Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1133 - 147, Kamikaze Special Forces

Chapter 1133: Chapter 147, Kamikaze Special Forces

After the gunfire in Tokyo Bay, only a landscape strewn with wreckage remained, with the Japanese people busily clearing the ruins, a scene that was especially tragic.

As the saying goes, “Revenge doesn’t wait for the next day.” Along with the failure of the Malacca naval battle, the Japanese Navy had lost its maritime supremacy, and the Spanish Navy immediately came down upon them.

Intercepting merchant ships, bombarding ports—it had now become the daily work of the Spanish Navy. It seemed as if they couldn’t go a single day without causing trouble, or it just wouldn’t sit right with them.

Perhaps it was out of hatred or perhaps in order to once and for all resolve the security issues in the Philippines; during their operations against Japan, the Spaniards were particularly conspicuous.

Against this backdrop, it was naturally the Japanese people who suffered the misfortune. The Japanese population, already in a state of anxiety, was now in panic.

But instead of the expected Shinra reckoning, the Japanese had to face Spanish retaliation first.

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If anything could be used to preserve lives in dealings with Shinra, like “striking at the Russians,” the Tokyo Government had absolutely nothing to discuss with the Spaniards.

One on the far eastern end, the other on the far western end, with a string of countries in between. Whether the Russian Empire was doing well or poorly had nothing to do with Spain.

Not only were their spheres of influence not adjacent, but even in international trade, they rarely clashed over interests.

Emperor Meiji had been having a tough time lately, and how to extricate Japan from Spain’s entanglement had become the Japanese Government’s biggest problem.

Kimochi Saionji said, “In the recent half-month, we have lost hundreds of ships, large and small. Now, even fishing boats dare not leave port, and our foreign trade lines have almost entirely been cut off.

As a result, domestic prices have already soared, and some industrial raw materials have even run out.

Especially since the front lines are still at war, without support from the homeland’s materials, the troops at the front can hardly hold out much longer.

If we don’t take action soon and let the Spaniards continue their looting, I’m afraid our Empire might just…”

The word “collapse” ultimately went unspoken. However, from everyone’s tense expressions, it was clear that the clever ones in the room had already filled in the blanks.

The danger was recognized by all, but how to solve the problem was a big one.

We couldn’t rely on the Navy anymore; the Malacca naval battle had already broken the backbone of the Japanese Navy. Those who had survived the ordeal were still not out of their panic.

Moreover, now that the main battle fleet had been destroyed, setting sail with just a bunch of auxiliary warships would be to give the enemy their battle honors.

Foreign Minister Kaoru Inoue said, “The Foreign Ministry has done its utmost. We’ve made contact with the Spaniards, but they just won’t talk to us.

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To solve the problem, we even communicated with the Vienna Government. They permitted us to continue our attack on the Russian Empire, but this did not include restraining Spain.

The Vienna Government clearly stated that war has already broken out. As a major member of the Continental Alliance, Spain has the right to attack any enemy state.”

The game’s rules were this cruel and ruthless; though the Vienna Government could resolve the issue with a single call, the Japanese didn’t carry enough weight.

The smoke from the Malacca naval battle had only just cleared, smeared with each other’s blood; it was impossible not to hold a grudge.

The Vienna Government didn’t immediately retaliate, taking the big picture into account. How could they possibly interfere with Spain’s retribution against the Japanese?

If you can’t withstand it, it’s your own lack of capability. If you can’t even get past Spain, pressing Russia is likely unrealistic.

Unable to help the Holy Roman Empire suppress the Russian Empire, Japan loses its value to exist. Once a pawn loses its value, it is discarded.

To preserve the Japan nation and their own glory and wealth, the Japanese Government had to resolve the current trouble and prove their existence was valuable.

“There are ways to deal with Spanish warships. In the Malacca naval battle, the enemy used air bombing, and we can do the same.

If it really comes to it, we’ll call on a Death Squad, strap bombs onto planes, and crash them directly into enemy ships.

Spain is already decaying and barely maintaining its current naval size; they cannot afford losses.”

Yamagata Aritomo’s proposal, though cruel, was largely based on fact. Without sacrificing lives, the current Japanese Navy simply wasn’t a match for the enemy.

