I became Stalin chapter 24

24

It is already at the crossroads of collapse, but the British Empire has dominated the six major colonies for the past century.

Britain’s powerful fleet was the factor that allowed the British Empire to dominate vast territories across Asia, Africa, and America. World’s No. 1 Navy! A fleet that rules over the five oceans! ‘Great Fleet’! The British have always been proud of their majestic fleet.

But the admirals and rulers knew. No matter how powerful a fleet is, there are weaknesses. Those who have challenged Britain’s naval hegemony have struggled with their heads up to break the British strategy of world domination over the past few decades.

Emperor Wilhelm II of the German Empire built the Ocean Fleet, claiming Germany’s share in the colonial rivalry and clashes between powers. and challenged British hegemony. Through the naval competition, Germany tried to build a dozen dreadnought-class battleships and fight the battle.

Of course, Germany was defeated. Britain was an island nation and was able to invest a much larger portion of its national power in the navy than in Germany, a continental country that had to find a balance between the army and the navy. The German Empire tried to keep up with the size of the British fleet by mobilizing all its might, but in the end failed.

The German Imperial Ocean Fleet, once the world’s second-largest fleet, was buried under the cold waters of Scapa Flo after its defeat in World War I.

Until only a few years ago, Germany was bound by the Treaty of Versailles and could not even own battleships. For Germany, which had to pay hundreds of billions of marks in reparations, the reconstruction of the navy and anti-fleet was a disappointment.

But after Hitler’s arrival, everything changed.

Hitler, who came to power as the President of the Third Reich, abolished the Treaty of Versailles and declared armaments. Britain and France were afraid of war with Germany, and Hitler was able to regain some of the greatness of the Ocean Fleet through a daring strategy aimed at their fears.

The results were the Deutscheland-class armored ships, the Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers, and Krixmarine’s proud Bismarck-class battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz.

Of course, this was not the end. Italy and France, which joined the Axis powers, also had huge fleets, which Germany was extremely short on. In particular, the French navy, outraged by the British attempt to seize the fleet after France’s surrender, fully cooperated with Germany’s war effort.

The Italian Navy, admiring the achievement of accurately predicting and stopping the air strike on the port of Taranto, also recognized the strategic initiative of Crixmarine.

Even if the British had a ‘Grand Fleet’, they had to spread cruisers all over the five oceans to rule the world. There are only powerful but slow and outdated battleships in the home fleet. Even he lost three battleships in the pursuit of Bismarck.

Churchill, however, rejected the Admiralty’s proposal to bring the colony’s cruiser fleet to the end.

“It’s like a fucking idiot…”

Commander of the H Squadron, James Somerville, grinded his teeth. In my home country, I kept repeating the same words over and over again.

Fleet H was ordered to defend Gibraltar and Malta, the gateways to the Mediterranean Sea. In order to continue the battle in North Africa over the Suez Canal, the opposite outlet of the Mediterranean Sea, supplies from their home countries were required.

The Luftwaffe, the Italian Reggio Aeronautica, and the combined Axis fleet continued to attack Malta in an effort to cut off the supply fleet and disrupt the British forces in North Africa.

British soldiers in Malta resisted desperately. With the support of meager anti-aircraft batteries and destroyers, they have survived repeated raids. And it was pushed to the limit.

However, the home country refused to increase the fleet to the H Squadron. The H Squadron and its commander Somerville made several tactical and strategic errors.

‘In Toulon, in Portsmouth, in the North Atlantic…’

While attacking to disarm the French navy, which had signed a peace treaty with Germany, a joint French-German counterattack resulted in heavy damage to the Ark Royal.

The battlecruiser Hood, a symbol of the Royal Navy, was sunk in pursuit of Bismarck, and subsequently King George V of his home fleet and Prince of Wales were buried in the cold waters of the North Atlantic.

Now that it has become too tight to defend the home country, it was natural that the home country fleet could not recruit additional troops to the H Squadron. Andrew Cunningham’s Mediterranean fleet was also at an equal footing with the Italian navy and could not afford to support it.

Well, you don’t have to worry any more.

He knew well that the sack awaited him. Many mistakes were made, and it was not only Churchill’s fault in the Mediterranean crisis, but also Somerville’s own. Guarding Gibraltar and Malta until a successor arrives, then transferring command. That was all.

Now that Nazi Germany mobilizes all its power to land on the mainland, the Mediterranean area will be peaceful for the time being. Somerville thought so. Until you hear the roar that resonates the fortress.

Cuckoo bang! Cuckoo… Bang!

“I… what’s going on with this!”

“Sir! Sir!”

A young communications officer ran to him with the message he had just received. His legs seemed to tremble in the aftermath of the roar and shock wave, but he managed to come to his senses and seized the telegram.

“From. The Government of the Kingdom of Spain. To. The Government of the British Empire and each expeditionary force belonging to the British Empire. As of today, October 26, the Kingdom of Spain is declared an ally with the Kingdom of Germany and the Kingdom of Italy, and hereby, in order to comply with the obligations of the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom, Announcing the start of war against the participating nations belonging to the Commonwealth. This… this…!”

Now he was able to discern the identity of the roar. Spain, who seemed to remain neutral, began to attack. Did the bombardment begin?

Gibraltar was a heavenly fortress. The narrow isthmus to the north was a completely exposed plain without obstacles, and the east side was blocked by the gigantic Rock of Gibraltar.

The forces that have taken control of Gibraltar since ancient times have carved out the rocks to make batteries, and have used the advantages of the terrain to teach the fear of a well-made fortress to those who want to break through the entrance to the isthmus prematurely.

Even if the main ships of the H Squadron suffered damage in the naval battle, they would not be able to break through this easily as long as they were supported by battleships, fortress batteries, and air forces.

“Introduce all the troops to a defensive posture. Check and report the damage situation of the fortress due to the recent shelling, and summon the staff officers of lieutenant colonel or higher, regimental commanders or higher commanders into the fortified bunker. As long as the bombardment falls, Battleships aren’t safe either, so we’ll set up our headquarters in the bunker.”

“Yes sir!”

A siren installed in a long passageway within Fort Gibraltar made a deafening noise, alerting former soldiers of an emergency. However, most of the people in the fortress did not notice one thing.

“What? Say it again!”

Admiral Somerville, who took over the defense of the fortress in a bunker built in the deepest part of the fort, urged the commander of his Marine regiment. But he didn’t get the answer he wanted.

“Now our troops are not under fire. Listen, can you not hear any gunshots or impacts now? Reconnaissance planes also reported that they could not find any Spanish troops within range of direct attack on Gibraltar. ”

“Then what does that binge mean?”

This time, the military chief raised his hand with a puzzled expression. As everyone’s attention was focused on him, the staff, who still looked dwarf and timid, withdrew even more. Somerville waved her hand and gestured as if to speak quickly.

“The passages leading to the underground supply depot on the East Side… have been blown up. The roar was not caused by the bombardment, but by the aisles being blown up… Guessing… Hee!”

Somerville slammed the table with anger. What is this, an impregnable fortress? You look like you’re going to die of lack of supplies? As long as Spain participated in the war, this place was nothing more than an island floating in the sea of ​​enemies.

Spain to the north and Spanish Morocco to the south. To the west, U-boats are installed in the Atlantic Ocean, and to the east and into the Mediterranean Sea, Vichy French Algeria is a British navy.

A radio telegraph was urgently sent to link with the Mediterranean fleet, but there was no reply as to whether something was happening there as well.

“Let’s get in touch with our home country quickly! I suspect they’re launching a simultaneous offensive so that we can’t concentrate our forces, but they say they need a fleet to attack Gibraltar and they can’t concentrate all their forces on the landing. You will be penalized. Aren’t we already cracking their passwords?”

Emergency correspondence poured in from Iberia to London.

‘El Caudillo’ Franco decided to participate in the war, and began to convene the Moroccan Regulares soldiers and Falange volunteers to form a regular army.

The Luftwaffe flew freely over Spanish airspace and apparently began to openly prepare to attack Gibraltar and Malta. In case of an emergency, there was a report screaming that more than half of the materials stockpiled to defend Fort Gibraltar had disappeared through the bedrock.

“Where will their landing be? If the air force has been called out to attack Gibraltar as much as it is reported now, where did all the fighters that were assembled in Calais, Normandy, and Brittany come from? I applied, but…!”

Churchill pounded the table in frustration. Sir Beaverbrook, who oversees the production of fighter jets, sweated profusely, took off his stretched hat, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a silk handkerchief.

I couldn’t quite understand it. As the reconnaissance planes penetrated the air defenses and confirmed, a huge number of tanks and aircraft were gathering in northern France and preparing to cross the strait.

