238

Episode 238: Operation Sea Lion (2)

Upon hearing the news of the successful landing on the British mainland, the Presidential Palace was abuzz with cheers for nearly three minutes.

From Dover to Eastbourne, the Axis forces successfully landed after fierce fighting with the British army, established a bridgehead on land, and began advancing inland.

It has been reported that most of the airborne troops deployed prior to the full-scale landing succeeded in completing their missions and successfully joined some army units that landed on the British coast.

"Not a bad start."

As I waited anxiously for news of the landing with my heart pounding, I became so nervous that I collapsed into a chair.

"Mr. President! Are you okay?"

"It's okay. "It's because I'm a little tired."

Goering reacted with a fuss, but I waved my hand away.

Maybe it was because I was nervous, but my throat was dry. I ordered Krause a glass of lemonade and then got up again.

Landing on Britain is only the starting point, not the end. The race does not end when you start, but only when you complete the track.

When Krause returned with lemonade, Totenkopf's division, which had landed in Eastbourne, advanced inland and took control of the city.

Prefabricated artificial harbors began to be built in Eastbourne and Hastings.

It is said that the RAF is desperately trying to continue the attack, but because air superiority has completely passed to us, only damage is accumulating.

"Mr. President. "The French army is screaming that their army's damage is too great."

The damage suffered by our troops who landed at Eastbourne, Hastings, and Camber was only light.

However, the damage suffered by the French troops who landed on the coast of the Strait of Dover, the closest and well-defended area to Britain, was beyond imagination.

The number of confirmed casualties to date is approximately 2,000. It is understandable that the French army is screaming.

"That's such a shame. But I can't help it. "For Operation Sea Lion to succeed, someone had to shed blood."

Since the landing at Dover was expected to cause enormous damage, I entrusted the landing at Dover to the French.

The Crixmarine was mainly responsible for leading the French army to the beach, but it was the French army's responsibility to land on the beach and advance.

The Free Russian Army that landed at Folkestone also suffered similar damage to the French Army.

I feel sorry for the fallen French and Free Russian soldiers, but it was too precious to waste the elite German soldiers in just one landing.

Therefore, the French Army and the Free Russian Army, which had relatively low combat power, were deployed instead and made them shed the blood that our army would have shed.

Although there was a lot of damage, both units somehow succeeded in landing.

"Tell this to Yokchije. He said he would support the French army in proportion to the sacrifices they made. And don't worry about air cover."

"All right."

The troops that have landed in Britain so far are from four nationalities: the German Army, the French Army, the Spanish Army, and the Free Russian Army.

The Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Ukrainian armies were next in line, and once they had all crossed the sea, it was the turn of the Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Croatian armies.

It may seem like a lot if you just look at the list, but if you look at the actual numbers, the German army accounted for 70% of the total Axis forces, and the remaining armies accounted for 30%.

The battle alone is very busy, but maintaining security in the rear, guarding supply routes, and managing the prisoners acquired during the battle and the civilians in the occupied areas becomes too much work.

Therefore, it was decided that the German army would mainly be responsible for advancing inland, while the Axis forces would be responsible for managing prisoners in the rear and taking responsibility for supply and landing sites.

This is truly mutual aid. It's good for us because we have more troops to send to the front line, and it's good because they don't have to fight as much as they listen to our demands.

If the situation were favorable, they would of course be deployed to the front lines, but I thought that would not happen for the time being.

"This is a report from Friedental Special Lease."

"Say it."

"The mission was successful. It is said that they succeeded in ejecting by blowing up the enemy command post and ammunition depot. They captured a number of confidential British documents and captured three enemy officers, two of whom were colonels and one of whom was a lieutenant general."

"As expected, it's Skorzeny. "If it was that friend, I knew I could do it."

Skorzeny's Friedental Special Forces were assigned the task of descending near Ashford and destroying the British command post to delay the British military's response.

The result was a great success. They even captured the enemy at the command post alive.

"If I had known this would happen, I would have sent those friends to London as Minister Himmler said."

Goering said with regret. I may have said this as a joke, but it may not be 100% true.

In the process of preparing for Operation Sea Lion, a meeting was held about where the Friedental Special Forces would be deployed.

On the spot, Himmler proposed that the Friedental Special Forces, the 500th SS Parachute Regiment, and the Brandenburg Paratroopers infiltrate London and capture members of the British royal family.

The question was whether Britain would quit without negotiation if the king and other members of the British royal family were taken prisoner.

Himmler's proposal was tempting, but it was rejected because the probability of failure was much higher than the probability of success.

However, Himmler felt it was a waste to let his idea remain buried, so he suggested a strategy to me twice.

If the operation is successful as Himmler claims, it is possible for us to bring Britain to its knees in just a few days, not months.

However, even if the Friedental Special Forces were a monster unit made up of human weapons, it was doubtful whether they would be able to capture the British royal family, especially those who received the highest level of escort, as prisoners.

