Everything has a first time. As the first true air battle in human history, the British paid an extremely costly tuition fee through sheer experience. Drip feeding forces is a tactic suitable only for specific situations. Using it in aerial combat is little more than sending pilots to their deaths. Unfortunately, Britain had never possessed any experience in air warfare. After the attack, the British government’s first reaction was to scramble the air force to intercept, without giving any consideration to concentration of forces. Because of differences in distance and reaction time, British aircraft taking off from various airfields ultimately arrived at the front in separate waves. The air battle continued. After suffering severe losses, the British air force finally managed to assemble a force numbering in the hundreds. Although it still remained at a disadvantage, the fighting was no longer completely one sided. The Holy Roman Empire Air Force engaged in the battle had already rotated out. Due to limited flight endurance, the first wave of aircraft had returned to base to rest after completing their mission. Unlike the initial wave, which was dominated by bombers, the Holy Roman aircrafts now in the sky were almost entirely fighters. If this were a later era, anyone would immediately understand that the bombing phase was over and that this sortie was aimed directly at the main strength of the British air force. Since a frontal showdown could not be won, the most sensible course was to preserve one’s remaining strength. Even if a desperate fight was unavoidable, it should be fought on a battlefield more favorable to oneself. Below lay London. Every aircraft that crashed was effectively a massive bomb, with destructive power exceeding that of any explosive currently in existence. To be blunt, the damage inflicted on London by the bombing itself did not amount to even one tenth of the harm caused by aircraft falling during the air battle. Clearly, the British government, trapped in the midst of events, had no capacity to think that far ahead. At that moment, it had only one idea, to assemble even more aircraft, pin the enemy down, and wash away the humiliation of the day. As for the losses this would inevitably bring, those in power, consumed by anger, couldn’t care less. The protracted and intense fighting was deeply unsettling. As long as the air battle did not stop, everyone could only remain in the air-raid shelters. Order in London was gradually slipping out of control. Although the cabinet government had repeatedly issued orders to calm public sentiment, asking bureaucrats to continue working under enemy fire was simply too much to expect. Such a major incident inevitably required someone to be held accountable. Even before the fighting in the sky had ended, senior figures within the British government had already begun considering how to deal with the aftermath. “Prime Minister, this is very bad news!” The secretary’s voice interrupted everyone’s thoughts. Prime Minister Campbell, his brow tightly furrowed, immediately asked, “Has our air force been defeated?” With the flames of war already reaching London, matters were already dire. If there was even worse news, it could only be the defeat of the air force in aerial combat. The enemy was the world’s foremost air power, and as a competent politician, one naturally had to prepare in advance for the worst possible outcome. The defeat of the air force was precisely the worst result everyone had anticipated, with no exceptions. “No!” After answering out of habit, the secretary hurriedly explained, “The fighting in the sky is still ongoing. Although the losses are somewhat heavy, our aircraft are continuing to arrive in large numbers. Driving the enemy away is only a matter of time. We have just received a report from Liverpool Harbor. That area has also come under enemy air attack, and the garrison is requesting fighter support.” Upon hearing that the air battle was still ongoing, Prime Minister Campbell’s tension eased slightly, only to tighten again almost immediately. Under the long-standing dominance of the Royal Navy, Britain’s air force was only marginally better off than its army. Having never experienced air warfare, the British government had never anticipated a scene like today’s. If the Holy Roman Empire had not invested heavily in its air force, following the mindset of matching whatever the enemy possessed, there would have been no British air force to speak of at all. Britain had started late, and its domestic manufacturing sector had fallen behind during the Second Industrial Revolution. An air force developed by imitation and momentum alone was naturally no match for that of the Holy Roman Empire. Were it not for the advantage of fighting over home territory, the air battle would have already been lost. Even so, the current situation was hardly better. The aircraft engaged in combat were not refusing to retreat because of courage, but because they simply could not escape. Because their aircraft lagged behind in overall performance, once they closed to short range they simply could not shake off the enemy and had no choice but to grit their teeth and fight it out head on. To make matters worse, the War Office had issued an uncompromising order. Those on the ground had no real understanding of the situation in the sky and merely assumed that the air force was fighting heroically. These issues did not affect Campbell’s ability to make a decision. With London and Liverpool under attack at the same time, the British air force was incapable of covering both battlefields simultaneously. Which one had priority was self-evident. After a brief moment of thought, Prime Minister Campbell said in a carefully phrased and diplomatic tone, “Inform the Liverpool garrison to organize its own air defenses