In the low room, Churchill silently lit a cigar, his heart full of complex and heavy feelings.

The fact that the German army was shrinking its attack range was a surprise to him: Air Force Commander Dowding had planned to take advantage of the advantages of interior operations and land-based radar stations to consume a large number of German bomber units so that they could no longer be the vanguard of German landings in Britain in the future. However, this retreat of the Germans has put a sudden increase in the pressure on the British Air Force, and after the last week's fighting, Dowding has lost nearly 20% more personnel and aircraft than in the previous period.

Although the German Army's actions saved many targets such as factories and barracks in the interior of Britain from air raids, Churchill was not at all relieved that they had been preserved. Because even if the British army's in-depth combat readiness goes smoothly, as long as the main German army comes ashore, this hastily put together force will be like a mantis arm as a car, and it will be impossible to block the opponent's attack. The elephant of the French has fallen, can the British Army's grasshopper still mend the cracks in the sky with one hand?

In the hellish battle of the collapse of the Western Front, the 250,000 British expeditionary force only escaped back with 30,000 after a full battle, and Britain is not a country that implements compulsory military service, and the vast majority of school-age men have not undergone military training. In the face of 150 German divisions, what did they use to block the guns of the other side?

The reason why Britain is now preparing for an invasion is simply to do its last resort, and to deter the adversary from bluffing, and at the same time to deceive its own people. London's politicians, businessmen, celebrities, and high-ranking officials with a keen sense of smell are now selling stocks and real estate to cash out, and then letting their families flee to Canada or the United States for refuge.

And the Duke of Marlborough family, to which Churchill belonged, had already paved a way out in the United States. Churchill's wife was an authentic American, and the daughter of the wealthy Jerome, and with this in-law relationship, almost all the young children of the Marlborough family went to New York to buy houses and properties, ready to welcome their prime minister's uncle to the United States one day to lead the government-in-exile to continue the war.

As one of Britain's rare sobers at the helm for nearly a decade, Churchill understood the key to Britain if it was to escape the catastrophe. The British Army was unreliable, so in any case, Britain could not allow the main German forces to land safely for the next 2 years. This would require enough aircraft to compete for air supremacy in the strait, and a large enough offshore fleet to lay an impassable minefield.

To achieve this, a smooth maritime line between the United States and Britain is a prerequisite. If there is no sufficient US aid, the construction of British aircraft and warships will be halted due to lack of raw materials and funds, and Britain will quickly fall into a state of near death due to suffocation, and Germany can easily poke Britain over with only three fingers!

Thinking of this, Churchill's eyes flashed slightly, he waved his hand slightly to signal the adjutant not to follow, and then walked briskly through the basement with a cigar in his mouth, and soon walked into the command post belonging to the navy. Pound, the aged First Sea Lord, was dictating the telegram while the typist next to him crackled his fingers on the keyboard; Several senior staff officers gathered in front of the chart to contemplate something, and a thick blue line was drawn in the Danish Channel.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister." Seeing Churchill appear, Pound raised his hand and saluted him, and Churchill nodded solemnly, his eyes just staring at the other party's face. Seeing this, Pound took a deep breath and said, "General Tovey has already led the fleet to attack. At this time, more than 30 submarines were cruising back and forth near the entrance to the Danish Channel, and as soon as the German fleet passed by, it was inevitable that their whereabouts would be discovered. ”

"30? That's more than half of the number of available submarines in our hands, and if the German fleet chooses to break through the Faroe waterway into the Atlantic, how can we warn of it? Churchill exhaled a cloud of blue smoke and asked in a deep voice. Pound frowned at the choking smell, and slowly explained: "There is a probability that more than 70% of the German fleet will pass through the Danish Channel. This is an operational plan that the Navy has been preparing since two months ago. ”

"Since the end of the Northern Belgian Campaign, the Royal Navy has been drawing forces from escort fleets to intensify cruises on the Faroe Waterway and the Danish Strait. Because of the protection of the United States, our warships only need to fly the Stars and Stripes to avoid direct attacks by German submarines, and the requirements for troops are greatly reduced. The only solution for the Germans to change this situation is to change the balance of power on surface ships in the Atlantic – to put pressure on the United States and to hunt for war in full compliance with international law. ”

