adbindia Chapter 1017 1017: Together with Shire, We Witnessed the Rise of France
Chapter 1017 1017: Together with Shire, We Witnessed the Rise of France
Paris City Hall, France.
Gallieni sat in the Minister's office, worried over the maritime charts.
He was the Minister of the Army, and although naval battles might not require his concern, he had no choice but to worry.
This battle is crucial to the destiny of France; in Gallieni's view, it is the most critical fight.
If this battle is lost, the French Army will have to bow to British terms, with no room for maneuver.
Naval warfare is different from land battles.
In land battles, if defeated, you can quickly gather more men and give them guns, raising a new force; tanks only take a few months to produce.
But if a naval battle is lost, like if a certain battleship is sunk, it would take years to build a new one.
Especially since France's two major shipyards have just resumed production, severely lacking in capacity, and the British Mediterranean Fleet's blockade prevents acquiring resources necessary to produce warships.
France might be struck down with a single blow, never able to lift its head again, becoming perpetually a puppet of Britain, and all previous victories would turn to dust.
"General," Major Fernan comforted, "we will win, Shire has never disappointed you..."
"The problem lies with Shire." Gallieni was stung by this comment, and he shot to his feet:
"Shire is not in Malta."
"The commander is Vice Admiral Gephardt; what battles has he fought before? The Dardanelles Strait or the North Sea battle?"
"No, we know those battles were fought by Shire!"
At this point, Gallieni had unconditional trust in Shire, even if others generally thought Shire was more adept at land battles than naval warfare.
What infuriated him was that the British launched an attack while Shire was far away in Belgium.
"Where is Shire now?" Gallieni asked.
Major Fernan cautiously answered, "Still at Pondisai Castle."
Gallieni was enraged upon hearing that: "Why is he still at Pondisai Castle? Wasn't he told long ago to head to Malta?"
"General," Major Fernan replied:
"The British were prepared for this; their fleet is simultaneously attacking Emden Port."
"If the British land at Emden Port and move south to occupy the Ruhr Industrial District, Germany will become an uncertain factor."
Gallieni snorted:
"That's still not as important as the Mediterranean."
"The Ruhr Industrial District can be retaken, but if the Mediterranean is lost, France will have no other opportunity."
"Doesn't that fool understand this logic?"
Gallieni hurried to the telegraph room to push them again, when the staff, holding a telegram, cheered: "General, we've won, the British Fleet has surrendered!"
"What?" Gallieni stared blankly at the staffer, "What surrendered?"
"The British Fleet." The staffer excitedly handed over the telegram:
"It's sent by Admiral Shire, our forces have achieved total victory."
"The British Mediterranean Fleet has surrendered, with an initial tally of 118 ships captured, including 8 battleships, and 12 cruisers."
"Our forces sank 2 battlecruisers, 1 battleship, 2 aircraft carriers, and countless destroyers and enemy planes."
...
Gallieni was stunned. He looked at the telegram again and again, then silently sent a reply to Shire: "Are you sure you're not joking? Why would the British Fleet surrender?"
Even though Gallieni didn't understand naval battles, he knew there was no precedent for capturing more than a hundred warships in a naval battle.
In reality, naval battles rarely force the opponent to surrender. Both sides shell each other with ship cannons, and as long as there's propulsion, even if one loses combat capability due to enemy fire, they can still withdraw from the battleground.
But now, more than a hundred British warships collectively surrendered?
Including 8 battleships?
These battleships alone could have annihilated the entire Toulon Fleet!
This is simply a fairy tale, something that could never happen, Gallieni didn't believe a word.
Shire's reply was simple:
"Because we have aircraft carriers, General."
"Apologies for worrying you. Due to military secrecy, I couldn't explain in advance."
"This battle was actually the British walking into a trap; the outcome was decided long ago."
Upon seeing this, Gallieni understood.
That bastard, he fooled even me!
I thought the fate of France would be interrupted today, never expected the mighty British Mediterranean Fleet, which makes everyone on edge with its 10 battleships, was just prey in Shire's eyes, mere prey!
Gallieni relaxed completely. He gently nodded to his subordinates who eagerly awaited around him:
"Gentlemen, we are fortunate. Together with Shire, we have witnessed the rise of France."
"From now on, we will be the undisputed world's number one power, and no country can match France."
"If anyone attempts to do so, they will be crushed under Shire's heel!"
The command base erupted in cheers, with staff and telegraph operators tossing documents into the air, letting them float gently down as if all intelligence was no longer of importance.
...
At the Clyron Hotel, the atmosphere had been rather grim these past days.
Everyone understood they should stand with France, otherwise, they would be forever enslaved by Britain.
The Dutch representative stated: "The Queen has urgently convened a meeting, and we've decided to not only cooperate with France in terms of resources but also fully support them militarily, including allowing French troops to enter Dutch territory."
This is a "coalition" in another form, and also represents absolute trust in France.
Otherwise, with the strength of the French Army, entering Dutch territory could extinguish Holland or foster a puppet regime anytime.
The Greek representative stated: "We will call on the entire military and civilian population to take up arms and drive the British forces into the sea together with the French Army."
The British Army has over two hundred new fighter jets in Greece; capturing them would cripple the British Mediterranean Fleet.
The Belgian representative stated: "We will prioritize providing France with the resources it needs to fill the void created by the blockade of sea routes."
Resources in Belgian hands can't produce any decent equipment, but in French hands, it's a completely different story.
Various African countries were eager to speak, offering manpower and financial support, with some hoping to unite with Egypt to attack Suez Port held by the British forces.
However, a heavy weight pressed on everyone's mind:
Can the French Fleet defeat the British Fleet?
That is the world's number one navy, several times the size of the French Navy.
If the French Fleet fails, and the British Army "kills a chicken to scare the monkeys," will they start by targeting smaller countries?
Even Clemenceau's smile seemed somewhat forced.
While he continued to speak words of encouragement, everyone could see the worry in his heart: always attentive to his appearance, he didn't even notice today that he was wearing mismatched socks!