In the early morning of the first day of the second month of the fourth year of the Grand Duke, the sun had not yet emerged from the horizon, so it was still dark on the ground.

But the earth is actually a huge arc, so if you can rise from the ground into the air, you will be able to see the sun below the horizon.

While the English Channel was still dark and gloomy, the sky above was already bustling with activity.

Although the Germans, Lucia, and Italians are not completely familiar with the relationship between air supremacy and sea supremacy, they also have a basic understanding.

If you want to land across the sea, it is natural to control the sea surface and have a navy to protect the landing force.

After the appearance of airplanes, the air can affect the sea surface, and it can also cross the ocean through the sky, and parachute down to distant islands and ground.

Therefore, the first outbreak of the British campaign was an air battle.

The combined forces of the German, Lucia, and Italian air forces began to depart from a large number of field airfields before dawn.

When the sky and the earth were dark, the first group of planes had already reached the sky over the English Channel.

The 1,000 "new" fighters that the Germans received from the Ming Dynasty served as the vanguard.

The British, who were on the opposite side, prepared for three years and were on high alert for a month, certainly not being unprepared for the actions on the opposite side.

The British used the technology provided by the Ming Dynasty to build a large number of radio detection towers in the coastal areas.

German planes appeared over the Strait and were soon spotted.

The British Air Force, on high alert, sprang into action, and a large number of aircraft on standby quickly took off from the airfield and headed out to intercept enemy aircraft in the sea beyond the territory.

Just when the sea was still dark, but the sun could already be seen at an altitude of several thousand meters, the first air battle broke out.

At first there were only a few planes that came into contact, and then it quickly became dozens, hundreds.

Airborne radios are not yet very mature, most of the ordinary fighters do not have radio detection equipment, and the mode of combat is still cannon combat within visual range.

Compared with the missile fights of the opponents in later generations, which could not be seen at all, the air battles in this era were many times more intense, fierce and tragic.

The most precious fighter pilots of later generations are now only consumables......

Many of the British pilots had already dealt with the Germans while they were in France.

At this time, the enemy is very red when he meets,

The whistling of engines and propellers, the burst of fire and sound from the onboard artillery, the explosion and black smoke when the plane is hit by the enemy.

There was also the roar of excitement that hit the enemy, the screams of the plane being shot and even himself......

A variety of sounds, lights and shadows, mingling in the bright sky and the dim sea, intertwine the music called war.

One plane after another, blown up in the fierce battle in the sky, fell to the surface with billowing black smoke.

Pilots with bad luck may have been smashed by enemy machine guns, or turned into charred corpses in an explosion when the plane fell overboard.

Some of the more fortunate pilots, who did not explode after the plane fell, had the opportunity to climb out of the cockpit and float on the surface of the sea with the help of life-saving equipment.

However, although the English Channel does not freeze, the water temperature on the surface of the ocean in the early morning of spring is definitely not very warm.

As homeothermic animals, humans are immersed in seawater for a long time, and the temperature of the body will continue to pass, consuming the body's energy.

Whether these lucky people can survive until the end of the battle, and the navy comes to the rescue, no one knows.

By the time the morning sun finally shone on the sea, the navies of both sides had already been spotted by their own air forces and naval aviation.

The strait was already narrow, and the British navy's task was to defend the mainland, and there was no chance to go to the ocean to walk.

The scope of activities of the navies of both sides is basically in this rather narrow strait.

It is not surprising that the fleet was quickly discovered by the other side.

In straits so close to the mainland, the significance of carrier-based aviation is essentially limited to auxiliary reconnaissance.

It is obviously more reasonable for the Air Force to be responsible for the actual air-to-sea attack.

It's just that at this time, the air battle between the two sides has broken out in an all-round way, and it is impossible to tell the difference between victory and defeat in a short period of time.

If the opponent's air force is not wiped out, the opponent's fleet will always have air cover.

