Chapter 123: Chapter 201 Occupation of Denmark
During World War II, the Allies devised numerous plans, some of which fell into German hands before implementation. Others were contingency plans that were never executed due to the absence of urgent circumstances. Additionally, there were plans created solely to confuse the enemy.
Take, for example, Operation "R4". While the British were still boarding ships, a German envoy had already arrived at the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.
However, an hour passed, and King Christian X of Denmark had not appeared. "May I inquire when His Majesty the King will come?" asked the envoy for the third time, while a servant poured tea for him.
"Please wait a moment; His Majesty the King will be here soon.", replied the servant, repeating the same words for the third time.
The German envoy shook his head, checked the time, and a mysterious smile appeared on his face. "What is your name?" he asked.
The attendant replied respectfully, "My name is Jørgensen, sir."
The envoy nodded. "Jørgensen, how about we make a bet? In five minutes, your king will run over to see me."
Ignoring the bewildered expression on Jørgensen's face, the envoy picked up his teacup. "Actually, I'm not much of a tea drinker. Next time, bring me a different beverage."
One minute, two minutes, three minutes, four minutes... A hurried rush of footsteps echoed from outside. King Christian X, a mix of fear and astonishment on his face, almost jogged into the reception room.
The German envoy smiled at the bewildered attendant, stood up, and welcomed the old king. "Your Majesty Christian, I apologize for the untimely visit. Have I disturbed you?"
"Mister Envoy, what does your country mean by this?" The old king didn't care about diplomatic formalities, heading straight to the point.
Just a few minutes ago, he received an urgent report stating that a vast number of German aircraft had flown across the border, heading straight for Copenhagen. "Is your country declaring war without prior notice? Denmark is a neutral country!"
The German envoy spread his hands innocently. "Your Majesty Christian, this is not an undeclared war. I arrived here an hour ago, which means our country declared war on yours an hour ago."
Seeing the king's puzzled expression, the envoy's expression suddenly turned serious. "As for neutrality, does Your Majesty really think Denmark is neutral? Don't think we don't know about Denmark wearing the cloak of neutrality while secretly dealing with England and France. Is this the behavior of a neutral country?"
"I..." King Christian was about to say something, but the envoy cut him off. "Your Majesty Christian, we Germans have intelligence capabilities that are not child's play. If Your Majesty wants precise evidence, I can provide it, but then we would be tearing off the facade, with no room for turning back."
The muscles on the old king's face twitched, his complexion changed several times, and after a while, he slowly spoke, "What do you mean by 'no room for turning back'?"
The German envoy smiled faintly, and his tone softened. "As I said, Your Highness, as long as your country surrenders without resistance, you will still be the king, and the cabinet will not be dissolved."
At this moment, faint rumbling sounds echoed outside. Through the window, the old king saw a dot in the distant sky. In a matter of moments, another dot appeared, and it gradually grew larger, resembling a crescent moon, approaching slowly.
A mournful air raid siren pierced the skies over Copenhagen, and residents heard the dense buzzing sounds, realizing with fear that a vast formation of planes was descending upon the nearby sky. Some with keen eyes even spotted the prominent Iron Cross symbols on the fuselages and wings of these planes. "Oh God, they are German planes!"
Rough estimates suggested that this massive formation comprised at least 400 to 500 aircraft. Among them were Bf 109 fighter planes, Mosquito bombers, Stuka dive bombers, Il-2 bombers, and Ju 52 transport planes. These fighters and bombers formed neatly arranged combat formations, creating a visually stunning spectacle.
"Why are German planes here? Has war broken out?" The city's residents, staring at the densely packed aircraft overhead, were horrified, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets, mouths hanging open.
Before they could make it to the air-raid shelters, the voice of King Christian X of Denmark echoed from radios and loudspeakers across the city. In the broadcast, King Christian declared, "Denmark has accepted German protection, and the people of Denmark are urged not to resist."
People on the streets looked at each other in disbelief. Wasn't this surrender?
However, the Danes were pragmatic. After all, Denmark's total population was just over three million, while the German armed forces had already exceeded three million. Denmark hadn't been involved in a war since 1868, adhering to a policy of neutrality. Their military capabilities were only maintained at a level sufficient to preserve domestic stability, with a current total force of only 20,000 troops, and their equipment was significantly outdated.
It could be said that Denmark had no intention of building a formidable military force. No matter how much effort they put into strengthening the military, it would be inconsequential to neighboring powers like Germany. So, after a brief moment of shock, the people on the streets returned to normal, shrugged their shoulders, and began discussing the planes in the sky.
Several transport planes detached from the formation and flew towards Amalienborg Palace. Soon, the sky blossomed with white parachute flowers as paratroopers descended. It seemed like there was a force of about a company of soldiers parachuting down, and they quickly landed around Amalienborg Palace.
As soon as they touched the ground, a crowd gathered at the entrance of the palace. Since the old king himself had issued the order, the palace guards dared not obstruct these German paratroopers, allowing them to enter the palace and establish a defensive line on elevated positions.
A captain with a squad of soldiers found the conference room where the old king was. "Excuse me, gentlemen."
In this conference room were gathered the high-ranking figures of the Danish military and political circles. The German captain glanced around and walked directly to a middle-aged man. "Commander Helgesen, please." This middle-aged man was Admiral Helgesen Vedel, the commander of the Danish Navy.
In the original timeline, after the German occupation of Denmark, they planned to take over the ships of the Royal Danish Navy. However, Admiral Helgesen Vedel did not want these ships to fall into German hands, so he ordered the navy to destroy the Danish naval vessels. All the naval vessels anchored in Copenhagen's harbor sank to the seabed or suffered severe damage.
At the same time, a few ships managed to leave the harbor. One of them was the coastal defense ship Niels Juel. The crew's original destination was Sweden, but this ship came under attack by the German Air Force at sea. In the battle, the ship's anti-aircraft gunner shot down a German plane. However, the battle was evidently uneven, and with no way to escape, the crew scuttled the ship in the waters near Zealand Island.
Of the 54 warships of the Danish Navy, 32 sank to the bottom of the sea, while another 4 managed to reach Sweden, and 2 went to Greenland. It was these ships that formed the exiled Royal Danish Navy fleet.
Following the principle that even a mosquito's leg is meat, Wilhelm ordered the arrest of most of the navy officers, including Admiral Helgesen.
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