The early autumn mornings were quiet and clear, and the whole of Europe fell into a deep sleep; However, on the Bode Plains of Central Europe, a special group of people have quietly stretched out their sharp claws in the dark.

At 4:15 a.m. on 1 September, pilots belonging to Army Group North and South of the German Army were suddenly woken up from their sleep and told that they would take to the air in 20 minutes to launch a fierce air attack on key targets in Poland, such as airfields, railways, bridges, barracks, and munitions depots. The ground crew, who had been working all night, had already made all the preparations before the fighter planes took off, and they were now neatly lined up on the runway of the airport. When a glimmer of light appeared in the pitch-black sky, groups of German fighters were already flying into the sky; Guided by terrestrial radio navigation, they whizzed towards their respective targets.

In less than half an hour, Polish soldiers and civilians tasted the greatest sudden death and destruction from the air in human history. The German Bf-109 fighters quickly destroyed a large number of combat planes that had not been able to take off from Polish airfields as if they were in a no-man's land, while Ju-87 dive bombers and Ju-88 medium bombers carried out targeted strikes on Poland's communication arteries and communication hubs. Polish communications were paralyzed, and the rear command lost contact with the front-line troops; Tens of thousands of Polish soldiers had to be stranded at railway stations due to the destruction of railways and bridges, losing the crucial battlefield opportunity.

At the same time as the air raids were carried out by the air forces, the German Army also launched an earth-shattering artillery bombardment. 6,000 cannons and 4,000 mortars fired in unison, and the explosion was like thunder and lightning. Tsunami. The Polish frontline was reduced to a sea of fire, and the blazing orange waves destroyed their fortifications and devoured their soldiers. The hustle and bustle raged, bringing endless death and destruction. At 6 o'clock in the morning, the first 43 divisions of German troops, supported by 3,000 tanks, rushed into Poland like a flood; In an instant, the sharp theme of barbarism and murder spread dramatically in this blood-soaked land.

At sea, the German Baltic Fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Siemens, also did not have a moment of idleness. Although the Polish Navy was already a few days ago. They sent their main force to England, but the Emden Light Cruiser still sank 1 Polish destroyer and 1 gunboat with the support of his younger brothers with the power of his 150-mm cannon. The two old Dreadnoughts played their last combat value: eight 283 mm guns fired one after another. The fortifications built by the Polish military around the port of Danzig were shattered and destroyed, and the flames soared into the sky. With minimal resistance, the German army was able to capture the city, which was originally theirs with 95% of the inhabitants who spoke German.

At 10 a.m., Hitler gave a speech to the Reichstag. To all his 80 million people was announced of this momentous event that he had just deliberately provoked. No doubt. Hitler blamed the Poles for provoking the war, saying that the current actions of the German army were in response to the Polish army's attack on the German mainland last night. The audience soon discovered that the Führer was wearing the old Imperial corporal uniform in the gray of the wilderness, and in front of his left chest, he was also wearing his shiny Iron Cross of the First Class, which he had been proud of all his life.

"From now on, I am only the first soldier of the German Reich. I put on the most sacred and precious military uniform for me. I will not take off this garment until I have won the final victory, or I will die for my country. Hitler made his ambition loud and clear. The arrival drew enthusiastic cheers from the parliamentarians.

In this speech, Hitler also arranged for himself to be posthumously arranged. If something happens to him in the war. Hess would be his heir. If something happens to Hess, Frick will become the new leader of the country. Although Hitler knew that his old comrades-in-arms were almost all mediocre and could not afford to take on this burden, he was by no means willing to return the state power he had painstakingly wrested from the Parliament, the Army, and the big industrialists to the heads of these forces. As a result, Walter, who had an industrial background and a close personal relationship with the army officer corps, was excluded from Hitler's list of candidates for the Führer.

After this speech, Hitler returned to the Chancellery and began to wait restlessly for news from Britain. Although Britain had reaffirmed their obligation to protect Poland on 24 August, Hitler still had hope that Britain was only verbally threatening and would not really engage in a new European war for the sake of the Poles. By the evening, however, that hope was completely dashed.

