1825 My New Daming

Chapter 324 This is a clash of civilizations, and everyone must be dragged into the water! (ask for subscription, ask for monthly pass)
10 Downing Street, London, UK.

In the office of Prime Minister Duke Wellington, the two looked at each other silently.Today, the Duke of Wellington didn't even go to the meeting of the House of Commons. He just stayed in his study and held a secret meeting with another prime minister of the British Empire, the Prime Minister of the Indian Empire, Earl Ahmed.Standing beside him was only Huck, the cabinet secretary who had served four British Prime Ministers and was still standing today.

It was quiet in the office. The two British prime ministers stared at each other for an unknown amount of time before they heard the Duke of Wellington sigh and say, "William, why did the situation deteriorate so quickly? When I left, everything It's all pretty manageable!"

The Prime Minister of India, Earl William Peter Amherst, shook his head, "Duke, once a war breaks out, how can there be anything controllable? Besides, this war is a war for all of us, and everyone will join it sooner or later. If If we can't win, then the future world will be dominated by yellow people!"

The Duke of Wellington frowned: "Although everyone will join sooner or later, it is better to join later than earlier. This is also the consensus I reached with His Majesty the Emperor when I left India. We should protect the United Kingdom as much as possible. , to make her bear the pain of the war as little as possible. Now... the situation is so critical that the United Kingdom must join in?"

In fact, it was not the will of Emperor William and the Duke of Wellington to delay Britain's participation in the war as much as possible, but the entire elite class that ruled the British Empire, especially the big nobles, big bankers, and big industrialists in the UK. will.In their vision, this world war is best to copy the route of Napoleon's war, let the British Empire generally hide in the safe rear, and use money and military aid to buy other countries as cannon fodder.And Britain's dutiful son India and pro-disobedient son America are ideal cannon fodder countries.

The Indian Prime Minister looked at the British Prime Minister, shook his head slightly and said: "Duke, I think you should have received a comprehensive and detailed report. Although we have repeatedly declared victory, the actual situation is on the verge of collapse! Encountered a disastrous defeat and actually lost control of the Indian Ocean. After Ming’s cutting-edge battleship and aircraft carrier formation attacked Mumbai, we had to lift the blockade of the Persian Gulf and urgently withdraw the troops occupying Muscat. And transferred the Second Indian Ocean Fleet from the Andaman Islands back to the West Indian Ocean. This also means that the Malay Peninsula has actually become an isolated and helpless island, although Admiral Hugh Gough has ordered the Royal Indian Army to operate on the Malay Peninsula. Strong defenses are in place, enough to last 6-12 months. But as long as we can't regain control of the East Indian Ocean, the Malay Peninsula will eventually fall.

And once Ming seizes the Malay Peninsula and puts the Strait of Malacca under its full control, then their main naval force will be able to move freely between the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific. They can choose to attack India or Australia, And we must prepare in advance to deal with this difficult situation. "

Now the First Indian Fleet has "successfully defended" the Red Sea!Well, another "Kaiser Wilhelmian victory"!
Dozens of old battleships, armored cruisers, and second- and third-class cruisers, under the cover of the Second Indian Fleet, far bypassed the Gulf of Oman, sailed into the Gulf of Aden, and then merged with the Gulf of Aden Squadron, turning into a defense force. The Suez Fleet of the United Kingdom of Europe and the Mediterranean!

Of course, the Suez fleet is not all concentrated in Suez Port (the south entrance of the Suez Canal), but is stationed in three places: Suez Port, Said Port, and Aden Port. It also firmly controls the Mandeb Strait (less than 30 kilometers wide) Central Pirin Island - This island is a bare volcanic island with an area of ​​only 13 square kilometers.As early as when the Suez Canal was started, it fell into the hands of the British along with the Port of Aden.The British built piers, forts, coal bunkers, and barracks there, turning it into a fortress guarding the Suez Canal.This time, the British army added more troops to Pirin Island, deploying a whole regiment of British and Indian infantry, and deployed more than a dozen Vickers 3-pound guns that had been modified to shoot in the air. A large number of horse-drawn machine guns that can fire in the air.

The defense of Aden Port, which was converted into a fortress at the same time as Pilin Island, has also been greatly strengthened.The British not only sent a few more regiments of army there, but also assigned four old-fashioned battleships, four armored cruisers and ten second- and third-class cruisers to the Gulf of Aden Squadron (now belonging to the Suez Fleet of the United Kingdom), Their task is to cover the safety of British and Indian transport ships entering and leaving the Gulf of Aden.

In addition, Socotra Island, located outside the Gulf of Aden, was also controlled by the British this time.They sent a brigade of British and Indian infantry to the island and planned to build an airship landing pad.

The airship deployed on this island will become the eyes of the Gulf of Aden Squadron. When the Gulf of Aden Squadron undertakes escort missions, it will conduct reconnaissance in advance to discover the approaching Ming Navy break-through formation.

Although after this "Emperor William-style victory", Britain does not have to worry about the safety of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the time being.However, the strength of the Royal Indian Navy has been greatly weakened. Only the original Second Indian Fleet can be used to protect the lifeline on the west coast of India and the western Indian Ocean, and it has temporarily ignored the support for operations in the Malay Peninsula.

Therefore, the fall of the Malay Peninsula is only a matter of time, and the fall of the Malay Peninsula means that the initiative of the war has begun to transfer to Ming's hands!
With the Malacca Strait as a hub, in the future, the Ming Navy will attack India if it wants to attack India, and Australia if it wants to attack Australia. The British limited navy will deploy troops in the Indian Ocean, the South Pacific, the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic and around the mainland (prevention France, Rakshasa).

The situation is indeed very critical, and we must deal with it with all our strength!
"But once the United Kingdom conducts a full-scale war mobilization, it will mean unstoppable fiscal deficits and trade deficits!" Although the Duke of Wellington is a soldier, he is not ignorant of economic issues. It is very likely to become a safe haven for capital. Once a large amount of capital flows from the UK to France, it may be difficult for us to maintain a long-term war! In fact, the prosperity of the United Kingdom has benefited from the long-term safe-haven demand of European capital.”

"Duke," said Count Amherst, "we've thought about it and we've got to drag everybody into the water! Because what's going on is a war of civilizations, and no European can stay out of it, or the Yellow Peril will resume." Sweep across Europe at once. We have to strap as many people as possible to our chariots! Only in this way, we will have the possibility of victory. If not victory, the price will be shared by all.”

The Duke of Wellington frowned, and after a moment of silence, he nodded and said, "Count, I understand what you mean, and I also know how critical the current situation is. But you still have to give me some time, I need to talk to the Whig Party Talk to the bankers who control the wealth of half of Europe. I think those people would choose to side with us if they knew how critical the situation is. Because only we can protect them interest! Huck, you say so?"

Standing on the side, Huck, the Chief Cabinet Secretary who did not say a word during the conversation between the two prime ministers, heard Duke Wellington's question, and immediately replied with a smile: "Yes, Prime Minister."

"Huck," the Duke of Wellington asked again, "do you know who to look for?"

"Yes, Prime Minister!"

"Okay, let's go! I want to meet them as soon as possible, at 10 Downing Street."

"Yes, Prime Minister!"

(End of this chapter)