"You mean to place these four battleships to the Straits Fleet?" Prime Minister Asquith asked.

"No, it's not to place the Strait fleet, it's just to go to the Dover Strait at night to provide cover. Before dawn, the fleet retreats to Forth Bay under the cover of night," said Jericho.

"It's actually unnecessary, right?" Asquith's first reaction was that it was too troublesome to do this, right? The second reaction was how much fuel it would cost to do this!

"It is necessary to do this, because during the day, the entire coastal areas of the English Channel are dangerous, and large warships are difficult to hide. The ships that can still survive in the port are not because the Germans are unable to fight, but they are not caring about it. But if the Germans find that we have deployed battleships in the ports along the Strait, believe me, the best result of these battleships is to sink in the port."

"As for fuel issues, don't worry about this. Those old-fashioned dreadnoughts can burn coal, and there is no need for valuable heavy oil." Jericho seemed to have thought of the Prime Minister's concerns, so he explained.

"So that's the case. Will doing so affect the fleet's preparations? After all, our retreat plan will last a long time, maybe a month." Asquith said after thinking about it.

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"A month? You really look down on the Army." Jericho shook his head and said. "I have an immature or very pessimistic idea. Do you want to listen to it?"

"Please speak," Asquith said.

"In fact, how long this retreat can last does not depend on us. Just imagine that millions of troops, facing the siege of more than 2 million German troops, tens of thousands of artillery, thousands of tanks and thousands of aircraft, were compressed on a small position, you said they could last for a month? If Marshal Heg's army really had this combat power, would they become what they are now?"

"In fact, the Army's evacuation plan is a joke, at least the second half is unreliable. Even if we can withdraw some of the troops, as the troops decrease, our front-line pressure will be very huge. As long as the Germans are willing, they can always break through our defense line. Do you plan to evacuate for a month? Want to withdraw most of the British troops? This is not realistic." Jericho's language is quite mean.

"So can you tell me that since the German army is so powerful, why didn't they quickly kill Marshal Heg's expeditionary force?" Prime Minister Asquith said indignantly.

"The answer is very simple. If the Germans want to end the British Empire in one battle, then he naturally needs to create an opportunity that is most suitable for the decisive battle at sea! And that Bavarian crown prince is best at this. Before he takes action, he will use various means to weaken his opponent and then create a situation that is beneficial to him. When he decides to act, the balance of war has already tended to him. Now, it is just a re-use of the same trick. The British Expeditionary Force is a hostage kidnapped by the Germans, and the large fleet is the police. We try to rescue the hostage, but we send our heads to the gun of the Germans. This metaphor may not be appropriate, but this is the case." Jericho said.

"This kind of words should not be said from your mouth. I heard your reluctance, cowardice and timidity from your words!" Asquith said angrily after hearing this. Sometimes, it seems so unacceptable. The so-called fortresses are all broken from the inside. When people inside doubt their own victory, they are already at the end of their way.

"If the Great Fleet is defeated in that fateful showdown in the near future, then I will use my life to fulfill my promise. I am not afraid of death. What I am afraid of is that my efforts cannot save the British Empire. What I am afraid of is that my actions will cause irreparable scars to the empire. Sometimes facing various pressures is more terrifying than dying in battle." Jericho said in a deep breath.

"But now, I decided to face these pressures! Prime Minister, I can send up to 6 dreadnought ships, or 2 dreadnought and 2 dreadnoughts, for the cover of the Strait, but the premise is that the British government must equip this fleet with 150 aircraft to cover the fleet when necessary. These aircraft must be under the command of the Navy."

"Secondly, we also need additional submarines, destroyers and minecraft ships to improve the mine defense system and submarine alert network in the Dover Strait region. We will do our best to improve the defense in the Dover Strait region, but whether this is effective is not certain. Once the fearless fleet I sent is severely damaged, the Navy will no longer send new battleships to cover the army's retreat, because this will make the large fleet weak to the point of tolerance. This is my last opinion. If you have any objections, you can dismiss me." Jericho said all his plans.

"You are a threat!" Prime Minister Asquith said.

"That's right." Jericho said, relaxing his body, he had finished speaking and prepared what he should do. Now it depends on Prime Minister Asquith's choice.

"Okay, you are a professional, and sometimes I want to replace you all. But..." Prime Minister Asquith couldn't continue. "But, you have to at least achieve a small victory to boost morale, right? Only in this way can I explain to the empire. Otherwise, we all have to go to military courts. Maybe there is nothing scary for you in prison or even death, but you must always worry about your reputation behind you."

"Don't worry, we have already considered what to do. General Thomas will be responsible for this matter himself," said Jericho. He then handed over another document and said, "This is a detailed list of special equipment we need. If you prepare them, we are 70% sure to win a big or small victory."

"We will prepare what you need as soon as possible. The Straits Fleet can also be handed over to you. I only have one victory, one that can curb the Germans." Asquith said after seeing it.

"Okay, no problem, but there is a question that needs to be explained. If the Germans really think that it is meaningless to continue entering the Dover Strait, their land offensive will soon overwhelm the Expeditionary Force. The Expeditionary Force is a bait, the reason why we continue to work for it, and the reason why the German Army suspended its offensive." Jericho said.
Chapter completed!