"Your Majesty, the Atlantic Ocean has now become the battleground where the Imperial Navy contends with the American Navy. Though the British have retreated into Canada, they are also rebuilding their navy. However, Canada's foundations are far too poor, and everything has to start from scratch. It is no longer very likely that the British will regain a powerful navy. At present, Scapa Flow is the home port of the Imperial Navy's Atlantic Fleet. But it is no longer suitable. We need a better base before the Atlantic Fleet can fully bring its strength into play," reported Vice Admiral Burdick, Commander of the Atlantic Fleet.
Oscar nodded. Scapa Flow was indeed a fine naval harbor, but its geographical location was not ideal. Or rather, when the British had used it as the home port of the Grand Fleet to specifically blockade the German Navy, Scapa Flow had been exceptionally suitable.
But now, the Atlantic Ocean had become the arena for confrontation between the German Navy and the American Navy. If the Atlantic Fleet continued using Scapa Flow as its home port, it would be somewhat unsuitable for the German Navy's Atlantic Fleet.
"The Azores are indeed very well situated. Although the infrastructure is terrible, after several years of construction, they could become an excellent naval harbor. However, the Azores are in Portugal's hands. They are Portugal's most important overseas islands. Getting them to hand the Azores over to us will probably be extremely difficult," Oscar said.
In another time and space, the Portuguese had been fence-sitters. On one hand, they feared a German invasion and therefore actively drew close to Germany. Though they had not joined the war, they had remained aligned with Germany in every respect. Yet on the other hand, Portugal had leased the Azores to the British