"Will there be a referendum in three days?"

When the British government announced that a referendum would be held in the Belfast area on December 20, Natsuki's tone was not very surprised. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 At this moment, the Irish battleship "Long Live Freedom", which he was aboard, was still sailing in the English Channel, and at a normal speed of 15 knots, it was only able to leave the channel and enter Irish waters the next morning. At first glance, this voyage was under the noses of the British, and if the situation changed, it could be attacked by British ships and aircraft at any time, but despite the combat effectiveness of the Scharnhorst-class armored cruisers themselves, the northern coast of France was now controlled by the German army, and if the situation was not good, the "Long Live the Freedom" could sail into the nearest French port and accept the protection of the German allies. Therefore, at this time, the Irish army deliberately provoked the British army, and Natsuki did not need to worry about personal safety.

Westwood, an Irish diplomat accompanying the visit, replied respectfully: "Yes, Your Highness, the news is accurate, December 20." Time seems to be rushed, but I personally think that the British government has been quietly preparing for a long time, and now that the entire Belfast area is under the effective control of the British army, the referendum is unlikely to be unexpected, and the counting of votes can be completed in two to three days at most, which means that the British will announce the results of the referendum before Christmas. ”

Natsuki nodded calmly, "Thank you for your analysis, John." ”

The diplomat bowed and said, "It's my honor to serve you. ”

After the man left, Natsuki got up and walked to the porthole and stared at the rolling sea for a long time. Earlier, he had discussed with German advisers hired by the Irish government the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the sovereignty dispute in Belfast. These people have been in the political and diplomatic circles for many years, and have a higher vision and more experience than the officials who served in the local government of Ireland during the British rule, and can put forward correct opinions and suggestions on general political and foreign affairs.

There is only one iron-blooded prime minister in Germany, and he died more than a decade ago. Others thought that he was gifted and omnipotent, but they didn't know that he often took great pains, racked his brains, and even worked hard to formulate a bold and accurate strategy with his brilliant mind, diligent attitude and grasp of historical development trends.

The results of a referendum in the Belfast area were clear, both from the point of view of vital economic interests and from the point of view of religious antagonism. Despite this, Natsuki adopted a series of active propaganda methods, such as "Free Ireland", a radio station called "Free Ireland", which specialized in national independence and national unity, and "God's Love", which repeatedly promoted religious integration and seeking common ground while reserving differences, and the Irish Army on the outskirts of Belfast played the family card, often using hydrogen balloons and kites to deliver letters, leaflets and small gifts to Belfast residents. Over time, such tactics had some effect, and to a large extent defused the resistance of the inhabitants of the northern part of Ireland, especially Belfast, to Irish independence. If the Belfast referendum were held in a few years or even a decade, the result would likely be the opposite of what it is now.

When Natsuki returned to his temporary desk, there was a soft knock on the door of the cabin. After receiving permission, an Irish naval lieutenant came in and reported: "Your Highness, we have found two British warships in the north-west sea, and we have preliminarily judged them to be two destroyers, and we have not communicated with them for the time being, and there has been no indication from them. Colonel Andrews has ordered me to come and ask you if you need to change course and sail close to the French coast?"

Natsuki said disapprerovingly, "They should just be here to spy on our actions, don't worry." If the Colonel feels the need to change the course, then adjust it! I personally have no opinion. ”

The ordinary-looking, slightly shorter lieutenant hurriedly replied, "Yes, Your Highness, I will truthfully convey your instructions to the colonel. ”

Natsuki thought for a while: "Lieutenant, please help me send a telegram to the Ministry of Defense by the way, the content of the telegram is 'The wind is rising', understand?" ”

The lieutenant recounted: "A telegram was sent to the Ministry of Defense with the words 'The wind is rising.'" Does this telegram need to be encrypted? ”

Xia Shu said: "Level 1 encryption. ”

"Yes, Your Highness." The lieutenant kept all this in his head.

Natsuki folded his hands and his gaze naturally fell on the picture frame on the table, which was a photo he had taken with Charlotte four years ago, when they were young, smiling and looking very happy.

