As the day drew near its end, the blood-red remnants of the sun pierced through dissipating black smoke clouds, casting their light upon the ash-brown fields. With the last bomber of the Royal Air Force, marked with its circular emblem under its wing, wailing as it fled the battlefield, the continuous roar of artillery on the ground finally subsided. Amidst the thunderous echoes, formations of two or four German fighter planes whistled triumphantly through the air, as if cavalry victorious in battle, surveying their spoils!
From the cockpit, Colonel Adolf Galland observed the scattered wreckage littering the fields below. Some had already been reduced to smoldering heaps of scrap metal, emitting wisps of green smoke, while others lay shattered into pieces, countless metal fragments strewn across the vast expanse, only the damaged engines retaining their recognizable shapes. With no enemy aircraft in sight, the ace pilot, distinguished by his neat mustache, removed his oxygen mask and retrieved a cigar from his jacket pocket, lighting it with a flourish (smoking was prohibited in fighter planes, but the historical Galland was known as the lone maverick in the German Air Force who dared to do so). In the past 45 minutes alone, Galland, just two months shy of his 29th birthday, had surpassed the previous top ace of the German Air Force, Walter Oesau, officially becoming Germany's new No. 1 with an impressive tally of 5 enemy aircraft shot down, bringing his total tally to a staggering 61, just 19 short of the legendary Red Baron!
A squadron with only one ace cannot be deemed a squadron of aces, but since Adolf Galland assumed command of the 26th Fighter Squadron of the German Air Force, this elite aerial combat unit had become a formidable contender for the top spot on the squadron leaderboard, currently neck and neck with the prestigious "Richthofen Fighter Squadron," or the 2nd Fighter Squadron, and had produced numerous rising stars in aerial combat! In today's ambush in the skies, the "little supermen" had also displayed their prowess, with the 1st Fighter Squadron alone achieving a remarkable record of shooting down 32 British bombers in just 30 minutes!
"Well done, everyone! Let us remember this day, for henceforth the skies over Britain shall be devoid of the Royal Air Force!" Suddenly, a unfamiliar voice came over the squadron's communication channel, startling the pilots. The voice continued, "I am Air Force Operations Commander Hans Rudel. I salute you on behalf of the Imperial Air Force!"
Radio communication in fighter planes was limited to short distances, meaning that the young operations commander was still at the forefront of the battle during its most intense moments. Next, Adolf Galland's voice rang out over the channel:
"Give each of us a medal and a cigar! General!"
"No problem!" the young voice replied cheerfully.
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, was a city nestled amid mountains and water, with a peculiar charm. Influenced by maritime climate, the average temperature in summer here was only 21 degrees Celsius, and there were few days in winter with temperatures below zero, making it chilly year-round. Since leaving London, the main members of the British royal family and government officials had moved into the Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, a grand castle filled with royal dignity. As the German front continued to advance northward, a considerable portion of Britain's aristocracy, officials, and technical personnel had already departed by boat, even Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Eden had rushed to Canada two months ago to prepare for the overall relocation of the royal family and government. However, King George VI and Prime Minister Churchill remained in Edinburgh, demonstrating their immense determination to resist the German invasion alongside their fellow countrymen.
As a cruel day drew to a close, the square castle quietly faded into the darkness of the night. In a spacious conference room, smoke filled the air, and the atmosphere was heavy with tension. The heads of the British wartime cabinet and major military leaders were all present, their faces solemn, especially the two senior commanders of the Royal Air Force — Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Dowding, who succeeded Edward Biddle as Commander-in-Chief of the British Air Defense Command, and Air Marshal Charles Portal, Commander of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command, both looking utterly despondent.
"What a disastrous day!" Churchill, puffing on his cigar, slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot and his face weary. Since the German landing, he and his cabinet had been under tremendous pressure every day, with mounting calls for peace negotiations within the country due to repeated military failures, especially after the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy were both crippled. Based on the staunch resistance principles of the wartime cabinet, the finger was pointed at this stubborn prime minister, with increasing demands from the public for him to take responsibility for Britain's current situation, believing that his continued procrastination in the war would only lead to the downfall of the monarchy and the entire country.
To make matters worse, in recent times, the Duke of Windsor had appeared on the European continent, and this news had spread like wildfire in Britain. It was worth noting that during his 26-year tenure as heir apparent, he had accumulated immense prestige in the eyes of the people, and his abdication was due to marriage rather than political reasons. Once he returned to Britain, it was almost inevitable that the country would be plunged into turmoil — hence, Churchill had proposed to George VI to use extreme measures to eliminate this threat, but the deeply affectionate British king had unequivocally refused!
Air Marshal Charles Portal stood up, his face ashen. "Respected Prime Minister, I humbly request the cabinet's approval of my resignation. Someone must be held accountable for such failures!"
"The decision was mine to make, so it is mine to bear!" Field Marshal Alan Brooke, the slender Commander of Home Defense Command and Army General, also stood up resolutely, his head held high and his expression unbowed.