The bombers were weak in maneuverability and speed, and had little advantage in the face of enemy fighters responsible for defense.

Forcing an offensive is basically a delivery to the enemy's fighter jets and anti-aircraft fire.

But this kind of battle is still to be fought.

Just like the Battle of Midway in World War II, the torpedo attack planes of the American aircraft carrier group were almost completely wiped out by the Japanese.

However, they lured the Japanese fighters to an ultra-low altitude close to the sea, leaving a large gap in the defense over the Japanese aircraft carriers.

High-altitude American dive bombers attacked from top to bottom, blowing up the Japanese aircraft carriers.

Fighter pilots are expendables, and pilots of torpedo attack aircraft are consumables among consumables, no different from death squads.

In this kind of home defense war, the British top brass and generals finally used all their strength.

However, at the moment Britain is at a disadvantage, both in terms of the number of soldiers, the combat experience of soldiers, the number and level of various military equipment.

Germany, Lucia, and Italy all had more population, soldiers, and equipment than Britain.

Germany also obtained 1,000 top-of-the-line propeller fighters and 1,000 propeller bombers from the Ming Dynasty, and took them as a pioneer as a matter of course.

Moreover, the Germans and Lucia really fought for three years, and the British were on guard and fled for three years.

There is also a relatively large gap in the fighting will of the soldiers on both sides.

So the battle in the air and at sea did not last long, and the British Air Force showed a significant inferiority.

A large number of German fighters and bombers, in the face of the British siege, broke into the city of London and bombed the barracks and factories around London.

The flames and explosions spread rapidly, and the whole city of London was quickly thrown into panic.

King George IV of England hid directly in the bunker, very nervous and constantly asking for news and intelligence outside.

"How long will the defenses on the outside last?"

"Have you officially asked Daming for help?"

"Has Da Ming responded?"

These questions were not answered immediately, but they were answered almost one after another.

Nine o'clock in the morning London time, that is, at five o'clock in the afternoon of Daming Jingshi time.

British Prime Minister Jenkinson ran to George IV with a document:

"Your Majesty, the Ming court has officially issued an ultimatum.

"Demand that Germany, Lucia, and Italy surrender and cease all offensive operations.

"Otherwise, the Ming will declare war on them."

George IV almost jumped up in excitement:

"Great!"

George IV grabbed the document Jenkinson handed over and read it carefully.

It was an official notice document officially issued by the Daming Honglu Temple.

At the same time, it is also an official announcement made public through external broadcasting and the channels of the International Alliance.

The content is basically what Zhu Jingyuan asked for at the beginning, but after being polished by the professionals of Honglu Temple, it is easier to read.

But after reading it, George IV asked with some astonishment:

"This is ...... Why isn't there any time mentioned?

"It is not said that when the Germans do not surrender, they will declare war on the three German countries.

"If the Germans don't respond at all, then when will the Ming enter the war?

"Will Da Ming help us in the end!"

Jenkinson was also a little melancholy, and probably knew what Da Ming meant, so he subconsciously looked next to George IV.

Charlotte, the Crown Prince of the United Kingdom and Queen of the United States, and her two children with the Ming Emperor.

Charlotte sighed softly and explained to her father:

"Father, you should know that the Ming did not protect the French, because in the eyes of the Ming, they did not have this obligation.

"Emperor Daming only took away the main royal family members of France after the complete defeat of France.

"Correspondingly, the current Ming Dynasty has no obligation to protect the current British, at most to take our family away after the war.

"After all, Britain is not a subject country of the Ming Dynasty, but George and Amelia are the children of His Majesty......"

George IV understood what his daughter meant, and understood why Ming would do it.

This is a fact that has long been clear to George IV.

If you want the Ming Dynasty to help Britain unconditionally, you can only pass the country to the children of the Ming Emperor.

It's just that the decision to abdicate is not so easy to make.

Although London has been attacked, the king in the bunker is still safe.

