Chapter 46: Imperial Wealth

Inspired by the naval artillery, the British army, which had been silent for a day, finally reappeared on the outskirts of Cardiff. If it were only the ragtag British militia who had come to attack the previous night, Logan and his soldiers wouldn't need to worry. After a day of fortification, the trenches had been mostly connected into lines, with some important sections fortified with secondary defenses and artillery emplacements. Moreover, in terms of manpower, with the arrival of the 36th Division commanded by Lindemann and part of the 17th Armored Division by boat, their numbers had been greatly bolstered.

The 36th Division of the Wehrmacht was a standard Type 39 Infantry Division, completed military training and organization in the fall of 1936 in the Kaiserslautern area. It comprised the 70th Infantry Regiment (IR-70), 87th Infantry Regiment (IR-87), 118th Infantry Regiment (IR-118), and the 36th Artillery Regiment (AR-36), with a full strength of 17,734 personnel. However, due to the nature of the amphibious operation, horses and most heavy vehicles did not accompany them, resulting in an actual landing force of 16,000 personnel, but the majority were experienced veterans!

As for the forces from the 17th Armored Division, it was not even the size of an armored regiment. The division belonged to the third batch of armored units formed by the Wehrmacht in 1940. Although their combat experience was not comparable to the older armored units, they were equipped with newer tanks such as the Panzer III, Panzer IV, and StuG III assault guns. During the amphibious operation, they were all under the unified command of General Lindemann.

Having suffered a great loss the previous night, this time the British Army finally deployed a large number of active-duty troops to join the attack, and even brought in a significant number of field guns. After a barrage of artillery fire, thousands of British infantry launched an assault with the support of over a dozen tanks. However, their unimaginative tactics were crushed by the coordinated assault of German tanks, infantry guns, and machine guns. The tragedy at Le Pété Beach was replayed in the northern outskirts of Cardiff, and the secondary militia units of the British Army never participated in the attack from beginning to end; their role seemed to be nothing more than waving flags from a distance...

"General, why don't we use the armored units as the spearhead, with some infantry following closely behind, and launch a fierce counterattack against the British? I guarantee that not only can we defeat the remaining British forces, but we can also capture their artillery positions!"

The one volunteering for action was Colonel Werner Fürst, who belonged to the 17th Armored Division. He was a middle-aged officer of average height but solid build. Under his direct command was a so-called Special Armored Regiment composed of a tank battalion and an armored infantry battalion, equipped with a total of 56 tanks, 20 assault guns, 85 armored vehicles, 120 trucks, and several artillery pieces, with a total strength of over 2,100 personnel.

Being called "General," Logan was still somewhat uncomfortable. He didn't rush to agree or disagree; instead, he asked, "Colonel, do you know what the British lack and what they don't lack?"

The eager Defense Force officer, though somewhat puzzled, struggled to think as he spoke, "They lack tanks but not soldiers; they lack aircraft but not pilots, uh... they probably also lack firearms and ammunition!"

"Hey, what you're saying is all correct, but you're missing the point!" Logan called his aide and had a dirty-looking bottle brought over, then explained:

"This is a Molotov cocktail, filled with gasoline! And there's a weapon called a flamethrower; the German army used them extensively back in 1917!"

"This..." The Colonel seemed to have a realization as he looked at the so-called Molotov cocktail.

Logan himself didn't touch the bottle covered in mud and oil stains; instead, he said, "The British lack nothing, especially not oil. Would you believe me if I said their oil reserves on their soil surpass those of all other countries on the European continent combined?"

The British not only control the world's largest oil fields in the Persian Gulf but also sustain the largest fleet in history, so their oil reserves are naturally substantial.

"Uh... I think that's about right!" The Colonel's voice had naturally dropped a notch.

"Most of the refineries in Scotland are still operating normally, so every British militia member can get their hands on several of these simple Molotov cocktails. As long as our tank units are surrounded, I guarantee, Colonel, your tanks will become roaring bonfires within minutes!"

The Colonel seemed to visualize the terrifying scene before him and sighed, "Sorry, Commander, my previous suggestion was indeed shortsighted!"

Logan looked kindly at the Defense Force officer several years his senior, "It's okay! As long as we hold our ground, their fire tactics will be completely ineffective!"

"I understand!" The Colonel nodded vigorously and then took his leave to return to his troops.

"Your considerations are indeed thorough and far-reaching!" After the Colonel left, Lindemann, who had remained silent throughout the process, spoke up. He had apparently approved of Logan's temporary command over these army units.

"These are just based on analysis of the intelligence we've obtained!" Logan turned to face the 56-year-old Army Lieutenant General. "The reason we're attacking Britain is largely because this island harbors strategic resources, which aren't naturally occurring. England's centuries of strength stem from centuries of scavenging resources from around the world! You see, just the commercial oil reserves in various ports around Britain are enough to sustain us for three years, and the shipyards here can build two German fleets within five years. There are countless other unquantifiable resources and wealth here! Being able to invade such a treasure trove, I dare say, will make us the most promising aggressors in the world!"