Therefore, I rejected Himmler's proposal and entrusted Skorzeny with a normally dangerous mission.

However, when the news of the mission's success came from Skorzeny, I felt a little disappointed. Should you really have pretended to be crazy and followed Himmler's advice?

… … no. Still, this went too far. If you get too greedy and fail, you'll just waste your elite troops.

"If you are too greedy, you will fail. "Let's just laugh it off."

When the landing, which was the first hurdle of Operation Sea Lion and was expected to be the most difficult, was successful, my heart felt lighter, but I was still anxious.

In particular, the reaction of the United States remains to be seen.

It is natural, but the United States has not yet taken any significant action.

However, it is expected that the United States will make a decision sooner or later. Will you help Britain and enter the war, or will you remain neutral?

Judging from its actions so far, it seems unlikely that the United States will remain neutral.

Even if they remain neutral on the surface, they will definitely send volunteer troops under the pretext of helping Britain.

But was Roosevelt really the kind of person who would be satisfied with sending volunteer troops? I think he will 100% participate in the war.

It was highly likely that the reaction of not only Roosevelt but also the American political world would be different than before.

Up until now, Germany had tried not to mess with the United States and had been busy waging war with Japan, so they had gotten away with it, but it was a different matter for Britain to be occupied by Germany like Poland or France.

If Britain, which has served as a breakwater for the United States along with the Atlantic Ocean, falls to Germany, the thoughts of American politicians will also change.

No matter how much I say that I will not expand across the Atlantic to the United States, there is a difference between what I say when safety measures are in place and what I say when safety measures are broken.

It was the bombing of Pearl Harbor that decided America's participation in World War II, but even before that, the United States felt threatened by the rise of Germany, and I heard that there was quite a bit of public opinion arguing that the United States should enter the war before Germany occupied Britain.

The anti-war public opinion was equally strong, saying that we should just mind our own business and not worry about Europe, but won't this public opinion change after the collapse of Britain?

… … I think the time has come to use that card.

"Heydrich, Schellenberg."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Are you really ready?"

"of course."

"If Mr. President orders now, we can make it known to all Americans within three days."

"good. "Let it explode as soon as the United States enters the war."

***

As the morning sun rose, the whole of England was turned upside down.

Boys selling newspapers kept shouting out extras and spreading out extras with the news of the German army landing on Britain, and radio stations also stopped their regular broadcasts to broadcast emergency news.

When what was expected to happen actually happened, the British people were astonished.

Even members of pro-German groups who had called for immediate peace with Germany were taken aback by the untimely landing of German troops in Britain.

A full-scale invasion by the German army to that extent was something the British could not have imagined.

Londoners flocked to the train station to pack their bags and leave the city.

The ticket office was in chaos with people trying to get tickets even at dozens of times the usual price.

Military police and police were deployed and tried to maintain order, but the people who were panicking due to fear could not be easily calmed down.

When there were signs that it might escalate into a riot, mounted police and armored vehicles were quickly deployed.

The British political world was also shaken. However, the situation was too urgent to vent one's anger and disappointment at the incompetence and mishandling of Churchill's cabinet.

The distance from the southern coast of England, where the German army landed, to London is about 87km.

Assuming there were no obstacles along the way, it was a sufficient distance to cover in one day.

While the Army and Air Force risked their lives to block the Germans who had landed on the coast, Churchill rushed to meet the King.

King George VI was waiting for Churchill in his naval livery.

"… … your majesty."

"You are here, Prime Minister."

"You may have already heard the news, but now German troops have landed on Britain."

"exactly."

"All of this is my fault. "What should I say to apologize to His Majesty?"

King George VI extended his hand and stopped Churchill. He too had a lot to say.

Unless the seas close, the Germans will never be able to defeat the Royal Navy. Didn't Britain reassure herself with all kinds of words, claiming that she was safe from enemy invasion?

But now, look at this? Contrary to Churchill's prediction that Hitler was targeting the Middle East, didn't the German army land on Britain?

King George VI wanted to ask Churchill how he planned to take responsibility for this.

But now is not the time to hold you accountable for what you did wrong or that you deceived me.

Because there was a mountain of more urgent problems than this.

"What does the Prime Minister plan to do now?"

Because I was so nervous, my stuttering symptoms were starting to come back. Churchill spoke hastily.

"I will remain in London and continue the fight. "I will never leave London as long as the army and people decide to fight to the end."

"Right."

Churchill hesitated for a moment and then spoke with difficulty.

"I have a request to make to your Majesty."

"Speak."

"Your Majesty, taking the royal family with you into exile in Canada-"

"It's okay."

King George VI shook his head.

"Jim already told the family to get ready to leave. But Jim will stay here in London, too."

"your majesty! It's not possible! "It's too dangerous!"

Churchill was astonished by King George VI's words.

