บท 237: 237
Episode 237: Operation Sea Lion (1)
June 6, 1943
English Channel
gulp.
Brunegger, the hero of the reversal, kept swallowing dry saliva with a nervous look on his face.
For the past two months, they have been training again and again every day. Because I repeated the training of transferring from a transport ship to a landing ship, getting off the landing ship, and running to the shore through chest-high waves, the fishy smell could not go away from my body.
Although there were no official orders, the soldiers assumed their next destination would be England. However, there were rumors that they were not concerned about attacking Britain and that the real target was the Middle East.
Their presence in France and repeated landing exercises make it appear to Tommy that they are preparing to attack England.
However, two weeks ago, going out, staying out, and going on vacation were all banned, claiming that military secrets had been leaked, and even writing or receiving letters was prohibited.
And the boarding order was given early this morning.
Destination: England.
Only then did Brunegger realize that all his training had been for this very day.
Somehow, there was a reason why the training schedule was so tight, even if it was for deception.
He had experienced so many battles that he couldn't even remember the number of them now, but this was his first landing operation.
And since the destination is England, it's impossible not to be nervous.
Luftwaffe fighters and bombers launched from northern France and Belgium devastated all British air force and naval bases in southern England, from Canterbury to Portsmouth.
Despite the good news, Brunegger could hardly relax.
In my experience, I personally experienced in the past that even in carpet bombing and artillery bombardment that no one seemed to be able to survive, there were enemy soldiers who survived, and those who survived were even more persistent.
The sky was dark because the sun had not yet risen. The sea, covered with dark blue scales, was fierce, and a huge line of steel floated above the waves.
The Axis forces mobilized every ship that could float on the water.
Cargo ships and civilian cruise ships were the first priority for requisition, and fishing boats, whaling ships, schnell boats, torpedo boats, and even training ships set sail with as many soldiers and supplies as possible.
It was truly a spectacle to see a variety of ships, from massive battleships and aircraft carriers to small fishing boats, crossing the English Channel all at once.
To avoid aggravating the soldiers' motion sickness, the Fuhrer's order to provide minimal meals was ordered so the soldiers quenched their hunger with a piece of bread and butter or a Coca-Cola.
According to each individual's judgment, instructions were given to take morel pills in advance to boost the soldiers' morale.
The soldiers took out morel pills and threw them into their mouths to calm their hearts, which felt like they were about to explode.
-Attention everyone! From now on, I will read the speech of His Excellency the President.
Just before the Morel pills started firing in earnest, the Fuhrer's message to German soldiers began to be read from each ship's loudspeaker.
Brunegger listened to the voice booming from the loudspeaker.
-Dear Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS soldiers!
You are on the verge of a great crusade for which you have been preparing for months. All of Europe and the whole world is watching you. German citizens loyal to their country will be with you.
You will see the British war machine broken, which threatens the peace of Europe and seeks to destroy your lives, your homes and your families. And we will overthrow the British system that has oppressed so many people around the world and build a new order in Europe led by Germany.
Our mission is not easy. The enemies are highly trained, well-armed, and have tons of combat experience. They will resist desperately, and there will be many difficulties and sacrifices until they surrender and achieve victory.
But now it is 1943. From 1939 to 1943, we achieved victory after victory on many fronts: Poland, Norway, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union.
And now only England remains before us.
Britain has lost air superiority in the face of our Air Force's onslaught, and thanks to the efforts of our Navy, the enemy's supplies are running out.
The trend has changed! The free citizens of Germany and Europe will march forward with you to victory!
I am immensely proud of your courage, dedication and determination. Not only me, but the entire German people share the same sentiment.
Long live the victory! Long live Germany! Final victory is not far away. I hope that God's good fortune will be with you on the great and glorious path you must walk. thank you
"Yaaaa!!!"
"Sieg Heil! "Main Furer!!"
"Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler!"
When the reading was over, cheers erupted all at once, like a volcano exploding.
As the awakening effect of the Morel pill that had just begun to circulate was added, the quiet transport ship suddenly became so noisy that it was reminiscent of a Nazi Party convention.
Like his comrades, Brunegger shouted the Führer's name at the top of his voice and shouted for national independence. Even before landing, just looking at the atmosphere, it seemed like they had already succeeded in conquering England.
***
The biggest obstacle to Operation Sea Lion was the remnants of the Royal Navy at Scapa Flow.
This is because information was received that the combined fleet of Germany and Norway was attempting to surprise a British merchant fleet coming from the United States to Iceland.
In fact, three battleships of the German Navy, Friedrich der Grosse, Siegfried, and Nibelungen, accompanied by a small number of cruisers and destroyers, even moved to Bergen, Norway.
While the Royal Navy fleet stood by at Scapa Flow and watched closely for the sortie of the German-Norwegian naval fleet, only the RAF was left in southern England.
The Luftwaffe was responsible for dealing with the remaining RAF forces in southern England.
While Luftwaffe fighters engaged in aerial combat with emergency RAF fighters and massacred them, bombers bombed RAF bases, runways, and military ports.
British men who enlisted to defend their homeland, and young pilots from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and France who defected to Britain with the intention of regaining their homeland lost to Germany did their best.
However, the enemy was strong enough to put their courage and fighting spirit to shame.
Not to mention the jet Me262, the performance of the prop planes Ta152 and Do335 was superior to that of the RAF's fighter jets.
The will to stop the enemy was destroyed like a sandcastle by the urgent cries and screams of colleagues echoing through the radio and the sight of friendly planes falling in real time.
"Goodbye, Tommy!"
Hartmann, who chopped off both wings of the Spitfire with a 30mm cannon shell, immediately looked from left to right in search of the next target.
Coincidentally, a P-47 Thunderbolt was flying next to him.
The Thunderbolt, which has a chubby shape like a wild boar, is so large that it appears one size larger than other fighters such as the Spitfire, Bf109, and Fw190, and the British Air Force, which acquired the Thunderbolt from the United States, mistook the Thunderbolt for an attack aircraft. did.
However, with its nimble speed, powerful engine performance, and unrivaled tenacity that befits its clumsy size, the Thunderbolt quickly won everyone's love and trust.
Hartmann, who had experience fighting Thunderbolts, knew that 7.92mm and 13mm were not even close to possible, and that at least 20mm was needed to do any damage.
The Scottish pilot, who noticed Hartmann's presence, quickly turned the aircraft around, but since he was caught in Hartmann's eyes, the chances of safe escape were infinitely low.
Since there was not much ammunition left in the 30mm cannon, Hartmann decided to use the 55mm R4M rocket that had been attached to catch the bomber.
While aiming at the enemy plane turning from left to right and then again from right to left, Hartmann, who was constantly alert to his surroundings, fired a rocket the moment the enemy plane was completely centered.
The rocket hit the Thunderbolt's fuselage exactly, completely oxidizing it. Hartmann clenched his fists as he watched the remains of the exploded Thunderbolt fall toward the ground.
The ground was exposed to bombardment because the fighter planes that were supposed to block the bombers were mercilessly hunted.
German Air Force bombers dropped bombs without mercy. They were instructed by Richthofen to powder everything they could see before sortie.
"Never show mercy to the British. They are nothing but shameless criminals who rejected the peace proposal first proposed by the Fuhrer and bombed Hamburg, massacring innocent citizens. "Show the power of the Germans to those cowardly and cruel Anglo-Saxons."
It wasn't just the runway and anti-aircraft gun positions on the ground that were devastated.
The battleships HMS Wellesley and HMS Implacable, relics of a bygone era anchored in Portsmouth Harbor, also fell victim to bombs dropped by Do 217 and sank into the sea.
Fortunately, in actual history, Wellesley was sunk by a Stuka attack in 1940, and Implacable was disbanded in 1949, four years after the war, due to economic difficulties, so it can be said that only the timing changed and the result did not change, but in the case of HMS Victory, it was different. .
HMS Victory, which participated in the Battle of Trafalgar as the flagship of Britain's legendary Grand Admiral Horatio Nelson, was partially damaged in an air raid by the Luftwaffe, but was successfully restored and remains a symbol of the Royal Navy in the 21st century.
However, two bombs dropped by He 111 completely changed the fate of HMS Victory.
Despite being hit by bomb after bomb, HMS Victory was still floating on the water. But three minutes later HMS Victory sank beneath the water like her two shipmates.
***
Aboard the Bismarck, the pride and symbol of the German Navy, Raeder could not control his heart trembling.
Six battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, including Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Hindenburg, and Ludendorff, were tasked with supporting the army troops landing on Britain with the powerful firepower of their naval guns.
Stukas and He 290s launched from three aircraft carriers, Graf Zeppelin, Weser, and Europa, also bombed defense facilities along the coast.
Every time he felt the vibration caused by Bismarck's 38cm gun firing fire, Leder felt joy.
How he had looked forward to this day since 1918!
The German Navy, which boasted the world's second-largest navy - the Kaiserliche Marine - was disbanded upon defeat in the war and fell into a miserable situation, ridiculed even by third-rate navies such as France and Italy.
However, the German Navy, revived with a new name, Kriegsmarine, was today enjoying the greatest glory of conquering the British mainland.
Leder, who witnessed the German Navy's heyday, decline, dissolution, and revival, felt like she was about to cry.
To him, the bright yellow flames and black smoke rising from the ground seemed like congratulatory guns celebrating the German Navy's victory.
"Captain."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Bismarck's captain, Brigadier General Lindemann, was also looking across the sea at the coast of Britain with eyes full of emotion. Leder said.
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment in my life."
"So do i."
The defenses built by Britain along the coastline were shattered by Luftwaffe bombing and Kriegsmarine gunfire.
Not to mention the open lake with its ceiling intact, the bunker and torch made of poured concrete were all shattered and scattered in all directions.
With the soldiers trapped in the camp.
Mines and various obstacles buried in the sand were also destroyed or distorted by naval gunfire and lost their original value.
While the naval gunfire was in full swing, several Spitfires and Hurricanes that had survived the fierce dogfight approached the fleet.
Their handling was handled by He 290. Leder whistled as he watched from afar as jet aircraft crashed RAF prop planes.
