Conquer Europe from the West

Chapter 123 Truth Lies Only Within the Range of Cannons [Edict of Self-Reproach]

Frederick John Walker is 18 years old and a cadet at the Royal Naval College of Britannia.

As the son of a naval family, two months ago, he lived up to his family's expectations and successfully entered the cradle of the kingdom's naval officers, becoming a glorious naval reserve officer.

But instead of taking officer courses in a naval academy classroom, he stood excitedly behind a somewhat overweight man, wearing a waterproof overcoat filled with rubber lining—the kind only a formal naval officer would have.

Further ahead of this man was Dover, the largest and closest dual-use port for both military and civilian purposes on the southeastern border of the United Kingdom, located near the Kingdom of Perijer.

More than twenty naval destroyers of various types were fully armed with flags, and nearly 10,000 naval officers stood in neat rows on both sides of the ship, gazing at the distant sea with serious and solemn expressions.

However, the 10,000 navy personnel and hundreds of kingdom officials present showed no sign of joy. On the contrary, they exuded a murderous aura, as if a war had broken out, and gazed into the distance with eyes that shone with a cold, sinister light.

Because they were about to welcome the emperor of the empire.

Frederick clenched his fists; his cloak-like coat concealed his hands, but it couldn't hide his expression.

Just then, a voice came from ahead.

"Relax, Frederick."

The man in front of him raised his hand to strike a match, but the sea breeze immediately extinguished the small flame. He muttered "FUCK" under his breath, which made Frederick's eyes widen.

But the second match lit the cigar in the man's mouth. After a puff of smoke was blown away by the sea breeze, the man rubbed his left palm, which had been burned by the match, and said in a much gentler tone than before: "You are the face of the Royal Naval Academy. Don't look so gloomy. Remember the faces of all the Imperial officers you see. In a few years, or decades, they will be standing like this, watching your warships appear in their ports."

"Yes, Prime Minister."

Frederick clearly hadn't grasped what Churchill had just said; he was only 18 and hadn't eaten as much bread as the other man had eaten steak.

Then, a gasp reached everyone's ears.

"We see them! The Imperial ships are here!"

In an instant, everyone raised their heads and stared intently at the distant sea.

Especially those citizens of kingdoms who have never seen naval vessels from other countries.

They crowded into the distant harbor, excitedly holding up binoculars or squinting and shielding their eyes from the sun, trying to spot the imperial warships that were gradually emerging from the sea.

Frederick was just like them.

As a prospective naval officer of the United Kingdom and the son of the Royal Navy, he had an endless yearning for the Royal Navy since childhood.

In his view, no, in the world's view, the Royal Navy was invincible. They conquered all corners of the world, planting the flag of the United Kingdom in Africa, in the Americas, in the island nations of Southeast Asia, at the southernmost tip of the Pacific Ocean, and in every corner of the world.

Therefore, when he heard that the Empire had captured two Royal Navy battlecruisers shortly after he enrolled, he shared the same attitude as almost everyone else—disbelief.

Who would have thought that the invincible kingdom would be defeated by its enemy in its own area of ​​expertise?

Frederick refused to believe it until today...

He now stood behind Churchill and Asquith, his tall stature allowing him to see over their shoulders and out to the distant sea.

Although Frederick had already learned from his instructors, the Prime Minister, and his staff that the Empire would be sending battleships to visit the kingdom, he still couldn't believe it.

That empire, that empire whose total naval tonnage is less than half that of the kingdom, actually managed to capture two of the kingdom's battlecruisers.

But the reality is undeniable.

Because he could already hear the teeth-grinding creaking sounds of the surrounding warships turning their turrets.

This is the prelude to the cannon salute.

More importantly, he could already see the two masts that had suddenly appeared on the sea.

Those were two Imperial warships. Even though he couldn't see their islands and hulls yet, Frederick could clearly tell that they were definitely Imperial warships.

It lacked the hull length of the Lion-class (over 200 meters) and the high speed unique to the Lion-class battlecruiser; it was slow and sluggish, like an old man nearing the end of his life.

