Chapter 1113: Chapter 127: Canal Ambush
At the end of the European wars, the British Governnt took advantage of the Holy Roman Empire being preoccupied to the east and seized control of French Indochina.
Cam Ranh Bay, once the main base of the French Far Eastern Fleet, also changed hands and beca a principal base for the Royal Navy.
With this premier military port in Asia, the Royal Navy naturally lost interest in another strategic military town, Singapore.
Of course, that was just lip service. The real reason was that the British Governnt had been a step too slow, and Sumatra had been occupied by the Dutch, while the Malay Peninsula had fallen into the hands of the German Federation controlled by Hanover.
At that ti, Britannia was busy clashing with France and Austria; since Hanover and the Netherlands were both staunch allies, the British Governnt implicitly accepted this fact.
No one expected international affairs to change so rapidly. With a European war, France fell, and the Holy Roman Empire was reborn from the ashes and achieved unification once again.
...
Without a doubt, as a colony of the German Federation, the Malay Peninsula naturally joined the family of the Holy Roman Empire.
A European overlord was born, and, influenced by geopolitics, the astute Dutch Governnt naturally pivoted towards the Holy Roman Empire.
In an instant, Singapore, an important Far Eastern naval base for Britannia, lost its appeal.
Although the Royal Navy still controlled the Strait of Malacca, both coasts had beco enemy territory.
With no allies to guard it, the re possession of Singapore was clearly insufficient to maintain Britannia’s dominance in Southeast Asia, and the control over the Strait of Malacca beca precarious.
By this ti, it was too late for the British to have any regrets. Territory swallowed up by the Holy Roman Empire would not be regurgitated.
Attempting to claim Sumatra, ruled by the Dutch, was equally unfeasible. With Shinra nearby, they had no chance of acting freely.
“Perhaps a blessing, perhaps a curse,” although Britannia’s dominion over the Strait of Malacca was challenged, they had captured French Indochina.
This not only alleviated the threat from the southeast of India but also expanded the Colonial Empire and increased their influence in the Southeast Asian region.
Whether it was a loss or a gain was difficult to say outright. However, for the colonial governnt, it was definitely a profit.
Though the rule over Malacca was challenged, it was still in their hands, and with the rich Indochina Peninsula to exploit, everyone’s lives were bound to beco more comfortable.
Those who saw a chance to profit did so, and the bureaucrats in the colonies were no exception. The Far Eastern Fleet’s share was inevitable.
As the Commander of the fleet, Admiral Mitchell was living comfortably, oftentis reflecting that coming to the Far East was the best choice of his life.
Unfortunately, good days are always short-lived. As tensions rose in Europe, the situation in the Southeast Asian region beca unstable as well.
This wasn’t much of a concern originally, as the Far Eastern Fleet was stronger than the Southeast Asian Fleet. Should war break out, Mitchell had enough confidence to win.
However, as the situation in Europe quickly changed, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands successively aligned themselves with the Holy Roman Empire, altering the dynamics.
The advantage once held by the Far Eastern Fleet was suddenly inverted. Facing four adversaries alone, even if the Royal Navy was formidable, it was a challenge against overwhelming odds.
The one consolation for Mitchell was that Britannia still had allies. Including the power of the Japanese Navy, he still harbored the certainty of victory.
Yet, a telegram from London shattered Admiral Mitchell’s illusion. The London Governnt had ordered him to seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Southeast Asian Fleet, to annihilate its main force.
From a strategic standpoint, there was nothing wrong with the order. Even though engaging in undeclared combat was against the Knight’s code of honor, Mitchell wasn’t a knight and had no moral qualms.
With the situation so tense, the Southeast Asian Fleet would undoubtedly be guard; a surprise attack was extrely challenging, let alone annihilating the enemy.
Deep inside, Admiral Mitchell had criticized more than once. If they wanted a surprise attack, they should have said so sooner, not wait until the situation was uncontrollable—did they think others were fools?
Luckily, Mitchell didn’t know the initial plan of the London Governnt was for the Far Eastern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet to act together to simultaneously obliterate Shinra’s Southeast Asian Fleet and Central Arican Fleet.
Otherwise, it would not have been a re complaint but a plan that was impossible to execute. Surprise attacks also depend on the right timing and opportunity; they can’t be conducted at any ti and place.
What if luck was not on their side and, at the agreed ti of action, fog rolled in, a storm brewed, or the enemy was absent from the predetermined battlefield? All these could lead to mission failure.
Fortunately, not all officials at the Admiralty were Governnt Officials; there were professionals who tily halted this farce.
Eventually, the order received by the Far Eastern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet beca to look for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack and destroy the enemy’s main force.
