On the last day of January 1941, once again, the southeastern part of England was enveloped in a bitter cold mix of rain and snow.
Weather-wise, it was an ordinary day in Britain, but in the small town of Chertsey in southwest London, a historic event took place that would have profound significance for British and World War II history: senior commanders Major General Holler from the London Defense Command, Major General von Obernetz from the German A Group Army, and Sir Winck, the private envoy of the Duke of Windsor, held the first official talks since the German encirclement of London 38 days prior. After several informal contacts and negotiations, representatives of the respective parties reached a ceasefire agreement. According to the Chertsey Tripartite Agreement, London, which had been the capital of the British Empire for over 1800 years and had remained so since 1801, would be spared the devastation of war in a peculiar peace agreement. London would be handed over to the Salvation Army under the command of the Duke of Windsor, while German troops would only enter the London area as "visitors" and would not be allowed to carry any weapons!
On the London issue, Adolf Hitler and his government displayed surprising benevolence and generosity. Indeed, such a choice was extremely wise for undermining the resistance of British military and civilians and utilizing the remaining industrial capacity of Britain. After all, a London reduced to ruins, a Britain filled with guerrilla forces and underground resistance organizations, would be an increasingly heavy burden for Germany in the war!
After the signing of the agreement, the one million British troops and civilians trapped in the London area would be divided into two parts: the majority of civilians and some soldiers unwilling to continue fighting would remain in London, but they would have to surrender all weapons and ensure that they did not join any side in the remaining stages of the war; the other part, steadfastly loyal to King George VI and the Churchill government, would be transported by boat to the north of England under the supervision of German troops. These individuals were allowed to carry personal belongings and firearms, while artillery and vehicles would be handed over to the Salvation Army under the command of the Duke of Windsor—instead of being destroyed on the spot!
Although the Churchill government denounced the lack of determination of the London garrison in a radio broadcast and absented itself from the trial of General John Okenlake and his deputy Holler, after the German opening of the Thames Estuary and the western North Sea, the British Navy mobilized a number of small yachts, barges, and cargo ships southwards. In the course of a week, 60,000 British troops and over 100,000 civilians successfully evacuated to the north, and the "Salvation Army" loyal to the Duke of Windsor and the new government took over the defense of London. In accordance with German requirements, they gradually dismantled the main defensive works on the outskirts of the city, then cleared roads and canals, and restored some electricity, gradually returning the lives of London residents to normal!
Since Paris, another international metropolis had been preserved relatively intact from the flames of war. With the situation gradually stabilizing, over 100,000 German troops previously used to besiege London were able to withdraw to the north of England, significantly enhancing the combat power of the German forces on the northern front. Taking advantage of the brief good weather, armored units from Chester advanced northwards along the plains of northeastern England towards Newcastle, the easternmost end of Hadrian's Wall; infantry groups commanded by General Busch entered the hilly areas of northwestern England, successfully capturing ports and cities along the coast of Morecambe Bay, but his advance force was fiercely resisted by British troops when trying to enter the valleys of Yorkshire, ultimately failing to achieve a dual-line advance with the right-wing armored units—the mountainous terrain of northern England and the British tactics of destruction deprived the German commanders of the space to employ their cherished blitzkrieg tactics. Therefore, in early February, the Supreme High Command made large-scale adjustments to the German troops landing in England: the number of armored divisions was reduced from 11 to 5, infantry divisions increased from 35 to 39, and the total force expanded to 690,000, reaching the peak level of landing forces. The first troops to land and continue fighting were gradually returning to France by boat, to be replaced by troops previously stationed in France, Poland, and Scandinavia, and six second-line infantry divisions were also sent to England for combat training.
At sea, with the ideal state of the Imperial Navy's four main battleships—Bismarck, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Eugen, the waters of the northwestern British Isles and the North Atlantic route were immediately stirred up. In just two weeks, the British Navy lost over 180,000 tons of registered tonnage of merchant ships, with 24 warships sunk by the German Navy. This put the British evacuation plan in a terribly dire situation, especially with several incomplete warships, whose actions were repeatedly delayed by either their own propulsion or being towed by large tugs across the sea!
