I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 1039 This is the first domino to fall.
Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

The logistics personnel and reserve soldiers remaining at the port were anxiously awaiting news from the front lines. They gathered in small groups to discuss the matter.
"That's the British Royal Navy. Even if its main force is deployed to the Atlantic and cannot return in time, their North Sea Fleet is still comparable to our strength."

"Yes, more importantly, they have extensive combat experience, and warships, with their greater speed, can always occupy advantageous positions."

"Even under these circumstances, it will still be very difficult for us to win. I can't even imagine what awaits us."

……

The officers and soldiers looked worried, fearing that all of Germany's current favorable situation would disappear after this battle, replaced by huge reparations and various insults and substantial unequal treaties.

At that moment, a communications soldier rushed out of the command post on the second floor. His voice was hoarse from excitement.
"We've won! We've won!"

He ran down the stairs as fast as he could, but in the last few steps he took a leap and lost his balance, falling face-first into the mud.

But he didn't care, even though blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth and his teeth were stained red, making him look somewhat terrifying: "We have won! We have defeated the British fleet! We have captured Lewick harbor!"

The crowd couldn't believe it and rushed over in a flurry.
"What? We've taken over Lewick Port?"

"Are you serious? We won?"

"You mean Lewick harbor in Shetland? What about the British fleet? How many losses did we suffer?"

……

The communications soldier answered loudly, his eyes filled with pride:

"Of course it's true, absolutely true. We just received the telegram."

"Our fleet suffered negligible losses, with seven torpedo boats sunk and the Bavaria and Baden lightly damaged."

"The British fleet, on the other hand, suffered a complete rout. We sank at least five of their battleships and twelve cruisers and destroyers!"

……

The officers and soldiers were in an uproar.

Most of them believed that the German High Seas Fleet and the British North Sea Fleet were evenly matched, and even those who thought the Germans would win by a narrow margin.

Unexpectedly, the result was such a lopsided victory.

After a moment of stunned silence, everyone burst into cheers and then spread the news.

……

The news soon reached Berlin, and interim Prime Minister Ebert breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the call.

He's firmly in his position as prime minister.

Not only is he stable, but he may also become a hero for "saving Germany from dire straits".

Of course, Albert knew that all of this was the result of his collaboration with Charles.

From now on, Germany must follow Charles's lead. Ebert was convinced of this: Charles was the future of Germany, and everything else was meaningless!
……

Paris, France.

Due to military secrecy, almost no one knew that the German High Seas Fleet was engaged in a decisive battle with the British fleet in the North Sea, and they were still worried because the large fleet organized by Charles was blocked east of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Inside the Grand Hotel Creole, representatives from various countries were divided into two factions.

The countries along the Mediterranean gathered together to discuss the operation of the coal and iron trade, a matter that had been definitively settled with the victory of the French fleet in Toulon in the Mediterranean.

While Greece was still fighting off the British forces trapped on its territory, it was actively promoting the sharing of coal and iron trading rights.

Representatives from these countries believe that the Mediterranean is isolated from the outside world.

The undisputed ruler here is France. Even if France is blockaded by the British Royal Navy and unable to leave the Mediterranean, there will be no problem for other countries to respect France. Countries outside the Mediterranean, however, are more concerned.

The Dutch representatives, in particular, felt they were celebrating too soon. If the French fleet was trapped in the Mediterranean and unable to move, and the Netherlands was right across from Britain, how could they possibly face the "wrath" of the Royal Navy?
The Belgian representatives remained steadfast, reassuring the Dutch representatives: "Rest assured, France has the most powerful army. Although you do not border France, Belgium can allow French troops to reinforce the Netherlands through your territory."

But these words still failed to reassure the Dutch representative.

What if the British Royal Fleet doesn't land?

What if their warships blockaded or even bombed the Netherlands from the sea?

The Netherlands' survival is not in question, but its economy and trade will soon be in trouble!
……

Various unfavorable rumors are also circulating among the public:
"That's the Strait of Gibraltar. Even though we have aircraft carriers capable of launching fighter jets, it's still very difficult for us to pass through safely."

"Yes, aircraft carriers are not suitable for navigating narrow seas, and that's not Charles's fault."

"This is due to previous decision-making errors. The Secretary of the Navy and members of Congress always favored Toulon over Brest, which led to this situation."

……

In the office of the Minister of War at the Paris City Hall, Gallieri frowned as he looked at the map.

He understood what the citizens were talking about; it was indeed a problem left over from the past, and the Brest shipyard had even been at risk of being shut down at one point.

Previous French regimes were too short-sighted; they always felt they could not compete with Britain at sea, so they focused their main development efforts on the port of Toulon.

But the problem already exists, and that's a fact we have to face now.

We cannot say that the problems left over from before can be left unresolved.

Although Charles has now developed France into a fleet capable of easily defeating the British Royal Navy, it still faces the risk of being blockaded in the two key directions of the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar.

How to deal with it?

The little guy seemed a bit anxious. He gathered all the ships, including the warships he had just captured that hadn't yet formed combat capability, and placed them in the Strait of Gibraltar.

"Keep calm," Gallieri muttered to himself.
“The Strait of Gibraltar is not a place that can be created by simply increasing numbers.”

"If things go wrong, your aircraft carrier could capsize in this ditch!"

The staff officers were constantly on the move, gathering intelligence from the front lines, including information about the British fleet's attack on Brest.

Everything is interconnected; the fall of Brest would mean that the British could effectively blockade the Strait of Gibraltar.

At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Fernand, who was waiting by the phone, asked incredulously into the receiver:
"What? What did you say? The British fleet has retreated?"

"Why retreat?"

"Because of the German fleet? Are you sure?"

Lieutenant Colonel Fernand stared wide-eyed at Gallieri for a long time.

Gallieri heard these words and initially didn't find them strange, but then he looked back at Lieutenant Colonel Fernand in shock.

He seemed to realize that he had been deceived by Charles again.

There was absolutely no need to storm the Strait of Gibraltar in this battle.

The French Navy doesn't even need to lift a finger; someone else will do it for them.

From the very beginning, Charles had planned for the German High Seas Fleet to launch a full-scale attack on the British North Sea.

This is the first domino to fall!

(End of this chapter)