From the beginning, he considered moving the government to Glasgow or Edinburgh and evacuating royal personnel to Canada in case London fell.

However, King George VI rejected the plan drawn up by Churchill and his cabinet.

"That means… … "Are you saying that the Germans will occupy London?"

"That's not it. We will defend London at all costs. We will never allow those Huns to set foot in London. But it will be an uphill battle. "We cannot guarantee safety here, not even at Buckingham Palace."

"It doesn't matter. "Her wife has already made the same choice as me."

Despite Churchill's persistent persuasion and pleading, King George VI did not give up his will.

He ordered his mother, Queen Mary, his two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, and the royal family to take refuge in Canada, but he decided to remain at Buckingham Palace with his wife, Queen Elizabeth.

"Ji, as the king, I must set an example to the people. So, I cannot follow the Lord's words."

"… … "I will follow Your Majesty's orders."

Churchill, who read the strong determination in George VI's eyes, bowed his head in respect and left the room.

As long as the king and queen have declared that they will remain in the capital, the morale of the military and the people will no longer fall. At least I could be sure of this.

Stopping the German army was a different matter.

***

The British army struggled to stop the German army advancing inland towards London.

Armored units and infantry units were immediately mobilized to drive the Germans across the sea, but as long as the Germans had air superiority, they had to face merciless attacks falling from the sky before they could reach the front lines.

"Stukada!"

"Anti-aircraft fire!"

A squadron of Stukas attacked the British troops advancing along the road.

Before the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns could open fire, the leading Cromwell cruiser tank was destroyed by a 60mm rocket hit on the top of the tank.

"Kwaaaa!!"

"help me!"

Tankers who were on fire jumped out of the destroyed tank and rolled on the ground to put out the fire on their bodies.

Rudel, who easily turned an enemy tank into a ball of fire, whistled and descended toward the next target.

"One more guy!"

The second Cromwell raised his main gun as high as possible to catch Rudel's Stuka, but the angle did not come out.

Soon, Rudel pressed the button and triggered the rocket. The rocket struck the front of Cromwell's turret and exploded.

"Second generation!"

A stream of yellow fire flowed from between the cracks of the turret that were split in half. The driver opened the hatch and came out, covered in fire and struggling.

The Stuka, which can demonstrate its capabilities when the friendly forces dominate the air superiority, was virtually eliminated from the Western Front with the end of the air war on the British mainland in 1941, but was able to continue to play an active role at the front line in the current situation when the German Air Force took air superiority.

After destroying all targets on the road, the Stuka squadron turned its nose and flew into the eastern sky from which it had flown.

The surviving soldiers held back tears as they saw the burning wreckage and corpses of their comrades filling the road.

"If only the damn Air Force had done their best… … ."

A soldier who lost a comrade muttered. If air superiority had been with the RAF, we would not be where we are today, and in fact, it might have been the opposite.

However, these words meant nothing to the soldiers who were already dead.

Even if you were lucky enough to avoid an air raid or reach the battlefield safely without being noticed by enemy aircraft, there were still many walls to overcome.

"Tommies are coming!"

"Everyone prepare for battle!"

Upon hearing the news that the British army was coming, the soldiers of the Das Reich Division immediately prepared for battle.

Disguised in the bushes, they waited quietly with their fingers on the machine gun triggers until the British troops showed up.

Soon, British cavalry led by Shermans and Stuarts appeared.

Barkman smiled in remorse when he saw the British army advancing with tanks at the front and infantry riding on M3 half-tracks.

"I wish I was that careless. "It's almost like they're advertising for people to kill them."

"How far should I start, SS Sergeant Barkman?"

"Let's start with 1200. Oh, that guy has a unique gun mantlet? Is it a new model?"

The new tank that Barkman spoke of was the M4A1 Sherman equipped with a 76mm main gun.

The 75mm gun-mounted type and the 76mm gun-equipped type had different gun mantlets, making them distinguishable from a distance.

When Sherman came within 1,200 meters, Poggendorf pressed the trigger.

As it passed through the Sherman's front armor like an armor-piercing bullet being sucked in, the hatch flew off and a pillar of fire rose out.

"Defeat! "Reload!"

The three Panthers that followed Barkman into ambush also opened fire in unison. Two Shermans and a Stuart burned in succession.

It took less than 10 minutes for 20 tanks and half-tracks to be barbecued.

As the tanks failed to fire even a single shell, the infantrymen, whose morale plummeted to the bottom and fell to the basement, barely managed to pick up the wounded and retreated.

"This can't even be called a fight?"

"I felt like I was training from the third step."

The fight was so one-sided that it didn't even seem like a fight. The infantrymen, who had not even had a chance to fire a single gun throughout the battle, whistled and praised the brilliant victory achieved by our tank crews.

The British army's first attempt to counterattack ended in a unilateral German victory, leaving behind countless casualties.