"Your Majesty, the bay at the southern estuary of the Suez Canal is very narrow, only about five kilometers wide, and we only need to leave three or four capital ships to be able to completely seal off the bay. Moreover, it is possible to gather all the firepower to aim at the mouth of the canal. As soon as the German warship was spotted, fire was immediately opened. Such a concentrated fire, even the capital ships of the Germans, may not be able to withstand it. "Anton? Admiral House suggested.

"Do you need to leave so many capital ships behind? We only have 16 capital ships, and if we leave four, it is equivalent to leaving a quarter of our strength. Karl I was a little reluctant. The Austro-Hungarian Empire had collapsed, and they were now the ones who had left their homeland. Their navy, too, is one less warship if it loses it, and it will never be replenished again. This time, so many capital ships were left behind, so that Karl I was reluctant.

"Your Majesty, there is no way around it. If we don't find a way to stop the Germans from pursuing us, we'll be caught up by them. When the time comes, it will be difficult for us to escape. The Germans are now probably not far from us. Our fleet, affected by the low speed of those old warships, is not very fast. It will probably be very easy for the Germans to catch up. "Anton? Admiral House persuaded.

"Which ships do you need to leave behind?" Karl I asked.

"The last time we bought four 'Caesar-class' battleships from the Germans, all stayed!" Anton? Admiral House said.

"What? Those four ships are our true elite! The reluctance in Karl I's eyes became even stronger.

Although, the Austro-Hungarian Navy built four 'Austro-Hungarian Monarch-class' battleships on its own. But either Karl I or Anton? Admiral House knows it. In fact, the four 'Caesar-class' battleships purchased from the Germans were the most powerful capital ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Although they don't want to admit it, even those three 'Moltke-class' battlecruisers are more powerful than their 'Austro-Hungarian-class' battlecruisers. Therefore, the abandonment of the four most powerful capital ships was even more unacceptable to Karl I.

"Your Majesty, the capital ships of the Germans are almost all cutting-edge capital ships, and their defense is very strong. If the capital ship with too weak firepower is left, I am afraid that it will not be able to penetrate the armor of the capital ship of the Germans at all. In that case, there would be no point. "Anton? Admiral House explained.

"Will the 'Caesar-class' battleships we bought from the Germans penetrate the armor of the Germans' New Caesar-class battleships?" Karl I asked.

Anton? Admiral House thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid this won't work. The caliber of the main guns of the battleships of the German 'New Caesar-class' reached 410 mm. And the thickness of the important armor, which is also above 400 mm. The 'Caesar-class' battleships we bought from the Germans were equipped with 50 times the caliber of 343 mm, and I am afraid that they could not penetrate the armor of the Germans' 'New Caesar-class' battleships. ”

"That is to say, then, if the Germans let the well-defended 'New Caesar-class' battleships take the lead when passing through the canal, then even if four 'Caesar-class' battleships were left, it would be useless. They will be quickly sunk under the crush of the powerful capital ships of the Germans! Karl I said.

Anton? Admiral House didn't know what to say. Actually, as Karl I said.

"Your Majesty, in that case, at least buy us a certain amount of time. We will be able to get rid of the German pursuit and enter the Indian Ocean. "Anton? Admiral House said.

Karl I shook his head: "We are now limited in strength, and every naval officer and soldier, every warship is precious to us. Having lost our homeland, we have no more to replenish. Therefore, we cannot simply abandon our warships and officers and men. Speed up the fleet as fast as we can, and if we can get into the Indian Ocean before the Germans catch up, we'll be able to get out of it safely. ”

Anton? Admiral House saw that Karl I was very resolute, so he had to sigh and stop insisting.

However, in order to avoid being tailed by the destroyers of the German Navy, Anton? Admiral House still left two light cruisers and two destroyers to intercept the destroyers of the German Navy.

However, just a day later, the two light cruisers and two destroyers of the Austro-Hungarian Navy were dealt with. The vanguard of the combined fleet of the German Navy, a formation of four light cruisers and four destroyers, had already passed through the Suez Canal. The main forces of the combined fleet have also arrived in the northern part of the canal and are beginning to cross the canal.

Anton? When Admiral House learned of this, he immediately reported it to Karl I.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid the Germans have caught up. Our light cruisers and destroyers, which we left in Suise Bay, were attacked by the Germans and have already been sunk! "Anton? Admiral House reported.

Karl I was silent for a moment, and now their fleet was still in the Red Sea.

The Red Sea was very long, reaching a length of 2,100 kilometers, and at the speed of the Austro-Hungarian navy, it would take at least three and a half days to cross.

"We still need poisoned wine to be able to cross the Red Sea?" Karl I asked.

"At least a little more than two days!" Anton? Admiral House replied.

"And when will the Germans catch up?"

"I guess they'll be able to catch up shortly after we leave the Red Sea. Or rather, as soon as our fleet entered the Indian Ocean from the Gulf of Aden, the Germans arrived. However, the light battleships of the Germans will come first and follow us. "Anton? Admiral House's face was gloomy. He knew that this time the Austro-Hungarian Navy might not be able to escape. Once caught up by the German navy, a major war would inevitably break out. And the strength of the Austro-Hungarian Navy was already much weaker than that of the German Navy. Therefore, the final result will most likely be their defeat by the German Navy, or even the result of total annihilation.

Karl I's face was also very ugly, after the destruction of the country, he had only one goal, that is, to lead the Austro-Hungarian Navy to the United States, and then, with the support of the Americans, continue to resist Germany, and strive to one day be able to fight back to Europe, defeat Germany, and restore his country. But now it seems that they can't escape. There will be no possibility of achieving his goal.