章 326: Chapter 403 Operation Starvation (19)
In the original timeline, the "Prince of Wales" also had an unfavorable start. On May 21, 1941, the "Prince of Wales" was officially declared to have joined the Royal Navy and was immediately deployed to intercept the German battleship "Bismarck," which was heading to the Atlantic to disrupt British maritime shipping routes.
During this battle, the battlecruiser HMS Hood was sunk by the Bismarck. The "Prince of Wales" was successively hit by four 380mm shells from the "Bismarck" and three shells from a cruiser. Particularly at 6:03, a 380mm shell from the "Bismarck" struck the compass room of the "Prince of Wales" bridge. Although the shell went straight through without exploding, the personnel inside the bridge (including the radar control room) were either killed or injured, with only Captain Leach miraculously unharmed. The main turret of the Prince of Wales suffered a mechanical failure, and the ammunition chain of a quadruple gun turret jammed, reducing its firepower.
Subsequently, the "Prince of Wales" had to withdraw from the battle. During the combat, the ship's main guns also hit the "Bismarck," causing a reduction in speed, fuel loss, and the loss of the ability to carry out combat missions. Although the "Prince of Wales" was damaged, it still closely pursued the "Bismarck" until the "Bismarck" temporarily lost its trace, and only then did the "Prince of Wales" have to return home.
At this time, Prime Minister Churchill of this timeline, of course, did not know these details. Upon hearing that the "Prince of Wales" had struck a mine and was severely damaged, requiring at least half a year to repair, he trembled with anger and hysterically shouted, "Dereliction of duty, serious dereliction of duty! Send them all to a military court! No, let the intelligence department investigate first, to find out if there was any intentional sabotage!"
After shouting a few sentences, Churchill suddenly felt a strong jolt in his heart and, as if possessed, remembered the code names like "Duke," "Marquess," "Earl," "Viscount," etc., that occasionally appeared in German broadcasts.
The Germans claimed they were unnamed heroes fighting in the heart of the enemy; previously, Churchill had only regarded these as German tactics to confuse and had not paid attention to them.
After all, the titles of the British Empire can be said to symbolize loyalty in a certain sense.
The British system of nobility originated in the mid-14th century. The "Order of the Garter," established in 1350, remains the oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry in Britain.
British titles can be divided into three categories: royal titles, awarded to the royal family or the highest-ranking nobility (like Princess Ann); noble titles, given to general nobility (hereditary nobility of the level of Cain); and merit-based titles, awarded to individuals with significant contributions (British Prime Ministers, Baroness Thatcher).
The titles of royalty and nobility are divided into five ranks, and their names and corresponding female appellations are as follows: Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. Below the baron, there is the baronet, the lowest rank of hereditary titles.
Generally, only the closest relatives of the royal family (such as the brothers of the King of England, the husband of the Queen, etc.) can receive the title of Duke. While a Duke is alive, his eldest son is honored as a Marquess, and so on; commoners are not entitled to these ranks.
Among the major Western countries, Britain has maintained its aristocratic system for the longest time and has the most remnants of a noble polity. Until the late 19th century, most members of the British cabinet still held noble or knightly status; in 1911, a parliamentary reform act that was devastating to the nobility was passed, breaking most of the political power of the House of Lords. The political power of hereditary nobility was not truly abolished until the Blair government reformed the House of Lords in 1999.
Now, a terrible thought has emerged in his mind: what if the "Dukes," "Marquesses," "Earls," "Viscounts," and so on that the Germans speak of are real spies?
From the attack on Scapa Flow to the failure of Operation Catapult, if you think about it, each incident has a hint of strangeness. Scapa Flow is the main anchorage of the British Royal Navy, occupying a unique geographical fortress, with major warships and large aircraft carriers docked, and the Royal Army naturally dares not neglect to tightly seal the bay, deploying a large number of troops for strict defense. All seven exits are equipped with anti-submarine nets to intercept attackers, surrounded by minefields. With such an impenetrable net and strict vigilance, to this day, the British have not figured out how the German U-47 submarine slipped into Scapa Flow.
Could it be that one of our own ships secretly brought the U-47 submarine into Scapa Flow? After all, it seems not too difficult to deal with a sonar operator and captain on a ship.
The most suspicious is Operation Catapult; such top-secret information was leaked, leading to the Germans setting up an ambush early on.
Is it possible that these spies were involved in each of their losses?
This thought, like a poison, lingers in his mind, even taking root and sprouting, gradually turning from suspicion to certainty.
He immediately summoned Lord Adam from the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Lord Adam has been extremely busy lately. Conducting a detailed investigation of a country is not an easy task; since his appointment, he has only identified a third of the political officials. And that's just a rough check; if each person were to be investigated in detail, the manpower and time required would be immeasurable.
Churchill shared his suspicions with him. "Forget the other aspects for now, focus the manpower on investigating the naval department. Especially the officers with titles like 'Duke,' 'Marquess,' 'Earl,' 'Viscount,' mentioned by the Germans."
"We must find these spies as soon as possible! Otherwise, the British Empire will sooner or later be destroyed by these spies," Churchill ordered with a frosty face.
"I think we can start with the 'Operation Catapult' plan." As a top-secret naval operation, not many people have access to the "Operation Catapult" plan. Those who can see the specific details of the plan are at least high-ranking officials like colonels or generals. "Isolate all the commanding officers who have come into contact with this plan and examine them thoroughly!"
"Understood," Lord Adam replied, his face looking somewhat grim. If, as Prime Minister Churchill suspects, there is one or more high-ranking officers in the navy who have defected to the Germans, they may have already formed a perfect intelligence network, and the investigation will probably not be so simple.
But even knowing the difficulties, he must face them head-on. If these damned spies are not found, the British Empire will indeed be destroyed by these spies.
"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, perhaps our communication codes have also been known to the Germans. To be on the safe side, all the codes should be changed."
Churchill nodded. "Yes, this matter must also be dealt with promptly."
Lord Adam had just left when the secretary rushed in, flustered. "Your Excellency the Prime Minister, the Germans are broadcasting that they will bomb our coastal cities!"
クリエイターの想い 
Batorian
Batorian So I noticed that I mistakingly used "Operation Crossbow" instead of "Operation Catapult" in the past. I went back and edited some chapters though I am not sure whether I got everything.
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