George IV hesitated for a long time, groped in his mind for a long time, and finally found the last straw:

Da Ming did not specify the time, but this is indeed an ultimatum.

"The Germans may have had some concerns, so they slowed down their attack on us or even stopped attacking us.

"So we can take another look...... Look at ...... again."

Charlotte shook her head a little helplessly, and finally didn't say anything.

The scenario described by George IV is not entirely impossible.

So let the relevant personnel report the situation on the front line at any time.

However, Charlotte also realized once again that it was difficult for her father to make the right decisions on his own.

I'll have to figure out a little bit of a push.

On the other side, on the other side of the English Channel.

The Germans, Lucians, Italians also received an ultimatum from the Ming Dynasty,

The monarchs and principal staff of the three kingdoms were able to coordinate and decide on the affairs of the front at any time when launching a war against the British mainland.

From the beginning of the war against the British, they have been gathered in the same conference room to pay attention to front-line intelligence.

When Da Ming's ultimatum was sent, the monarchs and main staff members of the three puppet countries also received it at the same time, and they were all instinctively a little flustered.

Although their self-confidence is now bursting, Daming's sense of oppression is still huge.

Emperor Nicholas of Lucia said with a rather serious expression:

"Da Ming finally put on a direct threat of war, and the status of Britain is really different from that of other countries, after all, it is the future fief of the Ming prince......

King Wilhelm of Germany flipped through the documents and said:

"Although there is a threat of war on this, but no deadline is given, does this mean that the will of the Ming Dynasty to participate in the war is not very strong?"

King Vittorio of Italy said with a sad face:

"We can't be so lucky, the reason why the Ming didn't immediately participate in the Europa War is probably that the Ming people want to take advantage of this opportunity to force the British king to pass the throne to the son of the Ming Emperor in advance......"

The other two monarchs were stunned for a moment, and they also felt that Vittorio's statement seemed to have some truth, so they both looked at their staff officers.

When the monarchs and generals of the three kingdoms decided to take action against Britain, they were of course also prepared to prevent the sudden intervention of the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, the main army of the Three Kingdoms was already rearranging the areas where they were stationed when they conquered Spain.

A large number of German troops, having entered the German and Anatolian plateaus, began to assist Lucia's army in defending against the Ming in the East.

The navies of the three kingdoms have also deployed fleets in the Great Qin Sea to guard against a possible landing battle launched by the Ming people.

However, they also all expected that Daming would be able to attack as late as possible.

It's best to wait until they completely take over LinkedIn.

Mainly, in the past three years, Daming can be said to have retreated step by step, and will only verbally express appeals and warnings.

Let the staff officers of the three kingdoms begin to believe that there is a high probability that the Ming Dynasty really does not want to participate in the war, and a small probability that he really does not care about the life or death of the Taixi countries.

But whatever the reason, the situation is an action in favor of oneself.

It's just that the situation in the UK is too special, and whether this judgment is still reliable or not is a little uncertain.

Faced with the sovereign's consultative eyes, the German chief of staff, Gneisenau, spoke first:

"Three Majestic, we should follow the established plan with the Great Ming and the Snake.

"We should make a gesture of being willing to negotiate with Daming and make the claim that we should occupy LinkedIn territory."

"It can be said that the Hanoverian royal family in England is also a German man-made reason......

"At the same time, it is necessary to continue to increase the pace of the attack and destroy the air defense of the British as quickly as possible......

"Try to get rid of the British before the Ming finally make up their minds."

The King of Germany and the Emperor Lucia both felt that it made sense.

But the king of Italy could not help but express his concern:

"Do you think it...... The reason for demanding that Hanover surrender the British mainland is very ...... Is it a bit excessive?

"Now the future heir of Hanover, but the prince of the Ming Dynasty, how can the Ming Dynasty accept such conditions?"