Although the fleet could not see it with their own eyes, Krixmarine, who had a strong belief in the Enigma cipher machine that had already been breached a long time ago, was babbling through cryptic communication that each ship was going for what purpose. The positions of the main ships were somewhat understandable.

“And if Hitler made such a gamble, he was confident that he would take Gibraltar… How could he subdue it without an alternative fleet? No matter how many aircraft it produced, it would be possible to break through that dense air defense network on the southern coast and compete with our air force. Could it be? If Gibraltar had so many air force recruits?”

“Sir, Germany cannot have such an aircraft, this is my guarantee!”

The old press tycoon was ejaculating Churchill. With a face that looked like he was about to cry, he mumbled.

“No matter how much fighters are printed, it’s impossible for an air force to reach hundreds or thousands of aircraft like the report of a reconnaissance aircraft. Isn’t there an error in the report?”

“No, it’s a conservative estimate based on cross-validation of enough pilots. What land are the Nazis scooping up their planes from? Or are they leaving the Eastern Front empty? Stupid Soviets, the Nazis put their planes here like this. Even though I borrowed a lot…”

Suddenly, Attlee tapped her knee.

“I scoop it out of the ground, maybe?”

Churchill puffed out his nostrils as if he was squeamish. He always had a habit of inhaling with his nostrils wide open before shouting. Those who have suffered a lot knew the habit very well.

Attlee, who didn’t want to hear the shouts coming from his belly button, came up with an idea.

“If their purpose is not landing on the mainland, but Gibraltar? Weren’t they trying to attract attention so that we can’t support Gibraltar and support the Mediterranean Fleet and H’s Fleet as their home fleet?”

“Then where did that damn plane come from?”

“Wherever it came from, it must have been scooped from the ground! Scooped from hell!”

Now Attlee began to knock on the table. With blood all over his neck, he was proving himself that it is scarier for a calm and calm person to make a fuss.

“Fake planes, fake tanks, fake troops that can fool the reconnaissance planes! They were fools and showed us all their powers? It must have all been intentional. Hundreds and thousands of fake planes and the real thing. I guess they all went to the Iberian Peninsula over there?

Germany’s industrial production capacity is obvious, but where did all those tanks come from? If you want to argue that Stalin has already strengthened with Germany and is only getting support from the United States because Stalin is squeamish, just cry!”

“We’re listening to all their passwords…”

“We’re listening to their codes, so they don’t have spies in us? Knowing that we’re cracking… you’d be better off spreading disinformation. Nazis!”

Blood drained from the faces of the ministers. No one could have imagined that Germany would have leaked disinformation.

He gathered the mainland army that was still left with debris and fortified the long coastline. Even though he sent the home fleet to capture Bismarck, he still prepared a fleet to protect the landing point. But what if this was all a deception…?

Of course, the place the enemy’s fleet will be heading to must be Gibraltar. That way you can attack Gibraltar. The next target will be Malta, then Alexandria…. and Suez.

“Can’t it be a deception that Bismarck sets sail alone?”

The blood-drenched face gradually changed to a strange color. Some are red, some are blue. who is dark That’s a possible scenario. A flock of wolves are waiting after throwing Bismarck as bait. And if you put your forearm long to try to catch Bismarck inside the wolves with their mouths wide open…

q One arm will fall off.

“Send them in right away. Send the home fleet to Gibraltar, leaving only the minimum amount of defense left. The message from Gibraltar says that the supply depot on the East Side has collapsed, but if the rest of the warehouse is still in good condition, it will be able to last for at least three weeks. If you combine the Mediterranean fleet with their fleet, it is enough to compete with their fleet..!”

“Then we will have to subdue the Spanish army, but if we exchange all of their fleets with half of our fleets, I think it’s worth doing. Even if the damage is great, our fleet will still overwhelm them in both quantity and quality. can.”

Everyone bit their lips tightly. The Royal Fleet can still overwhelm the Axis Fleet if it is not subjected to individual breakouts. We are still strong.

“Send a message to Gibraltar. To defend the fortress somehow. Contact Alexandria’s Mediterranean fleet and the departing home fleet quickly and order them to attack them. Eden, you are… Stalin’s hotline. I’ll prepare you.”

“Okay, Prime Minister.”

Thank you all readers for reading

I became Stalin chapter 24

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