Chapter 23: Interconnected Events

The day gradually brightened.

Amidst the roar of the approaching aircraft, German soldiers, wearing dark green helmets with ear flaps, peeked out from trenches deep enough to accommodate a person. After prolonged gunfire, the air still carried a faint smell of gunpowder. The edges of the trenches were littered with spent yellow cartridge cases, and in the fields ahead, bodies lay scattered, numbering roughly three or four thousand.

At 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., British infantry launched fierce attacks on this line of defense, built by the British themselves. Stretching from the eastern barricades to the western cliffs, the defense line was only 4.7 kilometers wide, with the German landing beaches lying just beyond the two parallel trenches, barely 2 kilometers deep.

In this area of less than 10 square kilometers, by dawn, two Waffen-SS infantry divisions, one Wehrmacht infantry division, one paratrooper division, and a large number of armored units had gathered, totaling over 5,000 combatants. Each trench had a soldier every two meters, an "Iron Fist" every ten meters, an MG34 every twenty meters, a mortar every fifty meters, an 20mm AA gun every eighty meters, and a tank or assault gun every one hundred and forty meters.

With such a dense firepower, even the British forces of more than two divisions could not break through, only suffering heavy casualties and plummeting morale.

The consolidation of forces had its advantages, but with a large number of troops and equipment amassed in such a small area, they were vulnerable to enemy artillery bombardment. The British commanders were aware of this vulnerability, but unfortunately, the intense bombing and continuous shelling by the Germans the previous day had already devastated their coastal defenses. After the "fake paratroopers" and "fake landing," the German fleet appeared in Wash Bay. The British mobile artillery immediately moved eastward, but by the time they were repositioned to the south, it was already daylight.

Without air superiority, daylight meant only one thing: German aircraft with Iron Cross insignias. Over two hundred Messerschmitt fighters appeared first on the southern coast of England. Their mission now was no longer to engage in dogfights with British Spitfires and Hurricanes. Whenever they spotted roads or fields, they would dive without hesitation, strafing with machine guns and cannons. Soon after, eighty He-111 fast bombers and seventy-five Ju-88s flew low like locusts, dropping accurately aimed bombs on scattered and concealed British troops and gun crews. Even before they could fire, more than half of the five 25-pounder gun batteries and four 18-pounder gun batteries, which could have posed a significant threat to the German landing, were already knocked out.

The last to appear were the sluggish Stukas, the "airborne assault guns." Even without dropping bombs, the sharp whistling of their dive was enough to instill fear and dread in the British soldiers. However, their numbers today were noticeably fewer. After six waves of intense bombing of British ground targets, approximately eighty planes, they all headed to the Isle of Wight to refuel and rearm.

The relentless bombing by the German Luftwaffe left the German beachhead quiet for over an hour. But as most German soldiers huddled in trenches to eat breakfast, the long-absent Royal Air Force suddenly appeared. Over forty fighters escorted around thirty Hampden twin-engine fast bombers, flying low, despite the gunfire from German positions, dropping bombs. Although the tactics of these British planes were clear and agile, they still could not escape the interception by German fighters stationed at forward bases like the Isle of Wight. After a splendid dogfight, the British lost three fighters and seven bombers, while the Germans lost five Bf-109s and one Bf-110. Although the losses on both sides were comparable, for the already outnumbered and outgunned Royal Air Force, every loss was difficult to bear. Watching their own planes scatter and flee, the morale of the British soldiers on the ground, which had just improved slightly, would probably plummet again.

At exactly 8 a.m., about 6,000 British infantry, covered by a handful of infantry guns, began their brave yet foolish third charge. Coincidentally, during the previous war, their predecessors had also charged fearlessly into the machine-gun positions of the Imperial German Army, resulting in over fifty thousand casualties in a single day.

Netherlands, Amsterdam.

On the balcony with a beautiful view of the sea, five German generals were calmly having breakfast. In addition to the commanders and staff officers of Operation "Sea God's Wrath," the new face was General Alfred Jodl, Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command.

"The Führer is very satisfied with the performance of our navy and air force last night. He firmly believes that the sinking of the Nelson will make the British reassess their situation—they cannot rely on the Royal Navy to save their fate anymore!" Under the warm morning sun, Jodl's bald head glowed with an orange hue, and his wrinkled face wore a natural and peaceful expression.

Richtofen was not the type to boast of his achievements, and he generously said, "This is thanks to Colonel Logan's brilliant planning, of course, and the brave fighting of our frontline soldiers! The young men fought very cleverly!"

