Chapter 256: Do you want to lose? (seeking a monthly ticket)
Downing Street, the Prime Minister's Office, and the meeting room, the atmosphere is quite dignified.
Prime Minister Asquith sat in his seat with a livid face and said nothing. The faces of other cabinet officials are also very ugly. Only the Secretary of the Navy Churchill stood and introduced the failure of this naval battle.
"So far, we have lost the battlecruisers 'Indefatigable', 'Australia', 'Indomitable'. Battleships 'Audacity', 'Centurion', 'Ajax', 'Iron Duke', 'Marlborough', 'Ben Bow' and 'Emperor of India'. In addition, the battlecruiser 'Indomitable' and the battleship 'King George V' suffered heavy damage and are expected to pass It takes three months of repairs to restore combat effectiveness." Churchill introduced to everyone expressionlessly. He didn't read the name of a battleship or battlecruiser, which made him feel like he was bleeding. These are the main battleships of the Royal Navy! After losing these warships, the Royal Navy may be in jeopardy.
"How did we lose so much?" Prime Minister Asquith asked. This is also a common question among other cabinet members. Everyone thought it impossible for the Royal Navy to lose so much. This is definitely the biggest loss the Royal Navy has suffered over the years.
"Your Excellency, this issue is more responsible. There are mainly two reasons. On the one hand, the Germans have also prepared for our plan this time. They ambushed three battlecruisers equipped with 380mm main guns. This It was the culprit that directly led to the annihilation of our four "Iron Duke" battleships. On the other hand, there was a fundamental problem with our shipbuilding thinking. Before, when we were building battleships, we paid attention to firepower and Speed, despising defense. But in naval battles, this problem is fatal. Our main guns cannot penetrate the armor of German warships, so naturally we cannot severely damage or sink them. However, the German main guns But it can easily penetrate the armor of our warships, causing our warships to be severely damaged or sunk. Therefore, in this naval battle, we will lose so badly." Churchill explained.
"How did this happen? Why didn't we notice these problems in advance? What do the intelligence agencies do? The Germans served warships equipped with 380mm main guns, but we were kept in the dark." Prime Minister Asquith furiously said .
The head of the intelligence department bowed his head in shame, because the intelligence department's mistakes made the Royal Navy pay such a heavy loss. Obviously, he's done it. Next, I am afraid that he will be directly dismissed by Prime Minister Asquith.
"The design problem of the battleship, why is it only now exposed? Are the previous arguments all for nothing?" Prime Minister Asquith was very angry. You know, the battleships of the British Navy, whether they are battleships or battlecruisers, are all built according to the idea of emphasizing firepower and speed and despising defense! Doesn't this show that once these warships enter the battlefield, they will not be opponents of the Germans? Then how can we fight this battle! Just admit defeat to the Germans.
Churchill didn't know how to answer for a while. The British Navy has established a shipbuilding idea that emphasizes firepower and speed and despises defense for a long time. It is almost impossible to pursue responsibility now.
"Your Excellency Churchill, this time we have lost so many battleships. Doesn't that mean that the Royal Navy is no longer able to defeat the Germans? Will we lose this decisive battle?" asked Sir Edward Gray, the Foreign Secretary.
Other cabinet ministers also looked at Churchill, and everyone was thinking about this issue. The British Empire is the hegemon of the world, and their cabinet ministers are also people who hold great power. But if the Royal Navy loses this decisive battle, then the British Empire may have to give up its position as the world's hegemon. At that time, these people, let alone continue to be in power. I'm afraid those angry people will directly drive them out of power and tear them into pieces!
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, Your Excellencies, Ministers. I have to tell everyone. This time, the Royal Navy may really be in big* trouble. In addition to the battlecruiser 'Lion' that was lost before, we have already lost eleven ships. The capital ship is gone, and the Royal Navy is even bruised. If the Germans want to fight us at this time, we may really lose." Churchill said.
As soon as Churchill finished speaking, the cabinet members began to discuss. Everyone's faces were very ugly, even full of frightened expressions. For such a result, everyone is obviously unacceptable. They don't want the Royal Navy to really lose. Once lost, it would be a fatal blow to the British Empire.
"Your Excellency Churchill, don't we still have the 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships and the 'Revenge-class' battleships that will be in service soon? Those are all powerful battleships equipped with 381mm main guns, and their combat effectiveness is definitely no longer that of the German battleships. Even then, would we all lose?" asked Lloyd George, chancellor of the exchequer.
"The 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships and the 'Revenge-class' battleships are indeed not weak, but they still have the disadvantage of being too weak in defense. What's more, even if we have these ten battleships equipped with 381mm main guns, the Germans will certainly There are not less than this number of battleships equipped with 380mm main guns. In terms of the number of capital ships and combat effectiveness, we have been completely overtaken by the Germans!" Churchill replied sadly.
"My God! How is this possible?"
"Is the Royal Navy going to lose future wars? The Royal Navy is number one in the world and the pillar of the British Empire! The Royal Navy must not lose."
"If the Royal Navy loses the war, what should we do? Can sea power be guaranteed? Can our vast colonies be defended? Lost sea power and overseas colonies, is the British Empire still the British Empire? "
The ministers of the British cabinet all started talking, and they all thought of how serious the consequences would be if the Royal Navy lost the war. Such consequences are obviously not acceptable to them.
Prime Minister Asquith's face turned even darker, as if he was the bottom of the pot. He felt that he was too unlucky. Why did a world war break out during his tenure, and Britain might lose? In that case, wouldn't he become the prime minister who ruined the hegemony of the British Empire? I'm afraid he will become a sinner through the ages. If possible, he wanted to quit immediately.