At 9 o'clock in the evening, the British ambassador to Germany, Henderson, handed over to the German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop an official note from the British Government: "His Majesty's Government will not hesitate to fulfil its obligations towards Poland unless the German Government is prepared to give satisfactory assurances to His Majesty's Government that it has ceased all acts of aggression against Poland and is ready to withdraw its troops from Polish territory forthwith." An hour later, the French government also handed over a note with the exact same wording.

At his desk in the Chancellery, Hitler stared at the two documents for a long time. His eyes were sometimes dazed, sometimes sharp, his pale lips pursed, and a few muffled syllables popped out from between his teeth. Ten minutes later, members of the Supreme High Command also came to Hitler's office; Their faces were covered with a cloud of gloom that could not be shaken away, and it was evident that they had all the knowledge of the contents of the British and French notes.

"It's going to be a big battle this time." Hitler spoke in a hoarse voice, his gray-blue pupils glinting with a fierce sheen. No one in the room took his words, apparently anticipating the outcome. It was impossible for Germany to meet the demands of Britain and France to withdraw its troops from Poland, and then war with the West was inevitable. This was the first time that Hitler had made a mistake in political judgment, and the consequence was that the war in Europe had been brought forward by at least five years!

"Do you have any consideration for the next situation?" Hitler focused his eyes on the faces of Brauchitsch and the others, and the fierce face with a hint of anger made Brauchitsch can't help but shrink back slightly like a frightened dove.

In the face of Hitler's unkind gaze, the chief of the army general staff, Halder, replied stubbornly: "Once France enters the war, the key to solving the problem is that we need to defeat Poland with great speed before the French army completes its general mobilization, and then return to the division to reinforce the Western Front." France began its partial mobilization on 25 August and is expected to complete its general mobilization by 15 September. As long as we can achieve a decisive victory in the battle against Poland before this deadline, it will be very likely that the French will not attack on the Western Front. ”

Halder took a deep breath, and his words gradually became smoother: "And judging from the current situation of our army's battle in Poland, we are very sure that we will win this victory in half a month." The Poles deployed the main forces of their troops on the border, which happened to be the ideal prey for our blitzkrieg. It won't be long before they will be divided and surrounded, and the army, deprived of logistics and unified command, will only end up being annihilated. ”

Hearing these words, Hitler's expression softened slightly, at least the land war machine he had built with a lot of money was still trustworthy, and he could realize his will and ambition to the letter. He paused, and then looked at the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Reder, who also looked gloomy next to him, but unlike his attitude towards the Army, there was a hint of apology in Hitler's words.

"Marshal, it is a pity that I have to make our navy go to war against Britain this year." Hitler spoke slowly, with a hint of hope in the heaviness, "However, I believe that the fleet should be ready for battle, right?" We have the battleship Bismarck, and we will surely be able to beat the stubborn and despicable British out of their souls! ”

Raeder looked at the Supreme Commander in front of him with a sneer, he had only promised him that he would have enough time to carry out Plan Z last year. However, in the face of Hitler's inquiry, Raeder quickly controlled his emotions and replied: "My Führer, the main fleet and submarines of the Navy left port ten days ago, and they have all arrived at the predetermined battle area. The existential fleet of 25 years ago will never be there again. At the slightest order, they will launch an all-out strangulation against the British sea shipping lines. ”

Hitler nodded, pleased with the Navy's preparedness, and assured Raeder that in order to defeat the British, he would continue to pour manpower and material resources into the Navy to ensure that new warships were constantly delivered. However, Raeder had lost that trust in Hitler's promises, and he was ready for the worst, that is, to use the existing lineup of large ships to compete with the British Navy in the ocean.

"Now we can only hope that Jonas's plan will succeed." Raeder said silently in his heart. With the Anglo-German war on the horizon, it is highly likely that Britain will follow the example of the previous war and station the main force of the fleet at Scapa Sound on the northeastern edge of Scotland, in order to impose a long-range blockade of the German navy. And this will be the opportunity for a surprise attack.

Raeder's mind turned, and he decided that he should immediately send a telegram to the Norwegian Sea, thousands of miles away, about the political changes tonight, so that his fleet could prepare early. After all, if a surprise attack on Scarpa Bay were to be launched, the fleet would have to sail to the right position and prepare carrier-based aircraft, which would take a lot of time. (To be continued.) )