Logan put down his fork and smiled, saying, "I only proposed the rough plan. In the process of refining and implementing the plan, I witnessed the outstanding capabilities of the Wehrmacht staff officers—I must say, being a part of this army, I feel very, very honored!"

The meticulous style and meticulous thinking of the German General Staff were indeed unique worldwide. The most striking contrast was probably with Germany's staunch ally, the seemingly invincible Italy.

Jodl wiped his lips with a napkin, "The Rodney escaped, and the Führer is very regretful. He hopes that our navy and air force will not make such mistakes again when facing the main British fleet!"

The words were casual, but the three frontline commanders couldn't help but look serious, especially Logan. Since the final draft of the battle plan, the young colonel had dreamt every night of scenarios related to it: either annihilating the entire British fleet without a single destroyer escaping, or bombs and torpedoes being utterly ineffective, allowing the British fleet to swagger away.

These bizarre dreams were just manifestations of mental burden. Hearing Jodl's words, Logan suddenly felt the pressure increase. If he messed up, would he face severe punishment when he returned, being thrown into the trash heap and never used again?

"Gentlemen, I also have some good news to bring this time!" Jodl teased slightly, "Spain has agreed to send us another sixty fast ships within two days. These ships will be manned by Spanish sailors and sent to France, where they will be replaced by our men! With an average capacity of 200 soldiers and 100 tons of supplies per ship... We should be able to transport another infantry division!"

"Oh, that's great!" Logan couldn't help but exclaim with excitement. Then he realized his indiscretion and looked apologetically at Richtofen and Freck.

Richtofen swallowed the food in his mouth slowly, wiped his lips with a napkin, and said warmly, "Thanks to the efforts of the Imperial diplomats, with these Spanish fast ships, our transport capacity will indeed be greatly increased. What's more, the British may receive some unfavorable news from the Iberian Peninsula. As Colonel Logan arranged, if the main British fleet stays put at the entrance to the English Channel, we will concentrate our forces to expand the landing battle east of Southampton. If they think the attitude of the Spanish government is just a facade, and then they invade the English Channel, we will definitely make them suffer!"

"Although this plan is very comprehensive, I still have a small worry in my heart. What if they charge into the Channel and suddenly retreat?" Jodl raised this question while facing Logan.

"That's not a small problem!" Logan explained calmly, "We have considered various possible scenarios. As soon as they enter the middle section of the Channel, they can forget about leaving the Channel easily!"

"Well, it's best to be foolproof!" Jodl said while thinking. Although he was the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command and played a crucial role in the operations in Norway and Denmark, his personal inclinations were very clear. The bold and innovative "Operation Munchausen Plan" was implemented under his direct intervention. Similarly, the "Sea God's Wrath" plan was passed with lightning speed, once again demonstrating Jodl's absolute loyalty to the Führer.

Richtofen dared not claim to be proficient in the essence of military strategy, but he was certainly more flexible than these generals who grew up on Prussian military doctrines. He continued, "Of course, we have also considered the possibility of a portion of the British fleet ultimately breaking through the Channel. By then, our Third Landing Group's transport ships may not be able to withdraw—just like in Norway, naval officers and men will abandon their ships and directly land for combat!"

"Yes, let's do our best! The Führer is very optimistic about this plan and your military talent, Colonel! Well, breakfast is over, the tasks have been assigned, and I should go back to report to the Führer!" Jodl stood up, shook hands with the four generals in turn, and when it was Logan's turn, he said, "Hopefully, our next meeting will be on British soil!"

"Of course, that day is not far away!" Logan replied confidently.

As soon as Jodl left, the staff officer, Karl August, hurriedly walked onto the balcony. "Sir, reconnaissance aircraft have spotted four British warships entering the English Channel! According to the pilots' judgment, they are one London-class heavy cruiser, one Goddess-class light cruiser, and two single-funnel destroyers!"

Upon hearing this report, whether it was von Richtofen, Kurt Freck, Wilhelm Fluhrer, or Logan, they all had little reaction. The British were not foolish, often squeezing their elite warships into the English Channel without air superiority. Seeing these four warships, three of which were likely for anti-air and anti-submarine purposes, only the London-class could conduct long-range bombardment against the German forces attempting to land on British soil.

Logan glanced at his watch; it was already late. He suggested to Richtofen, "Since the British have decided to sacrifice some of their ships to test our strength, let's grant them their wish!"

"In the Bible, Eve ate the forbidden fruit only after being tempted by Satan!" Richtofen said with interest, "So, Colonel, did you design such a lure for the British?"

"I'm not Satan!" Logan replied with a smile.

Richtofen turned to his staff officer and ordered, "Send a telegram, 'Operation Snow Leopard' is now underway!"