"But will the British leave all of this intact for us?"

Lindemann questioned.

Logan shook his head gently. "No one who's been robbed willingly hands over their wealth to the robber; they're simply compelled... So, we don't actually need to completely annihilate the British army. Just defeating them, like we did with France... forcing them to surrender and pay hefty war reparations, that's all we need to achieve our goals!"

After a moment of silence, Lindemann sighed deeply. "I apologize, General Logan. Before this, I mistakenly thought you attained this enviable position solely through your close relationship with the Fuhrer. Now it's clear your capabilities fully justify your position, and perhaps... you could go even further!"

"Thank you!" Logan responded with a humble smile but refrained from adding unnecessary words like "Many people have such thoughts" or "No need to apologize."

Both men lit cigarettes and listened to the distant and sporadic sounds of gunfire. For a while, the British fleet's artillery seemed only a few hundred meters away from their positions. Clearly, the unsuccessful attackers coordinated their navy via radio. Unfortunately, when the artillery fire is too distant, even the best artillery commanders and excellent gunners cannot compensate for inherent technical deficiencies – that was 1940.

Tossing his cigarette butt, Logan glanced at his watch. The British fleet had been shelling for an hour and ten minutes, firing at a rate of almost one round every minute. Their ammunition should be running low.

"Alright, it's about time we counterattack! Lieutenant Lant!"

"Yes, sir!" The naval lieutenant had been standing no more than twenty meters away from Logan, fulfilling his duties as a liaison officer.

This time, there was no need to consult Lindemann's opinion. Logan directly ordered, "Inform the seaplane squadron to launch an attack on the British fleet in 10 minutes according to the drill!"

"Yes, sir!" Lieutenant Lant was evidently familiar with this "drill." In the Baltic Sea, the German naval aviation had "sunk" the Bismarck and the Gneisenau using this method several times. The pilots had also practiced nighttime raids multiple times.

Five minutes later, the British fleet unexpectedly ceased fire as if obedient puppies. As the world suddenly quieted down, faint rumbling sounds were faintly heard.

At this moment, about ten kilometers east of Cardiff, on the sea, seaplanes adorned with grey Iron Cross insignias had already started their engines. Under the cover of night, the propellers spun rapidly, leaving vague circles in people's eyes.

The first to lift off the surface through long-distance gliding were two elongated single-wing seaplanes resembling large Venetian yachts. They had boat-shaped fuselages with two large engines arranged side by side above the cockpit. There was a semi-circular turret at the nose and another at the rear of the fuselage. In short, various strange configurations were combined on the same aircraft. What was even more remarkable was that before the outbreak of war, this type of seaplane, codenamed the Do-26, was tasked with transatlantic mail delivery. Its maximum range reached an astounding 7100 kilometers, and its top speed of 324 kilometers per hour made the triple-engine "Auntie Ju" feel ashamed...

After the two "super mailmen" took off, the lurking twin-engine and triple-engine seaplanes began to taxi. Those equipped with floats had round torpedoes attached under their bellies, while those with boat-shaped fuselages could only carry bombs on their wings or in their fuselage.

One major advantage of seaplane takeoffs and landings was the lack of need for airport runways. On the vast and relatively calm sea surface, more than thirty aircraft taking off at the same time seemed orderly. After leaving the water, they slightly formed up and flew in groups of three to five towards the mouth of the Bristol Channel.

On the pitch-black sea surface, where visibility was almost zero, suddenly, two bright spots suspended under parachutes pierced through the world's darkness with dazzling light. Eleven gray silhouettes of ships appeared in front of the German naval pilots. Three of them were the largest in size, with their main guns all pointing towards Cardiff Harbor, while the eight accompanying vessels were arranged on both sides. Due to the limited number, they could not completely protect the core ships. As for the British aircraft carrier Eagle and five other escort vessels mentioned in the intelligence report, they were nowhere to be seen – such nighttime shelling naturally wouldn't be of much use to them!

"Let's go, brothers! These are genuine British warships!"

In the communication channel of the flying formation, the commander's voice sounded hungry and eager. Indeed, in the frequent training exercises in the North Sea, they had "sunk" battleships too many times. If all were actual achievements, it would even be enough to earn them a dozen top-tier medals. When a real opportunity presented itself, how could those hungry for glory not be excited?

At the edge of the illuminated area of the flares, six agile vessels quietly slipped through the blockade line at the mouth of the Bristol Channel and headed towards the British fleet busy with anti-aircraft fire. Obviously, the northbound British fleet had noticed the situation here when their carrier-based aircraft flew over Cardiff during the day, so they never dared to cross the "minefield."