Chapter 31: The Arsenal of Neutrality – 1942–1943
The year 1942 was the darkest of the war. German U‑boats roamed the Indian Ocean, sinking Allied shipping with impunity. Japanese forces swept through Southeast Asia, capturing Singapore, Burma, and the Dutch East Indies. Zeelandia stood alone, a neutral island surrounded by enemies.
Adrian worked eighteen hours a day in the palace, receiving reports from his intelligence network, meeting with diplomats, and calming a fearful population. His health suffered; he lost weight, and dark circles formed under his eyes. But he never wavered.
Professor Bergman brought him news one morning in March. "The Japanese are planning an offensive toward Ceylon. If they take it, they will control the entire Indian Ocean. We will be cut off."
Adrian studied the map on his desk. "Then we must make ourselves indispensable. Increase oil shipments to the British fleet in Ceylon. Offer our ports for repairs. And send a message to Washington: we need submarines."
The submarines arrived in June—a squadron of American Gato‑class boats, painted in Zeelandian colors and crewed by Zeelandian sailors trained by the US Navy. They were the most advanced undersea vessels in the Indian Ocean.
Admiral van Speijk, now retired but still advising, inspected the new boats. "These will change the balance," he said. "With them, we can hunt the U‑boats instead of just hiding from them."
The first Zeelandian submarine patrol sank two German U‑boats off the coast of Southdown. The news spread quickly; the population celebrated, but Adrian warned against complacency.
"One victory does not win a war," he told the parliament. "But it proves that we can fight. And that is enough for now."
The refugee crisis continued. In 1942, over 50,000 Jews, intellectuals, and political refugees arrived in Zeelandia, fleeing the Holocaust. The kingdom's infrastructure strained, but Adrian refused to close the borders.
"Every person we save is a victory over the darkness," he said.
Among the refugees was a young Italian physicist named Enrico Fermi, who had fled Fascist Italy with his Jewish wife. Fermi had been working on nuclear chain reactions. Adrian met him privately.
"Professor Fermi, I know what you are working on. I know what it could become. I want you to continue your research here, in complete secrecy."
Fermi nodded. "I will need materials. Uranium. Heavy water. And time."
"You will have them," Adrian said. "Project Atlas begins today."
---