Compared to the large-scale operations of the army and navy, the Air Force Operations Department, led by the young Major General Hans Rogan, continued its operations methodically. In view of the mountainous terrain of Scotland, the Supreme High Command hoped to alleviate the pressure on the army through aerial bombing to the maximum extent possible. Since late January, whenever weather permitted, the German Air Force dispatched bombers to attack Glasgow, Edinburgh, and some military facilities in central Scotland—ensuring adequate fighter escort for each operation. In addition, according to the scheduled training plan, the German Air Force underwent its third large-scale adjustment: the main force of the 2nd Air Fleet was recalled to Germany, over half of the 3rd Air Fleet's personnel were sent to France and Poland, and personnel were added to the 1st, 4th, and 5th Air Fleets in England. As a result, each air fleet received more balanced opportunities for combat, and rookie pilots who graduated from aviation schools after 1940 gained valuable combat experience in the thinning Royal Air Force.
The German Air Force's strategy evidently favored the needs of long-term warfare, and as the British conflict gradually approached its conclusion, people couldn't help but wonder where this unprecedentedly powerful German Reich was heading!
Germany, Berlin.
Thick snow piled up on the streets, making travel inconvenient. The Royal Air Force's long-range bombers no longer had the capability to strike this distant German city, giving the gloomy sky a sense of safety and purity. Inside the grand Imperial Chancellery, modern central air conditioning warmed every office and meeting room like spring. Since Christmas, the joyful mood of the Fuhrer had infected every officer and secretary working here. As Rogan briskly walked down the long corridor, the faces he saw were consistently solemn and stern, yet their eyes were filled with a relaxed confidence, even the brisk pace of the aging marshals and generals seemed ten years younger!
"Delighted to see you, Your Excellency, Admiral of the Navy!" At the entrance of the war conference room, Rogan warmly shook hands with Admiral Redel. Since the death of Hermann Göring in a plane crash, the relationship between these two major military branches had never been closer. Undoubtedly, the nation was the biggest beneficiary, and the senior commanders of both sides had gained respect and recognition from each other beyond mere cooperation.
"I am equally pleased to see you, esteemed Minister of Operations!" Redel raised his marshal's baton, smiling warmly as he greeted the Air Force major general, who was 37 years his junior.
"I heard our 'Graf Zeppelin' is set to be officially commissioned in a few weeks?"
"Yes! The commissioning ceremony is scheduled for the last day of this month! We sincerely invite you and Marshal Milch to attend!" Redel naturally didn't object to the use of "we". After all, this heavy aircraft carrier should have been commissioned in the year the war broke out, but Göring had been reluctant to allocate the corresponding aviation equipment and operational aircraft. With those issues resolved, nothing could stop Germany's first aircraft carrier from joining the battle lineup!
"An honor indeed!" Rogan gladly accepted the invitation. If he confined his role to just the Air Force itself, the strength of the Naval Air Arm might not be a good thing. But if the view was broader and the position higher, then the strength of the German Navy would indeed be a boon for Germany's overall strategy!
As the door to the conference room opened, a balding Army general hurried out. Seeing Rogan and Redel standing together was no surprise to him.
"You two are chatting here! Come on in, the Fuhrer is waiting!"
After some mutual courtesy, Rogan followed Redel into the conference room. However, he immediately noticed a significant change in the large sand table—the Alps were noticeably shorter. With the same scale of the sand table, the content had expanded from just Northern Europe and the British Isles to encompass the entire Europe, including the Mediterranean and North Africa. The snow-capped Alps had shrunk by more than half!
The change in the sand table seemed to have inflated Adolf Hitler and his generals' confidence. As the meeting began, Chief of Operations Alfred Jodl reported recent developments concerning their Italian allies with evident disdain:
"Since the end of the highly publicized naval battle in late 1940, our Italian allies and the British Navy have been engaging in back-and-forth in the Mediterranean. Overall, the primary task of the Italian fleet remains the protection of the maritime routes between their homeland and Libya!"
