Chapter 391 Operation Starvation (15)

In London, England.

Inside the Prime Minister's residence, Churchill also received the news that the transport fleet had encountered a wolf pack and suffered heavy losses. His face turned extremely grim, as if he was about to devour someone!

"What's going on?! Didn't we increase our defense forces?!" Based on previous attacks on the transport convoys, they understood that each wolf pack attack generally would not exceed ten submarines. Therefore, this time the transport convoy was arranged with eighteen destroyers. In theory, the number was twice that of the German wolf pack, so how could they still suffer such heavy losses?!

As for the specific losses, since the entire fleet was scattered and each ship fled for its life, it is still not possible to fully tally the losses. However, judging only from the number of transport ships that could still find each other and gather together, it's feared that this time three-quarters of the transport ships were sunk by the German forces.

Such a loss is a heavy blow to the British Empire of today. However, what Churchill is most concerned about is not the loss of materials such as food or metals, but, "Are those pilots who were supported by the United States alright?!" They are of utmost importance!

Charles's face stiffened, obviously not expecting this matter. "The report did not mention them, so they should be safe, right?"

Churchill gritted his teeth. "Go verify it quickly!" If anything happened to these pilots, it would be adding insult to injury. These young pilots came all the way to support Britain, but they didn't even set foot on British soil and sank in the North Atlantic. If the American public knew about this, what would their reaction be?!

As for the lost materials, it's headache-inducing to even think about. "It seems we have to use the reserve supplies." At least for the next 10 days, the consumption of materials in Britain will need to be supported by these pre-war reserves. If such incidents continue to occur, then Britain, even if unwilling to admit its own failure, will have to surrender to the Germans.

"Prime Minister, sir! We will do our best to ensure the safety of the shipping routes..." Charles, who was about to leave, could only stiffly utter such formulaic words.

"What's the matter with those Soviets? Can't they do something?!" After a few frustrated curses, Churchill called for Eden. "Has Spain withdrawn its volunteers?"

Eden nodded. "They have withdrawn, but before doing so, they left all their weapons and equipment to the Finns. Moreover, it's not just Spain supporting Finland; Sweden is also fully supporting Finland."

"Damn it! Isn't Sweden a neutral country?! Why would they get involved in this?! Is there any way to stop Sweden from providing assistance?"

Eden shook his head in distress. "Our ambassador has already communicated with the Swedish government, and their stance is very firm. Unless the Soviet Union stops its aggression, their assistance will not cease."

"Damn it!" Although furious, Churchill did not dare to pressure Sweden. If pushed too hard, Sweden might abandon neutrality and fully lean towards Germany, which would be a loss far outweighing any gain. It is known that, unlike countries such as Luxembourg, Sweden, as a nation with a tradition of universal conscription, may not have a large population, but its military strength is formidable. It is one of the strongest in Northern Europe, and no country dares to underestimate Sweden's military power (before World War II, Sweden maintained a standing army of 500,000, with millions more in reserve).

Since Sweden cannot be threatened, another solution must be found. "Notify Sir Stafford Cripps (the British Ambassador to the Soviet Union), and have him tell the Kremlin that if they cannot take Finland, then there is no need to continue our agreement."

The Soviets themselves are eager to take Finland as soon as possible.

"This is difficult!" General Meretskov, now demoted to the commander of the Seventh Army, stared at the map of Lake Ladoga in front of him, deeply furrowing his brow.

The Soviet forces were planning to attack along the northern shore of Lake Ladoga, westward to encircle and capture the Mannerheim Line. However, the terrain around Lake Ladoga is complex, with over a thousand lakes fragmenting the Soviet army's attack routes, making it impossible to talk about attacking and breaking through the Mannerheim Line without breaking through here first.

As for why there are so many lakes, it is because Finland has the most lakes in the world, with about 188,000 large and small lakes within its territory, hence it is called the 'Land of a Thousand Lakes'. Finland is close to the Arctic Circle, and hundreds of thousands of years ago during the Quaternary Ice Age, present-day Finland was covered by a thick layer of ice. Due to glacial erosion, the surface became uneven. About 10,000 years ago, as the climate gradually warmed, the glaciers melted, and the depressions on the surface continuously accumulated water from the melting glaciers, as well as surface runoff and precipitation, gradually forming lakes of various sizes. Because the region of Finland experienced intense glacial activity during the Quaternary period, there are many surface depressions and glacial deposits, which is why there is a dense distribution of glacial and moraine lakes today.

Just as General Meretskov was racking his brains for a way to quickly break through the terrain, someone entered his office. "Comrade General, the great teacher and leader of the proletariat and working people of the world, Comrade Stalin, has sent a telegram, ordering us to immediately resolve the Finnish forces at Lake Ladoga and break through the Mannerheim Line."

General Meretskov couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly. Every time he heard these political officers refer to Comrade Stalin, he felt extremely awkward, but for the sake of his own life, he couldn't show it and had to suppress it. As for Comrade Stalin's demands, he was really at a loss. "Comrade Political Officer, I too wish to quickly resolve the Finnish forces at Lake Ladoga, but the main difficulty we face now is not the Finnish army, but the complex terrain and cold climate here. Many soldiers are not adapting to the weather, and I have already received several reports of frostbite."

"These are minor issues!" General Meretskov hadn't finished speaking when he was interrupted by the political officer. "What kind of difficulties haven't our great proletarian revolutionary warriors experienced? Are we unable to overcome such a small setback?"

General Meretskov really wanted to kick this guy, who was good for nothing except for his fanatical loyalty, and who didn't even understand the basic principles of timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony. If it were such a small setback as he said, would he himself be at his wit's end?

The political officer rebuked with a righteous face. "Comrade General Meretskov, if I find that your position is not firm, I will definitely report it to the great teacher and leader of the proletariat and working people of the world, Comrade Stalin."

General Meretskov's heart trembled. As someone who had luckily survived the purges, no one knew better than him that feeling of panic and insecurity; the fear of mysteriously disappearing at any moment.

With no choice, he immediately made his stance clear. "My loyalty to the motherland and Comrade Stalin is unwavering, and we will soon bring victorious news to Comrade Stalin."