CHAPTER 649: REVISED: CHAPTER 649 SHARED DESTINY

General Winter left with disappointment.

He sent a telegram to the Minister of the Navy in Antwerp:

"We all know Shire will not sell this technology."

"If we hold a gun to the enemy’s head, we can unabashedly take his bag of gold coins and everything he has."

"At this moment, we would not agree to let him buy this gun with that bag of coins."

"So, Shire will not agree either."

Belfort had not slept for two days and three nights. Seeing this telegram, he could only nod helplessly: "It seems we have no choice but to find a way to keep up with Shire ourselves."

He gazed out the window of the War Office Building.

The sky over London was still filled with snowflakes, shrouded in a depressing fog. It showed no sign of winter giving way to spring, as if brewing an even fiercer storm.

...

Albert I was quite pleased with this trip.

He even hummed a tune as he returned to Hasselt in his car.

"Do you know, Major General?" Albert I said proudly to Major General Eden, "For nearly a century, Belgium has been trying to strike a balance among several major powers, including Holland. Now, we are finally going to end those nervous days!"

Albert I was tired of maneuvering and forced smiles among major powers, along with the scornful looks from others.

(Note: Belgium established its independence from Holland in 1830, 86 years from the current time in the book.)

"Yes, Your Majesty," Major General Eden sincerely agreed, "Aligning with Shire is the most correct decision we have made."

Aligning with Shire may not have catapulted Belgium from a pawn to a player, but it was close.

One day, when Belgium fully implements Shire’s defense systems and can counter the threats from the three major powers, no one will ever see Belgium as merely a path again.

"No!" Albert I objected, "Not allies, friends, Major General. The most reliable, most trustworthy friends!"

...

Admiral Gephardt insisted on setting up his command post at Antwerp Airport, right below Shire’s building.

At this moment, the war in the North Sea had come to an end, and he technically had no need to stay at the airport.

Accustomed to watching warships in the harbor while feeling the sea breeze, he was not used to the noise of planes taking off and landing at the airport, which made his ears "buzz" and even caused dizziness.

However, he was unwilling to move to the harbor, even though the airport was not far from the harbor.

"This is not just operational coordination," Admiral Gephardt said to the staff officer persuading him, "It is tactical, even strategic direction, understand? And, we should get used to planes, not only get used to them but also understand them!"

Aircraft might be everything, Admiral Gephardt stood by the window staring blankly at the fighter jets taking off and landing outside, feeling somewhat despondent.

Gephardt came from a naval family, his grandfather even commanded sailing warships under Napoleon.

Since childhood, he was instilled with the idea: "The navy is everything, it determines a nation’s prosperity and strength, no other branch can surpass it. You should aim to become an excellent naval commander and be proud of it!"

However, he suddenly realized the truth was not so.

The air force was on the rise, and the navy seemed insignificant before it.

Warships could only sail at a speed of a little over thirty knots (about 50 kilometers per hour), but planes could easily reach speeds of over 100 or even 200 kilometers per hour, and they would get faster.

Warships could only see forty kilometers away, while planes at high altitude could easily spot warships hundreds of kilometers away.

Warships had no initiative in combat, they could only wait passively for plane attacks, whereas planes could both attack and retreat...

Admiral Gephardt was unwilling at heart, constantly running simulations in his mind, hoping to find a way for the navy to defeat the air force or find a way out for the navy.

But in the end, he overturned all his ideas without exception.

In the end, he sighed and murmured, "Shire is right, air supremacy can decide everything, especially naval battles."

Land battles can still mitigate the impact of aircraft through smoke, forests, trenches, and tunnels, but on the wide, flat sea, warships can only become targets for planes.

With a heavy heart, Admiral Gephardt turned and walked to the communications room, ordering the telegraph operator: "Send a telegram to the Brest Shipyard: ’Shire will fund the construction of 10 new destroyers for our navy, please dispatch personnel to Antwerp as soon as possible to negotiate.’"

...

Brest Shipyard.

It had been three days since Shire’s victory in the North Sea, and Wells’ initial joy had gradually cooled.

He was at the shipyard overseeing the installation of an "echo detector" on a destroyer.

The 1000-ton "Adventurous Class" destroyer faced a dilemma: with the displacement as it was, the guns, torpedoes, and personnel, along with supplies, were already near the limit.

To add the "echo detector" and its supporting equipment and personnel, they would have to reduce other supplies or even armaments, such as the number of torpedoes.

"We need more funding," Wells frowned at the blueprint, "We need to build larger destroyers to meet the current operational requirements."

However, Wells found this unlikely.

The military had allocated most of the funds to the army for combat with the German Army, and the navy’s funds were already limited. The Minister of the Navy also planned to shift focus to the Toulon Shipyard, with the two newly built battleships being transferred to Toulon.

(Note: During World War I, France built three battleships and two destroyers, the three battleships were Brittany Class, which began construction in 1909. During the war, France concentrated its funds to complete their construction, hoping they would make an impact on the battlefield.)

Even Shire’s victory in the North Sea couldn’t change much; the stubborn Minister of the Navy would still allocate funds to battleships.

Then, once the last Provence was completed, it would also be transferred to Toulon.

At this moment, the secretary ran up to Wells, out of breath, and reported: "Sir, good news..."

Wells asked without looking up, "Another victory?"

This wouldn’t mean much, as the Minister of the Navy wouldn’t change his strategy. He always believed that the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean belonged to the British, and that the French Navy’s involvement was redundant, a waste, and an unnecessary struggle and risk.

"No, sir," the secretary replied, "It’s a telegram from Admiral Gephardt. He says Shire will fund the construction of 10 new destroyers for the navy."

Wells looked up sharply at the secretary, hesitantly asking, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, sir," the secretary replied, "Furthermore, Admiral Gephardt has reported this to the government and requested that the 10 new destroyers be managed by the Brest Navy."

"Fantastic!" Wells exclaimed, "10 ships, how much will that cost? The point is, this is just the beginning, a very good beginning!"

Wells, being a businessman, knew that once the Brest Navy and the Royal Navy started competing for dominance, orders would come pouring into the Brest Shipyard.

By then, the Brest Shipyard would not only avoid decline due to the Minister of the Navy’s "strategic direction" but would instead rise rapidly!

So, Wells and Admiral Gephardt were community of fate, which was the foundation of their mutual trust and friendship.