Kapitel 275: Chapter 353 Bombing London (2)
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The tremendous explosion sounds drowned the laughter and joy in the banquet hall of Buckingham Palace. One of the topics of discussion during the banquet was the arrogance of the Germans, daring to contemplate bombing London.
The sudden explosions silenced the banquet hall instantly, and everyone looked at each other in panic, unsure of what had just happened.
"W-what sound, s-sound?" King George VI, who already had a stutter, was even more tongue-tied after being startled by the sudden explosions. He struggled to express his confusion, "Is, is it the Germans, bombing?"
Only now did everyone recall the topic they were just discussing—the Germans planning to bomb London!
Chaos ensued in the banquet hall. After all, the most valuable target in London was undoubtedly here. If the Germans dropped a few bombs, these upper-class individuals might be wiped out.
At this moment, a group of palace guards rushed into the banquet hall. "Quick, quickly escort His Majesty to the basement! Everyone, don't panic; let's all take shelter in the basement."
In the Prime Minister's residence, Churchill, who was wearing a troubled expression, was startled by the explosion sounds. He hurriedly picked up the phone to call the Air Ministry. "What's going on with these explosions? Is it the Germans bombing?" He couldn't help but curse inwardly. Was this the interception promised by Dowding earlier in the day?
The one answering the call was a staff member from the Air Ministry. "Your Excellency, our radar has not detected any invading aircraft."
Taking a deep breath, Churchill suppressed his inner anger and said sternly, "Can you guarantee the normal operation of the radar? And why hasn't the air raid alarm been sounded yet, even after so long?!"
Not long after, a shrill air raid siren echoed over London. Countless searchlights scanned the sky, trying to spot any German aircraft.
At this moment, several police officers dispatched by a nearby police station arrived at the nearest explosion site. Looking at the enormous crater, a middle-aged police officer muttered in disbelief, "Th-this, how is this possible? It's like damn magic." He had participated in the last war and had some experience. "This seems to be caused by a 150mm or so artillery shell!"
"Artillery fire?!" The people around were shocked, and the first thought that flashed through their minds was, did the army rebel again?
It can be said that the British Army is an unloved and unpopular force, at least in the eyes of the British royal family, to the extent that they don't even grant it a royal title. You might have heard a widely circulated saying that the British Army once killed King Charles I, leading to the royal family's resentment.
However, it's not simply because the British Army beheaded King Charles I; this goes back to the constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom.
In the year 1642, a civil war broke out between the Parliament, representing the new aristocracy and bourgeoisie, and the King, representing the old aristocracy and conservative forces. It split into the Parliamentary Army and the Royalist Army. At that time, the King's various powers were inferior to the support the Parliament received from the emerging bourgeoisie. Under the leadership of the new aristocrat Oliver Cromwell, after nearly seven years of war, the Parliamentary Army defeated the Royalist forces in 1649 and executed the then King Charles I.
Since then, the British monarchy harbored deep resentment toward the British Army. Even after the royal restoration in 1658, they exhumed the deceased Cromwell from his grave for post-mortem punishment. Furthermore, actions were taken to restore the absolute power the King had before, but this encountered opposition from the precursor of the British Army, the Parliamentary Army, leading to the escape of King James II. Although Britain ultimately confirmed the constitutional monarchy, it can be said that the British Army under the Parliament and the British monarchy had thoroughly fallen out.
Watching the chaotic city, the two people atop the Big Ben couldn't help but express their disdain. "Hehe, these idiots. When they realize the shells are directly fired from Calais, they'll surely be shocked, won't they? Maybe the stuttering King's speech impediment will be cured from such a scare."
The signalman packed up the signaling device. "Let's go hide in the basement. These shells have no accuracy; we shouldn't get hit by our own artillery."
"Indeed, it would be pathetic to be killed by our own shells."
The two quickly tidied up and hastily descended from the Big Ben tower.
After a busy investigation, Churchill also received accurate information, confirming that it wasn't German aircraft bombing but artillery fire. However, he wasn't too surprised, considering that in the last war, the Germans had developed the "Paris Gun" with a maximum range of 130 km. Now, Calais on the other side of the Channel was only 150 kilometers from London, and it didn't seem difficult for the Germans to produce such large artillery.
This information simultaneously reached King George VI hiding in the basement of Buckingham Palace. "Your Majesty, it's confirmed. It's artillery fire from the Germans."
"How is that possible? Even the Paris Gun can't reach this far!" King George VI suddenly spoke fluently, shocking everyone around him twice – first, that the Germans could shell London from across the sea, and second, that the King suddenly stopped stuttering.
"We are not sure yet, Your Majesty, but it has been confirmed that the shells indeed came from the direction of Calais in France."
"If, if it's artillery fire, won't the Germans, won't... London have no peace forever?" King George VI returned to his stuttering state. Since it's artillery fire, wouldn't the Germans keep bombarding indefinitely if they wished?
In the adjacent bedroom, Queen Elizabeth was comforting her two daughters. However, they didn't seem to be particularly frightened. The elder daughter flipped through "Elizabeth's Fantastic Journey" in her hands, while the younger daughter, Margaret, held the latest edition of "Tom and Jerry."
These two books and the finely embroidered pajamas featuring a cat and mouse motif had been sent to the two little princesses by Wilhelm through the Swedish ambassador not long ago. Margaret loved these two little treasures so much that she insisted on wearing the pajamas every night.
After flipping through a few pages, Princess Margaret looked a bit unhappy. "Oh, there are only a few pages left. Mom, will brother Wilhelm still send us books?"
Queen Elizabeth was both amused and exasperated by her innocence. The capital of the British Empire was being bombed, and her child was still concerned about her comic books?
The elder daughter, Elizabeth, suddenly spoke. "Mom, could Wilhelm brother be under someone's coercion?"
"Who could force him?" Queen Elizabeth was somewhat speechless. Wilhelm, the heir to the German throne, was the most powerful figure in all of Germany. Who could possibly coerce him?
Princess Elizabeth, the younger one, was very serious. "What about Emperor Wilhelm II?"
Queen Elizabeth shook her head. "But he has been in the Ming Dynasty for many years, no longer involved in political affairs. Now, in Germany, heir Wilhelm decides everything."
Princess Elizabeth was persistent. "Maybe this is just a facade, and Wilhelm II hasn't abdicated yet. Perhaps he's manipulating everything behind the scenes."
Queen Elizabeth sighed softly and patted her head. "Regardless of who's manipulating, we will win this time."
...
That night, London was exceptionally stifling, having received a full barrage of 200 shells without even glimpsing the enemy's shadow. The entire city echoed with the sirens of fire trucks and ambulances.
While these 200 shells were like a few mosquitoes on an elephant's body compared to the vastness of London, they didn't pose any substantial harm. However, the impact was significant, and the next day, the underground air-raid shelters in the city were overcrowded, bursting at the seams.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein