Chapter 45: To Learn Divine Skills, One Must Endure Beatings

Before nightfall, under the command of German Navy Colonel Erich Bey, 232 vessels of various sizes sat in the mouth of the Bristol Bay, along with over 800 French anchor mines and 96 German acoustic mines delivered by the landing fleet, completing the astonishing "Bristol Blockade Line". Its existence meant that British warships could only approach to within 10 kilometers of the port of Cardiff, still within range of naval guns, but for the German airborne and landing forces lacking heavy artillery and fortified strongholds, it acted as an invisible maritime barrier!

Returning like tired birds to their nests, after a day's patrol outside the blockade line, the German light cruiser "Emden" slowly entered the harbor with two torpedo boats. Originally prepared for a showdown with British ships, the German sailors were somewhat relieved: the British fleet that ventured into the English Channel had suffered heavy losses, but even without counting the still-intact battleship "Malaya", the remaining ships could still muster a formidable light fleet. If they dared to charge through the thin minefield laid by the Germans at the western entrance of the English Channel, they could ensure the breakout of more than a dozen warships, leaving only a dead end for these German warships and landing fleets. Unfortunately, the British had lost their last courage in the German minefield; when two destroyers, one hit a mine and sank while the other was bombed by the German Air Force, the remaining ships continued to shrink back into seemingly well-defended harbors such as Weymouth and Poole—precisely what the German Air Force bomber pilots had been ordered to avoid attacking!

After passing through the blockade line, the "Emden" did not enter the port of Cardiff but continued northward with its two companions to rendezvous with the destroyer "Karl Galster", which had been on guard duty outside Newport Harbor. Newport, although only 20 kilometers from Cardiff, was busy with German troops digging trenches and building fortifications all day long.

Around 9 pm, the formidable "H Fleet" finally appeared at the mouth of the Bristol Bay. Its lineup included the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships "Revenge" and "Valiant", the Renown-class battlecruiser "Renown", and the only aircraft carrier in the Royal Navy converted from a battleship, the "Eagle".

"Revenge" was not seeking revenge, "Valiant" was full of courage, and "Renown" was eager to restore its prestige. In the darkness, the three powerful British warships slowly raised their bulky gun barrels, and the calm harbor lay before them. Yet, those who had lived here for generations were all subjects of the British Empire.

James Somerville, one of the most distinctive and characterful commanders in the Royal Navy, who had gained fame for successfully implementing the "Hood" operation aimed at undermining the main French fleet more than two months earlier, was an expert in wireless communication, decisive in character, and somewhat arbitrary. However, amid the immense crisis facing Britain, the admiral issued the order to open fire at 9:21 pm.

22 15-inch (380mm) caliber heavy guns roared in succession in just over a dozen seconds, and the entire Bristol Bay almost trembled. Huge shells whistled across the sea and mercilessly fell on the harbor and docks of the Welsh capital, as if the entire arsenal had been ignited. Centuries-old buildings collapsed in the explosion storm, and bridges made of stone or steel, long or short, wide or narrow, almost all met the same fate with a slight "touch" of the shells.

The "authority" of British battleships, Logan had already experienced in Monck's time, and that scene was unforgettable for him. However, he never expected to experience such a test again more than two months later—having experienced bombing in Monck and on the Isle of Wight, he led the headquarters and logistics personnel to evacuate from the port to the trenches on the outskirts of the city early. The German army and air force officers had dug trenches and bunkers according to the standards of the First World War (when trench warfare on the Western Front often involved hundreds of heavy guns bombarding each other). Listening to the distant sound of gunfire from the harbor, people felt nervous and relieved: if they had stayed on the dock at this moment, would they still have a chance to survive?

Not only were German soldiers, but even British residents were "mobilized" away from the docks in the evening. After all, in Germany's strategy, heavy occupation of Britain would be more trouble than it's worth. Therefore, it was imperative to avoid events such as certain tragedies that would provoke strong resistance among the British population. Under this strategy, the German Air Force had always maintained a very cautious attitude towards bombing London—bombing was strictly limited to obvious military targets, and pilots were instructed not to let a bomb fall into non-military areas of the city without prior authorization!