Even though using the Death Squad wouldn’t defeat the Spanish Navy, it could at least chase the Spaniards away and restore the trade routes in the Far Eastern region.

Opposition was impossible; in Japan at that time, human life was the least valuable thing. As long as it solved the problem, no one was under any pressure, no matter how many died.

Such a decision, which would lead to a future burden of infamy, naturally couldn’t involve the Emperor. Professional scapegoat, Prime Minister Katsura Taro, immediately approved, “Good, let’s do that!

I don’t care how you do it, as long as you drive the Spanish Navy out of Japanese waters, it will be the greatest victory!

At this moment of crisis for survival, I hope everyone will set aside their prejudices, work together, and overcome this difficulty.”

Clearly, the last statement was directed at the military. Although the Government also had internal strife, it was not nearly as intense as the fighting between the Army and the Navy.

After the Malacca naval battle, the Japanese Navy, which had been dominating the struggle, was now being trampled underfoot by the Army.

The jokes circulating among the public that insulted the Navy were mostly produced by the Army, mainly to smear the Navy.

Prime Minister Katsura Taro, originally from the Army, should have been contributing to the turmoil, but as Japan’s Prime Minister, he had to consider the overall situation.

No matter what, Japan was an island country. As an island nation, it was bound to rely on the Navy.

Especially with the Spanish Navy on the prowl, Katsura Taro realized the importance of the Navy. If the Navy continued to be suppressed, Japan would have no future.

As for the outcome, that depended on whether everyone was clear-headed. Anyone who realized the importance of naval supremacy wouldn’t utterly destroy their own Navy.

Although militarism didn’t have complete merits, it not only far surpassed democratic countries in efficiency but also had no shortage of fanatical warriors.

The announcement to recruit pilots to crash into ships had just gone out, and lines had already formed at the recruitment stations. Sadly, there were qualifications for pilots, and not just anyone could fill the role, so many eager volunteers had to be turned away.

The more they were dissuaded, the higher their enthusiasm to sign up became, reminiscent of the later stages of World War II, with many pilots compelled by social pressure to sign up for the Death Squad.

With the push of the butterfly effect, the famous “Kamikaze special forces” prematurely made their entrance onto the stage of history.

And then, there was no after. A plane crashing into a ship was completely uncharted territory; there was no experience to discuss for training.

Once you crash down, whether you hit your target or not, both the person and the plane were doomed.

…

March 16, 1905, the Shinra East Africa Army broke through Djibouti, and the remaining British Army was forced to lay down their arms and surrender, declaring an end to the East Africa Campaign.

Overnight, Cape of Good Hope became Britannia’s last stronghold in the African Continent, and the pressure on the London Government increased immensely.

Beneath an unremarkable building, an air raid shelter had been temporarily transformed into the British Government’s meeting room.

Because it was hastily constructed, the meeting room hadn’t even been decorated. Perhaps for aesthetics, or perhaps for convenience, military maps were hung all over the walls.

Even at the center of the office desk, there was a huge sandbox. Standing within it, one might feel as though they were in a military command center, yet this was indeed the Government meeting room.

The military style of the room was forced out by the war. Since the outbreak of war, the British Government’s main duty had shifted from governing the country to serving the war.

Colonial Minister Koman: “We cannot let this continue! If we don’t take action, we’ll permanently lose Africa.”

But losing Africa wasn’t exactly the case, at least there was still Madagascar. However, a lone island is clearly incomparable to an entire continent.

Once Cape of Good Hope falls, Britannia’s route to the Indian Ocean would essentially be cut off.

Though one could take a detour, opening a map would show that it’s no short diversion.

Without the supplies from India, Britannia would have to completely rely on America. From a global strategic perspective, this was undeniably fatal.

Everyone knew the importance of keeping Cape of Good Hope, but no one could accurately answer how to keep it.

“The Army Department has already sent reinforcements, but to defend Cape of Good Hope, we still need cooperation from the logistics department, the navy, and the air force.”

It wasn’t that Marcus wanted to pass the blame; it was just that the situation in Cape of Good Hope was unique. Not only were there severe storms, it also lacked water.

In future times, Cape Town would be known as “the most water-scarce city in the world.” Although it wasn’t so severe now, with cut-off external water supplies, reliance on groundwater was still insufficient.