While still challenging, there was at least a possibility of success. If one side succeeded or failed, a full-scale war would erupt, and the other side would have no choice but to engage in battle.
Compared to direct confrontation with the enemy, Admiral Mitchell preferred to try a surprise attack. Should it succeed, he would beco Britannia’s greatest hero.
Without resolving Shinra’s two major overseas fleets, the Royal Navy could not concentrate its forces to block Shinra Navy Main Force in the war.
The diterranean, which is like a large bathtub, has two exits. To blockade and force the Shinra Navy into a decisive battle, two simultaneous movents must be undertaken.
Indeed, the Royal Navy is formidable, but after splitting their forces in two, suppressing the Shinra Navy would not be so simple. There’s even the risk of putting themselves in jeopardy.
The only thod would be to first clip the wings of the Shinra Navy by taking out their overseas fleet and then concentrate the forces to pressure their holand fleet.
Of course, this was the personal judgnt of Admiral Mitchell. In reality, there are more strategies, such as blocking the Suez Canal to prevent the Shinra Navy from advancing into the Indian Ocean.
Gazing at the map on the wall, Mitchell fell into deep thought, occasionally pointing at it with his finger as if searching for the key to breaking the situation.
…
The Suez Canal, since its inception, has borne the economic fate of Asia, Europe, and Africa.
With tens of thousands of ships passing through each year, just the toll revenue alone amounts to tens of millions, truly a Golden Waterway.
No matter how tense the situation is in Europe, the number of ships entering and leaving the Suez Canal daily has not reduced, seemingly above the fray of worldly matters.
Regrettably, this “detachnt” is an illusion. A closer observation would reveal that the faces of rchants along the coast and those coming and going are all very solemn.
Everyone knows that war is about to break out. Once warfare erupts, the bustling Suez Canal will imdiately quiet down.
At the canal security checkpoint, a long line had already ford. Along with the escalating situation, the security of the Suez Canal had also stepped up a notch.
As a rchant, Mr. Owen naturally detested the tedious inspections. However, if one wanted to pass through the Suez Canal, they had to accept the checks.
Seeing the staff constantly ransacking through his wares, virtually ready to unload and reload the ship, Owen could no longer bear to watch, “These are just ballast stones; is there really any need to move them out one by one for inspection?”
This shipnt was carrying porcelain and silk from the Far East, all relatively light products. To ensure the ship’s stability, ballast stones were naturally indispensable.
To examine even the stones now was an excessive level of caution that truly left persons speechless.
Turning around, the staff mber responded very seriously, “Sorry, Mr. Owen. This is a special period, please cooperate with our work.
Not only for the safety of the canal, but we are also responsible for your personal life and property safety. You know spies are everywhere, and any oversight could be exploited by them.”
Upon hearing the word “spies,” Owen decisively chose to keep his mouth shut and quietly waited for the outco.
As a businessman, Owen’s greatest fear was being linked to espionage. Once entangled, not even a thousand explanations could clear the matter.
How was he to have the spies vouch for his innocence?
Even if the spies were willing to testify, it would be in vain; no one would believe them.
Even if there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him, the network of contacts he had built up over half a lifeti would crumble in an instant.
More than two hours passed, and the suspicious aspects of the ship were finally inspected. Just as Owen was about to breathe a sigh of relief, soone shouted, “Catch the spies, don’t let them escape!”
The previously orderly scene instantly descended into chaos. As the canal police took action, two oil tankers suddenly started moving, charging at full speed towards the entrance of the waterway.
The incident was so sudden that even though the canal guards quickly reacted, launching their shore cannons to intercept, they managed only to stop one, while the other crashed into the canal locks.
After a loud boom, the warship began to sink slowly. At this mont, the river surface was covered in spilled crude oil, and the pungent sll assaulted the senses.
Looking at the scene before him, Owen’s mouth gaped open, but he had no idea what to say. Thoughts involuntarily surfaced in his mind: “We’ve been outwitted,” “Suicide troops,” “This is going to be a big loss”…
The shock wasn’t limited to Owen alone; whether it was the crew or the captains, their faces were now ashen.
Although they witnessed it with their eyes, the exact extent of the damage to the canal was still unknown to everyone.
Even if it was just a superficial scratch, clearing the channel would take ti, as at least the wreckage of the two tankers had to be salvaged before navigation could be restored.
If not willing to wait, then one must detour via the Cape of Good Hope. Those who manned the ships these days were clever people; naturally, they knew how to choose.
Watching as the hegemonic war was about to ignite and the South African region had even started fighting, getting involved at this ti was sure to result in nothing good.
Traders were worrying, and the canal administrative staff, with their wildly exaggerated expressions, looked even more ashen.
In such a vigilantly guarded situation, they still let the enemy steal a march on them; there would certainly be a need to assu responsibility…
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