Who was electrocuted by 'generator' in Western Europe Campaign (eight)?

  At 10:30 on May 29th, an emergency meeting was held at the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street in London.

  "What have you incompetent intelligence officers been doing? You assured me that the German fleet was gathering in Norway to attack our naval bases at Scapa Flow and Iceland, but where did they go? They came right under your noses! And what about your Navy and Air Force? What kind of daily patrols are you conducting? Why didn't you detect the German fleet in time? Your intelligence officers don't seem to have a clue, but you should know better. The English Channel is only so wide, and those German pigs managed to slip through your searches! And now, just because we lost the Hood, the Bismarck, the Devonshire, and some destroyers, you're telling me that we need to cancel Operation Dynamo? We can't cancel it! We haven't given up on Dunkirk yet. General Gott is still leading our Expeditionary Force in a bloody battle against the Germans in France. Are you going to abandon our 200,000 soldiers to be slaughtered by those brutal Germans? I think the German Navy has more of Nelson's spirit than you do!" Churchill thundered at the meeting.

  "But we really can't guarantee to bring Gort and his troops back, the Germans have surrounded Dunkirk, they can already use long-range artillery to bombard the port, and the German Navy is also lurking there, our transport ships cannot enter that port." The Minister of the Navy said cautiously.

  "What are your native fleets doing, fishing or playing cards? Now you also know that the German fleet's attack on Scapa Flow and Iceland's naval base was false information released by the Germans. Their main force is near Dunkirk. I don't care what method you use now, you must rescue our expeditionary force for me. If we lose them, we can only rely on the Boy Scouts to defend our country, which will put our empire in an irretrievable situation. You must come up with a practical plan for me, no matter what troops and materials you use. I want to see our brave expeditionary forces return to Britain." Churchill said coldly.

  "My Lord Prime Minister, what about Lord Gort's situation? He reports that the Germans are shelling his troops with long-range artillery every day and his ammunition and supplies are running out. He has reported that the blocking positions he established on the outskirts of Dunkirk have been subjected to fierce German attacks, and even if he had sufficient ammunition and supplies, he could not guarantee that the Germans would not break through his positions and rush into the port of Dunkirk. Moreover, now his ammunition and supplies are in short supply." said the Minister of War.

  Churchill turned to Air Marshal Sir John Salmond: "Now that the Navy cannot get supplies through to our Expeditionary Force before the German Fleet breaks through, have you any good ideas?"

  "We can drop supplies into which area, but according to intelligence the Germans have concentrated their main air force units that participated in the Spanish and Polish campaigns there, I'm afraid our transport planes will become targets for their fighters if they go there." Air Marshal Dowding said helplessly.

  "Will your air force fighters not escort those transport planes?" the Minister of War retorted.

  "Our forces in France have been battered by the German air force and are in no state to perform this task, if we were asked to provide escort. We could only use our home defence squadrons, but as I said earlier, the Germans have deployed their best troops there. If our home defence fighter squadrons suffer heavy losses at Dunkirk, I don't know what will be left to defend our homeland."

  "That's enough, Sir Trafford. Listen to me carefully, the army, navy and air force of the Empire exist for the defense of our great British Empire. If this time the army cannot come back, your air force will not be able to stop the German attack. Your current performance tells me that you have lost the fearlessness, dedication and sacrifice spirit that a British soldier should possess. If you still want to stick to your foolish idea, I will consider whether you are still qualified for this position."

  "The three Services, the Army, Navy and Air Force, must now be prepared to put into effect a plan for the rescue of our Expeditionary Force from France. Their return home is no longer merely a matter of defending Britain's shores; it has become an issue bound up with the very honour of the British Empire. It is closely linked with whether we can get support from our Allies. I have just had a meeting with the American Ambassador, who expressed great concern about the safety of our Expeditionary Force. He brought me a letter from President Roosevelt, in which he said that if we could not find a way to bring back our troops, it would be difficult for him to persuade Congress to provide us with aid. Those Americans are only concerned with who will win in the end; they may even turn towards Germany if she wins. You now understand why I want you to rescue our Expeditionary Force at all costs, even if it means cutting a way through with blood. We cannot stand up against Germany alone. We must get American aid. Although President Roosevelt is sympathetic to our plight, he will not be able to use American power to support a losing nation."

  "Prime Minister, our Navy has come up with a good plan." said the Naval Minister.

  "What plan?" Churchill asked the First Lord of the Admiralty eagerly.

  "We intend to collect the whole of our home fleet, and go into the Channel, seeking out the German High Seas Fleet and engaging them, whether they wish it or not. They cannot prevent us from doing so, as their forces in the Channel are inferior to ours according to latest intelligence. I think they will avoid a fight, but if they do not we can settle the matter once for all with the main body of the German High Seas Fleet. If necessary also, we could at the same time suppress the long-range guns on shore which might be brought to bear on our troops during their withdrawal."

  "This plan sounds good, have you done it?" Churchill asked.

  "Yes, we have already begun moving our naval vessels according to this plan. However, there is a problem." The Minister of the Navy paused for dramatic effect.

  "What's the matter?" Churchill asked hastily.

