On the 12th of May, on the west coast of India, Bombay, the flagship of the Combined Fleet of the Entente "King".

Admiral Jericho, the commander of the fleet, was standing solemnly on the open-air observation platform outside the bridge with his hands behind his back at this time, watching a group of brand-new warships slowly enter the harbor, leading two huge ships, which were the main reinforcements he had been looking forward to for many days: the battleship "Revenge" and the aircraft carrier "Brilliant", the former is the first ship of the "Queen" class improved "Revenge" class, with firepower and speed comparable to that of the "Queen" class, focusing on strengthening horizontal armor and underwater protection; Compared with the first-generation "Hundred-Eyed Giant" class, the number of aircraft carriers has increased from 64 to 72, and the anti-aircraft firepower and command and communication capabilities have also been greatly enhanced. The two ships were accompanied by the light cruisers "Lin Xian" and "Wu Fear", the destroyer "Rapid", and 8 of the latest L-class destroyers.

"It's finally here, and it's just in time." Rear Admiral Glenn, the chief of staff of the fleet on the side, sighed meaningfully.

Jericho's face was expressionless, and he stretched out his hand to straighten his hat: "I hope this is not the last time." ”

Glenn suddenly noticed something, pointed to a small motorboat coming from the direction of the dock and reminded, "Look, they're coming." ”

"It is truly an admirable act of valor to leave the safety of New Delhi and run into a harbor that is ready to be attacked." Jericho scoffed unceremoniously.

"I'm afraid the adults in London won't be able to sit still." Glenn worried.

"Then let them move London to New Delhi - we have to go down."

In a short time, on the foredeck of the "Queen Elizabeth", with the undulating welcome whistle, a white-bearded gentleman with a civilized stick and a bowler hat appeared at the gangway, followed by a sturdy army general. Jericho, who was waiting, immediately stretched out his hand to greet him: "Your Excellency the Governor, General Wharton, welcome to the Queen Elizabeth." ”

It was Lord Edmund, Viceroy of India, and General Wharton, Commander-in-Chief of the Anglo-Indian Army.

"General, as soon as I saw your fleet, my mood suddenly felt much better." Edmund smiled kindly, but the words reached Jericho's ears, but they were indescribably heavy.

Admiral Wharton got straight to the point: "These days, the sea and air bases around Imphal, Chittagong, and Kolkata have been continuously bombed, and we believe that this is a prelude to a full-scale attack by the enemy. ”

Jericho nodded, "Let's talk inside." ”

In the simply decorated conference room, the three of them sat down in turn. After a moment of silence, the orderly brought refreshments and took a sip of black tea, and Admiral Wharton spoke: "We have lost one hundred and fifty planes in three days, and we have less than fifty planes left available on the entire Indo-Burma front, and the enemy on the opposite side may have four hundred planes left. ”

"This is revenge, retaliation for our attack on the Andaman Islands." Jericho said.

Wharton shook his head: "I don't think it's that simple, according to reliable intelligence, the enemy has gathered almost 40 divisions in Burma, Malaya, Sumatra and the Java islands, and the eastern~ main force is also massing in the South China Sea from all directions." The situation is already very clear that India could be attacked at any time. And we're not ready. ”

Glancing at Edmund, Wharton cleared his throat and bowed his head slightly: "On paper, we have 18 divisions, one division and one brigade in Iraq, one brigade in Persia, one division in Ceylon, and only fourteen and a half divisions are really deployed on the mainland, of which only four divisions and one brigade are the standing army organized before the war. The other ten divisions were new units that had been reorganized one after another since the start of the war, and they lacked qualified officers, were poorly trained, and poorly equipped. There were few artillery and machine guns. ”

"And the morale is low, I don't know when the road will mutiny." Edmund added.

Wharton shrugged helplessly, "Yes, that damn Tirac. And his criminal accomplice Gandhi, who became a puppet of the Chinese and engaged in an Indian National Liberation Army, to be honest, I dare not guarantee that in the face of this army that claims to liberate the Indian people, the Indian soldiers in our army can still truly carry out the orders of the British ** officer. ”

Jericho blinked: "You mean, the army doesn't have the confidence to hold the India-Myanmar border?" ”

"I don't think the enemy will only attack from the Indo-Burmese border, and it is unrealistic to launch a large-scale attack through the deadly Savage Mountains, but if the enemy lands in Bengal and attacks the defenders of the Indo-Burmese border from behind, we will have no hope." Wharton finished speaking, casting an expectant look at Jericho.

Jericho did not hesitate: "As long as you can defend the Indo-Burmese border, our fleet will not let the enemy land behind you." ”

"You promise?" Edmund rubbed his hands together, looking nervous.

"First, we can't afford to lose India, that's an order from London."

"Second, it is the mission of our fleet to hold back the East Asian Combined Fleet. Even if both sides lose, as long as the Chinese can be prevented from opening up the Indian Ocean communication line, within a year, the situation of the war will change fundamentally. ”

"Third, it is expected that the German Navy will gradually return to its pre-Kiel strength in a year's time, and although the U.S. Navy now has helped to blockade the North Sea, the U.S. has repeatedly emphasized that it will prioritize the security of the homeland, and if the U.S. transfers its fleet for a counteroffensive in the Pacific, my combined fleet will have to be disbanded to defend the homeland. Before this happens, we need to seize the opportunity to inflict heavy damage on the main forces of the East Asian Combined Fleet, so that they will not be able to launch a second transoceanic operation in the short term. ”

"Finally, I believe that my fleet has the ability to defeat the East Asian Combined Fleet, there is no doubt that the Royal Navy's combat concept, military skills, and the quality of officers and men will always be the first in the world, in addition, I have just received reinforcements, a vital reinforcement, the balance of strength has obviously tilted to our side, I will make good use of it."

"I'm touched," Edmund pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his reddened eyes, "it's the only good news I've heard in a week." ”

"But I can't take risks lightly," Jericho suddenly changed his words, "It's my principle that the Grand Fleet won't attack until the enemy does launch a large-scale landing operation, please understand." ”

"So, can you ...... to fight like you did in the Andaman Islands?"

Jericho interrupted Wharton without discussion: "To be honest, that's not my will, I don't want to waste precious carrier-based aviation before the decisive battle of the fleet, I hope that is the last time." ”