Whether London could pass through the war unscathed like Paris was still too early to say. Through the periscope in the trench, Logan occasionally observed the sinking Cardiff harbor: illuminated by the flames, the billowing smoke made it difficult to discern the source, let alone the apex!

Faced with such a staggering scene, the sense of awe deeply hidden in Logan's heart surfaced once again: the terrifying destructive power of the navy was frightening, and if a shell were to "stray" and fall on his head, power, glory, money, beautiful women—everything would vanish like smoke!

"Damn the British navy!" Logan muttered through gritted teeth, unaware that in the eyes of his British colleagues, he was far from being described as "damn".

"Hopefully, after the war, the Welsh people will build a newer and grander Cardiff harbor!" Lindemann suddenly felt compassion for the unfortunate Welsh people during the lull in the British naval bombardment. So far, the German military had been relatively humane towards the residents of this harbor, but due to safety concerns, they had not shared the safer trenches. Some British people were very resistant to the German "kindness" and stubbornly stayed in the houses in the city when the bombardment began.

"War accelerates the metabolism of human history like speeding up a person's metabolism in a new city. War destroys many old things, prompts the emergence of new things, and greatly promotes technological progress! For example, some of the equipment we use now was unimaginable ten years ago!"

It wouldn't be surprising if Logan said this, but Colonel von Kensal of the Imperial Air Force hadn't taken his eyes off the periscope, still thinking about the British fleet's bombardment. Suddenly hearing this familiar comment, he turned in surprise.

The speaker stood next to Lindemann. When they first met in the morning, Logan thought he was Tom Cruise's grandfather or a close relative of his ancestors. He was not tall but handsome, especially his deep brown eyes, full of melancholy and mystery, in a German army uniform. This reminded Logan of Colonel Stauffenberg in the movie "Valkyrie"—since many things in this time and space had changed, would someone still attempt to assassinate Hitler, and who would that person be?

"Major, why don't you tell me, what kind of equipment was unimaginable ten years ago?" Recently, Logan had been busy planning and implementing the "Wrath of Poseidon" operation, and the innovation plan for technical equipment had to be temporarily set aside. Listening to the words of this officer who graduated from the German Senior Military Academy and had served in the staff department of former Army Commander Brauchitsch, might provide some new inspiration.

The sharp whistling of shells flying came again, and the heavy explosions continued to shake the earth. When this round of shelling ended, Major von Kensal replied, "Aircraft that exceed 600 kilometers per hour and have a ceiling of over 10,000 meters, tanks that can rapidly attack at 40 kilometers per hour, Stukas that can dive at nearly vertical angles for attacks, and... radar! Radar that can detect targets using radio waves!"

"Well said!" Logan nodded and casually asked, "Do you think our current behavior is a regression?"

The handsome Major of the German Defense Force thought for a moment, "Are you referring to digging trenches?"

"Yes," Logan replied.

"Hehe, I wonder if you've ever practiced boxing!" The Major smiled with half-closed eyes, a gesture reminiscent of Tom Cruise's "patent" smile.

"No, why?" Although Logan occasionally got into fights with others in the past, every move was honed in actual combat, nothing fancy, just practical.

The Major, who resembled Tom Cruise, maintained his charming smile, "When I was young, I studied under a boxing coach. The first lesson he taught me was: if you want to knock someone down, first don't let them knock you down. And to avoid being knocked down, you have to learn to take a hit! It's a strange principle, isn't it?"

"No, it's not strange! Whether it's personal combat or military operations, only by ensuring that you don't get knocked down can you better counterattack and ultimately win the final victory!" Logan smiled rarely. When he proposed the Cardiff landing plan, many staff members at the Supreme Command did not approve of this risky move. Many people believed that the German troops parachuting and landing would be demoralized by the British navy's artillery fire, but once again, Logan went against the tide and resolutely implemented this operation with the support of the Fuhrer.

"So we quietly let the British hit, and when they're tired and exhausted, we'll strike hard! General, this is indeed a good strategy!" Major von Kensal praised.

Logan looked admiringly at the Major, who was probably only a year or two older than himself. It's said that it's hard to find a confidant in life, and he didn't expect to meet someone who understood his strategy in this crude trench. He has potential, quite a bit of potential!