7 million tons. In World War I, 300,000 tons were thrown away directly...

"If this continues, even if we do it twice, we may not be able to guarantee the material needs of the Expeditionary Force! The blood vessels of the British Expeditionary Force are in danger of being severed!" Marshal Haig wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister so pessimistically. Tao.

   As for the loss of materials and personnel? Now, even the British Prime Minister dare not announce the loss of this air strike in Parliament. Nearly 25,000 British soldiers have been killed or no longer suitable for military missions. The loss of the crew is as high as more than 3000 people. And the long list of materials lost is even more terrifying. I don’t want to mention the worthless things such as coal mines and iron ore exceeding 100,000 tons. The artillery over 25 pounds was thrown away by the British in this battle. More than 200 doors! As for the 12-pound to 18-pound artillery, there are more than 300 guns, plus tens of thousands of firearms and tens of thousands of tons of munitions, food and other supplies. By the way, there are hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles newly produced by the Birmingham Arsenal, as well as thousands of vehicles, tractors, and motorcycles!

   "I am very disappointed with the performance of this aviation power." When Trenchard met Marshal Haig, the latter's face was very ugly.

"Marshal Haig, I am also disappointed with the performance of the aviation team, but we have tried our best. I really didn't expect the Germans to be so powerful when they concentrated their strength in one place." Trenchard's face Said grimly, helplessness and deep fear appeared in the words.

"Marshal Haig, if possible, I hope that in the future our supplies to France can land in Normandy or even on the west coast of France, and then be transported through the French rail network. Now the front line is very dangerous, and my air fleet cannot stop Germany. People's indiscriminate bombing of sea targets in the Dover Strait." Trenchard said.

   "Although what you said is the most reasonable, it is very difficult to actually operate now." Haig said with a sigh. Theoretically speaking, if the materials are transported in ports in western France, it can indeed avoid most of the attacks of the Luftwaffe. After all, the main force of the Luftwaffe is still K6 bombers. If it can be transported beyond the combat radius of K6 bombers If so, the Luftwaffe's strike strength will naturally drop a lot, and even where the K8 bomber can theoretically reach, in fact, due to the long range, the bomb load will drop a lot.

   But the problem is that if materials land from western France, then it will be a lot of pressure on the French railway transportation system. This is not only the consumption and equipment of millions of troops, but the most important thing is the pressure of the transportation of bulk materials. Not to mention, the transportation of 20 million tons of coal each year has brought considerable damage to the current railway network in France. Pressure, now, because of the war, the transportation capacity of French railways is only about 45% of the pre-war transportation capacity! A lot of France's military industry is concentrated in the north, close to the English Channel. If you land in the west and then ship to the north, the pressure is really great.

"I will coordinate with the French authorities on this matter. Let's not talk about the losses in this battle and your responsibilities. I know that you have done your best. Then, now, tell me, you think we will still be in this war. Can you continue?" Haig asked.

"When the Bavarian Army appeared on the Western Front, we could no longer win this war. We are just looking for a step down. As long as the battlefield situation improves slightly, we can negotiate with the Germans." Lunchard said.

   "Really? I really hope that, but the question is, what if the Germans disagree?" Haig said this in a very low voice. Even Trenchard next to him couldn't hear it clearly. As a soldier, he felt that the negotiation this time might not be so easy from the military point of view. Trenchard and even the imperial parliament far away in London might have thought too simple about this matter. Haig has seen the darkness of the distant future, and now, he needs to return to London immediately to discuss the future of Britain with the Prime Minister, right, now! tonight!

   And just as Haig was preparing to board a warship to return to London this evening, Prime Minister Asquith and Secretary of State Lloyd George and Chamberlain discussed the battle of the Strait of Dover that took place today.

"The British Empire has never been so dark as it is today. On this day we have lost too many supplies and the confidence that the ship has defeated the enemy~lightnovelpub.net~ I am now wondering whether our choice to stick to is correct? We are It’s not supposed to have peace talks with the Germans earlier.” Prime Minister Asquith said with a decadent expression.

"Maybe it is a good choice to end the war as soon as possible, but we missed the opportunity. Now, we are not facing the Kaiser nor the parliament, but Crown Prince Ruprecht, who is quite unfriendly to us. "Lloyd George said.

As the top political elite in the UK, Lloyd George has a very deep understanding of the main political figures in Germany, such as William II. Although this guy has promoted hatred of the UK in China, he has also been opposed in various public occasions. Britain speaks badly. However, in the view of Lloyd George, the Kaiser is just a figure who is strong outside. He has a reckless performance in national strategy, but also a very conservative side. The Kaiser was terrified of Britain. It can be seen from some of his historical actions, so even if he has an advantage, the Kaiser will consider accepting it when he sees it. Because the Kaiser did not challenge the last fuse of the British Empire-the courage and wisdom of the Royal Navy.

   Therefore, if the German Emperor controls the power, if the British are willing to lower their stance and give up some of their benefits, then the German Emperor may also be able to accept peace talks. After all, if the Kaiser dared not use the high seas fleet to challenge the Royal Navy, then Germany would never pose a fatal threat to Britain. If the war cannot completely overwhelm its opponents, then it is inevitable to accept it if it is good. Britain can use very small interests, for example, a few infertile land in Africa can stop the Germans!

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