(With Malta as a crucial maritime transit point and air surveillance base, the situation in the escort battle was better than another historical timeline. However, the Italian Air Force didn't give much face. Most of their combat aircraft were sent to support the Greek front line. The number of fighters and bombers deployed in Sicily and Malta was already limited, and they only flew when the weather was clear, reducing their reconnaissance effectiveness by half. As a result, the British Navy often operated right under their noses.)
"Our allies are not lacking in supplies, but the British forces, now firmly entrenched in their defense of the homeland, have also significantly strengthened their presence in the Mediterranean region. In East Africa, British forces supported by the British Indian Army have launched a counteroffensive. The initially successful Italian troops have begun to retreat! In North Africa, the outnumbered British forces surprisingly won the Battle of Beda Fomm, and our Italian allies suffered more than 100,000 casualties! In Greece, approximately four divisions of British and Commonwealth forces, along with Greek troops, have stopped the Italian army's third offensive. According to reliable sources, the Italian army has lost approximately 100,000 men in this direction!"
Listening to Jodl's briefing, Rogan thought to himself, "The pasta army is ultimately useless. Any expectations of them would only be wishful thinking. Next, it's time for Rommel's Afrika Korps to take the stage! Undoubtedly, Greece will still be a splendid showcase for German blitzkrieg tactics, but with my influence, Crete will surely not become a graveyard for German paratroopers. It seems that everything is still happening according to the main thread of history, but many aspects have changed, especially the rapid decline of Britain..."
Rogan was so lost in thought that he was caught off guard when Adolf Hitler began speaking. He was startled to hear "Gibraltar" and suddenly snapped to attention.
"Yes, gentlemen, Gibraltar Fortress! Every nation with dreams of the Mediterranean desires its favor. Now, the Spanish government has finally realized the situation, and the Italian army is still far from their Suez Canal. Next, let our forces demonstrate their might on the Mediterranean battlefield!" With that, the German leader announced confidently:
"In the next phase, our main goal remains to compel Britain to withdraw from the war. I believe, with the efforts of all our soldiers and the new Windsor Duke government, this will soon be achieved! As for Gibraltar, the Supreme Command has devised a specific plan of attack, and we will transport specially formed assault infantry and artillery units to southern Spain via the French railway lines. The dive bomber squadrons of the Air Force will also be stationed at four temporary airfields provided by the Spanish for our use! Gentlemen, I believe this will be an unprecedented assault, and an unprecedentedly significant one!"
Upon hearing this strategic deployment, most of the generals present were astonished. However, Rogan, as the Minister of Air Operations, though only a major general in the Air Force, had already stepped into the decision-making circle of the German military due to his responsibility for the Air Force's operational deployments. Thus, he had known about this decision early on. It was just that, spurred on by the Army generals, the Fuhrer decided to focus on powerful railway guns as the main attack!
Following that, the Fuhrer announced the formation and dispatch orders of the African Army. Since commanders like Kleist and Guderian were still fighting in Britain or had just returned to France, and the new African Army only consisted of two light armored divisions, General Rommel, who had performed remarkably well in the Western campaign, was appointed to this position that matched his rank.
Finally, concerning the invasion plan of Greece, the Fuhrer emphasized the "Marita" operation plan issued at the end of 1940, which aimed to seize the northern coast of the Aegean Sea in March, and if necessary, to occupy the entire Greek mainland. Of course, launching a southern offensive had two prerequisites: first, Italy's failure in Greece, and second, the unobstructed progress of the invasion route through Romania and Bulgaria. Given the current situation, Italy's defeat was a foregone conclusion, and while the Bulgarian leaders verbally agreed to join the Axis camp, they had been delaying signing the agreement, which also involved wrestling with the Soviet Union. The Germans, losing patience, were ready to use force to compel the Bulgarians to make the right choice at any time!