In a desperate attempt to stop the attack the British Prime Minister, like many other world leaders, gives the order to use nuclear weapons. There are no more aircraft to carry nuclear missiles, but there are still nuclear submarines armed with nuclear missiles.
12.09 pm
HMS Vanguard, a British nuclear submarine, receives orders to deploy its entire arsenal of nuclear missiles.
Missile launched from nuclear submarine
The submarine rises close to the surface. Missile hatches open and the commanding officers on the submarine launch their deadly cargo. Seconds later the missiles are launched from under water. The missiles rise up into the air. Two minutes later they are hurtling towards their targets at 13,600 mph (21,600 km/h).
Each missile is armed with several nuclear weapons, each of which is strong enough to destroy a city.
Alien craft, ten times faster than the missiles, tear through the sky. There are more purple flashes and the missiles are destroyed. None of the nuclear weapons reach their targets. The alien craft go on to attack the submarines which launched the missiles.
12.23 pm.
All military planes, ships and submarines on Earth have been destroyed. Cities and towns have been destroyed, and villages and other small human habitations are under attack. Governments around the world are dead and the few military commanders that remain have little more than small numbers of ground troops under their command. They are rapidly approaching extinction.