With the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, it seemed that the Irish issue had been properly resolved, but the reality was quite different. Due to dissatisfaction with British rule, there were frequent violent attacks by Irish anti-British armed groups in the six counties of Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, in the south, Ireland, as a member of the British Commonwealth, had a rather delicate attitude towards the war: a week before Germany invaded Poland, Irish President de Valera had already notified the German ambassador that Ireland would maintain neutrality during the war. Shortly thereafter, a memorandum was sent from Dublin to London, with the Irish government prohibiting any British warships, submarines, and aircraft from entering Irish territory.
In such a peculiar background, the British government, police, and military in Northern Ireland had to maintain a high state of vigilance. The Police Headquarters on the east side of Belfast Harbour area could be considered the busiest administrative institution in the region, and its building appeared to be a sturdy fortress from the outside. Not only did it have the departments typical of regular police institutions, but it also had a paramilitary armed police force and a temporary prison capable of holding 200 people!
As the German forces air-dropped and seized the airport, and penetrated into the city, the military and political officials stranded in Belfast mostly gathered here. However, its solid walls were by no means a final refuge. These people didn't leave by land or sea because they had another option.
"Gentlemen, I don't understand, what are you hesitating for? Waiting for the Germans to destroy our city and port? Or waiting for the Irish army to come and take over?" A middle-aged man wearing a top hat and black tails paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, leaning on a cane, his eyes scanning the room filled with about twenty people. The strong smell of tobacco pervaded every corner of the room, and the atmosphere of anxiety and unease was palpable.
Seeing these well-dressed gentlemen and officers sitting silently, the middle-aged man stopped in his tracks, his expression filled with concern. "As expected, the Irish army has already made military preparations on the border. They will occupy the northern counties under the guise of protecting the territory of Northern Ireland. Belfast, as a leased port, will be open to the Germans for free... for 99 years! Gentlemen, at least 99 years!"
Then the elderly man sitting at the head spoke heavily, "Sir, it's not that we are unwilling to accept a peaceful resolution to the issue, but we must consider whether this violates our principles! Remember, we are currently loyal to King George VI. Is he willing to dissolve the Churchill cabinet and accept the new government formed by the Duke of Windsor? If not, will the Duke of Windsor appear as the head of the government, or does he intend to persuade King George VI to abdicate and regain the throne himself?"
The middle-aged man walked behind the elderly man, facing the others, and said in a reasonable tone, "Yes, these are important, very important! I have said it before, the Duke personally instructed me before coming here. He returned to England only to save this once prosperous kingdom, not to put it in a state of division and confrontation! As for whether he will appear as the head of the cabinet or reclaim the throne, everything will be decided after he and King George VI have discussed... But the current situation is clear to everyone, such negotiations cannot take place within a day or two! Now the Germans are bound to take Belfast Harbour, and if we continue to sit here doing nothing, it will soon be destroyed by war! If you choose to preserve it as intact as possible, we will be remembered as the saviors of Belfast in history, and... your lives and finances, as well as those of your families, will be reliably guaranteed and you will take on greater responsibilities in the new government!"
This implicit coercion was well understood by the officials who had been in the military and political circles for many years. Most of them had heard rumors in recent days, but they had not expected the German attack to come so swiftly, and the combat effectiveness of the airborne troops far exceeded their expectations!
The naval colonel, who was sitting on the right side of the elderly man, also with white hair, coughed and said in a tepid tone, "It is understandable to stop resisting in order to preserve the city and civilians. This has long been a precedent in England. But are we supposed to surrender the shipyard and the ships under construction to preserve the British Navy?"
The middle-aged man in tails looked a bit embarrassed and paused before saying, "I think everyone should remember the terms of the Armistice Agreement of 1918! To obtain peace, the Germans handed over their main fleet! Now, unfortunately, we are in a disadvantageous position, and peace always comes with a price. If these warships avoid being seized by the Germans due to sinking or fleeing to North America, then our government and civilians will undoubtedly have to compensate the Germans in other ways! A battleship may mean hundreds of thousands of people's rations paid as war reparations to the Germans!"
The room remained silent, and the naval colonel extinguished his cigarette in the already half-filled ashtray, then spoke with lowered eyelids, "In fact, even if we agree, Colonel Moore and his sailors will not accept it! He is a very stubborn old sailor!"
