"Damn it, this cannot go on. In less than half an hour, we have lost two Infantry Divisions and one Armored Division. Before the air force gains air superiority, we cannot send any more reinforcements to Newfoundland. That would be no different from sending them to their deaths." After learning of the troops' losses, Minister of War David Magson cursed furiously.
Air Force Minister Baron Cyril Neville's expression immediately turned extremely grim.
"The Royal Air Force has already done everything it can. Our fighters are inferior to the Germans', and our pilots are inferior as well. To cover the Army's landing, we have already lost more than a hundred fighters!" Baron Cyril Neville said angrily.
The British Royal Air Force had never been large to begin with, with only a little over two thousand aircraft in total. Only half of those were fighters; the rest were reconnaissance aircraft, transport planes, bombers, and so on.
Losing ten percent of its aircraft and pilots in a single air battle was already a devastating blow to the British Royal Air Force.
Sir Dudley, the First Sea Lord, remained silent. Following the crushing defeat in the Battle of the Atlantic, Sir Dudley's influence had been squeezed down to an extremely low level.
Churchill's brow knit tightly together.
"Your Excellency Baron Neville, if the air force launches an all-out attack, is there any chance of wresting air superiority from the Germans?" Prime Minister Churchill asked.
"Prime Minister, that is impossible. With our strength alone, we simply cannot defeat the Germans. The German fleet is gathering near Newfoundland. Before long, they will commit even more carrier-based aircraft to the battle. Our aircraft performance and pilot quality are both far inferior to the Germans'. Unless the Americans give us their full support, we have no chance of