King William looked at the King of Italy, and said with a little disgust:

"So...... This is a hypocrisy and a snake, and the negotiation is used to delay the progress of the Ming Dynasty.

"Once we de facto take possession of LinkedIn, it doesn't matter what the outcome of the negotiations is.

"According to reports from the front now, the air forces of the British are weaker than ours and are much less numerous than our three countries.

"We have the opportunity to quickly crush the air force of the British

"Without the cover of the Air Force, the British Navy would not be able to maintain its presence in the Channel.

"The mission of landing on British soil will have a chance to be completed quickly.

"The British Army is simply vulnerable, and once we have completed the landing operation, it is only a matter of time before we occupy the entire territory of LinkedIn."

The King of Italy had nothing to say.

The Ming Dynasty has offered mediation three times in a row, and has repeatedly called for a peaceful settlement.

Although Germany and Lucia have never cooperated, Daming has never made any targeted practical actions.

Coupled with the repeated victories of the armies of the Three Kingdoms on the Taixi Continent, they have now completely ruled the entire Taixi Continent.

As a result, the current German and Lucian high-level leaders and armies do not take the Ming Dynasty seriously.

The monarchs and staff officers of the three kingdoms discussed some details, and then arranged for diplomats to argue with the Ming diplomats.

At the same time, jointly cheered up and ordered the front-line commanders to ask them to once again increase the pace of the offensive.

The front-line commanders of the British homeland were given orders and could only continue to increase their efforts.

Over the next day, reports of the losses of the British Air Force, Navy, and Army were sent to King George IV one after another.

The German-led air forces of the three countries also bombed the city of London and its surroundings with increasing intensity.

Reports of various losses have also continued one after another.

Even at night, there is no sign of stopping.

George IV spent a night tormented by the incessant sound of explosions.

The next morning, George IV summoned again the chief ministers.

George IV, with red eyes, asked aloud in annoyance:

"What is our Air Force doing? Why are more and more German planes able to drop bombs on London? Can't you keep them out? ”

Prime Minister Jenkinson reported helplessly:

"Your Majesty, the number of our aircraft is not enough, and the key is that the performance of the fighters used for interception is also insufficient.

"The Germans used Louis XVII's family to exchange the most advanced fighters from the Ming Dynasty, and it was a whole thousand.

"These aircraft are far superior to our aircraft in terms of speed and agility, both in range and payload capacity.

"The combat experience of our pilots was also slightly less than that of the Germans......

"So, we can't keep all the German and Lucia planes out of the city for the time being......"

George IV knew these realities, and just now he was complaining with a sense of getting out of bed.

Now after relieving himself, the whole person seemed to have no strength, and sat down on the throne and asked weakly:

"So how long can our fighters hold out? Is it possible for the Germans and Lucians to climb ashore? What about our Army? ”

Jenkinson's less certain report says:

"Aircraft of the Air Force...... At the current rate of consumption, it is likely that it will not last for a week.

"And the area of air combat is constantly retreating, and it is already difficult for our main aircraft group to protrude beyond the coastline.

"As soon as our fighters can't even hold the coast, then the Germans and Lucians will have complete air supremacy in the English Channel.

"Then they may launch a formal cross-sea landing, and the possibility of their army climbing onto the British Isles is there.

"As for our Army...... Facing Germany alone, there is still the possibility of holding on.

"But the number of gray cattle in Lucia is endless......

"If we look at the current situation, if we can't get more help from a stronger external force, they could go ashore in a week at the earliest.

"The point is that at this time, the continent of Europa has been completely ruled by their three kingdoms.

"Only the Ming people can help us......"

George IV was almost desperate, and turned his face again to look at his daughter Charlotte:

"So Da Ming really watched us get beaten like this? Watching the Germans and Lucians land? ”

Charlotte seemed very helpless to say to her father:

"Father, are you confused, Da Ming has already watched France be fully occupied by the Germans.