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became exceptionally heavy. After a moment, Churchill extended his right hand in a gesture for them to sit down. "Sit down, gentlemen! Now is not the time to apportion blame on anyone. Even if we all resign collectively, it will not change the reality!"
The two generals reluctantly sat back in their chairs.
Churchill placed his cigar in the ashtray and, in his usual steady style, continued, "Although we have lost nearly 200 combat aircraft, we have at least destroyed many aircraft and tanks assembled near the front by the Germans. In the short term, they should be unable to advance further into Scotland. I believe that Scotland's mountainous terrain remains our most powerful weapon against the Germans, and all we need to do is hold out for three more months! Three months! The situation will reverse! The most important thing now is how to maintain our maritime supply lines. According to the underground resistance in Norway, the Bismarck and the Scharnhorst have already arrived in Trondheim... Charles?"
Air Marshal Charles Portal, the commander of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command, stood up once again, his face still pale.
"Apologies, respected Prime Minister, our bombers lack the capability to carry heavy bombs for an attack on Trondheim. It is already far beyond the bombing radius. Unless... our aircraft only conduct one-way bombing missions!"
One-way bombing, of course, meant not returning after the attack. Not to mention that the Royal Air Force currently did not have enough bombers available for one-way operations, and after many setbacks, it remained a significant question whether the Royal Air Force pilots had the courage and determination to execute such missions.
"In that case, our hope lies solely with the glorious and brave Navy?" The Prime Minister's gaze turned to Bruce Fraser, who had temporarily taken over as Commander of the Home Fleet. With the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal returning from the Mediterranean to home waters, he now had three operational aircraft carriers under his command again. The only issue was that the carrier-based aircraft had suffered significant losses in previous operations, and each ship could only muster two-thirds of its ideal complement!
Fraser glanced at his deputy, John Tovey, sitting beside him. After a brief exchange of glances, Fraser stood up and said, "We can present a detailed attack plan by tomorrow morning. Based on our success in the Mediterranean theater, torpedo bombers are fully capable of inflicting heavy damage on large battleships like the Bismarck!"
"Excellent! The current ordeal requires everyone's concerted efforts to overcome!" Despite seeing a new ray of hope, Churchill's tone remained heavy.
After a while, the large and heavy wooden door of the conference room was finally pushed open, and King George VI strode in wearing military attire. At 45 years old, this king, although lacking the charismatic charm of his brother, and suffering from pulmonary disease due to long-term smoking, still inherited the majestic demeanor of the Windsor family, especially with his square and dignified face. However, having personally experienced the rapid decline of this mighty empire, his once-golden hair now bore many strands of white, and his overall spirit seemed noticeably diminished.
The members of the cabinet and military leaders collectively stood up to salute the king. Although he never interfered in specific military deployments, George VI was undoubtedly a spiritual leader who actively advocated Britain's wartime principles. Before the outbreak of the war, he and his wife visited the United States, becoming the first British monarch to do so! After the war broke out, he even made unprecedented public speeches to inspire the British military and civilians to fight against the formidable enemy!
After taking his seat, George VI got straight to the point:
"Gentlemen, I am here today to hear everyone's opinions — whether the situation has truly reached a point where the royal family must relocate to Canada. You should all be aware that the British monarchs have never left Britain to reside elsewhere for over two hundred years. Once the royal family evacuates, the entire country's foundation will be greatly shaken!"
The most authoritative voice in military matters was undoubtedly Field Marshal Alan Brooke, the Chief of Home Defense Command. The recently resigned Army General stood up, visibly frustrated, and said, "Your Majesty, our Air Force has lost nearly all its reserve forces today, making Britain's air defense even more difficult in the future. Moreover, the Germans may very well exploit the Duke of Windsor's puppet government. They may resort to extreme airstrikes against you and the royal family..."
"You mean, they will drop bombs on me?" George VI was not agitated, but rather displayed a kind of helpless resignation. Having ascended to the throne just over three years ago, the entire Britain had now turned into a mess. If the people had foresight, they would probably prefer to accept the Duke of Windsor's absurd marriage and pro-Nazi sentiments rather than see their homeland turned into ruins!
"While we cannot be certain, we must be prepared!" Alan Brooke said helplessly.
"Prime Minister, can we really hold out until the Russians launch their attack from behind Germany?" George VI asked Churchill.
The British Prime Minister struggled to move his corpulent body. "I believe we can, but... we should still prepare for all eventualities!"
"Is Inverness in the north safer than Edinburgh?" George VI inquired again.
"Yes, at least in the short term!" Churchill replied cautiously.
After the final deliberation, the King of Britain left his still-warm seat: "Given the current emergency situation, apart from myself, all members of the royal family will evacuate to Canada, and the Navy must do everything in its power to transport and escort them! In addition, government departments, research institutions, and schools should accelerate their evacuation. Equipment from shipyards, aircraft factories, and gun factories should be evacuated by sea as much as possible. Anything that cannot be transported should be destroyed!"
Several senior officers wanted to persuade him, but George VI left with just one sentence: "As long as I do not leave Britain for a day, he has no way of reclaiming this throne!"
Yes, "reclaiming," not just "taking away"!