for now. Reinforcements will arrive in the shortest possible time.” What exactly constituted “the shortest possible time” was yet another unsolved mystery in human history, one that no one, past or present, had ever truly figured out. Even so, the phrase was perfectly suited to Britain’s current situation. Without giving the people below a sufficient sense of confidence, those already gripped by panic might very well forget to organize any resistance at all. Although resistance under such limited air defense firepower was unlikely to be effective, doing something was still better than doing nothing. Even shooting down a single enemy aircraft would count as an achievement. After dismissing the secretary, Prime Minister Campbell came to a sudden realization. By personally directing military decisions, he seemed to have crossed an invisible line. Not every British prime minister was a Churchill, obsessed with taking part in military command. Campbell, at least, had no interest in directing troops in battle. Unlike any previous war, this conflict required coordinated operations among the army, navy, and air force. Anything that involved a first time was synonymous with trouble, and this was no exception. Beyond military command, political balance also had to be taken into account. It could be said that unless Edward VII himself were to take command, anyone appointed as supreme commander of the army, navy, and air force would inevitably face criticism. The problem was that even as a king with real authority, Edward VII could at most lend his name to the position. It was impossible for him to personally coordinate joint operations among the three services. Had this been a smooth and favorable war, with easy victories to claim political credit, Edward VII might already have stepped forward to assume command. Unfortunately, the war had only just begun, and Britain had already encountered its darkest day, a heavy blow that deeply undermined everyone’s confidence in winning the war. Without sufficient confidence, the shrewd Edward VII naturally had no intention of stepping forward. In any case, day-to-day governance was handled by the cabinet. Now that something had gone wrong, it was likewise the cabinet’s responsibility, the kind that could not be shifted onto anyone else no matter how hard one tried. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Prime Minister Campbell immediately decided to accelerate the construction of a proper command system. After all, war was best left to professionals. … At Liverpool Harbor, by the time the orders from the British government arrived, the bombing overhead had already ended. Holding the telegram in his hands, Rear Admiral Winston felt utterly overwhelmed. Whether out of a sudden pang of conscience or an attempt to evade responsibility, the air defense warning had finally come through. It arrived even later than the British government’s order to organize local resistance. Apart from silently cursing all the relatives of the relevant officials in his heart, there was nothing Rear Admiral Winston could do. To be fair, their response speed was already very fast by British standards. Under normal procedures, merely completing the process would take at least a week, and if things dragged on, half a year was not unusual. Handling matters strictly according to procedure was the long standing code of conduct of British civil servants and attracted no moral or legal criticism. Although the bombing had ended, Liverpool’s senior figures still failed to appear. Perhaps they were too busy, or perhaps they were excessively devoted to the public good. In any case, officials from both the military and civilian administrations all instructed their subordinates to report to Rear Admiral Winston. Still dazed by the sudden turn of events, Rear Admiral Winston was passively pushed into becoming the highest visible authority in Liverpool. He was not only required to command the troops, but also to restore urban order and organize civilian self-rescue. Every task involved in cleaning up the aftermath fell squarely on his shoulders. This was by no means a good thing. If nothing unexpected occurred, public anger and the title of primary person responsible for Liverpool’s air raid would both land on this unfortunate duty officer, Rear Admiral Winston. At this point, it was already too late to refuse. From the moment the first self-rescue order was issued, Rear Admiral Winston had become the unanimously chosen scapegoat. There was no helping it. Liverpool was not only a commercial port, but also one of Britain’s most important naval bases. As the officer on duty, Rear Admiral Winston inherently bore an inescapable share of responsibility for the air raid. When debts pile up, one more hardly makes a difference. His career was effectively finished anyway, so taking the blame for everyone else did not seem like much more to bear. In essence, everyone was a victim of misfortune. There were so many cities across Britain, yet the Holy Roman Air Force ignored them all and chose Liverpool instead. Who was anyone supposed to complain to about that? Fortunately, London had suffered alongside them. Even the heavily defended capital had taken severe losses, so Liverpool, with its relatively weak defenses, being struck so hard was at least understandable from a military perspective. If responsibility were truly pursued, the first to be held accountable would be the British government itself. Under such circumstances, the final outcome would most likely be a case of making a great show of severity while quietly letting the matter drop. Rear Admiral Winston asked dutifully, “Have the losses been tallied?” The officer responsible for compiling the report replied, “At present, we have only completed a preliminary count of casualties and losses involving