"Daming probably wouldn't mind continuing to watch them occupy LinkedIn, which may even be the most desired outcome for the Daming Emperor and the imperial court."

"Based on my understanding of His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the land seized by the Ming soldiers that originally belonged to other royal families should not be returned to the original royal family."

George IV was obviously stunned at this time, and then quickly understood what his daughter meant.

The fundamental purpose of the Ming Dynasty's indulgence of the Europa War was to break the existing order through this kind of melee.

Da Ming ended up again under the banner of putting things right, raising the three German countries that had been characterized as villains, and ruling the continent of Europa by himself.

It is best to directly fight by force and occupy it by force, or at least become a de facto vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

"The Ming want to see Britain occupied by the Germans, and then they take it away from the Germans, and then turn Britain into the land of the Ming Dynasty?"

Charlotte shrugged:

"Obviously, this is the logic, and this may even be the plan they have decided on a long time ago.

"So if we want to keep the current British homeland, we must not let the Germans really occupy LinkedIn territory."

"For the future of the House of Hanover, for us to be able to continue to rule the whole of England.

"The best way for us now is to have George Diyu succeed him directly, and force the Ming to join the war against Germany immediately.

Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty would definitely sit idly by and watch the British mainland be occupied by the three German countries.

"Then we will take Britain from these three countries, so that these lands have nothing to do with our Hanover.

"Also, George is only eight years old now, even if he directly succeeds to the throne now, the matter of Britain is actually decided by you and me."

George IV was finally in utter despair, and sat down in his seat weakly, looking at the children and ministers around him speechless.

No one made any special noises at the scene, and everyone was waiting for the king to make a final decision.

Most of the ministers on the scene now want George IV to directly abdicate and pass the throne to Zhu Diyu, the prince of the Ming Dynasty.

That would keep most of their wealth, otherwise they would be ruined sooner or later in the ongoing melee.

So everyone in the scene stood in the hall together, looking at the king in amazement.

This is in anticipation of the king's decision, and at the same time it is pressuring.

After a long time, George IV suddenly let out a long sigh and ordered the main members of the royal family, the speaker of parliament and the main ministers to be summoned.

Then, in their foresight, George IV signed the edict of abdication and passed the throne to his daughter Charlotte.

After Charlotte signed the documents for succession, she immediately signed the edict of abdication and passed the throne to herself and Zhu Jingyuan's son Zhu Diyu.

At the age of eight this year, he surpassed all his siblings and became the new king of England under the name of George Diyu Zhu Hanover.

According to the British and Hanoverian traditions, it is called "George V".

Since the king was still a minor when he succeeded to the throne, the king's mother, Queen Charlotte, acted as regent, and the certificates and documents were also processed.

At this time, Charlotte was still the king of the United States, so Charlotte continued to be called Her Majesty.

The process is very quick, but all formalities and documents are formal.

After the formalities are completed, the archivist files the documents and sends faxed photos to Daming, which is the most important step.

Zhu Jingyuan was very satisfied after receiving the news, and directly ordered Zhu Diyu to be canonized as a prince, called the king of England, and enjoyed the treatment of a prince-level vassal king.

Then let Lin Zexu be responsible for drafting a declaration of war edict, officially declaring war on Germany, Lucia, and Italy.

The content of this edict does not mention the British and Zhu Diyu at all.

The main claim is still that the war of aggression of the Three Kingdoms brought disaster to the people of Taixi, and that the Three Kingdoms undermined the League of Nations and the international order.

The direct excuse is that the three countries completely do not cooperate with the appeal and mediation of the Ming Dynasty.

Under the banner of hanging the people and destroying the world, the decision to enter a state of war with the Three Kingdoms was officially announced.

After the content was reviewed by Zhu Jingyuan, it was directly disclosed to the world through the diplomatic system of the Honglu Temple of the Ming Dynasty and the radio and television system of the Ming Dynasty.

(End of chapter)