During the last South African War, the Cape Town Colonial Government experienced the taste of water shortage, even resorting to shipping fresh water to the frontline by vessels.

Post-war, lessons were learned, and the colonial government increased fresh water reserves. But bureaucrats, being what they are, would lose interest after a three-minute enthusiasm.

Reserving living water for hundreds of thousands isn’t something a few reservoirs could handle; it required a significant, long-term investment of manpower and materials.

Aside from the post-war first governor who capitalized on the postwar enthusiasm, later successors weren’t interested in this thankless project.

The plan was grand, investment significant, and duration long—were it not so, the core problem was the lack of visible political achievements. Even if they completed the underground water storage project construction, there was little tangible feeling among the people.

Rather than filling this bottomless pit, they would prefer to use funds on urban construction, improve transportation—at least these were visible to everyone.

As long as there was no war, Cape Town wouldn’t run out of water. Clever bureaucrats knew how to choose.

But now the war had broken out, and as the defense lines continuously shrank, water scarcity became a difficult problem for the Cape Town garrison.

Even more tragically, enemy air raids were rampant, and vessels entering the harbor during the day were equivalent to undergoing a great calamity.

Without solving the logistics problem, sending in reinforcements would just be handing the enemy more victories.

Feeling the concerned gaze of everyone, Air Force Minister Attilio helplessly waved his hand: “Don’t look at me like that; everyone knows the situation of the air force. If we could suppress the enemy, we wouldn’t be so passive.”

Securing the skies of London was a challenge, let alone Cape of Good Hope. Even if fighter jets were dispatched, at best, they could only delay the inevitable defeat by a few days.

The defense of Cape of Good Hope was inherently a case of the weaker fighting the stronger. Attilio was not optimistic about confronting Holy Roman Empire forces on land.

As vital as Cape of Good Hope was, if you can’t win, you can’t win. Britannia might send reinforcements, but so could the enemy.

For a moment, the shadow of defeat loomed over everyone’s hearts. It was the first time everyone considered the possible consequences of a lost war with such gravity.

Seeing the solemn expressions of the crowd and after much hesitation, Military Minister Siegmund slowly said: “There’s worse news. According to our spies within the Holy Roman Empire, the enemy is planning an amphibious landing operation.

The details are not clear yet. However, we can assume that the enemy intends to have their navy and air force cover the army’s landing.

If we cannot break the enemy’s air superiority, the Royal Navy would risk a great deal trying to intercept the landing.

It could very well be a trap, specifically designed to lure our naval main force to a predetermined battlefield, where air force power can be used to encircle us.”

Truth and deception, deception within truth. Up to now, neither side had spared each other from false information.

But this time was different; if the enemy commenced an amphibious operation, despite knowing it might be a trap, the Royal Navy had no choice but to soldier on.

Such stark gambits are terrifying, because you must step into the pit despite knowing, the British Government can’t gamble the safety of The British Isles.

If the Royal Navy doesn’t mobilize to intercept, and the enemy carries through with their feint, once they’re successful in landing, the Oceanic Alliance would immediately crumble.

No matter how closely bound everyone had been, or how grand the interests involved, everyone eventually looks out for their own before facing a catastrophe.

In fact, if it weren’t for the difficulty of information transfer these days, and the countries were still basking in Britannia’s past glory, ignorant of the precise situation, some might have already begun to cut their losses.

Jumping ship early is dangerous, but it’s better than struggling for rescue after the ship has sunk.

Without allied support, relying solely on the strength of the Great Britain Empire would mean defeat was just a matter of time.

Navy Minister Swindon forcefully said: “This is definitely the enemy’s conspiracy against the Royal Navy. To land before they’ve gained naval superiority is inherently a gamble.

Even if the enemy has air supremacy, the air force is not omnipotent. It remains a monumental challenge to cover a large landing.

If surface ships can’t easily deploy, we’ll use submarines. If we sink even one troop transport, an entire battalion goes down. Such losses can’t be ignored by anyone.

And if we truly get desperate, we could even imitate the Japanese, organizing Death Squads to crash planes into enemy ships.

One man, one plane, one bomb for one ship, we…”