Downing Street, the Prime Minister's Office, in the conference room, the atmosphere is quite dignified. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Prime Minister Asquith sat in his place, his face pale, and he did not say a word. The faces of the other cabinet officials were also very unsightly. Only the Admiralty, Churchill, stood, telling everyone about the defeat of this naval battle.

"So far, we have lost the battle cruisers 'Indefatigable', 'Australia', 'Indomitable'. The battleships 'Daring', 'Centurion', 'Ajax', 'Iron Duke', 'Marlborough', 'Benbau' and 'Emperor of India'. In addition, the battlecruiser Indomitable and the battleship King George V suffered heavy damage and are expected to undergo three months of repairs before they can be restored to combat effectiveness. Churchill introduced to everyone with a blank face. Not pronouncing the name of a battleship or battlecruiser made him feel like he was dripping blood. These are the main warships of the Royal Navy! With the loss of these ships, the Royal Navy is probably in danger.

"How could we lose so much?" Prime Minister Asquith asked. This is also a question shared by other cabinet members. Everyone believed that the Royal Navy could not have suffered such great losses. This was definitely the biggest loss the Royal Navy had suffered in years.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, this issue is more responsible. There are two main reasons. On the one hand, the Germans have also prepared for our plan this time. They ambushed three battle cruisers armed with 380-mm guns. This is the culprit that directly led to the total destruction of our four 'Iron Duke-class' battleships. On the other hand, there is a fundamental problem in our shipbuilding ideas. Before, when we built warships, we valued firepower and speed and despised defense. But in naval warfare, the problem is fatal. Our main guns, unable to penetrate the armor of the German battleships, naturally could not inflict heavy damage or sink them. However, the main guns of the Germans were able to easily penetrate the armor of our ships, causing heavy damage or sinking of our ships. That's why we lost so badly in this naval battle. Churchill explained.

"How so? Why weren't we aware of these problems beforehand? What does the intelligence service do? The Germans served battleships with 380-mm guns, and we were in the dark. Prime Minister Asquith said angrily.

The head of the intelligence department bowed his head in shame, because the mistakes of the intelligence department caused the Royal Navy to pay such heavy losses. Clearly, he's done his job. In the next words, I am afraid that Prime Minister Asquith will be directly dismissed.

"How could the problem of the design of the battleship only come to light now? Did the previous arguments all be done in vain? Prime Minister Asquith was furious. You must know that the battleships of the British Navy, whether they are battleships or battlecruisers, are built according to the idea of valuing firepower and speed and despising defense! Doesn't this show that these warships, once on the battlefield, will not be the opponents of the Germans? So how can this battle continue! Throw in the towel directly to the Germans.

Churchill didn't know how to answer for a while. It has been a long time since the British Navy established the idea of building ships that valued firepower and speed and despised defense. It is almost impossible to hold accountable now.

"Your Excellency Churchill, this time we have lost so many capital ships, does that not mean that the Royal Navy can no longer defeat the Germans? Will we lose this decisive battle? "Foreign Secretary Edward? Sir Grey asked.

The other cabinet ministers also looked at Churchill, and everyone was thinking about it. The British Empire, as the hegemon of the world, and their cabinet ministers are also powerful people. But if the Royal Navy loses this decisive battle, then the British Empire may have to give up the position of world hegemon. When the time comes, these people, let alone continue to be in power. I'm afraid that those angry people will directly oust them from power and tear them to pieces!

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, Your Excellencies. I have to tell everyone. This time, I'm afraid the Royal Navy is really in big * trouble. With the loss of the Lion battlecruiser, we have already lost eleven capital ships, and the Royal Navy is already broken. If the Germans were to fight us in a decisive battle at this time, we would probably really lose. Churchill said.

As soon as Churchill's words were finished, the cabinet members began to talk about it. Everyone's faces were very ugly, and even full of frightened expressions. Such an outcome is obviously unacceptable. They didn't want the Royal Navy to lose. If it loses, it will be a fatal blow to the British Empire.

"Your Excellency Churchill, don't we still have the 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships and the 'Revenge-class' battleships about to enter service? Those were powerful battleships equipped with 381 mm guns, and their combat effectiveness was definitely no longer under the German battleships. Even then, will we all lose? "Chancellor of the Exchequer Lloyd's? George asked.

"The 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships and the 'Vengeance-class' battleships are indeed not weak, but they still have the disadvantage of being too weak in defense. What's more, even if we have these ten battleships armed with 381 mm guns. But the Germans would certainly have had no less than this number of battleships armed with 380-mm guns. In terms of the number of capital ships, as well as in combat effectiveness, we have been completely overtaken by the Germans! Churchill replied bitterly.

"Oh God! How is this possible? ”

"Is the Royal Navy going to lose a future war? The Royal Navy is the first in the world and the pillar of the British Empire! The Royal Navy must not lose. ”

"If the Royal Navy loses the war, what should we do? Can sea power still be guaranteed? Can we hold our vast colonies? Having lost sea power and overseas colonies, is the British Empire still the British Empire? ”

The British cabinet ministers all talked about it, and they all thought about how serious the consequences would be if the Royal Navy lost the war. Such a consequence is obviously something they are unwilling to accept.

Prime Minister Asquith, his face was even darker as if he was the bottom of a pot, he felt that he was too unlucky, why should a world war break out during his tenure, and Britain could still lose? In that case, wouldn't he have become the prime minister who buried the hegemony of the British Empire? I'm afraid he will become a sinner for the ages. If he could, he would have wanted to stop immediately.