Pound pointed to the map and described to Churchill in detail: "Due to the limitation of range, our destroyers generally operate only in the waters of the Faroe near faroese, and are often beyond the reach of the Danish Channel; After a period of confrontation and probing, it was easy to feel the difference in the intensity of the blockade between the two waters, which were constantly in and out of the North Atlantic. This was a perfectly reasonable situation, and the Germans had no reason to be suspicious. And that's what we're poised to take advantage of. ”

Churchill looked puzzled in his eyes and said in a deep voice: "Even so, there is a high probability that the Germans will choose to break through the French waterways." Although there is a lot of activity of our ships here, and it is very likely that they will encounter the main force of our fleet from North Scotland, they have several high-speed aircraft carriers in their hands, which are enough to deal a fatal blow to our ships outside the visual range. Perhaps, the German commanders even hoped to meet our fleet, so that they could make up for their regrets in the Norwegian naval battle and wipe out our troops. ”

Hearing these words, Pound secretly shook his head and sighed. Speaking of which, the prime minister in front of him has served as the Minister of the Navy twice, and he is considered to be the most senior group, but his civilian status makes him know a little about specific tactics, and what he says is always unclear. Twenty-five years ago, he had a big heel in the Dardanelles because of his poor tactics, and now that time has passed, his old problems have not changed at all.

"German aircraft carriers are indeed the greatest threat to our fleet. However, they cannot use this power unscrupulously. After a moment's thought, Pound decided to explain the key to Churchill in detail. After all, he is now Prime Minister and Minister of the Navy, and it is not a matter of spending more words in order to work together harmoniously in the future.

"Most of the Faro waterway is within the strike radius of our air force bombers. Although the current air battle in southern Britain has involved a large number of our air forces, only fighter planes have participated in the battle of our troops on the defensive side, and the bomber formation has not moved at all. The commander of the German fleet could not fail to see this, and if he forced his way into the Faro waterway, he would undoubtedly put himself in danger. ”

"And Your Excellency, we need to understand what the ultimate goal of the German Navy is. They were Hitler's accomplices in the war to force Britain to surrender, and in this framework, a head-on battle with our fleet was never necessary, and it was the core mission of the German fleet to break into the Atlantic and destroy our sea lines! Perhaps in the eyes of the Germans, as long as their main fleet could reach the Atlantic, then with the support of French ports, the battle would have been declared victorious. Therefore, the Navy was able to determine that the German fleet would smuggle through the Danish Strait and make today's arrangement. Pound explained slowly.

Churchill pondered for a long time, and his cloudy eyes gradually shone brightly, and suddenly said: "If the German fleet is secretly dispatched, then it is indeed very likely that we will not have time to stop it in the Danish Strait." This is exactly what the German commanders saw as an opportunity. But if this premise is lost, the situation will be suddenly reversed! The narrowest part of the Danish Strait is only 270 kilometers, and there are large areas of ice floes on the north and south sides that do not melt all year round, and the fleet has only about a quarter of the space for maneuvering in the North Sea, which is really the best area where we can expect to destroy German aircraft carriers at present! As long as...... As long as ......" In the end, Churchill's body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Pound's face showed indignation, and he sighed lightly: "Yes." It took us two months to create an opportunity in a desperate situation. If the operation is successful, they will be heroes who will recreate Britain, and their names will be sung by the world one day! As long as they survive the most difficult period of the U.S. election, there will be hope for the war in Britain. I've spent too long tormented for this moment......"

"How long is it until the operation begins?" Before Pound could finish speaking, Churchill could not wait to ask, his face full of eagerness. Pound's lips opened, and he said helplessly: "Please don't be too anxious. The German fleet departed only yesterday, and it will take at least three days to reach the Danish Strait. Not to mention the fact that they need to slow down through the mine-ridden Norwegian waterways and, most likely, refuel in Trondheim. It is estimated that the German fleet will sail to Iceland on August 7 and 8. I'll let you know as soon as I find out. ”

Churchill reacted when he heard this, and couldn't help but secretly curse himself for being too eager. In fact, since his return to the cabinet, the situation of the allies has been at the bottom of the cliff - first the defeat in the Norwegian naval battle, and then the loss of the European continent, so miserable that it is impossible to describe in words.

Although Churchill was skillful and eloquent, and persevered in this desperate situation, he undoubtedly needed a hearty victory to lift the hearts of the people and raise the indomitable banner of battle in the storm. He wanted to show the world that Britain was fighting and capable: Hitler's Germany was by no means an invincible demon god, and Britain was fighting to the death!