Chapter 234: Chapter 312 Gibraltar Fortress (End)
Just as Governor Liddell was bewildered and at a loss, Captain Otto Ernst Lindemann of the Bismarck issued the order to fire.
Rumors have it that after the Bismarck sank in the original timeline, among the 2,200 crew members, only a little over a hundred survived, and among them, a small cat survived. It was adopted by the British destroyer HMS Cossack and named Oscar. However, the Cossack sank less than five months later, and miraculously, Oscar survived again. It was brought aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and acquired a new nickname: Sam, the Unsinkable.
Eventually, less than 20 days later, the HMS Ark Royal also sank, but Oscar survived once again. Later, the legion it stayed with and the destroyer HMS Lightning were both sunk by the Germans in 1942. After that, no warship dared to adopt it.
Perhaps Oscar was a "warship killer." Maybe if the Bismarck hadn't taken it to sea, it wouldn't have sunk?
Of course, this was a joking statement. When the Bismarck was built, aircraft carriers were considered heretical, and naval aviation hadn't fully developed. Therefore, the designers had an indifferent attitude towards anti-aircraft defense. The equipped 37mm flak guns couldn't provide dense firepower, similar to the 98K rifles, manually loaded and known as the "37mm hand-operated machine."
As a result, even torpedo bombers like the Swordfish, with a top speed of only 222 km/h, couldn't be stopped. Three torpedoes dropped by the Swordfish hit the Bismarck, with one hitting the stern, causing the rudder of the Bismarck to jam at 15 degrees. Finally, the pursuing British fleet caught up and bombarded it, sinking it with over 400 shells, a rather frustrating end.
However, compared to the Scharnhorst, the Bismarck at least achieved significant success in the only major battle it participated in (sinking the British flagship Hood). It could be considered dying after having some fun.
At this moment, Wilhelm had almost reached the point of demanding perfection in the anti-aircraft performance of warships. The current Bismarck was not equipped with those almost useless 105mm flak guns and disappointing 37mm twin flak guns. Instead, it had thirty twin-mounted Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns and twenty twin-mounted 20mm anti-aircraft guns.
"Boom, boom, boom!" With the command to fire, carrying the pride of the German military-industrial complex, the eight twin-mounted 380mm main guns manufactured by the Krupp family, the giants of the German arms industry, roared one after another. The gun barrels spewed out orange flames, and the tremendous air pressure at the gun muzzles pressed a wide shallow pit into the sea surface along the ship's side. Under the massive recoil, the entire warship seemed to tremble for a moment, but the enormous hull successfully absorbed the recoil. Everyone who witnessed this moment couldn't help but feel deep awe for this terrifying artificial destructive power.
Lindemann exclaimed in excitement, "Spectacular! This is why I love battleships!"
The Bismarck's 380mm main guns had an initial velocity of 820 meters per second. Twelve seconds later, eight shells slammed viciously onto the top of the Gibraltar Fortress, shattering thousands of kilograms of massive rocks into countless pieces. Stones weighing tens or hundreds of kilograms scattered in all directions, flying through the air.
"Freedom to fire at will!" Lindemann issued the command.
Suddenly, hundreds of guns of various calibers roared to life. Shells, like a meteor shower, pounded the fortress, and the continuous explosions were deafening. The entire fortress trembled violently.
Governor Liddell's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. He paced around the command room like an ant on a hot pan. The steel-reinforced concrete on the ceiling occasionally trembled, followed by the rustling fall of dust.
"Has London responded?" This was perhaps the nth time he had asked.
The adjutant shook his head. "Not yet, sir."
The H Fleet had just suffered a devastating defeat, and there was no time for the British side to support Gibraltar. Of course, even if they had ships to reinforce, witnessing such a massive fleet might have discouraged them from attempting to provide support.
Governor Liddell sighed in despair. "It's only the fifth day. Today marks the fifth day since the battle began, and the German forces haven't suffered a single casualty. Why... where did I go wrong? Why is this the outcome?"
Seeing the desolate gaze of Governor Liddell, the adjutant couldn't help but worry that he might be on the verge of collapsing. "Compared to the Germans, our war mindset is at least twenty years behind. The Germans are not only ahead of us in tactical thinking, but they also have new and powerful weapons. I believe they are systematically planning their operations against us. Unlike us, who always think about preparation after the battle has begun."
"But now is not the time to discuss these matters; this fortress cannot withstand several rounds of bombardment. We must make a decision."
Seeing the puzzled look from Governor Liddell, the adjutant cleared his throat. "The Germans have always treated prisoners well. What do you think, General?"
After the European Joint Fleet fired the sixth round of shells, a white flag appeared in the shooting hole on the other side of the fortress.
Manstein watched the group of bewildered British prisoners forming a long line. Suddenly, he raised his hand and pointed to the British officer with the rank of general in the queue, instructing the nearby guards, "Bring that Governor of Gibraltar over."
"Is this the guy who boasted about taking down our two hundred thousand people? I really don't know where he got the confidence from," Manstein said with a disdainful expression on his face.
Two guards escorted Liddell to Manstein. Both sides reported their respective identities. Liddell raised his chin slightly, trying hard to maintain his dignity, and spoke, "General Manstein, I hope you will abide by Article IV of the Geneva Convention regarding prisoners and ensure our personal safety."
Manstein nodded. "Of course, my army will abide by the agreement. You don't need to worry about your future life as a prisoner, Governor. As for the specific details, I will arrange for my adjutant to negotiate with you. After all, you are considered an acquaintance."
"Governor Liddell, I didn't expect to meet again so soon," the adjutant deliberately emphasized the words "so soon." Watching the Governor's face turn from white to red, then purple, he felt immensely satisfied.
Ignoring the resentful look from Liddell, Manstein ordered his subordinates to take Liddell back to the prisoner queue.
Soon, the radio in Spain broadcasted enthusiastic speeches from Arias. "Gibraltar, a colony occupied by the British since 1704, has once again raised the flag of our Spain with the help of our German friends!"
When the Spanish government issued the victory declaration for the recovery of the Gibraltar Peninsula, the world was shocked.
France and Italy were the first to send congratulatory messages, and other German satellite countries followed suit in sending their congratulations.
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