"The performance of the aircraft carriers is good. "I should send a thank you gift to Marshal Göring and Bück."
A Spitfire shot down by a He 290 flew towards Bismarck with the intention of making a last-ditch effort, but fell into the water before it could reach Bismarck.
Watching the scene with their own eyes, Bismarck's crew only cheered instead of being nervous.
After an hour-long naval gun attack, it was finally time to carry the soldiers to land.
Herring (Herring) landing craft, which were replicas of large-engine boats imported from Japan, and Gavial landing armored vehicles, which looked similar to American LVTs, headed toward the coast carrying soldiers of the Army and Navy Ground Forces.
***
The soldiers on the landing craft bobbing up and down felt mildly seasick. Fortunately, no soldiers vomited because the amount of food was limited under the orders of the Fuhrer.
"Everyone listen carefully. As soon as the door opens, charge in. Don't look behind or to the side, just look straight ahead and run. Do you understand?"
"yes!"
"We are the first army to land on mainland Britain in almost 900 years. "It's us!"
After William I the Conqueror conquered England, Britain was free from foreign invasion.
The British people used to shout loudly that even Napoleon of the world could never set foot on British soil.
But now that history was about to be broken.
As the coast approached, the soldiers' excitement reached its peak.
a little bit,
If you go a little further, you will reach the coast.
England, England is just around the corner!
Bruneger, holding the StG39 wrapped in plastic to prevent water from entering the muzzle and damaging the gun, closed and opened his eyes repeatedly. The land that seemed so far away was suddenly right in front of him.
Finally the lamp opened.
"charge! run!"
"let's go!!"
As the soldiers disembarked from the landing craft and armored vehicles ran across the sandy beach at once, bullets soon began flying from the British military positions.
There were also enemy soldiers who survived air raids and naval gunfire. Holy shit.
Brunegger gritted his teeth and ran, tightening his grip on the gun. With the Lewis light machine gun firing, a soldier charging in front of Brunegger was hit by a bullet and fell to the ground. At that moment, Brunegger immediately fell to the floor and crawled over.
Gavial's two MG40s fired fire to support the landing soldiers. While the enemy's fire faltered, Brunegger peeled off the plastic and checked the condition of StG39.
Gun in good condition. launch.
"Shoot, shoot! "If you're going to roll, shoot at least once and run away!"
Brunegger roughly aimed at the British machine gun position and sprayed bullets indiscriminately. Soon one magazine was empty, so he replaced it with another.
A tank landing ship several times larger than Hering and Gavial spit out the Panther at a slow speed.
"It's a Panther!"
A smile came across Brunegger's face when he saw the Panther's 75mm super long gun. When a grenade was fired from the tip of the Panther's main gun, which was advancing, leaving a track mark on the sandbank, the British army's machine gun position fell silent.
"Everyone hide behind the tank!"
"All right!"
Brunegger ordered the new soldiers. As the Panther passed by, he rolled his body and dodged behind the Panther.
The heavily armored Panther became a shield that protected soldiers and a spear that pierced the enemy's defense lines. Only two Panthers arrived on the beach, but the British army was at a loss as they were unable to destroy these two Panthers.
-Kaang!
The German soldiers gained strength from the Panther's majesty, which could repel not only 2-pounders but also 6-pounders without hesitation, while the British soldiers fell into despair.
"It bounced again!"
"Um, what kind of monster is that… … ."
"Shoot orbit! "At least make sure he can't move!"
At the moment when the gunner, at the urging of the sergeant, was about to fire a shell aimed at the Panther's orbit, an explosion occurred.
Most of the mines buried on the beach were destroyed by air raids and naval gunfire, but there were still mines that were not destroyed and were still buried.
The anti-tank gunners clenched their fists when they saw the Panther's tracks blown off by a mine, but soon a 75mm grenade exploded, turning them into medium-rare cube steaks.
Even when unable to move, the Panther supported the infantry using its 75mm main gun and two MG40s. Soon another tank landing ship arrived and placed the new Panther on the sandbank.
"Kahaak!"
"Fuck you, you fucking bastards!"
"die!"
The soldiers who reached the enemy defense line with the fire support of Panther and Gavial fired assault rifles and slaughtered the British soldiers remaining in the trenches.
Brunegger also jumped into the trench. Franz, who had charged ahead of him, was looking down at the British soldier he had shot dead.
"Hey, Brunegger. "Look at this guy."
"why? "What is it?"
"This guy looks older than my dad."
The British soldier that Franz killed seemed to be quite old. Although he had the face of at least a sergeant or a sergeant, he was wearing the rank insignia of a private first class.
A class that is excessively low for one's age. It seemed like he was a reserve soldier. Brunegger felt somewhat absurd.
"The British Empire has gone as far as it can go. "They're even dragging middle-aged people with them."
"Hey, you idiots. What are they doing there? "Why don't you move quickly?!"
"going!"
The two hurriedly moved as they were greeted by SS Sergeant Pett. Half of the corpses lying in the trench were middle-aged men, and half were boys who appeared to be no older than 16.
A Ta152 flew over the heads of the soldiers landing on the beach while the gunfire continued endlessly.
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