  "In this plan we need air protection and support from the Air Force, our naval aviation is not capable of completing this task." The Minister of Navy said urgently.

  "Can you tell us in detail about your naval plans?" asked the Minister of War.

  "We are first looking for the German High Seas Fleet to engage in battle, but I personally think it's unlikely we'll find them. According to intelligence, they've only deployed 5 main battleships this time. If our home fleet's main battleships go out, they won't be a match for us at all. Because their number of main battleships is smaller than ours, and they've already fought two sea battles, they must have suffered damage too. So I think even if they do engage in battle, they definitely won't be our match. Moreover, by doing so, they will leave the port of Dunkirk, concentrate their forces to fight us, and thus they won't be able to blockade the port either. And according to our latest intelligence, the Germans have not laid out new minefields outside the port, which must be for the convenience of their own ships' entry and exit."

  "After defeating the German High Seas Fleet, we will enter Dunkirk harbour, suppress the German artillery fire and cover the transports as they embark our Expeditionary Force."

  "But a vital point in our plan is that we must have air superiority at Dunkirk, and not let German planes fly over us dropping torpedoes on us. And we will also use a large number of destroyers to protect the flanks of our main fleet from German submarine attacks. That's what our naval plan is," said the Minister of the Navy.

  "It sounds like it should be feasible." The Minister of the Army picked up the conversation, while General Tao Ding furrowed his brow.

  "Admiral Doughty, what do you think of the Navy's plans?" Churchill asked.

  "I personally believe that if we follow the Navy's plan, our Royal Air Force will have to fight for air superiority with the German Air Force over Dunkirk. If we gain air superiority, it's one thing, but if we lose air superiority over Dunkirk, not only will the Navy suffer a blow beyond our imagination, I fear that the Royal Air Force will also shed its blood in vain over Dunkirk. By then, what will be left for the Royal Air Force to defend Britain from German invasion?"

  "What, are you afraid your air force will suffer heavy losses. What about my army? Is it to be defended by your planes alone?" The Minister of War jumped up at this.

  "The Air Force must provide cover for us or we cannot withdraw the expeditionary force according to plan," said the Minister of the Navy calmly.

  "Sir Dudley, I have already told you that we are now in the final struggle with Nazi Germany. If we cannot extricate our expeditionary force, we shall certainly be defeated in the fight against Nazi Germany. And, Sir Dudley, I warn you, do not trifle with the fate of the Empire. You must put into it the whole strength of the Air Force. Otherwise, I will consider your successor."

  "Yes, I understand," said Ting with a sigh of helplessness. He knew that the most severe test for his air force fighter troops was about to come, and before his eyes seemed to appear the scene of his air force fighting a bloody battle with the German elite air force over Dunkirk harbor.

  "The Navy and Air Force are studying the details of this battle, but by the 30th at the latest, Operation Dynamo must be resumed, and the Air Force must find a way to get some ammunition and supplies into Dunkirk. Your Army Department will send a telegram to Gort, telling him that the plan remains unchanged, continue to execute, and he must keep the Germans out of Dunkirk port. Go and carry it out, gentlemen, the greatest test of our British Empire has come. It's up to your work to get through it!" Churchill concluded.

  While outside the Dunkirk perimeter of British defensive positions, Rommel and Sepp Dietrich were in an observation post at the front line of the 7th Motorized Infantry Regiment of the 7th Panzer Division, observing the British Expeditionary Force's positions. Coincidentally, the BEF troops facing them were from the 3rd Infantry Division, led by Bernard Montgomery. Prior to this, due to Belgium's surrender and the collapse of the Belgian defensive line, German army units had poured in through the gap left behind, but the British 3rd Infantry Division under Montgomery's command had skillfully evaded the encirclement by the Germans - the entire division boarded 600 military vehicles, with a layer of reflective paint applied to the gearshifts and small lights hidden under the rear mudguards lighting up, allowing each driver to follow the faint light in front, while keeping their headlights off and enforcing strict blackout discipline. To prevent accidents, Montgomery also set up traffic police at crossroads and easy-to-get-lost corners, directing the British 3rd Infantry Division's convoy - this way, they successfully broke through the German encirclement and retreated 60 kilometers under cover of night, reaching the front lines ahead of the Germans by dawn on the 28th and establishing a solid defensive line that blocked the German advance.

  Rommel frowned and carefully observed the position of the British 3rd Infantry Division with binoculars, next to him was Theodore Eicke, whose face looked equally unpleasant. Both of them found that the British 3rd Infantry Division had built a strong defensive position, each firepower point was well hidden, and could cover each other. The British 3rd Infantry Division also cleared the shooting range in front of the fortifications when building the position, and made firepower markings. According to Graf, the commander of the 7th Mechanized Brigade, the British defenders were very cunning, and in the previous small-scale attacks, not all firepower points of the British opened fire at the same time, but instead skillfully opened different parts each time. The British artillery was divided into several small groups, shelling the German attacking troops from multiple locations, making it impossible for the German artillery to completely suppress the British firepower.

  Rommel and von Thoma walked out of the observation post, came to the command post of the 7th Mechanized Infantry Regiment of the 7th Armored Division, unfolded the map, and studied how to break through the defense of the British 3rd Infantry Division.