"We must retake Gibraltar." Churchill's eyes were firm and he emphasized again to Montgomery in front of him with a serious expression. That serious expression seemed to tell the urgency and importance of this matter. Both he and Montgomery felt like they were in the mirror. It seems that once Gibraltar is lost, the consequences will be extremely serious. Obviously, they all know what losing Gibraltar means. It is the key to the direction of the entire Mediterranean region and even the battlefield in Europe. If it is lost, the Allied maritime transportation lines in the Mediterranean will be greatly threatened, and the German army will be able to With more unbridled control of this sea area, more strategic initiative will fall into the hands of the German army. Not to mention that Spain has joined the war, which undoubtedly adds another difficulty to the already difficult situation of the Allies, making the situation even more difficult. After all, the addition of Spain means that the German army has another boost and its strength has increased again. Correspondingly, under the ebb and flow of one another, the strength of the Allied forces has been further weakened, and the balance of power between the two sides has become increasingly imbalanced. Tilt. "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I'm afraid it's not that easy." Standing on the battlefield in North Africa, Montgomery recalled all the thrills he had experienced before and said with a wry smile. The situation was so critical at that time that he felt like he almost jumped into the sea. If it hadn't been for the Allied fleet arriving in time and providing strong support at the last critical moment, I'm afraid he would have really jumped into the sea. The feeling of nervousness and despair still makes him frightened to this day. After the German troops withdrew, Montgomery did not dare to delay for a moment. He immediately flew around in a circle and hurriedly returned to the mainland. He was always thinking about the defense situation of the mainland. The main task of returning this time was to deal with the landing German troops. . After some understanding, Montgomery's face was still a little ugly, and his heart was full of helplessness. He really didn't expect that tens of thousands of German troops landing on the British Isles could actually overwhelm the British army. In fact, it's not that the British army doesn't have the means to deal with these German troops, it's just that once the main force is deployed to deal with them, it will cause new troubles. After all, the battlefield situation is changing rapidly, and no one can guarantee whether the German army will be accurate. Opportunities, from many If they launch another landing operation at Port Forte or elsewhere, maybe the feint attack they originally launched will turn into a main attack. Therefore, Montgomery does not dare to move without authorization before he is fully sure, and can only wait patiently. The time is right. It didn't take long before the time came.

That is, after the loss of Gibraltar, the US military suddenly panicked. They knew the importance of the British Isles. If the British Isles could not be defended, the entire war situation would be completely unfavorable to the Allies. If the direction develops, it will really be over by then, so we will increase our support without hesitation. First of all, thousands of fighter planes arrived at the British Isles as quickly as possible. Like timely rain, each fighter plane quickly enriched the Allied air power. Naturally, Montgomery would not miss this rare opportunity. After careful discussion with Air Force Commander Dowding, he immediately made a decision and sent thousands of fighter planes to carry out rounds of violent bombings against the Germans. . The effect of this bombing was naturally very impressive. Originally, the German army was unstoppable in the British Isles and was advancing rapidly. However, under the overwhelming bombing, they were beaten back steadily, and the German offensive was suddenly curbed. , and there was chaos, and the combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. The British army was not idle here. Taking advantage of this great opportunity when the German army retreated in panic, they quickly organized forces to launch a counterattack and recovered a large amount of lost ground. For a time, the situation on the battlefield began to change in a direction favorable to the Allies. Not only that, the . military also sent a large number of land troops to the British Isles. Groups of . soldiers landed on the islands and quickly invested in various defense lines and combat areas. It can be said that the British Islands at this time were very strong. It's time, the troops are sufficient, and the equipment is constantly being replenished and improved, and the Allied forces are suddenly more confident. The US military is not a fool. They know very well that if the British Isles are lost, it will be equivalent to losing an extremely important strategic fulcrum on the European battlefield. Subsequent combat operations will not be able to proceed smoothly at all. The entire Allied defense line There will be huge loopholes, and the German army will be able to march straight in. That's why based on this consideration, we did not hesitate to increase support. In addition to the previously planned fighter planes, this time we directly dispatched 200,000 troops, just to stabilize the defense of the British Isles and find another opportunity to counterattack and regain the strategic initiative. "I know it's not easy, but I think you should know the importance of Gibraltar." Churchill looked at Montgomery with a stern face, expressionless, but there was unquestionable determination in his eyes, as if to emphasize that there was no negotiation on this matter. There is room to try and retake Gibraltar no matter how difficult it is. Everyone knows that this matter is not easy, but if Gibraltar is not recaptured, the situation will become worse and worse, like falling into a pool of mud, which will become increasingly difficult to deal with. The strategic significance of the Strait of Gibraltar is so great. It is like a key, controlling the chokepoint of the Mediterranean. Without it, the Allied forces' maritime transportation and military deployment in the Mediterranean will be greatly affected. With less constraints, the German army will be able to expand its power in this area more freely. By then, the situation on the entire European battlefield will be led by the German army. "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I know what you are saying, but at present, it may not be that easy for us to retake Gibraltar. Without mentioning the German army, Spain will not give up so easily." Montgomery frowned and said seriously. As a general with a certain level of military proficiency and actual combat experience, he clearly understands the stakes involved. Spain finally seized this opportunity to take back Gibraltar. It took a lot of effort. How could they give up so easily? They would definitely regard Gibraltar as their own and try their best to hold it firmly. . So next, Spain will definitely increase the defense of Gibraltar, send more troops there, deploy more weapons and equipment, build stronger defenses, etc., to make Gibraltar a city that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. fortress. It is indeed very difficult for the Allied forces to retake this place, and it is very likely that they will have to pay a very heavy price. That is not something that can be solved by simply sending some troops over to fight a battle. It must be done. Be prepared to fight a protracted and tough battle. The situation in the British Empire is not optimistic now. Only the Royal Fleet is left to support its appearance. If there are any more problems with the Royal Fleet, it will really make matters worse. The entire British Empire will lose the most important support of maritime power, and its maritime advantages will be gone, whether it is to defend the homeland or maintain colonies overseas. Rule will become powerless, and by then the British Empire will really be finished, and will no longer be able to maintain its previous hegemony on the world stage. After the war is over, if even the basic military strength is gone, how can we compete with other countries and dominate the world? It is precisely based on these various considerations that Montgomery said what he said. He hoped that the Prime Minister could weigh the pros and cons more comprehensively and not make impulsive decisions easily. After all, the matter of retaking Gibraltar is not a matter of time. What can be easily achieved in a short time must be considered in the long term.