Then he saw the huge waves created by the Caesar-class battleship, the sharp, straight bow, and the island superstructure that was only slightly higher than the turrets.

Even the turrets were arranged in an alternating pattern on the hull, and even the caliber of the cannons was clearly inferior to that of the Lion-class.

Clearly, the Caesar-class battleships were no match for the Lion-class.

Empires are nothing more than this.

he thinks.

Then, two Lion-class ships appeared from behind the two Caesars.

finally come!

Frederick recognized the distinctive island and mast of the Lion-class ships almost immediately, especially the two twin turrets stacked in front of the island...

Ok?
Where did the turret go?

Frederick felt a moment of dizziness, and then he realized that the Lion-class's most imposing turret had been covered by wooden planks by the Empire!

Not only the two front turrets, but also the No. 3 turret in the center and the No. 4 turret at the rear were completely sealed off by huge wooden walls!
The outer perimeter of the island was also covered with a layer of wooden planks, which failed to give off any metallic luster under the bright sunlight.

"They are humiliating us."

Asquith's eye twitched, a crack appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his muffled voice reached Churchill, the King, and Frederick's ears: "What do you think, Winston?"

"We can only endure it for now."

Churchill looked directly at the four warships in the distance, then turned to the King and said, "Your Majesty, the cannon salute may be fired."

"Get the fleet ready."

King George V nodded slightly.

The messenger then left, and amidst a flurry of ringing bells and chaos, all the ships raised their cannons in preparation for the subsequent firing.

As for Frederick...

He could only stand there, listening to the 21-gun salute from the fleet, watching the two warships ahead that were turning their turrets around and slowing down to dock in the bay, preparing to fire back in return, gritting his teeth.

A little earlier.

On the Frederick the Great.

Ryan thought the sea conditions were good today—although he had never been out to sea on a ship before.

Ryan had heard from his family that his grandfather had joined the navy in the 1950s and later became a diver. His uncle was a captain of an ocean liner, so it could be said that Ryan grew up eating at sea.

And now, he is standing on a battleship in another world, looking at the country in the distance called the United Kingdom.

The opposing side, whether on Earth or here, is the most powerful maritime nation in the world, possessing a total warship tonnage of 2.2 million tons.

Oh, if we're talking about "now," then the United Kingdom is indeed not worth mentioning.

But clearly, here, the United Kingdom, which is still the world's strongest naval power, is forcibly suppressing that warlike spirit.

Standing on the bridge of Frederick the Great's ship, Renn looked at the United Kingdom fleet lined up along the coastline in the distance: "What a grand display."

“Of course!” Admiral Walter Engelhardt, captain of the Frederick the Great, said with a smile, “This is to give us a warning and to provide a contrast for their people.”

"What do you mean?" Renn asked, somewhat puzzled.

Then he saw General Walter hand him a pair of binoculars: "Look, they haven't even sent out a single cruiser, just destroyers."

Rein immediately looked at the warships: "Indeed, why are they all small boats?"

"That's because they want the domestic media to create some big news."

Walter sneered.

"At that time, all they need to do is capture a shot of the destroyer and our warship side by side, and exaggerate it a bit, and they can immediately raise a considerable amount of money to invest in the construction of the warship."

Renn immediately understood what Walter meant: "You can do that? That's shameless..."

Walter added, "After all, the general public doesn't understand warships. Even if you point to a destroyer and say it's a battleship, some people will believe it."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and said, "We've reached our designated position. The United Kingdom's fleet is about to fire its cannons."

Ryan put down his binoculars, and soon after, he saw a cloud of grayish-white smoke rising from the distant sea.

Beside them, the hatch leading to the bridge opened, and the Emperor, now dressed in a naval uniform, and Tirpitz walked into the bridge while talking.

No officer's report was heard from the bridge, and the remaining sailors and officers simply turned to look at the Emperor without saluting.

