Chapter 22 Time, Time!

Due to the British fighter planes that had been escorting them earlier being mostly engaged by Galand and his comrades, the British bomber group, after completing their bombing run and turning north, found themselves unprotected. Under the brilliant sunlight, they were exposed, forced to rely solely on the defensive armaments aboard their planes for counterattacks. Unfortunately, whether it was the German Ju-88s, He-111s, Do-17s, or the British Warwicks, Blenheims, or Wellingtons, all suffered from weak self-defense firepower and poor resilience in the face of attacks. Faced with well-equipped and agile enemy fighters, they were usually on the receiving end of the battle.

Descending from high altitude like hungry wolves spotting a flock of sheep, the Messerschmitt squadrons paid no heed to the possibility of friendly fire from ground anti-aircraft weapons. Seeing this, von Kessel quickly ordered a ceasefire, and gradually the gunfire subsided. With the British bombs also expended, the cacophony of explosions gave way to a relative calm.

Compared to the hysterical blasts, the humming of engines as the planes soared through the air seemed surprisingly gentle and soothing. Especially as the British planes fell one after another, the area around the airfield erupted in cheers!

In less than five minutes, the Messerschmitt squadrons shot down twelve British bombers, twice the number previously downed by the ground anti-aircraft units in the same timeframe. Interestingly, the German pilots seemed to prefer targeting the larger aircraft. According to Logan's observations, most of the downed British bombers were twin-engine Blenheims or Wellingtons.

If not for the last-minute arrival of the British fighter planes to provide cover, Logan estimated that at least half of the British bomber group would have been shot down. Combined with the seven or eight fighters lost earlier, the Royal Air Force would have suffered significant losses, especially with those British pilots parachuting downwind to the south of the airfield.

With a nervous excitement, Logan lit up two cigarettes, finally watching as Adolf Galland's Bf-109E, adorned with fourteen victory markings, gracefully touched down — given the pockmarked runway, he had to select a relatively smooth patch of grass nearby. Fortunately, aircraft from the propeller era weren't too picky about landing sites, especially these lightweight fighters weighing only two and a half tons!

Before the propellers had fully stopped spinning, Galland couldn't wait to climb out of the cockpit.

"Ha, the great hero, how many did you bag this time?"

Every time he saw Galland's distinctive little mustache, Logan couldn't help but think of Chaplin; indeed, the two bore a striking resemblance in facial features and expressions. Of course, the comedy master had fame before him; however, it wouldn't be surprising if Galland had imitated him a bit...

Proudly, Galland raised three fingers. "I can already see my cigars waving at me!"

"Still too early!" Logan shook his hand as they greeted each other. "How does it feel?"

"Fantastic! Refreshing! Wonderful!" Galland rattled off three "exhilarating" descriptions in a row.

"The best part is not having to worry about fuel, right?" Logan said with pride. If Galland had to fly back after coming from the French coast, he probably would have had to turn back halfway through the battle. Now, with the unsinkable aircraft carrier of Whiteland, his loitering time had been extended by at least half an hour!

As the retreating British aircraft regrouped north of the Sorento Strait, the incoming German fighter squadrons didn't pursue too far, leaving only seven or eight to patrol the airspace while the rest descended around the airfield. The bombed runway seemed unsuitable for further takeoffs and landings, highlighting the Königsberg-52's strong capabilities in this regard. Furthermore, in addition to bringing aviation fuel, machine guns, and aircraft ammunition, this batch also included the vanguard engineering units of the Fuhrer's Guard Flag Regiment. Next, it was time for these people to work their magic!

(There's something called rapid-setting concrete, or fast-setting concrete, which existed during World War II, hehehe.)

Having endured the first wave of intense British air raids, the German paratroopers landing on Whiteland considered it a solid stepping stone toward victory. Launching an attack on an island located in the territorial waters of the British mainland through a joint operation of land, sea, and air before the large-scale cross-sea landing operation had even started was already "extremely insane" in itself, and the entire process was bound to be fraught with difficulties and obstacles! In a "democratic country" like Britain or the United States, such a plan might not even have been approved. In this regard, Logan might have to thank the little mustache for giving him the opportunity to showcase his talents...

"Time above all else!" This was the motto Logan had written on the cover of his action plan.

Without waiting for more transport planes to airlift additional combat troops, the young colonel in command deployed a new offensive action: splitting the airborne units assembled near Newport Airport into two groups. One company, under the command of Steinfelberg, assisted General Göering's corps in defending the airfield and providing support to the follow-up troops, while the remaining four hundred or so men boldly stormed toward Newport Harbor, four kilometers away. This port, located in the central-northern part of Whiteland, was connected to the open sea by the seven-kilometer-long Medena River, with harbors on both the east and west sides, known as East Coas and Coas, respectively, separated by the narrow Sorento Strait from important ports such as Portsmouth and Southampton on the opposite shore!

As Logan had hoped, the two lightly camouflaged Panzer IV tanks had successfully evaded the British air raids, making this German paratrooper unit the most unique in history. Although their numbers were insufficient to have a strategic impact, like having angels among them, they not only boosted the morale of their own troops but also served as an effective psychological deterrent to the enemy.

The German paratroopers quickly reached the Newport urban area and launched their attack. When the British deserters, armed with pistols, rifles, and light machine guns, and local patrolmen saw the German's pride, their steel tanks rumbling towards them, resistance became meaningless: the battle, which lasted no more than the time it took to smoke a cigarette, saw almost no casualties for the German paratroopers, who successfully occupied the city, originally home to nearly 20,000 residents — although it might be a small fishing port compared to cities like Berlin, Hamburg, or London, it was indeed a famous tourist destination on Whiteland and served as the administrative center of the island.

Of course, government officials tend to retreat much faster than civilians. When Logan's paratroopers stormed the government institutions, all they found were scattered papers.

Counting the prisoners, 62 British soldiers and officers were all among those who had previously retreated from the airfield. There were also 113 local patrolmen and 31 police officers, looking disheveled and holding their weapons, which, when compared to the well-equipped German paratroopers, were simply no match.