Sure enough, after listening to Montgomery's analysis, Churchill frowned and fell into a long silence. He knew in his heart that everything Montgomery said was reasonable. The Royal Fleet was indeed the last remaining support of the British Empire. If the Royal Fleet loses too much strength in the process of retaking Gibraltar, it will be even more difficult for the British Empire to regain its former glory after the war. After all, in this changing world situation, the powerful Military power, especially maritime power, is the key to maintaining hegemony. Yes! If the Royal Fleet loses too much strength, it will really be detrimental to the British Empire after the war. More importantly, the British Empire has paid too many heavy prices in this protracted war. Not to mention anything else, the islands he had sold before in order to obtain various resources, seek support and other reasons were all valuable. Each island had important strategic significance or rich resource reserves. Losing those islands is like the shining gems falling from the crown of the British Empire, the "empire on which the sun never sets". It no longer has the aura of brilliance and global control it once had. "The sun never sets." The title of "Falling Empire" has become undeserved. If we insist on retaking Gibraltar now, I am afraid that the price we need to pay is indeed very high. Not to mention that Spain will do its best to defend, and the German army will inevitably block it. Then there will inevitably be another fierce battle, and the Royal Fleet will also Well, both the army and the army had to suffer huge losses. However, he was really unwilling to watch Gibraltar being controlled by the Germans and Spain. After all, controlling Gibraltar meant controlling the key sea area of ​​​​the Mediterranean, and could control maritime transportation, military deterrence and other aspects. Taking the initiative was of great significance to the British Empire, so he was so entangled and in a dilemma. "Your Excellency Prime Minister, the German army cannot last long. Our main task now is to defeat the German army. As long as we can defeat the German army, everything can be taken back." Looking at Churchill's still hesitant expression, Montgomery persuaded patiently again, his eyes firm. , trying to make the Prime Minister see clearly the focus of the current situation. In his opinion, although the German army looks menacing, it is actually at the end of its war effort. As long as the Allies find the right strategy and continue to exert force, they can defeat it in one fell swoop. "Now the . military provides a large number of fighter planes. We can use these fighters to bomb the hinterland of the German army, destroy their factories, and weaken their war potential. If this continues, the German army will fail in less than half a year." Montgomery said, using He gestured with his hands in the air, as if he had seen the German army retreating steadily under the continuous attacks of the Allied forces. Those factories are the key for the German army to produce weapons and equipment and maintain the operation of the war. Once they are destroyed in large numbers, the German army will be trapped in a shortage of weapons and materials, and its combat effectiveness will inevitably be greatly reduced. It will be difficult to continue to support the war. More difficult. "As long as we defeat the German army, Spain will definitely return Gibraltar obediently." Montgomery said with confidence. He knew that the reason why Spain dared to get involved in this war was simply because it felt that the German army was powerful and wanted to follow. To gain some benefits, if the Germans were defeated, Spain would not dare to continue to occupy Gibraltar. It would definitely hand it over wisely to avoid retaliation from the Allies. It has to be said that Montgomery saw things relatively clearly. He hoped that through such analysis, Churchill could make up his mind, adjust his strategic focus, and first concentrate on defeating the German army, his biggest opponent. "You are right. Only by defeating the Germans can we get everything back." Churchill's slightly frowned brows gradually relaxed, and his expression became much firmer. He nodded slowly, obviously agreeing with the other party's statement. . At this moment, he has weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and understands that the most important thing at the moment is to concentrate on defeating the German army first. Only in this way can many subsequent thorny problems be solved, and only those territories, rights and interests that have been lost can be hoped to be regained. Take it back. "Then the task of bombing the German hinterland will be left to you. There is only one requirement, and that is to destroy their factories as soon as possible and weaken their war potential." Churchill looked at Montgomery seriously and explained in a solemn tone. He knew very well that the German factories scattered in the hinterland were like the core engines of the war machine, continuously transporting various weapons, equipment, materials, etc. to the front line. As long as these factories could be destroyed and paralyzed, the German army would On the battlefield, it will be like a steel behemoth that has lost its power, and its combat effectiveness will inevitably be greatly reduced. By then, the Allies will have a little more confidence in winning the final victory. "I will urge the Soviet army to increase their offensive intensity and ask them to cooperate with us to defeat the German army as soon as possible." Churchill said while thinking about how to communicate and coordinate with the Soviet army. He knew very well that the Soviet army had a strong combat effectiveness on the Eastern Front battlefield, and the pressure it put on the German army was considerable. If the Soviet army could further increase the intensity of its offensive, cooperate with the Allied forces, and attack the German army from east to west, then The German army will inevitably fall into a difficult situation where it is attacked from both sides. With the head and tail in doubt, it will be defeated faster. "Yes." After hearing the Prime Minister's arrangement, Montgomery straightened up immediately and responded in a loud voice. (End of chapter)