At 5 a.m. on January 24, 1941, the Holy Alliance launched a landing operation against the British Isles. Following the principle of squeezing the softest persimmon first, they chose Ireland as the landing site.
To cover the army's landing, the French Navy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's navy, and part of the Bulgarian Navy had assembled in the English Channel.
At the same time, tens of thousands of aircraft circled endlessly through the skies. The Royal Navy fleet roaming the Atlantic Ocean did not dare show its head.
It was not that the British had failed to try; the gap in strength between the two sides was simply too great. Without air superiority, the Royal Navy would be fortunate to bring even half of its strength into play.
The British had originally planned to use the Royal Navy's advantage to blockade the coastline, but reality told them that without air superiority, it was better to stay farther from the continent.
That lesson had been bought with blood. The African Fleet was a prime example. After the war in South Africa erupted, they had attempted to bombard Bulgarian ports.
In the end, they did succeed in completing their mission, but the price was somewhat grim. Of that African Fleet, only a few small torpedo boats escaped.
Trading a fleet for a port might have been worthwhile if it were an important port like Constantinople. But ports in Africa were little more than fishing villages—their value might not even equal that of a single battleship.
"Your Majesty, the landing has succeeded! At 12:38 p.m. on January 24, 1941, the Holy Alliance Expeditionary Force First Infantry Division successfully landed on the island of Ireland!" Chief of Staff Christoph said excitedly.
Everyone wore happy smiles. Once the landing had succeeded, everything afterward would be easier. Of