This was because the emperor made demands on the entire ship after boarding, and he felt that the rule of not saluting implemented by Raine in the army would make him more popular with the soldiers.

Immediately afterward, Captain Walter gave the order: "Flagship command, all ships, maintain current formation, turn 90 degrees simultaneously! All ships, attention! Prepare the salute!" The silent bridge immediately sprang into action, and the sailors and officers stationed throughout the ship immediately began the return salute procedure.

Renn didn't go to see the return gift because Tirpitz called him.

He first greeted the emperor, then looked at Tirpitz: "Is there something you need?"

"I just received a telegram that this meeting will not be held in Lundern; a meeting will begin immediately upon landing."

Tirpitz looked displeased, speaking as if he were snorting: "The United Kingdom seems to want to pin this on us."

"Then let them deduct it?"

Raine didn't quite understand this, because he could tell that the Emperor thought the same thing: "In this way, we can still have some initiative in the subsequent negotiations."

"What do you mean?" Tirpitz paused for a moment.

Raine, on the other hand, said with a relaxed expression: "Keep the fleet's guns raised and aim at the negotiation location. Say that the warships have misfired and are undergoing inspection and cannot move."

emperor:"?"

Raine glanced at the Emperor without showing any emotion and continued, "Anyway, the battleships can't enter the port. No matter what they say, it won't matter. They can just say that the main guns are malfunctioning and stuck. We can even be the first to release the news and say that the battleships' technology is not up to standard."

Now it was Tirpitz's turn: "Aren't you afraid the United Kingdom will get angry?"

Raine said, "Truth is only within the range of cannons. If I go to Lundern, I'm afraid the United Kingdom will cause trouble."

"After all, we can't just openly let Zeppelin fly over these days, can we?"

Then he saw the emperor staring at him: "Who taught you that? It sounds pretty good."

"I read that in a book before," Renn said, making it up. He then got back to the point: "As for the follow-up to the naval guns, we can pretend to fix them before the fleet returns home, and then we can act like nothing happened."

To this, Tirpitz could only sigh, "You've got some nerve, kid..."

Renn rolled his eyes at him: "The United Kingdom is daring to show us so many destroyers now in order to warn the Empire and make us understand that there is a world of difference in the strength of the two fleets."

"They may have negotiated in Dover because they thought it was close enough to Scapa Flow to allow them to quickly send a fleet to blockade it, but they forgot one thing."

"The current empire is a victim in international public opinion. We are now fighting a desperate battle, running barefoot on the ground."

"On the other hand, the United Kingdom's allies are actively attacking the Empire, and another ally is also making moves..."

"Given the name of the pirate nation they carry, the United Kingdom is now eager to maintain its just stance on the international stage, that is, to walk on the ground with dignity, wearing shoes."

"Given the current situation, the United Kingdom dares not make a mistake, but as for our Empire, Your Majesty..."

Renn smiled, looked at the emperor, and did not continue speaking.

Tirpitz and the Emperor immediately understood what Rein meant, so they didn't waste any more words and simply exchanged a glance to show their approval.

The saying "those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose" is probably a good example of this.

Raising a cannon is both a deterrent and a gesture.

You can interpret the United Kingdom in any way you like. It could be that the Empire is not strong enough, or that the warships are malfunctioning. It could also be that the Empire is using intimidation to force them to give up some of their interests.

In other words, it's about making the United Kingdom gamble.

But is the United Kingdom willing to take the gamble?

They dare not.

Therefore, they had no choice but to swallow this loss silently—if they won the gamble, they would be directly hit by naval guns; if they lost the gamble, they would have to give up a lot of benefits.

However, just as the group reached an agreement, Admiral Walter suddenly remembered something: "Wait a minute, the United Kingdom doesn't have any battleships. What should we do?"

"?"

Rein was immediately puzzled, but then he understood the meaning behind Walter's words.

The Empire's visit this time involved sending its high seas fleet flagship, and two flagship-class battleships at once.

Logically, the United Kingdom should send two flagships, or an entire flagship fleet, of the same standard to greet them.