In the afternoon, the old British protective cruiser "Seagull", which had been ordered to patrol the waters near St. George's Strait, spotted a battle cruiser and two large torpedo boats, three of which were coming from the direction of Wexford, a military port in southeastern Ireland, heading straight for the English Channel. Built in the early 90s of the last century, the Seagull was already on the list of decommissioners, and due to the staggering losses of the British Navy in the Great War, the Seagull returned to the front line after refitting. The short-term modification did not make it as powerful as the armored cruisers, and the already weak armament was actually weakened, leaving only one bow gun and four machine guns, and the crowded deck was equipped with a catapult and a mechanical boom, and could carry up to two seaplanes, thus the protective cruiser played a scout role similar to that of the early notification ships.

A Schott-type seaplane immediately ejected from the "Seagull" and flew over the target under the control of the British naval pilots, and the Irish Navy flags on the flagpoles of the three ships clearly revealed their identities, and the appearance characteristics of the three triple main guns also enabled the British pilots to judge on the spot that it was the famous Irish capital ship "Belfast" -- the "von der Tann" that originally belonged to the German Navy. During the war, the German-made battle cruiser only made a small appearance in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and did not appear in any heavyweight naval battles, but its combat effectiveness can be compared to the earlier construction of the "Blucher" and the Moltke-class sister ships that entered service a little later. As Christmas approached in 1915, the British Navy had no ship to compete with, except for two secretly completed Queen Elizabeth-class superdreadnoughts.

However, the imposing and vigorous battlecruiser "Belfast" was not the "wind" ordered by Natsuki, and on this afternoon when the temperature had risen slightly, the British officers and men stationed in the western part of the Belfast area were enveloped in an overwhelming roar, and they saw hordes of planes flying over the defense area, even the officers and veterans who followed the British Expeditionary Force in the war in France had never seen such a spectacular scene. Since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Britain and Ireland, the number of Irish military aircraft crossing into the Belfast area has been greatly reduced, British forces have been ordered not to fire in the air without permission, and the Irish pilots who had been detained have been released. In essence, it is far more serious than the small-scale penetration of ground forces.

This is **** revenge for the upcoming referendum in the Belfast area, the vast majority of British officers and soldiers have thought of this, and what worries them is that even if these Irish fighters only carry 100 kilograms of bombs each, it will be enough to severely damage the British army's air defense deployment in the Belfast area under the condition of striking first, and then put the British troops who are isolated and fighting against the water into a more passive situation.

General James Grierson, commander of the British garrison in Belfast, ordered the fighter unit to take to the skies as soon as the Irish fighters crossed the border, but until London made a decision, he could only authorize the pilots to launch a counterattack if the enemy opened fire first. The instructions of the Imperial General Staff were long delayed, and the Irish warplanes were like terrible locusts, occupying the entire sky of Belfast, and the constant noise disrupted and frightened the British garrison and the local population, which was almost the opposite of when they learned two or three hours earlier that the British government was going to organize a referendum in the Belfast area.

In a tense state of nerves, accidental mistakes are inevitable, and the impact of such mistakes is likely to be devastating - in the western suburbs of Belfast, at the position of the 7th Air Defense Battalion of the British Army, a soldier accidentally triggered the artillery during the operation, and this 3-inch rapid-fire anti-aircraft gun alone was not a big threat, but hearing the sound of the cannon, several more gun crews opened fire without the officer's order, and almost shot down two Irish fighters.

Irish fighters flying over the air defence positions did not return fire, and in fact, none of the Irish fighters that crossed the border into Belfast airspace carried bombs, but the misfire of the British air defense forces allowed the Irish Air Force to fully achieve its intended objectives. Just a dozen minutes after receiving the report, a short but powerful message was sent to the world by the Irish government:

"British troops fired at Irish planes flying over Ireland!"

Immediately thereafter, Joachim, the candidate for the Irish throne, sent a telegram from the "Long Live Liberty" in his personal name, accusing the British Government of organizing a referendum in Belfast as a sinister intention to divide Ireland and a heinous act of depriving the Kingdom of Ireland of its legitimate sovereignty over the Belfast region, which is a disputed area of sovereignty despite the fact that the British Government has the right to prohibit foreign aircraft from passing over British territory under the British Air Act, which was enacted in 1911 and amended in 1913. Irish bystanders flew over the area as a protest against the British, and it was dangerous hostility for British troops to attack Irish aircraft, including unarmed civilian aircraft, in a non-war state!

(End of chapter)