personnel, warships, shipyards, and port facilities. Other categories of losses are still being assessed. If everything proceeds smoothly, the full accounting should be completed within two days. The current figures are as follows. The total number of fatalities stands at 1,287, including 49 officers and 757 enlisted personnel. The total number of wounded is 5,176, including 276 officers and 1,186 enlisted personnel. Most of the military casualties were concentrated in the navy, primarily because warships were the enemy’s main targets. Although we managed to sortie in time, the damage sustained during the initial attack was still extremely severe. The ships sunk include two cruisers, three destroyers, four torpedo boats, and seven auxiliary vessels. The number of damaged ships is even greater. More than half of the fleet suffered damage of varying degrees, including two dreadnoughts. The losses at the shipyards are even more serious. Multiple dry docks were heavily damaged, and three dreadnoughts under construction in the docks were completely destroyed. Losses to various forms of infrastructure are too numerous to count. Civilian casualties mostly occurred at the shipyards. When the bombing began, construction work was underway, and many people were buried beneath collapsing buildings before they had time to react.…” Despite having prepared himself mentally, Rear Admiral Winston fell silent upon hearing the specific figures. The losses suffered by the Royal Navy were comparable to those of a major battle. While the number of ships sunk was not especially large, the sheer volume of damaged vessels was overwhelming. Warship repairs required time, especially with the shipyards themselves having been badly damaged. Many repairs would have to be carried out in other regions. Relying on his professional judgment, Rear Admiral Winston concluded that the Royal Navy fleet stationed at Liverpool would require at least six months to recover. There was no need to even mention the shipyards. Warships could at least flee, but the shipyards remained where they were, left to be battered at the enemy’s mercy. Just clearing the rubble alone would likely take several months. By comparison, losses to other infrastructure were relatively minor. It was clear that the enemy had prepared in advance and had even selected their targets beforehand. After calming himself, Rear Admiral Winston said coldly, “Compile the losses as quickly as possible and forward them to the British government. While you are at it, ask whether we actually have any air defense early warning system.” Taking the blame was one thing, but anything that could reduce his responsibility still had to be done. Being hit by an air raid without any prior warning was the best possible excuse for shifting blame. Even if a warning had been issued, it would not have changed the final outcome. Still, that did not stop Rear Admiral Winston from using it as a talking point. … Postwar Liverpool was desolate. The damage inflicted by war could never be fully captured by a few cold figures on paper. Moreover, bureaucrats had always been adept at embellishment. Only a few hours had passed since the bombing ended, so how could anyone possibly have accurately calculated all the losses? Aside from the warships and shipyards that drew the most attention, railway overpasses, platforms, and tracks had been blasted to pieces. The ground was littered with charred and mangled corpses. On the docks, Tom, who had narrowly escaped disaster, wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He looked up at the red sun shining over the crimson-stained land, so bright it hurt his eyes. What war left behind was blood, desolation, homes reduced to ruins, and wounds that could never be healed. Coworkers who had been chatting moments earlier were now nothing more than scattered remains amid collapsed walls, with agonized groans rising from time to time. Tom did not stop to help. It was not a lack of compassion, but the harsh reality that he was powerless to do anything. One had to admit that people truly were divided into ranks. Important figures were precious. Even a minor scratch would summon a crowd of doctors and nurses. As for those at the bottom, their lives were worth less than weeds. Even when gravely wounded and on the brink of death, no one cared. Do not ask why. The answer was always the same: “We have done our best. Medical resources are insufficient.” Even the most capable housewife cannot cook without rice. After confirming that it was safe, Tom climbed up from the ground. Following the sound of shouting mixed with pain, he saw that it was John, the same man he had been joking with earlier. John had lost all trace of his former vitality. Heavy cargo from the collapse had crushed his lower body, and the ground beneath him was already a bloody mess. After hesitating for a moment, Tom withdrew the step he had taken and hurried toward home. It was not that Tom was cold or heartless. He could barely take care of his own family, let alone interfere in someone else’s affairs. At first glance, John’s injuries were confined to his lower body. If he were rescued in time and sent to a hospital, preserving his life did not seem impossible. But for a dockworker at the bottom of society, even a common cold or fever could plunge a household into hardship. A severe injury was far worse. The exorbitant cost of medical treatment was enough to crush an ordinary family. John could not afford it, and neither could Tom. Even if John were saved, it might not be a blessing for his family. Either the household would be ruined financially, or they would be forced to witness the ugliest sides of human nature. For people at the bottom, encountering such a situation was sometimes worse than dying quickly and cleanly.
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