But this time they only sent thirty-six destroyers.

Indeed, such a number seems large in scale, but it is not commensurate.

It was at this moment that the United Kingdom's cannon fire ceased.

Ryan looked at Walter beside him.

He immediately returned to the captain's seat, and several orders were sent by the first mate to various departments within the warship through the megaphone. The Frederick the Great, which had already stopped, raised its gun barrels high and began firing its main guns at standard intervals.

The same 21 shots, but even more deafening than all the shots fired in the United Kingdom combined.

The ten 305mm cannons completely outshone the United Kingdom's destroyer fleet in terms of both sound and muzzle flash.

Not to mention that this was with two Caesar-class destroyers firing simultaneously.

Even inside the bridge, Rein still felt the sound was ridiculously loud.

After the cannon fire ended, the bridge returned to calm.

Colonel Walter, having finished giving the order, returned to the three men, his expression somewhat stiff: "The return salute is over, what do we do now?"

"The only option is to change the order of the visits."

Tirpitz's expression was also not good. He pondered for a long time until the second mate reminded him that the small boat was ready to be launched, and then he spoke.

"We can send a low-ranking officer first as a gesture of goodwill, to express our hope for peace, and then His Majesty can land by liaison boat..."

The emperor replied, "I don't think there's a problem, but they've sent two prime ministers this time, and the king is also there..."

The relationship between the Emperor of the Empire and King George V of the United Kingdom was actually quite good before his ascension to the throne, but as the Empire grew stronger, the relationship between the two sides began to become increasingly tense.

Walter glanced at him, then looked at Tirpitz: "Otherwise, we could send a general and an adjutant to land first, like you."

"That's not bad either."

Tirpitz tugged at his collar and crossed his arms: "But the United Kingdom is being a bit too disrespectful. If I have to go first, I'd rather let Colonel Renn go."

"what?"

Ryan suddenly looked up at Tirpitz.

Just kidding, I came here to see that idiot Churchill and, incidentally, to set a trap for the United Kingdom, not to be that showy idiot!

He immediately replied, "I'm just a newly promoted colonel, what qualifications do I have to be the first?"

Then Tirpitz stared at the Blue Star Max Medal on Renn's collar: "This is enough."

Walter looked like he'd just realized something: "That's right, Colonel, you have the Order of the Blue Star, which, according to protocol, is equivalent to a general, but you're just a colonel now..."

"It still lacks a bit of class." The emperor understood the implication in Walter's words. He stroked his chin and kept scanning Renn with his eyes.

Renn felt uneasy under the emperor's gaze, and only after a long while, when the sound of a small boat falling into the water could be heard, did the emperor finally look away.

"We're missing a sword."

The Emperor raised one eyebrow, looking at Rein, who was dressed in a black Imperial Navy officer's uniform: "Medals, sword, uniform—all three are indispensable. Colonel Frieg, where is your sword?"

He looked at Ryan, then at Tirpitz and Walter, and the group exchanged bewildered glances.

Walter's first mate couldn't stand it anymore. He stepped aside, coughed, wiped the major general's insignia on his collar, and waited until everyone was looking at him before saying, "Imperial colonels can only collect their swords from the Ministry of Defense in the second month after their promotion. Colonel Frieg's sword should still be sitting on the iron ore shelf in the warehouse."

The emperor was taken aback: "There's such a saying?"

"When the old emperor was alive, the highest rank you ever reached was lieutenant colonel in the army, and you weren't even qualified to carry a sword," the first mate said cautiously.

"no way."

The emperor, whose sore spot had been touched, was almost ready to jump up, but he held back and didn't move.

Tirpitz and Walter immediately looked away, pretending not to have seen anything.

Raine didn't really care whether he had a sword or not, but just as he was about to speak, the emperor touched his waist.

He quickly unsheathed his sword and shoved it into Ryan's hand: "Colonel Frieger, why don't you use this one?"

Renn: "Huh?"

(End of this chapter)