"Colonel Moore Sparling? Well, he is indeed a very stubborn person! Since we cannot control everything, let the Germans deal with it themselves!" The middle-aged man placed his hands on the back of the chair where the elderly man was sitting. "Gentlemen, it's time to make a decision!"
The sound of intensive gunfire from the streets seemed to urge the local officials to make a decision as soon as possible. The elderly man, the colonel, and others exchanged glances. In the military and political circles, choosing the wrong side could lead to infamy and ruin, so caution was paramount.
At this moment, a crucial report from the border outpost played a decisive role: the Irish army had crossed the southern border around 11 a.m.!
Upon hearing this news, the gray-haired leader of the local council almost jumped up on the spot. "We would rather let Northern Ireland be temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Windsor than hand it over to the Irish! Those who agree, please stand up."
The choice between Ireland and the former British heir to the throne, King George VI, was surprisingly unanimous among the people. So, half a minute later, no one remained seated in the meeting room.
The elderly man turned his head heavily to the middle-aged man and said, "Sir, you will be responsible for the communication with the Germans. May God bless us!"
"May God bless Britain!" The middle-aged man quickly made the sign of the cross over his chest.
********
"Ah-ha, there they are, right there! Two big fish, absolutely cannot let them slip away!"
On a high artillery position left by the British Army to the north of Belfast Airport, General William Sussman, sporting the M38 olive green paratrooper helmet, was observing the situation inside Belfast Harbor through a pair of binoculars with dual-horns. Geographically, this airport guarded the eastern gateway to the harbor. Just by setting up heavy-caliber howitzers here, they could easily control most of the waterways and the harbor. Unfortunately, the Junker-52 could land on rough runways, but couldn't transport heavy weapons like howitzers or even ordinary combat vehicles.
The battle in the city was still raging fiercely, with waves of German fighter planes and bombers arriving—one after another. Their vast numbers allowed them to rotate attacks from rear airfields, a luxury the Royal Air Force didn't currently possess. After the massive counterattack over forty minutes ago, now it was just a few fighter planes every few minutes. Often, they were driven off by the German Air Force before even getting close to the harbor. Even if they managed to make low-altitude, high-speed incursions, all they could do was to fire a few bursts at the German paratroopers on the streets and drop a few small bombs. It was no match for over 2,000 elite German paratroopers advancing towards the dock area.
"Look, General, look over there! That should be Belfast's police station! Oh, look, there's the Parliament building too!" A young major called out excitedly.
Sussman quickly turned the artillery binoculars mounted on the stand, a long-lost smile immediately appearing on his lips. "Excellent! The Brits are surrendering! Belfast, the jewel of Northern Ireland, is opening its arms to the German Empire? Hank, do you know what this means?"
The major pondered for a moment. "It means we can soon occupy Northern Ireland?"
Sussman moved the binoculars left and right along with his body, "You're sharp, Hank, but your vision isn't far enough."
The major speculated, "So, General, does this mean the British resistance will suffer heavy blows, maybe even collapse?"
"Yes, exactly! Hank, have you heard the story of the riverbank and the anthill? A long and sturdy riverbank can resist the onslaught of floods, but if a nest of ants loosens a certain part of it, the flood will continuously expand through that opening until the entire dam loses its function!" Sussman cleverly employed a lesson he was taught by a young officer last night.
"Oh, I get it now! With the first surrender, those who were wavering will follow suit, and more and more people will abandon resistance. The originally solid front line will soon collapse! Such a decision... truly magnificent! Was it the Führer who personally formulated it?" the major asked curiously.
"Hey, that's the true strategist!" Sussman looked at the city for a while. As the conspicuous white flags rose on several tallest buildings, the sound of gunfire and explosions gradually weakened. He then turned his gaze back to the harbor, his brows furrowing suddenly, "Damn, what are they doing? Trying to tow the warship away with tugboats? We can't let them succeed!"
The officers with binoculars in hand all looked in that direction. Three tugboats were slowly approaching the battleship moored next to the dock, with someone throwing down ropes from the deck. For people accustomed to life on land, it was hard to imagine how a few hundred-ton barges could tow tens of thousands of tons of super battleship. But for those who grew up near the port, such a scene was nothing unusual—although the speed wasn't fast, they could still tow large vessels with intact hulls and raised anchors out of the harbor!